Groot

Groot is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish (November 1960). An extraterrestrial, sentient tree-like creature, the original Groot first appeared as an invader that intended to capture humans for experimentation.

Biography Edit

Original GrootEdit

Groot is an extraterrestrial tree monster who initially came to Earth seeking humans to capture and study. Groot was seemingly destroyed by termites used by Leslie Evans. Xemnu made a duplicate of Groot by making a human and tree hybrid that was used to fight the Hulk, but it was destroyed in the battle.

Groot was later revealed to have survived, but was a captive of the Collector and held in his zoo in Canada until Groot and the other captive creatures were freed by the Mole 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 the Negative Zone. Groot was later tracked down and captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Paranormal Containment Unit, nicknamed the Howling Commandos when his tree scent was detected by Sasquatch and Abominable Snowman. While Groot was being held captive, Gorilla-Man talked to Groot about joining the Howling Commandos. When Merlin and his forces attacked the base, the Howling Commandos let Groot and their other captives free and they stampeded on Merlin's army; Groot was the only one to turn back and offered to join the Howling Commandos. Groot aided the Howling Commandos as they assaulted Merlin's forces.

Guardians of the Galaxy's GrootEdit

A different Groot played a part in Annihilation: Conquest, at which time it was shown Groot may be the last remaining member of the Flora Colossi, and was under arrest by the Kree for an unknown reason. Groot earned freedom by joining Star-Lord's strike force, where Groot and Rocket Raccoon formed a bond, Rocket being one of the few beings with the ability to understand Groot's language. Star-Lord's team fought their way through the Phalanx, but after the death of Deathcry 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. 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. Groot and the others were freed by Mantis, 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.

Groot and the team returned to Hala to prepare another assault against the Phalanx, but their agent Blastaar was captured by the Phalanx and taken to their Babel Spire as he tried to carry Groot's pollen spores. Groot and Rocket Raccoon continued their mission by sneaking into the sub-basement of the Babel Spire. When Star-Lord was captured by Ultron, the original plan of laying explosives in the Spire failed, so Rocket Raccoon and Groot needed to come up with a new plan. 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 so the resulting fire would destroy the Babel Spire. A cutting of Groot was kept by Rocket Raccoon, though, and Groot was again able to regrow. Groot then joined the new Guardians of the Galaxy (or, as Groot would have it, "Groot and Branches"), and began regrowing under the care of Mantis. When the Guardians reformed, Groot joined with Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Drax the Destroyer and Gamora, whom Groot counted as friends.

During the 2015 Secret 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. However, when Peter Quill — one of the few survivors of the incursions from Earth-616 — finds himself confronted by Black Swan in the castle of Emperor Doom, he reveals that he has been carrying a small twig of Groot in his pocket ever since the incursion, slamming it into the roots of the World Tree and causing Groot to transform the giant tree into his body, decimating Doom's castle as the surviving heroes mount their final assault.

During the "Civil War II" storyline, Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy are summoned by Captain Marvel to help her in her fight against Iron Man's side when it came to the fate of the Inhuman Ulysses Cain. The resulting battle damaged the Guardians of the Galaxy's ship stranding them on Earth. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 #10-12. Marvel Comics.

During the "Monsters Unleashed" storyline, the Guardians of the Galaxy defend Groot from a snake-headed Leviathon. Monster Unleashed Vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.

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 the Ultimates, Hyperion, and Quasar in intercepting a fleet of Chitauri that are approaching Earth until a Hydra-aligned Steve Rogers activated the Planetary Defense Shield trapping those fighting the Chitauri outside of Earth's atmosphere. Secret Empire #0. Marvel Comics. Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot try to enlist representatives of the Skrulls, 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. Secret Empire #3. Marvel Comics.</ref> After the Planetary Defense Shield is shut down, Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy join the final battle against Hydra. Secret Empire #9. Marvel Comics.

Rocket Raccoon and Groot are on their way to the Stohlad Ring when they are ambushed by Gardener where he shattered Groot because the Guardians of the Galaxy "corrupted" him and devated him from his true purpose. Rocket Raccoon escaped with a splinter where Groot grew a new body from it. All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #9. Marvel Comics.

During the "Infinity Countdown" storyline, Groot was with the Guardians of the Galaxy when they notice that the planet Telferina is under attack by the Flora Colossi that Gardener grew from Groot's splinters. Groot got close to Gardener and used his healing powers to purge the poison that Loki put in him from his body. Gardener repaid Groot by using his abilities to restore Groot back to his previous size. In addition, Groot can now speak in full sentences and refers to himself in the third person.Infinity Countdown #1. Marvel Comics.

OriginsEdit

Groot is a Flora colossus from Planet X, the capital of the branch worlds. The Flora colossi are tree-like beings whose language is almost impossible to understand due to the stiffness of their larynges, causing their speech to sound like they are repeating the phrase "I am Groot". Other beings try to be friendly but become angry with the Flora colossi for not being able to speak. (Groot was shown to be capable of speaking not just understandably but eloquently throughout Annihilation: Conquest.) The Flora 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 through photosynthesis; this is a highly advanced education method, making the Flora colossi geniuses. Planet X's biome is managed by "Maintenance Mammals" which are small squirrel-like beings.

The Flora colossus sapling that would come to be known as "Groot" came from an "Ennobled Sap-line" and 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", which the other saplings treated with prejudice. Groot was exiled by the "Arbor Masters" in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #14 after killing another sapling to defend a maintenance mammal it was brutalizing.

An alternate origin was presented in the Groot ongoing series. In the story, it is revealed that the other Flora colossi had been abducting organisms from other planets, including a young human girl named Hannah. After seeing Hannah, Groot realized 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 met Rocket Raccoon many decades later where this version of Groot later became a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Yet another alternate origin was presented in "Guardians of Infinity", written by Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez, wherein a woman makes the claim that Groot is a ceiba tree from Ponce, Puerto Rico. According to Puerto Rican folklore, a ceiba tree is believed to possess the spirits of the indigenous Taino population that formerly thrived on the Caribbean island. By her logic, the woman considers Groot to be Puerto Rican.

Powers and abilitiesEdit

Groot can absorb wood as food, and has the ability to regenerate. 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.

Groot has been seemingly killed on multiple occasions, each time regrowing from a sprig.

TV Shows & Movies Edit

• Groot appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, voiced by Troy Baker.He (along with the other Guardians of the Galaxy) appear in the episode "Michael Korvac".
• Groot appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series, initially voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan (in "Guardians of the Galaxy"), and later by Kevin Michael Richardson (for subsequent episodes). He first appears in the episode "Guardians of the Galaxy" in his stick form before later growing to his full size to defeat Korvac and some of the Chitauri soldiers. At the end of the episode, two irises briefly open up as Groot says 'I am Groot' and Spider-Man says 'He is Groot', a dedication due to Duncan's passing in 2012 where the episode was dedicated in memory of him. Groot returns in "The Return of the Guardians of the Galaxy" alongside the other Guardians to repair their spaceship at the same time when Titus was leading the Chitauri army into targeting Nova's helmet. While on Earth, Groot blended in by posing as a tree in front of Aunt May's house. The episode "Return to the Spider-Verse" Pt. 2 featured an alternate version of Groot who resides in a pirate reality and is the sentient pirate ship of Web Beard with his head being the figurehead of the pirate ship.
• Groot appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
• Groot appears in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., with Kevin Michael Richardson reprising the role.
• Groot appears in Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers episode "Guardians of the Galaxy".
• Kevin Michael Richardson reprises his role in the animated series Guardians of the Galaxy. The episode "Origins" revealed that Groot's planet was invaded by Ronan the Accuser and Groot was the last of his kind once Ronan's army was done with the Flora Colossus. In the episode "Can't Fight This Seedling", Star-Lord fell into the green thing within Groot while fighting the parasitic fungus and had a vision that the green thing can be used to recreate the Flora Colossus race. Baby Groot appears in "Mission: Breakout", the title of the third season.
• Groot appears in the Christmas TV special Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Frost Fight!, voiced again by Kevin Michael Richardson. In order to obtain money to repair their ship, Groot and Rocket Raccoon take up the bounty to apprehend Santa Claus where they have an encounter with Mrs. Claus.
• Groot appears in the Rocket and Groot shorts, voiced again by Kevin Michael Richardson.
• Groot appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes - Guardians of the Galaxy: The Thanos Threat, voiced again by Kevin Michael Richardson. End credits for Lego Marvel Super Heroes - Guardians of the Galaxy: The Thanos Threat

FilmEdit

Marvel Cinematic UniverseEdit

• Groot appears in the 2014 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Guardians of the Galaxy, voiced by Vin Diesel (who performed the voice work for a number of languages the movie was released in and also provided some motion capture elements for the character).Although initially simply described as Rocket's hired muscle, he shows a softer side throughout the film, growing a flower to give to a little girl and saving Drax the Destroyer's life even after Drax's actions brought Ronan the Accuser's forces to them. He agrees with Peter Quill's plan to stand up to Ronan, and later seemingly sacrifices himself to save the rest of the team by enveloping them in a wooden ball grown from himself as Ronan's ship crashes. At the film's conclusion, Rocket has recovered a twig from Groot, which is shown to be regrowing into a miniature Groot; this new Groot is actually Groot's offspring. When sacrificing himself, he actually speaks another phrase, "We are Groot", which implies a bond formed among the heroes.
• Vin Diesel again voices and motion-captures Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, released in May 2017. Still a small child in the film, Baby Groot continues to travel with the Guardians, but genuinely acts like a child, such as dancing to music while the rest of the team are trying to defeat a monster. He is briefly captured by the Ravagers, along with Rocket and Yondu, while Quill, Drax and Gamora are visiting Quill's father Ego, but when the Ravagers mockingly decide to make him their mascot, Groot is able to help Rocket and Yondu escape capture and go to assist the other Guardians in the confrontation with Ego. In the final battle, Groot is entrusted with planting a bomb on Ego's core as the only person small enough to fit through the cracks, although he was initially unable to remember which button on the bomb would start the timer and which would set it off immediately. In a mid-credits sequence, Groot has grown to a rebellious adolescent stage.
• Diesel reprised his role again in the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War, In the film, Groot accompanies Rocket and Thor to Nidavellir, where Thor asks the dwarf king Eitri to forge a weapon. He assists Eitri in molding the weapon, and severs one of his arms, which forms the handle of Thor's new weapon, Stormbreaker. He later joins the rest of the Avengers and Rocket in the battle of Wakanda. Groot is one of the victims of Thanos after he claims all of the Infinity Stones and wipes out half of all life in the universe.
• Diesel is expected to reprise his role again in the upcoming 2019 film Avengers: Endgame.