The Guardians of the Galaxy had always dedicated themselves to promoting peace throughout the cosmos and, well, incidentally-really, just incidentally-earning a little money along the way.
Unlike the Space Pirates, they accepted commissions for their work.
Sometimes, someone would send out a distress signal, and they would go to help.
This time, while traveling through space, they had picked up a ship's distress signal.
So the Guardians of the Galaxy headed to its source to carry out a rescue.
Of course, if everyone was already dead...
Out of humanitarian concern, they would help collect the bodies, provided there were enough supplies wherever those bodies were.
Star-Lord, an Earthling named Peter Jason Quill.
He was the child of Ego, a former member of the Elders of the Universe, and a woman from Earth.
As a child, he had been abducted into space by space pirates. From then on, he became Star-Lord, stealing wherever he went. That last name was one he had given himself.
The formation of this team had been full of twists and turns, including Star-Lord having to kill his biological father and watching his adoptive father die before his eyes.
The green-skinned woman beside him was Gamora, known as the most dangerous woman in the universe, though John had no idea who had given her that title.
Rocket-after a lengthy two-and-a-half-second observation, John could confirm that he was a raccoon. Probably a modified one, since this raccoon could talk. The universe really was amazing.
There was a big fellow with gray skin, Drax the Destroyer. His name reminded John of the Asgardian Destroyer Armor he had once encountered.
There was also a woman with antennae on her head and large, dark eyes. She seemed a little unhinged, and John thought she might have some witch ancestry.
Another man