In the middle of the night, Jim sneaks out of his room and goes into the swamp. Swamp Thing approaches him and tells him to go home, warning that it's going to become dangerous. Jim figures that Swamp Thing believe sin the legends of the Swamp Maiden, and figures that he'll never get another chance to see her. He's meeting Obo in ten minutes and leaves.
Ten minutes later, Obo rows up to where Jim is waiting. Jim assures him that he never would have chicken out. Obo tells him not to kiss the Swamp Maiden, and explains that the Maiden's kiss turns the victim into a monster. They row off into the swamp and make camp, and Jim dozes off. Obo pours him some coffee and wakes him up, and Swamp Thing watches them from the water. He steps onto the ground and sinks his leg into the earth, letting him control the swamp and sink the fire into the ground. Despite Swamp Thing's efforts to scare them, Jim and Obo figure that it's a sinkhole, and Obo refuses to let it spook him off. Jim reluctantly agrees and they go to find the Maiden.
The two boys head further into the swamp and Obo is caught in a net trap. A man, Greg Dunbar, steps out and frees Obo, and explains that he's a tabloid journalist. He plans to trap the legendary "Swamp Thing" for his magazine. Jim insists that it's a legend, but Obo tells Greg about the legend of Swamp Thing. Greg offers them $25 to take a few pictures of the Maiden if she shows up. Jim negotiates for $50 and Greg agrees.
As Swamp Thing stands on the shore, the Maiden emerges from the water. He finds her footprints leading away and follows them.
Jim and Obo move through the brush and see the Maiden in the water. She swims away and Obo goes to get a closer look. The Maiden swims toward him and says that she knows he's been watching her. Obo says that she's beautiful, and the Maiden invites him to kiss her. Jim yells to Obo to run, but he leans over to kiss the Maiden. As Jim snaps a photo, Obo is transformed into a man-sized frog-creature and chases Jim into the brush.
Greg hears Jim yelling for help and tells the boy to lead the Obo-creature toward the net. When Jim does so, the net snares the monster. Greg takes photos and the Obo-creature breaks free. The journalist leads Jim away to his trailer before the monster can catch them.
Swamp Thing finds the Maiden, who says that she wants the night to be hers. He refuses to allow her to cause devastation, but the Maiden just laughs an d says she will put an end to Swamp Thing's domination of the swamp. The Maiden says that she transformed Obo, and refuses to break her spell on him before swimming away.
Jim and Greg run to Greg's trailer, and the Obo-creature tries to break in. As the reporter loads a gun, Swamp Thing arrives and fights the Obo-creature. Greg goes out to take photos, and Swamp Thing tosses the monster across the clearing. Swamp Thing tells him that no one must find out about him or he will make Greg part of the swamp for eternity. He tells Greg to get Jim home safely, and as Jim comes out tells them that he'll see to Obo.
Greg drives his trailer to the Kipp home and drops Jim off. Jim warns that Swamp Thing will turn Greg into something creepy if he writes about Swamp Thing, and Greg admits that no one would believe him if he did.
As Swamp Thing examines the unconscious Obo-creature, the Maiden arrives. She tells Swamp Thing to break the spell if he wants Obo restored to normal, and says that since Swamp Thing is half mortal he can't resist her beauty. The Maiden is unable to bedazzle him, and she runs off daring Swamp Thing to capture her... and transforms into a hag. Swamp Thing goes after her and the Maiden attacks him. They fight and Swamp Thing finally grabs her and orders her to change Obo back. The Maiden does so, transforms back into her human form, and goes back to where she came.
The next morning, Obo and Jim go back to look for the camera that Jim dropped. They find it and the photo shows the Maiden. Obo thinks that he slept through the entire thing, and Jim plays along. He says that he'll try again in three years when the Maiden returns, but Jim says that he'll have to do it alone. Meanwhile, Swamp Thing watches them from the brush.
Written by Gadfly on May 31, 2017