The Silver River lute). The story is based on a 4,000-year-old Chinese folktale about the creation of Night and Day, a story of star-crossed lovers. "The Silver River" is the Chinese name for what is known in the West as the "Milky Way", the galaxy of the solar system. In Chinese tradition, the Silver River bathed heaven and earth in constant light and connected both realms, allowing earthly and celestial creatures to meet. The Jade Emperor, Lord of Heaven, dreams of a chaos that plunges heaven and earth into darkness. His nightmare comes true when the mortal Cowherd (also known as Buffalo Boy
Asgardians of the Galaxy Skurge (an Asgardian villain-turned-hero), and the Destroyer (an animated suit of Asgardian armor that in the series is being remotely controlled by an unrevealed pilot). Bunn stated that he originally pitched the idea of "Asgardians of the Galaxy" in 2015, but had to wait for the right time, which came after the events of "Infinity Countdown". Bunn said that he was inspired by classic "Thor" comics, the works of Jim Starlin, films like "", "Guardians of the Galaxy", and "Star Wars", and included a number of "touchstones" ranging from "Star Trek" to "Firefly" in his pitch. Bunn also stated that