History[]
Origin[]
Alec Holland before his death and transformation into Swamp Thing.
At an early age, Alec McGinn changed his surname to Alec Holland. During Alec's college years, he studied under Doctor Jordan Schiller and became his star pupil and later met Linda Olsen Ridge, who was also in his class with Doctor Schiller, and later fell in love. After the two graduated from college majoring in biology, the two got married.
Coming to Marais[]
In 2012, Alec and Linda, were hired by Avery Sunderland of the Sunderland Corporation to analyze biological occurrences in Marais, Louisiana. Alec and Linda tested various sites for samples and discovered an accelerant known as the Bio-Restorative Formula in the water. Holland went to the nearby hospital where patients with a plant-related disease were being treated in order to make a connection between his findings and the epidemic. In the hospital, Holland attempted to obtain a blood sample from Susie Coyle, one of the people infected, but was turned away. Later, Holland went to Susie's house and obtained a blood sample from her. A doctor named Abby Arcane reluctantly agreed to help Holland in his research. The two, along with Linda, went to Avery Sunderland's laboratory to analyze the blood sample. Alec, Linda, and Abby tested the accelerant on a plant, which caused the plant to mutate, forcing them to kill it. Then, Alec and Linda drove to a town meeting and informed Avery about what he had seen, but was told to abandon his pursuit. Abby told Alec to meet him at a nearby mortuary, where she was examining the corpse of Eddie Coyle, Susie's father. They witnessed plant life emerging within the corpse, attacking them, so Alec responded by lighting it on fire before putting it out. Afterwards, Abby took Alec and Linda to a bar to meet her reporter friend Liz Tremayne to ask her if she knew what Eddie had been doing before his death at the swamp. They failed to gain answers, so they went to visit Maria Sunderland, Avery's wife, who blamed Abby for the death of her daughter Shawna. Later that night, Linda, Alec, and Abby went out into the swamp to do more investigation, where they found Eddie Coyle's boat trapped in vegetation.
Death and Rebirth as Swamp Thing[]
Alec, Linda, and Abby searched the boat and found a laptop and some biological accelerants. They returned to the Hollands' laboratory to examine the accelerants. They shared drinks and conversed while waiting. Abby and Linda intended to use the results to find a cure for the accelerants, while Alec returned to the swamp to search for more accelerants. He found one, but was shot by D.D.I. Agent Matt Cable with a bullet and an explosive projectile, killing him and knocking him into the water. Due to the Bio-Restorative Formula, plants from the swamp got a hold of him and absorbed his memories into a humanoid plant creature.
He had developed a mental link with Susie Coyle, who he sensed was in danger. When he had found Susie, he saw her about to die at the hands of two men named Maxwell Ferrett and Bruno. He quickly intervened and killed the two men, ripping them apart. He had realized that Susie had witnessed the two men commit a murder; the murder of his wife Linda, who had come to search for him. Abby had arrived to investigate the commotion and found Swamp Thing and Susie together next to the corpses of the two men and Linda. A swarm of bugs infested Ferrett's and Bruno's corpses and reanimated them and went to Alec's lab, where they had encountered Abby and prepared to kill her, but were stopped when Swamp Thing had arrived and ordered the bugs to leave. Afterwards Abby claimed that she knew that he was Alec Holland, who then, told her that the disease became stronger whenever it was attacked.
Swamp Thing saw what appeared to be ghosts within the swamp and met an individual known as the Phantom Stranger, who confirmed that they were, in fact, ghosts.
Hunted[]
Meeting John Constantine[]
Parliament of Trees[]
Dark Genesis[]
Great Darkness[]
Crisis on Infinite Earths[]
Justice League Dark[]
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Elemental
- Self-Sustenance
- Superhuman Strength
- Elemental Control
- Chlorokinesis
- Astral Projection
- Possession
- Bio-Fission
- Enhanced Intellect
- Illusion Casting
- Immortality
- Size Alteration
- Regeneration
- Resurrection
- Astral Projection
Abilities[]
- Chemist
Weaknesses[]
- Vulnerability to Pollution
- Vulnerability to Fire
Notes[]
- This version of Alec Holland/Swamp Thing is mainly inspired by the Earth-One, New Earth, Prime Earth, and DC Universe versions.
- Swamp Thing's archenemy is Anton Arcane.
- Alec's love interests include Abby Arcane and Linda Olsen Ridge.