25 of Marvel’s best spacefaring characters

Gamora (Image via Marvel)

5. Gamora

Gamora’s story is ultra-sad, though she’s managed to come out on top as a hero on the side of good. Thanks to her portrayal by actor Zoe Saldana in Guardians of the Galaxy, you’ve seen at least one good version of her story (though I’m sure we could have done with at least a little more of her backstory committed to film).

What’s so sad about her background, anyway? First of all, she’s the last of her species, the Zen-Whoberis. They were almost entirely exterminated by either the Badoon or, depending on what comic you’re reading, the Universal Church of Truth. Either way, the result is nearly the same. Gamora is left alone until she’s discovered and subsequently raised by Thanos. As we’ve already learned, that’s a decidedly mixed bag.

Unlike her adoptive father, however, Gamora discovers that she has morals. That’s really a troublesome thing, given that she’s been raised by a cosmic supervillain. Still, Gamora possesses both the physical and moral strength to resist her upbringing and move into the light. Good thing she didn’t stick around with the dark side, so to speak.

Gamora has extensive martial arts training and has become so skilled that she can defeat opponents who are considerably stronger than her. She’s also the recipient of numerous cybernetic implants, which give her superhuman levels of speed, strength, agility, and healing.