Red Guardian

The Red Guardian (Russian: Красный страж, ''Krasnyy Strazh'') is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics: Aleksey Lebedev, Alexei Shostakov, Tania Belinsky, Josef Petkus, Krassno Granitsky, Anton Ivanov, and Nikolai Krylenko, as well as a villainous Life Model Decoy of Shostakov. The Red Guardian is an identity created as the Soviet equivalent to Captain America, although its use has continued in post-Soviet Russia. In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, the Red Guardian is adapted as two separate characters: Captain Russia and Colonel Abdul al-Rahma.

Characters based on the Red Guardian have made scattered appearances in animated media and video games; Anton Ivanov and Alexei Shostakov feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise, portrayed by Zach McGowan and David Harbour, respectively.

Fictional character biography

Aleksey Lebedev

Aleksey Lebedev (Russian: Алексей Лебедев), the Golden Age version of the Red Guardian, first appeared in ''Namor, The Sub-Mariner Annual'' #1 (June 1991) as a retcon of the history of the Red Guardian identity, establishing a version who appeared prior to the version first seen in 1967, created by writers Dana Moreshead and Mike Thomas, and artist Phil Hester. Very little is known of him, but he fought alongside Captain America (William Naslund) and the Sub-Mariner at the Potsdam Conference, in July 1945.

He began his career during World War II, and met the All-Winners Squad (formerly the Invaders) on only one recorded occasion, clashing with them shortly after the war's end where he taunted Captain America (secretly the Patriot) that he was 'slowing down' after he was able to catch Captain America's shield. Like the other crusaders of the same name, he was created as a Soviet counterpart to Captain America. He was later apparently killed during the purges of the 1950s, opposing the brutal experiments that would later create his successor.

Alexei Shostakov

Alexei Andreevich Shostakov is the first version of the Red Guardian, and was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, first appearing in '' Avengers'' #43 (January 1967).

Alexei Shostakov was born in Moscow, and was the husband of Natasha Romanova. Both he and Romanova were agents of the Soviets: the latter as the Black Widow while the former became a test pilot and KGB agent and then trained as a Soviet counterpart to Captain America known as Red Guardian. While Black Widow becomes disillusioned with the KGB and defects to the United States, Red Guardian remains loyal to his country and becomes more ruthless and vindictive. He battles the Avengers on numerous occasions, with one seeing him become the third Ronin.

In '' Thunderbolts'' (vol. 5), Bucky Barnes recruits Shostakov into the eponymous team.

Tania Belinsky

Tania Belinsky, a neurosurgeon from the USSR initially known as Starlight, later assumes the Red Guardian identity and joins the Defenders. Created by Steve Gerber and Sal Buscema, she first appeared in '' The Defenders'' #35 (May 1976).

Josef Petkus

Josef Petkus is the fourth Red Guardian, first appearing in ''Captain America'' #352 (April 1989), and was created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Kieron Dwyer. The character subsequently appears in ''The Avengers'' #319–324 (July–October 1990), '' The Incredible Hulk'' #393 (May 1992), and ''Soviet Super-Soldiers'' #1 (November 1992). The character subsequently appears as the Steel Guardian in ''Iron Man'' (vol. 2) #9 (October 1998). Petkus appeared as part of the "Supreme Soviets" entry in the '' Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89'' #7.

Josef Petkus is a special operative for the intelligence agencies of the Soviet Union and a member of the Supreme Soviets.

He later joins the Winter Guard and the Supreme Soviets splinter group the People's Protectorate, now calling himself the "Steel Guardian".

In ''Darkstar and the Winter Guard'', Petkus is killed by Dire Wraiths while attempting to resurrect Vanguard's sister Lanyia.

Krassno Granitsky

Krassno Granitsky, the fifth Red Guardian, appeared in '' Maverick'' #10 (June 1998), and was created by writer Jorge Gonzales and artist Leo Fernandez. The name "Krassno Granitsky" comes from the James Bond novel '' From Russia With Love''; it is the Russianized name of assassin Donovan Grant.

In ''Captain America'' (2004), Granitsky is killed by Aleksander Lukin.

Anton

Anton, the sixth Red Guardian, debuted in ''Hulk'' (vol. 2) as a member of the Winter Guard.

Anton claims to be an engineer and a former pilot of the Crimson Dynamo armor, and is later revealed to be a human who transferred his mind into a Life Model Decoy.

He is decapitated by a Dire Wraith, although his head survives and is kept in storage.''Darkstar and the Winter Guard'' #2–3 (September - October 2010)

Nikolai Krylenko

Nikolai Krylenko (also known as Vanguard) is the seventh version of the Red Guardian, and leads the Winter Guard. Created by Bill Mantlo and Carmine Infantino for ''Iron Man'' #109 (April 1978), he was redeveloped as the Red Guardian by David Gallaher and Steve Ellis from ''Darkstar and the Winter Guard'' #2 (July 2010) onward.

Powers and abilities

None of the Red Guardian's various identity users have been revealed to possess superhuman powers or abilities, with the exception of Tania Belinsky after her mutation by the Presence, Ultimate Marvel versions, Krylenko, the seventh Red Guardian, and adaptations of the character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). All are highly skilled athletes. Shostakov was an expert pilot, a master hand-to-hand combatant, and was trained in espionage techniques by the KGB.

All the Guardians but Tania have used a steel shield similar to that used by Captain America. Alexei and Tania used a "belt-buckle" disc, a hurling weapon which magnetically returned to the wearer's hand when thrown, and was a part of their costume's belt buckle. The fourth Red Guardian, Josef Petkus, often employed an energized sword as a secondary weapon alongside his shield. The sixth Red Guardian was an LMD named Anton Ivanov, whose powers are cybernetic based. His falsified backstory was that he was an expert engineer and former Crimson Dynamo pilot; his real strength lies in his moderate degree of enhanced cybernetic physicality.

The latest Red Guardian is Nikolai Krylenko/Vanguard, brother to Laynia Petrovna, whose powers are derived from his mutation. which stems to a fullbody force field that repels electromagnetic and kinetic energy, forces he can best guide and direct through a medium like the technically advanced vibranium shield supplied to him by the Executive Security Committee. He also directs this force against the earth itself to obtain flight. Nikolai wears a more advanced suit than previous Red Guardians, which is lined with circuitry that works in conjunction with the compact computer on his shield, not only enabling the guided flight and return through their digital connection, but the amplification of the effects of his own energy field.

Other versions

''Bullet Points''

An alternate universe variant of Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian from Earth-70105 makes a minor appearance in '' Bullet Points'' #5 as one of many heroes who battle Galactus.

''Civil War: House of M''

An unidentified alternate universe variant of Red Guardian from Earth-58163 appears in '' Civil War: House of M'' #2 as a member of the Soviet Super Soldiers.

''Exiles''

An alternate universe variant of Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian from Earth-3470 appears in '' Exiles'' #84.

Ultimate Marvel

Two original incarnations of Red Guardian from Earth-1610 appear in the Ultimate Marvel imprint:

Captain Russia

Captain Russia is a Russian super-soldier based on Alexei Shostakov who possesses superhuman strength and durability and wields a makeshift shield created partially from human remains. Captain Russia battles Captain America, who kills him by stabbing him through the chest.

Colonel Abdul al-Rahman

Colonel Abdul al-Rahman is an Azerbaijani teenager and the leader of the Liberators who was transformed into a super-soldier by Russian scientists and wields a lightsaber-like weapon. As a member of the Liberators, al-Rahman operates as the Colonel. He is later killed by Captain America and Hulk.

In other media

Television

* The Nikolai Krylenko incarnation of the Red Guardian appears in the '' Avengers Assemble'' episode "Secret Avengers", voiced by Troy Baker. 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. This version is a member of the Winter Guard.
* The Nikolai Krylenko incarnation of the Red Guardian appears in ''Marvel Future Avengers'', voiced by Satoshi Mikami in the original Japanese version and by Fred Tatasciore in the English dub. This version is a member of the Winter Guard.
* The Alexei Shostakov incarnation of the Red Guardian appears in '' Lego Marvel Avengers: Code Red'', voiced by Trevor Devall.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Characters based on the Red Guardian appear in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU):
* Anton Ivanov appears in the fourth and fifth seasons of '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2016–2018), portrayed by Zach McGowan. This version is a reclusive Russian industrialist known as "The Superior" who believes Inhumans to be monsters. He works with the Watchdogs, their benefactor Senator Ellen Nadeer, and later Holden Radcliffe to fight S.H.I.E.L.D. until he is crippled by Daisy Johnson. Following this, Ivanov is decapitated by AIDA, who keeps him alive as a brain in a vat and gives him a series of Life-Model Decoys Designed Only for Killing (L-MODOKs) for his mind to remotely control. Series producers Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Jeffrey Bell introduced Ivanov with the intention of turning him into MODOK, before Marvel Studios retracted access to the latter for use in the ''New Warriors'' pilot (2018) and the film '' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'' (2023).
* The Alexei Shostakov incarnation of the Red Guardian appears in '' Black Widow'' (2021), portrayed by David Harbour. This version is the adoptive father of Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. Harbour said Shostakov has "tons of cracks all over him. And he's not the heroic, noble man that eoplewant him to be. He both comically and tragically has a lot of flaws". For Harbour's portrayal, he and ''Black Widow'' director Cate Shortland discussed Ricky Gervais' performance in ''The Office'' and Philip Seymour Hoffman's in '' The Savages'', "comedy that comes out of real domestic need".
** In ''Black Widow'', years prior to the film's main events, Shostakov allies with General Dreykov of the Red Room, who sends him on an undercover mission to the United States alongside Melina Vostokoff, Romanoff, and Belova. After concluding the mission however, Dreykov has Shostakov incarcerated in the Seventh Circle Prison. In the present, Romanoff and Belova free Shostakov to help them and Vostokoff destroy the Red Room.
** Alternate timeline variants of Shostakov appear in the third season of '' What If...?'' (2024), voiced by Harbour.
** Shostakov appears in '' Thunderbolts*'' (2025). While having not contacted Yelena for a year, Shostakov has started a limousine service. He would later come to the aid of Yelena, U.S. Agent, and Ghost. Red Guardian becomes a founding member of the titular team, which is later rebranded as the New Avengers by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine following Void's defeat.
** A separate variant of Shostakov will appear in '' Marvel Zombies'' (2025).
** Harbour will reprise his role as Shostakov in '' Avengers: Doomsday'' (2026).

Video games

* The Alexei Shostakov incarnation of the Red Guardian appears in '' Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2''.
* The MCU incarnation of Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian appears as a playable character in '' Marvel: Future Fight'' as part of the ''Black Widow'' film tie-in update.
* The MCU incarnation of Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Puzzle Quest''.
* The MCU incarnation of Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Strike Force''.

References

External links

Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov)
at Marvel.com
*

{{Thunderbolts

Characters created by Jeph Loeb
Characters created by John Buscema
Characters created by Mark Gruenwald
Characters created by Roy Thomas
Comics characters introduced in 1967
Comics characters introduced in 1989
Fictional aviators
Fictional Azerbaijani people
Fictional KGB agents
Fictional Russian people
Fictional shield fighters
Fictional Soviet people
Marvel Comics cyborgs
Marvel Comics martial artists
Marvel Comics robots
Marvel Comics superheroes
Russian superheroes
Soviet Union-themed superheroes