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| “ | There is one nutball who totally does the mutant-creature thing: Dr. Animo. Guy's been after me since I was little. Freaky frogs, mutant bats, prairie dogs... you name it. |
” |
Doctor Aloysius James Animo,[note 1] commonly referred to as Doctor Animo and temporarily known as D'Void in the Null Void, is one of Ben Tennyson's enemies, a mad scientist obsessed with genetic experiments on animals. He was first introduced in Washington B.C. and became one of the most recurring villains in the Original Series.
Appearance[]
In the Original Series, Animo had pale green skin, yellowish eyes, and shoulder-length white hair.
In Alien Force, his body was more muscular and his skin was now pale yellow type. His eyes were solid black, with yellow sclerae.
In Ultimate Alien, he retained his previous appearance, although he is a little less muscular, with normal skin color and his eyes had white sclerae again.
Animo gains a new look in Omniverse; his skin now has a green complexion, and his brain is exposed in a large dome, with two antennae on it. In the present, he wears a long green lab coat and keeps his eyes covered with red goggles. He retains his black, fingerless gloves.
In the Omniverse flashbacks, Animo is shown to have his original look, albeit scrawnier than before.
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Personality[]
| “ | Five years ago, Dr. Animo was a promising researcher in veterinary science. But it turned out he was doing all these twisted genetic experiments where he was mutating animals, and when he didn't win some big prize called "The Verities Award", he flipped out. | ” |
Dr. Animo is an insane mad scientist with delusions of grandeur. Due to his constant defeats at the hands of Ben Tennyson and his family and friends, Animo has become greatly unhinged by the time of the Omniverse series. At present, he spends much of his time in a Plumber prison, creating plush toy versions of his mutated creatures and talking to them.[6] In Omniverse, he's made three attempts to get revenge on Ben and mutate the world, with all his plans failing miserably. He also has a cell full of stuffed animals with parts mixed in with other animals. He talks to them as if they're real.
History[]
Five Years Prior Ben 10[]
Dr. Animo was once a respected and promising researcher in veterinary science who was driven crazy when he desired to rebuild animal DNA into super animals.[pop-up 1][7] His career was cut short when it was discovered that he was performing twisted genetic experiments on animals. He had hoped that his research would win him the Verities Award, which is an award in veterinary science. Because of the nature of his research, he lost the award to another doctor, named Kelly. This drove him mad and he faded to obscurity for five years until he could perfect his research.[5] Because he locked himself indoors for five years, his skin and formerly brown hair turned pale from overwork and lack of exposure to sunlight.
Ben 10[]
Sometime before his first appearance in the show, Animo watched a TV report showing Ben as Diamondhead saving a camp from a giant robot. This inspired him and gave him the idea to add to his Transmodulator which led him to look for a way to create his own mutants.[pop-up 1][7]
Animo eventually appeared in Washington B.C., where he created a device called the Transmodulator, which gave him the ability to mutate animals into twisted giant versions of themselves. He then was able to upgrade it so it could reanimate dead cells, literally bringing dead animals back to life, although his reanimated monsters were actually zombies. Using his new army of animals, he intended to kill Kelly and get the award he had lost, but Ben eventually destroyed his Transmodulator, reversing its effects. Animo was then arrested.
Animo without his gear
He appeared again in the episode Dr. Animo and the Mutant Ray, where he created a much larger version of the Transmodulator using the broken-off faceplate of the Omnitrix and a large telescope in an abandoned astrology lab. This version mutated living creatures with alien DNA, creating odd mixtures of alien and terrestrial creatures, such as a Heatbat. He had also managed to turn Grandpa Max into a Stinkfly-larvae type creature. Before he could complete his plans to use a satellite to shoot the ray all over the world, Ben stopped him with Gwen's help. Since his mutants (with the exception of Grandpa Max) were never shown being cured, it is possible that they are still around. For some reason, his trademark giant frog is also present, though he may have simply re-mutated it sometime after his original defeat. How and when he escaped is unknown.
In Divided We Stand, he escaped what seems to be Alcatraz Island on a mutant seagull (he had trained the seagull to smuggle in parts he could use to build a Transmodulator and then mutated it) and captured one of Ben's Ditto clones to access the DNA stored in his Omnitrix. Using this DNA, he created an army of self-replicating Lepidopterran mutants, but they were destroyed and he was captured again. Afterwards, Max deleted all of his computer files, preventing him from using any more Omnitrix DNA in his experiments if he escaped again.
In Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 2, Animo was part of the Negative 10, a team assembled by Sir Driscoll to defeat the Tennysons. He used a mutant bat and prairie dog to fight the Tennysons. Gwen was able to turn the villains against each other, however, leading to Animo fighting the other villains. They all were arrested following Driscoll's defeat.
Animo briefly appeared at the beginning of Secret of the Omnitrix, where he captured Max and Gwen and created a dangerous bomb. Although he escaped, Ben destroyed the bomb, unintentionally causing the Omnitrix's Self-Destruct Mode to be activated.
Animo briefly appeared at the end of Destroy All Aliens, where he and his mutant frog attack Ben, Gwen, and Max while they were on another road trip.
Goodbye and Good Riddance (What-If?)[]
Animo made a brief appearance at the end of Goodbye and Good Riddance, wearing an ape-like exo-suit, and leading a group of animal mutants towards Ben's school. Ben left class to stop him.
Five years prior to Omniverse[]
In Special Delivery, Dr. Animo and his Mutant Mosquito had encountered and were defeated by Ben when he transformed into Way Big and picked up Mr. Baumann's delivery truck in order to knock Dr. Animo into a wall and threw it at the Mutant Mosquito in order to project it into outer space.
In Evil's Encore, Dr. Animo used Technobugs to take over the Plumber's HQ at Mount Rushmore. His goal was to spread his mutation ray all over the planet by hijacking the Plumber's network of satellites. He was stopped by Ben, Max, and Gwen when they destroyed his Technobugs and sent him to prison.
Alien Force[]
Four years later, during the time of Ben 10: Alien Force, Dr. Animo was found in the Null Void (he purposely went in to find new animal species but couldn't get out)[DM 1] where he assumed control over the Null Guardians and took on the alias "D'Void". He planned to open a wormhole to use the Guardians to take over the Earth, and he forced the citizens there to gather a mineral that not only powered his drill but gave him immense strength and near invulnerability (to the point where a direct attack on him was completely ineffective). In Voided, his plans were foiled by the joint efforts of Helen, Manny, Ben, Max (codenamed "The Wrench"), and a group of other Plumbers' kids (including a Havoc Beast and a Vulpimancer).
Ultimate Alien[]
Animo later returned in Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, having somehow escaped from the Null Void and going by his true name again.
Dr. Animo in Ultimate Alien
At the beginning of Escape From Aggregor, he used a device to take control of the Yeti in the Himalayas and create a "De-Evolution Bomb" to turn everyone in the Southern hemisphere into yetis (which Ben, Gwen, Kevin and even the Yeti thought was a stupid idea).
Using Brainstorm, Ben was able to turn his mind-controlled Yeti against him, while Kevin and Gwen disabled the bomb. He was then captured by the Plumbers.
Animo returned in It's Not Easy Being Gwen where he attempted to raise an army of his signature mutated Frogs using the enhanced version of his telescopic Transmodulator. He was eventually defeated by Gwen, Ben, and Kevin. After being brought to the authorities, Animo was released from prison a few months later on good behavior.
Animo appeared again in The Eggman Cometh where it was revealed that he had acquired a farm. In his farm, he used a de-evolutionary ray to turn chicken eggs into Pterodactyl eggs. He was eventually stopped when Ben used Juryrigg to turn the de-evolutionary ray into an evolution ray and then Jetray to turn all of the Pterodactyls back into chickens.
Omniverse[]
Animo with his ants
Dr. Animo has removed the top of his skull and replaced it with a glass dome in order to have better control over animals and other self-upgrades.[DJW 4] He has apparently developed a hobby of cutting up and stitching together stuffed animals (and in future episodes, talking with them, showing that between Ultimate Alien and Omniverse, Animo's blatant insanity has only gotten worse), his cell full of them.
Animo returned in It Was Them where from his cell, he had been mutating ants and using them to construct a sky-scraper-sized base with a transmitter to mutate every ant on earth. He also made a "King Ant" costume, which was armed with flame throwers. Ben and his new partner Rook fought Animo and his army. He was later attacked by Khyber's Pet in the form of Mucilator.
Animo attempted to control the beast, but only provoked it into attacking him. Ben got Animo's ants to attack Mucilator and Rook was able to kill the ants by creating an anti-ant bomb from Animo's equipment. This forced a retreat from the beast and allowed Ben and Rook to return Animo to his cell.
In Evil's Encore, Animo, five years after his first attempt, again attempted to use a Technobug to escape, take over the Plumber's base, and mutate the world, but his plan was thwarted before it even started as Blukic eats the Technobug as a snack.
Animo giving Argost his mask
In T.G.I.S., he had somehow managed to escape Plumber Prison and had revived V.V. Argost with a mixture of cryptids as a new body. Apparently, the process had taken 3 years, the delay being attributed to fighting Ben Tennyson and his time spent in jail. He later decided to capture Fiskerton, to research him and add him to his collection, but he and Argost ended up defeated by Ben, Rook, and The Saturdays. He was last seen running off after his control over the Chupacabras was destroyed.
Dr. Animo meets his future self
In Animo Crackers, he was seen back in his cell at Plumber Prison, indicating that he had been recaptured. Due to the actions of his future self, he managed to escape and joined him to try and steal a huge repository of DNA. However, he was thwarted by the actions of Ben, Rook, Spanner, and arguing with his future self. In the end, he was recaptured with his memory of this event erased by Gutrot.
Powers and Abilities[]
Dr. Animo has the power to telepathically or emphatically control animals. This ability is furthered by his headgear. This includes ordinary animals, but also his mutant monsters and even aliens, as he was able to take control of the Null Guardians. He learned this power from one of Ben's other enemies, Clancy, who could control bugs and other arthropods the same way.[pop-up 2][8]
In addition to this power, Animo is a genius and brilliant scientist, skilled in both machines and genetic experiments, who usually uses his knowledge to give him additional powers. His trademark invention, the Trans-modulator and its variants (including on two occasions a device he called a De-Evolution Bomb[8][9]), allows him to turn animals into powerful, dangerous mutants as well as reanimated the remains of long since extinct animals into zombie-like creatures both of whom serve as his minions.
His other inventions include a machine able to convert heat into energy used to increase his strength and durability[10], and a head band amplifying his control over animals so he could control creatures like the Yeti.[9]
In addition, Animo is - partly out of necessity - a master of technical improvisation, capable of constructing his devices from the simplest of materials. The prototype of his Trans-modulator was constructed from commercially available electronic components and an alternated kitchen sieve.
In the Original Series, he usually relied on armies of mutated animals to fight for him.
In Animo Crackers, he is given a new pair of antennae by his future-self, which not only allows him to control animals, but also to mutate them, as he mutates a group of squirrels to attack Rook.
As D'Void, he had gained access to mind control the Null Guardians, and he had the power of levitation and flight.
Equipment[]
He is often seen with a transmodulator that can ressurrect dead animals like dinosaurs.[5]
Animo wore an ant suit that shoots fire blasts in Animo Crackers.
Weaknesses[]
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Animo's biggest weaknesses are his temper, arrogance, and all around crazy behavior.
He would lose control over cryptids if his antennae get damaged or taken.[11]
Animo can be affected by gasses such as Sulphur Dioxide (also referred to as Tear Gas), Nitrous Oxide (also referred to as Laughing Gas) and Fluoromethyl-hexafluoroisopropyl-ether (also referred to as "Sevoflurane" or simply Knockout Gas).[12]
Animo is vulnerable to electricity, and can be blasted back by it, such as that generated from a Cerebrocrustacean.[10]
Appearances[]
Ben 10[]
Season 1[]
- Washington B.C. (first appearance)
Season 2[]
Season 4[]
- Divided We Stand
- Goodbye and Good Riddance (non-canon)
- Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 1
- Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 2
Movies[]
Alien Force[]
Season 1[]
- Voided (first reappearance)
Ultimate Alien[]
Season 1[]
- Escape From Aggregor (first reappearance)
Season 3[]
Omniverse[]
Season 1[]
- It Was Them (first reappearance; flashback and present; flashback was a cameo)
Season 3[]
- T.G.I.S.
- Special Delivery (flashback)
Season 4[]
- Evil's Encore (flashback and present)
Season 5[]
The Secret Saturdays[]
- Van Rook's Apprentice (first appearance; cameo)
- Cryptid vs. Cryptid (cameo)
Books[]
Cartoon Network Action Packs[]
Ben 10[]
Graphic Novels[]
Omniverse[]
Video Games[]
Ben 10[]
- Ben 10: Protector of Earth (boss)
Alien Force[]
Omniverse[]
- Ben 10: Omniverse (boss)
Video Games[]
Ben 10: Protector of Earth[]
Animo appears in Protector of Earth as the main villain of the South East. He is recruited by Vilgax, to use one of the DNA pieces of the Omnitrix. He battles in a robotic gorilla suit, similar to the gorilla body he has in Ben 10,000. He kidnaps Gwen, hoping to use her as his experiment to test animal mutations. After Ben defeats Clancy, Animo's agent, he learns Animo and Gwen are at the Oil Refinery. When at the Oil Refinery, it is revealed that Animo has tied Gwen up to lure Ben into a trap for revenge. Ben fights Animo and defeats him, then he saves Gwen.
He uses DNA from Wildmutt, Stinkfly and Diamondhead combined with the local wildlife to create enemies for the level. He uses Stinkfly DNA with snake DNA to create the Snakefly and Snakefly Striker. He uses Diamondhead DNA with bears to create Crystal Claws. He uses Wildmutt DNA with cat DNA to create Feraline and Feraline Pouncer.
Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks[]
Animo appears in Vilgax Attacks in the Null Void. Here he's still using his D'Void alias. His power source consists of numeral capsules of Kormite fire. In order to harm him, you need to freeze them using Big Chill's frost breath. He also summons Null Guardians and uses them to attack.
Ben 10: Omniverse[]
Animo appears in Ben 10: Omniverse as a major antagonist of the past sections, creating giant mutant ants and spiders as most of the enemies faced in the past. Ben and Rook first fight one of Animo's Mutant Ants queens as part of a training exercise in the present. A second queen ant is guarding a captive Grandpa Max in a steel mill in the past which Ben and Rook also have to defeat.
Also, a giant spider called the Arachnidroid is rampaging through a construction site that past Ben and Rook have to plant explosives in for the present. Finally, in order to lure Malware into a trap, Ben and Rook break into Animo's base and steal one of his mutant rays to serve as bait at which point the pair has to confront Animo himself and is defeated by draining power to his hover platform.
Trivia[]
- The Cartoon Network website synopsis for Washington B.C. incorrectly lists him as "Dr. Amino".[CN 1]
- Dr. Animo is 5'6 tall.[5]
- Ben thinks of Dr. Animo as a B-ranked villain.[11]
- Dr. Animo had a cameo in an episode of The Secret Saturdays along with Hex and Enoch, as one of the faces shown in the Saturdays' criminal database.
- All of Dr. Animo's outfits in the Original Series resembled a certain type of animal.[pop-up 1][7]
- His aquatic outfit in Divided We Stand resembled a crab.
- Lepidopterrans are Dr. Animo's favorite aliens.[pop-up 1][7]
- Dr. Animo's winter coat in Escape From Aggregor was designed by T.J. Collins.[TJC 1]
- Dr. Animo's "D'Void" alias in Alien Force was a possible reference to D-Void from 2005 IDW continuity of Generation One Transformers.
- Dr. Animo's present-day Omniverse appearance (ears, sideburns, and glass brain dome) makes him bear a slight resemblance to The Powerpuff Girls villain Mojo Jojo.
- Furthermore, the brazilian voice actor of Dr. Animo, Jorge Vasconcellos, also voiced Mojo Jojo in the original The Powerpuff Girls series, as well as the anime Powerpuff Girls Z.
- The glass brain dome also makes him slightly resemble the DC Comics villain Psimon.
- Dr. Animo is similar to Dr. Gero from the Dragon Ball franchise, being an amoral scientist with illusions of grandeur.
- Dr. Animo's counterpart in Benzarro's reality is one of the few scientists left and is trying to save the world.[DJW 3]
- Dr. Animo's version in Mad Ben's Dimension looks like Tusken Raiders from the Star Wars franchise.[DJW 2]
- Dr. Animo is one of the few villains who has appeared in all four series in the Classic Continuity as well as the Reboot Continuity, along with Vilgax, Hex, and Charmcaster.
- He is the only one to retain his voice actor in both continuities.
- He is also the only one to have had different looks throughout all five series (including the reboot).
Notes[]
- ↑ Dr. Animo's middle name, James, was first added to the wiki on this page on January 31, 2010 by a user named RaphBlade7. It was never mentioned in any official media or merchandise until the Omniverse episode It Was Them, which canonized it.[4]
References[]
- ↑ Ben 23
- ↑ It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Ben World: Part 1
- ↑ It Was Them
- ↑ Ben 10 Planet:Longstanding Misinformation
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Washington B.C.
- ↑ Evil's Encore
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Divided We Stand
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Escape From Aggregor
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Voided
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 T.G.I.S.
- ↑ Animo Crackers
