Summary
Warning: contains spoilers forPoison Ivy#24!
The hierarchy of gods in theDCUniverse just underwent a massive shift with the revelation of a massive secret about death. The DC Universe is full of powerful gods and entities, including the Green. Since its introduction nearly 40 years ago,the Green’s power has been known to all, but a new revelation that comes to light inPoison Ivy#24 shows it may have dominion over death itself.
Poison Ivy#24 is written by G Willow Wilson and drawn by Haining. Poison Ivy has died, and as Harley Quinn and Killer Croc mourn, Solomon Grundy takes her body into Slaughter Swamp. Grundy, who, like Poison Ivy, has a connection to the Green, sees a way to revive her. In the Swamp, Ivy communes with the Green, which is unhappy with her. Ivy pleads her case, reminding the Green it has the power of life and death.
The Green tells her this part is secret, as “living things need order. Rules. Categories. It makes them feel safe.”
Fans Knew the Green Was Already Powerful
Later Additions, Such as the Red and the Grey, Fleshed the Green Out Further
This is a stunning revelation from both Poison Ivy and the Green,one that upends the pantheon of power in the DC Universe. The Green, the embodiment of all plant life on Earth, was introduced during Alan Moore’s landmarkSwamp Thingrun, with the titular character being its central avatar. Other characters with links to the Green include Poison Ivy, Black Orchid and the Floronic Man. A few years later, inGrant Morrison’s iconicAnimal Manrun, they introduced the concept of the “Red,” which united all animal life. The Grey, which represents fungi, is also integral to the mythos.
Indeed, all living things on Earth are connected in some fashion, and breaking down the barriers between the Green and the Red makes perfect sense.
The Green’s confession of its true power raises interesting possibilities to be explored. The Green stated that humans needed simple, easy to define categories to make sense of the world around them. The lines between the Green, the Red, and the Grey have, thus far, seemed well-defined. The Green’s shocking admission inPoison Ivy#24 calls this into question, and suggests the lines separating them may not be as fixed as fans thought. Indeed, all living things on Earth are connected in some fashion, and breaking down the barriers between the Green and the Red makes perfect sense.
The Green Have Dominion Even Over Death
What Other Secrets Are the Green (and the Red and the Grey) Hiding?
Yet the most intriguing implication of the Green’s new power levels is its dominion over death. The DC Universe has explored the concept in a variety of ways, such as Morpheus’ sister orNekron andThe Blackest Night.WhilePoison Ivy#24 remains mum on how exactly the Green is connected with these beings, if at all, it nevertheless hints at a deeper relationship between the two. If the categories between the Green and the Red can fall, then so can the barriers between life and death, which drastically rewritesDC’shierarchy of gods.
