Star-Lord's Greatest Hits

Warning! This article contains spoilers for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #2, SO READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK, oh frantic ones!

For over a decade, readers have been following Peter Quill’s adventures as Star-Lord alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy. This week’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #2, however, left Star-Lord in one of his toughest spots to date. To save his friends, and the entire universe, from the wrath of Zeus and his resurrected cosmic pantheon, Quill detonated a bomb that destroyed Olympus and seemingly took his own life as well...

On March 18, the full fallout of these events shake the mighty Marvel Universe in the pages of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #3, as four artists tell three stories of two bonds broken, one born again...and the birth of the West Spiral Arm Guardians!

Regardless of what Quill's final fate may be, we’re taking a look back at his most memorable moments. These are Star-Lord's greatest hits!

Ignition

Do you remember the classic tale from FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #1 where the team steals a rocket and blasts off into space? Peter Quill did the same thing, but all by himself in STAR-LORD (2015) #1. Quill was an angry young man, working as a janitor on a project that attempted to harness the deep space capabilities of a Kree ship. His temper got him kicked out of the program. But rather than leaving quietly, he stole the ship and figured out how to escape from Earth.

This was the moment he truly became Star-Lord.

The One Man Pirate Gang

Out in space, Quill was roped into joining Yondu’s space pirates strictly as a means of survival. Quill also had a good deal of resentment for the people he left behind on Earth, but when forced to choose between his own vengeance or the chance to save the lives of his former colleagues, Quill tricked Yondu’s crew into retreating in STAR-LORD (2015) #5. He also cost Yondu an ungodly amount of treasure, and earned the ire of his former pirate crew.

On the Front Lines

Believe it or not—Star-Lord spent several years on the periphery of the Marvel Universe. But he finally came to the forefront in ANNIHILATION. Quill fought the Annihilation Wave alongside his future teammates Drax, Gamora, and Nova (AKA Richard Rider).

In the final battle against Annihilus, Quill and the other surviving heroes helped Nova stay alive long enough to strike the decisive blow and save the universe.

The Dirty Half-Dozen

Quill was a war hero after ANNIHILATION, but his good times didn’t last long.

Quill was tricked by the Phalanx into helping them invade and infect the Kree with the Techno-Organic virus. To make up for his failure, Quill was assigned to lead a motley crew of space rejects in ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST - STAR-LORD (2007). You may recognize some of the members of Quill’s team: Rocket, Groot, Mantis, Bug, Captain Universe, and Deathcry. Not all of them survived the ordeal, but this was the beginning of something bigger.

You’re Welcome

In GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2008) #1, Quill officially formed the modern-day version of the team. Rocket, Groot, and Mantis stood by Quill as he recruited Gamora, Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vell, and Drax—but the new Guardians weren’t born out of serendipity; Quill and Mantis conspired to telepathically influence the team’s members into joining.

When the truth came out, the Guardians abandoned Quill. But they were eventually drawn back to him, in part because the universe needs the Guardians of the Galaxy. And it always will.

The Last Stand

Quill and the Guardians made a desperate alliance with the Mad Titan in THE THANOS IMPERATIVE. At the time, the Cancerverse was threatening the entire Marvel Universe, and only a Death worshiper like Thanos could bring death as a concept back to a universe where nothing could die.

Thanos took Death’s rejection personally and went berserk. To contain Thanos within the Cancerverse and prevent his escape, Quill and Nova decided to stay behind and seal the portal from the other side. For months, both heroes were thought to be dead. However, Quill eventually escaped from the Cancerverse with a revived Drax.

Unfortunately, Thanos got out as well.

President Quill

After THE BLACK VORTEX crossover between the Guardians and the X-Men, Quill found himself engaged to the Guardians’ latest member, Kitty Pryde. But before those two love birds could tie the knot, Quill was drafted by his other homeworld, Spartax, to become its new President. These new responsibilities hit home in the pages of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2013) #27, when Quill finally conceded that he could no longer run away from his people and his role.

A Chitauri attack nearly devastated the planet, but Quill led the Guardians to victory. Although it has to be said that a cosmically empowered Gamora did the heavy lifting. Quill, as a result, finally accepted his new role as President. Sadly, Star-Lord’s reign didn’t go very well. But that’s a story for a list his greatest screw-ups...and there are plenty of 'em.

Until then, keep an eye out for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #3 for any clues about Quill’s ultimate fate!

Read these miraculous mags on Marvel Unlimited now! Then pre-order the new issue at your local comic shop now, before picking it up on March 18!