The MCU captured lightning in a bottle with the release of the first Guardians of the Galaxy film back in 2014. Even modern Marvel Comics readers were largely unfamiliar with the team and its lineup of heroes before James Gunn came along and elevated them all to a new level of stardom with a mix of humor, heart, a killer soundtrack, and serious star power, including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel. The crew of intergalactic underdogs managed to defy the odds and score a staggering box office haul of over $773 million, paving the way for two more films, a holiday special, a major role in the two-part Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and an expanded roster. Yet, despite their newfound fame, their future in film is currently up in the air, especially with Gunn now leading the DCU and the MCU heading for Doomsday.
On the page, however, the Guardians are still managing just fine. This year marked the launch of the Imperial Guardians series, radically reinventing the lineup with one familiar face in Gamora as the leader alongside Captain Marvel, Cosmic Ghost Rider, Brawn, and Dark Hawk. To celebrate half a century since the character’s creation, Marvel now also has a new set of solo adventures on store shelves today starring the member of the team Gunn has previously called his favorite of the bunch — Rocket Raccoon. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 largely served as a spotlight for the Cooper-voiced anthropomorphic weapons specialist, but now, Rocket Raccoon: Rocket Rewind #1 is sending him blasting off across the cosmos with bonkers action, exciting team-ups, and a revisit to his origins on the page. A sneak preview was released to showcase three of the stories packed into this one massive issue.
The first two pages come from “The Fight in the Raccoon,” though it’s Hank Pym who opens up the tale. He’s on the losing end of an invasion on the planet of B’Digg-4, where he’s trying to protect a race of insects against an invading force led by a massive space dragon. Years of shrinking and growing in galactic wars as Ant-Man, Giant-Man, and more have left him weakened, so he sends out distress signals for help, and the only one who answers is Rocket, fresh off of nearly getting into an altercation with an alien at a bar. Though he doesn’t even show off his skills in the pages, his legendary status as a renowned warrior Thor and Captain Marvel precedes him, as does his penchant for wise-cracking. In the second story, “Boomshakalaka,” Rocket makes his way to the planet Shaka, chatting en route with old pal Groot about how odd their honor-based culture is. He’s unsure why they even hired him, considering they’re a peaceful planet protected by the Intergalactic Council, but he’s about to change his tune when it appears the rumors of their sacred artifact, the Pura Vida, are true after all.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
01
What drives you to do what’s right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
06
What’s your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
‘Rocket Rewind’s Final Story Is a Homage to Rocket Raccoon’s Past
Last but not least, the final page provides a short look at “The Sword in the Star,” the framing story that sets up an exploration of Rocket’s creative origins. It sees the raccoon landing on an unknown backwater asteroid after his engine overheats. While he’s able to easily make repairs, even while immensely frustrated, he’s stuck on the rock for several hours while he waits for the engine to cool down. That leads him to start exploring until, out of nowhere, a hole opens underneath him, pulling him towards a mysterious signature indicating there is another lifeform on the asteroid. It will inevitably tie into the fourth and final story, “The Sword in the Star: Witchblade,” which isn’t an original tale for the anniversary comic, but a reprint of the exact moment from Marvel Preview #7 when Rocket’s creators, writer Bill Mantlo and artist Keith Giffen, introduced the character to readers for the first time. Expect things to get meta as the description teases a team-up between Rocket and his original 1976 counterpart, then called Rocky Raccoon.
As for the new segments, Rocket Rewind has gathered a murderer’s row of writers and illustrators for Rocket’s big spotlight. “The Fight in the Raccoon” was penned by Marvel veteran Christos Gage, who has also written for Netflix’s Daredevil series, while the art was done by Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man illustrator Todd Nauck. Award-winning Marvel Mutts author MacKenzie Cadenhead and artist Enid Balám collaborated for “Boomshakalaka,” and J.M. DeMatteis, notable for penning “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” wrote “The Sword in the Star” alongside art from Shawn McManus. As the cherry on top, beloved Spider-Man artist Ryan Stegman and colorist Arthur Hesli handled the main cover.
Rocket Raccoon: Rocket Rewind #1 is now available on store shelves. Check out a preview of the comic in the gallery above.
Release Date
August 1, 2014
Runtime
121 minutes
Director
James Gunn
Writers
Nicole Perlman, James Gunn
Producers
Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Nik Korda, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham
