With so many classic creatures on the loose in Monsters Unleashed, we turn to their earlier adventures thanks to Marvel Unlimited.

It might surprise Guardians of the Galaxy fans to know that Groot first appeared as a monstrous menace in the pages of TALES TO ASTONISH #13. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby debuted the beast in a 1960 issue which found the denizen of Planet X rampaging through a small town.

One brave man, Leslie Evans, stood in Groot’s way much to the surprise of his fellow townspeople. Earlier that night, he and his date Alice were headed home after a party when they saw the creature zap down to Earth. She wanted to go home, so he agreed and got absorbed in his work as a biologist for the next few days.

After trees and other wooden objects started going missing, Evans remembered the close encounter and headed into the woods where he soon discovered Groot absorbing the missing implements into his body! Groot then made his presence known to the wider population of the town and explained his purpose: “I am Groot, monarch of Planet X!” he bellowed. “I come to take an Earth village—your village, back to my planet! We want to study you, to experiment on you!”

Tales to Astonish (1959) #13

• Published: November 01, 1960
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: June 08, 2010
• Writer: Larry Lieber
• Penciller: Don Heck
• Cover Artist: Jack Kirby

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He explained in further detail that he would command the trees to make a perimeter around the town, then connect roots and fly off into space back to Planet X. As Groot went about implementing his plan, Evans raced to his lab and worked tirelessly on something that would stop the invader. What could fell such a powerful being? Why specially bred termites of course!

This more monstrous version of Groot appeared alongside Goom, Diablo, Blip, Xemnu, and Taboo to fight The Hulk in the pages of INCREDIBLE HULK ANNUAL #5.

As you’ve probably figured out, the Groot seen here has been distanced from the being who first met up with Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon in the pages of ANNIHILATION CONQUEST – STAR-LORD. The original Groot was simply another denizen of Planet X while the one who became a founding member of the Guardians of the Galaxy proved a more rebellious youth who wanted to help others instead of kidnapping them and researching them like that first example who visited Earth.

In the wake of Inhumans Vs. X-Men, the former group will find itself split between those that remain on Earth and others that head to the stars. To get the idea as to where books like ROYALS, SECRET WARRIORS and BLACK BOLT will venture, it’s best to check out Al Ewing and Ryan Sook’s upcoming INHUMANS PRIME #1, due out March 29!

In addition to setting the stage for those titles, the issue will also put Maximus on trial and introduce readers to the new Marvel Boy. To get the lowdown on all things INHUMANS PRIME, we turn to Sook who also shared some of his great art from the issue!

Marvel.com: This issue partially revolves around Maximus’ trial. He’s always been a mixed bag for the Inhumans. Would you say he’s crossed a line like never before?

Ryan Sook: I feel like Maximus has definitely crossed a line that there’s no coming back from after this. The consequences for the rest of the Inhumans though are maybe even more surprising than Maximus’ actions. Game changer.

Marvel.com: What can you say about the new Marvel Boy and his new design?

Ryan Sook: I can only say that Marvel Boy comes across as a really cool character whose potential for the future of the Inhumans, only hinted at in this issue, sets him up to be a really important and cool character in the Marvel Universe going forward. In part because his new design by Jonboy Meyers is so awesome!

Marvel.com: Speaking of designs, did you get to rework any of the other looks as the Inhumans split up between Earth and the stars?

Ryan Sook: I didn’t rework any of the designs. Thankfully! I just got to draw Jonboy’s awesome redesigns for the most part, which, as with Marvel Boy, are awesome line-wide. I just took the opportunity to play up all the awesome elements of those new designs and some of the classic designs in my style which was a pleasure all around.

Marvel.com: Visually speaking, would you say there’s a stylistic difference between the books that will lead out of PRIME?

Ryan Sook: I hesitate to speak on the varying styles of one book to another. I’ll only say that from what I’ve seen, Marvel has expanded the Inhumans line—[SECRET WARRIORS], ROYALS, and BLACK BOLT—in a way that allows some radically different artistic styles to come across each of the different titles. Which makes them as cool and fun to look at as any of the X or Avengers titles and I think it’s high time the Inhumans got that kind of treatment.

Marvel.com: How was it working with Al on this issue?

Ryan Sook: I was unaware of Al’s previous work before now. After working on this script, I don’t intend to be unaware of anything he’s working on anymore. He’s crafted a huge and intriguing launch to PRIME that lays groundwork for some great punches down the line. It’s full of snappy dialog and action all over the place and that makes as fun a comic to draw as to read! Enjoyed the process immensely.

INHUMANS PRIME by Al Ewing and Ryan Sook sets the stage for a new era on March 29!

This March, we celebrate Women’s History Month by spotlighting some of the most iconic characters and creators from the Marvel Universe.

Sue Storm stands as a true comic book icon. In addition to helping kick-start the Marvel Universe, she’s used her invisibility and force field powers to make the world a better place for her fellow citizens as well as the family she’s built with her husband Reed Richards.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961’s ground breaking FANTASTIC FOUR #1, Sue Storm gained amazing powers along with her boyfriend Reed, her brother Johnny Storm, and their friend and pilot Ben Grimm when they flew an experimental spacecraft through cosmic rays. Before we saw the origin contained in that issue, though, a “Fantastic Four” flair went up into the New York City skies. Sue had been having tea with another woman, but went invisible upon seeing it thinking, “So it has happened at last! I must be true to my vow! There can be no turning back!”

With that, she headed out into the streets and walked through people who could feel her presence but not see her. She also hopped in a taxi and asked the cabbie to take her somewhere, but he freaked out, thinking he had picked up a ghost! Sue took that as an affirmation that her invisibility powers really worked! With all of these moves, Sue is the first member of the team to actually demonstrate her powers.

After they all met up at Mr. Fantastic’s place and the origin gets told, we found out the true purpose of the meeting: The Mole Man! The team then traveled to Monster Isle where a beast attack separated them, but they eventually discovered the villain’s plot to take over the surface world with a series of tunnels and lots of giant monsters. The team put the kibosh on that plan and left, hoping to never see Mole Man again!

In the next few issues, Sue and her squad took on a series of threats such as the Skrulls, Miracle Man, Doctor Doom, Namor, and The Puppet Master. Though the Invisible Girl may have played damsel in distress more times than any of us would like, she eventually evolved into The Invisible Woman, one of the most respected and powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe.

Think about it: in addition to co-starring with her teammates in hundreds of issues of their own series, Sue has also played important parts in just about every major event in the Marvel Universe ranging from Galactus’ first attempt at devouring the Earth to Doctor Doom taking over reality in Secret Wars. In fact, she and Reed haven’t been seen since that huge, reality-altering event making her eventual return all the more anticipated.

The Women of Marvel

In addition to traveling through time and space to right wrongs, Sue and Reed have also developed a strong, though oftentimes troubled relationship with one another that dates back to that first appearance when they were simply dating. Their marriage in FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3 proved the event of the century as everyone from a pre-Hellcat Patsy Walker and Tony Stark to a couple of party crashers called Stan and Jack wanted to attend. This union eventually brought two incredibly powerful kids into the world, Franklin and Valeria, who have saved the world in their own right.

Serinda Swan (“Ballers,” “Graceland”) will star as Medusa in the “Marvel’s Inhumans” television series, the never-before-told epic adventure of the royal family. In this series, Medusa is the Queen of the Inhumans and wife of Black Bolt — his most trusted advisor, a fiercely resilient warrior who has the ability to move and control her hair the way most people use their hands and fingers.

It was previously announced that a version of the first two episodes of the new ABC series will premiere exclusively in IMAX® theatres for a two-week window in September 2017, prior to the 8-episode network run.

“Marvel’s Inhumans,” were first introduced in Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1965. Since that time, they have grown in prominence and become some of the most popular and iconic characters in the Marvel Universe.

“Serinda empowers Medusa’s regal glory and still maintains a relatability that synced perfectly with the character,” said Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television and Executive Producer. “She is nothing short of wonderful.”

Added Executive Producer and showrunner Scott Buck, “Serinda Swan brings a regal elegance, as well as a sense of great inner strength and fierce determination to the role of Medusa. I couldn’t be happier to have her as our Queen of Attilan.”

Serinda will join recently announced Anson Mount (“Hell on Wheels”) who will play Black Bolt, the enigmatic, commanding King of the Inhumans, with a voice so powerful that the slightest whisper can destroy a city and Iwan Rheon (“Game of Thrones,” “Misfits” “Vicious”) who will portray Maximus, a clever and charming Inhuman that is fiercely devoted to the people of Attilan, especially his brother, Black Bolt –though he harbors an intense desire to wear the crown himself.

“Marvel’s Inhumans” is executive produced by Scott Buck (“Dexter,” “Marvel’s Iron Fist”) along with Jeph Loeb (“Marvel’s Daredevil,” “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” “Marvel’s Luke Cage”) and Jim Chory (“Marvel’s Daredevil,” “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” “Marvel’s Luke Cage”) with Buck serving as showrunner. Roel Reine (“Admiral,” “Black Sails”) will direct the first two episodes. The series is co-produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios.

Stay tuned to Marvel.com for the latest on “Marvel’s Inhumans” and Marvel Television!

Get ready for new and improved rooftop running and web swinging, with “Spider-Man Unlimited” getting another big update courtesy of the fine folks over at Gameloft. Product Marketing Manager Vitaliy Gladiyenko dropped by to give us the lowdown on all the changes coming down the pipeline.

Marvel.com: “Spider-Man Unlimited” is dropping another exciting update for players coming in early March. Can we get a tl;dr of some of the changes to expect?

Vitaliy Gladiyenko: The whole update is aimed to make player’s experience even more smooth. First of all, we added a new daily login bonus system, which offers bigger rewards each next day you log in. In-game time-limited events, where all new Spideys are being released, got an upgrade too: now each event can be of a certain genome type—this is our local name for character classes. If the player uses characters of the same genome type as the event, he will receive a bonus to his score.

Also we did a whole bunch of UX improvements across the board: duplicate filter in the team section, character filter before the run, more intuitive flow in the reward sections of events and leaderboards where players can explore the content of portals. We also moved some UI elements around for better, more intuitive navigation.

Marvel.com: Just when Spidey thinks he’s seen the last of the symbiotes, a whole new mess of slimy baddies come tearing out of the woodwork. Let’s talk a little about Poison and Raze. Why should players add these two new characters to their roster?

Vitaliy Gladiyenko: They’re both just darn cool characters! Poison has an interesting story. Basically, it is our good ol’ Parker, bonded with the bad ol’ Venom, but on a way deeper level. After nearly dying in battle against the interdimensional spider-totem hunter, Morlun, Peter Parker retreated into a cocoon state beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. Sensing his weakness, the Venom symbiote escaped its prison and permanently bonded with Parker. Peter was driven to share his symbiote with Aunt May and Mary Jane, but both refused. Would you accept such a gift?

Raze aka Claire Dixon was an FBI agent, who was involved in the anti-Carnage ops. After several attempts to capture Carnage she was imprisoned herself and used as a test subject for Carnage’s spawn symbiote, Raze. I haven’t seen Raze in any [other] Spider-Man game. “Spider-Man Unlimited” becomes bigger and bigger with each update and now includes really rare characters!

Marvel.com: And can we go a little more in-depth with the daily bonus update? What exactly can players earn just by playing the game every day?

Vitaliy Gladiyenko: Basically, everything: ISO-8, vials, portals with characters, boosts, genome samples, Spidey energy. We will review the whole set up after a while and see if the rewards are well balanced and tweak some of them to keep them up to date with the game economy. Also, the reward isn’t reset if you don’t log into the game one day; if after three consecutive logins you miss a day or two and visit the game on the fifth day, you will receive fourth reward and the loop continues where you left off.

Marvel.com: Let’s talk about the genome System update. Would you mind breaking that down for us a little?

Vitaliy Gladiyenko: Once you see a genome icon over event banner in the game, head over to the briefing screen. We made a small icon that indicates how big your bonus score multiplier [is]. If you have all four characters of the same genome, and the same as the event, you will receive 50%–12.5% per character—more points after the run. This new addition to the whole class system that I mentioned above is only the first step towards something bigger.

Marvel.com: It seems like having a diverse roster of characters will really benefit players going forward, especially with all those buffs for same-genome heroes. Is that fair to say?

Vitaliy Gladiyenko: Yes, exactly. Since each character has a different set of abilities, you will need to pick a perfect match both for the event objective and for the genome-based bonus, if you want it. This might seem a bit complicated for newbies, but after a short one-time tutorial, you will get used to it!

Marvel.com: Anything else we need to know about the big update?

Vitaliy Gladiyenko: Players who liked us on Facebook and are subscribed to our YouTube channel have already seen our recent video teaser of the new location—stay tuned for more of them soon! We’re working on a huge new set of levels, which are actually a symbiote home planet. Have you ever seen symbiote homeworld in any game before? Indeed, take your time to recall any title.

The main reference for us is the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #23 comic book, where Flash Thompson becomes a renewed and empowered Space Knight. This new location will include new enemies, new obstacles, environment, sound and visual effects—a whole lot of work!

You can also expect some cool synergies with comic books later this year, which include [the] new Scarlet Spider [series], new techy Spidey’s outfit from [SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL] and something even bigger!

Stay tuned to Marvel.com for more “Spider-Man Unlimited” news and interviews. Download the game on iTunes and Google Play.