Anton Arcane: Difference between revisions

Anton Arcane
Anton Arcane
	File:Antonarcane.jpg
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Swamp Thing #1 (November 1972) (cameo); Swamp Thing #2 (January 1973) (full)
Created by	Len Wein; Berni Wrightson
In-story information
Abilities	brillant sorcerer and scientist,able to animate and possess dead flesh, can control insects.

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Revision as of 11:19, 30 November 2008

Anton Arcane, sometimes simply known as Arcane, is a DC Comics villain who first appeared in Swamp Thing vol. 1 #1. He is an evil sorcerer/scientist who created a group of monsters that he dubbed the Un-Men. One of his creations was the Patchwork Man, a creature created with an intentional similarity to Frankenstein's monster; the Patchwork Man had once been Anton's own brother, Gregori.

He had an odd obsession with the superheroic swamp creature called the Swamp Thing. He took control of Swamp Thing's body, but was defeated and fell out of a window to his apparent death. However, he managed to hold onto life, though his injuries were such that he had to have some of his Un-Men build him a new, misshapen Un-Man-like body. In this form, he attacked the Swamp Thing twice more before truly dying; his soul then went to Hell.

Arcane's soul later escaped from Hell, where it took over the body of Matt Cable, who was married to Gregori Arcane's daughter Abby. Arcane combined his own magic with Matt's inherent psychic powers to battle the Swamp Thing, but he was exorcised directly to Hell. Matt later entered a coma and died, whereupon he became Matthew, a raven living within The Dreaming.

Arcane next appeared as a demon, having been promoted to this status by the Lords of Hell in recognition of his evil. He attacked Swamp Thing yet again, and was defeated. In a later story, he was shown to have repented his evil ways after having found God, but that was short-lived and he eventually became evil once more. After God banished him back to Hell, Arcane was tortured by a demon named Josephine, whom he seduced into helping him escape. Swamp Thing defeated the two demons, causing their forms to morph together, and when last seen, it was revealed that the Arcane/Josephine being was pregnant.

In adaptations

Louis Jourdan portrays Arcane in the 1982 Swamp Thing film directed by Wes Craven and in the 1989 sequel The Return of Swamp Thing. In the live-action Swamp Thing television series, Mark Lindsay Chapman played Arcane, and Don Francks voiced Arcane in the short-lived Swamp Thing animated series.

External Links

Roots of the Swamp Thing - An extremely detailed timeline chronicling all the events of Swamp Thing, Hellblazer and related titles in chronological order, spanning millions of years of DC/Vertigo history, including the life of Anton Arcane

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-| powers = brilliant sorcerer and scientist, able to animate and possess dead flesh, telepathy, control of insects, undead and cyborg characteristics
+| powers = brillant sorcerer and scientist,able to animate and possess dead flesh, can control insects.
 }}
-'''Anton Arcane''' is a [[DC Comics]] villain who first appeared in ''[[Swamp Thing]]'' vol. 1 #2. He is largely considered to be Swamp Things arch-nemesis.
+'''Anton Arcane''', sometimes simply known as '''Arcane''', is a [[DC Comics]] villain who first appeared in ''[[Swamp Thing]]'' vol. 1 #1. He is an evil sorcerer/scientist who created a group of monsters that he dubbed the [[Un-Men]]. One of his creations was the [[Patchwork Man]], a creature created with an intentional similarity to [[Frankenstein's monster]]; the Patchwork Man had once been Anton's own brother, Gregori.
+He had an odd obsession with the superheroic swamp creature called the [[Swamp Thing]]. He took control of Swamp Thing's body, but was defeated and fell out of a window to his apparent death. However, he managed to hold onto life, though his injuries were such that he had to have some of his Un-Men build him a new, misshapen Un-Man-like body. In this form, he attacked the Swamp Thing twice more before truly dying; his soul then went to [[Hell]].
-==Character overview==
-Arcane is an scientist who's obsession with gaining immortality has led him to create monsterous creatures known as "[[Un-Men]]" as well as other monsterous biogenetic experimentations involving the dead. Indeed, Arcane was able to resurrect his deceased brother Gregori as the [[Frankenstein's monster]]-esque [[Patchwork Man]]. He is also a skilled magician, which he is able to channel through his horrific experiments.
+Arcane's soul later escaped from Hell, where it took over the body of Matt Cable, who was married to Gregori Arcane's daughter Abby. Arcane combined his own magic with Matt's inherent psychic powers to battle the Swamp Thing, but he was exorcised directly to Hell. Matt later entered a coma and died, whereupon he became [[Matthew (Sandman)|Matthew]], a [[raven]] living within [[The Dreaming (comics)|The Dreaming]].
-Living in the mountains of Europe with his niece [[Abigail Arcane|Abigail]], Arcane was introduced in Swamp Thing Volume 1 #2 after luring the plant based hero [[Swamp Thing]] to his castle home. Arcane sought to use his science (and considerable magic ability) to transplant his mind into Swamp Thing's body. His attempt failed and was tossed to his death, where his minions (trained by their master to resurrect him in a new body. He then attacks Swamp Thing twice more before truly dying, the first time as a hulking corpse-like beast and the second as a spider-like cyborg piloting a massive dragonfly-like vehicle. It is after his second death which his soul goes to [[Hell]].
+Arcane next appeared as a [[demon]], having been promoted to this status by the Lords of Hell in recognition of his evil.  He attacked Swamp Thing yet again, and was defeated. In a later story, he was shown to have repented his evil ways after having found God, but that was short-lived and he eventually became evil once more. After God banished him back to Hell, Arcane was tortured by a demon named Josephine, whom he seduced into helping him escape. Swamp Thing defeated the two demons, causing their forms to morph together, and when last seen, it was revealed that the Arcane/Josephine being was pregnant.
-Arcane's soul later escapes from Hell, and observes [[Matthew Cable]], who has been married to Abigail. It is also during this time that Arcane helps summon the [[Monkey King (comics)|Monkey King]] into the world
-After a fight with Abigail that culminated in her leaving on foot to find the Swamp Thing, Matthew had an attack of conscience and drove after her. He had been drinking heavily and ended up crashing his car, mortally wounding himself. A large fly landed by him and Matthew thought it to be a manifestation of his power. The fly said it would revive him, and he agreed. In reality, the fly was Anton Arcane. He possesses Cable's body and with it gains Cable's godlike power.
-In his body, he masquerades as Cable, claiming a new job called Blackriver Recorporations and buying a mansion for them to live. Arcane combined his own magic with Cable's inherent [[psychic]] powers to alter reality and the employees of Recorporations were the resurrected souls of deceased serial killers returned from Hell. He finally revealed himself, tormenting his niece and causing havoc and insanity by altering reality on a massive scale. For miles around natural and unnatural disasters occurred, people succumb to homicidal instincts and the resurrected serial killers returned to killing.
-He once again battled Swamp Thing, accompanied by monstrous forms resembling Un-men, after killing Abigail and condemning her soul to Hell, all the while declaring the earth as his now.
-It was during this battle that Arcane found that the Swamp Thing was an elemental and thus possessed semi-magical abilities allowing the Swamp Thing to combat him on a more even ground. The battle was enough for Matthew Cable to regain control of his body, and Arcan was [[exorcism|exorcised]] directly back to Hell. Cable later
-becomes [[coma]]tose and dies, whereupon he becomes [[Matthew (Sandman)|Matthew]], a [[raven]] living within [[The Dreaming (comics)|The Dreaming]].
-Arcane next appears as a [[demon]], having been promoted to this status by the Lords of Hell.  He attacks Swamp Thing yet again, only to be defeated. In a later episode, Arcane temporarily repents his evil ways after having briefly found [[God]], who eventually banishes him back to Hell. Arcane is [[torture]]d by the demon Josephine, whom he seduces into helping him escape. Swamp Thing defeats the two demons, causing their forms to morph together, and when last seen, it is revealed that the Arcane/Josephine being is pregnant.
 ==In adaptations==
-[[Louis Jourdan]] portrayed Arcane in the 1982 [[Swamp Thing (film)|film adaptation of ''Swamp Thing'']] directed by [[Wes Craven]]. He also appeared in the 1989 sequel ''[[The Return of Swamp Thing]]''.  In the [[Swamp Thing (TV series)|live-action ''Swamp Thing'']] television series, [[Mark Lindsay Chapman]] played Arcane, and [[Don Francks]] voiced Arcane in the short-lived [[Swamp Thing (1991 TV series)|''Swamp Thing'' animated series]]. In these adaptations, Arcane is portrayed as younger and more physically attractive or capable than the elderly, frail figure of the comics. Jourdan, who looked far younger than his actual years, was in his late sixties when the second Swamp Thing film was made.
+[[Louis Jourdan]] portrays Arcane in the 1982 [[Swamp Thing (film)|''Swamp Thing'' film]] directed by Wes Craven and in the 1989 sequel ''[[The Return of Swamp Thing]]''.  In the live-action ''Swamp Thing'' television series, [[Mark Lindsay Chapman]] played Arcane, and [[Don Francks]] voiced Arcane in the short-lived ''Swamp Thing'' animated series.
-[[Image:ArcaneNES.gif|left|220px|thumb|Arcane in the form based upon his 1991 action figure, as seen in the never released ''[[Swamp Thing (video game)|Swamp Thing]]'' video game for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]]]
-==External links==
-* [http://www.swampthingroots.com Roots of the Swamp Thing] - An extremely detailed timeline chronicling all the events of Swamp Thing, Hellblazer and related titles in chronological order, spanning millions of years of DC/Vertigo history, including the entire life of Anton Arcane
-==References==
-{{reflist}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Arcane, Anton}}
 [[Category:DC Comics characters with superhuman strength]]
 [[Category:DC Comics demons]]
+[[Category:DC Comics immortals]]
 [[Category:DC Comics supervillains]]
-[[Category:DC Comics telepaths]]
 [[Category:Fictional counts and countesses]]
-[[Category:Fictional cyborgs]]
+[[Category:Fictional monsters]]
 [[Category:Fictional murderers]]
 [[Category:Fictional mutates]]
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 [[Category:Fictional scientists]]
 [[Category:Fictional undead]]
-[[Category:Fictional characters in DC Comics who use magic]]
+[[Category:Magic users in comics]]
 [[Category:Mythology in comics]]
-[[Category:1973 comics characters debuts]]
+[[Category:1972 introductions]]
+==External Links==
-[[tl:Anton Arcane]]
+* [http://www.swampthingroots.com Roots of the Swamp Thing] - An extremely detailed timeline chronicling all the events of Swamp Thing, Hellblazer and related titles in chronological order, spanning millions of years of DC/Vertigo history, including the life of Anton Arcane