Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Encyclopedia
Captain Planet is the title character of the series. In the beginning of the series, Gaia assembles a modern-day team of "Planeteers" from several nations. 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." Captain Planet displays a wry sense of humor and often uses puns while taunting the show's cast of villains.
The Planeteers summon him when the need arises and when the crisis is too much for them to handle. When summoned, Captain Planet declares "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!". After the crisis is dealt with, Captain Planet disappears, and restores the powers to the Planeteer's rings. His parting phrase is, "The power is yours", implying a duty and the ability of everyone 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.
Captain Planet is weakened when he is in contact with pollutants, radiation, smog, etc. Like Gaia, he 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. However, in one episode he is unable to "return to the Earth" completely because two of the Planeteers (and their rings) have been taken into space, leaving him unable to access his abilities associated with the other three elements.
in 1990–1993, Margot Kidder
in 1993–1995) is the spirit of the Earth. She is a modern rendition of the primordial Greek earth goddess
, possessing an amalgamation of physical characteristics from all human races.
Awaking from a century-long slumber, and shocked with the increase in pollution of Earth that has sustained in such a short (by her standards) time, she summons the Planeteers to defend Earth and gives them their elemental
rings.
Gaia lives on an island with large crystals in the middle of an ocean, although its exact location is never revealed. She is omnipresent; she can appear in any time or place she wishes, and can communicate telepathically with anyone at any point in time. She is bound to Earth, and her health and well being are connected with the condition of the planet.
The Planeteers are summoned by Gaia to defend the world from pollution
, criminals
, and natural disaster
s. The five teenagers, each originating from a different region of the world and who together represent several major ethnic group
s, are each given a ring which allows them to temporarily control one of the four classical element
s – Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water – as well as a fifth element, Heart, which represents love
and communication and enables telepathy
and empathy
, as well as potential mind control
. This combination has been compared to the Wiccan pentacle
.
In order to summon Captain Planet, the Planeteers must activate their powers in a specific order, preceded by the phrase, "Let our powers combine"; after his appearance, the Planeteers would cheer, "Go Planet!" It can be noted that during the DiC
series, the sequence of special effects preceding Captain Planet's appearance differed each and every time. In the Hanna-Barbera series, there were some creative ideas for Captain Planet's appearance when being summoned; but most of the time, it consisted of flashes of lightning, along with sounds of thunder. Animation in the DiC series was inconsistent, showing some episodes as darker or brighter in color than others, and characters looking different from one episode to the next, and in some cases one segment (or even shot) to the next.
The Planeteers' rings are, like Captain Planet himself, susceptible to weakening when in the presence of toxic waste and pollution to the point that they can no longer use their powers or summon Captain Planet.
The five Planeteers are:
A small group of villain
s, referred to as the Eco-Villains, make appearances repeatedly in the TV series to cause danger to Earth by committing pollution, deforestation, and poaching. They enjoy the destruction they cause to Earth (and the harm they bring upon anyone) by any means to obtain wealth, land, or power. Due to conflict among them from their varying self-serving interests and backgrounds, they tend to work alone most of the time. Each of these villains represent a specific ecological disaster. These include:
Each of the evil rings have malevolent faces on them, in contrast to the more element-themed Planeteer rings.
Captain Pollution is weakened when he is in contact with pure elements such as water or sunlight, while he gains power from contact with pollutants (and is later shown to gain power without limit when in contact with pollutants after his resurrection). When he is summoned he says "By your polluting powers combined, I am Captain Pollution! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!", and when he disappears, he declares "The polluting power is yours!"
In his first appearance, he is sent by the Eco-villains to destroy the Planeteers but gets chased off by Commander Clash, and after a fight with Captain Planet, he returns to the evil rings causing them to explode. In the two-part episode "A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste", Captain Pollution is brought back to life by toxins that seep into the earth.
Captain Pollution resembles Captain Planet, but his skin is pale yellow, and covered in brown lesions. His hair is red, and styled in a Widow's peak
and he has red eyes. His costume is the same color and style as Planet's, but the chest is torn in the middle, with two halves of a cracked version of Planet's chest symbol on either side. His voice has a California Valley twang to it. Captain Pollution is defeated twice by Captain Planet; first in Mission to Save Earth by being rammed through earth, lava, air and water, and then again in A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste by being tricked into going into an underground magma chamber.
His role as an evil/imperfect duplicate mirrors that of Superman's imperfect duplicate; Bizarro
; Albeit more malevolent and less of a harmless dunce, and with normal intelligence and lack of confusion at his surroundings.
Like his good counterpart, Captain Pollution is voiced by David Coburn in both appearances.
In the comic book version, Captain Pollution was created by Zarm.
-HIV
pandemic (and also the first to directly mention sex on a children's show). In the episode, Verminous Skumm brainwashes a local community into thinking the virus can be spread through casual contact, and thus causing people to hate and fear a young man, infected with HIV, named Todd (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris
, with his mother voiced by Elizabeth Taylor
).
The original series was the second longest running cartoon of the 1990s, producing 113 episodes. It lasted for three seasons under the name Captain Planet and the Planeteers (produced by TBS Productions
and DiC
), before many of the voice actors quit or were replaced and much licensing occurred, changing the title to The New Adventures of Captain Planet (produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, which was acquired by Turner in 1991).
This series had noticeable differences from the original, such as episodes revealing more of the past of each of the characters. This does not directly contradict the first, but expands on it dramatically. Gi tells the story of her pet dolphin, while Linka is revealed to have a mining family who used canaries to detect lethal gases in the mines, and her opening sequence generalizes her birthplace as Eastern Europe to avoid confusion in viewers born after the Soviet Union
’s collapse in 1991 (which would place her canonical birthplace among one of the countries that gained their independence when the Soviet Union collapsed). Dr. Blight, with a new voice actor, is revealed to have a sister who is a famous movie actress.
Other changes were also noticeable, most significantly the animation style. While the character models from the DiC episodes were retained (and the original DiC opening sequence used) the new animation relied less on shading and was slightly more colorful. Many of the characters had refurbished outfits. The sound effects utilized when the Planeteers used their rings were changed and the echo in Captain Planet’s voice when he emerged was gone, as well was the DiC season's use of a specific synth rock soundtrack; these tracks were replaced by a large number of orchestral pieces, although the famous end credits theme was retained, now showcasing footage from the Hanna-Barbera episodes. A small number of cast changes occurred, affecting Gaia and most of the eco-villains; similarly, the opening narration was voiced by David Coburn
(Captain Planet) rather than LeVar Burton
(Kwame), and was eventually replaced by a rap
by Fred Schneider
of The B-52's
.
The ending theme (maintained by both DIC and Hanna-Barbera’s versions) is considered one of the most memorable parts of the series due to its catchy main chorus and rock track ("Captain Planet, he’s our hero, gonna take pollution down to zero"). Its lyrics were written by show producer Nick Boxer and is performed by Murray McFaden and Timothy Mulhollan.
throughout Europe. The toys were of average poseability, with the common five points – neck, shoulders, and hips.
Finding a comprehensive list of what was released is difficult, since not all toys shown in the initial retailer catalog were even released. The collector's market is small, the toys being somewhat rare on eBay
. The Captain Planet Foundation still sells a small number of them online, however. There may have also been further foreign variations of certain toys which may be even more difficult to catalog. Various toys from the New Adventures waves are not as likely to be well known.
All five Planeteers, five Eco-Villains, Commander Clash, and several versions of Captain Planet, each with a different gimmick or paint scheme, were released, along with several vehicles. A toy ring with lights and sound and interchangeable lenses for the five elements was also released. Four small vehicles were also sold through a Burger King
promotion.
published a short-run comic series to tie in to the show; however, the comics were a separate continuity. While not effectively part of the Marvel Universe
, issue #4's cover was a parody of the cover to Fantastic Four
issue #1.
by Mindscape
called Captain Planet
. The game, which involved a good deal of shooting, received poor reviews from game critics and thus a Sega Mega Drive
(Genesis) version of the game was canceled. A separate side-scrolling game was developed by Novalogic
for the Mega Drive/Genesis, but only saw release in Europe and Australia.
David Perry and Nick Bruty developed a ZX Spectrum
and Amstrad CPC
game using the license, a 3-level shoot 'em up. A game was also released in 1990 for the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST
, written by Tony Crowther. This was a platform game, and was briefly bundled with the Amiga 500
"Cartoon Classics" pack released in 1991.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a7sH_jz1bg A Commodore 64
game was in development but never released. Tiger Toys, owners of the action figure license, also created an LCD hand-held game.
In the video game Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion
, Captain Planet appears as one of the unlockable characters in both Nintendo 3DS
version and XL for Wii
, PS3, and XBox 360
.
The "Planeteer Pack" special is no longer available.
Shout! Factory
released a DVD set of the complete 1st Season on April 19, 2011. The DVD packaging is made of 100% recycled paper.
reimagined the Captain Planet concept in a script he wrote for a theatrical movie in 1997, entitled "Planet" or "Dark Planet". The script was darker than the series, and set in a post-apocalyptic time period. The script was met with acceptance, but "got lost in the shuffle when Turner and Warner Bros. merged." The movie reached the design stage before it was abandoned. The Mother Nature Network later released footage of these designs in a special video presentation to coincide with their streaming of Captain Planet episodes.
denied that a movie was planned. On July 19, 2011, it was announced that Cartoon Network
and producers Don Murphy
and Susan Montford
are developing a live-action film based on the series.
The Planeteers summon him when the need arises and when the crisis is too much for them to handle. When summoned, Captain Planet declares "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!". After the crisis is dealt with, Captain Planet disappears, and restores the powers to the Planeteer's rings. His parting phrase is, "The power is yours", implying a duty and the ability of everyone 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
Deus ex machina
A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
. 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.
Captain Planet is weakened when he is in contact with pollutants, radiation, smog, etc. Like Gaia, he 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. However, in one episode he is unable to "return to the Earth" completely because two of the Planeteers (and their rings) have been taken into space, leaving him unable to access his abilities associated with the other three elements.
Gaia
Gaia (voiced by Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
in 1990–1993, Margot Kidder
Margot Kidder
Margaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder is a Canadian-born American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Lois Lane in the four Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, a role that brought her to widespread recognition....
in 1993–1995) is the spirit of the Earth. She is a modern rendition of the primordial Greek earth goddess
Gaia (mythology)
Gaia was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. Gaia was the great mother of all: the heavenly gods and Titans were descended from her union with Uranus , the sea-gods from her union with Pontus , the Giants from her mating with Tartarus and mortal creatures were sprung or born...
, possessing an amalgamation of physical characteristics from all human races.
Awaking from a century-long slumber, and shocked with the increase in pollution of Earth that has sustained in such a short (by her standards) time, she summons the Planeteers to defend Earth and gives them their elemental
Elemental
An elemental is a mythological being first appearing in the alchemical works of Paracelsus in the 16th century. Traditionally, there are four types:*gnomes, earth elementals*undines , water elementals*sylphs, air elementals...
rings.
Gaia lives on an island with large crystals in the middle of an ocean, although its exact location is never revealed. She is omnipresent; she can appear in any time or place she wishes, and can communicate telepathically with anyone at any point in time. She is bound to Earth, and her health and well being are connected with the condition of the planet.
Planeteers
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
, criminals
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
, and natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
s. The five teenagers, each originating from a different region of the world and who together represent several major ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s, are each given a ring which allows them to temporarily control one of the four classical element
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
s – Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water – as well as a fifth element, Heart, which represents love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
and communication and enables telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
and empathy
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
, as well as potential mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
. This combination has been compared to the Wiccan pentacle
Pentacle
A pentacle is an amulet used in magical evocation, generally made of parchment, paper or metal , on which the symbol of a spirit or energy being evoked is drawn. It is often worn around the neck, or placed within the triangle of evocation...
.
In order to summon Captain Planet, the Planeteers must activate their powers in a specific order, preceded by the phrase, "Let our powers combine"; after his appearance, the Planeteers would cheer, "Go Planet!" It can be noted that during the DiC
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
series, the sequence of special effects preceding Captain Planet's appearance differed each and every time. In the Hanna-Barbera series, there were some creative ideas for Captain Planet's appearance when being summoned; but most of the time, it consisted of flashes of lightning, along with sounds of thunder. Animation in the DiC series was inconsistent, showing some episodes as darker or brighter in color than others, and characters looking different from one episode to the next, and in some cases one segment (or even shot) to the next.
The Planeteers' rings are, like Captain Planet himself, susceptible to weakening when in the presence of toxic waste and pollution to the point that they can no longer use their powers or summon Captain Planet.
The five Planeteers are:
- Kwame (voiced by LeVar BurtonLeVar BurtonLevardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. , professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an American actor, director, producer and author who first came to prominence portraying Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley...
): From GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
,AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Kwame possesses the power of Earth. He has a soft spot for plant life. Growing up in a tribe in his homeland, he is at one with the land and its purpose, and does what he can to preserve it. The de factoDe factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
leader of the group, he is the voice of reason that keeps the Planeteers in check when the group begins to lose faith in a given situation. - Wheeler (voiced by Joey DedioJoey DedioJoey Dedio is an American film, television, and theatre actor. He is also a producer and screenwriter.When he was young, Dedio appeared in the NBC soap opera Another World and the television version of The Karate Kid, as well as performing the voice of Wheeler in the environmentalist cartoon show,...
): From North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
(specifically Brooklyn, NYBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
), Wheeler controls the power of Fire. Wheeler is shown to be the least knowledgeable about earth preservation trends though this improves as the show goes on (in a way representing the oblivious aspect people have of the harm that they can cause to nature). He is the street-smart comic relief for the group who, while having his heart in the right place, tends to get himself into tight spots when acting impulsively; fittingly, he is sometimes a "hothead". Throughout the series, he openly flirts with and tries to get closer to Linka, almost always having his advances shot down. - Linka (voiced by Kath SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
): From the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(now RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) (Eastern EuropeEastern EuropeEastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
), Linka has the power of Wind. Linka closely studies bird lifeOrnithologyOrnithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
and, due to this, is extremely emotional when pollution harms them. Wheeler often tries to flirt with her, and despite more often than not shooting down these advances, is shown every now and again in her own way she too possesses feelings for him. She is a master of strategy and logic, as well as a computer expert. - Gi (voiced by Janice KawayeJanice KawayeJanice Kawaye is a Japanese-American actress, notable for providing the voice of Jenny "XJ-9" Wakeman on My Life as a Teenage Robot, Ami on Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Sarah on Invader Zim, Gi on Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Kioko and Julia on All Grown Up! and Yuzu Kurosaki on Bleach...
): Hailing from ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
(AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
), Gi controls the power of Water. Gi is a self-proclaimed marine biologist. Her compassion for sea life contributes to the overall effort of the Planeteers' protection of animals, becoming extremely emotional when pollution affects them, especially dolphins. She also often works on the mechanical and forensic aspects for the team. Gi can also be seen wearing a gold medallion around her neck. - Ma-Ti (voiced by Scott MenvilleScott MenvilleScott David Menville is primarily an American voice actor, actor, musician, and comedian.-Early life and career:The son of Chuck Menville, he was bassist for the Southern California rock band Boy Hits Car, which released three albums until he left the band in 2006. He was with the group since...
): From the Amazon rainforestAmazon RainforestThe Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
s Brazil and raised by a Kayapo Indian shaman, Ma-Ti uses the power of Heart to instill caring, passion, and sympathy into the people of the world to care for the planet. He can also use this power to communicate with animals telepathically. Ma-Ti also has a pet monkey named Suchi (voiced by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
).
Eco-Villains
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
s, referred to as the Eco-Villains, make appearances repeatedly in the TV series to cause danger to Earth by committing pollution, deforestation, and poaching. They enjoy the destruction they cause to Earth (and the harm they bring upon anyone) by any means to obtain wealth, land, or power. Due to conflict among them from their varying self-serving interests and backgrounds, they tend to work alone most of the time. Each of these villains represent a specific ecological disaster. These include:
- Hoggish Greedly (voiced by Edward Asner) – A pigPigA pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
-like human who represents the dangers of overconsumption and greed. In the episode "Smog Hog", it's revealed Hoggish has a son named Junior. In the episode "Hog Tide," it is revealed that he has a grandfather named Don Porkaloin. However, unlike Greedly, Porkaloin changed his ways and became environmentally friendly, as shown in the episode "The Ghost of Porkaloin Past."- Rigger (voiced by John RatzenbergerJohn RatzenbergerJohn Deszo Ratzenberger is an American actor, voice actor, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his role as Cliff Clavin in Cheers.-Early life:...
) – Hoggish Greedly's henchman. In the episode "The Ghost of Porkaloin Past," Rigger mentioned that he worked with Greedly because no one else would hire him. In the episode "Hog Tide," it is revealed that Rigger has a grandfather named Rex Rigger I who was an assistant to Don Porkaloin.
- Rigger (voiced by John Ratzenberger
- Duke Nukem (voiced by Dean StockwellDean StockwellDean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
in 1990–1992, Maurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
in 1993–1995) – A doctor who changed himself into a radioactive mutant who represents the misuse of nuclear powerNuclear powerNuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
. He is the only Eco-Villain able to single handedly defeat Captain Planet. Apogee3D Realms3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
temporarily renamed the eponymous characterDuke Nukem (character)Duke Nukem is a fictional character and action hero who has been the protagonist in over a dozen video games.The character first appeared in the 1991 video game Duke Nukem developed by Apogee Software...
of the Duke Nukem computer game franchise to 'Duke Nukum' so as to avoid any possible copyright claims they could face from the producers of Captain Planet. The character was later found to be under no copyright and the games were restored to their original titles.- Leadsuit (voiced by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) – Duke Nukem's cowardly accomplice, who is named after the radiation suit he constantly wears to protect himself from Nukem's radioactive aura. He works for Duke under the belief he will rule the world alongside his boss when he brings about the nuclear age.
- Leadsuit (voiced by Frank Welker
- Looten Plunder (voiced by James CoburnJames CoburnJames Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
in 1990–1992, Ed Gilbert in 1993–1995) – A wealthy poacher and greedy businessman who represents the evils of uncontrolled capitalismCapitalismCapitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
and unethical business actions, his name is even a reference of the phrase "Loot and Plunder". Looten is also shown to have a nephew named Robin Plunder as seen in the episode "Going Bats, Man" and is a play on "Rob and Plunder".- Argos Bleak (voiced by S. Scott BullockS. Scott BullockStuart Scott Bullock , best known as S. Scott Bullock, is an American actor Bullock is best known for his role as Eddy "Edgar" the Jersey Cow in Barnyard: The Original Party Animals and Back at the Barnyard, Mr...
) – Looten Plunder's main henchman, and leader of Plunder's private army. In the episode "The Predator," he appeared without Looten Plunder when it came to tricking the people of the Florida Keys that basking sharkBasking sharkThe basking shark is the second largest living fish, after the whale shark. It is a cosmopolitan migratory species, found in all the world's temperate oceans. It is a slow moving and generally harmless filter feeder and has anatomical adaptations to filter feeding, such as a greatly enlarged...
s are deadly. Barbara Pyle and Nick Boxer (Co-producers) have confirmed that Bleak is a product of mixed races, with his mother being Australian, father being South African and studying in boarding school in England, leading to development of his accent. - Pinehead Brothers (voiced by Dick GautierRichard GautierRichard "Dick" Gautier is an actor, comedian, composer, singer and author. Among his most well-known television roles are for Hymie the Robot in the television series Get Smart, and Robin Hood in the short-lived TV comedy series When Things Were Rotten, a Mel Brooks send-up of the classic...
and Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) – Oakey and Dokey are two oversized lumberjackLumberjackA lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
s that are Looten Plunder's henchmen in the final season of "The New Adventures of Captain Planet."
- Argos Bleak (voiced by S. Scott Bullock
- Sly Sludge (voiced by Martin SheenMartin SheenRamón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
in 1990–1992, Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
in 1993–1995) – An unscrupulous waste disposer who represents ignoranceIgnoranceIgnorance is a state of being uninformed . The word ignorant is an adjective describing a person in the state of being unaware and is often used as an insult...
and the dangers of short-term thinking.- Ooze (voiced by Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
) – Sly Sludge's sidekick. - BP (voiced by Terry Bollea) - Sly Sludge's alternate sidekick.
- Tank Flusher III (voiced by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
) – Sly Sludge's strongman servant who makes his debut in "The New Adventures of Captain Planet" episode "A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste" Pt. 1.
- Ooze (voiced by Cam Clarke
- Verminous Skumm (voiced by Jeff GoldblumJeff GoldblumJeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
in 1990, Maurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
in 1991–1995) – A ratRatRats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
-like creature who represents the dangers of poor sanitation and crime.- The Rat Pack – A gang of rat/human thugs under the command of Skumm.
- Dr. Blight (voiced by Meg RyanMeg RyanMargaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
in 1990, Mary Kay BergmanMary Kay BergmanMary Kay Bergman was an American voice actress and animation voice over teacher, who was the lead female voice actress on South Park from the show's 1997 debut until her death and was best known as the official voice of Snow White for the Walt Disney Company starting in 1989 with the Snow White...
in 1991–1995) – A mad scientistMad scientistA mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
with a half-scarred face hidden behind her hair who represents the dangers of uncontrolled technologyTechnologyTechnology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and unethical scientific experimentation. In the episode "Hog Tide," it is revealed that Dr. Blight had a grandmother named Betty Blight who assisted Don Porkaloin in his plot. In the episode "Hollywaste", it is revealed she has a sister named Bambi and through Bambi, it's revealed to the viewers and the planeteers that Dr. Blight's first name is Babs.- MAL (voiced by David RappaportDavid RappaportDavid Stephen Rappaport was an English actor, probably one of the best known dwarf actors in television and film...
in 1990, Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
in 1991–1995) – Dr. Blight's evil high-intellectual supercomputerSupercomputerA supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
.
- MAL (voiced by David Rappaport
- Zarm (voiced by Sting in 1990–1992, David WarnerDavid Warner (actor)David Warner is an English actor who is known for playing both romantic leads and sinister or villainous characters, both in film and animation...
in 1993, Malcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
in 1994–1995) – Zarm is the former spirit of the Earth who left Gaia in search of other lands and ended up laying other populous planets to ruin lacking Gaia to balance out his methods. He represents warWarWar is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and destruction. Even though Zarm does not have any henchmen of his own, he would often manipulate other people to do his bidding. Zarm once united Hoggish Greedly, Looten Plunder, Sly Sludge, Duke Nukem, Verminous Skumm and Dr. Blight under his leadership in the two-part episode "Summit to Save Earth". - Mame Slaughter (voiced by Theresa SaldanaTheresa SaldanaTheresa Saldana is an American actress, known for her work in motion pictures and television. She is perhaps best known for her role as Rachel Scali, the wife of Police Commissioner Tony Scali, in the 1990s television series The Commish, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best...
in the first appearance, Mitzi McCallMitzi McCallMitzi McCall is an American actress married to actor Charlie Brill. She performed on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Other credits include guest appearances on Life Goes On, The Twilight Zone, Silk Stalkings , and voice work on many cartoons...
in the third appearance) – Leader of the Slaughter family who made their debut in "The New Adventures of Captain Planet." Mame and her family are a family of poachers who represent the evils of poaching and are often in direct monetary competition with Looten Plunder. She and the Slaughter Family once collaborated with Looten Plunder and Argos Bleak in the episode "Horns A'Plenty" when the Planeteers ruined each one's rhinoceros poaching.- Stalker Slaughter (voiced by Charlie Adler) – Mame's son and second-in-command.
Captain Pollution
A polluting counterpart to Captain Planet named "Captain Pollution" appears in the two-part episode "Mission to Save Earth" when Dr. Blight steals the Planeteers' rings, creates polluting duplicates of them, and distributes the duplicates to most of the other Eco-villains. Each Eco-villain received a specific ring:- Duke Nukem has a Super RadiationRadiationIn physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
Ring (counterpart of Fire). - Looten Plunder has a DeforestationDeforestationDeforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
Ring (counterpart of Earth). - Sly Sludge has a SmogSmogSmog is a type of air pollution; the word "smog" is a portmanteau of smoke and fog. Modern smog is a type of air pollution derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes that react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine...
Ring (counterpart of Wind). In the comic book version involving Captain Pollution, Sludge was replaced by Hoggish Greedly. - Verminous Skumm has a ToxicToxicityToxicity is the degree to which a substance can damage a living or non-living organisms. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell or an organ , such as the liver...
s Ring (counterpart of Water). - Dr. Blight has a HateHatredHatred is a deep and emotional extreme dislike, directed against a certain object or class of objects. The objects of such hatred can vary widely, from inanimate objects to animals, oneself or other people, entire groups of people, people in general, existence, or the whole world...
Ring (counterpart of Heart).
Each of the evil rings have malevolent faces on them, in contrast to the more element-themed Planeteer rings.
Captain Pollution is weakened when he is in contact with pure elements such as water or sunlight, while he gains power from contact with pollutants (and is later shown to gain power without limit when in contact with pollutants after his resurrection). When he is summoned he says "By your polluting powers combined, I am Captain Pollution! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!", and when he disappears, he declares "The polluting power is yours!"
In his first appearance, he is sent by the Eco-villains to destroy the Planeteers but gets chased off by Commander Clash, and after a fight with Captain Planet, he returns to the evil rings causing them to explode. In the two-part episode "A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste", Captain Pollution is brought back to life by toxins that seep into the earth.
Captain Pollution resembles Captain Planet, but his skin is pale yellow, and covered in brown lesions. His hair is red, and styled in a Widow's peak
Widow's peak
A widow's peak is a distinct point in the hairline in the center of the forehead. This hair anomaly is a result of a lower-than-usual position of the intersection of the bilateral periorbital fields of hair-growth suppression on the forehead.-Definition:...
and he has red eyes. His costume is the same color and style as Planet's, but the chest is torn in the middle, with two halves of a cracked version of Planet's chest symbol on either side. His voice has a California Valley twang to it. Captain Pollution is defeated twice by Captain Planet; first in Mission to Save Earth by being rammed through earth, lava, air and water, and then again in A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste by being tricked into going into an underground magma chamber.
His role as an evil/imperfect duplicate mirrors that of Superman's imperfect duplicate; Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
; Albeit more malevolent and less of a harmless dunce, and with normal intelligence and lack of confusion at his surroundings.
Like his good counterpart, Captain Pollution is voiced by David Coburn in both appearances.
In the comic book version, Captain Pollution was created by Zarm.
"A Formula for Hate"
The episode titled "A Formula for Hate" (1992) was unique for the series in that it did not deal with environmental pollution or destruction. It was also the first episode in an American children's animated series to directly deal with the AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
pandemic (and also the first to directly mention sex on a children's show). In the episode, Verminous Skumm brainwashes a local community into thinking the virus can be spread through casual contact, and thus causing people to hate and fear a young man, infected with HIV, named Todd (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
, with his mother voiced by Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
).
"Mind Pollution"
Another episode titled "Mind Pollution" was also known as it also did not deal with the environment, instead it dealt with the issue of drugs, (which was considered by the characters as a pollution of the mind) the episode revolved around an epidemic of a designer drug known as "bliss" created by Skumm, it was also known for being quite dark, as it allowed a scene of Linka's cousin bleeding from his arms, as well as actually dying from an overdose of the drug.The New Adventures of Captain Planet
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
and DiC
DIC
- Science :* Differential interference contrast microscopy, an illumination technique in optical microscopy* Diisopropylcarbodiimide, a reagent in organic chemistry* Digital Integrating Computer, a digital implementation of a Differential Analyzer...
), before many of the voice actors quit or were replaced and much licensing occurred, changing the title to The New Adventures of Captain Planet (produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, which was acquired by Turner in 1991).
This series had noticeable differences from the original, such as episodes revealing more of the past of each of the characters. This does not directly contradict the first, but expands on it dramatically. Gi tells the story of her pet dolphin, while Linka is revealed to have a mining family who used canaries to detect lethal gases in the mines, and her opening sequence generalizes her birthplace as Eastern Europe to avoid confusion in viewers born after the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
’s collapse in 1991 (which would place her canonical birthplace among one of the countries that gained their independence when the Soviet Union collapsed). Dr. Blight, with a new voice actor, is revealed to have a sister who is a famous movie actress.
Other changes were also noticeable, most significantly the animation style. While the character models from the DiC episodes were retained (and the original DiC opening sequence used) the new animation relied less on shading and was slightly more colorful. Many of the characters had refurbished outfits. The sound effects utilized when the Planeteers used their rings were changed and the echo in Captain Planet’s voice when he emerged was gone, as well was the DiC season's use of a specific synth rock soundtrack; these tracks were replaced by a large number of orchestral pieces, although the famous end credits theme was retained, now showcasing footage from the Hanna-Barbera episodes. A small number of cast changes occurred, affecting Gaia and most of the eco-villains; similarly, the opening narration was voiced by David Coburn
David Coburn
David Coburn is an American actor, voice actor and singer. He is best known as the voice of Captain Planet in the TV series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers.-Filmography:...
(Captain Planet) rather than LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. , professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an American actor, director, producer and author who first came to prominence portraying Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley...
(Kwame), and was eventually replaced by a rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
by Fred Schneider
Fred Schneider
Frederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...
of The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
.
Heroes
- David CoburnDavid CoburnDavid Coburn is an American actor, voice actor and singer. He is best known as the voice of Captain Planet in the TV series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers.-Filmography:...
as Captain Planet - Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
as Gaia (1990–1993) - Margot KidderMargot KidderMargaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder is a Canadian-born American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Lois Lane in the four Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, a role that brought her to widespread recognition....
as Gaia (1993–1996) - LeVar BurtonLeVar BurtonLevardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. , professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an American actor, director, producer and author who first came to prominence portraying Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley...
as Kwame - Joey DedioJoey DedioJoey Dedio is an American film, television, and theatre actor. He is also a producer and screenwriter.When he was young, Dedio appeared in the NBC soap opera Another World and the television version of The Karate Kid, as well as performing the voice of Wheeler in the environmentalist cartoon show,...
as Wheeler - Kath SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
as Linka - Janice KawayeJanice KawayeJanice Kawaye is a Japanese-American actress, notable for providing the voice of Jenny "XJ-9" Wakeman on My Life as a Teenage Robot, Ami on Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Sarah on Invader Zim, Gi on Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Kioko and Julia on All Grown Up! and Yuzu Kurosaki on Bleach...
as Gi - Scott MenvilleScott MenvilleScott David Menville is primarily an American voice actor, actor, musician, and comedian.-Early life and career:The son of Chuck Menville, he was bassist for the Southern California rock band Boy Hits Car, which released three albums until he left the band in 2006. He was with the group since...
as Ma-Ti - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
as Suchi - Louis Gossett, Jr.Louis Gossett, Jr.Louis Cameron Gossett, Jr. is an American actor best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman and Fiddler in the 1970s television miniseries Roots...
as Commander Clash
Villains
- Charlie Adler as Stalker Slaughter
- Edward Asner as Hoggish Greedly
- Mary Kay BergmanMary Kay BergmanMary Kay Bergman was an American voice actress and animation voice over teacher, who was the lead female voice actress on South Park from the show's 1997 debut until her death and was best known as the official voice of Snow White for the Walt Disney Company starting in 1989 with the Snow White...
as Dr. Blight (1991–1995) - S. Scott BullockS. Scott BullockStuart Scott Bullock , best known as S. Scott Bullock, is an American actor Bullock is best known for his role as Eddy "Edgar" the Jersey Cow in Barnyard: The Original Party Animals and Back at the Barnyard, Mr...
as Argos Bleak - Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
as Ooze - David CoburnDavid CoburnDavid Coburn is an American actor, voice actor and singer. He is best known as the voice of Captain Planet in the TV series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers.-Filmography:...
as Captain Pollution - James CoburnJames CoburnJames Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
as Looten Plunder (1990–1993) - Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
as Sly Sludge (1993–1995) - Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
as MAL (1991–1995) - Dick GautierRichard GautierRichard "Dick" Gautier is an actor, comedian, composer, singer and author. Among his most well-known television roles are for Hymie the Robot in the television series Get Smart, and Robin Hood in the short-lived TV comedy series When Things Were Rotten, a Mel Brooks send-up of the classic...
as Oakey Pinehead - Ed Gilbert as Looten Plunder (1993–1995)
- Jeff GoldblumJeff GoldblumJeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
as Verminous Skumm (1990) - Maurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
as Duke Nukum (1992–1995), Verminous Skumm (1990–1995) - Mitzi McCallMitzi McCallMitzi McCall is an American actress married to actor Charlie Brill. She performed on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Other credits include guest appearances on Life Goes On, The Twilight Zone, Silk Stalkings , and voice work on many cartoons...
as Mame Slaughter (3rd Time) - Malcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
as Zarm (1994–1995) - David RappaportDavid RappaportDavid Stephen Rappaport was an English actor, probably one of the best known dwarf actors in television and film...
as MAL (1990) - John RatzenbergerJohn RatzenbergerJohn Deszo Ratzenberger is an American actor, voice actor, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his role as Cliff Clavin in Cheers.-Early life:...
as Rigger - Meg RyanMeg RyanMargaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
as Dr. Blight (1990) - Theresa SaldanaTheresa SaldanaTheresa Saldana is an American actress, known for her work in motion pictures and television. She is perhaps best known for her role as Rachel Scali, the wife of Police Commissioner Tony Scali, in the 1990s television series The Commish, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best...
as Mame Slaughter - Martin SheenMartin SheenRamón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
as Sly Sludge (1990–1993) - Sting as Zarm (1990–1992)
- Dean StockwellDean StockwellDean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
as Duke Nukem (1990–1992) - David WarnerDavid Warner (actor)David Warner is an English actor who is known for playing both romantic leads and sinister or villainous characters, both in film and animation...
as Zarm (1993) - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
as Leadsuit, Dokey Pinehead, Tank Flusher III
Music
The show's intro theme was composed by Tom Worrall.The ending theme (maintained by both DIC and Hanna-Barbera’s versions) is considered one of the most memorable parts of the series due to its catchy main chorus and rock track ("Captain Planet, he’s our hero, gonna take pollution down to zero"). Its lyrics were written by show producer Nick Boxer and is performed by Murray McFaden and Timothy Mulhollan.
Toys
As with many popular cartoons, Captain Planet had a toy line. Released by Tiger Toys in 1990, the line ran for several years, long enough to tie into the New Adventures series. The toys were repackaged and sold by Grand Toys in Canada and KennerKenner
Kenner Products was a toy company founded in 1947 by three brothers, Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and was named after the street where the original corporate offices were located, which is just north of Cincinnati's Union Terminal.Kenner introduced its...
throughout Europe. The toys were of average poseability, with the common five points – neck, shoulders, and hips.
Finding a comprehensive list of what was released is difficult, since not all toys shown in the initial retailer catalog were even released. The collector's market is small, the toys being somewhat rare on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. The Captain Planet Foundation still sells a small number of them online, however. There may have also been further foreign variations of certain toys which may be even more difficult to catalog. Various toys from the New Adventures waves are not as likely to be well known.
All five Planeteers, five Eco-Villains, Commander Clash, and several versions of Captain Planet, each with a different gimmick or paint scheme, were released, along with several vehicles. A toy ring with lights and sound and interchangeable lenses for the five elements was also released. Four small vehicles were also sold through a Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
promotion.
Comics
Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
published a short-run comic series to tie in to the show; however, the comics were a separate continuity. While not effectively part of the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, issue #4's cover was a parody of the cover to Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
issue #1.
Video games
A video game based on the series was produced for the NESNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
by Mindscape
Mindscape Group
Mindscape is an international software publishing company, previously part of The Learning Company. They are now affiliated with EA . As of 2004, the group has offices in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. It has an annual turnover of €38 million and employs 150 people. Mindscape...
called Captain Planet
Captain Planet (video game)
Captain Planet was a video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System by Mindscape in 1990. The game is loosely based on the environmentalist animated series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers and was produced by the third party developer Mindscape Inc...
. The game, which involved a good deal of shooting, received poor reviews from game critics and thus a Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
(Genesis) version of the game was canceled. A separate side-scrolling game was developed by Novalogic
NovaLogic
NovaLogic is a software developer and publisher established in 1985 and based in Calabasas, California. The company was founded by current CEO John A. Garcia....
for the Mega Drive/Genesis, but only saw release in Europe and Australia.
David Perry and Nick Bruty developed a ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
and Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
game using the license, a 3-level shoot 'em up. A game was also released in 1990 for the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, written by Tony Crowther. This was a platform game, and was briefly bundled with the Amiga 500
Amiga 500
The Amiga 500 - also known as the A500 - was the first “low-end” Commodore Amiga 16/32-bit multimedia home/personal computer. It was announced at the winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1987 - at the same time as the high-end Amiga 2000 - and competed directly against the Atari 520ST...
"Cartoon Classics" pack released in 1991.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a7sH_jz1bg A Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
game was in development but never released. Tiger Toys, owners of the action figure license, also created an LCD hand-held game.
In the video game Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion
Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion
Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion is a fighting video game developed by Papaya Studio and published by Crave Entertainment, for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was released on June 2, 2011 in North America. While, in Europe it is set to release on December 1, 2011...
, Captain Planet appears as one of the unlockable characters in both Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
version and XL for Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, PS3, and XBox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Home video
Several VHS tapes were released, usually with a single episode each. A DVD with four episodes and bonus features exists but was only available as part of a "Planeteer Pack" purchased from the Captain Planet Foundation.The "Planeteer Pack" special is no longer available.
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
released a DVD set of the complete 1st Season on April 19, 2011. The DVD packaging is made of 100% recycled paper.
Michael Reaves
Writer Michael ReavesMichael Reaves
James Michael Reaves is an American writer, known for his contributions as producer and story editor to a number of 1990s animated television series, including Disney's Gargoyles and Batman: The Animated Series. He has also written media tie-in novels, children's books, and original fiction...
reimagined the Captain Planet concept in a script he wrote for a theatrical movie in 1997, entitled "Planet" or "Dark Planet". The script was darker than the series, and set in a post-apocalyptic time period. The script was met with acceptance, but "got lost in the shuffle when Turner and Warner Bros. merged." The movie reached the design stage before it was abandoned. The Mother Nature Network later released footage of these designs in a special video presentation to coincide with their streaming of Captain Planet episodes.
Cartoon Network
In late 2007, it was reported that Ted Turner was in talks regarding a Captain Planet movie. In early 2008 Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
denied that a movie was planned. On July 19, 2011, it was announced that Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
and producers Don Murphy
Don Murphy
Don Murphy is an American film producer who produced Natural Born Killers and many other films, including Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.-Personal background:...
and Susan Montford
Susan Montford
Susan Montford is a Scottish film director, screenwriter, and producer. She is related to the Scottish football commentator Arthur Montford.A film fan as a child, she studied at the Glasgow School of Art where she made short films including Hairpin and Strangers. Her work was shown at the 2000...
are developing a live-action film based on the series.
External links
- Captain Planet Foundation
- Captain Planet Foundation online store
- Official Turner Captain Planet site
- Captain Planet DVD Premier
- http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.fish2/captain_planet/cpGood.html