Swamp Thing Vol 2 79

Synopsis
Using his abilities to enter the fibre optic network of a D.D.I. databank, Swamp Thing manages to find all of the information he can about his past collected by the Sunderland Corporation, information about the men involved with his attempted murder in Gotham City, and eventually the identity of the man who gave them the technology to do it: Lex Luthor.

Meanwhile, though, the D.D.I.'s suspected connections to political scandals have made its situation untenable, and the data is erased, even as Swamp Thing is still in the network. He decides he must go to Metropolis to deal with Luthor, whether he has to face Superman in the process or not. At the Daily Planet, many media journalists gather together on the roof for the first official press conference with Superman. Clark and Lois chat about Superman's personality, but Clark is distracted by overhearing the voice of Liz Tremayne near panic. She and her boyfriend Chester Williams have been given press passes to attend the conference, despite her deeply ingrained paranoia.

Clark tries to sneak off by feigning an asthma problem. Lois Lane attempts to keep him there, but she is interrupted by Doctor Roger Huntoon, who demands to know why his quotes went unprinted in a recent story of hers. With Lois distracted, Clark happens to notice the Swamp Thing trying to break into the LexCorp building, using his telescopic vision.

Leaping off the side of the building unnoticed, he changes into his Superman uniform in mid-air, and captures the Swamp Thing, but he hears that Lois' argument with Huntoon is winding down, and has to return to the roof. Again, he notices the Swamp Thing on the LexCorp building, and batters it away with his super-breath before it can enter the building.

After presumably having sex with her, Lex Luthor demands a security report from Miss Rhodes as she dresses herself. She informs him that something tried twice in the last hour to penetrate the building's security, and Superman had investigated both, but seems not to have come up with anything. Annoyed by certain word choices she used, Lex demands that she start her report over again - first, by removing her clothes.

When Lois is again distracted, this time by WGBS reporter Misty Brink, Clark quickly disappears from the roof and flies over to the Lexcorp building where he snatches Swamp Thing out of the air. Even so, Swamp Thing escapes his grasp and then searches LexCorp for any way in. Unfortunately, the building's security systems trap him.

Miss Rhodes cries as Luthor explains that her position is actually redundant, because his security system is automatic. The security system has already identified the intruder as an electromagnetic bio-force, and he has merely been using Miss Rhodes for sex. As he gloats, Miss Rhodes grabs a chair from behind him and attempts to bash him over the head with it, but instead smashes the control system for his security.

Released, Swamp Thing climbs high above the city, observing the foolish acts of man. Meanwhile, Superman heads toward Earth's yellow sun in order to absorb the full power of its solar rays. Suddenly, the Swamp Thing finds himself trapped in stasis by Superman's X-Ray vision. In order to escape it, Swamp Thing converts his essence to light, and travels into Superman's eyes, temporarily blinding him.

Superman crash-lands into Metropolis Park, at which point the Swamp Thing exits his body and takes normal form. They decide, finally, to talk. Swamp Thing explains that Luthor is an accessory to his attempted murder, and that he saw evidence of this. Unfortunately, Superman will not accept this evidence, since it was destroyed, and defends the laws and rights of men.

Swamp Thing demands to know why, of all the species on earth, Superman serves only the rights of humans. Thinking about this, Superman listens in on the conversations of those on the Daily Planet's roof, hearing the disrespectful and unappreciative comments of the reporters there. Despite this, Superman responds that the reason he is the way he is with humans is because, ultimately, he loves them.

At this, the Swamp Thing recognizes that Superman is a virtuous person, and will not stand in the way of such a lofty ideal as love. He decides to curtail his vengeance against Luthor for the time being. Finally, Superman arrives at his press conference, to the praise and adulation of all those in attendance.

Appearances