For most of their existence , comic book have been perceived as two things : 1 ) entertainment for children , and 2 ) direful , ethics - erode amusement for children . to strike back against these perceived problem , Marvel and DC have frequently produced public - divine service announcement cartoon strip , generally relate to as PSAs , using their superheroes to push consciousness of things need to be aware of , or warn kids about tough matter like drugs , sex and landmines . Since these comics were educational and give out for free , they were almost constantly terrible and lame . But a few of them were abominable and insane . Here are 10 comics that were significantly mad than they were educational .
1 ) Superman and Wonder Woman : The Hidden sea wolf
DC Comics , the U.S. Department of Defense , UNICEF and the Mine Action Center joined together to put out this PSA comic promote “ landmine awareness . ” While it ’s super - depressing to call back there are areas of the macrocosm where children have to be secernate to watch out for landmines , this comedian does feature Supes and Wonder Woman teach three kids about landmine protective covering in the least superheroic way possible — specifically , with placard and graphs . Admittedly , they do trot out a kid who had been a dupe of a landmine explosion , which would in all likelihood be a traumatically effective lesson , but it ’s just one that require Superman to teach it . Besides , if Superman had the time to make bill , then should n’t he have had the time to apply his Adam - ray vision to get hold the mine and remove them ? Would n’t that be a more effective use of his time ?
2 ) Spider - Man and Power Pack Vs . Sex Abuse
This infamous PSA comic from Marvel , the National Committee For Prevention of Child Abuse , and the NEA was release in 1984 , but it is n’t about Spider - Man sexually abusing Power Pack , if that ’s what you were wondering . Peter Parker hears the kid in the flat next room access getting ill-treat by his giant sitter ( you’re able to read the issue here ; she ’s gargantuan ) , but add up over as Spider - Man before it catch too far . Spidey then comfort the male child by telling him about the sentence that he was molested by his booster Skip ( Spidey does n’t name himself in the floor , but it ’s very distinctly a young Peter Parker in the comedian ) . Tony tells his parent , and Spider - Man admits to himself that he ’s been living with the crippling shame and guilt of Skip ’s ill-treatment until that very import . Fun ! The 2d story stars Power Pack , who track down for a classmate who ran aside from dwelling house because her father sexually abused her and her female parent did n’t believe it . They find her , and Power Pack ’s mom give her a hotline number . Thanks , Power Pack . Thanks for using your incredible major power to open a telephone book .
3 ) The New Teen Titans Vs . Drugs
4 ) Captain America give way to War Against drug
5 ) Supergirl and Seat Belt Safety
Supergirl starred in two can belt PSA comics in the mid-‘80s , thanks to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Honda . In the weirder of the two , Supergirl is force back two random kid to an undisclosed localisation . The shaver fall asleep , and stargaze they aim into a town of fairy tale character , all of whom are in cars , and all of whom are dire drivers . They see fortuity after accident — Humpty Dumpty is crack up , the Big Bad Wolf bunk into the Little Old Woman Who live in a Shoe , and Supergirl has to catch two of the Three Little Pigs after they ’re forcibly discharge from their truck during a smash — on their room to see the Crash Test Dummies perform some kind of show ( not the band , natch ) . Then the kids wake up . Still , the large enquiry stay : Would n’t this comic have been slightly more effective with a superhero who could n’t fell ?
6 ) Batman : Death of Innocents
DC actually made two other anti - landmine cartoon strip ; one starring Superman , and this one , mostly notable because Batman is agree a dead minor on the masking . But if anything , the story inside is even bleaker — Bruce Wayne visits the formerly civil warfare - torn country of Kravia , where he find out that Wayne Enterprises employee Ted Orbley and his girl Sarah ’s friend were kill by a landmine , while Sarah was entrance by rebels . Batman rescues her in standard Batman fashion , but as she and Bruce Wayne wait for their aeroplane to get out of Kravia , Sarah pick up a toy on the basis … which of grade happens to be a landmine . And explodes . Even the Joker thinks that ’s kind of dark . in any event , the moral ? NEVER PLAY WITH ANY miniature EVER .
7 ) Spider - Man : Riot at Robotworld
- Captain America touch the Asthma Monster
A tike name John is so unrestrained to meet Captain America at a mall appearance he gives himself an asthma flack . At the doctor ’s , he receives an inhalator and fill Ruth , a fellow asthma martyr . Meanwhile , a a villain emerges … one whose diabolical plan is to go around to uncomplicated school and give kids asthma . Thanks to their inhalator , Jack and Ruth are resistant from the Asthma Monster ’s attack , so in rage he heads off to belt down their doctor or something . Captain America finally steps in , nibble up the kids , and explains that he had asthma attack as a minor but the first-rate - soldier serum cured him , meaning there once was a curative for asthma but the Nazis destroy it . Sorry , minor ! Enjoy sucking on those inhaler for the next 60 years ! When they get to the doctor ’s office , the kids spray the Monster with their inhalers , which reveals that the Monster is just an adult with asthma , who decided make a supervillain suit and attack children was a much more reasonable result to his situation than just puzzle an inhaler himself .
9 ) Heroes Against Hunger
Published in 1986 , this comic features Batman and Superman trying to fasten the Ethiopian dearth . Ubermensch brings topsoil for farming , while WayneCorp is shipping in food — all of which is destruct by “ The Master , ” who is n’t a dude with any superpowers or any apparent schedule other than being an asshole to starving people . While Superman “ defeats ” the Master , Batman call for Lex Luthor for avail with the famine spot , who correspond only so he can deliver the goods where Superman break . After Superman bring fresh , clean surface soil , Lex develop a super - plant growth recipe … to absolutely no effect . A Peace Corps worker tells them that the ground in Ethiopia is so screwed from year of pitiable land that it ’ll take twelvemonth to get . shortage : 1 , the combined efforts of Superman , Batman and Lex Luthor : 0 .
10 ) Spider - Man Vs . the Prodigy
This 1976 comic is the most fabled of the superhero PSAs , and for secure reason . When Spider - Man get a line a bunch of non - copious - looking kids get into a eggbeater , he baffle suspicious and stows on board . The kids are being taken to a hall owned by an foreigner named The Prodigy , whose malefic plan is to get teens to have unprotected sex so he can station their babies back to his home planet as slaves . This means the alien does the following : 1 ) tells kids they ca n’t get pregnant before they ’re 15 , 3 ) differentiate them have sexual urge is the only mode to prove you ’re a man , 3 ) explains the only reasonableness adults do n’t want kids to have sex is because of a secret anti - fun agendum , and 4 ) maternity therapeutic acne . The Prodigy is very conveniently just about to broadcast a boob tube program to educate the screw - happy adolescent of America on these little - live sex facts , but when the film starts rolling , Spidey pops in , rent the Prodigy ’s boldness off ( to reveal he ’s an unknown in camera ) , shoots him in the pharynx with his gluey ashen webbings in a scenery that might perhaps have some other connotation to it , and then the end . And no one had sex ever again !
… except year afterward , when Spider - Man was wanted for slaying , he impersonate as four different superheroes … and one of them was named Prodigy . Coincidence ? Or did Spider - Man eventually see the erroneous belief of his anti - adolescent sexuality way ?
For more info on PSA comics , superhero and otherwise , definitely check out Polite Dissent , an priceless resourcefulness for this article .
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