26 Swamp Monsters from Myths, Comics, X-Files, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more
Muck monsters have appeared in several places.
In comic books, some types of characters appear at multiple publishers. For example, there are swamp monsters at more than one comic book company—and, as you’ll see in this list, there are other sources involved as well, from mythology and Beowulf, to legendary authors Theodore Sturgeon and R.L. Stine, to classic television shows Kolchak and X-Files…and more!
RELATED: Comics Spotlight: Swamp Thing (Monster Complex)
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#01-08 Swamp Monsters From Mythology
There are several examples of swamp-related beings in mythology from various parts of the world. That list includes the Will-o'-the-wisp (Eurpean folklore), the Bunyip (Aboriginal mythology), the Grootslang (South Africa), the Lernaean Hydra (Greek and Roman mythology), the Honey Island Swamp monster (Louisiana), Mokele-mbembe (Congo River), the swamp ape (Florida), and the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp (South Carolina).
#09 Grendel from Beowulf (700-1000)
Grendel is one of the three antagonists in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf (700–1000). Grendel, a descendant of Cain, is described as “a creature of darkness, exiled from happiness and accursed of God, the destroyer and devourer of our human kind.” He is usually depicted as a monster or a giant, although his supernatural being is not clearly described in the poem, and remains the subject of scholarly debate.
#10 “It” by Theodore Sturgeon (1940)
First published in August 1940’s Unknown magazine, “It” is a horror short story that involves a plant-based monster formed around a human skeleton in a swamp. The story was written by the legendary author Theodore Sturgeon (1918-1985), who wrote primarily SF, fantasy, and horror. He wrote more than a hundred stories, around a dozen novels, and two standout scripts for the original Star Trek series, “Shore Leave” and the Spock-centric “Amok Time.”
Sturgeon’s SF novel More Than Human won the 1954 International Fantasy Award as the year's best novel. His 1952 novella “Baby is Three” was voted the fifth-best science fiction novella of the pre-1965 era by the Science Fiction Writers of America. (“Baby is Three” was later expanded into the novel More Than Human.) The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted Sturgeon in 2000.
#11 The Heap by Hillman Periodicals (1942)
Two years after Sturgeons’ swamp creature story, Hillman Periodicals’ Air Fighters Comics #3 (1942) debuted swamp creature The Heap. First appearing in the the story “Wanted By the Nazis” by writer Harry Stein and artist Mort Leav, The Heap continued as a sporadic guest character. With its fourth appearance, in 1946’s Airboy Comics, the Heap became the star of its own backup feature, which continued until 1953.
The Heap was revived in the 1980s when Eclipse Comics acquired rights to some Hillman characters. After Eclipse Comics went bankrupt in the 1990s, the character (and lots of other stuff) went to Image Comics.
RELATED: The Heap on Wikipedia
#12 Solomon Grundy by DC Comics (1944)
Solomon Grundy is usually a villain and sometimes an antihero at DC Comics. Originally a murder victim brought back to life as a zombie, later versions of the character have sometimes offered a different origin.
His name taken from the 19th century nursery rhyme “Solomon Grundy,” the character was introduced as an enemy of DC’s original Green Lantern. Grundy has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, including several members of the Justice League. Give that his history often includes ties to the swamp, later writers have also given him ties to Swamp Thing. (More on Swamp Thing below).
Solomon Grundy has appeared in DC Comics TV shows, including both animated and live action.
#13 The Glob in The Incredible Hulk (1969)
The first Glob, which debuted in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #121 (1969), was created by Roy Thomas and Herb Trimpe. According to Wikipedia, Thomas said that the character was a conscious imitation of the Heap. Thomas wanted to name the creature the Shape, but editor Stan Lee thought “Shape” sounded too feminine, insisting instead on calling it the “Glob.”
A second Glob, which debuted in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #339, was created by Tom Field and Gary Barker.
#14 Monster From the Lost Lagoon in Fantastic Four (1970)
The Monster from the Lost Lagoon was a member of an alien amphibian species who crashed on Earth and needed to repair his spaceship. When human ships entered the lagoon, the creature reacted to their presence with fear and sank them all, which eventually brought him to the attention of the Fantastic Four.
#15 Man-Thing by Marvel Comics (1971)
First appearing in Savage Tales #1, Dr. Ted Sallis was transformed into the Man-Thing, a mentally challenged, slow-moving, empathic, swamp man in the Florida Everglades. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway, and artist Gray Morrow, the character went on to be featured in various titles and in his own series. Many of his classic stories were written by Steve Gerber.
In 2005, there was a Man-Thing film. The Australian-American project followed a Louisiana sheriff investigating a series of deaths in a swamp, leading him to encounter the creature. Originally intended as a theatrical release, the film instead premiered on the SyFy channel.
In 2017, there was a special mini-series from legendary horror author R.L. Stine. After so many years of somber silence, Man-Thing has found his voice—and taken Hollywood by storm! But when an ancient evil threatens his old swamp stomping ground, Man-Thing will have to choose between his new life and celebrity, and the world he used to call home.
An old ally pays a visit, but everything else is out to get Man-Thing—including crocodiles, bats and mosquitos, oh my! Can the balance of the swamp be restored, or will the cause of this calamity be beyond Man-Thing’s control? Plus, bone-chilling bonus horror tales from the master himself, R.L. Stine! Reading this will give you goosebumps...but beware—for whoever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing’s touch!
RELATED:
Buy Man-Thing by Steve Gerber: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 from Amazon
Man-Thing by Steve Gerber: The Complete Collection Vol. 2 from Amazon
Man-Thing by Steve Gerber: The Complete Collection Vol. 3 from Amazon
#16 Swamp Thing by DC Comics #1 (1971)
Although his parallel at Marvel Comics appeared first, DC Comics’ Swamp Thing has been arguably the comics industry’s top swamp character. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, plant creature the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in various different storylines.
The character first appeared in 1971 in a standalone horror story in House of Secrets #92. That story was set in the past, but the character was repurposed in the modern world in regular DC continuity. The character’s two most popular runs are the original 1970s Wein/Wrightson run, and in the 1980s by writer Alan Moore, and artists Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben.
The Swamp Thing inspired two theatrical films, 1982’s Swamp Thing, and 1989’s The Return of Swamp Thing; two live-action television series, in 1990 and 2019; and an animated mini-series.
Swamp Thing recently reappeared in a new comic book series that starred someone new. We revisit the series in the list below.
RELATED:
Comics Spotlight: Swamp Thing (Monster Complex)
Buy Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Vol. 1 written by Len Wein from Amazon.
Buy Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book 1 written by Alan Moore from Amazon.
Buy the Swamp Thing movie from Amazon.
#17 “The Spanish Moss Murders” on Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974)
On the classic 1970s TV show Kolchak: The Nightstalker, Darren McGavin portrayed wire service reporter Carl Kolchak, who investigated mysterious crimes with unlikely causes. They always involved SF or supernatural causes, and the reporter often had t confront fantastic creatures.
In “The Spanish Moss Murders,” a research experiment in dream deprivation produces a corporeal Cajun boogeyman covered in Spanish moss. Watch this Kolchak episode free on NBC.com.
Related on Monster Complex
#18 Muckman by TMNT TV (1987)
An ally of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Muckman is a garbage mutant who debuted in the 1987 cartoon. A garbage man was exposed to mutagen and changed into a garbage mutant.
The character changed a bit for the 2012 cartoon series, when a sewer worker fell into a dumpster and was transformed.
RELATED: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Wiki
#19 Sludge from Malibu Comics (1993)
Starring in a comic book series set in the Ultraverse, Sludge was created by Steve Gerber, Gary Martin, and Aaron Lopresti. A cop killed by the local mafia is transformed after his death into a powerful creature called Sludge, whose touch melts human flesh. The creature has a tremendous regenerative ability, which happens even more quickly when it is submerged in water.
Sludge appeared in the Ultraforce animated cartoon.
RELATED: Sludge on Wikipedia
#20 The Bog Swamp Demon from TMNT Comics (1993)
The Bog Swamp Demon is a swamp monster that first appeared in the pages of Mirage Studios’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book Volume 2, issues #4-#12. Bog fought a horde of demons in the swamp.
After that, Bog got his own horror mini-series for four issues. The covers were illustrated by Swamp Thing artist Steve Bissette. In the mini-series, Bog formed an uneasy alliance with a wayward priest and troubled teenage girl while he fought off various Hell-spawned super-villains.
Bog later battled Doctor Weird in Big Bang #15-16 from Image Comics and appeared in Gutwallow’s comic book series from Numbskull Press.
#21 Swamp Monster in Goosebumps book How to Kill a Monster (1996)
Before he wrote Man-Thing, R.L. Stine wrote a swamp creature story in How to Kill a Monster, volume 46 pf the Goosebumps series. Hating to stay with their deaf grandfather and baking-crazed grandmother, Gretchen and her stepbrother, Clark, fear the strange growling noises that they hear coming from the room on the second floor.
Although Stine apparently never experienced terror first hand, he did enjoy reading about it growing up. “When I was a kid, there were these great comic books called Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror. They were gruesome. I discovered them in the barbershop and thought they were fabulous. I used to get a haircut every Saturday so I wouldn’t miss any of these comic books. I had no hair at all when I was a kid!”
Are you an author? Stine’s advice is that reading is as important as writing. “If you want to be a writer, don’t worry so much about writing. Read as much as you can. Read as many different writers as you can. Soak up the styles. You can learn all kinds of ways to say things.”
#22 Bark Creatures from X-Files (1997)
The X-Files season 5 episode “Detour” was a “Monster-of-the-Week” standalone story, involving bark-skinned humanoids who can hide among the trees in the forest where people are disappearing. FBI Agents Mulder and Scully, traveling to a conference, stop at a roadblock and join a nearby investigation of attacks by an unidentified predator. RELATED: X-Files: The 15 Most Disturbing, Disgusting Monsters
#23 The Heap redux from Image Comics (1998)
A villain from Spawn #73, the comic reimagined the Heap as a bum who was murdered after finding a bag of necroplasm, a supernatural substance from which Spawn’s body is composed. This new version of The Heap has claws, super strength and stamina, and can rebuild himself from trash when necessary. Spawn, created by Todd McFarlane and published by Image Comics, has also appeared in films, on TV, and in video games set in the Image Universe.
#24 The Pangean from Tom Strong (2003)
Sent back through time, Tom Strong must defend himself from Earth’s single inhabitant, which spans the Earth’s entire solitary continent—The Pangean. The story appears in the first volume of the Tom Strong comics collection. The series—written by Alan Moore and penciled by Arthur Adams, Jerry Ordway, and Chris Sprouse—featured a supporting cast that included his wife Dhalua (the daughter of a mighty chieftain), his daughter Tesla, the enhanced ape King Solomon, and his robotic valet Pneuman. Battling in different times, worlds, and realms, Tom faced off against an eclectic group of enemies such as the ruthless Paul Saveen, the mechanized Az-techs, Nazi super-woman Ingrid Weiss, as well as the aforementioned prehuman monster Pangean.
#25 Green Meanie from Scream Queens (2016)
Comedy-horror series Scream Queens is slasher TV satire that aired on Fox (2015-2016). For the second season, the main problem comes from the Green Meanie—and eventually it is revealed there are three of them.
“Creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan have built careers on crafting a very particular television aesthetic. Their projects are beautifully shot, very specific to their tastes, and filled with electric moments of character clarity. This combination often makes for pilot episodes that feel more actualized than most series ever get. But as latter seasons of Glee, American Horror Story, and even Nip/Tuck demonstrate, the writers can easily go soaring off the narrative rails when given enough room.”—Vox
#26 Swamp Thing by DC Comics #2 (2021)
DC Comics has launched a new version of Swamp Thing, with Levi Kamei as the next “Guardian of the Green.” Unable to control his transformation into the monstrous Swamp Thing, Levi is thrust into the harsh, unforgiving mystery of grisly murders committed by a supernatural desert legend.
Levi must revisit past events in his homeland of India and face the deadly reality of a ravenous new villain in order to comprehend what he is truly, and horrifyingly, becoming. A new era of global action and horror blossoms here, and Swamp Thing will be at the root of it.