It was 45 years in the past that Superman was whisked away to a different world and ended up teaming up with a rabbit named Captain Carrot to avoid wasting that world. This didn’t even occur in a problem of Superman comics, and it was as a substitute a second from The New Teen Titans #16 (1981), or extra exactly from a backup story titled “This Bunny Unbound” by Roy Thomas, Scott Shaw, and Ross Andru (for the Superman scenes). Nevertheless, this was not included within the DC Universe Infinite digital version of the e-book, however anybody who needs to learn the follow-up can discover it within the first e-book for the superb animal heroes that headlined the story.
Captain Carrot and His Wonderful Zoo Crew got here out on December 1, 1981, and it adopted the introduction of Captain Carrot and the remainder of the animal variations of the characters on his Earth. It additionally introduced again Superman after his look in The New Teen Titans #16.
Superman Was Used to Introduce Captain Carrot
The primary look of Captain Carrot got here when Superman seen a beam of vitality that made folks begin to behave like widespread animals. When Superman makes contact with the vitality beam, he results in a parallel actuality. Not solely is that this an alternate model of Earth, however it’s an Earth the place there are not any people, however as a substitute anthropomorphic animals. He then meets a rabbit named Roger, and the 2 talk about the place he’s and what is likely to be occurring. Nevertheless, earlier than Superman can cease him, Roger takes a chew of a carrot that had mysterious vitality in it, and it provides him superhuman powers. This turns him into the hero now often known as Captain Carrot, and he and Superman leap into motion to avoid wasting each of their worlds.
That backup story was a preview, which is one motive that it isn’t accessible within the present digital model of The New Teen Titans. Nevertheless, anybody who needs to see what occurred subsequent can learn that story on DC Universe Infinite. Captain Carrot and His Wonderful Zoo Crew has a narrative known as “The Pluto Syndrome,” and Superman and Captain Carrot head out to battle an unknown enemy. It’s a good factor too as a result of Superman was tiring shortly due to the vitality beam, and Captain Carrot had confirmed to be simply as sturdy. It’s also good that Captain Carrot grew to become a hero as a result of Superman shortly disappeared.
This shortly led Captain Carrot to fulfill his new ally, a pig often known as Pig-Iron. His origin launched him as Peter Porkchops, a mild-mannered pig working in an area metal mill who was hit with a meteor fragment from the identical vitality beam that affected Captain Carrot’s carrot. It knocked him right into a vat of goopy stuff that turned him into an iron-covered warrior. After stopping a financial institution theft, he grew to become a superhero in his personal proper. The duo then met Alley-Kat-Abra, who had magical powers, and Captain Carrot’s Zoo Crew started to take form. By the point all the group had fashioned, they confirmed as much as save Superman from Starro the Conqueror, and the remainder is historical past.
How Captain Carrot and His Wonderful Zoo Crew Inverted Earth’s Heroes
It was hilarious that the identical villain that the Justice League fought of their first look was the identical one which brought on Captain Carrot and His Wonderful Zoo Crew to develop their powers. By the tip of that first problem, the group included Captain Carrot, Pig-Iron, Alley-Kat-Abra, Fastback (a turtle with super-speed), Rubber Duck (a duck with stretching powers), and Yankee Poodle (a canine with magnetic management). It additionally ended with Superman giving them his endorsement as the most effective heroes to defend their very own world.
The brand new collection ran for 20 points, though the artistic group modified alongside the best way. Nevertheless, the group itself remained the identical, and within the ultimate problem, they really had Changeling (Beast Boy) from the New Teen Titans seem in a callback to their debut, whereas additionally combating Gorilla Grodd. One other change got here when Roger Rabbit (Captain Carrot’s actual title) was modified to Rodney later within the collection. Sadly, whereas changing into cult favorites within the Nineteen Eighties, this complete group was wiped from existence throughout Disaster on Infinite Earths. The excellent news is you could’t maintain an excellent rabbit down.
First, they made their return in Teen Titans Vol. 3 in 2005 in a comic book e-book story contained in the Titans comedian that was a spoof of darkish comics like Watchmen. The Zoo Crew was again within the “Countdown to Closing Disaster” tie-in comedian Captain Carrot and the Closing Ark (2007) with one other spoof. This time it was poking enjoyable on the Superhero Registration Act from Marvel’s “Civil Battle” storyline. Starro even made one other look, a callback to the group’s debut. That occasion resulted in Closing Disaster #7.
Captain Carrot was again through the New 52. This occurred in The Multiversity #1 (2014) by Grant Morrison and Ivan Reis. This problem opened with a comic book e-book fan studying what he believes is a haunted comedian, and it’s pulling him into the “Multiversity” occasion that was ongoing in DC Comics. This then led to the Superman from Earth-23 (President Calvin Ellis), and he finally ends up transported away from his group, the place he met Captain Carrot, who couldn’t inform the distinction between Calvin and the Superman he met. He was there as the best hero from their worlds and joined a number of others to avoid wasting the multiverse. The primary battle he was in was nice, as Captain Carrot used the notorious “cartoon physics” within the battle.
Whereas the Zoo Crew by no means bought one other comedian e-book collection since that authentic from the Nineteen Eighties, they lived on by means of Captain Carrot, who grew to become a member of the Justice Incarnate alongside Calvin Ellis. Sadly, the story didn’t finish effectively for the characters. In Darkish Nights: Loss of life Metallic: Multiverse’s Finish #1 (2020), it was proven that Perpetua had attacked Captain Carrot’s world and destroyed it, together with most of the heroes in it. Captain Carrot was distraught, however even right here, he confirmed why he was a worthy hero and deserving of a starring function beside Superman.
Do you bear in mind Captain Carrot and His Wonderful Zoo Crew? Tell us your reminiscences of this traditional group within the feedback under.