Am I the only one who remembers this comic series?
"Eco Squad" was an obscure 90's superhero comic that was part environmentalist tract and part Grand Canyon tourism advert.
I got the first 2 issues in a gift shop at the Grand Canyon when I was 9. I rediscovered them while digging through my closet recently and bought the last two issues.
The comic has a setup reminiscent of Captain Planet: Mother Earth selects people to become environmentalist superheroes and summons them to the Grand Canyon.
Their leader is Chasm, who wields a magic crossbow and can telepathically communicate with animals. The team includes super-strong geologist Alp, shape-shifting paleontologist Rex, mystical Native American stereotype Soothsayer, hydrokinetic marine biologist Deluge, and Wolverine-esque loner swordsman Wolf.
The villains are similarly nature-themed. Dr. Arachnid is a cyborg with a centaur-like scorpion body who represents technology and development. Roughcutt has chainsaws on his arms and represents deforestation. Ardent is pyrokinetic and represents forest fires (this was before the scientific consensus that forest fires in moderation are beneficial). Litterbug...litters. Wylde Beast and Rock Solid...are also there.
There are only four issues: One centered on Chasm, one showing the origin of the team, and two dealing with a time-travel adventure that ends in a cliffhanger.
Since it was published by the Grand Canyon Association, its environmentalist message is combined with messages specifically about Grand Canyon science, history, and safety.
Why am I writing all this? I guess I just wanted to preserve the memory of a mostly-forgotten nostalgic piece of my childhood. There is just one article online talking about it.
It's as silly and pulpy as you'd expect a 1990's low-budget Captain Planet-ripoff to be but I still enjoy it for what it is. I have a soft-spot for crassly-promotional tie-in comics like Ulysses Solomon Archer, Rom the Spaceknight, and Superpro. It's always interesting to see if someone can make a serviceable story out of a property whose job is ultimately to sell something. And this one passes.
