Essential Vertigo: Swamp Thing #16 is an issue of the series Essential Vertigo: Swamp Thing (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 1998.
Synopsis for "The Nuke-Face Papers, Part 1"
This story is reprinted from Swamp Thing (Volume 2) #35.
In Blossomville, Pennsylvania, a strange, disfigured, and clearly insane homeless man known as Nukeface is associated with causing the disappearances of several other homeless people from the site of a former strip-mine now being used as a toxic waste dump.
Somewhere near Houma, Nukeface offers his current companion, Bob, a swig from a can containing nuclear waste, and in addition to its physical effects, it causes Bob to hallucinate that everything is blue. Meanwhile, a man named Wallace – an employee for a nuclear power company – shares his contentment to see the dump closed down with his girlfriend, Treasure. He admits, though, that he feels some guilt for playing a part in the disappearances. Treasure assures him he shouldn't blame himself. They make their way to Louisiana to look for a new location for the company.
This picks up directly after the previous issue, with Swamp Thing and Abby having their communion of body and mind. Abby is still sleep, and Swamp Thing dreams of Blossomville, and is disturbed by the lack of life there. He sees that something awful has happened in Blossomville; all around him are collapsed buildings, cinder covering the ground, and puddles reflecting continuously burning fire. Seemingly his mind is being drawn to this location because of it's massive disturbance of the purity of the Green. He is relieved when he wakes in the swamp beside Abby, where the grass is still green. However, he cannot forget what he saw there.
Nearby, Swamp Thing happens to catch some workmen dumping toxic waste into a river. Meanwhile, Nukeface's companion is reduced to a blue, bubbling mess. Nukeface wanders to the same river, and realizes that waste has been dumped there. He is full of indignant despair, and when he encounters Swamp Thing, his touch kills the plant matter the creature is composed of. Swamp Thing collapses, and Nukeface decides to dump the remainder of the toxic waste in his flask into Swamp Thing's mouth, further injuring him.
Appearing in "The Nuke-Face Papers, Part 1"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Nukeface (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Diagonal Bob
- Wallace Monroe
Locations:
- Louisiana
- Bloomsfield, Pennsylvania
Notes
- This issue reprints Swamp Thing #35 in black and white.
- At the time of its original printing, Swamp Thing #35 was not part of DC's Vertigo line of comics.
See Also