Floronic Man

{{Infobox comics character

| character_name = Floronic Man

| image = FloronicMan.jpg

| imagesize = 200

| caption = Floronic Man as depicted in Saga of the Swamp Thing #24 (May 1984).
Art by Steve Bissette and John Totleben.

| real_name = Jason Woodrue

| species = Metahuman

| publisher = DC Comics

| debut = As Jason Woodrue:
The Atom #1 (June–July 1962)
As the Floronic Man:
The Flash #245 (November 1976)
As the Seeder:
Swamp Thing #21 (February 1984)

| creators = Gardner Fox
Gil Kane

| alliances = Injustice Gang
New Guardians
Secret Society of Super Villains

| aliases = Dr. Jason Woodrue
The Plant Master
Floro
The Seeder

| powers = * Plant manipulation

Botany expertise

}}

The Floronic Man (Jason Woodrue), also known as the Plant Master, Floro, and the Seeder, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.{{Cite book | last = Greenberger | first = Robert | author-link = Robert Greenberger | contribution = Floronic Man | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The DC Comics Encyclopedia | page = 128 | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | place = New York | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0-7566-4119-1 | oclc = 213309017}}

The character has been portrayed in live-action by John Glover in the 1997 film Batman & Robin and Kevin Durand in the DC Universe series Swamp Thing.

Publication history

He first appeared as an enemy of the Atom in The Atom #1 and was created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane.{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=McAvennie |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |title=DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-8578-6 |page=99}} His Floronic Man appearance first appeared in the Green Lantern backup in The Flash #245. His Seeder appearance first appeared in Swamp Thing #21. He became known as "Floro" and a superhero, in The New Guardians.

Fictional character biography

Dr. Jason Woodrue first appears in The Atom #1 (June–July 1962). Woodrue is an exile from an interdimensional world (Floria){{Cite comic | Writer = Veitch, Rick | Artist = Ewins, Brett | Story = The Secret Origin of The Guardians of the Universe | Title = Secret Origins | Volume = 2 | Issue = #23 | Date = February 1988 | Publisher = DC Comics}} inhabited by dryads. Woodrue, sometimes called the Plant Master, uses his botanical knowledge to control plants in an attempt to take over the world. He is defeated by the superhero Atom. The Plant Master returns to face the AtomThe Atom #24 (April–May 1966). DC Comics. and the Justice League.Justice League of America #61 (March 1968). DC Comics.

In The Flash #245 (November 1976), Woodrue uses an experimental formula to transform into a plant hybrid. Now calling himself the Floronic Man, he is defeated by Green Lantern.{{cite book |last =Rovin |first =Jeff |title =The Encyclopedia of Supervillains |publisher =Facts on File |date =1987 |location =New York |isbn = 0-8160-1356-X |pages=131–132}} After a rematch with the Atom and Wonder Woman,Super-Team Family #14. DC Comics. the Floronic Man joins the Secret Society of Super-Villains.The Secret Society of Super-Villains #11 (December 1977). DC Comics.

In The Saga of the Swamp Thing, Woodrue discovers that Swamp Thing is not Alec Holland, but an intelligent plant who absorbed his memories.

In The Saga of the Swamp Thing (vol. 2) #22 (March 1984), the Floronic Man uses Swamp Thing to contact the Green, a force that connects all plant life on Earth. The Green abandons Floronic Man, who is taken into custody by the Justice League after undergoing a mental breakdown.The Saga of the Swamp Thing (vol. 2) #24 (May 1984). DC Comics.

Black Orchid (1988) reveals that Jason Woodrue was previously a university professor and taught botany to Alec Holland and Pamela Isley.

In Millennium, Woodrue briefly joins the New Guardians as Floro.

Image:FloroIvy.jpg #57 (December 1996). Art by Dave Taylor.]]

The Floronic Man returns in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #56 (November 1996). After breaking Poison Ivy out of Arkham with his two underlings Holly and Eva, Floronic Man attempts to distribute cannabis throughout Gotham City before Batman kills him.Starman (vol. 2) #33–35 (August–October 1997). DC Comics.JLA #115–119 (August–November 2005). DC Comics.

In Infinite Crisis, the Floronic Man appears as a member of Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains and takes part in the Battle of Metropolis.Infinite Crisis #7. DC Comics.

In the post-Infinite Crisis DCU, Woodrue is responsible for Pamela Isley's transformation into Poison Ivy.{{cite web |url=http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/heroes_and_villains/?hv=origin_stories/poison_ivy&p=1 |title=DCU | Heroes and Villains |publisher=Dccomics.com |date=2010-04-21 |access-date=2011-03-22 |archive-date=2012-02-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209235233/http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/heroes_and_villains/?hv=origin_stories%2Fpoison_ivy&p=1 |url-status=dead }}

In The New 52 continuity reboot, Woodrue is reimagined as the Seeder, deriving power from the Green.Swamp Thing (vol. 2) Annual #1. DC Comics.Swamp Thing (vol. 5) #24 (Dec. 2013). DC Comics. He is later killed in battle with the avatar of the Gray.

Powers and abilities

In his original form, Jason Woodrue has advanced knowledge of botany, which he utilizes it to accelerate plant growth. As the Floronic Man, Woodrue can merge with and control plants.Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol 1 #8 (October 1985). DC Comics.Swamp Thing Vol 5 #27 (March 2014). DC Comics.

Other versions

An alternate timeline variant of Jason Woodrue appears in Flashpoint Beyond. This version has become Swamp Thing and created an oasis to accommodate refugees and repent for his previous crimes.Flashpoint Beyond #3. DC Comics.

In other media

=Television=

A character loosely based on Jason Woodrue as Plant Master named Straal appears in The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure episode "The Plant Master", voiced by Ted Knight. He is a scientist who discovered a way to use wave patterns to increase plant growth.
Jason Woodrue appears in Swamp Thing, portrayed by Kevin Durand.{{cite web |last=Boucher |first=Geoff |date=November 12, 2018 |title=DC Universe: Lost Actor Kevin Durand Joins Swamp Thing As Villain |url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/dc-universe-lost-actor-kevin-durand-joins-swamp-thing-1202499529/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112225353/https://deadline.com/2018/11/dc-universe-lost-actor-kevin-durand-joins-swamp-thing-1202499529/ |archive-date=November 12, 2018 |access-date=November 16, 2018 |work=Deadline Hollywood}} This version seeks to use the properties of Marais, Louisiana's swamp to cure his wife Carolyn's Alzheimer's disease. After learning of the eponymous Swamp Thing, Woodrue collects and eats some of his plant matter before attempting to force Carolyn to do the same, only to be interrupted by Abby Arcane and the Marais Police Department. Woodrue later experiments on himself and transforms into the Floronic Man.
Jason Woodrue as the Floronic Man appears in the fifth season of Harley Quinn, voiced by John Slattery. This version is a botany professor who pursued an affair with his student Pamela Isley, during which he turned her into Poison Ivy via a chemical spill in a failed attempt at killing her after trying to steal her research to claim as his own. In the present, she seeks revenge on him by exposing him to similar chemicals, only to unknowingly turn him into the Floronic Man.

=Film=

Image:JasonWoodrue-johnglover.jpg.]]

Jason Woodrue appears in Batman & Robin, portrayed by John Glover. This version is a Wayne Enterprises scientist who operates in the Amazon rainforest and uses plant toxins to create a super-soldier serum called "Venom". While experimenting on Bane, Woodrue's assistant Pamela Isley discovers his criminal nature. He shoves her into a shelf of chemicals in an attempt to kill her, but she transforms into Poison Ivy, kills him, and escapes with Bane.
Floronic Man was reportedly featured in David S. Goyer's unproduced script Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max as an inmate of the titular metahuman prison.{{cite web|url=http://latinoreview.com/news/supermax-green-arrow-story-details-villains-inmates-gallery-4673|title=Supermax: Green Arrow Story Details + Villains/Inmates Gallery|last=Mayimbe|first=El|work=LatinoReview.com|date=May 19, 2008|access-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013133359/http://latinoreview.com/news/supermax-green-arrow-story-details-villains-inmates-gallery-4673|archive-date=October 13, 2008|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}
Floronic Man was planned to appear in Guillermo del Toro's Justice League Dark.{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Matt |date=April 1, 2013 |title=JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Details from Guillermo Del Toro, Reveals another Character on the Team, and More |url=https://collider.com/justice-league-dark-details-guillermo-del-toro/ |access-date= |website=Collider |language=en}}
Floronic Man appears in Batman and Harley Quinn, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.{{Cite web |last=Roman |first=Julian |date=August 30, 2017 |title=Batman and Harley Quinn Review: A Campy, Sex-Fueled 90s Nostalgia Trip |url=https://movieweb.com/batman-and-harley-quinn-movie-review-2017/ |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=MovieWeb |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Floronic Man / Jason Woodrue Voice - Batman and Harley Quinn (Movie) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Batman-and-Harley-Quinn/Floronic-Man-Jason-Woodrue/ |access-date=July 13, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.

=Video games=

Jason Woodrue as the Floronic Man appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Andrew |date=October 2, 2013 |title=DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/scribblenauts-unmasked/DC_Characters_and_Objects |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=IGN |language=en}}