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Swamp Thing Vol 2 82

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"Brothers in Arms (Part II)"

Swamp Thing Vol 2 82.jpg



Image:Quote1.png My dear, Colonel... You're trying to shoot someone who spent two World Wars studying the effects of bullets on human flesh! Image:Quote2.png
-- Anton Arcane


Appearing in "Brothers in Arms (Part II)"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Villains:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

  • Claw of Aelkhünd (First appearance)
  • Spear of Destiny (Cameo)
  • Krystallnacht Skull
  • Caesar's Obsidian Scepter
  • Empress Josephine's jewelry box
  • Rhinestone stud (Behind the scenes)
  • Napoleon's foreskin (Behind the scenes)
  • A fresh yeti pelt

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "Brothers in Arms (Part II)"

1945
Alec Holland finds himself transported back in time to Germany in the year 1945 at the close of World War II. His fractured mind has taken root inside the body of a young soldier named Alexander Holland. Alex comes to outside of a slaughterhouse facility near Berlin.

The U.S. army detachment, Easy Company, discovers Alexander whom they mistakenly believed had been killed in combat. Squad leader Sgt. Rock nicknames him “Lazarus” and warns him that he should always wear his helmet.

Meanwhile, a Nazi colonel sifts through the ruins of the castle that once belonged to Baron Hans von Hammer, the "Enemy Ace" of World War I. While exploring the dungeons of the barony, he comes upon several occult artifacts including the Claw of Aelkhünd. He believes that if used properly, these items could turn the tide of the war in the Nazis' favor. He rushes back towards Berlin to one of Hitler's magus bunkers.

The magus bunker is actually the slaughterhouse where Easy Co. discovered Alexander Holland. Sgt. Rock receives orders that they are to take the slaughterhouse and kill any soldiers that they find. The men of Easy are frustrated by the orders, as they had hoped that they had finally fought their last battle in the war.

The Nazi colonel delivers the Claw of Aelkhünd to the bunker's commander, the Transylvanian nobleman Anton Arcane. Arcane is unimpressed with the colonel's findings and makes several snide remarks about der Führer. The colonel is insulted and feels that Arcane has dishonored the Reich. He fires several shots into Arcane's chest, but the Transylvanian's knowledge of science and medicine enables him to ignore the pain. He then captures the colonel and brings him down into the abattoir.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Rock begins skulking about the perimeter of the area, taking down a Nazi guard in the process. Alex and he finds a corral of cattle, one of which is a large, fierce bull with a pentagram branded into its forehead. Alex’s memory of being the Swamp Thing sharpens, and he uses his elemental empathy to keep the beast calm.

Sgt. Rock receives orders from command indicating that a squadron of B-17s is flying in to carpet bomb the slaughterhouse. Rock and his men appear to be off the hook.

Inside the hidden chambers of the slaughterhouse, Anton Arcane shows the captured colonel his experiments, which includes grotesque monstrosities of science that Arcane refers to as his "Un-Men". He then hangs the colonel upon a meat hook with the intent of grinding him up and feeding him to the Un-Men.

The B-17s arrive and bomb the facility. As the abattoir goes up in flames, Arcane rushes to escape. The essence of the Swamp Thing abandons Alexander Holland's body and finds the strength to manifest itself before Arcane. Swamp Thing immediately recognizes him, and oddly enough, Arcane appears to recognize the Swamp Thing as well. He recalls first meeting him some twenty years ago, although Swamp Thing has no idea what Arcane is talking about.

Arcane races outside, but upon doing so, finds himself gored by the bull that Alex freed earlier. Arcane is still alive and manages to escape moments later.

Sgt. Rock and Easy meet with the US contingent responsible for the bombing raid. His medical officer, Pappy, informs him that he has received new orders and that he will be transferring to a different unit. Sgt. Rock doesn’t realize that Pappy is actually the mysterious agent known as the Unknown Soldier.

The essence of the Swamp Thing disappears once again into the timestream.

The Present
In Houma, Lousiana, Abigail Holland receives a visit from Floro. Floro tells her that he is now a hero working alongside the New Guardians. He says that he has searched the Green, but cannot find any evidence of the "Bog God". He fears that the Swamp Thing may be dead.

Notes

  • The events from this issue take place on May 1st, 1945.
  • Although none of the characters in this story realize yet, Adolph Hitler was killed by the Unknown Soldier only one day earlier on April 30th. History records that Hitler and his new wife, Eva Braun, actually committed suicide. The canonical death of Hitler was chronicled in Unknown Soldier #268.
  • The Swamp Thing's name in this issue is Alexander Holland (as opposed to his actual name Alec Holland).
  • Sgt. Rock nicknames Alexander Holland Lazarus. Lazarus was a biblical figure from the New Testament whom Jesus resurrected from the dead. Rock gives Holland this nickname because, like Lazarus, he survived what should have been a fatal injury.
  • The downed Fokker Dr.I seen on page four is the signature aircraft of the German World War I pilot Hans von Hammer, aka, Enemy Ace. Chronologically, this is the Fokker's last known appearance.
  • This issue establishes that Adolph Hitler maintained his own "magus bunker".
  • Earliest chronological appearance of the Un-Men. These are first generation prototypes and are not the same individuals first seen in Swamp Thing #2.
  • Alexander Holland may be a direct ancestor of Alec Holland, though this is not clarified in this issue.
  • One of the unseen Un-Men from this issue may be Cranius - the disembodied head grown from a human hand. In Un-Men #1, Cranius claims to be the "first of the Un-Men", indicating that his creation likely took place inside of Anton Arcane's slaughterhouse/laboratory.


Trivia

  • The chapter sequence for this story-arc is chronologized backwards since Swamp Thing is traveling backwards through time. This issue is "Brothers in Arms (Part II)". Issue #83 is "Brothers in Arms (Part I)".
  • One of the mystical artifacts that the Nazi colonel finds in Hans von Hammer's home is a rather crude-looking spear. This is possibly the Spear of Destiny which Hitler is known to have possessed throughout the early years of the war.

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