Wonder Woman and Swamp Thing have a friendship that originated in “Justice League Dark,” endured “Death Metal,” and continued into “Future State.”
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1 by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Jen Bartel, Pat Brosseau, on sale now.
Superman is arguably the most likeable member of the DC Trinity. But if anyone gives him a run for his money in terms of charisma and the ability to connect with even the most closed off of people, it is Wonder Woman. Her honesty and integrity make her an extremely appealing person to call a friend, but more than that, her kindness gains her loyal allies even in the face of impossible odds. One such ally is by far one of her weirdest friends, yet may have become the truest one she has ever had, as well as oddly perfect for her as a confidante. This is of course, Alec Holland, the Swamp Thing.
The two first began interacting when Swamp Thing joined Diana’s newly reformed Justice League Dark during DC’s “Rebirth” era. He joined mostly to help prevent the rise of the Upside-down Man and the Otherkind, yet stayed on through various adventures, even losing his body in the line of duty before being reconstituted by his friends on the magical league’s team. But his burgeoning friendship with Wonder Woman would take Swamp Thing to not one, but two different endings of the universe.
The first instance of this is during Dark Nights: Death Metal by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Following Perpetua’s takeover of Earth Prime and the destruction of the multiverse that followed, Diana was forced to become the jailer of Perpetua’s surviving enemies, imprisoning many heroes and villains to keep them safe from the ancient goddess’ wrath. The task might have broken Diana had she been alone to fulfill it, but the Amazonian Princess found companionship and a rock in Alec Holland.
Swamp Thing was severely weakened following Perpetua’s decimation of the Earth. With the Green almost completely depleted, he was reduced to an emaciated husk of his former self. But despite this, he stayed by Diana’s side, acting as her friend and counselor, giving emotional support when she needed to be reminded that she was doing the right thing and advising her against rash behavior.
In the world of Future State the unlikely friendship between the two heroes has continued to endure. In Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1, Alec once again stayed with Diana, acting as her friend and advisor in the face of the inevitable death of their universe. Swamp Thing was once again weakened by the loss of the Green, but this time it was even worse than after Perpetua’s attack. He could not leave a tree Diana planted on Themyscira for him, which functioned as his deathbed. But he stayed with Diana for as long as he could, fighting back death before eventually succumbing and leaving behind a sobbing Wonder Woman, mourning the loss of one of her oldest and dearest friends.
Their relationship may seem odd, but Wonder Woman and Swamp Thing have many reasons for being as close as they are. Primarily, both of them act as the sole guardians of their respective worlds. Diana seeks to bring peace to man’s world and Swamp Thing wishes to protect nature. Both worlds influence one another. If Diana does her job successfully, she makes Swamp Thing’s life easier. Also both heroes are potentially immortal, and will likely outlive most of the other heroes. Their shared burdens have been a source of comfort to each other in the face of the end, as the future has shown.
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