Elizabeth Debicki in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, photo courtesy Disney
The Sovereign
The Sovereign are a race of golden-skinned, “genetically perfected” race of humanoids that really, truly think they’re better than everyone else. They expect the rest of the galaxy treat them with the deference due them. Their apparent leader, Ayesha, walks on a moving carpet toted by servants, apparently so that her feet will not be sullied by foreign soil (or snow). And when Ayesha feels as though she and her people have been insulted in some way, she’ll pull out all the stops to restore her, and her people’s pride.
In Ayesha’s case, pride truly is a hunger—a craving for respect, to get her imagined due. It’s interesting to juxtapose her pride with Jesus’ humility. If anyone had reason to think Himself better than us, it’d be Him. Instead, He washed our feet.