Synopsis / Summary / Plot
So Star-Lord's father J'son is the Patriarch of the new Universal Church Of Truth and he's captured and 'converted' most of the Guardians Of The Galaxy. He's left his son unbrainwashed and tried to convince him of the need for their messiah to kill Death. That messiah turned out to be Drax The Destroyer reborn from a Warlock-type cocoon, and the Church has loads more of these cocoons.
Meanwhile Groot and Moondragon were free and went to recruit dying Rocket Raccoon, who needs a 'Transformers' robot to get around in. He in turn led them to another ally - the Magus resurrected as a young boy.
Magus recounts the story of *this* life. Gamora found him emerging from *his* cocoon at the end of Infinity Wars #6. She set out to teach him to be good, and in the Thanos (2019) mini-series we saw them together in the framing tale where she narrated the story of her early life with Thanos. In *that* #6 they were on Halfworld to see Rocket, but Gamora decided it was best to send Magus away to people who could raise him better. It was on Halfworld that we found Gamora in #3 of *this* series.
Now we learn that Magus wound up with the Order Of The Healing Truth, members of the old Magus-led UCT who were dedicated to repairing the harm their old church had done. But unfortunately they considered his existence as part of what needed repairing, so they tried to kill him lest he grow up into their evil boss again. So *he* had to kill *them*. As he sat in the burning ruins of their temple the 'monsters' we saw last issue found him and became his pets.
Groot, Moondragon and Rocket (he's left his robot suit outside) have come to tell him the UCT is back. Moondragon whispers to Rocket her concerns about trusting the boy. Rocket whispers back that she could try reading his mind. Magus says he can hear them and offers to let Heather Douglas in. She declines. (Meanwhile Groot is making friends with the pets.) Rocket thinks the living Magus could confuse the Church members, giving them a chance to rescue their friends. Magus signs up 'cos he's bored.
Rocket stands up to lead them out but collapses into Groot's hands. He tells them to put him back in his armour, which sends out metal tentacles to take him in and engulfs him in a sustaining fluid. It seems he needs this suit to survive in. But now he does lead them away.
On Cathedral, the Temple-Destroyer flagship, Peter Quill confronts the newly-born (but full-size) Drax and tries to get through to the Arthur Douglas within. But this Drax says Arthur is dead and throws Star-Lord down into the pit of cocoons. Which burst open releasing an army of Drax's who all attack him. As he drowns in a sea of foes they all, including the Patriarch, get massive headaches ...
... caused by Magus and telepathic Moondragon. Rocket transmits a message demanding they release the Guardians. Patriarch refuses and counter-demands to know who this is. Rocket says it's the starship Bowie which now crashes through the wall of the Cathedral. The crew disembark (including Groot's little Stablings) and young Magus steps up to say that J'son should bow to him.