The character of Swamp Thing, created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson, has undergone numerous transformations throughout the years. Please note that the Swamp Thing, which first appeared in the 92nd issue of House of Secrets in 1971, is very different from the Swarm Thing we are familiar with today. Of course, there have been many characters who have taken up the Swamp Thing mantle, but the original Swamp Thing Alex Olsen, followed by Alec Holland, has been the most popular.
So here’s the deal: when DC saw that the original Swamp Thing, aka Alex Olsen, was becoming a well-liked, revered, and coveted character, he was quickly updated by his creators and renamed Alec Holland, or in other words, the character of Swamp Thing that most people are familiar with today. Also, kudos to Alan Moore, the famed English writer who took over the title and transformed Swamp Thing into a far more powerful character.
Today’s video will focus on the green avatar, researching his roots and delving deeper into his appearances in comic books and other kinds of media to better understand how the green defender has changed over time. It will be a thorough investigation, so be prepared.
Alec Holland Is Dead… And In His Place Stands Only A… Swamp Thing! – Swamp Thing Origins
The readers are given a peek into a swampy, desolate marshland known as Bayou Country, one that’s left behind by a civilized man and currently inhabited by screaming herons, mottled bullfrogs, and an array of reptiles. Amidst this wildness awaits someone, one that is far less than a human and more like a misshapen monstrosity. We learn that he is waiting there for the people who are responsible for his death.
As he looks at the house in front of him, the creature along with the readers is taken into a flashback. Federal Agent Lt. Matthew Cable is seen dropping scientists Alec Holland and his wife Linda in front of the same house from before. We learn that the Hollands are working on a bio-restorative formula, one that is capable of providing a solution to literally every country’s food shortage problems.
And, because their work is ‘invaluable to the government’, the authority wants to keep their location top secret, hence putting them up at a remote cabin, one that is in the middle of nowhere. Before leaving, Cable assures them of their safety as there will be a patrol car constantly in their area.
A few days later, the scientists are almost halfway through their research when Alec decides to try out the formula. With him testing out the compound, he is able to trigger the hormonal growth in a plant. It goes without saying that the duo is absolutely thrilled. Suddenly, they hear a knock at the door, and thinking it to be Matt Cable, Alec tells Linda to open the door. The scientists are greeted by a trio of men; one of them introduces himself as Ferrett and tells them that they’d like to have a word with them in private.
Alec is alarmed by their sudden intrusion and asks them how they managed to get past the patrol car but according to Ferrett, he surely has other significant matters to talk about. Ferrett tells the duo about their private organization and their level of interest in purchasing the latter’s bio-restorative formula. So much so, that they are even ready to offer the scientists a blank cheque in exchange for the exclusive rights to their formula.
With Alec telling the men that their formula isn’t for sale, Ferrett decides to convince Alec using a different technique. However, with one of the men noticing a car coming towards the cabin, Ferrett decides to leave with his men. Before pushing off, he tells them to give his offer a serious thought and promises to come back.
With Cable turning up, Alec tells him about the men. It is then that the agent tells them that he wasn’t joking earlier when he addressed them as commodities. He further tells them that when they are done making the formula, there will be hordes of people who’d like to lay their hands on the formula.
It doesn’t matter if the scientists end up dying in the process because the one that is in possession of the formula is eventually in possession of the world. The cable alerts them before leaving. With the duo getting back to work, they hear another sound, a sound of someone moving outside. Alec takes a gun from the table as a necessary precaution and flings open the door only to see an old hound dog.
The duo eventually decided to take the dog in but unbeknownst to them, the whole thing is a part of a bigger plan. The dog has this very small radio transmitter planted on the head, one that will let the people behind this gimmick be aware of everything that’s happening inside the lab. Speaking of the people who are behind this, Ferrett has obviously reported back his encounter to his boss, who goes by the name of Mister E. The boss is ready to give the Hollands the same offer but if they refuse again, he is okay taking extreme actions against them.
Ferrett returns back to the cabin as promised with his men. Alec is seen to be angrier than before and threatens to call the cops if they don’t leave. One of the men gives Alec a hard blow and renders him unconscious. Next, they are seen planting a bomb below the lab table. As Alec gains back his consciousness, he thinks the thugs have left but soon discovers a ticking bomb underneath the table. Panicked, as he tries to deactivate it, the explosive detonates. Alec’s body not only catches fire but also gets drenched in endless unclassified chemicals.
Horrified and screaming in pain, he runs out of the cabin and somehow lands himself in the bog. His body is seen to vanish underneath. A few days later, Linda and Cable are seen arranging a small funeral service for Alec but what they aren’t aware of is the fact that the bio-restorative formula blended with Alec’s flesh and then further reacted with the plant life of the swamp eventually turning him into the grotesque-looking Swamp Thing. But even with him having the same understanding and consciousness as Alec, the creature cannot speak.
Anyhow, now that we know who the misshapen monstrosity is, let’s get back to the present storyline. Cable and Linda are seen returning back to the cabin and by the looks of the weather, it is going to be a long rainy night. The Swamp Thing is seen keeping a watch over them and also waiting for Ferrett and his men to come back. All of a sudden, the hound dog is seen running outside. It is clear for the readers to make out that the dog has been asked to do so by his ‘real master’. Telling Linda to lock the doors after him, Cable runs after the dog to get him back.
The federal agent is soon able to make out that there’s someone else roaming around the lab. As he goes back to check, Bruno, who happens to be one of the Ferret’s men, is seen hitting Cable hard with a shovel and knocking him down. Inside, Linda is greeted by Ferrett and his men, and by the looks of their conversation, they surely have sinister plans in store for her.
As for the Swamp Thing, he temporarily gets distracted by the hound dog, who is seen running towards the bog. Realizing that the dog will down, he helps him get out of the swamp. But suddenly, it dawns upon him that he has left behind Linda all alone and rushes back only to find her dead. The Swamp Thing is inconsolable at first but upon hearing the sound of a car starting outside, he goes rampant.
Of course, the men are petrified to see the creature chasing them and their car crashes straight into the swamp. As Bruno makes his way out of the car, he looks at the monster, one that isn’t human anymore. Swamp Thing grabs him first and throws a heavy punch at him using his moss encrusted fist. Ferrett, by then takes out his pistol and aiming at the creature, fires a shot.
He shoots again and then again and it goes without saying that Swamp Thing is impervious to the bullets. After all, you can’t kill a man that’s already dead and Ferrett meets his death at the hands of the monster. Right after that, Cable is seen reaching the scene and shooting at Swamp Thing. Holding Swamp Thing responsible for the death of Linda, he aims his gun at the monster to arrest him. But Swamp Thing simply walks away from him deeper into the wilderness.
The comic book ends with someone inside some kind of a tower located miles away from the Louisiana bayou, asking his pets or let’s say monsters to be more precise to bring him the Swamp Thing. Apparently, he is the one that they have been in pursuit of for ages.
What Makes The Swamp Thing A Really Strong Opponent?
You do remember Alec Holland was a brilliant scientist, right? So this points towards a very simple yet crucial thing – even in his monstrous form, he retains all the memories of his former self and that just cannot be taken lightly at any cost. Speaking of Swamp Thing’s abilities, the list is pretty long.
For starters, his body is made out of sentient vegetable matter. This gives him the ability to self-sustain himself either through photosynthesis or at times composting. Next, is his superhuman strength, one that is straightaway linked with his connection to the earth. He can effortlessly pick up weights that are heavier than his own body plus he gets his additional power from the green. Calculating his ultimate strength level is impossible.
Then comes his proficiency in elemental control; he has full control over every form of plant life serving himself as the ‘Plant Elemental for the entire planet’. There’s also chemokinesis, the ability to control the growth and form of plant life. So, summoning vines as a means of attack, that’s just one of his cool plant powers.
Besides the ones mentioned, Swamp Thing also brags other powers like resurrection, size alteration, regeneration, and astral projection, one where his essence can leave his body travel through the green, and then grow an entirely new body in an entirely new region. Of course, he is capable of possession as well as bio-fission. The latter indicates that he can grow many copies of himself. His power of illusion casting lets his victims go through horrifying and agonizing hallucinations. Last but not the least, as long as there happens to be plant life, Swamp Thing will always have an access to harbor his consciousness. In short, he is immortal!
Swamp Thing’s Wrath In Other Forms Of Media
While there are no second thoughts regarding Swamp Thing’s extensive comic book history, one can’t disregard the fact that the character has inspired two live-action movies and a lot more. To begin with, there’s Wes Craven’s 1982 superhero horror flick, Swamp Thing followed by a sequel titled, The Return of Swamp Thing directed by Jim Wynorski in 1989. The character has made an appearance in Joseph Stefano’s 1990 sci-fi, action-adventure television series titled, Swamp Thing spanning three seasons and generating 72 episodes.
Then, there is the 1991 animated tv series also titled Swamp Thing, which had Canadian voice actor Len Carlson giving voice to his character. Voiced by Mark Hamill, the character has recurrently appeared in the Justice League Action animated television series. There is also Gary Dauberman and Mark Verheiden’s 2019 superhero horror tv series titled Swamp Thing where the character has made an appearance. The series explores the origin story and has Andy Bean essaying Alec Holland and Derek Mears as the Swamp Thing.
Speaking of video games, Swamp Thing was released as a video game back in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy Color. Voiced by Chilimbwe Washington, the character appeared in DC Universe Online. Voiced by Micahel Dorn, the character has appeared in DC Infinite Crisis. There is also Lego Batman 3: DC Super Heroes, where the character has made an appearance and is voiced by JB Blanc.