Captain Planet and the Planeteers/Characters

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The characters list for Captain Planet and the Planeteers

The Planeteers

The Planeteers are five teenagers from five different continents assembled by Gaia, the Spirit of the Earth to defend the world from pollution, criminals, and natural disasters. When the situation is too much for them to handle they let their powers combine to summon the environmental superhero, Captain Planet. A monkey is with them too.

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Gaia

Gaia, the spirit of Earth, is the protector of the planet. She brought the Planeteers to her home, Hope Island to help her in the battle to save Earth.

• Big Good: Though she does rely on others to do her work.
• Fisher Queen
• Green Aesop
• God of Good
• Hot Goddess
• Master of Illusion
• Mother Nature
• Physical Goddess: When she actually does something useful.
• Sadly Mythtaken: How the powerful titaness of the earth from the Greek Mythology became an entity that relies on others to do her work. Maybe she's just lazy?
  • In the Myths, Gaia was lazy and she created monsters to do the work. Also in the myths, she could not care less if the humans pollute or destroy the planet.
• Sexy Mentor
• Silk Hiding Steel: Wise and respectable and generally above lying, one time she twisted a Freaky Friday Flip to get a villain's minion to do her bidding even after the minion switched back. On a daily basis, she'd have to be steel willed to put up with the pollution of the villains.
• Synchronization
• Team Mom

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Kwame

A 16-year-old conservationist from Africa, Kwame is the group's level-headed voice of reason and de facto leader. Kwame's ring was of the element earth, used to create small, localized earthquakes; move rocks in the earth; cause holes or furrows in the earth for planting; create tiny islands by raising rocks from the shallows of the ocean; and turn mud into solid ground.

• But Not Too Black: Averted as hard as humanly possible.
• Dishing Out Dirt
• Friend to All Living Things: Especially trees.
• Green Aesop
• The Hero
• Invocation: "(Then) Let our powers combine!"
• Jumped At the Call
• Mandatory Line: In later seasons. There are some episodes where he would only say the Invocation and then "Earth!"
• Nice Guy
• Only Sane Man: Generally the calmest and most level headed on the team, much like Gi, only without the Beware the Nice Ones factor.
• Standardized Leader

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Wheeler

A 17-year-old street-wise smart alec from North America, Wheeler probably knows the least about matters about the environment but his heart in the right place. While he has been known to flirt with other women, he developed feelings for Linka. Wheeler's ring was the element of fire, used to create tiny bolts of lightning or create and direct small fires.

• Anti-Hero: Type II
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Linka's the Tsundere.
• Brooklyn Rage
• Butt Monkey
• Commander Contrarian
• The Complainer Is Always Wrong
• Conflict Ball
• Deadpan Snarker: "What's next? Endangered rocks?"
• Dude in Distress
• The Drag Along
• Eaglelander: Has elements of both Type 1 and Type 2.
• Elemental Powers
  • Playing with Fire
  • Shock and Awe: Of mixed flavor.
• Fiery Redhead
• Forgot the Call: The episode "A Twist of Fate"
• Green Aesop: ...yes, really.
• Hot-Blooded
• Idiot of the Week: Not every week...just several weeks.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold
• Jumped At the Call
• The Lancer
• Leeroy Jenkins: Typical of fire elementals.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Manly Man to Ma-Ti's Sensitive Guy.
• Slap Slap Kiss: With Linka.
• Token White

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Linka

A 16-year-old ornithology expert from Eastern Europe, Linka is the team's no-nonsense strategist and computer expert. Linka likes to think logically, and use common sense when on missions, but has developed feelings for the impulsive Wheeler. Linka's ring was the element of wind, used to command it to swirl or gust, or create small tornadoes.

• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Wheeler's the Jerk With a Heart of Gold.
• The Big Girl
• Blow You Away
• Blunt Metaphors Trauma
• Clingy Jealous Girl
• Defrosting Ice Queen
• Friend to All Living Things: Especially birds.
• The Great Politics Mess-Up: Created during the brief rapprochement between Russia and the United States, Linka is one of the precious few unambiguously heroic Russian characters in American media.
  • The evidence suggests she's not actually Russian, or at least her family isn't; she was a Soviet citizen, though.
    • Before the Soviet Union fell, the opening would say "Linka from the Soviet Union", and then after it fell the writers changed it to say "Eastern Europe". The episodes before then weren't changed, and the first episode has her saying to Wheeler, when he calls her Russian (can't remember exactly what he said) "SO-VI-YET!" as close to his face as possible to make it clear.
• Green Aesop
• Jumped At the Call
• Malaproper: Linka's grasp on English isn't that good.
• Plucky Girl
• Sensual Slavs: And how.
• She's Got Legs: See the OP and you'll know why.
• Slap Slap Kiss: With Wheeler.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to Gi's Girly Girl.
• Tsundere: Type B. Linka is a pretty cool gal, but her "not boyfriend" sets her off.

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Gi

A college student of marine biology from Southeast Asia, Gi is skilled in high-tech equipment and, like Linka, is a computer expert. She is very passionate and protective of both ocean life and her friends and family. Gi's ring was the element of water, used to control any water source, creating small squirts to waves and water spouts depending on the size of the source.

• Achilles Heel: She can't make water with her ring, so if there is no water nearby, her power is useless.
• Asian Airhead: Averted, she's no rocket scientist but is quite knowledgeable.
• As Long as It Sounds Foreign: Gi occasionally uses bits of Japanese, has no discernible accent, and has a name that is actually Vietnamese (and a boy's at that).
• Berserk Button: Crosses over with Does Not Like Guns. Threatening her friends is a surefire way to make her Unstoppable Rage come out.
• Beware the Nice Ones: She almost drowned a gangster for shooting her friend.
• The Chick
• Cool Big Sis
• Friend to All Living Things: Especially dolphins.
• Green Aesop
• If You Kill Him You Will Be Just Like Him: See Beware the Nice Ones, this is the reason why she didn't drown him.
• Jumped At the Call
• Making a Splash
• Plucky Girl
• Rousseau Was Right: Her philosophy of life.
• The Smart Girl
• Team Mom: When Gaia's not around.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly Girl to Linka's Tomboy.
• Unstoppable Rage: When she snaps, she goes directly into this, and it's terrifying.

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Ma-Ti and Suchi

A member of the Kayapo Indian tribe in South America, Ma-Ti is the youngest Planeteer at 12. He has a troublesome pet monkey named Suchi, who he had rescued before he became a Planeteer. Ma-Ti's ring was the element of heart, which enables him to communicate telepathically with animals, the other Planeteers, and Gaia.

• Achilles in His Tent : Once he refuses to go into a mission because he's too pissed off at his friends and insecure about his own self-worth.
• Beware the Nice Ones: When he got to meet up with the guy who was apparently to blame for the deaths of his parents.
• Dude in Distress
• The Empath
• Everything's Better with Monkeys: Suchi
• Friend to All Living Things: Even before getting his ring.
• Gotta Get Your Head Together
• Green Aesop
• The Heart
• Heart Is an Awesome Power
• Heroic Self-Deprecation
• Jumped At the Call: Both (don't know if Suchi had much of a choice though).
• Just a Kid: They're all kids, but Ma-Ti's just 12 and feel like he hinders the team sometimes because of it.
• Living Lie Detector
• The Load: Self-admitted at some point.
• Malaproper: Not nearly as bad as Linka.
• The Messiah
• My Significance Sense Is Tingling
• Nice Guy
• Noble Savage: Taken Up to Eleven whenever they visit the Amazon.
• Raised by Grandparents: While parents are pretty rare in the series, he's specifically mentioned to be an orphan raised by his grandfather.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Sensitive Guy to Kwame and Wheeler's Manly Man.
• Speaks Fluent Animal
• Spider Sense
• Tagalong Kid: Ma-Ti is younger than the others, often leading to What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?.
• Team Pet: Suchi
• Took a Level In Badass: Captain Planet And The Planeteers issue #3.
• Tender Tears
• What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?

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Captain Planet

Captain Planet is the result of the Planeteers powers being combined and magnified. He is summoned by the Planeteers as a last resort to save the day. He can use all the Planteers powers and blend them to make more. His weaknesses are pollution and hate.

• The Ace
• All Your Colors Combined
• All Your Powers Combined: Trope Namer.
• Allergic to Evil: Adolf Hitler's hate was so strong it weakened him.
• Boisterous Bruiser: And how.
• By the Power of Grayskull - "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!"
• Large Ham
  • Incoming Ham:...Yes.
• Catch Phrase - "The Power is Yours."
• Chrome Champion
• Elemental Powers
  • An Ice Person
  • Blow You Away
  • Dishing Out Dirt
  • Making a Splash
  • Playing with Fire
  • Shock and Awe
• Deus Ex Machina: Yes, a living Deus Ex Machina.
• Flying Brick
• The Good Captain
• Good Hair, Evil Hair: His green mullet, which surprisingly, he pulls off.
• Green Aesop
• Heart Is an Awesome Power
• Hurricane of Puns: Something had to be wrong when he wasn't dishing out lame puns..
• Invincible Hero: He can be hurt by pollution, but in most episodes he literally just appears and fixes everything in two minutes, tops.
• Pungeon Master
• Save the Villain: Many times, occasionally Lampshaded and according to Dr. Blight "It's in (his) hero's manual!"
• Selective Magnetism
• Up, Up, and Away
• Weaksauce Weakness: Pollution, hate and Hitler's Death Glare.

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Eco Villains

The Eco Villains are a small group of villains and their subordinates who wreak havoc on the Earth with pollution, wildlife endangerment or shady business dealings. Why many of them do this is never explained other than the fact that they can.

Hoggish Greedly

A man resembling a pig who represents the environmental damage caused by the exploitation of natural resources and overconsumption.

• Corrupt Corporate Executive
• Corrupt Hick
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He really does care about his son Junior. When his own actions put Junior in harms way, he works with the Planeteers to fix what he did for his son's sake.
• Fat Bastard
• Heel Face Turn
• Mister Danger
• Morality Pet: He has a son who is like him but less jerk-ish, and when said son was in danger due to the air pollution Greedly caused, Greedly chose to co-work with the Planeteers rather than let him die.
• Names to Run Away From Really Fast
• Pig Man: Not literally.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money
• Villainous Glutton: Despite this, he is a good runner.

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Looten Plunder

A wealthy poacher and greedy businessman who represents the evils of uncontrolled capitalism, unethical business actions, and globalization.

• The Bad Guy Wins: He got away with cutting down a forest where endangered species live, making him the only villain to defeat the Planeteers.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive
• Evil Counterpart: To Kwame, as one of the Captain Pollution ring bearers.
• Evil Poacher
• Evil Redhead
• Large Ham
• Mister Danger
• Names to Run Away From Really Fast
• NGO Superpower: Not only is he an international arms dealer with access to the latest, fanciest weaponry, in certain episodes he has also boasted his own armed forces ... including his own supercarrier.
• Nothing Can Stop Us Now: In his very first appearance, poaching ivory in Africa, he boasts that no one can stop him. Of course, the Planeteers soon show up and summon a certain someone to prove him wrong.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money
• Smug Snake: But once or twice he was close to become a Magnificent Bastard.
• Strawman Political

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Sly Sludge

An unscrupulous waste disposer who represents the environmental damage caused by ignorance and laziness, and the environmental problems caused by waste disposal.

• Corrupt Corporate Executive
• Cut Lex Luthor a Check: More than once, he's come up with relatively ingenius ways of handling waste disposal, just not recycling. At one point, he's developed both effective load-bearing VTOL aircraft and a functional shrink ray that can not only shrink garbage, but people, unharmed. He never thinks to use any of this beyond waste dumping scams.
• Evil Counterpart: To Linka, as one of the Captain Pollution ring bearers.
• Heel Face Turn
• Fat Bastard: Sort of.
• Lazy Bum: Well, when he's not teaming up with Dr. Blight to hack into governmental computers to site industrial waste dumps over the national parks of North America, anyways.
• Names to Run Away From Really Fast
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money

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Duke Nukem

No, not that Duke Nukem. A radioactive mutant who represents the perils of nuclear power and ozone depletion.

• Cut Lex Luthor a Check: The writers never seemed to settle wether he just ate radiation or if he produced more when he did too. In episodes where he can just eat radiation with no ill effect on anyone, you have to wonder why the government didn't give him a paycheck and send him out to the deserts where the world bury radioactive waste.
• Evil Counterpart: To Wheeler, as one of the Captain Pollution ring bearers.
• I Love Nuclear Power
• Mad Scientist: Supposedly, Duke Nukem became the way he is due to a nuclear experiment, and was once referred to Kwame as "Dr. Duke Nukem".
• Names to Run Away From Really Fast
• Obviously Evil
• Plaguemaster
• Super Strength
• Villain Song "My name is Duke Nukem/I'm a nuclear shark/I'm hotter than Elvis/and I glow in the dark!"
• Walking Wasteland
• You Fail Nuclear Physics Forever

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Verminous Skumm

A part man, part rat creature who represents the evils of poor sanitation, urban decay, and uncontrolled crime.

• Card-Carrying Villain
• Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!
• Evil Counterpart: To Gi, as one of the Captain Pollution ring bearers.
• Knight of Cerebus: The episodes with him as the main villain are normally much more dark. For example, someone actually died as a direct result of his actions, and it was even a relative of a main character.
• Names to Run Away From Really Fast
• Obviously Evil
• Plaguemaster
• Rodent of Unusual Size
• You Dirty Rat

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Dr. Barbara Blight

A mad scientist who represents the dangers of uncontrolled technology and unethical scientific experimentation.

• Blondes Are Evil
• Cain and Abel: Has a twin sister named Bambi, who's her complete opposite, which also carries onto her daughter.
• Card-Carrying Villain: Though not always.
• Evil Counterpart: To Ma-Ti, as one of the Captain Pollution ring bearers.
• For Science!
• Mad Scientist
• Names to Run Away From Really Fast
• Peek-a-Bangs
• Red Right Hand: The left side of her face covered by hair.
• Science Is Bad: When she does it.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Sometimes Dr. Blight thinks her experiments actually help the environment.

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Zarm

The former spirit of the Earth, who left Gaia in search of other lands and ended up laying other populous planets to ruin. Represents war and destruction.

• Anthropomorphic Personification: Of war and destruction.
• Big Bad
• Card-Carrying Villain
• Compelling Voice
• The Corrupter
• Divide and Conquer
• Evil Counterpart: To Gaia.
• Eviler Than Thou
• For the Evulz: Despite the stereotype, the other villains generally had some kind of motive for whatever harm they were doing to the planet. Zarm, on the other hand, was out to foment conflict and destruction (up to and including nuclear wars) just because he could.
  • Actually, he wanted revenge against Gaia. So that may count as a motive- YMMV.
• God of Evil
• Jackass Genie: Did this in one episode, twisting a naive and oblivious kid's wishes and letting the people of his village do it too until the entire village almost became a wasteland and a warzone.
• Let's You and Him Fight: One of the ways he operates is to get people to fight each other until they are all dead, like the aliens from the Twilight Zone episode The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street.
• Light Is Not Good: In his first appearance, and occasionally thereafter in disguise, he posed as a benevolent spirit of the same kind as Gaia.
• Master of Illusion
• Physical God

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Captain Pollution

An evil counterpart to Captain Planet that is a result of the combination and magnification of the powers of rings of destructions created by Dr. Blight. He has the powers of super radiation, deforestation, smog, toxics, and hate and consuming and bathing in more pollution makes him bigger and stronger. He is defeated twice by Captain Planet, the latter may have been for good.

• Card-Carrying Villain
• Evil Twin: Was created from the opposites of Captain Planet's elements. As such, he and Planet are both pretty much each others Kryptonite Factor, though Pollution is far more willing to use deadly force than Planet is.
• Faux Affably Evil
• Flying Brick
• Lava Pit: Meets his end when Captain Planet drops him into one. He's last seen sinking in and apparently dies.
• One-Winged Angel: After coming back to life, he absorbs a great deal of pollution and gets much larger and monster-like.
• Plaguemaster
• Walking Wasteland
• Weaksauce Weakness: Earth, fire, wind, and water. The same things that power up Captain Planet.

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The Slaughters

A family of poachers led by Mame Slaughter and her son and second-in-command, Stalker Slaughter, represents the dangers of poaching and hunting endangered animals.

• Cruella to Animals
• Egomaniac Hunter
• Evil Poacher
• Names to Run Away From Really Fast

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Henchmen

The various henchmen for the Eco Villains that include Rigger, Greedly's Yes-Man (well "yep" man); Argos Bleek, a mercenary soldier, and leader of Plunder's private army; Oakey and Dokey, Plunder's two unintelligent lumberjack employees; Ooze, Sludge's whiner sidekick; Tank Flusher III, Sludge's strongman garbage collector; Leadsuit, Nukem's cowardly errand boy; the Rat Pack, Skumm's part man, part rat thugs who eventually dwindle in size into just one rather competent nameless henchman; and MAL, Dr. Blight's evil high-intellectual supercomputer.

• Card-Carrying Villain: Argos Bleek, Author, Lecturer, Ruthless Terrorist.
• Dark Mistress: Sometimes, it's kind of hard to read Dr. Blight and MAL's interaction as anything other than a weird romantic relationship.
• A Day in the Limelight: Bleek, when he went solo in the episode The Predator to hunt Basking Sharks.
• The Dragon: Bleek
• Heel Face Turn: Rigger, Ooze and Tank Flusher III.
• The Igor: MAL, sort of.
• The Renfield: Rigger, Ooze and Leadsuit. Though Rigger is shown to be as technologically proficient as his boss, Ooze and Leadsuit exist only so that Sly Sludge and Duke Nukem don't end up talking to themselves.
• Rodents of Unusual Size: The Rat Pack.
• Yes Men: Rigger, Ooze and Leadsuit.