Busy Box is the twelfth episode of the second season of Ben 10: Alien Force, and the thirty-eighth episode overall.
Synopsis[]
Kevin, Ben, and Gwen find a curious box that has the ability to turn into a robot version of whatever it sees. All is well till the Vreedles show up.[CN 1]
Plot[]
Ben, Gwen and Kevin are tracking down some alien technology that is over Level 20 tech. They find it in an alley, and it turns out to be a curious alien box with the ability to turn into a mechanical version of whatever it sees. It irritates them by repeating whatever they say, causing Kevin to attack it. It punches Kevin in return, destroying his ID Mask. Ben transforms into Humungousaur and it transforms into a mechanical version. Gwen manages to control it by meditating, causing it to imitate her. Then, the Vreedle Brothers show up and demand the box, planning on selling it in an auction. Ben tries to stop them but the box attacks Ben and the Vreedles escape with it.
While the team hang out at Mr. Smoothy, the Vreedle Brothers want to return the box because it has learned to like destroying things. The box smashes out of the Vreedle Brothers' spaceship in Humungousaur form, and its hands transform into one of the Vreedle Brothers' weapons and blows up the brothers' spaceship while they attempt to leave.
The box then transforms into a combination of Humungousaur, Swampfire and Spidermonkey. Ben, Gwen and Kevin try to keep the device from blowing up downtown Bellwood, Ben transforms into Lodestar and tries to stop it but it is too strong. Ben suggests they cut off its power supply if it has any. Kevin suggests that the glowing part on its chest might be it. Lodestar floors it and Kevin hammers its chest causing a crack. Lodestar uses all his power and rips it open while Gwen gets the glowing cube. In the end, a blue energy-like alien comes down from space and says that the alien box they found is a toy that belongs to her baby daughter and that the box should never be used by those under "three million years old". Moreover, she adds that they are unintelligent proving it by saying that they know only three dimensions. When Ben asks how many are there, she replies that there are only 26 that matter, suggesting there might be more. She then disappears with the box. Ben then imitates the box's voice by speaking into a can, leaving Gwen and Kevin mad.
Noteworthy Events[]
Major Events[]
Character Debut[]
Minor Events[]
- A pair of Vreedle Brother clones are killed.
- It is revealed that the Omnitrix is Level 20 tech.
Characters[]
Main Characters[]
Antagonists[]
- Naljian Destructor (first appearance)
- Vreedle Brothers
Other Characters[]
- Cosmic Mom (first appearance)
Transformations[]
By Ben[]
- Humungousaur
- Spidermonkey
- Swampfire
- Lodestar (selected alien was Humungousaur)
By Naljian Destructor[]
- Humungousaur (x2)
- Spidermonkey
- Swampfire
- Amalgamation Robot
Spells Used[]
- Turbo
Locations[]
Quotes[]
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Naming and Translations[]
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| French | La Boîte Infernale | The Infernal Box |
| Hungarian | Játékdoboz | Toybox |
| Polish | Dziwna Skrzynka | A Strange Box |
| Portuguese (Br) | Cubo Problema | Problem Cube |
| Romanian | Cutia cu Surprize | The Box of Surprises |
| Spanish (HA) | El Cubo | The Cube |
| Spanish (Spain) | La Caja Misteriosa | The Mystery Box |
Cast[]
| Voice Actor | Role(s) |
|---|---|
| Yuri Lowenthal | Ben Tennyson Naljian Destructor (as Ben) |
| Ashley Johnson | Gwen Tennyson Naljian Destructor (as Gwen) |
| Greg Cipes | Kevin Levin Naljian Destructor (as Kevin) |
| Dee Bradley Baker | Lodestar Humungousaur Spidermonkey Swampfire Naljian Destructor (as Amalgamation Robot) |
| John DiMaggio | Octagon Vreedle Naljian Destructor (as Octagon) |
| Rob Paulsen | Rhomboid Vreedle |
| Diane Michelle | Cosmic Mom |
Continuity[]
- Gwen rhetorically asks Ben and Kevin "You know how my powers have trouble with technology?" referring to the events of Good Copy, Bad Copy, where she was unable to track Albedo in the Compudom Manufacturing Plant.
- Ben asking, "Are we doing this again?", when Gwen corrects the boys by saying the robot was a "she", is referring to Unearthed where they debated Tiny's gender.
Allusions[]
- The title is based on the Busy Box toy for little children.
Errors[]
- Before Kevin pulls over, Gwen's hair is brown like Ben's.
- When Kevin's ID Mask gets damaged, the image only falters and he doesn't revert back to his Elemental Form until he removes it.
- Throughout the entire episode, whenever Ben activates the Omnitrix, the aliens' holograms either face away from him or face him at an angle. Furthermore, Humungousaur and Spidermonkey's holograms are drawn incorrectly.
- When Ben as Humungousaur is fighting the Naljian Destructor as Humungousaur, Kevin's car is missing.
- When Humungousaur falls onto his back, the Omnitrix symbol's rim is the same color as his skin.
- When Humungousaur falls on Kevin's car, he damages it, and the Naljian Destructor as Gwen shoots manna which hits the car in multiple areas and all its surroundings, but when the Vreedle Brothers land, the car is in perfect shape and there is only one manna disc stuck to it.
- Right after the Naljian Destructor yells, "Attack!" its Spidermonkey arms are missing.
- Right before the Naljian Destructor falls over, its lower body disappears and its Spidermonkey arms turn green like Swampfire's.
- The end credits misspell Octagon's name as "Octogon".
Trivia[]
Heatblast's hologram
- Heatblast's hologram can be seen before Ben transforms into Lodestar.
- It looks almost identical to Alan's Heatblast II form.
- The date each version of the script was completed is:
- First draft: December 12, 2008.[script 1]
- Second draft: January 26, 2009.[script 2]
- Final numbered draft: January 28, 2009.[script 2]
- Revised final numbered draft: January 30, 2009.[script 2]
- As-recorded: February 4, 2009.[script 2]
- As-broadcast: October 20, 2009.[script 2]
- In an undated script outline and first draft of the script:[outline 1][script 1]
- During the fight scene against the Vreedle Brothers, the Naljian Destructor transforms into an amalgamation of the Vreedle Brothers and Ben.
- Ben defeats the Amalgamation Robot using Humungousaur.
- The Cosmic Mom's (referred to as the Ethereal Woman) daughter dropped the Naljian Destructor when she was shown the Multiverse.
- The Cosmic Mom speaks to the team in a rude manner.
- In the script outline, first draft and as-broadcast scripts, the Amalgamation Robot is an amalgamation of everyone it encountered in the episode, instead of just an amalgam of Humungousaur, Swampfire and Spidermonkey.[outline 1][script 1][script 2]
- In the first draft and as-broadcast scripts:[script 1][script 2]
- The Naljian Destructor's transformation sequences are clunky and awkward.
- The Naljian Destructor's disguises are less convincing than in the final version of the episode, with rivets and metal-looking hair and clothes. The center of its torso glows green and its mouth remains open at all times.
- The Cosmic Mom is more humanoid and wears a dress.

















