Jason Woodrue
Jason Woodrue is a male comic supervillain who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Pre-Crisis
Jason Woodrue
One account claimed he was an inhabitant from another dimensional world that was inhabited by wood nymphs, dryads, nereids, air sprites and flower spirits. Due to his wicked deeds, he came to be exiled from his world and banished tto Earth's dimension. However, he retained all the knowledge of his world which he used to conquer the world. He would use this knowledge to enslave the queen of the flower spirits Maya. (The Atom v1 #1)
He spent many years in prison till he was eventually released. (The Flash v1 #245)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
General Sunderland hired Woodrue to discover how scientist Alec Holland had been turned into the Swamp Thing. Woodrue discovers that the creature that instead of being a mutated version of Holland was instead an intelligent mass of plant life that had fed on Holland's dead body. The Floronic Man tries to warn Sunderland that the Swamp Thing was not dead but the General refused to listen and announced his intention to terminate Woodrue's employment. Subsequently, the Floronic Man trapped Sunderland in his office with a thawed and enraged Swamp Thing who killed the General. (Swamp Thing v2 #21) Using Swamp Thing's body, Woodrue tries to contact the Green, the life force of all plants on Earth. The experience drives the Floronic Man insane, and he sets out to destroy all non-plant life on Earth. Woodrue is confronted by a revived Swamp Thing, who reveals to the Green that plants cannot survive without animals. The Green abandons the Floronic Man, who is then taken into custody by the Justice League. (Swamp Thing v2 #22)
The Floronic Man came to rant to himself in his Arkham cell, wondering why he was not free. After all, Swamp Thing had forgiven him, and the Green had rejected him, so despite his appearance he should be considered a good and respected human being, not an insane plant. Constantine broke into Arkham Asylum, and presented Floronic Man with one of Swamp Thing’s psychedelic tubers, and told him to reconnect to the plant world that had thrown him out. Constantine was hoping to learn more about the Sprout, the new Earth Elemental created by the Parliament of Trees. Floronic Man was desperate to re-enter the Green and did indeed contact the Parliament, but just then Arkham’s security caught John, who urged Floronic Man to keep talking while he was away. Floronic Man was devastated that the parliament had not chosen him to be the new Earth Elemental, the bridge between humanity and the Green. (Swamp Thing v2 #66) Constantine went to 5000 Maniacs Video, a store specializing in video nasties, to screen the VHS tape he had made at Arkham. John and the owner watched Floronic Man rave about Solomon Grundy coming in contact with the Sprout and again asking the Green why he was not worthy. (Swamp Thing v2 #67)
Entropy set out to destroy the works of the Guardians of the Universe, so he attacked Kroef's Island and captured the New Guardians and the Chosen. Only Floro escaped, and he sent his mind through the Green to send a distress signal to Green Lantern Hal Jordan. (Green Lantern v3 #33)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Jason Woodrue
After the Parliament of Trees was destroyed, a new Parliament of Flowers began to form with them choosing recently slain Oleander Sorrel as their avatar. Woodrue approached the man who was grieving the death of his son and estrangement of his wife with Jason counselling the man to become the King of Petals. This saw Sorrel craft 'children' from flowers in the guise of his lost son and sent them to his wife to keep her company. However, he came to learn the truth of his demise which was by suicide and that this traumatic memory was passed to his 'flower' offspring that were compelled to die at a certain point. In horror, he simply wanted to rest with Woodrue lulling him into complacency whereupon he consumed the King of Petals and gained his power. Woodrue was then approached by Circe who recruited him to join her band of allies with Jason accepting the offer. (Justice League Dark Annual v2 #1) Under Circe's direction, Papa Midnite went forth to escort Woodrue into the Amazon so he could become the elemental protector of the Parliament of Flowers. At the time, Holland was searching through the Green and discovered Woodrue with Jason using his power to destroy Alec's physical form. (Justice League Dark v2 #15)
Trapped within the Hall of Justice, Woodrue remained there until a new crisis emerged when the Parliaments of Life began to battle one another after an instability within the natural world. To stop this, the Justice League Dark decided to gather the champions in order to reconvene the Parliaments and restore the balance. However, Woodrue refused though Constantine secretly met with him in order to make a deal with him. (Justice League Dark v2 #20) John Constantine came to learn that Woodrue was responsible for sending Abigail Arcane into a dream state as part of a deal with Anton Arcane to allow the necromancer to usurp control of the Rot once more. After forcing Anton Arcane to flee, Constantine confronted Woodrue where he warned the villain that the injuries sustained meant that his colleagues in the Justice League Dark would have a dim view of Jason's actions. In desperation, Woodrue agreed to make a deal with Constantine wanting him to give up his powers to the Parliaments of Life as part of a ritual to restore the balance within the natural world. Though reluctant, Jason complied and relinquished his power but then Abigail Arcane used the Rot to destroy the Parliament of Flowers as part of Constantine's efforts to restore the Parliament of Trees. This chain of events led of Woodrue being restored to his former human existence and without his powers over the plant world. (Justice League Dark v2 #23)
Overview
Personality and attributes
Initially, he came to operate under the name of the Plant Master. (The Atom v1 #1) Following his experiments, he came to mutate himself into a plant-based being where he took the name Floronic Man. (The Flash v1 #245) Jason began to operate under the name of the Seeder when he went on his quest to become a champion of the Parliament of Trees. (Swamp Thing v5 #26) He later became the new King of Petals after consuming the Parliament of Flowers champion. (Justice League Dark Annual v2 #1)
Powers and abilities
One account claimed that he was not a true Earth-man but an inhabitant of another dimensional world. (The Atom v1 #1)
Woodrue came to improve upon the plants he worked on thus making plantoids that were artificial copies of them. Those plants he grew came to serve him and acted to protect him. He could drop specially crafted seeds that could sprout into specialised plants. Among these were flowers that could spit acid capable of eating through metal in order to break through obstacles. After performing their purpose, they could revert into being seeds to hide evidence of a crime. (The Atom v1 #1)
Jason came to create a special elixir that gave him the ultimate plant-power that turned his fauna-based physiology into a flora-based being. He immediately gained mental control over all plant life capable of commanding it to achieve various feats. (The Flash v1 #245)
Woodrue was responsible creating a special breed of fungus he named Ophiocordyceps Lamia. (Poison Ivy v1 #5)
After consuming the body of the King of Petals, Woodrue was transformed into a new champion of the Green allowing him to control all plant life. (Justice League Dark Annual v2 #1)
He was able to create semi-sentient creatures made of plant matter that could think independently of their master yet still followed orders with Jason once creating dog-like creatures to serve him. (Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy v1 #1)
Notes
- Jason Woodrue was created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane where he made his first appearance in The Atom v1 #1 (June-July, 1962).
- The character later debuted as the Floronic Man in The Flash v1 #245 (November, 1976).
- He later appeared as the Seeder in Swamp Thing v5 #21 (February, 1984).
Alternate Versions
- In Flashpoint Beyond v1 #3 (2022), an alternate version of Jason Woodrue appeared in the altered timeline of the Flashpoint. Jason Woodrue has become the next Swamp Thing and has been helping out Super-Man in the Oasis. He expands the oasis to accommodate more refuges including the ones who are similar to Super-Man as a way to atone for his past sins. After Super-Man shows Batman the message from Jor-El regarding their upcoming invasion in light of Krypton dying, Swamp Thing stated that they have five days until the Kryptonians arrived on Earth.
In other media
Television
- In The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, a character loosely based on Jason Woodrue named Straal appeared in the episode "The Plant Master" who was voiced by actor Ted Knight. He was a scientist who discovered a way to use wave patterns to increase plant growth.
- In Swamp Thing, Jason Woodrue appeared in the live-action television series set in DC Universe where he was portrayed by actor Kevin Durand. This version sought to use the properties of Marais, Louisiana's swamp to cure his wife Carolyn Woodrue of her Alzheimer's disease. After learning of the eponymous Swamp Thing, Woodrue collects and eats some of his plant matter before attempting to force Carolyn to do the same, only to be interrupted by Abby Arcane and the Marais Police Department. Woodrue later experimented on himself and transformed into the Floronic Man.
Films
- In Batman & Robin, Jason Woodrue appeared in the 1997 live-action film where he was portrayed by actor John Glover. This version was a Wayne Enterprises mad scientist who operated in the Amazon rainforest and used plant toxins to create a super-soldier serum called Venom. While experimenting on Bane, Woodrue's assistant Pamela Isley discovered his criminal nature. He shoved her into a shelf of chemicals in an attempt to kill her, but she transforms into Poison Ivy, who killed Woodrue, and escaped with Bane.
- In Batman and Harley Quinn, Jason Woodrue as the Floronic Man appeared in the setting of the animated film where he was voiced by actor Kevin Michael Richardson.
Video games
Appearances
- The Atom v1: (1962)
- The Flash v1: (1976)
- Swamp Thing v2:
- Swamp Thing v5:
- Justice League Dark Annual v2:
- Justice League Dark v2:
- Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy v1:
External Links
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