The Source Material
While the Guardians Of The Galaxy first appeared in the Marvel comic books in 1969, created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan, it’s the 2008 reboot of the team upon which the MCU feature films are loosely based.
Little unites the 1969 and 2008 comic book versions, beyond the fact that the teams are space-based superheroes working to proactively protect the galaxy, rather than react to crises as and when they occur. In the 2008 version, the team cross paths with a man experiencing some amnesia, who reveals himself to be Vance Astro, also known as Major Victory – the team leader of the original, 1969 Guardians Of The Galaxy. It’s this encounter that encourages the 2008 group to adopt the team name.
The rebooted Guardians team was created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, using existing characters, and first appeared in Annihilation: Conquest #6. The team actually comprised seven members in the source material – including Quasar and Adam Warlock, alongside Star-Lord, Rocket, Gamora, Drax, and Groot. They also shared much the same set of values as the original, and met a number of nemeses – including King Blastaar and Maelstrom, in addition to Thanos and the Kree. The team has undergone a number of changes to its roster over the years and has even included Iron Man at times.
