Winning over audiences with his joyfulness, hyper-literal language, and sense of loyalty,
the interstellar warrior Drax the Destroyer is one of the brightest figures in the Marvel
Cinematic Universe.
You couldn't quite say the same for his comic book counterpart.
In many ways, Dave Bautista's interpretation of Drax is barely recognizable from the character
in the comics and for once, that's not a bad thing.
Since his debut in 1973's Iron Man #55, Drax the Destroyer has gone through drastic shifts
in intelligence, temperament, and physical power.
He's been one of Marvel's most powerful heroes, and he's also been one of its dumbest.
He's a character who has literally lived many lives, so the fact that the Drax of the movies
feels like a completely different person is in keeping with a long tradition of re-invention.
From his quest for vengeance against Thanos to his surprising connection to the planet
Earth, here is everything you need to know about Drax the Destroyer.
"Nothing goes over my head.
My reflexes are too fast.
I would catch it."
Where I'm from
Drax's origin story appeared in 1974's Captain Marvel #32, written by Jim Starlin.
In the issue, readers learn about the hero's homeworld, and it's the last place you'd expect:
Earth.
As originally written by Starlin, Drax was a human being by the name of Arthur Douglas,
who had a wife named Yvette and a daughter, Heather.
During Thanos' first scouting mission to Earth, Arthur and his family had the bad luck to
be on the road in the Nevada desert as the Titan flew by in his ship.
Thanos attacked, fatally wounding Arthur and Yvette.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Heather escaped — but we'll have more to say about her later.
After the incident, Thanos' father Mentor called out to Chronos, father of the gods,
for help in stopping his wayward son.
Chronos obliged Mentor and built a super powerful body, which he used as a vessel for Arthur's
soul.
Arthur Douglas may have been no more, but his soul and sense of vengeance lived on in
a new form: Drax.
It's a vastly different origin story in the MCU.
In Guardians of the Galaxy, Drax's comic book origins as a human man are completely ignored.
Instead of Yvette and Heather, he had a wife named Hovat and a daughter named Kamaria.
Both of them met their ends thanks to Ronan the Accuser, acting on orders from Thanos.
"What were they like?"
"My wife and daughter?"
"They were kind, brave, true."
The rewrite of the origin story is a simple but effective change.
The movie version keeps Drax's thirst for vengeance, just without the complicated wrinkle
of extraterrestrial reincarnation.
"I kind of feel like Drax is now mine."
Power levels
As far as his strength is concerned, the Drax of the movies is fairly middle-tier.
You certainly wouldn't want to arm wrestle him, but he also better not get on the Hulk's
bad side.
That wasn't always the case, as the Drax of the comics has occasionally been one of Marvel's
most powerful heroes.
The Destroyer has regularly held his own against the absolute A-list of Marvel tough guys including
Thor, the Silver Surfer, and the Hulk.
Along with having a lot more strength, the Drax of the comics used to have the power
of flight regularly flying through space without a helmet or space suit.
He also had the ability to fire powerful energy blasts from his hands.
The Drax of the panels became more like what we see in the movies in 2005's Drax the Destroyer
miniseries.
After having one body destroyed in the second issue, Drax was reborn smaller and less physically
powerful, but with a much greater degree of intelligence than the vengeance-driven brute
he used to be.
Bring me Thanos
Even though destroying Thanos is Drax's sole purpose, he hasn't proven himself to be particularly
good at his job.
In Drax's earliest appearances, his obsession with Thanos is so intense that he can be as
much of a liability to the heroes on his side as a help.
He cares little about plans, schemes, or strategies he simply throws himself at the Mad Titan.
When he reappeared after a long absence in 1990's Silver Surfer #37, he attacked everyone
in sight, screaming "Where's Thanos?" over and over, not listening or caring about the
fact that no one knew the answer.
In 2006's Annihilation #4, after over three decades of trying and failing, Drax finally
managed to exact his vengeance against Thanos.
Naturally, he just had to do it while Thanos was trying to save the galaxy during one of
his rare good guy turns.
As Thanos works to stop the villain Annihilus from destroying all life in the universe,
Drax decides his vengeance is more important, and punches Thanos' heart out of his chest.
Sure, the timing of it was pretty bad, but you can't blame a guy for doing what he was
born to do.
My daughter, Moondragon
In the comics, Drax eventually learns that his daughter Heather survived the attack in
the desert.
Rescued by Thanos' father Mentor, Heather was brought to Titan and raised there by a
group of powerful monks, where she developed the powers of a superhero, taking on the name
Moondragon.
Though Moondragon would eventually join the Avengers, the Defenders, the Infinity Watch,
and even the Guardians of the Galaxy, she didn't always share the more heroic values
of her comrades.
Sometimes, she acted downright evil.
While traveling through space with Drax, she came across a planet immersed in war, and
solved the problem by mentally enslaving all the inhabitants.
To help persuade his daughter to take another course of action, Drax contacted the Avengers
for help.
Along with a mind-controlled Thor, Moondragon fought against Drax, and succeeded in defeating
him.
It was the ultimate injustice — he was felled by his own daughter, and didn't even really
deserve it.
"You people have issues."
"Of course I have issues!
That's my freakin' father!"
As you might imagine, Drax and Moondragon's relationship has been pretty strained ever
since.
The idiot
When Drax returned to life in Silver Surfer #35, his mind wasn't fully healed.
Though still intent on securing Thanos' destruction, the intergalactic warrior came back a little
more lovable and a whole, whole lot dumber.
Drax's diminished IQ was used for comedic purposes, with his brute strength and odd
passions being mined for laughs.
When Adam Warlock arrives to recruit Drax for a new team, Drax is busy smashing TV monitors
because he's angry the transmission of the earth show Alf has been interrupted.
Drax's mind didn't stay dull forever, but his intelligence wasn't restored fully in
a way that stuck until 2005's Drax the Destroyer miniseries.
No matter what intelligence level he's been at, though, he's always remembered how to
play a mean sax.
A cosmic custodian
The conclusion of Infinity Gauntlet story left the Gauntlet and its six gems under the
guardianship of Adam Warlock.
Marvel's cosmic pantheon wasn't happy with this arrangement, however, and encouraged
him to share the burden.
Keeping the soul gem for himself, Adam chose five people to be the guardians of the remaining
gems, creating a team known as the Infinity Watch.
Warlock would later wonder if he had made the right decisions with the people he chose
to carry the gems, fearing the influence of the Infinity Gauntlet had corrupted his judgment.
It's no surprise why he thought this.
He gave the space gem to the mischievous Pip the Troll, who immediately used it to steal,
among other things, an Avengers quinjet.
The mind gem went to Moondragon, a woman you'll recall once used her powers to enslave an
entire world.
The reality gem went to Thanos, of all people.
Finally, Adam gave the power gem to Drax, the dimwitted brute who destroys things when
he misses an episode of Alf.
Good leadership, Adam.
Famously huge
The movie Drax is an alien, while the comic book Drax is an earthling who was forced into
a constructed body.
This naturally means there are a number of differences between them.
One of the more surprising differences?
Well.
There's a specific bodily function comic book Drax doesn't have to worry about.
In the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Rocket threatens to fill up Peter
Quill's pillow with fecal matter while he sleeps, because that's the kind of mature
and responsible team that the Guardians are..
"You put your turd in my bed I'll shave you."
"Oh it won't be my turd.
It'll be Drax's."
"Hahaha.
I have famously huge turds."
Believe it or not, this is an invention specific to the movies.
In the comics, the size of Drax's bowel movements isn't any sort of legend.
As it turns out, he doesn't have them at all.
In Warlock & the Infinity Watch #2, when Adam Warlock gives Drax the power gem, Drax doesn't
know what to do with it.
Thinking he's been handed a jelly bean, he promptly eats it.
Understandably, Gamora freaks out, and Warlock tries to reassure her, reminding her that
the gem is indestructible and won't digest.
When she continues to protest, Warlock says, "Drax's physical being is unlike most creatures.
I'll explain later.
Trust me, he won't lose it."
In other words, the Drax of the comic books doesn't poop.
No wonder he seems so much happier in the movies.
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