Editor's Note: The following contains Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 spoilers.

It’s no wonder Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be the lengthiest movie in James Gunn’s trilogy, as the filmmaker is giving everything he got before saying farewell to Marvel Studios. As the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 underlines, the third chapter in the trilogy will explore the final mission of the current team of Guardians, which means we can expect heavy casualties and emotional retirements. In addition, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is adding Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, featuring Maria Bakalova as the voice of Cosmo the Sapcedog, and giving Chukwudi Iwuji the role of the villainous High Evolutionary. As if all of that wasn’t enough, the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also brings the Ravagers back, with Sylvester Stallone returning as Stakar Ogord. But who are the Ravagers? And why Stallone’s character is so important?

Who Are the Ravagers in the MCU?

Sean Gunn as Kraglin and Michael Rooker as Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1
Image via Marvel Studios

The Ravagers were introduced in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy as a group of space pirates. Led by Youdu Udonta (Michael Rooker), the Ravagers steal precious objects, transport illegal cargo, and accept any kind of shady deal that can put some money in their pockets. As the first movie explains, the Ravagers abducted Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) from an unknown third party. However, since Yondu grew fond of the Terran kid, he decided to raise Peter as one of his own. While the Ravagers can be vicious and ruthless, they follow a strict code of honor. That’s why they come to Xandar’s aid once the planet is attacked by Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) at the end of the first movie.

In 2017, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 deeply expanded the Ravagers mythology. As we learn, the Ravagers are a crime syndicate with one hundred different factions, each with its captain. Yondu was the leader of one specific faction of Ravagers, which was expelled from the syndicate after he accepted contrabanding children for Ego (Kurt Russell). While the Ravagers are criminals, they have standards, and leading children to their death goes against their code. That’s why Youdu was expelled by Stakar, the captain of Ravagers’ main faction. By the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Yondu sacrifices his life to stop Ego and save Quill. Due to his honorable death, the Ravagers grant Yondu a worthy funeral, giving him the honor of becoming a Ravager once again.

That’s not the last time we see Stakar, though, as the Ravager leader is back for one of the five post-credit scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In the scene, Stakar calls other Ravager captains to catch up. After Yondu's death, the leader of the Ravagers says maybe it’s time to put the original band of outlaws back together to sail through space as they once used to. Stakar’s words indicate that the Ravagers were born from a single team of outlaws, of which Yondu was also a member. And as this scene shows each of the main captains Stakar is talking to, we realize the MCU’s oldest Ravagers are actually Marvel Comics’ original Guardians of the Galaxy.

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The Ravagers Leaders Are the Original Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy in Marvel Comics
Image via Marvel Comics

The MCU uses the team of Guardians of the Galaxy that was formed in Marvel Comics by Peter Quill in 2008. However, the team’s history goes way back. The first appearance of the Guardians of the Galaxy in Marvel Comics happened in 1969, and the original team was very different from what most people know. That's because the original Guardians of the Galaxy stories were set around the year 3000, in an alternate Marvel timeline known as Earth-691. The Guardians of the Galaxy comic series was first not related to the central Marvel Comics continuity, which took place on Earth-616. Instead, these comic books served more as an excuse for Marvel Comics to publish futuristic sci-fi stories.

In the comic books, Stakar is the leader of the first Guardians team. However, since Gunn’s trilogy doesn’t involve alternate timelines or time travel, the filmmaker introduced the character by making him the leader of the first team of Ravagers. Each character in Stakar’s end credits in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is also a member of the first version of the Guardians in comic books.

First, we have Michelle Yeoh as Aleta. In the comic books, Aleta Ogord is the adoptive sister of Stakar, who eventually become his wife. The two heroes share the powers of a god, which means they can only exist in the material plane once at a time. Comic books were even weirder in the late 1960s, and no one will complain if the MCU drastically changes Aleta's origins and her relationship with Stakar if they ever decide to turn her into a main character. The scene also features Ving Rhames as Charlie-27. Born on Jupiter, Charlie-27 is a genetically engineered human soldier created to survive the planet's gravity. In addition to super strength and superhuman endurance, Charlie-27 is also an excellent military combatant.

The end credit scene also showed the MCU version of Krugarr, an alien from the planet Lem completely made with CGI. In the comics, Krugarr is a former Doctor Strange apprentice who becomes the Sorcerer Supreme. Another weird character in the end credits scene is Mainframe, voiced by Miley Cyrus. In the comic books, Mainframe is the futuristic version of the Vision, who becomes a computer program and doesn’t need a physical body anymore. Finally, the scene features Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex, another genetically engineered human from an interplanetary colony, this time from Pluto. The crystals covering Martinex’s body allow him to withstand Pluto's extreme temperatures and give him the power to manipulate heat and cold.

The Ravagers Return for 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'

The Ravagers are back in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, acting as space pirates who are hired by Nebula (Karen Gillan) to help the Guardians break into a high-security facility. While Vol. 2 teased an iconic team-up, the team of Ravagers that shows up in Vol. 3 doesn't feature Aleta or Charlie-27. Still, the rest of the gang has returned, with Stakar acting as a leader, Krugarr showing his wizard skills. Martinex and Mainframe are also back, even though Cyrus got replaced by Loki star Tara Strong as the voice of the robot. In Vol. 3, the Variant Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) who came from a different timeline in Avengers: Endgame has also found a home amidst the Ravagers, which is why Nebula reached out to the pirates in the first place. So, while we still didn't get the fabulous team-up we hoped to get after Vol. 2, the Ravagers are still around the galaxy, and nothing is stopping them from coming back in future Marvel Studios projects.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently available in theaters.

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