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How a Childhood Dream Helps Peter Quill Grow Up

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The fictional character of Star-Lord was so impactful to Peter as a child that he tried to emulate the rock star when he found himself in space.

The band Star-Lord inspired Peter Quill to dream about a fearless space hero and defender of justice. After his kidnapping by the Chitauri, Peter adopted the persona of Star-Lord. The biggest problem for Peter, however, hasn’t been the inability of almost everyone to remember his codename. The problem is that Peter himself doesn’t live up to his own expectations. Simply pretending to be Star-Lord doesn’t make him anything like the character he looked up to as a child.

Peter Quill is a man who runs from his problems. He worms his way through unpleasant situations, which are generally self-inflicted, and refuses to accept responsibility for his actions. This ego establishes a rift between Peter and Rocket, who gets fed up with Peter’s poor and fairly noncommittal leadership. Throughout the game, players watch as Peter grows into the hero he wants to be. As a result, the Guardians become not only a functioning team, they become a family.


Related: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Has a Hidden Betrayal

Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket and Star-Lord in the Quarantine Zone.

Nova Corps Centurion Ko-Rel presents Peter with the first major breakthrough in his character development when she tells him her daughter Nicholette Gold is only 12 years old. Nikki’s age matches with the time that has elapsed since Peter and Ko-Rel had their fling on Mercury. When Peter is presented with the possibility of being a father, players can react one of two ways in-game. Either Peter can conclude from the math that he could be Nikki’s father, or he can side-step the issue.

When the Guardians search for clues about Ko-Rel and Nikki’s whereabouts in Nikki’s secret hideout aboard the Hala’s Hope, Peter doesn’t have the option to ignore the math. The evidence piles up to the point that Peter must reasonably believe (until conclusive evidence is presented) that he may actually be Nikki’s father.

The second major event that forces Peter to come to terms with the fact that his actions have consequences is when the Guardians watch footage of Ko-Rel’s death. Peter again has a choice in-game where he can deflect blame for letting Magus out of the Soul Stone or admit that he, inadvertently or not, allowed the creature to escape. While Grand Unifier Raker is also partly to blame for the Nova Corps inspecting the Quarantine Zone, the Nova Corps tracked a strange energy reading that led them to Magus.

Related: How Guardians of the Galaxy Forces Players to Think Outside the Box

Guardians of the Galaxy Peter Quill.

All of Peter’s problems that he’s been running away from coalescing into the Matriarch’s Promise, which has a foothold on the entire galaxy. Peter has desperately searched for Ko-Rel and Nikki, but the overwhelming power of the Universal Church of Truth sends him into a spiral of self-doubt. With pressure mounting, he has a nightmare where he and the team are back in the Quarantine Zone. The Magus begins chasing Peter, and if he runs, his teammates are consumed one by one.

Facing the dream-Magus unlocks Peter’s Mega Ability, Shield of Spartax, and signals a change of heart. Backed into a corner, Peter chooses to finally accept that he needs to handle his problems and accept whatever resolution comes as a result. Peter Quill takes a necessary step toward emulating the bravery of Star-Lord he always wanted.

Peter’s younger self also confronts him, saying the life Peter is living wasn’t what he always dreamed of. Younger Peter lists all the ways Star-Lord is supposed to be cool. Star-Lord isn’t supposed to run from the bad guys, Star-Lord is supposed to face danger without hesitation. At this moment, Peter acknowledges the disappointment he has with himself.

Related: Guardians of the Galaxy Redefines Peter’s Relationship With His Mom for the Better

Despite the revelation that Nikki is not his daughter, Peter still takes her under his wing and lets her join the Guardians. The discussion he has with himself in front of the mirror at the end of the game is a marked departure from the way he was practicing his charm at the beginning of the game. Instead of trying to only display himself so he could best manipulate others, he’s trying to give himself a confidence pep-talk. He knows Nikki needs an adult figure, although a touch of humor at the end of the scene shows that Peter is not quite ready to sacrifice everything for the young Kree quite yet.

Peter gains emotional maturity in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. He took the moniker Star-Lord without understanding the weight he was placing on himself, and he realized he didn’t deserve the association as he was. The idea of parenthood and the near loss of his new family with the Guardians compelled Peter to become a better man and live up to the expectations of the fictional character whose songs he listened to as a child.

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