Swamp Thing (Volume 5) Issue 38

## "The Machine Queen - Part IV: Decompilation"

"*The attacks got* worse *once they had an avatar. No, Abby. Maybe we can find a way to* reduce *them somehow.* Contain *them. But if we* can't*... then we can't.*"
―Swamp Thing
## Synopsis

### "The Machine Queen - Part IV: Decompilation"

The Machine Queen has attacked The Green, distracting its guardian, the Swamp Thing by attacking on several fronts, *distracting* him. She even went so far as to make an attack against The Black Queen of The Rot, knowing that she would ally with Alec Holland. In the meantime, the Machine Queen herself has allied with the Rot's former avatar Anton Arcane, along with the Avatar of The Grey. For his part of their alliance, Arcane has gifted her with the human remains of Dr. Alec Holland. In response, she engages in an *embrace* with him, and invites Miki to join them. After some time, a husk forms around their union, and from it emerges Alec Holland - alive, and a perfect merger between their three elements.

Both Alec and Abby feel the change in the balance. Immediately they suspect the machines of The Metal - but because neither is connected to that element, they deduce that whatever it was is directly *related* to them, somehow.

In Louisiana, Miki calls out for Guarav, and boldly the old man steps out of the old house and announces himself, unexpectedly blasting the three rogue avatars with green energy. He reminds that they are not the first to go bad - and it is not as though he doesn't *recognize* all of them. While the Sureen *do* serve Avatars, they have learned to protect themselves from the ones who turn from their *real* duty. Grinning, Arcane responds that they are not *all* avatars. Their creation attacks Guarav as Miki berates him for betraying her. Struggling to breathe in Holland's grip, Guarav responds that he should *never* have helped her in the first place. She is an *obscenity*. Her response is to use a special species of fungus called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis - a fungus that controls the behavior of *ants* to spread its spores - to take control of his nervous system. With Guarav under their control, the Machine Queen attempts to get Swamp Thing's attention by destroying his home in the swamp, leaving a warning with Guarav to deliver.

En route to Servus in the Arctic, Swamp Thing suggests that he is still willing to reason with the machines - but the attacks got *worse* when the Metal chose an avatar, so he is not especially hopeful. Upon touching ground, they are immediately attacked by B Calculus - making the decision easier for Alec. However, he soon receives Guarav's message, and despite Abby's warning that he needs to be *present* to help her fight the Calculus, he insists on splitting his consciousness between the two locations.

Upon his arrival in Louisiana, Swamp Thing is mocked by Arcane, who points out that for such a *young* avatar, Alec has made some remarkably powerful enemies. Alec fails to recognize Lady Weeds in her new role as the Machine Queen, but she remarks that he will surely recognize their *companion*, gesturing to the disgusting recreation of Alec Holland that they created. When the creature attacks him, his consciousness is pulled away from the Arctic, and Abby is left to fight the Calculus *alone*.

With Swamp Thing distracted with fighting his doppelganger, the Machine Queen warns Arcane that it is his time to act against the Green. He has been promised control of his daughter in exchange. Arcane and Miki lead Guarav to the Grove of the Green, where they make the old man open a portal to it. Though he struggles against her control, Guarav makes it so, and the two avatars leap into the pool, where Brother Jonah and Capucine leap to their realm's defence.

While they are distracted by Miki, Arcane makes an appeal to the Parliament of Decay to be given his power back so that he can strike the killing blow against the Green. Reluctantly, they agree to give him one more chance, and upon fulfilling their promise, the Green is corrupted, and the Swamp Thing's green body begins to rot away.

## Appearances

### "The Machine Queen - Part IV: Decompilation"

#### Individuals

* Swamp Thing
* Abigail Arcane
* Guarav ***(Possessed)***
* The Rithm
	+ Machine Queen
	+ A Calculus
	+ Omega Calculus
	+ B Calculus
* Miki
* Anton Arcane
* Alec Holland ***(Resurrected)***
* Brother Jonah
* Capucine
* Parliament of Decay
* John Constantine ***(Mentioned only)***
* The Wolf ***(Mentioned only)***

#### Locations

* Arctic Circle
	+ Servus
* Louisiana
	+ Houma
* Brazil
* Chile
* Vietnam
* Coast City
* Metropolis

#### Concepts

* The Green
* The Grey
* The Metal
* The Rot

## External links

* *Swamp Thing (Volume 5)* Issue 38 on DC Wiki
* *Swamp Thing (Volume 5)* Issue 38 on Comic Vine