In Honor of Arbor Day: Top Five Green Friendly Characters in Comic Books
There are a multitude of reasons why we, as human beings, should be grateful to the trees. Oftentimes, we drive past them in a hurry to get where we are going, not taking a moment to pause and consider what it is that they give us. Trees provide us with oxygen, food and even the paper that the books we love are printed on.
With Arbor Day (April 27th) in mind, I’ve listed my top five green-friendly characters in comic books. Whether they are strictly friendly to plants and hostile to others, or comprised entirely OF plants, these are the most eco-conscious (whether they mean to be or not) characters in comics.
Swamp Thing (Swamp Thing, Pictured Above): Poor Alec Holland is just a mild mannered scientist, attempting to help the world grow some new vegetation. After a bomb explodes in his lab, Holland finds himself flaming and covered in his own formula. He shambles toward the Louisiana swamp only to fall into the water, dead.
Moments later, a walking plant creature that thinks itself to be Holland emerges from the swamp. With a plethora of plant based powers, Swamp Thing becomes the swamp’s protector.
Black Tom Cassidy (The X-Men): Thomas “Black Tom” Cassidy is the proverbial bad apple. Cousin of Banshee, Black Tom has the power to focus energy through a wooden shillelagh. This ability allows him to create concussive blasts to knock his enemies for a loop.
Over time, Tom’s powers continue to evolve, allowing him to become a half plant, half human creature, thus making him nearly impossible to destroy.
Mervyn “Merv” Pumpkinhead (The Sandman): In a world filled with gods and monsters, heroes and villains, Merv is just your every day Joe, that is, of course, forgetting the fact that he has a pumpkin for a head.
The always put-upon Merv works as the janitor of the Dreaming. In a place where almost anything is possible, Merv functions well as a grounding voice. With a cigarette hanging out of the jagged gash in his pumpkin head, Merv is always ready with a sarcastic remark.
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Poison Ivy (Batman): Though there has been more than one incarnation of the beautiful and dangerous Batman villain, the most well known is Pamela Isley. Isley is a shy college student working under the watchful eyes of Doctors Alec Holland (sound familiar?) and Jason Woodrue.
Woodrue seduces Pamela and then uses his power over her to make her a subject in a series of experiments. The experiments eventually drive Pamela insane, leaving her with ever changing moods and the power to control pheromones. Set free in Gotham City, Poison Ivy has proven herself to be one of Batman’s most dangerous and cunning villains.
Krakoa (X-Men): A living island. Need I say more? Okay, so the giant, sentient island doesn’t make a lot of appearances in the X-Men canon. But this bizarre mutant is a.) largely responsible for the formation of the new X-Men and b.) it is a living island that can get up and move around.
Did we miss any characters that you’re particularly fond of? Leave them in the comments!
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