Warning: contains a preview of Heroes Reborn #4!
In a preview for the next issue of Marvel Comics’ Heroes Reborn, Rocket Raccoon and Groot are going to be hunting down Marvel’s version of the Green Lantern. The entire Marvel Universe has been remade, and reality has changed for almost every hero thanks to the Squadron Supreme of America becoming Earth’s Mightiest Heroes instead of the Avengers, resulting in a massive Butterfly Effect. This has even impacted Marvel’s cosmic heroes like Rocket Raccoon and Groot, whose trajectories have seemingly taken darker paths in the absence of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Thus far in Marvel’s Heroes Reborn, each issue has put its focus on how the Marvel Universe has changed as seen through the eyes of different members of the Squadron Supreme of America. While the second and third issues held respective spotlights on Hyperion and The Blur (Marvel’s analogs for Superman and the Flash), Heroes Reborn #4 will be all about Doctor Spectrum, the Marvel equivalent of Green Lantern, whose powers allow him to generate light constructs of various colors using a Power Prism (as opposed to the power ring of a Green Lantern).
Now, Heroes Reborn #4, from writer Jason Aaron and artists James Stokoe and Ed McGuinness, sees Doctor Spectrem as a brutal agent of law and order among the stars, so much so that a blinded Watcher has agreed with several other alien races that the SSA member needs to be taken out. This has motivated them to hire none other than Rocket and Groot to get the job done, as they’ve become bounty hunters in this new reality. Here’s the synopsis and cover art for the issue from artist Leinil Francis Yu:
With the cosmic might of his Power Prism, Doctor Spectrum has become the most feared lawman in the heavens. But now the dark forces of deep space have sent the galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunter to end Spectrum once and for all. That’s right, here comes Rocket Raccoon! Plus: In a backup tale, the all-new Starbrand finds herself alone in a strange new universe.
It seems as though Doctor Spectrum is pretty intolerant and merciless with the justice he dispenses in space, and he’s even the one who blinded the Watcher when the powerful witness tried to intervene and stop him. As a result, it looks like the galaxy has agreed that Spectrum is a tyrant, and they’ve hired Rocket and Groot to take him out for good. Clearly, the classic cosmic duo has gone down a dark path, as Rocket is wearing an eye-patch while Groot has become some sort of living gun for Rocket’s use. Without the other Guardians of the Galaxy, it seems as though Rocket and Groot chose to become guns for hire in this changed reality, and one can only imagine what they’ve done in the past.
In any case, the changes to Rocket and Groot are just a few more additions in a long list of differences from the Marvel Universe that was. Clearly, the emergence of the Squadron Supreme as premier heroes has created a negative imbalance in reality, despite the “peace” they’ve managed to orchestrate in this new Heroes Reborn era. While Rocket and Groot will no doubt do their best to take Marvel’s Green Lantern down, it’s quite possible that this new job could be their last considering Spectrums’ brutal nature.
