Star-Lord Reveals He is a Father in Guardians of the Galaxy

Warning! Spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy #13 ahead!

Peter Quill, also known as the infamous outlaw Star-Lord, has revealed that he is a father in the latest issue of Guardians of the Galaxy. The idea of Peter having a child would naturally come as a shock, given that he is guilty of perpetually acting like a child himself. But the Star-Lord of the comics has gone through some pretty significant life changes recently, including spending nearly 150 years trapped in another dimension and reappearing with the powers of a god.

In the very first issue of the current Guardians of the Galaxy run by writer Al Ewing and artist Juann Cabal, Peter seemingly sacrifices his life to destroy the Gods of Olympus. It is later revealed that he has not died, but rather has been transported to Morinus, the Land Beyond the Sun. In that dimension, time moves differently, and he is granted new powers that turn him into a literal Star-Lord. He returns to his home universe, where he takes on both the King in Black and the Gods of Olympus before rejoining a revamped Guardians of the Galaxy team. However, all that time in Morinus has had a profound impact on him, and the Peter Quill that left is not the same man who has came back.

Guardians of the Galaxy #13 by Ewing and artist Juan Frigeri kicks off a new era for the team, giving them an official status in the galaxy and vastly expanding their roster. Towards the end of the issue Gamora remarks to Peter that he has changed ever since returning from Morinus. “You came home…but I don’t know if you really came back. And I miss you, Peter Quill.” He agrees with her that he has been distant, and that he feels like he is still in Morinus and that a part of him always will be. “All those years…All those decades…I had a home there.” And then he drops a real bombshell on Gamora: “I had a son.” Before she can ask any more follow up questions, he walks away, saying he needs time.

The news that Star-Lord has a son is sure to have huge ramifications on the team, and especially on his relationship with Gamora. While he was trapped in Morinus, Peter began traveling with a couple called Aradia and Mors. For the first dozen years with them, he held out hope that he could somehow make it back home before accepting that Morinus is his home. He then enters a relationship with both Aradia and Mors, revealing that Peter Quill is bisexual in the comics. Whether his son was born out of this relationship or another is one of the many questions surrounding his revelation.

Star-Lord has gone through several changes since the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie hit screens in 2014. Prior to that film, he was more of a space cop and soldier in the comics, and formed the Guardians out of a sense of responsibility to actually guard the galaxy from danger. In recent years, his characterization has been shifted to be more like the outlaw and thief portrayed by Chris Pratt. Ewing’s run on the ongoing Guardians comic series has sought to reconcile the two versions by rewriting Star-Lord’s backstory and coming up with a reason for his slight change in demeanor. But neither prior version of Star-Lord had a son before. Who that son is, where he is now and what kind of relationship he has with Star-Lord are currently all mysteries, but will likely be major storylines going forward in this new era for the Guardians of the Galaxy.