Brainstorm

This article belongs to the Classic Continuity

Brainstorm is the Omnitrix's DNA sample of a Cerebrocrustacean from the planet Encephalonus IV.

Appearance

Ben as Brainstorm

Brainstorm has a light orange crab-like appearance. He has pincers for hands and six legs. He can open his skull plates at will to reveal his huge brain, which is pink in color.

Brainstorm wears a silver and black neck brace with the Omnitrix/Ultimatrix symbol on it to help him hold up his head.

In Heroes United, his color was a more vibrant orange instead of light orange and his skull plates were black instead of grey.

In Omniverse, Brainstorm has a black loincloth with a green stripe running across it on the bottom of his body. He has a black stripe in the center of his head with a green stripe in the center of it. He now has four legs instead of six, and each leg has a black stripe on its joint. Each leg also has a single joint instead of two. He wears the Omnitrix symbol on a white and green neck brace. The hair-like spikes on Brainstorm's face and forehead are now longer, and his eyes connect to a large black strip that extends around his forehead. He also has two spikes on each elbow.

Albedo as Negative Brainstorm

In Ultimate Alien, Negative Brainstorm looks just like Ben's Brainstorm but had red eyes and lacked an Ultimatrix symbol.

In Omniverse, Negative Brainstorm looks just like Ben's Brainstorm, but is pale pink in color with yellowish teeth and his stripes are red instead of green. He wears the Ultimatrix symbol on a red and white neck brace.

In Heroes United

Albedo as Negative Brainstorm in Ultimate Alien

Albedo as Negative Brainstorm in Omniverse

Powers and Abilities

• Electrokinesis
• Wall Scaling
• Enhanced Strength
• Enhanced Mind Imagery

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Brainstorm's cranium holds an immense brain, giving him super-massive intelligence. He can solve very difficult calculations mentally in roughly seconds, and knows and can visualize equations and movement of objects as if they're actually there.^[1] He can even determine mechanical values and physical properties by simply looking at them.

With his intellect, Brainstorm can perfectly understand the mindsets and mannerisms of his enemies, and any useful objects around him, so he can know exactly what moves to make to take down his enemies. His IQ is shown to be 10^30, or one nonillion.^[2]

Brainstorm is capable of altering or erasing other people's memories and thoughts by manipulating brain pulsations, giving him mnemokinesis.

Brainstorm can produce and manipulate electricity in a variety of ways, such as electrocuting or launching enemies, disabling or destroying machinery, and creating protective force fields by opening the exoskeleton plates on his skull. Brainstorm can even charge up his electrical energy to produce a concentrated beam of electricity strong enough to blast Ship out of the air.^[3] He can also produce electric field waves from his brain to block attacks and knock away enemies.^[4]

Brainstorm can use his electrokinesis to telekinetically move objects, size and mass ranging from trains to living beings without damaging or hurting them.^[5] He can also generate and fire electricity from his pincers as well as his brain and can control machinery and other technology using electrokinesis, giving him a form of technokinesis.

Brainstorm is strong enough to pin opponents against walls using his pincers, and rip an Arachnichimp's webs off his face.

Brainstorm is very durable thanks to his shell.

Brainstorm is very agile and can perform acrobatics such as somersaults and forward rolls.^[6]

Brainstorm can scale walls and walk on an Arachnichimp's webs.^[7]

Brainstorm can levitate several stories above the ground.^[5]

Brainstorm has gills, and he has to keep them moist when he's on land.^{[DM 1]} This means Brainstorm is capable of breathing underwater, although this is never shown.

Weaknesses

The sonic screams of a Sonorosian can give Brainstorm a headache and make it hard for him to concentrate (suggesting that concentration is required for him to use his powers).^[8]

Brainstorm tends to be rather arrogant and egotistical, which can make him forget to do simple things, as shown when he was too busy trying to convince an escaped Spidermonkey to return to the Omnitrix before he was reminded by Gwen to scan him.^[7]

If Brainstorm's shell is closed when releasing electricity, it will shock and injure his brain.^[9]

Brainstorm can be shorted out due to the electricity in his brain.

Since he is a Cerebrocrustacean, he is vulnerable to his species' natural predator, the Vicetopus.^[10]

History

Appearances

Video Games

Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks

Brainstorm is a playable alien in the game. He can launch energy bolts and create large energy blasts. 

Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable Versions

Due to the Omnitrix rebooting after Ben's abuse of the quick-change feature during his battle with an animated Mr. Smoothy mascot, Brainstorm was temporarily locked until Ben's arrival on Encephalonus IV.

Brainstorm is able to use his vast intellect to interact with computers for a variety of purposes, such as uploading a virus or unlocking a sealed gate. Similar to Chromastone, Brainstorm's unique block animation allows him to redirect focused energy beams to provide power to structures. Lightning Storm is an unlockable combo move for Brainstorm.

Brainstorm is vital for progression on the Bellwood, Encephalonus IV, and Mor' Otesi levels of the game.

Nintendo DS Version

Brainstorm and Big Chill are reunlocked upon Ben's arrival on Encephalonus IV.

Brainstorm is able to provide power to lifts scattered around Encephalonus IV.

Ben 10 Alien Force: The Rise of Hex

Brainstorm is a playable alien in the game.

Due to the Omnitrix sorting out after Ben fiddled with it, Brainstorm and Swampfire were the only aliens available on Ben's arsenal at the beginning of the game.

Brainstorm is able to power generators, in order to move platforms or to open sealed gates.

Brainstorm's small size allows him to navigate areas that most of Ben's aliens and Ben himself are unable to access.

Brainstorm is the only alien form capable of defeating Techadon Kevin.

Naming and Translations

Etymology

His name comes from the word, brainstorm, which means a spontaneous group discussion to create new ideas and solve problems. It references how he always creates new ideas and solves problems with his IQ. It also refers to the electrical powers in his brain, as electricity is usually produced from "storm" clouds.

Trivia

• Brainstorm had concept art drawn by Eric Canete, whereas his final design was created by Glenn Wong, with color styling by Chris Hooten.^{[GW 1]}
• Brainstorm is the first of five of Ben's aliens to have an accent, followed by NRG, Chamalien, Clockwork, and Shocksquatch.
• Brainstorm's mouth doesn't move except to show emotion. He does not speak through his mouth because his thoughts are projected as sound waves.^{[DJW 1]}
  • In War of the Worlds: Part 2, his mouth opened when he accidentally vomited on Azmuth. It opens and closes depending on his motion.
• Brainstorm's electricity was originally yellow in Alien Force and Ultimate Alien before being recolored green in Omniverse.
• Brainstorm is a brain alien with some minorly electric side powers, hence why he did not appear in Max's Monster alongside the rest of Ben's electric-based aliens.^{[DJW 2]}
• Madison likes Brainstorm better than Rath and refers to him as "the brain crab".^[11]

References

Crew Statements

Glenn Wong

Dwayne McDuffie

Derrick J. Wyatt