History YMMV / GuardiansOfTheGalaxy

* DorkAge: Some fans believe Volume 3 was this to the Guardians due to the excessive changes in the book, which are thought to have been at least partially driven by Bendis' infamous tendency to disregard established continuity in favour of doing his own thing. Bendis has defended his creative decisions by saying he wanted to respect the [=DnA=] era by not trying to imitate it, but for many fans this still doesn't justify the extent of the changes he made with regards to things like character, setting and tone.

* CantUnhearIt: In light of the MCU ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' movies, just try reading any of Rocket's dialogue without hearing Creator/BradleyCooper's voice in your head. Some older fans might still apply this to Greg Ellis' takes from ''Marvel vs Capcom 3'' and ''Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes''.

* PopularWithFurries: Rocket Raccoon has managed to make it big in the UsefulNotes/FurryFandom ever since appearing in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', thanks to his role as a main character. [[OlderThanTheyThink He has actually appeared in other media before it]], it's just that Rocket's appearance here (and possibly the comic beforehand) is when his rise in popularity within the furry fanbase truly began.

* CompleteMonster
** ''Marvel Preview'' (Earth-791):
*** Issue #11: [[TheEvilPrince Prince Gareth]], the [[EvilUncle great-uncle of Peter Quill and uncle to Emperor Jason]], is a power-hungry traitor whose attempts to murder the young heir resulted in the death of Jason's human wife Meredith. Gareth finances his intended coup on his nephew in cooperation with the vile ruler of planet [[WretchedHive Cinnabar]], Kyras Shakati, willingly endorsing Shakati's planet-destroying slavery operation solely so he can profit. When Gareth finally attempts to assassinate Jason and the now-grown Peter Quill--Star-Lord--after having tortured the latter's friends for days, Gareth makes a point of gloating that none of the countless lives he's wasted have meant a thing to him in his personal pursuit of power.
*** Issue #11: [[PlanetBaron Kyras Shakati]] is a [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slave merchant]] who has built his empire on the "rape and murder of a hundred worlds". Working in conjunction with Prince Gareth, Shakati is the one who dispatched the assassin to murder Meredith and young Peter with full knowledge Gareth was attempting a coup. Shakati's business leaves entire planets as dead husks and countless millions dead; when he arrives on a planet, he systematically eradicates anyone over the age of 17 before herding the children to live out the rest of their lives as slaves. Shakati's mind is so full of evil that only an instant's contact sends Star-Lord's psychic ally Kip reeling with pain and revulsion.
*** Issue #18's "Less Than Human": [[PlanetBaron Quan-Zarr]], ruler of planet Redstone, took over the planet in a fiery genocide after he was ousted from his last position of galactic power. Only sparing a few of the natives, Quan-Zarr subjected them to [[PlayingWithSyringes grotesque eugenics experiments]] and forced them to breed with each other to produce Beastmen he could keep in in zoos for his entertainment. When his son helped the Beastmen escape, Quan-Zarr [[OffingTheOffspring had him murdered]].
** ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' Vol. 1 (Earth-691):
*** [[NotSoHarmlessVillain Taserface]] begins as simply an arrogant blowhard and a StarterVillain for the Guardians, an agent of the Starks who develops a vicious, fanatical hatred toward the Guardians after one defeat too many. Taserface renames himself "Overkill" after being converted into a cyborg and, pledging to have the heads of anyone with a Guardian star, subjects the Guardians to a brutal NoHoldsBarredBeatdown. In his ultimate moment of spite, Taserface attempted to self-destruct in his final battle with Hollywood and [[TakingYouWithMe take dozens of inhabited star systems to the grave with him]], content to die knowing that Hollywood would fail to save trillions of innocent people.
*** [[TheCaligula Rancor]], great-great-great granddaughter of [[Characters/WolverineJamesLoganHowlett Wolverine]], [[PlanetBaron inherited the throne]] of humanity's new home Haven II in the 31st century, clawing out her own father's heart at sixteen and enslaving the entire population of the planet. Rancor exercised [[AxCrazy random, sadistic cruelty]] beyond any other foe the Guardians had faced, massacring a crowd of thousands after they tried to rebel against her cruel rule, killing innocents at random, and eventually attempting to annihilate all of Haven II alongside its population out of sheer spite. Rancor tenuously allied with Characters/DoctorDoom afterwards, and not long after she did so she decided to kill Doom and eat his heart in front of a televised audience in response to an earlier slight. Rancor even has a planet full of six billion people annihilated solely to frame the Guardians. Guilty of everything from scalping her own cousin in response to an offhand insult to working thousands to death, Rancor's final appearance saw her enslave a new population and rape Talon in order to produce an heir to mold in her image, ensuring that her psychotic legacy will continue indefinitely.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Some like to think Peter's movie-inspired characterization in the comics is in part the character putting on a StepfordSmiler routine (which, given the sheer amount of horrific crap he's been through, wouldn't exactly be a stretch...). Even Creator/AlEwing has raised the idea in interviews.

* WinBackTheCrowd: Duggan's run is seen by some as a welcome return to form for the title following Bendis' Earth-centric, crossover-heavy "Avengers in space" run. It introduces elements from the films without them feeling too forced (such as Star-Lord's mixtapes), while at the same time incorporating concepts from Starlin's classic sagas (such as Soul World).
** The following series by Cates and Ewing respectively only served to continue this trend. Donny Cates' run shifted the team's line-up away from the more movie focused teams from the past few years, brought back fan favorite members like Moondragon and Phyla-Vell, and even incorporated other fan favorite cosmic heroes like Beta Ray Bill.

** ''Marvel Preview''(Earth-791):

** ''Marvel Preview'' Vol. 1 Issue #11--''Marvel Preview presents Star-Lord'' (Earth-791):
*** [[TheEvilPrince Prince Gareth]], the [[EvilUncle great-uncle of Peter Quill and uncle to Emperor Jason]], is a power-hungry traitor whose attempts to murder the young heir resulted in the death of Jason's human wife Meredith. Gareth finances his intended coup on his nephew in cooperation with the vile ruler of planet [[WretchedHive Cinnabar]], Kyras Shakati, willingly endorsing Shakati's planet-destroying slavery operation solely so he can profit. When Gareth finally attempts to assassinate Jason and the now-grown Peter Quill--Star-Lord--after having tortured the latter's friends for days, Gareth makes a point of gloating that none of the countless lives he's wasted have meant a thing to him in his personal pursuit of power.
*** [[PlanetBaron Kyras Shakati]] is a [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slave merchant]] who has built his empire on the "rape and murder of a hundred worlds". Working in conjunction with Prince Gareth, Shakati is the one who dispatched the assassin to murder Meredith and young Peter with full knowledge Gareth was attempting a coup. Shakati's business leaves entire planets as dead husks and countless millions dead; when he arrives on a planet, he systematically eradicates anyone over the age of 17 before herding the children to live out the rest of their lives as slaves. Shakati's mind is so full of evil that only an instant's contact sends Star-Lord's psychic ally Kip reeling with pain and revulsion.

** ''Marvel Preview'' Vol. 1 Issue #11 (''Marvel Preview presents Star-Lord'')) (Earth-791):

** ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' Vol. 1 (Earth-691): [[TheCaligula Rancor]], great-great-great granddaughter of [[Characters/WolverineJamesLoganHowlett Wolverine]], [[PlanetBaron inherited the throne]] of humanity's new home Haven II in the 31st century, clawing out her own father's heart at sixteen and enslaving the entire population of the planet. Rancor exercised [[AxCrazy random, sadistic cruelty]] beyond any other foe the Guardians had faced, massacring a crowd of thousands after they tried to rebel against her cruel rule, killing innocents at random, and eventually attempting to annihilate all of Haven II with its population out of sheer spite. Rancor tenuously allied with Characters/DoctorDoom afterwards, and not long after she did so decided to kill Doom and eat his heart in front of a televised audience in response to an earlier slight. Guilty of everything from scalping her own cousin in response to an offhand insult to working thousands to death, Rancor's final appearance saw her enslave a new population and rape Talon in order to produce an heir to mold in her image, ensuring that her psychotic legacy will continue indefinitely.

** Vol. 1 (Earth-691): [[TheCaligula Rancor]], great-great-great granddaughter of [[Characters/WolverineJamesLoganHowlett Wolverine]], [[PlanetBaron inherited the throne]] of humanity's new home Haven II in the 31st century, clawing out her own father's heart at sixteen and enslaving the entire population of the planet. Rancor exercised [[AxCrazy random, sadistic cruelty]] beyond any other foe the Guardians had faced, massacring a crowd of thousands after they tried to rebel against her cruel rule, killing innocents at random, and eventually attempting to annihilate all of Haven II with its population out of sheer spite. Rancor tenuously allied with Characters/DoctorDoom afterwards, and not long after she did so decided to kill Doom and eat his heart in front of a televised audience in response to an earlier slight. Guilty of everything from scalping her own cousin in response to an offhand insult to working thousands to death, Rancor's final appearance saw her enslave a new population and rape Talon in order to produce an heir to mold in her image, ensuring that her psychotic legacy will continue indefinitely.

* CompleteMonster (''Marvel Preview'' Vol. 1 Issue #11 (''Marvel Preview presents Star-Lord'')) (Earth-791):
** [[TheEvilPrince Prince Gareth]], the [[EvilUncle great-uncle of Peter Quill and uncle to Emperor Jason]], is a power-hungry traitor whose attempts to murder the young heir resulted in the death of Jason's human wife Meredith. Gareth finances his intended coup on his nephew in cooperation with the vile ruler of planet [[WretchedHive Cinnabar]], Kyras Shakati, willingly endorsing Shakati's planet-destroying slavery operation solely so he can profit. When Gareth finally attempts to assassinate Jason and the now-grown Peter Quill--Star-Lord--after having tortured the latter's friends for days, Gareth makes a point of gloating that none of the countless lives he's wasted have meant a thing to him in his personal pursuit of power.
** [[PlanetBaron Kyras Shakati]] is a [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slave merchant]] who has built his empire on the "rape and murder of a hundred worlds". Working in conjunction with Prince Gareth, Shakati is the one who dispatched the assassin to murder Meredith and young Peter with full knowledge Gareth was attempting a coup. Shakati's business leaves entire planets as dead husks and countless millions dead; when he arrives on a planet, he systematically eradicates anyone over the age of 17 before herding the children to live out the rest of their lives as slaves. Shakati's mind is so full of evil that only an instant's contact sends Star-Lord's psychic ally Kip reeling with pain and revulsion.

** [[PlanetBaron Kyras Shakati]] is a [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slave merchant]] who has built his empire on the "rape and murder of a hundred worlds". Working in conjunction with Prince Gareth, Shakati is the one who dispatched the assassin to murder Meredith and young Peter with full knowledge Gareth was attempting a coup. Shakati's business leaves entire planets as dead husks and countless millions dead; when he arrives on a planet, he systematically eradicates anyone over the age of 17 before herding the children to live out the rest of their lives as slaves. Shakati's mind is so full of evil that only a instant's contact sends Star-Lord's psychic ally Kip reeling with pain and revulsion.

* MemeticMutation: Korath asking "Who?" has become a standard RecognitionFailure reaction shot\clip.

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[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:The Comics]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Film]]
* {{Adorkable}}: Groot's kindly, slightly air-headed personality make him come across as awkwardly adorable, as do his responses to seeing animals eat each other during a gambling match at the Boot and to Rocket [[KickTheDog mocking Drax over the death of his family]].
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
** Yondu:
*** Did he know [[spoiler:he'd been given a fake orb]]? There's certainly an argument to be made that it was in his best interest. He couldn't admit to not wanting it, but he likewise knew that selling it to anyone he'd be likely to do business with could only bring disaster, and it would be much safer with the Nova Corps. Likewise, did he not [[spoiler:deliver Peter to his father]] because he really was "a jackass" as claimed, or because Yondu would much rather steal the kid for his own purposes? Though the sequel implies [[Characters/MCUEgoTheLivingPlanet the former]].
*** Did Yondu ever really intend to kill Peter at any point in the film, or was he just putting on a tough act in front of his men whilst also using it to get Peter to cooperate with him? [[spoiler: The idea that he'd been telling Peter the story of the Ravagers wanting to eat him when they picked him up over and over again for ''years'', Kraglin claiming he'd always been soft on Peter, as well as Yondu being something of a {{Troll}} lend some favour to the latter idea. Then there's Yondu's reaction being him grinning widely and warmly when he finds Peter tricked him and switched the orb]].
*** Did Yondu ever realy intend to participate in boarding Ronan's ship, or was he playing the part of TheChessmaster, letting himself get taken out of the fight only to show up afterwards and claim the Orb? It seems suspicious that he let himself drop so far behind Quill and the Guardians, even before his collision with a Kree fighter...meaning he could've been intentionally looking for a chance to get his ship disabled and drop out. His last words ("I'll see you at the end of it") show he seems very confident that Quill will pull off the plan without him, and falling out of the battle gives him the chance to gather his Ravagers for a show of force and seize the prize once it's over.
** Rocket:
*** At the end when Rocket attacks Ronan, is it because he blames the Kree for [[spoiler: Groot's death and wants to punish him for it? Or is it because he knows the ''Dark Aster'' crashed because he flew his own ship into it in a failed attempt to kill Ronan, and, knowing he can't possibly win, no longer cares what happens to him because he blames himself for Groot's death?]]
*** Rocket's replying Gamora's "You must be joking" with "No, I really heard they find you attractive", is he really missing the point or is he just being his usual DeadpanSnarker?
** Thanos:
*** Despite having only a brief appearance, Thanos has generated two opposing first impressions. Is he an all-powerful master schemer that the loss of the stones and the betrayals and failures of his underlings is beneath his attention, or an overconfident, out-of-touch fool who cannot keep his underlings from betraying him? If the ending of ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' is of any indication it may be that Ronan's betrayal was the last straw which led him to go on a ruthless quest to get the Infinity Stones himself. And some dialogue by 2014 Thanos in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' gives the impression that maybe he did predict Ronan's betrayal from the start.
*** And after ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' explored his motives in-depth, was Thanos ever going to honor his agreement to destroy Xandar for Ronan? Helping him commit genocide seems to go against Thanos' M.O. of restoring balance to the universe by leaving half of a planet's population alive. Was Thanos lying to Ronan the whole time, or did he see Xandar as a necessary sacrifice for his end-goal of assembling the Infinity Gauntlet? Or, was he going to find ''another'' way to fulfill the agreement to the letter?
** Ronan:
*** Is he really a renegade of the Kree... [[FakeDefector or is he their agent, but acting as if he went rogue]]? The Kree Ambassador clearly didn't give a rat's ass about what Ronan is doing, and there are riots going on in the Kree Empire over the treaty. It WOULD be in the Kree Empire's best interest that Xandar be destroyed, and there's a distinct lack of Kree acting against Ronan or helping Xandar.
*** Did Ronan really remember killing Drax's family in their second encounter, or was he merely pretending to as a way to taunt Drax and KickTheDog?
*** Did Ronan betray Thanos out of spite for being disrespected? Or, was he planning on betraying Thanos far early on because wiping out half a population (most of which aren't Kree nor races he likes) wasn't satisfying enough, and wasn't allowed to take any more than that amount? ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' gives strong credibility to the latter, given Thanos says this when he's introduced.
--->'''Thanos:''' Ronan's located the Power Stone. I'm dispatching you to his ship.
--->'''Gamora:''' He won't like that.
--->'''Thanos:''' His alternative is death. Ronan's obsession clouds his judgment.
* AmericansHateTingle: The movie [[http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Chinese-Film-Critics-Hate-Guardians-Galaxy-Here-Why-67758.html was poorly received in China]], mostly due to the [[BlindIdiotTranslation atrocious translation job]] done with the Chinese subtitles.
* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Many people were claiming the film would do so, especially because it has bizarre little known comic book characters, like a BadassAdorable humanoid RascallyRaccoon. Of course, after the film became a mega-hit, Rocket is now credited as a big reason for its success.
* AuthorsSavingThrow: WordOfGod has explained the "sex crime" on Quill's rap sheet comes from him having an affair with a duchess on a planet where it is illegal for commoners and nobility to interact in such a way, to make it clear that our main character is ''not'' a rapist.
* AwardSnub: The movie lost the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling to ''Film/TheGrandBudapestHotel'', which had substantially less makeup work.
%%* AwesomeEgo: Star-Lord, so much. Not quite the [[Film/IronMan1 level of Tony Stark]], but it's there.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ronan the Accuser. Either he was an entertaining LargeHam with a clear motivation and a clear goal in comparison to [[Film/ThorTheDarkWorld Malekith]] or he was a boring villain who is dragged down by having none of the [[AntiVillain Anti-Villainous]] traits carried by his comic book counterpart and making him a HateSink. Or alternatively, that he works ''because'' he's so generic and he takes himself so seriously, causing a contrast between him and the wacky main characters.
%%* CargoShip: Thanos and his chair.
* CatharsisFactor: Let's face it, Ronan being destroyed with ''extreme'' prejudice, for the level of brutality he wanted to inflict on Xandar. After seeing him preach violence and genocide and commit countless murders, it's just so ''gratifying'' to see the most despicable being in the film pay for his bloodshed.
* CompleteMonster: [[TautologicalTemplar Ronan the Accuser]] is a genocidal Kree terrorist and renegade wholly devoted to the destruction of the planet of Xandar. Once in charge of the Accusers, Ronan would lead them in bombing planets suspected of harboring Skrulls, at one point trying to do the same to Earth. Disgusted by his people signing a peace treaty, Ronan confronted a captive member of Xandar's Nova Corps and crushed the helpless man's skull with his [[DropTheHammer Universal Weapon]]. As a henchman of the [[Characters/MCUThanos Mad Titan Thanos]], Ronan seeks to gather an item for Thanos so that he will destroy Xandar for him. Under Thanos, Ronan has committed multiple murders, including the deaths of Drax the Destroyer's wife and children. He later pursues the [[Characters/MCUGuardiansOfTheGalaxy motley band of heroes]] to the space prison the Kyln, and orders a full massacre of every prisoner to LeaveNoWitnesses. When he realizes the power of the Infinity Stone he has been sent to retrieve, Ronan [[TheStarscream double-crosses Thanos]] and vows to kill him after he's finished with Xandar. Assaulting the planet, he even orders his own men to become [[SuicideAttack suicide bombers]] by flying their ships into Xandar, injuring and killing numerous civilians. He later kills over 80,000 members of the Nova Corps in one fell swoop. After mocking Drax about [[ButForMeItWasTuesday finally remembering murdering his family]], he declares Xandar "guilty" by his psychotic philosophy and attempts to purge it of all life.
* CrazyIsCool:
** Rocket Raccoon is a TriggerHappy HeroicComedicSociopath who believes in MoreDakka, [[MadBomber hoards bombs in a shoebox]], can mastermind a PrisonBreak in twenty minutes flat and hangs out with a talking tree. No wonder he's so popular.
** Star-lord went up against an insane Thanos with a ''broken'' Cosmic Cube.
** Also, his Element Gun shoots diamonds.
* DeadGuyJunior: Rocket picks up one of Groot's burned twigs from the wreckage. Later, he is shown with a Groot-bud that grows into Baby Groot for the second movie. Was this the twig that was from the wreckage or was it the bud that Groot left behind during the suit-up montage?
* EnsembleDarkhorse:
** Carina, due to being both TheWoobie and a GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe.
** Korath is quite well-liked, despite his lack of screentime compared to Ronan or Nebula. Enough to reappear in ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' as one of Carol's Starforce teammates.
** [[spoiler:Howard the Duck]] due to his hilarious cameo at the end. Marvel predicted this would happen and took full advantage of by digitally re-releasing his original comic series the same week as the movie's launch. He also got a new series in 2015 which likely wouldn't have happened without the film.
* EpilepticTrees: A wild theory is that the scene of the Collector showing the Guardians footage of Eson The Searcher destroying a planet with the Power Stone [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cds_z5eBIZQ actually teases Kang The Conqueror]] in a FreezeFrameBonus EarlyBirdCameo.
* EvilIsSexy:
** Nebula. It helps that she's played by Creator/KarenGillan, who's known for her [[ShesGotLegs legs]].
** Ronan is played by Creator/LeePace. In his introduction is totally naked.
* FandomRivalry: With ''Film/{{Suicide Squad|2016}}'', which some feels mimics ''Guardians'' by centering around a group of lesser-known cult comic book anti-heroes who become TrueCompanions while battling a world-ending threat, all set to a contemporary, rock n' roll soundtracks. ''Guardian'' fans' attitude towards ''Squad'' is summed up pretty well in [[http://www.dorkly.com/post/80188/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vs-suicide-squad this comic]].
* FriendlyFandoms:
** With ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' and ''{{Series/Farscape}}'', due to similar tone (both are [[SpaceWestern space westerns]]) and character archetypes.
** With ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', due to the shared presence of Creator/ChrisPratt.
** With ''Anime/SpaceDandy'' for featuring a CasanovaWannabe with misfit aliens in space.
** Most ''Franchise/StarWars'' fans praise the film as well, comparing it favorably to the original trilogy, given that the film is one long AffectionateParody of SpaceOpera in general and ''that'' franchise in particular.
** With ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'', as both are space westerns as well and the characters from either franchise would fit ''right in'' in the other's universes.
* FunnyAneurysmMoment:
** All the hilarious moments involving the prisoners and guards on the Kyln become somewhat grimmer on subsequent viewings, [[spoiler:since we know that Ronan is going to have all of them killed once he gets to the station.]]
** At the end, Kraglin remarks it was probably a good thing they didn't take Peter to his father, with Yondu quipping about how he was a "jackass". The [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 sequel]] then proceeds to showcase the [[OmnicidalManiac freakish lengths]] said "[[Characters/MCUEgoTheLivingPlanet jackass]]" has gone and intends to go to earn such a jab, to the point where it just reads like a hell of an understatement now.
** Amidst their squabbling, Gamora remarks how working with the Guardians to escape the Kiln will result in her "dying surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy", but they all live to make their getaway. This comes back to bite her something fierce in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', in which [[spoiler: she really does die at the hands of an actual World War II-era Nazi and an abusive genocidal warlord with horrifically misguided methods of "balancing the universe", inadvertantly proving her right in the worst way imaginable.]]
* GatewaySeries: The movie and its sequel served as one for Marvel's cosmic and outer-space characters. Until ''Guardians'', Marvel's space characters, with a small handful of notable exceptions like the Silver Surfer, were considered to be less iconic and notable than DC's roster, but the films raised both in profile. It also made many into fans of SpaceOpera and SpaceWestern.
* HarsherInHindsight:
** Ronan's introduction scene became this after ISIS began similar tactics against their prisoners later into the month of this film's release.
** Peter's mother talking so lovingly about his father on her deathbed, [[spoiler: in light of what Ego did to her...]]
** Following the reveal that Peter's father wasn't from Earth, it was popularly theorized that his mother's sickness and eventual death was a tragic result of her contact with an immensely powerful alien. [[spoiler: The sequel reveals that Ego ''was'' the cause of Meredith's death, but it was far from unintentional]].
** The discussion between Rocket and Quill about keeping the moon-destroying bomb in a box, given the Nova Corp's solution to the Power Stone is also "stick it in a box", and judging by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', [[spoiler:this goes about as well for them as you'd expect.]]
** This line from Gamora, stated upon agreeing to fight Ronan despite overwhelming odds, becomes seriously harsher [[spoiler:come ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', when Gamora dies alone and scared at the hand of her worst enemy]].
--> '''Gamora:''' [[spoiler:I have lived most of my life surrounded my enemies. I will be grateful to die among my friends.]]
** In a similar vein, Rocket's line "I don't got that long of a lifespan anyway" becomes bitterly ironic when [[spoiler:he becomes the SoleSurvivor of the original Guardians at the end of ''Infinity War'']].
** One of Rocket's first lines to Star-Lord is "Ain't no thing like me, 'cept me." When you consider [[spoiler: the Guardians to be "things like him", by the end of ''Infinity War'', [[LastOfHisKind Rocket is right.]]]]
** After the battle on Knowhere, Rocket ([[RuleOfThree once again]]) snarls at Drax "[[JerkassHasAPoint Everybody's got dead people! That's no excuse to get everyone else dead along the way!]]". As of ''Infinity War'', [[spoiler: [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Star-Lord is the one Rocket should have said it to]]]].
* HilariousInHindsight:
** Brett White was quick to make a post about the audacity of this film and its characters, whilst Wonder Woman's movie debut had been continuously postponed. Not long after, Wonder Woman was announced to be making an appearance in the sequel to ''Film/ManOfSteel''. Then the DCEU's [[Film/WonderWoman2017 Wonder Woman solo movie]] not only came out before the MCU's first female-lead movie ''Captain Marvel'' but also outgrossed ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' domestically and internationally.
** When Peter is ambushed by Korath and his thugs on Morag, he snaps at one of them, "[[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Ninja Turtle]], you better stop poking me!" Guess which [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2014 new film]] knocked ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' off of No. 1 at the box office? It becomes even more hilarious a few weeks later when Guardians actually retakes the No. 1 spot at the box office from TMNT.
** The MemeticMutation of Korath's reaction to hearing Quill call himself "Star-Lord". Guess who's the first character in the film to use Quill's "outlaw name" seriously.
** In an amusing coincidence, When the film was released, it opened opposite to ''Film/GetOnUp'' starring Creator/ChadwickBoseman. Just a handful of months later, he was announced as being chosen to play the ComicBook/BlackPanther in future Marvel films.
** Yondu describes Peter's father as "a jackass". Recent events in the comics have shown that J'Son of Spartax (Peter's dad in the comics) actually is a bit of a jackass.
** After the release of ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'' Season 2, both one of the lightest entries in the MCU and one of the darkest feature a character reacting to someone's tragic past with a sarcastic "Boo hoo."
** After seeing ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'', it suddenly makes a lot of sense that after witnessing what Carol did to his fleet, Ronan would make such an absurdly fortified area on his ship.
** Try watching [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw6oVPrIOVc The Collector's exposition on the Infinity Stones]] without thinking about the fact that [[Series/Loki2021 there's a guy named Casey who lives in an office and doesn't know what a fish is, using them for paperweights]].
* JerkassWoobie:
** Nebula. Like Gamora, she's another one of Thanos's experiments, except she has far more cybernetic implants and is TheUnfavorite. The only reason she followed Ronan was in the hopes that he could kill Thanos.
** Rocket. His gruff, don't-take-crap-from-anyone personality makes him a fairly abrasive and somewhat misanthropic character early on, but it hides a lot of resentment and pain over his origins. His breakdown post-alcohol shows the audience where he's coming from.
* JustHereForGodzilla: Quite a few people watched the movie just for Rocket Raccoon.
* MemeticMutation:
** "What a bunch of a-holes."[[labelnote:Explanation]]From Saal in the trailers, in response to Rhomann Dey noting that the main characters go by the name "Guardians of the Galaxy".[[/labelnote]]
** The various gifs of [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/7749ec24a33b3b47859f81d4f80298a6/tumblr_mrflhph1j81spaqpio1_400.gif Rocket Raccoon shooting his guns.]]
** ''This summer, it's time to give a shit''. [[labelnote:Explanation]]A reference to Peter's RousingSpeech.[[/labelnote]]
** From [[https://twitter.com/brettwhite/status/366999192016662528 this tweet]]: "DC/WB is all like 'Franchise/WonderWoman's [[GirlShowGhetto too confusing for a movie]]!' and Marvel/Disney is all like [[RefugeInAudacity 'Here's a raccoon with a machine gun]].'" Becomes HilariousInHindsight after DC released a [[Film/WonderWoman2017 Wonder Woman movie]] in 2017 and it turned out ''extremely well''.
** [[[FunWithSubtitles OOGA CHAKA INTENSIFIES]]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]From the use of Blue Suede's "Hooked On A Feeling" over action shots in the trailers.[[/labelnote]]
** "[[PokemonSpeak I am Groot]]." Relatedly, "''We'' are Groot."[[labelnote:Explanation]]Groot's dialogue "I am Groot" translating to most anything, but during the finale he switches to "we".[[/labelnote]]
** [[spoiler:Dancing Baby Groot]]. Who doesn't like [[spoiler:Dancing Baby Groot]]?
** Rocket laughing at Star-Lord's 12% of a plan, and the subsequent argument between Quill & Rocket.
** Thanks to TheStinger, the film has been deemed by many as the best [[spoiler:''Howard the Duck'']] film ever made... [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative Which isn't surprising]].
** Responding to pictures/clips of Andy (Chris Pratt's goofy ManChild character from ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'') with "I'm glad he's guarding our galaxy".
** "I'm gonna need his X" [[labelnote:Explanation]]Based on the RunningGag of Rocket requesting other people's prosthetics [[ItAmusedMe for his own amusement]].[[/labelnote]] Soon, people took notice of a [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier particular character who had a metal arm.]] [[http://www.deviantart.com/art/Rocket-Raccon-and-The-Winter-Soldier-476203287 Utter]] hilarity [[http://tyrinecarver.deviantart.com/art/I-Need-This-473939944?q=favby%3ATheWildWestPyro%2F55003901&qo=6 ensued.]][[labelnote:Note]]This became even ''more'' hilarious when [[spoiler: ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' comes along and shows Rocket asking Bucky for his arm]].[[/labelnote]]
** "Who?" [[labelnote:Explanation]]Korath's reaction to Peter announcing his pseudonym. Also a meta on how unknown the Guardians were prior to the movie.[[/labelnote]]
** "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know how this machine worked."[[labelnote:Explanation]]From the scene where Peter mimics a wind-up machine with his hand, using it to flip off the Nova Corpsmen.[[/labelnote]]
** "[[HellYeah Oh...]] ''yeah''."[[labelnote:Explanation]]Rocket's enthusiastic response to Drax tossing him a gun during the escape from the Kyln.[[/labelnote]]
** To a lesser extent: "[[ChewingTheScenery YOU STAND ACCUSED!]]"[[labelnote:Explanation]]Ronan's form of accusation against the Xandarians.[[/labelnote]]
** [[BuffySpeak Pelvic sorcery]].[[labelnote:Explanation]]Gamora's description of Star-Lord's attempt to seduce her with music and dancing.[[/labelnote]]
** "Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I would ''catch'' it." [[note]]Drax, being LiteralMinded, says this in response to Rocket's remark that metaphors are gonna go over his (Drax's) head.[[/note]]
** "What are you doing? ....''What'' are you ''doing''?" [[note]]Ronan's stunned reaction when Quill challenges him to a dance-off.[[/note]]
** "We're just like Kevin Bacon!" [[labelnote:Explanation]]Said by Gamora in the final act, in reference to Quill telling her about the legend of ''Film/{{Footloose}}'' starring the hero Creator/KevinBacon.[[/labelnote]]
** "They got my dick message!"[[labelnote:Explanation]]Peter sends a letter for help to the Nova Corps apologizing and saying he's not "100% a dick". When the Nova Corps sends a fleet to aid him he blurts out this phrase.[[/labelnote]]
** This series makes [[http://imgur.com/gallery/kMoI9Vn no sense]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]A reference to several other, unconnected, movies that have the word "Guardian" in their titles, implying that they are all part of a series despite wildly different plots and characters.[[/labelnote]]
** Activists have picked up on Quill's "Because I'm one of the idiots who lives in it" line as a rallying cry, particularly for defending the environment.
** "[[Series/Loki2021 These stones, it seems, can only be brandished by beings who ran out of paperweights.]]"[[labelnote:explanation]]After ''Loki'' revealed that the Time Variance Authority uses Infinity Stones as paperweights and office decorations, many jokes were made about the Collector gushing over paperweights in the scene where he exposits on the stones to the Guardians.[[/labelnote]]
* {{Narm}}: See [[Narm/MarvelCinematicUniverse here]].
* NarmCharm:
** Drax's dialogue at points can reach Narmic levels, but during the team's DarkestHour you can really feel his pain.
** Ronan's [[LargeHam extremely theatrical]] dialogue could have sounded ridiculous, but the character's look and Lee Pace's performance managed to make Ronan into a genuinely terrifying villain.
* NeverLiveItDown: Among the film's detractors, the fact that Guardians won by a "dance contest" is something that will stick with this movie. Ignoring the fact that Quill's dance-off against Ronan was obviously an act of sheer desperation on his part; Ronan was literally seconds from victory, so Quill did the only thing he could think of to distract him long enough for Rocket and Drax to intervene. It would be more accurate to say the Guardians won through ThePowerOfFriendship.
* NewerThanTheyThink: Between the pulp-sounding name (including Rocket Raccoon), '70s soundtrack, and RaygunGothic elements, most people are surprised that the movie is based on an incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy from a 2008 series.
* SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames: The Universal Weapon mobile video game is a decent, although a bit repetitive, one.
* OneSceneWonder:
** Thanos has only two brief appearances, but he makes a hell of a first impression.
** [[spoiler:Howard the Duck]] totally steals the show in TheStinger.
** Despite press releases making a bigger deal out of Creator/BenicioDelToro's involvement than Creator/GlennClose's, The Collector is only present in one scene for an InfoDump and in the stinger. But hell if he didn't [[LargeHam milk his scenes]] for all they were worth!
%%** Cosmo the Space-Dog, in the Collector's archive.
* SignatureScene:
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkVCACf5fMU opening]] with Star-Lord dancing to "Come And Get Your Love".
** The prison fight. ''All of it.'' But most famously, Rocket FiringOneHanded while hanging onto Groot, or cocking his gun and uttering his PreAsskickingOneLiner.
%%** [[spoiler: The dance off.]]
* SpecialEffectFailure:
** After Yondu uses his Yaka Arrow near the climax against a group of Sakaarans, their Necrocraft smashes into the ground. The explosion itself looks fine, but it's obviously just composited into the practically shot stuff in the foreground.
** While Rocket mostly looks great in the film, there are some blink and you'll miss it moments where he looks like more of a cartoon character than the photorealistic character he looks like in the rest of the movie. He also subtly changes size at times.
* SpiritualLicensee:
** To people not as well-versed in comic books, the film is drawing a lot of comparisons to ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', due to its lineup including a gentle plant-person character who's not to be messed with (Zhaan/Groot), a snarky white leader guy who is an Earth-human TrappedInAnotherWorld (Star-Lord/John Crichton), a small, sociopathic, anthropomorphic talking thing (Rocket Raccoon/Rygel), a big, intimidating guy with a dead wife and an oddly innocent hidden side (Drax/D'Argo), and a repressed, deadly, formerly-evil woman who acts as "the sensible one" (Gamora/Aeryn) who do battle with a deranged rogue alien warlord (Ronan/Crais). A notable number of the changes to the characters from the comic took them in the direction of being closer to the ''Farscape'' ones. Creator/JamesGunn has [[https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/750084833586491392 acknowledged]] the series as an influence on this movie.
** It gets a lot of comparisons to ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' in terms of tone, character archetypes, and visual style. The fact that the creator of ''Firefly'', Creator/JossWhedon, is the director of both of the ''Avengers'' movies (and a large creative force in the MCU) definitely helps.
** A camp considers it the next-best thing to an adaptation of ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'', in terms of tone and style. Even the writer of MTMTE has commented that the film is probably the closest there will ever be to a live-action adaption of the comic.
** Despite being in a completely different genre, the movie's rapid-fire comedy, ensemble cast of underdog criminals and memorable 1970's pop soundtrack make it an unlikely successor to ''Film/ReservoirDogs''. Both movies even prominently feature Blue Swede's "Hooked on a Feeling" -- a song that ''Reservoir Dogs'' helped re-popularize after it had been largely forgotten -- in pivotal scenes.
** Given that it's a reasonably family-friendly supernatural buddy comedy around a team of "losers", with enough large-scale action and subtle bawdy humor to appeal to adults, many people have called it a successor to ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}''.
** It's pretty much the best ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' movie we'll ever get. The Kyln is Purgatory, Knowhere is Omega, and the fully suited-up Nova Corpsmen could pretty easily fit in amongst the mercenaries of the ''Mass Effect'' universe.
** It's seen as a good one for ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' complete with a red jacket wearing time-displaced protagonist (Star Lord/Fry) who pines for an alien woman (Leela/Gamora) who's gruff and aloof, with a bunch of goofy sidekicks tagging along, one of whom has a dubious understanding of language and social interactions (Zoidberg/Drax). Likewise, the film and the cartoon have a similar theme about love and family being the only constant in a vast infinite universe.
** It has been compared to ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', another comedic space opera about a group of heroic ruffians from diverse, morally ambiguous backgrounds. [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/blog/guardians-of-the-galaxy-movie-review Howard Tayler]] has himself noted the similarities.
%%** Some consider it to be a great ''Franchise/StarWars'' movie, up there with the original trilogy. Why?
%%** Some fans consider the film a suitable SpiritualSequel to ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''. Why?
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
** Complaints were leveled at Gamora for several changes that were done to her character, such as making her more empathetic, compared to a fairly amoral DeadpanSnarker she was in the comics, as well as the reduction in her power level (which numerous other characters also experienced).
** Some people reacted this way when Creator/JamesGunn switched Drax's ArchEnemy from Thanos to Ronan. However, [[spoiler:[[AuthorsSavingThrow Drax vows that he will kill Thanos after avenging his family's deaths with Ronan's death]], reasoning that whilst Ronan killed them, he was working for Thanos at the time]].
** Rocket Raccoon not having the Cockney accent Creator/GregEllis chose for him in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes''. The comics never indicated that he had one, though.
** Korath being black instead of blue like in the comics.
** The fact that all members of the Nova Corps are humans or HumanAliens.
** The design of the Nova Corps suits are considered bland and generic by some, whilst others are displeased about the members of the Nova Corps not having the Nova Force which gives them superpowers. [[WordOfGod James Gunn]] is on record that there was stuff cut from the film because the end of the film was already Nova Corps heavy, and there's some stuff in the MCU lore that make them more like the Nova Corps of the comics, such as the Nova Force.
** Ronan's AdaptationalVillainy has angered some fans who enjoyed his portrayal as a complex AntiVillain from the comics.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
** The Collector was built up as being important to this movie in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', but he only appears a few minor scenes and in one scene where he serves as MrExposition, along with TheStinger, which unfortunately isn't plot-relevant so much as it is a throwaway gag. It's especially surprising considering that he was implied to be a servant of Thanos in that movie. Nonetheless, [[OneSceneWonder he does leave an impact with his charismatic performance]], and since the character wasn't killed off, he will likely appear in other movies.
** Like the Collector, the Nova Corps can seem underused to many fans. The bulk of their military served as a RedShirtArmy that was easily destroyed by Ronan's forces. Unlike Nebula and Yondu, the named members lack any deep close relationships with the Guardians [[spoiler: until the end when the surviving members repair the Milano.]] Fortunately, some named members like Irani Rael and Rhomann Dey survive and can be explored in further installments.
** Even leaving aside Ronan the Accuser's characterisation from the comics, there are hints that he does have a somewhat legitimate grudge against the Xandarians, and has been mistreated more than a little by Thanos in their various dealings. Unfortunately, thanks to Marvel's philosophy in MCU Phases 1 and 2 that the villains (the ones not called Loki, at any rate) shouldn't steal the show and shouldn't serve much more narrative purpose than giving the heroes something to fight against, these end up going completely unexplored.
%%* TooCoolToLive: [[spoiler:Groot.]]
* TrailerJokeDecay: "What a bunch of A-Holes," was in nearly every single promotional thing about the movie. Some who liked the joke didn't like it by the time the film came out. Quill's "mechanical middle finger" is also uncensored in the film, which ends up looking pretty awkward, especially since the trailer's "Obscene Gesture Imminent" bit was a pretty good joke on its own, though for what it's worth, this can still be seen in [[EditedForSyndication some televised versions of the film]].
%%* UglyCute: Groot and Nebula.
* UnexpectedCharacter: The movie is a gathering of C-list and D-list Marvel characters that nobody would have expected to be featured in a film. [[spoiler:Including ''Howard the Duck'' in TheStinger!]]
* WhatAnIdiot: Near the end of the movie, Ronan the Accuser's ship crashes onto the surface of Xandar, he survives the crash, and is going to annihilate Xandar with the Infinity Stone.\\
'''You'd Think''': Ronan would immediately use his Infinity Stone and annihilate the planet without gloating, especially since Quill and his buds are still alive, and still would pose even the slightest threat to his evil plans.\\
'''Instead''': Ronan takes his sweet time to gloat and mock the Guardians before annihilating Xandar, giving our heroes enough time to improvise a distraction so they can separate him from the Infinity Stone.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: WordOfGod has admitted that Ronan may indeed have been an extreme caricature of terrorists, but didn't mean for the movie to be a true political commentary on the subject.
* WhatMeasureIsANonBadass: Gamora. Detractors dislike the fact that she's not a god-level murder machine that kills everyone and everything the group comes across in two seconds flat (which she isn't in the comics they champion as an example of her badassery, either), and exaggerate her into being "borderline incompetent and constantly needing to be rescued" despite her being anything but.
* WinTheCrowd: The first trailer seemed to many like a standard space swashbuckler; but when the guard plays Star Lord's walkman and you hear "Hooked on a Feeling"'s "Ooga chaka!" chant coming through followed by the full chorus of that 1970s pop ballad roaring out, people learned this film has a wacky flavor all its own.
* TheWoobie:
** The entire main cast, but especially Rocket. He's the only one of his kind that he knows of and he constantly has feelings of loneliness and inferiority because of his species, not to mention the pain he probably went through during his creation.
** Carina, who was abused and threatened by the Collector. [[spoiler:No wonder she wanted the Infinity Stone the second she understood what it was.]] Even worse if you know that, in the comics, she's his ''daughter''. While there is no indication of this in the film, it's still disturbing to think about.
** Many of the prisoners that are onboard the Kyln are actually quite sad characters, with families and loved ones they won't see again, either because of distance or because they died thanks to Thanos' actions. [[spoiler:To add insult to injury, Ronan slaughters ''all'' of them.]]
* WTHCastingAgency:
** The casting of Creator/VinDiesel as Groot was met with this, but not because the role doesn't fit like most examples, but because most people expected him to appear in a different role in the MCU (such as ComicBook/ThePunisher). Of course, there's still the possibility that [[YouLookFamiliar he could play a different character as well as Groot]], given that Groot is only a motion-capture character anyway. However, [[https://www.facebook.com/VinDiesel/photos/a.101465923312.101581.89562268312/10152718210358313/?type=1 he has since teased]] the possibility that he could be in a movie based on ''The Inhumans''. Another common complaint is "Why would they hire a big-name actor to only say ''one line'' over and over?" (Of course, he milks the ''heck'' out of that line and gives a ''very'' meaningful tweak to it near the end.)
** [[{{Wrestling/Batista}} Dave Baustista]] as Drax raised some eyebrows, as wrestlers aren't usually famous for being good actors in good movies. Not only did Bautista provide a funny and badass character, when Drax got some emotional moments he pulled them off great.
** Fans had this reaction upon learning that [[Series/ParksAndRecreation Andy Dwyer]] would be a Marvel superhero, but most were pleasantly surprised. Even James Gunn was skeptical when he heard Pratt was auditioning, before meeting the man and instantly realizing he was right for the part.
[[/folder]]

* PopularWithFurries: Rocket Raccoon has managed to make it big in the UsefulNotes/FurryFandom ever since appearing in the file, ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', thanks to his role as a main character. [[OlderThanTheyThink He has actually appeared in other media before this film and the comic it is adapting]], it's just that Rocket's appearance here (and possibly the comic beforehand) is when his rise in popularity within the furry fanbase truly began.

** The following 2 series by Cates and Ewing respectively only served to continue this trend. Donny Cates' run shifted the team's line-up away from the more movie focused teams from the past few years, brought back fan favorite members like Moondragon and Phyla-Vell, and even incorporated other fan favorite cosmic heroes like Beta Ray Bill.
** Al Ewing's run is mostly seen as a full return to form for the team in terms of theme and character portrayals. Rocket Raccoon, a victim of constant retcons and OutOfCharacter since Bendis' run, was mostly in line with his portrayals from his classic series and Abnett and Lanning's Guardian's run. Other notable victims such as Gamora were addressed and given in universe explanations and several [[ContinuitySnarl Continuity Snarls]] including Rocket's origins and [[spoiler:616-Moondragon falsely being declared dead]] were addressed and fixed.

* CrazyAwesome:

* CompleteMonster: [[TautologicalTemplar Ronan the Accuser]] is a genocidal Kree terrorist and renegade wholly devoted to the destruction of the planet of Xandar. Once in charge of the Accusers, Ronan would lead them in bombing planets suspected of harboring Skrulls, at one point trying to do the same to Earth. Disgusted by his people signing a peace treaty, Ronan confronted a captive member of Xandar's Nova Corps and crushed the helpless man's skull with his [[DropTheHammer Universal Weapon]]. As a henchman of the [[Characters/MCUThanos Mad Titan Thanos]], Ronan seeks to gather an item for Thanos so that he will destroy Xandar for him. Under Thanos, Ronan has committed multiple murders, including the deaths of [[Characters/MCUDraxTheDestroyer Drax the Destroyer]]'s wife and children. He later pursues the film's motley band of heroes to the space prison the Kyln, and orders a full massacre of every prisoner to LeaveNoWitnesses. When he realizes the power of the Infinity Stone he has been sent to retrieve, Ronan [[TheStarscream double-crosses Thanos]] and vows to kill him after he's finished with Xandar. Assaulting the planet, he even orders his own men to become [[SuicideAttack suicide bombers]] by flying their ships into Xandar, injuring and killing numerous civilians. He later kills over 80,000 members of the Nova Corps in one fell swoop. After mocking Drax about [[ButForMeItWasTuesday finally remembering murdering his family]], he declares Xandar "guilty" by his psychotic philosophy and attempts to purge it of all life.

-->'''Thanos:''' Ronan's located the Power Stone. I'm dispatching you to his ship.
-->'''Gamora:''' He won't like that.
-->'''Thanos:''' His alternative is death. Ronan's obsession clouds his judgment.

*** Did Ronan betray Thanos out of spite for being disrespected? Or, was he planning on betraying Thanos far early on because wiping out half a population (most of which aren't Kree nor races he likes) wasn't satisfying enough, and wasn't allowed to take any more than that amount?

** Korath is quite well-liked, despite his lack of screentime compared to Ronan or Nebula.

** Following the reveal that Peter's father wasn't from Earth, it was popularly theorised that his mother's sickness and eventual death was a tragic result of her contact with an immensely powerful alien. [[spoiler: The sequel reveals that Ego ''was'' the cause of Meredith's death, but it was far from unintentional]].

** Try watching [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw6oVPrIOVc The Collector's exposition on the Infinity Stones]] without thinking about the fact that [[Series/Loki2021 these stones, it seems, can only be brandished by beings who ran out of paperweights]].

*** Did Yondu ever really intend to kill Peter at any point in the film, or was he just putting on a tough act in front of his men whilst also using it to get Peter to cooperate with him? [[spoiler: The idea that he'd been telling Peter the story of the Ravagers wanting to eat him when they picked him up over and over again for ''years'', one of his men claiming he'd always been soft on Peter, as well as Yondu being something of a {{Troll}} lend some favour to the latter idea. Then there's Yondu's reaction being him grinning widely and warmly when he finds Peter tricked him and switched the orb]].
*** Did Yondu ever realy intend to participate in boarding Ronan's ship, or was he playing the part of TheChessmaster, letting himself get taken out of the fight only to show up afterwards and claim the Orb? It seems suspicious that he let himself drop so far behind Quill and the Guardians, even before his collision with a Kree fighter... was he just looking for a chance to get his ship disabled and drop out? His last words ("I'll see you at the end of it") show he seems very confident that Quill will pull off the plan without him, and falling out of the battle gives him the chance to gather his Ravagers for a show of force and seize the prize once it's over.

*** Despite having only a brief appearance, Thanos has generated two opposing first impressions. Is he an all-powerful master schemer that the loss of the stones and the betrayals and failures of his underlings is beneath his attention, or an overconfident, out-of-touch fool who cannot keep his underlings from betraying him? If the ending of Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron is of any indication it may be that Ronan's betrayal was the last straw which led him to go on a ruthless quest to get the Infinity Stones himself.
*** After ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' explored his motives in-depth, was Thanos ever going to honor his agreement to destroy Xandar for Ronan? Helping him commit genocide seems to go against Thanos' M.O. of restoring balance to the universe by leaving half of a planet's population alive. Was Thanos lying to Ronan the whole time, or did he see Xandar as a necessary sacrifice for his end-goal of assembling the Infinity Gauntlet? Or, was he going to find ''another'' way to fulfill the agreement to the letter?

* CompleteMonster: [[TautologicalTemplar Ronan the Accuser]] is a genocidal Kree terrorist and renegade wholly devoted to the destruction of the planet of Xandar. [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 Once in charge of the Accusers]], Ronan would lead them in bombing planets suspected of harboring Skrulls, at one point trying to do the same to Earth. [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Disgusted by his people signing a peace treaty]], Ronan confronted a captive member of Xandar's Nova Corps and crushed the helpless man's skull with his Universal Weapon. As a henchman of the [[Characters/MCUThanos Mad Titan Thanos]], Ronan seeks to gather an item for Thanos so that he will destroy Xandar for him. Under Thanos, Ronan has committed multiple murders, including the deaths of [[Characters/MCUDraxTheDestroyer Drax the Destroyer]]'s wife and children. He later pursues the film's motley band of heroes to the space prison the Kyln, and orders a full massacre of every prisoner to leave no witnesses. When he realizes the power of the Infinity Stone he has been sent to retrieve, Ronan [[TheStarscream double-crosses Thanos]] and vows to kill him after he's finished with Xandar. Assaulting the planet, he even orders his own men to become [[SuicideAttack suicide bombers]] by flying their ships into Xandar, injuring and killing numerous civilians. He later kills over 80,000 members of the Nova Corps in one fell swoop. After mocking Drax about [[ButForMeItWasTuesday finally remembering murdering his family]], he declares Xandar "guilty" by his psychotic philosophy and attempts to purge it of all life.

* CompleteMonster: [[AdaptationalVillainy Ronan the Accuser]] is a genocidal Kree terrorist and renegade wholly devoted to the destruction of the planet of Xandar. [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 Once in charge of the Accusers]], Ronan would lead them in bombing planets suspected of harboring Skrulls, at one point trying to do the same to Earth. [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Disgusted by his people signing a peace treaty]], Ronan confronted a captive member of Xandar's Nova Corps and crushed the helpless man's skull with his Universal Weapon. As a henchman of the [[Characters/MCUThanos Mad Titan Thanos]], Ronan seeks to gather an item for Thanos so that he will destroy Xandar for him. Under Thanos, Ronan has committed multiple murders, including the deaths of [[Characters/MCUDraxTheDestroyer Drax the Destroyer]]'s wife and children. He later pursues the film's motley band of heroes to the space prison the Kyln, and orders a full massacre of every prisoner to leave no witnesses. When he realizes the power of the Infinity Stone he has been sent to retrieve, Ronan [[TheStarscream double-crosses Thanos]] and vows to kill him after he's finished with Xandar. Assaulting the planet, he even orders his own men to become [[SuicideAttack suicide bombers]] by flying their ships into Xandar, injuring and killing numerous civilians. He later kills over 80,000 members of the Nova Corps in one fell swoop. After mocking Drax about [[ButForMeItWasTuesday finally remembering murdering his family]], he declares Xandar "guilty" by his psychotic philosophy and attempts to purge it of all life.

* CompleteMonster: [[BigBad Ronan the Accuser]] is a genocidal Kree terrorist and renegade wholly devoted to the destruction of the planet of Xandar. Disgusted by his people signing a peace treaty, Ronan is introduced to the audience by confronting a captive member of Xandar's Nova Corps and crushing the helpless man's skull with his Universal Weapon. Beginning the film as a henchman of the [[Characters/MCUThanos Mad Titan Thanos]], Ronan seeks to gather an item for Thanos so that he will destroy Xandar for him. Under Thanos, Ronan has committed multiple murders, including the deaths of Drax the Destroyer's wife and children. He later pursues the film's motley band of heroes to the space prison the Kyln, and orders a full massacre of every prisoner to leave no witnesses. When he realizes the power of the Infinity Stone he has been sent to retrieve, Ronan [[TheStarscream double crosses Thanos]] and vows to kill him after he's finished with Xandar. Assaulting the planet, he even orders his own men to become suicide bombers by flying their ships into Xandar, injuring and killing numerous civilians. He later kills over 80,000 members of the Nova Corps in one fell swoop. After mocking Drax about [[ButForMeItWasTuesday finally remembering murdering his family]], he declares Xandar "guilty" by his psychotic philosophy and attempts to purge it of all life. Brutal, violent, relentless and unforgiving, Ronan stands as an example of rage, fanaticism, unchecked hatred and utter cruelty, and really stands out in such a relatively [[VileVillainSaccharineShow light-hearted movie]].

** "[[Series/Loki2021 These stones, it seems, can only be brandished by beings who ran out of paperweights.]]"[[labelnote:explanation]]The Time Variance Authority uses Infinity Stones as paperweights and office decorations.[[/labelnote]]

** Try watching [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw6oVPrIOVc The Collector's exposition on the Infinity Stones]] without thinking about the fact that [[Series/Loki2021 a guy who doesn’t even know what a fish is uses them as paperweights and Christmas decorations around his office]].