Who Is the Villain in Guardians of the Galaxy 3? The High Evolutionary Explained

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is soon arriving in theaters as a part of MCU’s Phase 5. The new chapter into the ever-expanding universe involves the third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy series, which will introduce several new powerful characters well-known in Marvel comics. One of them is Adam Warlock, who we’ve already covered extensively, and the other character that will most likely take on the role of a villain is High Evolutionary. High Evolutionary was responsible for some of the most shocking events in the comics. Due to that, we’ve decided to delve into the character a bit deep and introduce the new Guardians of the Galaxy villain to you in a bit more depth. Let’s see who High Evolutionary is and what his role will be.

Herbert Wyndham, also known as The High Evolutionary, is going to be a villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The High Evolutionary has created a number of genetic experiments and creatures, including the New Men, which are genetically modified humans with animal characteristics. And while the true motivation behind his appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 remains unknown, his story will likely be connected to Rocket Raccoon as his creator and Adam Warlock, Since Wyndham is the one who gave Warlock both his name and the Soul Gem in the comics.

It’s hard to explain the long history of High Evolutionary in a single paragraph. He had a major impact on several storylines in comics and has clashed on numerous instances with some of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics. Due to that, if you’re interested in the history, powers, and abilities of this enigmatic character, stay with us and keep reading!

Who is Herbert Wyndham, aka High Evolutionary?

Herbert Wyndham was a brilliant student at Oxford University, but his academic career will be a short one due. Wyndham was an extremely talented individual obsessed with evolution. He looked up to Nathaniel Essex (later turned into Mister Sinister by Apocalypse) and sought to unlock the secrets of evolution. He will ultimately get his wish. He managed to get ahold of secrets for unlocking genetic codes, which resulted in several experiments altering both human and animal genetic codes, which got him expelled from Oxford University.

Wyndham was not dissuaded by the fact that he was expelled from Oxford. He simply relocated his work to Mount Wundagore, where he was joined by Jonathan Drew, whose daughter would become one of the first Wyndham’s successful experiments, Spider-Woman.

During the many years that he dabbled with the genetic code attempting to improve upon natural evolution, he created a number of genetic experiments and creatures, including the New Men, which are genetically modified humans with animal characteristics.

How did High Evolutionary get his powers?

High Evolutionary became a recurring antagonist for many Marvel heroes, including the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Thor. This fact reflects in the way through which he got his powers. After one of his first clashes with Hulk and Thor, Wyndham decided to relocate his base of operation to space, leaving Mount Wundagore for the time being. Exposure to his Evolutionary Accelerator machine turned him into disembodied intelligence with devastating powers. He eventually reverted to his solid human form but kept his powers.

High Evolutionary shifted between many forms over the years. At one point, he was accidentally turned into sentient digital data. Just like his forms, his powers and abilities changed over time. But he can be considered extremely powerful consistently.

How strong is High Evolutionary, and what are his powers?

Both accidental and intentional evolutions High Evolutionary experienced over the years marked him permanently with several extremely potent superhuman abilities. He has superhuman strength (depending on the form), and his brain is evolved to its maximum potential, which leaves him with intelligence beyond human comprehension.

Depending on the form, he can likewise use Astral Projection. He can utilize psionics to communicate telepathically, manipulate minds, and wipe memories and he has access to other powerful mind-oriented abilities.

When it comes to destructive powers, High Evolutionary can generate force blasts, and using his equipment, he has been known to inflict great destruction via his plasmatic rays. What makes him extremely dangerous, however, is the fact that he is virtually unkillable. He managed to recover without many issues from even the most severe damage inflicted to his physical body.

To sum it up, High Evolutionary is extremely strong and able to utilize his technology, psionics, and extremely destructive energy blasts. He can certainly be a formidable opponent that is highly difficult to kill.

How is High Evolutionary connected to Guardians of the Galaxy?

We’re yet to see what High Evolutionary has in store for the Guardians, but it’s possible that he has some connection to the Rocket Raccoon. We’ve previously mentioned that he dabbled with the human and animal genetic codes to create the ” New Men race.” Therefore, it’s possible that Rocket Raccoon was, at one point, a part or even the result of his experiments.

High Evolutionary’s appearance in the upcoming movie makes sense for yet another reason. His and Warlock’s stories are linked in the comics. High Evolutionary happened upon the cocoon that protected Warlock’s body. He recovered it and waited for the cocoon to give rise to the new Warlocks form. High Evolutionary gave Warlock his name (before being called Adam Warlock, he was known as simply “Him”) and granted him the Soul Gem that Warlock has embedded into his forehead.

The only thing that High Evolutionary asked for in return was Warlock’s help in protecting the Counter-Earth from Man Beast and the evil version of New Men that turned against him.

Once again, we’re not sure what role High Evolutionary will play in the upcoming movie, but the fact that he debuts in the same movie as Adam Warlock gives us a good indication. For a more detailed insight into the MCU version of the character played by Chukwudi Iwuji, we’re going to have to wait for May 5, 2023, when the movie is set to be released in theaters.