In 1988, following his mother's death, a young Peter Quill is abducted from Earth by the Ravagers, a group of space pirates led by Yondu Udonta. Twenty-six years later on the planet Morag, Quill steals a sphere-like artifact only to be intercepted by Korath the Pursuer, a subordinate to the fanatical Kree Ronan the Accuser. Although Quill escapes with the artifact, Yondu discovers his theft and issues a bounty for his capture while Ronan sends the assassin Gamora after the orb, which Ronan seeks to give to the titan Thanos in exchange for destroying the Xandarians.