Guardians Of The Galaxy's Original Leader Is The Polar Opposite Of Star-Lord

Published Sep 8, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT

In the case of the original Guardians of the Galaxy, not only does this team boast an entirely different lineup than its successor team, it also has a significantly different vibe. This is perhaps best demonstrated in leadership, as the character who fills that position in the first team is the polar opposite of Star-Lord. However, for the time that these Guardians were primarily active, this character was just the kind of leader the team needed.

Vance Astro Led The Original Guardians of the Galaxy

Created by Roy Thomas, Arnold Drake, and Gene Colan for Marvel-Superheroes #18, the original Guardians of the Galaxy, whose members hail from the 31st century on Earth-691, were initially comprised of Vance Astro, Charlie-27, Martinex, and Yondu Udonta. Vance, a.k.a. Major Victory, was a 20th century astronaut who was placed in suspended animation for the majority of a millennium-long journey to another planet in the Alpha Centauri system.

During the brief periods when Vance woke up to run maintenance on his ship and adjust his course, he developed his mutant ability to generate psychokinetic concussive blasts. However, upon reaching this planet, he discovered that humanity had created faster-than-light travel after he left, so there were already humans there alongside the native population. Unfortunately, shortly after Vance learned his mission was no longer relevant, the planet was ravaged by the Badoon, and he, Charlie-27, Martinex, and Yondu were among the few survivors.

Upon escaping from the reptilian Badoon, these four formed the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Along with protecting the denizens of the early 3000s, there were also several times when they were transported to Earth-616’s present day. In one of these adventures, Vance took steps to ensure his younger self didn’t follow the same life path he did, resulting in the Vance Astro known as Marvel Boy, who joined the New Warriors. He also joined the modern Guardians shortly after they formed when he was discovered temporally displaced again and encased in ice.

Vance Astro Is A More Traditional Superhero Than Star-Lord

While Peter Quinn does qualify as a superhero, he’s arguably more of an adventuring rogue, and he started going by Star-Lord as more of an authoritative mantle rather than as a superhero identity. Most of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy members have a scoundrel vibe to them, though they can ultimately be counted upon to protect the innocent. Vance Astro and the other original Guardians, on the other hand, fill the traditional superhero mold nicely, and this has only gotten stronger for Vance as the years have passed.

In the 1990s Guardians of the Galaxy series, Vance was safely freed from the containment suit that allowed him to survive 1,000 years. Having also discovered Captain America’s long-lost shield before that, Vance donned a costume similar to the Star-Spangled Avenger’s suit and started going by Major Victory. Along with now looking even more like a traditional superhero, he also learned how to use his mutant ability to propel the shield around like when Steve Rogers would throw it, essentially making him another Captain America successor.

Like most of the other original Guardians, the older Vance Astro has only made sporadic appearances in recent years, and he still hasn't been adapted for the MCU either. Nevertheless, he stood out for a long time as one of Marvel’s mightiest cosmic superheroes, and was a worthy leader for the first Guardians of the Galaxy in their heyday. As such, it’s fitting that Star-Lord contrasts him so much, as he stands out in other ways, as well as makes his interactions with Major Victory more interesting from when they were working together.