Nebula is a fictional character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, portrayed by Karen Gillan, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. She is depicted as a blue-skinned alien warrior who is both the adoptive daughter of Thanos, who killed her blood family before raising her, and the adoptive sister of Gamora, with whom she grew to share a bitter rivalry.
The character was met with positive reception, specifically for Gillan's performance and redemptive story arc; she has been noted for her differences from the comics, in which Nebula is almost exclusively depicted as a villain.
Although she is first introduced as the secondary antagonist of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), subsequent films see her develop into an antihero and eventually a protagonist, who joins her sister as part of the Guardians of the Galaxy and becomes a member of the Avengers (during the 5 year blip) and then officially of the Guardians of the Galaxy again. Aspects of this interpretation were later integrated into the comics version of the character.
, Nebula has appeared in six films and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022), with alternate variants of the characters from alternate timelines also appearing in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019) and the animated series What If...? (2021–2024), in particular one who becomes Super Nova in the second season. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) was Gillan's final appearance as the character.
Fictional character biography Early life Nebula is one of several children forcibly adopted by Thanos. After he killed her family, she was raised alongside Gamora and trained to be a warrior. Thanos often forced them to fight and Gamora was always victorious. After every loss, Thanos would have a piece of Nebula replaced with a cybernetic part, transforming her into a cyborg.
Pursuing Thanos and Gamora
In 2014, Nebula and Gamora, under orders from Thanos, were dispatched to assist Ronan the Accuser in obtaining the Power Stone. After learning Gamora had it, Nebula went to Knowhere and shot her pod down and took the Stone for Ronan, who then betrayed Thanos, intending to destroy the planet Xandar and kill Thanos. Nebula sided with him against her father. However, she confronted Gamora, Peter Quill, Groot, and Drax the Destroyer after they infiltrated Ronan's ship. She then fought against Gamora, before falling off and escaping in another ship.
A few months later, Nebula was captured by members of the Sovereign race as she tried to steal their powerful batteries; the Sovereign gave her over to Gamora, Quill, Drax, Groot, and Rocket in exchange for their services defending the batteries. When Quill, Gamora, and Drax leave with Quill's father, Ego, Nebula helps the Ravagers capture Yondu Udonta, Rocket, and Groot. She was given a ship by Kraglin Obfonteri, and went to the planet herself to fight Gamora. After finally defeating Gamora in combat, Nebula expressed anger at her for always needing to be better than her instead of just being a loving sister. She and Gamora reconciled and discovered a cavern of corpses. They located Drax and Mantis, where Gamora confronted Mantis after they found a cavern filled with skeletal remains. They then left to find Quill, before being aided by the arrival of Yondu, Rocket, and Groot. After being pursued by a Sovereign fleet, Nebula helped Yondu take them down. She and the others were then attacked by Ego, and she rescued Gamora from falling, before the living planet was ultimately destroyed from an explosive. She and the others then left in the Quadrant piloted by Obfonteri. Following Yondu's funeral, Nebula was offered to join the Guardians of the Galaxy by Gamora, but she instead resolved to kill Thanos, and left with this mission in mind.
Allying with the Avengers
Nebula's attempt to kill Thanos fails, and she is instead captured and tortured on the Sanctuary II. In 2018, Nebula is used by Thanos, who had captured Gamora, to convince Gamora to reveal the location of the Soul Stone. After Thanos leaves with Gamora, Nebula escapes and takes a ship to Titan, where she again attempts to kill Thanos, and meets with Quill, Drax, Mantis, Tony Stark, Peter Parker, and Stephen Strange. Nebula survives the Blip and is left on Titan with Stark.
Nebula and Stark leave Titan in the Benatar, but the ship, having been damaged, gets stranded in space, until Carol Danvers appears to save them. After arriving at the Avengers Compound on Earth, Nebula reunites with Rocket, and accompanies him, Danvers, Thor, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, and James Rhodes into space to the Garden to confront Thanos, who is killed by Thor after revealing that the Stones were destroyed.
Nebula and Rocket, now members of the Avengers, work with Danvers on missions in space. In 2023, Nebula and the other Avengers time travel via the Quantum Realm to an alternate 2014. Nebula goes with Clint Barton, Romanoff, and Rhodes to the planet Morag. After Barton and Romanoff leave, Nebula and Rhodes render an alternate version of Quill unconscious and take the Power Stone from the Temple Vault. However, Nebula begins to malfunction due to an alternate version of herself being present in that timeline. An alternate Thanos thereby becomes aware of the presence of Nebula and has her captured. After analyzing her memories and learning about his future victory and the Avengers' efforts to undo it, alternate Thanos sends alternate Nebula to take Nebula's place. Alternate Nebula then brings alternate Thanos and his army to the main timeline, where he destroys the Compound and orders alternate Nebula to bring him the Infinity Stones. Nebula convinces alternate Gamora to help her escape and they locate alternate Nebula, finding her and Barton in the Compound's tunnels. Nebula tries to convince her alternate self to abandon alternate Thanos, but is forced to kill her when the latter attempts to kill alternate Gamora in refusal. Nebula then joins the battle against alternate Thanos' army, and it ends when Stark sacrifices himself by using the Stones to snap alternate Thanos and his army away. A week later, Nebula attends Stark's funeral at his cabin. She then officially joins the restored Guardians, while picking up Thor from Norway.
Further adventures
Throughout 2024, Nebula and the Guardians go on several adventures, as well as helping Thor lose weight. In 2025, after listening to Thor's suggestion, they travel to Indigarr for vacation, but learn that it is under attack by the Booskans. Unable to defeat them, Thor defeats the army for them. Afterwards, they learn about various distress calls brought about by a god butcher. Thor suggests that they split up to answer the calls.
Few months later, Nebula and the Guardians buy Knowhere from the Collector, as well as gaining a new member, Cosmo. Nebula then helps the team to refurbish it following the attack it had endured. For Christmas that year, she returns to Earth and takes Bucky Barnes's arm and gives it as a gift to Rocket. She then participates in the Christmas celebration that Mantis puts on for Quill.
Final mission
In 2026, Nebula, aided by Groot, finishes rebuilding Knowhere and the Guardians' headquarters. She and the team then respond to a drunken unconscious Quill and help him. She carries Quill to his apartment and puts him in bed. That night, Nebula fights against Adam Warlock after he attacks to abduct Rocket. After Warlock leaves, Nebula learns Rocket is left gravely injured and requires an override code to disable a killswitch in order to heal him. Nebula contacts alternate Gamora, now a Ravager, to help the Guardians infiltrate the Orgosphere, the headquarters of Rocket's creator, the High Evolutionary, to retrieve the code. After failing to find the code, she and the Guardians travel to Counter-Earth in order to find and confront the High Evolutionary. She goes with Quill and Groot to the vessel, but gets prevented from coming due to her having weapons on her. When the planet begins to explode, she is joined by Drax and Mantis and they enter the vessel thinking Quill and Groot are onboard. They find captive children in cages and she is relieved when she learns Rocket is alive. They get found by the High Evolutionary and are thrown into a chamber with Abilisks, but Mantis calms them down and they use them to escape, meeting up with the team to defeat the High Evolutionary. She uses her cybernetics to pilot his destroyed vessel in order to offload a group of children the High Evolutionary had held captive onto Knowhere. After Quill disbands the Guardians in their current form and makes Rocket leader, she remains on Knowhere to lead the city and help look after the children with Drax.
Alternate versions Other versions of Nebula are depicted in the alternate realities of the MCU multiverse.
2014 variant
An alternate variant of Nebula from before the events of Guardians of the Galaxy appears in Avengers: Endgame. In an alternate 2014, Nebula fights Korbinites on Korbin and is joined by Gamora, who tells her that they are wanted by Thanos, who orders them to assist Ronan in obtaining the Power Stone. Before they can leave, however, Nebula begins to malfunction due to the presence of her prime self from the main 616 timeline. After her prime self is captured, Nebula taunts her for having betrayed her Thanos. She is then ordered to replace her prime self and is sent back to the main timeline to prepare for his arrival. Nebula hacks the Quantum Tunnel and brings Thanos and his army to the main timeline, whereupon he destroys the Avengers Compound and orders Nebula to bring him the Infinity Stones. She finds Clint Barton in the Compound's tunnels and tricks him, taking the Nano-Gauntlet from him. She is then confronted by her prime self and Gamora, who try to convince her to abandon Thanos. However, she refuses and aims her gun at Gamora, and is killed by the prime Nebula.
What If...? (2021-2024)
Several alternate versions of Nebula appear in the animated series What If...?, with Gillan reprising her role.
In an alternate 2008, Nebula (marketed as Heist Nebula) is a close ally and love interest of Star-Lord T'Challa. This version does not have cybernetic body parts except for her left eye and is shown to have full-grown blonde hair. She joins with T'Challa, a reformed Thanos, and the Ravagers on a mission to steal the Embers of Genesis from the Collector, and visits Wakanda with them following the mission. She does get annoyed with Thanos' discussion with Okoye. In an alternate 2011, Nebula participates in Thor's intergalactic party on Earth, where she is seen gambling in Las Vegas with Korg. Later, when Thor requests the guests to help clean up the mess on Earth, Nebula and the guests dismiss him with Nebula claiming that she thinks she hears her father calling her. The party guests change their minds when they hear that Frigga is coming. In an alternate timeline where Ronan overthrew and slayed Thanos, Nebula was found and recruited to the Nova Corps, taking on the career of detective and investigator as Corpsman Nebula, before eventually forming the Guardians of the Galaxy (with Korg, Miek, Groot, and Howard the Duck) as Super Nova. With her new team, Nebula saves Xandar from Ronan and the corrupt Nova Prime Irani Rael who had been Nebula's friend and mentor before her betrayal. Sometime later, Xandar is attacked by the Champion of HYDRA, an inter-dimensional creature and Nebula, -- who is now Nova Prime -- Korg, and Groot stand guard to fight it. They are aided by the arrival of Captain Carter, Kahhori, Brydie the Duck, and Storm who arrive from other universes. After Carter kills the creature, Nebula thanks her before seeing Observational Plane shards fall out of the sky promoting the universe-displaced women to investigate.