Warning: contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy #15!
In the most recent issue of Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, reveals that he named his son after a teammate fans know from both the comics and the MCU. While often depicted as a slacker hero, Peter Quill is a veteran of some of Marvel's most devastating conflicts, and his recent reinvention has redefined his understanding of the galaxy and his place within it.
After tangling with the reborn Gods of New Olympus, Star-Lord was hurled into another dimension known as Morinus. There, he spent over a hundred years as a freedom fighter, falling in love with Aradia and Mors - two blue-skinned nomads who helped Peter embrace the godlike extent of his powers and accept Morinus as his new home. Sadly, it emerged that Peter had accidentally stolen the Olympians' power during their clash, and the gods tracked him down in his new home. Star-Lord was forced to flee to save his new family, arriving back in his home reality only months after his supposed death.
Peter is still struggling with his experiences, remembering only pieces of his time in Morinus, and behaving coldly to friends who, to his own subjective memory, he hasn't seen in two lifetimes. In Guardians of the Galaxy #15 - from Al Ewing and Juan Frigeri - Nova pushes Peter on last issue's revelation that he had a child on Morinus, and Star-Lord reveals that his son's name was "Rocky," named for beloved teammate Rocket Raccoon. Though Nova pokes fun, pretending to be jealous of the honor, it's clear he's concerned for Star-Lord, whose newly unlocked powers are adding to the distance he feels from his teammates.
Eagle-eyed fans already suspected that Star-Lord had a son, and even guessed his name thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy #9, in which Peter asked, "Where's Rocky?" when his family came under attack by the gods, but this is the first official confirmation that they were right. Tragically, Peter reveals that because of the way time passes in Morinus, his son will already be "grown up and ageless," believing that Rocky won't remember a parent who had to leave so early in his life.
While some fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy, especially the MCU incarnation, may find it unusual that Peter would choose to honor Rocket Raccoon with his son's name, the two are actually far closer than many know. Rocket was part of the original Guardians roster Star-Lord brought together, keeping the team functioning even during Peter's darker moments, such as when the team learned he'd had them psychically influenced to stick together. The name is also fitting given Star-Lord's love of Earth's pop culture and music, since Rocket takes his name from the Beatles song Rocky Raccoon.
With his time in Morinus having destroyed his romantic bond with Gamora and distanced him from his found family, then broken his heart once more when he was forced to leave Aradia and Mors, it would be truly heartbreaking if Peter never saw his son again. Thankfully, comics are famous for confronting their heroes with lost, unknown, and even seemingly deceased family members, so there's no doubt Peter will meet Rocky once more, whether as a friend or an enemy. For now, Star-Lord is focused on doing what good he can as a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and fans can look forward to Rocket Raccoon's glee when he finds out that he, not Nova, was the one Peter apparently missed most.