 This article belongs to the Classic Continuity
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| “ | The Rooters are a black-ops Plumber unit. | ” |
– Rook explaining the Rooters' function.[1] | ||
The Rooters were the former black ops wing of the Plumbers and a splinter faction of the organization as a whole. They appear as villains in Omniverse. Over time, they went rogue and split from the Plumbers, creating a rift. They made their main goal the elimination of Ben Tennyson, believing he is not worthy of the Omnitrix and his presence might be a threat to the universe.
History
Background
The Rooters (consisting of Servantis, Swift, and Leander) were originally part of the Earth Plumbers. When Earth joined the intergalactic Plumbers, the Rooters were continued as an "experiment in cultural sensitivity", becoming a special unit in the Null Void.[2][3] They had a powerful rank within the Plumbers, as they answered to the High Protectorate and only the Magistrata outranked their leader Servantis.[4][1]
Servantis, however, was obsessed with destroying Ben, considering him a universal threat, and decided to carry out secret missions to save the universe from his presence without the Magistrata's knowledge. Rescuing Kevin Levin from a Vulpimancer, they took him to their headquarters.[5][6] Servantis, upon discovering Kevin's "one in a trillion" ability, decided to use Kevin to pass on DNA and create a "Ben 10 Hit Squad". They also used him to gain their own alien powers.
As training, Servantis sent the squad on various missions before finally prepping them to defeat Ben. After they failed, he wiped everyone's memories and let them loose in the Null Void.[7][3] At some later point, Servantis created a being named Aggregor from Kevin's own DNA as a replacement to the hit squad.[DJW 1] This would all be put on hold once Ben stopped wearing the Omnitrix and the threat passed.
Omniverse
Years later, Servantis figured out that Ben had started wearing the Omnitrix again and started looking for Kevin to reform the hit squad. Rook theorized that Servantis had heard of Ben's recreating the universe while Gwen said it was possible that he sensed or measured it.
At some point after Max's Monster, the Rooters were joined by Max Tennyson's former partner Phil Billings.
In The Rooters of All Evil, the Rooters turned up at the Plumber Headquarters in Bellwood, where Servantis attacks and reads the minds of several Plumbers. Swift and Leander are defeated by Ben, who finds Kevin. Ben, Kevin, and Zed escape but they later got taken to the HQ by the Rooters. Servantis reveals that each Osmosian has a unique power, and Kevin's is absorption. They plan to use Kevin to win a war against an unknown threat to the universe.
When Max Tennyson refused to let Kevin go with the Rooters, they attack the Plumbers. Ben turns into Gravattack and defeats them with the help of Molly Gunther, Magister Patelliday, and Rook Blonko. Servantis reads Ben and Max's minds and detects they do not know anything about where Kevin went because Rook destroyed the camera systems. They leave the HQ, but Servantis says they will return.
In Weapon XI: Part 1, Kevin and Argit attempt to warn the Plumbers' kids about the Rooters' intentions. Kevin gathers Alan Albright while Gwen Tennyson, Ben and Rook gather Helen Wheels and Manny Armstrong. The kids learn they are not Plumber hybrids and Kevin goes into the Null Void alone to put an end to the Rooters. However, when Ben and the gang bring the Plumbers' Helpers, Servantis subjects them to brainwashing and seemingly persuades Kevin into joining him.
In Weapon XI: Part 2, the Rooters are defeated due to Kevin betraying the group, having faked turning on Ben. Their Plumber status was officially revoked by the Magistrata when she got word of their acts in direct violation of the Plumbers' mission. Their base was confiscated and teleported away, leaving them stranded in the Null Void with the Way Bads.
Swift later appeared as a contestant in The Most Dangerous Game Show. In an ironic turn, Swift helped the other contestants save Ben from the very same Way Bads in the Null Void, indicating she no longer follows her old cause of destroying him. She ended up getting arrested again.
Future
In the future, the Rooters would still cause trouble in the Null Void every now and then, and it was Kevin's (formerly Rook's) task to keep them at bay[8] or they eventually escaped.[DJW 2]
Known Members
- Servantis (leader)
- Swift
- Leander
- Phil Billings
Appearances
Omniverse
Season 6
- The Rooters of All Evil (first appearance)
- Weapon XI: Part 1
- Weapon XI: Part 2
Naming and Translations
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Portuguese (Br) | Desentupidores | Plungers |
| Spanish (HA) | Raíces | From Raíces, Roots. Note: not mentioned in The End of an Era. |
Trivia
- The original idea for the Rooters came from the Proto-Tech Armor.[DJW 3]
- At some point in the planning stages of the Rooters Arc, the Rooters were supposed to consist of their unnamed leader, Phil, Ragnarok, Bel Biv Kaboom and a female Lenopan.[DJW 4]
- Also, Gorvan was supposed to be a former member and the group would have had ties to the Forever Knights.[DJW 4]
- Derrick J. Wyatt believed that if either Max or Gwen used the Omnitrix, the Rooters would not consider them a threat.[DJW 5]
