Day: December 15, 2018

Biography

The Walking Thesaurus

Drax comes from an underdeveloped race whose people are completely literal and have difficulty grasping metaphors, though they make up for it with their eloquent speech. They are also fierce warriors with a tribal-like culture. His calm and serious demeanor hides the seething rage and murderous hatred below the surface.

Drax met his wife Hovat at a war rally, and it was her lack of joy and refusal to dance at the event that attracted him to her. Together, they had a daughter, Kamaria. When his wife and daughter were slain by Ronan the Accuser of the Kree Empire under the order of the Mad Titan Thanos, he travelled across the galaxy seeking revenge. Slaying dozens of Ronan’s minions and earning the moniker “Drax the Destroyer,” these criminal acts landed him in a Nova Corps high-security prison, Kyln. While serving his sentence at Kyln, Drax meets Peter Quill (Star-Lord), Rocket, Groot, and adopted daughter of Thanos, Gamora.

Muscle-Bound Whack Job

Drax possesses super human strength, allowing him to lift bulk weight, break through stone and metal with ease, and rip machines in half with his bare hands. He can overpower multiple assailants and withstand any threat due to his strong healing factor, impact-resistant skin, and fast regeneration ability. With impeccably fast reflexes, Drax is agile, able to jump high and move at great speed.

A powerful hand-to-hand combatant, Drax is able to take on other warriors, like Korath the Pursuer, with little effort. His preferred weapons are dual knives, which he possesses a skilled mastery of and polishes often. However, he has been known to wield the Hadron Enforcer—a weapon invented by Rocket—to intimidate the Ravagers and also against Ronan the Accuser.

Enemies of the Galaxy

Although initially Drax is focused on revenge, his enemies expand to include those that oppose the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Ronan the Accuser, a radical zealot, breaks a peace treaty between the Kree and Xandarians desiring that all Xandarians be destroyed. In his destructive wake, Ronan kills Drax’s wife and daughter, which propels Drax on his revenge mission to defeat Ronan and his forces and allies.

A being of immense strength and cruelty, and the adoptive father of teammate Gamora, Thanos will stop at nothing to get ahold of each Infinity Stone to destroy half the universe in an effort to save it. Drax realizes upon Ronan’s death that he was merely a pawn—Thanos is his true enemy.

Drax joins the Guardians in their fight against the Sovereign High Priestess, who pursues the team for stealing their home planet’s power source known as Anulax batteries. He also battles against the Celestial being Ego, biological father to Guardians leader Peter Quill, not only to prevent his attempt to conquer the universe, but also save his friends.

Friends of the Galaxy

Although initially solitary, Drax teams up with Peter Quill (Star-Lord), Gamora, Rocket, and Groot in Nova Corp prison Kyln to escape. They band together further to fight Ronan for an Infinity Stone to save the universe. Despite their differences and many disagreements, they become the Guardians of the Galaxy. And so, the Guardians’ allies become those of Drax as well.

Yondu Udontu, along with his first mate Kraglin Obfonteri and the rest of the Ravagers, straddle the line between the ally and enemy roles depending on Yondu’s mood and the payoff. However, he is typically an ally. He helps the Guardians against Ronan’s forces and particularly assists them against Ego.

The Nova Corps, led by Nova Prime, is an intergalactic armed force of the Nova Empire with headquarters on Xandar. At first detaining the outlaws, Corpsmen Dey and Denarian Saal later fight alongside them to protect Xandar from Ronan the Accuser.

Nebula, Thanos’ second adoptive daughter and a cybernetically-enhanced, trained assassin, is typically an enemy of the Guardians, stealing the Infinity Stone and trying to stop their assault on Ronan. However, she becomes an ally against Ego and Thanos.

To try to stop Thanos, Drax fights alongside a number of Super Heroes on Thanos’ home planet Titan. He is joined by his fellow Guardians Star-Lord and Mantis, Nebula, Avengers Iron Man and Spider-Man, and the Master of the Mystic Arts Doctor Strange.

 

Biography

I Am Groot

Sentient and ambulatory plant-being Groot left his Flora colossus people behind on their native Planet X to travel out into the galaxy. Both before and after meeting the genetically enhanced creature known as Rocket, Groot racked up an impressive list of criminal charges from the Nova Corps police force while working for crime lords in various capacities.

Together, Groot and Rocket finally concentrated on being bounty hunters, a job that took them to many exotic worlds. Upon tracking Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord, to Xandar for the bounty on his head, Groot and Rocket ran afoul of the assassin Gamora and wound up arrested by the Nova Corps. They were incarcerated in the Kyln prison complex alongside Quill and Gamora, where they also met the warrior Drax.

They teamed up with their fellow inmates to fence the Orb, a mysterious artifact that Quill claimed could be sold for immense wealth if Groot and the others would help him escape lock-up.

I Am Groot

Composed of matter resembling that of wood and possessing a fully functioning brain system, Groot can “grow” most anything he needs at any given time from his body, such as weapons for fighting, protective barriers for himself or others, and even flowers to give to special someones. Not usually overly talkative, he communicates with what appears to be a single phrase, “I am Groot,” but which can be translated to mean a multitude of things, as if stated in a full language format.

Normally placid and friendly, Groot can handle himself well in combat and use deadly force if he feels the situation warrants it, and most especially if anyone endangers Rocket or his fellow Guardians of the Galaxy. In fact, in those moments, Groot can be called fierce and frightening.

One of his greatest abilities is his ability to survive immense damage or even mortal injury by “regrowing” himself from even a small shard of his former self. During this reformative time, Groot follows a growth cycle similar to humans, from infant to adolescent and finally to adulthood, with each stage bringing with it evolving intelligence and temperament levels.

I Am Groot

When provoked or threatened, Groot transforms from peaceful tree-person into a mighty warrior with a hint of savagery—characteristics he exhibits regardless of what age he appears to be. As a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot joins the fight against cosmic threats like Ronan and Ego, and eventually Thanos and his followers.

On a more personal level, the baby incarnation of Groot exacts his vengeance on the Ravager named Retch for abuses delivered by Retch during Groot’s brief tenure as the forced “mascot” of the pirates.

I Am Groot

Rocket stands as Groot’s closest companion and buddy, with all that such a relationship brings with it. Though the almost-raccoon often times seems frustrated or even irritable with the tree-being, they are in fact deeply aware of each other’s needs and feelings.

Groot also apparently treasures his friendship and camaraderie with the other members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, especially Gamora and Peter Quill, the two of them often acting as parental figures after Groot is reborn in a baby-like form.

While at first showing indifference to the Asgardian Thor, Groot ultimately comes to his aid at a crucial point, and fights alongside him and other Avengers and close allies of that Earth-bound team.

Beyond his immediate circle of friends, Groot gravitates to the downtrodden he encounters in his travels, especially children.

Biography

Freelance Criminal

Also known as Subject 89P13, Rocket is the result of illegal genetic and cybernetic experiments conducted on Halfworld. Traveling with Groot, his friend and fellow bounty hunter, Rocket accumulated a criminal record with the Nova Corps that includes 13 counts of theft, 22 counts of escape from incarceration, 7 counts of mercenary activity, 15 counts of arson—and a note that he tends to bite.

Rocket had escaped 22 prisons by the time he met fellow outlaws Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord, and Gamora on Xandar while attempting to claim Quill for the outstanding bounty on his head. In the scuffle that followed, all four attracted the attention of the Nova Corps and were arrested, sending them to a high-security prison. Locked up together, Rocket, Groot, Quill and Gamora—joined by a prisoner named Drax—banded together and escaped. Despite Rocket’s attempts to keep his new allies at arms length, he grew to care for them, fighting alongside them as they became known as the Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Baddest of Baddests

Rocket is an expert engineer with genius-level intellect when it comes to constructing high-powered weaponry. He is a genetically and surgically modified lifeform containing a cybernetic skeletal structure, enhanced phalange and metacarpal bones, along with a genetically augmented cerebral cortex. He possesses enhanced strength, durability, agility, and acute senses due to his cybernetic augmentations.

Rocket is a master marksman, tactician, pilot, and is multilingual, able to speak with Groot. Despite his small stature, he’s able to pack a punch with the weapons he creates.

His weaponry includes an Ion Cannon, Laser Cannon, Gas Grenade, the Hadron Enforcer combustion cannon, Aero-Rigs—allowing users to jettison into the air and outer space—and a Nanobot Welder.

Don’t Mess With the Racoon

Rocket’s enemies include any enemy of the Guardians of the Galaxy, although he has accrued some notable adversaries.

When Radical Kree zealot Ronan the Accuser breaks a peace treaty with the Kree and Xandarians, desiring the destruction of all Xandarians, Rocket engages in a battle with him over an Infinity Stone alongside his fellow Guardians. He blames Ronan for Groot’s death during the confrontation.

The Mad Titan Thanos is immensely strong and cruel and stops at nothing to get ahold of each Infinity Stone in his bid to destroy half the universe. While Rocket does his best to stay out of Thanos’ way, Thanos’ actions begin to hit increasingly close to home and he earns Rocket’s enmity.

The Sovereign and their High Priestess originally give the Guardians a job to defeat an Abilisk, a creature feeding off their precious Anulax Batteries. Rocket’s theft of some of those same batteries lead the Sovereign to hunt the Guardians.

The Celestial Ego attempts to conquer the universe using his son, Peter Quill, but the Guardians, Rocket included, fight to stop him.

Trash Panda Pals

Rocket has a close bond with Groot, formed before the two joined the Guardians of the Galaxy. After Groot dies, but generates a spawn, that bond carries over, with Rocket continuing to watch out for the young being—even as the adolescent Groot tests his patience.

Besides Groot, Rocket fights alongside his fellow outlaws turned Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill, Gamora, and Drax, with Mantis eventually joining the group. While prone to arguments, Rocket still finds close connections with his fellow Guardians, even if he’s reluctant to admit it.

Yondu Udontu straddles the ally and enemy role with the Guardians, but ultimately sides with them. Rocket and Yondu bond over their similar personality traits, including their tendency to push people away to protect themselves.

After the Guardians rescue Thor, the Asgardian Avenger and Rocket form a friendship. Alongside Thor and Groot, Rocket battles alongside several of Thor’s fellow Avengers and other allies. He also quickly sees a potential new score in Bucky Barnes’ robotic arm

 

Biography

Warrior Assassin

Gamora was a little girl when Thanos and his army invaded her home world, wiping out half the population. Gamora was separated from her mother in the attack, but Thanos himself took a liking to the young girl, giving her a blade as a present and shielding her from seeing the massacre of her people. Taking her in as his adoptive daughter, Thanos would go on to turn her into a living weapon with cybernetic enhancements. As she grew up, Thanos would force Gamora and her adoptive sister Nebula to fight one another, but referred to Gamora—who won every fight—as his favorite daughter.

Gamora served under Thanos for 20 years, until he agreed to destroy home-world planet of the Xandarians for Ronan the Accuser of the Kree Empire, in exchange for a valuable Orb that contained an Infinity Stone. Thanos loaned the services of Gamora and Nebula to Ronan to aid him in the task. Realizing the mass casualties that would result should Ronan or Thanos gain control of the Orb, Gamora decided to betray them, accepting a high-priced offer from the Collector to retrieve the Orb for him.

She discovered that Peter Quill, a Ravager calling himself Star-Lord, had stolen the Orb and intended to sell it on Xandar. Gamora intervened, only to be captured by Xandar’s armed forces, the Nova Corps, and sent to prison alongside Quill and the duo Rocket and Groot, who had been seeking a bounty on Quill’s head. In prison, they met Drax, with all five outlaws forming an unlikely bond after they escaped together, and Gamora forging a new path as a hero.

Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy

Gamora is a master assassin, combatant, and swordswoman trained as a living weapon under Thanos which gives her the reputation as the “Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy.”

Her alien physiology and surgical modifications give her superhuman strength and agility and she is able to lift others with ease and leap at incredible heights. Her enhancements include a cybernetic skeleton, ocular and respiratory implants, an improved neurological system and regeneration implant. These augmentations give her augmented durability, vision, and stamina.

Her favored weapon is a retractable sword, but she is also known to use a retractable bejeweled knife that she was gifted by Thanos as a child. When she is without her typical weaponry, she uses whatever is around her, from turning a ship’s gun turret into a handheld weapon, to seizing knives that are trained against her.

No Love For Father

As an instrument of Thanos for many years, his enemies were once hers as well. But, as she works to redeem her life under the Mad Titan, her foes align with those of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the galaxy itself.

When the Kree zealot, Ronan the Accuser, breaks a peace treaty with the Kree and Xandarians and intends to commit genocide on Xandar, Gamora is moved into taking action against both him and Thanos. She works with the Guardians to put a stop to his plans for massacre.

Gamora faces off against The Sovereign and their High Priestess, after they target all the Guardians of the Galaxy because Rocket steals from them. She is also one of the first to learn the true nature and dark intentions of Peter Quill’s father, the Celestial named Ego, and opposes him with the rest of her teammates to save Quill and the universe.

Perhaps Gamora’s most notable enemy is Thanos. Although he is Gamora’s adoptive father, his cold and cruel nature—and memories of what he did to her people—ensures Gamora grew up hating him. She also deeply resents what he put her through and forced her to do over the years. A final confrontation with him costs her everything.

An Assassin’s Friends

Gamora fights alongside her fellow outlaws turned Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket, Groot, and later, Mantis, developing true friendships with her teammates over time.

One of her most important relationships is her bond with Peter Quill, who is romantically interested in her. Initially resistant to Quill’s flirtations, Gamora begins to return his feelings over time, eventually telling Quill that she loves him more than anything. They also tend to act as surrogate parents to the young Groot.

Yondu Udontu straddles the ally and enemy roles depending on his mood, but ultimately sides with the Guardians to stop Ego, as does another Ravager, Kraglin Obfonteri.

Gamora has a complicated relationship with her adoptive sister, Nebula, as the duo were pushed to the limits of competitiveness by Thanos’ cruelty and manipulation, although Nebula receives much more harsh treatment. While both break free of Thanos, they consider each other enemies for a time, until realizing the bond they truly share. Gamora genuinely cares for her, as it is Nebula’s torment that breaks Gamora’s resolve when Thanos questions her about the Soul Stone.

Biography

Straight Outta Missouri

A cosmic Celestial known as Ego visited an untold number of planets to seed them as preparation for his Expansion, during which he would assimilate all life in the cosmos. As part of this process, he needed a second Celestial, which led him to woo and impregnate females on the planets he visited. He unexpectedly fell in love with one such woman, the Earthling Meredith Quill. Fearing she would distract him from his true mission, Ego caused her to develop a fatal brain tumor and then left her to raise the product of their relationship, their son Peter, by herself.

Peter lived with Meredith in Missouri until the night she passed away from the tumor. The eight-year-old boy was subsequently abducted from Earth by aliens. Yondu Udonta, the leader of the Ravagers mercenary band that kidnapped the boy, had been paid by Ego to deliver Peter to him. Yondu reneged on the deal when he discovered the other children he’d retrieved for Ego had been killed (after Ego discovered they were not in fact Celestials and could not help him) and raised Quill as a Ravager instead.

After reaching adulthood, Quill struck out on his own with all the experience he’d gained with the Ravagers, a spaceship of his own, and his mother’s mixtape of Earth pop tunes to restyle himself as Star-Lord, the galaxy’s most notorious thief… a status completely in his own mind.

His Stuff

As Star-Lord, Quill utilizes several pieces of equipment, most likely gained during his time with the Ravagers, such as a mask-helmet that allows him to breathe in space. He also uses a unique double-barrel blaster pistol, boot thrusters for limited flight, and a starship he dubs the Milano. In addition, Quill sports multiple devices and tools that aid in his thievery.

Star-Lord himself is a fair hand-to-hand combatant, though he seems to prefer shooting to punching. He keeps himself in shape, though, and has been able to withstand certain degrees of physical abuse from his opponents. Though not of low intelligence, Quill possesses a clever mind that while useful in some situations, tends to get him into trouble more often than not.

He Needs a Lot of Enemies

In his travels around the galaxy, Star-Lord has picked up more than a few enemies. In fact, given his ego and bluster, more people probably hate him than love him.

Quill earns the enmity of the Kree warrior called Ronan the Accuser and his troops when the thief purloins the object known as the Orb from a dead world. This leads to a massive effort from Ronan to acquire it for himself and a world of hurt for Quill. Still, in the end, Star-Lord offers to settle the entire matter —interstellar war—with a so-called “dance-off,” but the Accuser doesn’t accept the offer in the spirit it was given.

Sadly, one of Peter Quill’s greatest foes turns out to be his own father, the Celestial known as Ego. It began well, with father reaching out to son to gift him with his legacy. But when Star-Lord discovers Ego’s part in the death of Meredith Quill, and his dark intentions for the universe at large, blood beomes thinner than water and open war is declared.

Quill gains the wrath of Ayesha, the leader of the Sovereign race. Star-Lord also forms a burning enmity against Thanos the space tyrant, who brings about a very personal loss to Quill.

Stuck Together Until We Get The Money

Quill operates almost entirely on his own after leaving the Ravagers, beyond brief relationships with women across the galaxy. This solo act continues until he meets the group of individuals who join with him in becoming the Guardians of the Galaxy and builds unique rapports with each of them.

The assassin Gamora becomes perhaps the most complex of Star-Lord’s relationships amongst the Guardians. Quill holds her in high esteem and the frustrations between the two eventually relent as they began a romantic relationship. Drax’s childlike nature can be trying for Quill, as can Rocket’s competitive nature and the alien raccoon’s tendency toward theft, which at times exceeds Quill’s own thieving urges. As for Groot, Quill acts as something of a parental figure to the walking, talking tree-alien, a status that Groot himself doesn’t seem to care for. Quill welcomes Mantis to the Guardians, while also learning to work alongside former enemy Nebula.

The strange bond between Quill and the man who raised him, Yondu Udonta of the Ravagers, defies description for many year, until the blue-skinned mercenary opens Star-Lord’s eyes to the truth about his father and supplants Ego in the young thief’s eyes. The man who was once seen as an adversary and someone to beat, becomes a father-figure himself.

Biography

From Luphomoid to Lackey

Nebula was born to the Luphomoids, a race of humanoid aliens with blue and purple skin. Some time ago, Thanos killed her family and adopted her as a daughter, raising her to be a galactic warrior on his behalf. It is most likely that the Mad Titan had wiped out half her species, like he did with so many others, in his “noble” quest to bring balance to the universe.

During her upbringing, Nebula was trained to fight under Kree warlord Ronan the Accuser, alongside Gamora and another disciple of Thanos, Korath the Pursuer, to become a “Galaxy-Class Killer.”

Her Victim’s Screams Could Be Heard Across the Galaxy

An invaluable deputy of Kree leader Ronan the Accuser, Nebula is one of the deadliest assassins in the galaxy, along with her “sister” Gamora. During their childhood training, Gamora and Nebula were forced to spar with one another. In an effort to make both “daughters” equal, Thanos forced cybernetic enhancements on Nebula.

Nevertheless, her bio-mechanical improvements do make it harder for Nebula to take damage, and even allow for some self-healing if all the necessary parts are on hand. For example, if she loses a hand, she can just replace it with another robotic one.

With her proficient training and enhancements, Nebula proves to be a formidable opponent. She has on two occasions bested Gamora in combat, and even landed a few blows on Thanos. Her weapons of choice are her electroshock batons, which can be combined to create a staff.

In addition to her enhanced physical and deadly prowess, Nebula is an expert pilot, maneuvering a M-ship and Neocrocraft with ease.

Surrounded By Idiots

Despite showing loyalty to her “father” Thanos, Nebula’s two biggest enemies are her “sister” Gamora and Thanos. As a child, Nebula relies on Gamora, as the only person who could provide her with what she wants most—a sister and ally against Thanos. However, in training to be weapons for Thanos and forced to compete with each other, Nebula endures excruciatingly painful body modifications as a result of losing to her “sister,” who never once relents. Over time, her resentment towards Gamora and Thanos grows to hatred and a need to best them both.

Entrusted with the mission to help Ronan the Accuser acquire the Orb on Morag and defeat Xandar, this sets Ronan, Nebula, and Korath the Pursuer in direct opposition with the Nova Corps, as well as Gamora and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy—Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Star-Lord, who stole the Orb before Korath was able to retrieve it.

Complicated in nature, Gamora and Nebula’s relationship changes once they both break free from Thanos. Failing to defeat Xandar and Gamora at the side of Ronan, Nebula goes off on her own. Arrested by the Sovereign, Gamora enlists the Guardians to save her, but Nebula still looks upon her “sister” with hatred and contempt. On Ego’s home planet, Gamora and Nebula fight, resulting in Nebula revealing the anger and pain their childhood caused.

Enemy of My Enemy

As Thanos begins plans to obtain all six Infinity Stones, he sends his “daughters” Nebula and Gamora to serve Ronan the Accuser, whom Nebula trained under, on his mission to acquire the Power Stone, housed in the Orb at the time. Nebula seeks to be Ronan’s favorite and right-hand woman, pledging her allegiance to him when he harnesses the Power Stone’s energy and threatens the Mad Titan.

On Berhert, as a captive to the Guardians, Nebula is able to change her circumstances when the Ravagers, led by Taserface, mutiny against Yondu. With a new cybernetic gifted by Kraglin and a M-ship, Nebula and Taserface’s Ravagers form an alliance to collect the Sovereign high priestess Ayesha’s hefty bounty on the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, the “sisters” end up forming a shaky alliance after discovering the true nature of Ego and his planet. After defeating Ego, Nebula is offered a spot on the Guardians, but refuses, stating that she must kill Thanos if she is ever to be at peace with herself.

Years later, still determined to kill her “father,” Nebula fights alongside Guardians Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis, Avengers Iron Man and Spider-Man, and the Master of the Mystic Arts Doctor Strange, against Thanos.

 

Next in Line

A native of the small, yet technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda, T’Challa accepted the mantle of Black Panther, the legendary protector of the Wakandan people, from his father, King T’Chaka, who filled the role before him as his father before him and so on. T’Chaka relinquished the title as he grew older and delved further into politics. This was a subject T’Challa looked upon with some dislike, although he acknowledged the increasing importance of it, even as Wakanda maintained an air of secrecy to hide its true nature and precious vibranium mines.

Regardless of his feelings for Wakanda’s part on the world stage, T’Challa accompanied T’Chaka to an international summit in Vienna, Austria to ratify the Sokovia Accords, which promised to regulate all enhanced persons. Sadly, T’Chaka lost his life when Sokovian radical Helmut Zemo detonated a bomb at the well-attended meeting of heads of state, framing Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, in the process. At that moment, not only did the throne of Wakanda pass to T’Challa, but also the full weight of the Black Panther’s responsibilities, including the task of revenge for the death of the king.

Panther’s Bite

T’Challa wears a high-tech suit as the Black Panther, including a mask which hides his features and provides him with overall stealth capabilities. With vibranium threads woven throughout, the suit offers protection from gunfire as well as the elements, and responds to T’Challa’s smallest touch. In keeping with the panther motif, the gear also features retractable vibranium claws, night vision optics, and is ultra-light and form-fitting. In addition, the Black Panther can also absorb energy directed toward him, physical or otherwise, which may then be redirected outward for defense and offense.

The king of Wakanda is also the recipient of the nation’s rare heart-shaped herb, which endows him with enhanced strength, speed, agility, and stamina. During a special ceremony, ingestion of the herb also opens T’Challa up to communication from his departed ancestors in the afterlife, including his late father.

Panther’s Enemies

Technically, all those who oppose Wakanda or seek to harm it would be considered enemies of the Black Panther, but a particular few have risen up to demand T’Challa’s focused attention.

The mercenary Ulysses Klaue steals vibranium from the small nation, an act of high sacrilege in Wakanda that earns him T’Challa’s enmity.

It was another adversary, Erik Killmonger, who ends Klaue’s terror spree, when he felt he no longer needed the mercenary to help him gain control over Wakanda. Though expressing a legitimate challenge to the Black Panther title and mantle, Killmonger’s drive to drain the nation’s resources to uplift others around the globe brought him to a tragic end after battling T’Challa.

Helmut Zemo’s plan to take revenge on the Avengers for the death of his family in Sokovia unfortunately sweeps T’Challa and his own family up into its dark maw. Zemo orchestrates a bomb attack that kills T’Chaka, the Panther’s father, an act that T’Challa in turn seeks to avenge. Ultimately though, the Wakandan prince not only stops himself from murdering Zemo but stops Zemo from committing suicide, taking him into custody instead.

T’Challa’s protection of Vision brings Thanos’ army to Wakanda, making the Black Panther an enemy of Thanos in the process.

Panther’s Pride

Besides his devotion to his people, T’Challa values family above all else and welcomes his relatives to be close to him to lend support and wisdom. Ramonda, his mother, is a strong woman who, though grief-stricken over the murder of her husband and king, carried on to ensure the transference of power to her son, as well as the rich history of the nation. T’Challa loves his mother dearly and respects her strength in times of trouble. His love for his genius teenage sister Shuri is also deep. She acts not only as one of Wakanda’s chief scientists and healers, but also as both armorer and advisor to the new king. It is Shuri who works to upgrade the Black Panther’s equipment to maintain its cutting edge, ensuring it’s always ready to meet every demand T’Challa may place upon it.

Two other women stand within the Black Panther’s inner circle: Nakia, Wakanda’s master covert field agent, and Okoye, leader of the Dora Milaje, the nation’s special service forces. Nakia and T’Challa shared a romantic relationship until her path led her to serve Wakanda from a distance. But, upon T’Chaka’s death and his son’s ascension to the throne, Nakia returned to the capital city and discovered her path intersecting with her former love’s. In Okoye, T’Challa sees the heart of a true warrior, one he may depend on to stand strong and defend their nation when it is threatened.

T’Challa once considered W’Kabi, the former Wakandan head of security, among his closest friends. A falling out occurs when W’Kabi feels let down by what he sees as his king’s failure to capture Ulysses Klaue; he then allies himself with Erik Killmonger when the latter usurps the throne. Whether or not the bridge between the two men is repaired remains to be seen.

Away from Wakanda, the Black Panther values the counsel of Everett K. Ross, an American government agent who was one of the first outsiders to learn of Wakanda’s true nature. In addition, T’Challa also now calls Captain America, Steve Rogers, his friend, though they were once pitted against each other during a dispute between the Avengers over the Sokovia Accords.

Biography

From the Big House to the Ant Farm

Desperate to provide for his family, but unable to make ends meet, electronics genius Scott Lang turned to burglary and inadvertently won himself a prison sentence. After being released early for good behavior, he knuckled down to raise his daughter Cassie, though soon discovered nothing had changed with his luck and fortunes. When Cassie fell ill from a devastating heart ailment and her surgeon was abducted by a mysterious wealthy man, Lang reluctantly returned to his life of crime in an effort to save his daughter’s life.

Assuming scientist Hank Pym’s home might offer expensive equipment to pawn for cash, Lang broke in, but discovered something far more valuable—unbeknownst to him, he was staring his future in the face. He left the home with Pym’s old Ant-Man gear and uniform, left over from the scientist’s early days as a Super Hero with the Avengers, and set out to use it to rescue Cassie’s surgeon.

Lang’s own electronics expertise and determination to save his daughter served him well. He beat the doctor’s abductor at his own game with the Ant-Man gear and after the dust settled from the rescue, Lang handed himself over to the authorities, feeling it was the right thing to do. Incredibly, Hank Pym visited him while in custody and in a surprising turn of events for Lang, bequeathed the Ant-Man equipment and uniform to him with his blessing—and a strong suggestion to revive the super heroic title and mission.

Tools of the Trade

The Ant-Man gear allows Scott Lang to shrink to several sizes, from just a few inches tall to microscopic. Originally, this incredible ability came from the use of so-called Pym Particles, released in the form of a gas from canisters on a belt, but over time Lang absorbed enough of the particles to will the size-change through his own mind. Though discovered and popularized by Hank Pym, Lang himself widened the scope of knowledge surrounding Pym Particles by identifying metrics that he applied to their use and in doing so, perhaps grew to be more adept with them than the original Ant-Man.

Biography

Reach for the Sky

Sam Wilson first proved his mettle while serving in the Air Force’s 58th Rescue Squadron piloting the one-man EXO-7 Falcon flight suit. He served alongside his friend and wingman, fellow Airman Riley, until Riley was killed on a mission. After that, Wilson found it difficult to find a reason to fight. After finishing his tour of duty, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he dedicated himself to helping his fellow veterans readjust to life after war.

Wilson met Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America himself, on his morning run and the two veterans bonded over the difficulties in getting used to civilian life again. When Rogers returned from a mission, he visited Wilson at the Veterans Affairs building where Wilson was leading a meeting about dealing with Post Traumatic Stress; Sam told Steve about Riley’s death.

After the Winter Soldier appeared to kill Nick Fury, Captain America went on the run with Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow. Rogers knew he could trust Wilson and asked him for refuge after he and Romanoff were nearly killed. Sam agreed to help them on their mission against the hidden elements of HYDRA within S.H.I.E.L.D., saying that Captain America needing his help was basically the best reason to return to action.

Taking Flight

A highly trained member of the United States Air Force, Sam Wilson mastered the EXO-7 Falcon flight suit. Thanks to first his military training and then the Avengers program, Wilson has become an incredible fighter, using a combination of his suit, firearms, and fighting skills to best his enemies. The suit includes holsters on his arms that can be used to quickly provide Wilson with access to guns in combat. Later versions of the suit add increasingly high-tech features, including goggles that provide telescopic and microscopic vision. The suit’s wings also act as a protective shield when not in flight. Redwing, a weaponized drone that Wilson can use for both surveillance and combat, also comes as part of the package.

Battling the Bird

In addition to the targets of his various military missions, Sam Wilson also runs afoul of HYDRA during their attempt to use the newly launched Project Insight Helicarriers to kill their enemies. Falcon helps bring HYDRA and their weapons down, including their operative Brock Rumlow, who later becomes the masked mercenary Crossbones. Wilson faces Bucky Barnes while Barnes is acting as the brainwashed Winter Soldier, though the two later work together.

During his short time as a Super Hero, Sam also throws down with another eventual ally, Ant-Man. He takes on fellow Avenger Iron Man and those who side with Tony Stark during the Sokovia Accord conflict. Sam goes on to join the fight against Thanos and his minions, first battling Thanos’ followers Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, and then facing the Titan’s larger army.

Winged Avenger

Sam Wilson is a proud veteran who uses the Falcon suit to serve in the 58th Rescue Squadron. He became very close with his wingman Riley, who died during a bombing.

After meeting and becoming good friends with Captain America, he enters a world filled with other heroes he fights alongside, including Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Thor, Bruce Banner, War Machine, Black Panther, and even later Guardians Groot and Rocket. Two foes-turned-allies, Bucky Barnes and Ant-Man, are often on the receiving end of Wilson’s (mostly) good-natured barbs at their expense.

Biography

Golden Archer

Very little is known about the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent known as Hawkeye or his origins. An accomplished combatant and weapons master, he was present for Thor’s arrival on Earth, and was impressed with the God of Thunder. He was also instrumental in bringing over Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, to the side of S.H.I.E.L.D, sparing her life and offering her a path to redemption.

For his extraordinary abilities, he was recruited by Nick Fury to be part of the Avengers Initiative. Unfortunately, in his first mission with the Avengers, he initially worked against them, thanks his mind being controlled by Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief. After being broken free, however, the horrified Clint did work alongside his fellow Super Heroes to bring down the trickster god.

Since then, he has managed to put his talents to good use against the Chitauri, Ultron, HYDRA, and even his fellow Avengers when it seemed necessary.

Sniper Mentality

As one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s best agents, the World’s greatest marksman, and an Avenger, Hawkeye uses traditional weapons as well as high-tech ones, with a strong affinity for his archery bows. Few humans on the planet compare to Clint Barton when it comes to his astonishing talents in precise marksmanship, fighting, flying, and tactical prowess.

An expert acrobat, military-trained combatant, and master assassin, Barton can stand toe-to-toe with some of the best fighters around. He is also a master tactician and spy—the Avengers face quite a bit of difficulty when Hawkeye works for Loki and turns his plans against them.

Hawkeye’s specialized equipment include recurve bows, compound bows, a specialized arrow quiver, speed loader, Busse dagger, a S.H.I.E.L.D.-issued handgun, and collapsible baton.

Target Acquired

Plenty of people wind up on the wrong end of Barton’s arrows, especially based on the direct orders of S.H.I.E.L.D.

As he is part of the Avengers Initiative, his enemies are the ones that threaten this group and Earth. He faces the likes of the Chitauri, HYDRA, Ultron and his robotic sentries, Ulysses Klaue, in his bid to keep the world safe. Hawkeye even battles his fellow heroes when they stand in the way of Captain America and the Winter Soldier getting to Siberia, when the Avengers split over the Sokovia Accords.

His most notable enemy, however, is Loki. With his strong sense of morality, Clint suffers at the thought of having worked against S.H.I.E.L.D. and his fellow agents, mourning the losses at his hand. He blames Loki for this violation, and the Asgardian prince has earned Barton’s eternal enmity.

Friends in High Places

As an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Clint Barton is allied with many in this organization. He respects and takes orders from Nick Fury (unless they contradict his own sense of what is right) and supports colleagues like Maria Hill and Phil Coulson.

His closest friendship is with Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, who he recruits for S.H.I.E.L.D. They often work together on missions and have a strong rapport. Natasha has been known to wear an arrow necklace in honor of her friend, and even bargains for his release when he is under Loki’s control. He cannot bring himself to fight her properly when they are on opposing sides of the Sokovia Accord dispute. She is also the only agent apart from Nick Fury that he entrusts with knowledge of his family (until he brings the Avengers to his compound). When Director Fury put the Avengers initiative in place, Barton fights alongside the likes of Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, and eventually, Ant-Man, Vision, Falcon, War Machine and other heroes. He forms a close bond with the Maximoff twins, acting as a mentor when they switch sides to face against Ultron. He mentors Scarlet Witch, encouraging her to face her fears and become and Avenger. Pietro Maximoff, AKA Quicksilver, even gives his life to save Hawkeye.

Most important to him, however, are his wife Laura and kids Cooper, Lila and Nathaniel (whose middle name “Pietro” reflects the hero’s sacrifice).