Hey everybody, welcome back to another great character spotlight, right here in Marvel Snapshot! In this week’s edition, I decided to go with something that doesn’t get much love now, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. With the Guardians of the Galaxy movie coming next year, I decided to spotlight the original team of guardians. This eclectic group of heroes is as diverse and wild a group that’s ever been put together, so let’s get a look at them now! They were created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan in 1969 (Marvel Superheroes #18).
In the 31st century, Vance Astro was a man out of time. He was a 20th century astronaut who was in suspended animation for a long time, and woke up in the 31st century. Also known as Major Victory, he is the member that we all recognize from the iconic shield of Captain America that he dons. Next, we have Martinex T’Naga, a crystal warrior from the planet Pluto who can fire heat and cold blasts to stop villains in their tracks. The muscle bound Charlie-27 is a soldier from Jupiter who has a wealth of knowledge in weapons of all forms. His toughness is never in doubt. Lastly, there’s Yondu Udonta, who is a blue skinned warrior from the planet of Alpha Centauri. His expertise in combat, especially with his bow, is always there to save the day.
These original members were joined later by others, but they were the first that banded together to stop the alien threat of the Badoon. This was the premise of The Avengers and the later incarnation of the Guardians, as well. Good concept that worked well, and probably will more in the future. Of the other members of note was first and foremost Starhawk. He’s a guy that has been featured predominantly in Guardians, but also spent some time in the Defenders, and Avengers, as well. The Korvac Saga was probably the biggest one of note. Next was Nikki, and she was born on Mercury, was rescued by the Guardians, and then later started a relationship with Astro.
The series that ran in the early and mid 90s was very underrated. Yeah, some of the stories were cliché for that time period, but in all honesty that team was a neat little group who made the stories better. Artistically, the books definitely hold up, too. In the 2008 incarnation, this team made an appearance in a couple of issues that was absolutely great, so make sure to check that out, as well.
As usual, take a look at my recommended reading list, along with some of the best covers starring these warriors from the 31st century! Enjoy!
Recommended Reading
Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrows Avengers – Tpb
Guardians of the Galaxy (1990) – Tpb
Guardians of the Galaxy (2008) – #’s 7, 16, 18, & 25
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net