Swamp Thing Will Be the Guardian of Injustice 2’s Earth

As we draw closer to the arrival of NetherRealm Studios' Injustice 2, the developer continues teasing us with roster reveals for the upcoming fighting game set in an alternate DC Universe. While to this point we've mostly seen some of the more traditional heroes and villains from the comics make their way into the game, today's announcement came out of left field.

The Guardian of Earth himself, the Swamp Thing, will be joining the fight between Batman and Superman (and Brainiac) this May. Thanks to a new gameplay trailer, we now know how Swamp Thing will attempt to bring green peace to the world of Injustice.

IGN debuted the footage as part of its Injustice 2 exclusive programming this month, but more important than where it showed up is what it showed. Swamp Thing hasn't always been mixing and mingling with the heroes of the DCU proper, but has had a more prominent role in the superhero realm since the New 52. That more modern incarnation of the character has clearly served as inspiration, as Swamp Thing in Injustice 2 has some big bark armor protecting his body, and he busts out the wings he got in his solo series in celebration of a victory.

Swamp Thing appears to have some strong mid-ranged combat, as he can use vines and other forest elements to control distance. He's also got a bit of that NetherRealm ninja skill, as he can vanish into the ground and summon some clones to help in his battle for... good? It's not really clear yet which side of the conflict Swamp Thing is on, but we'll likely learn more about that before Injustice 2 hits shelves. His super attack is appropriately Earth-based, and the irony of his attack on Damian Wayne isn't lost on anyone who knows the comic prequel. Too bad Damian didn't befall the same fate as Dick Grayson.

Injustice 2 will be available on May 16 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.