By Chris Edwards.
Get together a human man, a green lady, a walking set of infected tattoos, a talking raccoon and a barely sprouted tree and you supposedly have a team capable of saving the galaxy. At least, they did it once before. If they’re to do it again, they’re going to need some assistance from a blue man with a rhino horn, an equally blue robotic woman and an insect lady who can sense emotions by touch. You’ll receive a limited edition, collectible postcard of some of these characters if you book to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 between Friday, 28th April and Thursday 4th May. That’s good, isn’t it?
So before you see the film and pick up one of these collectible cards, catch up with the characters in this extremely handy guide.
Yondu and Nebula
The last time we saw Yondu (Michael Rooker, left) he foolishly tried to claim the Aether Infinity Stone for himself, even though he’d just seen it melt the skin off everyone’s face. Luckily for him, Peter Quill/Star-Lord had switched it with one of those Trolls you used to get in cereal boxes. Yondu isn’t happy, though, and has subsequently grown an enormous red horn on his head. Nebula (Karen Gillan, right) won’t be too chuffed, either, having lost her hand in a scrap with her sister, Gamora. She’d been trying to earn her place as Thanos’s favourite daughter, but it looks as though she’s going through a rebellious stage now.
Mantis and Drax
New to the party, Mantis (Pom Klementieff, left), with her antennae that must get in the way during haircuts, has the ability to sense people’s emotions when she touches them. If you know your Avengers comic books, you’ll be aware that she potentially has a major role to play. As for the returning Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista, right), he looks set to continue his psychotic rampage in pursuit of avenging his family. That mainly involves laughing like a lunatic while taking on something a thousand times his size.
Baby Groot and Rocket
Groot (Vin Diesel, left) made you cry at the end of the last film when he sacrificed himself for the team. He used his special tree powers to create a protective cocoon before profoundly stating, “We are Groot.” But he survived and is now back as a mischievous sprout. It looks like Rocket (Bradley Cooper, right) will have his hands full as he coaches him through vegetative adolescence.
Gamora and Peter Quill/Star-Lord
Warming to our human ways and banging tracks like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, Gamora (Zoe Saldana, left) is now free of her adoptive father, Thanos, and roams the stars with the rest of the team. It looks as though her main challenge is going to be convincing Nebula to stop killing people. Then, of course, there’s Quill (Chris Pratt, right), who has discovered he’s half human, half amazing, as he somehow managed to hold The Aether without exploding. He’ll continue his search for his father while being chased by Yondu, trying to win the affection of Gamora and saving the galaxy from vastly powerful enemies. It should be easy.
