Ma-ti (Captain Planet character)

Ma-ti is the son of an Amazon leader and a caucasion who sought for peace between the two cultures. When conflict resulted in Ma-ti's parents' apparent deaths, he ended up living with the shaman of the tribe in the rainforest.

On one particular day, Ma-ti discovered a trapped monkey, a jaguar advancing on it. Ma-ti jumped between them and with but a gesture sent the cat away. Ma-ti freed the monkey, who presented him with a ring with a heart upon its stone.

Ma-ti became the planeteer of heart, able to communicate with others telepathically and feel and convey emotions directly. Though not powerful in the way of action, Ma-tti's power is considered the most important, for it keeps the planeteers together and helps them to feel be in tune with not just nature, but the people with which they interact. Ma-ti's power can also influence the feelings of others, enabling him to draw aid from creatures in the surrounding area. (This should not be confused with mind control; Ma-ti's powers can influence, and the most evil people can hardly be affected by the power.)

Ma-ti is the most feeling and peace-maker of the planeteers. While Ma-ti is both wised and learned about the ways of nature, some of the more modern forms of entertainment can consume him, such as an episode in which he was so obsessed with mystery novels that he began treating missions like mystery stories.

The monkey that Ma-ti rescued from the jaguar stayed with him after joining the planeteers and was named Suchi. For the most part, Suchi's role in the series is rather small, though on occasion he may serve a role in the movement of the plot or some sort of comic endeavor. For the most part, however, Suchi remains a token to Ma-ti's heart.