Warning: SPOILERS for Old Man Quill #12
The biggest battle in the Marvel Multiverse may be yet to come, but whether we’ll actually see it any time soon is anyone’s guess. According to Old Man Quill #12, something called the Beyonder Wars happened in the aged Star-Lord’s past - and potentially our future - that claimed the life of the beloved Guardian of the Galaxy Groot. The name alone inspires awe about a potential conflict coming down the line in the Marvel Universe.
Old Man Quill is similar to the Old Man Logan storyline in that it imagines a dismal alternate future for a popular Marvel hero - in this, case Star-Lord. In this timeline, Quill took the Silver Surfer’s position as the herald of Galactus, with the other Guardians perishing in mission while Quill was away. However, in the latest issue of Old Man Quill, Peter explains that Groot died beforehand – during something called “The Beyonder Wars”.
The Beyonder first appeared in 1984’s Secret Wars #1 as a near-omnipotent being who gathered the various superheroes and supervillains on Earth to fight to observe the endless battle between good and evil. Though he supposedly died after taking human form at the end of Secret Wars II, he appeared a handful of times throughout the subsequent decades. Even better, it turns out this Beyonder is but a younger member of a much larger race of equally powerful beings. The Beyonders are so powerful that they have managed to kill other metaphysical entities in the Marvel Universe like the Living Tribunal, Eternity, Infinity and several other god-like beings. It’s easy to see why a war between several or all of the Beyonders could be a potentially devastating occurrence.
Still, whatever went down in the Beyonder Wars has very little impact on Old Man Quill. Even the death of Groot is less than permanent, as the issue ends with a new, sapling version of Groot standing among a new generation of Guardians of the Galaxy. Whatever happened in the Beyonder Wars also left reality more or less unshaken.
Alternate timelines can be a funny thing, however. In this world, Quill becoming the herald of Galactus lead to the demise of Groot, and eventually, the rest of the Guardians. It’s possible something similar could occur in the mainstream Marvel 616 universe. especially with the Cancerverse and Sentry launching an attack on our universe. Who’s to say Quill wouldn’t make a similar deal with Galactus, or perhaps, the Beyonders wouldn’t play some role in the wake of the Cancerverse’s incursion in the main universe?
It is also possible that “The Beyonders War” is nothing more than a throw-away line simply intended to make Groot’s death more impressive - but iconic events and characters have been created with less for inspiration. Whatever the case, it seems the Beyonders may once again play a big role in the Marvel universe going forward.
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