Guardians Of The Galaxy: 20 Easter Eggs & References You Must See

20. The Obligatory Stan Lee Cameo

It's de rigueur at this point that Stan "The Man" Lee turns up for a cameo appearance in every adaptation of his work, even when his own part in their creation is tenuous at best. We're still not sure what qualifies the principal architect of the Marvel Universe to show up in the Captain America films - since Steve Rogers is the invention of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby - but he certainly had a hand in putting together the Guardians Of The Galaxy. At least in their prototypical form. As is hinted in the movie, the ragtag group of outlaws all have considerable histories before they decide to team up and save the universe (because they think there'll be a sweet payday at the end of it). In the comic books we actually got to see that happen, as each member appeared in solo titles as far back as the early sixties, eventually being brought together in the noughties by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. It was Lee who first introduced Groot, who on his debut was an alien invader with a much wider vocabulary, and many of the "cosmic" Marvel books started during his tenure as editor-in-chief. Lee's cameo this time around isn't quite up to the standard of the Amazing Spider-Man's superlative turn as a librarian oblivious to a superhero battle happening behind him, but it certainly has the blink-and-you'll-miss-him bit part as a janitor in The Hulk beat. He's a victim of Rocket Raccoon's idle people watching on the planet Xandar, catching Lee whispering sweet nothings in the ear of a woman a quarter his age and pegging him as a creepy old man. Nice he still has a sense of humour after all these years.