When the Living Tribunal gave Adam Warlock the ultimatum to give up the Infinity Gauntlet or have the Living Tribunal wrest the gauntlet away, Adam opted for the decision that rendered less havoc to the universe. Adam chose to separate the gems from the Infinity Gauntlet, allowing the Living Tribunal to set forth a law that the gems would never again be allowed to work together in unison. Adam then set about delivering the gems to six individuals he felt could be worthy guardians.  Each guardian was selected for their ability to guard their gem without misusing it's power.  Although Adam selected the guardians of the gem while possessing the Infinity Gauntlet and was, presumably, omniscient, they were considered, especially by Eternity, to be completely inappropriate choices.

Team Roster

Adam kept the soul gem for himself, having worn it for several years.

Drax the Destroyer was given the power gem.  The gem's power enhanced his already formidable strength and durability, making him a formidable guardian.  Drax's limited intelligence at the time made him unlikely to abuse the gem's power.  Drax swallowed the gem, keeping it in his stomach.

The time gem was given to Gamora, one of Adam's allies from previous times.  Gamora's strength and skill as an assasin made her an effective guardian, while her lack of knowledge or training made her unlikely to abuse the gem's power.

Adam gave the mind gem to Moondragon, Drax's daughter, although Drax had no memory of their relationship.  Moondragon seemed like an especially questionable choice considering her troubled past.  However, the mind gem significantly increased Moondragon's powers and skills, making her a formidable protector for the gem.

The space gem went to Pip the troll, another long time companion of Adam's.  Pip's self serving and devious personality made him another questionable choice, although his limited understanding of how to use the space gem helped insure he wouldn't abuse it's powers

Originally the guardian of the reality gem was a secret, known only to Adam and a few cosmic powers.  Eventually Thanos was revealed as the possessor of the gem.  Thanos's power made him an effective guardian for the reality gem, and he was wise enough to understand it was too dangerous to use.  Considering Thanos had only recently attempted to use the Infinity Gems to conquer the universe, Eternity found his choice especially unacceptable.

Originally the team settled on Monster Island, home of Mole Man and his subjects.  The team came to an agreement with Mole Man, helping bolster his claim to the island while he provided a castle for their use.

Headquarters

The team participated in a number of adventures, including confronting Adam's good and evil aspects, the Goddess and the Magus.