Comic Title: Swamp Thing #71
Publisher: DC
Imprint: Vertigo
Cover Date: April 1988
On Sale Date: December 22, 1987 Shipping Date December 22, 1987
Source: DC Releases, #47

Shipping Date December 22, 1987
Source: Amazing Heroes, #132

Copyright Date December 22, 1987
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1987

Cover Price: $1.25
Page Count: 32
Editor: Karen Berger

Title: "Fear of Flying"
Pages: 24

Feature(s):
Swamp Thing (Post-Crisis)

Writer/Penciller: Rick Veitch
Inker: Alfredo P. Alcala
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Tatjana Wood

Reprinted In:
Swamp Thing:Spontaneous Generation TPB (2006)

Feature Character(s)

• Swamp Thing (last appearance in Swamp Thing #70; next appearance in Swamp Thing #72)

Supporting Character(s)

• John Constantine (last appearance in Swamp Thing #70; next appearance in Swamp Thing #72)
• Abby Cable (last appearance in Swamp Thing #70; next appearance in Swamp Thing #72)
• Sprout (last appearance in Swamp Thing #69; next appearance in Swamp Thing #72)

Villain(s)

• Wild Thing (last appearance in Swamp Thing #69; next appearance in Swamp Thing #72)

Guest Appearance(s)

• Roy Raymond (last appearance in Swamp Thing #69; next appearance in Swamp Thing #72)

Other Character(s)

• Lipchitz (last appearance in Swamp Thing #69; next appearance in Swamp Thing #72)
• Gary Holland (an airline passenger; dies in this story; no further appearances)
• Dogbum (last appearance in Swamp Thing #70; next appearance in Swamp Thing #73)
• Dan Jenkins and Bill (tv news reporters; no further appearances)
• Snuffy (dies in this story; last appearance in Swamp Thing #70; next appearance in Swamp Thing #73)
• Dr. Robert Huntoon (last appearance in Swamp Thing #70; next appearance in Swamp Thing #79)
• Proctor (an airport security guard; no further appearances)
• Various airplane passengers (all die in this story; no further appearances)

Comments:
This story is continued from Swamp Thing #70.

Synopsis:
Swamp Thing and John Constantine try to repair the damage done to the Green by finding a proper host for the Sprout. John identifies an airplane that will crash in Slaughter Swamp. He tries to identify the man who will make a proper host and is forced to board the plane before takeoff. He eventually finds Gary Holland, who will serve as host, and gives him a talisman.

Meanwhile, Swamp Thing travels to the moon where he has stored the Sprout in a piece of lichen on a moon lander left behind by America's space program. While returning to Earth with the Sprout he passes a large numbers of human spirits trapped on Earth's plane of existence. He guides them toward the light, then continues on to meet Constantine.

Swamp Thing arrives in Slaughter Swamp at the site of the plane crash. Constantine is the only survivor. John is angry because the spirits Swamp Thing helped to cross over were the plane's passengers including Gary Holland. Without Holland's spirit, they are unable to bond him to the Sprout.