Gamora

"I have spent most of my life surrounded by my enemies. I will be grateful to die among my friends."

- Gamora

Gamora is a former assassin and a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. She became the adopted daughter of Thanos after he killed her entire race. She served him for years before betraying him in an attempt to free herself from his ways. She was hired to steal the Orb, and became caught up in the Quest for the Orb, becoming friends with the other members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. After the Battle of Xandar, she left to work with them.

Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy
"I go by many names, Earthian, but I'm sure the one that most know me by is Gamora, the deadliest woman in the whole galaxy."

- Gamora

When Gamora was very young, the interplanetary warlord Thanos killed every member of her species, the Zehoberei. Thanos killed Gamora's parents in front of her, but spared her and raised her as his own child. As she aged he cybernetically changed her body, trying to transform her into the ultimate weapon. Gamora trained under the tutelage of Ronan the Accuser as a Galaxy-Class Killer alongside Korath and the Luphomoid known as Nebula. Gamora and Nebula considered each other sisters, and both shared great enmity towards Thanos for destroying their childhoods.

Upon reaching adulthood, Gamora and Nebula sought the powerful item known as the Orb for Thanos under the command of Korath the Pursuer. On the planet Praxius IX, while following a false lead on the Orb, Nebula found herself ensnared by an impenetrable Laser Thorn Energy Net. Under Thanos' orders, Gamora left Nebula behind, leaving her only a large knife with which to cut herself out of the netting. The experience drove a great wedge between the two sisters, and also strengthened Gamora's bitterness towards Thanos. As the years passed, Gamora's skills earned her Thanos' favoritism, which only proved to strengthen the growing wedge in her relationship with Nebula. In time, Gamora built up the reputation as the "Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy".

Betraying Ronan the Accuser
"You will not fail." "Have I ever?"

- Ronan the Accuser and Gamora

Thanos lent Gamora's and Nebula's services to Ronan the Accuser, whom Thanos had hired to find the Orb in exchange for the complete annihilation of Xandar. This was the final straw for Gamora, who was unwilling to assist Thanos and Ronan in killing millions of innocent lives. Her opportunity for freedom eventually came in the form of Taneleer Tivan, who sought to add the Orb to his collection, and hired Gamora to bring it to him once she or Ronan located it. Knowing that the Orb falling into the hands of either Ronan or Thanos would spell doom for the galaxy, and wishing to make up for past crimes, Gamora accepted the job, intending to sell it to the Collector and escape from their control. As they left the meeting, Gamora was confronted by Nebula, who believed that she intended to take a leadership position over her. Gamora left the Dark Aster with a team of Sakaarans, whom she killed on her way to Xandar.

Meeting Star-Lord
"Fool! You should've learned!" "I don't learn. It's one of my issues."

- Gamora and Star-Lord

Gamora traced the Orb to Peter Quill, a human outlaw and associate of the intergalactic smugglers group, the Ravagers. Pursuing him to Xandar, Gamora ambushed Quill just as he was trying to sell the artifact to a Broker. Her planned attack was thrown off, however, when the criminal duo of Rocket Raccoon and Groot arrived, also seeking Quill who had a high bounty on his head from Yondu Udonta. In the confusion, Quill fled. Gamora and the two thugs raced after Quill, causing quite an uproar as Gamora continued to try to take the Orb, using her incredible assassin skills to stay ahead in the fight. Eventually, Gamora pinned Quill, but his quick thinking allowed him to free himself; when Rocket and Groot trapped Quill, Gamora threw Rocket away and cut off Groot's arms before trying to take Quill. However Quill was able to use his gun to knock out Gamora before the Nova Corps intervened and arrested the four for civil disruption.

Kyln
"Whatever nightmares the future holds, are dreams compared to what's behind me."

- Gamora

The four were then shipped offworld and sent to the Kyln for incarceration. Once they arrived they made their way through the prison under armed guards, Peter Quill demanded to know what was so special about the Orb but Gamora refused to answer, Rocket Raccoon then antagonized her by reminding her of her crimes across the galaxy. Gamora then witnessed Quill getting assaulted when he attempted to get his Walkman back from a guard. Having stepped into the prison, every inmate immediately turned their attention to Gamora, taunting her with threats and throwing rubbish at her. Rocket Raccoon explained it was due to many of the inmates having lost their families to Thanos and Ronan the Accuser, despite the endless threats, Gamora remained calm, telling Quill that nothing she could experience here would compare to what she had experienced while working for Thanos. The same night, Gamora was dragged out of her cell by Moloka Dar and a team of angry prisoners who wished to murder her. She found herself being saved by one of the inmates, Drax, whose wife and family had been murdered by Ronan. Drax explained that he wished to kill Gamora himself in order to briefly satisfy his hatred, but was stopped by Quill, who arrived and convinced Drax that he needed her to get to Ronan. While initially distrustful of each other, Gamora offered to split Tivan's payment with Quill, Rocket, and Groot if they assisted her in escaping from the prison.

Prison Break
"I am going to die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy."

- Gamora

The next day, Rocket Raccoon came up with a plan to get them out of the prison, which involved stealing an inmates false leg, a guard's security band and a Quardrix battery. Groot accidentally started their escape early and Gamora focused her efforts on getting the guard's armband. She quickly found the guard who almost allowed Moloka Dar to murder her and ripped it from his arm. With the armband ready, Gamora rejoined the rest of the group in the prison's control terminal, she found that they had been joined by Drax the Destroyer who wished to stay with her until they found Ronan the Accuser. The criminals completed their escape when Rocket Raccoon turned off the anti-gravity in the prison and flew the prison terminal outside. They then fled the Kyln to the Milano, however Quill insisted upon staying behind to collect something he had lost, as a sign of trust, he left the Orb with Gamora. The group waited for Quill while flying outside of the prison, however Rocket Raccoon insisted that they leave without him, Gamora refused when she realised that Quill had not in fact given her the Orb but had kept it with him. Rocket continued to demand they leave before their ship was shot out of space, but Gamora insisted that they not leave without the Orb. Quill emerged a few minutes later, flying across space and onto the ship, he gave Gamora the real Orb before informing Drax that he had left to collect his walkman, to which Drax call Quill an imbecile. On the Milano the group discussed what was to be done with the Orb, Drax the Destroyer suggested that if it was a weapon they should use it to destroy Ronan the Accuser, leading to a fierce argument between him and Gamora. Quill calmed the situation down insisting that no one must kill anyone on board his ship. Gamora refused to give Quill any more information about where they were going or who her buyer was, leading to Quill telling her that she should begin trusting him more, Gamora told Quill she would never work with someone like him and then mocked him by telling him that his ship was filthy.

Trouble on Knowhere
"I’m a warrior, an assassin. I don’t dance." "Really? Well, on my planet, we have a legend about people like you. It’s called ."

- Gamora and Star-Lord

Arriving on Knowhere, a remote criminal outpost in space built in the giant severed-head of a celestial, the group decided to relax while waiting to meet Gamora's contact, Taneleer Tivan. Gamora and Peter Quill shared a brief moment while she cleaned her sword where Quill explained his need to get his walkman back due to it being a gift from his mother. Quill let Gamora listen to the music and tried to seduce her, which ended with Gamora harshly rejecting Quill's advances, as she was aware of his reputation. Their conversation was interrupted when a fight broke out between the drunk Rocket Raccoon, Groot and Drax the Destroyer after the latter called Rocket vermin and Rocket mocked Drax's past. Quill and Gamora were able to break up the fight and convinced Rocket to put down his weapon and wait until they had collected their money from the Collector. Drax however refused and stormed off, furious that he had still been unable to kill Ronan the Accuser, Gamora let him go as she felt that they did not need his help.

Meeting the Collector
"My dear Gamora, how wonderful to meet you in the flesh." "Let's bypass the formalities Tivan, we have what we discussed."

- Collector and Gamora

When Taneleer Tivan finally met with the group, he greeted Gamora with a kiss to the hand, noting how wonderful it was to finally meet her. Tivan became distracted by Groot as he had never seen a member of Groot's species before. Gamora then suggested that they continue what they had come to discuss; Star-Lord then pulled the Orb from his jacket pocket and attempted to hand it to the Collector, only to briefly drop it on the floor. The Collector showed great enthusiasm as he began to open the Orb, explaining that the Orb was in fact a containment device that held an Infinity Stone. Tivan showed the incredible power of the stone which had been used thousands of years before to destroy entire planets. Before the group could accept their payment, Tivan's assistant, Carina, attempted to take the stone, only to unintentionally tap into its power and trigger a massive explosion that killed Carina and destroyed much of Tivan's collection. Barely escaping with their lives, Gamora hastily resealed the stone into the Orb and left. Finally realizing the true danger of the Orb, Gamora decided to deliver the Orb to the Nova Corps where it would be safest. Rocket Raccoon was horrified when he saw that they were keeping it and suggested that they give it to Ronan the Accuser as a peace offering, Star-Lord then suggested that they give it to a friend of his who would offer a great payment for it. Gamora was furious at the suggestion and attempted to leave with the Orb.

Skirmish on Knowhere
"Nebula, please. If Ronan gets this stone he'll kill us all." "Not all. You will already be dead."

- Gamora and Nebula

Before Gamora could escape, Ronan the Accuser and his forces suddenly arrived, having been called to Knowhere by Drax the Destroyer who intended to kill his enemy. Gamora, Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon managed to get to Mining Pods in an attempt to escape, but Nebula led her soldiers in a chase after them, focusing their efforts on killing Gamora and stealing the Orb back.

In the ensuing chaos, Nebula continued to engage Gamora in an aerial battle that resulted in Gamora being forced to fly her mining pod into deep space where it malfunctioned and she became trapped. Gamora continued to try and reason with her sister, insisting that if Ronan the Accuser got his hands on the Orb, he would kill everyone in the universe. Nebula refused to listen and destroyed Gamora's ship, resulting in her being blown into deep space and the Orb stolen. Quill managed to rescue Gamora before she could die from space exposure, and the two were picked up by the Ravagers.

Joining Forces
"Yondu! Listen to me! Ronan has something called an Infinity Stone." "I know what he's got, girl." "Then you know we must get it back! He's gonna use it to wipe out Xandar."

- Gamora and Yondu Udonta

The leader of the Ravagers and Quill's former father figure, Yondu Udonta, immidately began beating up Quill in revenge for him betraying them. Eventually Gamora managed to convince Udonta of the danger the Orb posed in Ronan's hands. In the end he agreed to help them in retaking the Orb from Ronan, who was now making his way to Xandar with the intention of destroying it.

Their conversation was interrupted when Rocket Raccoon and Drax the Destroyer threatened to blow up the ship if Udonta did not give Quill and Gamora back to them. With the situation quickly resolved, Gamora and Quill spoke with Rocket, Groot, and Drax, Gamora onboard the Milano and tried to convince them to join them and the Ravagers in a final battle against Ronan the Accuser. Quill pitched his idea of a plan but the group were not convinced, as it would likely result in their deaths, in the end however, Gamora told Quill she would be happy to die with her friends and the rest of the group also agreed. Quill and Gamora explained the details of the plan to Yondu Udonta and his army of Ravagers, with Gamora explaining how they would engage his army of Sakaarans and use the distraction to board the ship where her knowledge of the layout would help them find and kill Ronan. They also made it clear how deadly the Orb was and how Ronan must not be allowed to touch the planet's surface as it would result in it's complete destruction. The Ravagers were handing containment Orbs to use to steal the stone back.

Flying into the Battle
"This is a terrible plan." "Hey, you're the one who said you wanted to die among friends."

- Gamora and Star-Lord

Gamora joined in the Battle of Xandar, taking a seat in the Milano with Star-Lord, Groot and Drax the Destroyer, as they prepared to engage the enemy, Gamora noted that it was a terrible plan. During the battle, they became over run with the Sakaarans' ships and seemed overpowered until the Nova Corps arrived, led by Garthan Saal and assisted them in the battle. Gamora and her allies infiltrated Ronan's ship, the Dark Aster, however Yondu Udonta's ship was shot down in the chaos. As the Milano crashed through the ship, Quill was able to shoot down a unit of Sakaarans before they prepared to carry on. As they made their way through the ship it was almost too dark for them to see, so Groot demonstrated how he could create light spors to light their way. As they walked, Drax the Destroyer expressed his gratitude to be welcomed back into their group, although he mistakenly called Gamora a green whore causing her to demand that he stop talking.

Sister vs. Sister
"Nebula! Sister, help us fight Ronan. You know he's crazy!" "I know you're both crazy!"

- Gamora and Nebula

The group was attacked by Nebula who intended to protect Ronan the Accuser and get revenge for the destruction Gamora had caused. Before she could attack, Nebula was shot by Drax the Destroyer who wanted to protect his friends. Gamora went to disable the ship's generators and found Nebula had survived the shot and had quickly healed. The two sisters engaged in a brutal fight in which Nebula tried everything she could to kill her sister while the battle outside raged on. Eventually Gamora was able to kick Nebula off the side of the ship through a hole that had been shot in it. Nebula managed to hold on as her cybernetic arm became impalled on the a piece of debris and hung thousands of feet above the planet Xandar, Gamora attempted to reason with her sister by telling her that Ronan the Accuser was crazy and they could still stop him. Nebula refused to listen and instead cut off her own arm and fell from the ship, landing on a Ravager ship and flying it to safety.

With Nebula having been defeated, Gamora then disabled the vessel's shield generator as planned, allowing the rest of the group to enter the control room. She then joined her friends in confronting Ronan. Star-Lord attempted to use the Hadron Enforcer to kill him, but Ronan's power was too great and he survived. Ronan then used his Cosmi-Rod to knock the group back, easily subdued them before strangling and mocking Drax the Destroyer. They were saved when Rocket Raccoon dive bombed his ship into the Dark Aster, plowing straight into Ronan and causing the Dark Aster to plummet from the Xandarian skyline. All seemed lost as the group had no means of protecting themselves from the impact when the ship to crash land. However Groot sacrificed himself to keep the others safe from the crash, wrapping them a protective ball made from his own body.

Killing Ronan
"Peter, take my hand!"

- Gamora to Peter Quill

The group survived the impact, although Groot's body was destroyed and he was seemingly killed. Ronan the Accuser survived the crash as well and began mocking the group's efforts to stop him, calling them the Guardians of the Galaxy. Ronan prepared to finally unleash his revenge and destroy Xandar while Gamora and the rest of the group seemed powerless to stop him. Much to everyone's surprise, Peter Quill decided to start dancing and singing, distracting Ronan who was confused by the strange display. Using this momentary distraction, Rocket Raccoon was able to repair the Hadron Enforcer and Drax the Destroyer used it to destroy Ronan's Cosmi-Rod, exposing the Infinity Stone within. Quill grabbed the stone but was almost killed by its power. Gamora and the other Guardians joined together to share its power and used it to kill Ronan before containing the stone.

With Xandar now saved and the Orb protected once again, Yondu Udonta arrived with his Ravagers and demanded that Quill give him the Orb as he had promised. Despite Gamora's pleads against it, Quill gave in and handed over the Orb. However, once the Ravagers had left the planet, Quill revealed to Gamora that he had switched them and still had the Infinity Stone. Gamora spoke to Quill and he explained how Udonta was the only family he had ever had, but she told him that that was no longer true.

Aftermath
"Your wife and child shall rest well knowing that you have avenged them." "Yes. Of course, Ronan was only a puppet. It's really Thanos I need to kill."

- Gamora and Drax the Destroyer

The stone was then given to the Nova Corps, with the Nova Prime Irani Rael personally ensuring that the group were pardoned from their criminal records. As they left the Nova Corps Headquarters, Gamora spoke to Drax the Destroyer about him having avenged his family by finally killing Ronan the Accuser, however Drax made it clear that Thanos was his next target. Now free from Thanos, Ronan the Accuser and her deadly past, Gamora permanently joined Quill, Rocket, and Drax as the "Guardians of the Galaxy". As they prepared to leave on the Milano, which had been rebuilt by Rhomann Dey, Gamora found Quill having finally opened a gift from his late mother, a new music mix. When Quill played one of the songs, Gamora danced to it. They then left the planet under Quill's leadership, intending to do some good, some bad and a bit of both.

Personality
Gamora is stoic, distant, caring and proficient. Initially merciless due to her background with Thanos, Gamora eventually grew to distrust her 'father' when it became clear that he didn't really care about anyone but himself. Realizing that he was using her and her sister as merely a means to an end, Gamora chose to defect from Thanos' side and became determined to redeem herself for her past actions.

Although she got off to a rocky start with the other Guardians, particularly Drax the Destroyer, Gamora did eventually grow to respect her teammates and started to see them as her friends and perhaps even family.

By comparison, the time she spent with Thanos has led her to have an intense hatred towards the Mad Titan and all his associates. The only known exception to this is her adopted sister Nebula, whom she continued to love after she defected.

Powers

 * Zehoberei Physiology and Bionic Enhancements: As a Zehoberei, Gamora naturally possesses physical capabilities beyond any human being.
 * Superhuman Strength: As a Zehoberei, Gamora is stronger than the average human. She has demonstrated her strength by being able to break Groot's vine binding with nothing but her strength.
 * Superhuman Agility: As a Zehoberei, Gamora is highly agile. She often uses her agility during battle, giving her an advantage over her opponents. For example, she was able to leap at a tremendous height while helping the other Guardians escape from the Kyln.
 * Enhanced Durability: Gamora's bionic upgrades and the advanced physiology of her species allow her to be more resistant to physical harm. Gamora was able to survive or at least briefly endure various afflictions that would prove fatal to a normal human being, such as severe electrocution and deep-space exposure.
 * Enhanced Vision: Gamora's ocular implants allow her to see farther than what her species is capable of.
 * Superhuman Stamina: Gamora's two livers allow her to metabolize and filter toxins faster than any human and her respiratory implants allow her to intake oxygen at greater efficiency than any human.
 * Enhanced Neurological System: Gamora's is more advanced than that of most species, granting her enhanced senses and awareness.
 * Regenerative Healing Factor: Bio-augmentations have granted Gamora the power to regenerate quickly from most injuries or infections.

Abilities
"Anyone who's anyone knows who you are."

- Rocket Raccoon


 * Master Assassin: Gamora has earned a feared reputation as the "deadliest woman in the galaxy" due to her work as an assassin while under the tutelage of Thanos.
 * Master Combatant: Having been trained as an assassin, Gamora is an expert combatant and marksman. Under Thanos' wing, Gamora received extensive training in both armed and unarmed combat. As a result, she is an extremely talented swordswoman. Gamora was able to throw a knife with such accuracy that she caused Quill to drop the Orb from his hand while he was running away from her without amputating him.
 * Sword Mastery: Gamora is shown to be extremely skilled in using her sword, using it to amputate Groot, battle against her sister Nebula and fight during the Battle of Xandar.

Equipment
"Is that a rifle?" "You don't know what a rifle looks like?" "I do, it's just that swords were your thing and guns were mine...But I guess we are both using guns now."

- Star-Lord and Gamora


 * Godslayer: Gamora's weapon of choice, a retractable sword that she used to amputate Groot's limbs when he attempted to restrain her, and in her duel against Nebula.
 * Cybernetic Skeleton: While in the service of Thanos, Gamora had cybernetic appendages installed in her providing enhanced strength and durability.
 * Ocular and Respiratory Implants: Gamora had implants installed in her and, providing enhanced stamina and vision.

Allies

 * Guardians of the Galaxy - Teammates
 * Peter Quill/Star-Lord - Potential Love Interest and Leader
 * Drax the Destroyer - Enemy turned Ally
 * Groot
 * Rocket Raccoon
 * Mantis
 * Taneleer Tivan/Collector - Employer
 * Nova Corps
 * Rhomann Dey
 * Garthan Saal †
 * Irani Rael

Enemies

 * Ronan the Accuser † - Instructor
 * Thanos - Adoptive Father and Former Master
 * Nebula - Adoptive "Sister"
 * Korath the Pursuer †
 * Sakaarans
 * Moloka Dar †
 * Gorfrad

Trivia

 * In the comics, Gamora possesses different physical characteristics such as green hair and yellow patch-like tattoos over her eyes, and she was eventually entrusted to protect the Time Gem.
 * Despite their animosity toward each other, Gamora cares for Nebula. The two have a relationship similar to that of Thor and Loki.