Captain Planet

**Captain Planet**
Captain Planet
	File:Captain Planet.jpg
Publication information
Publisher	TBS Productions/DiC; Hanna-Barbera
First appearance	Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Episode #1 (A Hero For Earth), Television
Created by	Ted Turner, Barbara Pyle
In-story information
Team affiliations	Planeteers
Notable aliases	The Captain, CP, Planet
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, and stamina, Flight, Semi-Invulnerability, Super-breath, Telepathy, Telekinesis, Shapeshifting, Control over the elements, Matter transmutation

Captain Planet is a fictional character featured in the animated television series Captain Planet and the Planeteers. He is voiced by David Coburn.

Character development

Robert Larkin III co-created Captain Planet with Ted Turner and media innovator Barbara Pyle in 1990 with the intent of entertaining viewers and increasing awareness of environmental hazards.

Captain Planet (AKA Richard Berry) is summoned whenever the five Planeteers combine the forces of their elemental rings. This emphasizes the show's premise that only by working together can people protect the planet and provide solutions to environmental problems. Likewise, Captain Planet's appearance does not identify him with any one culture or ethnicity, as his hair is Forest Green and his skin is blue.

Fictional biography

Within the fictional universe of the show, the Earth possesses a living spirit named Gaia. Unable to take more than a certain level of direct action herself, Gaia is forced to appoint "champions", a group of which form the basis of the show's titular "Planeteers". Each "champion" is gifted with a ring of elemental power by Gaia. When the team members combine the energies of these rings, they summon a being who is an amalgam of the elements each ring is attuned to. Perhaps because he is connected to the minds of the team members when they summon him, the elemental being is also often aware of certain events that occur while he is not active on screen.

In the beginning of the series, Gaia assembles a modern-day team of "Planeteers" assembled from several nations. Four of the Planeteers have rings based on the Classical elements: Earth (wielded by Kwame), Fire (Wheeler), Wind (Linka) and Water (Gi). The fifth member (Ma-Ti) is given a ring called Heart, which represents love, and enables telepathic communication with animals, humans, and Gaia.

When the modern-day Planeteers combine their powers to summon the elemental warrior, this incarnation takes on the appearance of a superhero, who takes on the superhero-like name of "Captain Planet." Perhaps because he is linked to the minds of teenagers, Captain Planet displays a wry sense of humor and often uses puns while taunting the show's cast of villains.

Whenever the Planeteers summon him, Captain Planet always declares "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!" When the crisis of the current show seems averted, Captain Planet discorporates back into the 5 rings with the words "the power is yours", implying a duty and the ability on the part of the planeteers (and the audience) to continue protecting the environment when he is gone.

Captain Planet's abilities are never clearly defined within the show, allowing him to always have a way of defeating his enemy and solving the problem before him. He can shape-shift and alter his structure to take on the properties of any element or material as well as transmuting other objects in a similar fashion. In various episodes he flies, has great strength, and displays telepathic/empathic abilities. One criticism against the show was that in many episodes Captain Planet seems to spontaneously develop a new ability to resolve a crisis or disaster and then never displays the ability again in later episodes.

One of the few limitations on the powers of the rings was that, while Captain Planet is active, the Planeteers cannot access their powers. By the same token, Captain Planet is less powerful if only some of the Planeteers summon him. In the episode "Greenhouse Planet" , the Earth and Heart rings are lost in space and so, when Captain Planet attempts to return to the Earth, these two elements are unable to return to their rings. As a result, rather than vanishing, Captain Planet reforms into a less powerful version of himself (he is unable to fly, for example) who no longer has control of the elements of fire, water and wind.

Captain Planet is weakened when in contact with pollutants, radiation, smog, etc. In one episode, when he meets The Führer, a character based on Adolf Hitler, he becomes somewhat weakened in his presence, comparing prejudice and hatred to a pollutant. Conversely, Captain Planet is often healed from the damage he sustains from pollution by absorbing solar energy, water, or other natural elements. In an episode where Captain Planet alters his form into wood, he is seemingly destroyed by a wood chipper. Though he reforms later, the shock to his system from this attack leaves him weakened.

Like Gaia, the Captain is bound to the physical realm of Earth. Although he is capable of flying into space, his powers and form begin to fade when he travels away from the planet. In an episode where Gaia is transformed into a human being, both Captain Planet and the rings lose their powers, leaving Captain Planet powerless and as weak as a normal human.

Later in the series, several of Captain Planet's enemies create an opposite number for him called "Captain Pollution", whose abilities derive from radiation, deforestation, smog, toxics, and hate. This enemy is initially able to defeat Captain Planet, but he eventually overcomes Pollution when he realizes that his enemy is weakened by natural elements such as clean soil and lava.

Finally, in a later episode of the series called "Future Shock", it is revealed that the Planeteers exist, even in the future, as a set of futuristic versions of Dr. Blight, Looten Plunder and Scumm, appear and attack the present day Captain Planet. He is then saved by a future version of himself, who bears the same look as him, but with blue clothing instead of red.

External links