The 10 Best Guardians Of The Galaxy Comic Book Storylines

Thor: Love and Thunder caught up with the Guardians of the Galaxy for a brief moment before they return next year to put an end to what James Gunn is proposing to the current MCU team. A lot of great comic storylines featuring the Guardians remain unadjusted when it’s the end, but their best stories point to where the team is headed next in the MCU.

The Guardians of the Galaxy play a role in major modern story arcs such as Secret Wars and destruction, both of which are intended for the screen. Although the Guardians are likely to evolve from their current form in the MCU, big events lead to regular roster changes throughout the comics, and the same likely goes for the live-action crew.

Secret Wars

Secret Wars caps The Multiverse Saga in the MCU and the Guardians certainly play a part. Star-Lord was among the few survivors of the collapse of the multiverse in the 2015 crossover, a major event in Marvel Comics, and helps restore it along with other key heroes, making this an essential storyline of the Guardians comic.

Star-Lord survives by joining Reed Richards, Spider-Man, and others aboard a life raft that keeps them safe during the final raid between Earth-616 and 1610. This concept likely manages to become live-action, as the heists themselves introduced Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The trial of Jean Gray

The Guardians share many weird ties with the X-Men that make for intriguing MCU possibilities, plus a likely crossbreed The trial of Jean Gray. A young Jean Gray stands trial for the crimes of her older variant when the Dark Phoenix and the Guardians intervene, leading to an epic storyline that weaves many characters and ideas together.

This crossover event takes place in Guardians of the Galaxy #11-13 and Brand new X-Men #22-24 and builds some key plot dynamics between the two teams that later lead to equally compelling storylines.

kingdom of kings

kingdom of kings brings together the modern team that MCU fans know and love and the original 31st century comic book team in a cross-time storyline packed with characters and concepts. It also pays off that 2008’s team was reimagined in an appropriately cosmic way by writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and artist Brad Walker.

The plot brings back Thanos, something that’s on the table at least in the MCU, and introduces the Council of Guardians of All Galaxies, an interstellar group that could be created by the multiverse in the MCU.

The Thanos Imperative

Thanos is one of the most powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe and The Thanos Imperative shows why. It also offers another dimension to Thanos as the team teams up with him to deal with a greater threat. When an incursion threatens Earth-616 with the Cancerverse, the team tasks Thanos with creating death in a universe where this is not the case.

Packed with epic action and challenging choices, this dark tale also offers some inspiration for the future of the MCU, especially as ideas become a factor in The Multiverse Saga.

The Black Swirl

Comics fans know that Kitty Pryde loves science and technology, and she brings that love to her time with the Guardians of the Galaxy. She plays a major role in The Black Vortex, a cosmic comic story involving the Guardians and the X-Men as they both try to contain an unimaginably powerful weapon from falling into the wrong hands.

The storyline sees Kitty Pryde reach her greatest power potential in the multiverse, something the MCU will likely touch on at some point, and also features her engagement to Star-Lord and joining the Guardians.

Searched

Kitty Pryde eventually takes over the team Searched, a funny story that messes up the line-up in a big way. With the MCU Guardians roster set to change, this storyline offers plenty of opportunities for live action. Many new characters join, including Angela, Thor’s long-lost sister and one of the best Thor comic book characters yet to appear in the MCU.

This story also picks up on the Badoon, the alien race that played a pivotal role in the original Guardians of the Galaxy formation and may soon make an appearance in live action.

The Korvac Saga

The original Guardians team, including Vance Astro, Martinex T’Naga, Captain Charlie-27, and Yondu, originally resided in an alternate future timeline. They interbred with Earth-616 in The Korvac Sagaone of the best storylines in the Avengers comics, and as a result became an important part of the actual Marvel Universe.

The Guardians help the Avengers fight Korvac, a powerful cosmic villain who may one day show up in live action. Your experience in this story runs in The Avengers #167–177 in the 1970s led to further adventures in the present day of 616.

heritage

heritage recontextualizes the Guardians for the modern age and creates the eventual MCU team, making this a seminal comic book storyline. Abnett and Lanning usher in a brand new era for the team in 2008, bringing together now-familiar characters Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot.

The storyline also has some key differences from the live-action that readers are likely to find compelling. Characters like Adam Warlock are there from the start, and concepts like the Universal Church of Truth are proving to be major villains, and they could still make an appearance in the MCU.

remember death

Gamora’s fate remains a major question in the MCU and remember death is a great comic book story that could hold clues to its live-action future. Written by Nicole Perlman with graphics by Marco Checcetto, this story truly explores Gamora’s origins and character for the first time in the comics.

Gamora struggles with her past as a weapon and instrument of Thanos, and this journey could shed light on where variant Gamora goes next in the MCU, as her character is effectively reset Avengers: Endgame.

destruction

destruction presents a grand cosmic storyline that will surely appear in the MCU at some point. Annihilus launches The Negative Zone’s Annihilation Wave, resulting in an all-out war that brings together the modern Guardians team, making this 2009 tale a must-read.

Nova leads the fight and organizes the diverse members of the new Guardians along with many other great cosmic characters like the Silver Surfer. The epic scope of the storyline completely reshapes the cosmic Marvel Universe for years to come.

NEXT: The 10 Best Guardians Of The Galaxy Characters Not In The MCU