History Fridge / Ben10AlienForce

* Gwen and Kevin, [[StrangledByTheRedString strangled by the red string]]? Maybe. Or maybe it's what happens when a slightly education-obsessed nerd girl starts trying to hook up with a JerkWithAHeartofGold whose affection for his ride puts the "car" in CargoShip. Kevin is heavily implied to have had a bad home life before he mutated in WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}} and lavishes way too much attention on his car to be considered healthy, RunningGag or not. Gwen's love life isn't really brought up, but anyone who takes someone to task about why they haven't asked her out does not seem too knowledgeable about flirting. It hit me that ''of course'' they would have a mixed-up chemistry since these are two people who have probably avoided relationships for fear of being hurt (Kevin) or because their focus is on higher learning and are separated by their intellect (Gwen, who is attending a prep school). I never saw the red string snag because I had already classified them as a textbook case of OppositesAttract, not terribly original but still a classic combination. It does make the few times they really connect all the more poignant like the season two finale where Kevin calls Gwen back from going full Anodite even if it meant she could save the universe or their dance at the end of "Save the Last Dance". --koolkame

* The reveal that Kevin's mutation in Alien Force is not only being caused but ''maintained'' by the Omnitrix explains why, in "Ghost Town" the Ghost Freaks were unable to possess him, as we saw with Ghost Freak in the Original Series, the Omnitrix protected Ben from possession by Ghost Freak while he was transformed, the energy keeping Kevin transformed was doing the same to him.

** The time skip to Season 3 brings the trio into late spring, enough time for Ben to get arrogant again and to have a three day weekend to try and stop war. However by around the mid part of Season 3 it was summer with beach days all around. As Ben can drive by Alien Swarm and Ultimate Alien, the fall and winter passed offscreen at a minimum with Vilgax destroying the Omnitrix somewhere in the span of time between some point in summer and then. [[EpicFail This of course means that Ben didn't check if Chromastone worked by the time of Framed for minimum of half a year nor mistransformed into him that entire time]]. As various word of gods imply Ben unlocked several new aliens and rescanned old ones in this time, it does give him plenty of time to do so.

* The episode Max Out reveals that the [=DNAliens=] are actually humans after coming into contact with a Xenocite. In the same episode, he sends multiple [=DNAliens=] to the Null Void and uses the projector as a bomb to either kill all DNAliens in the vicinity or at least send them to the Null Void. This means Max sent a few hundred, if not a thousand, humans to fend for themselves in one of the most hostile places in the Universe.

* The episode Max Out reveals that the DNAliens are actually humans after coming into contact with a Xenocite. In the same episode, he sends multiple DNAliens to the Null Void and uses the projector as a bomb to either kill all DNAliens in the vicinity or at least send them to the Null Void. This means Max sent a few hundred, if not a thousand, humans to fend for themselves in one of the most hostile places in the Universe.
** It is also never confirmed if the Highbreed Intergalactic Jumpgates were even installed in the Null Void, so any DNAlien sent there will almost never return to their human form.

* The episode Max Out reveals that the DNAliens are actually humans after coming into contact with a Xenocite. In the same episode, he sends multiple DNAliens to the Null Void and uses the projector as a bomb to either kill all DNAliens in the vicinity or at least send them to the Null Void. This means Max sent a few hundred, if not if not over a thousand, humans to fend for themselves in one of the most hostile places in the Universe.

* The episode Max Out reveals that the DNAliens are actually humans after coming into contact with a Xenocite. In the same episode, sends multiple DNAliens to the Null Void and uses the projector as a bomb to either kill all DNAliens in the vicinity or at least send them to the Null Void. This means Max sent a few hundred, if not if not over a thousand, humans to fend for themselves in one of the most hostile places in the Universe.

* The reveal that Kevin's mutation in Alien Force is not only being caused but ''maintained'' by the Omnitrix explains why, in "Ghost Town" the Ghost Freaks were unable to possess him, as we saw with Ghost Freak in the Original Series, the Omnitrix protected Ben from possession by Ghost Freak while he was transformed, the energy keeping Kevin transformed was doing the same to him.

* Some have noted the recalibrated Omnitrix's lineup of aliens are very similar to the ones Ben had before the watch reset itself, just often combined. Swampfire is Heatblast and Wildvine, Echo Echo is Benwolf and Ditto, Big Chill is Ghostfreak and Arctiguana, etc etc. Now remember the Omnitrix shows signs of being sentient, and you get the impression that the overlap may have been deliberate. It may have tried to give Ben familiar enough aliens in the playlist he was given to let him adapt quickly to the threat at hand without having to figure out different power sets, and notably we don't see wildly distinct powers being unlocked until later seasons and less well-build/undamaged devices like Lodestar and Clockwork. As to Alien X....well it is still the Omnitrix. Even if it is working properly it probably still wants to screw wtih Ben somehow, so why not give him functionally only nine aliens and one that is the absolute definition of AwesomeButImpractical?

* Some have noted the recalibrated Omnitrix's lineup of aliens are very similar to the ones Ben had before the watch reset itself, just often combined. Swampfire is Heatblast and Wildvine, Echo Echo is Benwolf and Ditto, Big Chill is Ghostfreak and Arctiguana, etc etc. Now remember the Omnitrix shows signs of being sentient, and you get the impression that the overlap may have been deliberate. It may have tried to give Ben familiar enough aliens in the playlist he was given to let him adapt quickly to the threat at hand without having to figure out different power sets, and notably we don't see wildly distinct powers being unlocked until later seasons and less well-build/undamaged devices like Lodestar and Clockwork. As to Alien X....well it is still the Omnitrix. Even if it is working properly it probably still wants to screw wtih Ben somehow, so why not give him functionally only nine aliens and one that is the absolute definition of AwesomeButImpractical?

This quote explains all of Ben's OoC moments after the first two seasons of Alien Force. ALL OF THEM! It was foreshadowed from the very beginning!

* In "What are Little Girls made of", Gwen's story about fishing with Grandpa [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadows]] the premise of the episode. Think about it: Gwen said it was hard to let go of the little fish she caught, but Grandpa Max insisted it was for the best she let it go. Because [[TruthInTelevision it's a fundamental rule of thumb in fishing to catch-and-release the little fish]], so [[RuleOfSymbolism they can grow bigger]]. What's the premise of the episode? Grandma Verdona finds an anodyne relative in her granddaughter Gwen, but she must let her go [[MeaningfulEcho so she has time to grow stronger on Earth]].

* In the episode ''Busy Box'', it's mentioned that the Naljian Destructor is on an even higher technology level than the Omnitrix's level 20, despite the Omnitrix's constant status as the most powerful technology in the universe. This doesn't add up until you realize a consistent quality about Azmuth is how much he downplays his achievements; he always insists he's only the smartest being in three to five galaxies, no matter how many people refer to him as the smartest in the entire universe. It's even been mentioned by WordOfGod that the reason the Omnitrix is labeled as level 20 because Azmuth considers it this, and no one is smart enough to argue with him about it. It's actually far higher than the Naljian Destructor or anything else, Azmuth is just being modest.

* The Highbreed's threat level to the entire universe makes a lot more sense when you compare them to other conquerors such as the Incurseans or Vilgax. The Incurseans have technology for destroying planets on a whim, but one on one they probably could be punched out by a human (Julie probably could strangle one of them with a bit of motivation). Vilgax can fight Ben one on one evenly ''at worst'' but his tech level doesn't seem to be as high. The Highbreed have strength akin to that of Vilgax in a one on one fight, and have technology levels that make them dangerous for even the Galvan. [[WordOfGod Dywane]] had once called them Ben's strongest threats (to Vilgax's most relentless and Darkstar's most dangerous). He called strength relative, and another way of looking it has the species as having immense technological and biological strength.

* The Forever Knights’ goal being retconned to trying to kill a dragon using whatever they can get actually helps explain why they wanted the Omnitrix back in the classic series. What better weapon to take down the beast then one that allows for multiple options to try?

** Verdonna's line "I don't believe you are [leaving Earth with me]" also becomes [[MeaningfulEcho poignant]] when you recall what Gwen said about the little fish in her story: "I guess it was the letting go part that was hard".

** First off, [[spoiler: Ben had recently helped to save the galaxy from destruction, in addition to giving the Highbreed a way to save themselves from their genetic decay. He has the gratitude of entire alien species, as attested by the mound of medals he keeps in his closet, and is also best buds ''with the Highbreed Supreme Commander''. Even ''if'' Vilgax was actually able to kill Ben, he'd have to deal with massive backlash from the rest of the galaxy and a race of beings that have a far larger fleet and no qualms about wiping him out. Alternately, if he attacked Earth with an invasion fleet and Ben called for help, the Highbreed would back him up.]] Ben takes the PowerOfFriendship to new levels and Vilgax is smart enough to realize this.
** Second, it also happens that every time Ben and Vilgax have tangled in the past, he's had help from his family and allies like Azmuth, Tetrax and even his future self. Vilgax has pumped himself up with bionics and threw a robot army at Ben, but lost because he had other people to encourage him, save his butt or unlock a new power for him. Vilgax ''has'' to know at this point if he's going to beat Ben, it has to be one-on-one and it may be he [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou wants to be the one that kills the one sentient being that's caused him more trouble than anything else in the universe]]. That's why he [[spoiler: defeated the other world's champions so he could take their powers and weapons to add to his own]], it was to match the diversity of the Omnitrix's forms. If he defeated Ben in fair & legal combat, he would be safe from reprisals and have ownership of the Omnitrix, the item that started the whole rivalry with the Earth boy in the first place and which will give him the edge he needs to conquer the Universe. It's not DiminishingVillainThreat, ItsPersonal and smart. --koolkame

* Gwen and Kevin, [[StrangledByTheRedString strangled by the red string]]? Maybe. Or maybe it's what happens when a slightly education-obsessed nerd girl starts trying to hook up with a JerkWithAHeartofGold whose affection for his ride puts the "car" in CargoShip. Kevin is heavily implied to have had a bad home life before he mutated in WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}} and lavishes way too much attention on his car to be considered healthy, RunningGag or not. Gwen's love life isn't really brought up, but anyone who takes someone to task about why they haven't asked her out does not seem too knowledgeable about flirting. It hit me that ''of course'' they would have a mixed-up chemistry since these are two people who have probably avoided relationships for fear of being hurt (Kevin) or because their focus is on higher learning and are separated by their intellect (Gwen, who is attending a prep school). I never saw the red string snag because I had already classified them as a textbook case of OppositesAttract, not terribly original but still a classic combination. It does make the few times they really connect all the more poignant like the season two finale where [[spoiler: Kevin calls Gwen back from going full Anodite even if it meant she could save the universe]] or their dance at the end of "Save the Last Dance". --koolkame

** On the topic of Kevin, we learn in ''Vendetta'' that his father [[spoiler: was a Plumber killed on duty]], there's a possibility that his step-father (as he mentioned Devin as "My ''real'' father" one time) was likely abusive toward him for being [[spoiler: part alien]]. Add that with the hint dropped about the frequent use of his powers (as his father used his energy absorption powers, he seems glad "nothing happened this time" after using it subsequent times) especially being ''eleven years old'' and suddenly his TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour is quite justified. Unfortunately, it leads to a bit of FridgeLogic in that Max Tennyson, who was with Devin [[spoiler: at the time of his death]] and was asked to take care of his son, had to not have recognized him in order to justify not explaining to Ben why he was acting the way he was. - Tropers/MetalShadowX

** Back to Kevin; why did he perform a HeelFaceTurn in the first place back in ''Alien Force''? Because a Plumber sacrificed himself to save him. Why was it that simple? Because someone already did the same thing to help him [[spoiler: escape the Null Void]]. Someone who [[spoiler: helped him return to his human form]] and whose death he felt he was responsible for. Understandably, that bit of tragic deja-vu was all it took for him to reform. - Tropers/MetalShadowX

* In "What are Little Girls made of", Gwen's story about fishing with Grandpa [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadows]] the premise of the episode. Think about it: Gwen said it was hard to let go of the little fish she caught, but Grandpa Max insisted it was for the best she let it go. Because [[TruthInTelevision it's a fundamental rule of thumb in fishing to catch-and-release the little fish]], so [[RuleOfSymbolism they can grow bigger]]. What's the premise of the episode, Grandma Verdona finds an anodyne relative in her granddaughter Gwen, but she must let her go [[MeaningfulEcho so she has time to grow stronger on Earth]].

* Same old Ben Tennyson: You’re even more like yourself now than you are in the future!

Same old Ben Tennyson: You’re even more like yourself now than you are in the future!
- Professor Paradox, 1st Appearance
This quote explains all of Ben's OoC moments after the first two seasons of Alien Force. ALL OF THEM!

** First off, [[spoiler: Ben had recently helped to save the galaxy from destruction, in addition to giving the Highbreed a way to save themselves from their genetic decay. He has the gratitude of entire alien species, as attested by the mound of medals he keeps in his closet, and is also best buds ''with the Highbreed Supreme Commander''. Even ''if'' Vilgax was actually able to kill Ben, he'd have to deal with massive backlash from the rest of the galaxy and a race of beings that have a far larger fleet and no qualms about wiping him out. Alternately, if he attacked Earth with an invasion fleet and Ben called for help, the Highbreed would most likely respond and be through the jumpgate in the Los Solidad military base in time to back him up.]] Ben takes the PowerOfFriendship to new levels and Vilgax is smart enough to realize this.

** Second, it also happens that every time Ben and Vilgax have tangled in the past, he's had help from his family and allies like Azmuth, Tetrax and even his future self. Vilgax has pumped himself up with bionics and threw a robot army at Ben, but lost because he had other people to encourage him, save his butt or unlock a new power for him. Vilgax ''has'' to know at this point if he's going to beat Ben, it has to be one-on-one and it may be he [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou wants to be the one that kills the one sentient being that's caused him more trouble than anything else in the universe]]. That's why he [[spoiler: defeated the other world's champions so he could take their powers and weapons to add to his own]], it was to match the diversity of the Omnitrix's forms. If he defeated Ben in fair & legal combat, he would be safe from reprisals and have ownership of the Omnitrix, the item that started the whole rivalry with the Earth boy in the first place and which will give him the edge he needs to conquer the Universe. It's not VillainDecay, ItsPersonal and smart. --koolkame
*** As a person who likes ''Alien Force'', thank you so much for this! It makes re-watching the fight even sweeter without "VillainDecay hanging around.

*** As a person who likes ''Alien Force'', thank you so much for this! It makes re-watching the fight even sweeter without "illainDecay hanging around.

*** As a person who likes Alien Force, thank you so much for this! It makes re-watching the fight even sweeter without "villain decay" hanging around.