Saturday, December 20, 2008

End For Ben 10 : Alien Force ?

Newsarama sat down with Dwayne McDuffie, the wonderful writer of animated series Ben 10: Alien Force and the Justice League to talk all things alien, the Doctor Who influences in Ben and what happened to Max Tennyson. But more interesting was the cat-and-mouse game McDuffie played with Newsarama, when they asked if this would be the final season of Ben 10: Alien Force. Usually when there's that much resistance, a series' end may not be far away, which is sad as Ben 10 is a delightfully well-written and animated series. UPDATE: Sounds like the noncommittal answers were not as devious as they sounded

Newsarama took two runs at getting McDuffie to spill the goods, so much so that they hilariously had to point out that the PR person was mostly likely sweating bullets on the other end of the line. After talking about the amazing upcoming "High Breed" story arc (with a few two-parter episodes which scream series end) Newsarama tried to pry the goods out.

DM: It’s a huge story arc. The first 26 episodes are one giant story. Episodes that look like they are one-offs aren’t. Either thematically or as far as works in progress every single episode builds towards the two-parter ending, which is probably in a way the most complex story I’ve done in animation.

NRAMA: So how long are we really talking about. Three season? Five season?

DM: Two seasons. 26 episodes. Then last 13 are just starting. By the time we get to the end of this run, it’s a complete story.

NRAMA: Are you hoping to do more or move on?

DM: Gee. I don’t know. There’s a PR person listening in and nothing has been officially announced. So I can’t really say. Are you on the phone?

CN PR PERSON: I am...and I can’t say I’m appreciating this right now...
...

NRAMA: So would you say your work on Ben 10 is done for the moment?

DM: I’m not sure how to answer that. Oh! You’re re-asking the question I couldn’t answer before! (laughs).

NRAMA: Well, just doing my job.

DM: Let’s just say if there is more Ben 10, I’d be happy to work on it.

Sounds like things may be wrapping up for Ben and friends. For the rest of the interview check out Newsarama (apparently they were inspired by a lot of Dr. Who time traveling).

UPDATE: Looks like Newsarama spoke too soon, Ben 10 is indeed returning in 2009, even with a live-action move to follow.

Live Action Movie

A live-action Ben 10: Alien Force film was announced at Cartoon Network's 2008 Upfront. It is in the pre-production stages and scheduled to be released in Fall of 2009.



McDuffie also teased a ravenous audience that what the characters think to be the truth is not always so. Work on season two is over with and the third is next on their slate. Additionally, our opinions of the characters will change over the course of the season and into the next.

Another teased element were the secrets behind the alien transformation the Big Chill. The audience responded enthusiastically when it was mentioned that the story of Kevin's transformation back to normal in the null void may be told. McDuffie added that there is a very good reason why he does not use his absorption powers, which will be revealed eventually. Also, the revelation that Gwen is now an energy being may reveal some interesting story possibilities.

Finally, confirmation was given that we will see old and new Plumber kids in future episodes. It was also revealed that there will be no "filler" episodes.

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Ben 10: Alien Force at Wikipedia
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 22

The team rescues a man named Tyler, who stole a crucial component of the Highbreed's hyperspace gateway, but suffered memory loss in the process. Both the DNAliens and the team track down the device, resulting in a battle. The team is victorious, but they discover that Tyler is actually a DNAlien, having managed to resist the parasite controlling him. More DNAliens arrive to reclaim the component, capturing Tyler in the process. Ben opts to save Tyler instead of the component, and uses the Omnitrix to restore him to human form. As the DNAliens escape with the component in their ship, the four now know their plan and prepare to take action. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 21

Helen and Manny call on Ben to help deal with a dangerous old foe in the Null Void: Dr. Animo, now going by D'Void. Ben goes in alone, with Kevin and Gwen waiting on the other side to bring him back. Dr. Animo has taken control of the Null Guardians and enslaved the inhabitants of the Null Void. Using them as slave labor, he has built a machine to drill through the dimensional wall, hoping to bring his army to Earth. With the help of Grandpa Max, who was transported to the Null Void in "Max Out", and a small force of rebels he has gathered, Ben manages to destroy the drilling machine and defeat Dr. Animo. Gwen opens a portal back to Earth for Ben, but Grandpa Max cannot join them yet as things have to be set right in the Null Void first. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 20

While fighting one of the Highbreed, Ben's parents catch him transforming into Swampfire. They forbid him from using the Omnitrix, forcing Kevin and Gwen to fight the DNAliens by themselves. After trying to sneak out as Echo Echo, Ben gets grounded and is made to spill the beans about Gwen, getting her grounded, leaving Kevin alone. Kevin's trouble with the DNAliens eventually pushes Ben over the edge, and he breaks out of his house as Humongousaur in front of his parents to help. After a short battle aboard a small freighter carrying a rare isotope which the DNAliens plan on using, Ben's parents come to the rescue, admitting that they are proud of Ben and understand what he needs to do. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 19

Forever Knights' scientist Dr. Joseph Chadwick sends Sir Morton to kidnap Ship so that the Forever Knights can use him to mass-produce a fleet of interstellar spacecraft with which to attack the homeworld of the alien dragon that escaped them. Joined by Julie, who has been taking care of Ship, Ben, Gwen, and Kevin mount a raid on the Forever Knights' stronghold to rescue him. Though Chadwick is using a control device to make Ship obey him, Julie is able to convince Ship to resist. The Forever Knights' stronghold is destroyed, and the group now has access to spaceship since Ship can transform into vehicle the Forever Knights had hoped to mass-produce. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 18

Kevin, Gwen, and Ben destroy a teleporter they were working on and need help repairing it. Kevin suggests Cooper, the young boy who had helped the Tennysons in the past. Unfortunately, Cooper has been kidnapped by the DNAliens. They track him to the abandoned military base where Paradox built his time machine. They discover that the Highbreed have erected a cloaking field, built by Cooper (who has a way too obvious crush on Gwen), over the area, concealing a mysterious arch-like device. They free Cooper and have him destroy the cloaking generator, during which he has visions of the arch acting as a gateway for a fleet of ships and the Earth being destroyed. Despite destroying the generator, the Highbreed manage to repair it and continue their operations unhindered. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 17

Gwen forces Kevin to take her to her school's dance, forcing a clueless Kevin to seek advice from Ben. However, Ben has his own problems, as Big Chill takes over his body with each transformation and starts trying to eat every metal object in sight. Joined by Julie, Gwen and Kevin manage to subdue Big Chill, only to discover that Big Chill was only building a nest for eggs he had laid. The eggs hatch into infant Necrofriggians, and Kevin teases Ben about being a "mother." 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 16

A Galvan (the race that created the Omnitrix and gave Ben the form of "Grey Matter") named Albedo builds his own Omnitrix and calibrates it to match Ben's. However, as Ben's DNA is the default, Albedo is stuck in Ben's form. Wanting to reverse this, Albedo attempts to steal Ben's Omnitrix, leading to a pitched battle between the two. Albedo's physical form is damaged during the fight, changing the color of his hair and clothes. Azmuth, having detected their battle, disables Albedo's Omnitrix and sends him to a Plumber's jail for his actions. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 15

After an accident with a teleporter pod, Ben and a Highbreed Commander named Reinrassic III are stranded on a desert planet that acts as a routing station for the teleporter. The pair are forced to work together to fend off the dangerous predators on the planet while making their way to the routing station, much to the Highbreed's chagrin. As they make their way across the desert, the two save each other from danger several times, even risking their own lives to do so. After reaching the teleporter pod, Reinrassic III stays behind, having deemed himself contaminated by Ben and thus a risk to the purity of his species. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 14

Ben, Gwen, and Kevin are forbidden to fight against the Highbreed threat by Magister Prior Ghilhil of the Plumbers, who doubts the Highbreed are even as much of a threat as they claim. However, all three sides find themselves working together when Mike Morningstar, now going by Darkstar, captures all but Gwen to feed his powers. With the help of the DNAliens, Gwen frees her friends and Mike is captured while the Highbreed Lord and the DNAliens escape. In gratitude, Magister Ghilhil makes the team Honorary Plumbers so they can defend the Earth legally. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 13

An alien emperor plans to destroy the Earth for kidnapping his daughter. During their search, Ben uses the untested Alien X form to fix a broken dam. Though the task proves simple thanks to Alien X's reality-warping abilities, Ben finds himself locked in debate with the other two personalities inside the alien, unable to move or transform back without their consent. In the meantime, Kevin and Gwen have to protect Ben while keeping the emperor from destroying the Earth. Ben, tired of the fruitless debate, demands to be transformed into another alien which can actually get the job done. He manages to save the Earth with Swampfire, but resolves never to use Alien X again. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 12

A pair of rogue plumbers, a female Kineceleran named Helen and a male Tetramand named Manny, kidnap Kevin, believing him to be an alien. After his rescue, the two sides work things out. After looking at a database of the aliens they captured and put into the Null Void, Ben realizes that some of them may have been Plumbers' kids. To make things right, the duo set out into the Null Void to rescue those they wrongfully imprisoned. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 11

Kevin arranged a meeting for Ben with the Forever Knights, who need help in slaying a dragon they have kept captive underneath their castle for 1,000 years. Slaying the dragon is the very reason their organization exists. After a failed attempt, in which the dragon appears to be trying to communicate, they track it to a warehouse where its spaceship is being held. Ben fits the dragon with a translator so it can speak, and it reveals that it was a mapmaker before being captured. Angry after a millennium of imprisonment, the dragon arms itself to fight back. Ben convinces it to leave peacefully. Though the Knights believe to have lost their purpose, the news that a world full of dragons exists renews their pledge, as does their need to exact revenge on those who allowed it to return home. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 10

A creature is roaming around an abandoned town, aging everything it touches at an accelerated rate. When Ben, Gwen, and Kevin investigate, they meet Paradox, a scientist from the 1950s who was sucked into the event horizon of his time-travel experiment. Displaced from time and space, Paradox has existed for 100,000 years and is able to move through time at will. However, the same mistake that rendered him ageless created the creature they seek. Ben realizes that the creature is not acting like a monster, but a confused person, and has Paradox take them back to the day of the accident. There, Ben rescues Paradox's assistant, Hugo, nullifying the creature's existence. In the present, the now old Hugo joins Paradox in exploring time and space. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 9

After Ben stands up to JT and Cash, making a fool out of Cash in the process, the two decide to wreck Kevin's car to repair their reputation. After pushing it down a cliff, the trunk is knocked open, and they make off with a laser-firing glove from a robot the group had defeated the previous night. When Cash puts the glove on, it begins to reform into the original robot around his body, compelling him to fight Ben. Ben is able to overpower Cash, and JT manages to convince Cash to fight the robot's influence, reverting it back into the glove. JT reconciles with Ben and walks away with Cash. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 8

Gwen learns where her powers come from when she meets her alien grandmother Verdona. Verdona offers to take Gwen back to her home planet, where she can learn to fully control her powers. When Gwen refuses, Verdona decides to destroy Gwen's body, releasing the energy being inside. After a short battle, Gwen firmly tells Verdona that she wants to stay on Earth and stay the way she is. Verdona accepts this and leaves, though she promises to check up on Gwen occasionally. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 7

Ben goes on a date with Julie at the local fair, but it is ruined when a worm-like Galvanic Mechomorph named Ship takes control of the rides and kidnaps Julie. Ben rushes to save her, accidentally revealing his secret to her. Julie, however, finds Ben's secret impressive, and assures him his powers are unique. Ship manages to lead Ben back to his ship, where its wounded owner is trapped. After freeing the Galvanic Mechomorph, it decides to leave Ship with Ben. On their walk home, Ship takes off after a passing truck. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 6

Gwen's older brother, Ken, is missing and Gwen asks for Ben and Kevin's help to find him. In their search, the gang stumbles upon a Highbreed base that manufactures Xenocytes: facehugger-like parasites that mutate humans into DNAliens. Ken has been infected by one of the Xenocytes, but Ben is able to remove it with the help of the now-talking Omnitrix. With Ken in tow, the gang finds Grandpa Max inside the base. He explains that the Xenocyte eggs will be shipped across the country, and asks the gang to destroy them. While they comply, he sets about destroying the factory while searching for the egg-laying machine. The gang finds Max locked in battle with a Highbreed commander upon their return. In an act of self-sacrifice, Max uses an unfocused Null Void warp projector to destroy the Highbreed base. With his last words, he tells Ben to "Take it from here". Then everything, except Ben, Gwen, Kevin and Ken, is sent to the Null Void. In the aftermath, a group of disguised DNAliens are shown gathering surviving Xenocytes from the wreckage of the base.  



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 5

Ben, Gwen, and Kevin set out to locate the other Plumbers to recruit new members, and the first one on their list is a boy named Mike Morningstar. While Ben and Gwen are quick to trust him, Kevin remains suspicious, particularly after they are attacked by a group of zombified school girls at the local power plant. Kevin's suspicions turn out to be valid, as it is Mike who is making the zombies, draining them of their lifeforce then commanding them to collect more power for him. When he does this to Gwen, he becomes nearly unstoppable, but Gwen is able to fight back and drains Mike's power in return, leaving him withered and powerless. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 4

Just when Ben and Gwen start to trust Kevin, he runs off with Max's RV, the Rustbucket, in hopes of trading it for alien technology. However, he is double-crossed by one of his old contacts and the Rustbucket is stolen. Before he can get it back, it is stripped for parts. Having been told that Vulkanus -- who he had double-crossed years ago -- is in possession of the alien device he seeks, Kevin tries to make a deal. Still bitter, Vulkanus has Kevin absorb a rare alien crystal, planning to use him as a living gem mine. He is rescued by Ben and Gwen and afterward reveals that the item he sought is a holo-viewer with another message from Grandpa Max, telling Ben that he will need to recruit a team.



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 3

The authorities arrest a half-human, half-Pyronite boy named Alan for arson and criminal damage. Alan is wearing a Plumber's badge, which the local sheriff triggers when he confiscates it. The badge signals Kevin's badge, which leads Ben, Kevin and Gwen to Alan. After a battle with Alan, Ben discovers that the DNAliens are responsible for the damage, having built a weather machine in the field. With Alan's help, Ben destroys the machine, and afterwards Ben offers Alan to come with him, Gwen and Kevin. Alan decides to stay, but offers to aid them whenever they need it. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com

Episodes 1/2

After Grandpa Max disappears, Ben and Gwen decide to finish his last job while searching for him. Magister Labrin, Max's alien partner, guides them to an arms trade between the Forever Knights and the DNAliens, brokered by Kevin Levin. Kevin is captured, but the Forever Knights escape with one of the weapons crates. Kevin, having not been paid, leads them to the Forever Knights' hideout, where they encounter a robotic dragon. 



Fleeing from the dragon, the group runs into an army of Forever Knights. In the ensuing confrontation, Magister Labrin is killed when he saves Kevin's life, and Kevin joins Ben and Gwen on their search for Max to repay that debt. After Ben, Gwen and Kevin track the weapons to a secret underground base, they discover an army of aliens, led by the Highbreed commander. Annoyed at being discovered, the Highbreed commander orders the termination of all life within a five-mile radius to eliminate any witnesses. In Ben's successful efforts to stop the commander, he learns that any damage he receives while transformed is inflicted upon his human form as well. 



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Ben 10: Alien Force - Cartoon Network".
Ben 10: Alien Force at the Internet Movie Database
Ben 10: Alien Force at TV.com