Groot

History: Claiming to be monarch of his people, Groot came to Earth to steal a village and return it to his home planet for his scientists to study and experiment on the inhabitants. First discovered by biologist Leslie Evans, Groot attacked the town and was eventually killed when Evans released specially-bred termites upon him.

Groot was later seen among a group of monsters being held in the Collector's subterranean museum beneath the surface of Canada. The monsters escaped captivity during the Collector's battle with the Mole Man, and some of the monsters (including Groot) attacked New York City, but were fought off by an alliance of the Thing, the Hulk, Giant-Man, and the Beast. The defeated monsters were later dispatched into the Negative Zone.

In modern times, Xemnu The Living Titan/ Hulk created five duplicates of monsters, including a duplicate of Groot, to battle The Incredible Hulk. The Groot duplicate was destroyed by the Incredible Hulk.

The dream demon Nightmare created duplicates of several monsters, including a duplicate of Groot, to attack a young Peter Parker in his dreams.

Height: 30 feet
Demonstrated Powers: Groot could animate Earth trees to move at his command as an attacking army; it is unknown if this power extends to other forms of vegetation.
Groot fed by absorbing wooden objects (barrels, cabinets, fence posts, etc.)
Groot's wooden body was tough enough to be impervious to flame
The Xemnu-duplicate Groot could launch thorns from its hands as missles; this power was never demonstrated by the true Groot

Comment: Speculation - The Handbook to the Marvel Universe gave the name “Xanth” to the Planet X introduced in Fantastic Four # 7 (see Kurrgo). Xanth may have been populated by multiple alien races. Although there is no conclusive proof that this was the same “Planet X” of the FF story, it is a fact that after that Planet X was destroyed by an asteroid, the giant monster invasions of Earth dropped off.

Comment: It is unknown if there is any connection between Groot and the H'ylthri - the sentient plant race living in the dimension of K'un-Lun (introduced in Iron Fist (vol. 1) # 2).

For another entry on Groot, click HERE.

The Beat poet Gregory Corso—-close friend of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs—-was a fan of Groot. In his poem “A Difference of Zoos”, in which he celebrates the creatures of the imagination, there occurs the line: “I sang Ave Maria to the Heap, to Groot.” The Heap was a muck monster who first appeared in the Forties in Air Fighters Comics and Airboy Comics. Corso's poem appears in his book, Long Live Man (New Directions, 1962).

This poet Gregory Corso must have been one redwood of a Groot fan. In the same book Long Live Man, he has yet another poem mentioning our tree of terror. In “Halloween” (p.55) he has the line: “Within Groot's twisted oaky gnarl.” (The other poem, “A Difference of Zoos”, is on p. 62. ) Let no man ever disparage a Kirby Monster, when even far-famed bards feel fit to sing them praise!

Ya gotta love those Beatnik dudes. They are the most Ut!
My favorite riffs was done by the famous Beat horn player: Hotlips Harrigan.
Ol' Hotlips really did a great number on Zzutak.

Did everyone have a tree in their neighborhood called Groot or was it just mine?

Well, the scariest trees in my neighborhood, when I was a kid, were the ones that attacked the lunar equivalent of Lilliput, in one of the old Casper TFG cartoons (from Paramount). They had the most sinister marching theme, of any cartoon-monster, I ever heard! And, were definitely related to Groot.

When I saw TreeBeard in LOTR, I immediatly thought of Groot. Maybe Kirby's influence for GROOT was a combination of Tolkien and the tree's from the Wizard of Oz.

After seeing Treebeard in action, could you imagine what could be done with the Marvel Monsters in a CGI film?
Boggles the mind…

Hey, Groot lovers you may think you love animated lumber but would you get it indelibly placed in your skin? Myself and my friend JJ are huge Kirby fans and I was honored to tattoo this sleeve, entirely dedicated to the King, on him! If you look closely though, you will see that it is not quite Groot. It's actually the ever lovin' impossible man mimicking him! Enjoy!

Pick up the new Nick Fury's Howling Commandos #2 to see what Groot has been up to lately.

In other words, he's become a member of their latest covert operations “branch?”

I enjoyed the design of this particular monster. He was different. He was a good blend with the night sky.

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