I think it's important to note here that I love Guardians of the Galaxy (hell, I've seen it twice). I love Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan and James Gunn. I have one complaint, and one complaint only for James Gunn: Ronan died.
Within the past five years, I've become a huge fan of the comics, and before that I was already a voracious reader. I've read stuff from Iron Man and X-Men to Adam Warlock and the Guardians of the Galaxy. So I'm no stranger to the characters in the movie. When the comics first introduced Ronan, he pretty much was the same as in the movie: ruthless, zealous, and hungry for Kree justice. When he was defeated by the Fantastic Four, he returned to the Kree homeworld of Hala only to be disgraced and banished; after which he set himself on a quest to reclaim his lost honor. Then he met Crystal, of the Inhumans, a splinter race of humans that Kree scientists had "perfected" to become a race of veritable superhumans with marvelous gifts. Crystal was strong-willed, morally stubborn, fearless, and gifted with abilities similar to Storm of the X-Men. Crystal challenged Ronan like nothing he had ever come across before; challenged him-made him want to be a better man. The two of them, Crystal and Ronan, reunited the Kree and Inhumans after centuries of misunderstanding and prejudice.
I have to admit, this story was in the back of my mind when I went to go see Guardians. I was thrilled with Lee Pace's performance as Ronan, and in him I saw as great an anti-hero as Tom Hiddleston's Loki. So I was shocked when the Guardians destroyed him with the Infinity Stone, instead of merely defeating him like Loki was in Thor and The Avengers. With one fell stroke, James Gunn made it impossible for one of my favorite Marvel storylines to ever manifest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This is a tribute to both Guardians and that beloved lost story.
I give you the Future That Was Not To Be.
~Elizabeth