Jason Woodrue
Jason Woodrue is a male comic supervillain who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Pre-Crisis
Jason Woodrue
One account claimed he was an inhabitant from another dimensional world that was inhabited by wood nymphs, dryads, nereids, air sprites and flower spirits. Due to his wicked deeds, he came to be exiled from his world and banished to Earth's dimension. However, he retained all the knowledge of his world which he used to conquer the world. He would use this knowledge to enslave the queen of the flower spirits Maya. (The Atom v1 #1)
Woodrue emerged from hiding within Ivy University, where he had posed as a visiting professor. He revealed his knowledge of manipulating plant growth and used chemically treated seeds to create massive vines and carnivorous plants. When confronted by the Atom Ray Palmer, Woodrue employed these creations to entangle and trap him, using giant branches and thick stalks to immobilize his movements. Despite his ingenuity, Atom ultimately escaped and countered Woodrue’s control, leading to his initial defeat. (The Atom v1 #1)
He spent many years in prison till he was eventually released. Woodrue returned transformed as the Floronic Man, having mutated his body into a plant-like form. During this encounter, he demonstrated new abilities by extending his limbs into vines and using razor-sharp wooden claws to attack Flash. He caused chaos in Central City by spreading fast-growing vegetation through chemical spores, covering entire streets with roots and trapping civilians. The Flash engaged him directly, dodging his strikes while struggling against the growing plant matter, and eventually counteracted his powers with speed-driven precision to halt the spread. (The Flash v1 #245)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
General Sunderland hired Woodrue to discover how scientist Alec Holland had been turned into the Swamp Thing. Woodrue discovers that the creature that 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 tries 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. (Swamp Thing v2 #21) Using 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 reveals to the Green that plants cannot survive without animals. The Green abandons the Floronic Man, who was then taken into custody by the Justice League. (Swamp Thing v2 #22)
The Floronic Man came to rant to himself in his Arkham cell, wondering why he was not free. After all, Swamp Thing had forgiven him, and the Green had rejected him, so despite his appearance he should be considered a good and respected human being, not an insane plant. Constantine broke into Arkham Asylum, and presented Floronic Man with one of Swamp Thing’s psychedelic tubers, and told him to reconnect to the plant world that had thrown him out. Constantine was hoping to learn more about the Sprout, the new Earth Elemental created by the Parliament of Trees. Floronic Man was desperate to re-enter the Green and did indeed contact the Parliament, but just then Arkham’s security caught John, who urged Floronic Man to keep talking while he was away. Floronic Man was devastated that the parliament had not chosen him to be the new Earth Elemental, the bridge between humanity and the Green. (Swamp Thing v2 #66) Constantine went to 5000 Maniacs Video, a store specializing in video nasties, to screen the VHS tape he had made at Arkham. John and the owner watched Floronic Man rave about Solomon Grundy coming in contact with the Sprout and again asking the Green why he was not worthy. (Swamp Thing v2 #67)
Entropy set out to destroy the works of the Guardians of the Universe, so he attacked Kroef's Island and captured the New Guardians and the Chosen. Only Floro escaped, and he sent his mind through the Green to send a distress signal to Green Lantern Hal Jordan. (Green Lantern v3 #33)
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. (Batman: Shadow of the Bat v1 #56)
At the Slab, Floro and his fellow inmates were offered transport to freedom as long as they helped Brother Blood fend off attacks while he used the Slab's GPS system to activate his cultist sleeper agents. The alternative was death if the prisoners failed to protect him. Floro and the other prisoners couldn't stop the Outsiders from foiling Blood's plans, but in the chaos Psimon led Floro and the others on a jailbreak, and after reaching Blood's transports they escaped scot free. (Outsiders v3 #6)
Enginehead put Doctor Grass' human trafficking organization out of business, and hired Floronic Man to kill Enginehead, convincing him it was worth his time because Enginehead was a new wave of sentient machinery, the exact opposite of what Floronic Man stood for. Floronic Man attacked, and was somewhat impressed but also horrified that Enginehead allowed plenty of human casualties in their battle. Enginehead destroyed Floronic Man's body, and Floronic Man pleaded with him to find a good therapist before leaving to find a new corporal form. (Enginehead v1 #3)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Jason Woodrue
Wanting to become that 'Green Man', Woodrue began chasing any lead, no matter how tiny, for the truth about this being, eventually coming to Mato Grosso, Brazil. There, having found the Parliament of Trees he begged them to grant him the role of the Avatar, wanting so very badly to protect the Earth, but was not answered. Still, he was not ignored, and the Parliament, having already chosen their avatar, chose to leave him as a potential aid if they had a task that an avatar could not complete. (Swamp Thing v5 #26)
After the Parliament of Trees was destroyed, a new Parliament of Flowers began to form with them choosing recently slain Oleander Sorrel as their avatar. Woodrue approached the man who was grieving the death of his son and estrangement of his wife with Jason counselling the man to become the King of Petals. This saw Sorrel craft 'children' from flowers in the guise of his lost son and sent them to his wife to keep her company. However, he came to learn the truth of his demise which was by suicide and that this traumatic memory was passed to his 'flower' offspring that were compelled to die at a certain point. In horror, he simply wanted to rest with Woodrue lulling him into complacency whereupon he consumed the King of Petals and gained his power. Woodrue was then approached by Circe who recruited him to join her band of allies with Jason accepting the offer. (Justice League Dark Annual v2 #1) Under Circe's direction, Papa Midnite went forth to escort Woodrue into the Amazon so he could become the elemental protector of the Parliament of Flowers. At the time, Holland was searching through the Green and discovered Woodrue with Jason using his power to destroy Alec's physical form. (Justice League Dark v2 #15)
Trapped within the Hall of Justice, Woodrue remained there until a new crisis emerged when the Parliaments of Life began to battle one another after an instability within the natural world. To stop this, the Justice League Dark decided to gather the champions in order to reconvene the Parliaments and restore the balance. However, Woodrue refused though Constantine secretly met with him in order to make a deal with him. (Justice League Dark v2 #20) John Constantine came to learn that Woodrue was responsible for sending Abigail Arcane into a dream state as part of a deal with Anton Arcane to allow the necromancer to usurp control of the Rot once more. After forcing Anton Arcane to flee, Constantine confronted Woodrue where he warned the villain that the injuries sustained meant that his colleagues in the Justice League Dark would have a dim view of Jason's actions. In desperation, Woodrue agreed to make a deal with Constantine wanting him to give up his powers to the Parliaments of Life as part of a ritual to restore the balance within the natural world. Though reluctant, Jason complied and relinquished his power but then Abigail Arcane used the Rot to destroy the Parliament of Flowers as part of Constantine's efforts to restore the Parliament of Trees. This chain of events led of Woodrue being restored to his former human existence and without his powers over the plant world. (Justice League Dark v2 #23)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, sharp, was a male human originally with angular features who was often clad in lab coats or suits. Initially, he came to operate under the name of the Plant Master. (The Atom v1 #1) Following his experiments, he came to mutate himself into a plant-based being where he took the name Floronic Man where by this point his body had been mutated into a grotesque hybrid of man and vegetation. His skin hardened into bark-like textures, his limbs elongated into vine-like tendrils, and leafy growths sprouted across his frame. His eyes appeared sunken or hollow, radiating a feral green glow. (The Flash v1 #245) Jason began to operate under the name of the Seeder when he went on his quest to become a champion of the Parliament of Trees. (Swamp Thing v5 #26) He later became the new King of Petals after consuming the Parliament of Flowers champion. (Justice League Dark Annual v2 #1)
One aspect of his personality was his unrelenting scientific hubris and desire for fame, which leads him to disregard morality and put his ambition above all else. He desired to be feared and respected as a scientific genius, and his monstrous transformation was a price he was willing to pay. (The Flash v1 #246)
Woodrue was characterized by his arrogance and obsession with intellectual and evolutionary superiority. As a scientist, he believed human biology was inherently limited, and his transformation into the Floronic Man only reinforced his conviction that plant life was destined to surpass humanity. He was cold, detached, and capable of cruelty, willing to sacrifice innocent lives to test his theories. His madness grew in proportion to his bond with the Green, blurring the line between genius and delusion, and leaving him with a distorted view of humanity’s place in the natural order. He became on a crusade to eliminate all animal life, believing himself to be the plants' messiah. He aimed to force plants to grow out of control and to cause them to rampage through a city and killing indiscriminately. (Swamp Thing v2 #21)
He showed a deep-seated resentment and envy towards those he perceived as more powerful or respected, which fuelled his schemes to prove his superiority. During his dissection of Swamp Thing, he came to determine that he was not Alec Holland mutated into a plant creature but rather a plant creature that thought he was Holland. This discovery served as vindication for Woodrue's own scientific theories. However, he was also filled with a deep resentment towards Swamp Thing, as he viewed the creature as an inferior being that held a powerful connection to the Green that was the elemental force of all plant life. This was a connection Woodrue desperately craved for himself and believed he was far more deserving of it. (Swamp Thing v2 #21)
At one point, Woodrue's developed a twisted motivation for leaving a lasting legacy and extending his power. His desire for a family was warped and based on narcissism and a need for control, treating others such as Pamela Isley and his 'child' as tools to achieve his goals. (Batman: Shadow of the Bat v1 #57)
Powers and abilities
One account claimed that he was not a true Earth-man but an inhabitant of another dimensional world. (The Atom v1 #1)
Initially, Woodrue relied on advanced botanical knowledge and chemically engineered seeds to control plant growth, but following his transformation into the Floronic Man, his powers expanded dramatically. He could manipulate plant matter at will, extend his limbs as vines or whips, and regenerate damaged tissue by absorbing nutrients from soil or vegetation. His physiology became entirely plant-based, allowing him to survive without food or air as long as sunlight and water were present. Through his connection to the Green, he could influence ecosystems on a large scale, creating forests or choking cities in vegetation. (Swamp Thing v2 #21)
Woodrue came to improve upon the plants he worked on thus making plantoids that were artificial copies of them. Those plants he grew came to serve him and acted to protect him. He could drop specially crafted seeds that could sprout into specialised plants. Among these were flowers that could spit acid capable of eating through metal in order to break through obstacles. After performing their purpose, they could revert into being seeds to hide evidence of a crime. (The Atom v1 #1)
Jason came to create a special elixir that gave him the ultimate plant-power that turned his fauna-based physiology into a flora-based being. He immediately gained mental control over all plant life capable of commanding it to achieve various feats. (The Flash v1 #245)
Woodrue was responsible creating a special breed of fungus he named Ophiocordyceps Lamia. (Poison Ivy v1 #5)
After consuming the body of the King of Petals, Woodrue was transformed into a new champion of the Green allowing him to control all plant life. (Justice League Dark Annual v2 #1)
He was able to create semi-sentient creatures made of plant matter that could think independently of their master yet still followed orders with Jason once creating dog-like creatures to serve him. (Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy v1 #1)
Notes
- Jason Woodrue was created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane where he made his first appearance in The Atom v1 #1 (June-July, 1962).
- The character later debuted as the Floronic Man in The Flash v1 #245 (November, 1976).
- He later appeared as the Seeder in Swamp Thing v5 #21 (February, 1984).
- In the Pre-Crisis continuity, Marc LeGrand was the scientist and mentor that turned Pamela Isley into Poison Ivy.
Alternate Versions
- In Flashpoint Beyond v1 #3 (2022), an alternate version of Jason Woodrue appeared in the altered timeline of the Flashpoint. Jason Woodrue has become the next Swamp Thing and has been helping out Super-Man in the Oasis. He expands the oasis to accommodate more refuges including the ones who are similar to Super-Man as a way to atone for his past sins. After Super-Man shows Batman the message from Jor-El regarding their upcoming invasion in light of Krypton dying, Swamp Thing stated that they have five days until the Kryptonians arrived on Earth.
In other media
Television
- In The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, a character loosely based on Jason Woodrue named Straal appeared in the episode "The Plant Master" who was voiced by actor Ted Knight. He was a scientist who discovered a way to use wave patterns to increase plant growth. When a plane carrying members of Ivy University science faculty lands on his island as part of a plan to establish a research center, the Plant Master uses his special plants to knock them out and have his henchmen capture them. When the Atom arrives, he takes out the Plant Master's henchmen before being captured by the Plant Master and his pet cat. The Plant Master then places the Atom in a container where he is strangled by living grass that the Plant Master activated. With some unknowing help from the Plant Master's cat, the Atom was able to defeat the Plant Master, where he and his henchmen are arrested by the Coast Guard.
- In Swamp Thing, Jason Woodrue was referenced in the setting of the 1990 television series. He was mentioned as being a scientist and rival of Dr. Arcane who invented a method to 'grow' human life by artificial means.
- In The Flash, the character was referenced in the setting of the live-action television series set in the Arrowverse in the episode "The Flash of Two Worlds". The Sand Demon captured Patty Spivot and brought her to a place called the Woodrue Greenhouse that was a reference to the Floronic Man.
- In Swamp Thing, Jason Woodrue appeared in the live-action television series set in DC Universe where he was portrayed by actor Kevin Durand. This version sought to use the properties of Marais, Louisiana's swamp to cure his wife Carolyn Woodrue of her Alzheimer's disease. After learning of the eponymous Swamp Thing, Woodrue collects and eats some of his plant matter before attempting to force Carolyn to do the same, only to be interrupted by Abby Arcane and the Marais Police Department. Woodrue later experimented on himself and transformed into the Floronic Man.
- In Harley Quinn, Jason Woodrue appeared in the setting of the animated television series fifth season where he was voiced by actor John Slattery. This version was a botany professor who pursued an affair with his student Pamela Isley. During this time, he turned her into Poison Ivy via a chemical spill in a failed attempt at killing her after trying to steal her research to claim as his own. In the present, she sought revenge on him by exposing him to similar chemicals, only to unknowingly turn him into the Floronic Man.
Films
- In Batman & Robin, Jason Woodrue appeared in the 1997 live-action film where he was portrayed by actor John Glover. This version was a Wayne Enterprises mad scientist who operated in the Amazon rainforest and used plant toxins to create a super-soldier serum called Venom. While experimenting on Bane, Woodrue's assistant Pamela Isley discovered his criminal nature. He shoved her into a shelf of chemicals in an attempt to kill her, but she was transformed into Poison Ivy, who killed Woodrue, and escaped with Bane.
- In Batman and Harley Quinn, Jason Woodrue as the Floronic Man appeared in the setting of the animated film where he was voiced by actor Kevin Michael Richardson. He and Poison Ivy came to share a similar view over humanity's negative impact on the environment. This resulted in the pair teaming up where they stole information from S.T.A.R. Labs about Alec Holland's Bio-Restorative Project. Their goal was to use the formula to create a virus that they intended to disperse into the world to turn mankind into plant hybrids, unaware that this would also damage the Green in the process. The two were operating from Bludhaven where they came to learn that the final chemicals they needed were at the Wainwright Swamp in Louisiana. By this point, Batman and Nightwing had determined the two villains location with the aid of Harley Quinn. She came to convince Poison Ivy to abandon the plan with Batman ultimately stopping the Floronic Man by setting him on fire.
Video games
- In Batman: Arkham Asylum, Jason Woodrue was referenced in the setting of the video game. He was mentioned in interview tapes with Poison Ivy where she references that Dr. Woodrue forcefully experimented on Pamela Isley and transformed her into the plant-human hybrid of Poison Ivy. The tapes also implied that she had killed him with a poisonous kiss.
- In Batman: Arkham Shadows, Jason Woodrue was referenced in the setting of the video game. Dr. Woodrue and Dr. Isley worked together to submit a grant proposal to the Wayne Foundation's highly-sought Alec Holland Memorial Grant. The proposal was for a new bio-chemistry wing at the University of Gotham. The pair won the grant, and Isley promised to engineer a plant species that would scrub the earth clean again. Woodrue was quick to add that these species would 'exist in harmony with human life', and commented that "her passion for the natural world gets away with her". Dr. Woodrue also sought to re-centre the limelight on himself, suggesting that Isley would never have achieved anything if not for him. By July of Batman's third year operating in Gotham, the department had shared a rare plant species to help Dr. Jonathan Crane with his own research. Sometime before The Joker's takeover of Arkham Asylum, Dr. Isley was transformed by Dr. Woodrue using a toxic, potentially lethal cocktail of phytohormones that he had forced her to ingest. She spent six months at the Seattle General Intensive Care Unit, where it was predicted that she would die within her first month there. While there she learned to use her newfound connection to plant life, including the lone Glorissa orchid Woodrue had left for her, to gain her strength and then much more, rechristening herself "Poison Ivy" to distance herself from the 'timid wallflower' Pamela Isley.
Appearances
- The Atom v1: (1962)
- The Flash v1: (1976)
- Swamp Thing v2:
- Swamp Thing v5:
- Justice League Dark Annual v2:
- Justice League Dark v2:
- Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy v1:
- Batman Secret Files: The Gardener v1:
- Poison Ivy v1:
External Links
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