Many of us thought that this day would never come (and probably some hoped it never would), but for the first time ever, Hot Toys is producing a sixth scale figure of an anthropomorphic talking tree! Though a decade ago he was a virtual unknown, the classic character Groot has risen as a fan-favorite in recent years. And with the sure-to-be-blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy movie hitting theaters in just two weeks, Hot Toys knew the time was right to strike–the MMS 253 Hot Toys Guardians of the Galaxy Groot figure is now up for order!

While he’s only becoming a household name this year, Groot is a character so classic that even Stan Lee himself couldn’t remember than he created him! I knew vaguely who Groot was while I was growing up, but until his appearance in the beloved Marvel Annihilation story arcs, I had zero appreciation for the character. It’s a real thrill to see such an obscure character becoming so big now that he’s getting voiced by Vin Diesel in a movie and his own high-end Hot Toys figure!

As a size-changing, growing tree man, Groot’s size can vary wildly from one appearance to the next. Even so, Groot is best known for his appearances as a massive tree monster, towering over his teammates. And so, Hot Toys will be capturing Groot’s iconic scale by producing this 39 cm (about 15.4″) tall 1/6 Groot Move Masterpiece Series figure.

Groot will not only look totally intimidating standing head and shoulders above his tallest Hot Toys Guardians of the Galaxy teammates, but he’ll also be able to have the to-scale 6″ Hot Toys Rocket Raccoon figure balance on his own shoulder!

From close-up, you can see that the sculpting on the Hot Toys Groot 1/6th scale figure is absolutely stunning. The Marvel Legends Groot Build-A-Figure looked very nice, but the (far more expensive) Groot Hot Toys figure completely blows it out of the water with its amazing tree texture and mossy paint apps. For Groot collectors, this is unquestionably the best Groot collectible on the market.

To keep costs down, the Hot Toys MMS253 Groot figure is going to be one of the most bare-bones (or should I say bare-branches?) releases ever in the Marvel Hot Toys line. Groot will include the standard Guardians of the Galaxy display base with grated floor, along with one (count it, one) accessory: an alternate glowing hand.

The Groot glowing hand accessory is neat-looking and all, but I won’t be displaying my Hot Toys Groot sixth scale figure with it. That look is going to be a bit more scene-specific than I like to display my Hot Toys figures in, though I’m glad that Hot Toys is giving us at least one accessory for Groot.

But fear not! If that’s not enough Groot-posing possibilities for you, you still have a chance to get a few more extra alternate body parts for your Groot! Hot Toys is also releasing an exclusive Rocket Raccoon & Groot set that will include a screaming Groot head with partially-clenched hands.

If you have dreams of posing Groot on the attack, then that’s the Groot you want to set your sights on while it’s still available!

The Hot Toys Groot MMS 253 figure is now available for order, with an expected release date of Q1/Q2 2015. Even with the ridiciulous number of Marvel Hot Toys figures I already have on order for this year, however, I wouldn’t mind at all if Hot Toys managed to sneak out Groot by the tail-end of 2014!

What are your thoughts on Hot Toys’ Groot 1/6th scale figure, Marvel collectors? Will you be picking up this individual release of Groot, the two-pack version with Rocket and the extra accessories, or no Groot at all?