History: (Swamp Thing II #65) - With Swamp Thing seemingly dead the Parliament believed the Earth needed a new champion and formed the soul of the Sprout. When Swamp Thing sought an audience with them in the Green and revealed that reports of his death were premature they were aghast. They said that having two elementals operating outside of the Parliament would throw the natural world into chaos. Because he had the right of prior status they told him to destroy the Sprout's soul. Swamp Thing rebuffed them, telling them that he was different from them, and that since he'd decided to withdraw from society the Sprout could serve as their new champion, and left the Green.

(Swamp Thing II #66) - The Sprout ventured where he was never meant to go, to the afterlife realms and to Heaven. He kept watch of Swamp Thing’s love Abby Arcane, whose spirit was temporarily sent there by Swamp Thing so she could gain some of his cosmic perspective. She had an instant motherly urge towards the Sprout, and when she returned to her body with Sprout in tow, asked Swamp Thing if they could keep him. Swamp Thing dismissed the Sprout, saying that its destiny was elsewhere.

(Swamp Thing II #67) - The Sprout took possession of Solomon Grundy’s body. Sprout knew that Grundy was a man who died in Slaughter Swamp and was reborn, and Sprout theorized that Grundy was a failed Plant Elemental, needing only fire to be a true elemental. Swamp Thing had been concerned about the Sprout, and met him in Slaughter Swamp. Sprout thanked Swamp Thing for standing up for him in front of the Parliament, and explained Grundy’s origins. He planned on adding the last element, fire, by subsuming Grundy’s body in a blaze at Slaughter Swamp Pulp and Paper. Grundy violently rejected the Sprout being in his mind and attacked Swamp Thing, reducing him to pulp. Swamp Thing was unable to fight back because his powers were again jammed by a disturbance in the magnetic field. Grundy bathed himself in toxins at the Pulp plant, forcing Sprout to exit his body. John Constantine revived Swamp Thing’s body, and he puzzled over the identity of whoever was altering Swamp Thing’s powers. John told him that the Parliament wanted his mind, and the existence of two elementals wandering Earth upset the balance of things, so they probably wanted him dead.

(Swamp Thing II #68, 69) - A man mentored by General Sunderland refused to accept that Morgan Edge refused to sell a controlling interest in Galaxy Communications, to Sunderland Co., so he recruited sociopath and schizophrenic Alan Bolland, who believed Edge was the Anti-Christ, to blow up Galaxy with a truck bomb. On the verge of committing the deed, the sight of Superman flying over Metropolis made Bolland lose his nerve, and he dove away from the city. His employer couldn’t have him talking, so he remotely detonated the bomb. Bolland was dying and on fire, but he managed to stumble from the wreck and plunge into a nearby harbor. Sprout was in the Green, watching Swamp Thing and the Parliament discuss its future, when it witnessed Bolland’s death. Sprout realized his death had the potential to create a plant elemental, so Sprout made its move and turned Bolland into Wild Thing, a twisted new representative of the Green. Wild Thing ran amok in Metropolis, destroying everything in his path while reciting catch phrases from TV commercials. Swamp Thing battled the Parliament over the Sprout’s fate, removed the Sprout from Wild Thing, refusing to let the new plant elemental be an atrocity, and hid the Sprout on the moon.

(Swamp Thing II #71) - Nature was at war with itself because of the presence of two plant elementals, and John Constantine told Swamp Thing he was responsible for the Sprout’s birth and fixing things. Constantine had located the next template for a plant elemental to be born, but failed to tell Swamp Thing that this man, Gary Holland, was destined to be on a plane that would crash in Slaughter Swamp, so many had to be sacrificed for the Sprout’s birth. Swamp Thing collected the Sprout from the moon and headed back to Earth. He feared the disruptions to the Sprout’s birth were corrupting it, and this was confirmed when it started throwing a fit and talking like Solomon Grundy. Swamp Thing approached the crash at Slaughter Swamp with Sprout, and seeing the souls refusing to move on he helped them to the light. This ruined the chances of the Sprout having Gary as a host, and Constantine was furious. Swamp Thing was angry that Constantine had not made clear the level of sacrifice necessary for the new Swamp Thing to be born. Constantine replied that it was usually best for him to keep such dark things to himself, and the point was moot because the passengers had all died for nothing since the Sprout was still disembodied.

(Swamp Thing II #72) - Swamp Thing confided in Abby about how desperate his situation was. Unless he abandoned her for the Parliament, the natural world would continue to go haywire. He started to regret what he set in motion by sparing the Sprout, feeling he was to full of his own power to have heeded the Parliament’s warnings. He also told Abby he didn’t know what the end result of his actions would be, and when Abby begged him to think of a way to solve things without leaving her he admitted that thinking was not his strong suite since he inherited the impeded brain function of the mortally wounded Alec Holland. Swamp Thing promised he would not give up on finding a solution, took the Sprout, and left Abby in search of Constantine, who he hoped would help. John found the next man chosen by the Parliament to be Swamp Thing, Alden Hollandaise, an employee of the Sunderland Corporation. Alden was marketing Rattinite, a fertilizer made from recycled nuclear waste, and John realized he was a horrible choice for the bridge between man and nature. John interrogated Alden, and stood by as he lit a cigarette and ignited the bags of Rattinite in his office. Alden burned to death, and John made sure to keep Swamp Thing and the Sprout away from him, so he wouldn’t become the next Swamp Thing.

(Swamp Thing II #73) - The Parliament of Trees sent Swamp Knucker, a dinosaurian plant elemental, out of the grove to kill Swamp Thing. Knucker devoured Swamp Thing, but Swamp Thing managed to take control of Knucker’s physical form. John Constantine realized that Chester was the next chosen human to become a plant elemental, and sensing he was a good choice, tried to convince him to let it happen. Swamp Thing appeared and forbade Chester from sacrificing himself, and bound the Sprout’s essence to Abby so it would be safe while he found a way to dispose of Knucker.

(Swamp Thing II #74) - Swamp Thing disposed of Swamp Knucker on Mars, and then returned to Earth to fnd John Constantine lying under a bridge, near death. He used his body to create an exoskleton for John, and his tendrils braced John’s body, healing him, and entered his brain to search for damage. Swamp Thing learned every detail Of John’s quest to heal the Green by consulting his occult contacts. One Amazonian shaman foresaw Abigail giving birth as a resolution to the Green’s civil war. In Louisiana Abby was being attacked by the renegade Wild Thing, another synchronistic event that led to a fire and the chance of the birth of a new plant elemental, and Swamp Thing came to her aid, destroying the renegade. This freed the Parliament committee members Bog Venus, Kettle Hole Devil, Ghost Hiding In The Rushes and Saint Columba, whose minds Swamp Thing had trapped within Wild Thing. They initially attacked him, but Swamp Thing brokered a peace by telling them of the Greens on other planets and other galaxies. They left Earth for the stars to pursue their own individuality, and to escape the consequences of the Green’s civil war on Earth. During the fight Abby had tried to comfort the Sprout, but found its many nativities had left it insane, equally likely to wound as heal anyone who got near it. Swamp Thing was determined to devour and destroy the Sprout to save Earth from the fallout of the Green’s war, and he sent Abigail home so she wouldn’t have to witness it. Swamp Thing came close to committing the deed, but found he didn’t have the heart for it.

(Swamp Thing II #75) -Swamp Thing could see no resolution without destroying the Sprout, and prepared to eat it, but Abby stopped him. She told him she’d risk anything for the Sprout because of a certain feeling she had, but Swamp Thing reminded her that the entire planet was at stake. He could see no way around his dilemma, so Abby suggested he expand and evolve his vegetable brain until he came up with a solution. Abby drifted off to sleep, and Swamp Thing allowed his brain to grow and change, putting him in contact with Earth itself. His mind contemplated the entire universe until he had a vision of the future where other elementals would succeed him, clothed in flesh, not vegetation, and realized being reborn in a womb could heal the Sprout. Abby hacked away Swamp Thing’s newly evolved brain, telling him he’d been silently contemplating for a mnth and a half. Swamp Thing told her he had a solution…she was going to have his child.

(Swamp Thing II #76) - Swamp Thing would use Constantine to impregnate Abigail, and from the pregnancy the Sprout would be reborn, a human with elemental powers. Abigail was dedicated but tentative, not trusting Constantine. Swamp Thing reminded her that it had to be John, because the synchronicity storm had drawn the two of them together. Abigail offered her wedding ring, which she’d taken from the comatose Matt Cable, and Swamp Thing eagerly accepted it, proving it was not one of Constantine’s tricks. Swamp Thing probed John’s bloodstream to make sure he was disease free, and found that despite his promiscuity he had lucked out. He briefly detected the demonic taint of Nergal in his blood, but didn’t realize it for what it was. They consummated their union, and the Sprout entered Abigail.

(Swamp Thing II #78)- Swamp Thing entered Abby’s body to investigate the health of their child, and gave her the gift of sending her astral form to Heaven. Swamp Thing was pleased looking in on his child, and returned Abby to her body.

(Swamp Thing II #81) - The Dominators removed Swamp Thing from Earth, because an earth elemental could have disrupted their invasion. When they learned a new elemental was growing in Abby’s belly that contracted Widowsweed to kill her. Abby was captured, but Widowsweed revealed that she was a mother as well, and wanted nothing to do with the Dominators, but only used capturing Abby as a ruse to find the remains of her mate, who’d crash-landed in Houma over ten years ago.

(Swamp Thing IV #1-3) - Tefe visited the remains of the Parliament of Trees to say goodbye, and tell how much she’d learned in her travels. She was confronted by a horde of animals that warned her the Green was her enemy, and she should flee from Swamp Thing, because he’d be trying to kill her. Tefe sent her essence to Germany, and took over the body of a recent drug overdose to make herself a new body. She was drawn to the Black Forest, where she met Sargon the Sorcerer, who’d sent her the warning. He told her she had something Swamp Thing wanted, and presented her with the Ruby of Life, a magical item created with the sole purpose of elevating a human to godhood. Sargon said he always assumed he was the chosen one, but had come to realize that she was to be chosen for its gifts. The Ruby channeled elemental power, and she was unique in being an elemental clothed in human flesh. Tefe said she was sick of people mapping out her future. She’d never asked to be born with the responsibility of uniting man and nature, and she hated people manipulating her for their own ends. She threw the Ruby into a fireplace, but it returned to her hand. Sargon told Tefe that Swamp Thing feared her learning about the Red, the domain of animals, and he took her there, a land filled with blood and flesh that he showed her she could bend to her will. Tefe made herself a throne of bones, and Sargon told her she could save all of humanity by using her dominion over the red. Tefe admitted that the power felt right, but when they returned to the world, she was still skeptical about battling Swamp Thing. She didn’t get any time to think it over longer, because Sargon animated a rock golem to impersonate Swamp Thing, and had it attack her.

(Swamp Thing IV #4-6) - The false Swamp Thing ripped off Tefe’s arm and crushed her spine, telling her she had three days to relinquish the power of the Red to him. Tefe healed herself, and allowed Sargon to teach her how to use her newfound powers. He continued to pound into her mind that it was her destiny to save the world from Swamp Thing, and that she had to show him no mercy. Abby came to Germany in the company of John Constantine in hopes of averting the elemental war. Tefe blamed Abby for screwing her up, and told her she wasn’t interested in apologies or explanations. She was convinced Abby was on Swamp Things side, and warned her not to get in the way of her battle. When the real Swamp Thing confronted Tefe she gave him no chance to talk, but immediately attacked him. He’d healed the Green, and wanted to work with her to restore the elemental balance, but she was fully in Sargon’s sway. Sargon was using his ruby of life to tap Tefe’s elemental power to achieve godhood. Swamp Thing was forced to slay Tefe, and absorbed the power of the Red. Constantine sent the reanimated Alec Holland to confront Swamp Thing, and as he held Tefe’s charred form he damned Swamp Thing until Swamp Thing incinerated him. This freed the human side of Swamp Thing’s mind from Alec’s form, and it reunited with Swamp Thing’s elemental power. He had a human template once again, and was back to his old self. He saw what he had wrought in battling Tefe, and was horrified. Swamp Thing used the power of the Red to resurrect Tefe, who was clearly traumatized by her death. With all the elemental powers concentrated in one being, Sargon could tap into all of them, and turned Swamp Thing’s powers against him. Constantine anticipated this, and knew that Swamp Thing’s newly rediscovered humanity could defeat Sargon. Swamp Thing dispersed all of the elemental powers from his own form, confident they would all find worthy champions, and he disappeared into the Green. Without a power source to tap Sargon sputtered, and cursed Swamp Thing for denying him godhood. Abby knocked him out by clubbing him over the head with a branch. Constantine used Sargon’s rub y of life to reform Swamp Thing as an earth elemental in Louisiana, but Abby said she had had enough, and just wanted to get away and give her daughter a normal life.

(Swamp Thing IV #8) - Tefe started in a new school, and wasn't sure how to answer her classmates questions about herself because her memory of her previous life was still murky. She started telling her classmates she thought her father lived in the swamps of Louisiana, and they branded her a freak. Outsider Columbia Cooper was curious, and managed to track Swamp Thing down, somewhat amazed that Tefe was telling the truth. She led Tefe into the swamp, but Swamp Thing hid from his daughter, knowing he wasn't ready to reenter society yet, and despite Columbia not being able to pull off a reunion Tefe agreed they were becoming good friends.

(Swamp Thing IV #9-12) - Tefe told Abby she was trying to find her father, and Abby, who could no longer remember most of her relationship with him, begged her to stop, saying his world was madness. Tefe went to do mushrooms with her friend Zaina. She tried remembering and explaining the powers she used to have, but came up short. Zaina told her she was just tripping and kissed her. Swamp Thing struggled to remember his life with Abby when a disturbance in the Green destroyed his body. His mind entered the green, and he saw a foulness ripping it's way through the Green. He found the infection where Arcane's soul had traveled through before being loosed on Earth using a tuber Swamp Thing had once given Sallie, a swamp girl, to form his body. The damage to the Green affected Tefe, causing her to vomit and hemorrhage, so Zaina had to call her an ambulance. Abby got a call from the hospital, and rushed over with her boyfriend Jake. Abby sat by her daughter, begging her to wake up while Zaina got to know Jake in the waiting room. Arcane had brought his demon lover Josephine with him, and wanted her to possess Tefe's body. He was disappointed that she no longer had the powers of her birthright, but still found her an acceptable host. Swamp Thing followed the demons, bursting into the hospital. Abby blamed Swamp Thing for bringing more madness into her life, and Swamp Thing felt hurt, saying he was only trying to help safe Tefe, and slunk away. Arcane kidnapped Tefe, leaving behind a message saying he was at the local cathedral, so Abby changed her mind and asked for Swamp Thing's help. Arcane was also being pursued by the demonic bounty hunter Brother Walker, who'd brought Sallie with him, but Arcane's time in Heaven allowed him to manipulate the holy power of the church, allowing him to shrink Walker to the size of a bug. Abby and Swamp Thing arrived, and Arcane used his power to possess Swamp Thing's body, forcing his mind and soul into Josephine. He apologized for betraying her, but said that if he simply expulsed Swamp Thing's soul he would have simply grown another body from the Green. Arcane bartered with Walker, convincing him to take Josephine to Hell, and Swamp Thing with her, in exchange for unshrinking him. As Josephine / Swamp Thing was dragged to Hell Sallie sacrificed herself, being swallowed by Josephine, and allowing Swamp Thing to grow a new body from the tuber she still had on her. Swamp Thing formed his new body, and grew tendrils to thrust Arcane into the pit after Josephine. Swamp Thing said goodbye to Abby and Tefe, saying he could not stay with them, and brought Sallie's body to the swamp, where he allowed it to consume her whole.

(Swamp Thing IV #13, 14) - Swamp Thing had seen Jake at the hospital, and gleaned that Abby cared for him. In his dreams he briefly formed a body in Jake's apartment using one of his houseplants, terrifying Jake. Jake begged Abby to explain how she knew Swamp Thing, but she rebuffed him, saying she wanted to be alone. He pleaded to meet Swamp Thing, but she shut the door on him. Tefe snuck out to tell him her mother loved him, which was why she pushed him away, and entering a world of monsters would bring him no peace. Jake's father Ray disappeared into the swamp, and he asked Tefe to ask for her mother's help. Abby relented, but told Jake to wrap his mind around the fact that Swamp Thing was her husband and Tefe's father. Tefe wanted to accompany them, but Abby said it was important she make the trip just between her and Jake, and Tefe stormed off. Swamp Thing found an extradimensional creature posing as a preacher had formed a congregation, and was using their faith to power his abilities. He planned to fly his followers to the moon, where a portal to his own dimension awaited, but Swamp Thing prevented Ray from going.

(Swamp Thing IV #21) - Tefe celebrated Abby's 50th birthday with her with signs and balloons. Abby started thinking about Swamp Thing, the great times they'd had, and how he'd appreciate the fiery young woman Tefe was becoming. Abby went to the swamps, embracing Swamp Thing, who felt at peace seeing her.

(Swamp Thing IV #27, 28) - Tefe returned home to see the evidence that her father had visited, a wondrous garden grown overnight in her backyard. Abby was curled up in the garden, and told Tefe how the Toad King's children almost killed her, regretting that the good Swamp Thing brought into their lives also brought unseen horror, and her daughter embraced her. Nerk, wanting revenge on Abby for injuring him, found explosives at a construction site, and set them off, turning Houma into a blazing inferno. Abby and Tefe responded, and when Nerk threw explosives at Abby Swamp Thing saved her. Nerk said he believed in dying for his cause, racing into a crowd of police officers with explosives, but Swamp Thing decapitated him before he could harm anyone else. Swamp Thing combated the blaze in Houma with hardwoods to break the fire, and moisture-filled plants to absorb the heat. Abby realized she wanted to be back in the swamp and be a family again. Tefe was with her friend Zaina, and said after they'd had a long talk she'd meet up with her parents. Back at the camp Toad King had been freed by Woodrue the Floronic Man, and still had Woodrue's ear. Woodrue reformed his body, demanding his "friend" Swamp Thing appear before him.

Comments: Sprout created by Rick Veitch. Tefe Holland created by Doug Wheeler & Pat Broderick.

Tefe Holland received a profile in Who's Who In The DC Universe #15.

Tefe had cameos in cameo in Swamp Thing IV #7, 23.

All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © DC Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please visit The Official DC Comics Site at: http://www.batman.com