Evil cults and religious extremists have long been used as threatd in games, comics, and film. The newest trailer for Square Enix's Guardians of the Galaxy has introduced a new villain for the game with Grand Unifier Raker, an agent of the Universal Church of Truth (UCT). In the tradition of "righteous" villains, this group has long been at odds with the Guardians of the Galaxy. It's also another example of the game's willingness to pull deep from the well of comics lore.
Square Enix has not been shy about showing off full cinematic moments from its newest game. The new trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy revealed Raker, and with him the UCT and the Matriarch. Bringing in the powerful group is a good move for the game, especially since it's operating in a universe where Thanos is already dead. This could help the game's narrative in a big way, as it won't be reliant on stories that fans are intimately familiar with already. For many newer fans that came into the fold with the MCU, they might not know much about the UCT.
What Is the Universal Church of Truth in Guardians of the Galaxy
The UCT has been a primary antagonist of the Guardians since the 70s. Its actions and goals are closely related to a Marvel character that's yet to make the jump to mainstream recognition: Adam Warlock. The powerful figure's shadowy doppleganger Magus is important as he serves as a deity figure for the UCT, and most of its actions are made to help resurrect Magus. Now that Marvel's multiverse is in full swing in both the MCU and the games, it's likely that some element of the UCT's origin will be changed.
Square Enix has already stated that character origins will be altered for Guardians of the Galaxy. That being said, the UCT will likely still fall in-line with its comic counterparts. One thing that was revealed in the new trailer that's straight from the comics is the Matriarch. Near the end, Raker informs the Guardians that the Matriarch desires an audience with them, and then cuts to a sweeping shot of an enormous ship overtaking the starship the group is already on. The Matriarch is the leader of the UCT and serves as both a spiritual and military guide for the group.
The UCT is also well known throughout the galaxy for dispatching military units called the Cardinals. Grand Unifier Raker is the commander of this group of celestial special forces, and as such is very formidable in his own right. While the game is making some What If...? level changes to the Guardians of the Galaxy, it seems likely after seeing the Matriarch's ship arrive that much of the UCT will follow the comics' overall structure.
The UCT throughout the comics is seen as a conquering force. The group wlll approach a new planet and offer them peace through faith. Civilizations that acquiesce to the UCT are peacefully absorbed into the group, with the UCT replacing political and cultural leaders with their own agents. Those that refuse the offer are branded as blasphemous and subsequently "purified." This is both part of why they've crossed paths with the Guardians over the years, and a big reason why they're a bigger threat than even the previously announced Lady Hellbender in Guardians of the Galaxy. The UCT's penchant for dominating worlds is likely going to be a main thrust of their place in the new game's story.
One thing that's interesting about the UCT is the main energy source they exploit for their weapons and ships. The UCT is able to use devices called Faith Generators and Raken's belief-battery to literally weaponize belief. These devices focus the power in the UCT's followers' belief to devastating effect. It's likely fans got a quick glimpse of this power when Rocket's bullets are deflected by an energy field around Raken. This could have implications on just how powerful of a threat the group is. While fans will have to wait for the game's release in October to see just how the new game utilizes the UCT, they prove the potential using more obscure characters for Guardians of the Galaxy could have for the new game.
Guardians of the Galaxy releases October 26, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.