Star-Lord

For the IPC character, see Starlord.

Star-Lord
Star-Lord from Annihilation: Star-Lord #1 (2007) Art by Nic Klein.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Marvel Preview #4 (Jan. 1976)
Created by	Steve Englehart Steve Gan
In-story information
Alter ego	Peter Quill
Species	Spartoi
Place of origin	Spartax
Team affiliations	Guardians of the Galaxy United Front Shi'ar Imperial Guard Ship
Abilities	Via suit: Superstrength Flight Element gun Skilled marksman & fencer

Star-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comics published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

The first Star-Lord (Peter Quill) debuted in Marvel Preview #4 (January 1976) and was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Steve Gan. The title also marked the first time that the creative trio of Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Terry Austin worked together, before their celebrated four-year run on The Uncanny X-Men.

The character made a number of appearances in Marvel Preview in the 1970s and early 80s, as well as Marvel Spotlight #6-7 (May-July 1980), Marvel Super Special #10 (Winter 1979), and Starlord Special Edition (February 1982). The character disappeared for many years until he made a brief appearance in the 1997 Star-Lord limited series. He has since appeared in 2000's Inhumans series and 2004's Thanos series. He was given a major role in the 2006-2007 Annihilation series, and became the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy in that team's new title in 2008.

Fictional character biography

Peter Quill was born during an unusual astronomical phenomenon when many of the planets aligned. On the night of his birth, the man who thought he was Peter's father angrily accused his wife of infidelity, as the baby resembled neither of them. He attempted to kill the infant, but died of a sudden heart attack. Quill was then raised by his single mother until the age of eleven, when she was killed by an alien. He was then placed in an orphanage but ran away and eventually became a trainee astronaut.

His conduct towards a colleague saved in an accident, however, hindered his progress. When an alien force contacted Earth and offered the mantle of Star-Lord to a worthy candidate, Quill volunteered. The role, however, was assigned to the same colleague Quill had once saved. This angered Quill who stunned his colleague and attempted to take the role for himself. Quill is then teleported away by an alien entity called the Master of the Sun, who via an illusion allows him to take vengeance on the alien that killed his mother. Quill is then able to truly become Star-Lord.

It is later revealed that Quill's true father is Jason of Spartax, the young son of the galactic Emperor who acted as Star-Lord before him. Years before, his father had crash-landed on Earth and loved Peter's mother, subsequently wiping her mind of the encounter afterwards. Peter's mother then married her childhood sweetheart. As Star-Lord, Quill later discovers the alien that killed his mother was sent by his father's brother, who intended to usurp the throne. Star-Lord finds and kills both the alien murderer and his uncle, and then reunites briefly with his father, now the Emperor. Star-Lord acquires a sentient spacecraft called "Ship" and then leaves to explore the universe.

Years later, Star-Lord does battle with the Fallen One, the rogue Herald of Galactus. He is almost killed in the encounter, and eventually recovers and uses the residual energies from recently deceased souls to defeat the Fallen One, at the cost of Ship. After the battle, both Star-Lord and the Fallen One are taken to the Kyln, an intergalactic maximum security prison. During the events of the Annihilation, Star-Lord serves as the second-in-command to the superhero Nova, who leads the resistance group the United Front against the forces of the villain Annihilus.

Quill is later railroaded by Kree authorities into leading a super-human suicide squad into the depths Phalanx controlled territory. His team includes such members as Rocket Racoon, Deathcry and Captain Universe. His team makes it through the mission with the loss of only Deathcry.

Starlord later becomes the leader of the new Guardians of the Galaxy.

Powers and abilities

As Star-Lord, Peter Quill wears a suit that grants augmented strength and durability and the ability to travel through space. He also uses an "Element Gun", a special meta-pistol capable of projecting one of the four elements (air, earth, fire and water). Star-Lord was also psychically linked to his vessel, Ship.

Other versions

Jason of Spartax

Jason of Spartax was Star-Lord prior to his son Peter Quill adopting the role.

Sinjin Quarrell

Sinjin Quarrell is the a third Star-Lord, from an unnamed future.

Bibliography

• Marvel Preview #4 (Jan. 1976), #11 (Summer 1977), #14-15 (Spring - Summer 1978), #18 (Spring 1979)
• Marvel Comics Super Special #10 (Winter 1979)
• Marvel Spotlight vol.2 #6-7 (May - July 1980)
• Marvel Premiere #61 (August 1981)
• Starlord, the Special Edition #1 (Feb. 1982)
• Starlord #1-3 (Dec. 1996 - Feb. 1997)
• Annihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord #1-4 (July - Nov. 2007)

References

• Star-Lord at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• Peter Quill at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• Star-Lord at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Jason of Sparta at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Master of the Sun at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Mrvel Universe
• Ship at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Star-Lord Appearances in Publication Order

External links

• Marvel.com - Official Annihilation webpage
• Annihilation War Report: Nova, Newsarama
• Major Spoilers Retro Review