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Gaia
Conqueror233
As seen at the end of The Conqueror
Overview
Gender Female
Race Deity
Status Spirit of Earth
Immortal, unless made otherwise
Powers All powers of nature, control over the timeline, healing, Immortality
First Appearance A Hero for Earth
Voices Whoopi Goldberg (season 1-3)[1]
Margot Kidder (season 4-6)[2]

Gaia, also known as Mother Nature or Mother Earth, is the female Spirit of Earth, responsible for preserving peace, harmony, and life on the planet. She lives on Hope Island, and is also the creator of Captain Planet, as well as the mentor to her five young chosen Planeteers, aka the "teenage dupes".[3]

Appearance[]

Gaia appears as a beautiful, mature woman with tan skin, dark hair with lighter streaks and light-colored eyes. She wears a long, purple dress, purple shoes, a thin, golden headband and two long, light-colored decorative pieces of material, one of which is wrapped around her left upper arm and the other is tied together with a hem of her dress on her right shoulder.

However, some details of her appearance may be slightly different, depending on which season, episode, or even scene, it is.

  • Her skin varies from goldish to only a few shades lighter than Kwame's.
  • Her hair can be dark blue or downright black; the highlights are white, silvery or light blue.
  • Her eyes started out as light violet to become blue later on.
  • Her lips and nails were pinkish at first to become red from late season 1.
  • Her dress went from dark to light purple.
  • The decorative strips of material can be white, pinkish or light violet.
  • Her shoes are either sandals or flip-flops.

Personality[]

In general, Gaia is kind-hearted and level-headed; the latter trait is most probably due to her age and long experience. However, if the Planeteers or any other living beings are in an immediate, great danger, she gets furious and rushes to the rescue without really thinking about possible consequences[4][5].

Powers and abilities[]

As the Spirit of Earth, Gaia has all the powers of nature at her command, and as such is tremendously powerful, though not omnipotent. Examples of powers she was shown to possess were:

  • Earth Symbiosis: The ability to gain powers through a symbiotic relationship with the Earth. Gaia gains power from and protects Earth and suffers as Earth is damaged.
  • Nature Intuition: The ability to have innate knowledge about nature and natural forces. Gaia possesses an innate sense to the state of Earth and nature, and as such has full knowledge and understanding of the damages that could be inflicted on nature and its forces, as well as the consequences of those damages.
  • Semi-Immortality: The ability to never age. As the Spirit of Earth, Gaia is ageless - as revealed in A Hero for Earth, she woke from a century-long nap, but still retained the youth and vitality of a beautiful woman in her physical prime. However, as shown in the likes of Heat Wave and Summit to Save Earth Part I and Part II, if Hope Island or the Earth itself were too severely damaged, she would become gravely ill and could even die.
  • Mystic Object Creation: The ability to create mystical or magical objects. Gaia created the five magic rings whose combined power could summon Captain Planet, and in Gorillas Will Be Missed, she created for Goki a virtual reality visor that, when he put it on, transported him two centuries back in time, and also enabled others to view his time when they put it on. Later on, after his mission was complete, and he returned back to his time through the visor, Gaia created for him a magic ring of earth like that of Kwame's, effectively making him a Planeteer.
  • Teleportation: The ability to move oneself and/or others instantaneously from one location to another without physically occupying the space in between.
  • Nigh-Omnipresence (Earth) (limited): The ability to be almost everywhere in existence on Earth at once.
  • Holographic Projection: The ability to generate and project holograms.
  • Eruption Inducement: The ability to induce volcanic eruptions. As shown in The Conqueror, Gaia fired a magma attack that caused a volcano to erupt, which in turn banished Zarm's ship to outer space. Also, in Summit to Save Earth Part I, during her fight against Zarm, she induced a volcanic eruption that destroyed one of his attacks on her, sending out lava and ash to weaken him.
  • Timeline Manipulation: The ability to manipulate timelines. As shown in the likes of Two Futures Part I and Part II, Summit to Save Earth Part I and Part II, and Gorillas Will Be Missed, Gaia has the ability to manipulate events, separate parts of events and distribute them throughout the timeline, and effectively manipulate events in timelines whether individual or intertwined with other events. Her most common application of this power, however, was:
    • Timeline Vision Sharing: The ability to share one's visions of different timelines with others, letting others see whatever they see on those specific timelines. Through PlanetVision, Gaia shows the Planeteers the past, the present, and the possible future of ecological situations so they would better understand what was going on, as well as what they had to do.
  • Geomagnetism Manipulation: The ability to manipulate geomagnetic fields. As shown in Two Futures Part I and Part II, as the Spirit of Earth, Gaia could create, shape, and manipulate the Earth's geomagnetic fields.
  • Omnilingualism: The ability to speak, write, understand, and communicate in any language. As shown in the likes of The Ark and Fare Thee Whale, as the Spirit of Earth, Gaia could comprehend every language and form of communication in existence, and so is able to effectively converse with animals and even alien life forms (e.g. the Collector) alike.
  • Danger Sense (possibly) (limited): The ability to detect impending threats. As shown in Summit to Save Earth Part I, Gaia had the ability to sense dangers and threats that were nearing, or acute, or impending - she suffered a severe headache when Zarm returned to Earth, laughing evilly as he did so. However, given her initial ignorance of her headache cause until Zarm revealed himself, and how, in The Conqueror, she initially did not know of his return until Ma-Ti told her about it, it is highly likely that Gaia's sensing ability was limited and inconstant.
  • Levitation: The ability to levitate, to enable oneself to hover in the air unassisted, so oneself is able to seamlessly hover in the air and their body does not make contact with the ground below.
  • Transmutation: The ability to alter/transform the forms/structure of matter/energy. As shown in Summit to Save Earth Part I, during her fight against Zarm, Gaia transformed his toxic ooze attack into a swarm of butterflies, which she subsequently directed at him to weaken him.
  • Atmokinesis: The ability to sense, create, shape, and manipulate the weather. As shown in Summit to Save Earth Part I, due to her being the Spirit of Earth, Gaia has absolute control and authority over the weather, and could create any weather condition she desired, as well as utilise the meterological patterns as means of both offense and defense - during her fight against Zarm, she fired a lightning bolt at him, and created a snow storm to weaken him. Also, in The Unbearable Blightness of Being, she generated a thundering raincloud to water an apple tree, and later generated a wind to dry a wet monkey. After Blight forcefully possessed Gaia's body, she was also shown to be able to generate rainclouds, wind, thunder, and even lightning.
  • Animal Summoning: The ability to influence, control, and manipulate animals and birds. As shown in Summit to Save Earth Part II, Gaia could summon animals and birds to do her bidding, help her and her friends during situations, even use them against foes - while the Planeteers were "recharging" their rings, she summoned monkeys and birds to attack Zarm to distract him.
  • Telekinesis: The ability to move objects/matter with one's mind. As shown in The Unbearable Blightness of Being, Blight (in Gaia's body) was able to move objects and beings solely through the power of her mind.
  • Body Part Switching: The ability to switch an organism's body parts with another organism's. As shown in The Unbearable Blightness of Being, Blight (in Gaia's body) was able to change parts of animals' and insects' bodies with other body parts of other organisms.
  • Energy Bolt Projection: The ability to create and project bolts of energy and control the intensity/power of their projectiles. As shown in The Unbearable Blightness of Being, Blight (in Gaia's body) was able to project powerful bolts of energy that could send even Captain Planet flying.
  • Ocean Manipulation: The ability to create, shape, and manipulate the oceans and seas and everything in them. As shown in Fare Thee Whale, Gaia could summon whales, and in The Unbearable Blightness of Being, Blight (in Gaia's body) could manipulate the waters of the ocean to attack Captain Planet.
  • Cloth Manipulation: The ability to manipulate cloths and textiles.
  • Erasure: The ability to erase things from existence. As shown in No Place Like Home, Gaia caused an injured coyote's restraints to disappear from reality, freeing it.
  • Environmental Purification: The ability to purify/refresh entire environments. As shown in No Place Like Home, Gaia was able to restore any damaged nature back to the time where it was healthy and glorious - as she approached the injured coyote to help it, her very presence and every step she took restored the surrounding damaged habitat to full health, with fresh lush grass and beautiful flowers blooming.
  • Healing: The ability to restore biotic organisms to their optimal health. As shown in No Place Like Home, Gaia healed a coyote's injured paw just by touching it with her hands.

Weaknesses and limitations[]

Though Gaia is a mighty supernatural force, she is neither omnipotent nor invincible:

  1. As the Spirit of Earth, Gaia's health is directly linked to the condition of both Hope Island and the entire Earth, and so, if either the island, or the planet, or both are too severely damaged, she would become gravely ill and weak, and could even die.
  2. As shown in the likes of Greenhouse Planet, Gaia is unable to reach outside the Earth's orbit unless she and Captain Planet combine all their powers.
  3. While Gaia is able to appear as a holographic image at absolutely any place she desired on Earth, she is unable to manifest in a corporeal form anywhere outside Hope Island, unless protected inside one of the giant crystals that can be found on the island. However, should the crystal that she is protected in be broken or destroyed, Gaia would become mortal, and her control over the Earth's timeline would end, resulting in time affecting beings and places in various ways.
  4. As shown in the likes of The Unbearable Blightness of Being and No Place Like Home, Gaia could be vulnerable to highly advanced science and technology.

History[]

Before the show[]

Gaia became the current Spirit of Earth after apparently having defeated and exiled her predecessor/ex-coworker who tried to destroy her and Captain Planet since then.

Season 1[]

After a droplet of water, fallen in through the Crystal Chamber's cracked ceiling, interrupts her century-long nap, Gaia is shocked to discover the extent of damage the humanity has done to the Earth in the last hundred years. Thus, she sends out five magic rings to five very special young people from various parts of the world. She then mysteriously/magically brings the kids to Hope Island, dubs them the Planeteers and, after some quick explanations, sends them out to their first mission. (A Hero for Earth)

When Ma-Ti struggles with self-esteem issues, Gaia appears to him as a hologram and encourages him to try and overcome his fears. Later, she appears again to congratulate him on a job well done. (Rain of Terror)

Add details here. (Episodes 3-5)

After the Planeteers turn away from her for Zarm's literal "iron fists" that increase their elemental powers a hundred-fold, Gaia becomes mortal and nearly is killed. She stops the Planeteers from using Zarm's super-powers to unwittingly help him stage a nuclear war, by showing what Zarm's reign did to his last planet. The Planeteers then abandon Zarm and restore Gaia as a spirit, while Zarm is sent back into deep space by Captain Planet. (The Conqueror)

Add details here. (Episodes 7-26)

Season 2[]

Add details here.

Season 3[]

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Season 4[]

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Season 5[]

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Season 6[]

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Relationships[]

Planeteers[]

Throughout the show, it is evident that Gaia loves the Planeteers as if they were her own children. She's always there to offer them good advice or encouragement, if needed, and does so in a kind, soft voice. However, she can also be a little harsher if there's an argument to interrupt[6] or someone to be scolded[7].

Her support for Planeteers is usually purely spiritual, as she can't leave Hope Island for long. Nevertheless, their safety is one of her top priorities; in the Summit to Save Earth Part I, she doesn't hesitate to get in an intense battle against Zarm, just to rescue the kids. Sadly, when he attacks the Planeteers directly, she stops for a moment to make sure they're okay, thus getting distracted and losing the fight.

She also seems to have a special bond with Ma-Ti from the word-go; it's worth noting that he's the only Planeteer who didn't betray her for one of Zarm's "Iron Fists". However, it's unclear what is the cause for their closeness – him being her favorite as the youngest kid, or the power of Heart being able to strengthen such bonds.

Captain Planet[]

Gaia and Captain Planet don't have much screen-time together, mainly due to her staying on Hope Island while he assists the Planeteers on their missions and/or him returning to his crystal matrix as soon as his work is done. However, when they do interact, they get along well and show that they care for each other. This is best visible by the end of Summit to Save Earth Part II; when the Planeteers summon him to deal with Zarm, Captain Planet first forces Zarm back into his ship, gives Gaia a quick hug and then proceeds to send Zarm back where he'd come from.

Zarm[]

Zarm is Gaia's archenemy. It's unclear whether or not his hate for her is reciprocated. There's also little to no information to whether they'd been meant to guard Earth together or if Gaia had replaced him. In any case, ever since he lost his Spirit of Earth status and left the planet, presumably due to having been defeated and banished by Gaia, or removed from office by the other gods, he tries to destroy her, Captain Planet and the Earth as revenge. Gaia is aware of this and won't hesitate to use her powers to stop him.

Doctor Blight[]

Significant Episodes[]

  • A Hero for Earth – Gaia, awoken from her century-long nap, finds Earth in a critical state and summons the Planeteers.
  • The Conqueror – Gaia is turned mortal after four Planeteers are misled by Zarm. Now she and Ma-Ti, who stayed loyal to her, need to stop the others from destroying a missile base and, consequently, the entire planet.
  • Heat Wave – Dr. Blight creates a greenhouse effect in a force field over Hope Island. The increasing pollution starts destroying the island, thus threatening Gaia's life. The Planeteers start a race against time to save her.
  • Summit to Save Earth Part I – Gaia sends her Planeteers to the Earth Summit. When they are tricked and captured by Zarm, she rushes to rescue them. However, Zarm uses the Planeteers as a distraction to turn Gaia into a very old mortal woman.
  • Summit to Save Earth Part II – The Planeteers enlist Commander Clash's help to save Gaia, who will turn into dust if Zarm isn't defeated.
  • The Unbearable Blightness of Being – Dr. Blight creates a mind switcher through which she gets hold of Gaia's powers to use them against the Planeteers and the Earth. Meanwhile Gaia, with the help of MAL, who wasn't informed on Blight's plan, tries to undo the damage and get the Planeteers to trust her so she can reclaim her body.
  • No Place Like Home – Gaia, infuriated by seeing a coyote family suffer because of human recklessness, leaves Hope Island to personally help the aforementioned animals. Dr. Blight is quick to seize the opportunity and turn the Spirit of Earth into a mortal once more. Soon, the Planeteers and Captain Planet notice their powers are gone. Their only chance to regain them is to find Gaia and get her back to Hope Island before sunrise.

Remarkable Quotes[]

  • Ma-Ti, yours is the greatest power of all; because without a Heart to guide them, the other powers are useless.
    • A Hero for Earth
  • The feeling that one person can't make a difference is the greatest obstacle of all.
  • Gaia: Now I must get to the missile base.
    Ma-Ti: You cannot go there now! Your life would be in danger!
    Gaia: I know. But peace requires a brave heart.
    • The Conqueror
  • To save the planet, we need to work together – and share.
    • The Conqueror
  • Children. They make a mother proud.
  • Gaia: I'm not well, Ma-Ti.
    Ma-Ti: How can the Spirit of Earth be sick?
    Gaia: My health is linked to the Earth and to this special place. If Hope Island dies... (quieter; head hung) I, too, will die.
    • Heat Wave
  • You wanted to see me, Zarm? Well, here I am. You can leave right now, or I can help you leave. But mark my words: I will not let you destroy this planet.
    • Summit to Save Earth Part I
  • What's the matter, Zarm? Afraid you'll melt?
    • Countering Zarm's energy blast with a snowstorm.
    • Summit to Save Earth Part I
  • Ma-Ti: Our rings do not work!
    Gaia: (shaking her head) Planeteers... The rings are not the source of your power. The real power to save Earth comes from within; inside you. It always has.
    • Summit to Save Earth Part II
  • Gi: That's killing! That's... that's...
    Gaia: (putting her forehead on the top of Gi's head) Cruel, dishonest, inhumane, and in this case – illegal. That's why I want you to put a stop to it.
    Gi: You don't have to ask twice. Let's go!
    Gaia: (watching the Planeteers rush off) If the rest of the world were like them, I could take a permanent vacation.
  • You don't know how lucky you are, until you lose everything.
    • No Place Like Home

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • As the Spirit of Earth, Gaia combines traits of four most common ethnicities: dark skin (not as dark as Kwame's, though), long, wavy dark hair most common among Latin Americans, high cheekbones common in Asians, and blue eyes most prevalent in Caucasians.
  • In Greek Mythology, Gaia was the Earth Mother as well as the literal embodiment of the Earth, much like she is in the show.

References[]

  1. Seasons 1-3.
  2. Seasons 4-6.
  3. "We have an important message for Gaia and her teenage dupes." seen in this transcript of Deadly Ransom
  4. Summit to Save Earth Part I.
  5. No Place Like Home.
  6. Deadly Ransom and A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste Part I.
  7. Two Futures Part I.
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