Gamora (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

"Whatever nightmares the future holds, are dreams compared to what's behind me"

- Gamora at the Kyln

Gamora is the deuteragonist of the 2014 Marvel movie, Guardians of the Galaxy.

She was portrayed by actress Zoe Saldana who also portrayed Neytiri in the 2009 James Cameron's global gigantic blockbuster hit, Avatar.

Early life
When Gamora was very young, the interplanetary warlord Thanos killed every member of her species, the Zehoberei. Thanos killed Gamora's parents in front of her, but spared her and raised her as his own child. As she aged he cybernetically changed her body, trying to transform her into the ultimate weapon. Gamora trained under the tutelage of Ronan the Accuser as a Galaxy-Class Killer alongside Korath and the Luphomoid known as Nebula. Gamora and Nebula considered each other sisters, and both shared great enmity towards Thanos for destroying their childhoods.

Upon reaching adulthood, Gamora and Nebula sought the powerful item known as the Orb for Thanos under the command of Korath the Pursuer. On the planet Praxius IX, while following a false lead on the Orb, Nebula found herself ensnared by an impenetrable Laser Thorn Energy Net. Under Thanos' orders, Gamora left Nebula behind, leaving her only a large knife with which to cut herself out of the netting. The experience drove a great wedge between the two sisters, and also strengthened Gamora's bitterness towards Thanos.

The Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy

 * "I go by many names, Earthian, but I'm sure the one that most know me by is Gamora, the deadliest woman in the whole galaxy."
 * ―Gamora

As the years passed, Gamora's skills earned her Thanos' favoritism, which only proved to strengthen the growing wedge in her relationship with Nebula. In time, Gamora built up the reputation as the "Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy".

Thanos lent Gamora and Nebula's services to Ronan, whom Thanos had hired to find the Orb in exchange for the complete annihilation of Xandar. This was the final straw for Gamora, who was unwilling to assist Thanos and Ronan in killing millions of innocent lives. Her opportunity for freedom eventually came in the form ofTaneleer Tivan, who sought to add the Orb to his collection, and hired Gamora to bring it to him once she or Ronan located it.

Knowing that the Orb falling into the hands of either Ronan or Thanos would spell doom for the galaxy, and wishing to make up for past crimes, Gamora accepted the job, believing that the Orb would be safer in the hands of Tivan than Ronan.

Quest for the Orb

 * "I'm no family to Ronan or Thanos."
 * ―Gamora

Gamora traced the Orb to Peter Quill, a human outlaw and associate of the intergalactic smugglers group, the Ravagers. Pursuing him to Xandar, Gamora ambushed Quill just as he was trying to sell the artifact to a merchant. Her planned attack was thrown off, however, when the criminal duo of Rocket Raccoon and Groot arrived, instead seeking Quill who had a high bounty on his head from Yondu Udonta. In the confusion, Quill fled.

Gamora and the two thugs raced after Quill, causing quite an uproar. Eventually, Gamora pinned Quill, but the Nova Corps quickly intervened and arrested the four for civil disruption. The four were then shipped offworld and sent to the Kyln for incarceration. Once there, Gamora found herself being antagonized by one of the inmates, Drax, whose wife and family had been murdered by Ronan. With Gamora being connected to Ronan, Drax nearly attempted to kill her in order to briefly satisfy his hatred, but was stopped by Quill.

While initially distrustful of each other, Gamora offered to split Tivan's payment with Quill, Rocket, and Groot if they assisted her in escaping from the prison. Accompanied by Drax, the criminals staged a prison break, and fled the Kyln in the Milano.

The Collector
Traveling to Knowhere, Gamora and the group waited to meet with Tivan. Gamora and Quill shared a brief moment, which ended with Gamora harshly rejecting Quill's advances, as she was aware of his reputation. When Tivan finally met with the group, they discovered that the Orb was in fact a containment device that held an Infinity Stone. Before the group could accept their payment, Tivan's assistant,Carina, attempted to take the stone, only to unintentionally tap into its power and trigger a massive explosion that killed Carina and destroyed much of Tivan's collection. Barely escaping with their lives, Gamora hastily resealed the stone into the Orb and left.

Finally realizing the true danger of the Orb, Gamora decided to deliver the Orb to the Nova Corps where it would be safest, when Ronan and his forces suddenly arrived, having been called to Knowhere by Drax. In the ensuing chaos, Gamora engaged Nebula in an aerial battle that resulted in her being blown into deep space and the Orb stolen.

Battle of Xandar
Quill managed to rescue Gamora before she could die from space exposure, and the two were picked up by the Ravagers. Their leader, Yondu Udonta, agreed to help them in retaking the Orb from Ronan, who had betrayed Thanos and was now making his way to Xandar with the intention of destroying it. Joining up once again with Quill, Rocket, Groot, and Drax, Gamora joined in the Battle of Xandar. During the battle, Gamora and her allies infiltrated Ronan's ship, the Dark Aster, where Gamora defeated Nebula in a duel and then disabled the vessel's shield generator. She then joined her friends in confronting Ronan, who easily subdued them before being violently plowed by Rocket, causing the Aster to plummet from the Xandarian skyline. Groot sacrificed himself to keep the others safe from the crash.

Defeating Ronan the Accuser
Ronan survived the crash as well, and in the end, Gamora, Quill, Drax, and Rocket destroyed him using the Infinity Stone. The stone was then given to the Nova Corps, who pardoned the group from their criminal records. Now free from Thanos and Ronan, Gamora permanently joined Quill, Rocket, and Drax as the "Guardians of the Galaxy".

Personality
Gamora is stoic, distant, caring and proficient. Initially merciless due to her background with Thanos, Gamora eventually grew to distrust her 'father' when it became clear that he didn't really care about anyone but himself. Realizing that he was using her and her sister as merely a means to an end, Gamora chose to defect from Thanos' side and became determined to redeem herself for her past actions.

Although she got off to a rocky start with the other Guardians, particularly Drax the Destroyer, Gamora did eventually grow to respect her teammates and started to see them as her friends and perhaps even family.

By comparison, the time she spent with Thanos has led her to have an intense hatred towards the Mad Titan and all his associates. The only known exception to this is her adopted sister Nebula, whom she continued to love after she defected.

Powers

 * Zehoberei Physiology: As a Zehoberei, Gamora naturally possesses physical capabilities beyond any human being.
 * Superhuman Strength: As a Zehoberei, Gamora is super-humanly strong, though not quite as strong as anAsgardian.
 * Superhuman Durability: As a Zehoberei, Gamora's skin is highly resistant to physical harm. While weaker than certain species, such as Asgardians, her skin is much more durable than that of a human. The increased tissue density also contributes somewhat to Gamora's physical strength.[citation needed]
 * Superhuman Agility: As a Zehoberei, Gamora is highly agile. She often uses her agility during battle, giving her an advantage over her opponents.
 * Cybernetic Skeleton: While in the service of Thanos, Gamora had cybernetic appendages installed in her providing enhanced strength. For example, she was able to leap at a tremendous height while helping the other Guardians escape from the Kyln, and was able to survive or at least briefly sustain various different afflictions that would prove fatal to a normal human being, such as severe electrocution and deep-space exposure.
 * Ocular and Respiratory Implants: Gamora had implants installed in her Visual system and Respiratory system, providing enhanced stamina and vision.
 * Enhanced Neurological System: Gamora's Nervous system is more advanced than that of most species, granting her enhanced senses and awareness.
 * Regenerative Healing Factor: Bio-augmentations have granted Gamora the power to regenerate very quickly from any injury or infection.

Abilities

 * "Anyone who's anyone knows who you are."
 * ―Rocket Raccoon
 * Master Assassin: Gamora earned the reputation as being the "deadliest woman in the galaxy."
 * Master Combatant: Having been trained as an assassin, Gamora is an expert combatant and marksman. Under Thanos' wing, Gamora received extensive training in both armed and unarmed combat. As a result, she is an extremely talented swordswoman. Gamora was able to throw a knife with such accuracy that she caused Quill to drop the Orb from his hand while he was running away from her without amputating him.

Equipment

 * Retractable Blade: Gamora's favorite weapon is the Retractable Blade. She used it to amputate Groot's limbs when he attempted to restrain her.

Allies

 * Guardians of the Galaxy - Teammates
 * Peter Quill/Star-Lord - Potential Love Interest and Leader
 * Drax the Destroyer
 * Groot
 * Rocket Raccoon
 * The Collector - Employer

Video Game Only

 * Cosmo
 * Mantis

Enemies

 * Ronan the Accuser † - Instructor
 * Thanos - Adoptive Father and Master
 * Nebula - Adoptive "Sister"
 * Korath the Pursuer †

Video Game Only

 * Angmo-Asan/Red King
 * Caiera
 * Charlie-27
 * Beta Ray Bill
 * Bruce Banner/Hulk/Green Scar
 * Skunge
 * Levan
 * Korg
 * Margus
 * Angela
 * Zak-Del/Wraith
 * Supremor
 * Xandarian Worldmind

Trivia

 * In the comics, Gamora possesses different physical characteristics such as green hair and yellow patch-like tattoos over her eyes, and she was eventually entrusted to protect the Time Gem.
 * Despite their animosity toward each other, Gamora cares for Nebula. The two have a relationship similar to that of Thor and Loki.