July 06th, 2008: Ben 10 - Honorary Toonami Member?
As Ben 10: Alien Force has joined Toonami on Saturday nights, as well as being the anchor of the Dynamite Action Squad block Saturday mornings and poised to continue anchoring on Friday nights, I thought it was time for a retrospective. No, not the sequel; a retrospective of the original Ben 10. By the way, Ben 10 has come close but has never been on Toonami proper. Consider this retrospective an application for Honorary Membership, as I’ve always thought the show was Toonami-worthy.
For being about a summer vacation with two 10-year olds & their grandfather, it sure was a long one; Ben 10 had 4 seasons, starting in December 2005 & running through April 2008; the same week its sequel premiered. Not only did it have 49 episodes aired on Cartoon Network, it had 3 DVD’s (with Season 4 due to be released in August), an animated movie, Secret of the Omnitrix, a live-action movie, Race Against Time (both out on DVD), 6 “shorties” on the DVD’s & Cartoon Network Video, plenty of Bandai toys, a couple of Pressman games & a video game, Ben 10: Protector of Earth. Not bad for a 10-year old boy, huh?
Ben 10 became a toyetic series, but it was always an action series… and maybe a fantasy for 6-11 year-old boys… and girls as well. Take one 10-year old boy (Ben Tennyson), add a jolly but smart grandfather (Grandpa Max), an obnoxious (to him) 10-year old girl cousin (Gwen Tennyson) & stir in an alien device that attaches itself to Ben (the Omnitrix). Oh, did I mention the Omnitrix can change Ben into ten different super-powered aliens? Pepper with villains and assorted bad guys, and you have a recipe for action-packed fun & future monetary success for Cartoon Network.
Ben 10 looks one-dimensional at first, but the foresightedness of the creators Man of Action (a group of comic book writers & artists) expanded their universe & characters. Man of Action is writer/artist Duncan Rouleau, and writers Joe Casey, Joe Kelly & Steven T. Seagle. Seagle has written Ben 10 episodes and has or will write episodes for Ben 10: Alien Force. Knowing comic books and having experience writing action paid off for Ben 10. We later learn that Grandpa Max is a retired Plumber; part of a Men in Black-like government organization who deal with extraterrestrial & paranormal threats. Also later, Gwen starts to show an affinity for magic and rivals Ben in power and skill.
The series was not afraid to change things up or expand its universe, either. In the 2nd season episode “Gwen 10”, an alternate-reality story is told with Gwen being the one who finds the Omnitrix instead of Ben. Season 3 created future continuity; in “Ben 10,000”, Ben & Gwen meet their 30-year old selves. In Season 4, the episode “Ken 10” takes us even further in the future, with a 40-year old Ben giving his 10-year old son Ken his 1st Omnitrix.
As the heroes changed, so did some of the villains. Not so much Vilgax, the tentacle-faced alien who sought the Omnitrix at all costs and sought to have his revenge on Ben and the other Tennysons. Kevin, the original 11 year-old mutant who absorbed energy & used it for selfish reasons, met Ben & wanted to absorb the Omnitrix’s power for himself. Be careful what you wish for, Kevin; he becomes a misshapen combination of Ben’s 10 original aliens. Because of that, revenge on Ben becomes Kevin’s only reason for living. Even 30 years later, in “Ken 10”, Kevin is freed from the Null Void by his 10 year-old son Devlin & gloats, calling himself “Kevin 11,000”. His desire for revenge becomes his undoing, as Devlin rescues the Tennysons & traps his father in the Null Void again.
The show was action-based, but what’s action without a little humor & comedy? Ben & Gwen are typical 10-year olds, sniping & trying to outdo each other. Ben Tennyson wasn’t above pulling pranks or being a little selfish, especially with super-powered alien forms to make it easier. Gwen was a foil for Ben, but discovering a talent for magic made her a rival. Eventually, the bond of family & their adventures brought them closer together; but neither could resist an occasional jibe at the other.
As for the long form movies, Secret of the Omnitrix expanded the Ben 10 universe & provided back story for the Omnitrix. Who knew a little alien of the same species as Grey Matter was its creator? Or that a female alien of Vilgax’s species was his assistant? This movie is part of the continuity of the series also & is basically a super-sized episode. The live-action movie Race Against Time is a sequel to the series, but occurs not too long after the original series ends and is before Ben removes the Omnitrix. Some people may not recognize it as Ben 10 canon & are against live-action on Cartoon Network. I’m not a fan of live-action either, but this movie does the original series proud and should be considered in the original series continuity. Cartoon Network thinks so; at its 2008 Upfront, plans were announced for developing a second Ben 10 live-action movie.
As for continuity, is Ben 10: Alien Force breaking with its predecessor? Possibly; Kevin “11” Levin is a good guy… for now. As mentioned above, his original mutant ability of absorbing & discharging energy was changed when he tried to absorb the Omnitrix’s energy. He also was banished to the Null Void at least once, before the sequel started. “Ken 10” reveals that Kevin has somehow been able to escape many times. In the new series, all Kevin can do is absorb solid matter, similar to Marvel Comics’ old villain, the Absorbing Man. Yet as “Kevin 11,000”, he could change to different aliens, like Ben 10,000. Instead of looking like a mutated Omnitrix combo platter, he has a human form again. Yet, he still has a bad boy attitude & isn’t against bending or breaking the law to suit himself. Could he become a heartbreaker and/or a betrayer? Possibly… In the new age of icons like Superman & Batman, continuity is sometimes overrated. Yet with Alien Force’s time skip, I don’t think it breaks continuity, but rather tweaks it.
And in the end, that tweak along with the Naruto Shippuden-like time skip, is what keeps the Ben 10 franchise alive & evolving. Except for the 2nd upcoming live-action sequel, the animated franchise was basically complete. Instead of rerunning Ben 10 into the ground, Cartoon Network was willing to take the next step. Ben 10: Alien Force is one of the shows that will keep action cartoons on Cartoon Network & deserves to be on Toonami. But without the original Ben 10, there would be no Alien Force. If the sequel belongs on Toonami, so did its predecessor. Possibly on the Friday block (a revamped Toonami?) Ben 10 could rerun early in the evening & Alien Force would premiere episodes later. Possibly…
Discuss this topic in our forums.