01x16 - Genesis the Amazing Animal Ally

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] At Marvel,
our stories and our superheroes

are inspired by real-life heroes.

So the editors of some
of our best-known comics

have come together
to work on a special project:

to find and tell the stories
of kids doing the extraordinary,

helping communities near and far,
and changing the world.

These are the kids
who will inspire our stories

for years to come.

[Genesis] I love all animals.

I wanna be an activist and I wanna fight
as hard as I can for the animals.

We are all connected.

My generation needs
a more compassionate world

for all life on this planet.

[narrator] Genesis is already a hero.

Now, we bring her story to the world

with the surprise of a lifetime:

making her into a Marvel superhero,

immortalized in her very own comic,

as a member of Marvel's Hero Project.

They're everyday kids...

who have accomplished the amazing.

Now, their true stories...

will reveal the heroes that live among us.

This is Marvel's Hero Project.

[Sana Amanat] So we talk a lot about

how heroes are protecting
the world around them.

They're saving people's lives every day.

And there's one little girl
who's doing exactly that

and protecting the lives of animals.

Her name is Genesis.
I think you guys are familiar...

-[Sarah Amos] Yeah, she's great.
-...and she is fantastic.

She's an animal wellness advocate.

Genesis feels truly in her soul

that she is connected
with the animals of the world.

And if she could do anything,

she would spend every moment
of her day helping protect them.

She has the elements of the heroes
that we create every day.

-She has this sense of charity...
-[Sana Amanat] Mm-hmm.

...this sense of compassion for others.

The way Genesis uses her empathy
to communicate with these animals,

it's a lot in the same way that
Rocket and Groot communicate.

-Aw... yeah.
-No one can understand Groot,

-except for Rocket.
-That's so sweet.

And Groot, obviously,
just leads with his heart.

Oh, that's fantastic.

-I love that connection.
-[Alanna Smith] That's really cute.

We have heroes who kind of
have animals also, right?

-Well, Falcon for sure.
-Yes.

Like, Falcon's ever-present companion
is a hawk named Redwing.

And he can literally see
through Redwing's eyes.

And through the eyes of other birds
that he connects with.

And there's a real element
of Genesis in that,

in that she's literally seeing things
through these animals' eyes

and thinking, like,
"How would I wanna be treated?"

"Is this," you know,

"Is this a home that would be
comfortable for me."

"How can I make it
more comfortable for them?"

-That kind of thing.
-[Sana Amanat] Yeah.

I think she's just
such an incredible story

that we have to be able to share.

-Hi.
-[woman] Hi, Genesis.

-How are you?
-I'm good. How are you?

[Genesis] Little by little more animals
are gonna go extinct,

then there's not gonna be animals
on the planet.

And that's not going to be good.

-[Genesis chuckles] So cute.
-[woman] I know.

[Genesis] I've never seen baby possums.

Genesis told us from an early age
that she was here for a reason.

It's okay. [chuckles]

She told us, "I'm here
to help save animals and humans,

because we're all connected."

So you think, like,
this was someone's pet?

[woman] Most likely.

I can feel, like, other emotions of people
and, like, animals.

[woman] All right. You wanna feed them?

-Put a bunch in. They'll love it.
-[chirping]

[Genesis] If I could picture my world,

people wouldn't be able to k*ll animals
and hurt them.

Aw.

[Zion chattering]

[Tony] Genesis. She's a fun kid.
She's a basic kid.

She likes dancing, singing and stuff.

But for the most part she's an old spirit,
an old soul, I'd say.

[Zion] Mom, what are you making?

I'm making enchiladas.

She's very, like, introspective.

And she's not gonna just talk
if she doesn't have anything to say.

Everything she says is with a purpose.

These?

[Genelle] Yeah,
and then just cut them more.

-[chuckles]
-I know, I should've got the--

When I meet someone,
I don't wanna just go, like,

"Hey! Like, what's up?"

I, like, have to get to know them
and know what their personality is

and then I'll open up.

The things that I'm really good
at talking about are animals and food.

One of my favorite goats from
this one sanctuary that I've been to--

I've been to a lot of sanctuaries,

but at New Life Sanctuary, they said that
Sid just figured out that he was a goat,

because Sid thought that he was a dog.

There's the cows.

The cows are so cute!

He said, "Okay, nice talking to you."

Did he? Aw. [chuckles]

Well, like, he doesn't talk.

[Genelle] When she was younger,
she loved chicken nuggets.

Chicken nuggets.
Chicken nuggets were always my favorite.

I would eat chicken nuggets
for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[chuckling]

[Genesis] I was three about to turn four.

I, like, started to wonder about
where we got it from.

[Genelle] I told her it came from animals
and I just left it at that.

The look on her face
was like complete horror.

You could see her eyes,
and everything had just changed

once she made that connection
that this is an animal.

This isn't a nugget, this is a chicken.

[Genelle] Ooh, it's hot.

When she told me how we had to
k*ll animals for them, I was devastated.

I didn't wanna eat it again.

-[Tony] Thank you.
-[Genelle] You're welcome.

Genesis, they wanted to have, like...

[Genelle] When she asked me that question,
I knew, like, that moment

she was gonna become vegan.

I didn't even know the word "vegan"
at that time.

-Thanks, Genesis.
-You did a good job, Genesis.

-[Genesis] Thank you.
-Yeah.

Veganism, I knew, was something good
to help the animals, but I wanna do more.

[Lucy] What are you willing to fight for?

What are you willing to fight for?

If we wanna change the world,
it takes work.

I began teaching Genesis last year.

She was probably
one of the very first students

that really clicked automatically
into the content.

This is about leading the way
through action

vs. trying to force people
to do what we want them to do,

'cause there's a difference, right?

[Genesis]They teach us you could either be
a leader or a follower.

I wanna be a leader.

G is for generous.

[Lucy] The opposite of love is not hate.
The opposite of love is apathy.

Apathy means you just
could not care at all.

My mom, she told me all the different ways
that you could become an activist.

She told me how they can go to protests,
they can do leafleting,

and then I fell in love with activism.

[chattering]

I knew this was what I'm fighting for,
so I need to fight even harder

if I want people to be kinder to animals
and all life on this planet.

Layla!

So, thank you all for coming,
and I think it's so amazing.

I fight for testing,
because testing on animals is not okay.

Trees are getting cut down
and rain forests are getting cut down

to put animals there for food.

I fought for plant-based meals
in all hospitals

and nursing homes, and prisons.

There's so much plastic in the water,

and the animals are just dying
and dying from eating it.

It makes me feel so happy

that there's other people in the world
who are actually trying to help.

She is such an inspiration to me.

And she's just an amazing person overall.

[Tony] When there's something
she believes in, for the animals,

she just became a whole different person.

She just, "Hey, I'd like to get out
and say something about the animals."

"Well, here." And then she gets up
and this just off of raw emotion.

That's just one of her natural talents
or gifts that she was blessed with.

-Because we are all connected.
-[applause, cheers]

When I go and speak
in front of these big audiences,

I just think of animals and if I picture
the animals being happy and free,

I'll do my speech and I'll do just fine.

[cheering]

[Genelle] Genesis fell in love
with going in to talk to the people

who can implement laws
to help save animals.

Today we are at the state capitol.

"Our generation is begging..."

I am here to support the RAISE Act,

banning animal dissection
in all public schools in California.

"I urge you to vote 'yes,'
because my generation..."

[Tony] It kinda was a natural progression,

because just having a voice
is a form of activism.

And her voice just started getting
louder and louder.

Good afternoon.
I am calling this hearing to order.

AB-1586 would require California schools
to replace animal dissection

with a contemporary alternative
for a more humane teaching method.

Hi, my name is Genesis from Long Beach

and I strongly urge you
to vote "yes" for this bill,

because my generation needs
a more compassionate world

for all life on this planet. Thank you.

-Hey. How are you?
-Hey.

I'm very proud of you
for always speaking up for what's right.

-Thank you.
-And how'd you feel today?

It was-- I think that it went really good.

I am just disappointed
that it didn't pass.

Yeah, I am too.

But, you know,
even though you might feel sad,

I feel a little sad today,

these are important things
that we're doing together.

It's important to be active politically,

because when he sees
a 12-year-old come into his office,

he can know we really need
our leaders to speak up.

[Ash Kalra] Genesis being here
is an important step

to start to realize
that we need to listen to young people.

And as long as she's gonna stand up,
that inspires me to keep fighting.

Hi, my name is Genesis,

-and I wanna thank you all.
-[crowd cheers]

[Tony] I see her being a difference maker
on this planet.

I see her being a voice for the voiceless.

This is gonna be our planet,
so if we want a planet,

we have to do something about it,
so thank you.

[crowd cheers]

[Genelle] Kids and teens, and even adults,

they're always reaching out to her
and asking,

"Hey, you know, I wanna be an activist.
How do I get started?"

-[chanting]
-I wanna be like that too.

I'm so much older than her,
but there are days I'm like, "Wow."

[all] We don't want to go to school,
unless you keep our planet cool!

She is really out there making a change
in a way that few of us get to do.

[all] What do we want? Change!

[Genesis] It makes me
wanna inspire others to do it,

because I can show them how
we should really use our voice

and take advantage of it.

When there's just one person, it's great.

But when there's more, it's unstoppable.

[all] What do we want? Change!

[all] When do we want it? Now!

[Tony] You should pay more attention
to what your kids say.

You should listen.

You'd be surprised what comes out of them.

[Genelle] Sometimes we have people say,
"Oh, she's too young for that."

I just know in my heart that we're doing
the right thing by supporting her,

because we know it's what she wants to do.

Sometimes I'm intimidated, but not a lot,

because I know that it's more important
to fight for the animals.

[Lucy] She's insecure
about a lot of things.

But when it comes to this,
there is no insecurity.

And there is nothing
you can say or do to stop her.

Okay. So... [hums]

Today we are at New Life Animal Sanctuary.

These cows were going to be slaughtered
in someone's backyard.

[mooing]

It makes me feel really happy to see
all the animals living a peaceful life,

and I want to save
as many animals as I can.

Gina, where's another spot
that I should smash it?

Um, anywhere. Maybe over there.

[Genesis]
Animals have different personalities,

just like me and you.

Animals can be very happy,
they can be mad,

they can be sad, they can be shy.

She feels like she has to be their voice
and let people know,

"Hey, they're in pain
and they're suffering,

and we shouldn't feel like
we can exploit them

just because we're humans
and they're not."

[Genesis] The rabbits in here were from
a laboratory that shut down.

If the sun hits their ears just right,
you can still see the tattoos.

Now that people are starting to be aware
of who she is, she's like,

"I'm in a perfect position to..."
use her platform for good.

And say, "Hey,
I wanna help these sanctuaries,

can you help me help them."

My non-profit is Genesis For Animals

and what I do is give money
to sanctuaries all over the world

so that they can continue
to save the lives of animals.

I always wanted to have my own sanctuary,

but my mom told me
how we live in a big city

so that we couldn't have, like,
llamas and donkeys in our backyard.

[bleats]

A lot of the smaller sanctuaries struggle,
so instead, I thought of a fundraiser

so I can raise a lot of money
for the animals.

This is Sid and he was rescued
from the Lilac fires

and he had too much smoke in him.

He had a lot of smoke in him
and he was rescued,

and he was taken into a shelter
and now he lives here.

[bleats]

[Gina] Hey, baby.

Hey, Gina, I have a gift for you. Okay?

-[Gina chuckles] What?
-So... So...

Here's the big secret. So,

when I started my non-profit,
it was, like, because of you.

Because, like,
I knew of how your sanctuary...

and how you had the animals
and how you rescued them.

So, I have a gift.

Genesis.

[Genesis giggles]

[gasps]

Oh, my God. Are you the most precious,
precious human being.

[bleats]

[Genesis chuckles]

-I'm crying.
-Don't cry, Gina.

-I love you so much. [sniffs] Mm.
-I love you too.

[Genesis] When I first figured out
about veganism and I became an activist,

I really realized that this was really why
I was brought here.

So that I can help the animals.

[Lucy] She believes in what she says.

And that's where it takes over
from the quiet little girl that giggles

to the powerful activist.

It is her love for animals and her passion

for the world to look different
than it looks now.

[Tony] It's bigger than even something--
I'm proud, but it's like, "Wow."

I'm just glad that I'm a part of it.

[Lucy] Her passion leads the way
for her to be her authentic self.

She is a girl on fire.

So, when I think about Genesis,

it's her looking towards the future,

and how she is going to be making
these really important changes.

Specifically with this advocacy
that she's doing for animals.

And I think it's so important
to understand

how she's changing the landscape
of America in a pretty impactful way.

Well, especially at her age,
the fact that she is, you know,

going to government officials

and advocating for them
to change policies.

And I think in terms of, you know,
turning her into a comic book character,

the obvious thing to do with her,
her power was, you know,

she says she can speak to animals
or understand animals

and empathize with animals.

So, what we've done
is make her a character

-that literally has that power.
-Mm-hmm.

Um, and can interact with animals
and use that ability to protect them.

I feel like that's, like,
one of the most fun aspects,

translating the power

-into something visual, right?
-Right. Right.

And so, obviously, you see her
connecting with this young raven.

-You have to have an animal sidekick.
-An animal companion.

Animal companion,
every great comic book story.

And it's just this really beautiful cycle

so that when you end up at the very end,

you reveal that's it's this very raven
who's actually telling her story.

-Yeah. Her little bird companion.
-Yeah. [chuckles]

-He's very cute.
-Yeah.

Um, her dog, Prince, is in the comic,

Sid the goat from the animal reserve
that she works on.

Um, so, hopefully,
she'll be excited to see some cameos

-from her animal friends.
-Her real world. Yeah.

And also her father as well.

[Sana Amanat] Oh, yeah.

And we've tried to stay very true
to her hairstyle.

And the idea was, by the very end,

you see this great splash page,
which I love.

She's saving one animal and the next,
and the next,

-and then you see her at the very end...
-Yeah.

...and she's surrounded
by all these animals

and all these people and kids
that she is helping to educate, right?

Yeah, and I think it's important
that this is just an origin story.

-Like, she could go anywhere from here...
-Mm-hmm.

-...and I'm sure she will.
-Absolutely.

Like, I have no doubt in my mind
that this is just the beginning for her

and she's going to do great things.

So, what about her reveal?
What's the plan for that?

We're going to take her
to this animal sanctuary,

and she is going to find a tree house
that has been built in her honor.

That is her tree house
on this animal sanctuary

where she can hang out with her friends,
both animal and human.

So, uh, we're really hoping she loves it.

Hey, Genesis.
We have one more thing to show you.

Why don't you come back down?

-Whoa. [chuckles]
-[chuckles]

[Tony] "Dear Genesis.

We at Marvel know how special
this sanctuary is to you.

It's a place of love and passion.

A place where not only the animals
that reside here have found a home,

but you have too.

Love, passion,
speaking out for those who have no voice,

these are the qualities that define you

and that drive you
to make a difference in the world.

Genesis, you stand for everything
a Marvel superhero stands for.

That's why we're making you
a founding member

of a team of heroes just like you,

a remarkable group of young people
whose activism fills us with awe.

Welcome to the Marvel Hero Project."

-Aw. That's so amazing.
-[Genelle chuckling] That's so cool.

[Genesis] Mm-hmm.

[chuckles] Okay. Hi, Ayla.

[Genesis giggling]

"Your friends at Marvel
have something special for you.

This box contains a jacket
made just for you."

-[Genelle] Oh, my God.
-[Genesis] Oh, it's so cute.

Don't worry, it's vegan.

[laughing]

-[Genesis] This is really cute.
-"It's a symbol of your status

on the Marvel team.

Wear it with pride.

And to show you how much
we admire the work you do,

we're making a donation, in your honor,

to an organization
that supports caring for wildlife

in the amount of $10,000."

-Wow.
-Yeah.

"The mighty Marvel Bullpen
has one more surprise for you.

It's an instant collector's item,
a Marvel comic book starring you."

-Oh. [chuckles]
-[Tony chuckles]

"Your empathy and generosity
inspired every page.

These are the qualities that make you

-a real-life superhero."
-[Genelle] Oh, my goodness.

[Genesis] Wow! This is so cute!

"So keep protecting all the Lockjaws,
Spider-Hams,

and Goose the cats
of the Marvel Universe and beyond.

We are so proud to call you
an official member

of the Marvel Hero Project."

-[Genelle chuckles]
-[chuckles] Thank you.

[Genelle] Congratulations, sweetheart.

[chuckles]

-Is that Dad?
-Oh, my Gosh!

Yeah, it is!

[both chuckling]

Yeah!

-Oh, my Gosh! That is so cool!
-[Tony] Look how they did the eyes.

This is the real deal.

[Gina chuckles] You're a superhero!

You already were.

[girls chuckle]

Just seeing all the animals in it

and how I was able to save animals
in the comic book,

I think that-- I hope that it just
teaches kids to be compassionate

to all life on this planet.

[Tony] "Her power was stronger than ever

when Genesis asked her dad to pull over

because she could sense
the pain of an animal."

And that looks just like me.

[Genesis and Tony chuckle]

[Genelle] It was really surreal.

You never think you're gonna have a child
who's like a Marvel superhero.

Like, that's insane. [laughs]

I like the one with the animals.
They're all happy.

Look, look, look! That's you.
That's you, Sid.

Seeing Genesis made
into a superhero is just--

I mean, she already is a superhero
to all of us who know her.

But it was really, really beautiful
to see that come alive on paper.

Super awesome to give back to somebody
that has done so much for others.

[Genelle] And that looks just like you,
Genesis. Oh, my gosh.

And the bun is, like, the exact same.

[all laugh]

It's really amazing
that I am a Marvel superhero.

People will start to realize, like,

"Well, if she was a superhero
for sticking up for the animals,

I should do it too."