All the petty demons trying to break me in two.

I was born stronger than any of you.

At only 3'0 and weighing an unimpressive 28 lbs, Rocket isn't much to write home about. He's scrawny, scruffy-looking, but kind of adorable if you don't look too closely at those forty sharp teeth and he doesn't open his mouth. Despite being small, Rocket carries himself as if he's much bigger with the tough guy swagger of a much more intimidating creature. When he wants to command a room, he commands it, and sure it usually helps that he used to have a giant tree behind him to back up the majority of his threats, but he still puts on a grand show of acting like he's the biggest and the toughest. No one really can loom over him

He resembles an Earth raccoon down to the black mask around his eyes and his ringed tail, though it's best not to call him one. He hates that. His fur is mottled russet-brown and his eyes are a rust-red color. On his chest, usually always visible, are two metal brackets just over his clavicle.

Despite protesting he is not a raccoon (and also disdains being treated like an animal in general), his tail and ears react to his moods (his tail swishes A LOT when he's annoyed and he flicks his ears habitually). He also grooms himself the way a raccoon would... though a bit more daintily. When he runs or jumps, he behaves more like an animal.

Rocket's fashion sense seems to be "practical" in every way- he wears tight, one-piece jumpsuits made of material that has a lot of stretch to it, so it doesn't inhibit his movement any, allowing him to drop down on all fours and run if he has to. He also wears a special "shell" type of body armor on his back that has a specialized magnet he can hook his guns to. Around his waist, he wears a belt with several pouches that hold his tools.

He has several scars, particularly underneath his arms, around his legs, and vivisection scars that stretch from chest to groin, though all of those are subtle enough to be covered by his fur. His worst scars are on his back where the scarring is so bad, his fur won't grow back and he has several more metal pieces embedded into his spine.

His specific cybernetic enhancements are likely as follows: Custom hips, capable of "locking" his legs in an upright or all-fours position; custom joints, enhanced/extended bones in his fingers, making them more disconcertingly human-like; extra spine support and flexibility to allow him to walk upright or on all fours with no physical harm done to it; cybernetic enhancements to his vocal chords that allow him to speak; enhancements in his eyes that allow him to see better than an average raccoon; a makeshift metal sternum bracketed onto his skeleton above his ribs and around his spine with reinforced support in his shoulders, enabling him to carry and fire guns with no damage due to weight and recoil. This is on top of the fact that his entire skeleton is fused with fusocarbon alloy and some of his organs are likely mechanical.

He speaks with a pronounced Philly accent and usually sounds slightly belligerent

Rocket began life as a laboratory experiment, one who was tortured extensively ("ripped apart and put back together over and over again," by his own words) to become what he is currently. As such, he's extremely sensitive about being seen as nothing more than a thing, because he "grew up" for lack of a better term believing that was all he was. Anyone attempting to belittle him by calling him a vermin or a rodent will incur his temper and he has a huge one. He won't take any insult lying down, even a vaguely perceived one, and will lash out violently if he thinks you've given him a reason to act aggressively, whether it's hitting one of his buttons or- god forbid- touching him. (Or touching his things- people, included.) Anyone who enjoys explosions and causing other people pain as much as he does isn't really the kind of person you want to be pissing off, anyway.

At this heart, Rocket wants desperately to be treated like a person and, as such, behaves in an aggressive, dominant manner to get people to take him seriously, and to hide his fear that it will never be enough. It's not just his overblown theatrics with his unfeasibly large weapons or his big mouth, it's his attitude. For someone so burdened with anguish and self-doubt related to his own origins and where he stands because of it, Rocket exudes confidence. He knows he's smart, he knows he's talented, and he knows he's capable. When he threatens you, it isn't an act or a show- it's because he means it. And sure those words usually work better when there's a giant tree behind him ready and willing to smash some faces in at a word, but it doesn't change the fact that Rocket Gets Shit Done and he doesn't let anyone push him around. He's been to prison. He has no problems going back. And he has no problems getting out once he does go back.

He's a selfish, entitled little brat, generally concerned with what he will get out of something or, otherwise, believing himself to be entitled to a thing if he wants it more. The universe hasn't done right by him, so he doesn't really feel that compelled to do right by the universe, which gives him all the reason to do whatever he pleases as his own personal brand of "payback" for the world being horrific to him. He even goes as far as picking on people with similar misfortunes to his own as his way of compensating for his own shortcomings- likely why he has such a grand obsession with stealing cybernetic parts. Rocket can martyr himself like a pro and pretty much lives up on a cross when it comes to believing anything he does can be rationalized, and if you don’t agree, well… you’re a jerk.

The problem with being a lab-created experiment is the general existential why of it all. Rocket has deep-rooted issues that tend to only come out when he's drunk (or likely when he's triggered by something) and they all stem from the same horrific fear- he's a thing. He didn't ask to get made, he didn't ask to exist, and he probably doesn't even know why- if there was ever a reason- that happened to him. Regardless of what he does or how he acts, he's well aware he will never ever shake the stigma of being a freak and the only choice he has in the matter is how he takes the treatment (not well, as previously stated). That doesn't make it easier on him, of course. If anything, it leaves him with the constant, horrific burden of self-consciousness that he has to overcompensate for every day of his life. He's a monster and whatever niche he carves for himself won't change that. To that end, he even considers himself to be unlovable, due to being unloved for most of his life, and people getting close to him reminds him that it’s never going to be enough, causing him to freak out and lash out very strongly. He can deal with people hating him, because he can control that easily. But people loving him and caring for him? He can’t handle that. He can’t trust that. Better to be a misanthrope with no friends then somebody who can be tossed aside. You have to be willing to push back when he pushes or able to tolerate his behavior if you want to be considered a friend.

Despite having them and feeling them strongly, Rocket has a better handle on most of his emotions than most would give him credit for. Sure, he's angry and volatile and will throw a temper tantrum at the slightest insult, but anger is useful for cultivating his aforementioned tough guy image. Impractical emotions like fear and sadness and god forbid love, he tries not to waste any time on. He's emotionally selfish as well as physically- people exhibiting emotions that inconvenience or annoy him in any way are belittled or insulted, which may well be him overcompensating for his own feelings. He doesn't go around feeling his feelings and leading with anything other than his brain (and his temper) and getting other people killed or making himself look like a fool, so why would anyone else? That's just stupid. That said, moments of utter despair (and also alcohol) can push him to actual breakdowns and when he's pushed that far, he generally doesn't give a shit if the whole world sees him cry. He'll probably threaten you later if you ever bring it up again (or seconds after, he's feeling particularly spunky), but in the moment, he'll allow himself the weakness. It takes a lot to push him that far.

He's practical, not gifted with an overabundance of altruism or any real need to be heroic and of all the Guardians, he protests the hero thing the most, only giving in to Quill's plan, because he believes he won't live much longer anyway. Once in the field, however, he displays true compassion for the civilians of Xandar and grieves the causalities of the battle- he's especially shown to be affected by Denarian Saal's death. This (along with his relationship with Groot, which is one of the few scraps of proof we're given that he's not a total dick) proves that Rocket does have a lot of compassion in him when given a reason to be compassionate. He still wouldn’t consider himself “heroic” or even a “hero.” He just doesn’t believe in being the kind of dick who lets innocent people get murdered if he’s in the general area. He’s not going to go out of his way or anything though, unless he’s forced to.

Because Rocket keeps such a tight lid on his affectionate emotions, he tends to display them in ways that are more insulting and demeaning than actually loving- if you know him, then you probably know that he cares about you, because he's more "show" and "not tell" about things like that. It doesn't really change the fact that he will call you an idiot constantly and half the time when he says it, it means "you made me worry about you and I hate it" and the other half of the time, he just... thinks you're stupid. There's a hard line between Rocket being genuinely insulting and trying to cover up that a person made him feel things that can be tough to discern. He's an extremely difficult person to care about, which means when people do care about him, he tends to be possessive and protective of them in his own way, because these are his people. To get there, however, you have to deal with his habit of pushing people away to overcompensate for his own issues with being unloved.

He suffers from PTSD, and his symptoms include reoccurring nightmares about his time on Half-World and the experiments performed on him; increased anxiety/agitation when around or in laboratory/hospital settings; an extreme aversion to the smell of antiseptic; intense fear of having any kind of surgery performed on him; violent reaction to anyone touching him unexpectedly, especially on the neck or back, or grabbing him from behind (with Groot being the only exception).

Enhanced Intelligence — Rocket's cerebral cortex was genetically enhanced meaning that unlike other members of his species he has a cognitive and intellectual equivalent or superior ability to the most sensitive species in the galaxy. He can talk and communicate with other species, as well as perform extremely complex tasks. He considers himself a genius and will talk up this point at any available opportunity. Despite seeming to not give a shit about anything outside of his sphere, he's shown to be extremely knowlegable even about things of a cultural significance- he recognizes Drax's species on sight and knows they're extremely literal, and can understand Groot's speech easily- and, in fact, is the only one who can. He even knows about Gamora and Ronan's reputation when Quill doesn't, suggesting he keeps very strict tabs on things and likes to stay informed.

Expert Tactician — Rocket is a brilliant strategist. He is able to formulate strategies advanced combat and escape, even with minimal resources, and to change them according to the needs of the situation. Rocket already said he fled from 22 prisons. In the Kyln, he quickly devised a plan to escape using only a power source and security band in under 24 hours.

Enhanced Strength — Due to his augmentations, Rocket is able to use weapons that are designed to be wielded by normal sized humanoids with ease. He can also punch hard enough to render an adult male unconscious (though he had to treat his head like a punching bag).

Enhanced Agility — Rocket's entire skeletal structure is cybernetic, allowing him to move more like a human and still be as agile as a raccoon. He is extremely fast, able to dodge bullets with ease. Due to his enhanced strength, he can actually jump higher and further than a normal raccoon could, making him an absolute beast if he fights guerrilla warfare from the trees.

Enhanced Durability — Due to his augmentations, Rocket is capable of surviving damage that would normally be sufficient to kill an animal of his size. He has been attacked with enough force to knock him back several meters and only suffered minimal injury, as well as survived crashing his ship into the Dark Aster and was only knocked unconscious for a brief time.

Enhanced Senses — Due to his species, Rocket can see, smell, hear, and feel better than humanly possible.

Master Marksman — Rocket has a great skill in handling various weapons throughout the Galaxy, with the preference of high-powered weaponry. He has perfect precision, even though he's often seen shooting randomly and loving it. Generally speaking, he can pick up just about any gun he can hold and use it.

Master Engineer — Rocket is an expert in handling, modification and construction of equipment and high-tech weaponry. He was able to modify a power source and security band to break into the control tower of the Kyln, disable the security system, unlock doors, and hijack the security drones. Using scrap from the Milano, he built several high-powered weapons, including the Hadron Enforcer. Using stuff he had in his pockets, he made a planet-destroying atomic bomb. He is also extremely well-versed in ship maintenance and acts as the Milano's primary technician. He is also capable of recognizing make and model of ships and weaponry from his own universe on sight.

Expert Pilot — Rocket is an accomplished pilot of various starships. On Knowhere, he took down several Necropods using only the high durability of his industrial pod. During the Battle of Xandar, Rocket was responsible for leading the attack of the Ravagers and Nova Corps, in the Dark Aster, destroying many Necropods in the process. Rocket also proved capable of piloting improvised vehicles, like the Kyln's security tower. He easily pilots the Milano back to the Ravager ship to rescue Quill and Gamora, and can even pilot effortlessly through space battles and asteroid fields. He considers himself "the greatest pilot in the universe."

[BEGIN HEADCANON]

Half-World is the sole planet in the Keystone Quadrant, orbited by a single moon. It is not accessible by jump point and the closest access to the planet is 2000 clicks away. Even if you jumped to the Keystone Quadrant accidentally, the chances of you finding Half-World are extremely low as it doesn’t register as a habitable planet on any navigation systems.

If you intend to come to Half-World, you need precise coordinates, and even then you’ll need a special code to pass through the impenetrable Galacian Wall that surrounds it, making the planet impregnable and inescapable.

Half-World gained its name from the unique division of its two halves divided along its equator. One half of the planet is a lush rainforest with large plants, plentiful rivers and waterfalls, and the sort of beauty one can only imagine in stories. The other half, however, is craggy mountains and caverns, filled with rare ore and metals. This highly unique structure made the planet extremely valuable to researchers, which is why when the Galacian Wall was built and the planet made habitable for humanoid and animal life, it became a haven for science enclaves.

While a cybernetics research facility was built in the mountains, the forested area became home to the largest private asylum in the galaxy in the hopes that isolation and the natural wonder of Half-World’s particular flora would have an effect on unstable individuals. Teams of scientists, doctors, pharmacologists, and geneticists worked tirelessly to cure their patients, even genetically engineering and breeding animals brought over from other planets to act as companions. Unfortunately, Half-World ultimately failed as an asylum, and the funding was cut off. Their charges were scattered across the galaxy to other asylums, and Half-World’s science enclaves were left with two choices- abandon the planet and all their research or stay and take things off the books.

They stayed.

Between the ores, minerals, and the pharmaceuticals created by the rare plantlife, Half-World’s scientists were able to fund themselves by selling to black markets. Though they primarily excelled in cybernetics, a Pink Kree geneticist named Kaer-Linn suggested other possibilities- the animals they had genetically engineered to be intelligent companions to their patients were still being bred inside the facility, and they had the materials and the knowledge to create something new from them.

And thus began what Half-World really became famous for.

Introducing mutagens to the animals as early as the womb had side effects, of course. Often the mothers would become irrational and crazed as their brains decayed- some even eating their own young. Some of the animals were stillborn or with defects that made them weak and sickly. The ones that survived, however, were often unusually intelligent and hearty, and these were the ones that were claimed for experimentation.

Once they displayed the ability to reason cognitively and memorize patterns, their vocal chords were augmented to produce human speech. Before they reached sexual maturity, they were sterilized. When they reached a year old, the scientists began the real experiments.

To avoid wasting valuable new technology on mere prototypes, the scientists rarely used fresh cybernetics, preferring to refurbish old ones. As such, many of the early experiments died due to blood poisoning or nerve damage when the cybernetics didn’t take. Still, they kept at it, curiosity driving them, even if they weren’t sure of a practical application for a cyborg mammal.

One of those experiments was known by the number 89P13. An undersized Earth raccoon bred in captivity with a notable aggressive streak. 89P13 became the only member of the "procyon lotor" designation that the scientists obtained to take to the experiments. His intelligence was unparalleled to the point where he adapted quickly, far beyond the scientist's expectations. Notable incidents included the time he tore the ear of another experiment in what seemed like a violent fight, but turned out to be a scheme to remove a tracking tag.

As 89P13's intelligence grew unchecked and his resentment for the constant experiments that tore him apart and put him back together again grew, he began to scheme an escape plan. Since the lab was controlled by robotics and he was brought to and from wherever he needed to be by specific ones, he was able to cleverly recalibrate them to take him anywhere he wanted. From there, he spent hours in the library pouring over books and absorbing the information. In socialization, he was able to convince several other experiments that he knew what he was doing and one night, after 89P13 obtained the codes that would open the Galacian Wall, he and three others escaped. Afterwards, they changed their names to suit their new free lives- 89P13 choosing the name "Rocket." However, Rocket's rudimentary understanding of the outside world wasn't enough to keep them safe. One by one they were captured, until finally only two remained- Rocket and an otter named Lylla. The two of them were able to evade capture for a little while- long enough for her to gain a reputation as Rocket's partner, but eventually even she was captured. Despite knowing he should turn back and rescue them, he continued forward, instead, vowing to never go back to Half-World, even if it meant betraying his friends.


After two years on the run, he met Groot in a prison, and used him as a means to an end to escape. Unfortunately, Groot wasn't interested in leaving after the fact, and Rocket begrudgingly accepted him at first, only to slip and fall into a deep and meaningful friendship with him.


[END HEADCANON]


The events of the first film, leading up to his becoming a member of the newly formed "Guardians of the Galaxy" can be found here

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