GOTG Vol. 2: Why Did Nebula Need Anulax Batteries?

05/05/2017 10:51 pm EDT

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 AHEAD! ONLY LOOK IF YOU WANT TO KNOW!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 helped bring the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into a whole new realm. And with it, fans were introduced to a new form of energy, Anulax Batteries. As The Sovereign race's main source of energy, it proved to be a surprisingly useful asset for the Guardians, after Rocket stole a few of the batteries.

But what would've happened if that power had gotten into different hands?

Early in the film, the Guardians discover that Nebula (Karen Gillan) has been caught and imprisoned by The Sovereign for attempting to steal batteries. While it's initially assumed that Nebula is stealing the batteries because they're worth a significant number of units, the third act revealed how much power they possess. During the Guardians' fight against Ego the Living Planet (Kurt Russell), the batteries helped power an explosive more than substantial enough to destroy Ego.

With that in mind, Nebula's intentions with the batteries takes on a whole different meaning. Nebula's motivations within the film become pretty clear during her conversation with Kraglin (Sean Gunn) - she wants to kill her sister, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), before torturing and killing her father Thanos (Josh Brolin). And it's safe to say that Nebula acquiring the powerful Anulax Batteries would help do just that.

While Nebula was not able to succeed at either of those things in Vol. 2, her act of attempting to steal the batteries shows how dedicated she was to that goal. Now that Nebula appears to have reconciled with Gamora, that still leaves her more than willing to kill Thanos.

This ties right into her departure at the end of the film - as well as, possibly, her arc in Avengers: Infinity War. Given her clear motivation against Thanos, some are already campaigning for Nebula to have a significant hand in Thanos' demise - including both Gillan and Saldana.

With an improved relationship with the Guardians - and a universe worth of resources at her disposal - there's a good chance that fans will get to see Nebula get the revenge she wanted in Vol. 2.

More Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2:

• Five MCU Questions Raised By Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
• Guardians Of The Galaxy: How Peter Quill Gets Awesome Mix Vol. 3
• Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2: How The Reveal Of [SPOILER] Will Change The MCU
• Every Cameo In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).

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