Marvel just killed the MCU’s most popular superhero team

The Guardians of the Galaxy have gone up against the Grootfall for a final stand and appear to have died in the process. What does it mean for the universe?

The Guardians of the Galaxy have had a hell of a mystery on their hands in the current run. The current arc has seen the team chasing Grootfall – a flaming Groot-shaped meteor that consumes planets – across the galaxy, struggling to save anyone in its wake. 

What exactly Grootfall is has been a running mystery as the distraught and splintered Guardians struggle in the face of their own failures. The team finally came together when Star-Lord believed Groot was trying to reach him from beyond, but it was too little, too late.  

Now, the team found themselves trapped inside Grootfall. The revelation of what actually happened brings with it a new beginning, but that beginning comes at a heavy price. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy die to Grootfall

Guardians of the Galaxy #6 sees the titular Guardians – Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Nebula, Mantis and Rocket – reliving the events that led to Grootfall. They found themselves in a seemingly dead area of space in an effort to preemptively chase threats but instead found themselves on Groot’s homeworld.

Groot dies on the homeworld as the last of his kind, an elder tree named Granopy. In her final moments, Granopy gives Groot her “gift.” Groot changes into the so-called Grootfall and takes off. The Guardians attempt to stop it, but no one is willing to do what it would have really taken: outright killing Groot. 

Coming to terms not just with their role in Groot’s death but in the prolonged suffering of the universe, there’s a sense of catharsis among the team. It’s short-lived, though, as the Guardians of the Galaxy die, with the Grootfall reshaping itself into the massive Grootspace…complete with a giant Star-Lord head. 

Marvel makes no bones about the fate of the Guardians, with the next issue outright declaring the team dead. With Grootfall still a threat to the universe, it looks like the Scarlet Witch’s son, Wiccan, and his husband, Emperor Hulkling, are stepping up to the challenge. 

Could the Guardians actually be dead? They’ve all been dead at least once at some point in the past, and they’ve all managed to find their way back. Whether they’ve finally succumbed to Groot’s final fate is yet to be seen. 

Guardians of the Galaxy #6 is available now from Marvel Comics. For more Guardians of the Galaxy and comic book news, be sure to follow all our coverage.