Groot

I Am Groot

Sentient and ambulatory plant-being Groot left his Flora colossus people behind on their native Planet X to travel out into the galaxy. Both before and after meeting the genetically enhanced creature known as Rocket, Groot racked up an impressive list of criminal charges from the Nova Corps police force while working for crime lords in various capacities.

Together, Groot and Rocket finally concentrated on being bounty hunters, a job that took them to many exotic worlds. Upon tracking Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord, to Xandar for the bounty on his head, Groot and Rocket ran afoul of the assassin Gamora and wound up arrested by the Nova Corps. They were incarcerated in the Kyln prison complex alongside Quill and Gamora, where they also met the warrior Drax.

They teamed up with their fellow inmates to fence the Orb, a mysterious artifact that Quill claimed could be sold for immense wealth if Groot and the others would help him escape lock-up.

I Am Groot

Composed of matter resembling that of wood and possessing a fully functioning brain system, Groot can “grow” most anything he needs at any given time from his body, such as weapons for fighting, protective barriers for himself or others, and even flowers to give to special someones. Not usually overly talkative, he communicates with what appears to be a single phrase, “I am Groot,” but which can be translated to mean a multitude of things, as if stated in a full language format.

Normally placid and friendly, Groot can handle himself well in combat and use deadly force if he feels the situation warrants it, and most especially if anyone endangers Rocket or his fellow Guardians of the Galaxy. In fact, in those moments, Groot can be called fierce and frightening.

One of his greatest abilities is his ability to survive immense damage or even mortal injury by “regrowing” himself from even a small shard of his former self. During this reformative time, Groot follows a growth cycle similar to humans, from infant to adolescent and finally to adulthood, with each stage bringing with it evolving intelligence and temperament levels.

I Am Groot

When provoked or threatened, Groot transforms from peaceful tree-person into a mighty warrior with a hint of savagery—characteristics he exhibits regardless of what age he appears to be. As a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot joins the fight against cosmic threats like Ronan and Ego, and eventually Thanos and his followers.

On a more personal level, the baby incarnation of Groot exacts his vengeance on the Ravager named Retch for abuses delivered by Retch during Groot’s brief tenure as the forced “mascot” of the pirates.

I Am Groot

Rocket stands as Groot’s closest companion and buddy, with all that such a relationship brings with it. Though the almost-raccoon often times seems frustrated or even irritable with the tree-being, they are in fact deeply aware of each other’s needs and feelings.

Groot also apparently treasures his friendship and camaraderie with the other members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, especially Gamora and Peter Quill, the two of them often acting as parental figures after Groot is reborn in a baby-like form.

While at first showing indifference to the Asgardian Thor, Groot ultimately comes to his aid at a crucial point, and fights alongside him and other Avengers and close allies of that Earth-bound team.

Beyond his immediate circle of friends, Groot gravitates to the downtrodden he encounters in his travels, especially children.

I Am Groot

After escaping the Kyln, Groot traveled with Rocket and his new friends to the asteroid called Knowhere to meet the Collector, to whom Quill hoped to sell the Orb. Instead, Ronan the Kree Accuser captured the Orb, which housed an Infinity Stone, prompting Groot to urge Rocket to move to save his new comrades and follow the trail of the Stone. That path led them back to Xandar, where the band of friends made their way onto Ronan’s ship to try to recapture their lost artifact.

Groot fought Ronan’s troops valiantly, and when the ship started to lose orbit and crash into Xandar, he formed a protective capsule out of his own body to ensure everyone would survive the impact. Sadly, he himself did not survive the crash, but when Rocket and the others finished their battle with Ronan, Groot began to regrow into a new life from a stick of his former existence.

Not long after, the infant Groot traveled with his friends, now called the Guardians of the Galaxy, to complete a mission for the alien Sovereign race—though Rocket’s theft of valuable batteries from the Sovereign and the ensuing chase led to a crash land on a remote planet. When Quill, Gamora, and Drax left with Quill’s long-lost father, Ego, Rocket and Groot stayed behind for Rocket to fix the ship. They encountered Yondu Udonta’s Ravagers, who took the duo onto their ship and into captivity, while locking Yondu himself up following a mutiny. Abused by the crew, the little Groot, assisted by remorseful Ravager Kraglin, helped Rocket and Yondu escape to return to the company of their friends on Ego’s world.

With Ego revealed as not only having been responsible for the death of Quill’s mother, but to have a terrifying “expansion” planned, which would turn the entire universe into an extension of himself, Rocket designed a bomb intended to blow up Ego’s consciousness at the core of the planet. While his friends fought both Ego and the returning Sovereign, Groot was tasked with delivering the explosive package to the core, a mission he readily accepted and, overcoming many questions about his ability to correctly remember what to do, carried out with success. Upon reaching the surface again, he learned of Yondu’s noble sacrifice to save Quill and later witnessed his moving funeral.

In the years that followed, Groot continued to grow and upon reaching what would be adolescence for his race he entered into a period of sullenness and some slight rebellion against his fellow Guardians. Obsessed with a hand-held video game, Groot almost completely ignored his team’s plight against the tyrant Thanos, even as he accompanied Rocket and the Asgardian Thor to Nidavellir on a quest to forge a new weapon for the god of thunder. However, with Thor’s life on the line, when the Asgardian needed a stout handle for his newly forged magical axe, Stormbreaker, Groot gave his own arm to provide the weapon’s handle, an act that brought him some pain.

Traveling through the Bifrost with Thor and Rocket to Earth, Groot landed in the African nation of Wakanda in the middle of a sprawling clash between Wakandan forces, many of Earth’s heroes, and Thanos’ army of followers. Groot destroyed many of Thanos’ forces, and even engaged Thanos himself when the tyrant suddenly appeared to end the fight and capture the last of the six Infinity Stones.

When Thanos achieved that goal, he snapped his fingers and willed all six Stones to obliterate half of all sentient life in the universe. As Rocket looked on in anguish, Groot was among those who disintegrated away.

A Home For The Holidays

Five years later, Groot and the others who had been unmade all returned thanks to the efforts of the Avengers. Groot entered the battle against the time-traveling Thanos alongside his allies from Wakanda. Groot and the others bought Iron Man enough time to use the Infinity Stones to expel the invading forces, but he lost his life in the process. After Stark's wake, the Guardians returned to space, this time with Thor along for the ride.

The Asgardian eventually left the squad to deal with Gorr and the Guardians began setting down roots on Knowhere, which they purchased from the Collector. By Christmastime, Groot had become noticeably wider in the shoulders as he continued growing back to adult size. After Mantis and Drax traveled to Earth to attain not just holiday decorations, but also Quill's hero Kevin Bacon, Groot assisted in secretly decorating the area.

Groot even rolled out the box containing Bacon, but Quill was upset about the kidnapping. Ultimately, the Earth star agreed to bring Knowhere some holiday cheer. During the gift exchange, Groot received a Gameboy from Quill and gave his friends dioramas he made featuring them. After Bacon was taken home, Rocket and Cosmo tried decorating Groot like a Christmas tree, but Groot had other ideas.