#but i spotted him in the parliament of trees in alan moore swamp thing and was like WAIT A SEC

[thecomicsnexus]

SWAMP THING #57-58 FEBRUARY - MARCH 1987 BY ALAN MOORE, RICK VEITCH, ALFREDO ALCALA, TATJANA WOOD AND ADRIENNE ROY

SYNOPSIS (FROM DC DATABASE)

Somewhere on the Australian outback, Adam Strange works his way to the next location where the Zeta-Beam will hit Earth, so that he can return to Rann. He is surprised to discover that in the three years since he has last been there, a shopping mall has been built over the coordinates for the beam. He causes a stir in trying to find out which part of the mall he needs to get to, and then he is exasperated to find that it is in the men's washroom. He is forced to contend with a stubborn patron, who refuses to get out of a particular stall. Eventually, Adam yanks the man out just in time.

As Adam is transported by the beam, his consciousness collides with that of the Swamp Thing who's own consciousness is being transported across The Green. The collision sets Adam off balance, and he crashes to Rann's surface painfully and unconscious. Fortunately, his wife Alanna happens to be nearby, and she and her party load him into the back of their vehicle and take him back to Ranagar.

In their hurry, the party accidentally leaves behind Adam's travelling pack. Nearby, a small cactus begins growing rapidly into the form of the Swamp Thing. He discovers Adam's pack, noticing that it was made in Seattle. He is confused to find a jetpack inside the pack, and wonders if he might be on Earth. He spots a footprint on the ground, and begins following the trail.

Back in Ranagar, Sardath informs his daughter that Adam is doing better, and she rushes off to see him. After a brief embrace, she explains that her father is meeting with some Thanagarians, and the two of them head off to join him. The Thanagarians activate a translator, so that they can all understand each other, and then they inform Adam that they are there to aid Rann in ending the famine that has beset its people. In exchange, Sardath has agreed to give Thanagar information about Rann's technology, including the Zeta-Beam.

Adam is suspicious of the Thanagarians' motivations, but they are interrupted by a messenger who warns that Ranagar is under attack by a strange creature made of cactus. Sardath asks that Adam look into it, and he obediently runs off. Adam shaves and grooms his hair using a Rannian device, dons his uniform before kissing his wife and entering the fray.

Meanwhile, Swamp Thing attempts to ask the Rannians whether they come from Earth, and if any of them have heard of Seattle. The terrified citizens respond by firing their weapons on him. Casually, he sends the local foliage to deter their efforts.

Adam is frustrated that he has only just arrived on Rann and all he wants to do is make love to his wife. Even so, the Rannians demand that he act as their personal errand boy, and then mock him behind his back for being human. He is so annoyed and distracted by these thoughts that he doesn't bother attempting to reason with the Swamp Thing, and simply opens fire.

Swamp Thing retaliates by growing pods on his body which spew spines at Adam in defense. Angrily, Adam blasts Swamp Thing's head off, and then affixes his jetpack to the creature, sending him off into the air. Adam then detonates the pack, destroying the Swamp Thing's plant body. His work done, Adam returns home. As he leaves, the citizens mock him.

After finally making love to his wife, Adam wanders out onto the balcony and happens to notice Sardath speaking with the Thanagarians. He can only make out the phrase "zeta-beam," but it is clear that Sardath has made a regrettable decision in dealing with the bird-people.

Elsewhere, Swamp Thing regrows his body and finds himself near to a statue of Adam Strange, which indicates that he is an Earthman. He realizes that maybe Adam could be his ticket home.

Adam Strange steps outside in the morning to look at the liquid animals that live within Sardath's pool. He is accosted by Keela Roo, a visiting Thanagarian. He asks her what her people want the Zeta-Beam for, having asked for it in exchange for helping Rann with its famine. She gives the impression that their assistance is essentially a selfless gesture, as it only satisfies Thanagarian curiosity. Adam then questions her professed noble intent, and she responds that in exchange for killing Rann's monsters, Adam exacts the price of the princess Alanna's love, and a life of glamour and prestige. For this reason, she argues that Adam cannot take the moral high ground. She flies away, leaving Adam speechless.

Adam puts on his uniform while his wife uses a special device to determine whether she is pregnant. The result is not yet evident, though. She and Adam then go for a ride using his jet pack, and as they fly above Ranagar, Alanna spots the Swamp Thing on a nearby roof. Adam prepares to fight it, but when Swamp Thing speaks in English that he has come to return Adam's pack to him, the man relents. Swamp Thing admits that he is the same Swamp Thing that attacked Gotham City, and they determine that they had collided with each other in the Zeta-Beam.

As they are talking, it suddenly occurs to Adam that the Swamp Thing could use his abilities to make the vegetation of Rann grow back, and heal the famine that has struck there. Swamp Thing agrees to try, and they decide to present their idea to Sardath. When Sardath and the elders agree to accept Swamp Thing's help, the Thanagarians become angry, as they had relied upon getting the Zeta-Beam in exchange for their aid.

Swamp Thing wanders into the desert, and then reaches into The Green, hoping to find some living vegetation whose growth he can encourage. Just as he finds one, and begins to latch onto it, his connection is severed when one of the Thanagarians cleaves through his torso with an axe. The axe attack proves to be a distraction, as Keela Roo appears and zaps him with a mind-eater – a device which could conceivably kill him.

Adam, alerted by the blast of the mind-eater's beam, rushes to Swamp Thing's rescue. Scira Ek quickly gives chase to Adam, gaining on him with his axe. Cleverly, Adam releases the full burn of his jet-pack into Scira Ek's face, and the blinded hawkman plummets to his death on the ground. Unfortunately, Keela Roo is right behind him, and her superior skill in aerial combat sends Adam reeling.

Desperately, Adam returns to Sardath's pool. Just as he passes over it, one of the liquid animals within emerges, and envelopes his Thanagarian pursuer. Keela Roo struggles to breath within the liquid body of the creature, and within three minutes, she is drowned.

With the Thanagarians disposed of, Swamp Thing finally reaches the healthy vegetation deep under the surface of Rann, and encourages its growth. The planet's land becomes healthy, and the famine will end. Later, Adam and the Swamp Thing discuss why the Thanagarians may have wanted the Zeta-Beam. Swamp Thing suggests that they may have meant to attack Earth, but Adam brushes it off. Adam suggests that Swamp Thing may be able to resolve his bio-electrical issues that prevent him from returning to earth somewhere on the planet J586 – which has a vegetable civilization.

Before Adam is taken by the Zeta-Beam, Swamp Thing asks him to deliver a message to his wife Abby that he is alive, and somewhere out there hoping to return. Adam promises to deliver the message, and the Swamp Thing leaves for J586.

After Swamp Thing has left, Alanna rushes outside and embraces Adam, exclaiming that she is finally pregnant. This is a doubly important pregnancy, because it will mean the first instance of a fruitful Rannian womb in perhaps decades. As they embrace happily, the Zeta-Beam kicks in, and Adam is taken from his wife's arms. She will be left to raise their child by herself until the next Zeta Beam appears.

REVIEW

This issue introduces a topic that HAS TO be dealt by the writer eventually (and he will). Why doesn’t the Swamp Thing use his powers to end famine on Earth?

He certainly does here, which in the end seems beneficial as otherwise it would have ended with an invasion to Earth. It is hard to figure out if the green has avatars in other planets, though. At least in this point in DCU history. So, maybe his actions in other worlds cannot be judged by the Parliament of trees?

I wonder how many Aussies ended up pooping in Ranagar.

Half of the conversations are written in a foreign language and you have to guess what they say (unless someone cracked the code). It isn’t hard to guess, as the artist is good enough on his visual hints, but I still feel relief when they switch to Earth language.

I give the story a score of 8

#steve bissette #dc comics #comics #review #1987 #modern age #swamp thing #adam strange #thanagar #rann