| "Cabbage Corp, Republic City's trusted name in technology for over fifty years." |
| — A radio announcer advertising Cabbage Corp's slogan.[1] |
Cabbage Corp is a rival automaking company of Future Industries, founded by the cabbage merchant and later owned by his son, Lau Gan-Lan. Its only known automobile model is the Cabbage Car, a cheaper, more compact alternative to Future Industries' various Satomobile models.[3] The company is also the airship supplier for the Earth Kingdom Air Force.[4]
History
102 AG
As General Old Iron prepared to attack the village around the Earthen Fire Refinery, the villagers needed to evacuate, the cabbage merchant being one of them. While leaving his cabbage restaurant, the cabbage merchant noticed Satoru driving his forklift and, with an inspired look in his eyes, exclaimed what a remarkable machine it was. After the conclusion of the battle between Avatar Aang and the ancient spirit, the cabbage merchant approached Satoru and asked if he was the one who built the forklift.[5]
170 AG
Following the Equalists' attack on the Pro-bending Arena, the Metalbending Police Force was informed that Cabbage Corp was manufacturing Equalist weaponry. Soon after receiving the information, the police force searched one of Cabbage Corp's warehouses and discovered crates filled with Equalist propaganda and electrified gloves. Lin Beifong soon arrested Lau Gan-Lan outside the company's headquarters and ordered the shutdown of Cabbage Corp in front of a crowd of reporters and journalists. However, it was later discovered that Hiroshi Sato framed the company in an attempt to conceal from the authorities the fact that he had been the one manufacturing the Equalists' weaponry.[6] After Hiroshi was incarcerated, Cabbage Corp resumed its operations, providing low-cost and less sturdy airships to the Earth Kingdom when compared to those produced by Future Industries.[4]
Headquarters
A statue of the cabbage merchant overlooks the streets in front of Cabbage Corp's headquarters.
Cabbage Corp's headquarters is a large skyscraper located in Republic City. At the top of the building is a large golden roof which takes the shape of a traditional cabbage cart's roof.[6]
Outside the building is a large statue commemorating the cabbage merchant's first stand in Republic City. He is depicted standing atop a high pillar, while raising a cabbage in the palm of his hand.[6][7]
Trivia
- Cabbage Corp is a reference to the cabbage merchant from Avatar: The Last Airbender. The series creators alluded to this reference during the 2010 Comic-Con by saying, "[The cabbage merchant's] legacy will be present in some form."[8]
- Cabbage Corp is owned by Lau Gan-Lan. His name is a pun on the Chinese words 老, meaning "old man" or "Mr." and 甘藍, meaning "wild cabbage". His name could therefore be translated as "Old Man Cabbage" or "Mr. Cabbage".
- Since Cabbage Corp was founded sometime before 120 AG, it is the oldest known private company in the Avatar World.
- Cabbage Corp provided sponsorship for a music program on the radio.[1]
- The competition between Cabbage Corp and Future Industries is similar to the rivalry between Ford Motor Company and Oldsmobile.
- The Cabbage Corp headquarters bares similarities to Boji Tower, a skyscraper in Lansing, Michigan that was built in part by Oldsmobile founder, Ransom E. Olds.
- Some railroads remove the engines from obsolete locomotives and use their control cabs to remotely control another locomotive on the far end of the train. The empty engine space is used for luggage storage, hence, "cab-baggage cars" or "cabbage cars."
- Cabbage Corp's headquarters is part of Republic City's skyline. Like most of downtown, however, the building got overrun by vines when the spirit portals remained open, and it later sustained significant damage during Kuvira's invasion of the United Republic of Nations.[9]