When you're a superhero in the DC Universe, one can say you did not have it made until you got to team up with the "big guns". In said universe, that usually means meeting with a member of the Justice League, like say, Green Lantern, or Wonder Woman, or perhaps...Superman.
Superman teaming up with other heroes is nothing new. The DCU is full of them, and Superman even had his own book dedicated to his teaming up with other superheroes: DC Comics Presents. Going from 1978 to 1986, the book lasted 97 issues and got four Annuals.
The issue we're looking at this week is a rather...unusual team-up. After all, Superman and the Swamp Thing are two characters that really did not have a lot in common. After all, one is an alien refugee (Yes, Superman is a refugee), and the other was a scientist-turned swamp monster. But that doesn't really matter when it comes to facing a common threat. This is DC Comics Presents #85!
The cover is a Rick Veitch piece. It depicts what looks like an angry Superman blasting away at the Swamp Thing with...white energy circle vision? I think it's meant to be depicted as using maybe his X-Ray or heat vision, but they tend to not be portrayed that way. The cover has that painted look to it. I like that. It gives the impression I'm looking at the cover of an old paperback novel.
"The Jungle Line"
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciler: Rick Veitch
Inker: Al Williamson
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano
The story begins on Interstate 55, a road that goes from Illinois to Louisiana. A car is making its way southwards, the hot sun baking it like it was a delicious muffin. Mmm...muffin...
A man is driving down this road, sickly and sweating. But this man is no regular driver with a bad head cold. This is a man who should not get sick. Who should be immune to all Earthly disease.
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| The Man of Steel swore he would never go on a bender on Thanagar ever again. |
No problem, you're getting one. We go back a bit earlier, when Clark Kent and Lana Lang were sent to cover a discovery made in a meteorite.
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| "The fungus seems to enjoy cursing us out..." |
The meteorite itself is not the big deal. After all, they hit Earth all the time. But this particular meteorite has a strange alien fungus on it. It's quite a find, even though they're in a world that has its fair share of contact with alien life, Superman being one of the main examples of it. However, unlike the Man of Steel, this fungus won't resist thorough research. As Lana asks the scientist, a Dr. Everett, about the fungus, Clark secretly uses his microscopic vision on it, discovering that the fungus is Kryptonian. He feigns dizziness to leave the conference. Using his superhuman memory (remember, this is pre-Crisis Superman), he identifies the fungus.
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| "By Rao, Thanagarians used to make cheese with this stuff!" |
The Kryptonian scientific name for it was avarel uthotis, but its common name was the bloodmorel. Native to the Scarlet Jungle on Krypton, it's a dangerous little fungus. It can permeate the skin and grows in the bloodstream. Symptoms of exposure include fever, bouts of incapacitation, hallucinations, chronic overexertion...and in 92% of all cases of infection...death.
The next day, Clark notices his powers are going haywire. They fade in and out. He takes the subway home instead of flying because of this. That night, he starts having hallucinations.
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| "Your underwear kept making dirty jokes, so we didn't invite them." |
Yeah, imagine your clothes arguing over what you should do about your fate. Dr. Everett lets Superman take the meteorite to examine. I can imagine that Superman told him he wanted to make sure the fungus wasn't dangerous to humans. Superman tries to examine the meteorite with his microscopic vision until it cuts out. He accepts he's a dead man walking and tries to head somewhere to let the illness take its course, so...he goes down south. According to the comic, there are no superheroes based in the Southern US. That sounds so weird to me. He also takes the meteorite with him for...some reason.
Clark falls asleep at the wheel, causing the car to crash. Thankfully, our man's invulnerability was working, so he survives it. He stumbles out of the car, still clutching the meteorite. He hallucinates that he's in the Scarlet Jungle on Krypton. Hey, this was supposed to be a teamup between Superman and Swamp Thing, right? So, where's the other half of this teamup? Where's ol' Swampy?
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| "Alright, who's making all this goldarn noise in my goldarn forest?!" |
There he is! Swampy notices that Clark seems to still be alive after all of that which leads him to wonder who this man is. Meanwhile, Superman's long strange trip takes a turn for the darker.
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| "We're actually the most beautiful creatures here!" |
Yup, the creatures taunt our man, saying that he's lived too long. He was supposed to have died on Krypton. He should not have outlived his world. Which is hilarious as by this point in the pre-Crisis continuity, he's not the only survivor. Supergirl, all the criminals in the Phantom Zone, etc. The creatures become skeletal and demand he join them in death.
Back in the real world, the former Alec Holland examines the alien fungus on the meteorite. Naturally, he doesn't recognize the species. He tries to establish contact with the fungus, only to get painful sensations. Sensations of a burning red sun. Sensations of crushing gravity. He realizes, "Yup, this thing ain't from Earth". Swampy looks at the downed Clark and realizes he may know who this man is.
Back in Hallucination Land, Superman tries to fight the skeletal monsters, screaming that he is not dead, nor does he belong there. They can't keep him here, as he is Superman. Swamp Thing opens Clark's jacket, revealing the Superman costume underneath. It's then that the Man of Steel wakes up and gives Swampy a warm greeting.
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| "AUGH! MY GLUBOK!" |
Thankfully, the ex-Alec Holland is made of swamp muck, so he'll live, and the hole Superman blasted in him will heal up. While he heals, he watches the feverish Superman yell and scream, lost in his hallucinations. His screams knock trees down, wild heat vision melts boulders. His body is going into overdrive, which will burn him out and kill him.
Swampy has to help Superman, calm him down, and find a way to cleanse his system. But the fungus got the Metropolis Marvel all messed up. There's no way to get through to him, unless...the fungus!
Swamp Thing touches Superman's shoulder with one hand, and the fungus with another. This allows the former Alec Holland to get into Clark's mind, see his hallucinations.
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| "Oh man, Lois is going to murder me for forgetting to clean this basement." |
Superman crushes his hand, naturally thinking that Swampy is another hallucination. He tells Superman he is dying. The Man of Tomorrow tries to fight Swamp Thing, but Alec is able to get through to him, pointing out that he's overexerting himself, burning himself out. Alec tells Superman to touch his hand and uses...the color green to heal him.
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| Ecto Cooler can cure anything! Even alien fungi! |
His job done here, Alec leaves to let Superman rest. He's going to be just fine now. Yeah, the forest looks like a warzone, but he'll be fine.
Superman wakes up, feeling right as rain. The fungus has been purged from his system, and his powers are back in working order. He flies off, feeling refreshed and renewed. Swamp Thing is happy about this, the story ending with him wandering back into the swamps, as the sun rises to signal a bright new day.
I did enjoy this issue. What I did like about it is that it's not your typical team-up story. Yes, it does use the formula of old-school team-up stories (The heroes meet, fight, then join forces), but it uses them in a unique way.
The one main thing about the story that confuses me is how Superman got infected by the Kryptonian fungus. He didn't touch the meteorite, he presumably did not breathe any of the fungus, so how did he get infected? And also, how come nobody else was infected by the fungus? Did it just ignore humans? Also, how exactly did Swamp Thing heal Superman? Did he just...use the color green? Yeah, the story is a bit vague in places, if you couldn't tell. I did get a good chuckle out of the scene with the Clark Kent suit and
I also liked the artwork. It had a good sense of storytelling, and the renditions of the hallucinatory monsters are terrifying.
If you want to read this for yourself, check out the 2011 trade paperback DC Universe by Alan Moore. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Se you next time!
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