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The Guardians of the Galaxy would not be complete without their stocky but lovable brute, Drax. Dave Bautista's portrayal of Drax as an MCU character sparked renewed interest in the warrior, but those who are only familiar with the Drax from the movies are missing out on the majority of his epic feats. Drax the Destroyer's comic book history goes all the way back to 1973 when he first appeared in an Iron Man comic. Since then, he has transformed from his humble human origins into one of the coolest warriors in the galaxy.
Drax's origin story begins when he's a man named Arthur Douglas, but Thanos's intervention gives Drax his life's purpose. From his solo days fighting cosmic threats to the time he wore the Infinity Gauntlet to his induction into the Guardians of the Galaxy, these are the most fascinating moments from Drax the Destroyer's backstory.
In his first comic appearance, Drax is very different from the character we know and love. When we first see him, he's a real estate agent named Arthur Douglas. Douglas has a wife named Yvette and a daughter, Heather. The Douglas family is introduced in 1953 while on a road trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles after having just seen Elvis live in concert. It is only after a chance encounter with his future mortal enemy, Thanos, that Drax becomes the powerful being with which we are familiar.
One night, as the Douglas family are driving through the Mojave desert, their car is spotted by Thanos. Concerned that the family could expose his whereabouts, he decides to incinerate the vehicle. Douglas's wife, Yvette, immediately loses her life. His daughter, Heather, survives, though Douglas spends years unaware of that fact.
Arthur Douglas is also slain, but he doesn't rest with his wife, and the tragedy of losing his family is only the beginning of his story.
Kronos Puts His Spirit In A New Body For The Sole Purpose Of Defeating Thanos
Thanos takes out the Douglas family to make sure no Terrans witness him, but Thanos's father, Mentor, is well aware of the Titan's whereabouts and watches as he ruthlessly wipes out an innocent family. Mentor is so horrified that he decides it's time to finish off his son. He turns to his own father, Kronos, for help.
Kronos captures Arthur Douglas's soul, or astral form, as it's exiting his body. The two cosmic beings then create a new, more powerful form for Douglas and connect it to his living consciousness. And so, Drax the Destroyer is born. Mentor blocks Douglas's memories and gives him the sole purpose of taking out Thanos once and for all.
His Daughter Survives And Eventually Becomes A Psychic Warrior Named Moondragon
Arthur's daughter, Heather, also undergoes some serious transformations after her encounter with Thanos. Heather survives the blast that ends her parents and is contacted by Mentor and brought to Titan. There, she is trained by the legendary Shao-Lorn monks to become a powerful warrior and psychic. She becomes Moondragon after slaying the demonic Dragon of the Moon, but the creature secretly survives by implanting itself into her body.
Part hero and part villain, Moondragon has had many fateful encounters with her father.
Moondragon Forces Drax's Life Essence From His Body
Drax and Moondragon have a complicated relationship. Sometimes they're close, while other times, they have been bitter enemies. Years after Thanos upends their lives, the two reunite, but the reunion has a tragic ending.
After saving him from alien creatures, Moondragon takes Drax to the planet Ba Banis. The conflict-torn planet is in a state of chaos when they arrive, and Moondragon decides to use her immense psychic abilities to enslave its inhabitants and end the fighting. Drax and the Avengers attempt to stop her, but she drains Drax of his life essence.
The Fight With Moondragon Leaves Drax Brain-Damaged
After Moondragon drains Drax of his life essence, Kronos revives his warrior. The damage from his fight against Moondragon doesn't heal properly and Drax suffers brain damage which changes his personality. He becomes extremely childlike and innocent and eventually settles on Monster Island, where he has semi-frequent contact with Moondragon.
Moondragon visits him to talk and ask questions about his past. He is eventually cured when Moondragon takes him to Titan and convinces Kronos to mend his mind.
