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Red Guardian

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Red Guardian
The Alexei Shostakov incarnation of Red Guardian as depicted in The Avengers #43 (June 1967). Art by John Buscema and George Roussos.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearance
Created by
In-story information
Alter ego
  • Alexei Shostakov (Алексей Шостаков)
  • Dr. Tania Belinsky
  • Josef Petkus
  • Aleksey Lebedev
  • Krassno Granitsky
  • Abdul al-Rahma
  • Anton
  • Nikolai Kyrylenko
  • Alexei Shostakov L.M.D.
Species
Team affiliations
Notable aliases
Abilities
  • Highly skilled athlete
  • Master hand to hand combatant
  • Expert pilot
  • Use of "belt-buckle" disc

The Red Guardian (Russian: Красный страж, Krasnyy Strazh) is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics: Aleksey Lebedev, Alexei Shostakov, Tania Belinsky, Josef Petkus, Krassno Granitsky, Anton Ivanov, and Nikolai Kyrylenko, as well as a villainous Life Model Decoy of Shostakov. The Red Guardian is an identity that was created as the Soviet equivalent of Captain America, although its use has continued after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In the continuity of Ultimate Marvel, the Red Guardian is adapted as two separate characters: Captain Russia and Colonel Abdul al-Rahma.

Characters based on the Red Guardians have made scattered appearances in animated media and video games, with Anton Ivanov and Alexei Shostakov appearing in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Zach McGowan and David Harbour respectively.

Fictional character biography

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Aleksey Lebedev

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Aleksey Lebedev (Russian: Алексей Лебедев), the Golden Age version of the Red Guardian, first appeared in Namor, The Sub-Mariner Annual #1 (June 1991) as a retcon of the history of the Red Guardian identity, establishing a version who appeared prior to the version first seen in 1967, created by writers Dana Moreshead and Mike Thomas, and artist Phil Hester. Very little is known of him, but he fought alongside Captain America (William Naslund) and the Sub-Mariner at the Potsdam Conference, in July 1945.[1] He began his career during World War II, and met the All-Winners Squad (formerly the Invaders) on only one recorded occasion, clashing with them shortly after the war's end where he taunted Captain America (secretly the Patriot) that he was 'slowing down' after he was able to catch Captain America's shield.[2] Like the other crusaders of the same name, he was created as a Soviet counterpart to Captain America.[volume & issue needed] He was later apparently killed during the purges of the 1950s, opposing the brutal experiments that would later create his successor.[3]

Alexei Shostakov

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Alexei Andreevich Shostakov is the first version of the Red Guardian, and was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, first appearing in Avengers #43 (January 1967).

Alexei Shostakov was born in Moscow, and was the husband of Natasha Romanova. Both he and Romanova were agents of the Soviets: the latter as the Black Widow while the former became a test pilot and KGB agent and then trained as a Soviet counterpart to Captain America known as Red Guardian.[volume & issue needed] While Black Widow becomes disillusioned with the KGB and defects to the United States, Red Guardian remains loyal to his country and becomes more ruthless and vindictive. He battles the Avengers on numerous occasions, with one seeing him become the third Ronin.[4][5][6]

In Thunderbolts (vol. 5), Bucky Barnes recruits Shostakov into the eponymous team.[7]

Tania Belinsky

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Main article: Starlight (Marvel Comics)

Tania Belinsky, a neurosurgeon from the USSR initially known as Starlight, later assumes the Red Guardian identity and joins the Defenders. Created by Steve Gerber and Sal Buscema, she first appeared in The Defenders #35 (May 1976).

Josef Petkus

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Josef Petkus is the fourth Red Guardian, first appearing in Captain America #352 (April 1989), and was created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Kieron Dwyer. The character subsequently appears in The Avengers #319–324 (July–October 1990), The Incredible Hulk #393 (May 1992), and Soviet Super-Soldiers #1 (November 1992). The character subsequently appears as the Steel Guardian in Iron Man (vol. 2) #9 (October 1998). Petkus appeared as part of the "Supreme Soviets" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #7.

Josef Petkus is a special operative for the intelligence agencies of the Soviet Union and a member of the Supreme Soviets.[8] He later joins the Winter Guard and the Supreme Soviets splinter group the People's Protectorate, now calling himself the "Steel Guardian".[9][10] In Darkstar and the Winter Guard, Petkus is killed by Dire Wraiths while attempting to resurrect Vanguard's sister Lanyia.[11]

Krassno Granitsky

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Krassno Granitsky, the fifth Red Guardian, appeared in Maverick #10 (June 1998), and was created by writer Jorge Gonzales and artist Leo Fernandez. The name "Krassno Granitsky" comes from the James Bond novel From Russia With Love; it is the Russianized name of assassin Donovan Grant.[citation needed] In Captain America (2004), Granitsky is killed by Aleksander Lukin.[12]

Anton

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Anton, the sixth Red Guardian,[13] debuted in Hulk (vol. 2) as a member of the Winter Guard.[14] Anton claims to be an engineer and a former pilot of the Crimson Dynamo armor, and is later revealed to be a human who transferred his mind into a Life Model Decoy.[15] He is decapitated by a Dire Wraith, although his head survives and is kept in storage.[16]

Nikolai Kyrylenko

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Main article: Vanguard (Marvel Comics)

Nikolai Kyrylenko (also known as Vanguard) is the seventh version of the Red Guardian, and leads the Winter Guard.[16] Created by Bill Mantlo and Carmine Infantino for Iron Man #109 (April 1978), he was redeveloped as the Red Guardian by David Gallaher and Steve Ellis from Darkstar and the Winter Guard #2 (July 2010) onward.[16]

Powers and abilities

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None of the Red Guardian's various identity users have been revealed to possess superhuman powers or abilities, with the exception of Tania Belinsky after her mutation by the Presence, Ultimate Marvel versions, Krylenko, the seventh Red Guardian, and adaptations of the character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). All are highly skilled athletes. Shostakov was an expert pilot, a master hand-to-hand combatant, and was trained in espionage techniques by the KGB.[17] All of the Guardians but Tania have used a steel shield similar to that used by Captain America. Alexei and Tania used a "belt-buckle" disc, a hurling weapon which magnetically returned to the wearer's hand when thrown, and was a part of their costume's belt buckle. The fourth Red Guardian, Josef Petkus, often employed an energized sword as a secondary weapon alongside his shield.[18] The sixth Red Guardian was an LMD named Anton Ivanov, whose powers are cybernetic based. His falsified backstory was that he was an expert engineer and former Crimson Dynamo pilot; his real strength lies in his moderate degree of enhanced cybernetic physicality. The latest Red Guardian is Nikolai Krylenko/Vanguard, brother to Laynia Petrovna, whose powers are derived from his mutation.[19] which stems to a fullbody force field that repels electromagnetic and kinetic energy, forces he can best guide and direct through a medium like the technically advanced vibranium shield supplied to him by the Executive Security Committee.[16] He also directs this force against the earth itself to obtain flight. Nikolai wears a more advanced suit than previous Red Guardians, which is lined with circuitry that works in conjunction with the compact computer on his shield, not only enabling the guided flight and return through their digital connection, but the amplification of the effects of his own energy field.[20]

Other versions

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Exiles

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An alternate universe variant of Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian from Earth-3470 appears in Exiles #84.[21]

Civil War: House of M

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An unidentified alternate universe variant of Red Guardian from Earth-58163 appears in Civil War: House of M #2 as a member of the Soviet Super Soldiers.[22]

Ultimate Marvel

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Two original incarnations of Red Guardian from Earth-1610 appear in the Ultimate Marvel imprint.

Captain Russia

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Captain Russia is a Russian super-soldier based on Alexei Shostakov who possesses superhuman strength and durability and wields a makeshift shield created partially from human remains. Captain Russia battles Captain America, who kills him by stabbing him through the chest.[23]

Colonel Abdul al-Rahman

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Further reading

Colonel Abdul al-Rahman is an Azerbaijani teenager and the leader of the Liberators who was transformed into a super-soldier by Russian scientists and wields a lightsaber-like weapon. He is later killed by Captain America and Hulk.[24]

Bullet Points

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An alternate universe variant of Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian from Earth-70105 makes a minor appearance in Bullet Points #5 as one of many heroes who battle Galactus.[25]

In other media

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Television

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Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Further information: Anton Ivanov (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and Alexei Shostakov (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Zach McGowan promoting the fifth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. at the 2018 WonderCon.
David Harbour promoting Black Widow at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.

Characters based on the Red Guardian appear in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU):

Video games

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References

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  1. ^ "Red Guardian (Russian, World War II, Captain America ally)". Marvunapp.com. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  2. ^ Captain America: Patriot #2 (November 2010)
  3. ^ The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A–Z Update 2010 #4 (December 2010)
  4. ^ The Avengers #43–44 (August - September 1967)
  5. ^ Daredevil (vol. 2) #64 (November 2004)
  6. ^ Widowmaker #1-4 (February 2011)
  7. ^ Thunderbolts (vol. 5) #1 (December 2023)
  8. ^ Captain America #352–353 (April - May 1989)
  9. ^ The Avengers #319–324 (July - October 1990)
  10. ^ Iron Man (vol. 3) #9 (October 1988)
  11. ^ Darkstar and the Winter Guard #2 (September 2010)
  12. ^ Captain America (vol. 5) #1 (January 2005)
  13. ^ She-Hulk (vol. 2) #35 (January 2009)
  14. ^ Hulk (vol. 2) #1 (January 2008)
  15. ^ Hulk: Winter Guard #1 (December 2009)
  16. ^ a b c d Darkstar and the Winter Guard #2–3 (September - October 2010)
  17. ^ Marvel Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded.
  18. ^ The Incredible Hulk #393 (May 1992)
  19. ^ Soviet Super Soldiers #1 (November 1992)
  20. ^ Age of Heroes #3 (September 2010)
  21. ^ Exiles #84 (September 2006)
  22. ^ Civil War: House of M #2 (December 2008)
  23. ^ Ultimate Nightmare #1–4 (October 2004 - January 2005)
  24. ^ The Ultimates 2 #7–12 (September 2005 - August 2006)
  25. ^ Bullet Points #5 (May 2007)
  26. ^ a b c d "Red Guardian Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved January 30, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  27. ^ Blossom, Aaron (March 1, 2020). "Black Widow: Which Red Guardian Comics Marvel Fans Should Read". Screen Rant. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  28. ^ Pillar of Garbage (February 17, 2023). The MCU's Other M.O.D.O.K.. Pillar of Garbage. Retrieved February 17, 2023 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ a b Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 18, 2020). "Yep, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Was Going to Introduce Crazy-Looking M.O.D.O.K." TVLine. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  30. ^ McLevy, Alex (August 12, 2020). "The Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. showrunners reveal the plan behind that grand series finale". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  31. ^ Fink, Richard (January 11, 2023). "MODOK's Long Road to the MCU". MovieWeb. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  32. ^ Hayes, Jackson (July 21, 2019). "Red Guardian: David Harbour's Black Widow movie role, Explained". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  33. ^ Nerdist Staff (March 23, 2021). "Everything We Know About Black Widow". Nerdist. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  34. ^ Coggan, Devan (July 20, 2019). "Black Widow hits Comic-Con with first details of Scarlett Johansson film". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  35. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (April 3, 2019). "David Harbour Set For Disney/Marvel 'Black Widow' Standalone". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  36. ^ Gonzales, Umberto; Mass, Jennifer (January 12, 2020). "David Harbour Says Red Guardian in 'Black Widow' 'Was the Captain America of His Day for Russia'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  37. ^ a b O'Hara, Helen. "Against the Odds". Empire. No. May 2020. United Kingdom: Bauer Media Group. pp. 58–65.
  38. ^ Dick, Jeremy (December 29, 2023). "What If...? Season 3 Gets First Look Trailer From Marvel". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  39. ^ Amin, Arezou (December 23, 2024). "'What If...?' Season 3 Episode 1 Recap: Invasion of the Hulkzillas". Collider. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  40. ^ Amin, Arezou (December 24, 2024). "'What If...?' Season 3 Episode 3 Recap: Bucky and Alexei's Excellent Adventure". Collider. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  41. ^ Panaligan, EJ (September 10, 2022). "Marvel's 'Thunderbolts' Recruits Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and More". Variety. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  42. ^ Nolan, Liam (July 22, 2022). "SDCC Live: Marvel Studios Animation Panel Reveals Future of X-Men '97, What If and Marvel Zombies". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  43. ^ Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (March 26, 2025). "Marvel Unveils 'Avengers: Doomsday' Cast with MCU Mainstays and 'X-Men', 'Fantastic Four' Stars". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 26, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  44. ^ "Tier List for Marvel Future Fight". Archived from the original on 2020-07-26. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  45. ^ "New Character – Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov)". Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
  46. ^ "Marvel Strike Force: Winter Storm Warning".
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