As Jason Woodrue, I sought to become a Floronic Man only for the material power it would give me... But now, as a true Plant Master, I recognize the moral superiority of the vegetable kingdom. I owe it to this planet to cleanse the world of fleshly filth. 
- — Floronic Man src
Jason Woodrue was a scientist who, connected to the Green, became a villain. He has used the names the Plant-Master, the Floronic Man, and Floro. Though he was primarily a villain of the Atom, he was also responsible for the creation of Poison Ivy.
History
Woodrue was originally a human-like nature spirit who was exiled from an inter-dimensional world called Floria, which was inhabited by dryads. Calling himself the Plant-Master, Woodrue used his advanced botanical knowledge to control plant growth in an attempt to take over the world. He was defeated by the Atom.[1]
Woodrue used an experimental formula to transform his body into a plant/human hybrid, with his skin resembling bark and his hair turning into leaves. Now calling himself the Floronic Man, he was defeated by Green Lantern. The Floronic Man later became a member of the first Secret Society of Super-Villains.[2]
General Sunderland hired Woodrue to discover how scientist Alec Holland had been turned into the "Swamp Thing". Woodrue discovered that the creature, 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 tried 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.[3]
Using the Swamp Thing's body, Woodrue tried to contact the Green, the life force of all plants on Earth. The experience drove the Floronic Man insane, and he set out to destroy all non-plant life on Earth. Woodrue was confronted by a revived Swamp Thing, who revealed to the Green that plants could not survive without animals and humans. The Green abandoned the Floronic Man, who was then taken into custody by the Justice League.[4]
The Floronic Man briefly became a super-hero after the events of Millennium led him to become a member of the New Guardians. In this new role, Woodrue took the name Floro. After the deaths of most of his teammates, though, he reverted to his original status as a super-villain.
After breaking Poison Ivy out of Arkham Asylum with his two henchwomen, Holly and Eva Green, the Floronic Man explained his past to Batman and Poison Ivy, telling the story of how he had prevented a plot of the Swamp Thing's, only to be decapitated. After scientists had managed to keep his head alive, the first thing he came into contact with was marijuana. Regenerating a plant body, he began his quest to flood the streets of Gotham City with his advanced and inexpensive weed. The Floronic Man took some of Poison Ivy's DNA in an attempt to create a "child." Poison Ivy, in exchange, got a trunk full of drug money and was free to walk away. Deciding that she did not want the Floronic Man running the world, she freed Batman. After a short battle, Batman noticed that the Floronic Man was standing in a puddle, and first used an electrical cable to electrocute the villain, then decapitated him once again.[5]
The character has since appeared assisting Starman, Alan Scott, and Batman in trying to save a friendly, peaceful version of Solomon Grundy.[6] Later he was killed after assassins shot him repeatedly with bullets, although this is in direct contrast to one of his most famous lines, "you can't kill a vegetable by shooting it through the head." He was one of the many villains who was mind-wiped by the Justice League, but has since recovered those memories. He also took part in the Battle of Metropolis.
The DC Universe was rebooted in 2011 as part of the Flashpoint event. This was an attempt to simplify continuity, and make DC Comics more accessible to new readers. Prior to this, mainstream comics took place in New Earth continuity since the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. The continuity established following Flashpoint is Prime Earth.
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Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Alien Physiology: Born from an inter-dimensional plant-like planet, the Floronic Man has toughened skin like that of tree bark, as well as being able to survive while buried alive.
- Superhuman Durability: Due to his experimentation and alien body, the Floronic Man can withstand blows and energy beams that would severely maim or kill a normal human. He has also stated that he cannot be killed by conventional means, such as being shot or stabbed.
- Chlorokinesis: His natural heritage is to be able to mold and weave plants to his liking. With his evil intentions, he can sprout roots from the ground to ensnare heroes or wrap oak tree bark around himself in defense. He has even withstood constant blows from Green Lantern, as well as growing plant monsters and controlling them to whatever extent he wishes.
Abilities
- Botany: Expertise in botany. He specializes in transforming normal seeds and plants into plant monsters and advanced plant life.
Other Characteristics
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
- His first appearance as the Plant-Master was in The Atom #1 and his first appearance as the Floronic Man was in The Flash #245.
Trivia
- His plant-like appearance may have been based on Vertumnus, a 1591 oil painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo. [citation needed]
Related
- 126 Appearances of Jason Woodrue (New Earth)
- 16 Images featuring Jason Woodrue (New Earth)
- 6 Quotations by or about Jason Woodrue (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Jason Woodrue (New Earth)
Footnotes
This article needs maintenance and organization, as it may have become cluttered or confusing. Its heart is in a good place, it's just a little special. Won't you please help out an article in need? This template will categorize articles that include it into the Clean Up task category.
  This character is or was primarily an enemy of Swamp Thing. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Swamp Thing Villains." |
  This character has been primarily an enemy of one or more of the heroes called the Atom. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Atom Villains category." |
 This character has been primarily an enemy of the Justice League, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Justice League Villains." |
 Secret Society of Super-Villains member |
This character exists under the Vertigo Imprint which is intended for Mature Readers.Their continuity takes place within the context of Vertigo titles although they may cross over into regular DC continuity.