Swamp Thing (Volume 5) Issue 11

## "Family Reunion"

"*I don't need my powers to blow your rotten brains out.*"
―Abigail Arcane
## Synopsis

### "Family Reunion"

Abigail Arcane recoils in disgust at the sight of her uncle Anton and his hideous Un-Men. Anton had raised her as a girl, and she had tried in vain several times to escape his torments. Each time she had run away, she had been retrieved by the Un-Men - genetically re-engineered humans who had been "rewarded" for worshipping The Rot. Now, Arcane sends them for her once again. She struggles, but her uncle manages to knock her unconscious, and he carries her out into the swamp.

As Arcane prepares to make off with Abby, the swamp itself seems to be urging Alec Holland to wake up. Suddenly, Alec opens his eyes to find himself in The Green. A voice warns that a great new enemy has entered the sanctuary, and Alec knows that it means Arcane. The young Parliament of Trees saved his life as he had saved theirs. When they saw that Arcane was going to kill the human body within his vegetable mantle, they spirited him away to the Green.

Thanks to Alec's efforts, the Parliament has survived, though they are yet nascent and weak. The Parliament is not concerned about where Arcane has taken Abby; they are concerned about the fact that he is in their sanctuary at all. He is a powerful and ancient enemy, and his history is full of secrets only they know. Whether he leaves now or not, he will come back to kill them all.

Before the Un-Men can take Abby away, she makes another attempt at escape. Her uncle reaches out and places his hand on her shoulder, and screaming in pain, she discovers that his palms have toothy mouths on them. Menacingly, he waves them at her until Swamp Thing's knotty fist cracks across his rotting jaw.

The Un-Men attack, their tentacles and claws choking and scraping at the man beneath the mantle. Futilely, Abby tries to tear them away. Swamp Thing sends sharpened branches out from his body to skewer his attackers, and determinedly, he faces Anton Arcane. Taking power from his surroundings, Swamp Thing tears Arcane's limbs from his body, letting his confidence build. Unfortunately, Arcane has grown more powerful too, and in place of every wound he is dealt, he grows a ravenous toothy mouth. Arcane laughs that he has the full power of the Rot behind him.

Suddenly, Arcane's head explodes in a shower of blood as Abby unloads a shell from her shotgun at point blank range. Though Arcane still lives, he is weakened. He shuffles away, warning that he will be back soon. Before their eyes, he sinks into a pestilent pool of Rot.

Abby warns Alec not to follow her uncle into the pool, as it is some kind of portal into the heart of The Rot. Looking into it, Abby has a vision of a nightmarish future where the Rot has killed, corrupted, or destroyed the world as they know it.

Alec suggests that they get away from the portal, but a voice from nearby tells him no. Buddy Baker has arrived with his family, and he announces that he and Alec must both enter the Rot together as Swamp Thing and Animal Man - right now.

## Appearances

### "Family Reunion"

#### Individuals

* Swamp Thing
* Abigail Arcane
* Parliament of Trees
* Anton Arcane
* Un-Men
* Buddy Baker ***(Cameo)***
* Ellen Baker ***(Cameo)***
* Maxine Baker ***(Cameo)***
* Socks ***(Cameo)***
* Poison Ivy ***(In a vision)***
* Cyborg ***(In a vision)*** ***(Appears only as a corpse)***

#### Locations

* Louisiana
	+ Houma
* Daily Planet ***(In a vision)***

#### Concepts

* The Green
* The Rot

## External links

* *Swamp Thing (Volume 5)* Issue 11 on DC Wiki
* *Swamp Thing (Volume 5)* Issue 11 on Comic Vine