WARNING: Contains potential spoilers for POISON IVY / SWAMP THING: FERAL TREES #1!
Fifty-eight years ago, Poison Ivy made its debut in Batman #181 (1966), marking the beginning of his evolution into one of the Dark Knight’s most iconic and enduring villains. While Ivy’s villainous nature has long defined her character, a new development has essentially rewrote everything fans thought they knew about Gotham City’s siren, revealing that she was never destined to be the “bad guy.”
…fans are now witnessing Poison Ivy’s affection for humanity that goes beyond her loved ones…
This year, Hallow’s Eve kicks off with the release of G. Willow Wilson, Mike Perkins and Mike Spicer’s Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1. In this gripping single story, Swamp Thing and Ivy are mysteriously summoned to a forest on the outskirts of Gotham by The Green, only to find themselves embroiled in a deadly mystery surrounding the trees that are attacking and killing people.
Although the narrative is filled with suspenseful twists, the most significant revelations revolve around Poison Ivy herself. Notably, she confesses that she never intended to become a villain, alongside the surprising realization that she loves humanity more than plants. These groundbreaking insights redefine her character in ways fans never expected.
“It’s just [Happened]”: Poison Ivy makes a shocking confession about her villainous origins
“I never intended to be the villain” – Poison Ivy in Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1
Ivy’s confession that she never intended to become a villain comes during an argument with Swamp Thing, where she becomes defensive, sensing the Green Avatar’s judgment regarding her past decisions. In a passionate monologue, Ivy expresses her frustration, stating: “I just want the Earth to survive. No matter what happens, I just want this planet to survive. I don’t understand why this is so controversial.” After a poignant pause, Gotham Siren reveals, “I never intended to be the villain” explaining that her transformation into a villain was an unintended consequence of her efforts to do the right thing when no one else had the courage.
Given that Ivy’s origins have always been firmly rooted in her villainy, this revelation redefines her lore, shedding new light on her character’s backstory. Although Ivy has long been considered a tragic figure, knowing that her initial intentions were noble makes her journey all the more heartbreaking. This unintentional villainization emphasizes her character’s complexity and aligns with DC’s recent efforts to reposition Ivy in a more anti-heroic role. This development seems like a direction DC intends to explore further, especially since G. Willow Wilson is also the writer of the ongoing book. Poison Ivy series.
DC Reveals Poison Ivy Loves Humanity More Than Plants
“…I chose the forest. You… chose the girl.” –Swamp Thing in Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1
Ivy not intending to become a villain is far from the only jaw-dropping revelation in this issue. As mentioned earlier, Feral Trees follows Ivy and Swamp Thing as they try to unravel the mystery of why the Gotham forest has suddenly started killing people. They finally solve this mystery when they discover that the forest is protecting a dying girl with powers similar to Ivy’s. Unfortunately, despite reaching the girl while she was still alive, Ivy and Swamp Thing arrive too late and the girl dies. Ivy is emotionally devastated by this lossdespite never having met the girl before.
With no one and nothing else to attack, Ivy turns her anger on the seemingly unaffected Swamp Thing, questioning whether he wants revenge for the girl – something she clearly does. Swamp Thing responds while offering deep insight into Ivy’s connection to humanity: “No. I don’t want… Revenge. But the fact that you did this… Says a lot about what you love most in the world. My brothers and I chose the forest. You… chose the girl.” This revelation challenges the widely held assumption that Ivy loves plant life more than humanity.with only a few exceptions, like Harley Quinn and Janet from HR.
At the beginning of the issue, this revelation was hinted at during a conversation between Swamp Thing and Ivy about Pam’s connection to the Green, where she is described as “Half in and half out.” Ivy initially disputes this characterization, stating that she is “all in” with the Greens and emphasizing his disdain for humanity by asking, “How many times have I tried to kill the human race?” Swamp Thing responds with a thought-provoking question: “How many times… did you stop?” Ivy admits her point of view, acknowledging her view of humans as interconnected with the Green.
G. Willow Wilson redirects Ivy’s anger against all humanity onto the wealthy elite
“The rich are cooking the planet while the poor freeze and starve—” – Poison Ivy in Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1
G. Willow Wilson, the writer of Feral Trees and the continuous Poison Ivy series, has gradually changed Ivy’s infamous distaste for humanity, specifically for the wealthy elite. Although Ivy has a long history of hating the rich, especially rich men, Wilson elevates this theme by reducing Ivy’s resentment to target only the rich, rather than humanity as a whole. This shift is evident throughout her ongoing series, including Ivy “eat the rich” moment in Poison Ivy #6 (2022) and its subsequent echoes in later issues, such as issue #26, where Ivy expresses her acceptance of eco-terrorists blowing up supermarkets, as long as they target “supermarkets for rich people”.
This focus on the rich as their primary target is further solidified in Feral Treesespecially during a moment of deep mourning for the deceased girl, when Ivy screams at Swamp Thing, “Is that it? Aren’t you angry? The rich are cooking the planet while the poor freeze and starve… This stark contrast between Ivy’s grief for a girl she has never met and her specific blame on the rich for Earth’s destruction highlights a significant transition in her character: her enemy is not all of humanity, but rather the wealthy elite, whom she responsible. to the most pressing environmental issues.
Poison Ivy’s core identity is undergoing a dramatic transformation (especially in her capacity to love)
Panel comes from Poison Ivy #26 (2024)
Feral Trees reveals that Poison Ivy is undergoing a significant transformation, as DC appears to be officially transitioning her into a true anti-hero, a status some might already argue she’s achieved. This change is mainly reflected in the redefinition of Ivy’s origin, highlighting that she never intended to become a villain, that she cares more about humanity than plant life, and that her wrath is now directed towards a cause more friendly. While Poison Ivy love for Harley Quinn and HR’s Janet played a crucial role in humanizing her, fans are now witnessing her affection for humanity going beyond just her loved ones.
Poison Ivy / Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1 is now available from DC Comics!
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POISON IVY / SWAMP THING: FERAL TREES #1 (2024) |
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