I think you are on the right track. I have a very similar weed, which is an Artemesia but I forget the last name. It is commonly called Biennial Wormweed or Wormwood. Mine doesn't normally have as many or such large leaves coming out of the seed stalk, but otherwise looks identical. The plant carries a distinctive scent, although I find it hard to describe. Maybe some elements of marigolds and some of sagebrush. It grows on disturbed ground. It germinates in the fall and forms a rosette, then takes off in the spring, usually looking like nothing more than a pin head in the spring when it starts to grow. It will also germinate during the growing season and grow, but just forms a rosette until the next year. You can control it easily in the fall with tillage or herbicides. In the early spring, tillage will also work easily, but herbicides rapidly lose effectiveness as it gets bigger although glyphosate will continue to work. Pulling a plant of the size you've got will be difficult unless the soil is very wet. The lower stem will be like wood.

It's starting to bloom. Maybe this would help an ID?

This thread is too damn funny!! Growing up on the farm, we had many of these "weeds". My Mom used to water them with powdered milk. Hungriest damn things.... ;-) Strangely, Mom was so fond of an older stray "Mama" that blew into our farm! She had part of an ear/leaf missing. This one was particularly gentle. One day, Mom discovered it curled-up in her clothespin pail!! She was outside to hang up clothes, reached into the bucket & felt something soft. We had to take a picture of it. Probably one of my favorite pictures from my younger days!! Faron

Depending on location, burdock is also commonly referred to as "wild rhubarb".....precisely because it does look so much like rhubarb. And it is edible. (ps. dock/Rumex is also commonly referred to as wild rhubarb. It can all be so confusing :-))