Thanks to Joe Bongiorno, who first dragged me kicking and screaming into the mucky mythos of Swamp Thing, and to Paul Giachetti, who created the amazing header banner.
Thanks also to reader 'Alec Holland,' whose support has been invaluable; Mike Sterling, for promoting Swamp Thing and this site; and Kevin Church, for his excellent optimization advice.
And thanks to Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson, Alan Moore, John Totelben, Stephen Bissette, Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis and all the other creators whose work inspired this site. |
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In the Swamplight
Swamp Thing Series 1 #1
| Story Title | Pub. Date |
| "Dark Genesis" | Oct.-Nov. 1972 |
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| Writer | Artist |
| Len Wein | Bernie Wrightson |
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| Cover | Editor |
| Bernie Wrightson | Joe Orlando |
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| Chronological Breakdown |
| • 1973: Hired by the U.S. government to develop a bioregerative forumla, Drs. Alec and Linda Holand are transported to a barn in the Louisiana bayou, which has been converted into a science lab. During their research, the couple is guarded by Lt. Matthew Joseph Cable of Defense Department Intelligence (DDI). The formula proves far more successful than they'd anticipated, but the government is not the only organization interested in the results. A criminal union called the Conclave sends Maxwell Ferrett (a.k.a. Len Bernard) to "convince" them to sell it. They refuse, but the thugs promise to return. Ferrett's boss, Mister E, orders Agent Louisana Blue to attach a spy transmitter to the collar of a stray dog and lead it to the Hollands' doorstep. Finding the dog, the Hollands take it in and name it Mutt. This allows E to spy on their progress. Eventually, E sends Ferrett's men to blow up the barn. The explosion propels Alec's burning form into the swamp. His body unrecovered, Alec is presumed dead. After a brief funeral, the government rebuilds the barn and Linda mournfully continues their work. Days later, a muck-encrusted mockery of a man who was once Alec Holland rises from the ooze, a shambling Swamp Thing. Dazed and unable to speak, he returns to the barn, hoping to cure himself. One day, Mutt runs into the woods, and when Cable goes after him, Ferrett's crony Bruno knocks him out. Finding Linda dead, Swamp Thing kills the two thugs. Cable comes to and mistakes the creature for her killer, vowing revenge for the death of his friends. Unable, at this point, to form words for his defense, Swamp Thing sadly returns to the swamp. Meanwhile, Dr. Anton Arcane, a gnarled, evil old wizard, observes these events with an ancient mystic mirror from his castle in the Balkan state of Transylvania. Determined to seize Swamp Thing's powers, Arcane dispatches his mysterious Un-Men to capture the giant plant-man. |
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| Trivia |
| • Mister E bears no connection to the character of the same name as seen in The Books of Magick, the Mr. E miniseries and The Trenchcoat Brigade. |
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| • Upon assuming the writing reigns with issue #20 of the second Swamp Thing series, Alan Moore would later reveal that the origin story revealed in this debut issue was untrue. Alec Holland truly died in the explosion, his death helping to form the template for an Earth elemental with his memories and personality. |
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| Reprints and Collections |
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DC Special Series #2—
The Original Swamp
Thing Saga | | Roots of the
Swamp Thing #1 | | The Award-Winning
Saga of the Swamp Thing | | |
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Swamp Thing:
Dark Genesis | | Swamp Thing:
Dark Genesis | | The Secret the
Swamp Thing | | |
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