Star-Lord

Infobox comics character


imagesize=250
converted=y
caption=Star-Lord from "Annihilation: Star-Lord" #1 (2007)
Art by Nic Klein.
character_name=Star-Lord
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Marvel Preview" #4
(Jan. 1976)
creators=Steve Englehart
Steve Gan
real_name=Peter Quill
species = Spartoi
homeworld = Spartax
alliances=Guardians of the Galaxy
United Front
Shi'ar Imperial Guard
Ship
aliases=
supports=
powers=Via suit:
*Superstrength
*Flight
*Element gun
*Skilled marksman & fencer
cat=super
subcat=Marvel Comics
hero=y
sortkey=Star-Lord|

Star-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comics published by Marvel Comics. The first Star-Lord (Peter Quill) debuted in "Marvel Preview" #4 (January 1976) and was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Steve Gan.

Publication history

The character's origin is related in "Marvel Preview" #4 Jan. 1976 and "Marvel Preview" #11, Summer 1977, with later appearances in "Marvel Super Special" #10 (Winter 1979); "Marvel Spotlight" #6-7 (May - July 1980), and "Starlord Special Edition" (Feb. 1982). In 1996 - 1997, the character makes a brief appearance in the three-part (Dec. - Feb) "Star-Lord" limited series. Starlord has a major role in the 2006-2007 "Annihilation" series, and becomes leader of the new Guardians of the Galaxy, which began in April 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.

Quill's conduct towards a colleague he 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, but the role 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. ["Marvel Preview" #4 Jan. 1976]

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. ["Marvel Preview" #11, Summer 1977]

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. ["Annihilation: Star-Lord" #1 - 4 (2007)] 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. ["Annihilation" #1 - 6 (2006); "Annihilation: Star-Lord" #1 - 4 (2007)and "Annihilation:Conquest" #1 - 6 (2007 - 2008)]

Starlord later becomes the leader of the new Guardians of the Galaxy. [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=156349 Greeting the Guardians: Star-Lord] , Newsarama, May 8, 2008]

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. ["Marvel Preview" #11 (Jan. 1977) and "Inhumans" #2 - 4 (vol. 4, 2003 - 2004)]

injin Quarrell

Sinjin Quarrell is the a third Star-Lord, from an unnamed future. ["Star-Lord" #1 (Dec. 1996)]

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

*comicbookdb|type=character|id=4836|title=Star-Lord
*comicbookdb|type=character|id=7390|title=Peter Quill
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/starlor1.htm Star-Lord] at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/jasonspa.htm Jason of Sparta] at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/mastersn.htm Master of the Sun] at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Mrvel Universe
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/shipstld.htm Ship] at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
* [http://www.geocities.com/mailittomarvell/starlord.htm Star-Lord Appearances in Publication Order]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.marvel.com/comics/23 Marvel.com - Official Annihilation webpage]
* [http://classic.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Reports/skrull/NovaReport.html Annihilation War Report: Nova] , Newsarama
* [http://www.majorspoilers.com/archives/2001.htm Major Spoilers Retro Review]