The Swamp Thing is a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'', ...

published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist

Bernie Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017), sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson, was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his o ...

, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in various different storylines. The character first appeared in '' House of Secrets'' #92 (July 1971) in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century. The character then returned in a solo series, set in the contemporary world and in the general DC continuity. The character is a swamp monster that resembles an anthropomorphic mound of

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

matter, and fights to protect his swamp home, the environment in general, and humanity from various supernatural or terrorist threats. The character found perhaps its greatest popularity during the original 1970s Wein/Wrightson run and in the mid-late 1980s during a highly acclaimed run under

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...

Stephen Bissette Stephen R. Bissette (born March 14, 1955) is an American comic book artist, editor, and publisher with a focus on the horror genre. He is known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC Comics series ''Swamp Thing'' in ...

, and

John Totleben John Thomas Totleben (born February 16, 1958 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American illustrator working mostly in comic books. Biography After studying art at Tech Memorial in Erie, Totleben attended The Kubert School for one year. He then spent se ...

. Swamp Thing would also go on to become one of the staples of the

Justice League Dark The Justice League Dark, or JLD, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team would make their debut appearance in ''Justice League Dark'' #1 (September 2011). The Justice League Dark team features some ...

team of magical superheroes. The character has been adapted from the comics into several forms of media, including feature films, television series, and video games. The character made its live-action debut in the film ''

Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental List of swamp monsters, creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or mo ...

'' (1982), with

Dick Durock Richard Durock (January 18, 1937 – September 17, 2009) was an American actor and stuntman who appeared in over eighty films and over seven hundred television episodes. He played Swamp Thing in both the feature films ''Swamp Thing'' and ''The Ret ...

playing the Swamp Thing, while

Ray Wise Raymond Herbert Wise (born August 20, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Leland Palmer in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), Vice President Hal Gardner i ...

played Alec Holland. Durock played both Swamp Thing and Holland in the sequel film '' The Return of Swamp Thing'' (1989). Durock reprised the role again in the television series ''

'' (1990). The Swamp Thing was played by

Derek Mears Derek Mears (born April 29, 1972) is an American actor and stuntman. Often appearing in horror and science-fiction titles, he came to prominence for portraying Jason Voorhees in the 2009 reboot of ''Friday the 13th''. His film roles also include ...

with Andy Bean playing Alec Holland in the television series ''

'' (2019).

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

ranked him 28th in the Top 100 Comic Book Heroes list.

Concept and creation

Len Wein came up with the idea for the character while riding a subway in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

. He later recalled: "I didn't have a title for it, so I kept referring to it as 'that swamp thing I'm working on'. And that's how it got its name!" Bernie Wrightson designed the character's visual image, using a rough sketch by Wein as a guideline.

Publication history

Volume 1

Len Wein was the writer for the first 13 issues, before

David Michelinie David Michelinie (; born May 6, 1948) is an American comic book writer best known for scripting Marvel Comics' '' The Amazing Spider-Man'' and '' Iron Man'' and the DC Comics feature Superman in ''Action Comics''. Among the characters he create ...

and

Gerry Conway Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, t ...

finished up the series. Burgeoning horror artist

drew the first 10 issues of the series, while

Nestor Redondo Nestor P. Redondo (May 4, 1928 – December 30, 1995)Nestor P. Redondo
at the

Fred Carrillo Wilfredo Limbana "Fred" Carrillo (1926–August 2005) was a Filipino comics artist. Biography Fred Carrillo was born in Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines. He began his career drawing propaganda material for the guerrilla movement in Panay during World W ...

. The original creative team worked closely together; Wrightson recalled that during story conferences, Wein would walk around the office acting out all of the parts. The Swamp Thing fought against evil as he sought the men who murdered his wife and caused his monstrous transformation, as well as searching for a means to transform back into his human form. The Swamp Thing has since fought many villains. Though they only met twice during the first series, the mad scientist

Anton Arcane Anton Arcane is a supervillain appearing in American comic books by DC Comics. the character first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #2 (January 1973), and was created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson. He is the archenemy of the Swamp Thin ...

(with his obsession with gaining immortality) became the Swamp Thing's nemesis, even as the Swamp Thing developed a close bond with Arcane's niece

Abigail Arcane Abigail Arcane Cable Holland is a fictional comic book character in the DC Comics Universe. She is the spouse/partner of Swamp Thing and the mother of Tefé Holland. Holland's psychic powers include empathy, telepathy and telekinesis. She first a ...

. Arcane was aided by his nightmarish army of

Un-Men The Un-Men are a group of fictional characters in the DC/Vertigo Comics universe. Created by the writer/artist team of Len Wein and Berni Wrightson, the Un-Men made their first appearance in 1972, in issues #1-2 of the original'' Swamp Thing'' co ...

and the Patchwork Man, alias Arcane's brother Gregori Arcane who, after a land mine explosion, was rebuilt as a Frankenstein Monster-type creature by his brother. Also involved in the conflict was the Swamp Thing's close friend-turned-enemy Lt. Matthew Joseph Cable, a federal agent who originally mistakenly believed the Swamp Thing to be responsible for the deaths of Alec and Linda Holland. As sales figures plummeted towards the end of the series, the writers attempted to revive interest by introducing fantastical creatures, aliens, and even Alec Holland's brother, Edward (a character that was never referred to again by later writers) into the picture. The last two issues saw the Swamp Thing transformed back into Alec Holland and having to fight one last menace as an ordinary human. The series was cancelled with issue #24 and a blurb for a 25th issue containing an upcoming encounter with

Hawkman Hawkman is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1, published by All-American ...

led nowhere. Alec Holland's transformation back into the Swamp Thing was covered in ''Challengers of the Unknown'' #81-87, within which the Swamp Thing is enlisted by the titular team to fight the

Lovecraftian Lovecraftian horror, sometimes used interchangeably with "cosmic horror", is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named a ...

cosmic threat M'nagalah, whom the Swamp Thing had encountered during Wein's run.

''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' and Volume 2

In 1982, DC Comics revived the ''Swamp Thing'' series, attempting to capitalize on the summer 1982 release of the

Wes Craven Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...

film of the same name. A revival had been planned for 1978, but was a victim of the

DC Implosion The "DC Explosion" and "DC Implosion" were two events in 1978 – the first an official marketing campaign, the second a sardonic reference to it – in which DC Comics expanded their roster of publications, then abruptly cut it back. The DC Explos ...

. The new series called, ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'', featured an adaptation of the Craven movie in its first annual. Now written by

Martin Pasko Martin Joseph "Marty" Pasko (born Jean-Claude Rochefort; August 4, 1954– May 10, 2020) was a Canadian comic book writer and television screenwriter. Pasko worked for many comics publishers, but is best known for his superhero stories for DC Com ...

, the book loosely picked up after the Swamp Thing's guest appearances in ''Challengers of the Unknown'' #81-87, ''DC Comics Presents'' #8, and ''The Brave and the Bold'' #172, with the character wandering around the swamps of Louisiana seen as an urban legend and feared by locals. Pasko's main arc depicted the Swamp Thing roaming the globe, trying to stop a young girl (and the possible

Anti-Christ In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . i ...

) named Karen Clancy from destroying the world. When Pasko had to give up work on the title due to increasing television commitments, editor Len Wein assigned the title to British writer

. When Karen Berger took over as editor, she gave Moore free rein to revamp the title and the character as he saw fit. Moore reconfigured the Swamp Thing's origin to make him a true monster, as opposed to a human transformed into a monster. In his first issue, he swept aside most of the supporting cast that Pasko had introduced in his year-and-a-half run as writer and brought the Sunderland Corporation to the forefront, as they hunted the Swamp Thing down and "killed" him in a hail of bullets. The subsequent investigation revealed that the Swamp Thing was not Alec Holland transformed into a plant, but actually a wholly plant-based entity created upon the death of Alec Holland, having somehow absorbed duplicates of Holland's consciousness and memories into himself. He is described as "a plant that thought it was Alec Holland, a plant that was trying its level best to ''be'' Alec Holland". This is explained as a result of the plant matter of the swamp absorbing Holland's bio-restorative formula, with the Swamp Thing's appearance being the plants' attempt to duplicate Holland's human form. This revelation resulted in the Swamp Thing suffering a temporary mental breakdown and identity crisis, but he eventually re-asserted himself in time to stop the latest scheme of the Floronic Man. Issue #32 was a strange twist of comedy and tragedy, as the Swamp Thing encounters an alien version of Pogo,

Walt Kelly Walter Crawford Kelly Jr. (August 25, 1913 – October 18, 1973), commonly known as Walt Kelly, was an American animator and cartoonist, best known for the comic strip ''Pogo (comic strip), Pogo''. He began his animation career in 1936 at The Walt ...

's character. Moore would later reveal, in an attempt to connect the original one-off Swamp Thing story from '' House of Secrets'' #92 to the main ''Swamp Thing'' canon, that there had been dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Swamp Things since the dawn of humanity, and that all versions of the creature were designated defenders of the Parliament of Trees, an elemental community which rules a dimension known as "the Green" that connects all plant life on Earth. Moore's ''Swamp Thing'' broadened the scope of the series to include ecological and spiritual concerns while retaining its horror-fantasy roots. In issue #37, Moore formally introduced the character of John Constantine the Hellblazer as a magician/con artist who would lead the Swamp Thing on the "American Gothic" storyline. Alan Moore also introduced the concept of the DC characters Cain and Abel being the mystical reincarnations of the Biblical Cain and Abel caught in an endless cycle of murder and resurrection. ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' was the first mainstream comic book series to completely abandon the

Comics Code Authority The Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed in 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America as an alternative to government regulation. The CCA allowed the comic publishers to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. ...

's approval. With issue #65, regular penciler

Rick Veitch Richard Veitch (born May 7, 1951) is an American comics artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics. Early life Rick Veitch is a native of the small town of Bellows Falls, Vermont. One of six children, he ...

took over from Moore and began scripting the series, continuing the story in a roughly similar vein for 24 more issues. Veitch's term ended in 1989 due to a widely publicized creative dispute, when DC refused to publish issue #88 because of the use of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

as a character, despite having previously approved the script in which the Swamp Thing is a cupbearer who offers Jesus water when he calls for it from the cross. The series was handed to

Doug Wheeler Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) which ...

, who made the cup that the

Shining Knight Shining Knight ( cy, Marchog Disglair) is the name of multiple fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by Creig Flessel and first appeared in ''Adventure Comics'' #66 (Sep ...

believed to be the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...

to be a cup used in a religious ceremony by a

Neanderthal Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While th ...

tribe that was about to be wiped out by

Cro-Magnon Early European modern humans (EEMH), or Cro-Magnons, were the first early modern humans (''Homo sapiens'') to settle in Europe, migrating from Western Asia, continuously occupying the continent possibly from as early as 56,800 years ago. They ...

s, in the published version of issue #88. Beginning in issue #90, Wheeler reintroduced Matango, a character that Stephen Bissette had introduced in ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #4. After a period of high creative turnover, in 1991 DC sought to revive interest in ''Swamp Thing'' by bringing horror writer

Nancy A. Collins Nancy A. Collins (born September 10, 1959) is an American horror fiction writer best known for her series of vampire novels featuring her character Sonja Blue. Collins has also written for comic books, including the ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) se ...

on board to write the series. Starting with ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #6, Collins moved on to write ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #110–138, dramatically overhauling the series by restoring the pre-Alan Moore tone and incorporating a new set of supporting cast members into the book. Collins resurrected

, along with the Sunderland Corporation, as foils for the Swamp Thing. Her stories tended to be ecologically based and at one point featured giant killer flowers. With issue #140 (March 1994), the title was handed over to

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, w ...

for a four-issue story arc, co-written by the then-unknown

Mark Millar Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer and television producer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series '' The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written ex ...

. As Collins had destroyed the status quo of the series, Morrison sought to shake the book up with a four-part storyline which had the Swamp Thing plunged into a nightmarish dreamworld scenario where he was split into two separate beings: Alec Holland and the Swamp Thing, which was now a mindless being of pure destruction. Millar then took over from Morrison with issue #144, and launched what was initially conceived as an ambitious 25-part storyline where the Swamp Thing would be forced to go upon a series of trials against rival elemental forces. Millar brought the series to a close with issue #171 in a finale where the Swamp Thing becomes the master of all elemental forces, including the planet.

Volume 3

Written by

Brian K. Vaughan Brian K. Vaughan (born July 17, 1976) is an American comic book and television writer, best known for the comic book series '' Y: The Last Man'', '' Ex Machina'', '' Runaways'', ''Pride of Baghdad'', ''Saga'', and '' Paper Girls''. Vaughan was a ...

and drawn by Roger Petersen and

Giuseppe Camuncoli Giuseppe Camuncoli (born March 2, 1975) is an Italian comic book artist best known for his work on the Marvel Comics titles ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and '' The Superior Spider-Man'' and the DC Comics/Vertigo series ''Hellblazer'' as well as hi ...

in 2001, the third ''Swamp Thing'' series focused on the daughter of the Swamp Thing, Tefé Holland. Even though she was chronologically 11–12, the series had Tefé aged into the body of an 18-year-old with a mindwipe orchestrated by the Swamp Thing, Constantine and Abby in order to try to control her darker impulses, brought about by her exposure to the Parliament of Trees. Due to the circumstances under which she was conceived, the Swamp Thing, possessing

John Constantine John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John Tot ...

, was not aware that he was given a blood transfusion by a demon. She held power over both plants and flesh. Believing herself to be a normal human girl named Mary who had miraculously recovered from cancer three years prior, she rediscovers her powers and identity when she finds her boyfriend and best friend betraying her on prom night. In a moment of anger, her powers manifest and she kills them both. Tefé then fakes her own death and embarks on a series of misadventures that take her across the country, and ultimately to Africa, in search of a mythical "Tree of Knowledge". During this series, it seems that the Swamp Thing and Abigail have reunited as lovers and are living in their old home in the Louisiana swamps outside Houma. The home in which they live more closely resembles the one that the Swamp Thing constructs for Abigail during the Moore run than the home in which they dwell during the Collins run. In a confrontation with Tefé, the Swamp Thing explains that he has cut himself off from the Green and there seems to be no trace of the god-like powers he acquired from the Parliaments of Air, Waves, Stone or Flames during the Millar run. Also, Vaughan's Swamp Thing does not seem to have been divorced from the humanity of his Alec Holland self. The disconnection between these two entities becomes a plot point in Volume 4.

Volume 4

A fourth series began in 2004, with writers

Andy Diggle Andy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of the weekly anthology series '' 2000 AD''. He is best known for his work on ''Adam Strange'' and ''Green Arrow'' for DC Comics as well as his creator-owned series '' The Losers'' an ...

(#1–6),

Will Pfeifer Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

(#7–8) and

Joshua Dysart Joshua Dysart (born June 21, 1971) is an American comic book writer. He has done work for DC Comics, Vertigo Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, Valiant Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Penny-Farthing Press, Virgin Comics and Random House ...

(#9–29). In this latest series, the Swamp Thing is reverted to his plant-based Earth elemental status after the first story line, and he attempts to live an "eventless" life in the Louisiana swamps. Tefé, likewise, is rendered powerless and mortal. Issue #29 was intended to be the final issue of the fourth volume, which was cancelled due to low sales numbers.

Return to the DC Universe

''Brightest Day''

The conclusion of the crossover event ''

Brightest Day ''Brightest Day'' is a 2010–11 crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of a year-long comic book maxiseries that began in April 2010, and a number of tie-in books. The story is a direct follow-up to the ''Blackest Night'' storyli ...

'' revealed that the Swamp Thing had become corrupted by the personality of the villain

Nekron Nekron is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, specifically those related to Green Lantern. Created by Mike W. Barr, Len Wein and Joe Staton, the character, who exists as an embodiment of Death, first appeared in '' Tal ...

in the wake of the ''

Blackest Night "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackest Nig ...

'' crossover event. The Swamp Thing now believed himself to be Nekron, similar to how he had once believed himself to be Alec Holland. The Swamp Thing went on a rampage in Star City, ultimately seeking to destroy all life on Earth. The Entity within the

White Lantern The White Lantern Corps is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics, related to the emotional spectrum. Publication history The White Lantern Corps first appeared in ''Blackest Night'' #7 and was created by Geoff Johns ...

used several heroes, including

Hawkgirl Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...

Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...

, the

Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and designed by artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" ...

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...

and

Deadman Deadman or Deadman's may refer to: * "Deadman" or "dead man", are alternative terms for a dead man's switch * "Deadman's foot" is another name for a Salamander in metallurgy * "Deadman anchor" is a buried object (log, concrete, block, etc.) used ...

to slow the rampage and to construct a new Swamp Thing based on the body of Alec Holland. Instead of merely ''thinking'' that it was Holland, this version of the Swamp Thing would actually ''be'' him. The new Swamp Thing defeated and killed the corrupted and original Swamp Thing. The Swamp Thing then restored life to natural areas around the world and declared that those who hurt the Green would face his wrath. He also restored Aquaman, Firestorm, Hawkman, and the Martian Manhunter to normal. The book ended with the Swamp Thing killing several businessmen who engaged in deliberate, illegal polluting activities.

''Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for the Swamp Thing''

This three–issue miniseries follows immediately after the events of ''Brightest Day'', and follows the actions of

as he tries to work out what has changed with the Swamp Thing and track him down, with the assistance of

Zatanna Zatanna Zatara () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in '' Hawkman'' #4 (November 1964). Zatanna is a stage magician with a ...

, the

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

, and

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

Volume 5

DC Comics relaunched ''Swamp Thing'' with issue #1 in September 2011 as part of ''

The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...

'', with writer

Scott Snyder Scott Snyder is an American author. He is known for his 2006 short story collection ''Voodoo Heart'', and his comic book writing, including ''American Vampire'', ''Detective Comics'', ''Batman (comic book)#The New 52, Batman'', ''Wytches (comics) ...

(#1-18 and ''Annual''). Snyder's run concluded with "Rotworld", a crossover event between ''Swamp Thing'', ''Animal Man'' and ''Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.''

Charles Soule Charles Soule is a New York-based comic book writer, novelist, musician, and attorney. He is best known for writing '' Daredevil'', '' She-Hulk'', ''Death of Wolverine'', and various '' Star Wars'' books and comic series from Del Rey Books and ...

wrote issues #19-40.

Volume 6

A six–issue miniseries written by Len Wein, co-creator of the Swamp Thing, with art by

Kelley Jones Kelley Jones (born July 23, 1962) is an American comics artist best known for his work on ''Batman'' with writer Doug Moench and on '' The Sandman'' with writer Neil Gaiman. Early life Kelley Jones was born in Sacramento, California and grew up ...

was released between March and August 2016.

''The Swamp Thing''

A 16-issue miniseries retitled with a "''The''" at the beginning written by Ram V with art by

Mike Perkins Mike Perkins is a British comic book artist known for his inking work and full art duties on comic books such as ''Captain America'', '' Ruse'' and Stephen King's ''The Stand''. Career Mike Perkins began drawing at a very early age. After att ...

began publication in March 2021. The book focuses on a new character named Levi Kami taking up the Swamp Thing mantle while the second Swamp Thing, Alec Holland, is off-world. Originally planned as a 10-issue miniseries, ''The Swamp Thing'' has been extended to 16 issues, with ''The Swamp Thing'' #10 followed by a short hiatus before returning in March 2022.

Fictional character biography

Alex Olsen

Alexander "Alex" Olsen was a talented young scientist in Louisiana in the early 1900s, married to Linda. Alex's assistant, Damian Ridge, was secretly in love with Linda and plotted the death of his friend. He tampered with Olsen's chemicals, killing him in the explosion, and dumped his body in the nearby swamp. Ridge used Linda's grief to convince her to marry him; however, Ridge was confronted by Alex Olsen, now a risen humanoid pile of vegetable matter. Olsen killed Ridge but Linda did not recognize him and ran away, leaving Olsen to wander the swamps alone as a monster.

Alec Holland

Albert Höllerer

Albert Hollerer is a German airplane pilot who fought in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and was shot down over a bog in 1942. In the wake of his death in which he was burned alive, he became the Swamp Thing of that era. For years, he walked the Earth, keeping a small airplane toy with him as the only memory of his former life. In 1954, the creature finally found peace among the Parliament of Trees. This corresponds with the fictional biography and dates of Hillman Periodicals' character The Heap, published 1942–1953.

Tefé Holland

Allan Hallman

Alan Hallman was selected by the Parliament of Trees to be the planet's Earth elemental before Alec Holland became the Swamp Thing. He had been a scientist working on a formula to repair damaged crops when the Parliament chose him, and he died in flames, as all Earth elementals must. While traversing the Green, he was captured within a creature of the Grey, which broke him down and converted him into fungus and mold. He was recreated as an emissary of the Grey by Matango, who gathered Hallman's consciousness back together in his Chamber of Dreams. With Matango's return from

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

, Alan Hallman was released into the Green to find and capture the Swamp Thing and his daughter Tefé and force them to surrender their individuality to the Grey.

Aaron Hayley

Aaron Hayley is an American soldier in World War II, who was slain and arose as the Swamp Thing. Since there was already an active plant elemental at the time (Albert Höllerer), he was only active as the Swamp Thing for a short time, and soon took his place among the Parliament of Trees.

Calbraith A. H. Rodgers

Calbraith A. H. Rodgers was born in England in 1920. Ever since he was a boy, he had heard whispers from the leaves, the flowers and the trees that something great and terrible would be waiting for him on the other side. Afraid of what would be waiting for him on the other side of death, he enlisted in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

to try and escape the pull of the Green. On May 3, 1942, on his fourth mission as a pilot during

, his plane was shot down. Landing in a swamp, the dying Rodgers felt the branches and petals reaching for him, delivering him to his new life as the protector of the Green. By fusing the man with the Green in the final moments of his life, the Swamp Thing was created. Rodgers served a number of years as the Swamp Thing before taking his place in the Parliament of Trees, the final resting place of his predecessors, where his consciousness would live on as the flesh of his body died. Rodgers would later leave the Parliament of Trees to become the Swamp Thing once again in order to warn Alec Holland of the coming of both the Rot and Sethe, the enemy that the Swamp Thing was born to defend the Green against. Rodgers knew that to remove his consciousness from the Parliament of Trees would mean true death. After delivering his message to Alec and warning him to stay away from Abigail Arcane, he died.

Jon Haraldson

In the 2020 crossover event "

Endless Winter "Endless Winter" is a 2020 crossover event in DC Comics publications. Written by Andy Lanning and Ron Marz, the story follows the Frost King's efforts to cause an eternal global winter and the Justice League's efforts to stop him. The story appear ...

", the spirit of Jon Haraldson, the

Viking Prince The Viking Prince is a fictional Viking hero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #1 (August 1955), and was created by Robert Kanigher and drawn by Joe Kubert. He was one of thr ...

was summoned to the present day and temporarily made an agent of the Green to become a new Swamp Thing and fight the Frost King. At the end of the story, he chose to return his spirit to

Valhalla In Norse mythology Valhalla (;) is the anglicised name for non, Valhǫll ("hall of the slain").Orchard (1997:171–172) It is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. Half of those who die in combat e ...

Levi Kamei

The newest Swamp Thing and the protagonist of the 16-issue ''The Swamp Thing'' miniseries in 2021.

Powers and abilities

In physical form, the Swamp Thing is a chlorokinetic- transmorphic

elemental An elemental is a mythic being that is described in occult and alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsus and his subsequent fo ...

entity, an

Avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

of "The Green" (the plane of existence for the hive-mind and life force of all plant life on Earth). The Swamp Thing can inhabit and animate vegetable matter anywhere, including alien plants, even sentient ones, and construct it into a body for himself. As a result, bodily attacks mean little to him, he can easily regrow damaged or severed body parts, and can even transport himself across the globe by leaving his current form, transferring his consciousness to a new form grown from whatever vegetable matter is present in the location that he wishes to reach. He even grew himself a form out of

's meager tobacco supply on one occasion. The Swamp Thing is normally human-sized or slightly larger than average, but he can grow bodies much larger. He once used

Sequoioideae Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Cupressaceae. It includes the largest and tallest trees in the world. Description The three redwood subfamily genera are '' Sequoia'' from coast ...

to grow a body the size of an office block. The Swamp Thing possesses superhuman strength; the Swamp Thing's strength has never been portrayed as prominently as many of his other abilities. DC's ''

'' continuity made several changes, though mostly highlighting previous abilities and a physical look not dissimilar from previous incarnations. ''The New 52'' reboot did bring the Swamp Thing further into the shared universe continuity by placing him permanently in the Justice League Dark team lineup, partnering with many familiar faces like John Constantine, Zatanna and Deadman. The Swamp Thing's powers and abilities make him the true powerhouse of the team. His power limits have yet to be established. He has demonstrated sufficient strength to rip large trees out of the ground with ease and trade blows with the likes of

Etrigan the Demon Etrigan the Demon is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Etrigan is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied with the forces of good, mainly bec ...

. The Swamp Thing can control any form of plant life, he can make it bend to his will or accelerate its growth. This control even extends to alien life, as he once cured

of an infection caused by exposure to a Kryptonian plant that was driving Superman mad and causing his body to burn out its own power. After Mark Millar's run, the Swamp Thing had also mastered the elements of Fire, Earth, Water and Air; the Parliaments of each were later killed by the Word, implying that he has retained these abilities and has the power once held by the Parliaments; this has yet to be explained. The new Swamp Thing (a resurrected Alec Holland) has no power over a

Power Ring, but he can control all forms of plant life and even grow every kind even if it is unknown to him; he can also grow from any plant life anywhere, dead or alive; this is seen when the Seeder (the Floronic Man now endowed with power by the Parliament of Trees and with his mind splintered as a result of the events of ''

Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, a ...

'') creates a portal to the Moon and banishes him there. Holland then simply resurrects himself back on Earth from the plants growing on the Seeder's face.

Other versions

* In ''

Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...

'' #28, the Swamp Thing made an appearance as one of the five foes that the team battles. * A pre-Swamp Thing Alec Holland appears in ''

The Batman Adventures ''The Batman Adventures'' is a DC Comics comic book series featuring Batman. It is different from other ''Batman'' titles because it is set in the continuity (and style) of '' Batman: The Animated Series'', as opposed to the regular DC Universe. ...

'' #16 in a five-page backup, set in the '' Batman: The Animated Series'' universe. He lives with the long-retired Pamela Isley ( Poison Ivy), as well as encountering a plant doppelganger she created earlier on to keep Batman from trying to locate her. * The Swamp Thing appears in Year Three of the '' Injustice: Gods Among Us'' comic book series, in which he has chosen to ally with

instead of the

and his longtime ally John Constantine the Hellblazer. He appears when Constantine and the Batman approach him to become allies of the Insurgency, only to discover he has already aligned with the Regime because of their efforts to prevent cataclysmic harm to the environment. Due to having a past with Constantine he allows them to go unharmed, but warns that he will not be as lenient the next time. The Swamp Thing makes good on his threat near the climax of Year Three, where he appears to aid the Regime against the Insurgency. Poison Ivy is brought in to take him on, though they unite to preserve Earth as the demon Trigon and

Mister Mxyzptlk Mister Mxyzptlk (, ), sometimes called Mxy, is a character who appears in DC Comics' '' Superman'' comic books. He is usually presented as a trickster in the classical mythological sense. Mxyzptlk possesses reality-warping powers with which he en ...

get into an epic fight that threatens to engulf everyone and send them to Hell. As the Flash races to save everyone before it is too late, the Swamp Thing becomes intangible at the last minute and is trapped in Hell. * In '' JLA: The Nail'', Holland appears as an advisor to the President and

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

makes reference to her stopping an attempt to steal details of his bio-restorative serum. Holland is apparently killed when the White House is destroyed in an attempt to frame Wonder Woman as an alien invader, averting any possibility that he will serve as the template for the Swamp Thing. * In the alternate history of ''

DC Comics Bombshells DC Comics Bombshells refers to a line of figurines released by DC Collectibles depicting DC Comics superheroines in a retro 1940s look based on designs by Ant Lucia.lesovik, one of many magical creatures from Russian folklore to emerge to fight alongside the Soviets in the

Siege of Leningrad The siege of Leningrad (russian: links=no, translit=Blokada Leningrada, Блокада Ленинграда; german: links=no, Leningrader Blockade; ) was a prolonged military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the Soviet city of L ...

In other media

Television

* ''Swamp Thing'' stories appear in ''Video Comics'' (1979-1981), an early series on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

consisting of narrated comic book panels. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appeared in a

public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...

aired on behalf of

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

against littering, coinciding with the release of the film '' The Return of Swamp Thing'' (1989). * The Alec Holland incarnation of the Swamp Thing appeared in a 1990

self-titled An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

series, with Dick Durock reprising the title role from the ''Swamp Thing'' films. * The Alec Holland incarnation of the Swamp Thing appeared in a 1991

series, voiced by

Len Carlson Len Carlson (September 2, 1937 – January 26, 2006) was a Canadian voice actor who has voiced various characters on many animated television series from the 1960s onward, an occasional live-action TV actor, and a Kraft Canada TV pitchman dur ...

. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing made a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...

in the ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...

'' episode "Comfort and Joy". * It was rumored that the Swamp Thing would appear in an episode of ''

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

'', but the show was cancelled before this could be proved or disproved. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appears in ''

Justice League Action ''Justice League Action'' is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero team Justice League. The series is produced by Jim Krieg, Butch Lukic, and Alan Burnett. The show debuted on Cartoon Network UK on Nov ...

'', voiced by

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...

. * The Alec Holland incarnation of the Swamp Thing appears in a 2019

series, portrayed by Andy Bean and

in a "physical costume" respectively. Holland is depicted as a disgraced scientist who had manipulated test results to prove himself right. He is hired by businessman, Avery Sunderland, to research a swamp-borne virus plaguing Marais, Louisiana. While working with Abby Arcane to do so and prove Sunderland was behind the virus, Holland was violently killed. However, the swamp absorbed his memories and placed them in an anthropomorphic plant, which later became known as the Swamp Thing. ** Mears as the Swamp Thing made a cameo appearance in the

Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed. ...

crossover "

Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...

" via archival footage from the episode "Loose Ends". * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appears in ''

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker (character), Joker in ''Batman: The An ...

'', voiced by Sam Richardson. This version is a calm hipster with a

man bun A bun is a type of hairstyle in which the hair is pulled back from the face, twisted or plaited, and wrapped in a circular coil around itself, typically on top or back of the head or just above the neck. A bun can be secured with a hair tie, ba ...

and several tiny flowers dotting his body. Additionally, he is a former associate of Poison Ivy's.

Film

* The Alec Holland incarnation of the Swamp Thing appeared in a self-titled film, portrayed by

and

respectively. This version of Holland was turned into Swamp Thing by

in a laboratory accident. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appeared in '' The Return of Swamp Thing'', with Dick Durock reprising the role and

reappearing in a flashback via archive footage from the preceding film. This version of Swamp Thing is Holland's consciousness reconstituted through plant life. * The documentary film '' The Mindscape of Alan Moore'' contains a psychedelic animation piece based on ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #29 ("Love and Death"). * An unnamed, alternate universe version of the Swamp Thing makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in '' Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths'' as a minor member of the

Crime Syndicate Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

. * The Alec Holland incarnation of the Swamp Thing appears in the

DC Universe Animated Original Movies The DC Universe Animated Original Movies (DCUAOM; also known as DC Universe Original Movies or DC Universe Movies or DC Animated Movies) are a series of American direct-to-video superhero animated films based on the DC Comics characters and sto ...

series of films, voiced primarily by Roger R. Cross. This version is a member of the

. He appears in ''

'', '' Batman and Harley Quinn'' (in which he is voiced by

John DiMaggio John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...

), and '' Justice League Dark: Apokolips War''. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appears in ''

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies ''Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'' is a 2018 American animated superhero comedy film based on the television series ''Teen Titans Go!'', which is based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name. This film is directed by Peter Rida Mi ...

''.

Video games

* The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appeared in a self-titled video game based on the ''Swamp Thing'' animated series. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appears in ''

DC Universe Online ''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play action combat massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game w ...

'', voiced by Chilimbwe Washington. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appears as a playable character in '' Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham'', voiced by JB Blanc. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appears as a playable character in ''

'', voiced by

Michael Dorn Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon Worf in the '' Star Trek'' franchise. He has appeared more times as a regular cast member than any other ''Star Trek'' actor in the franchise's hist ...

. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appears as a playable character in ''

Injustice 2 ''Injustice 2'' is a 2017 fighting video game it is the sequel to 2013's '' Injustice: Gods Among Us'' and is the second installment in the ''Injustice'' franchise based upon the DC Universe. It is developed by NetherRealm Studios and publishe ...

'', voiced by

Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore (; ) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk and Beast in various Marvel media and Solomon Grundy in various DC ...

. * The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appears as a

downloadable In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote s ...

playable character in ''

Lego DC Super-Villains ''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the '' Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses entirely on villains of the DC Univers ...

'', as part of the "Justice League Dark" DLC pack.

Awards

Over the years, the ''Swamp Thing'' series has been nominated for and won several awards. Len Wein won the 1972

Shazam Award The Academy of Comic Book Arts (ACBA) was an American professional organization of the 1970s that was designed to be the comic book industry analog of such groups as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Composed of comic-book profession ...

for "Best Writer (Dramatic Division)" and

Berni Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017), sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson, was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his ...

won the Shazam Award for "Best Penciller (Dramatic Division)" that same year for their work on ''Swamp Thing''. Wein and Wrightson also won the Shazam Award for "Best Individual Story (Dramatic)" in 1972 for "Dark Genesis" in ''Swamp Thing'' #1. The series won the Shazam Award for "Best Continuing Feature" in 1973.

won the 1985 and 1986 Jack

Kirby Award The Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards were a set of awards for achievement in comic books, presented from 1985-1987. Voted on by comic-book professionals, the Kirby awards were the first such awards since the Shazam Awards ceased in 1975. Sponsored ...

s for "Best Writer" for ''Swamp Thing''. Moore,

, and Steve Bissette won the 1985 Jack Kirby Award for "Best Single Issue" for ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #2. They also won the 1985, 1986, and 1987 Jack Kirby Awards for "Best Continuing Series" for ''Swamp Thing''.

References

External links

Swamp Thing
at the Continuity Pages

*
Arcane Knowledge: A Guide To The Swamp Thing TV Series

an

and

Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Roots of the Swamp Thing
*

Concept and creation

Publication history

Volume 1

''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' and Volume 2

Volume 3

Volume 4

Return to the DC Universe

''Brightest Day''

''Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for the Swamp Thing''

Volume 5

Volume 6

''The Swamp Thing''

Fictional character biography

Alex Olsen

Alec Holland

Albert Höllerer

Tefé Holland

Allan Hallman

Aaron Hayley

Calbraith A. H. Rodgers

Jon Haraldson

Levi Kamei

Powers and abilities

Other versions

In other media

Television

Film

Video games

Awards

References

External links

Further reading