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After all the suffering... and horror... I have witnessed... it is good... to see so many people... in one place... having a good time...
~ Swamp Thing
The swamp, is my world. It is who I am... it is what I am. I was once a man. I know the evil men do. Do not bring your evil here, I warn you. Beware the wrath of... Swamp Thing!
~ Swamp Thing (Narrated in the 1990 TV Series)

Swamp Thing is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is elemental-swamp monster that often absorbers the memories of many people, most notably Dr. Alec Holland. He is also the partner of John Constantine and Animal Man.

Portrayals

  • Ray Wise - 1st titular film (1982)
  • Dick Durock - The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) and 1990 titular TV series
  • Len Carlson - voice; 1991 TV cartoon
  • Andy Bean (Dr. Holland) and Derek Mears (Swamp Thing) - 2019 TV series

Origin

Once, there was a man. A man named Alec Holland.

A brilliant scientist, Holland was perfecting a formula designed to turn deserts bloated with forests... until a bomb planted by enemies destroyed his lab, lighting him on fire. In desperation, Alec fled into the swamp, hoping to put the flames out. Though he was too late to save his own life, the Parliament of Trees transferred his memories into a new body made entirely of vegetation. Initially thinking himself to be merely transformed into a "muck-encrusted mockery of a man", Alec sought to return to his human form... only to discover the truth years later.

Now, Alec protects the swamp from those who would harm both it and its inhabitants. Do NOT bring your evil into the swamp... or else, you'll face the wrath of... the Swamp Thing!

Powers

  • Super Strength:
  • Chlorylkinesis (psychic manipulation of plants):
  • Florapathy (psychic communication with plants):
  • Shapeshifting:
  • Body Formation:
  • Regeneration
  • Elemental Control: The Swamp Thing has complete mastery over all forms of plant life and can command vegetative matter to do his bidding. Through this power, he is in constant communication with the very essence of the Earth and serves as the Plant Elemental for the entire planet.
  • Superhuman Strength: The Swamp Thing's strength level is directly tied to his connection to the Earth. Occupying his most commonly used body, the Swamp Thing is capable of lifting volumes of mass many times greater than his own body weight. With additional power supplied to him by The Green, his ultimate strength level is nearly incalculable.
  • Chlorokinesis: The ability to commune with plant life and to varying degrees control its growth and form. Summon forth vines to entangle or snare, and so on. A master of this ability can manipulate the microscopic algae inside of a person's body and use it to attack them from the inside out.
  • Self-Sustenance: The ability to nourish oneself, typically via an external energy source. In Swamp Thing's case, likely through a form of photosynthesis.

In other media

Television

  • A public service announcement aired on behalf of Greenpeace against littering featuring the Swamp Thing was debuted to coincide with the release of The Return of Swamp Thing.
  • The Swamp Thing television series first aired on USA Network from 1990 to 1993. The series was filmed in the brand-new Universal Studios Florida facilities and soundstages with Dick Durock reprising the role of the Swamp Thing. The series ended short of its 100-episode schedule and reran on various networks throughout the following years. Starting in 2008, DVD collections of the episodes have been released via Shout! Factory.
  • DiC Entertainment's Swamp Thing animated series debuted on Fox Kids in April 1991, with Len Carlson providing the voice of the Swamp Thing. Anton Arcane was the series' main villain, along with his three Un-Men. The animation style followed a trend similar to Troma's Toxic Crusaders. The program only lasted five episodes and is often considered a miniseries. Neither of these incarnations were highly successful critically or commercially, but the live-action series developed a cult following. A moderate collection of merchandise was produced for the animated series, including an action figure line by Kenner and video games by THQ.
  • The Swamp Thing made a small cameo appearance in the Justice League episode "Comfort and Joy". He was seen at a cantina.
  • In a Justice League Unlimited episode (entitled "Initiation"), an unknown creature aboard the Justice League Watchtower, who is never identified, looks remarkably similar to the Swamp Thing. The Swamp Thing can also be seen on a poster in the episode "Wake the Dead".
  • The Swamp Thing's human name was mentioned by NBC who released a photo for the TV series Constantine which shows Constantine's calling card number Constantine, Master of the Dark Arts at 404-248-7182 and When you dial the number, a recording says, "Hello, you've reached John Constantine. And that's John Constantine. If you're looking for Alec Holland, try the bloody swamp."[17] It was rumored that the Swamp Thing would appear in a future episode, but the show was cancelled.
  • The Swamp Thing appears in Justice League: Action, voiced by Mark Hamill.[19] He first appears in "Abate and Switch" where he helps the Justice League fight the remaining Brothers Djinn members Abnegazar, Rath and Nyorlath as well as Black Adam. In "Zombie King", the Swamp Thing, together with Zatanna, Batman, and John Constantine, tries to stop Solomon Grundy from taking over the Earth with his army of zombies.
  • In the Legends of Tomorrow episode "Wet Hot American Bummer", there appears a horror film based on the Swamp Thing named Swamp Thaaaang. In the episode, Constantine mentions the true Swamp Thing.
  • A live-action series based on the Swamp Thing and produced by James Wan debuted in 2019 on the DC Universe streaming service with Derek Mears portraying the Swamp Thing in a "physical costume" rather than CGI, while Alec Holland will be portrayed by Andy Bean.The pilot was written by Mark Verheiden and Gary Dauberman and directed by Len Wiseman. Virginia Madsen portrays Maria Sunderland.

Film

  • The Swamp Thing's expansion into media outside of comic books began with his first eponymous film in 1982. Directed by Wes Craven, it starred actor/stuntman Dick Durock as the Swamp Thing. A sequel, The Return of Swamp Thing, was produced in 1989. This was much lower in budget and met with significantly less success than its predecessor.[citation needed] The film series rejected the popular Alan Moore revision of the Swamp Thing's origin and portrayed the Swamp Thing with his original origin as a man turned into a plant-like entity.[citation needed] They also heavily featured Anton Arcane, who now became the man responsible for causing Alec Holland's transformation into the Swamp Thing.
  • The documentary feature film The Mindscape of Alan Moore contains a psychedelic animation piece based on the "Love and Death" issue of Swamp Thing.
  • A Crime Syndicate version of the Swamp Thing briefly appeared in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.
  • The Swamp Thing appears in the 2017 animated film Justice League Dark. In order to locate Felix Faust, the Justice League Dark go to find the Swamp Thing. The Swamp Thing agrees to transport them to Faust's observatory, but declines to join the group's fight. When the Justice League tries to fight Destiny, Constantine summons the Swamp Thing, who agrees to fight Destiny, but he is eventually defeated by Destiny, who takes Alec Holland's corpse from his body.
  • The Swamp Thing appears in Batman and Harley Quinn. In the film, he appears before the Floronic Man, informing him that the concoction that Woodrue made would threaten the Green, however, he does not intervene. Afterwards, he retreats back to the Green.
  • The Swamp Thing appears in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. He is featured as one of the superheroes who got their own movie.

Video games

  • A video game based on the animated series Swamp Thing was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy Color in 1991. A port was to be released for the Sega Genesis, but was ultimately cancelled. A prototype ROM of the Sega Genesis version was eventually found and made available on the internet.
  • The Swamp Thing appears in DC Universe Online. In the hero campaign, the players find the Swamp Thing in the aquacultural area of the Justice League Watchtower during the Spring Seasonal Event.
  • The Swamp Thing appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.
  • The Swamp Thing appears as a playable character in Infinite Crisis.
  • The Swamp Thing is referenced by several militia soldiers in Batman: Arkham Knight. One militia soldier mentions him as the "Swamp Creature from Louisiana", Additionally, at Poison Ivy's hideout, there is a bench with the inscription "In Loving Memory... Dr. Alec Holland".
  • The Swamp Thing appears as a playable character in Injustice 2. In the game's story mode, he initially mistakes Batman's insurgency for disturbing the peace of Slaughter Swamp, before saving them from the Scarecrow's minions' gunfire and offering his future services to the crew should they need him. In the game's climax, he, along with Firestorm, is brainwashed by Brainiac and forced to fight Batman or Superman, after of which his mind returns to normal. In his single player ending, he reminds the planet of his presence by having trees and plants take over the cities and vows to defend the Green.
  • The Swamp Thing appears as a playable character in the Justice League Dark DLC pack in Lego DC Super-Villains.

Quotes

You claim to serve the green, so why treat them as slaves?
~ Swamp Thing facing Poison Ivy in Injustice 2

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