Another thing ...

[sholio]

... that I love about the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and have to mention now that I've thought of it ...


The teamwork fights.

Peter does get to have a number of typically stand-up heroey moments (leaping out of the pod to save Gamora, grabbing the Infinity Stone, powering through Ego’s manipulation and fighting him to a standstill), but he never wins all on his own. Typically, going it alone only gets him part of the way, and then he needs to be rescued. Neither movie’s climax would’ve gone off at ALL well if the other characters hadn’t been there, doing their part. And not just in the typical "the supporting cast fights the lesser baddies so the hero can do the big boss fight" kind of way.

In the first movie, it takes all of them to keep Peter from being destroyed by the Infinity Stone; in the second movie, it’s Rocket and Groot’s bomb that actually kills Ego, while Peter’s overall function in the fight is mainly to hold off the enemy and distract Ego long enough for the bomb to do its thing. And then he would’ve died in the resulting inferno if Yondu hadn’t pulled him out of it.

The point that comes up again and again with Peter is that he can’t do it all on his own. He’s brave and he's a good fighter, but (aside from the whole Celestial thing) he’s basically a badass normal fighting people who have him badly outclassed. The main way he wins fights is by attracting and inspiring other people who want to help him. It’s just a really lovely, unusual vibe for a superhero movie.

Peter Quill’s superpower is his heart.

Comments

[sheron]

Not to take this off-topic or anything, but this is one of the things I find very attractive about Steve Rogers in the comics. He gets rescued ALL the time by his teammates because he's constantly in trouble (falling of things... XD ), but he's in trouble because he's always on the front line, inspiring/leading. And I just really love that dynamic. Neither Peter nor Steve are harmless or weak (AT ALL, see under Celestial/Supersoldier) but they don't have the, erm, firepower that the other teammates have and that's alright, their main power is bringing people together.

So yeah, I dig that about Peter too.

[sholio]

That's a great point about Steve! I thought about Steve in the movies when I was writing this (it's not quite the same, but in Winter Soldier especially, he ends up in a side fight with Bucky while Fury and Natasha take down the Big Bad). But I haven't really read enough of the Steve-centric comics to have noticed that dynamic.

I love teamwork fights in general; it's one of the reasons why I like ensemble stuff so much. The DC superhero shows are very focused on having the main character be the one to strike the deciding blow or do the big fight or whatever, so I really love that Marvel is a little less devoted to having their main heroes get all of the Big Damn Hero moments.

[sherylyn]

I love that, too -- the team-focus on things in the MCU, and esp. w/Guardians. I love that, yes, there are heroes, but there's no one person who can do it all. Even in the Avengers, with all the various strengths that each of them have, not one of them can ever do it all. I totally love that in most any story/series/movies -- when the "heroes" have to depend on each other, and not always be solely on their own. Like you said, the DC TV series tend to do that -- I'm watching Arrow right now ;-) -- and that usually does not work out so well, for so many reasons! :-P

[sheron]

Yes, I love that. It's even an explicit message in Agent Carter: "You need support" :)

[sheron]

I think it is more obvious in the comics (because there's more canon and therefore more team-y action) but I've totally noticed it before, more so in some arcs than others... and especially in the arc I've read recently (the one I spammed you with, where alternatively Clint, Tony and Nat rescue him but he's the one who drives the action). I'd have to think about it in MCU (hardship!).

And yes, with you on appreciating the teamy moments!!

[sholio]

I think it's something that really stood out for me with Peter in particular, once I started thinking about it, because he DOES actually get a number of scenes that play out in a Big Damn Hero kind of way (like grabbing the Infinity Stone, or using good memories of his loved ones to break free of Ego and then having a knock-down, drag-out fight with him) ... except, contrary to how the trope normally goes, ALL of the scenes like that with Peter end in someone else rescuing him. XD Poor sweetheart, he tries so hard.

[sheron]

I absolutely loved that scene right before Yondu grabs him, when he's standing alone on the planet with everything collapsing around him! <3

[killabeez]

Beautifully said! I really enjoy these movies, as well, and this is a great expression of why. :)

[saphirablue]

Peter Quill’s superpower is his heart.

This sums it up perfectly.

Also, I love the teamwork fights. Everyone gets to shine and has awesome moments. :)