Brew’s Crew: Martinex

(Editor’s note: This is another in a series of irregularly-scheduled columns by Managing Editor Byron Brewer, mainly dealing with cosmic comics and its many denizens. Mr. Brewer’s opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CosmicBookNews.com. He welcomes both raves and opposing views.)

By Byron Brewer

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Martinex: Not really one of my favorite original Guardians of the Galaxy. Unless you include Nikki, as a matter of fact, he is probably my least favorite. And that has nothing to do with the fact that Pluto is no longer considered a planet, mind you!

Martinex T’Naga is from an alternate future version of the MarvelU.and most of Martinex’s adventures take place as a member of the 31st century Guardians. In this future, Earth had colonized several planets in its solar system, including Pluto (whatever it is). Martinex was born on Cerberus Center, Pluto, although it was later revealed his ancestors were from the continent of Africa on Earth.

He grew up to become a scientist and technician. Like the other Pluvians (?), Martinex’s body was completely covered by facets that were crystalline in appearance. This design was so that the Pluvians could withstand the extreme temperatures of their world. Martinex could also emit heat and cold from his hands.

He became the last surviving Pluvian after the Badoon exterminated all the other Pluvians (makes sense). Martinex escaped the Badoon and teamed with Vance Astro, Charlie-27 and Yondu to fight the Badoon as the freedom fighters — the (original, no-movies-for-us?) Guardians of the Galaxy!

The Guardians later teamed with the time-traveling Thing, Captain America and Sharon Carter to retake New York City from Badoon forces. Martinex and the Guardians then time-traveled to the 20th Century and met the Defenders. They returned to the future with Starhawk and the Defenders and defeated the Badoon, one of Steve Gerber’s Defenders classics!

Eventually, the Guardians drove the Badoon from Earth’s solar system and Martinex became the team’s reluctant leader for a time. The Guardians departed post-war Earth on a space mission, and met Nikki who joined the Guardians and with them visited the Asylum planet. The Guardians then teamed with a time-traveling Thor and battled Korvac and his Minions of Menace (ya don’t have neat group names like that anymore). Martinex and the Guardians traveled to the present era, and assisted the Avengers in battle against Korvac in an Avengers cosmic opus!

Eventually, Martinex left the team to form a larger version of the Guardians, known as the Galactic Guardians. This team was summoned to help rescue an imperiled planet full of innocents. The Galactic Guardians were initially made up of alternate future versions of Wonder Man, Firelord, the Vision, Phoenix and Ghost Rider. They had further adventures in their own limited series. Martinex later returns to the Guardians.

Martinex, or at least a few versions of same, has appeared in various time-travel tales in the “on hiatus” modern Guardians of the Galaxy book. It is doubted any of these are the Martinex we have known throughout the years.