WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy, by Al Ewing, Marcio Takara, Federico Blee, and VC's Cory Petit, available now.
Empyre drastically changed the status quo of the Marvel Universe, and the Guardians of the Galaxy might be more directly affected by this chaos than anyone else. Given the team’s constant presence in space, the aftermath of the Kree/Skrull alliance continues to send shock waves throughout the galaxy’s political system.
These changes continue to play out in Guardians of the Galaxy, where a diplomatic conference to negotiate the future of universal politics is derailed when Marvel Boy is framed for murder. But in the series’ newest issue, Rocket Raccoon, or Ranger Rocket, unravels the complex plot against Marvel Boy and discovers that the Profiteer, an Elder of the Universe, has tried to launch an all-out universal war.
A murder mystery continues to unfold in The Proscenium, the conference center where the galaxy’s most notable power players have gathered. The diplomats gradually reveal the stakes of the murder of Stote, the emperor of the Zn’rx, as it will kickstart the “Snarkwar,” a bloody conflict that endangers the entire galaxy. To drive home the sense of looming peril, Super Skrull says that the Zn’rx make the Skrulls look peaceful by comparison. Kl'rt states that Stote’s murder will lead to the deaths of trillions.
Super Skrull is ready to punish Marvel Boy to the highest extent of Kree law, but Rocket saves the day. He proves that the murder weapon, which was found with Noh-Varr, has been rigged to lethally backfire on anyone that shot it. But Rocket ups the ante by uncovering the motives behind this deception, and he finds the person who’s responsible.
Rocket uses deductive reasoning to walk the diplomats through the reasons why someone would want to severely sabotage this conference. By ruining these peace talks, the mysterious figure could perpetuate the galactic conflict that has plagued the universe. Eventually, Rocket discovers that The Profiteer, who is disguised as Lani Ko Ako, the representative of the Badoon Sisterhood, set the turbulent downfall of the conference up.
Rocket realizes that The Profiteer sought to live up to her name by benefitting from the Snarkwar. In a universal battle of epic proportions, she would control the flow of weapons and subsequently gain immeasurable wealth and influence. She even considers using Peacebringer of the Chitauri, who comes to the conference with bio-explosive in his body, to wipe everyone in the building off the board. Thankfully, the news of Knull’s path of destruction convinces The Profiteer to leave the conference in peace. But of course, the arrival of this evil god will bring even more death and destruction.
In Guardians of the Galaxy #8, Rocket helps the team avoid one nightmarish fate, but it's quickly clear that another one is rapidly approaching. Rocket puts on his detective hat and uncovers The Profiteer's manipulative scheme that aimed to launch a catastrophic war. Though the Snarkwar couldn't be circumvented, the diplomatic conference ends without more immediate bloodshed. But Knull is on his way, and his universal conquest is a threat that's even more deadly.