Appearing in "Tears for the World Called Heaven"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Thorn (First appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Jason (Only in recap)
- Meredith Quill (Only in recap)
- Master of the Sun (Only in recap)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Star-Lord Armor
- Element Gun
- Widgets
Synopsis for "Tears for the World Called Heaven"
Star-Lord decides to explore a world where the clouds are solid enough to be habitable by a race of winged people. He arrives in time to witness the angel-like beings casting a wingless man over the side of their kingdom and manages to rescue him from the fall. The man, Thorn, explains the ways of his world -- the wingless surface dwellers gain their wings by performing good deeds so they can ascend to the paradise in the clouds. Thorn perviously had wings, but had them revoked for daring to give the surface-dwellers a way to ascend to Heaven without earning their wings. He solemnly explains that though he was rescued, Shreen, the huntress from the clouds, will not rest until his original sentence is carried out. Star-Lord stays with Thorn in an effort to protect him and help him with his goal.
Over the course of three days, the other surface-dwellers gather to sacrifice their own progress towards their wings so help Thorn's grow back faster. When Shreen arrives, Star-Lord defeats her in battle, but she refuses his mercy as per their customs and kills herself. Thorn, also determined to observe their customs, tells Star-Lord he has to provide her burial and weep on her grave, but Star-Lord is unable to feel enough for someone that tried to execute his friend to shed any tears. Instead, Thorn decides to sacrifice himself by flying into the cloud's defense system -- a lightning storm. Star-Lord is finally driven to tears over Shreen's grave, mixing with the rain. In the wake of the storm, a rainbow stands as a beacon of hope in place of the bridge to the sky Thorn dreamed of building. Star-Lord leaves having learned much in regards to his own quest for ascension.