Captain Planet was first introduced in a 1990 animated series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, but he's now set to return in a new Dynamite and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products comic book series...and he's received quite the overhaul!
Now looking like he's ready to step into a movie (attempts to bring the hero to the big screen have been attempted for years), Captain Planet will be joined by his Planeteers in a series launching this April.
In that, five ordinary young people from around the world must become humanity's last hope after being chosen to wield elemental rings of Gaia, the High Priestess of Earth. Each Planeteer suddenly finds themselves equipped with abilities aligned with one of the world's elemental forces: Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Heart.
And in the most dire circumstances, the five can combine these powers together to summon the globe's greatest champion - Captain Planet!
- Kwame from Ghana wields the power of Earth.
- Wheeler hails from the United States and channels Fire.
- Linka's origins are in Russia and she can manipulate Wind.
- Gi traces back to South Korea and can control Water.
- Ma-Ti is from Brazil and uses Heart.
"Every comic creator has their own personal white whale - that singular property they’ve been itching to make their mark on — and for more than a decade Captain Planet has been mine," said writer David Pepose (Cable).
He'll be joined by artist Eman Casallos (Vampirella) for the first comics series starring Captain Planet in over three decades. They're kicking off the story with an energized, yet faithful modernization of the franchise, in the same vein as Pepose's approach to the smash-hit Space Ghost series.
Before these would-be eco-warriors can grasp their own newfound powers in pursuit of environmental justice, they're first going to have to learn to trust each other. It will be even more of a trial-by-fire experience when Gaia is kidnapped, forcing the inexperienced Planeteers to learn in action against the well-financed might of Lucian Plunder. Their first test against the ruthless exploiters of Earth won't be the hardest, but it all starts here.
Captain Planet #1 is scheduled to be released on April 23, timed to the same week as Earth Day. Dynamite has also announced that issues will be printed on 70% recycled paper.
The first instalment features variants by superstar Mark Spears, known for his Monsters series; Christian Ward; and Ben Oliver. The first six issues will also feature a special connecting set of covers by Jae Lee and June Chung. You can take a closer look at those below.