| “ | You said it yourself, bitch! We're the Guardians of the Galaxy! | „ |
| ~ Star-Lord before defeating Ronan the Accuser. |
| “ | You're right. We're family. We leave no one behind. Except maybe you. | „ |
| ~ Drax to Neubla. |
The Guardians of the Galaxy are the deuteragonists of the Infinity Saga and the titular main protagonists of the 2023 superhero film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, all in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
They are a band of intergalactic former outlaws and heroes who have teamed together to protect the galaxy from disastrous threats. They managed to save the planet of Xandar from the Kree warlord Ronan the Accuser and have been recognized under the Nova Empire.
History[]
Guardians of the Galaxy[]
In 2014, when a human named Peter Quill, known by his thief name 'Star-Lord', stole an object known as the Orb from a planet named Morag, Ronan the Accuser's Sakaarans hunted for the Ravager. He used his ship the Milano to escape. Yondu Udonta and the Ravagers went to Morag after the Orb but discovered Quill's treachery and set a bounty on him.
Elsewhere in the galaxy, Thanos, the Mad Titan, gave his adoptive daughters Nebula and Gamora to Ronan, who sent Gamora to get the Orb. However, she planned to betray them and sell the Orb to the Collector. On Xandar, Peter tried to sell the Orb to a Xandarian Broker but he was refused after hearing of Ronan. Gamora then launched a sneak attack on Peter but was hindered by bounty hunters Rocket Raccoon and Groot. The Nova Corps then arrested them for public disruption.
The group was sent to the Kyln where Gamora was endangered by inmates whose families were victims of Ronan. As they tried to kill Gamora, Drax the Destroyer stopped them, scaring the other prisoners away. Drax intended to kill Gamora himself to avenge for the death of his family, but Peter convinced Drax that by letting Gamora live he would get the chance to exact his vengeance on Ronan as Gamora revealed she had betrayed him; they made a plan to escape together and split the money for the Orb from the Collector. Rocket plotted an escape plan, but Groot initiated it earlier than planned. They were forced to use a makeshift plan to escape from the Kyln with the Orb, and they managed to do so successfully.
When they arrived on a planet called Knowhere, they met with the Collector, who explained that the Orb was actually a vessel for one of the Infinity Stones, with the Orb holding the Power Stone specifically. Before the deal could be made, the Collector's slave, Carina, grabbed the Stone and caused the collection to blow up, and the team only narrowly escaped with their lives and the resealed Orb. Realizing the Orb was too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands, they decided to give it to the Nova Corps for safekeeping.
Before they could, however, Ronan's forces arrived to get the Orb, called by a vengeful Drax. Drax was easily beaten by Ronan and Nebula took the Orb from Gamora; Peter, having feelings for Gamora, saved her and called the Ravagers to their location, where they were kidnapped by Yondu and his Clan. They convinced him to help them protect Xandar from Ronan the Accuser, who wanted to destroy it and had betrayed Thanos now he had the Power Stone. Yondu agreed to do so, partially out of having a soft spot for Peter, and partially due to the bounty.
The team launched a siege on Ronan's forces around Xandar, with Drax killing Korath the Pursuer and Gamora fighting Nebula, who escaped in a spaceship from the battle. Groot ended up sacrificing himself to protect his newfound teammates, and just when Ronan was about to use the Power Stone to destroy all of Xandar, Peter distracted the warlord, giving Rocket enough time to ambush him with a weapon. They all grabbed the Stone, sharing its power, and killed Ronan in the process.
Now known as saviors, Peter gave a fake Orb to Yondu without his knowledge and all their records were cleaned by the Nova Corps, who also fixed their ship, and, remembering what Ronan had mockingly called them earlier, officially named them the 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. The team then set off to help protect the rest of space with a new sapling Groot, the original Groot's son.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2[]
Two months after the battle on Xandar, the Guardians were hired by the Sovereign to kill an Abilisk that was threatening its planet. Once it was killed, the Guardians went to the High Priestess, Ayesha, to collect their payment from her: a captured Nebula. Ayesha told Peter that he was only half-human and called him a hybrid.
Leaving with Nebula on the Milano, they intended to collect a bounty for her on Xandar. Gamora and Nebula exchanged barbs while Peter apologised to Gamora for flirting with Ayesha, although the Zehoberei claimed not to care. As they left the planet, they suddenly found themselves attacked by a Sovereign, which was due to Rocket stealing their Anulax Batteries. Peter and Rocket argued over flying the spaceship, resulting in them crashing on a planet named Berhert, where they were met by Ego and his assistant Mantis, who had empathetic abilites, with Ego claiming to be Peter's father.
Deciding to go look at Ego's planet body, the Guardians left Rocket and Groot on Berhert to both watch Nebula and fix the Milano. However, the Ravagers arrived on Berhert to get the Sovereign bounty for the Guardians, and captured Rocket. Not wanting Peter to be killed by Ayesha, Yondu offered the Anulax Batteries in trade for letting the Guardians go, angering the crew for his softness on Peter. Spurred on by Kraglin Obfonteri, Taserface mutinied, and Nebula convinced Groot to free her under the pretense of saving Rocket, but she joined forces with the Ravagers and took both of them prisoner.
Meanwhile, on Ego's planet body, Peter began to bond with Ego and discovered he was half Celestial, having powers due to Ego's heritage. Gamora grew suspicious of both Ego and Mantis, believing them to be hiding something, and rejected that there was something between her and Peter, the two arguing over it and Gamora leaving angrily. Outside, she was attacked by Nebula, wanting vengeance for all the years of harsh treatment inflicted on her by Thanos; as children, he made the two fight each other again and again. Gamora always won, so Nebula's entire body was slowly replaced with cybernetic parts to make her Gamora's 'equal'. She also hated Gamora as she was Thanos' favourite.
The sisters fought but eventually reconciled, and discovered a cave filled with thousands of bones. Gamora confronted Mantis, who confessed to Drax that the bones were all Ego's children, and he planned to expand across the universe and rebuilt it in his image using Peter's powers. They raced to save Peter, who discovered that Ego had killed his mother, and they all fought him with help from Rocket, Groot, and the escaped Yondu, when they appeared. At the same time, a Sovereign fleet appeared, tipped off by Taserface.
Eventually, they managed to kill Ego and all escaped, although Yondu sacrificed himself to let Peter live. They held a Ravager funeral for him and witnessed as Stakar Ogord summoned all the Ravager ships to play tribute to him. Gamora and Peter officially started a relationship while Nebula left to go and kill Thanos, having connected with her sister again. They also got a new ship called the Benatar, and, now joined by Mantis, continued on in space.
Avengers: Infinity War[]
Four years later, in 2018, the Guardians were listening to The Rubberband Man when they got a distress signal from a ship called the Statesman. When they arrived, however, they discovered the ship destroyed, bodies of Asgardians floating everywhere, and saved the lone survivor: Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder. They learnt that Thanos had attacked the Statesman, killed half of the Asgardians and Thor's brother, then taken the Space Stone; the team also found out that Xandar had been decimated and Thanos also had the Power Stone, devastating the Guardians.
Gamora informed them of what she knew of her 'father's' plan, which was to use the Infinity Stones to halve all of life in the universe, and the Guardians split up, with Mantis, Gamora, Drax, and Peter going to Knowhere to stop Thanos from getting the Reality Stone from the Collector, and Rocket, Groot, and Thor going to Nidavellir to create a new weapon for Thor. On the way to Knowhere, Gamora made Peter promise to kill her if Thanos got her, and the two kissed, only to be interrupted by Drax and Mantis.
When they arrived, they found Thanos seemingly threatening the Collector, and Gamora stabbed him with the switchblade he gave her. She cried over his body, but it was then revealed that it was an illusion set up by the Mad Titan, who already had the Reality Stone, and he grabbed Gamora. Peter shot her, as per her wishes, but Thanos turned the bullets to bubbles and teleported away with Gamora using the Space Stone. He took her back to his ship, the Sanctuary, and made her reveal the location of the Soul Stone by torturing a captured Nebula.
Tearfully, Gamora revealed that the Soul Stone was on a planet named Vormir, and Thanos took her to get it. While there, they met a man named Red Skull, who revealed that to get the Soul Stone, you had to sacrifice someone you loved. Gamora at first celebrated, believing Thanos loved no one, until Red Skull revealed Thanos genuinely loved her as his daughter. Crying, Thanos apologised to Gamora and said he couldn't ignore his destiny, even for her, before taking her arm and forcibly throwing her off a cliff, killing her and gaining the Soul Stone.
An escaped Nebula sent the Guardians a message to meet her on Thanos' home planet, Titan, as the Black Order planned to go there to give him the Time Stone and the Mind Stone. When they arrived, they met three humans: Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, and Peter Parker, all members of the Avengers, whom Thor had told them about. Thanos arrived soon after and the teams ambushed him together, a newly-arrived Nebula assisting, nearly getting the half-complete Infinity Gauntlet off him. Unfortunately, Peter then demanded to know where Gamora was, and Thanos began to cry, mourning his daughter. Mantis revealed he was mourning, and Nebula peaced it together, telling Peter of Gamora's fate on Vormir.
Unable to believe it and having lost the only woman he'd ever genuinely loved, Peter punched Thanos, which made the plan fail. Thanos nearly killed Stark with the Stones, but Strange stopped him, and traded the Time Stone for Stark's life, knowing it was the only way to ultimtely win against the Mad Titan.
Meanwhile, Rocket, Groot, and Thor arrived on Nidavellir and met Eitri, the last survivor of Thanos' massacre of the Dwarf star. Etiri assisted them in creating a new weapon for Thor, an axe named Stormbreaker, and the three of them went to Wakanda to defend the Mind Stone from Thanos, as it was being held by Vision. He got the Mind Stone, but was briefly stopped by Thor who wanted revenge for Loki and Heimdall's deaths. However, he went for the chest instead of the head, causing Thanos to mock him and snap his fingers, activating the Snap, which killed fifty percent of life in the universe, including the teenage Groot, to Rocket's horror.
On Titan, Mantis revealed in alarm that something was wrong, before she turned into dust. Drax and Peter followed soon after, alongside Strange and Parker, leaving Nebula and Stark stranded on Titan.
Avengers: Endgame[]
Two weeks after the Snap, Captain Marvel saved a stranded Nebula and Stark from space, where Rocket and Nebula comforted each other as they discovered they were the only Guardians left. They met with the Avengers at the Compound and Nebula told them of Thanos' plan to retire to a planet called the Garden after fulfilling his 'destiny', and they went to get the Stones to reverse it.
Arriving in the Garden, they cut Thanos' arm off but discovered the Stones gone, where Thanos revealed he had destroyed them so as to prevent them from being used to undo the Snap. They accused him of lying, but Nebula said her father was not a liar, causing Thanos to admit he had been too harsh on her. In fury, Thor cut his head off, and Nebula closed his eyes for him despite her hatred of her father.
Five years later, in 2023, Nebula and Rocket fell in with the Avengers, helping them keep peace across the galaxy and helping others deal with the aftermaths of the Blip. However, one evening, Scott Lang returned from the Quantum Realm, explaining it was only five hours to him, and proposed the idea of time travel. They convinced Bruce Banner to help them, and Stark eventually came around to helping them perfect it.
Unable to change past events without creating new timelines, they decided to steal past versions of the Stones, bring them to the present, and then undo the Snap that way. Nebula was assigned to go to 2014 Morag with James Rhodes to get the Power Stone, while Rocket went to 2013 Asgard with Thor to get the Reality Stone. Rocket was able to get the Reality Stone rather easily while Thor spoke with his mother and brought a past version of Mjölnir into the present.
Nebula and Rhodes' mission was not as easy, unfortunately. They knocked out a past version of Peter and got the Power Stone, but Nebula discovered that her cybernetics were joint up with her 2014 self, and that 2014 Thanos knew they had time-travelled due to seeing 2014 Nebula's memories. Rhodes went back to the present, but Nebula was trapped and found herself captured by 2014 Thanos.
2014 Nebula, who was still desperate to please her 'father', took Nebula's Pym Particles and travelled to the present with them. 2014 Thanos told her to bring his ship and army through the Quantum Realm, as he wanted to get the Stones and instead use them to destroy the universe and remake it into a 'grateful' one. She did so just as the Avengers undid the Blip, and he blew up the Compound, with 2014 Thanos sending 2014 Nebula to get the newly made Nano Gauntlet.
However, 2014 Gamora began having second thoughts. Due to not meeting Peter or the other Guardians yet, she didn't know about her happiness with them, so went to ask present Nebula what happened to her in the future, who revealed that the two eventually became real sisters. Moved by this, 2014 Gamora freed present Nebula and went to stop 2014 Nebula, who present Nebula reluctantly shot when she tried to shoot 2014 Gamora.
Rocket, with Rhodes, nearly drowned in the flooding building while Bruce tried to save them. They were saved by Scott Lang, who grew big and emerged from the Compound to join in the Battle of Earth, where Mantis, Drax, and Peter appeared through a portal with Strange, while Groot appeared with the Wakandans.
The Guardians all participated in the Battle of Earth, although Peter mistook 2014 Gamora for 'their' Gamora, who rejected him harshly and was disbelieving that her future self had ever had a relationship with him. Eventually, the battle was won, and 2014 Thanos was dusted away with his entire army, Stark having sacrificed himself. Out of respect, all the Guardians knelt, although 2014 Gamora vanished, now stuck in a future timeline and not knowing anyone except Nebula.
Nebula and Rocket left the now disbanded Avengers and returned to the Guardians, where they went to Norway to pick up their newest member, Thor. They were later joined by Kraglin, and began looking for 2014 Gamora.
Thor: Love and Thunder[]
Two years later, in 2025, having given up on looking for 2014 Gamora, the Guardians continued protecting the galaxy from various threats, joined by Thor's rock friend Korg. They went to a planet named Indigarr for a 'holiday' but ended up having to protect King Yakan and his species from Habooska the Horrible and his army. Thor saved them, but he destroyed the Sacred Temple, so King Yakan gave the team two annoying, constantly screaming goats as a 'gift'.
Answring distress calls, they discovered one from Thor's friend named Sif after Gorr the God Butcher attacked the planet she was on, and Thor and Korg decided to leave the team to go save her and stop Gorr. None of the Guardians were too broken up about it, and left on the Benatar after exchanging a quick goodbye.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special[]
By late 2025, the Guardians had bought the remains of Knowhere from the Collector and began rebuilding it after Thanos' siege on it during his hunt for the Infinity Stones, making it their main base. They also bought a bigger ship, the Bowie, and were joined by a telekinetic Soviet dog named Cosmo. Peter began trying to teach the citizens of Knowhere about an Earth tradition called Christmas, althiugh none of them understood it too well, and Peter was still mourning the loss of 'their' Gamora.
In an attempt to cheer Peter up, Mantis and Drax travelled to Earth and decided to kidnap Kevin Bacon, Peter's childhood idol, as a present for Peter. Mantis also secretly told Drax that she was actually Peter's half-sister, as Ego had been her father too, but she was afraid to tell him. Meanwhile, Nebula went to Earth herself and stole Bucky Barnes' vibranium arm as a gift for Rocket.
Mantis and Drax got Kevin Bacon, but Peter wasn't happy with the gift, calling it human trafficking, and demanded he be taken home. Kraglin told Kevin Bacon about how much Peter loved him, and he decided to spend Christmas with them, hugging them all before they took him back to Earth. Mantis was also able to tell Peter she was his sister, and the siblings embraced, Peter wishing her a Merry Christmas.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3[]
In 2026, Peter was still grieving the death of Gamora and had fallen into alcoholism to cope, often dreaming that she was still alive and proclaiming his love for her in his sleep. One day, however, Rocket was suddenly attacked by a Sovereign creation named Adam Warlock, who had been taken out of his cocoon early by Rocket's creator, the High Evolutionary, in order to bring Rocket to him.
Adam failed and was scared off by Nebula, but he injured Rocket badly, and they discovered he had a kill switch implanted in him and that the key was in a place called Orgocorp. They left Kraglin in charge of Knowhere and took the Bowie to the Orgoscorpe, where they were attacked by the United Ravagers. Nebula revealed she had sent a message to 2014 Gamora, who was with the United Ravagers, and payed her to help them sneak into Orgocorp.
Peter, viewing 2014 Gamora as a replacement for the Gamora he'd loved and lost, repeatedly flirted with her to try and rekindle their relationship. Not knowing who he was and being much more bloodthirsty than her dead counterpart, 2014 Gamora responded bitingly each time. They broke into Orgocorp, leaving Groot to watch over Rocket, who was in a coma, and took a Krylorian receptionist named Ura captive, making her get the file, '89P13', for them.
They watched the recording on the file and discovered Rocket's cruel treament by the High Evolutionary, angering Peter and making Nebula say it was worse than what Thanos did to her; however, the key was not on there and they discovered it had been taken out by Theel, a servant of the High Evolutionary, earlier that day, so the Guardians chose to fly to Counter-Earth and take it back. 2014 Gamora grew frustrated, demanding she be brought back to the United Ravagers and calling them her people, making Peter compare her to her future self again. Angered, 2014 Gamora attacked and screamed at him that she didn't care about 'his' Gamora, but Nebula stopped her, firmly telling her that they would not risk Rocket's life to make her's easier and referring to Rocket as family.
Nebula, Groot, and Peter went to Arête Laboratories, where Theel and the High Evolutionary were, to get the key to save Rocket, who had less than a day before he would die from his wounds. Drax, Mantis, and 2014 Gamora remained at the Bowie to guard Rocket, but Drax and Mantis went to help and took a motorcycle, driving to Arête Laboratories, leaving 2014 Gamora to guard Rocket reluctantly. She contacted Fitz-Gibbonok, a fellow member of the United Ravagers, and told him her coordinates so he would pick her up, but Ayesha intercepted the call and used it to send Adam after Rocket, as the High Evolutionary threatened the extinction of the Sovereign if they didn't bring him Rocket.
At the same time, Groot and Peter confronted the High Evolutionary while Nebula remained outside. The High Evolutionary defended his actions, claiming he just wanted to perfect the universe, but sent War Pig to go and kidnap Rocket from the Bowie at the same time Adam showed up to also get Rocket. Adam killed War Pig, but 2014 Gamora defeated him and ran off with Rocket as the planet began to explode due to the High Evolutionary choosing to destroy it and start over due to the imperfections on it, which also killed Ayesha.
Nebula, Mantis, and Drax got onto Arête Laboratories to rescue Peter and Groot, but they had already escaped and killed Theel, taking the key from him, and were able to save Rocket, who had nearly joined the afterlife with his friends, and were happy to see him alive, with Nebula crying as she heard his voice over the intercom. Unfortunately, the High Evolutionary suddenly discovered and captured them, threatening their lives unless they brought him Rocket, dumping them into a pit with the Abilisks, who Mantis was able to tame using her Empath powers, and they broke out as Peter, 2014 Gamora, Groot, and Rocket arrived at Arête Laboratories to free them.
Now reunited, they took down the High Evolutionary's soldiers and decided to free the rest of the experiments and Star Children. Rocket was found by the High Evolutionary and fought him, but the Guardians helped and took him down, as well as revealing the damage Rocket had done to him as a child. As the ship began to go down, they all narrowly escaped, and a redeemed Adam saved Peter from death, whereupon the Guardians all embraced.
2014 Gamora enjoyed working with the team, but she still decided to go back to the United Ravagers, who she considered her family. Peter had finally accepted that this Gamora could not replace the woman he'd loved, and the two parted ways as friends, with 2014 Gamora saying she imagined they were fun. Having seen her move on, it inspired Peter to move on as well, and he told the others he would leave the team and go back to Earth to see if his grandfather was still alive. He then made Rocket the new captain, and the others all decided to leave to, with Drax and Nebula deciding to lead Knowhere and raise the Star Children, and Mantis going on a quest to find herself with the Abilisks, and team all saluted one another, before deciding to dance to one last song together: 'Dog Days Are Over'.
Sometime later, the new Guardians, consisting of Rocket, Groot, Adam, Kraglin, a Star Child named Phyla, and Adam's pet named Blurp, were hired to defend a village on Krylor from some creatures. They debated music tastes, and listened to 'Come and Get Your Love' as they went into battle.
Members[]
- Star-Lord (2014-2018; 2023-2026) - Former Leader
- Gamora † (2014-2018; deceased)
- Rocket Raccoon (2014-2018; 2023-present) - Leader
- Groot (2014-2018; 2023-present)
- Drax the Destroyer (2014-2018; 2023-2026)
- Mantis (2014-2018; 2023-2026)
- Nebula (2014; 2018; 2023-2026)
- Kraglin Obfonteri (2024-present)
- Cosmo (2025-present)
- Yondu Udonta † (2014; deceased)
- Thor (2023-2025)
- Gamora (2026; briefly)
- Adam Warlock (2026-present)
- Phyla (2026-present)
- Blurp (2026-present)
Relationships[]
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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 Heroes
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Stark Industries United States Armed Forces S.H.I.E.L.D. Culver University Asgardians Frost Giants Howling Commandos The Avengers Guardians of the Galaxy Ravagers Nova Corps The Defenders PYM Tech/X-Con Security Consultants Wakandans Midtown School of Science and Technology Masters of the Mystic Arts The Revengers/Sakaaran Rebellion House of Agon Runaways Skrulls S.W.O.R.D. S.A.B.E.R. Time Variance Authority Red Room Ta Lo Armed Forces The Eternals New York City Live Action Role Players Avatars Abomaste Freedom Fighters The Marvels Choctaw Agatha Harkness' Coven New Avengers Multiverse Illuminati X-Men Resistance Fantastic Four Zombie Outbreak Survivors Deadpool's variants Loki's variants Spider-Man's variants Nebula's variants Scarlet Witch's variants Others Others (Films/Disney+) Others (Pre-Disney+ TV) | ||
