The old Thanos is dead, but the famous villain is about to be reborn in Marvel's comic universe. And based on the latest reveal, it's looking more and more like the body Thanos takes over to return... is going to be keeping things inside the family.

On the one hand, that's been expected ever since the debut issue of Marvel's rebooted Guardians of the Galaxy. But it isn't Gamora, the daughter of Thanos who seems to be the top choice for Thanos' new vessel. As our exclusive preview of Guardians of the Galaxy #3 shows, the last and cruelest joke ever played by Thanos may have been saved for his brother, Eros. Better known to fans of Marvel's cosmic adventures as Starfox.

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That news will come as a bit of a surprise to the readers who signed on for Marvel's newest team to claim the Guardians of the Galaxy name. That's due to the fact that after just two issues, Starfox is actually the cosmic character most determined to prevent Thanos from completing his plan to 'upload' his consciousness to a powerful new body. Starfox determined that Gamora would be the most likely choice, and has assembled a team of Dark Guardians to hunt her down and kill her.

But when Issue #3 begins, writer Donny Cates and artist Geoff Shaw make a subtle suggestion. As the Dark Guardians search for the next Thanos, perhaps it's his brother - hunting Gamora, and killing innocents for the sake of some greater good - that readers should be suspecting. Check out the pages embedded below:

Guardians Galaxy Comic Preview 1
Guardians Galaxy Comic Preview 2
Guardians Galaxy Comic Preview 3
Guardians Galaxy Comic Preview 4
Guardians Galaxy Comic Preview 5

The theory that Starfox is unwittingly becoming more like Thanos than ever before - exactly as Thanos planned he would - is a fun one to consider. And seeing how much Cates and Shaw are emphasizing the tragic existence of Starfox in his brother's shadow, it would be more than poetic. Sad, and even more tragic for Starfox... but poetic nonetheless. If that does turn out to be the case, then the Dark Guardians he has assembled to kill the next Thanos will have a complicated decision ahead of them. Before then, these pages promise an adventure that extends well beyond the Dark Guardians, or even Star-Lord and his new 'punk rock Groot' teammate. Because Hela has a plan of her own, gathering the fearsome lieutenants of Thanos, the Black Order, in a quest to return the head of Thanos to the rest of his corpse.

For the readers who haven't been keeping up on this reboot, we trust these plot details encapsulate how wild the ride has gotten already. To see the true 'rise of the Dark Guardians,' interested readers will need to pick up Guardians of the Galaxy #3 this Wednesday. Until then, read on for the full synopsis and details below:

  • GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2019) #3
  • Published: March 20th, 2019
  • Writer: Donny Cates
  • Art: Geoff Shaw
  • Cover: David Marquez
  • The Dark Guardians ascend! With a new Thanos rising, the galaxy calls for a group of heroes who will use any means necessary to end this threat. Unfortunately for Star-Lord, that’s NOT the Guardians of the Galaxy!

Guardians of the Galaxy #3 will be available from your local comic book store on March 20th, or direct from Marvel Comics.

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