Guardians of the Galaxy #14
Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #14 holds a distinctive place in Marvel's cosmic history as a triple-milestone issue: it marks the 100th cumulative issue of the Guardians of the Galaxy title (across all volumes, though technically the 101st when accounting for an All-New X-Men crossover arc), serves as Flash Thompson's (Agent Venom) formal early-run integration into the team, and — most significantly for long-time fans — delivers the first in-continuity reappearance of the original 31st-century Earth-691 Guardians (Major Victory, Yondu, Martinex, Charlie-27, Starhawk, and Nikki) in comic pages since 2009. That third-story backup, written by Dan Abnett, directly seeded the launch of the Guardians 3000 ongoing series later the same year, making this issue a structural bridge between the nostalgic classic lineup and the MCU-era franchise. The debut of Geena Drake — a character whose very name is a tribute to the creators of the original team, Gene Colan and Arnold Drake — further cements the issue's role as a love letter to the property's 45-year history.
In "Groot's Tale," the Guardians of the Galaxy face a trio of escalating challenges: Gamora clashes with a familiar face from her past, Venom struggles to adapt to life among the stars with Drax's unlikely guidance, and Star-Lord finds himself in a tense confrontation with his father, King Jason of Spartax. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Nick Bradshaw, Jason Masters, and Todd Nauck, with inks by Bradshaw, Masters, Nauck, and Walden Wong, and colors by Justin Ponsor and Jason Keith, this 2014 issue delivers a standout story with a distinctive visual flair. The cover, by Nick Bradshaw, captures the moment with bold, expressive detail.
In "null," Gamora faces off against a familiar face in a high-stakes confrontation that tests her resolve. Meanwhile, Venom struggles to adapt to life among the stars, finding unexpected support from Drax. Star-Lord’s fate takes a dark turn when he’s captured by his father, King Jason of Spartax.
ComicBooks.com Value
Find on ebay
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was written by Brian Michael Bendis (main story) alongside former Guardians architects Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, each contributing a separate backup story — a reunion arrangement that was editorially notable given Bendis had taken over the franchise from Abnett and Lanning following their acclaimed 2008–2010 run. Nick Bradshaw was brought on as the new series artist, joined by Jason Masters, Todd Nauck, and Walden Wong on assists for the main story; Phil Jimenez illustrated the Lanning-written Groot backup, while Gerardo Sandoval (with colorist Rachelle Rosenberg) handled the Abnett-written original Guardians story. The issue was released April 23, 2014, just months before the August 2014 theatrical debut of Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy film, placing it squarely within a period of maximum franchise visibility and editorial ambition.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Double-sized 100th anniversary celebration issue (Vol. 3 #14), released April 23, 2014; Marvel's own promotional copy acknowledges it is technically the 101st Guardians issue due to the prior All-New X-Men crossover arc.
- First appearance of Geena Drake (Earth-691), a human rescued from a Badoon labor camp by the original Guardians; her name is an intentional tribute to Gene Colan (artist) and Arnold Drake (writer), creators of the original 1969 Guardians of the Galaxy team.
- Features the first comics reappearance of the Earth-691 original Guardians lineup — Major Vance Astro, Yondu, Martinex, Charlie-27, Starhawk, and Nikki — since approximately 2009, in a backup story written by Dan Abnett with art by Gerardo Sandoval.
- That Abnett-written backup directly preceded and seeded the Guardians 3000 ongoing series (also written by Abnett with Sandoval), which launched later in 2014; the issue's third story is even collected in the Guardians 3000 Vol. 1: Time After Time trade paperback.
- Flash Thompson (Agent Venom) appears as a newly integrated member of the modern Guardians roster, marking his prominent early issues as part of the team alongside Drax on Knowhere.
- Andy Lanning wrote a second backup story illustrated by Phil Jimenez depicting a semi-origin for Groot — chronicling his early life and departure from Planet X — told almost entirely without conventional dialogue.
- Main story written by Brian Michael Bendis with Nick Bradshaw as the incoming series artist (assisted by Jason Masters, Todd Nauck, and Walden Wong); Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) appears only in cameo, signaling her impending full membership in the arc that follows.
- Collected in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Guardians Disassembled (issues #14–17), and also included in the Brian Michael Bendis Guardians of the Galaxy Omnibus.
Cast · 19 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Guardians of the Galaxy #3 (2014), Guardians 3000 #1 (2015), Guardians of the Galaxy #3 (2015), Marvel Universe #13 (2015), Guardians of the Galaxy #2 (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus #1 (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy #2 (2022)
Variants (1)
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.