How Well Do You Know The Guardians Of The Galaxy?
- by Jason Wilkins
- – on
- in Movies and TV
In 2014, Marvel Studios released a little film called “Guardians of the Galaxy” featuring a space-faring team of C-list characters that at first seemed like an odd choice for the burgeoning Marvel Cinematic Universe. Based on Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s re-imagining of the classic Marvel Comics’ sci-fi superhero team from an alternate future, the film chronicled the misadventures of a rogue band of thieves and assassins on a quest to save the galaxy from a fanatical alien terrorist. The blockbuster movie was helmed by James Gunn, whose signature flair for geek comedy formed the heart of a story that thrilled viewers just as relentlessly as it tickled their funny bones.
Bringing a brighter visual tone through his use of a comic book-inspired color palette, Gunn’s vision of these lovable second stringers catapulted previously unknown characters such as Drax, Rocket Raccoon and Groot into the mainstream and altered the studio’s approach to filmmaking. Upcoming projects such as “Thor: Ragnarok” owe an obvious debt to Gunn’s visual aesthetic and use of rocking soundtracks, bringing a lighter, more optimistic tone to the MCU. With a successful sequel currently raking it up at the global box office, there’s no denying the Guardians’ impact on worldwide popular culture. To celebrate our love of the franchise, we thought we’d test your knowledge of Gunn’s films with this totally awesome quiz. If you think you have what it takes to save the galaxy, we only have one thing to say: “It’s showtime, A-holes!”
What is Peter Quill’s codename?
Although he considers himself to be one of the most notorious bandits in the galaxy, Quill’s cheesy codename isn’t as widely recognized as he might like. Something of a running joke throughout both “GotG” movies, he is most often referred to by friends and enemies alike by his Terran given name. In the comics, the character was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan and first appeared in 1976, in “Marvel Preview” #4. In recent years, his back story has veered away from his ‘70s origins, bringing it more in line with his depiction in the films.
Yondu is a member of what brotherhood of thieves?
This intergalactic crime syndicate of smugglers, thieves, pirates and mercenaries comprises over 100 clans, each one led by a respected captain. Despite their extensive criminal enterprises, all clans abide by a code of conduct that lends at least the appearance of structure to an otherwise lawless network of rogues. One of their most strict laws is a refusal to engage in child trafficking, a rule which Yondu Udonta broke when he abducted Peter Quill from Earth. The infraction earned Yondu permanent exile from the syndicate by influential captain Stakar Ogord.
He has a three-word vocabulary. Who is he?
A much different version of this extra-terrestrial sentient tree creature debuted way back in 1960, in “Tales to Astonish” #13. The product of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s legendary collaboration, the character was largely overlooked until Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning recruited him to their rebooted present-day Guardians team. An instant fan-favorite thanks to his depiction in James Gunn’s films, his three-word catchphrase has entered into the lexicon of modern pop culture, in spite of its vagueness. More than any other member of the Guardians, his (ahem) roots are undeniably the most obscure.
Sylvester Stallone starred as this classic comic book Guardian in Volume Two of the film franchise.
In the comics, this founding member of the original (some would say “classic”) Guardians of the Galaxy possessed vast cosmic powers that bordered on the mystical. Like his fellow Ravager captain Yondu, Gunn recasts him as a much more grounded character, who is nevertheless well-respected among his criminal peers. He exiles Yondu from the Ravagers for his abduction of Peter Quill, because he broke the syndicate’s law against child trafficking. After Yondu’s sacrifice during the battle with Ego, he and several other Ravager clans arrive to pay tribute to their fallen friend.
What is the name of the prison where the Guardians met in Volume One?
In the first movie, after they are all captured by the Nova Corps on Xandar, Peter Quill, Gamora, Rocket and Groot are incarcerated in this notorious prison space station. Here, they encounter Drax the Destroyer, who was imprisoned while on his quest for vengeance against Thanos and Ronan. It is in this prison that the Guardians finally come together as a team, working as a unit to enact Rocket’s ingenious plan for escape. Subsequently, Ronan arrives in search of the Orb and cleanses it inhabitants, when he realizes it isn’t there.
Ronan the Accuser is a member of which star-faring race.
This alien empire has played a pivotal role in Marvel Comics' cosmos for several decades, creating the race known as the Inhumans on Earth and warring with rivals such as the Skrulls and the Shi’ar. In the movies, their recent intergalactic conflict with Xandar provides the backdrop for “GotG Vol. One.” After the two empires sign a peace agreement, Ronan the Accuser goes rogue, hoping to restore glory to his people and targeting the Xandarians for destruction with the Power Stone.
He took out an entire battalion of Ravagers single-handedly in "GotG Volume Two." Who is he?
This cybernetically-enhanced “trash bandit” bears a striking resemblance to a Terran raccoon. Like most of the Guardians, his characterization in the comics was dramatically altered by the success of Gunn’s film adaptation. A gruff, sarcastic curmudgeon, he is the team’s tech-wizard, whose engineering genius and tactical skills are second only to his deviousness. In “GotG Vol. Two” he engages an entire battalion of Ravagers, after the Guardians crash-land on Bergert, making short work of the bumbling space pirates, until an escaped Nebula unexpectedly fries him.
What is the name of Xandar’s military/police force?
In the comics, this planetary military force protected the planet Xandar from invasion, through its ability to tap into the Nova Force. Its most famous member is Richard Rider, a young Earthling who went on to become a member of the New Warriors. In the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” flick, it is portrayed as a much more conventional paramilitary force, even if its mandate was the same. Xandar’s military played an instrumental role in the battle versus Ronan, its star-shaped fighters linking to form an energy blockade that temporarily prevented the Dark Aster from reaching Xandar’s surface.
Ronan killed his entire family. Who is he?
In the comics, Drax the Destroyer was an unfortunate Terran, who was killed by Thanos and resurrected by Mentor of the Eternals of Titan. He was transformed into an immensely powerful killing machine whose only purpose in life was to kill Thanos. Although his hatred of Thanos was preserved in the movies, his origin was drastically changed. In Gunn’s version of the character, Drax is a member of an unnamed primitive race, who seeks vengeance on Thanos and his henchman Ronan, after the latter killed his family.
He betrays Yondu and takes control of the Ravagers.
Self-cursed with the dumbest name in the MCU, this Ravager was a rabid opportunist who fomented mutiny against Yondu among his fellow space pirates. He rebelled against Yondu during the Ravagers’ mission to Berhert, when the latter appeared ready to once again turn a blind eye to Peter Quill’s most recent betrayal. He attempted to wrest control of the Ravagers from his captain but before the fight could even start, Nebula appeared and incapacitated Yondu by destroying his cybernetic fin. Later, while a prisoner aboard the Ravagers’ ship, Rocket couldn’t help but make fun of the crook’s stupid name.
Ronan the Accuser gained possession of which Infinity Stone?
The plot of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. One” revolved around the quest for one of the powerful Infinity Stones. Other stones that have appeared in the MCU and include the Vision's solar gem, Doctor Strange’s Eye of Agamotto, the Aether used by Malekith in "Thor: The Dark World", now in the possession of the Collector and the in the Tesseract currently residing in Odin’s vault. Ronan gained possession of a fifth stone for a short time before it was retrieved by the Guardians and given to the Nova Corps for safekeeping.
What was the name of Peter Quill’s mother?
A child of the ‘70s who was seduced by Ego in his human guise, Peter’s mother was convinced her Spaceman would return to Earth after he abandoned her for the stars. Unbeknownst to her, he had a much more nefarious endgame in mind for the galaxy and feared losing his determination to follow it through because of the genuine love he felt for her. During his final confrontation with Peter, he admits it was this fear that prompted him to put the tumor in his mother’s head that eventually killed her.
She was trained by Thanos to become the galaxy’s greatest assassin.
One of Thanos’ adopted daughters, she was trained by the powerful intergalactic despot to become one of the galaxy’s most feared assassins. Thanos forced her into service after committing genocide on her people. She finally betrays Thanos after a lifetime of bloody servitude, joining the Guardians of the Galaxy in their quest to retrieve the Power Stone from the Kree renegade Ronan the Accuser. Despite an obvious attraction to Peter Quill, she prefers to keep their friendship purely platonic (for the time being).
This Elder of the Universe makes his home on Nowhere.
Along with the Grandmaster (who appears in the upcoming film, “Thor: Ragnarok”), this Elder of the Universe first appears in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. One.” His base of operations is located on the mining colony of Nowhere, the hollowed out skull of a mysterious celestial being. As his name implies, this mysterious alien possesses an obsession for accumulating rare cosmic artifacts, such as the mysterious Orb housing the Power Stone. It is through him that the Guardians learn the true nature of the Orb and its potential to destroy the galaxy.
This purple-skinned cyborg is Gamora’s adopted sister. Who is she?
In the movies, this purple-skinned Luphomoid assassin is the adopted sister of Gamora and trained alongside her, under Thanos’ discerning gaze. He would often pit his “daughters” against one another in gladiatorial combat, with Gamora always coming out the victor. Each time her sister lost against Gamora in battle, Thanos replaced a part of her physiology with cybernetic implants. This resulted in a bitter vendetta between the sisters that was only squashed in “GotG Vol. Two,” when they forgave each other for the mistakes they made due to Thanos’ harsh upbringing.
He was recently revealed to be Star-Lord’s father.
At the end of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. One,” it was revealed by the Nova Corps that Star-Lord was only half human. While his mother was Terran, his father was thought to be something much older and more powerful. In the film’s sequel, it was revealed Peter Quill’s father was a member of the Celestials, an ancient race whose reach encompassed the entire galaxy. As a human-alien hybrid, Peter possesses Celestial genes, which not only allowed him to wield the Power Stone versus Ronan but enabled his corrupt father to nearly take over the galaxy.
This classic Marvel villain has been lurking in the background of several MCU films including the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. One.
Although he was absent in the “GotG Volume Two,” this intergalactic warlord has lurked behind the scenes of the MCU ever since his appearance in a post-credit scene of 2012’s blockbuster hit “The Avengers.” In the comics, he is one of the Marvel Universe’s greatest villains, most often seen in conflict with the original Captain Marvel and the Avengers. His quest for the Infinity Gems culminated in the classic limited series “The Infinity Gauntlet,” which provides the basis for his current role in the MCU.
This popular ‘80s TV star had a brief cameo in "GotG Volume Two."
This ‘80s icon and star of such TV hits as “Knight Rider” and “Baywatch” was Peter Quill’s hero growing up. His ultra-cool adventures as Michael Knight provided a perfect escape for a boy who was the victim of much bullying. More than that, he provided the perfect template for a father to Peter, who grew up never knowing his dad. He has a cameo in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Two,” when Ego briefly takes on his appearance in an effort to convince Peter to embrace his plans for galactic conquest.
Why was Yondu exiled from the Ravagers?
There are only a few crimes the Ravagers won’t commit and this heinous criminal activity is one of them. When he encounters his former friend and colleague Stakor Ogord at the Iron Lotus brothel on Contraxia, he is exiled from the Ravagers for breaking their code and committing this crime. Yondu attempts to plead his case but Stakor refuses to show mercy and tells him that should he die, the Ogord Clan’s Ravager colors would never fly over his funeral.
This unconventional archer whistles to sling a single arrow. Who is he?
Although this blue-skinned, red-finned Centaurians origin is much different in the MCU than it is in the comics, one thing both versions share is a fondness for arrows. In the films, this Ravager captain uses his cybernetic fin and trademark whistle to control his formidable Yaka arrow. He abducts a young Peter Quill from Earth on the eve of his mother’s death for his alien father. In the second installment of the film series, it’s revealed that Yondu refused to hand over Quill over to his old man, in an effort to keep him safe.
What is the name of the golden-hued race featured in "GotG Volume Two?"
A product of countless generations of genetic manipulation, this tightly-wound race hired the Guardians to kill a rampaging interdimensional creature called an Abilisk, which had been feeding on the Anulex Batteries that powered their homeworld. After Rocket steals a handful of the batteries on a whim, they chase the Guardians through a quantum asteroid field with their remote-controlled combat drones, only failing to take the team into custody thanks to Ego’s interference. Later they pick up the scent thanks to the Ravager Taserface, who gives up the location of Yondu’s ship before he dies.
This Fatal Attraction star played the leader of the Nova Corps.
Nova-Prime Irani Rael was portrayed by this talented actress, who is arguably best known for her role in Adrian Lyne’s 1987 thriller, “Fatal Attraction.” In the film, she insinuates herself into the lives of Michael Douglas and Anne Archer, revealing her true evil nature, when the former rebuffs her romantic advances after initially cheating on his wife with her. Somewhat controversial for the era, the film stimulated widespread discussion among fans and critics about infidelity and mental illness, and set the stage for subsequent psychological thrillers such as “Basic Instinct” and “Indecent Proposal.”
What was the name of Ronan the Accuser’s starship?
Ronan the Accuser’s three mile long flagship was the forbidding centerpiece of his reign of terror against Xandar, in "GotG Vol. One." The ship carried hundreds of Necroships, which were used during the Battle of Xandar in the climax of the movie. The massive warship was finally brought down thanks to the combined efforts of the Ravagers, the Nova Corps and the Guardians. Only Rocket’s last-minute ramming action succeeded in causing enough damage to the Dark Aster to bring it down to the surface of Xandar.
In what year was Peter Quill abducted from Earth?
Peter Quill was only a boy, when the Ravager Yondu Udonta abducted him from Earth on the night his mother died of cancer. A lonely boy who grew up without a father, Peter retreated into his imagination to endure the constant bullying of other children his age. At the time, Ronald Reagan was still president, the long-running Broadway hit “Phantom of the Opera” took to the stage for the first time and the popular sitcom “The Wonder Years” debuted, changing the way we all watched television.
This naïve empath helped Ego sleep.
Known as the “Celestial Madonna” in the comics, in which she was a member of the Avengers, this unassuming empath possesses a largely unknown but much more mundane origin in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Two.” Born with the ability to read and manipulate emotions, she quells Ego’s turbulent psyche enough to allow his human form to sleep. The butt of many jokes and insults courtesy of Drax, she eventually earns his acceptance by joining the fight against Ego, using her powers to temporarily hold back her former master.