Warning: Spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy #7!"Protect Groot at all costs" takes on a whole new meaning for the Guardians of the Galaxy. Readers may have encountered the phrase as a way to describe how cute and precious Groot can be, especially as a baby in the MCU. His more recent comic book arc, however, has been anything but cute; what believed to be a villain run for the character has now made Groot a target.
Guardians of the Galaxy #7 – by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Kev Walker, Matt Hollingsworth, and Cory Petit – finds Wiccan and Hulkling investigating Grootspace expecting to embark on a rescue mission, but the Guardians aren't the ones who need saving: Groot does.
After debuting a much creepier codename, the Guardians of the Galaxy explain why they are prepared to protect Groot by any means necessary.
6 Reasons the Guardians of the Galaxy Blame Themselves for Evil Groot (And 6 Reasons They Shouldn't)
All of the Guardians of the Galaxy blame themselves for Groot becoming evil, but some of their reasons are more legitimate than others.
The "Guardians of Grootspace" Must Protect Groot From The Galaxy
When the latest rebooted series for 2023 began, Guardians of the Galaxy established that Groot had somehow become a planet-devouring antagonist. As the series progressed, more has slowly been revealed, detailing what happened to Groot, as well as his motivations. It took devouring the Guardians themselves before the team could come to realize that Groot has been misunderstood this whole time. Groot hasn't been an outright villain, nor has he been killing anyone. Everyone he's devoured is on a path to return in time, including the Guardians. First, though, they need Wiccan and Hulkling's help to stop outside forces from wanting to kill Groot, who they still see as a threat.
Although the Guardians are able to gain the trust and cooperation of Wiccan and Hulkling in Guardians of the Galaxy #7, trying to do so for an entire galaxy worth of would-be Groot hunters – especially when one of them happens to be Star-Lord's sister – is going to be a completely different story. Whether his intentions were malicious or not, Groot's reign of terror struck enough fear into the hearts of people across the universe that he has been vilified, if not outright become a villain. People fear what they don't understand, and unless they find a way to understand Groot, the Guardians of the Galaxy are still in dire peril.
Groot Made Enemies While Mistaken For An Enemy
Wiccan and Hulkling could only understand Groot's motivations after having a civil discussion with the Guardians, which involved using Wiccan's powers to understand Groot firsthand without having to be eaten. Not everyone in the galaxy will offer the Guardians that same grace. The alternative would be to allow themselves to be eaten, as the Guardians did. Unfortunately for them, given what Star-Lord's sister says at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy #7, Empress Victoria may be preparing some serious firepower that will prevent Groot the opportunity to eat anyone again. Now more than ever, it's important for the Guardians of the Galaxy to protect Groot at all costs.
