The latest issue of Justice League Dark suggests that Swamp Thing is ready to step down from his role as the guardian of The Green on DC Comics’ Earth, begging the question of who could possibly replace him. His planned retirement comes at an inopportune time, when the cosmic forces that govern reality are out of balance and the universe is said to have less than a year to live unless drastic steps are taken.
Working class wizard John Constantine confronted Swamp Thing (with whom he has a long and tumultuous relationship) regarding his decision to quit just when Earth and humanity need him most. Though it is left unexplained how Constantine discovered this information, it is confirmed that Swamp Thing has struck a bargain with The Parliament of Trees – the ruling body of plant elementals that govern the mystic connection between all plant life known as The Green.
In exchange for seeing to the protection of a mystic Tree of Wonder, Swamp Thing will be allowed to join The Parliament of Trees and let another take up the role of Nature’s champion.
Related: Say Goodbye To Magic in DC’s Comic Universe
It turns out that Swamp Thing has a good reason for seeking retirement. The elemental guardians are primarily meant to protect various aspects of nature from humanity but are also meant to offer the various Parliaments insight into the thoughts of humans. Swamp Thing says that he is feeling less and less like Alec Holland (the scientist whose death led to the creation of Swamp Thing) and more like a creature apart from humanity. Given that, Swamp Thing feels it is best he retire now before he becomes wholly unable to fulfill his assigned duties.
The question remains: who could possibly fill Swamp Thing’s role, if he is honestly allowed to retire? The most obvious choice for most comics fans would be Dr. Pamela Isley – aka Poison Ivy. While the question of whether or not Ivy has developed a connection to The Green has varied over the years, the eco-terrorist anti-hero has always remained firm in her commitment to protecting plant-life from the corruption of humanity. Her revolutionary work as a botanist would also mark her as one The Green would want to assimilate, as Alec Holland was chosen to become a plant elemental due to his work on a plant-growth formula.
Then again, Ivy may not be wholly suitable for the role of The Green’s Guardian. Her antipathy for most humans makes it unlikely she’d be able to serve as a bridge between the increasingly alien Parliament of Trees and humanity. The Green has been shown to prefer peaceful approaches to settling conflict while Ivy is firmly militant in her approach to everything. There’s also an issue in that the process of transforming a being into an Elemental requires a sacrificial element and it’s unlikely the narcissistic Ivy would consider giving up her life and letting another group take control of her, even for the sake of her beloved plants.
One unlikely possibility may be found among the current line-up of Justice League Dark – Dr. Kurt Langstrom aka Man-Bat. Langstrom’s inclusion on the team seemed an odd one, given his background as a scientist. Yet Langstrom, much like Alec Holland, is not unused to life as a monster and is eager to learn more about the world of magic that he never knew existed. Could it be that Dr. Langsrom is being set up to get a crash-course in a whole new world? Stranger things have happened and are all the more likely to occur if Swamp Thing is involved.
More: Swamp Thing TV Series In Its Own Universe
Justice League Dark #2 is now available from DC Comics.
