Groot (Earth-6908)

History
Groot the 23rd was born to King Groot the 22nd and his wife, Phleaf the 17th, and was one of 33 Princes of Planet X. Of all her children, Groot was Phleaf's favourite, and she showed him all the wonderful sights in their solar system, inspiring a great sense of wonder into Groot, which would stick with him later in life. But due to his father's teachings, he also learnt the value of strength. This combination led to Groot become the heir to the throne, despite being the 27th of the princes to be born.

The Siege of Planet X
One day, a wormhole into the Negative Zone opened in Planet X's capital city, and a squadron of the insect-like Arthrosians emerged and began to cause chaos. Although they were defeated relatively quickly, this was quickly followed up by a second, larger squadron, and with each wave of attacks they got bigger and bigger. Groot helped in the fight against the Arthrosians, and fought fiercely to protect his people, but he was pulled out of the fight by his father. Along with two of his brothers, he was launched off-world in an emergency shuttle, despite his protests.

As he often did in times of stress, Groot looked back on his mother's words, "Remember who you are, it's all that matters." He began muttering the words "I am Groot" over and over again, which helped push the horrific thoughts out of his mind as he and his brothers flew across the solar system to evacuate. Although they escaped what later came to be known as the 'Annihilation Wave', the ship eventually flew near a Shi'Ar outpost, and was fired at under the assumption it was a threat. Groot watched as his brothers were burnt and killed in the fire, and was burnt himself, leaving only part of his chest left.

Powers and Abilities
Growth: Groot can grown the plant-like matter of his body at insane rates (being able to stretch his arm several dozen feet in a few seconds, for example). He often uses this to form shields and blunt weapons for combat, or to get to objects that are otherwise out of reach. Cellular Regeneration (Healing Factor): Should Groot's 'base form' be damaged, he can easily grow more plant-like matter to fill the gap (although this additional growth is weaker than what was damaged, and it takes time for it to 'harden').
 * He can also 'retract' these growths, and return to his 'base form', which is his 'normal' size and appearance.

Weaknesses
Limited Vocabulary: Due to the trauma he went through during the Siege of Planet X, Groot is only able to say the words "I am Groot". However, he uses emphasis on certain words or syllables, as well as his general tone and facial expressions, to convey different meanings. With enough time, some people are able to get a general idea of what he is saying, but it's impossible to tell from only this exactly what he means. Base Form Growth Rate: Although Groot can extend his body at remarkable rates, and then return back to his normal size, he is limited by his 'base form'. Should his base form be destroyed, he can be regrown from his biological equivalent of a heart, but it can take months for him to grow back to the size he was when he was destroyed.
 * If he establishes a strong enough connection to someone (such as the one he has with Rocket), he can create a telepathic connection, which allows the person he has bonded with to fully understand him.
 * His biological equivalent of a heart also stores his memories. Should the heart be damaged, he will suffer from memory loss.