History: (Swamp Thing I #13) - Commander Zero was the head of Project: Leviathan, that wanted to study the Swamp Thing. Matt Cable captured Swamp Thing, and handed him over to Zero, who set up a cell for him in the Fenwick Military Academy in Washington, D.C. Professor Degrez studied Swamp Thing, but he escaped his cell. Military guards shot at him, but ended up gunning down Degrez before subduing Swamp Thing and placing him in a new cell. Zero put Matt Cable in charge of Degrez’ funeral, and disturbed Matt by hinting that Swamp Thing would be destroyed after they were finished studying him. Matt begged to be allowed to try and talk to Swamp Thing alone, and after some pleading Swamp Thing revealed that he was Alec Holland. Matt’s conscience wouldn’t let him leave Swamp Thing to rot, so he broke him out of Project: Leviathan with Abby’s help, and burning the lab, hoping the guards would assume Swamp Thing was dead.

(Swamp Thing I #23, 24) - Zero was phased out of his job because he was blamed for Swamp Thing;’s escape. A tragedy cost him his hand, and he blamed Swamp Thing for this as well. He wanted revenge, and was recruited by the secret agency Colossus to kidnap Swamp Thing so they could learn the secrets of the bio-restorative formula that powered him. They replaced Zero;’s hand with a blade, and outfitted him as the costumed villain Sabre. They sent him to retrieve Swamp Thing, even though he kept telling them he;’d have difficulty controlling his urge to slay the muck monster. Colossus sent their agent Thrudvang to accompany him, and keep an eye on him. Thrudvang was a skid row bum they;‘d mutated into an Elemental. Sabre founds Swamp Thing in Oregon, where his brother biochemist Edward Holland had discovered a way to restore his humanity. He set off a chemical reaction to turn Swamp Thing back to human, and Sabre chose this opportunity to act. They battled into a chemical fire, and Swamp Thing alone emerged, with Sabre being burnt beyond recognition. Colossus agent Solomon Smith retrieved Sabre from county jail, and the Colossus council demoted him because of his failure. Sabre told Solomon that Swamp Thing was now Alec Holland, and now easy prey. He kept this information from the council so that he and Smith could wrest the secrets of the bio-restorative formula from Alec and use it as leverage to attain council seats in Colossus.

Comments: Created by Len Wein & Nestor Redondo.

Why Zero blamed Swamp Thing for the loss of his hand was never resolved because the title was cancelled after issue 24. The Colossus plot was dropped entirely in Swamp Thing’s next appearance in Challengers of the Unknown I #83.

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