Who GOTG Game’s Universal Church Of Truth & Grand Unifier Raker Are

A new trailer for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy introduced a new villainous force for the Guardians team in the form of the Universal Church of Truth and representative Grand Unifier Raker. Since the game’s E3 2021 reveal, developer Eidos-Montreal has shown off a variety of cinematic trailers that detail some of what fans can expect. The newest look shows off an interaction between the Guardians and Grand Unifer Raker, and it has left some fans wondering who these religious extremists are in Marvel lore.

The Universal Church of Truth was first introduced in 1975 in the Marvel comic Strange Tales #178, and the Church has been a main villain for the Guardians of the Galaxy ever since. Their motivations are tied to Adam Warlock, a genetically engineered being with cosmic powers who hasn’t made a mainstream MCU appearance yet. Warlock has an evil doppelganger from the future named Magus, whom the UCT view as their godlike figure as they work toward resurrecting him through nefarious means.

The head of the UCT is known as the Matriarch, a direct servant to Magus, whom Grand Unifier Raker references as wanting to meet the Guardians at the end of the Guardians of the Galaxy game’s latest trailer. The doctrine of the Church is enforced by a group of elite soldiers called the Black Knights, and battles are fought by members called Cardinals led by Raker in the comics. Such a hierarchy of command implies that the UCT will serve as a much greater threat than the previously revealed Lady Hellbender, and this is very evident in the way they conquer planets.

Guardians Of The Galaxy’s Universal Church of Truth Explained

In true cult-like fashion, the Universal Church of Truth would typically show up to different planets throughout the galaxy with offers of harmony and peace through their faith. If the planet accepted the Church and its teachings, the UCT would peacefully take over and replace established leadership with their own members. However, if a planet denied the Church and their cause, they were considered blasphemous and were “purified” by the UCT. This purification involved the domination of the people and their extermination if they did not willingly convert to the Church’s ideology, which led to the Guardians team getting involved to stop them on numerous occasions.

A unique factor about the Universal Church of Truth is the type of energy they harness to provide power to their equipment. They developed devices known as Faith generators to channel their belief in the Magus, as well as a belief battery wielded by Raker. This weaponized belief is then used to power the UCT’s weapons and ships, making them a powerful adversary for the Guardians. Fans get a potential look at this power when Rocket abruptly fires at Raker in a humorous Guardians of the Galaxy moment, with the bullets deflecting off an energy field that could be faith-powered.

The inclusion of the Universal Church of Truth in the GotG game is an inspired choice for Eidos-Montreal, relying on a relatively unknown Marvel villain to anchor part of the Guardians’ adventure. The Universal Church of Truth seems to hold some inspiration from their comic book counterparts, with the Matriarch and Raker still having a vital role in the Church in the new game. It remains to be seen how big of a villainous role the UTC will play in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy game, but it has the potential to be a significant problem for the team.

About The Author

Mason Teague
(150 Articles Published)

Mason is a freelance Game Features Writer for Screen Rant with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Media from Wingate University. Being involved in video game journalism has always been a goal of Mason’s, and being able to contribute his gaming knowledge to Screen Rant is a dream come true. Working out of North Carolina, Mason spends his free time trying to catch up on his backlog of games or finishing one of the 10 TV shows he’s currently watching.

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