The Marvel Cinematic Universe has an interesting way of operating on multiple levels of scale. Some stories within the larger franchise have fun with globe-trotting spy adventures and beloved ancient landmarks. The more cosmic Marvel stories get to invent their locations, and the Guardians of the Galaxy recently set up their headquarters in the big beautiful skull known as Knowhere.
Very few Marvel characters have proper bases of operations these days. DC heroes have their caves and ice fortresses, but aside from Avengers Toweror the Sanctum Sanctorum, most Marvel characters operate without a central office. There’s something special about a location intrinsically tied to a superhero’s work, and the Guardians picked a great new home.
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Where did Knowhere come from?
Knowhere is the severed head of a Celestial.The Celestials are thefirst living beings to inhabit the universe, predating the Big Bang. They created the stars, planets, and every living thing in the galaxy. Their power is unimaginable, but they can be killed under some circumstances. The identity of the Celestial that became Knowhere is unknown. Many of these small “g” gods are operating throughout the universe. A new Celestial can be born on any planet with sapient life, though they inevitably destroy their birthplace. The films don’t divulge how a Celestial was decapitated, but the comics offer an explanation.
In the comics, Knowhere was created by Knull, the eldritch god of darkness whocreated symbiotes like Venom. Knull was the ruler of an endless void that existed between dimensions. When the Celestials found him, they offered him the title of the King in Black. Though he refused, Knull spends most of his time trying to wipe out all matter in the universe so that it may return to the void. Knull’s first action in the prime universe was to create a living sword made of living darkness called All-Black. Most fans will remember that blade as the weaponGorr the God Butcherused to kill dozens of deities. Knull used the Necrosword to decapitate an unnamed Celestial. Its body drifted aimlessly for generations while its head became the mining colony Knowhere. So far, none of that is canon in the MCU. Symbiotes and all related materials are still likely out of Marvel’s hands due to their deal with Sony. If that ever changes, the MCU will likely introduce Knull as a powerful antagonist. He’s a Thanos-level threat worthy of his own epic confrontation.
What has happened on Knowhere?
The first appearance of Knowhere in the MCU comes at the end ofThor: The Dark World. In the first few phases of the franchise, the planet is the questionable home of Taneleer Tivan. Tivan, also known as the Collector, arranged for his intergalactic crime operation to begin mining Knowhere for bone, brain tissue, and spinal fluid. That mining colony funded the Collector’s collection of oddities from around the universe. Since the most powerful resident of the planet was a crime lord, Knowhere became a home for outlaws. Knowhere was well-established when the people of Asgard needed to find a new home for the Aether. The liquid formof the Reality Stonewas handed to the Collector for safekeeping.
Years later, theGuardians of the Galaxyfound themselves in possession of an Infinity Stone. They needed a fence for the Power Stone, and the Collector was happy to offer cash. The deal fell apart after Tivan’s slave Carina grabbed the stone and destroyed the collection. Knowhere was also the stage for Drax’s first brawl with Ronan the Accuser, which left Drax on the verge of death. After the Guardians left, the Collector began rebuilding his collection. Living exhibits like the space dog Cosmo and Howard the Duck escaped to live their own lives, but Tivan managed to fix most of his things. When Thanos came to collect the Reality Stone, he burned most of the planet to ashes. The Collector survived the attack, but his investment was ruined. Tivan sold Knowhere to the Guardians of the Galaxy after the Blip. They’ve spent the years since that sale fixing up the place. AsGuardians of the Galaxy Vol 3starts, the Guardians are still engaged in the long project of rebuilding the planet. In the process, they attached thrusters to the long-dead skull and turned Knowhere into a capable vessel.
Knowhere is a great sci-fi concept that has a lot of background in the comics. It’s the outer space equivalent of a town like Tombstone, Arizona. It’s a lawless place with one extremely powerful benefactor. The element that makes it unique is the Collector’s obsession with collecting. People keep bringing impossibly powerful artifacts to this ungovernable, disinterred corpse. Knowhere is a fascinating location that makes a perfect basefor the Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a home for outlaws that has suffered a tremendous tragedy. The everyday superheroes wouldn’t waste their time there, but only criminals could properly repair their homes.
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