Over the past two decades, the popularity of comic books has skyrocketed to the point where people who used to be considered geeky now feel like they're in the upside down. Comic book characters once fogged in obscurity such as
The Avengers and the
Guardians of the Galaxy have become household names and role models for the next generation through the resurgence of comic book interest via movies and television.
Because of this popularity, many people are familiar with comics these days, and for most - even casual readers or fans of adjacent media - the first name that comes to mind when on the subject of comic books is none other than Stan Lee, who recently passed away. Fans and filmmakers have been paying tribute to the legendary creator since, with a Stan Lee special even airing this month (despite running into trouble with certain cable stations).
Most people know that Lee is responsible for creating big names like The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, and many more, but there are countless heroes that Lee worked hard to bring to the pages that fans of his or of the characters may not know about. Now, on what would have been Lee's 97th birthday,
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 and
The Suicide Squad director James Gunn
decided to make a very popular GOTG member's origin story known.
While Groot initially appeared in a slightly different form (he had the ability to speak and was even larger in size) and may have been an antagonist to start off with, he was altered over the years since his 1960 introduction by Stan Lee and ultimately grew to become the Groot that fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and comics know and love today.
What do you think of this information? Who's your favorite Stan Lee character? Celebrate his birthday by letting us know in the comments below!
Peter Quill and his fellow Guardians are hired by a powerful alien race, the Sovereign, to protect their precious batteries from invaders. When it is discovered that Rocket has stolen the items they were sent to guard, the Sovereign dispatch their armada to search for vengeance. As the Guardians try to escape, the mystery of Peter's parentage is revealed.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 is currently available to stream on Disney+.
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