Comics and History: The Environment

Iron Man and the Justice League of America took up the mantel of environmentalism in 1970 – the same year as the first Earth Day – battling against pollution in both Marvel and DC comics. Namor the Submariner, meanwhile, railed against humans using the ocean as a dumping ground during a speech at the United Nations. Green Arrow battled toxic waste with the assistance of Batman and Catwoman, and a group of Marvel teenagers known as the Champions discovered that combating climate change wasn’t easy – even for superheroes.

The Justice League of America Battles Pollution

In a DC comic published to coincided with the first Earth Day in April 1970, the Justice League of America encounter a burning river similar to the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland at the time.

Namor: The Santa Barbara Oil Spill

In conjunction with the first Earth Day and one year after an environmental disaster struck off the coast of California, the king of Atlantis warned surface-dwellers against polluting the oceans.

Iron Man and the First Earth Day

In conjunction with the first Earth Day in April 1970, Tony Stark tells a group of businessmen the story of how Iron Man and Namor prevented an environmental disaster on Meridian Island.

Green Arrow: The Population Bomb

In their 1968 book The Population Bomb, Paul and Anne Ehrlich warned against overpopulation and dangers to the environment, issues also explored by Green Arrow and Green Lantern.

Green Arrow: Love Canal and Toxic Waste

In 1986, Green Arrow teamed with Batman to expose the dangers of toxic waste from a chemical plant, similar to how residents of Love Canal fought against exposure in their own community.

Green Arrow: Toxic Revenge

The Emerald Archer investigates a series of strange murders tied to a chemical company and housing community that shares similarities with toxic contamination in Afton, North Carolina.

Champions: Mitigating Climate Change

The teenage Marvel superhero team the Champions have been strong proponents of climate change mitigation, and even featured an environmental activist similar to Greta Thunberg.

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