Nebula is a character appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

. Created by

Roger Stern Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist. Biography Early career In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine ''CPL'' (''Contemporary Pictorial Literature''), one of the first platfo ...

and

John Buscema John Buscema ( ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, ; December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...

, the character first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #257 (July 1985). Originally depicted as a

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

, Nebula was later depicted as an

antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...

and member of the

Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Comic book teams 1969 team The 1969 version of the Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), Guardians of the Galaxy were the origi ...

. Nebula has appeared in various adaptations of the character in other media, including

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

and

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

s. Karen Gillan portrayed the character in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

films ''

'' (2014), ''

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team), Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios M ...

'' (2017), '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018), '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), '' Thor: Love and Thunder'' (2022), ''

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special ''The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special'' is an American television special written and directed by James Gunn for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy. It is the secon ...

'' (2022) and '' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'' (2023) in addition to voicing alternate timeline versions in the

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

animated series '' What If...?'' (2021).

Publication history

Nebula was created by writer

and artist

John Buscema John Buscema ( ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, ; December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...

, and first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #257 (July 1985).

Fictional character biography

A brutal space pirate and mercenary, Nebula seizes control of ''Sanctuary II'', a massive spaceship previously under the command of

Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...

. Thanos is believed to be dead at this point, and Nebula claims to be his granddaughter. Nebula schemes to gain absolute power by using an atomic compressor to release vast amounts of energy. This nearly causes a second

Big Bang The Big Bang is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models based on the Big Bang concept explain a broad range of phenomena, including th ...

and threatens to destroy the universe before

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

and

Sersi Sersi () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a member of the Eternals, a race of superhumans. She was also a member of the Avengers and God Squad. Sersi first a ...

shut down the equipment in time to prevent the destruction of the universe.''The Avengers'' #311–318 (December 1989 - June 1990) After Thanos is resurrected, he becomes offended by Nebula's claims of kinship. He reclaims his ship and uses the

Infinity Gems The Infinity Gems (originally referred to as Soul Gems and later as Infinity Stones) are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems can grant ...

to nearly kill Nebula, leaving her in a disfigured, zombie-like state. When he claims the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos boasted that Nebula is his greatest creation, being in a state between life and death. When Thanos defeats

Eternity Eternity, in common parlance, is an Infinity, infinite amount of time that never ends or the quality, condition or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside tim ...

and takes his place, he expands his consciousness into the universe, leaving his body comatose. Nebula takes the Gauntlet from Thanos and uses it to heal herself and banish Thanos. Thanos agrees to help the heroes of Earth defeat Nebula. The group confronts and defeeats Nebula, with the

Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...

and

Adam Warlock Adam Warlock is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #66–67 ( cover-dates September 1967 and October 1967) created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, originally ...

taking the Infinity Gauntlet. Nebula is captured by Starfox and taken to

Titan Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...

for trial, while Warlock retains the Gauntlet.''The Infinity Gauntlet'' #6 (December 1991) Nebula is later confronted by Firelord in the Titanian prison, where the murder of her abusive father was depicted in a flashback, which left her in a catatonic state. Nebula is later freed from prison by her lieutenant Geatar and converted into a cyborg by Doctor Mandibus.''Silver Surfer'' (vol. 3) #69–73 (August - October 1992) In Gamora's self-titled

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

(2016), it is revealed that Nebula was raised alongside Gamora by Thanos, in a

retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...

inspired by the

Powers and abilities

Nebula is an athletic woman, and an excellent armed and unarmed combatant. She possesses a gifted intellect and is a brilliant battle strategist.'' The Secret Defenders'' #9 (November 1993) Nebula uses blasters worn on her wrists that fire concussive blasts of unknown energy or heat blasts that can incinerate a human being almost instantly. Nebula briefly possessed the Infinity Union, a combination of three devices that together could channel all forms of ambient energy into her, infusing her with vast power. This enabled her to manipulate her size, teleport, manipulate matter, and project her consciousness as pure energy. She also briefly possessed the Infinity Gauntlet and the

, which enabled her to manipulate the fundamental forces of the universe. Nebula was later converted by Doctor Mandibus into a

cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline. Her bionic left arm can stretch to nearly twice its length and has a potent energy cannon in the palm. Nebula's optic receiver had been augmented with the addition of an accelerated probability generator implanted into her systems, giving her detailed understanding and analyzing of variables. In '' Asgardians of the Galaxy'', Nebula gains the ability to survive in the vacuum of space after completing the God Quarry's trial. Additionally, she obtains an axe created by the dwarf Urzuul that enables her to teleport and the Naglefar Beacon, a horn that controls the ships of the dead.'' Asgardians of the Galaxy'' #1 - 5 (November 2018 - February 2019)

Reception

Accolades

* In 2020, ''

Scary Mommy Scary Mommy is a website that produces content targeting mothers, specifically focusing on parenting, motherhood, current events, and pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a ...

'' included Nebula in their "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list. * In 2022,

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

(CBR) ranked Nebula 4th in their "Thanos' Most Powerful Children" list.

In other media

Television

* Nebula appears in the ''

'' episode "Learning Curve", voiced by Jennifer Dale. 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. * Nebula appears in ''

The Super Hero Squad Show ''The Super Hero Squad Show'' is an American superhero animated series produced by Marvel Animation that aired from 2009 to 2011. It is based on the Hasbro toyline " Marvel Super Hero Squad", which portrays the Avengers, the X-Men, and various ...

'', voiced by

Jane Lynch Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Known for playing starring and recurring roles in comedic television, her accolades include one Golden Globe, five Primetime Emmys and two Screen Actors Gui ...

. This version is

' older sister. * Nebula, based on the

(MCU) incarnation, appears in ''

'' (2015), voiced by

Cree Summer Cree Summer Francks (born July 7, 1969) is an American-Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her extensive work in animation, voicing characters such as Elmyra Duff in ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' and related media, Susie Carmichael ...

. Following Ronan the Accuser's death, she competes with Korath the Pursuer and Gamora to fill the resulting power vacuum, during which Nebula obtains Ronan's Universal Weapon. Nebula later resurrects Ronan using the energy of the living moon Mandala and a special seed. * Nebula appears in ''

Marvel Super Hero Adventures ''Marvel Super Hero Adventures'' is an American short-form animated series based on characters created by Marvel Comics. Aimed at a preschool audience, the shorts first air on Disney Channel's Disney Junior block, followed by the Disney Junior c ...

'', voiced by

Diana Kaarina Diana Kaarina (born March 17, 1975) is a Canadian actress based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is known for her voice acting work in animation and video games, notably as the voice of Barbie in the eponymous film series between 2010 and 2 ...

. * Nebula appears in ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes – Guardians of the Galaxy: The Thanos Threat'', voiced again by Cree Summer. * Nebula appears in ''Lego Marvel Avengers: Loki in Training'', voiced by

Ashleigh Ball Ashleigh Adele Ball (born March 31, 1983) is a Canadian voice actress and singer. She is known for voicing characters in several toyetic movies and television series, notably the ''Barbie'' film series, ''Bratz'', ''Johnny Test'', '' Care Bea ...

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Karen Gillan portrays Nebula in media set in the

. This version is one of several adopted children raised by

alongside her adopted sister

Gamora Gamora is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #180 (June 1975). Gamora is the adopted daughter of Thanos and the last ...

, with whom she developed a rivalry. Over time, Nebula developed an obsessive need to best Gamora in combat, but every time she lost, Thanos subjected her to torturous mutilation, replacing parts of her body with cybernetic enhancements. This imbued Nebula with a deep hatred toward Thanos as well as resentment towards Gamora for not treating her like a sister. Throughout the films ''

'' (2014), ''

'', '' Avengers: Infinity War'', '' Avengers: Endgame'', and '' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'', Nebula reconciles with Gamora, becomes a member of the

, and from

the Blip The Blip (also known as the Decimation and the Snap) is a fictional major event and period of time depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The Blip began in 2018 when Thanos, wielding all six Infinity Stones in the Infinity Gauntl ...

becomes a member of the

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

, eventually defeating Thanos after 5 years. She then rejoins the Guardians. Additionally, Gillan voices alternate timeline versions of Nebula in series '' What If...?'', and reprises her role in ''

''.

Video games

* Nebula appears as a boss in '' Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems''. * Nebula appears in '' Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet'', voiced again by Jane Lynch. * Nebula appears in '' Marvel Avengers Alliance''. * Nebula appears as a playable character in '' Marvel: Future Fight''. * Nebula appears in '' Marvel Avengers Academy'', voiced by Linnea Sage. * Nebula appears as an unlockable playable character in '' Lego Marvel's Avengers''. * Nebula appears in '' Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series'', voiced by

Ashly Burch Ashly Burch (born June 19, 1990) is an American actress, writer, director, and singer. She is known for her roles as Aloy in the ''Horizon (video game series), Horizon'' series, Chloe Price in the ''Life Is Strange (video game), Life Is Strange ...

. Following

' death in episode one, Gamora tells

Star-Lord Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, the character first appeared in '' Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 1976). The son of human Mered ...

that part of her wants to see Nebula again. Depending on the player's choices, he will either tell her that Nebula is family or that calling her could be a mistake. If the former choice is made, Nebula expresses anger over how the Guardians killed Thanos during Gamora's call. In episode two, Nebula attacks the location where Thanos' body is being held, though Star-Lord and Gamora subdue her and lock her in Gamora's room on their starship, the ''Milano''. Star-Lord and Gamora later come to her for help in translating ancient

Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...

glyphs he saw in a vision, but Nebula proves reluctant. After Drax discovers a device in Nebula's head, Star-Lord persuades her to give it to him. When Kree soldiers working for

Hala the Accuser Hala the Accuser is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''Guardians of Knowhere'' #3 and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Valerio Schiti. She is a member of the Kree Accuser Cor ...

attack the ship, Star-Lord will have the option to release Nebula to help fight them. In episode three, Star-Lord experiences Gamora's flashbacks of Nebula while she was being trained by Thanos before deciding whether Nebula stays or goes. Depending on the choice, Nebula will either reconcile with Gamora or join Hala's forces respectively. * Nebula appears as a playable character in '' Marvel: Contest of Champions''. * Nebula appears as a playable character in '' Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'', voiced by Arina Ii. * Nebula appears as a boss in '' Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order'', voiced again by Ashly Burch. * Nebula appears as a boss in '' Marvel Future Revolution''. * Nebula appears in '' Marvel Snap''.

References

External links

* *
Nebula
at Comic Vine {{Marvel Cosmic Characters created by John Buscema Characters created by Roger Stern Comics characters introduced in 1985 Cyborg superheroes Cyborg supervillains Female characters in film Fictional cyborgs Fictional extraterrestrial cyborgs Fictional mass murderers Fictional mercenaries in comics Guardians of the Galaxy characters Marvel Comics aliens Marvel Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics cyborgs Marvel Comics extraterrestrial superheroes Marvel Comics extraterrestrial supervillains Marvel Comics female superheroes Marvel Comics female supervillains Marvel Comics martial artists Space pirates