Vilgax (Classic)

Vilgax is an intergalactic alien warlord and conqueror, a Chimera Sui Generis who serves as Ben's archenemy, and the most recurring villain in the ongoing franchise. He was introduced in And Then There Were 10, and has since appeared in all the seasons of the original series (however, the only season 3 episode he appeared in was Ben 10,000), as well as season 3 of Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, and Omniverse.

Vilgax was the main antagonist of the first three series (Ben 10, Alien Force, and Ultimate Alien).

Background
A vicious, galactic warlord known as "the most dangerous being in the universe". Vilgax's singular goal is to acquire the Omnitrix device, and use its technology to build an army with each troop capable of transforming into aliens. Being able to command such an unstoppable force would allow him to rule the entire universe. Though he originally chased Ben Tennyson merely because of this, and had few concerns about his fate once he had the Omnitrix. The several failures the boy caused him, as well as his imprisonment in the Null Void by his hands, his hatred for Ben grew to the point that he seems to want to kill him as much as, if not more than, getting the Omnitrix.

Vilgax is one of the most feared beings in the universe, having conquered ten planets, destroyed five others and created a black hole. He is so feared, that almost no organic life form is willing to work for him (with the exception of Psyphon), forcing him to use Drones, which are obedient machines made to serve him as his ship crew and his soldiers. However, he can find mercenaries willing to do his work for the right price.

Personality
Vilgax is ruthless, cruel, and power-hungry. His primary objective seems to be obtaining the Omnitrix, so that he can use it to take over the universe. He is known to hold a grudge; most notably against Max and his family. He is also known to be very manipulative, notably so of the Galactic Code of Conduct, in order to achieve his goals. After escaping the Null Void, Vilgax seemed to have gone partially insane, as he was enraged more easily and exhibited facial ticks. He appeared to have recovered by Alien Force.

While stranded on Earth following his defeat at the end of Alien Force, Vilgax skillfully manipulates a group of humans known as the Flame Keepers' Circle into serving him. Upon discovering that his squid-like form resembles the alien of knowledge worshiped by the cult, he adopts the role for his own and manipulates his new followers into helping him escape the planet.

Despite his cruel and villainous tendencies, Vilgax does care about his own people (taking his role as Vilgaxia's ruler and champion very seriously), so much so that he is willing to put his own life on the line and use whatever other means necessary to ensure Vilgaxia's and its people's safety; even if it means begging his enemies for help.

Vilgax is shown to be highly afraid of Ma Vreedle as seen in Vreedlemania.

Background
In the year 1773, Vilgax had been exiled from his homeworld for "ambitious disobedience." He is summoned to Earth by a distress signal sent by a time-traveling Maltruant. There, he makes repairs to Maltruant's damaged transport in exchange for a Chronosapien Time Bomb that he would use some time later. During this, Vilgax encounters George Washington and a time-traveling 16-year-old Ben Tennyson. Watching Ben transform into various aliens is what initially fostered Vilgax's interest in the Omnitrix.

Back when Max was still a young Plumber, Vilgax was stealing warheads from a military base. Max and his partner Phil showed up. In the resulting fight, Vilgax was stuck to a nuclear warhead by Max, and launched into his own ship. At that time, Vilgax was only slightly larger than a human man, compared to his now colossal size, an addition to his cybernetic augmentation.

Ben 10
Vilgax first appeared in And Then There Were 10, where he is seen shooting at Xylene's ship to recover the Omnitrix, forcing Xylene to throw it down to Earth and causing the main plot of the series. His limbs were both destroyed because of the battle thanks to one last-ditch attack that hit the main bridge of the Chimerian Hammer, causing him to be placed by his drones in a repair tank for healing.

As the series progressed, Vilgax soon discovered the Omnitrix had been taken by someone else (though ignoring exactly who it was), and made several indirect attempts to get the device back. This includes sending Drones from his ship, hiring bounty hunters (Tetrax Shard, Kraab, Sixsix and Rojo by fusing her with one of his drones). In the latter, he was able to shortly establish a telepathic link with Ben when the boy was fused to Rojo as Upgrade, warning him he was going to come for him one day.

Eventually, his body was repaired and cybernetically enhanced in Secrets, making him far taller and stronger than before. He then went on Earth to get the Omnitrix by himself. Ben's aliens proved to be no match for him, and Vilgax captured him. Though surprised to see the one who had caused him so many problems was just a human child, Vilgax revealed his plan for the Omnitrix to Ben and attempted to extract the Omnitrix from him, seemingly by sectioning his arm with an alien tool. After several complications, including interruption from Gwen and Max and Ben losing control of his transformations, the Chimerian Hammer exploded, seemingly with Vilgax still aboard.

At the end of the second season, Vilgax is still alive, having survived the destruction of his ship by teleporting out just before the explosion, but having been frozen as a result. He is found encased in ice by Kevin. Discovering Kevin's connection with the Omnitrix, Vilgax decides to team up with him in another attempt to retrieve the Omnitrix, however both are locked away in the Null Void dimension by the end of the episode.

A dream version of Vilgax appears in the episode Perfect Day, where he appears to confront Ben. The battle lasts for a short time, and then Vilgax tries to send Ben to the Null Void. As Four Arms, Ben throws him in instead, but this proves to be an error on the part of the Forever Knights, as Vilgax was about to send Ben to the Null Void without first obtaining the Omnitrix. This is the reason why Ben found out that the battle with "Vilgax" was just a set-up.

Vilgax reappears in Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix, where he once again attempts to retrieve the Omnitrix, having somehow escaped the Null Void (the enhanced version of Secret of the Omnitrix revealed that he stumbled on a Null Void portal being opened and used it to escape). During a flashback, Tetrax reveals that Vilgax destroyed the Petrosapiens' home world, and he (Tetrax) unwittingly gave Vilgax the final element needed to carry out his plan. Vilgax refers to his anger at having been trapped in the Null Void (including showing a short nervous twitch at its mention), which has deepened his grudge against Ben to the point where he refuses to acknowledge the danger threatening the universe if the Omnitrix self-destructs (but nevertheless gains enough respect for Ben to the point of calling him by his first name instead of his last name). He confronts Ben on Tetrax's ship and attacks him, only to be shot out into space through the airlock. He is finally defeated when Azmuth, the creator of the Omnitrix, gives Ben access to a massive alien, Way Big, who hurls Vilgax into outer space.

Five years prior to Omniverse
A flashback occurs where Vilgax is seen with a tied-up 11 year old Ben. Vilgax then threatens to feed Ben to his numerous Squid Monsters, but Ben breaks free and transforms into XLR8. The flashback ends with XLR8 being grabbed by a Squid Monster.

Powers and Abilities
Before his augmentation, Vilgax didn't display any special powers or abilities, save for tremendous agility and hand-to-hand combat skills. He already had enhanced strength and endurance, once surviving a nuclear explosion at point-blank range, though it's made clear he was seriously injured and widely believed to be dead at that time.

Due to his cybernetic enhancements, Vilgax became much taller and was granted immense strength and near invulnerability, allowing him to easily leap above skyscrapers and survive in space. His arms were equipped with boost steroids, allowing him to increase his own strength even further at will. Though it causes him great pain, the boosters give him enough strength to smash apart mountains with his bare hands. He proved to be quick, strong and durable enough to withstand Heatblast's most powerful heatwave, break through Stinkfly's goo and once stop a full-speed XLR8. Diamondhead once shattered his own fists against Vilgax. For most of the original series, Ben was unable to defeat him alone, always winning thanks to external help. Once Ben gained access to Way Big, he was able to defeat Vilgax with ease.

After he became the "Conqueror of 10 Worlds", battling and defeating the champions of each, he drained their powers and abilities and added them to his own arsenal. One of those warriors was Ultimos.

Enhanced Strength
 * Vilgax was able to easily defeat Humungousaur, Manny, and Ultimos with a single punch (the impact of which created a large crater in the ground).

Enhanced Durability
 * Vilgax could easily withstand Swampfire's fire blasts and Chromastone's lasers with no visible damage and recover within seconds from the Omnitrix's explosion.

Flight
 * Vilgax can fly at high speeds.

Space Survivability
 * Vilgax was also seen several times flying through space without a ship, where he was seemingly able to breathe without any visible equipment and pass through Earth's atmosphere with no damage at all.

Optic Blasts
 * Vilgax can project red laser beams from his eyes, capable of making drastic arcs to assist the pursuit of their target.
 * They were also shown to be incredibly fast, fast enough to catch up with Helen.
 * They were also shown to burn Ectonurites.

Enhanced Hearing
 * Vilgax can hear sounds that are too faint for normal hearing to detect.

Wind Breath
 * Vilgax has breath so powerful that it can cause cyclone-like winds.

In The Final Battle: Part 2, he reveals his ability to turn into a giant octopus-like monster - which he referred to as his true form - in the ocean. He had this ability since the very beginning, and can transform at will.

After becoming the Herald of Diagon, he was given increased power and the color scheme appearance of a Lucubra. He could project and manipulate energy blasts from his hands and eyes, and could also move between Diagon's dimension and back at his, like the Esoterica.

He used to have Diagon's power after he absorbed his essence into himself, which amplified his absorbed powers and Lucubra powers greatly. He lost Diagon's power and his Lucubra powers when Ben Tennyson used Ascalon to take the power into itself and revert Vilgax back to normal.

After he lost the powers he stole from the heroes he defeated, all Vilgax has left is his monstrous physical strength and resistance. In addition, he can also project red energy blasts from his hands.

Equipment
Vilgax could use the Ruby Ray of Ulo as a laser projector, and was able to considerably weaken Ultimos with one shot. According to Vilgax, Ultimos' ability to survive the shot was unusual, suggesting that most other beings would be immediately killed.

Vilgax could use the Shield of Ziegel to generate a powerful personal force field. The force field can become a knight-like shield on his arm or a dome/sphere to protect his whole body, and is able to defend him from attacks such as Ultimos' punches, Jetray's neuroshock blasts, or the guns of a spaceship. It can even let Vilgax cut clean through that same spaceship.

In Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 2, Vilgax used his gauntlet as a taser, allowing him to grab and shock Big Chill while intangible. It also gave him the ability to coat his hands in light energy and use them as boxing gloves.

Vilgax's Sword can project energy beams or coat itself in flames, or crystals able to refract Chromastone's energy blasts. Even without the flames or crystal, the sword is incredibly sharp, able to easily cut though stone, Chromastone, and even an entire space ship with a single stroke.

Vilgax kept a raygun in a holster on his right hip.

Vilgax lost all of his equipment excluding his sword when he was arrested after The Ultimate Enemy: Part 2.

After fusing with Malware's remains, Vilgax gained access to Malware's ability to absorb technology, and access to all the technology Malware absorbed. His already mighty physical strength was increased to where he could literally punch anything off Galvan Prime and Galvan B with no difficulty, including Atomix, one of Ben's strongest aliens.

Weaknesses
Vilgax is vulnerable to the cold virus.

If Vilgax is in his true form and becomes too weak, he cannot change back into his humanoid form.

Vilgax is highly durable, but he is limited to how much damage he can take.

Ben 10

 * And Then There Were 10 (first appearance)
 * Hunted
 * The Alliance
 * Secrets
 * Truth (flashback)
 * Back with a Vengeance
 * Perfect Day (dream)
 * Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix (flashback and present)

Ben 10: Alien Force

 * Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 1 (first re-appearance)
 * Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 2
 * Ghost Town
 * Primus
 * The Secret of Chromastone (flashback and present)
 * The Final Battle: Part 1
 * The Final Battle: Part 2

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

 * The Flame Keepers' Circle (first re-appearance)
 * A Knight to Remember
 * Night of the Living Nightmare (dream)
 * The Beginning of the End
 * The Ultimate Enemy: Part 1
 * The Ultimate Enemy: Part 2

Ben 10: Omniverse

 * Vilgax Must Croak (first re-appearance)
 * For a Few Brains More (dream; cameo)
 * Bengeance Is Mine (flashback and hologram)
 * And Then There Were None
 * And Then There Was Ben (past and present)
 * Universe vs. Tennyson (cameo)
 * Vreedlemania
 * Malgax Attacks
 * A New Dawn (past)

Chapter Books

 * Double Negative

Ben 10: Omniverse

 * Cartoon Network: Super Secret Crisis War! (Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6)

Others

 * Has Ben's Time Come?

Ben 10: Protector of Earth
Vilgax is the main villain in the Game, he recruits Zs'Skayr, Dr. Animo, Kevin 11 and more. He sent a robot to earth and extracted DNA from the Omnitrix. He planned to send earth into the Null Void. Oddly Vilgax looked like how he did in the episode Ben 10,000, which takes place in the future.

Punch Time Explosion and XL
Vilgax conquers Chowder's World. Ben then reads a newspaper about Vilgax conquering Chowder's World and goes to stop him. Later Chowder and Ben find Vilgax with Mung who then explains how they are in another dimension instead of another planet. Eventually Vilgax teleports away and a dimensional crack appears and absorbs Ben, Chowder and Mung.

They are then teleported to Bellwood to defeat Buttercup in her Anti-Form.After traveling through caves, blasting with turrets and exploring the Null Void the team finally face Vilgax. Unfortunately Vilgax teleports the team to Primus and summons Ultimate Kevin to destroy them.

When Vilgax is defeated, he flies away from a sinking ship leaving cured Number 1. The heroes then fight Negative Samurai Jack and Vilgax in order to defeat a greater evil.

Ben 10: Vilgax Attacks
Vilgax, instead of trying to conquer Earth like in Vengeance of Vilgax, looked for sub-energy orbs to power his Null Void Projector to send Earth into the Null Void. Ben destroyed all the orbs and Alien X sent Vilgax and Psyphon to the Null Void.

Ben 10: Race Against Time
Vilgax appears as a boss in the game.

Ben 10: Galactic Racing
Vilgax is a Playable unlockable character. He uses his laser eyes to attack other racers.

Ben 10: Omniverse
A robot replica of Vilgax appears as an enemy.

Trivia

 * Vilgax is similar to Cthulhu, both in appearance and plan to conquer the universe.
 * According to the Ben 10 pop-up marathon, Vilgax will meet his death approximately 200 years after the original series.
 * According to Magister Patelliday, there is a rumor that Ma Vreedle once made Vilgax cry.
 * This is confirmed to be true in Vreedlemania, where he left almost instantly after she told him to leave.
 * According to Derrick J. Wyatt, Tramm Wigzell named Vilgax.
 * Vilgax's laser vision is similar to the DC Comics supervillain Darkseid's Omega Beams as both of them can change direction in accordance to their "projector's" whim.
 * In Project Exonaut, Vilgax is a level 40 suit.
 * Derrick had intended for Vilgax to look like his original self, but Matt Youngberg thought Vilgax's Alien Force/Ultimate Alien appearance had more personality.
 * In Omniverse, Ben seems to snap whenever Vilgax is around to the point of attempting to kill him in Vilgax Must Croak.
 * Myaxx, Helena Xagliv, and Bill Gacks have all been mistaken for Vilgax.