There are several characters like Superman throughout all of comics. When super-strength, flight, and laser vision come together, characters like The Sentry from Marvel Comics, Invincible‘s Omni-Man, and The Boys‘ Homelander are created. But perhaps the ultimate “clone” of Superman isn’t a clone at all, but a parody, and for that, one does not have to look any further than the Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Peter Quill, better known as the cosmic hero Star-Lord.
At first thought, it doesn’t seem like these two heroes would have anything in common with each other, but they are more closely related than any of the aforementioned characters above. For starters, both Superman’s and Star-Lord’s powers are tied to the Sun. Superman is charged by yellow sunlight, a well-known fact, but a recent retcon in GotG lore made Peter Quill a literal Star-Lord, giving him Sun-based cosmic powers along with the title: “Master of the Sun.” The similarities don’t stop there, either.
Both characters are even similar in their origins and how they use their powers for good. Both are the children of powerful aliens who end up on Earth. Both can fly, but in Star-Lord’s case, this takes the form of a spaceship rather than his own power. And both use their sun-based powers for the good of the universe. This manifests in Superman as his standard power-set, but for Star-Lord, his sun power is channeled through his guns. Their powers take on different forms, but at their core, the principle is the same. To really drive the point home, Superman’s real name, Kal-El, means “Star Child” in ancient Kryptonese.
Where the two “Star” heroes differ is their approach in how they carry out their good deeds. Superman is invincible, indestructible, unbreakable, etc, and the denizens of the DC universe are fortunate that he believes in protecting them from those who would do them harm. If there is a villain, Superman has no problem taking them down for everyone’s sake. Star-Lord and the Guardians are slightly different. They are a group of reformed criminals who constantly take on threats way out of their league, because if they don’t, who else will? This is reflected in Star-Lord’s best quote, “Then it’s us”, which perfectly defines the Guardians as a team.
Both Star Lord and Superman are two very different characters, with two very different approaches to heroism, but when looking at their histories, feats, and symbolisms, they are more alike than any other pair of characters. Nobody is a better parody of Superman than the Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Star-Lord.
