Natural Forces Of The DC Universe

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The natural forces of the DC Universe are the secret fuel behind many DC character’s superhuman powers.

The DC Universe is home to some interesting characters. Just as interesting is the lore behind those characters. Over the years as characters get more complex, so does the worldbuilding surrounding them.

One example of this is the explanation behind the powers many heroes have. Many superhuman characters in the DC Universe get their powers from so-called “natural forces.” These forces are the Red, the Green, and the Black.

The Green connects all plant life on Earth into a collective hive mind. Similarly, the red connects all living things, humans, animals, and anything with blood.

However, the Black represents death and decay. Seeing as Green and the Red are forces for life and survival, the Black is their natural enemy.

These natural forces of the DC Universe oppose one another, which is why they give elemental powers to chosen guardians. Many DC characters can use their powers because of these forces. Now we’re taking a closer look at what makes these super human characters so super.

 

Natural Forces Of The DC Universe: The Green

As mentioned above, one of the natural forces of the DC universe is the Green, which connects all plant life on earth. Plants all over the globe communicate through the Green.

Swamp Thing #47 by Alan Moore first introduced us to the Green. There, Swamp Thing meets the Parliament of Trees, a group of elementals who act as the collective voice of the Green.

In order to join the parliament, these elementals gave up their individuality. Each member once lived as a man, before dying and becoming connected to the Green.

The Parliament represents the will of the Green. Together, they choose a guardian to protect plant life on earth. Thanks to their connection to the Green, these guardians can not only communicate with plants, but can also control them.

 

Guardians of the Green:

The Green’s chosen Guardian is Swamp Thing.

Alec Holland once developed a bio-restorative formula. He designed the formula to stimulate plant life to grow in any terrain. He died when an evil organization assassinated him to steal his formula. Still, his story wasn’t over: the formula spilled on him and mutated him into a plant monster.

Well, that’s the original origin of Swamp Thing. Alan Moore reimagined him as a guardian of the Green. The Green actually created an entirely new being out of plant matter, and then gave him Alec Holland’s memories.

Swamp Thing can use any nearby plants to regrow his whole body. He can travel around the world this way. For example, Alec can send his mind into the green and grow out of local plant life in another country.

Swamp Thing isn’t alone, though. Another agent of the Green is the atman villain Poison Ivy.

Neil Gaiman wrote Ivy’s backstory in Secret Origins #36.  She once studied botany in Seattle alongside Alec Holland as Pamela Isley. While there, she studied under Jason Woodrue, who conducted experiments to gain access to the Green. Woodrue seduced Ivy while scheming to make her a human test subject for his experiments. As a result, she gained her plant-based powers.

At first, Ivy’s abilities included an immunity to poison and mind-controlling kisses. Over time she grew more and more connected with the Green.  Eventually, she became able to regenerate herself from a single rose, just like Swamp Thing.

 

Natural Forces Of The DC Universe: The Red

Another of the natural forces of the DC Universe is the Red, which originally came from the Animal Man comics.

These comics describe the Red as a morphogenetic field. In biology, a morphogenetic field is actually a hypothetical field that tells cells what their job is. A cardiac field, for example, tells cells to become heart tissue.

The Red is the blueprint for all animal life. By tapping into the field characters gain the abilities and traits of animals. This even extends across all animal life on Earth, and beyond that to extinct animals.

The Parliament of Limbs serves as the parliament for the Red.  Chosen guardians gain empathy for animals, and sometimes become possessed by animal instinct.

 

Guardians of the Red:

Buddy Baker, also know as Animal Man, initially gets his powers from a connection to the Template. The Jamie Delano of his comics run changed the Template to the Red. In this run, he gains his connection to the Red after his death.

After dying, Buddy Baker awakens in a strange dimension of blood and gore. This dimension is the Red.

Like Swamp Thing with the Green, Buddy Baker can travel through the Red. However, his mind enters the bodies of living creatures. Eventually, he learned to manipulate the morphogenetic field, and used the field to create a new body for himself.

Animal Man can use the abilities of other animals, for example, the strength of a T-Rex. At first, he did not grow wings to fly or gills to breathe underwater. The New52 reboot, however, changed his powers. Now, he can transform parts of his body into animal parts. For an additional cool factor, he also changes into a chimera when using multiple animal abilities at once.

Another Red-connected character is Beast Boy, who can transform into any animal he can imagine. His powers are from a serum to cure his Green Fever. He can even change into aliens, mythical creatures, and swarms of insects.

The NewDC event Beast World shows the terrifying potential of Beast Boy’s power. He is capable of changing even into a powerful Nectostar alien known as Garro. Recent comics focus more on his connection to the Green as well. In fact, his connection makes him more concerned for the environment.

 

Natural Forces Of The DC Universe: The Black

One of the most dangerous natural forces of the DC Universe is the Black. Also known as the Rot, this force embodies death. The Black is comprised of dead plants and animals, necrotic tissue, and the undead. A Parliament of Decay rules this force. This parliament makes its chosen guardians avatars of death.

These avatars can drain the life of all living things. They can also make and control undead. In fact, the Rot can create zombies without a black lantern ring.

Naturally, the Black also act as enemies to the Green and The Red. The Arcane family connected to the Black are classic enemies of Swamp Thing.

 

Guardians of The Black:

The Arcane family are hosts of The Rot. Family head Anton Arcane is the oldest enemy of Swamp Thing. As an avatar of un-death, he’s over a hundred years old.

How did this happen? Once Anton found a rabbit’s corpse caught in a hunter’s trap. He ate the rotten thing. Instead of getting sick, it made him stronger.

This event connected him to the Black, and he became an agent of the Parliament of Decay. His body began to rot away. To hide it, he created a suit of stolen skin.

In the New52 reboot, his niece Abigail Arcane inherits his abilities as an Avatar of the Rot. She also serves as Swamp Thing’s love interest in the Alan Moore comics. This reboot makes him a temporary enemy. The Black possessed her body and forced her to fight him.

Abigail can speed up the rotting of organic life. Her body can regenerate just like her immortal uncle’s. Unlike her uncle, though, she does not serve the Parliament of Decay. Rather, she fights against them. Swamp Thing and the Green have helped restore her tainted mind.

 

Other Natural Forces Of The DC Universe

There are other lesser-known natural forces of the DC Universe.

For example, the Clear and the Parliament of Waves gives Aquaman his dominion over sea life. Aquaman can communicate with fish and command them. He also developed hydrokinetic abilities, the ability to control and shape water.

Next, all fungal life on Earth makes up the Grey. This originated from an alien meteorite that brought fungal life. The Grey’s desire to spread made it oppose the Green. Unlike other forces, though, it has no Parliament.

The New52 connected Solomon Grundy of Earth-2 to the Grey. He is a decaying zombie reanimated by The Grey. His undead body can spread fungal rot.

Then there’s the Metal, which connects metal and technology. The Rithm runs the Metal. Artificial Intelligence makes up this Parliament.

Also, there’s the White and the Parliament of Vapors, which connect all air elementals.

Finally, the “Divided” specifically represents microscopic life.

No major characters use these forces as their sources of power. However, they might appear in future stories, which makes them an important part of the lore still!

 

Conclusion

The setting of the DC Universe is just as imaginative as its characters. There are some interesting explanations of how your favorite character’s powers work.

The Green represents a hive mind of semi-sentient plants. It connected Swamp Thing to Earth’s plant life. Buddy Baker’s connection to the Red lets him fly like a bird and swim like a fish. He is the human guardian of the animal kingdom.

Later Swamp Thing comics made antagonist Anton Arcane an avatar of the Rot. Not only is Anton the enemy of Swamp Thing, but he’s also the enemy of life itself.

The Clear makes Aquaman’s abilities far more powerful than just talking to fish. He controls the water and animal life of a kingdom that covers most of the earth’s surface.

The Grey also explains the strange creature known as Solomon Grundy. Earth-2’s Grundy turns him into a terrifying, almost eldritch monster.

One of the appeals of a shared comic universe is all the characters exist in the same world. They all follow the same rules. These established rules for powers help build the lore of the setting.

The Swamp Thing and Animal Man comics focus on these forces of nature. Specifically Alan Moore’s run Saga of the Swamp Thing. Jamie Delano’s run of Animal Man covers issues #51 to #79. The recent Poison Ivy comics also explore her connection to The Green.

This guide is just an introduction to DC lore. If you want to learn more, then just pick up and read a comic!