Alec Holland is a fictional character in comic books published byDC Comics. He is most notably a character in the variousSwamp Thing series.

Alec Holland
Textless cover ofSwamp Thing (vol. 5) #2 (December 2011), art byYanick Paquette and Nathan Fairbairn
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Swamp Thing #1 (October–November 1972)
Created by	Len Wein Bernie Wrightson
In-story information
Full name	Alec Holland
Species	Human (formerly) Swamp monster/Elemental (currently)
Team affiliations	Parliament of Trees White Lantern Corps Justice League Dark Justice League United Justice League
Partnerships	John Constantine Animal Man Doctor Fate Deadman Zatanna Etrigan Batman Superman Blue Devil Phantom Stranger
Notable aliases	Swamp Thing
Abilities	Superhuman strength and durability Plant control and manipulation Hyperelasticity Regenerative Healing Factor

Holland appeared in his first live-action adaptation in the 1982 filmSwamp Thing played byRay Wise as Alec Holland andDick Durock playing Swamp Thing form. Durock returned for the role in the sequel filmThe Return of Swamp Thing 1989, along with playing Holland in regular form. Durock continued playing the character in the 1990 to 1993Swamp Thing TV series. Years later, the character was then played byAndy Bean as Alec Holland andDerek Mears playing Swamp Thing form in the2019 television series for theDC streaming service before it was cancelled.

Alec Hollandfirst appeared inSwamp Thing #1 (October–November 1972), created by writerLen Wein and artistBernie Wrightson.

In a secret facility located in theLouisiana bayous, scientist Alec Holland and his wife Linda invent a bio-restorative formula that can solve any nations' food shortage problems. Two thugs working for Nathan Ellery, head of the criminal organization the Conclave, barge into Alec's lab, knock him out, and plant a bomb in the facility. Alec wakes up as the bomb explodes. In flames, he runs into the swamp. His body is drenched in bio-restorative formula, and this affects the plant life of the swamp, imbuing it with Alec's consciousness and memories. The newly conscious plant life forms a humanoid form and becomesSwamp Thing, the guardian ofthe Green.

Swamp Thing originally thinks that he is Alec Holland transformed. He seeks to regain his human body, but often meets opposition in the form ofAnton Arcane and his "Un-Men". After defeating Arcane, Swamp Thing is attacked by General Sunderland's men in a covert military operation. Sunderland brings Swamp Thing's body back to Sunderland Corp to study and unlock the secret of the bio-restorative formula.

After learning that he is not Alec Holland, Swamp Thing goes into shock and spends three weeks rooted in the swamp. Amidst this,Floronic Man consumes parts of Swamp Thing's body and gains enhanced plant-manipulating abilities until Swamp Thing awakens and stops him.

Later, Swamp Thing is visited by Alec Holland's ghost and learns that his skeleton is still lying at the bottom of the bayou. He retrieves the bones and gives them a proper burial, allowing Alec's spirit to ascend to Heaven.

Swamp Thing later rescues Abby Holland's soul from Hell, after which they enter a relationship.

InCrisis on Infinite Earths, theMonitor andAlexander Luthor Jr. recruit Swamp Thing andJohn Constantine to battle theAnti-Monitor. During this time, they battle the ancient Bruheria cult and the Great Evil Beast, stopping them from destroying Heaven.

In his absence, amateur photojournalist Howard Fleck releases photos of Swamp Thing and Abby, causing a scandal and leading her to flee toGotham City. Swamp Thing overruns Gotham with plants, keeping the city hostage until Abby is released. However, Dwight Wicker and the Defense Department Intelligence attack Swamp Thing and destroy his body withnapalm. Swamp Thing forms a new body from alien vegetation, but loses his connection to the Green untilGreen Lantern Medphyll helps him regain it.

After settling down again with Abby in the swamp, Swamp Thing travels to the Parliament of Trees, but is greeted with surprised horror. The Parliament had assumed him to be dead and created a new plant elemental. Swamp Thing's return triggered a crisis, as having two elementals active at one time would disrupt the balance of nature.

In response, Swamp Thing and Constantine concoct a plan to bind the Sprout to a human host. Among the candidates is Swamp Thing's friend Chester Williams.^[a] Eventually, Swamp Thing and Abby have a daughter namedTefé Holland, who becomes the Sprout's host.

Swamp Thing participates in the Green's war against the Gray, a cosmic force connecting fungal life. Later, he battles the Sunderland Corporation and Anton Arcane, who has returned as a demon.

InBrightest Day, Alec Holland is resurrected by theLife Entity, while Swamp Thing temporarily becomes an avatar of theBlack Lantern Corps. InThe New 52 continuity reboot, Holland becomes a carpenter in Louisiana, but is haunted by the Green. After being attacked by the Rot, Holland becomes Swamp Thing again to stop them.

Later, Swamp Thing enters the Rot to stop Anton Arcane and joinsJustice League Dark in battlingDoctor Destiny and theCrime Syndicate.^[2]

InInfinite Frontier,Levi Kamei succeeds Alec Holland as Swamp Thing.^[3][4]

• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in an anti-litteringpublic service announcement that was aired on behalf ofGreenpeace and coincided with the release ofThe Return of Swamp Thing.
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in aself-titled TV series (1990), with Dick Durock reprising the title role from Swamp Thing films, and regular form Alec Holland was played by Lonnie R. Smith Jr, Patrick Neil Quinn andRay Wise.
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing was rumored to appear in an episode ofConstantine, but the show was cancelled before the rumor could be proven or disproven.^[5]
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in aself-titled TV series (2019), portrayed byAndy Bean andDerek Mears respectively.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} This version is a disgraced scientist who manipulated test results to prove himself right. He is hired by businessman Avery Sunderland to investigate a virus plaguing Marais, Louisiana, though Holland believes that Sunderland's research is tied to the virus, and works withAbby Arcane to investigate further. Holland is shot by an unknown assailant and his boat is destroyed by dynamite. He dies from his wounds, but the swamp covers him in vines and transfers his memories to a plant that would later become Swamp Thing.

• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in aself-titled TV series (1991), voiced byLen Carlson.
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing makes acameo appearance in theJustice League episode "Comfort and Joy".
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears inJustice League Action, voiced byMark Hamill.^[11]
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears inHarley Quinn, voiced bySam Richardson. This version is a calmhipster and former associate ofPoison Ivy who sports aman bun and several tiny flowers dotting his body.

• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in aself-titled film, portrayed byRay Wise andDick Durock respectively. This version of Holland was turned into Swamp Thing byAnton Arcane during a laboratory accident.
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears inThe Return of Swamp Thing, portrayed again by Dick Durock. This version of Swamp Thing is Holland's consciousness reconstituted through plant life.^[12]
• Swamp Thing appears inBatman and Harley Quinn, voiced byJohn DiMaggio.^[13]
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in theDC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU) series of films, voiced byRoger Cross:
  • Introduced inJustice League Dark,^[14][15] this version is a member of the titular group who assists them in locatingFelix Faust and fightingDestiny. However, he is defeated after Destiny takes Holland's corpse from his body.
  • Swamp Thing appears inJustice League Dark: Apokolips War, wherein he sacrifices himself to help Constantine destroy anApokoliptian Reaper thatDarkseid brought to Earth.
• The Alec Holland incarnation of Swamp Thing appears inTeen Titans Go! To the Movies.
• On January 31, 2023, a self-titledSwamp Thing horror film was announced to be in development atDC Studios.^[16] The following day,The Hollywood Reporter confirmed thatJames Mangold was in early talks to direct the film after the releases ofIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and his upcomingBob Dylan biopicA Complete Unknown.^[17]

• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears in aself-titled video game.^[18]
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears inDC Universe Online, voiced by Chilimbwe Washington.
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears as a playable character inLego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced byJB Blanc.
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears as a playable character inInfinite Crisis, voiced byMichael Dorn.
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears as a playable character inInjustice 2, voiced byFred Tatasciore. InRaiden's single-player ending, Swamp Thing joins the newly formedJustice League Dark.
• Alec Holland / Swamp Thing appears as a playable character inLego DC Super-Villains via the "Justice League Dark" DLC pack.

Alec Holland appears inThe Batman Adventures #16. This version lives with the long-retiredPamela Isley and encounters a plant doppelganger she had created prior to keep Batman from locating her.^[19]