House of Secrets 92 = Swamp Thing Prototype?

[joe_collector]

I was reading an old Overstreet and noticed that some dealers were a bit incensed that HOS 92 was being promoted as the first Swamp Thing, when it reality, they stated it was a prototype issue.

 

It's pretty obvious that the Swamp Thing in HOS 92 and the one who appeared in Swamp Thing #1 are quite different, and is this just a case of years flowing by and the link of HOS 92 and Swamp Thing first app. just fading into the collective consciousness?

[Zonker]

Well...

 

One could argue that the HoS 92 Swamp Thing was more of a prototype, given that the original took place in the 1800s rather than the 20th century, the protagonist was Alex Olsen rather than Alec Holland, and the original story was intended as a one-shot rather than the launch of an ongoing feature. On the other hand, each version was done by the same creative team of Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson, Joe Orlando, and visually, both versions and supporting casts look pretty much alike (minimal tweaking of the visual concept).

 

But retroactively in the 1980s it was established that the HoS 92 Swamp Thing was an earlier plant "elemental," (one of many throughout history) and the later Swamp Thing followed on in that same lineage.

 

For a true Swamp Thing prototype, check out House of Mystery 195 also with Wrightson art. I believe (and will have to check) that was an inventory story, prepared much earlier than HoS 92. Also, I don't recall who wrote HoM 195. There are many differences between this and Swamp Thing. If I'm correct, Wrightson tweaked the visual concept quite a bit before HoS 92. Then when Orlando decided to launch the ongoing series they further tweaked the back-story to bring it into the 20th century, allowing for cross-overs to the DC Universe (i.e. Batman in #7).

 

Update: Here's the HoM 195 last panel, signed by Wrightson and dated (circled in white) 1968. Published after HoS 92, but clearly done before.

 

 

[shiverbones]

another swamp thing prototype is Phantom Stranger #14 which predates HOS#92 & is written by len wein....

[joe_collector]

One could argue that the HoS 92 Swamp Thing was more of a prototype, given that the original took place in the 1800s rather than the 20th century, the protagonist was Alex Olsen rather than Alec Holland, and the original story was intended as a one-shot rather than the launch of an ongoing feature.

 

I think that's the main point, and perhaps the word "prototype" is the improper one. It's more like a Swamp Thing 1 1800's one-shot, and then Swamp Thing 2 was the character we all know and love, starting with Swamp Thing #1.

 

This is very common in Overstreet, and there are tons of Character 1, Character 2, etc listings, which help identity the actual character and not just a costume or a physical likeness.

 

One thing is absolutely certain: the Swamp Thing-like creature in HOS 92 is not the same Swamp Thing that carried his own comic lines, and the old guy was (to my knowledge) never seen again.

 

There were also some very apt comparisons, such as the Strange Tales Captain America acrobat issue, which is (on some level) the first Silver Age appearance of a CA character, but it's not the same character that has the Marvel history and lineage behind it.