Doll Addict

hello benrook community i was a chronic lurker in high school and now i return years later,,,,,,, dragged down the rabbit hole again via tumblr feed leakage. i miss these idiots. omniboyfriends for pride <33

I drew it right before finding out about the new comic and losing my shit. Like I saved this and an evil whisper in my ear said go check tumblr you might find a not dead fandom there. I opened the app and "ben10 2026 comic with body horror" slapped me in the face so hard I'm still down on the ground.

"Jesus, Benji, they cut you off your meds or somethin'?"

Ben grunted and didn't bother looking at Kevin; he was too busy trying to breathe through the burning in his stomach. "Just moved wrong," he said through gritted teeth, which was technically true. Scratching an itch directly on top of a cauterized wound was a wrong move, and that's why Rox was looking at him with precisely zero sympathy. Kevin didn't need to know that, though.

Speaking of Kevin…

"When did you get here, anyway?"

"Two seconds ago." Kevin moved his arm, and his hand came into Ben's sightline holding–

"Smoothie! Yes!"

Kevin laughed, lowering himself to the floor by Ben's bed. "Easy, hero. You can't chug it laying down."

"Of course not," Ben said easily, still beaming. "I'm gonna savor this one. What kind is it?"

"Guess."

Kevin moved the straw to Ben's mouth, and he was too happy about the smoothie to feel embarassed about basically being hand-fed. He tasted it. Hm… a sweet flavor with a sour edge… a little bit of a spicy kick at the end… it tasted like strawberry, pineapple, mint…

Ben laughed. "You got me the tropical blood-sucker supreme? Kevin, that's terrible."

Kevin just grinned. "Hey, I wanted to get you the baby food one, but Gwen told me that would be mean. So this one was basically her idea. I wouldn't have to resort to blood transfusion jokes if she'd let me make fun of you being bedridden."

Laughing hurt, but it also felt really good. "You are such a jerk."

"Well, yeah. Didn't you say that's why we got along?"

He had. In fact, he had said that right after they both nearly murdered each other multiple times, so this was pretty tame in comparison.

"Correction," Ben added, "I said we're both jerks. Jeez, Kev, did all those blows to the head finally catch up with you?"

"Shut up and drink your smoothie, Tennyson."

Ultimos

Him introducing himself as the "Specimen Prime" but not mentioning the species of his fellow Enforcers makes me believe that Specimen Prime is not a species, but the name of what HE is as a special case. I like to think that he was literally built to be a hero, or an Enforcer, and nothing else. Maybe it is some sort of "created in a lab for a specific purpose" type situation… It's so interesting to think about what kind of a childhood that would put him through.

The way he's so set on following the Code of Conduct so blindly feels to me like it comes from a place of insecurity. You can take this as either an insecurity about himself or an insecurity about not actually trusting the code that much. It would be a scary thing to admit that the rules he was raised with and was told to follow his entire life are actually not that well written, so he forces himself to just see following them as the only way instead of confronting the reality.

Speaking of, this guy really feels like he's out of touch with reality to me 😭😭😭 LIKE he's way too naive for a grown man. Of course this is due to the fact that the Galactic Enforcers aren't meant to be taken seriously and were mostly there for comedic scenes, but he does act somewhat differently in Alien Force. So I like to imagine he did get his reality check somewhere between the OG show and Alien Force, and became a better hero thanks to it. Perhaps with the help of his team!

Since he is a parody of Superman, I like to imagine some Superman characteristics in him! Like being so enamored with other species, cultures, worlds… A big heart full of love!

I like to imagine him and Ben becoming messaging buddies! Ben sending Ultimos memes that would confuse the hell out of him. He enjoys talking with the kid though, perhaps even finds him inspiring as a little hero!

I like the idea of him finding a proper purpose while fighting alongside Synaptak and Tini. Something more than just following rules and doing what he was literally created to do. Those two being his guiding light to a better understanding of himself and a better understanding of his reasons to fight... It's a headcanon I hold so dear.

Synaptak

We don't know much about the Cerebroceph species so far, and I'm not sure if we ever will, BUT I like to imagine they are actually quite chill and harmless beings! Bunch of telekinetic aliens being hostile would be bad news for everyone, so I can only imagine them with all serene and peaceful vibes. Synaptak is just… different 😭 Kind of an odd one out for being more violent than the others. Which is maybe why he is a Galactic Enforcer now! I like to imagine that he had a strong sense of justice that led him to reject his environment to go out there and do something to help those in need. An asshole with a heart type character.

I like to think this is how he fell for Tini. She is mentioned to have a strong sense of justice due to how her parents raised her! It makes me think that seeing someone so eager to fight for what's right was the starting point for his feelings for her, and it snowballed from there. On the other hand I think he was annoyed by Ultimos so much at the beginning due to his strictness and naivety. So Synaptak was a bit hostile towards him. But Ultimos grows on him and they become besties, Synaptak following the code for Ultimos' sake for the most part.

His old battle card not only gives Ultimos and Tini battle points, but also Ben too! Which is very cute to me. I like the idea of Synaptak growing to like the kid and even looking out for him in battle. It's very very sweet.

I think he would make for a good teacher for Ben! A "tough love" type that would not hold back and would probably argue with Ben a lot 😐 But in the end Ben would learn a lot from him! ((Folks are making me watch Omniverse recently, and the whole time Gravattack is on-screen I can't help but wish there was a training session where Synaptak helped Ben control the telekinesis-like gravity abilities that form has… That would be so wonderful…))

I'm always so curious about the limitations of his powers… How long he can go for until he has to take a break, how many things he can manipulate at once… Perhaps there is some sort of an injection that he has to administer regularly to keep himself going, like a food source for the Cerebroceph to keep the brain healthy? I don't know, he fascinates me… I need to study him under a microscope.

Tini

SHE IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL TO ME 💥💥💥 I don't like how weird the writing around her was in the OG show so I ignore that. I wish we got to see more of her backstory with the parents fighting a war and how that affected her growing up aside from the strong sense of justice that she developed. I like to imagine either her or her parents thought it would be good for her to be a part of a team and follow a certain set of rules, because she was so destructive and dangerous in battle. She needed something to keep her a bit grounded and focused.

Her holding herself back to follow Ultimos' orders could be such an interesting character exploration for both of them… Ultimos learning to let go of his obsession with rules and Tini learning that her power is not the problem. Both learning to fight together in a better, stronger way. The possibilities of writing when it comes to the friendship between them actually drives me crazy.

She seems so quietly observant and chill when she's not in a battlefield. Makes me think she worked hard to get herself to such a collected state. Maybe she started off as an unruly member to the Galactic Enforcers, and then became way too withdrawn, but in the end managed to find the balance and find peace within herself with the help of her team!

Her ignoring the mission and saving Ben in the OG episode makes me think that she is the type to ignore orders when lives are in danger! ((Once again this could make for such an interesting dynamic between her and Ultimos UGHH)) She totally strikes me as the type to jump into danger without thinking of herself if it means she can save someone's life. A heart of gold!!

I like the idea of her being the best at social interactions among the trio. Ultimos can be a bit too much, Synaptak can be rude as hell, but Tini is the perfect balance. She knows what to say and when to say it. Knows what to just take and what to reply with a snarky comeback. Synaptak may be the brain but she is the social genius.

BONUS: Syn & Tini

I love this duo they are adorable I need them to have a separate set of headcanons please and thank you where do I begin--

They are complete contrasts in EVERY way. Even the tiniest details like their main colors being red and green… One being humanoid and the other being non-humanoid… One seeming kind and welcoming and the other grumpy and unapproachable… One's understanding of courting being battle and other's being peaceful time spent together… But they somehow manage to make it work!! This is a type of relationship that would only survive if both parties put active effort into it to meet each other's needs despite their differences. Thinking about them behaving like two grown adults ((instead of whatever their dynamic was in the OG episode)) and listen to each other, hear what the other needs and expects, and do it all with love, is such damn GOOD FOOD for me. Good communication is my weak spot I fear.

I like the idea of them finding a middle ground in everything. Even when it comes to sparring, which I assume Tini would want to do often. She can't exactly fight with Synaptak fist to fist because… Look at him. But Synaptak finds a way to counter all her punches with force fields just so they both can train together! She gets stronger and bonds with him in the Tetramand way, and he figures out new ways to use his powers even though he only starts doing it for her sake… Do you see my vision…

I also love to imagine how conversations between these two would go. At their core, their beliefs are very similar, but they both have such different ways in which those beliefs developed and also such different ways in which they express them. A conversation could go for hours with them, and maybe what they are really talking about doesn't make sense to an outsider but they understand each other perfectly.

I'm also a sucker for small gestures that actually show how good of an understanding a couple has of each other… Like Tini getting so extremely mad at something, and Synaptak creating a force field for her to hit to get her anger out at that moment FDHDFHD

OKAY THAT'S ALL FOR NOW thank you so much for coming to my ted talk and I want to share this song here because I listened to it so much while drawing or thinking of them that it became their song in my head.