Groot (Earth-616)

**Groot** is a Flora colossi from Planet X. He was exiled from his home planet after killing another member of his species to defend a "maintenance mammal" who was being brutalized for scientific purposes.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

**Flora colossus Physiology:** Flora colossi are a tree-like race of beings from Planet X, the capital of the branch worlds.

* **Plant Physiology:** Due to their floral nature, Flora colossi possess tree-like forms, granting them abilities similar to those of trees and other plants.
	+ **Superhuman Strength:** Their tree-like forms provide them with great strength. Flora colossi are able to lift many heavy objects, including several men on just one arm.
	+ **Superhuman Durability:** Their external tissues are composed of wood that is dense and durable enough to make them immune to most conventional weapons, including gunfire and fire. They can endure the loss of entire limbs without experiencing any pain.
	+ **Regenerative Healing Factor:** Flora colossi possess an amazing healing factor and have been shown to regenerate everything from a missing limb to their entire body. Each time Groot has seemingly been killed, he has regrown from a sprig.
	+ **Spore Generation:** Flora colossi have the ability to produce phosphorescent spores that float through the air and offer enough ambient light to illuminate small areas.
	+ **Elasticity:** They are able to stretch their limbs over long distances and reshape them for a variety of tasks. With this capability, Flora colossi can weave their limbs into a dense tangle of vines or to produce finger-like vines, rudimentary tools, or even small constructs.
	+ **Size Manipulation:** Groot can grow at an extremely advanced speed at will, growing to his normal size from a sprig or growing from his normal size to a giant form.
* **Chlorokinesis:** Groot has the power to control other plants.
* **Healing:** Groot is able to heal others. While the full capabilities of this power are unknown, he was able to rid the Gardener of poison within a few seconds.

#### Former Powers

**Black Vortex:** After exposure to the power of the Black Vortex, Groot was both physically and internally transformed; his cosmic potential exponentially expanded upon his natural capabilities.

* **Anaerobic Sustenance:** While augmented, Groot could survive in the vacuum of space unaided.
* **Flight:** Groot could fly at various speeds under his own will.

### Abilities

**Gifted Intellect:** Groot has received the finest education from photonic knowledge of the Arbor Masters. He is highly intelligent and has a tremendous grasp of quasi-dimensional super-positional engineering.

### Weaknesses

**Language Barrier:** To most people, Groot appears to only vocalize the words "I am Groot," making communication with most people all but completely futile. Maximus asserted that whenever Groot was saying his trademark "I am Groot," he had actually been saying any number of things. It is the hardened nature of Groot's larynx as a Flora colossi that causes people who are oblivious to the subtle nuances of his speech to misinterpret him as merely repeating this phrase. After spending some time with Groot, others are able to pick up on his nuances and understand him.