Marvel reveals that a new Guardians of the Galaxy team will try to replace the original heroes, assembling a group of villains and heroes-turned-foes. Originally created to combat the brutal conquest of the solar system by the Badoon, the first Guardians of the Galaxy were each the final survivors of their respective colonized worlds, united as a band of outcasts who set the precedent for multiple iterations of the cosmic team. Now, the Guardians of the Galaxy are more famously associated with Peter Quill’s squad, popularized by their blockbuster MCU adaptation.
While the 2008 post-Annihilation revival permanently established the team composed of Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Drax, the team’s official roster has expanded to incorporate famous Earth heroes. The legendary Fantastic Four powerhouse Ben Grimm and the X-Men’s tactical genius Kitty Pryde both enjoyed prominent stints aboard the Guardians’ starships, with Kitty even temporarily assuming the title of Star-Lord herself. The team has also absorbed street-level heavyweights like Scott Lang and the symbiotic anti-hero Agent Venom alongside mythic heavy hitters like Hercules.
By this point, anyone from a street-level hero to an ancient mythological deity can claim a seat in the galaxy’s most chaotic family, including supervillains.
Marvel’s New Guardians Of The Galaxy Assemble To Assassinate Star-Lord
Imperial Guardians #4; Written By Dan Abnett; Art By Eduardo Pansica, Jay Leisten, Lorenzo Ruggiero, And Rachelle Rosenberg
The Imperial Guardians assembled by Maximus have found their footing after multiple missions and close calls. They’re even trusting Maximus more than they ever thought they would, as Maximus’ plans have all worked out in the end so far. However, the Imperial Guardians don’t expect what’s coming for them: a rival team of Imperial Guardians, assembled specifically to assassinate Peter Quill and replace them. The delicate balance found in Peter Quill and Maximus’ cosmic leadership could soon be broken, leaving several forces eager to fight to the death and destroy the Union from all fronts.
Imperial Guardians #4 only reveals the villainous Imperial Guardians in its very last panel, but a couple of characters’ identities seem clear. The young man with a cape and a star emblem on his chest appears to be Quasar, and the masked man wielding a Captain America shield is very clearly John Walker a.k.a. US Agent. The evil Imperial Guardians are led by Death’s Head, the “freelance peace-keeping agent” first introduced as a Transformers antagonist who later hunted down Doctor Who‘s titular hero and eventually became a Marvel villain.
The Guardians Of The Galaxy Are Officially The Avengers Of Space Now
The Guardians And Their Villains Are No Longer Exclusively Cosmic
The events of Jonathan Hickman’s Imperial birthed a Guardians of the Galaxy roster realignment almost entirely composed of characters who built their legacies on Earth. Gamora is the sole representative of traditional cosmic heroism, while the rest of the covert spec-ops unit features heavy-hitting terrestrial mainstays like Carol Danvers, Amadeus Cho, and Christopher Powell. Even the chaotic wildcard of the group, Cosmic Ghost Rider, is a bridge between both worlds, as this version of Frank Castle began his fictional trajectory as the gritty Earth-bound vigilante Punisher before he received the Power Cosmic.
8 Years After Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Cut This Hero, He’s Finally Joining the Franchise
After being cut from Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, Darkhawk is finally getting another shot at joining the latest incarnation of the popular team.
The Imperial Guardians’ Earth-centric influence stretches far beyond their main roster, as the emerging threats opposing the team mirror their origins. The sinister antagonistic factions teased at the end of Imperial Guardians #4 feature one of John Walker’s rare missions in outer space, which also suggests the yet-to-be-revealed members of the evil Imperial Guardians include other familiar Earthly anti-heroes and villains. While Quasar is as cosmic a character as one could be, his presence in Death’s Head’s team puts a twist on his long Marvel Comics history.
Which characters do you want to see in the new Imperial Guardians line-up?
Imperial Guardians #4 is now available from Marvel Comics.
- Created by
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Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
- Cast
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Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, Lee Pace, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Debicki, Will Poulter, Chukwudi Iwuji