How Did Rocket Meet Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy? Explained

Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the coolest superhero groups in the Marvel Universe. The way they developed characters and interpersonal relationships with each other made them a really fun team to watch on their adventures. Of course, the emotional aspect is also very much felt, but some characters prevail over others, including Groot and Rocket. This chaotic duo has been fan favorites among Marvel fans forever, and their working together is probably the most interesting dynamic of the group. This article will discuss how Groot and Rocket met and their dynamic as partners.

There are a few versions of Rocket and Groot meeting in the comics, but the comic book Groot from 2015 explains their first meeting in the most wholesome way possible. Groot was wandering the galaxy when he was imprisoned and put in a jail cell with no other than Rocket Raccoon. In the beginning, Rocket disliked Groot and didn’t understand him. However, Groot slowly but surely grows on grumpy Raccoon, leading to the chaotic duo escaping the prison, traveling across the galaxy, and joining the Guardians of the Galaxy team.

As we already mentioned, Rocket and Groot’s story of their first meeting has been discussed multiple times in Marvel Comics, but this particular version is so wholesome and makes sense for the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the characters. If you are interested, stay with us until the end.

When did Groot and Rocket first meet?

Guardians of the Galaxy are definitely one of the coolest groups in Marvel Comics. Each character has an emotional and tragic backstory, but the way they hang out and interact with each other prevails over the hard beginnings of these characters.

Now, we know the origins of Rocket Raccoon, especially with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 movie, while Groot was briefly introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. The Groot comic book story from 2015 made his character even more loveable and wholesome.

Groot tells his origins story to Jean Grey when he and Rocket visit Earth after a dangerous mission they’ve been part of. While Rocket parties with the rest of the X-Men, Groot approaches Jean to help him find someone special to him, whom he met decades ago and who lives on Earth.

To help Jean locate that special someone, Groot tells her his origins and his life on Planet X, where he felt isolated by his more vicious and brutal saplings, who stormed the worlds to kill mammals. Groot wasn’t like them, and he felt connected to other species, ultimately exiling him from the planet. Namely, Groot met a young girl, a human subject who was supposed to be experimented on by other Flora colossi, but Groot saved her life and even killed another sapling to release her.

He was exiled from his planet, which never truly felt like his home, and suffered prejudice from beings he encountered on his journey. As we know, Groot mostly communicates with his famous catchphrase, “I am Groot,” which can mean anything. However, not knowing Groot and being unwilling to truly get to know him, no one understood him, which made the Flora colossi lonely.

However, Groot’s unwavering positivity and willingness to see the best in people prevailed, leading us to how Groot and Rocket met. Groot has been traveling across the galaxy and was captured by Kree, where he met Rocket Raccoon for the first time. According to Groot #2 from 2015, Rocket and Groot shared the jail cell, and the Raccoon wasn’t happy to share his space – he instantly rejected Groot and his kindness.

However, when guards start to hurt Groot, Rocket stands out for him, which leads to Rocket’s resolve to crack. One day, while they were in their cell, the guards arrived once again to injure Rocket and Groot, but then, the chaotic duo teamed up and defeated the guards, which led to Rocket understanding Groot and his speech.

This moment is one of the most wholesome things I’ve seen in a very long time in the Marvel comics since the mutual understanding and Rocket’s will to give Groot a chance symbolizes the start of a beautiful friendship.

Since then, the dynamic duo has escaped the prison, joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, and showcased one of the most beautiful friendships in Marvel Comics. Definitely check out the six-issue comic book Groot from 2015 – it will make your day much better.

Now that we know how Groot and Rocket met in the comics, do we know how they met in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let’s find out.

How did Groot and Rocket meet in MCU?

Of course, anything that happens in the MCU doesn’t mean that Marvel Studios adapted every aspect of the story from the comics. In the case of Guardians of the Galaxy, their story has similarities with the comics and their Earth-616 counterparts, but their journey has led them to different storylines.

In the case of Groot and Rocket, their story revolves around them meeting each other at some point and joining forces to catch targets and become bounty hunters. Groot’s origin story is briefly told in the first Guardians movie, while Rocket got time to shine in the third installment of the trilogy, while their first meeting was hinted at once again in the first Guardians movie.

Despite Rocket being a bit harsh to Groot, it is later established that he actually loves his friend dearly and is devastated when Groot sacrifices himself in the first movie. In the second Guardians, Rocket is seen safeguarding baby Groot who thought of the Raccoon as his father figure. That whole dynamic was hilarious, but it only confirmed that Groot and Rocket have a similar history, or at least how they first met, as in the comics, which I welcome wholeheartedly.

Nevertheless, Groot and Rocket are the best friendship in the Marvel Universe, and their relationship will either make you cry or uncontrollably laugh – which it does in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Comics.

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