| Groot | |
|---|---|
 Groot on the cover ofI Am Groot #1. Art by Flaviano Armentaro. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Tales to Astonish #13 (November 1960) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Larry Lieber Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Flora colossus |
| Team affiliations | Guardians of the Galaxy S.H.I.E.L.D. Paranormal Containment Unit Nova Corps |
| Partnerships | Rocket Raccoon |
| Notable aliases | Monarch of Planet X Seed of Slaughter Tree |
| Abilities |
|
Groot (/ɡruːt/) is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created byStan Lee,Larry Lieber andJack Kirby, the character first appeared inTales to Astonish #13 (November 1960). Anextraterrestrial, sentienttree-like creature, the original Groot first appeared as aninvader that intended to capture humans for experimentation. The character's speech capability is limited to the phrase "I am Groot", which can have different meanings depending on context. In theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise,Star-Lord,Thor,Rocket Raccoon,Gamora,Drax the Destroyer and, eventually,Nebula, daughter of Thanos are able to understand him.
The character was reintroduced as an heroic, noble being in 2006, and appeared in thecrossover comic book storylineAnnihilation: Conquest. Groot went on to star in itsspin-off series,Guardians of the Galaxy, joining theteam of the same name.
Groot has been featured in a variety of associated Marvel media, includinganimatedtelevision series,toys andtrading cards.Vin Diesel voicesGroot in the MCU, starting in the 2014 filmGuardians of the Galaxy, with Krystian Godlewski playing the initial incarnation of the character viaperformance capture andJames Gunn doing so for his reborn offspring, colloquially known as "Baby Groot".
Groot first appeared inTales to Astonish #13 (Nov. 1960), and was created byStan Lee,Larry Lieber andJack Kirby.[1] He appeared again inThe Incredible Hulk vol. 2 Annual #5 (Oct. 1976), alongside five other monsters from Marvel's anthology horror comics of the late 1950s and early 1960s. InThe Sensational Spider-Man #−1 (July 1997), Groot was featured in a nightmare of the youngPeter Parker.
Groot reappeared in 2006 in the six-issue limited seriesNick Fury's Howling Commandos and appeared in theAnnihilation: Conquest andAnnihilation: Conquest –Star-Lord limited series. Groot went on to join theGuardians of the Galaxy in the series of the same name and remained a fixture of the title until its cancellation with issue #25 in 2010. Groot appeared in its follow-up, the limited seriesThe Thanos Imperative, and, alongside fellow GuardianRocket Raccoon, Groot starred in backup features inAnnihilators #1–4 (March–June 2011) andAnnihilators: Earthfall #1–4 (Sept.–Dec. 2011).
Groot appeared in issues #6–8 ofAvengers Assemble as a member of the Guardians. Groot is one of the stars ofGuardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, a part of theMarvel NOW! relaunch.[2]
In March 2015, it was announced that Groot would be getting a solo series by writerJeff Loveness and artistBrian Kesinger.[3]
The Groot who appeared inTales to Astonish and the one introduced inAnnihilation: Conquest wereretroactively established as being separate members of the same species in the sixth and final issue of theGroot ongoing series that launched in June 2015.[4] InInfinity Wars, however, Groot specifically references the fact that during his first visit to the planet Earth, he had promised to "march across the surface of the planet and doom all who dared to oppose Groot".[5] This seemingly reverted the character's origins to having both eras of Groot referencing the same persona, therefore invalidating the retroactive change from issue six of theGroot series.
Groot is aFlora colossus from Planet X, the capital of the branch worlds. TheFlora colossi are tree-like beings whose language is almost impossible to understand due to their stifflarynxes, causing their speech to sound like they are repeating the phrase "I am Groot". Other beings try to be friendly but become angry with theFlora colossi for their apparent inability to speak, though Groot was shown to have been actually speaking not just understandably but eloquently in his language throughoutAnnihilation: Conquest. TheFlora colossi are ruled over by the "Arbor Masters" and teach the children of the species with "Photonic Knowledge", which is the collected knowledge of the Arbor Masters of the generations and is absorbed throughphotosynthesis; this is a highly advanced education method, making theFlora colossi geniuses.
Groot originated from an "Ennobled Sap-line" and was gifted with a tremendous grasp of quasi-dimensional super-positional engineering. Groot did not get along with fellow saplings but instead preferred the company of the "Maintenance Mammals", against which the other saplings discriminated. Groot was exiled by the "Arbor Masters" inGuardians of the Galaxy #14[6] after killing another sapling to defend a maintenance mammal it was brutalizing.
An alternate origin was presented in theGroot ongoing series. In the story, it is revealed that the otherFlora colossi had been abducting organisms from other planets, including a young human girl named Hannah. After seeing Hannah, Groot realized that what his people were doing was wrong and managed to save the child and send her back to Earth. However, for his disobedience, Groot was exiled from Planet X and forced to wander the universe until he metRocket Raccoon many decades later, where this version of Groot later became a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.[4]
Groot is anextraterrestrial tree monster who initially came toEarth seeking humans to capture and study. Groot was seemingly destroyed by termites used by Leslie Evans.[7]
Xemnu made a duplicate of Groot by making a human and tree hybrid that was used to fight theHulk, but it was destroyed in the battle.[8]
Groot was later revealed to have survived, but was a captive of theCollector and held in his zoo in Canada until Groot and the other captive creatures were freed by theMole Man. Groot and the other creatures rampaged in New York City until they were stopped by a band of superheroes, and were then dumped through a portal to theNegative Zone.[9]
Groot was later tracked down and captured byS.H.I.E.L.D.'s Paranormal Containment Unit, nicknamed theHowling Commandos, when his tree scent was detected bySasquatch andAbominable Snowman.[10] While Groot was being held captive,Gorilla-Man talked to Groot about joining the Howling Commandos.[11] WhenMerlin and his forces attacked the base, the Howling Commandos let Groot and their other captives free, who proceeded to stampede on Merlin's army; Groot was the only one to turn back, offering to join the Howling Commandos.[12] Groot aided the Howling Commandos as they assaulted Merlin's forces.[13]
A different Groot played a part inAnnihilation: Conquest, at which time it was shown Groot may be the last remaining member of theFlora colossi and was under arrest by theKree for an unknown reason. Groot earned freedom by joiningStar-Lord's strike force, where Groot andRocket Raccoon formed a bond, Rocket being one of the few beings with the ability to understand Groot's language.[14] Star-Lord's team fought their way through thePhalanx, but after the death ofDeathcry the team decided to escape through a drainage pipe that Groot could not fit into.
As a consequence of the battle, Groot dies, buying the team some time to escape.[15] A new Groot was created as a sprig offshoot and went on to accompany the team on their continued mission against the Phalanx, but was one of the team members captured by the Phalanx.[16] Groot and the others were freed byMantis, and escaped back to the lines of the Kree's resistance. In time, Groot's body regenerated from the twig, growing back to full size. Groot and the others intended to carry on as part of Star-Lord's team.[17]
Groot and the team returned to Hala to prepare another assault against the Phalanx, but their agentBlastaar was captured by the Phalanx and taken to their Babel Spire as he tried to carry Groot's pollen spores.[18] Groot and Rocket Raccoon continued their mission by sneaking into the sub-basement of the Babel Spire.[19] When Star-Lord was captured byUltron, the original plan of laying explosives in the Spire failed, so Rocket Raccoon and Groot needed to come up with a new plan.[20] Groot decided to sprout inside the Spire, growing to colossal size and filling a large portion of the building.
Mantis was able to remix Groot's sap in a way as to make it extremely flammable, and again Groot died for the team, this time by purposefully igniting himself to destroy the Babel Spire.[21] A cutting of Groot was kept by Rocket Raccoon, though, and Groot was again able to regrow.[22] Groot then joined the newGuardians of the Galaxy (or, as Groot would have it, "Groot and Branches"), and began regrowing under the care of Mantis.[23][24]
When the Guardians reformed, Groot joined with Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon,Drax the Destroyer andGamora, whom Groot counted as friends.[25]
During the 2015Secret Wars storyline, Groot is with the Guardians of the Galaxy when they take part in the incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610. Groot and Rocket Raccoon are killed by the Children of Tomorrow.[26] However, when Peter Quill — one of the few survivors of the incursions from Earth-616 — finds himself confronted byBlack Swan in the castle ofEmperor Doom, he reveals that he has been carrying a small twig of Groot in his pocket ever since the incursion. He slams the twig into the roots of the World Tree, allowing Groot to transform the giant tree into his body. Groot decimates Doom's castle as the surviving heroes mount their final assault.[27]
During the "Civil War II" storyline, Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy are summoned byCaptain Marvel to help her in her fight against Iron Man's side. The resulting battle damaged the Guardians of the Galaxy's ship stranding them on Earth.[28]
During the "Monsters Unleashed" storyline, the Guardians of the Galaxy defend Groot from a snake-headed Leviathon.[29]
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Groot and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy assist Captain Marvel, the Alpha Flight Space Program, members of theUltimates, Hyperion, and Quasar in intercepting a fleet ofChitauri that are approaching Earth until aHydra-aligned Steve Rogers activated the Planetary Defense Shield trapping those fighting the Chitauri outside of Earth's atmosphere.[30] Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot try to enlist representatives of theSkrull, Kree,Brood,Shi'ar and Spartax empires that are on the Galactic Council in helping against the Chitauri hordes and to break down the Planetary Defense Shield and get rid of Hydra. Realizing they are now facing a galaxy without human interference, the Galactic Council refuses aid and attempt to kill the three Guardians as they flee.[31] After the Planetary Defense Shield is shut down, Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy join the final battle against Hydra.[32]
Rocket Raccoon and Groot are on their way to the Stohlad Ring when they are ambushed byGardener where he shattered Groot because the Guardians of the Galaxy "corrupted" him and diverted him from his true purpose. Rocket Raccoon escaped with a splinter where Groot grew a new body from it.[33]
During the "Infinity Countdown" storyline, Groot was with the Guardians of the Galaxy when they notice that the planet Telferina is under attack by theFlora colossi that Gardener grew from Groot's splinters. Groot got close to Gardener and used his healing powers to purge the poison thatLoki put in him from his body. Gardener repaid Groot by using his abilities to restore Groot to his previous size. In addition, Groot can now speak in full sentences andrefers to himself in the third person.[34]
Groot can absorb wood as food, and has the ability toregenerate.[35] Groot can control trees and plants, using them to attack others, and appears to be resistant to fire. Groot is able to sprout dramatically increasing mass which then severely inhibits movement.[volume & issue needed]
Groot has been seemingly killed on multiple occasions, each time regrowing from a sprig.[volume & issue needed]
Black Bolt's brotherMaximus asserted that whenever Groot is saying the trademark "I am Groot!", he has actually been saying a number of things, and his varying inflections of the sentence are the equivalent of words and sentences. People who have interacted with Groot are gradually able to decipher the meaning of the inflections and can carry on full conversations with Groot.
The meaning of the word 'Groot' comes from the Dutch word 'groot' and translates as 'Tall'. The mature form of Groot's species is robust and heavyweight, which causes the organs of acoustic generation to become stiff and inflexible. It is this nature of Groot's larynx that causes people, who are oblivious to the subtle nuances ofFlora colossi speech, to misinterpret Groot as merely repeating his name. It could not be determined whether Maximus' claim was true or merely another manifestation of his madness, though Groot genuinely did seem to be assisting Maximus with highly advanced engineering.[36] InAll-New X-Men #23,Jean Grey telepathically links with Groot, showing that Groot's thought processes are indeed complex, and the declaration of "I am Groot!" usually represents attempts at highly intelligent communication.[37]
Mike Fenn ofThe Daily Dot asserted, "The success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest entry,Guardians of the Galaxy, has resulted in the spread of the Internet’s latest meme: I Am Groot."[45] C. M Crockford ofLooper wrote, "Groot quickly became an Internet meme thanks to his simple vocabulary and pleasant nature, with his catchphrase 'I am Groot' spreading into popular culture."[46]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Groot #1 was the 10th best selling comic book in June 2015.[47][48][49]
According to Diamond Comic Distributors,Rocket Raccoon and Groot #1 was the 15th best-selling comic book in January 2016.[50][51][52]
Jesse Schedeen ofIGN gaveRocket Raccoon and Groot #1 a grade of 7.8 out of 10, writing, "This new series may not feel terribly "all-new" or "all-different," but it features a proven creative team exploring the continued misadventures of Rocket and Groot. It's tough to go wrong with that. Unlike some Guardians comics, this series quickly finds its niche and promises interesting wrinkles to come for both characters."[53]
According to Diamond Comic Distributors,I Am Groot #1 was the 71st best-selling comic book in May 2017.[54][55][56]
Alexander Jones ofComics Beat calledI Am Groot #1 a "charming, colorful tale," saying, "Thankfully,I Am Groot is the beginning of something good. All the pieces are there story-wise, art-wise, and character-wise. Now the task is the new journey we’re taking with some ink and paper friends. Fans of the movies and fans of the original comics will find much to appreciate with this issue. Time to blast up the jams on your old cassette tape deck and enjoy with a smile."[57] Baltimore Lauren ofBleeding Cool asserted, "Hastings delivers a strong narrative with the small tree creature-slash-assassin. Despite only speaking three words, he does inflect great emotion through Groot."[58]
Two distinct incarnations of Groot appear in media set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), both voiced byVin Diesel, who also provided motion capture for the character and voice work for some foreign dubs.[67][68][69] Additionally,Fred Tatasciore voices an alternate universe variant of Groot in theWhat If...? episode "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?".[60][70]
Baby Groot appears inRalph Breaks the Internet, voiced again by Vin Diesel.[60][71]
| Title | Material Collected | Publication Date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket Raccoon & Groot: The Complete Collection | Rocket Raccoon (vol. 1) #1–4,The Incredible Hulk #271 and material fromTales to Astonish (vol. 1) #13,Marvel Preview #7,Annihilators #1–4,Annihilators: Earthfall #1–4 | April 10, 2013 | 978-0785167136 |
| Groot | Groot #1-6 | January 27, 2016 | 978-0785195528 |
| Rocket Raccoon & Groot Vol. 0: Bite and Bark | Rocket Raccoon (vol. 2) #1-11,Groot #1-6, and material fromGuardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers #1 | September 21, 2016 | 978-1302902186 |
| Rocket Raccoon & Groot Vol. 1: Tricks of the Trade | Rocket Raccoon & Groot #1-6 | July 20, 2016 | 978-0785199731 |
| Rocket Raccoon & Groot Vol. 2: Civil War II | Rocket Raccoon & Groot #7-10 | November 9, 2016 | 978-0785199748 |
| Rocket Raccoon and Groot: Tall Tails | Rocket Raccoon and Groot #1-10 | March 11, 2020 | 978-1302921156 |
| I Am Groot | I Am Groot #1-5 | December 5, 2017 | 978-1302908546 |
The potted Groot is a bonus accessory available exclusively to people who order the Hot Toys Rocket Raccoon and Groot figure set from Sideshow Collectibles.
The Funko Dancing Baby Groot Funko POP Vinyl Figure
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