Poison Ivy Transforms into Gotham's Creepiest Cryptid as DC Goes Full Lovecraft

Summary A spooky new variant cover for Poison Ivy #26 shows a darker, more sinister side to the character, hinting at a potential chilling transformation.

Ivy's iconic plant powers are given a dark redesign on Sebastián Fiumara's Poison Ivy #26 variant covers, turning the beloved anti-hero into a scary cryptid version of herself.

The haunting variant cover by Sebastián Fiumara sets a foreboding tone for Poison Ivy's next adventure, leaving fans of the character on the edge of their seats.

A new variant cover featuring Poison Ivy depicts the villain turned anti-hero as one of the most spine-chilling creatures to hit DC Comics, as an ancient, eldritch evil rises to destroy Gotham. As an iconic member of Batman’s rogues gallery, Ivy’s plant powers and environmentalist nature have made her much more sympathetic than the usual villain. However, a new variant cover for October 2024’s issue of Poison Ivy gives the character her most evil and sinister look yet.

Sebastián Fiumara’s variant cover for Poison Ivy #26 gives the character red glowing eyes to match her fiery hair, and she callously stares straight forward with seemingly wicked intent. Ivy has recently become more heroic, making this a stark, ominous departure for the character.

POISON IVY #26 (2024) Release Date: October 2, 2024 Writers: G. Willow Wilson Artists: Marcia Takara Cover Artist: Jessica Fong Variant Covers: Jenny Frison, Noobovich, Sebastián Fiumara, Kelley Jones, & Daniel Sampere As she contends with a brand-new life and restored powers, Poison Ivy resumes her wrathful and just war for the balance of the natural world. Her latest mission: to restore life to the wetlands that Gotham City’s industrial waste has destroyed. But her goals are upended when she unintentionally resurrects an ancient place from Gotham’s past and with it…something hungry. Meanwhile, cleansing fires burn across America, seeking to rid the country of human influence. And somehow, Poison Ivy is to blame. Join the GLAAD Media Award-winning team of G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara for the third year of their beautiful, bleak, and blistering series. You won’t want to miss out.

​​​​​​The horror-style cover shrouds Pamela Isley’s villain persona in darkness, plants and weeds tangling around her torso and arms as well as a skull in front of her. If Ivy will take a disturbing turn or if this cover is just to celebrate the Halloween season still remains to be seen.

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Poison Ivy Undergoes A Nightmare-Fuel Transformation This Fall

Poison Ivy #26 – Variant Cover By Sebastián Fiumara

The solicitation for Poison Ivy #26 ominously hints that Ivy may have awakened “something hungry” along with the mysterious land she has uncovered.

After Poison Ivy has been killed and resurrected in the pages of her solo comic, she may have brought something sinister with her from the afterlife that is being reflected in Fiumara’s creepy cover. Poison Ivy #24 by G. Willow Wilson, Haining, Arif Prianto, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou saw Ivy’s resurrection with the help of Solomon Grundy, communicating with a mysterious force in the process that warned her about violating the Green and the Grey of the DC universe. In her rebirth, Poison Ivy embraced her status as both hero and environmentally-charged villain and seemingly awakened a mysterious land within Gotham.

The solicitation for Poison Ivy #26 ominously hints that Ivy may have awakened “something hungry” along with the mysterious land she has uncovered. With few details thus far, it could be speculated that this unknown hungry being may be responsible for Ivy making a return to her villainous nature or even possessing her, turning her into the sinister cryptid on Fiumara’s variant cover. Though the cover could just be a spooky Halloween concept for the character, it seems Poison Ivy’s solo comic will take an eerie and foreboding turn in upcoming issues.

Poison Ivy’s depiction as a chilling and haunting creature is right out of a horror movie, and DC shows just how terrifying the character could be if her power was truly unleashed.

Poison Ivy's Cryptid Transformation Could Hint At A Darker Fate For The Character

Could Her Hero Days Be Numbered?

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If the frightening Fiumara cover is just a chilling Halloween treat for fans, it won’t mark the only scary crossover for October 2024. DC’s solicitations announced two horror comics also debuting alongside Poison Ivy’s variant, DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos and DC Horror Presents… #1. Horror icon and star of both DC and Marvel movies David Dastmalchian will write the Creature Commandos book and a story in the DC Horror Presents… anthology alongside other all-star creators. More variant covers for Halloween could also still be revealed, along with a “Trick or Treat” variant for Poison Ivy #26 by Kelley Jones.

Regardless of whether the variant cover will reflect the actual issue’s content or if it is just a spine-tingling piece of art, Fiumara’s stunning and scary cover is beautiful nightmare-fuel for any Poison Ivy fan. If the iconic villain and anti-hero did take this dramatic and sinister turn, it appears that Gotham would never be the same. Poison Ivy’s depiction as a chilling and haunting creature is right out of a horror movie, and DC shows just how terrifying the character could be if her power was truly unleashed.

Poison Ivy #26 will be available October 2, 2024 from DC Comics.