Guardians of the Galaxy (3rd series) #27

Issue Date: 
August 2015
Story Title: 
untitled
Staff: 

Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Valerio Schiti (artist), Jason Keith (colorist), VC’s Cory Petit (letterer), Valerio Schiti & Jason Keith (cover artists), Xander Jarowey (assistant editor) Nick Lowe &Mike Marts (editor), Axel Alonso (editor-in-chief), Joe Quesada (chief creative officer), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (executive producer)

Brief Description: 

Natural disaster occur on Spartax, due to the planet being dangerously close in their atmosphere. In addition, hordes of Chitauri attack. While the other Guardians fight the Chitauri, Gamora realizes this is the living planet Kindun, who once again wants revenge on her because of what her adoptive father Thanos did. She flies to Kindun, takes out the Chitauri there and pleads with Kindun to leave, as she does not want to kill him. After a second try, she finally gets through and Kindun and the Chitauri leave. She decides to leave the Guardians until she has killed Thanos. Star-Lord is torn whether or not to accept his new role as king. Kitty tells him he has to find out what he really wants.

Full Summary: 

Spartax:
The skies are red and the ground is shaking, as another planet has moved into Spartax’s orbit. Star-Lord orders the advisors to get to safety. Can they have one day of not crazy? Rocket Raccoon complains to him. Peter snaps, he didn’t do it. Crazy follows him, Rocket claims.

Floating in the air, staring upward, Gamora explains the planet is the Kindun. That is the living planet controlled by he who hates her adoptive father, Thanos. He has come here for revenge. He has come here for her. Why is he here? Peter asks. Kitty asks what he did. Wasn’t him, he replies. This time.

Gamora explains he is here because the images of their Spartax arrival were broadcast across the galaxy. He is here because they are here. She flies upward.

Advisor Togth blames Peter for bringing this here. He points out, technically, they brought him here. Look! Rocket shouts.

A horde of beings come flying from the planet. It’s the Chitauri. She will end this, Gamora announces as she flies upward, sword drawn.

Peter tries to reach Drax via comm but he is already battling the Chitauri, along with the Spartax royal guard. Kitty and Peter join the fight. Peter shouts they need a plan. Plan number one: no one die! Plan number two: they need to split up, some of them stay here, and the rest…

He sees Agent Venom has also joined the fight. He tells him to help Drax and the royal guard against the Chitauri, while he, Kitty and Rocket will back up Gamora.

Are these aliens? Agent Venom asks. Aren’t they technically all aliens to him? Rocket snaps. Flash apologizes. He meant bad guys. Yes, they are the bad guys, Peter agrees, as they are surrounded by an entire horde.

Gamora has reached the orbit of Kindun the living planet and breaks through the Chitauri defenses.

She comes… she is inside him… the embodiment of Kindun tells the Chitauri. No matter what she says or does: Do not let up their attack. He wants to see her burn as she watches Spartax ripped apart.

Gamora floats above him and addresses him. Now! he shouts and the Chitauri open fire on her.

In the Spartax royal gardens, a giant Groot finds Chitauri.

Rocket tells the others he hates them. He should be at the beach, yet here he is. Agent Venom tries to make a joke, when lightning hits them. They need to take the fight to the source, he realizes and tells Star-Lord they really need to go up there and help Gamora. Yeah, can’t let her have all the fun, Rocket adds. “Blam, murdered you!” he tells a victim. Venom specifies they can’t let her face it all by herself. This battle feels like a distraction, Star-Lord agrees. He orders Drax and Groot to fight the Chitauri on the ground with the royal Guard. The rest of them are going up.

Star-Lord liberates a glider form a Chitauri and Kitty, Agent Venom and Rocket join him as he steers upward. Do they have a plan here? Kitty asks, or does he need her to take over— He can handle a sudden planetary invasion, he assures her.

On Kindun, Gamora goes down. The personification of the planet orders the Chitauri to stop. He wants to see her dying breath. He wants to show it to Thanos, as recompense for what he has done to them.

However, Gamora gets up, none the worse for wear. She orders him to listen very carefully. The only reason she hasn’t cut his head off is that his anger towards her is misguided. She understands he is mad at her father, the Mad Titan Thanos, but she is not her father’s daughter. If she were, she would not allow him to live this day. Everything within the sound of her voice would be dead. So she’s going to give him one last chance to take the planet and leave. Free himself of this pain he has toward her. Free himself and find a new reason to live. Because if he can’t, he will force her to take his life. But if that’s what he wants, she’ll grant him his last wish.

Kindun’s face becomes distorted with rage and he bellows: “Kill her!” Gamora quickly disarms her attackers and again offers him one last chance. Leave. She begs him.

In the meantime, her friends try to cross the distance between the two worlds, only to notice the distance is suddenly growing. Kindun is moving away.

A moment later, a swarm of Chitauri moves past them, retreating. Guardians both on the ground and in the air are surprised at this uncharacteristic move.

Before the group in space can go after them, Gamora appears before them to inform them it is over. What did she do? Star-Lord asks. She told him to leave. High fives for Gamora, everybody! Peter suggests. The most dangerous woman in the galaxy just kicked an entire planet off their lawn!

Rocket is disappointed and demands they blow up that planet. Kitty tells him to calm down. Peter suggests they return to Spartax to help, then turns to Gamora and thanks her.

She must leave, she announces. She has become a threat to their safety. Peter assures her nobody blames her. They are all a threat to all their safety. It’s kind of their thing, Rocket adds helpfully. Looking away, Gamora explains she now has the power to find and destroy Thanos and, until she does, until the galaxy knows she has done that, she cannot let what almost happened today ever happen again. She cannot let them be attacked for the legacy she carries with her. Please relay this to Drax and Groot. She does not believe she could look into Groot’s eyes and say that to him. She finally looks at them, tears in her eyes. She loves them all so much. They have no idea how much. Then, she is suddenly gone, in a flash of lightning.

Later on Spartax, the two advisors praise Peter for already saving them after one day. Peter tries to point out the Guardians may have caused this, but is told they are not responsible for an enemy’s action. A crisis occurred and was averted. He acted like a true leader in front of his people. Could they give him a minute or two? he asks. They leave, calling him “President Quill.” He protests halfheartedly, then looks down in defeat.

Kitty joins him as he wonders what to do. What does he want to do? She asks simply. He wants to lie on a beach with her and stare at her… But seriously, what does he do? And what the hell did Gamora just do?

Kitty reminds him that she’s been on a misfit team of superheroes since her Bat Mitzvah. People come and go. People have to come and go. Personal stuff has to be worked out sometimes. She will come back. As for him… She came out here to be with him. And whether that’s being a space pirate or being here, either way she’s in. She wants to help him find a way to be as happy as he has been making her. So, King Peter, or janitor Peter or space-pirate Peter… as long as he thinks it’s the best version of him… but it’s on him. He has to decide. He has to decide what’s next…

Characters Involved: 

Agent Venom, Drax, Gamora, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Kitty Pryde (X-Man)

Golgug, Thogh, others (members of the Spartax Council)
Members of the Royal Guard

Kindun
Chitauri

Story Notes: 

Kindun last (and actually for the first time) appeared in Guardians Team-up #2

Gamora next shows up in Contest of Champions #4 before returning to the Guardians in Guardians of the Galaxy (4th series) #1.

This is the last issue of the current run. Most of the characters next show up in Secret Wars. The new run starts after the end of Secret Wars with the same creative team.

Written By: