Tales to Astonish #13 (1960). Groot on the cover, his pre-Marvel-Age monster-comics debut.

1st Appearance and 1st Cover

First Appearance of Groot

Tales to Astonish #13

November 1960 · Marvel · Silver Age

Marvel's pre-Silver-Age monster-comics villain. Reintroduced in 2007 as a Guardians of the Galaxy hero, voiced by Vin Diesel since 2014, and the only Marvel character whose entire vocabulary is one sentence.

Key Issue

Created by Stan Lee · Larry Lieber · Jack Kirby · Dick Ayers

By Atomm Updated Apr 24, 2026

The first appearance (1st app) of Groot is Tales to Astonish #13 (November 1960), created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers. Groot debuts as a one-off monster-comics villain in Marvel's pre-Silver-Age era, predating Fantastic Four #1 by a year. The character was reintroduced as a heroic Guardians of the Galaxy member in Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord #1 (August 2007), which is the framework James Gunn adapted for the 2014 film. Note: Baby Groot is a separate character debut (Groot #5, 2015) tracked on a distinct page.

Quick Facts

Debut: Tales to Astonish #13 (November 1960)
Real name: Groot
Creators: Stan Lee (plot), Larry Lieber (script), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First enemy: Various pre-Marvel-Age monster-comics antagonists in his original era
First ally: Rocket Raccoon (his long-running modern partner), the modern Guardians of the Galaxy
Team affiliations: Guardians of the Galaxy (modern), Annihilators (cosmic Marvel team)

Firsts Timeline

First Appearance First Cover November 1960

Tales to Astonish #13

By Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers

Groot debuts as a one-off monster-comics villain in Marvel's pre-Silver-Age era. Stan Lee plots; Larry Lieber scripts; Jack Kirby pencils with Dick Ayers inks. The character predates Fantastic Four #1 by a year and was originally framed as a Treants-style alien invader, not a hero.
Read the full breakdown
First Modern Appearance (Hero Era) August 2007

Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord #1

By Keith Giffen, Timothy Green II

Groot's modern reintroduction as a heroic Guardians of the Galaxy member. Keith Giffen and Timothy Green II reframed the 1960 monster-villain into the cosmic-Marvel hero James Gunn would adapt for the 2014 film.
Read the full breakdown

Creation Story

Groot is one of Marvel’s oldest continuously-published characters, with an unusual career trajectory. Tales to Astonish #13 (November 1960) introduces Groot as a one-off monster-comics villain. Stan Lee plotted; Larry Lieber scripted; Jack Kirby pencilled; Dick Ayers inked. The book predates Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961) by a year and is a product of Marvel’s pre-Silver-Age era when the publisher’s main output was monster comics, romance books, and westerns rather than superheroes.

The original Groot is a treant-style alien from Planet X who arrives on Earth with the intent of subjugating humans. He is verbose and threatening, and is defeated within the issue. The character did not recur in the 1960s as Marvel pivoted to superhero publishing.

The dormant decades

Groot did not return until Incredible Hulk #244-245 (February to March 1980), a brief Bronze Age cameo that re-established the character existed but did not develop him further. He remained a minor pre-Silver-Age curiosity for decades.

The Annihilation: Conquest reinvention

Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord #1 (August 2007) by Keith Giffen and Timothy Green II reintroduced Groot as a heroic team member. The reframing took the 1960 visual character (a tall tree-being from Planet X) and rebuilt his personality, motivations, and vocabulary. The most distinctive change: Groot now speaks only the phrase “I am Groot,” with all other communication conveyed through inflection.

Annihilation: Conquest #6 (April 2008) made Groot a founding member of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy alongside Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax, Adam Warlock, Quasar, and Mantis. The framework has been canonical ever since.

The MCU era

Vin Diesel’s Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and subsequent MCU films made the character one of the most-recognized cosmic Marvel figures of the 2010s. The “I am Groot” line became one of the most-quoted superhero film lines of the decade. Diesel’s performance also voices Baby Groot (a separate first-appearance key tracked on the Baby Groot character page) in subsequent MCU appearances.

Collector context

Tales to Astonish #13 is the Groot pre-Silver-Age key. High-grade CGC 9.0+ copies have crossed $50,000 at auction. The book’s value accelerated sharply with Vin Diesel’s 2014 MCU performance.

Secondary keys: Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord #1 (2007 modern reintroduction). Annihilation: Conquest #6 (2008 modern Guardians form). Groot #1 (2015 first solo limited series). The Baby Groot first appearance (Groot #5, 2015) is a related but distinct key.

Key subsequent appearances

After the debut, these are the issues collectors and historians reach for next.

1960
Tales to Astonish #13
First appearance and first cover. Pre-Silver-Age monster-comics era.
1980
Incredible Hulk #244-245
Bronze Age Cameo
Groot resurfaces in a brief Bronze Age Hulk cameo. The character had been dormant for two decades before this appearance.
2007
Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord #1
Modern reintroduction as a Guardians of the Galaxy hero.
2008
Annihilation: Conquest #6
Modern Guardians
Groot is a founding member of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy. Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Tom Raney.
2015
Groot #1 (2015)
First Solo Title
Six-issue Loveness-Kesinger limited series. Hub for the Baby Groot debut in issue #5.

In adaptations

Film, TV, animation, and game appearances.

2014
Guardians of the Galaxy
Film
Starring:Vin Diesel
James Gunn directs. Diesel voices Groot. The film's cultural impact made 'I am Groot' one of the most-quoted superhero film lines of the 2010s.
2017
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Film
Starring:Vin Diesel
Gunn returns. Baby Groot opens the film dancing to Mr. Blue Sky. Baby Groot's commercial success is largely a function of this film.
2022
I Am Groot
Animated
Starring:Vin Diesel
Disney+ animated short-form series. Baby Groot leads.
2023
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Film
Starring:Vin Diesel
Gunn closes the trilogy.

Frequently asked questions

The questions readers and collectors ask most.

What is Groot's first appearance?

Groot's first appearance is Tales to Astonish #13 (November 1960), created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers. The character predates Fantastic Four #1 by a year and was originally a one-off monster-comics villain. He was reintroduced as a Guardians of the Galaxy hero in Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord #1 (August 2007).

Is Tales to Astonish #13 valuable?

Yes, substantially. Tales to Astonish #13 is a pre-Silver-Age Marvel key. High-grade copies (CGC 9.0 and above) have crossed $50,000 at auction. The book's value accelerated dramatically with Vin Diesel's 2014 MCU performance. Pre-Silver-Age monster comics are a smaller collector category than Silver Age superhero books, but Groot's MCU cultural visibility has elevated this issue specifically.

Is Baby Groot the same character?

Editorially yes, but with a distinct first-appearance key. Baby Groot is the regrown sapling form of Groot after his original body's destruction. His first cameo is Groot #4 (September 2015) and first full appearance is Groot #5 (October 2015). Collectors track Baby Groot separately from the original 1960 Groot. The MCU's 2017 Guardians Vol. 2 Baby Groot is largely a function of the film rather than directly tied to the comics first appearance.

How did Groot become a hero?

Editorial rebuild during Annihilation: Conquest. The 1960 Groot was a one-off monster-comics villain who never developed into a recurring character. He resurfaced briefly in Incredible Hulk #244-245 (1980) but remained a minor character. In 2007, Keith Giffen and Timothy Green II reintroduced him in Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord #1 as a heroic team member. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning made him a Guardians of the Galaxy founding member in Annihilation: Conquest #6 (April 2008). The reframing held; Groot has been a Guardians team member ever since.

Why does Groot only say 'I am Groot'?

Editorial decision held since the 2007 reintroduction. The original 1960 Groot spoke normal English (he was a verbose monster-comics villain). The Abnett-Lanning reintroduction limited his vocabulary to the single phrase 'I am Groot' as a character feature. The framing was canonized in the 2014 James Gunn film and has been the character's defining trait ever since. In-story, the phrase is functionally rich: other characters can interpret meaning from inflection.