Warning: Spoilers for Annihilation 2099 #2!Marvel readers finally get a full overview as to what the Star-Lord of the future looks like. When Marvel first previewed its Annihilation 2099 series last spring, it gave readers their first look at the next Star-Lord, a Wakandan Space Goddess. Because all that readers had at the time was cover art and a preview for the debut of Peter Quill’s replacement, there remained a lot of mystery surrounding her.
Finally, the official release of Annihilation 2099 #2 by Steve Orlando, José Luis, Oren Junior, and Arif Prianto gives readers the full look, origin story, name, and costume of the Star-Lord at the edge of the 22nd century.
Not only does this new age Star-Lord do her right by her predecessor with an impressive skill set and mindset, but she manages to add to the legacy of a character whose mantle lacked such a thing beforehand. In one issue, the Star-Lord name becomes a coveted namesake worthy of respect.
Who is the Star-Lord of 2099?
Origins, Costumes, and Weapons Explained
The story introduces Amandla Estrellas, operating under the title of Star-Lord and the position of Independent Stellar Security. However, she mentions in passing that she carries the name as a nod to “someone who was there for me.” Amandla lands on Orkastra-3 shortly after the destruction of Orkastra-1 and Orkastra-2 inflicted by Quasar the Living Sun. She’s passionate about preventing another planet’s destruction because her world, too, was destroyed. She was saved by a Wakandan relief team before being raised on Planet Wakanda, where she was taught to guard the stars.
She does so with the help of Ship (which Star-Lord names Umbingeleli), a sentient spaceship not unlike Quill’s base of choice during the original Earth-791 canon of the Guardian of the Galaxy. An added caveat to Ship is that, having been built on Planet Wakanda, it is powered by vibranium with adamantine psychic shields and cavorite anti-gravity. Star-Lord’s suit and her thunderous Starhammer – looking reminiscent of Thor’s Mjolnir – is also powered by vibranium. As seen in her battle with Quasar and defeat of him, her quick wits and advanced technology prove to be major assets to her during combat.
Amandla Adds a Legacy to the Star-Lord Name
The Mantle Means Something Outside of Peter Quill
Star-Lord was always a name attached to Peter Quill, but it was never a mantle in the same way that, say, Captain America and Spider-Man are mantles. These aren’t just namesakes, but titles passed down along multiple generations of heroes, each one carrying their predecessor’s name proudly into new adventures. The only exceptions are Adam Warlock, who only briefly adopted the Star-Lord name in the 2015 iteration of Guardians of the Galaxy, and Kitty Pryde, who only briefly took the name for herself after Secret Wars until Peter took offense to the gesture.
As a result, the Star-Lord name was always soley associated with Peter Quill by the masses. Creating a character like Amandla who carries the name just as proudly and just as impressively as Peter did (arguably more so) gives Peter a legacy long after his original Guardians of the Galaxy stint. A generational mantle like this does more than just offer a name to a new hero, but it showcases just how important the prior hero’s legacy was if they’re able to inspire the next generation. The era of 2099 is in good hands, and so is the Star-Lord name.
