Arcturians looked no different from humans. Other than being taller and more powerfully built, male or female alike, there was no visible distinction.
Though both were nominally associated with birds, the Shi'ar at least had some feathers on their bodies—around their eyelashes or sideburns, for example—making them recognizable.
Arcturians, on the other hand, could go to Earth and at most be praised as "what a fine strapping man." They were impossible to distinguish by sight alone.
But they could not be completely identical, because aside from their martial spirit, every Arcturian possessed some degree of superhuman ability. Nothing especially outrageous—just faster running, higher jumping, and greater strength.
In terms of physical capabilities alone, Arcturians were even somewhat stronger than ordinary Asgardians. And unlike the Asgardians of Asgard, who revered the spirit of warriors, they were mostly pragmatists.
Asgardian warriors often fought for honor, competing over something that could be called pride. Arcturians were different. Whenever they acted, it meant they had already seen something to gain. That was called the eagle's eye.
That was why Starhawk had done fairly well. He and his sister had been the sole survivors of Arcturus, yet they had quickly built a fleet from nothing. They were born Mercenaries, and they had established the Space Marauders, a Mercenary alliance.
Yes, the Space Marauders were Space Mercenaries, but they were not the only group. They were merely a relatively loose band active in the Milky Way Galaxy, while the cosmic universe was vast, with nearly countless Mercenary groups.
The most typical example was the Nuwali. Those dog-like aliens who liked to wear gold-and-red battle armor could turn their entire race into Mercenaries as long as the price was right and the contracts were signed.
But as Star-Lord walked down this broad avenue, he saw nothing that