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and mythology were completely rewritten. Now the Sunderland Corporation seeks
the secrets of Alec Holland’s research, assassinating Swamp Th ing in a barrage of bul-
lets (issue #20). Th e creepy Dr. Jason Woodrue is hired by Sunderland to autopsy the
dead Swamp Th ing in issue #21’s pivotal story, “Th e Anatomy Lesson.” He discovers
that the creature is simply plants and roots, all vegetation with only vestigial forms
of human organs. Swamp Th ing is really a plant that thinks it is human, a conscious-
ness of Earth known as the Parliament of Trees or simply, the Green. Abigal Arcane is
re-introduced and quickly becomes the Swamp thing’s lover and muse. At fi rst, she
is married to Mathew Cable, an FBI man investigating the murder of Holland and
his wife. He thinks the Swamp Th ing is the killer. For a time, Cable is possessed by
the spirit of Anton Arcane and briefl y has an incestuous aff air with niece Abby. Th is
story line created a serious challenge to the Comics Code, which prohibited stories of
sexual perversion, including incest. DC stood behind Moore’s work, running the tale
without the Comics Code Seal and with a mature content advisory with future issues.
Th e result was profi table sales and an ability to produce more adult fantasy, something
that comics had lost following the fearful censorship episode of the 1950s.
Moore takes Swamp Th ing on ever more exotic and fantastic crusades. Cable
goes into a coma and Swamp Th ing must rescue Abby, who has descended into Hell.
Th ere, Abby and Swamp Th ing encounter many of DC’s supernatural characters, lay-
ing the groundwork for DC’s Vertigo line in the 1990s. By issue #34, the pair recognize
their mutual love and after taking a hallucinogenic tuber (the Swamp Th ing’s seed?)
they are able to consummate their aff air. Swamp Th ing became a pop culture phenome-
non, appearing in a fi lm sequel (1989), a cartoon series (1990) (with new lyrics to “Wild
Th ing”: “swamp thing, you are amazing,”) and also a popular USA Network television
series (1990–92).
In the American Gothic story line, Moore’s Swamp Th ing meets modern incarnations
of various horror characters including vampires and zombies. Moore also includes
an aff ectionate tribute to Walt Kelly’s Pogo gang of characters. Notably, Swamp Th ing
often crosses paths with Batman. Th e Dark Knight, with his own troubled childhood,
seems a natural soul mate for the mournful Swamp Th ing.
In later adventures, Swamp Th ing meets the Parliament of Trees, becoming an
Earth elemental, a demi-diety; he impregnates Abby by possessing the body of
fellow supernatural hero, John Constantine of the Hellblazer comics. At one point
(in a story by Grant Morrison), Swamp Th ing is briefl y split into two characters, a
mindless Swamp Th ing and a human, Alex Holland; he also battles the infl uence of
post- Hurricane Katrina land developers in the Bayou.
Stuart Lenig
SWAN, CURT (1920–96). Curt Swan, born Douglas Curtis Swan, was the son of a
railroad worker and a hospital employee. After being drafted into the U.S. Army in
1940, Swan was staff artist for Stars & Stripes newspaper. After his discharge, Swan
met Eddie Herron, a former DC Comics writer. At Herron’s suggestion, Swan applied
