Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is now in theaters worldwide. Where the first movie introduced some of the Marvel cosmic universe, this movie expands it in tremendous ways. Here’s a guide to some of the easter egg comic references.
BUT, don’t read this unless you have seen the movies. This will reveal some spoilers of the film…
Here’s some more room to warn you before reading on.
Still ok with reading on? Ok, here we go…
Stan Lee’s Appearance
I’ll start with the not too spoilery one, but slightly spoilerish. Stan Lee appears a couple of times in the whole of the movie, but in the same place both times. He’s telling a story to aliens with distinctly bald heads. These bald aliens are The Watchers (a reference I used to make in a series of comic related posts I made way back when). The Watchers are an immortal, very powerful race of creatures that observe the universe, but never interfere. It’s been believed that Stan Lee is a Watcher because of his appearance in almost all Marvel related films. The cameo seems to squelch that theory. Seems to. He does elude to an appearance from the Iron Man films, and says he was once that guy. So, for me, the jury’s still out on his Watcher status.
Original Guardians of the Frickin’ Galaxy
The original Guardians make an appearance a few times. “Wait…the original?” Yes. Star Lord and Gamora were not among the first of the team. There was a late 60’s original team in the comics. They were Starhawk, Aleta, Charlie-27, Martinex, Mainframe, and Yondu. In the film, Sylvester Stallone plays Starhawk. Alongside him is Martinex, the crystal alien. Charlie-27 is played by Ving Rhames, Aleta by Michelle Yeoh, and Mainframe is voiced by Miley Cyrus. Missing from the original team is Vance Astro, who is from the future and wields Captain America’s shield, and Nikki, who is an alien.
The appearance of the original team during the credits makes it seem like the group will be part of Vol. 3. Whether they will be close to the original comics isn’t known yet, but it already seems unlikely since Yondu was not a Ravager in comics, and the others do not seem like their comic selves in the appearances.
Ayesha and Adam
What seems most likely for a Vol. 3 is the Guardians going up against Adam who Ayesha says she is creating. In the comics, Ayesha (also known as Her) is a strange lab created being that is a counterpart to something called Him…or Adam Warlock. She is a bit of a counter to Adam Warlock. Warlock, in the comics, did appear as a type of antagonist originally. He eventually becomes one of the most powerful champions of the galaxy, even wielding the Infinity Gauntlet for good.
And that leads me to why the end reference to Adam is such a big deal. Adam Warlock defeats Thanos who wields the Infinity Gauntlet with all the Infinity Stones at the end of the actual Infinity Gauntlet mega crossover in Marvel Comics. It’s also his existence that brings about an Infinity War with an evil version of himself. Starting to see where this is going? If not, the first part of a 2-part Avengers films is called Infinity War, and is due out next year. But, it’s unknown if Adam will appear in those films.
Also, Adam Warlock teamed with Gamora and Drax at one point in a group called the Infinity Watch. They all had an Infinity Stone to guard so it wouldn’t fall in evil’s hands.
Eternity?
It may not be a reference, but Eternity is a being in the Marvel Comics universe that transcends the galaxy. Star Lord says he sees “eternity” after his dad opens his mind and eyes. His eyes also have a star cluster look to them, which is what Eternity’s body is made up of. Coincidence? Maybe, but it is Marvel Comics…
Howard the Duck
Just to mention, Howard the Duck makes another appearance in the film. He’s an alien duck. That’s about it.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a fun film that is so full of comic references. It’s sure to be pleasing to Marvel fans of any kind, but hopefully this guide helped bridge the gap between the inspiration and the movie.
