In the far reaches of space, Peter Quill, a brash adventurer, finds himself the target of a manhunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. Quill, who refers to himself as Star-Lord, discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to cosmic peace. Fleeing from Ronan’s henchmen, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits: Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly and enigmatic Gamora; and the vengeance-driven Drax the Destroyer.

As they bicker among themselves and struggle to understand the value and function of their newfound object, the group quickly realizes that they must work together to stop the destruction Ronan could unleash on the universe. These unlikely heroes fight off relentless enemies and form a bond over the course of exciting escapades and escapes. When they learn of Ronan’s intentions to obliterate an entire planet using the orb’s power, Quill devises a desperate plan. With a powerful enemy closing in and the security of the cosmos in the balance, they are compelled to make a stand, and in doing so, they begin to see themselves not just as a band of misfits, but as a family.