Imperial Guard (Marvel Comics)

The Imperial Guard (the so-called Superguardians) is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Imperial Guard are a multi-ethnic group of alien beings who act as enforcers of the laws of the Shi'ar Empire; the Superguardians are the personal guard of the leader of the Empire.

Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, the original Imperial Guard characters were pastiches of prominent members of rival publisher DC Comics' superhero team the Legion of Super-Heroes. Many other characters were later added to the roster, not all of whom are based on Legionnaires.

The Imperial Guard first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #107 (Oct. 1977). Since then, they have been featured periodically in the X-Men titles; crossed paths with the Starjammers, the Kree, the Skrulls, Nova Corps, the Inhumans, and the Guardians of the Galaxy; and been featured in a number of limited series, including Imperial Guard (1997), the War of Kings crossover series (2009), and Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard (2010).

More than 50 Imperial Guard Superguardians have appeared in Marvel Comics' titles; the core members number about 20, with the most notable being Gladiator, Oracle, Starbolt, Neutron, Smasher, Flashfire, Warstar, Electron, Manta, Mentor, Titan, Pulsar, Hussar, Nightside, and Fang.

Structure and organization
The Imperial Guard numbers about 300 members, and is made up of the most powerful and elite soldiers from throughout the Empire, with some of them being Shi'ar and most being from other alien races in the Shi'ar's jurisdiction. The Imperial Guard is led by a praetor.

The Superguardians (who comprise the vast majority of the named characters) are the super-powered personal guard of the Shi'ar leader. Those closest to the leader are known as the Royal Elite.

The Guard academy trains replacements — called Subguardians — for Superguardians who may be killed or incapacitated. Over time, at least twenty Superguardians have been killed in the pages of Marvel's comics, with many of them being replaced by new versions from the ranks of the Subguardians.

Imperial Guard oath of allegiance
This is the Imperial Guard's oath of allegiance to the Shi'ar Empire:

I will not falter, and I will not swerve. From the rising of the suns to the setting of the stars. With Sharra and K'ythri to guide me, I will serve out the term of my duty with courage and conviction, for it is the greatest honor any being of any species can know to be allowed to guard the Imperium of the Shi'ar and stand, each of us, as a light in the darkness. So I make my oath of allegiance.

Concept and creation
As X-Men creators Claremont and Cockrum were devising a team to battle the X-Men in the first part of the Phoenix Saga, Cockrum suggested modeling their powers and costumes after characters from DC's Legion of Super-Heroes. (Cockrum had had a two-year run as artist on the Legion of Super-Heroes backup feature in the Superboy comic book.)

In a 2002 interview, Cockrum said that he showed the character designs to Paul Levitz, then-current Legion of Super-Heroes writer at DC. Asked if he thought there might be trouble between the companies, Cockrum said, "Not really... I showed the designs to Paul Levitz, and he didn't say, 'You can't do that.' If anything, he said, 'Geez, these costumes are better than the ones the Legionnaires are wearing.' No, I don't think we ever once thought that we were going to get in trouble over it."

The first Guardsmen introduced (with their Legion of Super-Heroes analog in parentheses) were Gladiator (Superboy), Astra (Phantom Girl), Electron (Cosmic Boy), Fang (Timber Wolf),   Hobgoblin (Chameleon Boy), Impulse (Wildfire), Magic (Princess Projectra), Mentor (Brainiac 5), Midget (Shrinking Violet), Nightshade (Shadow Lass), Oracle (Saturn Girl),  Quasar (Star Boy), Smasher (Ultra Boy), Starbolt (Sun Boy), Tempest (Lightning Lad), and Titan (Colossal Boy).

Over time, for various reasons, some of the members' code-names were changed: Nightshade to Nightside, Magic to Magique, Midget to Scintilla, Quasar to Neutron, Tempest to Flashfire, and Impulse to Pulsar.

Reception and characterization
Nick Hemming of Looper.com described the Imperial Guard as perhaps "the most interesting facet of the Shi'ar," describing them as "an elite team of super soldiers who enforce the law within the empire. The Guard has played both friend and foe to Earth's favorite heroes over time, boasting a diverse roster of various species."

Fictional team history
Many centuries ago, the Phoenix Force entity ends up in Shi'ar space, where it bonds with a citizen of the Empire named Rook'shir. In conjunction with his blade, Rook'shir learns to control the Phoenix Force, but is ultimately overwhelmed by its power, becoming the first known host to succumb to and go insane from its destructive impulses. Becoming the first being known as the Dark Phoenix, Rook'shir goes on a rampage throughout the Empire, destroying many planets in the process.

T'korr, Majestor of the Shi'ar Empire, creates the Imperial Guard for the purpose of stopping Rook'shir; some of the first members are Gladiator, Magic, Mentor, and Quasar. Defeating Rook'shir, the Guard becomes the first line of defense of the Shi'ar Empire.

In The X-Men #107 (Oct. 1977), the Shi'ar empire comes into conflict with the X-Men regarding the Phoenix entity, with the Guard battling them at the command of Emperor D'Ken and his sister, the Grand Admiral, Princess Lilandra Neramani.

Some time later during "The Dark Phoenix Saga", the Guardsmen again come into conflict with the X-Men regarding Dark Phoenix, this time at the behest of Emperor D'Ken's successor, Empress Lilandra.

The Borderers division is introduced — a group of Guardsman stationed on one of the Shi'ar's conquered worlds to help its governor enforce Shi'ar law. A renegade faction of the Imperial Guard — mainly made up of Borderers, but also including Fang, Hussar, Quasar, and Warstar — become traitors, deciding to serve Lord Samédàr, Deathbird, and the Brood in a conspiracy to overthrow Shi'ar Princess-Majestrix Lilandra. The renegades battle the Guardsman who remain loyal to Lilandra and the X-Men. After defeating the Brood and the renegades, Lilandra resumes her position as the head of the Shi'ar Empire. Despite many of the Imperial Guard having joined with Deathbird against Lilandra, most team members are pardoned for their actions, although Quasar, Warstar, Hussar, and Webwing are later banished.

Some time later, Deathbird stages a successful coup and becomes the new Shi'ar Empress. She sends the Imperial Guard to Earth to battle the combined forces of the Starjammers and the superhero team Excalibur, so that she can claim the power of the Phoenix Force for herself. The Guard are forced to retreat when Deathbird realizes the Starjammers are led by Lilandra.

Later, War Skrulls impersonating Charles Xavier and the Starjammers depose Deathbird and restore Lilandra to the throne. Deathbird cedes the empire back to Lilandra as she has grown bored of the bureaucracy.

When the Shi'ar and the Kree wage an intergalactic war, the Imperial Guard are commissioned to lead the fight. The Guard steals the original Captain Marvel's Nega-Bands from the dead hero's tomb. Using Kree artifacts, including the Bands, the Sh'iar create a massive superweapon, the "Nega-Bomb." Ultimately, the Nega-Bomb device is successfully detonated, devastating the Kree Empire, with billions dying instantaneously (98% of the Kree population). The Shi'ar annex the remnants of the Kree Empire, with Deathbird becoming viceroy of the Kree territories.

Some time later, the Imperial Guard are informed about a hijacked Shi'ar craft, and join Quasar in a battle against a group of interplanetary marauders known as the Starblasters, who attempt to push the moon away from Earth's orbit.

When many of Earth's heroes vanish (sent to the pocket universe after defeating Onslaught), Lilandra orders the Imperial Guard to help protect Earth.

Ronan the Accuser leads the Kree in a surprise attack against the Shi'ar, using the Inhumans as an army to disrupt the Shi'ar control of the Kree. Ronan seizes control in a surprise attack. Threatening to destroy the Inhumans' home of Attilan, he orders the Inhumans and their king, Black Bolt, to obey. Ronan compels Karnak, Gorgon, and Triton to covertly join the Imperial Guard, while Black Bolt and Medusa attempt the assassination of the Shi'ar ruler Lilandra at a ceremony ratifying an alliance between the Shi'ar and the Spartoi. Black Bolt manages to defeat Ronan in personal combat; the attempt on Lilandra's life fails because the Imperial Guardsman Hobgoblin dies in her place.

Cassandra Nova, in Charles Xavier's body, contacts Majestrix Lilandra, Xavier's lover. Cassandra drives Lilandra insane and uses her to make the Shi'ar fleet destroy the empire. Cassandra forces Lilandra to send the Shi'ar Superguardians to sterilize the entirety of mutantkind, starting with the X-Men. After a battle with the X-Men, the Imperial Guard come to realize Cassandra's treachery and the danger she poses. Jean Grey, using Xavier's consciousness, and with the help of the Imperial Guard, is able to force Cassandra out of Xavier's body and imprison her.

he Imperial Guard's loyalties are tested when Vulcan, a powerful mutant intent on conquering the Shi'ar Empire, comes on the scene at the start of the "Emperor Vulcan" storyline. He fights the Guard, killing and wounding a number of them, before he is defeated by Gladiator, who puts out his left eye.

Ultimately, however, Vulcan returns and assumes the Shi'ar throne, and the Imperial Guard are honor-bound to do his bidding. Emperor Vulcan and his fleet battle the Scy'ar Tal, who have devoted their culture and society to the destruction of the Shi'ar Empire. After many battles, including Vulcan fighting his brother Havok and the Starjammers, the Shi'ar prevail. Vulcan declares that he will return the Shi'ar Empire to its former glory.

Emperor Majestor Vulcan begins to expand the empire, leading to a war with the Kree. Things start off well for the Imperial Guard when they slaughter a cadre of new recruits to the Nova Corps. The Guard follows this by attacking and hospitalizing Ronan the Accuser on his wedding day. The Kree's retaliation, however, leads to the deaths of a number of Guardsmen. Two new Smashers, recruited from the ranks of the Subguardians, die, as does Warstar.

When ordered to kill former Shi'ar Empress Lilandra Neramani, Gladiator abandons his post to protect her. Nonetheless, during an attempt to return her to the throne, Lilandra is assassinated.

Vulcan is seemingly killed during a battle with the leader of the Kree, Black Bolt. With no one in line to inherit the throne, civil war threatens the Shi'ar empire. To avoid further conflict, the Imperial Guard's praetor, Gladiator, accepts the offer to become Emperor; Mentor becomes praetor in his place.

During the "Realm of Kings" storyline, the Shi'ar team up with the Starjammers to investigate "The Fault," a space-time anomaly that not only threatens Shi'ar space but all of reality. This crisis leads to another spate of Imperial Guard deaths: Starbolt is killed by a group of horrifically mutated creatures from the Cancerverse, and Black Light, Neutron, and Titan are killed in a later battle. The storyline ends with the Guardsmen Mentor and Plutonia choosing to bond with Raptor amulets; Mentor is taken over by Strel and Plutonia becomes the Raptor Kyte; both vanish.

During the "Infinity" storyline, a fourth Smasher is recruited by the Imperial Guard: a human member of the Avengers named Izzy Kane. Receiving an all-points distress signal on Earth, she comes with the Avengers to assist the Shi'ar in fighting off a new threat: the Builders. The Builders threaten all the galactic civilizations, leading the Shi'ar to join forces with the Kree, Skrulls, Spartoi, Brood, and Annihilus' Annihilation Wave to resist them.

After many battles and losses — including the death of Earthquake — the Avengers and Imperial Guard earn a convincing victory against the main Builders' fleet. Mentor helps take command of a Builder World Killer and turn it against the Builders. The Imperial Guard and the Avengers proceed to free the occupied worlds — including Earth, which has fallen to Thanos in their absence. The Imperial Guard helps retake the Peak, the S.W.O.R.D. space station headquarters.

Soon afterward, Gladiator kidnaps the time-displaced incarnation of Jean Grey, placing her on trial for the destruction done by the Phoenix Force years earlier. The All-New X-Men team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to rescue Jean from the Shi'ar homeworld, but Jean ends up awakening a new power, enabling her to absorb massive amounts of psionic energy from others and combine her telepathy and telekinesis, which she uses to defeat Gladiator and the Imperial Guard.

When the Shi'ar find out that the reason for the "decay of the universe" is on Earth, they decide to destroy the planet. The Guardians of the Galaxy, Sunspot, A.I.M., and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers fight back, planning to use a Planetkiller against the Shi'ar. The Planetkiller, however, overheats and explodes, destroyed by Annihilus' Annihilation Wave. The Avengers are ready to meet their end, but the Illuminati intervenes, using the controller disk of a rogue planet that shares the same space with Earth, while Iron Man uses Sol's Hammer to destroy the Shi'ar fleet, including the Imperial Guards.

The Guard are resurrected, along with the rest of the universe, as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel relaunch.

Age of Apocalypse
In an alternate reality depicted in the miniseries, Age of Apocalypse, Lilandra became the Admiral of the Shi'ar Grand Fleet and leader of the Imperial Guard. However, she was killed by her brother D'ken before she could stop him from taking control of the M'Kraan Crystal.

Heroes Reborn
In an alternate reality depicted in the miniseries "Heroes Reborn", the Imperial Guard is associated with Hyperion and most of its members were infected by the Brood.

MC2
An older, alternate reality version of the original Lilandra appears in MC2 miniseries, Last Planet Standing, escaping the Shi'ar Empire after it is attacked and devoured by Galactus.

In other media

 * The Imperial Guard appear in the X-Men animated television series episodes "The Phoenix Saga, Part III: The Cry of the Banshee" and "The Phoenix Saga, Part V: Child of Light", consisting of Gladiator, Starbolt, Flashfire, Oracle, Smasher, Titan, Hobgoblin, Warstar, Earthquake, Hussar, Astra, and Manta. They battle the X-Men in a trial by combat to determine Jean Grey's fate, only to be defeated by the Phoenix Force.
 * The Imperial Guard appear in the X-Men '97 episode "Lifedeath" Pt. 2. Here, they have Vulcan as its latest member.
 * The Imperial Guard appear in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, consisting of Gladiator, Neutron, Hussar, Starbolt, and Warstar. Several members of the Imperial Guard assisted Deathbird in taking the Shi'ar Empire's throne from her sister Lilandra while others refused to take part. Meanwhile, a group of heroes come to obtain a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal and defeat the traitorous guards, Shi'ar soldiers, and Deathbird in the process.
 * The Imperial Guard appear in the 2006 Christopher L. Bennett novel, X-Men: Watchers on the Walls, consisting of Smasher, Manta, Flashfire, Astra, Nightside, Magique, Blackthorn, N'rill'iree, and Empress Lilandra.