Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude [A Short Synopsis of Each Key Character's Story.]

     The following are synopses for the collected works of the above-referenced publication. Each synopsis is in the order in which it appeared in the publication, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude. I have placed the name of the key character for the issue at the front of each synopsis with the title of the issue following the character's name.

• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1-2;
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic #1;
• Iron Man (1968) #55;
• Strange Tales (1951) #181;
• Incredible Hulk (1968) #271;
• Tales to Astonish (1959) #13
• Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 (2013)

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1 by Dan
Abnett and Andy Lanning. This page shows Nebula
on the left and Gamora in the center being "repaired" with
metal prostheses. On the right is Thanos overseeing the
healing of the two women. [1]

NEBULA--Marvel's Guard- ians of the Galaxy Prelude #1: The opening chapter is about Nebula and Gamora looking for the orb. In a series of flashbacks, Nebula recalls her training and competition with Gamora with whom she was raised, shaped and guided under Thanos's tutelage. The search for the orb ended in failure and injury. Nebula's memories reveal her injuries received and how her flesh was repaired with metal prostheses.

ROCKET RACOON AND GROOT--Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #2: The scene is, "The Hub," where life is divided between the wealthy and the poor, and you can dock your space craft and buy whatever you need. Rocket is described as a cybernetically augmented citizen of "Halfworld," who specializes in weapons, is a deadly shot, and a great tactician. Groot is described as coming from Planet X, being a sentient arboroform who is nearly indestructible.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #2, by Dan
Abnett and Andy Lanning. This illustration shows Rocket
and Drax with the little sentient "Scalluscs." They are
headed back to the Scallusc homeworld. [1]

     Needing money for refueling, Rocket and Groot look for quick ways to earn money. They soon sign on to steal an artifact. Stealing the box, they narrowly escape, and go to collect. It is then they find out that the box contain very rare sentient crustaceans that are wanted for a wealthy customer to inlay into tiles in his bathroom. The sentient "Scalluscs" offer double to Rocket and Groot to save them.

Here, Gamora is meeting with Tanaleer
Tivan, otherwise known as, "The
Collector." She is agreeing to go after
the orb and entrust its safety to Tivan. [1]

GAMORA, TANALEER TIVAN (THE COLLECTOR) AND CARINA--Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic #1  [Dangerous Prey]: 

     Opening this issue is Sif and Volstagg, the Asgardians whom we saw at the end of Thor: The Dark World. Carina (the pinkish colored woman) presents Sif and Volstagg to the Collector. They leave a box containing an infinity stone with the Collector admonishing him to keep it safe, and then they leave. The Collector says, "One down. Five to go." 

     Then we see Gamora enter a bar and show everyone why she is considered to be the "Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy." She "cleans up," and then goes to speak with Tanaleer Tivan via hologram. Gamora makes a bargain with him to go to Planet Morag, enter the temple vault, seize the orb and bring it back to Conjunction World, to him.

DRAX THE DESTROYER AND IRON MAN--Iron Man (1968) #55 ["Beware the Blood Brothers."]

Look at the style of the artwork--
notice much more detail, and
more shading with lines instead
blended darker colors of the
newer modern comic artwork.
Here Drax the Destroyer appears
differently than he will in
the movie. This is from 1968. [1]

     Iron Man and Drax the Destroyer are the focus of the 1968 Iron Man comic. Drax has been captured by Thanos and imprisoned. Seeking help, he uses mental telepathy to contact Iron Man on earth to ask for help, but he has been too late. Thanos has sent two hulking creatures (the Blood Brothers) to earth who capture Iron Man and take him back to Thanos. Once there, Iron Man makes a break for it and gets away. 

     In his first attempt to free Drax, Iron Man is recaptured and taken before Thanos. After insulting Thanos, the guards again seize him to take him to a cell, but just at that moment a laser-like beam hits Iron Man's chestplate causing an explosion and freeing Drax. Drax and Iron Man fight the "Blood Brothers," and defeat them and Thanos, discovering that Thanos was only a robot. Iron Man returns home, having made a new friend.

GAMORA [COMES TO HELP WARLOCK]--Strange Tales (1951) #181 ["1000 Clowns."]

     In this graphic novel, we see the oldest style of artwork, dating back to 1951. The art work has the most detail of all the issues in the book, as you can see from the photo. I love the shading details with all the fine lines used to enhance shading.

Here, Gamora is fighting the guards as she attempts to
reach Warlock. Compare this photo to the first three
photos to see the change of artistic rendering from
1951 to now. Also, colors are more intense, whereas the
first three photos (above) have more subtle shading and
use of color is far less intense. Notice the high contrast
through the use of complimentary colors, here. [1]

In this issue, we join Warlock already a prisoner in a kind of mental jail. An attempt is made to "recondition" him. Warlock is stuck in this nightmare world of a "1000 Clowns."

     Meanwhile, Gamora is breaking into Warlock's prison. Gamora does her worst to the guards and begins her search for Warlock. Warlock is fighting monsters of his own, and with only one way out, he takes it: The Doorway of Madness. Warlock fights the demon within, but then realizes that the demon is just another aspect of himself...this realization sets him free in much the same way as Ged is freed in Ursula K. Le Guin's The Wizard of Earthsea, by understanding himself and embracing the whole. Being freed from his mental prison, Gamora welcomes him back.

I know it is difficult to read, but
it says that The Hulk has to share
his 20th Anniversary issue with
Rocket Raccoon! [1]

THE INCREDIBLE HULK AND ROCKET RACCOON--Incredible Hulk (1968) #271. The Hulk sleeps on red grass on an alien planet (Half-World) while Rocket Raccoon and Wal Rus try to wake the green guy. A mechanical monster is headed their way, the infamous "ROBOMOWER." Luckily, the noise awakes Hulk and he quickly dispatches the monster. After being chased by some "Keystone Quadrant Kops," the trio escape in Rocket's ship and head to the largest planet in the system, "The Keystone Quadrant."

     The adventure continues as the trio run into a "murderous mole," Judson Jakes. Hulk talks, in flashbacks, about his friends, Rick and Betty, who are dealing with "Hulk Hunters" back on Earth. Meanwhile, seeking to recover the "Gideon's Bible," the trio run into the "Black Bunny Brigade," and "Uncle Pyko's Killer Clowns" (they are, aparently, cyborg assassins). Eventually, the book is obtained, but the Hulk is tricked into being transported back to Earth so he can be of no further use to Rocket Raccoon. Rocket Raccoon hopes their paths will cross again.

GROOT--Tales to Astonish (1959) #13 ["I Challenged Groot! The Monster From Planet X!"] This story, told in first person,  by a biologist in the story, relates how he defeated the monster, Groot, from Planet X.

Oddly, in this story, Groot is
a lot more than monosyllabic! [1]

     A biologist and his wife, Alice, were driving home when they spotted something akin to a falling star fall into a nearby forrest. The biologist discovers the monster, and learns why all manner of wood products have been disappearing from town. Groot is consuming them, using them for fuel to grow bigger. The townspeople arm themselves, but nothing can damage Groot--not guns, not fire. Groot, in "Ent-like deja vu," declares he is making all the trees surround the town in an impenetrable wall, after which he will transport the whole town to his planet so his scientists can use them for guinea pigs.

     Time is running out for the town. The Biologist comes up with a plan; he stealthfully approached the, now, massive Groot under cover of darkness. Placing containers near the tree, the biologist expected to see results within minutes. Success! Soon, Groot cries out and falls over, apparently dead. The biologist reveals that he turned boxes of termites loose on Groot to defeat him.

PETER QUILL, AKA: STARLORD--Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 (2013)  Quill's story actually starts with his mother, Meredith Quill. Let's see where Quill is going with this.

"Starman," staring a young
Jeff Bridges. [2]

     A young woman who had just broken up with her jerky x-boyfriend sees something crash to Earth, not far from her. Investigating, she finds an injured man, "J'son of Spartax," whom she takes home and nurses back to health. As they talk, she learns he's from outer space. Over the days, they grow closer as J'son repairs his space ship to go home. The two make love and in another movie deja vu moment from "Starman," J'son leaves the woman alone and pregnant to care for a son. That son turns out to be Peter Quill.

     Peter grows and when he's ten years old, assassins come to his home, kill his mother, blow up the house and leave thinking he is dead. Peter is found not far from his house and taken to the hospital to recover.

This is the last page of the story. Quill/Starlord is talking to Iron Man and
asks him, "Is that more than you wanted to know, Stark?" Stark responds,
"Hell, no, Starlord. That's exactly what I wanted to know." The con-
clusion is that Quill has just told Stark his whole life story. [1]

 
 Hospital staff give Peter (what they think is) his "toy" space blaster, found near him [a real gun belonging to his father]. Peter grew up, joined NASA for a while, and left earth as soon as he could. Peter continues to be angry at his father for deserting him and his mother. See the last scene in the book, to the right.
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REFERENCES

[1] "Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude." amazon.com. Retrieved 07-15-14.

[2] "Starman." amazon.com. Retrieved 07-15-14.