Secret Origins #9

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE SECRET ORIGIN OF SWAMP THING Guarav Ghate sits down, at last, to chronicle the history of the Avatars as is his duty as the last remaining member of the Sureen. He notes that the history of the most recent Avatar of The Green has not been accounted for, and attempts to remedy the situation.   The many elemental kingdoms have always fought between one another, but none so ardently as The Rot against the Green. Years ago, the Parliament of Trees had seen the Rot begin to move, and if nothing was done, it would overrun everything. Their best candidate for a guardian was Alec Holland, a botanist who had developed a Bio-Restorative Formula that could have done much good against the Rot. Anton Arcane, though, the Avatar of the Rot attempted to remove Holland by causing an explosion in his lab, which sent Alec's flaming body into the swamp. Without Holland at their disposal, the Parliament of Trees used his essence to create the Swamp Thing - an avatar made entirely of plant matter. Eventually, it learned the truth about itself, and carved its own path.   Alec Holland, though, was miraculously restored to life, and the Green approached him again to beg him to be their avatar, though it was nearly too late. When he finally agreed to let the Parliament make him the Swamp Thing, he used the last of the Bio-Restorative Formula to give them enough power to see it done. In his fight against the Rot, he paid the price of losing the love of his life to the Rot, and his human form with her. Still this gained him a greater connection to the Green than any Avatar before him.   As he writes, Guarav is interrupted by the Swamp Thing, who offers him a fruit to eat. Gratefully, Guarav takes the fruit and looks over his writing, scratching out his declaration that Alec is the greatest warrior of all the avatars, and replacing the phrase with "most human." UNSOLVED MYSTERIES Much of Power Girl's history remains a mystery to her. Her uncle Jor-El had given her the same information about Krypton's destruction as her cousin Kal-El had received, but she could tell he had withheld some information from her. And to this day, she doesn't know how the two lost children of Krpyton could have left at the same time, but she arrived twenty years later than Kal.   He had discovered her ship, and brought her and it back to his parents in Smallville, Kansas. Immediately, Martha accepted the child as family, and despite Clark's complaints, she and Jonathan insisted that they would raise her - though they might need help child-proofing the house. Little Kara took pleasure in helping around the farm, though she was sometimes a little too zealous in it.   Before they knew it, though, Kara had grown up, and it was time for her to leave the farm. After his experience meeting Kaiyo, Clark had decided it was no longer safe for her in Smallville, and decided she'd be better off in Metropolis with him. Before he would take her there, though, he took her to the island paradise that was his Fortress of Solitude, promising to train her there. He admitted that it was lonely being different, and Kryptonians are very different from humans. They would have to take their destinies seriously. She would have to be his secret weapon, should the Earth ever really be in danger.   He kept his promise and trained her well, but he put too much time into it. He had been absent when his wife Lois was killed. He had blamed himself. Her death, though, was the first of many, as Steppenwolf and the Parademons were beginning their initial attacks. Kara later met her best friend Helena on the day that her mother was killed.   Stuck in hiding at her cousin's order, Kara only came out during important rescue missions, but those soon became out-and-out combat missions, fighting to preserve the planet. She had been half a world away when Superman was killed, just as he had been when Lois died. Losing both Superman and Wonder Woman in one day turned the tide against the Wonders of the World, leaving only Batman, Helena, and Kara to save the world. Batman sacrificed himself, and when it appeared that the attackers were making an escape, the two girls entered a Boom Tube that brought them to an other world - and they had arrived just as this world's Superman made his first appearance.   On a new world, and unsure of just who she wanted to be, Kara decided that being rich and famous would serve her the best, and used her powers to make it happen. She began a relationship with rich scientist Michael Holt, and spent every dollar of her funds that wasn't spent on fun on getting home. Helena, though, was content to remain if necessary. Together, they developed new super-heroic identities, and fought crime - but it wasn't enough for Kara. She still wanted to go home.   A physical genius, Gerhard, helped her design a machine that would get the pair home, using pieces borrowed from Michael and the Gamorrans. He had also used his genius to help recreate a device that her cousin Kal had tried to use to recreate Kara's powers in an ordinary person - for Lois' sake. Lois had refused, and Kal had abandoned it. Kara left her recreation to her protege, Tanya Spears, offering her the chance to take her place as her earth's Power Girl. Kara and Helena, though, returned home to their own world to finish fighting a war that only they could help win. THE ARCHITECT John Stewart had been involved with protests in Detroit with his mother, who had warned him to remain peaceful and resolute. That would be how they changed the world. Eventually, he left home for the Marine Corps, and his mother had been frustrated by that decision, though it was the only way he could afford to get into college.   John trained well and became a good soldier, though beneath his stoic exterior, he still had a firm will and a strong heart. His compulsion to challenge corrupt authority led to an honorable discharge with no opportunity to re-enlist, which suited him fine. Free of the Marines, he studied architecture, and graduated well, though he chose not to go back to his home town of Detroit.   Eventually, he was contracted by Ferris Aircraft to design a building for them, and Carol Ferris was so impressed with his work that she offered him a job. He wasn't sure he'd take it, though, because he felt he was still destined for greater things.   It was then that the Guardians of the Universe tested his worthiness, sending a Manhunter to attack Ferris in search of the Green Lantern. John intervened, though he was a mere man, protecting Carol from the robot's violent questioning. His resistance to the Manhunter was proof enough, and the Guardians sent a Green Lantern Ring to him, welcoming him to the Green Lantern Corps. With the ring's power, he defeated the Manhunter. Afterwards, though, the ring dragged him to Oa for training. The Guardians welcomed him, there, but they worried that one day, he would dare to challenge even their authority. Especially if he learned that they were responsible for the Manhunter's attack.