Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (hereafter "DnA")
Art: Paul Pelletier
"Somebody's Got To Do It"
"Legacy"
"Beyond Belief"
Characters with major appearances (mostly for general reference since I don't give numbers, real names, etc; for the most part in the actual listings):
WARLOCK II/ADAM WARLOCK
DRAX/ARTHUR DOUGLAS
GAMORA
QUASAR IV/PHYLA-VELL
ROCKET RACCOON
STAR-LORD/PETER JASON QUILL
COSMO
MANTIS/? BRANDT
GROOT
NOVA/RICHARD RYDER
MAJOR VICTORY II/VANCE ASTROVIK III*
STARHAWK III*
CARDINAL RAKER
MATRIARCH, UNIVERSAL CHURCH OF TRUTH
[MYSTERIOUS COCOON]
*Both Major Victory and Starhawk appear to be alternate versions - and probably not from the same future - given what is said and shown in GOTG2 5-onward.
Considering that I really didn't want to do this analysis of this arc, mostly because of the framing-sequence debrief logs which make narrative sense, but limited-at-best chronological sense - Star-Lord's especially hard to do since the last one precludes pushing it back into issue 2 - and interweaving #1 with the ANNCONQ 6 is also a bit ropey, that #1 title seems hideously appropriate.
And, in large part because of the narrative structure, I'm analysing this out-of-sequence, in chronological order rather than by pagination. Try to keep up, it's going to be a bumpy ride
[I'm not going to do direct listings, because they would be horrendously long AFAICS]Team formation FBs/ANNCONQ 6 epilogue interweaving:
Where exactly Mantis' admission in GOTG2 4 falls into any of this isn't entirely clear - is she hiding behind Moondragon's grave in that scene, fr'instance? My best guess is that she puts the whammy on them once they're all round the table, but...
The panel ordering of the ANNCONQ 6 epilogue is a montage narrated over by Phyla until she's interrupted by Adam Warlock, and I don't see that the montage works exactly in the order presented.
Kree:
ANNCONQ 6 (34:3-34:4)-FB
Cast: Warlock III, Tyro, Wraith, Ronan
Warlock, Tyro and Wraith work at purging the transmode virus from the Kree; while Ronan looks at his Universal Weapon with a worried look on his face. I place both of these panels very shortly after ANNCONQ 6 (to 33), and on the same day.
Mantis & Bug:
ANNCONQ 6 (35:2)-FB
Cast: Bug, Mantis
Bug sits at a comatose Mantis' bedside, holding a bunch of flowers. Could be late on the day of ANNCONQ 6 (to 33), with an orange sky and green (!) sun low in the sky.
Rocket & Groot:
ANNCONQ 6 (35:3)-FB
Cast: Rocket Raccoon, Groot.
Also late evening, with waves of dark green cloud in an orange sky. Rocket pots up the Groot-twig he salvaged.
Phyla recruitment:
GOTG2 1 (5)-FB
"Hala, Two weeks ago, the day after the end of the Phalanx Conquest..."
Cast: Star-Lord, Phyla-Vell, Nova
Star-Lord wants "an ass-kicking force" to stop another Annihilation "before it even happens". Nova's dubious, but promises to hook them up with a base, and suggests some names. Phyla decides to "bite", though.
Rocket Racoon Raccoon (and Groot) recruitment:
GOTG2 1 (8:2-8:5)-FB
"Downtown, Hala, Two days after the end of the Phalanx Conquest..."
Cast: Star-Lord, Rocket Racoon, Groot, unnamed bartender
Quill tries to talk Rocket [who's got a still twig-sized Groot] into joining up by getting him drunk in a pub. Rocket spots that it's a "guilt thing" over letting the Phalanx in, and agrees to join up if he'll stop beating himself up about it.
Drax recruitment:
GOTG2 1 (12)-FB
"The Grove of Honor, Hala, Three days after the end of the Phalanx Conquest..." [@ Moondragon's grave]
Cast: Drax, Phyla-Vell
Phyla talks a directionless Drax into joining up at Moondragon's graveside.
Gamora recruitment:
GOTG2 1 (15)-FB
"The Supremor Hotel, Uptown Hala, Four days after the end of the Phalanx Conquest..."
Cast: Gamora, Nova
Gamora gets angry that Rich brought her up to a hotel room to suggest joining Quill's group, rather than for "a little celebratory relaxation", and doesn't want his "pity" over what she admitted in NO4 10 & 12. He eventually talks her into discussing it with Quill, "later".
Quill selling:
ANNCONQ 6 (35:1)-FB
[Placed later on the same day as GOTG2 1 (15)-FB]
Cast: Star-Lord, Nova, Drax & Gamora
Star-Lord discusses stuff with Nova, Drax and Gamora. I presume this is the "talk" they were going to have in GOTG2 1 (15)-FB, and he's also called Drax in.
Conquest #6 epilogue framing sequence:
ANNCONQ 6 (34:1), (35:4-36:3)
Cast: Phyla-Vell, Adam Warlock
As Phyla types up a letter "to" Moondragon about what's happened since the events of ANNCONQ 6. Adam says that Star-Lord wants to see them, and that he now knows why he's been reborn. She says she's going to come, but drops off the letter at Moondragon's grave alone first.
Adam's speech:
GOTG2 1 (20)-FB
"Hala, Five days after the end of the Phalanx Conquest..."
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, Mantis BTS |cf GOTG2 4|.
Adam Warlock explains to the assembled team (still in their individual colours, rather than the team navy/red scheme) that the fabric of space was damaged by the Annihilation Wave, and he was reborn to seal the fissures and stop things from outside the universe getting in. He wants their help.
Again, I presume this is where Mantis "convinces" them all to pledge allegance, since they ARE all still in their own colours here.
Main story:
Now, everything below is probably technically FBas well, other than the debrief logs. And possibly the UCoT Homeworld/GS Dareg stuff.
Mission to Templeship Tancred:
GOTG2 1 (1:2-4:3, 6:1-6:2, 6:4-7:1, 9:1-9:4, 9:6-11:2, 13:1, 13:3-14:3, 16:1, 16:3-17:1, 18:1-19:1)
"U.C.T. Templeship Tancred, Five Hours Ago..."
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, various Universal Church of Truth grunts, many "fettered" UCoT believers
The still-unnamed team attack a templeship of the Universal Church because Warlock's seen it heading for a fissure, and they're not exactly happy for the help. Eventually, they blow up the font of the ship to stop a creature making its' way through, and they convey it to the nearest planet
Exactly WHEN that "Five Hours Ago" is relative to isn't entirely clear. I presume it's relative to their return to Knowhere, but it could be relative to one or the other of the debrief logs...
[Interlude]
GOTG2 1 (21)
"Sancrosanct Homeworld of the Universal Church of Truth..."
Cast: UCoT crusader, UCoT Matriarch
Nighttime. The events of the above were "yesterday", and lead the Matriarch of the Universal Church of Truth to order an investigation into the six unnamed post-mortals, as a prelude to sending the church's Cardinals after them.
Debrief log, Mantis [1]:
GOTG2 1 (24:3, 24:5-24:6)
Mantis sets up the debrief booth, discusses her role with the team, that they'll decide to call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy in 24 hours, and that in nine months they'll be betrayed and killed by one of their own. [Since there's no way Drax's trick at the end of GOTG2 5 counts, presumably this is either still to come, or has been averted by the collapse of the Future Tense.]
Return to Knowhere:
GOTG2 1 (22:2, 23:1-23:2, 23:4-24:2, 24:4)
"Knowhere..."
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, Cosmo, Mantis, Groot, various Continuum Cortex technicians
Making it back to Knowhere after their "first trip", they meet Cosmo, who almost has their quarters and control centre set up. Rocket throws out a lot of names, and Mantis tells them to do their logs, while Star-Lord tells them to clean up, grab some food and then they'll discuss tactics. Rocket's more interested in naming the team.
Debrief log, Star-Lord [1]:
GOTG2 1 (1:1, 23:3, 26:3)
Cast: Star-Lord
Star-Lord discusses stuff about their mission.
I've wedged this in here because there's no way (26:3) can fit after they discover Vance Astro, but it doesn't flow well, and wedging the others here would be even worse, so they can wait till next issue.
Knowhere:
GOTG2 1 (25:1-25:3)
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora-OP, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, Cosmo, Mantis, Groot
Adam Warlock spots another fissure on the deep-range monitor in the vincinity of 56-Hydronis, and Star-Lord shouts there's a change of plans - promise themselves a late dinner, because they're going out again.
Hydronis:
GOTG2 1 (25:4-26:2, 26:4)
"Vicinity of 56-Hyrdonis..."
Cast: Major Victory II/Vance Astrovik III
A chunk of ice with a frozen building on it falls through a rift. Just visible in the ice is a vague figure, holding Captain America's shield...
Knowhere:
GOTG2 2: (1-2&3:1)
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord
The team pose for a moment, then teleport onward and outward...
Hydronis:
GOTG2 2 (4:1-4:3, 4:5-6:3, 6:5)
"Vicinity of 56-Hydronis..."
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, Major Victory II/Vance Astrovik III
...to land on the chunk of ice, which Drax tastes and identifies as "Frozen time" - which Adam Warlock confirms in response to Phyla's bafflement, clarifying that it's "Limbo Ice", and "this chunk of rock has passed through the deepest and coldest extra-dimensional voids imaginable". This disquiets Star-Lord, as we look at him from over the shield-carrier's shoulder.
Phyla spots the remains of walls and metal inside, and melts a hole in the ice to see it clearly. She calls Star-Lord over, and he beams Mantis a visual feed.
Knowhere:
GOTG2 2 (7:1)
Cast: Mantis, Groot, Cosmo
Mantis identifies the bit Phyla uncovered as the front gate of Avengers Mansion.
Hydronis:
GOTG2 2 (7:2-7:4, 8:2-12:4)
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, Major Victory II/Vance Astrovik III, various monsters
Just as they all start to panic, a monster breaks out of the ice near where Phyla had started to melt it and grabs her by the throat. She blasts it, and everything starts to melt quicker, releasing more of the monsters.
The systems of the shield-bearer detect a time-thaw and start to reactivate his vital organs. He wakes up just in time to throw the shield, freeing Adam Warlock from a tentacle, with the shield bouncing back to him. He stutteringly indentifies himself as "Vance Astrovik. I am Major Victory of the G-Guardians of the Galaxy", and asks when he is before collapsing.
Adam decides to try and disintegrate everything, and they all teleport out - Gamora carrying MV - except Phyla, who refuses to leave without AW. They get out just in time.
[Interlude]:
GOTG2 2 (13)
"GS Deneg..." [UCoT homeworld]
Cast: UCoT Matriarch, Cardinal Raker
The Matriarch has had time to review the visual logs of the templeship from #1, and wants the identity of one of the attackers verified, rather than for them to be wiped out as she had intended.
Debrief log, Phyla-Vell [1]:
GOTG2 1 (4:4, 13:2, 19:2, 22:3); GOTG2 2 (8:1)
Debrief log, Drax [1]:
GOTG2 1 (11:3-11:4)
Debrief log, Adam Warlock [1]:
GOTG2 1 (9:5, 16:2); GOTG2 2 (14:1)
Debrief log, Rocket Racoon [1]:
GOTG2 1 (8:1, 17:2, 22:1), GOTG2 2 (2&3:3)
Debrief log, Cosmo [1]:
GOTG2 2 (2&3:2)
Debrief log, Star-Lord [2]:
GOTG2 2 (4:4, 6:4)
Knowhere market:
GOTG2 2 (14:2-15:5)
Cast: Phyla-Vell, Cosmo, Drax, various Knowhere residents
Cosmo and Phyla discuss MV, and how the shield is either the original or "the most perfect copy". Phyla spots Drax, who claims to have been in the Continuum Cortex (teleport chamber) handing in his passport bracelet.
Team meeting:
GOTG 2 (16:1-16:3, 16:5-17:2)
"Team Control Center..." [Knowhere]
Cast: Adam Warlock, Gamora, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Mantis-VO
They discuss the enforced parallels between the Avengers discovering Cap frozen in a block of ice, and their own discovery, which "scares the bejeebies out of" Star-Lord.
Rocket becomes obsessed with them naming themselves the "Guardians of the Galaxy," while Mantis calls "Peter" because MV has woken up.
Debrief log, Gamora [1]:
GOTG2 1 (6:3, 14:4), GOTG2 2 (16:4)
NB: This takes place during the GOTG (17:3-19:5) scene, and the split is artificial as a result...
An unburned Gamora makes snippy comments about her reference to a "clubhouse" during the Templeship mission, some surly "enthusiasm" about the whole concept, and how her position on AW's "pretensious philosophical comments" has changed...
Examining VA:
GOTG2 2 (17:3-19:5)
[Team control center, Knowhere]
Cast: Adam Warlock, Major Victory II/Vance Astrovik III, Mantis, Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord, Gamora
Mantis tells Star-Lord what she knows, and what she will know in three and a half hours time, about MV's physical condition. She goes in to talk to MV, who's almost completely amnesiac - he knows his name, and that he's when he aimed to be, but very little else.
Gamora calls them to let them know another fissure's been detected. Star-Lord agrees to call the team "Guardians of the Galaxy" if Rocket will finally shut up about it, while Mantis stays with "Vance" to talk some more.
Binary Stasis Twelve, Dyson Sphere:
GOTG2 2 (20-22)
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, Cardinal Raker, various unnamed UCoT Cardinals
The group land in a small, shielded, habitable spot inside a Dyson Sphere [strictly, a Dyson Shell, but...]. Moments later, the UCoT Cardinals teleport in, Adam Warlock tells them to sod off, and they launch an attack.
Binary Stasis Twelve, Dyson Sphere (continued):
GOTG2 3 (1:4-2:5, 3-5)
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, Cardinal Raker, various unnamed UCoT Cardinals
Fight!
The jellified remains of the Dyson Sphere's inhabitants joins in shortly.
Knowhere:
GOTG2 3 (6:1-8:2, 8:4-9:4)
Cast: Groot, Major Victory II/Vance Astrovik III, Mantis, Starhawk III
Mantis waters Groot as she talks to the amnesiac Vance. Suddenly, a version of Starhawk teleports in and sucker-punches Vance, while Mantis is disconcerted by the fact that he was completely invisible to her mental abilities - until he picks her up and slams her through a wall into unconsciousness, just as Vance picks himself up. He catches that the other guy's name is Starhawk, but nothing else, moments before SH shoves him through a wall.
Binary Stasis Twelve, Dyson Sphere:
GOTG2 3 (10:1-10:4, 11:1-13:2)
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord, Cardinal Raker, various unnamed UCoT Cardinals (two die)
The green ooze eats two of the Cardinals, as AW identifies it as the sphere's population, transformed by a fissure.
The Cardinals teleport in and blast Star-Lord; then stab AW in the back as he tries to heal him. They then teleport out.
Knowhere:
GOTG2 3 (14-15)
Cast: Major Victory II/Vance Astrovik III, Starhawk III, Cosmo, various Knowhere personnel
Vance & Starhawk are still fighting, and smash through the Continuum cortex, wrecking it. Starhawk then teleports out.
Binary Stasis Twelve, Dyson Sphere:
GOTG2 3 (16:1-16:3, 16:5-19)
Cast: Adam Warlock, Drax, Gamora, Phyla-Vell, Rocket Racoon, Star-Lord
Star-Lord suggests opening the shield dome to fry the ooze, while telporting out.
Because of Starhawk & Vance's fight, however, the second part of the plan doesn't work, and Gamora has to run out into the hostile area while Phyla shields the others, burning her horribly, to close the dome.
Debrief log, Rocket Racoon [2]:
GOTG2 3 (1:1-1:3, 13:5)
Debrief log, Star-Lord [3]:
GOTG2 3 (2:6, 20:1)
Debrief log, Mantis [2]:
GOTG2 3 (8:3)
Debrief log, Adam Warlock [2]:
GOTG2 3 (10:5, 20:3, 20:6)
Debrief log, Phyla-Vell [2]:
GOTG2 3 (13:3, 16:4, 20:2)
Debrief log, Drax [2]:
GOTG2 3 (13:4)
Debrief log, Cosmo [2]:
GOTG2 3 (20:4)
Debrief log, Gamora [2]:
GOTG2 3 (20:5)
They all reflect on the mission - Cosmo says that it took fifteen hours to fix the CC - except Gamora, who doesn't want to be seen until her healing factor fixes her.
"Sacrosanct homeworld of the Universal Church of Truth"
GOTG2 3 (21-22)
Cast: UCoT Matriarch, Cardinal Raker, [Mysterious AW-like coccoon]
Using a tissue sample from the hollow knife used to stab him, the UCoT have confirmed that Adam Warlock was who he appeared to be.
Leading them to wonder who or what is in the coccoon they've got.
*phew*
Notes:
Nova appears in the flashbacks before (quite probably well before) NO4 13, and also before NO:ORR.
