"Ain't  nuthin' like me, 'cept me."  -Rocket Raccoon, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1.

     What a unique and fantastic character!  Rocket Raccoon was created by Bill Mantli and artist Keith Giffen for Marvel Comics in 1976.  He is an anthropomorphic raccoon (yes, you read that right) who has been adapted and grown in both print and cinema.  The name and character are in reference to the Beatles' 1968 song Rocky Raccoon.  You may hear the song by clicking here.
     Despite appearances, Rocket Raccoon is not from Earth.  Instead, we learn he is from Halfworld, a half-industrious and half-verdant planet that housed the mentally ill.  He has heightened senses and strength and is an engineering genius (putting even McGyver to shame when it comes to ingenuity!).  We also learn that he is a skilled pilot and brilliant tactician, one of the best both in and out of the Avengers storyline.
     Unlike other Avengers and Guardians, Rocket has a bit of a...shall we say..."potty mouth."  In the MCU movies the vulgarity was reduced but the sarcasm and wit were there.  Remember that Rocket was a freelance mercenary after escaping Halfworld and before joining the Guardians of the Galaxy and then the Avengers, and that lifestyle is reflected in his mannerisms.  In the MCU, Rocket was voiced by Bradley Cooper, who was able to emphasize the anger and abrasiveness while also showing the tortured and sensitive side of the character.
     Indeed, Rocket does have a tortured past.  The entire storyline is complex and differs slightly between the comics and MCU versions.  In summary, Halfword was abandoned and robots were left behind to tend to the patients.  Radiation from a nearby supernova altered the robots, making them self-aware and resentful of their servitude to humanoids.  To end their enslavement, these robots used genetic manipulation to turn animals into human-like sentient beings to replace them.
     But the Halfworld robots were torturous in transforming the animals.  A powerful quote comes from a drunk Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1:  "I didn't ask to be torn apart and put back together, over and over and turned into some...some little monster."
     It will be interesting to see if director James Gunn explores Rocket's past more in upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
     So at his core, Rocket was "made" to help people, but adventures and experience made him selfish on the surface, looking out for only himself (and Groot in the MCU).  His compassion and intelligence do come out in the four movies as he holds the Guardians together and is able to pep-talk and unite the Avengers after the blip.
     This life-sized representation of Rocket Raccoon was manufactured and distributed by National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA), who obtained the license from Marvel and Disney.  However, the version of Rocket in his blue uniform (first seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) was not offered for sale to the public, being used for display only.  We have obtained one of these statues, which was the Mascot in the 2021 North Carolina Comicon.  He is displayed prominently and proudly, although our dogs are still curious as to what this large raccoon is doing in our home!