This was the original team from 1969 - the main character is an astronaut (Vance Astro) who was sent to Alpha Centauri - in suspended animation, because the trip took a thousand years. When he arrives, he finds that faster than light travel was discovered in the meantime and Alpha Centauri has already been colonised by humans for centuries. He ends up forming a superhero team, with a bunch of its members being used (heavily changed) as the Ravagers in the MCU.

The modern incarnation of the Guardians (from 2008) sprang up from a big cosmic event Annihilation: Conquest, though its roster was to a large extent similar to an older team called Infinity Watch. They are joined by Vance Astro - amnesiac, having traveled through time and dimensions, since the original GotG run took place in an alternate universe from the mainstream Marvel continuity, and take up the GotG name on his suggestion, though otherwise they have nothing to do with the old team. There are some crossovers with various versions of the original team later on in the run.