No Marvel character – besides Spider-Man – commands the love and adoration that Groot does. Be it an adult, baby or teenage version of the character, it is impossible to not say the three magic words every time he says, “I am Groot” on screen. Lucky for us, the character’s animated series of shorts, I Am Groot, is finally premiering on Disney+Hotstar. While this season largely deals with him growing up with the MCU version of Guardians of the Galaxy, we couldn’t help draw up a list of Groot’s iconic comic storylines that we’d like to see. The beauty of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga is that even the wackiest storylines are possible to adapt.
Annihilation: Conquest
Marvel.com
This series comes before our hero formally joined the Guardians. It follows an adult Groot forming an unlikely alliance with Rocket Raccoon in a Kree prison. He is further assigned to a covert team under Starlord, which goes toe to toe with Phalanx. The battle leaves his body largely destroyed, with Raccoon preserving the small twig left of him in his palm. The themes of heartbreaking friendship form a powerful motif, and this comic spawned Groot’s best ever suit in the Guardians of the Galaxy video game!
Mojo TV
Marvel.com
If you like the adorkable friendship between Groot and Rocket in the MCU, you really should check out the comics. One of the arcs from this issue involves the duo hanging out in a dingy space bar when a group of Badoon arrives to arrest them for crimes against the Royal Brotherhood. This is followed by an epic shootout where Rocket literally shoots holes in beer barrels, leading to a stampede for free beer, which allows our heroes to make a hasty escape.
Dark Olympians
Teahub
This issue that split up the Guardians had an arc which proved why despite complicated relationships, they are all a family. Gamora led a faction of the broken Guardians against her former team members, and the first mission was to assassinate Rocket. Groot not only tipped off Rocket about the threat, but also saved his friend’s life when Blackjack O’Hare tried to kill him.
The Forgotten Door
Amazon
A part of the beloved I Am Groot storyline, a young Groot finds himself on a strange planet where no one can understand him, billions of light-years away from the rest of the team. What ensues is a lively adventure packed with treachery and epic space battles as Groot tries to find people who can understand his language and help him get home. Somewhere in the journey, Groot even steals an alien child’s custom rocket to escape to Earth!
Tales to Astonish
While Groot largely has an ultra-cute image today, few know that in his early days, he had quite a monstrous presence. In his first appearance, Groot turns up in a village with the intention of kidnapping and experimenting on its people. He goes on to command the local trees to do his bidding, but the townsfolk finally manage to defeat the seemingly invincible tree through termites! Despite being a stark deviation from his likable persona, we think this would be an interesting take for a What If…? episode, even if it can’t make the cut in I am Groot.
Venom Groot
Marvel Fanon
The fantastic Guardians of the Galaxy series that ran from 2013 to 2017 has an issue where the Venom symbiote escapes from the Guardian’s ship and possesses Groot. The illustration of a symbiote-clad Groot is truly terrifying, with “I am Venom” being his new warcry. Venom Groot also attacks his teammates and almost defeats them, before Rocket manages to separate him from the symbiote.
