History: (Swamp Thing I #23, 24) - Councilmen Red and Blue were the head of the covert organization Colossus They wanted the secret of Swamp Thing’s bio-restorative formula in order to create an army of super soldiers, and had Councilman Red turn Swamp Thing’s old enemy John Zero into the super villain Sabre to retrieve him. Sabre found Swamp Thing in Oregon, where his brother biochemist Edward Holland had discovered a way to restore his humanity. He set off a chemical reaction to turn Swamp Thing back to human, and Sabre chose this opportunity to act. They battled into a chemical fire, and Swamp Thing alone emerged, with Sabre being burnt beyond recognition. Swamp Thing was soon returned to his human form of Alec Holland. Colossus agent Solomon Smith retrieved Sabre from county jail, and the Colossus council demoted him because of his failure. Sabre told Solomon that Swamp Thing was now Alec Holland, and now easy prey. He kept this information from the council so that he and Smith could wrest the secrets of the bio-restorative formula from Alec and use it as leverage to attain council seats in Colossus. Colossus sent their agent Thrudvang to continue Sabre’s mission, but he was outwitted by Alec Holland, and plunged from a rope bridge to his seeming death.

Comments: Created by Gerry Conway & Nestor Redondo.

The Colossus plot was never resolved because Swamp Thing was cancelled after Swamp Thing I #24. The Colossus plot was dropped entirely in Swamp Thing’s next appearance in Challengers of the Unknown I #83.

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