Captain Planet and the Planeteers is an American animated environmentalist television program created by Ted Turner and Barbara Pyle, produced by Pyle, Nicholas Boxer, Andy Heyward and Robby London, and developed by Pyle, Boxer, Heyward, London, Thom Beers, Bob Forward, Phil Harnage and Cassandra Schafhausen. The series was produced by Turner Program Services and DiC Entertainment and it was broadcast on TBS from September 15, 1990 to December 5, 1992. A sequel series, The New Adventures of Captain Planet, ran for three seasons and was produced by Turner Broadcasting and Hanna-Barbera. The original run of the second series was from September 11, 1993 through May 11, 1996. Both series continue today in syndication. The program is a form of edutainment and advocates environmentalism.
PLOT:
Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, is awakened from a long sleep by Hoggish Greedly, who happens to be drilling above her resting chamber. Realizing that the damage is extensive, Gaia sends five magic rings, four with the power to control an element of nature and one controlling the element of Heart, to five chosen youths across the globe: Kwame from Africa, Wheeler from North America, Linka from the Soviet Union (changed to Eastern Europe after the Soviet Union's collapse), Gi from Asia, and Ma-Ti from South America.
These five are dubbed the Planeteers and are tasked with defending the Earth from the greatest of disasters and making efforts to educate mankind to keep others from happening. Gaia uses her "Planet Vision" to discover where the most devastating destruction is occurring and sends the Planeteers to help solve the problem. The Planeteers use transportation (usually a flying machine called a Geo-Cruiser) based on solar power to avoid causing pollution themselves.
In situations that the Planeteers cannot resolve alone, they can combine their powers to summon Captain Planet, a magical entity who possesses all of their powers magnified, symbolizing the premise that the combined efforts of a team are stronger than its individual parts. Captain Planet only appears in his Captain Planet garb. These are not clothes but elements of the Earth that are integral to his composition. He is able to rearrange his molecular structure to transform himself into the various powers and elements of nature. Captain Planet's outfit does not represent a specific culture. He has a grass-green proto-mullet, crystal skin, earthy brown eyes, a fire-red chest, gloves, and boots, and a sun-yellow globe insignia.
In a manner similar to the mid 1950s–1986 incarnation of Superman, Captain Planet has superhuman powers, and seems to gain more proportionate to whatever the situation requires. Nevertheless, he is weakened by pollutants which sap his strength, from smog to nuclear radiation, in much the same manner that Superman is weakened by Kryptonite. Captain Planet's personality is also similar to that of the Silver Age version of Superman; always remaining friendly and upbeat in the darkest of situations. Like the Silver Age Superman, he also dislikes killing even the cruellest bad guys and has a strict sense of justice (such as when Captain Planet allowed himself to be jailed for a crime he did not commit).
The Planeteers cannot use their individual powers while Captain Planet has been summoned. Despite his vulnerability to pollution, Captain Planet is a formidable and valiant hero. Once his work is done, Captain Planet returns to the Earth, restoring the Planeteers' powers. When he does this, Captain Planet reminds viewers of the message of the series with his catchphrase, "The Power Is Yours!"
CHARACTERS:
Captain Planet
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.
Gaia
Gaia 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 Hope Island, 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
The Planeteers are summoned by Gaia to defend the world from pollution, criminals, and natural disasters. The five teenagers, each originating from a different region of the world and who together represent several major ethnic groups, are each given a ring which allows them to temporarily control one of the four classical elements - 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. Pyle cites that the inspiration for the five Planeteers came from real people that she was affected by during the show's pre-production in 1989.
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:
Kwame: From Ghana, Africa, 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 facto 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: From North America (specifically Brooklyn, NY), 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: From the Soviet Union (now Russia), Linka has the power of Wind. Linka closely studies bird life 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: Hailing from Thailand (Asia), 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: From the Amazon rainforests 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.
Eco-Villains:
The Eco-Villains are a small group of antagonists who 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: A pig-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: 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.
Duke Nukem: A doctor who changed himself into a radioactive mutant who represents the misuse of nuclear power. He is the only Eco-Villain able to single handedly defeat Captain Planet. Apogee temporarily renamed the eponymous character of the Duke Nukem computer game franchise to 'Duke Nukum' so as to avoid any possible trademark claims they could face from the producers of Captain Planet. The character was later found to be under no trademark and the games were restored to their original titles.
Leadsuit: 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.
Looten Plunder: A wealthy poacher and greedy businessman who represents the evils of uncontrolled capitalism 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: 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 sharks are deadly.
Pinehead Brothers: Oakey and Dokey are two oversized lumberjacks that are Looten Plunder's henchmen in the final season of "The New Adventures of Captain Planet."
Sly Sludge: An unscrupulous waste disposer who represents ignorance and the dangers of short-term thinking.
Ooze: Sly Sludge's sidekick.
The Rat Pack: A gang of rat/human thugs under the command of Skumm.
Dr. Blight: A mad scientist with a half-scarred face hidden behind her hair who represents the dangers of uncontrolled technology 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 is revealed to the viewers and the Planeteers that Dr. Blight's first name is Babs.
MAL: Dr. Blight's evil highly-intellectual supercomputer.
Zarm: 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 war 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".
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 Radiation Ring (counterpart of Fire).
Looten Plunder has a Deforestation Ring (counterpart of Earth).
Sly Sludge has a Smog Ring (counterpart of Wind).
Verminous Skumm has a Toxics Ring (counterpart of Water).
Dr. Blight has a Hate 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 of the 5 evil rings 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.
PLOT:
Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, is awakened from a long sleep by Hoggish Greedly, who happens to be drilling above her resting chamber. Realizing that the damage is extensive, Gaia sends five magic rings, four with the power to control an element of nature and one controlling the element of Heart, to five chosen youths across the globe: Kwame from Africa, Wheeler from North America, Linka from the Soviet Union (changed to Eastern Europe after the Soviet Union's collapse), Gi from Asia, and Ma-Ti from South America.
These five are dubbed the Planeteers and are tasked with defending the Earth from the greatest of disasters and making efforts to educate mankind to keep others from happening. Gaia uses her "Planet Vision" to discover where the most devastating destruction is occurring and sends the Planeteers to help solve the problem. The Planeteers use transportation (usually a flying machine called a Geo-Cruiser) based on solar power to avoid causing pollution themselves.
In situations that the Planeteers cannot resolve alone, they can combine their powers to summon Captain Planet, a magical entity who possesses all of their powers magnified, symbolizing the premise that the combined efforts of a team are stronger than its individual parts. Captain Planet only appears in his Captain Planet garb. These are not clothes but elements of the Earth that are integral to his composition. He is able to rearrange his molecular structure to transform himself into the various powers and elements of nature. Captain Planet's outfit does not represent a specific culture. He has a grass-green proto-mullet, crystal skin, earthy brown eyes, a fire-red chest, gloves, and boots, and a sun-yellow globe insignia.
In a manner similar to the mid 1950s–1986 incarnation of Superman, Captain Planet has superhuman powers, and seems to gain more proportionate to whatever the situation requires. Nevertheless, he is weakened by pollutants which sap his strength, from smog to nuclear radiation, in much the same manner that Superman is weakened by Kryptonite. Captain Planet's personality is also similar to that of the Silver Age version of Superman; always remaining friendly and upbeat in the darkest of situations. Like the Silver Age Superman, he also dislikes killing even the cruellest bad guys and has a strict sense of justice (such as when Captain Planet allowed himself to be jailed for a crime he did not commit).
The Planeteers cannot use their individual powers while Captain Planet has been summoned. Despite his vulnerability to pollution, Captain Planet is a formidable and valiant hero. Once his work is done, Captain Planet returns to the Earth, restoring the Planeteers' powers. When he does this, Captain Planet reminds viewers of the message of the series with his catchphrase, "The Power Is Yours!"
CHARACTERS:
Captain Planet
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.
Gaia
Gaia 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 Hope Island, 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
The Planeteers are summoned by Gaia to defend the world from pollution, criminals, and natural disasters. The five teenagers, each originating from a different region of the world and who together represent several major ethnic groups, are each given a ring which allows them to temporarily control one of the four classical elements - 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. Pyle cites that the inspiration for the five Planeteers came from real people that she was affected by during the show's pre-production in 1989.
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:
Kwame: From Ghana, Africa, 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 facto 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: From North America (specifically Brooklyn, NY), 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: From the Soviet Union (now Russia), Linka has the power of Wind. Linka closely studies bird life 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: Hailing from Thailand (Asia), 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: From the Amazon rainforests 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.
Eco-Villains:
The Eco-Villains are a small group of antagonists who 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: A pig-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: 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.
Duke Nukem: A doctor who changed himself into a radioactive mutant who represents the misuse of nuclear power. He is the only Eco-Villain able to single handedly defeat Captain Planet. Apogee temporarily renamed the eponymous character of the Duke Nukem computer game franchise to 'Duke Nukum' so as to avoid any possible trademark claims they could face from the producers of Captain Planet. The character was later found to be under no trademark and the games were restored to their original titles.
Leadsuit: 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.
Looten Plunder: A wealthy poacher and greedy businessman who represents the evils of uncontrolled capitalism 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: 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 sharks are deadly.
Pinehead Brothers: Oakey and Dokey are two oversized lumberjacks that are Looten Plunder's henchmen in the final season of "The New Adventures of Captain Planet."
Sly Sludge: An unscrupulous waste disposer who represents ignorance and the dangers of short-term thinking.
Ooze: Sly Sludge's sidekick.
The Rat Pack: A gang of rat/human thugs under the command of Skumm.
Dr. Blight: A mad scientist with a half-scarred face hidden behind her hair who represents the dangers of uncontrolled technology 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 is revealed to the viewers and the Planeteers that Dr. Blight's first name is Babs.
MAL: Dr. Blight's evil highly-intellectual supercomputer.
Zarm: 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 war 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".
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 Radiation Ring (counterpart of Fire).
Looten Plunder has a Deforestation Ring (counterpart of Earth).
Sly Sludge has a Smog Ring (counterpart of Wind).
Verminous Skumm has a Toxics Ring (counterpart of Water).
Dr. Blight has a Hate 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 of the 5 evil rings 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.
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