Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Who Are The Original Ravagers?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is now in theaters, giving fans the next chapter of James Gunn’s oddball space family saga, as well as the next chapter in the cosmic sector of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There were plenty of surprises in GotGV2 – iconic Marvel character cameos, fun celebrity cameos, and some big reveals. One of the biggest and best character reveals probably went right over a lot of viewers’ heads – luckily for them, we’re here to explain.

So, Who Were The Original Ravagers in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2? Let’s break it down in all its SPOILER glory!

Born from Guardians

The Original Ravagers featured during final moments of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (and during one of the many post-credit scenes) were actually select characters from Marvel Comics lore: The Original Guardians of the Galaxy. 

By “Original,” we mean that they were the first iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy team, who appeared in the first installment of the comic series in 1969, throughout the ’70s. It’s clear that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the original Guardians team either disbanded or evolved into the larger group that is The Ravagers.

The members of that original team were never quite as popular as the revamped version with Star-Lord and company – which is why it’s perfectly understandable if audience members (even longtime Marvel Comics readers) didn’t get it, in the moment. 

But here are the classic Guardians of the Galaxy we met at the end of Vol. 2… 

Stakar Ogord/Starhawk (Sylvester Stallone)

From Comicbook.com’s Brandon Davis: 

Sylvestor Stallone’s Starhawk has only scratched the tip of the iceberg with his possibilities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Introduced early in the film before returning to pay tribute at a Ravager funeral, Stallone’s character clearly has a rich history within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Only referred to as Stakar, the character banished Yondu from the Ravagers for working in dealing kids against their group’s code. The Ravagers, however, are far from the only group to which Starhawk has belonged.

In Marvel Comics, Starhawk is a key character within the classic Guardians roster and the Guardians 3000 run. His powers were granted by the Hawk God in an alternate reality than core Marvel Comics stories after his first appearance in Defenders #27 in 1975.

Starhawk’s powers include the ability to generate luminous energy around his body, being able to fly, and creating intense heat/light beams.

Aleta Ogord/Starhawk (Michelle Yeoh)

Aleta Ogord was a Marvel character who was born in the 31st-century. Because of biochemical and radioactive fallout on her planet, she was born with the power to manipulate light. 

She was raised to be a ruthless and aggressive fighter by her father, but it was her kindly adopted brother, Stakar, who became her love, and the two were eventually married. After an encounter with a powerful Hawk God, Stakar and Aleta merged into the superhero cosmic being known as Starhawk. 

Eventually, Aleta learned to separate from Stakar and forge her own path, joining the revamped version of the Guardians. 

Aleta first appeared in Defenders #29 in November 1975. 

Yondu

We won’t get too deep into Yondu – especially since Michael Rooker’s MCU version has far eclipsed the classic comic book character, at this point. 

What we learn in GotGV2 is that Yondu isn’t just the scumbag space pirate we believed him to be. He used to run with Stakar and the original Guardians team, until he violated their code as The Ravagers, by delivering Ego’s children to their murderous, power-mongering father. 

Yondu had a change of heart when it came to the fate of Peter Quill, keeping the boy safe from Ego. However, it was too late: Stakar and the other Original Guardians banished Yondu’s faction of The Ravagers. 

With his death, Yondu regained his lost honor, becoming a hero once again. 

Martinex (Michael Rosenbaum)

From Brandon Davis: 

Played by Smallville alum Michael Rosenbaum, Martinex was realized in live action in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

A member of the Guardians 3000 roster, Martinex has a unique set of powers courtesy of his Pluvian physiology. He is a silicon based life form composed of silicon crystal rather than carbon matter like humans. It makes stronger and more durable but he can also use his thermokinetic abilities to manipulate temperatures to extremes heats or colds in an instant. The character is known for projecting thermal beams of hot or cold during battles.

First introduced in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 in January of 1969, Martinex has been featured in several Guardians titles under the lead of Vance Astro.

Charlie-27 (Ving Rhames)

From Brandon Davis: 

Like Martinex, Charlie-27 is a key character in an alternate Guardians line-up. The classic line-up sees Charlie-27 following the lead of Vance Astro and Starhawk.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Charlie-27 was introduced late in the film being played by Ving Rhames. 

With the introduction of these characters, the possible future of the Guardians of the Galaxy stories has been expanded as the roster fans know from the films can either team up with the classic names or take a back seat to the likes of Charlie-27, Martinex, and the sure-to-be introduced Vance Astro. 

Charlie-27 first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 in 1969.

Mainframe (Miley Cyrus)

In an alternate future (31st Century), The Vision evolves into Mainframe, an operating system for an entire planet. Mainframe also happened to be the “guardian” of one important Marvel relic: Captain America’s shield. 

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Mainframe is a simple robot head with Miley Cyrus’ autotune voice coming out of it. 

Mainframe first appeared in the 1990 Guardians of the Galaxy series, in issue #5. 

Krugarr

Krugarr is a worm-like alien from the race known at the Lem. He has another big Marvel Movie connection in that he was discovered and trained by none other than a future version of Doctor Strange! 

Krugarr became the Sorcerer Supreme of his era, even doing battle with the like of Dormammu. In the MCU, he is a CGI alien who doesn’t yet have a voice actor, but clearly displayed mystical ability in his brief post-credits scene cameo. 

Krugarr first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 in 1991. 

More Guardians of the Galaxy

1. The Miley Cyrus Cameo Revealed
2. David Hasslehoff’s Role Revealed
3. Did GotGV2 Introduce Eternity to the MCU?
4. The GotGV2 Ending Explained
5. The Deleted End Credits Scene
6. How Adam Warlock Will Change the MCU
7. Every Character Cameo Revealed
8. The Major Cosmic Characters Revealed
9. GotGV3 Will Take Place After Avengers 3
10. GotGV4 Will Be Very Different