Gamora may be known as the deadliest woman in the galaxy, but she wasn’t born to be a killer. Now in her own self-titled ongoing series GAMORA—kicking off December 21—we’ll see just how this future Guardian of the Galaxy took her first steps away from being Thanos’ weapon and toward becoming one of the universe’s greatest protectors.

And who better to bring to life Gamora’s heroic turn than Nicole Perlman, a screenwriter on the “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy” film? Perlman helped the unlikely team become international superstars two years ago, and now, teaming up with artist Marco Checchetto, makes her comic writing debut by returning to a character who feels like an old friend.

We spoke with Perlman to get an idea of what brought her back to writing Gamora, what kinds of stories and tone we’ll see as the series kicks off, and just how the cunning assassin-turned-hero will shine in her first solo series.

Marvel.com: What drew you into giving Gamora a deeper look in a solo comic? What aspects of her will we see that don’t shine through in team books?

Nicole Perlman: Gamora is a character with a ton of depth and darkness; someone I feel has long deserved her own comic. I wanted to do an origin story in order to explore the time in Gamora’s life where she went from being Thanos’ pet assassin to realizing that she was capable of so much more. Her back story alone is fascinating, with Thanos rescuing Gamora from the Zen Whoberi massacre when she was just an infant and raising her to be his ward. Talk about a toxic childhood environment: knowing you can only earn your father’s approval through mastery of weapons and violence! I also think her relationship with Nebula is very interesting. In some ways they were each other’s only support system, and yet Thanos pitted them against each other knowing it would make them compete for his love. That creates some really interesting sibling dynamics. Ultimately I think the GAMORA series gives audiences the opportunity to peer into Gamora’s psychology, and help us understand how she went from a damaged, angry young woman with zero positive role models, to the heroic protector of the weak that she eventually becomes in the Guardians of the Galaxy. There is an untold story there, and I am so excited to have the chance to tell it.

Marvel.com: Gamora has earned a reputation as the deadliest woman in the universe, as we’ll see in the pages of this book, but how will it show these other sides of her?

Nicole Perlman: Since this series kicks off on Gamora’s 18^th birthday, we get to meet her when she is still entrenched as Thanos’ adopted daughter. She has reached peak form with regards to her skills, and because she is still in a dark place in her life, she enjoys killing the same way a prize fighter enjoys knockouts. Because we are meeting Gamora as a teenager, we get to see her behaving like one as well; she is a cool, rebellious, snarky young woman who is secretly grappling with big feelings she doesn’t know how to handle or interpret. She attributes the blame for her emotional emptiness to the fact that she is the only survivor of a planet-wide genocide, and so Gamora believes that she will only feel whole again if she avenges her people. Her journey is one of letting go of the rage that has defined her, so that she can discover who she really is—and define herself by her own actions, and not her oppressors’.

Marvel.com: What kind of tone can readers expect?

Nicole Perlman: GAMORA has the feel of some of my favorite underrated 1980’s science fiction films, like “Enemy Mine” and “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.” It’s a character-driven story of vengeance and redemption, with tons of kick ass action.

Marvel.com: What has it been like to come into comic writing with your background in screenwriting?

Nicole Perlman: Film and comics are both visual-based mediums, and when I was younger I assumed writing comic books would be analogous to creating storyboards for a film. But the more I’ve read over the years, the more I realize that comics are so much more than that; their scripts have a poetry and rhythm that is unique to the form, even before they are illustrated. For me, one of the best—and most intimidating!—parts of writing a comic is knowing that my very first comic book script is going to be published. It takes a long time in Hollywood to get a screenplay produced and it is incredibly rare to have your very first script go into production. So you tend to write dozens of scripts as you get a grasp on the medium, before anyone actually sees anything on screen. I’ve been reading comics for years, but this will be my very first foray into writing them—and just as I feel I’m getting the hang of it, the pages are going to the printers. It is exhilarating and terrifying in equal parts—which I suppose is how all the best experiences in life tend to be.

Marvel.com: How has your process working with Marco on art evolved as the book has come together?

Nicole Perlman: I am so lucky to have an exceptionally-talented artist like Marco working on this project; it feels like I won the lottery. Marco’s character designs in particular have blown my mind; they are so inventive, emotional, and detailed. His depictions make me feel like I’ve known these characters my entire life. And I love the way he depicts action—the fight scenes and battle scenes in space are incredibly dynamic.

Marvel.com: What adventures coming down the line for Gamora can you tease for readers?

Nicole Perlman: All I can say is that in the first five issues of GAMORA, the deadliest woman in the galaxy takes her first step toward becoming its Guardian. But there are a number of bumps, twists, and surprise-encounters along the way…

Follow along in the pages of GAMORA by Nicole Perlman and Marco Checchetto beginning December 21!