Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Keith Giffen, the character first appeared in Marvel Preview #7 (July 1976).

The character has appeared in several media adaptations as a member of that team, including animated television series, toys, and video games.

In these appearances, the film version character of Rocket is voiced by Bradley Cooper, with motion capture provided by Sean Gunn.

[4] Rocket Raccoon first appeared in Marvel Preview #7 (Summer 1976) in the back-up feature "Prince Wayfinder: The Sword in the Star", where he was called "Rocky".

[16] A new volume, titled Rocket Raccoon and Groot, began in January 2016 as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel relaunch.

[17] Rocket Raccoon is the "Guardian of the Keystone Quadrant", an area of outer space sealed off from the rest of the cosmos by the Galacian Wall.

Rocket is captain of the starship Rack 'n' Ruin, and he and his first mate Wal Rus come from the planet Halfworld in the Keystone Quadrant, an abandoned colony for the mentally ill whose animals were transformed into anthropomorphic forms to care for the inmates.

[21] Rocket Raccoon and his friends cured the Loonies of their mental illnesses, as Judson Jakes and Lord Dyvyne were apparently killed.

[23] Rocket Raccoon resurfaced as a member of the team chosen to accompany Star-Lord on his mission to stop a Phalanx infiltration of the Kree homeworld.

[35] In the first issue of Secret Wars, the Guardians of the Galaxy take part in the incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610, during which Rocket and Groot are killed by the Children of Tomorrow.

[36] In All-New, All-Different Marvel, Rocket Raccoon takes leadership of the Guardians of the Galaxy while Star-Lord is busy on Spartax.

[37] During the crisis in Avengers: No Road Home, when the dark goddess Nyx threatens to destroy all light in the universe, Rocket is one of the heroes who were inadvertently assembled to fight her, including Hawkeye, Hercules, Hulk, the Scarlet Witch, Spectrum, the Vision, Voyager, and Conan the Barbarian.

He is an accomplished starship pilot, a brilliant engineer and technician, and an expert marksman with the two laser pistols he carries as well as having an affinity for heavy weapons.

He’s the most interesting out of them all, the most emotionally vulnerable and a character audiences love not only for his cuteness and humor, but for his saddened soul and desire to fit into the dramatic universe of Marvel.

Unlike some Guardians comics, this series quickly finds its niche and promises interesting wrinkles to come for both characters.