| Star-Lord |  You are blowing holes in the ship!  |
| Drax | This is were we live! |
| Rocket Raccoon | Yeah, I know. I also live in my skin, which I don't want this thing on! |
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Star-Lord (Peter Quill)
- Gamora
- Drax the Destroyer (Arthur Douglas) (Merges with the Venom Symbiote)
- Groot (Loses the Venom Symbiote)
- Rocket Raccoon (Merges with and loses the Venom Symbiote)
- Flash Thompson
- Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
Antagonists:
- Venom Symbiote
- Carmondian thugs
Other Characters:
- Spartax Empire Council
- Emperor J'son (Mentioned)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Mentioned)
- Angela (Aldrif Odinsdottir) (Mentioned)
- Thanos (Mentioned)
- Blastaar (As a hologram)
- Terminator (Balin) (As a hologram)
- Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) (As a hologram)
- Bug (As a hologram)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for 1st story
On Spartax, a political council denounces the anti-Earth propaganda used by some of the candidates and debates how to proceed with electing a new leader for the Empire. One of the delegates suggests nominating Peter Quill, arguing that he is the best candidate available since he was the one who exposed his own father's corruption and has the support of the galaxy.
On board the Guardians' ship, the Venom-controlled Groot rampages, sending the ship careening into an asteroid field by throwing Drax into the controls. In the ensuing chaos, Peter drops the suppression device, but Drax is able to free Groot from the symbiote's control. It pursues Rocket, but is chased into the ventilation.
While Gamora berates Peter for losing the suppression device, Groot and Rocket realize the alien may attempt to take over Flash Thompson again. Gamora and Peter check on their comatose teammate, and Gamora coldly suggests jettisoning him for bringing the alien onboard.
Elsewhere, Drax, Rocket, and Groot search for the symbiote. Rocket blames himself for letting the alien escape, rebuking Drax's attempt to console him and blaming him for the damage caused to the ship. The symbiote oozes out of the vents, latching onto Rocket's arm, and he panics, inadvertently evading Drax's attempts to free him. The symbiote takes him over, and Venom-Rocket holds Drax and Groot at gunpoint and states that the symbiote has business in space, demanding that the Guardians relinquish control of the ship. When Groot attempts to reason with him, Venom-Rocket sneers that he's sick of the Woodgod's repetitive speech and opens fire.
On Knowhere, Captain Marvel apprehends some alien thugs, but is rendered speechless in the middle of lecturing them when she sees a holographic billboard proclaiming Peter Quill as a candidate for the presidency of the Spartax Empire.
On board the Guardians' ship, Peter and Gamora come across Drax and Groot fighting Venom-Rocket, and Gamora joins the battle, berating Rocket for succumbing to the symbiote's control. Peter spots the suppression device, but Venom-Rocket destroys it and holds him at gunpoint, stating that he has no intention of killing them but that the symbiote requires the ship, demanding that they leave in peace. Peter, not wanting to hurt Rocket, tells Gamora and Drax to stand down, but Drax grabs ahold of Venom-Rocket, the symbiote immediately transferring to him and taking him over.