Alias

Swamp Thing I
Nick Name
|
Civilian IDs

Dr. Alexander "Alex" Olsen II

Dr. Alexander "Alec" Holland

Note: Both men hosted the conscious of the Swamp Thing earth elemental at different periods in history.

Occupation

Scientist

Earth Elemental

Legal Status
Deceased
Nation or Planet of Origin
Earth
Group Affiliation
Parliament of Trees
Base of Operations
Parliament of Trees
Height
Varies with mass
Weight
Varies with mass
Eye Color
Red
Hair Color
Green Grass
Skin Tone
Green & Brown
Known Powers
Mystical organic being with super-human strength, stamina and durability with the ability to regenerate body mass from surrounding organic environment.  Ability to  project conscious into plant matter to grow a new body and manipulate plants and insects by means of telepathy and natural pheromones.
Accessories
Plants & Insects
Common Enemies

Arcane

(The) Conclave

Regularly Appearing
Swamp Thing Vol. 1, 2 & 4
First Appearance
House of Secrets Vol. 1 #92 (July, 1971)
Creator
Len Wein & Berni Wrightson
Origin
The Swamp Thing is an Earth elemental born of the consciousness of the dying immersed into the swamp.  When the elemental obtains great wisdom, it takes its place as a member of the Parliament of Trees, a grove of sentient trees comprised of former Earth elementals, located in the Brazilian rain forest.

The first recorded conscious to become the Swamp Thing was Dr. Alex Olsen.

Dr. Olsen was killed in 1905 by an explosion arranged by his lab assistant Damian Ridge.  Ridge buried Olsen in the swamp and later married his wife Linda.  Suspecting his new wife had learned the truth of her deceased husband, he plotted to kill her.  Returning as the Swamp Thing, Olsen killed Ridge and saved his wife, although she was terrified by and rejected him.  Dejected Olsen took his place within the Parliament of Trees.

The second conscious to become the Swamp Thing was Dr. Alec Holland.

Doctors Alec and Linda Holland were working on a secret U.S. Government bio-restorative project in the Louisiana swamp.  The couple were offered a deal by a member of a criminal organization called the Conclave, named Ferrett.  The Holland's were not cooperative and Ferrett returned to kill them.  To make the murder look accidental he rendered Alec unconscious and planted a bomb in his lab.  Holland regained consciousness but was caught in the explosion. Engulfed in flames he ran into the swamp, but was dead before sinking into the muck.  He would return from the swamp to seek revenge for his and his wife's death.

Revenged but not enlightened, the consciousness of Dr. Holland would wander the world as a lonely Swamp Thing.