Guardians of the Globe

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Guardians of the Globe is a superhero team from Image Comics. They appear mainly in the Invincible series and its TV adaptation, as well as in other Image titles. The original team was a playful parody of DC Comics’ Justice League.

Original team and setup
- The Guardians were a private group funded by War Woman and Darkwing. They stood as a pastiche of the Justice League.
- The roster was built around clear DC analogs: Darkwing (Batman), the Immortal (Superman with elements of Vandal Savage), War Woman (Wonder Woman with Hawkgirl traits), Red Rush (The Flash), Aquarus, the King of Atlantis (Aquaman), Martian Man (Martian Manhunter), and the Green Ghost (Green Lantern).
- Omni-Man, a trusted ally to the Guardians, was never an official member.

The massacre and a time‑shift
- Omni-Man betrays the Guardians, kills most of them at their headquarters.
- Black Samson survives, though he was not an active member at the time.
- In an alternate timeline shown later in the story, Invincible warns the Guardians, helping them subdue Omni-Man long enough for him to rethink his actions.

Rebuilding the Guardians
- After the massacre, the U.S. government restarts the Guardians under the Global Defense Agency.
- The new lineup includes Robot, Dupli-Kate, Rex Splode, Monster Girl, Shrinking Rae, and Black Samson, with Bulletproof later joining and the Immortal returning to lead after Robot.
- Invincible and Atom Eve often help in crises.

Dark turns and new era
- Shrinking Rae and Dupli-Kate are killed by Komodo Dragon during a crisis; the Immortal resigns as leader.
- In 2010, Image teased a new, tongue‑in‑cheek Guardians lineup as a parody of Marvel’s Avengers revamps. A six‑issue miniseries, Guarding the Globe (Under Siege), followed, focusing on earthbound adventures while Invincible continued space events.

New members and big battles
- The miniseries introduced new members such as Outrun, Kaboomerang, and Yeti, with El Chupacabra joining in issue three.
- Seven more new characters appeared in issue four.
- This era spans Guarding the Globe Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and Invincible Universe volumes, later collected in compilations.

Robot’s regime and casualties
- Robot begins to seize control in the main Invincible story, leading to a brutal assault on the Guardians.
- Black Samson, Knockout, and Kid Thor are killed; Brit, Outrun, Kaboomerang, Le Brusier, Pegasus, and Yeti are captured.
- Bulletproof betrays the team for his own freedom; Immortal and Dupli-Kate go into hiding. Best Tiger escapes.

Later life and adaptations
- By the end of the Invincible run, Monax and Kid Invincible join, under Robot’s redeemed brain.
- The Guardians of the Globe appear in the Invincible TV series, with most of the same characters featured.
- The Guardians are also represented in the 2024 Invincible: Guarding the Globe mobile game, with several members listed as playable. Some characters are shown as part of other factions within the game.