Rot (DC)
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| + | [[File:JusticeLeagueDarkV2-21Textless.jpg|thumb|right|260px|The Rot in Justice League Dark v2 #21.]] | ||
The '''Rot''' is a concept that features in [[DC Comics]]. | The '''Rot''' is a concept that features in [[DC Comics]]. | ||
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Long ago, the Rot touched the minds of three former Avatars of the Red that had taken their place in the life web. These champions had become dissatisfied with their new existence and thus being susceptible to the promises from the Rot that offered them new power. As a result, they became corrupted and abandoned the Red for the place of death and decay leading to them joining the Rot as they were reborn as the '''Hunters Three'''. These three thus became cannibalistic agents of the Rot and sought a way to claim a living Avatar of the Red in order to corrupt it. (Animal Man v2 #4) By the modern era, the Green was in disarray as its Avatar did not wish to continue his duties whilst the Red's Avatar was not ready with the Rot's leader being strong thus he sought to conquer the other branches as the balance became disrupted. (Animal Man v2 #9) | Long ago, the Rot touched the minds of three former Avatars of the Red that had taken their place in the life web. These champions had become dissatisfied with their new existence and thus being susceptible to the promises from the Rot that offered them new power. As a result, they became corrupted and abandoned the Red for the place of death and decay leading to them joining the Rot as they were reborn as the '''Hunters Three'''. These three thus became cannibalistic agents of the Rot and sought a way to claim a living Avatar of the Red in order to corrupt it. (Animal Man v2 #4) By the modern era, the Green was in disarray as its Avatar did not wish to continue his duties whilst the Red's Avatar was not ready with the Rot's leader being strong thus he sought to conquer the other branches as the balance became disrupted. (Animal Man v2 #9) | ||
| − | They orchestrated a desperate gamble to manipulate the Green as part of a plan to conquer the world. This involved awakening their ancient guardian '''Sethe''' in the hope that this would provoke the Green into resurrecting their champion Alec Holland. However, the resurrection of a deceased Avatar was against the rules and this breach allowed the Rot to bring about the return of their own champion namely Anton Arcane. (Swamp Thing v5 #12) Within the mortal world, a Kingdom of Rot was being built in the Deadlands of the Western Deserts. (Swamp Thing v5 #4) | + | They orchestrated a desperate gamble to manipulate the Green as part of a plan to conquer the world. This involved awakening their ancient guardian '''Sethe''' in the hope that this would provoke the Green into resurrecting their champion Alec Holland. However, the resurrection of a deceased Avatar was against the rules and this breach allowed the Rot to bring about the return of their own champion namely Anton Arcane. (Swamp Thing v5 #12) Within the mortal world, a Kingdom of Rot was being built in the Deadlands of the Western Deserts. (Swamp Thing v5 #4) As part of its schemes, the Rot infected a man who travelled to the Ternea tribal people seemingly as part of an anthropological mission where he infected a number of them in order to travel to the grove of the Parliament of Trees. (Swamp Thing v5 #5) The infected human was sent into the grove in order to deal a fatal blow the Green by putting the area on fire in order to eliminate their foes. At the same time, the Rot looked to bring the rise of its champion with William Arcane helping corrupt his sister Abby Arcane to transform her into their conqueror. (Swamp Thing v5 #6) |
After taking her to the Deadlands, Abigail went through a transformation to make her a creature of the Rot that would finally take her place as Sethe's Queen. The Swamp Thing arrived where he attempted to save her and battled the Rot's creatures but had arrived too late as Abigail was transformed into a vicious monster. Despite the Rot's claims, Alec Holland did manage to reach her and helped her reject her state. This angered Sethe who brutally attacked the Swamp Thing and viciously injured him but the lord of the Rot was stopped by Abigail Arcane. She tapped into her power to stop the Rot and unleashed her fury on Sethe who was destroyed as a result. However, as his body dissipated, he whispered to William Arcane that the Rot was not defeated as they had unleashed their champion Anton Arcane to continue their plans. (Swamp Thing v5 #9) | After taking her to the Deadlands, Abigail went through a transformation to make her a creature of the Rot that would finally take her place as Sethe's Queen. The Swamp Thing arrived where he attempted to save her and battled the Rot's creatures but had arrived too late as Abigail was transformed into a vicious monster. Despite the Rot's claims, Alec Holland did manage to reach her and helped her reject her state. This angered Sethe who brutally attacked the Swamp Thing and viciously injured him but the lord of the Rot was stopped by Abigail Arcane. She tapped into her power to stop the Rot and unleashed her fury on Sethe who was destroyed as a result. However, as his body dissipated, he whispered to William Arcane that the Rot was not defeated as they had unleashed their champion Anton Arcane to continue their plans. (Swamp Thing v5 #9) | ||
| − | Following the [[Source Wall]], the Parliaments of Life fell into disarray with the [[Justice League Dark]] looking to gather the champions to bring order to the world. This saw [[John Constantine]] and [[Zatanna]] use the '''Lewton Reformatory''' in Virginia to travel to the '''Heart of the Rot''' as they sought out Abigail Arcane. Once there, they were confronted by the mastermind bringing about the disruption to the Parliaments of Life which was the recently freed Anton Arcane. (Justice League Dark v2 #21) | + | With Sethe's destruction, the threat of the Rot remained when Anton Arcane returned and sought to kidnap Abigail Arcane though his attempt was thwarted by Swamp Thing. (Swamp Thing v5 #11) |
| + | |||
| + | Following the [[Source Wall]], the Parliaments of Life fell into disarray with the [[Justice League Dark]] looking to gather the champions to bring order to the world. (Justice League Dark v2 #21) During this time, Anton Arcane managed to escape his prison where he usurped Abigail Arcane's control over the Rot and placed her in a nightmarish slumber-like state whilst he tried to move to secure his base of power. (Justice League Dark v2 #22) This saw [[John Constantine]] and [[Zatanna]] use the '''Lewton Reformatory''' in Virginia to travel to the '''Heart of the Rot''' as they sought out Abigail Arcane. Once there, they were confronted by the mastermind bringing about the disruption to the Parliaments of Life which was the recently freed Anton Arcane. (Justice League Dark v2 #21) Despite his efforts at stopping them, he was unable to prevent [[John Constantine]] from freeing Abigail Arcane who challenged Anton Arcane for control over the Rot where she forced him to escape following an attack from [[Wonder Woman]]. (Justice League Dark v2 #22) Abigail Arcane then attended the gathering of the Parliaments of Life who were ready to take back the power of their champions in order to bring order to the elemental kingdoms. However, Abigail Arcane had allied with John Constantine where she used the Rot against the Parliament of Flowers thus killing it which allowed her ally to restore Swamp Thing along with the Parliament of Trees. In the aftermath, the Rot abandoned Anton Arcane who faced the fury of Swamp Thing who imprisoned his arch-foe within a tree to serve as his prison for the rest of his days. (Justice League Dark v2 #23) | ||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
| + | [[File:SwampThingV5-9Textless.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A creature of the Rot in Swamp Thing v5 #9.]] | ||
It was an elemental force of nature that existed in the world. Anything that was alive but was dying or dead was under the dominion of the Rot which controlled dead matter that included dead plants or dead flesh. (Swamp Thing v5 #4) Within the Rot, time operated differently for them as it had no meaning to the dead. (Swamp Thing v5 #12) | It was an elemental force of nature that existed in the world. Anything that was alive but was dying or dead was under the dominion of the Rot which controlled dead matter that included dead plants or dead flesh. (Swamp Thing v5 #4) Within the Rot, time operated differently for them as it had no meaning to the dead. (Swamp Thing v5 #12) | ||
Location within the Rot included: | Location within the Rot included: | ||
*'''Heart in the Rot''' : the centre of the Rot that appeared as a dark pulsing heart. (Justice League Dark v2 #21) | *'''Heart in the Rot''' : the centre of the Rot that appeared as a dark pulsing heart. (Justice League Dark v2 #21) | ||
| + | *'''Bone Kingdom''' : a physical manifestation of the Rot that was forming within the Deadlands in America. (Swamp Thing v5 #6) | ||
It was said that the Rot did not hate life as it needed it and fed on it. This was because without life there could not be rot or decay. As such, life was seen as a gateway for the Rot. (Animal Man v2 #9) Certain creatures were said to be partly within one kingdom such as the Red and in another such as the Rot with these including flies. (Animal Man v2 #10) | It was said that the Rot did not hate life as it needed it and fed on it. This was because without life there could not be rot or decay. As such, life was seen as a gateway for the Rot. (Animal Man v2 #9) Certain creatures were said to be partly within one kingdom such as the Red and in another such as the Rot with these including flies. (Animal Man v2 #10) | ||
Similar to the other forces of life, the Rot had its own leading hive-mind that was known as the '''Parliament of Decay'''. (Swamp Thing v5 #12) Creatures of the Rot were '''Rotlings''' that were small diminutive creatures that could grow into something more deadly. (Animal Man v2 #10) | Similar to the other forces of life, the Rot had its own leading hive-mind that was known as the '''Parliament of Decay'''. (Swamp Thing v5 #12) Creatures of the Rot were '''Rotlings''' that were small diminutive creatures that could grow into something more deadly. (Animal Man v2 #10) | ||
| + | |||
| + | Within the Rot itself, their champion was akin to a god and could not be killed. (Justice League Dark v2 #22) | ||
==Users== | ==Users== | ||
*'''Sethe''' : an entity of the Rot who was the god of storm and lord of the Rot who had killed many lifeforms over his long life. He intended to bring a new age for the Rot by eliminating its rivals and intended for Abigail Arcane to be his Queen but she ultimately rejected him with Sethe being destroyed by the Swamp Thing Alec Holland. (Swamp Thing v5 #9) | *'''Sethe''' : an entity of the Rot who was the god of storm and lord of the Rot who had killed many lifeforms over his long life. He intended to bring a new age for the Rot by eliminating its rivals and intended for Abigail Arcane to be his Queen but she ultimately rejected him with Sethe being destroyed by the Swamp Thing Alec Holland. (Swamp Thing v5 #9) | ||
| − | *'''Anton Arcane''' : | + | *'''Anton Arcane''' : He came to be reborn as a lord of the Rot and gained a new body with incredible powers. (Swamp Thing v5 #11) |
*'''Abby Arcane''' : | *'''Abby Arcane''' : | ||
| − | *'''William Arcane''' : | + | *'''William Arcane''' : a young brown haired boy who was the son of Anton Arcane and the younger brother of Abby Arcane. William had ties to the Rot allowing him to manipulate morbid matter and anything necrotic allowing it to grow in a living thing until they were consumed by it. He had murderous tendencies which led to him being a patient at the Shepherd Institute in Buford until he managed to escape. (Swamp Thing v5 #4) |
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
*The Rot was created by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green where it made its first appearance in Animal Man v2 #1 (November, 2011). | *The Rot was created by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green where it made its first appearance in Animal Man v2 #1 (November, 2011). | ||
| − | *In an [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=40471 interview], Jeff Lemire commented | + | *In an [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=40471 interview], Jeff Lemire commented, ''That's the whole idea. Yes, the Rot is evil but death is a natural part of life. It's really the current avatar, Arcane, who is evil. The Rot has gone out of control and the balance that there is supposed to be between these three elements is out of control and the Rot's growing. And now they have to stop it but it could as easily be, if someone else was the avatar of the Green, and the Green grew out of control. The word "evil" is misleading. It's not an evil force, the Rot; it's Arcane who is evil.'' |
| − | + | ||
==Alternate Versions== | ==Alternate Versions== | ||
| − | *In Swamp Thing v5 #13 (2012), a potential future was shown whereby Anton Arcane tricked Swamp Thing and Animal Man into the Rot where they became trapped for a year when only a span of hours had passed for them whereupon they were returned to Earth. During their absence on Earth, Arcane sought to bring about '''Rotworld''' whereby the Rot had spread and taken over the planet with many of the worlds heroes and villains falling under their control. The Green and the Red had in this time been driven to small isolated pockets that nearly faced complete destruction. Swamp Thing and Animal Man managed to avert this future with the aid of the Parliament of Decay thus preventing this future from coming to pass. | + | *In Swamp Thing v5 #13 (2012), a potential future was shown whereby Anton Arcane tricked Swamp Thing and Animal Man into the Rot where they became trapped for a year when only a span of hours had passed for them whereupon they were returned to Earth. During their absence on Earth, Arcane sought to bring about '''Rotworld''' whereby the Rot had spread and taken over the planet with many of the worlds heroes and villains falling under their control. The Green and the Red had in this time been driven to small isolated pockets that nearly faced complete destruction. Swamp Thing and Animal Man managed to avert this future with the aid of the Parliament of Decay thus preventing this future from coming to pass. Buddy Baker landed in what he thought was an even deeper level of The Rot until he looked around which was when he realized that he was in what used to be the San Diego Zoo. He had returned to earth, only the earth is not as it was when he left. Everything is dead, and rotting, and though he can feel The Red still, it is weak, and there are no animals to connect with. His thoughts turn to his family, and he realizes with horror that he left them in Louisiana, and now he's on the other side of the country. Steel explained how the year he was missing was a living hell for the survivors. Earth's heroes stood up to the Rot as best they could, but none of them were strong enough to prevent its victory. Hero killed and cannibalized hero, leaving only those few who were connected with the Red or The Green surviving, and a few stragglers. John Henry Irons had saved himself by uploading his human consciousness into his suit's A.I. giving the Rot no flesh to infect. Even some previous villains had aligned with heroes in order to protect the earth as best they could from the Rot. Soon, they arrive at the so-called Red Kingdom; a place built from the bodies of the Totems of the Parliament of Limbs. In giving up their bodies to create a safe-haven, the Totems had lost their sentience, but at least the remaining survivors were protected by their connections to the Red. |
==In other media== | ==In other media== | ||
Latest revision as of 12:42, 12 August 2023
The Rot is a concept that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
The Rot was a natural force for death and decay that existed within the natural world. Long ago, there were six kingdoms formed from life that governed the natural and unnatural world with these including the Green, Red, Rot, Grey, Divided and the Metal. (Swamp Thing: Futures End v1 #1) It was said that they were created long ago during the dawn of humanity when the Lords of Order conducted a ritual that convened and infused the natural forces of the world who gathered to form the Parliaments of Life. (Justice League Dark v2 #20) The Rot itself was known by many names but was considered the third element in the balance of life and death. Each of the kingdoms sought to take dominion of the world if they could leading to them in opposition to one another. The Green and the Red were noted to had worked in concert to keep the forces of the Rot in balance. (Swamp Thing v5 #4)
Long ago, the Rot touched the minds of three former Avatars of the Red that had taken their place in the life web. These champions had become dissatisfied with their new existence and thus being susceptible to the promises from the Rot that offered them new power. As a result, they became corrupted and abandoned the Red for the place of death and decay leading to them joining the Rot as they were reborn as the Hunters Three. These three thus became cannibalistic agents of the Rot and sought a way to claim a living Avatar of the Red in order to corrupt it. (Animal Man v2 #4) By the modern era, the Green was in disarray as its Avatar did not wish to continue his duties whilst the Red's Avatar was not ready with the Rot's leader being strong thus he sought to conquer the other branches as the balance became disrupted. (Animal Man v2 #9)
They orchestrated a desperate gamble to manipulate the Green as part of a plan to conquer the world. This involved awakening their ancient guardian Sethe in the hope that this would provoke the Green into resurrecting their champion Alec Holland. However, the resurrection of a deceased Avatar was against the rules and this breach allowed the Rot to bring about the return of their own champion namely Anton Arcane. (Swamp Thing v5 #12) Within the mortal world, a Kingdom of Rot was being built in the Deadlands of the Western Deserts. (Swamp Thing v5 #4) As part of its schemes, the Rot infected a man who travelled to the Ternea tribal people seemingly as part of an anthropological mission where he infected a number of them in order to travel to the grove of the Parliament of Trees. (Swamp Thing v5 #5) The infected human was sent into the grove in order to deal a fatal blow the Green by putting the area on fire in order to eliminate their foes. At the same time, the Rot looked to bring the rise of its champion with William Arcane helping corrupt his sister Abby Arcane to transform her into their conqueror. (Swamp Thing v5 #6)
After taking her to the Deadlands, Abigail went through a transformation to make her a creature of the Rot that would finally take her place as Sethe's Queen. The Swamp Thing arrived where he attempted to save her and battled the Rot's creatures but had arrived too late as Abigail was transformed into a vicious monster. Despite the Rot's claims, Alec Holland did manage to reach her and helped her reject her state. This angered Sethe who brutally attacked the Swamp Thing and viciously injured him but the lord of the Rot was stopped by Abigail Arcane. She tapped into her power to stop the Rot and unleashed her fury on Sethe who was destroyed as a result. However, as his body dissipated, he whispered to William Arcane that the Rot was not defeated as they had unleashed their champion Anton Arcane to continue their plans. (Swamp Thing v5 #9)
With Sethe's destruction, the threat of the Rot remained when Anton Arcane returned and sought to kidnap Abigail Arcane though his attempt was thwarted by Swamp Thing. (Swamp Thing v5 #11)
Following the Source Wall, the Parliaments of Life fell into disarray with the Justice League Dark looking to gather the champions to bring order to the world. (Justice League Dark v2 #21) During this time, Anton Arcane managed to escape his prison where he usurped Abigail Arcane's control over the Rot and placed her in a nightmarish slumber-like state whilst he tried to move to secure his base of power. (Justice League Dark v2 #22) This saw John Constantine and Zatanna use the Lewton Reformatory in Virginia to travel to the Heart of the Rot as they sought out Abigail Arcane. Once there, they were confronted by the mastermind bringing about the disruption to the Parliaments of Life which was the recently freed Anton Arcane. (Justice League Dark v2 #21) Despite his efforts at stopping them, he was unable to prevent John Constantine from freeing Abigail Arcane who challenged Anton Arcane for control over the Rot where she forced him to escape following an attack from Wonder Woman. (Justice League Dark v2 #22) Abigail Arcane then attended the gathering of the Parliaments of Life who were ready to take back the power of their champions in order to bring order to the elemental kingdoms. However, Abigail Arcane had allied with John Constantine where she used the Rot against the Parliament of Flowers thus killing it which allowed her ally to restore Swamp Thing along with the Parliament of Trees. In the aftermath, the Rot abandoned Anton Arcane who faced the fury of Swamp Thing who imprisoned his arch-foe within a tree to serve as his prison for the rest of his days. (Justice League Dark v2 #23)
Overview
It was an elemental force of nature that existed in the world. Anything that was alive but was dying or dead was under the dominion of the Rot which controlled dead matter that included dead plants or dead flesh. (Swamp Thing v5 #4) Within the Rot, time operated differently for them as it had no meaning to the dead. (Swamp Thing v5 #12)
Location within the Rot included:
- Heart in the Rot : the centre of the Rot that appeared as a dark pulsing heart. (Justice League Dark v2 #21)
- Bone Kingdom : a physical manifestation of the Rot that was forming within the Deadlands in America. (Swamp Thing v5 #6)
It was said that the Rot did not hate life as it needed it and fed on it. This was because without life there could not be rot or decay. As such, life was seen as a gateway for the Rot. (Animal Man v2 #9) Certain creatures were said to be partly within one kingdom such as the Red and in another such as the Rot with these including flies. (Animal Man v2 #10)
Similar to the other forces of life, the Rot had its own leading hive-mind that was known as the Parliament of Decay. (Swamp Thing v5 #12) Creatures of the Rot were Rotlings that were small diminutive creatures that could grow into something more deadly. (Animal Man v2 #10)
Within the Rot itself, their champion was akin to a god and could not be killed. (Justice League Dark v2 #22)
Users
- Sethe : an entity of the Rot who was the god of storm and lord of the Rot who had killed many lifeforms over his long life. He intended to bring a new age for the Rot by eliminating its rivals and intended for Abigail Arcane to be his Queen but she ultimately rejected him with Sethe being destroyed by the Swamp Thing Alec Holland. (Swamp Thing v5 #9)
- Anton Arcane : He came to be reborn as a lord of the Rot and gained a new body with incredible powers. (Swamp Thing v5 #11)
- Abby Arcane :
- William Arcane : a young brown haired boy who was the son of Anton Arcane and the younger brother of Abby Arcane. William had ties to the Rot allowing him to manipulate morbid matter and anything necrotic allowing it to grow in a living thing until they were consumed by it. He had murderous tendencies which led to him being a patient at the Shepherd Institute in Buford until he managed to escape. (Swamp Thing v5 #4)
Notes
- The Rot was created by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green where it made its first appearance in Animal Man v2 #1 (November, 2011).
- In an interview, Jeff Lemire commented, That's the whole idea. Yes, the Rot is evil but death is a natural part of life. It's really the current avatar, Arcane, who is evil. The Rot has gone out of control and the balance that there is supposed to be between these three elements is out of control and the Rot's growing. And now they have to stop it but it could as easily be, if someone else was the avatar of the Green, and the Green grew out of control. The word "evil" is misleading. It's not an evil force, the Rot; it's Arcane who is evil.
Alternate Versions
- In Swamp Thing v5 #13 (2012), a potential future was shown whereby Anton Arcane tricked Swamp Thing and Animal Man into the Rot where they became trapped for a year when only a span of hours had passed for them whereupon they were returned to Earth. During their absence on Earth, Arcane sought to bring about Rotworld whereby the Rot had spread and taken over the planet with many of the worlds heroes and villains falling under their control. The Green and the Red had in this time been driven to small isolated pockets that nearly faced complete destruction. Swamp Thing and Animal Man managed to avert this future with the aid of the Parliament of Decay thus preventing this future from coming to pass. Buddy Baker landed in what he thought was an even deeper level of The Rot until he looked around which was when he realized that he was in what used to be the San Diego Zoo. He had returned to earth, only the earth is not as it was when he left. Everything is dead, and rotting, and though he can feel The Red still, it is weak, and there are no animals to connect with. His thoughts turn to his family, and he realizes with horror that he left them in Louisiana, and now he's on the other side of the country. Steel explained how the year he was missing was a living hell for the survivors. Earth's heroes stood up to the Rot as best they could, but none of them were strong enough to prevent its victory. Hero killed and cannibalized hero, leaving only those few who were connected with the Red or The Green surviving, and a few stragglers. John Henry Irons had saved himself by uploading his human consciousness into his suit's A.I. giving the Rot no flesh to infect. Even some previous villains had aligned with heroes in order to protect the earth as best they could from the Rot. Soon, they arrive at the so-called Red Kingdom; a place built from the bodies of the Totems of the Parliament of Limbs. In giving up their bodies to create a safe-haven, the Totems had lost their sentience, but at least the remaining survivors were protected by their connections to the Red.
In other media
Television
- In Swamp Thing, the Rot was referenced in the setting of the 2019 DC Universe live-action television series. It was noted as being a darkness that permeated the Marais swamp where it embodied corruption and death. The Green was noted to be at war with the Rot in the swamp due to the years of abuse nature had suffered with the pollution and cutting of the trees.
Video games
- In Infinite Crisis, the Rot were mentioned in the character description of Solomon Grundy in the MOBA game. It was said to be the force that reanimated Cyrus Gold at Slaughter Swamp and turned him into the undead Solomon Grundy to serve as their champion.
Appearances
- Animal Man: (2011)
- Swamp Thing:
- Justice League Dark v2: (2020)
External Link
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