GROOT
Real Name: Groot
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Flora)
Occupation: Monarch of Planet X
Group Membership: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Howling Commandos unit (Abominable Snowman, Bradley Beemer, Brother Voodoo, Clone of Frankenstein, Glob (Timms), Gorilla Man, Hellstorm, It the Living Colossus, Lilith, Living Mummy, Joshua Pryce, Clay Quartermain, Sasquatch, Vampire by Night; Warwolf, Zombie (John Doe), many others); (formerly) "the Collector's collection" (Droom, Fin Fang Foom, Gargantus, Goom, Grogg, Grottu, Rommbu, Taboo, Tragg, Vandoom's Monster)
Affiliations: Annihilation Wave, Blastaar, Bug, Captain Universe (Gabriel Vargas), Deathcry, Galen-Kor, Howling Commandos, Mantis, Rocket Raccoon, Starlord
Enemies: The Collector; Leslie Evans; Merlin, the Phalanx, Ultron
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: The Monster From Planet X
Base of Operations:
Area 13, Pine Barrens, New Jersey;
(formerly) Monster Island;
(formerly) the Negative Zone;
(formerly) the Collector's zoo beneath Canada;
(formerly) Planet X
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish I#13 (November, 1960)
Powers/Abilities: Groot's body was composed of a wood-like substance, and could draw wood from other objects to him psychokinetically, using the materials to re-build his own body, and also renew his strength. Groot can survive the destruction of his main body provided that a sprig of his form endures; given time, he can rebuild his entire form from a single sprig. He could command trees to come to life, uprooting themselves from the ground, and send them to attack others.
History: (Tales to Astonish I#13) - Groot, monarch of Planet X, came to Earth to seek out humans who could return with him for study by the scientists of Planet X. The arrival of Groot was witnessed by Leslie and Alice Evans, and the next day, Leslie Evans beheld Groot as he fed. By the time he warned the police, Groot was already on the march, and informed the police of his intentions towards the people of their town. The police engaged Groot as Evans fled, but because of Groot's wood-like body, they were unable to wound him, and he unleashed armies of trees to combat them. As Groot began to form a net of wood around the town, Evans toiled in his lab, until two days later, he released termites (which he had mutated) upon Groot, which devoured him. Groot perished from the termites' assault.
(Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl#1 (fb) - BTS) - Groot actually survived and was captured by the Collector and placed in his zoo beneath Canada.
(Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl#1) - After an attack on the Collector by the Mole Man caused the freedom of the creatures, Groot was among many of the specimens to go on a rampage through New York City. They were defeated by a group of heroes that included the Hulk, the Beast, the Thing, and Giant-Man. Mr. Fantastic had the Thing open a portal to the Negative Zone, where the creatures were all dumped.(Marvel Swimsuit Special#2 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Groot returned to Earth and relocated to Monster Island.
(Marvel Swimsuit Special#2) - Groot
watched Aurora and Northstar as they frolicked on
Monster Island while visiting the Infinity Watch.
(Nick Fury's Howling
Commandos#2) - Groot was tracked down by the Howling Commandos,
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s supernatural squadron. When he tried to fight them, It
the Living Colossus attacked and defeated him. S.H.I.E.L.D. then used
Living Eraser technology to transport him back to their base.
(Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#4) -
Secured in a cell, Groot listened to Gorilla-Man as he told him what
priveleges he would have if he joined their squadron.
(Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#5) -
When the forces of Merlin attacked Area 13, the Commandos let loose all
of the giant creatures being held, including Groot, in an attempt to
stampede the invading army. Groot and the others ran through Merlin's
dimensional portal and kept running. While the rest continued, Groot
turned back and found the Commandos. Tired of running, he offered to
join them. The group then began to move towards Merlin's base.
(Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#6) -
Groot aided the Commandos in their assault on Merlin's forces.
(Annihilation: Conquest - Starlord#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Groot was apprehended by Kree forces.
(Annihilation: Conquest - Starlord#1) - In order to combat the invading Phalanx, Kree forces led by Galen-Kor placed Groot under the command of Starlord in a team including Rocket Raccoon, Mantis, Bug, Deathcry and Captain Universe. Groot formed a bond with Rocket Raccoon, and was assigned as the team's heavy ordnance transporter due to his immense size.
(Annihilation: Conquest - Starlord#2) - Starlord's team arrived at their target, Hala, and fought their way through Phalanx security until running into a squad of Annihilation Wave soldiers whose hazardous combat brought down a significant number of Phalanx forces. Following Deathcry's death, the team sought to escape through a drainage pipe. Knowing that he could not fit to follow the others, Groot helped Rocket Raccoon and Captain Universe to the pipe, and continued to battle Phalanx defenses, intending to meet a glorious death in combat which would befit one of his stature. Rocket Raccoon was upset by the apparent death of his friend.
(Annihilation: Conquest - Starlord#3) - Groot miraculously survived the battle as one of his splinters which had been broken free, and now possessed his consciousness. He regrouped with Starlord's team, and now took to riding upon Rocket Raccoon's shoulder. When he demanded that Rocket Raccoon provide him with moisture, Rocket Raccoon responded by spitting on him. The miniature Groot accompanied the team on their continued mission against the Phalanx, but with Bug, Rocket Raccoon and Starlord, was eventually apprehended by the Phalanx and taken prisoner.
(Annihilation: Conquest - Starlord#4) - Groot and the others were released by Mantis and eventually met back up with Captain Universe, who had found a countermeasure for the Phalanx weapon. The team were able to escape back to the lines of the Kree resistance, and before long Groot had regrown his entire body. Groot and the others intended to carry on as part of Quill's team.
(Annihilation: Conquest#2) - Groot and the team returned to Hala, and prepared for another strike against the Phalanx, this time employing Blastaar as an agent so that he could carry pollen spores from Groot when he was captured by the Phalanx and brought to their Babel Spire.
(Annihilation: Conquest#3) - Continuing their mission on Hala, Groot accompanied Rocket Raccoon as they stole their way into the sub-basement of the Babel Spire.
(Annihilation: Conquest#4) - When Star-Lord was unexpectedly captured by Ultron, Rocket Raccoon and Groot were told to come up with a new plan.
(Annihilation: Conquest#5) - Groot and Rocket Raccoon conceived a plan to destroy the Babel Spire; Groot would turbo-boost his cellular growth until his form swamped the spire, altering his sap to become especially flameable; Mantis would then light him on fire to destroy the Spire. Groot gave one of his cuttings so that he could be regenerated later. After Rocket Raccoon, Mantis, Bug and Star-Lord escaped the facility, Groot was engulfed in flames, bringing down the Babel Spire.
(Annihilation: Conquest#6) - As Groot died, Mantis made one last request, that he release one of his limbs to catch his comrades as they fell to the ground. Groot complied, then died. Later, Rocket Raccoon began to tend the sprig Groot had given him, awaiting his friend's rebirth.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.
A
duplicate of Groot was created by Xemnu
in Incredible Hulk Annual#5.
Groot
appeared as one of the Mole
Man's creatures in Spider-Man Team-Up#1, but I've been told this story is
not Earth-616 canon. - Madison
Groot was among the classic Marvel monsters seen menacing a young Peter Parker in his dreams during Sensational Spider-Man#-1.
Goom and his son Googam (from Tales Of Suspense I#15 and 17 respectively) were also from Planet X. Possibly the mental giants co-habit with living trees?
I wonder if that "Planet X" was also the same "Plant X" of the Xantha race.
--John Kaminski
The scenes of Leslie and Alice witnessing the arrival of Groot were homaged by John Byrne in his Gormuu story.
Big thanks to MD Carter for allowing me to borrow images from his website, The Monsters of Jack Kirby.
Doctor Worm says: "In the 1999 JLA Annual #3, there are some very familiar names being screamed. Here's the breakdown: the 1999 annuals from DC were a very nice homage to the Silver Age, utilizing two mainstays of that olden time: gorillas and weird transformations. There is a scene in the U.N. where the delegates are all turned into gorillas and start tearing the place up. What got me was the things they were yelling. They were all yelling the names of classic Kirby monsters! The monsters references include Groot, Mombu, Zzutak, Klaggu, Moomba, Goom and Krobaa.
by Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS:
Groot should not be confused with:
Leslie Evans was a meek scientist, looked down upon by his wife Alice for being "unmanly". He and Alice witnessed the arrival of Groot on Earth, and Leslie was the first man to see Groot as he fed upon wood. He ran to warn the police, who didn't believe him...until Groot himself appeared, proclaiming his hostile intentions. As the police engaged Groot, Evans ran away, back to his lab. After being sealed in there for two days, he mutated termites which he released upon Groot to devour him. It succeeded, and Groot seemingly died, as Evans was hailed as a hero.
--Tales
to Astonish I#13
images:
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#5, page 9, panel 4
Last updated: 12/19/07
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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