We're on a satellite. It belonged to a bloke called the Monitor. He's dead now. Can't see this place lasting long without him, somehow. 
- — John Constantine
Swamp Thing (Volume 2) #46 is an issue of the series Swamp Thing (Volume 2) with a cover date of March, 1986.
Synopsis for "Revelations"
The Swamp Thing, John Constantine, Benjamin Cox and Frank North stand in amazement as the world about them is afire with chaos. Beings and creatures from various time periods fill the city. 18th century cavalry soldiers engage in combat with space men, while dinosaurs terrorize back alleys and a futuristic car nearly runs down a tribe of Neanderthals and a flock of Dodo birds. Constantine knows the situation is serious, but he is more concerned about what will happen following the Crisis.
John and the Swamp Thing are mysteriously teleported through space to the satellite of the Monitor. The Monitor is dead, but his satellite is filled with various members of the superhero community, some from parallel dimensions. John gives Swamp Thing a truncated explanation of the Multiverse, and then introduces him to the Monitor's successor, Alexander Luthor. He is the one responsible for bringing them here. Luthor understands that the Crisis will have an effect on the spiritual world as well as the material one, and he is relying on the Swamp Thing to attend to these specific matters. Swamp Thing is confused and does not really understand how he could possibly help.
John and he return to Earth, and John tells him about an existing threat beyond that of the Crisis – the BrujerÃa. The BrujerÃa are a cult of South American warlocks whose goals are nothing short of the destruction of Heaven. Recalling their brutality strikes a chord within Constantine, and he emphasizes how dangerous the BrujerÃa's actions really are. He tells Swamp Thing that the BrujerÃa have been slowly achieving their goals by using a macabre killer called an Invunche.
The Swamp Thing merges with the The Green in order to get a sense of what John and Luthor have been telling him. Picking up random perceptions throughout the ether, he does in fact realize that the psychic plane is in just as much danger as the material world.
In London, England, Sister Anne-Marie isn't able to locate Judith. On her way back to her hotel, she exits a train onto the wrong platform. She grows nervous and knows that a threat is looming over her. The Invunche appears and kills her, tearing the cross from her neck.
Appearing in "Revelations"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Benjamin Cox (Final appearance)
- Frank North
- Sister Anne-Marie (Dies)
- John Constantine
- Phantom Stranger
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Adam Strange
- Alan Moore
- Alexander Luthor
- BrujerÃa (Flashback only)
- Ambush Bug
- Aquaman
- Batman
- Captain Compass
- Clyde Barrow
- Creeper
- Cyborg
- Demons (Cameo)
- Doctor Fate
- Eclipso
- Elongated Man
- Enemy Ace
- Hawkman
- Hourman (Rick Tyler)
- John "Liver-Eating" Johnson
- Kamandi
- Little Sure Shot
- Mist
- Negative Man
- Rag Doll
- Ragman
- Sargon
- Superman
- Wolves
Locations:
- England
- Louisiana
- Multiverse
- Monitor's Satellite
- South America (Flashback only)
- The Spirit World
Concepts:
Items:
- Helmet of Fate (Cameo)
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Swamp Thing: A Murder of Crows, Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book Four and Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion: Deluxe Edition Vol. 3.
- This issue is a "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover. Most of the heroes seen in this issue make cameo appearances only. The events from this issue are concurrent with those from Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 in which five parallel Earths began to merge together.
- The plot of the BrujerÃa and the pending "War on Heaven" culminates in Swamp Thing (Volume 2) #50.
- The Phantom Stranger makes reference to the Newcastle exorcism from "last winter". John comments that he was in a "loony bin for a few weeks". The details behind the Newcastle exorcism were chronicled in Hellblazer #11, albeit with some retconning. The exorcism actually took place in 1978, not the previous winter, and John spent two years at the Ravenscar Secure Hospital as a result of it, as opposed to the few weeks referenced in this issue.
- This issue is named for the Book of Revelations, the final book in the Christian Bible. The story opens with a passage from the Book of Revelations, 8:10; The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star shot from the sky, flaming like a torch... the name of the star was Wormwood.
- The city where much of the cross-time chaos is taking place is unidentified, but it is likely Manhattan.
- The spirit of Sister Anne-Marie appears next in Hellblazer #2.
- Reference is first made to the Parliament of Trees in this issue. The Parliament is introduced in Swamp Thing #47.
- The Wolf-Men that are seen attacking the woman in the alley on page 11 are likely the Wolves of Earth-AD continuity, though this is never confirmed.
- The Invunche first appeared in Swamp Thing #37, the same issue that introduced John Constantine.
- When the Swamp Thing and Constantine first enters the Monitor's satellite they observe how 5 Earths are about to merge, but at this point in the Crisis of Infinite Earths (Crisis issue #5) only 2 Earths are about to merge. The 3 others are not added until the end of Crisis issue #6. This inconsistency has no impact on the story, though.
- Benjamin Cox is murdered by John Constantine's friend, Judith shortly after the events of this issue.[1]
Trivia
- There is a background individual seen twice in this issue who bears a strong resemblance to writer Alan Moore. He is first seen in the bottom left corner of panel 3, page 2, running in terror from a giant squid. He is next seen on panel 1, page 20 walking behind Sister Anne-Marie on the streets of London. The character is wearing a t-shirt with an encircled letter "V", the logo design associated with Alan Moore's V for Vendetta series. This is not the only time that the Swamp Thing series pays homage to V for Vendetta. In issue #88 on page 5, a Guy Fawkes mask can be seen on the bottom panel. The mask is the same one that is worn by V throughout the series.
- Constantine tells the Swamp Thing that the Parliament of Trees can be found in Brazil at the mouth of the Tefé River. The Swamp Thing and Abby will one day name their daughter Tefé.[2]
- There is a store sign on one of the London shops that reads "Veitch at Putney". This is a reference to writer/artist Rick Veitch.
