Marvel brings back veteran members of theGuardians of the Galaxy, confirming which of the cosmic heroes is the most powerful.Many characters have gone through the Guardians' rankingssince the team’s introduction in 1969. Even after Dan Abnett’s 2008 reinvention of the Guardians became the definitive line-up, other heroes like Kitty Pryde and Agent Venom have been memorable members of the team in recent years.
As Jonathan Hickman’sImperialevent picks up speed, new players join the cosmic conflict.Naturally, the Guardians of the Galaxy take part in the war.A new Guardians team debuts inMarvel’s one-shotImperial War: Imperial Guardians, which sees Dan Abnett return to the property.
Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Drax won’t return. Instead,Gamora will be accompanied by an incredibly powerful team composed of Captain Marvel, Brawn, Nighthawk, and the ridiculously overpowered Cosmic Ghost Rider.
Cosmic Ghost Rider Is Clearly The Most Powerful Member Of The Imperial Guardians
Imperial War: Imperial Guardians #1; Written by Dan Abnett and Jonathan Hickman; Art by Cory Smith
Cosmic Ghost Rider is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel’s cosmic lore, combining the Spirit of Vengeance’s supernatural abilities with the Power Cosmic.Originally a Punisher from an alternate future, Cosmic Ghost Rider wields Hellfire manipulation and reality-warping chains capable of binding beings as powerful as the Hulk and Thanos. He has survived planetary explosions and erased entire armies by himself.In theory, Cosmic Ghost Rider is many times as powerful as heroes like Silver Surfer and Thor.
Compared to his fellow Imperial Guardians, Cosmic Ghost Rider sits on another level of raw power. Carol Danvers’ Captain Marvel is one of the most powerful Avengers, but even she is much less durable than Cosmic Ghost Rider. Darkhawk, despite his upgraded cosmic armor, relies on advanced tech that doesn’t hold a candle to Frank Castle’s destructive power. Brawn has Hulk-like strength and genius intellect, but his power doesn’t come close to Hulk’s, let alone Cosmic Ghost Rider’s.
Marvel’s Imperial Conflict Warrants A New Guardians Of The Galaxy Team
Imperial’s Cosmic Conflict Shakes The Marvel Universe To Its Core
With Star-Lord and Nova tied up managing interstellar politics and unravelingthe mystery behind J’son’s assassination,Marvel needed a Guardians team that could operate on the frontlines of a galactic crisis. Instead of rebooting the Guardians from scratch, Hickman and Abnett are assembling high-powered and strategically relevant heroes who can face off against cosmic-level threats while playing into Imperial’s political and military chaos. This allows the Guardians to stay central in Marvel’s cosmic corner without sidelining Star-Lord and Nova’s core story.
Powerhouses like Carol Danvers and Cosmic Ghost Rider may play an essential role in overturning the conspiracy that broke the Galactic Council. Brawn is also likely to be crucial given his prior involvement with the Hulk during the early stages of the conflict. Together, this version of the Guardians may represent Star-Lord’s direct answer to Gladiator’s Superguardians and other empire-backed strike teams.
IMPERIAL WAR: IMPERIAL GUARDIANS #1is coming July 20, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
