Claim: Jim Starlin created Drax the destroyer.

Drax the Destroyer -LRB- Arthur Douglas -RRB- is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by writer/artist Jim Starlin , the character first appeared in Iron Man # 55 -LRB- February 1973 -RRB- .   Arthur Douglas was a human whose family was attacked and killed by the supervillain Thanos . Needing a champion to combat Thanos , the being known as Kronos took Arthur 's spirit and placed it in a powerful new body , and Drax the Destroyer was born . Drax 's powers included enhanced strength and resilience , flight , and the ability to project energy blasts from his hands . The character often battled Thanos , and on occasion the superheroes Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock . He was also a member of the group known as the Infinity Watch .   In 2004 , the character lost his flight and energy blasts , and a portion of his strength and resilience . This version of the character played a role in the crossover comic book storylines `` Annihilation '' and `` Annihilation : Conquest '' , and became a member of the relaunched Guardians of the Galaxy . He has been featured in a variety of associated Marvel merchandise , including animated television series , action figures , and video games . Drax is portrayed by Dave Bautista in the 2014 live-action film Guardians of the Galaxy , its 2017 sequel , and the upcoming Avengers : Infinity War .