Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude

Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude is a 2-issue comic mini-series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is set before the events of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Part I
The dark overlord Thanos searches the wide galaxy for the Infinity Stones, patient and thurough in his search. Amidst his quest, he takes in two alien women as his adopted daughters: the Zehoberi Gamora and the Luphomoid Nebula. Under the tutelage of Thanos' ally, Ronan, the women become Galaxy-Class Killers and elite assassins under Thanos' employ.

During a dangerous training scenario on Dervani, Nebula and Gamora engage each other in fierce combat in a competition to retriege a data ingot for Ronan. The girls are evenly matched and their bout leads them to a cliff side from which Gamora tosses Nebula over. Nebula is severely injured in the fall, and is forced to undergo cybernetic augmentations. As she is repaired, Thanos openly expresses his disappointment over Nebula's actions, lecturing her on the limits of weakness, even going as far as to say "flesh itself is a weakness."

Many years later, Thanos gains a lead on the location of the Orb, and sends a now adult Nebula and Gamora to seek it out. Accompanying a Kree platoon led by Korath, the Galaxy-Class Killers travel to Praxius IX. Infiltrating one of the Cloud Tombs of Praxis, Nebula blindly rushes forward despite Gamora's warnings and ends up getting caught in a Laser Thorn Energy Net.

Gamora initially attempts to free Nebula from the trap, but Thanos stops her, asserting the fact that Nebula failed and is undeserving of help. Though reluctant, Gamora complies, but not before leaving Nebula with a large combat blade to free herself. Just before the natives attempt to capture Nebula, she amputates her own arm with the blade, freeing herself.

Nebula undergoes another procedure, gaining a prosthetic arm in the process. While Nebula chooses to heed Thanos' previous words and grow strong from her failure, a visibly shaken Gamora begins to question her master's ideals.

Part II
Intergalactic criminal duo Rocket Raccoon and Groot arrive at the Hub in search of work. There, they are hired by Stygian crimelord Zade Scraggot to hunt down the local Scalluscs.

Characters

 * Nebula
 * Gamora
 * Korath the Pursuer
 * Thanos
 * Rocket Raccoon
 * Groot
 * Zade Scraggot

Locations

 * Dervani
 * Praxius IX
 * Cloud Tombs of Praxis
 * The Hub

Items

 * Laser Thorn Energy Net

Sentient species

 * Zehoberi
 * Luphomoids
 * Sakaarans
 * Kree
 * Flora colossus
 * Stygians
 * Scalluscs

Creatures

 * Raccoons