Swamp Thing
First appearance: House Of Secrets # 91 ( July 1971)
AMONG all the plant- based characters featured today, the Swamp Thing has to be the one with the most unorthodox origin, thanks to legendary comic scribe Alan Moore.
Co- created by writer Len Wein and artist Berni Wrightson in 1971, Swampy started off as scientists ( first Alex Olsen, then Alec Holland) caught in explosions that led to them merging with the swamp and their own chemical concoctions. But it was Moore who made the character even more interesting, by twisting the origin and making Swampy a 100% bonafide living plant, who absorbed Alec Holland’s memories and personality and only thought he was once a man!
Under Moore’s stint ( Saga Of Swamp Thing # 20-# 58, # 60, # 61, # 63, # 64 and Annual # 2), the character pushed every creative limit imaginable – origin, romance ( the graphic details of Swampy- Abigail Arcane’s relationship surpassed everything you’d have read from Mills & Boon), DC’s power hierarchy ( the bayou looked more exciting than the Watchtower or Metropolis) and adding a new dimension to the horror- fantasy genre.
Obviously, with so much envelope- pushing on all fronts, something had to give, and this turned out to be the Comics Code Authority, with Swamp Thing becaming the first mainstream title to abandon it! For the record, Moore didn’t elevate Swampy’s stature alone, as he had the best artistic team in Stephen Bissette and John Totleben, who collectively made every panel come alive!
Swamp Thing’s post- Moore incarnations may have been lacking in some ways, but a few have managed to increase his stature in the DC Universe. The recent New 52 version, for instance, made him the Avatar for The Green, and even saw him overthrowing the Parliament of Trees that gave him his powers. Even more recently, his co- creator Len Wein returned to the character for a six- issue miniseries that took Swampy back to his horror roots.