Espirit de Corps

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meet the Conservation Corps is a special issue of the TMNT Adventures comics.

Appearing in Espirit de Corps[]

Summary[]

Chapter One[]

Inside the lair, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello have filled water balloons and are lying in wait for Raphael. As soon as the entry curtain is pushed aside, all three throw their balloons – but hit Splinter instead of Raph. An angry Splinter confronts his sons, who say they thought he was Raph. As Splinter is scolding them, Mikey tries to warn him that the water is still running, but it overflows the basin, causing Splinter to slip and fall.

Splinter continues his scolding, asking the Turtles if they don’t realize what a precious resource water is, and it shouldn’t be wasted. An emergency news broadcast suddenly comes on the television. April O'Neil reports that a major catastrophe that has occurred. What is being called the worst oil spill ever has blackened the Atlantic. Eyewitnesses report a large bird at the scene. Raphael wishes there was something they could do, and Leo says they’ll never know unless they go.

Meanwhile, a space craft flies over the Earth. Inside, a being called Benevolence admires the beauty of the planet and hopes the inhabitants have the foresight to protect it the way his people didn’t. He laments the fact that his world is dying. His only hope of saving what he calls a smoldering mass lies in the enviro-pods he carries in his space craft.

Suddenly a meteor shower rains down on him, and his ship is hit. The impact sends him hurtling towards Earth and crash lands in the South Pole. He decides that it’s not too late for Earth and launches the enviro-pods, praying that they will make their mark.

Across the globe, the enviro-pods soar, touching down at random and causing metamorphoses wherever they land. One touches down in England near a hedgehog and immediately transforms him into an anthropomorphic hedgehog in a superhero suit with a giant S on his chest. Another enviro-pod lands in the great plains of North America and transforms a water buffalo.

In South America, one enviro-pod touches down in the Amazon Rain Forest and transforms a firefly. Another lands in the savannahs of Africa and transforms an Indian rhinoceros. A fifth smashes into the water somewhere deep within the Pacific Ocean.

Four of the pods return to their source with the transformed creatures encased within. As the pods hover before Benevolence, he tells the creatures that he has summoned them in order to pass the mantle of his life’s work over to them. He explains that the pods were responsible for the changes they have undergone. The pods bestowed upon them the gifts that will aid them in preserving their world and perhaps the worlds of others.

Far overhead, Cudley appears and wonders who the creatures are and what is the extent of their powers. Back in the Atlantic, Cudley observes the Turtles and Splinter speeding across the water in a small boat. Splinter sees the black cloud that tells them they are approaching the source of the oil spill. Just then, Leonardo spots Cudley, who tells them he was heading toward the sewer when he saw them. Cudley starts to tell them about the new creatures, but Leo interrupts because he spots someone approaching.

A giant, oil covered duck appears in front of them, shouting for them to wallow in misery and to learn what true suffering means. Splinter notices that all life perished in his wake, causing him to shed tears while he also grows angry. He demands to know why.

The Oily Bird angrily answers that he’s been asking himself the very same question for months. He tells the story of his lift to this point. An oil tanker sprung a leak and ran ashore, dousing all of Oily Bird’s family and friends in oil. They grew sick and began to die and yet somehow, he survived. Then barrels of radioactive oil alloys punctured against the rocks and changed him. Now that he has the power to control oil at will – to feed on it.

Cudley has heard the story and realizes that the Oily Bird might be too much for the Turtles to handle alone. He decides that he needs to retrieve the newly transformed beings because they may be the only ones who could help. As he leaves, Oily Bird decides he’s leaked too much and now he needs to eliminate the Turtles and Splinter. He sends a tidal wave of oil towards the group, and they abandon ship.

Cudley arrives at the South Pole and the Conservation Corps mistake him to be the result of an ecological mishap. They rush to attack him and Cudley opens his mouth, trapping them inside. In the ocean, the Turtles cling to the overturned boat but don’t see Splinter. The Oily Bird turns away and Donatello dives into the water to find Splinter. Cudley returns and spits the Conservation Corp out before asking the Turtles what has happened. Leonardo tells him Splinter went overboard and Don’s scouring the water below.

Water Buffalo says that water is his domain and promptly dives deep. He sees Donatello swimming up towards the surface with an unconscious Splinter in his arms. Water Buffalo builds a waterwall around them – basically a bubble of air – and then lifts the pair to the surface. Green Horn has built a raft out of driftwood and urges Water Buffalo to place Splinter on it. The Turtles thank the Conservation Corp for saving Splinter, but then tell them to stay with Splinter while they handle Oily Bird.

Oily Bird does not see the Turtles as a threat and promptly wacks all four with his wing, sending them flying. Cudley catches them in his mouth, complains about oily turtles, and spits them out again. Splinter proceeds to chew them out for showing poor judgement in trying to handle this menace alone. Their new friends have exhibited extraordinary powers and if they are going to defeat Oily Bird, they must create a plan and work together as a team.

A little way off Oily Bird scoffs at seeing them waste time scheming while he’s busy contaminating the entire ocean. Then he notices the oil is dissipating just before the end of a sai bounces off his head. Oily Bird looks down to find himself surrounded by fire that’s been created by Firefly. Meanwhile, Stone Hedgehog rides through the water atop Water Buffalo’s back, tugging Mikey, on driftwood skis, behind them. When they near Oily Bird, Stone Hedgehog leaps, catapulting Mikey directly onto the bird’s beak. Mikey then pokes Oily Bird right in the eye. Stone Hedgehog finishes the fight by launching a quill at the duck's head, knocking him out. He's only out long enough for the Conservation Corps to introduce themselves and give a brief explanation of their origin, however, and when he comes to again, Oily Bird uses his knowledge of Benevolence's existence to go after him.

Oily Bird spits oil all over the heroes. As he flies off, Oily Bird taunts them by saying he's already started four oil leaks around the globe and Don hears a report over his shortwave radio of all of the leaks' locations. Splinter suggests the group split into pairs with each team handling a separate disaster. Cudley gathers up the Conservation Corps and Ninja Turtles into his mouth while Splinter remains behind on the raft that Green Horn made. Seconds after they out of sight, however, Oily Bird ambushes Splinter and knocks him out to use as collateral, taking off back to Antarctica with him.

Trivia[]

This issue also includes a 2-page spread covering the powers of each member of the Conservation Corps, a 1-page “Recycling with Veronica” comic featuring Archie characters, and a 1-page “Dispose of Hazardous Waste Safely” comic featuring the Conservation Corps.
The Conservation Corps went on to star in their own eponymous three-issue series published by Archie Comics.

Espirit de Corps

Contents

Appearing in Espirit de Corps[]

Characters[]

Locations[]

Objects and vehicles[]

Summary[]

Chapter One[]

See also[]

Trivia[]

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