The fictional character the

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

has appeared in five American comic book series to date, including several specials, and has crossed over into other

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 the ...

titles. The series found immense popularity upon its 1970s debut and during the mid-late 1980s 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 He ...

, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben. These eras were met with high critical praise and numerous awards. However, over the years, the Swamp Thing comics have suffered from low sales, which have resulted in numerous series cancellations and revivals.

First series

Len Wein

The first ''Swamp Thing'' series ran for 24 issues, from 1972 to 1976.

Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ...

was the writer for the first 13 issues before David Michelinie and Gerry Conway finished up the series. Horror artist

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 ...

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. 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 himself back to his human form. The Swamp Thing has since fought many villains, most notably the

mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly am ...

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 ...

. Though they only met twice during the first series, Arcane and his obsession with gaining immortality, aided by his nightmarish army of Un-Men and the Patchwork Man (Arcane's brother Gregori Arcane who, after a

land mine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

explosion, was rebuilt as a

Frankenstein Monster Frankenstein's monster or Frankenstein's creature, often referred to as simply "Frankenstein", is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. Shelley's title thus compare ...

-type creature by his brother), became the Swamp Thing's nemesis, even as the Swamp Thing developed a close bond with Arcane's niece Abigail Arcane. Also involved in the conflict was the Swamp Thing's close friend-turned-enemy

Matthew Cable Matthew Joseph Cable is a character appearing in DC Comics' ''Swamp Thing'' series. Introduced in ''Swamp Thing'' (Volume 1) in November 1972, he dies and is later resurrected as Dream's raven in Neil Gaiman's rendition of '' The Sandman''. Hende ...

, a federal agent who originally mistakenly believed the Swamp Thing responsible for the deaths of Alec and Linda Holland. Despite Wein's writing the first 13 issues, only the first 10 issues of the original ''Swamp Thing'' series had been collected in trade paperbacks or reprint comics, primarily due to the popularity of Wrightson's artwork, stopping rather than concluding the story arc. Wein ended his run as writer by having the Swamp Thing reveal his identity to Matt Cable and ultimately avenging the death of his wife by killing Nathan Ellery. The full Wein 13-issue run was released in hardcover by DC in June 2009 as ''Roots of the Swamp Thing'', volume 4 of the 9-volume book series the ''

DC Comics Classics Library The ''DC Comics Classics Library'' was a line of hardcover comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequent ...

''.

David Michelinie/Gerry Conway/David Anthony Kraft

As sales figures plummeted towards the end of the series, the writers attempted to revive interest by introducing fantasy creatures, sci-fi aliens, and even Alec Holland's brother, Edward (a plot point that was never referred to or even mentioned again by later writers), into the picture. The appearance of Holland's brother toward the end of the series marked a series of plot developments, designed to provide the series with a happy ending, which generated much controversy. In ''Swamp Thing'' #23, Alec finally regains his humanity and while the creature was on the cover of the 24th and final issue of the series (albeit transforming into human), Holland appeared as human throughout the interior story. The cover illustration showed a yellow muscular creature, Thrudvang, beating up the Swamp Thing; the interior showed Holland imagining the Swamp Thing beating up Thrudvang, in similar positions but with roles reversed—the issue itself depicting Holland and his new love interest (and his brother's research assistant) running away from Thrudvang. A battle between the Swamp Thing and

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 ...

was promised for the next issue, but no such battle occurred until ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #58. During the short-lived revival of ''

Challengers of the Unknown The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces. The characters' provenance is ...

'' in issues #81-87, also by Gerry Conway, the Swamp Thing returned as Alec Holland who, without continually producing and self-medicating with the bio-restorative formula, reverted into the form of the Swamp Thing. Holland, along with the Challengers of the Unknown, encountered the supernatural being known as Deadman (though they were unaware of Deadman's presence), a fact that would confirm the post-Wein Swamp Thing stories existence in DC Universe continuity years later when Deadman and the Swamp Thing met again during Alan Moore's run as writer. The Swamp Thing also appeared with 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 the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

twice in ''

The Brave and the Bold ''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varie ...

'' #122 and 176 and with

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 pu ...

in '' DC Comics Presents'' #8. In the latter, by

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early lif ...

, he tried in vain to stop Superman from committing what he perceived as

genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the ...

(using a compound developed by S.T.A.R. Labs) on 60 Solomon Grundys living in the sewers of

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

Second series

Martin Pasko/Dan Mishkin

In an issue dated May 1982, DC Comics revived the ''Swamp Thing'' series to try to capitalize on the summer

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...

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. The title, called ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'', featured in its first ''Annual'' the comic book adaptation of the Craven movie. Now written by Martin Pasko, the book loosely picked up after the Swamp Thing's appearances in ''Challengers of the Unknown'' #81-87, ''DC Comics Presents'' #8, and ''The Brave and the Bold'' #176, with the character wandering around the swamps of Louisiana as something of an urban legend that was feared by locals.

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 C ...

's main arc depicted the Swamp Thing roaming the globe, trying to stop a young girl (and possible

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

-affiliated Anti-Christ) named Karen Clancy from destroying the world. The series also featured back-up stories involving the Phantom Stranger by

Mike W. Barr Mike W. Barr (born May 30, 1952) is an American writer of comic books, mystery novels, and science fiction novels. Barr has written for every one of the first four incarnations of ''Star Trek: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Tr ...

, which led to a collaboration between the Swamp Thing and the Stranger in a guest run by

Dan Mishkin Dan Mishkin (born March 3, 1953) is an American comic book writer, and co-creator (with Gary Cohn) of the DC Comics characters Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil. Biography As an adolescent, Dan Mishkin formed a writing partnership wi ...

that featured a scientist who transformed himself into a

silicon Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic ...

creature. The primary artist for the bulk of Pasko's run was

Tom Yeates Thomas Yeates (born January 19, 1955) is an American comic strip and comic book artist best known for illustrating the comic strips ''Prince Valiant'' and ''Zorro'' and for working on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Career Thomas Ye ...

; towards the end of the run he was replaced with

Stephen R. 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 (who began by inking Yeates' pencils). Bissette and Totleben, who had known Yeates at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, had been ghosting various pages for Yeates, and were given the assignment on Pasko's recommendation. In issue #6, editor Len Wein declared, in response to a published letter, that Alec never had a brother and that every Swamp Thing series story after issue #21 of the original series never happened. The letter, however, questioned why the Swamp Thing had reverted, which had already been explained in the ''Challengers of the Unknown'' run. A later column pointed this out, so they said they would not deliberately contradict it, even though they would still go from the assumption that it never happened. The arrival of Bissette and Totleben came as Pasko, who wrote the second ''Brave and the Bold'' team-up shortly before he began the series, resurrected plotlines from the original series. Abigail Arcane and Matt Cable were brought back and shown to be married, though this development had a darker side: Cable had been tortured via repeated electroshock treatments by his black-ops superiors over his decision to stop working for the government in order to marry Abigail. The electroshock treatments caused permanent brain damage for Matt, resulting in him being unable to work and, ironically, granting him psychic ability in the form of being able to create lifelike mental illusions. Pasko also resurrected Anton Arcane, now a grotesque half-human/half-insect cyborg with an army of insectoid Un-Men who ultimately cannibalized their creator after the Swamp Thing was forced to kill Arcane. Pasko left the book with issue #19, which featured the (third) death of Arcane, the second of which, from ''Swamp Thing'' #10, was reprinted in ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #18. He would be replaced by British writer

Alan Moore

As ''Swamp Thing'' was heading for cancellation due to low sales, DC editorial agreed to give

(at the time a relatively unknown writer whose previous work included several stories for '' 2000 AD'', ''

Warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...

'' and

Marvel UK Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US-produced stories for the British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Di ...

) 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 the supporting cast Pasko had introduced in his year-and-a-half run as writer, and brought the Sunderland Corporation (a villainous group out to gain the secrets of Alec Holland's research) to the forefront, as they hunted down the Swamp Thing and "killed" him in a hail of bullets. ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #21 (Feb. 1984), "The Anatomy Lesson", signaled a change in the character's mythos by having an obscure supervillain, the

Floronic Man The Floronic Man (Jason Woodrue), also known as the Plant Master, Floro, and the Seeder, is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has been portrayed in live-action by John Glover in the ...

(Jason Woodrue), perform an

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any d ...

on the Swamp Thing's body and discover it was only superficially human, its organs little more than crude, nonfunctional, vegetable-based imitations of their human counterparts, indicating that the Swamp Thing could never have been human. The Swamp Thing was not Alec Holland, but only believed it to be so: Holland had indeed died in the fire, and the swamp vegetation had absorbed his consciousness and memories and created a new sentient being that believed itself to be Alec Holland. The Swamp Thing would never be human again because he never ''was'' human to start with. Woodrue also concluded that, despite the autopsy, the Swamp Thing was still alive and in a deep coma due to the bullet wounds and imprisonment in cold-storage. Moore would later reveal, in an attempt to connect the original one-off Swamp Thing story from '' House of Secrets'' 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 also known as "the Green" that connects all plant life on Earth. The Swamp Thing went catatonic due to the shock of discovering what he really was, after having killed Sunderland in a fit of rage and escaped deep into the Green. Woodrue went insane after attempting to connect to the Green through the Swamp Thing, and Abby had to revive the Swamp Thing in order to stop Woodrue after Woodrue killed an entire

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

town. Swamp Thing returned to the swamps of Louisiana, and encountered Jason Blood (

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 ...

), then gave a final burial for Holland's bones. Matthew Cable, gravely hurt in the previous storyline, was revealed to have been possessed by Anton Arcane, and Abby unwittingly had an incestuous relationship with him. After a fight, Cable was thrown into a coma, and Abby's soul was sent to

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 ...

. In ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #2, modeled on

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ' ...

's '' Inferno'', the Swamp Thing followed Abigail, encountering classic DC characters such as Deadman, the Phantom Stranger, the

Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and wri ...

, and Etrigan en route, and eventually rescued her. The relationship between the Swamp Thing and Abby deepened, and in ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #34 ("Rites of Spring") the two confessed that they loved each other since they met, and "made love" though a

hallucinogenic Hallucinogens are a large, diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mood, and perception as well as other changes. Most hallucinogens can be categorized ...

experience brought on when Abby ate a

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

produced by the Swamp Thing's body (this served as a segment in the film ''

The Return of Swamp Thing ''The Return of Swamp Thing'' is a 1989 American superhero film based on the DC Comics' character of the same name. Directed by Jim Wynorski, it is a sequel to the 1982 film ''Swamp Thing'', having a lighter tone than its predecessor. The film h ...

'', where the Swamp Thing produces a fruit and the ingestion of the fruit makes Abby to see the Swamp Thing as a handsome man, and then they make love). The controversial relationship between a plant and a human would culminate in Abby being arrested later for breaking the laws of nature and conducting a sexual relationship with a nonhuman. Abby ultimately fled to Gotham City, leading to a story arc featuring the fourth encounter between the Swamp Thing and the

. Before that, the "American Gothic" storyline introduced the character

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 To ...

(later to star in his own comic ''

John Constantine, Hellblazer ''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' is an American contemporary Horror fiction, horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo Comics, Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introd ...

'') in issues #37–50, where the Swamp Thing had to travel to several parts of America, encountering several archetypal horror monsters, including

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

s (the same clan he fought in ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #3), a

werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...

, and

zombies A zombie (Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in wh ...

, but modernized with relevance to current issues. Around this time, Moore had the Swamp Thing encounter Superman a second time, in ''DC Comics Presents'' #85. The storyline began with the Swamp Thing's old body being completely destroyed, and growing a new one. Constantine encourages the Swamp Thing to use the power for transportation, and the Swamp Thing learns to do so with increasing speed. The "American Gothic" storyline ended with a crossover with ''

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 Mar ...

'', where the Swamp Thing had to solve the battle between Good (Light) and Evil (Darkness). He also met the Parliament of Trees in issue #47, which was where Earth elementals like him lay to rest after they have walked the Earth, and it was here Moore solved the continuity problem of the first and second Swamp Thing: the first Swamp Thing, Alex Olsen, was now a part of the Parliament. Although Abby was eventually released (the

having pointed out that there were probably several non-humans, such as Superman, Metamorpho, Starfire (

Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics ...

's girlfriend), and the Martian Manhunter, partaking in relationships with human beings), the Swamp Thing was ambushed by soldiers using a weapon designed by

Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: April ...

. Luthor's weapon destroyed the Swamp Thing's psychic connection with the Earth, whilst the Swamp Thing's body was destroyed by napalm. Unable to regrow a new Earthly body, the Swamp Thing was presumed dead. However, the Swamp Thing's consciousness had instead fled to outer space, in search of a planet that was amenable to his new psychic wavelength. In the first tale of the Swamp Thing's extraterrestrial activities ("My Blue Heaven", #56), the Swamp Thing came upon a planet colored entirely in shades of blue, and on which there was no intelligent life. In this particularly popular issue, the Swamp Thing populated this lonely blue planet with mindless plant replicas of Abby and other reminders of his lost Earth. In issue #60, entitled "Loving the Alien", the Swamp Thing actually becomes the father of the numerous offspring of an alien cosmic entity after she "mates" with him against his will. Moore's run included several references to obscure or forgotten comic characters (the Phantom Stranger, Cain and Abel, the Floronic Man), but none so prominent as in issue #32, when he broke with the serious and moody storyline for a single issue. In the story "Pog", Walt Kelly's funny animal comic character Pogo (created in 1943) and all of his woodland friends show up as costumed visitors from another planet, looking for an unspoiled world after their own utopia was overrun and destroyed by brutal monkeys. Moore began a trend (continued by

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...

, among others) of mining the

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...

's vast collection of minor supernatural characters to create a mythic atmosphere. Characters spun off from Moore's series gave rise to DC's

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

comic book line, notably '' The Sandman'', ''

'', and ''

The Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...

''; Vertigo titles were written with adults in mind and often contained material unsuitable for children. ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' was the first mainstream comic book series to completely abandon the Comics Code Authority (CCA); after the CCA denied issue #29 the seal of approval, DC created an imprint to publish the series under and no longer submitted issues of ''The Saga of the Swamp Thing'' to the CCA for approval.

Rick Veitch

Moore's final issue, #64, was dated September 1987. At that point, regular penciller

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 ...

began scripting the series, continuing the story in a roughly similar vein for 24 more issues. Shortly after issue #65, ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #3 was produced, this time focusing on DC's super-apes, such as

Congorilla Congorilla, originally a human character known as Congo Bill, is a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and Vertigo Comics. Originally co-created by writer Whitney Ellsworth and artist George Papp, he was later transformed int ...

, Sam Simeon, and Gorilla Grodd. The Batman guest-starred in issue #66. ''Hellblazer'' also began soon after ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #67, and the two series had storylines which crossover to each other during ''Hellblazers first year under writer Jamie Delano. In Veitch's ''Swamp Thing'' stories, the Parliament of Trees, having believed the Swamp Thing dead, grew a Sprout to replace him. Unwilling to sacrifice an innocent life, he convinced them that he would take the Sprout as his own child, and eventually impregnated Abby (now his wife) with it by possessing

's body. After the completion of this storyline, the Swamp Thing sought to resolve his need for vengeance against those who had "killed" him during his showdown in Gotham City, culminating in a showdown with Lex Luthor (and Superman) in ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #79 and a confrontation with the Batman in ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #4. It was during this time that the Swamp Thing first encountered the Black Orchid in

and

Dave McKean David McKean (born 29 December 1963) is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician. His work incorporates drawing, painting, photography, collage, found objects, digital art, and sculp ...

's three-part graphic novel. Later, during the '' Invasion!'' crossover event, the Swamp Thing was thrown into the past, and traveled through time trying to return to the present. The story was published in ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #80–87. One issue of this storyline 84focused upon the Swamp Thing's regular supporting cast. In this issue, Matthew Cable died during his coma and arrived in the land of the Dreaming, where he encountered Morpheus and Eve. Cable would later be written into '' The Sandman'' by Neil Gaiman as Matthew the Raven. Veitch's term ended in a widely publicized creative dispute, when DC refused to publish issue #88 because of the use of

Jesus 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 relig ...

as a character despite having previously approved the script, in which the Swamp Thing is revealed to be the cupbearer who offers Jesus water when he calls for it from the cross. The move was said to be made due to controversies then arising from the

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

film '' The Last Temptation of Christ''. Artist

Michael Zulli Michael Zulli is an American artist known for his work as an animal and wildlife illustrator and as a comic book illustrator. Career Michael Zulli's career in the comics industry began in October 1986 with ''The Puma Blues'', on which he collabo ...

had already partially completed the art. The move disgusted Veitch and he immediately resigned from writing. Neil Gaiman and

Jamie Delano Jamie Delano (; born 1954) is an English comic book writer. He was part of the first post-Alan Moore "British Invasion" of writers which started to feature in American comics in the 1980s. He is best known as the first writer of the comic book s ...

, who were originally slated to be the next writers, sympathetically declined to take up the helm. Gaiman, however, was cooperative enough with the editorial staff to write ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #5, featuring

Brother Power the Geek Brother Power the Geek is a comic book character created in the late 1960s for DC Comics by Joe Simon. He first appeared in ''Brother Power the Geek'' #1 (October 1968). The concept behind Brother Power was derived heavily from Mary Shelley's ''F ...

, to fill the series hiatus, which led into the run of the new Swamp Thing writer, Doug Wheeler. The ''Annual'' was reprinted in ''

Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days ''Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days'' is a 1999 compilation of new and previously released comics stories written by Neil Gaiman, and published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics. Background Due to Gaiman's increased popularity resulting from his ...

''.

Doug Wheeler

From September 1989 to July 1991,

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 ...

wrote issues #88–109. Wheeler quickly wrapped up Veitch's time travel arc and oversaw the birth of Abby and the Swamp Thing's daughter

Tefé Holland Tefé Holland is a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics. The character is the daughter of Alec Holland/the Swamp Thing and Abby Holland. Tefé was originally a floating spirit called the Sprout, who tried to find a body fro ...

. The remaining tenure of Wheeler's run focused upon a longstanding war between the Parliament of Trees and the Gray, a fungus-themed elemental realm in opposition to the Parliament of Trees. Wheeler's run was drawn by

Pat Broderick Pat Broderick (born November 26, 1953) is an American comics artist, known for his work on the ''Micronauts'' and ''Alpha Flight'' for Marvel Comics, and '' Legion of Super-Heroes'', ''Captain Atom'' and '' Green Lantern'' for DC Comics. Broderi ...

and Mike Hoffman. Broderick's work had a more traditional, adventure-comics look than previous artists on the series. John Totleben continued to contribute painted covers up to issue #100.

Nancy A. Collins

Seeking to revive interest in the series, DC brought 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) ...

on board to write the series, first with ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #6 before moving on to write ''Swamp Thing'' #110–138. Collins dramatically overhauled the series, restoring the pre-Alan Moore tone of the series as well as incorporating a new set of supporting cast members into the book. Collins resurrected

, along with the Sunderland Corporation, as foils for the Swamp Thing. Collins also moved the series, which had focused on the Swamp Thing's time travel adventures and explorations into other-dimensional realms, back to normal society by having the Swamp Thing and Abby set up shop in southern Louisiana and attempt to live a normal life with friends and family, culminating in the introduction of the elemental babysitter Lady Jane into the supporting cast. It was during her run that DC officially launched the Vertigo imprint and ''Swamp Thing'' #129 was the first issue to carry the Vertigo logo on the cover. Collins wrapped up her run by having the Swamp Thing promise Abby that he will never leave her side. He then breaks his promise and creates a secret double to stay and protect Abby as he goes into the Green during an environmental crisis. Abby feels betrayed and leaves a despondent Swamp Thing behind. He retreats into the Green, and when Lady Jane reaches out to him, it sparks into a love affair. Arcane returns and arranges an abduction of Abby to force Tefe to use her powers to grow him a healthy body. The ongoing stress from constant attacks and dealing with Tefe's powers leads to Abby rejecting Tefe and eventually leaving town with her new boyfriend. Fearing for Tefe's safety, Lady Jane betrays the Swamp Thing and kidnaps Tefe into the Green, so that she can be trained by the Parliament of Trees. ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #7, published around this time, was the final annual issue as part of the Vertigo crossover event " The Children's Crusade". Collins also wrote a Swamp Thing story for the anthology one-shot ''Vertigo Jam''. Shortly after Collins' departure, '' Black Orchid'' series writer Dick Foreman wrote a two-part crossover between the two titles, ''Black Orchid'' #5 and ''Swamp Thing'' #139.

Grant Morrison

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 narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...

for a four-issue 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 e ...

. 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 dream world scenario, where he was split into two separate beings: Alec Holland and the Swamp Thing, which was now a mindless being of pure destruction.

Mark Millar

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. This led to a series of lengthy storylines by Millar as the Swamp Thing fought rival elemental beings and in the process, became champions of the five main Elemental Parliaments: Trees, Stone, Waves, Vapor and Flames. It was during this time that the Swamp Thing also encountered the Batman's enemy

Killer Croc Killer Croc is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery. Originally a si ...

, in a failed attempt to resolve the character's ongoing storyline in 1995's ''Batman'' #521–522, ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #159-160, and ''The Batman Chronicles'' #3. The series was later cancelled. Explanations for the cancellation vary, from low sales to Millar himself having become bored with the series. Despite of it, Millar decided to leave the title which, in turn, caused DC to cancel the series. Millar was given the job to wrap up the series, which would end with ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #171. John Totleben would return to illustrate the covers for issues #160–171. Millar's final arc for the series had the Swamp Thing, due to his success in beating the other Elemental Parliament Champions, become godlike and unapproachable by mortals, even as his estranged wife Abby returned to try to reconcile with him. With help from John Constantine, Abby sought to keep the Swamp Thing from destroying humanity so that the Parliament Elementals could claim control over Earth. In the end, the Swamp Thing unites all of the Elemental Parliaments into one collective hive mind with him in control of it. Achieving a global sense of consciousness, the Swamp Thing sees through the worldview of every living thing upon the planet and find the good and the potential in even his worst enemy. This is shown most notably with the final resurrection of Anton Arcane who, during his most recent stay in Hell, befriended a priest that was unfairly condemned to Hell and in the process renounced evil and became a born-again Christian. The Swamp Thing thus spares humanity and becomes a Planetary Elemental, representing Earth itself, and joins the Parliament of Worlds, which is made up of all the other "enlightened worlds" (the only others actually named were

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

, who greeted the Swamp Thing into their number, and Oa; due to its destruction some time before n ''Green Lantern'' #0 Mars lamented Oa could not witness Earth's induction). This was the most significant change made to the character since Moore's reinterpretation, though in the Michael Zulli story "Look Away" (found within the 2000 special issue ''Swamp Thing Vertigo Secret Files and Origins'' #1) the Swamp Thing ultimately returns to normal and renounces his status as a Planetary Elemental, due to his belief that he was more effective a figure as a normal elemental being living in the swamp. After being overlooked for inclusion in countless

crossovers since ''Invasion!'', the Swamp Thing reappeared in the coda for the DC Universe crossover event ''

The Final Night ''The Final Night'' is a 1996 comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics that ran through a weekly self-titled limited series and a score of tie-in issues spanning most of DC's ongoing titles in the month of September 1996 (cover-dat ...

'', appearing at Hal Jordan's funeral alongside John Constantine. In 1997, the Swamp Thing was written into ''

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 a ...

'' (vol. 5) #32–33 by

Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...

and attended the funeral for the ghost of Jim Corrigan in ''The Spectre'' (vol. 3) #62 by

John Ostrander John Ostrander (born April 20, 1949) is an American writer of comic books, including '' Suicide Squad'', ''Grimjack'' and '' Star Wars: Legacy''. Career Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes ...

, which was the final issue of that series. Early 1998 saw the production of Jon J. Muth's Vertigo graphic novel ''Swamp Thing: Roots''. The ''Sandman''

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...

''The Dreaming'' #22–24 written by

Caitlin R. Kiernan Caitlin () is a female given name of Irish origin. Historically, the Irish name Caitlín was anglicized as Cathleen or Kathleen. In the 1970s, however, non-Irish speakers began pronouncing the name according to English spelling rules as , which ...

saw Matthew Cable's return to human form, his uneasy reunion and final departure from his ex-wife Abby (now married to the Swamp Thing) and Cable's restoration to his dream raven form. Matthew the Raven died in ''The Dreaming'' story "Foxes and Hounds" in issues #42–43, a fact that was later touched upon by the 2000 special issue ''Swamp Thing Vertigo Secret Files and Origins'' #1. The final week of 1999 saw the Swamp Thing teaming up with other Vertigo heroes from the DC Universe in the one-shot special ''Totems''.

Third series

Brian K. Vaughan

Written by Brian K. Vaughan and drawn by Roger Petersen (issues #1 – #11) 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 ...

(issues #12 – #20) in 2001, the third series focused on the daughter of the Swamp Thing,

. Even though she was chronologically 11–12, the series had Tefe aged into the body of an 18-year-old with a mindwipe 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, was not aware he was given a blood transfusion by a demon), she held power over both plants and flesh. The idea of using a teenage female protagonist was a fresh one, but many longtime fans rejected the series, which cast the Swamp Thing as a guest star in his own book. Also, many fans were wondering what happened to the Swamp Thing's status as a Planetary Elemental, which culminated in the story being told in the pages of the 2000 special issue ''Swamp Thing Vertigo Secret Files and Origins'' #1. Tefé's story was discontinued at issue #20, whereupon after eating from the Tree of Knowledge she saw visions of two possible futures and chose neither. The Swamp Thing would not appear again until Mike Carey's run on ''Hellblazer'' in issues #184–185 and #192–193, leading into the fourth ''Swamp Thing'' series.

Fourth series

Andy Diggle / Will Pfeifer

The fourth series began in 2004, with rotating writers of Andy Diggle (#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 Bo ...

(#9–29). In this latest series, the Swamp Thing is reverted to his plant-based Earth elemental status after the first storyline, and he attempts to live an "eventless" life in the Louisiana swamps. Tefé, likewise, is rendered powerless and mortal.

Joshua Dysart

Meanwhile, a rogue consciousness, calling itself the Holland Mind, was living in the

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...

. As of issue #15, botany professor Jordan Schiller, an influential man from Alec Holland's past, has been summoned to the swamp by strange visions and memories, apparently manipulated by this rogue consciousness. The full purpose for this manipulation was revealed in issues #21–24. In sacrificing his power, the Swamp Thing lost much of his Alec Holland personality. Now he is restored to his proper station and power and has resumed his romantic relationship with Abby, as of issue #25. Beginning with issue #21 onward, Eric Powell ('' The Goon'') provided covers for the series. The Floronic Man returned in #27–29, his mind splintered in the aftermath 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, ...

''. Issue #29 was the final issue of the fourth volume, which had been cancelled due to low sales numbers, despite fan-supported efforts to save the series. The Dysart series deals with the aftermath of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

in the last 12 issues of the series. Most notable is the fact that real estate tycoons had been wanting to develop the

Lower Ninth Ward The Lower Ninth Ward is a neighborhood in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. As the name implies, it is part of the 9th Ward of New Orleans. The Lower Ninth Ward is often thought of as the entire area within New Orleans downriver of the Indust ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Fifth series

Scott Snyder

The Swamp Thing was relaunched as an ongoing series in 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 ...

'', a company wide relaunch by DC comics. It was written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Yanick Paquette. Taking off from the end of ''

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 ...

'', the series follows a resurrected Alec Holland who wants to put the memories of the Swamp Thing behind him. He is approached first by an earlier incarnation of the Swamp Thing, representing the Parliament of Trees. This Swamp Thing informs Holland that he is a unique individual who would have become a legendary warrior for the Parliament and the Green, the essence of all plant life. When Holland died, the Parliament created a creature which thought it was him as a substitute. Holland rebuffs the creature's entreaties that he assume the mantle of the Swamp Thing. Next, he is approached by Abigail Arcane, the former lover of the Swamp Thing. She enlists him to help save her half-brother William Arcane, before he becomes the champion of the Rot, the force of decay, once known as the Swamp Thing's archenemy,

. While traveling cross-country, Holland and Arcane find themselves increasingly attracted to each other. After confronting William, who has already become a servant of the Rot, Abigail is captured and taken away. At the same time, the Parliament of Trees comes under attack and is about to be destroyed. Realizing his mistake, Holland accepts the mantle of the Swamp Thing as the only way to save Abigail and prevent the Rot from triumphing. Issues #8 and 9 were drawn by Yanick Paquette and Marco Rudy. Issue #10 was drawn by Francesco Francavilla, and #11 by Marco Rudy. Issue #12, which featured Animal Man, was a collaborative effort between Scott Snyder, Jeff Lemire, Marco Rudy, Dan Green, and Andy Owens. Issue #13 subsequently returned to Yanick Paquette drawing.

Charles Soule

After the conclusion of Scott Snyder's tenure on the series, Charles Soule took over with issue #19. His run on the series has the Swamp Thing fighting with Jason Woodrue, now known as the Seeder in the new continuity, who gained power over the Green after saving Alec Holland in the past. The Seeder eventually becomes the new Avatar of the Green after the Swamp Thing chooses not to kill him. Holland manages to escape from the Green by becoming one of the Parliament of Trees and grabbing Woodrue to tap into the power of the Avatar. He manages to convince the Parliament that he is better by making all plant life, including the algae in the oceans and seas, to become hyperactive and produce massive amounts of oxygen, which makes all other beings feel lazier. The Parliament agrees and makes him the Avatar once more.

Sixth series

Len Wein

From March to August 2016, a six-issue miniseries was published, written by Swamp Thing co-creator

and pencilled 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 ...

Seventh series

Ram V

The new series, retitled as ''The Swamp Thing'', started March 2021 and being written by Ram V and pencilled 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 ...

. The series was planned to be a ten-issue miniseries until it was extended to 16 issues.

Awards and nominations

Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards

* Favorite Comic Book Story – ''Swamp Thing'' #53 (1986, ranked #6) * Favorite Comic Book – ''Swamp Thing'' (1986, ranked #1) * Favorite Character – Swamp Thing (1986, ranked #6)

Eisner Awards

* Best Single Issue – ''Swamp Thing'' #75, by Rick Veitch (1989, nominated) * Best Single Issue or Story – ''Swamp Thing'' #113, by Nancy A. Collins, Tom Yeates, and Shepherd Hendrix (1992, nominated) * Best Editor – Stuart Moore, ''Swamp Thing'', ''The Invisibles'', ''Preacher'' (1996, tie) * Best Cover Artist – Phil Hale, ''Swamp Thing'', ''Swamp Thing: Vertigo Secret Files and Origins'' #1, ''Flinch'' #11 (2001, nominated)

Harvey Awards

* Best Letterer – John Costanza, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1988, nominated) * Best Continuing or Limited Series – ''Swamp Thing'', by Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala (1988, nominated) * Best Writer – Rick Veitch, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1989, nominated) * Best Colorist – Tatjana Wood, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1989, nominated)

Jack Kirby Awards

* Best Single Issue – ''Swamp Thing'' #32, by Alan Moore and Shawn McManus (1985, nominated) * Best Single Issue – ''Swamp Thing'' #34, by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben (1985, nominated) * Best Single Issue – ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #2, by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben (1985) * Best Continuing Series – ''Swamp Thing'', by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben (1985) * Best Writer – Alan Moore, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1985) * Best Art Team – Stephen Bissette and John Totleben, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1985) * Best Cover – ''Swamp Thing'' #34, by Stephen Bissette and John Totleben (1985) * Best Single Issue – ''Swamp Thing'' #43, by Alan Moore and Stan Woch (1986, nominated) * Best Continuing Series – ''Swamp Thing'', by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben (1986) * Best Writer – Alan Moore, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1986) * Best Writer/Artist – Alan Moore and Stephen Bissette, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1986, nominated) * Best Art Team – Stephen Bissette and John Totleben, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1986, nominated) * Best Continuing Series – ''Swamp Thing'', by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben (1987) * Best Writer – Alan Moore, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1986, nominated) * Best Art Team – Stephen Bissette and John Totleben, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1987, nominated)

Shazam Awards

* Best Individual Story (Dramatic Division) – "Dark Genesis", by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson, from ''Swamp Thing'' #1 (1972) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division) – Len Wein, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1972) * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division) – Bernie Wrightson, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1972) * Best Continuing Feature – ''Swamp Thing'' (1973) * Best Individual Story (Dramatic Division) – "A Clockwork Horror", by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson, from ''Swamp Thing'' #6 (1973, nominated) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division) – Len Wein, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1973, nominated) * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division) – Bernie Wrightson, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1973) * Best Inker (Dramatic Division) – Bernie Wrightson, for ''Swamp Thing'' (1973, nominated)

Publication

Series writers

First series

*''House of Secrets'' #92 and #1–13: Len Wein *#14–18, 21–22: David Michelinie *#19–20, 23: Gerry Conway *#24: Gerry Conway/David Anthony Kraft

Second series

*''Annual'' #1 (non-continuity): Bruce Jones, based on

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

. The Swamp Thing later makes reference to having seen the movie and hating it.''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #117, and one earlier reference. *#1–13, 16–19: Martin Pasko *#14–15: Dan Mishkin *#20–58, 60–61, 63–64, ''Annual'' #2: Alan Moore *#59: Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, Alan Moore, Rick Veitch *#62, ''Annual'' #3, 65–76, 79–87: Rick Veitch *#77: Jamie Delano *#78, ''Annual'' #4: Stephen Bissette *''Annual'' #5 (reprinted in ''

''): Neil Gaiman *#88–100, 102–109: Doug Wheeler *#101: Andrew Helfer *''Annual'' #6, #110–115, 117–125, 127–138, ''Annual'' #7: Nancy A. Collins *#116, 126, 139: Dick Foreman *#140–143: Grant Morrison and Mark Millar *#144–171: Mark Millar *''Swamp Thing—Roots'': Jon J. Muth (one-shot)

Third series

*#1–20: Brian K. Vaughan *''Swamp Thing Vertigo Secret Files and Origins'' #1: Brian K. Vaughan, Michael Zulli, Alisa Kwitney *''Winter's Edge III'': Brian K. Vaughan

Fourth series

*#1–6: Andy Diggle *#7–8: Will Pfeifer *#9–29: Joshua Dysart

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

*#1–3: Jonathan Vankin

Fifth series

*#1–18, ''Annual'' (vol. 2) #1: Scott Snyder * #19–40, ''Annual'' (vol. 2) #2–3, #23.1: ''Anton Arcane'': Charles Soule

Sixth Series

* #1-6: Len Wein

DC Infinite Frontier

* ''Future State: Swamp Thing'' #1-2: Ram V * ''The Swamp Thing'' #1-10: Ram V

Guest appearances

*''

'' #122:

Bob Haney Robert Gilbert Haney, Jr. (March 15, 1926 – November 25, 2004) was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons. ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' #18–19) *''

'' #81–87 (#81, bits only/#82, flashback only): Gerry Conway *'' DC Comics Presents'' #8:

*''The Brave and the Bold'' #176: Martin Pasko *''DC Comics Presents'' #85:

(between (vol. 2) #39–40) *''

'' #4:

Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's '' The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's ''The New Te ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #43–44) *''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' #5: Marv Wolfman (simultaneous with pp. 8–10 of ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #46) *''Legends of the DC Universe—Crisis on Infinite Earths: "The Untold Story"'': Marv Wolfman (between ''Crisis'' #5 and ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #46) *''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' #10: Marv Wolfman *''

DC Challenge ''DC Challenge'' was a 12-issue comic book limited series produced by DC Comics from November 1985 to October 1986, as a round robin experiment in narrative. The series' tagline was "Can You Solve It Before We Do?" Publication history The ''DC C ...

'' #11: Marv Wolfman,

Cary Bates Cary Bates (born 1948) is an American comic book, animation, television and film writer. He is best known for his work on '' The Flash'', ''Superman'', ''Superboy, the Legion of Superheroes'' and ''Captain Atom''. Biography Early career Bates ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #50–51) (one-panel cameo) *''

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" ...

'' #11:

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #56–57) (October 1999) *'' Infinity, Inc.'' #46:

Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly ...

Dann Thomas Dann Thomas (born Danette Maxx Couto; January 30, 1952) is an American comic book writer and is married to comic book writer and editor Roy Thomas. She has at times collaborated with her husband on ''All-Star Squadron'', '' Arak, Son of Thunder'' ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #69–70) *''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

'' #8: Steve Englehart (between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #69–70) *''

Captain Atom Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations. Publication history Captain Atom was crea ...

'' #16–17:

Greg Weisman Greg Weisman (born September 28, 1963) is an American novelist, writer, producer and voice actor. He is best known as the creator of the animated series '' Gargoyles'', ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' and ''Young Justice''. Early life and career ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #74–75) *''

Hellblazer ''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' is an American contemporary horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introduced. Its central character is ...

'' #9–10:

(surrounding ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #76) *'' Black Orchid'' (vol. 1) #3:

(between ''Swamp Thing Annual'' #4 and ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #79) *''

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 Nuclear Man'' #90–93:

Tom Mandrake Tom Mandrake (born 1956) is an American comics artist, perhaps best known for his collaborations with writer John Ostrander on several series, including ''Grimjack'' (from First Comics) and '' Firestorm'', ''The Spectre'', and '' Martian Manhunte ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #90–91) *'' Ambush Bug Nothing Special'' one-shot:

Keith Giffen Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their '' Legion of Super-Heroes'' and '' Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo. Biograp ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #117–118; continuity questionable) *'' New Titans Annual'', '' Bloodlines: Outbreak'' #9: Paul Witcover and

Elizabeth Hand Elizabeth Hand (born March 29, 1957) is an American writer. Life and career Hand grew up in Yonkers and Pound Ridge, New York. She studied drama and anthropology at The Catholic University of America. Since 1988, Hand has lived in coastal Main ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #126–127) *''Hellblazer'' #63:

Garth Ennis Garth Ennis (born January 16, 1970) is a Northern Irish–American comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series ''Preacher'' with artist Steve Dillon, his nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise, and '' The Boys'' with artist Dar ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #126–127) *''Black Orchid'' (vol. 2) #5: Dick Foreman (between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #138–139) *''Vertigo Jam'' #1: Nancy A. Collins (between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #139–140) *'' Guy Gardner: Warrior'' #29: Beau Smith (between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #150–151) *''

'' #521–522:

Doug Moench Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, '' Electric Warrior'' and '' Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critica ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #159–160) *''Underworld Unleashed: Abyss - Hell's Sentinel'' #1:

Scott Peterson Scott Lee Peterson (born October 24, 1972) is an American convicted murderer. In 2004, he was convicted of the first-degree murder of his wife, Laci, who was pregnant at the time, and the second-degree murder of their unborn son, Conner, in Mod ...

(between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #162–163) *''Guy Gardner, Warrior'' #39: Beau Smith (between ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #163–164) *''

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

'' (vol. 3) #81:

Ron Marz Ron Marz (born November 17, 1965) is an American comic book writer, known for his work on titles such as ''Batman/Aliens'', '' DC vs. Marvel'', '' Green Lantern'', '' Silver Surfer'', and '' Witchblade''. Career Marz is known for his work on '' ...

*''

'' (vol. 5) #32–33:

*'' The Spectre'' (vol. 3) #62: John Ostrander *'' V2K –

Totems A totem (from oj, ᑑᑌᒼ, italics=no or ''doodem'') is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe, such as in the Anishinaabe clan system. While ''the wo ...

'' #1:

Tom Peyer Tom Peyer (born February 23, 1954) is an American comic book creator and editor. He is known for his 1999 revisioning of Golden Age super-hero Hourman, as well as his work on the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 1990s. An editor at DC Comics/Verti ...

*''Hellblazer'' #184–185, 189, 192–193, 200, 215: Mike Carey *''

'' #6:

Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serv ...

*'' JLA: The Nail'' (as Alec Holland) #3:

Alan Davis Alan Davis (born 18 June 1956) is an English artist and writer of comic books, known for his work on titles such as ''Captain Britain'', ''The Uncanny X-Men'', ''ClanDestine'', ''Detective Comics'', ''Excalibur'', '' JLA: The Nail'' and '' JLA: ...

(

Elseworlds ''Elseworlds'' was the publication imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that deviate from the established con ...

) *'' JLA: Created Equal'' #1:

Fabian Nicieza Fabian Nicieza (born December 31, 1961) is an Argentine-American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as ''X-Men'', '' X-Force'', ''New Warriors'', ''Nomad'', '' Cable'', ''Deadpool'' and ''Thunderbo ...

(

) *''The

House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets''. It is also the name of the titular setting of the series. First se ...

Preview'' (published in ''Fables'' #72 and ''Jack of Fables'') *''

'' #23–24:

*''

Animal Man Animal Man (Bernhard "Buddy" Baker) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily "borrow" th ...

'' (vol. 2) #12: Jeff Lemire *''

'' (vol. 7) #31: Jeff Parker *''

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, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...

'' (vol. 4) #36: Meredith Finch *''

'' (vol. 3) #23: "The Brave and the Mold!" by Tom King

Collected editions

''Swamp Thing'' has so far been collected in the following collections published by

and

: *1970s material **''Dark Genesis'', ''House of Secrets'' #92 and 1st series #1–10 (paperback: ) (also available as ''Secret of the Swamp Thing'', published under the DC imprint in manga

digest size Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately , but can also be and , similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes have evolved from the printing ...

; ) ** ''Roots of the Swamp Thing'', ''House of Secrets'' #92 and 1st series #1–13 (hardcover: ) (paperback: ) ** ''Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Omnibus HC'', ''House of Secrets'' #92, 1st series #1–24, 2nd series #1–19, and Saga of The Swamp Thing Annual #1 (hardcover: ) **''Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Vol. 1, House of Secrets #92,'' 1st series #1–13 (paperback ) **''Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Vol. 2,'' 1st series #13-24, ''The Brave and the Bold #122'' and ''#176, DC Comics Presents #8,'' and ''Challengers of the Unknown #81-87'' (paperback ) *1980s material **''Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Vol. 3,'' 2nd series #1-19 and ''Annual #1'' (paperback ) ** ''Saga of the Swamp Thing'', 2nd series #20–27 (paperback: ) ** ''Love and Death'', 2nd series #28–34 and ''Annual'' #2 (2011 paperback: ) ** ''The Curse'', 2nd series #35–42 (paperback: ) ** ''A Murder of Crows'', 2nd series #43–50 (paperback: ) ** ''Earth to Earth'', 2nd series #51–56 (paperback: ) ** ''Reunion'', 2nd series #57–64 (paperback: ) ** ''Regenesis'', 2nd series #65–70 (paperback: ) ** ''Spontaneous Generation'', 2nd series #71–76 (paperback: ) ** ''Infernal Triangles'', 2nd series #77–81 and ''Annual'' #3 (paperback: ) ** ''Swamp Thing by Nancy A. Collins Omnibus'', 2nd series #110-139 and ''Annual'' #6-7 (hardcover: ) ** ''The Root of All Evil'', 2nd series #140–150 (paperback: ) ** ''Darker Genesis'', 2nd series #151–160 (paperback: ) ** ''Trial By Fire'', 2nd series #161–171 (paperback: ) *2000s material ** ''Swamp Thing Vol. 1'', 3rd series #1–10 and a story from ''Vertigo: Winter's Edge'' #3 (paperback: ) ** ''Swamp Thing Vol. 2'', 3rd series #11–20 (paperback: ) ** ''Bad Seed'', 4th series #1–6 (paperback: ) ** ''Love in Vain'', 4th series #9–14 (paperback: ) ** ''Healing the Breach'', 4th series #15–20 (paperback: ) *''The New 52'' series **''Vol. 1: Raise Them Bones'', 5th series #1–7 (paperback: ) ** ''Vol. 2: Family Tree'', 5th series #8–11, 0 and ''Annual'' 2nd series #1 (paperback: ) ** ''Vol. 3: Rotworld: The Green Kingdom'', 5th series #12–18; ''Animal Man'' #12, 17 (paperback: ) ** ''Vol. 4: Seeder'', 5th series #19–23, 23.1 (paperback: ) ** ''Vol. 5: The Killing Field '', 5th series #24–27 and ''Annual'' 2nd series #2 (paperback: ) ** ''Vol. 6: The Sureen'', 5th series #28–34; ''Aquaman'' (vol. 7) #31 (paperback: ) ** ''Vol. 7: Season's End'', 5th series #35–40, ''Annual'' 2nd series #3 and ''Swamp Thing: Futures End'' #1 (paperback: ) ** ''Swamp Thing by Scott Snyder Deluxe Edition'', 5th series #0–18 and ''Annual'' 2nd series #1; ''Animal Man'' #12, 17 (hardcover: ) ** ''Swamp Thing: Protector of the Green'', 5th series #1-11 (paperback: ) * 2016 miniseries ** ''Swamp Thing: The Dead Don't Sleep'', miniseries #1–6 (paperback: ) The entire Alan Moore run (save his first issue, ''Swamp Thing'' #20, which was not reprinted until 2009) from #21-64 was first collected in the U.K. in the late 1980s as a series of black and white trade paperbacks. Because DC had been reluctant to reprint the complete Moore run, these trades became highly popular amongst fans of the series, a popularity which was further fueled by them not being distributed in the U.S. Release of hardcover reprints began in 2009, with the first volume including ''Swamp Thing'' #20 for the first time.

Notes

References

Swamp Thing
at the Continuity Pages
Swamp Thing Chronology
at DC Cosmic Teams

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

an

at

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 ...

Consideration of Moore's tenure on Swamp Thing

External links

Roots of the Swamp Thing
{{Swamp Thing 1972 comics debuts 1982 comics debuts 2000 comics debuts 2004 comics debuts 2011 comics debuts Adult comics Comics by Alan Moore Comics by David Michelinie Comics by Gerry Conway Comics by Len Wein Comics by Scott Snyder Comics by Tom King (writer) DC Comics titles Science fiction comics Horror comics Fantasy comics Swamp Thing