Red Guardian

Red Guardian
The second Red Guardian
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Avengers #43 (Aug 1967)
Created by	Roy Thomas (writer) John Buscema (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Alexei Shostakov
Team affiliations	KGB
Notable aliases	Ronin
Abilities	Highly skilled athlete Master hand to hand combatant Expert pilot Use of "belt-buckle" disc

Red Guardian
Petkus leads the Soviet Super Soldiers.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Captain America #352-353 (April–May 1989)
Created by	Mark Gruenwald Kieron Dwyer
In-story information
Alter ego	Josef Petkus
Team affiliations	Supreme Soviets Winter Guard
Notable aliases	Steel Guardian
Abilities	Highly skilled athlete Carries a steel shield

The Red Guardian (Russian: Красный хранитель/Krasnij Khranitel) is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Red Guardian is an identity that was created as the Soviet equivalent of Captain America; since the fall of the Soviet Union, the name is no longer officially used, though at least two people have claimed the name.

Many people have taken up the mantle of Red Guardian:

Aleksey Lebedev, the Golden Age version of the Red Guardian, first appeared in Namor, The Sub-Mariner Annual #1. 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, shortly after the war's end. 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 Alanovich Shostakov was the second Red Guardian, and was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema.

Alexei Alanovich Shostakov was born in Moscow, and was the husband of Natasha Romanova. Both he and his wife became agents of the Soviets: she became the Black Widow while he became a test pilot and KGB agent and then trained as a Soviet counterpart to Captain America as the "Red Guardian".

Alexei Shostakov was one of the Soviet Union's most acclaimed pilots. During World War II on the Eastern Front, he shot down a large number of Luftwaffe fighter planes in aerial battles and was credited for helping the Soviet Air Force win air supremacy over the skies of Stalingrad and Kursk. Because of his extraordinary skill, Shostakov was chosen for the most secret and dangerous tests and new aircraft for the Soviet Union. This included being the first pilot to test fly the Mig 15. The Soviet state controlled news media greatly publicized this and certain other missions of his such as his aerial battles against the U.S. Air Force over MiG Alley during the Korean War. As a result, Shostakov was decorated as a hero of the Soviet Union. Shostakov was also successful in his private life, having married the equally famous ballerina Natalie (familiarly known as Natasha) Romanova.