According to a new study by OVO Energy, DC hero Batman has been found to be the least "eco-friendly" superhero. With the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the energy company decided to use the opportunity to talk about climate change, and see which heroes are actually saving the world. While well-known figures like Batman, Catwoman, Spider-Man, Deadpool, and more are lauded for their public service, their effects on the planet have never really been examined.
When developing this odd hypothetical study, six factors were taken into account to help rank the superheroes' ecological impact. These were transport, commute, living arrangements, clothing, weapons and abilities, and damage to the world around them. Using these factors, a grand total of 36 heroes and villains from across Marvel and DC were set against each other to compare how good or bad they really were.
Based on the findings from OVO Energy, the least eco-friendly superhero is officially Batman. This perhaps should not come as much of a surprise based on the parameters defined by the study. Given that Batman has no natural powers, he relies on copious amounts of technology to put Gotham's criminals behind bars. The study shows that most of the Dark Knight's eco-footprint comes from his transportation, which is no surprise given his personal Batmobile, plane and boat; not to mention the collection of vehicles that his alter-ego Bruce Wayne possesses. Meanwhile, Aquaman, Daredevil and The Flash all take out the top spots on the list of the most sustainable heroes. Check out the full results below.
It should come as no surprise that the study found the bottom of the sustainability list among villains to be none other than Superman's rival, Lex Luthor. The connection makes sense, since both Batman and Luther have no powers of their own, and each head up massive global corporations. Couple this with the fact that Luthor is known for his constant efforts to eliminate Superman with highly destructive weaponry, and one can begin to see the point that OVO Energy is trying to make. Loki proved to be Luthor's unlikely rival, as the Marvel character takes number one on the most sustainable villains list.
Most superhero stories relying on science fiction and fantasy elements not present in the real world. Howwever, based on this study, it seems that even in comics, the biggest threat is still massive corporations. While this is to be expected from a company such as Lexcorp, it is important to remember than even a company as well meaning as Wayne Enterprises would still have a massive impact on the environment — especially when the head of the company is using his wealth to build Batman huge, theatrical crime-fighting tools. Batman may be single handedly reducing crime in Gotham city, but in the long term, it seems he is doing much more damage globally.
Source: OVO Energy