By Shaun Corley Published 9 minutes ago
There is a new and surprising Star-Lord roaming the Marvel Universe, and it has just been confirmed he stole the title from Peter Quill.
Summary
- Howard the Duck takes on the title of Star-Lord from Peter Quill, upsetting the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
- The events in "Waugh If?" allude to a time when Kitty Pryde briefly held the title of Star-Lord in the comics.
- Howard the Duck, a cultural icon in the Marvel Universe, struggles to fit in as the new Star-Lord leading the Guardians.
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Warning: contains spoilers for Howard the Duck #1!
There is a new Star-Lord in the Marvel Universe, and he stole the title from Peter Quill. Star-Lord, the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, is one of the premiere heroes of the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe. Yet in Howard the Duck #1, readers learn the titular fowl has usurped the title from Quill, and the rest of the Guardians are not thrilled.
The action unfolds in the story “Waugh If? Howard the Duck Became the New Star-Lord,” by Merritt K and Will Robson, appearing in Howard the Duck #1. Howard the Duck is the new Star-Lord, having obtained the title through less than honorable means, he annoyed Kitty Pryde, who held the mantle when Howard signed onto the Guardians. Pryde left the Guardians, and Howard began calling himself the new Star-Lord.
The remaining Guardians are not happy with their new leader, who has taken them on mostly pet rescue jobs, while Rocket feels they should be doing much more.
There is a Precedent for Howard the Duck Meeting the Guardians of the Galaxy
Howard the Duck Is a Drifter
While most associate Peter Quill with Star-Lord, the events Howard mentioned in “Waugh If?” actually did happen in the comics…sort of. During Brian Michael Bendis’ tenure on Guardians of the Galaxy, Kitty Pryde joined the team, and when Quill left, she briefly took on the title Star-Lord. This did not last, and Pryde would return to Earth in time for the beginning of the Krakoa Era. Peter Quill would also once again call himself Star-Lord, and return to the Guardians. It was during Pryde’s reign as Star-Lord that the Guardians met Howard the Duck.
“Waugh If?” alludes to this meeting, but events unfold differently. Howard pesters Pryde until she quits the team and then he moves to take her place. Doing so continues the arc of Howard’s life. Thrust famously into “a world he never created,” Howard the Duck has been a cult icon in the Marvel Universe for 50 years. Howard’s series in the 1970s, written by Steve Gerber, was groundbreaking, bringing counter-cultural ideas to the Marvel mainstream. However, after Gerber moved on from the character, Howard began to drift through the Marvel Universe, never really finding a place to call his own.
The Guardians Have Been Accepting to Many…Except Howard the Duck
Will Howard the Duck Ever Fit In?
Close
And leading the Guardians of the Galaxy may not be in the cards for Howard either. Under Gerber’s direction, Howard wanted to be left alone to live his life, but fate kept throwing curveballs at him in the form of kooky villains and outlandish situations. Howard emerged from these dilemmas looking like the hero, but it was never intentional. This is mirrored in Howard’s reluctance to take on high profile cases for the Guardians: he simply wants to find a place to call his own, not save the universe. Unfortunately, this puts the new Star-Lord at odds with the Guardians.
Howard the Duck #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
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Howard the Duck #1 (2023) |
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