Excited by this summer’s Marvel movie after the trailer but never read a Guardians of the Galaxy comic book?
In the tradition of Avengers for Virgins, Here’s what you need to know about Marvel’s next big thing on the big screen:
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is a half-human taken from Earth as a child. A hard life in space makes him a rogue until he finds a greater purpose, meets alien loners and sets out to save the galaxy- but never losing his sarcastic humor. When Quill steals an orb – he becomes the target of alien trackers.
Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is the adopted daughter of Thanos (the purple alien you saw at the end of The Avengers) who betrayed her twisted family to join Quill’s team of heroes.
Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) seeks vengeance against Ronan after losing his family. In comics Drax was a human genetically altered to be a living weapon to destroy Thanos.
Groot (Vin Diesel) is a tree-like humanoid alien. In comics Groot descended from royalty on his home world and can absorb wood to regrow and strengthen himself.
Rocket (Bradley Cooper) is a genetically engineered animal with expert marksmanship and tactical prowess. In comics he’s a skilled pilot and ready to jump into the fight with two pistols blazing. He does not like be called a Raccoon.
The Villains:
Ronan (Lee Pace) is an alien enforcer working for Thanos and stalks the Guardians. In comics Ronan the Accuser is a military leader of the Kree Empire. No official word if Ronan will be connected to the Kree Empire.
Nebula (Karen Gillan) is a ruthless space pirate with a connection to Thanos and Gamora. Bald, beautiful and sadistic – Nebula is one the most notorious comic book bad girls of Marvel. (Gillan will be appearing at Emerald City Comicon in March.)
Dijimon Honsou is Korath, an ally of Ronan and Thanos. In comics Korath is a rival Kree military leader.
Tanaleer Tivan aka The Collector (Benicio Del Toro) is an Elder of the Universe who keeps a massive living museum of artifacts and aliens. If you saw Thor: The Dark World – Loki (under the guise of Odin) orders Sif to deliver an Infinity Gem to The Collector for safe keeping.
The Allies?
Rhomann Dey (John C. Reilly) is an officer of the Nova Corps – an intergalactic police force with its origins on the planet Xandar.
Nova Prime Rael (Glenn Close) is leader of the Nova Corps – think Nick Fury of a S.H.I.E.L.D. in space.
The Wild Card?
Yondu (Michael Rooker) is a blue-skinned hunter/tracker. In comics Yondu was a member of the original Guardians. We haven’t seen the veteran of The Walking Dead yet – no official word on if he’ll have the blue skin and red fin Yondu wears in the comics.
Team History:
This Star-Lord led team was born out of the 2008 Annihilation: Conquest storyline by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. The original Guardians were created in 1969, from the 31st century and often fought with the Avengers.
The current team of Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot currently has a new team member: Angela, a warrior angel from another dimension and even Iron Man joined the team for an adventure in space.
Here’s the official film description from Marvel:
“From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team–the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits–Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly and enigmatic Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand–with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.”
What’s important to watch for:
Guardians will be packed with references and hints of what’s to come in future Marvel movies – especially Avengers 3.
Many of these characters in the movie have direct connections to Thanos – who was behind Loki’s invasion of Earth in The Avengers.
With all the references to orbs and gems across space it sure looks like Marvel is marching towards a showdown between Avengers, Guardians vs. Thanos possibly based on the epic story: The Infinity Gauntlet.
Reilly and Close are playing members of the Nova Corps – Nova is a comic book series starring a young Earth man named Sam Alexander as a rookie member of the Corps. Sam was trained in part by the Guardians of the Galaxy. With all that comic book connectivity – Nova could be on Marvel’s movie agenda.
That’s get you started and gives you some things to watch but it’s still a big sci-fi adventure so feel free to just enjoy the movie!
Guardians of the Galaxy arrives August 1.
By Editor