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in: Pat Broderick/Cover Artist, Alan Moore/Writer, Steve Bissette/Penciler,
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The Best of DC Vol 1 61

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"The Anatomy Lesson": This story is reprinted from Swamp Thing (Volume 2) #21.

The Best of DC #61 is an issue of the series The Best of DC (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1985. It was published on March 7, 1985.

Synopsis for "The Anatomy Lesson"

This story is reprinted from Swamp Thing (Volume 2) #21.

General Sunderland arranges to have Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, released from prison and brought to the Sunderland facility in Washington. There he is instructed to examine the remains of the Swamp Thing and from him, divine the secret of Alec Holland's Bio-Restorative formula. Woodrue detests Sunderland and the fact that he wields so much control over him, but he concedes to the older man's demands nonetheless.

Jason spends days examining the Swamp Thing; his own vegetative nature gives him a keen insight into the creature's biological structure. While performing a rudimentary autopsy, he finds that the Swamp Thing's body contains non-functional, vegetable versions of normal human organs, such as a heart, brain, liver and kidneys. However, none of them could ever have served any functional purpose due to a lack of any true biological material. He ultimately concludes that the Swamp Thing is not actually Alec Holland, as was previously believed.

Woodrue explains his findings to Sunderland, comparing the Swamp Thing's nature to that of a Planarian worm. He reveals that when Alec's body, doused with the Bio-Restorative formula, came into contact with the swamp, the chemicals reacted with micro-organisms in the environment, producing a unique, yet distinctly separate organism. This organism absorbed the memories and personality of Alec Holland, and in fact, believed that it actually was Alec Holland.

Sunderland has little interest in Woodrue's findings, other than their inherent commercial value. He also has little regard for Woodrue himself, and Jason knows that it is only a matter of time before Sunderland tires of him and sends him back to prison. As Sunderland leaves his office, Woodrue tampers with the old man's computer, unlocking the doors on the laboratories on the lower level.

What Sunderland never realizes, was that a creature like the Swamp Thing, cannot be killed through conventional means. Swamp Thing eventually wakens from his containment housing and finds Woodrue's notes. Having believed himself to be Alec Holland, he always held onto the hope that one day a cure for his condition might be found, and he could resume a normal life. Now learning the truth, he realizes that all hope is lost, and he flies into a frenzy. The Swamp Thing batters down the doors to the laboratory just as General Sunderland is making his way down the corridor. The creature overtakes the old man and kills him.

Elsewhere, Woodrue comments on his fascination with the Swamp Thing, and declares his intention to follow him and learn more.

Appearing in "The Anatomy Lesson"

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Synopsis for "If Superman Didn't Exist..."

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #554.

Superman's destruction of the ancient temple, created by aliens in prehistoric times, creates an alternate timeline in which humans have no violent tendencies and are easily conquered by the aliens. In response, two children imagine Superman coming into existence to defend them--and he does.

Appearing in "If Superman Didn't Exist..."

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  • Jerry (Siegel) (Single appearance)
  • Joe (Shuster) (Single appearance)
  • Jack (Kirby) (Single appearance)
  • Joseph (Simon) (Single appearance)

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  • Zandrians (Flashback and main story) (Single appearance)
    • Captain Wzell Sernip
    • Science Officer Kray
    • Tahn
    • Seedore (Behind the scenes) (Flashback only)

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Synopsis for "Killers Also Smile"

This story is reprinted from Sgt. Rock #391.

Appearing in "Killers Also Smile"

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  • Schutzstaffel
    • Hauptman Mundt (Dies)
    • Lieutenant Baumer (Dies)

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Synopsis for "Guess What's Coming to Dinner?"

This story is reprinted from Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 2) #308.

Colossal Boy brings his Durlan wife home to meet his parents for the first time.

Appearing in "Guess What's Coming to Dinner?"

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  • Servorobots
  • Life Crystal

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Synopsis for "Final Duties"

This story is reprinted from Green Lantern (Volume 2) #177.

Kwo spends his last day as a Green Lantern and he visits many planets from his sector. In Minos III and Minos IV, he stops a train wreck and an earthquake, respectively. He stops an invading fleet of Vrygothians from attacking Krodarr. In Elysium (formerly planet Bloodworld where he had once defeated tyrant K'runak K'ann) he retrieves a lost kite for a small child. He then redirects a meteor storm away from inhabited planet Balgus VI to a new water-covered planet making a small landmass. Then he flies to Oa where his ring is passed on to his successor. Upon leaving, a Guardian asks him if he's satisfied after years of service, and Varrikk nods, thinking to himself that it was a beautiful kite.

Appearing in "Final Duties"

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  • Sector 24
    • Balgus VI
    • Elysium (formerly known as Bloodworld)
    • Krodarr
    • Minos IV
  • Oa

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  • Vrygothian battle-cruisers

Synopsis for "Viva Nebiros!"

This story is reprinted from Blue Devil #5.

Blue Devil and Zatanna Zatara are on the Justice League Satellite searching for Nebiros. Elongated Man, who is still on monitoring duty, finds an intense concentration of mystical energy in northern Mexico and Blue Devil and Zatanna transport there.

In the village of Santa Guadalupe, Nebiros goes on a rampage that there are no longer temples dedicated to him. Using Blue Devil's trident, now imbued with magical energy, causes two long dormant volcanoes to erupt.

Zatanna and Blue Devil, who teleported to Durango, spot the volcanoes. Blue Devil tries, at Zatanna's urgings, to mentally summon the trident but Nebiros senses the attempt and sends some mystical energy to discourage him. They contact the Mexican authorities and are soon aided by General Ruiz of the military. They head in Nebiros' direction.

Nebiros, meanwhile, senses that his temple is not destroyed, just long buried and brings it to the surface. The military begins arriving and Norm Paxton, camera in hand, parachutes to the area with orders from Marla Bloom to film everything.

Marla and Eddie are at in an office hallway where the meet Mel, the attorney who delivered the injunction against Blue Devil, and speak via phone with Jock Verner. Marla tells him she is cancelling the injunction against Blue Devil and Jock and Marla make threats against each other.

In Mexico the military attacks Nebiros and his temple and, in response, Nebiros summons a horde of demons to his aid. Zatanna and Blue Devil launch their own attack, with Norm following close behind. While Zatanna keeps the demons occupied, Blue Devil attacks Nebiros head on. Blue Devil goads Nebiros into throwing the trident at him. Once the trident is free from Nebiros' direct control, Blue Devil tries again to summon it. After a concentration battle, the trident goes to Blue Devil who becomes temporarily affected by the power. Blue Devil uses the magical energy to banish the demons and destroy the temple. Zatanna creates a vortex to suck all the "unearthly elements" back to Nebiros' home dimension but it's not strong enough to pull Nebiros in. Blue Devil pushes him into the vortex with a blast from his trident and Nebiros is once again locked away. Zatanna tells Blue Devil that the trident still has magical energy, then she kisses him and tells him to call her before flying off leaving Blue Devil and Norm left to accept the gratitude of the Mexican people.

Appearing in "Viva Nebiros!"

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  • Blue Devil's Trident

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  • None

Synopsis for "Who Is Donna Troy?"

This story is reprinted from New Teen Titans #38.

Rescued from a burning apartment building as an infant by Wonder Woman and raised by Queen Hippolyta on Paradise Island, Donna (Wonder Girl) Troy has never known her true identity. Now, with their wedding in the offing, Terry Long asks Robin to investigate the secret of Donna's unknown past. At the site of the fire-gutted building, Robin finds a child's doll which Donna vaguely remembers. Subjecting the doll to chemical and computer analysis, he traces it to a kindly old toy shop owner who had once repaired it for a Mrs. Cassiday of Willowbrook Orphanage in Virginia. Locating Mrs. Cassiday in a nursing home in Florida, Dick brings Donna to meet her, and they learn that Donna's mother had brought her to the orphanage when she learned she was dying of cancer. Donna was then adopted by a couple named Stacey. Returning to Virginia, they find the former Mrs. Fay Stacey, now remarried as Fay Evans, and foster mother and daughter are tearfully reunited. Dick and Donna then learn that, two years after Donna's adoption, her foster father had been killed in an accident, and his wife, penniless, had been forced to give Donna up for readoption. Donna is satisfied at this, but Robin investigates further and discovers that the couple who died in the apartment building fire had not adopted Donna, but were go-betweens for a child-selling scheme run by a crooked lawyer. Finally aware of her past, Donna visits the grave of her natural mother, Dorothy Hinckley.

Appearing in "Who Is Donna Troy?"

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  • Sam Channing (Flashback only)
  • William Harrison

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Synopsis for "Babe's Story"

This story is reprinted from Atari Force (Volume 2) #8.

Appearing in "Babe's Story"

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