Ken 10

Characters and/or events depicted in this article are slightly retconned from the Classic Continuity.

The pre-retcon version, presented in this article, belongs to the Original Series Future Timeline.

Ken 10 is the tenth episode of the fourth season of Ben 10, and the forty-ninth episode overall.

Synopsis[]

We're back in the future with Ben 10K, and this time he has a son, Ken. On Ken's tenth birthday, Ben gives him his very own Omnitrix. Ben must come to learn to trust Ken with the power of the Omnitrix. Along the way, Ken befriends a kid named Devlin. Devlin turns out to be Kevin 11's son and was merely using Ken so he could break his dad out of the Null Void. Ben 10K and Ken then team up to take down Kevin 11. As for Devlin, he comes to realize his dad is a jerk, and realizes the error of his ways. He's able to redeem himself, proving he's a good kid and joining forces with "Team Tennyson."^{[CN 1]}

Plot[]

In a future timeline, Four Arms is fighting Vulkanus and transforms back into Ben 10,000 and places Vulkanus in a Null Void Containment Egg. Ben 10,000 then transforms into XLR8 and runs off to his headquarters.

When he arrives, his son, Ken is celebrating his 10th birthday. Ben 10,000 gives Max Vulkanus's Null Void Containment Egg to place into the Null Void. Ken explains to his party guests about what Ben does. Gwendolyn arrives in a hologram and gives Ken a rock creature as a pet. Ken blows out the candles on his cake and opens presents. Max gets him a hoverboard and he gets several other toys. Finally, Ben comes and gives Ken his gift: which is an Omnitrix that comes pre-loaded with 10 aliens and a limiter, which Ken doesn't like.

An alarm rings and both Tennysons transform into XLR8. The XLR8s run off and fight Sploot. XLR8 (Ben 10,000) transforms into Cannonbolt while XLR8 (Ken) gets stuck in slime. Cannonbolt transforms into Heatblast, and then transforms back into Ben 10,000 before getting Sploot with a Null Void Containment Egg. Diamondhead fights Mot Snikrep as a boy watches on a screen. Diamondhead transforms into Spitter and Ken as Buzzshock attacks as well. Buzzshock is about to defeat Mot Snikrep, but Arctiguana freezes him before Buzzshock can win. At HQ, Ben 10,000 gives Max Snikrep's Null Void Containment Egg. Ken is upset because Ben didn't let him do anything. Ben says that Ken's job is to watch and learn.

Ken storms off on his hoverboard. He rides with another boy, Devlin, and they compete to do tricks. Ken transforms into Wildvine to win. Afterwards, the boys become friends. That night, an alarm goes off because someone is attacking HQ. Ben promises to let Ken help him this time. However, the door blows up and it is Kevin 11.

Ben sends Ken away, believing Kevin too dangerous to fight. Ben transforms into Four Arms, who walks off to fight. Four Arms and Kevin fight and Four Arms transforms into Cannonbolt. Ken, in his room, notices a vent. Cannonbolt transforms into XLR8 in the Null Void chamber. XLR8 tells Kevin that he moved the Projector and readies an egg. Grey Matter comes out of the vent, but he reverts back into Ken. XLR8 is surprised to see him. Kevin leaves and Snare-Oh gets Ken out of the vent. Ken gets angry at Ben and storms off. The next day, Ken and Devlin speak about their dads. Devlin suggests that he and Ken find the Null Void projector and they fly off. They go to the Rustbucket after Max gets out and walks away. They sneak in and look for the Projector, which Ken believes is in the Rustbucket. Ken transforms into Ditto and creates clones to look for the Projector. Outside, Gwendolyn tells Ben that he needs to give Ken a chance to earn his trust. One of the Dittos finds the room with the Projector and he, Devlin, and Ken's pet go in. Devlin mutates into his mutant form and releases his father just in time for Ken to arrive. Kevin runs up to and grabs Ditto, who reverts back into Ken, and he reveals that being imprisoned in the Null Void was the best thing that ever happened to him as he has now absorbed the powers of 11,000 aliens and transforms into an even more monstrous form than before. Kevin mercilessly attacks Ben, Ken and even his own son Devlin, who asks that his father spares their lives. While Ben takes the fight outside, Ken has an idea to defeat Kevin.

Ben transforms into Four Arms, and he still fights Kevin, but as before Kevin weakens Four Arms, who transforms back into Ben. Ken transforms into Grey Matter to enter and later transforms into Spitter and then transforms into Buzzshock. After Buzzshock transforms back into normal, Ken reveals he used Grey Matter's brain to remove the Omnitrix's limiter; no limiter, no timing out. Kevin grabs Ken and says that it still won't save him. Kevin is about to throw Ken, but Devlin comes in to defend him. Devlin explains why he freed Kevin - he wished his father would have cared about seeing his son again, but instead finds that he only cares about killing the Tennysons. Devlin cries upon this realization but then resumes fighting against his father. Ken transforms into XLR8. Devlin and XLR8 are thrown away and XLR8 transforms back into Ken who passes out.

Ben wakes up and sees what happened to Ken, enraging him. Ben transforms into Way Big and mercilessly crushes Kevin, who transforms back to normal and Way Big transforms back into Ben, but Kevin is still capable of standing. Kevin is about to attack Ben and Ken again, but Devlin imprisons Kevin in a Null Void Grenade. Max states that he has a 'special place' reserved for Kevin so that he can't absorb any more alien DNA. Ken asks Ben if he can use all ten thousand of his heroes, but Ben says not to push his luck.

Devlin is about to leave until Ben nods to Max, who grabs the boy. When Devlin asks if they will throw him in the Null Void too, Ken opposes this by standing in front of Devlin and Max and Ben say that they could do that or Devlin can stay with them and be part of their family, so Devlin becomes part of the Tennyson family. Later, Ken's rock pet regenerates and is alive again making him happy.

Noteworthy Events[]

Major Events[]

• Ken receives his own Omnitrix.
• Ken meets Devlin.
• Kevin escapes from the Null Void.
• Devlin moves in with the Tennysons.

Character Debuts[]

• Ken Tennyson
• Devlin Levin
• Future Vulkanus
• Sploot
• Mot Snikrep
• Future Kevin Levin
• Maxatomer Kid
• Ken's Pet

Characters[]

Main Characters[]

• Ken Tennyson (first appearance)
• Devlin Levin (first appearance)

Supporting Characters[]

• Ben 10,000
• Max Tennyson

Antagonists[]

• Vulkanus (first appearance)
• Sploot (first appearance)
• Mot Snikrep (first appearance)
• Kevin Levin (first appearance)
  • Kevin 11,000

Other Characters[]

• Gwendolyn Tennyson (hologram)
• Ken's Friends
  • Maxatomer Kid (first appearance)
• Ken's Pet (first appearance)

Aliens Used[]

By Ben 10,000[]

• Four Arms (x4; first time was an off-screen activation)
• XLR8 (x4; first time was a cameo; fourth time was an off-screen activation)
• Cannonbolt (x2; first time was a cameo)
• Heatblast (cameo)
• Diamondhead (x2; first time was an off-screen activation)
• Spitter (cameo)
• Arctiguana (cameo)
• Snare-Oh
• Way Big

By Ken[]

• XLR8 (x2)
• Buzzshock (x2; first time was an off-screen activation; second time was a cameo)
• Wildvine
• Grey Matter (x2; off-screen activations; cameos)
• Ditto
• Spitter

Spells Used[]

• Astral Projection Spell (no incantation)
• Portal Creation/Dimensional Travel Spell (no incantation)

Quotes[]

“

Four Arms: (about Vulkanus) I do not have time for this. There's no way I'm missing another one of his birthdays, so I'd appreciate it if you just chill out in the Null Void! (reverts back to his human form and sends Vulkanus to the Null-Void) Ben 10,000: Some scum just can't take a hint. (turns into XLR8) (XLR8 runs to his HQ and reverts to his human form) Ben 10,000: Told you I wouldn't miss your birthday. (Ken sees him and hugs him) Ken: Thanks, Dad. Ben 10,000: You only turn 10 once. Ken's Friends: Happy birthday, Kenny!

”

“

Kevin: Hello, son. Devlin: Hey, dad.

”

“

Kevin: (laughs manically, but is suddenly crushed by a tremendous fist; camera zooms out to reveal Way Big) Way Big: How dare you! (with no mercy, he starts rapidly slamming his fists on Kevin)

”

Naming and Translations[]

Language	Name	Origin
Croatian	Ken 10	Ken 10
Hungarian	Ken 10	Ken 10
Italian	10 Eroi per Ken	10 Heroes for Ken
Polish	Ken 10	Ken 10
Portuguese (Br)	Ken 10	Ken 10
Romanian	Ken 10	Ken 10
Russian	Приключения Кена	Ken's Adventures
Spanish (HA)	Ken 10	Ken 10
Spanish (Spain)	Ken Ten	Ken Ten

Cast[]

Voice Actor	Role(s)
Tara Strong	Ken Tennyson Gwendolyn Tennyson Buzzshock
Paul Eiding	Max Tennyson
Jim Ward	XLR8 Wildvine
Richard McGonagle	Four Arms
Fred Tatasciore	Ben 10,000 Way Big
Richard Horvitz	Grey Matter Maxatomer Kid
Charlie Schlatter	Devlin Levin Kevin Levin
Rob Paulsen	Ditto Monitor

Continuity[]

• This episode takes place in the same future seen in Ben 10,000,^{[pop-up 1]} albeit 12 years later.^{[pop-up 2]}
• Ben 10,000 moved the Null Void Chamber from its original location after Dr. Animo broke in, which occurred in Ben 10,000.
• Devlin is approached by Ben and Max with the same offer they gave Kevin when they were younger, as seen in Kevin 11.^{[pop-up 3]}

Allusions[]

• In Kenny's bedroom, there is a poster of a mecha that resembles Getter Dragon from Getter Robo G, as well as Optimus Prime holding a sword.

Errors[]

• All the children who attend Ken's birthday party previously made cameos in Ben 10,000 and seem to have not aged since then, due to their models being reused.
• The party is for Ken's 10th birthday, yet his cake is erroneously depicted with 11 candles.
• The closed captions on the Ben 10: The Complete Season 4 DVD misspell Diamondhead's name as "Diamond Head".
• When Ken rides his hoverboard after leaving Ben 10,000's headquarters, there is no gap between the sides of the Omnitrix's dial.
• When Ben protects Ken from Devlin's mutant form, his left sleeve is shown to be torn above his elbow from the attack, but when he prepares to face mutant Devlin, his sleeve appears to be only torn below his elbow.
• In one shot, Ken's Omnitrix dial is empty.
• When Four Arms throws mutant Devlin, his back is drawn incorrectly.
• Ken gets angry at Ben for not telling him that the Null Void containment unit was moved, despite the fact that it was moved after Animo broke in, which happened before Ken was born.
• When Kevin 11,000 is seen on top of the Null Void containment unit, he has white lines on his shoes.
• In some shots, Kevin 11,000's toes are red. Other times, they are grey.
• When Four Arms punches Kevin 11,000, he has five tentacles.
• When Devlin flies towards Ken and Kevin's direction to save the former from the latter, the sound of Stinkfly's wings flapping can be heard but the wings don't move.
• Even though Ken was able to remove the limiter from the Omnitrix, it times out after he is knocked out by Kevin 11,000.
• Before Way Big slams his fist on Kevin 11,000, he has seven tentacles.
• When Ben picks up Ken after crushing Kevin 11,000, Ken's Omnitrix's dial faces the wrong way. This error occurs again when Ken and Devlin fist bump at the end of the episode.
• When Ben ruffles Ken's hair, the colors of Ken's Omnitrix's dial are reversed.

Trivia[]

• According to pop-up trivia from the enhanced version of the episode:
  • Ben 10,000 will have many run-ins with Vulkanus.^{[pop-up 4]}
  • Charmcaster was born on Zoraster;^{[pop-up 5]} Dwayne McDuffie would eventually confirm that Zoraster is located in Legerdomain.^{[DM 1]}
  • Ben 10,000 used his smartest aliens to create Ken's Omnitrix, including Grey Matter, Frankenstrike, and Brainstorm.^{[pop-up 6]} This has been slightly retconned in Omniverse, as Ben does not become any smarter as Frankenstrike.^{[DJW 1]}
  • The Null Void Containment Eggs used this episode were made by the Protosts.^{[pop-up 7]}
  • Kai missed Ken's 10th birthday due to being on a diplomatic mission in the Shadow Realm.^{[pop-up 8]}
  • The events of this episode is a possible future for Kevin.^{[pop-up 9]}
• It is revealed that Gwendolyn can tame Rock Monsters as pets.
• At the time of this episode's release, there were never any plans to design either Atomix or Toepick because characters without screen time would be an undesirable financial expense to the studio.^{[TP 1]}
  • Incorporating both of these aliens into Omniverse and giving each of them a physical form and powers was Derrick's idea.^{[DJW 2]} Had Thomas N. Perkins IV designed them when their names were first conceptualized, they would likely look different.^{[TP 2]}
• In 2020, Thomas designed versions of Shellhead, Sandbox, and Snakepit from concept ideas he had during the show's run. He does not know if the writers came up with any idea what these unseen aliens would do, as all they had at the time were their names.^{[TP 3]}

References[]

Production Material[]

Backgrounds[]

Crew Statements[]

Thomas N. Perkins IV[]

Dwayne McDuffie[]

Derrick J. Wyatt[]

Pop-Up Trivia[]

Cartoon Network[]

Ben 10 Episodes

Intended Order Production Order U.S. Airing Order Season 1 And Then There Were 10 • Washington B.C. • The Krakken • Permanent Retirement • Hunted • Last Laugh • Kevin 11 • Tourist Trap • The Alliance • Lucky Girl • A Small Problem • Side Effects • Secrets Season 2 Truth • The Big Tick • Framed • Gwen 10 • Grudge Match • The Galactic Enforcers • Ultimate Weapon • Camp Fear • Tough Luck • They Lurk Below • Dr. Animo and the Mutant Ray • Ghostfreaked Out • Back With a Vengeance Season 3 Midnight Madness • Ben 10,000 • A Change of Face • Merry Christmas • Benwolf • Game Over • Super Alien Hero Buddy Adventures • Under Wraps • Monster Weather • The Unnaturals • The Visitor • The Return • Be Afraid of the Dark Season 4 Perfect Day • Divided We Stand • Don't Drink the Water • Big Fat Alien Wedding • Ben 4 Good Buddy • Ready to Rumble • Ken 10 • Goodbye and Good Riddance • Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 1 • Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 2 Movies Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix • Ben 10: Race Against Time • Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens Shorts Hijacked • Snack Break • Survival Skills • Radio Dazed • Sleepaway Camper • Dogged Pursuit • Let the Games Begin • Handle With Care • Road Trip Rumble Season 1 Washington B.C. • And Then There Were 10 • The Krakken • Permanent Retirement • Hunted • Last Laugh • Kevin 11 • Tourist Trap • The Alliance • Lucky Girl • A Small Problem • Side Effects • Secrets Season 2 Truth • The Big Tick • Framed • Gwen 10 • Grudge Match • The Galactic Enforcers • Ultimate Weapon • Camp Fear • Tough Luck • They Lurk Below • Dr. Animo and the Mutant Ray • Ghostfreaked Out • Back With a Vengeance Season 3 Midnight Madness • Ben 10,000 • A Change of Face • Merry Christmas • Benwolf • Game Over • Super Alien Hero Buddy Adventures • Under Wraps • Monster Weather • The Unnaturals • The Visitor • The Return • Be Afraid of the Dark Season 4 Perfect Day • Divided We Stand • Don't Drink the Water • Big Fat Alien Wedding • Ben 4 Good Buddy • Ready to Rumble • Ken 10 • Goodbye and Good Riddance • Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 1 • Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 2 Movies Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix • Ben 10: Race Against Time • Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens Shorts Hijacked • Snack Break • Survival Skills • Radio Dazed • Sleepaway Camper • Dogged Pursuit • Let the Games Begin • Handle With Care • Road Trip Rumble Season 1 And Then There Were 10 • Washington B.C. • The Krakken • Permanent Retirement • Hunted • Tourist Trap • Kevin 11 • The Alliance • Last Laugh • Lucky Girl • A Small Problem • Side Effects • Secrets Season 2 Truth • The Big Tick • Framed • Gwen 10 • Grudge Match • The Galactic Enforcers • Camp Fear • Ultimate Weapon • Tough Luck • They Lurk Below • Ghostfreaked Out • Dr. Animo and the Mutant Ray • Back With a Vengeance Season 3 Ben 10,000 • Midnight Madness • A Change of Face • Merry Christmas • Benwolf • Game Over • Super Alien Hero Buddy Adventures • Under Wraps • The Unnaturals • Monster Weather • The Return • Be Afraid of the Dark • The Visitor Season 4 Perfect Day • Divided We Stand • Don't Drink the Water • Big Fat Alien Wedding • Ben 4 Good Buddy • Ready to Rumble • Ken 10 • Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 1 • Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 2 • Goodbye and Good Riddance Movies Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix • Ben 10: Race Against Time • Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens Shorts Hijacked • Snack Break • Survival Skills • Radio Dazed • Sleepaway Camper • Dogged Pursuit • Let the Games Begin • Handle With Care • Road Trip Rumble