WARNING: The Following Contains SPOILERS For Guardians of the Galaxy #4.
Marvel Comics has already teased the upcoming death of one of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but it seems like they just killed off another. In Guardians of the Galaxy #4, a rescue mission takes a drastic turn of events… leaving fans to say a goodbye that they were NOT expecting.
With readers already preparing themselves for the death of Rocket Raccoon, they now have to mourn for Star-Lord, too. Back in Infinity Wars #1, Gamora killed Star-Lord before he was brought back to life using the Infinity Stones. Considering his feelings for Gamora, Peter never quite got over the act (understandable), and it sent him down a slippery slope of drinking and depression. A battle he can apparently stop fighting–since he just got killed off.
The new Guardians team held a mutiny to remove the drunken, depressed Quill from his captaincy, naming Groot the new Guardians leader so they could take The Ryder from him to go after Gamora, who is seeking Rocket Raccoon (there’s a lot of drama to go around). They hope to save her from the Dark Guardians led by Thanos’ brother, a cosmic hit squad that are hunting her down. But they get much more than they bargained for when they land on Rocket’s home planet to find an ambush fast approaching…
In the last few pages of Guardians of the Galaxy #4 the hit squad attacks and Nebula threatens Peter’s life. Gamora shoots at her adopted sister to save him, despite the fact that she killed him herself not long ago. What can we say? Old bonds die hard. But by entering the fight, Gamora makes herself an even bigger target to the heavy hitter of the Dark Guardians, Gladiator. Knocking Gamora down as Nebula prepares to give the finishing blow, the heroes’ efforts to save their friend’s life seems to have been a total failure.
But what nobody saw coming was Star-Lord jumping in the way to save her. Even after her betrayal, he lays down his life to save the woman he loves. Gamora asks him why, after all the drama of the past year (including Drax dying to save the universe from her mischief) he would take a killing blow for her, he fittingly answers “I don’t know anything anymore.” The same line he used earlier in the issue to demonstrate just how lost Star-Lord had become without his family.
If the cover of Guardians of the Galaxy #5 is any indication, Hela, the Asgardian Goddess of Death, might have a hand in bringing Star-Lord back. But what will the Guardians have to offer up in order for this to happen? Will they simply sacrifice Peter for the good of the universe? Hela seems to be close to her goal of resurrecting Thanos… so is Peter’s life worth giving that to her? We are sure to get some of these answers in the next two books of the series, as “The Final Gauntlet” comes to an end.
Guardians of the Galaxy #4 is on sale now from Marvel online, and at your local comic shop.
