By superhero standards, El Chapulín Colorado seems unremarkable. He doesn’t have Spidey senses to warn him that something’s amiss, the lightning-wielding Mjölnir, or the extreme wealth that has transformed Tony Stark into a heavily armored crime fighter. But what he does have – along with the chipote chillón, the chicharra paralizadora, and the pastillas de chiquitolina – is heart. Despite his own weaknesses and cowardice, El Chapulín Colorado defends others – something his creator, the late Roberto Gómez Bolaños, said makes him a true hero. Given these admirable qualities, it’s no wonder Marvel created Red Locust, a new character inspired by El Chapulín Colorado.
Red Locust isn’t the first character influenced by the Mexican hero. Back in the early 90s, The Simpsons‘ producers created Bumbleebee Man as an homage to El Chapulín. But Red Locust is perhaps a more identifiable tribute to Gómez’s creation. Just like the cunning Chapulín, Red Locust is named after a type of grasshopper. Both wear a red-and-yellow uniform with a heart emblazoned across the chest. However, Red Locust – whose real name is Fernanda Ramírez – has super strength, incredible jumping abilities, and she’s working on mastering her ability to control insects. Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos collaborated on the creation of Red Locust – though Mexican-born Ramos is responsible for her look.
The character makes her debut in Champions No. 9, which follows a group of teen superheroes including Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man, Nova, Hulk, Cyclops, and Viv Vision. In this issue, Viv heads out to San Francisco to find one of the group’s biggest rivals, the Freelancers. Instead, she finds Red Locust – a newbie superhero who’s a bit overzealous, according to CBR.com. The two team up together, and Red Locust makes a good impression on Viv, with the Champion seriously considering asking her teammates to let the young and untried hero to join the squad – which would be welcome news for those of us who are always on the lookout for more Latino superheroes.
Champions No. 9 is on sale now. Purchase it here.