Linka
Overview
First Appearance	A Hero For Earth
Gender	Female
Race	Russian/Soviet
Status	Planeteer Kwame's sergeant Alive
Powers	Wind

Linka is the third Planeteer to be summoned in the episode A Hero For Earth. When calling Captain Planet, she is the third to use her ring. She was from the Soviet Union (in later episodes stated as being from Eastern Europe, which may imply the USSR crumbled off screen prior to Season Three), and she has the power of Wind. She also serves as Kwame's sergeant of the Planeteer team.

OverviewEdit

Linka is the Planeteer most likely to make mistakes with her English, though she is usually corrected by Wheeler in a good-natured manner. She expresses herself very well, but continues to use occasional Russian words in her every-day speech.

Linka enjoys bird-watching (a bird brought her ring to her) and playing music on her electrical keyboard. These hobbies are evident in episodes such as Birds of a Feather. She also admits, in the episode You Bet Your Planet, that she enjoys dancing.

Linka is often the voice of logic and reason, though she also has quite a hot temper. She is technologically-minded, and is revealed to be a "hacker" in the episode Polluting by Computer. Though she sometimes gets carried away and acts without thinking, Linka is likely to remain rational in a tight spot.

She is not afraid to risk her own life in order to save someone else - in the episode Volcano's Wrath, Linka flings herself into a volcano in order to save a woman trapped on a ledge. She uses the power of her ring to stay above the lava.

Linka has the power of Wind, which means she is able to blow objects away, or to lift herself or the other Planeteers into the air. Lifting herself, however, is draining, and she cannot keep the effort up for long.

Though she is logical and uses calm rationale to work her way out of most dangerous situations, it is not unknown for Linka to grow upset or feel helpless when met with difficulties. Occasionally, like anyone else, she relies on her friends to cheer her up or give her support when she is feeling down or particularly overcome with something.

Linka is the most analytical one of the group, often the one to investigate the science behind things by using her computer to analyse data or pull up extra information during missions.

In the episode Greenhouse Planet, Linka's power is revealed to be the power which allows Captain Planet to fly.

Linka is voiced by Kath Soucie. There is a reference to this in the episode Hollywaste, where it is mentioned Linka's character will need her voice dubbed over. The producer says, "Don't worry. We'll get Kath Soucie to loop her voice later." Linka then agrees after hearing Bambi Blight's attempt at her Russian accent, stating, "Bozhe moy, she is terrible! I hope they get that Soucie person."

AppearanceEdit

Linka wears short brown shorts, sneakers, and a yellow Planeteer t-shirt with a teal colored emblem, under a purple long-sleeved collared shirt and sleeveless light-brown vest. Her belt buckle has a red communism star on it, and she wears several badges or pins on her vest: A yellow star, a red musical note, a piano, a red cow (possibly a reference to the Russian fairytale) and a shooting star. It's quite likely the badges all hold extreme significance for Linka, as she can be seen wearing them even as she is exercising or running around on Hope Island's obstacle course in her running clothing. (Rain of Terror shows references to this.)

Linka's blonde hair is always tied back into a ponytail with a black band. Her hair appears to be thick and curly, and is quite long----though admittedly it does change length occasionally from episode to episode. At the very least it is shoulder-length, though when she is running or using her wind-power, it can sometimes look much longer. Linka has a thick fringe/bangs.

Linka's eyes are blue for the first three seasons. After this, her eye colour is changed to green.

She is quite tall----she appears to be just an inch or 2 shorter than Wheeler, who in turn is an inch or 2 shorter than Kwame. She is taller than Gi and, like the others, much taller than Ma-Ti.

She has pale skin and often has the appearance of wearing red or pink lip gloss.

In the final season, like the other characters, Linka receives a "make-over". This season is considered somewhat less-canon than the others, as the "revamped" aspect of the show was not popular with the long-term fans of the program. As a result, Linka's looks in season six are usually forgotten in favour of her more familiar look in seasons 1-5.

In season six, Linka's hairstyle changes slightly. She still has a blonde ponytail, but her hair does not appear to be as thick or curly. Her hairstyle is given the appearance of having holding gel in it - her fringe/bangs are a little more severe. Her eyebrows are also much darker, as opposed to her usual blonde.

Her clothing also changes in season six. She wears brown leggings/jodphurs and a long-sleeved light-blue shirt with a darker blue vest. She has a pink belt with a blue pocket attached to it.

Linka is very beautiful and a hit with men. This makes Wheeler very jealous.

Family and RelationshipsEdit

WheelerEdit

• (See also: Linka and Wheeler)
• (See also: Wheeler)

Wheeler flirts heavily with Linka from the first moment they meet, in the episode A Hero For Earth. Linka, however, rejects him more often than not, mainly because they are on opposite sides of the Cold War, or were until the collapse of the Soviet Union on December 31, 1991. However, she does get jealous whenever Wheeler shows affection or adoration for other women or vice versa, such as in A Twist of Fate.

Sometimes, Linka displays physical affection towards him, leaning in for a kiss or hugging him enthusiastically, usually after he has disappeared and she assumes something terrible has happened to him. In the episode Beast of the Temple, Wheeler ends up missing after leading danger away from Linka, and she spends much of the episode fretting for him.

In the episode Missing Linka, Wheeler stays behind in Russia without telling Linka he is doing so. He follows her and saves her life several times before she realizes who he is. At the end of the episode, before they return to Hope Island, Linka kisses him.

GiEdit

• (See also: Gi)

Gi is Linka's best friend as they are the only girls on the team. They often help each other and are in tune with the other's powers. Gi was saddened when Linka decided to stay with her grandma and she hugged her.

KwameEdit

• (See also: Kwame)

Linka takes Kwame's directions without hesitation. They have a good friendship, such as he was very sad when she nearly left the Planeteers.

Ma-TiEdit

• (See also: Ma-Ti)

Linka and Ma-Ti share a big sister-little brother relationship. She often encourages him and stands up for him. She once kissed him on the cheek.

BorisEdit

• (See also: Boris)

Boris is Linka's cousin, and the son of her Uncle Demitri. Boris appears in the episode Mind Pollution, where it is clear he has a serious addiction to the pill, Bliss. Boris successfully hides a pill in Linka's food, which ensures she is soon addicted as well. Boris overdoses on the pills and dies at the end of the episode. Linka is obviously heart-broken by the events at the end of the episode. It is clear that she and Boris were very close before he fell victim to Verminous Skumm's chemicals.

GrandmotherEdit

In the episode A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste Part II, Linka mentions that her grandmother taught her everything about birds. Linka's mother is never mentioned - it is very likely her grandmother helped Linka's father raise both Linka and Mishka.

In the episode Missing Linka, Linka gives up her job as a Planeteer in order to take care of her ill grandmother. However, by the end of the episode it has been discovered what was making her grandmother sick (mine trailings in the groundwater), and Linka is able to return to Hope Island with the others.

MishkaEdit

• (See also: Mishka)

Mishka is Linka's older brother. He appears in the episode Missing Linka. He is tall and broad with shoulder-length blond hair.

Significant EpisodesEdit

• A Hero For Earth - Linka is summoned as the Wind Planeteer.

• Beast of the Temple - Linka spends much of the episode fretting for Wheeler after he is taken away by Greedly. When he is rescued, she throws herself into his arms, telling him she was worried about him. She also comes close to kissing him in this episode.

• Mind Pollution - Linka becomes addicted to a substance developed by Verminous Skumm. The pills, Bliss, also kill her cousin, Boris.

• A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste Part II - Linka reveals part of her history when she is trapped in a mine with the other Planeteers.

• Missing Linka - Linka leaves her job as a Planeteer in order to take care of her sick grandmother. Unable to leave her alone and unprotected, Wheeler follows her.

QuotesEdit

(A Hero for Earth)

Wheeler: Say judgin' from your accent babe are you Russian?

Linka: Soviet, please go away! (A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste Part II)

Wheeler: Since when did you become the mine expert?

Linka: I grew up in a mine, Yankee.

Wheeler: Yeah? Well, I grew up in NY, but that doesn't make me a stockbroker.

Linka: My family worked in the mine. It shaped my whole life.

My father was foreman.

(Linka's flashback from when she was a little girl begins)

Miner: Clear out! We hit gas! Everybody out!

Linka's father: (carrying Linka's dead canary) This will break Linka's heart.

Linka: I helped my grandmother raise canaries. My father used them in the mines to detect gas. I loved birds. And my grandmother taught me all about them. My greatest joy came from the birds' songs. I learned to mimic their sounds and use them in my music.

Linka's father: Linka, I'm sorry.

Linka: No! It is not fair! (crying to see her bird had died)

Linka's grandmother: The birds are not dying in vain, Linka. Because of their sensitivity to gas, they are able to save many human lives.

Linka: But why must it be this way?

(flashback ends) It still hurts me when birds, and now it is so much greater than in the mines. Birds around the world are dying and showing us how polluted our environment has become. That is why I believe so strongly that we owe animals a great debt.

Kwame: Strange how disasters can bring people closer together.

Ma-Ti: People may always have differences, but in our hearts, we are all the same.

GalleryEdit