A preview for Poison Ivy #16 by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara picks up with Ivy ing by a man she infected during her plot to destroy the human race with a Last of Us-like fungus called Ophiocordyceps Lamia. She ended up abandoning this plan once she faced off against the man that made her, Jason Woodrue, and realized that not all humans are as bad as she believed. However, the leftover fungus that has been lying dormant has begun to evolve and could become something far worse than she could ever imagine.

The way that Chuck is constantly coughing with the rash from the fungus growing worse, it's clear that Ivy did not calculate for how this new species could adapt in the wild.

A Wild Strain of Ivy's Fungus Could Carry Out Her Long-Abandoned Plot

This wild version of the Lamia isn't completely new in DC canon as the revelation was first made in Poison Ivy #10 that they have secretly changed the entire planet. However, now their effects are beginning to show all over the U.S. in the people that Ivy thought would remain forever dormant. Chuck was in "one of a dozen towns" Ivy spread her fungus through while attempting to reach Seattle to activate her final plans. Now, it's beginning to show and it's completely out of her control. Based on Chuck continuing to live his life as a factory worker with a minor cough, it's clear that the strain is keeping him alive long enough to continue spreading the fungus. This is exactly what Ivy wanted during her cross-country trip but ultimately ditched when she realized it wasn't the right way to go about things. However, wild fungi have no morals, and they're prepared to carry out what she ended.

This Strain of Lamia Could Be Beyond Ivy's Control

What's even scarier about this version of the fungus is that it looks like it has sured Ivy herself in of control. It's reached a point in its evolutionary cycle that renders it unphased by Ivy's powers, allowing itself to spread. She could have easily stopped the fungus from growing in Chuck when she ed him in the grocery store since it's no longer what she wants, but the wild strain has grown past her power level. It will continue to grow and manifest until it reaches a point where it will be unstoppable. No matter what Ivy does, she may not be able to stop what's coming.

The dawn of the Lamia wild strain will begin to take hold when Poison Ivy #16 hits comic stands on November 7, 2023. There's no telling how many people are going to die before Ivy learns how to channel her abilities enough to put a stop to the wild strain. This naturally grown fungus has a mind of its own, and unless she works fast, Poison Ivy will unintentionally become the true deadliest villain to ever come from Gotham.

Look for Poison Ivy #16 on November 7 from DC Comics!