WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Swamp Thing #4, by Ram V, Mike Perkins, Mike Spicer and Aditya Bidikar, on sale now.
As the "Infinite Frontier" era began, the DC Universe saw the arrival of a new Swamp Thing in Levi Kamei, a young man who discovered he developed a connection to the Green, the elemental force empowering all plant life in the universe. As Levi struggled to learn more about his new status quo, a sojourn deep into the Green has answered questions about how he claimed the mantle of Swamp Thing for himself. As Levi's backstory is revealed, he unequivocally assumes the superhero role after a conversation with his most famous predecessor.
After channeling his newfound powers as Swamp Thing to defeat the powerful supervillain the Pale Wanderer in Arizona's Sonoran Desert, Levi agreed to undergo an MRI back in New York City to learn more about the nature of his connection to the Green. As Levi learned more about the Green and the Parliament of Trees, he encountered a vision of Alec Holland, one of the last people to serve as the Green's champion. Before emerging from the elemental realm, Alec confirmed that he was simply an echo of the man that was once bonded to the Green and not the living soul of the man himself. As Alec faded away, seemingly for good, he fully endorsed Levi claiming the mantle of Swamp Thing while warning him of familiar foes slated to make their own return and target the Green for themselves.
It is still not entirely clear how Alec left behind Swamp Thing and passed on, with the elemental force absorbing his consciousness upon his fiery death on the Louisiana bayou. Brightest Day reestablished Alec as the true core of Swamp Thing, a distinction that was reinforced in the New 52 era, while the connection was much more tenuously depicted throughout the subsequent DC "Rebirth" era. Whatever the circumstances, Levi's vision indicates Alec has indeed shuffled off of this mortal coil for good, paving the way to claim the powers of Swamp Thing relatively unchallenged. But while Levi may possess the powers of the Green, there are already sinister forces vying to claim its awesome potential for themselves.
Ever since developing his connection to the Green, Levi experienced flashbacks of his life back in India, with his brother performing an occult ritual with less than noble motives. Levi's time in the Green reveals that his brother's attempt to claim the powers of the Green for himself instead led the elemental force to bond with his sibling instead. While the fate of Levi's brother is unknown, it is revealed that he now possesses his own elemental power and, feeling betrayed, has sworn revenge on both Swamp Thing and the Green for this perceived humiliation.
The nature of Levi's brother's powers gives his body a depiction similar to the classic Swamp Thing villain Anton Arcane, suggesting Levi may have just gained his own nemesis that may possess a mastery over necrotized tissue like Arcane and his family.
With Jason Woodrue also still on the loose and aware that the Green has selected a new champion, Levi is already building up quite the rogues gallery of both new and familiar faces all vying to gain the power of the Green for themselves. And with Alec no longer around to offer his words of wisdom from beyond, Levi is about to face the ultimate test as the battle lines are drawn.