Alec Holland is a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics. He is most notably a character in the various Swamp Thing series.
Holland appeared in his first live-action adaptation in the 1982 film Swamp Thing played by Ray Wise as Alec Holland and Dick Durock playing Swamp Thing form. Durock returned for the role in the sequel film The Return of Swamp Thing 1989, along with playing Holland in regular form. Durock continued playing the character in the 1990 to 1993 Swamp Thing TV series. Years later, the character was then played by Andy Bean as Alec Holland and Derek Mears playing Swamp Thing form in the 2019 television series for the DC streaming service before it was cancelled.
In a secret facility located in the Louisiana bayous, scientist Alec Holland and his wife Linda invent a bio-restorative formula that can solve any nations' food shortage problems. Two thugs working for Nathan Ellery, head of the criminal organization the Conclave, barge into Alec's lab, knock him out, and plant a bomb in the facility. Alec wakes up as the bomb explodes. In flames, he runs into the swamp. His body is drenched in bio-restorative formula, and this affects the plant life of the swamp, imbuing it with Alec's consciousness and memories. The newly conscious plant life forms a humanoid form and becomes Swamp Thing, the guardian of the Green.
Swamp Thing originally thinks that he is Alec Holland transformed. He seeks to regain his human body, but often meets opposition in the form of Anton Arcane and his "Un-Men". After defeating Arcane, Swamp Thing is attacked by General Sunderland's men in a covert military operation. Sunderland brings Swamp Thing's body back to Sunderland Corp to study and unlock the secret of the bio-restorative formula.
After learning that he is not Alec Holland, Swamp Thing goes into shock and spends three weeks rooted in the swamp. Amidst this, Floronic Man consumes parts of Swamp Thing's body and gains enhanced plant-manipulating abilities until Swamp Thing awakens and stops him.
Later, Swamp Thing is visited by Alec Holland's ghost and learns that his skeleton is still lying at the bottom of the bayou. He retrieves the bones and gives them a proper burial, allowing Alec's spirit to ascend to Heaven.
Swamp Thing later rescues Abby Holland's soul from Hell, after which they enter a relationship.
In his absence, amateur photojournalist Howard Fleck releases photos of Swamp Thing and Abby, causing a scandal and leading her to flee to Gotham City. Swamp Thing overruns Gotham with plants, keeping the city hostage until Abby is released. However, Dwight Wicker and the Defense Department Intelligence attack Swamp Thing and destroy his body with napalm. Swamp Thing forms a new body from alien vegetation, but loses his connection to the Green until Green Lantern Medphyll helps him regain it.
The Sprout
After settling down again with Abby in the swamp, Swamp Thing travels to the Parliament of Trees, but is greeted with surprised horror. The Parliament had assumed him to be dead and created a new plant elemental. Swamp Thing's return triggered a crisis, as having two elementals active at one time would disrupt the balance of nature.
In response, Swamp Thing and Constantine concoct a plan to bind the Sprout to a human host. Among the candidates is Swamp Thing's friend Chester Williams.[a] Eventually, Swamp Thing and Abby have a daughter named Tefé Holland, who becomes the Sprout's host.
The Quest for the Elementals
Swamp Thing participates in the Green's war against the Gray, a cosmic force connecting fungal life. Later, he battles the Sunderland Corporation and Anton Arcane, who has returned as a demon.
The New 52
In Brightest Day, Alec Holland is resurrected by the Life Entity, while Swamp Thing temporarily becomes an avatar of the Black Lantern Corps. In The New 52 continuity reboot, Holland becomes a carpenter in Louisiana, but is haunted by the Green. After being attacked by the Rot, Holland becomes Swamp Thing again to stop them.
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in a self-titled TV series (1990), with Dick Durock reprising the title role from Swamp Thing films, and regular form Alec Holland was played by Lonnie R. Smith Jr, Patrick Neil Quinn and Ray Wise.
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing was rumored to appear in an episode of Constantine, but the show was cancelled before the rumor could be proven or disproven.[5]
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in a self-titled TV series (2019), portrayed by Andy Bean and Derek Mears respectively.[6][7][8][9][10] This version is a disgraced scientist who manipulated test results to prove himself right. He is hired by businessman Avery Sunderland to investigate a virus plaguing Marais, Louisiana, though Holland believes that Sunderland's research is tied to the virus, and works with Abby Arcane to investigate further. Holland is shot by an unknown assailant and his boat is destroyed by dynamite. He dies from his wounds, but the swamp covers him in vines and transfers his memories to a plant that would later become Swamp Thing.
Animation
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in a self-titled TV series (1991), voiced by Len Carlson.
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in Harley Quinn, voiced by Sam Richardson. This version is a calm hipster and former associate of Poison Ivy who sports a man bun and several tiny flowers dotting his body.
Film
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in a self-titled film, portrayed by Ray Wise and Dick Durock respectively. This version of Holland was turned into Swamp Thing by Anton Arcane during a laboratory accident.
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in The Return of Swamp Thing, portrayed again by Dick Durock. This version of Swamp Thing is Holland's consciousness reconstituted through plant life.[12]
Introduced in Justice League Dark,[14][15] this version is a member of the titular group who assists them in locating Felix Faust and fighting Destiny. However, he is defeated after Destiny takes Holland's corpse from his body.
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains via the "Justice League Dark" DLC pack.
Miscellaneous
Alec Holland appears in The Batman Adventures #16. This version lives with the long-retired Pamela Isley and encounters a plant doppelganger she had created prior to keep Batman from locating her.[19]
Notes
^The Chester Williams character is an homage to the underground comix character Chester P. Hackenbush, created by Moore's fellow English cartoonist Bryan Talbot.[1]
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