Who are the Imperial Guard in ‘X-Men ’97?’

The sixth episode of Disney Plus’ brilliant X-Men ’97, “Lifedeath – Part 2,” introduced audiences to the Shi’ar Imperial Guard. While not the best in the series up to this point, the episode was a satisfying watch with a Storm-centric storyline performed excellently by voice actress Alison Sealy-Smith, who’s been consistently brilliant since the show began.

Taking influence from 1984’s seminal Uncanny X-Men “Lifedeath” arc, the episode’s somewhat rushed nature probably didn’t do its source material justice. However, introducing the Imperial Guard is undoubtedly exciting for Marvel fans.

The brief battle between the Shi’ar and the Kree is one of the most entertaining parts of the episode, and viewers of the series will be hoping for more of the same exciting action from the Imperial Guard now that the team is part of it.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Imperial Guard, they are an essential part of Marvel’s comic book history—and it’s certainly worth knowing more about them.

The Shi’ar Imperial Guard

Introduced in 1977’s X-Men #107, the Imperial Guard is a team of warriors who act as law enforcers for the Shi’ar Empire, an enormous assembly of extraterrestrial species, cultures, and planets. Often referred to as the Superguardians, they are also the personal guards of the Empire’s leader (Empress Lilandra Neramani in X-Men ’97).

Writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum created the team to battle the X-Men in the first part of the epic “Dark Phoenix Saga.” They’ve been a key, reoccurring part of X-Men lore ever since. The group has also encountered the likes of the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Nova Corps, the Skrulls, the Kree, and the Starjammers.

The team comprises heroes (or villains, depending on the specific story) considered the most formidable members of each race in the Shi’ar Empire. The original team members were imitations of DC Comics’ Legion of Superheroes—the most prominent example being that leader Gladiator is modeled on Superboy, and his civilian name, Kallark, is an amalgamation of Superman’s two civilian names, Kal El and Clark Kent. In X-Men ’97, Gladiator is voiced superbly by David Errigo Jr., who provides the voice of several characters in the series.

Other team members include Astra, modeled after Phantom Girl; Electron, a pastiche of Cosmic Boy; Oracle, based on Saturn Girl; Quasar, a tribute to Star Boy; and Impulse, whom Wildfire influences.

Since the team’s inception, over 50 Imperial Guard members have appeared in print. It’s exciting to ponder how many of those characters will appear in X-Men ’97 going forward.

Anyone interested in reading some fantastic limited series involving the Imperial Guard should consider 1997’s Imperial Guard, 2009’s War of Kings, 2010’s Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard, and 2013’s Infinity.