Essential Vertigo: Swamp Thing #10 is an issue of the series Essential Vertigo: Swamp Thing (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1997.
Synopsis for "A Halo of Flies"
This story is reprinted from Swamp Thing (Volume 2) #30.
Anton Arcane, having possessed the body of Matthew Cable uses his new found reality-warping powers to incite acts of evil and violence all over Louisiana. After thinking on all of the carnage he's causing, his thoughts return to his niece Abigail, who he is holding captive.
Arcane explains to her how his soul was hurled into the region of "bodiless men" after his death in combat with the Swamp Thing.[1] He fought free of that plane, and began his plan to inhabit Matt's body. He explains that Matt was not free of corruption, squandering his reality-warping powers by attempting to satisfy his own insatiable lust. Arcane had then incited a young autistic boy named Paul's late parents to summon the Monkey King, thus luring Abby and Swamp Thing away, and leading Matt Cable into his fateful accident. After the accident, he had easily taken the opportunity to possess Matthew, with the dying man's consent. Finally, he declares to Abby that he is Arcane, as hands drag her down through the floor.
In outer space, the Monitor is notified by his assistant Harbinger to the strange happenings in Louisiana. Rather than intervene, they simply observe. At Arkham Asylum, Jason Woodrue screams in a deranged state about something coming out of the bayou. In his own cell, the Joker has stopped laughing.
In the swamp, Swamp Thing is confused by a sudden snowfall. Suddenly, Arcane attacks. It doesn't take Swamp Thing long to realize that his old adversary has returned. Arcane mocks him, baiting him by stating that he has Abigail.
Lured by Arcane to his mansion, Swamp Thing enters and then emerges with Abigail's lifeless body, demanding to know how long she has been dead.
Appearing in "A Halo of Flies"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Abby Cable (Dies)
Antagonists:
- Anton Arcane
- Matt Cable (Flashback only)
- Joker (Cameo)
- Jason Woodrue (Cameo)
Other Characters:
- Monitor (Cameo)
- Harbinger (Cameo)
- Trigon (On a TV or computer screen)
- Spectre (On a TV or computer screen)
- Jody Herbert
- Tina-Louise Pierce
- Rickie Patterson
- Hattie and Doreen Duplantis
- Cheryl and Lonnie Williams
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue reprints Saga of the Swamp Thing #30 in black and white.
- At the time of its original printing, Saga of the Swamp Thing #30 was not part of DC's Vertigo line of comics.
See Also
Links and References
- ↑ As seen in Swamp Thing Vol 2 19.