DC Special Series Vol 1 17



 The Last of the Ravenwind Witches 

Summary
Volume: 1 Issue: 17 Month: Summer Year: 1979

Credits
Editor in Chief: Jenette Kahn Head Writer: Len Wein Cover Artists: Bernie Wrightson Pencilers: Bernie Wrightson Inkers: Bernie Wrightson Editors: Joe Orlando

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * Swamp Thing (Alec Holland)
 * Gideon
 * Rebecca Ravenwind
 * Timothy Ravenwind

Locations:
 * Maine
 * Divinity

Items:
 * None

First Appearances: Gideon (a villager); Rebecca Ravenwind (a reputed witch); Timothy Ravenwind (Rebecca's brother) Final Appearances: Gideon; Rebecca Ravenwind; Timothy Ravenwind

Synopsis: Swamp Thing stows away on a merchant vessel leaving Europe bound for America. Mid-voyage, he is discovered and the crew of the ship attacks him. He fights them off and leaps into the sea, where he eventually washes ashore near the cliffs of Divinity, Maine.

The town of Divinity is an anachronism, still stuck within the cultural confines of the 17th century. One of the town's leading men, Gideon blames recent troubles on an accused witch named Rebecca Ravenwind. As villagers gather together to apprehend her, Rebecca and her simple-minded brother Timothy retreat to the ocean-side caves. There, she meets the Swamp Thing who helps to keep her safe.

But the villagers eventually come into conflict with him and drive him back as Gideon captures Rebecca and Timothy. Rebecca is put on trial and Gideon blames her for being the last in a line of witches that has cursed his family name for generations. Rebecca is found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to die by burning.

Swamp Thing makes it back to the courthouse and breaks Timothy out of prison. He further prevents Gideon's people from burning Rebecca at the stake. Rebecca turns her magic upon the villagers and summons a massive thunderstorm. After several flashes of lightning, Swamp Thing looks to find that Gideon and the villagers have been turned into flowers. Rebecca turns to him and reveals the fact that she is not a witch. Timothy is the true witch, and she merely acts as his familiar.

Swamp Thing leaves, satisfied that Rebecca and Timothy will not come to any further harm.

Credits
Head Writer: Len Wein Pencilers: Bernie Wrightson Inkers: Bernie Wrightson Editors: Joe Orlando

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * Swamp Thing (Alec Holland)
 * Abigail Arcane
 * Matthew Cable
 * Hans Klochmann

Locations:
 * Vermont

Items:
 * None

First Appearances: Hans Klochmann (a politician) Final Appearances: Hans Klochmann (dies in this issue)

Synopsis: Matt Cable learns that Interpol is pulling him off of the Holland case, but he will not be deterred. He is determined to destroy the Swamp Thing and avenge the death of Alec Holland.

Swamp Thing meanwhile, wanders into a small mining colony in Vermont. He is shocked to discover a woman who looks exactly like his late wife, Linda. "Linda" befriends the Swamp Thing and introduces him to her husband, Alec Holland. Now the Swamp Thing knows that he must be delirious because he is Alec Holland. The Hollands take the Swamp Thing into town to meet Mayor Hans Klochmann. Klochmann has designed the entire town and created robot citizens patterned after faces that he had discovered in newspaper obituaries (hence the reason why two of his robots resemble Alec and Linda).

Matt Cable hears word of a Swamp Thing sighting in Vermont, and Abby and he travel to find him.

A subversive organization known as the Conclave, who has been monitoring Cable's activities for some time now, send in a robotic task force to acquire the Swamp Thing. The robot task force openly attacks the robotic villagers and kills Mayor Hans Klochmann. The loyal citizens turn on Klochmann's assassins and destroys them. In the confusion, the Swamp Thing gets away.

Credits
Head Writer: Len Wein Pencilers: Bernie Wrightson Inkers: Bernie Wrightson Editors: Joe Orlando

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * Swamp Thing (Alec Holland)

Locations:
 * Unknown

Items:
 * None

First Appearances: No first appearances Final Appearances: No final appearances

Synopsis: Synopis not yet written.

Trivia

 * The story title A Clockwork Horror may have been inspired by the 1962 Anthony Burgess novel, A Clockwork Orange.


 * The tagline for this issue is "Once More... the WEIN and WRIGHTSON Wonderment!"

Recommended Readings

 * Swamp Thing (Volume 1) #5
 * Swamp Thing (Volume 1) #6

Related Articles

 * Swamp Thing image gallery
 * Swamp Thing appearances list
 * Abigail Holland image gallery
 * Abigail Holland appearances list
 * Anton Arcane appearances list
 * Patchwork Man appearances list