Marvel Universe Guardians of The Galaxy 3 3/4" Boxed Set

This Marvel Universe Guardians of The Galaxy boxed set by Hasbro held little interest for me when I first saw it, having read nothing about the characters, but when I saw marked down from $20 to $9 on clearance, I went for it. I have a couple other Marvel Universe boxed sets, and consider them a solid value at $20 considering what the individually packaged 3 3/4" Hasbro figures go for now. Having just read the Guardians of the Galaxy: Legacy hardback, this seemed like a great time to show this set off.

The colorful & odd band of characters within are Starlord, Rocket Racoon, Drax the Destroyer, and Groot. It would have been cool to have Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vell, Gamora, & Mantis (which I would gladly have paid another twenty for), but Hasbro was trying to hit a price point here, and let's face it: seeing any of this team in plastic form is really an anomaly.

I was disappointed when saw Drax initially, unfamiliar with his new rendering in the Marvel Universe- I already have Absorbing Man, who's got the same body. But I love the green skin and red tattoos, and he really does look like the new Drax. The longknives that sheath into the back of his belt also make him unique, and he hold them securely in his tiny hands.

Drax the Destroyer's bio in the Marvel Universe Book of The Dead & Inactive 1, 1982



Drax had a recurring role in the early Captain Marvel comic, the original incarnation I am most familiar with. Mentor and the Titan god Chronos captured Arthur Douglas' spirit and placed it in a powerful new body, rechristening him "Drax the Destroyer," his sole purpose to destroy Thanos, which he eventually did in the Annihilation story arc. From my understanding, Thanos returns the favor in The Thanos Imperative- few stay dead for long in the world of comics folks  :D

Originally, Drax's powers include super strength, tremendous resilience, flight, and the ability to project concussive blasts of cosmic energy from his hands. He could also travel at high speeds in outer space without air, food, or water. Drax also possessed the ability to sense the presence of Thanos across vast distances. After his resurrection Drax lost some of his strength, resilience, flight, and energy blasts. His intellect has returned to its original level (lost temporarily when daughter Moondragon mentally forced his life essence from his artificial body) and he has taken a liking to using knives in battle. (Wikipedia)

Starlord (Peter Quill) is the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and former NASA astronaut. An alien entity called the Master of the Sun visited the space station that Quill worked on, and offered the mantle of Star-Lord (an interplanetary policeman) to a worthy candidate. Quill volunteered, but was rejected in favor of a colleague he once treated badly. Quill is outraged, and NASA orders his return to Earth and discharge for his conduct. Instead, he steals a scoutship, returns to the space station, and takes his colleague's place as Star-Lord. (Wikipedia) Dubious beginnings for this "hero"!

Starlord has the same body used for the Marvel Universe Ghost Rider, but has a new belt & head that both look great. The head is on a ball joint that works surprisingly well, and is one of the most detailed, complex molds I've seen on such a tiny action figure- really amazing! He holds his submachine pistols securely, their bulky size looking powerful in his hands. He's a wild looking, stormtrooper type character that has a lot of eye appeal- very cool!

Inspired by the classic Beatles song "Rocky Raccoon", Rocket Racoon first appeared in the magazine-sized black-and-white showcase comic book Marvel Preview #7 in 1976. Rocket Raccoon acts as the "Guardian of the Keystone Quadrant", an area of outer space sealed off from the rest of the cosmos by the so-called Galacian Wall. Rocket is captain of the starship Rack 'n' Ruin, and he and his first mate Wal Russ (a talking walrus) come from the planet Halfworld, in the Keystone Quadrant, an abandoned colony for the mentally ill where the animal companions were genetically manipulated to grant them human level intelligence and bipedal body construction for many to become caretakers of the inmates. Rocket was Halfworld's chief law officer who protected the colony against various threats. (Wikipedia)

Rocket Raccoon returned in the Annihilation: Conquest, depicted as a gifted military tactician who is also fearless, loyal, and insightful- attributes that help him take charge of the Guardians of the Galaxy when Starlord is unavailable. It is also heavily implied that he has a case of obsessive compulsive disorder. Rocket's trademark rocket skates are absent. Rocket later joins the new Guardians of the Galaxy at the behest of his friend Starlord, suggesting that the team adopt that moniker after hearing it mentioned by Major Victory. (Wikipedia)

Rocket has an articulated tail, and an expressive ball-jointed head. He comes with an oversized gun that he doesn't hold particularly well, but he's such a fun little character in his Guardians outfit. This set includes his pal Groot, too, extraterrestrial plant Monarch of Planet X. The last remaining member of his race, Groot nearly died buying his team some time to escape in Annihilation: Conquest. However, he survived as a sprig offshoot kept by Rocket, and was nurtured back to health by Mantis in Guardians of The Galaxy: Legacy.

Hilariously, whenever Groot is saying his trademark "I am Groot!" he has actually been saying any number of things. The hardened nature of Groot's larynx that causes people oblivious to the subtle nuances of his speech to misinterpret him as merely repeating his name.

Groot's lineage, coming from an ancient and ennobled sap-line and being the scion of an elite royal house, Groot has received the finest education from the most gifted of tutors. He is highly intelligent and has a tremendous grasp of quasi-dimensional super-positional engineering. He returns to his full form later, accompanying the Guardians in battle against Thanos after after the mad Titan awoke from death. (Wikipedia)

I passed on this set many times for months, but after reading Guardians of the Galaxy: Legacy, I'm glad I waited and got it at such a reduced price. With only two full sized figures in the set, it seemed light in comparison to the Fantastic Four boxed set, but I'm a little more familiar with the Guardians now, and it's certainly a unique set.

More Later- Make It FUN!