Warning: Spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy (2023) Annual #1!
Drax the Destroyer has found his true purpose in the latest Guardians of the Galaxy adventure, and with it comes a new moniker: The Creator. While the former Destroyer made a name for himself in the Marvel Universe as a heavy hitter, Drax is far more complicated than he’s given credit for being. He was once a human named Arthur Douglas, who died on Earth only for his essence to be molded into Drax. Since then, he’s been without a soul until the previous issue of this series.
Just as soon as he’s regained his soul, Drax sacrifices everything to become Drax the Creator and save the galaxy in Guardians of the Galaxy (2023) Annual #1 by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Kev Walker, Matt Hollingsworth, and VC’s Cory Petit. In an effort to save the galaxy from Empress Victoria’s blind Thanos-esque fury, Drax allows himself to be sacrificed.
Not only does Drax die a noble death, but the nature in which he dies reveals his destiny to be remembered and acknowledged as far more than what he destroys.
Guardians of the Galaxy’s Drax Becomes Drax the Creator
At the start of this series, fellow Guardian Groot was perceived to have become a villain called Grootfall that was consuming worlds across the galaxy. However, as it turns out, Groot was never evil at all. He just did not know how to communicate what was actually happening. Everyone who was seemingly lost to Grootfall’s apparent destruction was actually being preserved by Groot. By becoming part of Groot’s ultimate form known as Grootspace, these people and planets provided Groot with the energy needed to re-seed his species before they would be reborn themselves. Groot’s teammates took up a new role as the Guardians of Grootspace, swearing to protect Groot at all costs so that he could regrow his species. For Drax, the cost comes with his life.
Empress Victoria, convinced her actions will help the greater good, sets out to destroy the sun in order to stop Groot, someone she’s mistaken for a monster. When the sun can’t be stabilized remotely without destroying whoever is stabilizing it, Drax takes charge. After a powerful monologue, he sacrifices himself to save the galaxy. As a result, the millions of people who disappeared into Grootspace are able to use Drax’s sacrifice as a guide to return to the land of the living.
Drax Makes the Ultimate Sacrifice to Create a Miracle
It’s hard not to view Drax’s sacrifice, mere moments after regaining the soul he’s been chasing for so long, and not feel bittersweet. However, what he gains is a new sense of purpose, hence why he’s so eager to sacrifice himself, doing so with a smile on his face and optimism in his words. In his words, he spent years as “a weapon of war” without real purpose outside of violence. Now, Drax the Creator uses the newfound love and music in his heart to end a war by salvaging lives, including his fellow Guardians of the Galaxy.
