6 Most Underrated Guardians of the Galaxy Team Members

Published Sep 15, 2026, 11:53 PM EDT

Mark has been a comic book journalist for over 15 years and has interviewed comic book creators like Gail Simone and Caspar Wijngaard. And when he's not writing, he's working on beating his record of 1,200 comics read in a year.

The Guardians of the Galaxy weren’t always among Marvel Comics' most popular teams. In all honesty, they were kind of bland. Once James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy was released, that changed for the better.

If a movie or show does well, comic book companies will alter parts of characters to fit what the audience saw. It's a way to bring in new readers by making things more familiar. As for the Guardians of the Galaxy, the changes led to multiple ongoing series by amazing writers, an underrated video game, and a few galaxy-altering moments, like Peter Quill (Star-Lord), who’s the head of the Galactic Union.

Like every super-team, the Guardians of the Galaxy have had plenty of members. The most recognized are Star-Lord, Groot, Rocket, Drax, and Gamora. There have been a lot more along the way that comic book fans should recognize as some of the best to have been part of this intergalactic group of space pirates.

6 Ben Grimm

The Ever Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing is one of the most recognized characters in Marvel Comics. Sure, the rocky orange skin is hard to forget, but his personality is more unforgettable than his unique look. Both are part of what made him a perfect fit for the Guardians of the Galaxy.

No matter how many times Ben Grimm helps save the universe, some people will look at him as a monster. However, in outer space, no one glanced twice. He was just another unique-looking being in a place full of them. Without needing to hide what he looked like, Ben shone brightly. What's surprising is that he seemed more confident and comfortable than he did with the Fantastic Four.

A great moment came in Guardians of the Galaxy No. 7 (written by Brian Michael Bendis) when he fell from the sky to save Rocket and destroy an illegal prison. It was so epic that even Rocket got happy and made sure that Ben said, “That’s clobberin’ time, baby.”

5 Tony Stark

On Earth, Tony Stark is one of the smartest, most attractive, and smoothest people around. His Iron Man armor is a weapon of mass destruction and a scientific achievement that has started wars. Out in the depths of space, Stark learned that all of those accomplishments don’t mean much.

Iron Man was given multiple reality checks, mostly from Rocket. Rocket loved making fun of Tony when he discovered something amazing, only to find out that it’s something common to beings out in space. There was also the time Tony and Gamora had sex, and she left him in bed and in pain. Once again, a reality check to someone who definitely needed it.

All of this doesn’t make for a great teammate, but it was certainly entertaining. Iron Man needs to put down a peg or two every so often, and that’s what he got while running around with the Guardians of the Galaxy. The only disappointing part is that he wasn't on the roster longer.

4 Drax

Every team needs a strong hitter. The X-Men have Colossus and Juggernaut, and the Avengers have Thor and the Hulk. The difference between them and Drax is that he's fighting beings across the galaxy that are stronger and more advanced than him on every mission. It leaves him at a constant disadvantage, yet he gets the job done.

After what happened in the Marvel Studios projects, comic book fans may have forgotten how dangerous Drax is. He got his butt handed to him by Ronan the Accuser in the first movie and Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. It’s reasons like this that it’s forgotten that he killed Thanos back in Annihilation. It’s reasons like this that one of the core members makes this list.

Another point that should be made is that Drax isn’t a fool. He may not use $10 words or make weapons, but he understands people, and that's its own kind of genius. If he were an idiot, he wouldn’t have survived as long as he has.

3 Kitty Pryde

Prior to her time with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Kitty Pryde hadn’t spent as much time in space as the other X-Men. However, it wasn’t shocking that she adapted so quickly. She’s a brilliant woman who’s spent a good part of her teenage and adult life adjusting to things on the fly.

Like Ben Grimm and Tony Stark, Kitty’s time as a Guardian of the Galaxy was short-lived. Nevertheless, in that time, she made a difference. She became Star-Lord while Peter Quill was King of Spartax (which didn’t last long) and may have fit the team better than Peter because she's much more disciplined than him.

Maybe the most impressive thing about her time on the team is how quickly everyone embraced her. It isn’t shocking because everyone loves her, but Rocket loving Kitty as a teammate and Drax calling her a fine warrior is a big deal.

2 Nova

Before Nova was an on-again, off-again member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, he was one of Peter Quill’s only friends. Throughout that time, they’ve had a roller coaster of a relationship. Sometimes they’re the best of friends who are fighting side-by-side in an intergalactic war. Other times, Richard is in therapy talking about him or telling Gamora that he loved Peter too.

Right now, they’re in a weird place because Nova feels that Quill betrayed him during the Marvel Comics intergalactic event, Imperial. Luckily, when the Guardians of the Galaxy need Richard and the Nova Force, he’ll answer the call because that’s the kind of person he is. After Gamora learned that Maximus betrayed her (this happens in Imperial Guardians No. 5), he may be back on the team sooner than anyone realizes.

After Gamora learned that Maximus betrayed her (this happens in Imperial Guardians No. 5), he may be back on the team sooner than anyone realizes. Now that he’s been more of a bounty hunter than a galaxy protector, he may fit better on the team. He'll have a better understanding of what they do and may need them to keep the Xandarian Worldmind active.

1 Star-Lord

Though Star-Lord might be the most famous Guardians of the Galaxy member, he is, paradoxically, also the most underrated. Despite being the most frequent leader of Marvel's premier cosmic team and current head of the Galactic Union, there are reasons fans usually don't consider him one of the team's best members.

Everything about Peter Quill screams overachiever. He isn’t the smartest or toughest member of his team, or even someone born and raised in space. Star-Lord is just a guy who keeps getting put into impossible situations and succeeds. A case could be made that he thrives when things look hopeless.

Peter has fought and led his team against Thanos and won, survived the Annihilation War, and came close to having the power of a god (read Al Ewing's Guardians of the Galaxy for that story). Despite those accomplishments, some people still look at Peter as a joke. Yes, the reason for that is that he can be immature and sometimes lacks self-control. Nevertheless, he gets results and has successfully protected the universe time and again.

Star-Lord will never get the respect he deserves, and that’s fine. Peter Quill will continue to do goofy things like elbow-drop aliens and say, “Snap into a Slim Jim,” and annoy his friends. Just remember that while he’s doing that, he’s protecting everyone throughout the universe.

The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, rooted in Marvel Comics, has expanded into a prominent series within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), blending action, humor, and a distinctive 1970s and 1980s soundtrack.