Swamp Thing #88: The Comic Censored Because of Jesus

The world of comics is not short of twists and turns. But few have been as controversial as Swamp Thing #88 , a comic book written, drawn, and ready for print that was suddenly canceled by DC Comics in 1989. The reason? A scene in which the protagonist would have come face to face with... Jesus of Nazareth .

In the late 1980s, writer Rick Veitch was taking Swamp Thing on a journey through time. Issue #88 was to be set in first-century Palestine , with the swamp creature witnessing one of the Bible's most poignant episodes: the night of Gethsemane, shortly before Jesus' arrest.

The intent wasn't blasphemous. On the contrary, Veitch wanted to address the subject in a profound and respectful way, imagining Swamp Thing as a silent witness to Christ's final moments. But when DC executives read the script, alarm bells went off.

Although the project had already been approved and drawn , the publishing house's top brass decided at the last minute to halt its publication . Fearing negative reactions from religious audiences and the media, DC ordered the issue replaced with a less "sensitive" story.

An outraged Rick Veitch left the series and ended his association with the publisher. Swamp Thing #88 thus became a ghost comic : completed, but never printed.

News of the censorship spread quickly, fueling curiosity and controversy. Copies of the script and pencil drawings began circulating unofficially among collectors and enthusiasts. The title of the comic, Morning of the Magician , is now legendary among DC readers.

Many still ask: is it right to censor a story just because it deals with a religious theme? And if the author truly wanted to pay homage to the figure of Jesus, wasn't this a missed opportunity?

The case of Swamp Thing #88 remains one of the most notorious examples of editorial self-censorship . In an era when comics were trying to evolve and tackle adult themes, fear of religious controversy prevailed.

And while that issue still lies unpublished in the DC archives, its memory lives on thanks to the fan community. A reminder that, sometimes, the most interesting story is the one that's never been told.