Drax

Drax
Alias	The Destroyer
Other names	Muscles, Muscle-head (by Rocket) Mr. Big Words (by Garek) Big Guy (by Peter) Green Meanie, Greenie (by Mantis)
Profile information
Species	Katathian
Origin	Katath
Gender	Male
Eye color	Grey
Relatives	Hovat (wife) Kamaria (daughter)
Occupation	Farmer (formerly) Soldier (formerly) Mercenary
Affiliation	Katathian Military (formerly) Resistance (formerly) Guardians of the Galaxy
Real-life information
Appears in	Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: No Guts, No Glory
Voiced by	Jason Cavalier
Debut	Iron Man #55 (1973)
See Drax the Destroyer at Marvel Database.

Drax is one of the main characters in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. He is a Katathian warrior, convicted criminal and Galactic War hero, being the one to kill Thanos in revenge for the death of his family. After going on a murderous rampage afterwards, for which he is known as The Destroyer, he currently works as a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy alongside Peter Quill, Gamora Zen-Whoberi, Groot and Rocket.

Background

Born and raised in the planet Katath, Drax was a simple farmer who lived in the village of Lugradus. Per the customs of his people, he recorded the most important parts of his life via the Jilta'ra process: the day he became a man, the day that Hovat accepted his proposal of marriage, and later on, the marriage ceremony itself. Then, the day that Kamaria, their daughter, was born. They lived happily, with Hovat being a part of the village council, and Kamaria becoming a skilled hunter even as a child.

When the Galactic War reached Katath, Drax joined the defense force fleet. Though they accomplished several victories, they were then tricked into chasing a Chitauri decoy, and Thanos took advantage of their absence, laying siege to Katath with his personal squadron. By the time the defense force returned to Katath, they found most of its population destroyed; Drax himself returned home, only to find Lugradus ablaze, and his wife and daughter in the ashes. After recording the day that he lost them both on his own skin, Drax was consumed by a dark rage, and swore to destroy Thanos or die trying.

He immediately raised a small army of Katathian warriors, and cut through the Chitauri line to challenged Thanos himself. However, the warlord defeated them, and allowed Drax and a few other to live to set an example, humilitating them. While the surviving members of his squad decided to make the pilgrimage to Maklu IV, Drax remained undeterred. Like the rest of the Katathian defense force, he joined Richard Rider's Resistance to continue his search for revenge.

Eventually, Drax somehow found two so-called "sorcerers", Mentor and his brother Chronus. They gave Drax a sleeping potion that would grant him his greatest desire, finding and killing Thanos. When Drax awoke, he was changed, and now could sense his archenemy's life force across the galaxy. Drax then followed the pulse in his mind until it led him to a moon in the Black Quadrant. Having found his target, they fought for days, equal in strength and resolve to see the other dead. Ultimately, Drax threw a final swing before collapsing from exhaustion. Many rotations later, he woke up in a hospital on Elanis, and was hailed as a hero for killing Thanos—an act that had allowed the Kree Empire and Resistance fleets to attack Chitauri Prime, kidnap their infant queen, and win the war.

And yet, the very fabric of his being said otherwise, able to still feel Thanos out there. Certain that his archenemy had survived just as he did, Drax demanded proof, but when none was provided, he became convinced that others were concealing his location. Drax then—said by some to have sustained injuries that left him paranoid or even psychotic—went on a rampage and murdered anyone he thought was hiding Thanos, some of which were criminals themselves; he even accused entire worlds of harboring Thanos, and had come to be known as "The Destroyer". But then, Drax realized that he'd become the monster that he was chasing. He thus surrendered himself to the Nova Corps authorities, finding it liberating.

For his crimes, Drax was given a 100-year sentence for mass murder and various other charges in the Kyln. The prison proved brutal; surrounded by criminals, murderers and thieves, they taught Drax a harsh lesson: that assassins and bounty hunters could not be trusted. After spending many cycles locked away, Drax's imprisonment brought the Worldmind under growing public pressure—due to Drax being the war hero that had killed Thanos—and agreed to reduce his sentence. Drax was thus, after seven years served, released without bias.

Twelve years having passed since the war and without a purpose, Drax was convinced by Peter Quill to join a "heroes-for-hire" business enterprise called the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, even after fourteen missions together, the team has yet to achieve success.

Personality

Drax bears many attributes of the prototypical warrior: stoicism, blunt in demeanor, confidence in his abilities, a strong sense of honor, and a rather formal and well-spoken style of speech. He prefers to confront problems head-on and charge into danger, believing it honorable to die in battle (an stance rooted in Katathian values). A man who relishes battle, Drax places importance on strength and size, making sport of Rocket's size from time to time. He also demonstrates a great love for his world's culture and his late family, often relating current events to his former life on Katath, and firmly adheres to the religious beliefs of his people.

Drax's undertanding is extremely literal, unable to grasp metaphors and sarcasm, and taking exaggerated claims as if they were completely true; he is seen, however, attempting to overcome this limitation, reading books about colloquial language in his free time. Drax also has an unusually good memory—able to recall numbers and cyphers mentioned in passing accurately—but generally regards technology as "sorcery".

Despite his usual grumpiness, Drax can be profound, imparting unexpected wisdom, and melancholic, yearning for the simplicity of things on Katath. He sorely misses the family he once cherised, as well as the certainty about life that he possessed prior to the war. Certain that his failure to avenge Hovat and Kamaria's deaths has condemned them (and himself) to Sarduth, Drax is unable to move forward on his own. Regarding his post-war murderous rampage, Drax considers it a shameful and misguided quest for revenge, and believes his imprisonment—despite how brutal the Kyln is—to have been a well-deserved punishment.

At the beginning of the story, Drax is vocally distrustful of the other Guardians, save for Peter, referring to them by descriptors which are neutral at best. Rocket is called "rodent", "creature" or "beast", while Groot is simply called "tree". Especially rocky is his relationship with Gamora, as "the spawn of his sworn enemy, a murderess, and a traitor". Even of Peter (whom Drax sees as someone who honors his word like him, and whom he follows as the leader), he is somewhat dismissive of due to his "incompetence". As events unfold, particularly after Seknarf Nine, Drax begins to question his preconceived notions and to begrudgingly acknowledge their value to the team.

Gameplay

A non-playable character that accompanies Peter in battle, Drax wields nameless Katathian knives and is a durable brawler able to take on many enemies at once. Via his Abilities, he specializes in staggering enemies impervious to regular attacks, and leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks. He can also make use of certain liftable objects per the player's commands, which he can throw at opponents. During explorations, Drax can help to move heavy objects around, shove pillars, and destroy walls with a structural weakness so the Guardians can proceed to the next area.

Regarding items, Drax has his standard look, and seven other outfits—one inspired by the 2014 film, and four taken from the comics. He has three Collectibles related to his past:

• Drax's Rap Sheet - Explains the circumstances in which he became "The Destroyer" and how he allegedly defeated Thanos.
• Mourning Candle - Speaks about his Jilta'ra tattoos and the Katathian afterlife.
• Xatar's Blade - Tells Peter about the many paths to Ultath and the history of Xatar the Unfinished.

He has several related trophies: "Adding Injury to Insult", "Drax the Dismemberer", "Dynamic Team", "Katathian Handshake", "Slakebuster", and the collectible-related "Managerial Skills" and "Thoughtful Captain".

Records

• Galactic Compendium
• Criminal File

DRAX THE DESTROYER

Drax was once a simple Katathian farmer, raising his young daughter Kamaria with his wife, Hovat. But when the Galactic War reached Katath's corner of space, he proudly joined the defense force. After several victories, he and the rest of the bullheaded Katathian fleet believed they were winning, but they were tricked into chasing a Chitauri decoy. Thanos took advantage, laying siege to Katath with his personal squadron. By the time Drax returned home, his village was ablaze and his family in the ashes.

Consumed by a blood rage, Drax swore to destroy Thanos or die trying. He is widely credited with slaying the Mad Titan but injuries sustained during their fight left him paranoid and, some claim, psychotic. He went on rampage, hunting down those he suspected to be Thanos' associates. He accused entire worlds of harboring the Mad Titan and slaughtered those who stood in his way. Nova Corps ended his murder spree.

Drax spent many cycles locked away in the Kyln before the Worldmind bowed to growing pressure and forced his release. Thanos' death had contributed to ending the Galactic War, after all. Now without purpose, Drax was convinced to join a group of misfit mercenaries called the Guardians of the Galaxy.

---

First appeared in Iron Man #55 (1973)
Writers: Jim Starlin, Mike Friedrich
Artists: Jim Starlin, Mike Esposito
Cover Artists: Jim Starlin, Joe Sinnott, Gaspar Saladino, Morrie Kuramoto
Editor: Roy Thomas

DRAX

THREAT LEVEL: Planetary
ALIAS: The Destroyer
STATUS: (1) Unpaid Fine
ORIGIN: Katath

INDICTMENTS: Disturbing the Peace, Disorderly Conduct, Conspiracy, Trespassing, Intimidation, Assault, Extortion, Tax Evasion, Arson, Illegal Scavenging, Smuggling, Hijacking, Mayhem, Vigilantism, Torture, Kidnapping, Vehicular Homicide, Murder, Mass Murder

NOTES: Drax, AKA "Drax the Destroyer," is a decorated Katathian warrior, Galactic War hero, and widower from the planet Katath. After his defeat of the Mad Titan, Thanos, Drax went on a murderous rampage across the galaxy.

Despite his crimes, the Worldmind recognizes Drax's contribution to the Resistance during the Galactic War. Without his heroism, this organization would not stand today. Further, his self-surrender to the Nova Corps has established good faith.

As such, the Worldmind agreed to reduce Drax's 100-year sentence for mass murder and various other charges in the maximum-security penal facility known as the Kyln. After 7 years served, he was released without bias.

ADDENDUM: Since his release from the Kyln, Drax has joined the "Gardeners of the Galaxy," a supposed legitimate business enterprise founded by Peter Jason Quill. Further monitoring will be required.

AFFILIATIONS: Katathian Military, The Resistance, Gardeners of the Galaxy

Gallery

Final concept by Frédéric Bennett.

In-engine render by Taissia Abdoullina.

Drax wakes Peter up in Chapter 1.

Drax stares into The Rift in Chapter 6.

Converted Drax in Chapter 10.

Drax's mind in Chapter 11.

Trivia

• Regarding his design, Drax represented an interesting challenge, as his trademark tattoos are in fact a chronicle of his entire life. According to Gauthier-Leblanc, the markings are a tale of the important events in his life, such as his love for his family and the battles he fought to honor and avenge them.
• Drax can be seen wearing glasses and reading Sarcasm for Dummies. If he is not reading in the community area on the Milano, the book can be found on his bed.
• According to Mantis, of all the possible outcomes she has seen, Drax is always the one falling for the Matriarch's Promise.