Captain Planet and the Planeteers Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Tree of Life
Season 1, Episode 09
DrBlightTreeofLife (45)
Dr. Blight torturing Captain Planet
Air date November 10, 1990
Written by Michael Maurer
Episode guide
Previous
The Dead Seas
Next
Volcano's Wrath

Tree of Life is the ninth episode in the first season of Captain Planet and the Planeteers.

Main Characters[]

The main characters featured in this episode are:

Plot Synopsis[]

Dr. Blight cuts down the Tree of Life, a redwood that contains the powers of the Earth. She uses the sap to create a perfume that grants her superpowers, making her powerful enough to fight Captain Planet on even ground. Can the Planeteers stop a super-powered Blight?

Episode Summary[]

The episode opens with an owl flying over a large forest, filled with all kinds of trees and animal life. The camera then pans down to a man sitting under a strangely huge tree lecturing four children about the fantastic "Tree Of Life". He states that in its sap resides the power of life, and it then produced seedlings for all of the other trees in the forest. All of a sudden the sounds of buzz saws fill the forest and frighten the children that had been listening to the old man's tale. The children turn around to see that trees toppling over and stumps that had once been proud and strong trees. The source of the "tree trimmings" are gigantic metallic robots with chainsaws for hands and huge hulking arms, which storm closer and closer toward the old man and the huge tree (that being The Tree of Life). All of a sudden the robots stop and a large --vehicle-- rolls up to the scene. A small hatch opens on the bottom of the vehicle to reveal a beautiful blonde-haired woman rearing a pink jumpsuit and a lab coat sitting nonchalantly on a red chair. The woman arises and then walks in between two of the enormous robots, not being fazed or frightened at all, and commands the robots (Whom she calls Robo-Jacks) to chop the Tree of Life to the ground. The old man then rushes in front of the tree, opens his arms wide, and commands the robots to stop.

While the Robo-Jacks do stop another compartment opens on the vehicle revealing a man dressed in an expensive blue suit. This man looks extremely similar to the old man so much so that they seem to have the same hairstyle as well. The man walks over toward the older man and says "Don't be foolish father." They then proceed to have a small argument over cutting down the tree, which apparently the younger man had revealed to the woman for a large sum of money. The woman, named Dr. Barbara Blight, proceeds to interject in their argument and states that she is "a very busy villain, I mean woman" and says she doesn't have time to argue. She repeats her command to cut down The Tree of Life. The Robo-Jacks edge closer and closer but the older man remains vigilant and continues to guard the tree despite their frightening appearance. However, his son pulls him out of the right before the of the Robo-Jacks begin to slice the huge tree down. Despite their huge saws and might, their says break in half and the Robo-Jacks all topple over in unison. This is the first time the doctor has broken her composure and appears shocked that her gigantic robots couldn't cut down a simple tree, albeit a large tree, but a tree nonetheless. The old man stands proudly and tells the doctor that she has "underestimated the power of nature" and that "The Tree of Life is far greater than her machines" and finally commands her to leave. The doctor then returns back to her usual composure and leaves with her robots but before she does she says "We will meet again, which unfortunately for you will be very soon."

The story then goes to Hope Island where Gaia tells the Planeteers of Dr.Blight's plan to cut down what Gaia considers "The Greatest Redwood Of Them All". Wheeler asks of the tree's significance Gaia reveals that the old man's story was partly true, as the tree actually contains all of the powers of nature inside of it, making it extremely powerful if used in the wrong hands. After her explanation of the situation, she commands the Planeteers to foil the evil doctor's scheme.

The story cuts back to the doctor's immense vehicle returning back to her secret hideout inside a large mountain in the forest. A doorway disguised as rocks creates a huge entryway for the doctor and her robots that are standing on top of the vehicle. The camera pans down to Dr. Blight talking with a set of three computer screens, each containing a face of a man with a green complexion and glasses. The man in the computer screen states that "It doesn't compute" that The Doctor hasn't returned with the tree. The Doctor comes back strong statement that the Robo-Jacks couldn't cut through it, and that if he was so smart why didn't he predict that this would happen? The face looks sharply cut down by this remark and turns of his screens revealing nothing but a solid blue image. Dr. Blight, realizing her error, proceeds to apologize and speak and act seductively to get the face, revealed to be named MAL, to return. This works and MAL returns as quickly as he left with a beaming smile on his face. After some more talking MAL reveals that with some of the sap from the tree The Doctor "will be living lightning, strong enough to take on Captain Planet!" Dr. Blight is extremely pleased with what she has heard and asks exactly how she can cut down the tree, where MAL replies that all she has to do is simply build a bigger Robo-Jack. The Doctor gives the computer screen a kiss (which MAL really enjoys) and then runs back to her lab so she can work on her new and improved Robo-Jack. This Robo-Jack is absolutely ginormous, it absolutely dwarfs the already huge normal Robo-jacks 1000 fold (or more). Dr. Blight smiles gleefully at her great accomplishment and laughs maniacally at her handiwork stating, "My Super Robp-Jack will cut through The Tree of Life like a hot knife through butter!"

The Planeteers have finally arrived at the "Great Redwoods of North America" and make light banter as they climb down a large rock formation. Wheeler playfully warns Linka not to lose her concentration on the way down, but despite his warnings, Linka cockily doesn't listen and ends up humorously sliding down the rocks toward the hard ground at the bottom. We return to the old man and his son and we find them arguing over making way for the future or keeping their past. The old man warns that "There will be no future for our forest if the Tree of Life dies." Finally, Linka happens to land near the location where the two are bickering so they stop their fighting and watch as the other four Planeteers appear behind her. Gi introduces The Planeteers. and states that they are here to help protect The Tree of Life. The son, obviously angry about their intrusion, says that this is none of The Planeteers business and that he is going to sell the tree to Dr. Blight. Right before Wheeler was about to argue with the son over the tree, tremors shook the ground beneath them and huge almost rhythmic footsteps approach them. Kwame beckons them to look at the huge metallic monstrosity revealed to be The Super Robo-Jack, that as one huge axe instead of two chainsaws for hands. Kwame uses some quick thinking and uses his earth ring to fling rocks up in the air that knocks the robot's axe right out of its hand. However, this seems to enrage the robot who picks up its axe from the ground and proceeds to try to slice the Planeteers in half. The Planeteers jump out of the way at the last second and saves their necks, but the axe still slices straight through a tree that happened to be behind them. While The Super Robo-Jack tries to take its axe that got stuck in the stump of the tree, Wheeler makes a courageous move and leaps on top of the gigantic axe. and burns it in half using his fire ring. Right before the pieces of the axe split and fall to the floor Wheeler jumps onto the "head" of the Super Robo-Jack and hangs on for dear life as the Super Robo-Jack tried to shake him off. After realizing the futility in the shaking the robot proceeds to grab wheeler from his "head" much to Wheeler and the Planeteers, fright. Luckily for Wheeler, Gi uses a river nearby to fire a torrent of water which knocks the robot backward and releases Wheeler from its grip. The torrent then forks making a waterside (literally) for Wheeler to safely slide down to the ground on.

The robot, in a violent rage at this point, grabs an entire tree and prepares to hurl it at the Planeteers and the old man like a javelin. The old man and The Planetters run for their lives so they don't get crushed. However, they realize that the robot's aim wasn't to hit them, it was actually to trap them! All of the wooden logs stood upright in such a way that they actually boxed in the Planeteers on all sides! The robot split the Planeteers into two groups, one with Linka, Wheeler, and the old man and the other with Kwame, Mati, and Gi. Suddenly Dr. Blight's vehicle rolls up towards the log cages with extreme speed. Her compartment opens to reveal her sitting in her red chair once again, in order to gloat over the Planeteers. She hops down from her seat and with the snap of her finger, the Super Robo-Jack creates a huge moat around the two cages which is so toxic that it burns like acid, making it so even if the Planeteers did somehow escape the cages The Super Robo-Jack built they would still be trapped by the moat. The Doctor laughs at her cunning and commands her Super Robo-Jack to chop down the tree. Despite Kwame's pleading, The Super Robo-Jack cuts down The Tree of Life and loads it onto Dr. Blight's vehicle. The old man's son then asks Dr. Blight to keep her part of the bargain and pay him the money that she owes him, however, the good doctor has other plans and commands the Super Robo-Jack to put him in the cage with his dad and Wheeler. The son, realizing that he had been tricked regrets that he didn't listen to his father and doctor blight drives away stating that she "has sap to tap" and leaving the Super Robo-Jack in charge of guarding the Planeteers.

The father laments over the fact that the tree of life is gone and squats down in dismay in his cage. The Planeteers decide that its time to summon Captain Planet in order to escape their cages however the pollution, from the moat is far too great to the point where they can no longer summon Captain Planet unless they get into a cleaner position. After returning back to her lab Dr. Blight has finally finished making the sap into something that she can use and puts it into a perfume bottle. She then proceeds to spray some on herself and test out the new abilities that all of the forces of nature give her. She can fly, has super strength, and can even shoot laser beams out of her fingertips, the bottom line, a true force to be reckoned with. She then returns to the cages with the Planeteers and asks them to summon Captain Planet, which comes as a major surprise to the Planeteers. If the Planeteers decide not to summon Captain Planet, Dr. Blight will continue to chop down the entire forest. The Planeteers, knowing that the Captain might be their only hope decides to summon the Captain to face Dr. Blight.

Captain Planet immediately flies off to stop Dr. Blight without listening to Kwame's warnings about her powers. He easily dismantles a Robo-Jack and confronts her, only to look on in horror as she empowers herself with her perfume. Dr. Blight transforms her arms and legs into monstrous tree-like appendages and grabs on to Captain Planet's arms to restrain him. Despite his considerable physical strength, he is unable to free himself, so instead transforms briefly into water to slip out of her grip. He then manages to dodge her powerful swipes by flying nimbly in the air around her before ascending upwards out of her reach. Dr. Blight reverts back to human form and flies up, giving chase to Captain Planet. The two combatants envelop their bodies in a cloak of energy before charging at each other, clashing three time in the air, neither being able to overpower the other. Dr. blight then unleashes beams of destructive energy from her hand, but once again, Captain Planet proved to nimble to be hit while flying. Using the cover from one of the dust clouds from Dr. Blight's attacks, Captain Planet managed to close the distance between them and transforms into several thick vines to ensnare Dr. Blight. Seeing an opportunity, Dr. Blight intentionally falls back down towards an open barrel full of toxic defoliants. She shapeshifts into a gaseous form at the last second, leaving only Captain Planet in vine form to plunge into the barrel. A few seconds later, a reformed Captain Planet emerges from the barrel coughing and screaming in agony. He manages to exit the barrel, but his whole body had already been drenched in the chemicals. Sapped of his strength, Captain Planet falls to the ground and loses consciousness. Dr. Blight rematerializes before the defeated superhero and surveys her victim form with glee just as her own powers wear off. Deciding to take him captive, she grabs hold of his left arm and begins to drag his limp body back to her laboratory.

While the old man continues to lament over the death of the tree and the soon to be the death of all of his people, his son and The Planeteers discuss a plan for finding the doctors hiding space. Luckily thanks to the Old man's tracking skills they might have a chance. Back at the doctor's secret lab, Dr. Blight has revived Captain Planet, but is keeping him in a smog filled chamber to keep him in a weakened state. Dr. Blight attempts to convince the superhero to join her in order to "take pollution to new heights". Naturally, Captain Planet refuses and Dr. Blight puts the smog up to first stage alert levels to permanently put him out of commission for good. Captain Planet begins coughing and his body shakes uncontrollably as his lifeforce begins to deteriorate. The Planeteers end up finding her secret area and save captain planet by rewiring MAL. They also destroy all of the sap that the Doctor made for her powers. Freed from the chamber, Captain Planet is visibly weakened but is still determined to face off against Dr. Blight.

Captain Planet rushes back to the scene and has one final fight against Dr. Blight where Wheeler steals the remainder of the "Super Power Spray" and uses it on Captain Planet. After her plans had been foiled Dr. Blight is forced by Captain Planet to replant the trees she had destroyed earlier with her Robo-Jacks. The son realizes his error and says that one day his great great great grandchildren will sit under the new tree of life that has already started growing from the stump of the original tree.

Planeteer Alerts[]

Alert

Captain Planet: The Earth needs more trees. We can plant new ones and we can protect the trees we already have. For example.
Ma-Ti: It takes 17 tall trees to make one ton of paper.
Kwame: Put it this way. When you recycle one ton of paper,
Gi: You make sure 17 trees remain standing.
Kwame: So recycle and help save our forests!
Planeteers: The power is yours!

Significant Moments and Facts[]

This is the only time we see MAL's original form before Dr. Blight turned him into the A.I. that the Planeteers know and loathe very much

Quotes[]

MAL: You are a Planeteer, and you're in big trouble!

Wheeler: Right. What are going to do? Throw spears at me?

MAL: Not a bad idea! (Fires laser spears at Wheeler)

Wheeler: "Yow! Me and my big mouth!"


*after Linka turns MAL to his old-self prior to Dr. Blight making him evil* MAL: Hi my name is MAL I'm a computer I like games shall we play?

Gallery[]

Advertisement