Comic Title: Roots of the Swamp Thing #5
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: November 1986
On Sale Date: July 31, 1986 Newsstand Date July 31, 1986
Source: DC Releases, #30

Shipping Date July 8, 1986
Source: Amazing Heroes, #98

Shipping Date July 8, 1986
Source: DC Releases, #30

Copyright Date July 8, 1986
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1986
DC publication dates beyond April 1981 listed by the LoC
represent shipping dates NOT newsstand sale dates

Cover Price: $2.00
Page Count: 48
Editor: Robert Greenberger

See Also: The Guide to DC Giants

Title: "The Man Who Would Not Die"
Pages: 20

Feature(s):
Swamp Thing (of Earth-1)

Plotter/Artist: Bernie Wrightson
Scripter: Len Wein

Reprinted From:
Swamp Thing #10 (1974)

Feature Character(s)

• Swamp Thing (last appearance in Swamp Thing #9; next appearance in Swamp Thing #11)

Villain(s)

• Anton Arcane (dies in this story; last appearance in Swamp Thing #2; next appearance in Saga of Swamp Thing #17)
• Un-Men (Carnius named; die in this story; last appearance in Swamp Thing #2; next appearance in Saga of Swamp Thing #17)
• Hunk Dorry (dies in this story; no further appearances)
• Samson Parminter (a slave owner; dies in flashback; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Elsbeth De Luvian (a slave; in flashback and as a spirit; no further appearances)
• Black Jubal (in flashback and as a spirit; no further appearances)
• A group of slaves (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Swamp Thing witnesses an escaped convict about to kill an old woman is the swamp. He intervenes to save the woman, and the convict dies from wounds he received earlier. The woman, Auntie De Luvian, is not frightened by the muck monster. She tells him a story about a slave owner named Parminter who tortured slaves in this area years ago. One slave named Black Jubal swore vengeance before he died. Sometime later, Parminter was found dead, torn limb from limb.

Swamp Thing and the woman realize they are being observed. Swamp Thing investigates and chases several Un-Men, who lead him to their master, Arcane. Anton Arcane survived his fall, but his body was damaged. The Un-Men rebuilt him into a misshapen form. He once again wants to claim the body of Swamp Thing for his own.

Swamp Thing battles Arcane, but he is overpowered and defeated. However, Anton's boasts about enslaving humanity raise the spirits of the dead slaves including Black Jubal. The spirits rise and kill Arcane and his Un-Men. Swamp Thing revives to find his foes dead and buried. The spirits are gone. He then finds an old tombstone belonging to Elsbeth De Luvian, Black Jubal's lover. The woman he met was her spirit.