The Guardians of the Galaxy are arguably the most popular team in Marvel Cinematic Universe history. In the comics, they are primarily an overrated team that falls short of the brilliance of James Gunn’s movies. However, there are two members of the team who stand out in Marvel Comics, and it comes as no surprise that these are the same members who stood out in the movies. What is most interesting about Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon is that they are always better away from the Guardians of the Galaxy than with the team in the pages of the comics.
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There are two ongoing storylines in Marvel Comics right now that involve Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon, and neither storyline features the Guardians of the Galaxy. Just like it has been since the Annihilation storyline, the two cosmic heroes shine brightest away from the team, and the MCU should take note.
Star-Lord is Always Better When Working With Nova, Not the Guardians of the Galaxy
Star-Lord is a significant part of the Imperial storyline, a cosmic crossover event intended to revitalize and transform everything about the cosmic Marvel universe. The storyline is still ongoing, with Grandmaster and Maximus pulling the strings, and Black Bolt apparently involved as well. They have trapped the Kree-Skrull Empire, Shi’ar, and even the Wakandan forces, away from the action. However, there are three people still free who can stop them, and those three people are Star-Lord, Nova, and Shuri.
This has always been true about Star-Lord, ever since Marvel recreated the comic book team into what James Gunn later utilized in the MCU. While he has a relationship with Gamora, it isn’t anything near what it was in the movies. Instead, his best relationship has been a bromance that has never existed in the films. Star-Lord has always been best when working with his best friend, Nova.
This goes much further than Imperial, although it is clear that Star-Lord and Nova are one of the best duos in Marvel Comics history. This goes all the way back to Annihilation. Yes, the new Guardians of the Galaxy formed out of this storyline, but it was more about Star-Lord and Nova leading the forces into the war against Annihilus. An attempted love triangle was set up between Nova, Star-Lord, and Gamora, but fans always wanted to see Richard Ryder and Peter Quill’s bromance, not a woman who could tear them apart.
The best writers can deliver some of the best buddy quips between these two best friends and make them more interesting than even the wars that surround them. So far, Nova has not appeared in the MCU, but there have been rumors about a Disney+ special surrounding the character. The Guardians of the Galaxy need to stay gone in the MCU, and if Star-Lord returns to the MCU, he needs to be with Nova. That would make Peter Quill a fan favorite after he fell from grace following his actions in Avengers: Infinity War. Nova could finally redeem Star-Lord and make him popular again.
Rocket Raccoon is Always More Interesting With Other Heroes
Rocket Raccoon hasn’t been around in Imperial, and the reason is likely because he was captured by an alien named Doctor Xanto Starblood. Xanto is an alien zoologist introduced in 2012 in Wolverine and the X-Men, and Spider-Man didn’t know he was a villain until it was too late. It was Xanto who rescued Peter from a planet on which he was abandoned, and Peter thought he was on the up and up. However, when Peter learned that Xanto had captured several alien species and was holding them captive, similar to The Collector in the MCU, Spider-Man leaped into action to rescue them.
This is when Spider-Man saw that Rocket Raccoon was one of the beings being held captive, and Rocket delivered the perfect quip when he saw Peter. This looks to provide some fun team-up work for Spider-Man and Rocket, and this is always when the Guardians of the Galaxy member is at his best. Yes, Rocket and Groot are a great team, but like Star-Lord and Gamora, it is never as good as James Gunn presented in the MCU.
Like with Star-Lord and Nova, this has always been the case for Rocket Raccoon. Rocket has been around for years, debuting in The Incredible Hulk #271, three decades before the Guardians of the Galaxy formed into the group that MCU fans know. As with Star-Lord, Rocket should make his return to the MCU, but not with the team that made him famous. He could stick with Groot, but having him work in more of his brilliant detective persona from the comics could revitalize him. Rocket is so much better without the Guardians that he could remain a massive star in the MCU if they break him away from the team and let him shine.
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