Cover Impressions:

Ahoy mates! We got a pirate cover...well a one eyed mutant pirate cosplay cover. As an added bonus, Liz is cosplaying Princess Leia as Jabba's slave or maybe one of Conan's babes...by Crom indeed. You really can't go wrong with either.

Swamp Thing #7 (November, 1982)

Cover Price: $.60
Title: I Have Seen The Splintered Timbers Of A Hundred Shattered Hulls (This may be the longest title ever for a comic book)
Credits:
Writer-Martin Pasko
Art-Tom Yeates
Editor-Len Wein
Colorist-Tatjana Wood
Letterer-John Costanza

Same creative team as the previous issues.

Issue Recap:

This issue continues the panic on the ship from the last issue as people are being turned into one eyed mutants. Dennis (still dressed as a donkey) and Liz (still dressed as Leia) make for a quick escape only to run into Dr. Kay, who suddenly decides to help them escape. He tells Dennis to pistol whip him to make it look convincing to his Sunderland bosses. Dennis gladly pistol whips Kay to the deck. Later Kay is seen fleeing in a boat with General Sunderland telling him that Liz is dead and the matter is over. Meanwhile Swampy finds the tentacle monster in the hold of the ship. The creature (which is very Cthulhu-esque) explains it is from the stars and it is sinking ships in the area for raw materials to rebuild its space ship. [Sea worthy ships apparently make good space ships.] It also tells Swampy that it was mutated by the Sunderland corporation dumping herpes  virus(yes herpes) into the water near its lair. After the villain telepathic monologue, it attempts to turn Swampy into one of its mutants. Swamp Thing escapes after some of his blood hurts the creature and makes it in recoil in pain. Afterwards Swamp Thing, Liz and Dennis meet up in the ships infirmary to plan how to defeat the creature. Dennis determines that what ever is slowly killing Swamp Thing also hurts the herpes mutated space creature. They then fashion a crude biological bomb, which Swamp Thing takes into the water with him to blow the creature up. Of course Swampy knew right where to go because of the mental connection they shared as the creature revealed its plan. After the bomb goes off, part of the space ship debris underwater strikes the Haven causing it to sink. We last see Swamp Thing washed up on an island with a dinosaur in the back ground. 

Also in the issue Dr. Kay and the now suspicious Gen. Sunderland return to land. Kay calls his agent Milton and learns that Kathy's transformation has began and he knows where to find her. [oh-oh]

Remarks:

Well the herpes mutated Cthulhu-esque creature was basically a two issue villain of the week, it really didn't add to much to the story. Also a bit of plot hole, why did Kay bother to kidnap Liz and bring her to the Haven  (where Sunderland is waiting) only to help her and Dennis escape? Maybe I missed something? The cheesiest part of this issue is Swamp Thing knowing exactly where to find the creature to set the bomb off. But I guess they did mind meld a bit during the villain monologue. That easy solution would not make it in today's comics. Still an entertaining read overall.

Pros:

The mystery around Kay continues. Other than Swamp Thing he his my favorite character...is a good guy or his he bad guy. Not quite sure at this point.

Cthulhu! Okay it was actually a herpes mutated space creature.

Cons:

Rather simplistic way to defeat what seems to be a rather powerful enemy who basically just a villain of the week. 

Grade: C+