Imperial Guard (Marvel Comics)

The Imperial Guard (the so-called Superguardians) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Imperial Guard are a multi-ethnic group of alien beings who act as enforcers of the laws of the Shi'ar Empire; the Superguardians are the personal guard of the leader of the Empire.

Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, the original Imperial Guard characters were pastiches of prominent members of rival publisher DC Comics' superhero team the Legion of Super-Heroes. Many other characters were later added to the roster, not all of whom are based on Legionnaires.

The Imperial Guard first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #107 (October 1977). Since then, they have been featured periodically in the X-Men titles; crossed paths with the Starjammers, the Kree, the Skrulls, Nova Corps, the Inhumans, and the Guardians of the Galaxy; and been featured in a number of limited series, including Imperial Guard (1997), the War of Kings crossover series (2009), and Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard (2010).

More than 50 Imperial Guard Superguardians have appeared in Marvel Comics' titles; the core members number about 20, with the most notable being Gladiator, Oracle, Starbolt, Neutron, Smasher, Flashfire, Warstar, Electron, Manta, Mentor, Titan, Pulsar, Hussar, Nightside, and Fang.

The Imperial Guard numbers about 300 members, and is made up of elite soldiers from throughout the Empire. The Imperial Guard is led by a praetor.

The Superguardians (who comprise the vast majority of the named characters) are the guards of the Shi'ar leader. Those closest to the leader are known as the Royal Elite.

The Guard academy trains replacements called Subguardians for Superguardians who are killed or incapacitated.

This is the Imperial Guard's oath of allegiance to the Shi'ar Empire: