Patchwork Man

PATCHWORK MAN

Real Name: Gregori Arcane

Class: Undead human

Occupation: None

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: Abigail Cable Holland (daughter), Anais Arcane (mother, deceased), Aniela Arcane (sister), Anton Arcane (brother, deceased), Hans von Hammer (first cousin once removed), Josip Arcane (father), Tefe Holland (granddaughter)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: Swamp Thing I #2 (December-January 1972-1973)

Powers: Patchwork Man possessed superhuman strength that decreased over the years as his body decomposed. He was limited by his lack of motor functions and diseased mind, which also worsened over the years.

History: Gregori Arcane was the youngest of three children born shortly after the end of WWI. His eldest brother Anton Arcane physically abused him as a child. Gregori was permanently scarred, but grew up relatively sheltered after Anton left to study abroad. He became a businessman based at his ancestral home in the Balkan Mountains. He was married, but his wife died during childbirth, leaving Gregori to raise his daughter Abigail by himself. During one business trip his neighbors legally removed Abigail from the house, seeing Anton as an unfit parent because of his frequent visits overseas.

(Swamp Thing I #2-3) - After his return to the village and the discovery that his daughter was missing, he began to search for her. Distraught, he was unaware that he was treading in a WWII minefield until an explosion killed him. Anton Arcane, who'd orchestrated Abby's removal, discovered Gregori's corpse, and brought it back to life in his laboratory using a combination of science and magic. Gregori was horrified by his new body, which was patched together from spare body parts in Anton's lab. He tried to destroy his brother and the lab, but Anton restrained him and locked him in a dungeon. He remained there for years, his mind gradually losing it's hold on reality, until he could barely remember his own name, and thought of himself only as Patchwork Man. He was freed after Swamp Thing wrecked Anton's castle, and once again went in search of his daughter. He found the now-grown Abigail, but she didn't recognize him. Swamp Thing witnessed their reunion, and thought Patchwork Man meant her harm. Patchwork Man and Swamp Thing clashed, resulting in Abigail nearly falling into a chasm. Patchwork Man saved her, but ended up plummeting into the chasm himself.

(House of Secrets #140)-Patchwork Man survived, and was later captured by Elijah Chromes, head of the Mt. Good Hope Institute’s scientific organization who wanted to experiment on him. Patchwork Man escapes, but is hunted by Chromes agents.

Patchwork Man wandered throughout America until he saw a newspaper clipping which told of his daughter's arrest in Louisiana. He made his way to find her, but his decomposed body was falling to pieces. By the time he found her he was nearly dead. Suddenly deciding he didn't want her to see his putrefied form he fled, and she only found the body later, minus the head. Patchwork Man's body was buried beneath Swamp Thing and Abigail's house. The head has never been found.

Comments: Created by Berni Wrightson & Len Wein

Patchwork Man received profiles in Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #17 and Who's Who In The DC Universe #10.

Patchwork Man had cameos in Swamp Thing I #13 and Swamp Thing II #65.

In Swamp Thing II #43 a man named Milo ingested one of Swamp Thing’s hallucinogenic tubers and had visions of various Swamp Thing foes, including Patchwork Man.