Swamp Thing senses the Predator in the swamp, and tells the swamp that there's no reason to release it. He asks to handle the situation, but gets no response.
Jack Barnes is working at a construction site when the Predator--a panther--attacks and kills him. Swamp Thing senses the disturbance and arrives too late.
Will is working on his jeep when Swamp Thing approaches him and says that the swamp is in crisis and has unleashed a panther to deal with the threat. He asks Will to find out whatever he can about Barnes, because the swamp is holding him back because it knows that Swamp Thing would try to prevent whatever it's trying to do.
At the construction site office, Will searches through the desk and finds radiation strips. A car pulls up and Will quickly hides. Graham and Andrews come in and Andrews notices that the door is unlocked. Unconcerned, Graham gets a file from a cabinet and says that Anton will be happy about it, and the two men leave.
The panther attacks another man, Steven Dutton, in the streets of Houma. After he hears about it on the radio, Will goes to the hospital and his friend Tim--a doctor--says that Andrews is holding a press conference. He also tells Will that several patients have come down with what appears to be radiation poisoning. Andrews announces that Dutton was killed by a wild swamp panther, and it killed Barnes as well Will asks if Dutton and Barnes were connected, and Andrews ignores him.
Will then asks why Andrews and Graham were pulling files from Barnes' construction site. Andrews says that it was police business and warns that it was police business. When the press picks up the question, Andrews ends the conference and walks off. The medical report says that Dutton was an assistant regional director with the Nuclear Regulatory Committee. Will shows Tim the radiation strips and asks when he gets off work.
Later, Will and Tim go to the fish farm that supplies the restaurant. Will dips the radiation strip into the water and it shows radiation. He confirms that the stream feeding the pond runs by Anton's complex, and the two of them head there.
The swamp kills a third man.
Swamp Thing asks the swamp why it considers him an adversary. He warns that revenge breeds destructiveness.
Will and Tim find a pipe with radioactive waste pumping into the stream. They figure that he has a reactor.
Graham tells Anton that there's something strange about the two deaths. Barnes built the reactor and Dutton supplied the components, and both have been mauled by a species not known for attacking humans. Anton is unconcerned, and Andrews calls to report the third death. The victim is Bill Randal, editor of the Houma Courier-Journal. Anton says that he paid Randall to keep news about the rector out of the newspaper, and Graham goes to put the complex on alert.
Swamp Thing tells Will that the panther will kill Anton and nothing will stand in its way. He warns that if the panther ingests Anton's evil then it will carry it into the world and spread it. Swamp thing asks Will to warn Anton. As Will tries to drive to the complex, a wind spring up and the wheels catch in the mud. Swamp Thing warns that the swamp is using its power to pull Will back. He throws a limb, knocking the jeep free, and Will drives off.
At the complex, the intruder alarms go off. Anton assumes that it's a false alarm, but when Graham calls security he discovers that no one is responding. The panther kills two of the security guards, and the others run off. Anton insists that panthers don't target their prey, but Graham isn't so sure. They spot the panther on the monitors and Anton has Graham seal everything.
Will arrives and finds more dead guards. He takes one of their guns and continues on
Graham tells Anton that the panther is approaching. One guard has remained, and Anton orders him over the loudspeaker to fire tranq darts. He then tells Graham that the panther will kill the guard, but they'll use gas if necessary to subdue the panther. The guard runs to the lab and hits the force field, and the panther enters the lab while the force field resets. Anton shorts out the elevator and then goes to the emergency stairwell. The panther smashes down the door and Graham runs off.
Will finds another dead guard and takes the keys from his body.
The panther advances on Anton and says that the two of them are alike. He yells at Graham to distract it, but Graham cowers behind a desk. Anton activates the elevator control and ducks inside, tells Graham that he'll be back, and leaves. Upstairs, Anton locks the elevator and makes himself comfortable in his bed chamber.
In the lab, Graham goes to the elevator but discovers that the controls don't respond.
Anton pours himself a drink and turns on some classical music. He hears something moving and finds an air vent open. The panther emerges from the shadows, just as the elevator doors open and Will yanks Anton inside. He closes the door and says that he got the passkey from a guard. Will explains that he's there because of Swamp Thing. They get to Will's jeep0 and the panther climbs up on the hood, and Will drives away before it can stop them.
Will drives out into the swamp and Swamp Thing greets them. He warns Anton that he's doomed unless he seeks absolution, as the panther approaches them. Swamp Thing warns that he can't use his powers, and a wind springs up. Anton confesses his sins to the panther and the swamp, admitting that he's made some mistakes but they're honest ones. Swamp Thing tells him to say the truth, and Anton admits that he's killed or mutated many but his experiments will eventually help mankind. He promises to dismantle the reactor and pay for the victim's recoveries.
The panther advances, and Anton drops to his knees and says that he's followed his own path. He finally yells that he has sinned, and the panther walks away.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 31, 2017