Peter Quill blasts off in his own solo series this July. Legendary Star-Lord #1 by Sam Humphries (Uncanny X-Force) and Paco Medina (Nova, X-Men.)
Humphries, Executive Editor Mike Marts and Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso answered fan questions about the the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy and his solo adventures in a Marvel liveblog. Here are the highlights:
Who is Star-Lord:
“Star-Lord is a really fun character to write because he’s very bold and confident. He was born and raised on Earth, but he’s right at home in space. On Earth, he was an orphan kid; in space, he’s the Legendary Star-Lord.
He’s the original outer space scoundrel. He pre-dates Han Solo. He likes to flirt and fight. This is an outer space western.” said Humphries.
When asked the eternal question inspired by the Greedo/Solo confrontation in Star Wars:
“Peter Quill would absolutely shoot first. Are you kidding?”
Where Is Quill Heading?
“We’ve got a series of done in one stories that build on top each other. That take place on the fringes of the Marvel cosmic universe. These are the places where people fall through the cracks. Peter has the opportunity to disappear a bit, but also prove what kind of hero he is.”
“Peter is bold and he’s charming, but he has the heart of a hero. He’s a scoundrel, but he’s trying to do the right thing. His gut is always telling him to do what he can to make the cosmos a better place.”
“Exploring that inner dichotomy is making the book really interesting to me.”
The Bad Guys:
“Marvel is practically built on daddy issues. All the major characters have them. I can’t say too much about Jason’s (Peter’s father) role in Star-Lord without spoiling upcoming stories in Guardians of the Galaxy. There will be a turning point for Jason, Peter and the Spartax Empire that sets up Legendary Star-Lord.”
“Jason’s dark legacy definitely hangs over the book. He’s the son of a corrupt interstellar despot, but also of a selfless human woman.”
“We have a new bad guy named Mr. Nice, a cosmic gangster gunning for Peter for mysterious reasons. He places a blood bounty of Peter, the most dangerous bounty in space. Further down we’ll have a new team of cosmic bad guys.”
On Peter and Kitty Pryde’s Connection During The Trial of Jean Grey Crossover by Brian Bendis:
“Brian Bendis and I started working closely back when we were both on Ultimate titles, so this is like coming home. We talked about ideas before I even came on this book. This collaboration with Brian and others has yielded some really big ideas coming down the line.”
“Absolutely I will be following up on Peter and Kitty Pryde. That kiss something I have a lot of feelings and thoughts about. It’s the ultimate long distance relationship in the Marvel Universe. They’ve got a two-way holographic phone set-up–like an intergalactic Skype. Kitty will be a supporting cast member in Legendary Star-Lord. We saw the flirting, now we’ll see if there’s actual heat.”
What About the Other Guardians?
“This is Peter Quill’s solo book and we’ll be leaning into his solo adventures. We will see some appearances by his Guardians pals. Marvel’s cosmic bench is getting deeper by the month and we’ll definitely take advantage of that. Some tie-ins right in issue #1 have consequences for the cosmos and Earth.”
“He’s definitely in the role of the roguish half-outlaw. There’s definitely some ethos when he’s with the Guardians and he’s a bit more of a rogue on his own. But it’s tempered by his conscience. It’s tempered by the legacy of his youth and his mother, of his dreams of wanting to go to space. He is that outlaw, but he’s always trying to do some good.”
The Balance of Humor With This Hero:
“This is not Deadpool by any means, but Peter is a funny character. He’s really charming. He gets by on his wit. He doesn’t get down in the dumps very often. He doesn’t mope and listen to The Smiths and say ‘Woe is me.’ That’s not Peter Quill. He’ll always look to poke a hole in anybody threatening him even if he’s got a dozen gun barrels pointed at him.”
How This Book Connects to the Movie:
“The look you see on the Steve McNiven cover will be how he looks in the book, overcoat and mask like Chris Pratt in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie.”
“Peter is a part of the cosmos whether he wants to be or not. His father is the emperor of the Spartax Empire, which has connections everywhere and involvement everywhere. That said, this is not the same book as Guardians of the Galaxy. We’re going to see the other side of this cosmic world and explore different corners of it.”
“Legendary Star-Lord will frequent bars and gambling halls. Not everybody lives in a giant, gleaming spaceship.”
“Star-Lord was a character who was kind of off to the side in all of his early appearances. When he came into Guardians of the Galaxy, that was a huge change. You saw his character change but also his connection to the core of the Marvel Universe.”
“We’re going to build on Peter being a part of the Marvel Universe.”
“You will certainly see the tone of the movie reflected in the comic.” added Axel Alonso.
“I love the Walkman thing in the trailer, I thought that was great. We are going to touch on Peter being a space cowboy who grew up kind of a dork on Earth making out of date references. I love that about the character. He’s got a cool mask and a cool gun, but he’s really a nerdy guy who got lucky to make his way off Earth.” said Humphries.
What Will Learn About Quill:
“Somebody like Peter thinks that they’re a legend because they can fly spaceships fast and flirt with every girl in the bar, but the way people become truly legendary is by unlocking the good within themselves. A core question for him is what kind of legend does Peter want to be.”
“Brian Bendis did great work with the origin of Peter in Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1. We’d be fools to ignore that. It’s a great foundation to build a book on. His past, like the past of any complex character, does weigh on him. We will get glimpses of his childhood and life on Earth.” – Sam Humphries
“Not sure how much I can say about Peter’s return from the Cancerverse, but it will be addressed and it will factor into Legendary Star-Lord. I know it’s weighing on everybody’s minds, and it’s not a story that will be dodged.”
Why Is Marvel Going Cosmic:
“People want cosmic titles right now. Delivering a Star-Lord series, Rocket Raccoon, Captain Marvel–it’s the right time. We’re loving the buzz around the cosmic franchise. And this is before the movie! It’s exciting to think where we’ll go after the movie once the mass audience gets wind of this.” said Mike Marts.
“I’ve always said it’s called the Marvel Universe for a reason. It started with Guardians, it continued in Infinity, now it’s expanding with Silver Surfer and growing the Guardians franchise.” added Alonso.
Legendary Star-Lord #1 blasts off July.
By Editor