 This article belongs to the Classic Continuity
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Gourmands are a humanoid amoeba-like species from the planet Peptos XII.[2][DJW 1] They are divided into three subspecies, the Perk, the Murk, and the Queen.[3]
Appearance[]
Gourmands are a small species with short stubby limbs, four-fingered hands, three-toed feet, six tubular growths on the back of their head, and three sets of gill-like markings on their face. Two subspecies of Gourmands have yellow eyes and have at least three tongues.
Perk Gourmand[]
Perk Gourmands are green all over, with a darker shade of green on the top of their head, and the same colour all over their backs and hands. They have very crooked teeth that appear outside the top of their mouth, forming an overbite.
Perk Gourmands wear metal cups on their heads like helmets, and fight with spoons.
Murk Gourmand[]
Murk Gourmands are swampy-green, have tan bellies and muzzles, black digits and black-green spots on their tails, limbs, hips and back. Their eyes are sharper and pupil-less. Also, their teeth are now more aligned with visibly sharp canine teeth that appear outside the bottom of their mouth, an under-bite.
Murk Gourmands wear metal saucers to protect their heads and fight with forks.
Queen Gourmand[]
The third variety of Gourmands is the Queen. So far, she is the only example of a female of the species.
Behavior[]
| “ | "It's time to act. You Perks think too much, Cookmeister!" "You Murks act too much, Cast Iron!" |
” |
– Cast Iron and Cookmeister.[3] | ||
Perk Gourmands and Murk Gourmands do not normally get along with each other, due to their differing mindsets except eating, though normally every Gourmand will obey and protect the Queen Gourmand without question.[3]
Perk Gourmands are considered more thought-oriented and defense-minded, while Murk Gourmands are considered more action-oriented and attack-minded.
Gourmand Queens are born queens.[DJW 2]
The mere mention of food is enough to distract Gourmands.
Given the chance, a Gourmand will begin snacking on any kind of material in its vicinity.
Powers and Abilities[]
| “ | Swarm gastronomy- all Gourmands' stomachs link to a trans-spatial bladder dimension. How else do you think they can eat that much? | ” |
Both Perk Gourmands and Murk Gourmands have the same abilities; neither of them have abilities exclusive to any one Gourmand species.[DJW 3]
Gourmands have three very strong, adhesive tongues[TP 2][note 1] that can stretch to great lengths, allowing them to latch onto large objects and reel them in with relative ease. Gourmand tongues can also be used as whips.[note 2] The mouth of Gourmands can stretch, allowing them to swallow objects larger than themselves. They are connected with a trans-space bladder dimension where they store all the "food" they eat. Gourmands are connected to the rest of their species and can sense any danger to the rest of their species through their stomachs.[3][note 3]
Gourmands can eat solid matter, energy, such as the Sub-Energy[5] and a Crystalsapien's energy beams[6] and liquids, such as the Mr. Smoothy Mascot's smoothie blasts.[7]
Gourmands can eat living creatures such as tigers,[3] Crabdozers[8] and even Celestialsapiens.[DJW 4] In the case of Celestialsapiens, they would either be digested or spat back out.[DJW 4]
Items ingested by Gourmands can be converted into explosive balls of green vomit (also referred to as loogies) that can be expelled with great accuracy. The explosive power of these "loogies" depends on the chemical composition and overall size of what a Gourmand ate to create them.[pop-up 2][9] Gourmands can also make their "loogies" curve like frisbees.[9]
Gourmands are able to fly by propelling themselves with their explosive vomit and even survive in the vacuum of space.[3]
Gourmands have developed jaws, diamond-hard teeth, and a gastrointestinal tract that allows them to eat almost any material,[merch 3] including virtually any object all the way up to Ascalon.[DJW 5]
Gourmands are able to take a surprising amount of punishment for creatures of their size, as Upchuck was able to take the force of a moving car impact, as well as surviving after being thrown through a wall.[10]
Gourmands can jump surprisingly high for their size, as demonstrated when Upchuck was able to fully jump over Thunderpig to eat his energy flail.[11] Gourmands also have enhanced speed and reflexes.[11][12]
Gourmands can carry around objects and living creatures in their stomachs, such as the Alpha Nanite's container and a Galvan, and release them without having to turn them into explosive vomit.[13][14]
Gourmands can spit out slime, which can be slippery for Arburian Pelarotas. This slime is also capable of melting ice.[15]
Weaknesses[]
There is a limit as to how much Gourmands can fit in their mouths, as beings as massive as To'kustars would have to be chopped up into bite-size chunks in order to be eaten by one.[DJW 6]
If Gourmands ingest enough matter[16][17] or a powerful enough energy,[5] they can be difficult for them to hold down and not spit out, causing their stomachs or cheeks to inflate and severely reduce their mobility. Similarly, if energy is able to explode within a Gourmand's mouth, it will also cause them to immediately inflate.[18]
Gourmands may struggle to eat living creatures, such as tigers and Evolved Panuncians, as the movement inside a Gourmand's stomach can cause them to regurgitate the creatures.[3][8]
The hunger of Gourmands can be used against them, as they can easily be swayed from any task with the simple promise of a tasty treat.[merch 3]
Gourmands can be temporarily immobilized by a Necrofriggian's ice breath until they thaw themselves free using their acidic slime.[15]
In the Original Series, Gourmands were unable to consume human food.[10][pop-up 1][1] However, this is no longer true as of Alien Force, as they can now eat human food as well as everything else.[DM 1][DJW 7][DR 1][4]
Notable Gourmands[]
Perk Gourmands[]
- Perk Upchuck (the Omnitrix's DNA sample of a Perk Gourmand)
- Vomit Man (the Hero Watch's DNA sample of a Perk Gourmand)
- Perk Upchuck (the Power Watch's DNA sample of a Perk Gourmand)
- Sergeant Cookmeister
- Perk Soldiers
Murk Gourmands[]
- Murk Upchuck (the Omnitrix's DNA sample of a Murk Gourmand)
- Sergeant Cast Iron
- Private Brownbag
- Gourmand Actor
- Murk Soldiers
Queen Gourmands[]
Notable Gourmand Hybrids[]
- Rook Blonko (temporarily ½ Perk Gourmand in Outbreak)
- Ultimate Kevin (part Murk Gourmand)
- Omniverse Flashback Kevin (1/11 Perk Gourmand)
- Big Chuck (½ To'kustar)
Non-Canon Gourmands[]
- Upchuck (the Prototype 71's DNA sample of a Perk Gourmand)
Etymology[]
The name "Gourmand" is a French word, meaning that you like to eat a large part of good meal.
The prefix "Perk" is an homage to Thomas Perkins, who designed Upchuck in the Original Series.[DJW 8][DJW 9]
The prefix "Murk" is an homage to Glen Murakami, who was an executive producer for Alien Force and Ultimate Alien and redesigned Upchuck for those shows.[TP 3][DJW 9]
Naming and Translations[]
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| German | Fresser | From Fresser, eater/glutton or fressen, eat |
Trivia[]
- In regard to their prefixes, Perk Gourmands resemble Upchuck's design in the Original Series. Meanwhile, Murk Gourmands resemble Upchuck's design in Alien Force and Ultimate Alien.
- During times of war, the Gourmands have a plan (known as Plan Omega) to eat their entire planet as a last resort, which can only be enforced by their Queen. Their way of thinking is that a planet cannot be conquered if there is no planet to conquer.
- Plan Omega has been executed ten times in the past, with Peptos XI being the eleventh time.[19][3][merch 4][pop-up 1][1]
- Gourmands don't have a natural predator because they are at the top of the food chain.[20][21][DJW 10] However, an Evolved Panuncian would be able to prey on them due to not being limited to the natural food chain.
- There are three sub-species of Gourmands named Gourmand Perk, Gourmand Murk, and their Queen. Of the three, only the Queen Gourmand's DNA is not available in the Omnitrix.[DJW 11]
- Despite being able to eat a Celestialsapien, Gourmands cannot gain the latter's powers in any form or way.[DJW 12]
- The Gourmands do not have a king.[DJW 13]
- Gourmands do not avoid eating their planet as anything other than a last resort.[DJW 14]
- Gourmands do not wear clothes because they are considered to be a primitive species that does not interact with other aliens.[DJW 15]
- Gourmands don't really have a concept of gross.[DJW 16]
- If a Gourmand were to swallow another Gourmand, the other Gourmand would just pop out of somebody else's mouth.[DJW 17]
- If a Gourmand were to swallow the Chronosapien Time Bomb, nothing would happen.[DJW 18]
- A Gourmand's bile has proven to be one of the most destructive and corrosive substances in the universe.[merch 5]
- Upchuck's Original Series design was made by Thomas Perkins,[TP 4] who envisioned him as a vaguely humanoid amoeba-like creature. He was always supposed to be translucent,[TP 5] and had a translucent tummy, but since that detail did not appear in the series, fans have mistaken him, and by extension, all Gourmands, to be a humanoid frog/toad.[TP 1]
- Derrick J. Wyatt preferred Perk Gourmands to Murk Gourmands, but liked them both.[DJW 19]
Notes[]
- ↑ Dwayne McDuffie claimed that, in Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, Murk Upchuck had four tongues.[DM 1] Despite this, he was only shown using one tongue on-screen.
- ↑ This information comes from the Brazilian Original Series Online Editora Sticker Album from 2013. Translated: "[Upchuck]'s tongue can also be used as a whip."[merch 1]
- ↑ Originally, Gourmands were stated to have four physical stomachs.[CN 1][merch 2] In Omniverse, this is changed, as they are connected with a trans-space bladder dimension where they store all the "food" they eat.[3][4]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Visitor
- ↑ The Most Dangerous Game Show
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Tummy Trouble
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Contradictory Retcons
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ben 10 vs. Negative 10: Part 2
- ↑ Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 2
- ↑ In Charm's Way
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 For a Few Brains More
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ben 4 Good Buddy
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Universe vs. Tennyson
- ↑ From Hedorium to Eternity
- ↑ Ben 10/Generator Rex: Heroes United
- ↑ It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Ben World: Part 1
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Duped
- ↑ Inspector #13
- ↑ Evil's Encore
- ↑ A Fistful of Brains
- ↑ Queen Voratia Rumbletum
- ↑ Upchuck
- ↑ For a Few Brains More
Crew Statements[]
Thomas Perkins[]
Derrick J. Wyatt[]
- ↑ File:Peptos XII Proof.PNG
- ↑ File:Gourmand Queens are Born Queens.png
- ↑ File:Perk and Murk Upchucks Share The Same Abilities.png
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 File:Upchuck Eat Celestialsapien.png
- ↑ File:Upchuck Can Eat Ascalon.png
- ↑ File:Upchuck May Eat a To'kustar.png
- ↑ File:Upchuck Can Eat Normal Food.PNG
- ↑ File:Perk Gourmand Name Reference.png
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 File:Perk and Murk Namesakes.png
- ↑ File:Gourmands Top of the Food Chain.png
- ↑ File:Gourmand Types.png
- ↑ File:Gourmands Cannot Copy Celestialsapiens.png
- ↑ File:No King Gourmand.png
- ↑ File:Gourmands Do Not Avoid Eating Their Planet.png
- ↑ File:Species Who Do Not Wear Clothes.png
- ↑ File:Gourmands Do Not Have a Concept of Gross.png
- ↑ File:What Would Happen If a Gourmand Ate Another Gourmand.png
- ↑ File:Gourmands and Chronosapien Time Bomb.png
- ↑ File:Derrick Prefers Perks.PNG
Dwayne McDuffie[]
Duncan Rouleau[]
Merchandise[]
- ↑ File:Upchuck Whip.png
- ↑ Ben 10 Alien Force: Volume 6 DVD; file
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 File:Murk Upchuck Bandai Card.png
- ↑ X-Ray Ben and Diamondhead V.2 DVD; file
- ↑ File:Upchuck Lenticular Card Info.png
