Guardians of the Galaxy 2: 50 Characters Who Should Show Up

The Guardians of the Galaxy movie was a high risk, high reward situation for Marvel. It was a film that tested the waters to see if characters removed from the perceived a-list of superheroes could make it as a film property. It worked. Marvel’s ultimate long game paid off and now the film series can also serve as the ground floor for the Marvel cosmic characters the same way the first Iron Man movie served as a back door introduction for the Avengers.

Fans already know that classic Marvel cosmic concepts like the Kree and the Nova Corps will appear again, but other great Marvel spacefarers are just waiting in the wings for the Marvel Studios machine to call their names. Here is a look at some choice Marvel cosmic characters and concepts that could potentially join the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy 2. 

50. Wal-Russ

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #271 (1982)
Created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema

Hey, Disney, didja know you guys have the rights to a space walrus? Well, when the Mouse finds this little tidbit out, don’t be surprised if we see Rocket pal around with Wal Rus in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Wal Rus was Rocket’s right hand, um, walrus in the raccoon’s pre-Guardians days. Wal Rus was a staunch ally, a great pilot, and like any good space walrus, could turn his tusks into firearms.

Wal Rus is good in a tussle and is sure to turn up in Marvel’s new Rocket Raccoon comic series. Disney does so love their talking animals, and here’s a marketable piece of walrus just ready for the Disney machine. Tusk guns, c’mon now, are we going to pretend that isn’t awesome?

49. Terrax

First appearance: Fantastic Four #211 (1979)
Created by Marv Wolfman and John Byrne

In the new film, the Guardians faced a space badass with a hammer. Well, for the next film; why not make it a space badass with an ax? Terrax is one of the most notorious killers in the Marvel cosmos and was even a chosen Herald of Galactus. We’re not sure if Fox has the rights to Terrax because of the whole Fantastic Four deal, but if they don't, Marvel would have a hard time finding a bigger threat to the Marvel cosmos than Terrax the Tamer, a monstrous force that fought the entire FF to a standstill and was instrumental in the formation of the New Warriors.

Hell, Vince McMahon could make Terrax versus Drax the main event at WrestleManiaand I’d buy a ticket.  

48. Monark Starstalker

First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #32 (1976)
Created by Howard Chaykin

Why Monark Starstalker? Well, primarily it’s because the dude’s name is Monark Starstalker. If you are a company and hold the copyright on a swashbuckling space character named Monark Starstalker, by golly, it is your duty to exploit it.

Starstalker is psychically connected to his ship, he can synch his senses with  robotic bird named Ulysses in order to see, he can appear as anyone through his perception bending nano-cloud, become invisible, and can avoid detection by machine. He is the closest thing Marvel has to a Flash Gordon or a Buck Rogers, and would be an excellent point of view character as Marvel expands their cosmic library of characters.

Again, I repeat, he’s a blind space swashbuckler that uses a robot bird to see the universe. What James Gunn can do with that.

47. Shuma-Gorath

First appearance: Marvel Premiere #5 (1972)
Created by Robert E. Howard, Steve Englehart, and Frank Brunner

More of an entity that would most likely appear in Doctor Strange, but as the Guardians traverse the galaxy, it would be pretty cool to see them encounter something Lovecraftian. The coolest part about the cosmic horror Shuma-Gorath is that he was created by none other than Lovecraft contemporary Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan the Barbarian. It would be unforgettable to see some old school cosmic horror pop up in Guardians as well as allowing something created by the great Howard to be part of the Marvel Universe.

Space can be a very scary place, and if the Guardians have the misfortune of peering beyond the void, Shuma-Gorath awaits. And let’s face it, whether we know it or not, we have all, at some point, wanted to see a tree fight a Lovecraftian nightmare.

46. Starfox

First appearance: Iron Man #55 (1973)
Created by Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich

He was an Avenger, an Eternal, and has the misfortune of being the brother of the Mad Titan, Thanos. Most of all, Starfox has been a cool and underutilized character in his own right, a roguish love god who enjoys the finer things in life and a great adventurous spirit. As Marvel continues to populate their Cinematic Universe with more and more of their great heroes, let us not forget about Eros, a potential Guardian who could act as a romantic foil in the budding Star-Lord/Gamora relationship or serve as a story point to further the coming of Thanos.

45. Seekers 3000

First appearance: Marvel Premiere #41 (1978)
Created by Doug Moench and Tom Sutton

The Guardians aren’t the only rag tag group of space misfits flying around Marvel space. They may be obscure, but the crew that appeared in Seekers 3000 is a fondly remembered concept by those lucky enough to have stumbled across their very few appearances in quarter bins.

The basic concept is the last survivors of Earth looking for a new home, or something, but, the characters and ships are all well-designed and the concept very worthy of exploration. Heck, look at the ship on the cover of Marvel Premiere #41, a film appearance by the Seekers would be the closest thing we could possibly get to a Guardians/Star Trek crossover. SEEKERS!

44. The Stark

First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (1990)
Created by Jim Valentino

James Gunn and company would have to do some story gymnastics to figure out how this despotic alien race got a hold of Tony Stark’s technology, but fans would lose their minds if this advanced race of alien conquerors appeared. You see, the Stark are an alien race who use Iron Man armor and Stark Tech to conquer planets and spread mayhem. They wrongly worship Tony Stark with a religious fervor and use his inventions to spread terror throughout the galaxy.

In the original comics, the Stark existed in the far future, but having this race of cosmic villains go up against the Guardians can provide a tether between the world of the Avengers and the world of the Guardians. Heck, Tony Stark joined the Guardians in the comics, the Stark can provide the story impetus to get the character fighting side by side with Star-Lord and Rocket, and we know we all want to see that.

The leader of the Stark’s name is Taserface. I just feel you should know that.

43. Ancient One

First appearance: Strange Tales #110 (1963)
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

We all know that a Doctor Strange movie is coming, and Marvel so loves to tease their new projects. A perfect way to link these two new frnachises would be through the presence of the Ancient One, Strange’s mentor. The Ancient One can astral project anywhere in the galaxy and can conceivably pop up if things get tense out in space. 

42. Star Brand

First appearance: Star Brand #1 (1986)
Created by Jim Shooter, John Byrne, John Romita Jr.

Originally relegated to Marvel's New Universe, the hero and concept of the Star Brand, a cosmic tattoo that grants its wearer incredible powers, has become a part of the Marvel Universe proper in the pages of The Avengers. Writer Jonathan Hickman brushed the dust off the Star Brand and created a new character to wield it, introducing a new symbol of cosmic might that could shake up the Marvel Universe proper.

We all know Marvel loves to introduce concepts in the comics before they appear in a film, so it is conceivable that this new character could be a harbinger to a movie appearance. What better place for the wielder of the ultimate cosmic weapon than in the ultimate cosmic film franchise?

41. Malevolence

First Appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy #7 (1990)
Created by Jim Valentino

If Mephisto is to arrive in Doctor Strange movie, perhaps his coming can be complemented by his daughter Malevolence, a character who has faced the future Guardians in the pages of the '90s comic. She certainly is daddy’s girl, and like Gamora and Nebula she would seek to escape the shadow of her evil father. 

40. Moondragon

First appearance: Iron Man #54 (1973)  
Created by Bill Everett, Mike Friedrich, George Tuska, and Jim Starlin

She’s Drax’s daughter, that alone makes Moondragon a no-brainer for inclusion. She’s an insanely powerful telepath, during her heel days she roofied Thor, and she has been an Avenger, Defender, and a Guardian. But most of all, during her Guardians days, she gained the ability to transform into a giant dragon, and I for one need to see a raccoon with a machine gun riding a tree riding a dragon. Plus, y’know, Drax’s daughter.

39. Molecule Man

First appearance: Fantastic Four #20 (1963)
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Owen Reece was a sickly young man doted on by his mother. He was a mama’s boy who was abused by the world around him and after an accident, became one of the most powerful beings in the cosmos. With the power to control the very fabric of reality, Molecule Man is a cosmic threat trapped in the body of a man still mourning his mother, a villain who tugs on the heart strings. If Fox doesn’t have the exclusive rights to this reluctant FF villain, Owen Reese could be a worthy candidate for the big bad of Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Marvel’s best villains are the tragic ones, and the timid but nearly omnipotent Molecule Man is as tragic as it comes.

38. Mangog

First appearance: Thor #154 (1968)
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Mangog once defeated Odin in single combat and masqueraded as the king of the gods in order to drain all the gods of Asgard of their life force. So, tell that to Loki...Mangog was replacing Odin before it was cool. In his less glamorous days, Mangog served as a minion of Thanos, a little bit of character history that could serve to thrust the cosmic killer into the film spotlight. Thanos is going to play a huge rule moving forward and he is going to need minions, lackeys, and heavies. Why not use a creature that once defeated Odin to enforce Thanos’ will? Plus, we just need to see that awesome Jack Kirby design on the big screen.

37. The Elders of the Universe

First appearance: Avengers #28 (1966)
Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck

We got to see one member of the Elders of the Universe in Guardians of the Galaxy, the enigmatic Collector, but there is a pantheon of other conceptual space deities out there to be explored. The Elders are like the McLaughlin Group but with cosmic demi-gods instead of boring guys in suits. In the comics, it was the Elders that once wielded the Infinity Gems. Thanos took them down one by one to assemble the Infinity Gauntlet. It seems Thanos is going down the same path in the films so perhaps the Elders have a role yet to play.

Many of the Elders would be perfect foils for the Guardians. Imagine The Champion against Drax or the Gardener against Groot. However you introduce this cosmic council of conceptual beings, they have been a cornerstone of the cosmic side of Marvel for decades.

36. Kang the Conqueror

First appearance: Fantastic Four #19 (1963)  
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Well, someone’s going to have to wield the Time Gem, right? It’s all a matter of TIME (get it?) before Kang pulls the villain card in a future Avengers film. Other than Ultron, Kang is probably the Avengers’ greatest adversary. Who doesn’t want to see the Marvel Cinematic Universe get timey wimey?

Kang is an evil freakin’ version of Doctor Who, and this complex baddie can be eased into the Marvel Universe via an appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Kang’s evil cannot be contained in one movie and it would be a blast to see Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Gamora get up to some time shenanigans.

35. Pip the Troll

First appearance: Strange Tales #179 (1975)
Created by Jim Starlin

Most of the old school Infinity Watch are already part of the first movie, with Drax, Gamora, and Thanos all playing major roles. Well, it just doesn’t seem right to keep Pip, the Troll out of the proceedings. Pip was a long time ally to Adam Warlock just like Gamora and Drax and could add even more humor to the world of the Guardians. Marvel would just have to find the right actor to play the troublemaking troll. Hey...we hear that Peter Dinklage guy is pretty good.

34. Eternity

First appearance: Strange Tales #138 (1965)
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

I don’t care where and I don’t care how, but somehow, somewhere, Marvel MUST include Eternity in a film. He’s the living embodiment of reality, a universe given sentience- as drawn by Steve Ditko. This needs to happen. Eternity has more of a chance of appearing in the Doctor Strangemovie but, it would be really awesome to see the Guardians' reaction if they were to witness the entire universe...walking around...in a cape. They might be the Guardians of the Galaxy, but Eternity is the Galaxy. He should probably be voiced by Stan Lee or something. Or Peter Dinklage. Dinklage should just play everything.

33. Firelord

First appearance: Thor #225 (1974)
Created by Gerry Conway and John Buscema

Not many comic beings come with the power levels of Firelord. First appearing in Thor, Firelord became a herald of Galactus, proving his cosmic badassery. Firelord served time with the future iteration of the Guardians and even joined a Guardians spin off team, the Galactic Guardians. This flame haired cosmic powerhouse is every bit as powerful as Thor or the Hulk and has a cool anti-hero vibe that would make him a perfect story engine for a future Guardians film.

The visual alone could sell Firelord, with his flaming hair and fiery staff, Firelord would just pop on the screen. Firelord also has a fierce temper which could put him at odds with the Guardians or he could even join the team as a powerhouse that rivals Drax.

32. The Spaceknights

First Appearance: Rom #1 (1979)
Created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema

If Marvel had the rights to Rom you can bet your ass he would be number one on this list, but they don’t, so fans will just have to settle for the Spaceknights, which is okay because they are pretty awesome in their own right. Writer Bill Mantlo created such a riveting back story of the Galador/Wraith War in the pages of Rom, that Marvel could seriously make a trilogy of films about the conflict that would rival the scope of Star Wars.

Rom was a toy designed by Parker Brothers and licensed by Marvel. It was really just a large space knight toy that made noises, nothing more, but Mantlo and company fleshed out the hunk of plastic to such a degree that the comic lasted much longer on the stands than the toy did on the shelves. In 2000, writer of all things cosmic Jim Starlin introduced Rom’s sons, Balin and Tristan, who become the first of a new generation of Spaceknights, which is a place Marvel films can start if they were inclined to brings the Spaceknights to the big screen. Marvel may not have Rom, but they have all the concepts introduced in Rom, and those concepts are strong enough to become a huge property.

31. Mantis

First appearance: Avengers #112 (1973)
Created by Steve Englehart and Don Heck

The Celestial Madonna saga is one of Marvel’s greatest (and longest) cosmic sagas of all time. Mantis, the Celestial Madonna herself, was the center of the storyline and with a few twists and changes; the classic tale could certainly be adapted for Guardians of the Galaxy 2. For a time, the Vietnamese martial artist Mantis and her annoying speech patterns (she always referred to herself as "this one") made her one of the most irritating Avengers ever, but, with her inclusion in the Guardians of the Galaxy comics, Mantis became an integral part of modern Guardians lore. “This one” was a trusted confidant to Peter Quill and her inclusion could give the Marvel Cinematic Universe a great deal more gender and racial diversity.

30. The Watcher

First appearance: Fantastic Four #13 (1963)
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

He may have just been murdered and his eyes ripped out (ewww) in the pages of Original Sin, but Uatu the Watcher has yet to make a film appearance despite being one of Marvel’s oldest characters. We’re pushing for the follicley challenged writer Brian Michael Bendis to play the Watcher, but whomever Marvel chooses to step into the Blue Area of the Moon, the Watcher needs to make an appearance somehow somewhere.

Fox could also utilize the Watcher as part of their Fantastic Four franchise, but Marvel Studios has reached the stars first and we are praying for the enigmatic Watcher to make his presence felt in a future Guardians film.

29. Supreme Intelligence

First appearance: Fantastic Four #65 (1967)
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Forget Doctor Who’s the Face of Boe, the Supreme Intelligence is sci-fi’s original gross floaty head. The Supreme Intelligence is the master planner of the Kree, a race that featured so prominently in the Guardiansmovie and Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. With a Ms. or Captain Marvel film so often talked about, we are going to have to meet the Kree boss sooner or later, and the next Guardians film could be the perfect place. The Supreme Intelligence is also the title Den of Geek editor Mike Cecchini forces his staff to refer to him as.

28. The Beyonder

First appearance: Secret Wars #1 (1984)
Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck

Want to send a Marvel fan into paroxysms of glee? Just say three words: cinematic Secret Wars. How are the Avengers and Guardians going to end up meeting? (Because they will) Well, if not to stop Thanos, then how about Secret Wars, a gathering of Marvel’s greatest in a contest of champions? The Beyonder’s name still carries cache with fans who remembers Marvel’s first crossover event, but please Marvel, lose the soul glow ‘fro.

27. The Stranger

First appearance: Uncanny X-Men #11 (1965)
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

The Stranger may have first appeared in the X-Men, but the mysterious space giant with the Ron Swanson mustache has long been a force in the Marvel Cosmos taking on the Silver Surfer, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and even the Champions (we love the Champions...someone has to). The Stranger played an important role in the Infinity Gauntlet opposing Thanos and has long been trying to inflict his will on the people of Earth, something that would surely piss of Peter Jason Quill and the Guardians should they ever run afoul of ol' space mustache here.

26. Celestials

First appearance: Eternals #1 (1976)
Created by Jack Kirby

We got a teasing glimpse of them in the film which almost caused this writer to prolapse, but the story of the Celestials is so epic it is more than worthy of further screen time. The Celestials are unknowable space gods who travel the cosmos judging if planets are worthy of life. Thumbs down means it’s all over.

The Celestials were created by the cosmic deity Jack Kirby and have always been one of the more awesome spectacles of Cosmic Marvel. An Easter Egg isn’t enough! more Celestials Marvel!