My Gritty Captain Planet Reboot

It doesn't take long to figure out that the Planeteers are Nietzsche's  Übermensch, they are of this world but not basic human beings. They are not preparing for the Christian after-life but actively trying to create the Utopian paradise on Earth. It mostly works within the simple perspective of youth but at some point they become adults.

In my mind's eye I can imagine the situation:

The squad comes together to fight a logging company hired by the government to clear some old growth timber from an "ancient" forest. The company has been hired to clear deadwood but since they are making a profit there's a sense of impropriety. The Planeteers descend upon the logging crew and the fire kid, Wheeler,  tries to get the loggers attention by a display of fire. The fire grows quickly, far quicker than anticipated. Being a "superhero," that is an Ubermench, he believes he can control the chaos.  The rest of the Planeteers try to help him but can't. Wheeler and the loggers are consumed by the flames and die.


In aftermath Ma-Ti suffers from PTSD and uses his heart power to manipulate Linka to be a comfort woman, Linka doesn't consent but can't resist so turns to drugs, primarily heroin, to make the self hate go away.

Gi and Kwame try to hold the team together but they become isolated from the world and from other Planeteers. they slide into unhealthy co-dependent relationship. They are without peers and consider themselves unable to be understood by their lessers.  They try to care of Linka who is a full blown addict because of a sense of guilt and because she is a superhero like them.

Ma-Ti runs away to Northern Mexico and gets caught up in Nacro violence. He can't help himself but use his power to create para-military group which become a death cult. They battle the cartels and carve our own nation. He thinks he can fix the world by being in charge because he knows the power of heart,sympathy and understanding and that is all the world needs.

The death of Wheeler and the drifting apart of the Planeteers mean that Captain Planet can't be summoned.

Wheeler's younger brother, Jim,  seeks out the Planeeters, hoping to carry on hiss brother's role because he believes the world is worth saving. He finds them living in their disgusting self-pity. Jim finds Wheeler's ring in the hovel that Gi., Kwame and Linka are living in. He gives a moving speech about the burden of trying to be the best they can to make the planet a better place and that Ma-Ti is a danger because he cannot be checked by normal humans. He convinces the group to head to the American Southwest.

On the journey Jim gets to tell stories of the old days, of when they were a force of good. Getting ready to cross the border Jim gives a speech about good and evil, the need of good to never tire, to never yield or to never compromise. Their powers represent the greatest hope that humanity has to achieving utopia. Energized by a renewed sense of purpose, Jim convinces  the Planeteers to try to summon Captain Planet despite missing Ma-Ti, who commands the power of heart.

The summoning of Captain Planet is not a complete failure but the Captain Planet who appears is an an abomination. Without heart, that is without sympathy Captain Planet quickly grows angry and impatient with humanity. He gives the human race 24 hours to cease any activity that harms the planet. Captain Planet creates a luminescent and impenetrable shield that protects him from attack.

The United States military shows up and creates a perimeter. They begin attacking Captain Planet's defenses using weapons developed from studying the Planeteers but with little affect.

Mi-Ti shows up with his armed troops and tries the same with no success. Ma-Ti then approaches Captain Planet unaccompanied and explains that only him, Ma-Ti, can lead the human race to a planet friendly existence and that Captain Planet should be his ally.


Captain Planet impatient rages, lashes out and wipes out Ma-Ti's army from existence. The Planeteers have failed and only his extreme measures can save the day. Rejected and lost, Ma-Ti retreats to the wasteland which was recently his army's campsite.

Jim and the Planeteers find Ma-Ti lost and grief-stricken. Ma-Ti wants to lash out in anger and blame Wheeler's death on them but he is exhausted in every sense of the word and has become unraveled. Jim explains that will all the rings combined they can control Captain Planet and with Ma-Ti's help can give him the compassion not to destroy all human life on Earth. Maybe they can...