Petrosapiens are a race of crystalline humanoids from the craggy, geode-like planet Petropia.[1]
Biology
Anatomy
Petrosapiens are silicon-based lifeforms slightly taller than Humans with skin formed from opaque gemstones[1] made of a diamond-like material. They have four-fingered hands, and toeless feet.
Male Petrosapiens have a spike on the back of their head and two to six additional ones on their back. Young female Petrosapiens do not have spikes as early as males,[2] whereas adult females may have two small spikes on their backs.
Young Petrosapiens have smooth shoulders and do not yet have blocky limbs. Elderly Petrosapiens tend to look more worn and cracked, and sometimes have facial hair-like spikes.[3]
Although their crystal skin is traditionally blueish green, Petrosapiens can come in other gem-like colors and shapes depending on their race.[4] For example, Crystalfist has purple skin and Negative Diamondhead has pale purple skin.
Surface Petrosapiens
There are many different races of Petrosapiens.[4] One notable race is the Surface Petrosapiens, who are lean and thin with square bodies and limbs. Their sharp edges are chiseled like carefully crafted sculptures.
Subsapiens
Another known race of Petrosapien is the Subsapiens, who are much larger and have wide bodies with thick limbs, with some having crystalline growths on their foreheads resembling pompadours.
Powers and abilities
While jewel-like in appearance, Petrosapiens have crystalline bodies that make them incredibly resistant to most physical attacks, such as a Piscciss Volann's bite. For Omni-Enhanced and Omni-Kix Petrosapiens, their natural durability is increased thanks to their respective armors.
Petrosapiens are able to shoot crystalline shards at rapid speed and alter their bodies into crude tools, including blades that cut through most materials.
Petrosapiens can manifest large, almost mountainous formations from either their projectiles, walls, or the ground itself and manipulate them under their control to the point of making them explode or levitate.[5] The latter is accomplished by controlling microscopic mineral particles in the air.[6] They can even generate and retract these formations, such as giant spikes, from their own bodies.
Petrosapiens possess superhuman levels of strength due to the nature of their bodies, enough to make their shredding appendages especially devastating.
Petrosapiens can regenerate their injuries to a certain extent and extend their arms to superhuman lengths.
Similar to Crystalsapiens, Petrosapiens can survive in the vacuum of space.
Being living prisms, Petrosapiens can deflect and absorb most energy attacks[4] up to and including the full energy of an orbital plasma cannon.[6] This allows them to render light and beam-based weaponry useless by simply refracting them. They can primarily absorb light waves such as lasers.[7]
Since Petrosapiens are made out of organic crystals, they are impervious to a variety of elements such as fire, electricity, and magic. Therefore, they are unaffected by the attacks of species such as Pyronites or Weatherheads.
Being diamond-like, Petropsapiens are incapable of aging. Therefore, they cannot be affected by the time rays of a Chronosapien or a Chronian because diamonds do not age.
Correlating with their pyro immunity, Petrosapiens can absorb solar heat,[7] preventing them from developing hallucinations when in an extremely hot environment.
Petrosapiens possess enhanced dexterity, being able to make additional fingers appear on their hands.
Due to the alterations Kevin Levin has made to the Antitrix, Crystalfist is more powerful than ordinary Petrosapiens. He can also shape any crystals he generates into anything he desires, such as tentacles.
Omni-Enhanced Petrosapiens can channel and convert absorbed energy into weapons formed from their arms.
Similar to Fulmini, Omni-Enhanced Petrosapiens can shoot Omni-Enhanced energy out of their arms.
Omni-Kix Petrosapiens can teleport their consciousness through their crystals, allowing them to use their regular body as decoys for opponents. They can also equip katar-like blades on each of their forearms that double as shields.
When under the effects of an Earth cold, Petrosapiens can accidentally sneeze out tiny crystal shards from their mouths.
Weaknesses
Petrosapiens are particularly vulnerable to sonic vibrations. While a stereo blast might cause them to splinter, certain ultra-high-pitched sound waves can cause them to shatter, including a Loboan's sonic howls, an Antrosapien's sonic wails, and an Evolved Sonorosian's Sonic Disks.
The shards on a Petrosapien's back can leave them stuck to a wall or on other surfaces that they get knocked into; this weakness only applies to males because females do not have shards on their backs.
Since their bodies are made of diamond, Petrosapiens can sink in water.
Petrosapiens can be lifted by a species with as much strength as a Tetramand.
Petrosapiens cannot walk on slippery surfaces, such as ice generated by a Polar Manzardill.
Despite being fireproof, a Petrosapien's shard projectiles can be dissolved by an Evolved Methanosian's fire attacks.
Petrosapiens can be blinded by a Lepidopterran's slime.
Petrosapiens can be easily overpowered by a Celestialsapien's telekinesis.
Although it has not yet been determined, there is a limit to a Petrosapien's energy absorption.[7]
There is a clear limit in how much damage a Petrosapien's body can take before cracking or shattering. Once they break completely, no glue in this galaxy or the next can put a Petrosapien back together again.
Culture and society
The Petrosapien race has evolved to build a complex society of underground kingdoms and cities beneath Petropia's crystal surface.[8]
Following the inadvertent discovery of space, Petrosapiens began to stabilize their civilization so they could explore both the surface of Petropia and the rest of the universe. Meanwhile, other races hold their breath and wait to find out if the Petrosapien warriors will wage war or come in peace.
There are several different gem-based breeds of Petrosapiens such as rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, each with their own distinct abilities and culture. The Surface Petrosapiens have built an advanced space-faring civilization whereas the Subsapiens fight in violent wars for territory. However, they are unaware that they are being manipulated by the Antrosapiens.
Notable members
- Diamondhead: An Omnitrix transformation used by Ben Tennyson.
- Diamondhead (Dimension 23): It is currently unknown if the Ben Tennyson of Dimension 23 has Petrosapien DNA in his Omnitrix.[9]
- Diamondhead (Gwen 10): An alternate female version of Diamondhead used by the "What-If" Gwen 10.
- Diamondhead (Gweniverse): An alternate female version of Diamondhead used by the Gweniverse Gwen 10.
- Diamondhead (Race Against Time Timeline): An alternate version of Diamondhead used by the Ben Tennyson of the Race Against Time Timeline.
- Diamondhead (Ben 10,000 Timeline): An alternate adult version of Diamondhead used by the original Ben 10,000.
- Negative Diamondhead: An alternate version of Wildmutt used by Albedo.
- Mad Diamondhead: An alternate version of Wildmutt used by Mad Ben.
- Tetrax Shard: A Petrosapien mercenary who allied with the Tennysons to protect the Omnitrix from Vilgax.
- Textrax Shard (Dimension 23): An alternate version of Tetrax from Dimension 23.
- Tetrax Shard (Dimension 27998.3): An alternate version of Tetrax from Dimension 27998.3.
Half-qualifiers
- Diamondhead: When Ben wore the recalibrated Omnitrix and original Ultimatrix, Diamondhead's DNA was temporarily fused with remnants of Chromastone's Crystalsapien DNA after the latter was destroyed by Vilgax.[10]
- Crystalfist: A mutant hybrid equivalent of Diamondhead used by the Kevin Levin of Dimension 27998.3.
- Kevin Levin: The Prime Timeline's Kevin Levin transformed into a copy of Diamondhead using his Osmosian powers.
- Kevin 11/Devlin 11: 11-year-old Kevin Levin of the Prime Timeline transformed into an amalgamation of Ben Tennyson's first set of 10 aliens, including Diamondhead. Devlin Levin can transform into an identical amalgamation.
- Ultimate Kevin: 17-year-old Kevin Levin of the Prime Timeline transformed into an amalgamation of every alien available in the Ultimatrix prior to traveling to the Forge of Creation, including Diamondhead.
- Gwen Tennyson: The Prime Timeline's Gwen Tennyson was temporarily transformed into a Petrosapien due to an Ultimatrix malfunction.
- Bioids: The Prime Timeline's Vilgax transformed his Bioid army into copies of Diamondhead by linking them with the Omnitrix.
- Ultimate Ben: Petrosapien powers were used by Ultimate Ben.
- Diamond Matter: A Biomnitrix transformation comprised of Petrosapien and Galvan DNA.
- XLRArmBlastDiamondHeat: An Omnitrix fusion comprised of Petrosapioen, Pyronite, Kineceleran, and Tetramand DNA.
- Skurd: Skurd has been able to create an anchor, a sword, a shield, a Vladat-shaped helmet, a shelter, and other objects using Petrosapien DNA.
- Amalgam Ben: The Ben Tennyson of Dimension 27988.3 transformed into an an amalgamation of his first 10 aliens, including Diamondhead.
- Monster Kevin/AntiVilgax: The Kevin Levin and Vilgax of Dimension 27998.3 transformed into amalgamations of every alien available in the Antitrix, including Crystalfist.
History
After several centuries of warfare between the various Petrosapien breeds, a giant hole was accidentally ripped in the surface of Petropia itself. With a universe far beyond the Petrosapiens' heretofore self-contained existence being public knowledge, they began stabilizing their civilization so they could explore the surface of Petropia and eventually other worlds.
However, due to the infighting between the various gem-based races on Petropia, the Petrosapiens made it easy for the Chimera Sui Generis known as Vilgax to manipulate them[8] long enough to destroy Petropia using energy from the Petropia Back-up Crystal, which was sold to him by a young Tetrax Shard.
Years after Petropia's destruction, Tetrax learned from exploring the planet's remains what the true nature of the Back-up Crystal was. After stealing the crystal back from Vilgax, Tetraxx made his way to Earth and gave it to Sugilite, the Crystalsapien guardian of Petropia. Arriving to Petropia, Sugilite used his powers to restore the planet itself before being nearly killed by Vilgax.
Using both the Back-up Crystal and his Petrosapien form Diamondhead, Ben Tennyson was able to finish Sugilite's mission and revived the Petrosapiens. As gratitude for saving his life, Sugilite allowed the Omnitrix to sample his DNA, restoring the destroyed transformation Chromastone.
Alternate history
In Dimension 27998.3, Petropia was never destroyed by Vilgax because he never arrived on the planet to begin with. As such, Petropia remains intact and the Petrosapiens are thriving. Long ago, the Surface Petrosapiens split from their Subsapien ancestors and relocated to the surface. Meanwhile, the Subsapiens remained underground in the deep substrata of Petropia.
After the two factions became exhausted by their endless civil war, the Antrosapiens launched a surprise sonic attack. The Subsapiens begrudgingly allied themselves with their surface cousins to survive the greatest threat to their species. They constructed a war machine capable of absorbing the Antrosapiens' sonic attacks and redirecting them as a powerful energy blast, successfully dealing a devastating blow to the Antrosapiens.
Petropia would later become under siege by a Fulmini invasion party, leading to the Surface Petrosapiens, the Subsapiens, and the Antrosapiens to join forces and protect their planet. The Fulmini were quickly driven off, and all three factions were finally at peace. Wanting to take a break after their war against the Fulmini, the Petrosapiens went to Appoplexia and used crystal constructs to keep the Appoplexians entertained.
Gallery
Notes
- The name Petrosapien is a combination of "petra" and "sapien", which altogether means "intelligent being made of rock"; the name was first used on-screen by Camille's ex-boyfriend in the Ben 10 episode "Big Fat Alien Weeding".
- A Petrosapien's diamond skin bears a resemblance to the Taydenite currency. However, Petrosapiens are not made of Taydenite and their crystals have no real value.[9]
- Petrosapiens protect their vital organs with an impervious solid purple crystal on their chests.[6] Technically speaking, this most likely applies to Diamondhead's appearances in Alien Force and Ultimate Alien.
- Derrick J. Wyatt views Petrosapiens being able to levitate crystal prisms, making explosive projectiles, and absorbing energy as the result of a glitch with the prototype Omnitrix.[9] However, Matt Wayne does not believe this to be true because he was unaware of the existence of "glitch powers".[11]
- The out-of-universe reason for these powers is because a storyboard artist on Alien Force was unfamiliar with the traditional powers of a Petrosapien.[9]
- The Subsapiens represent natural, uncut crystals whereas the Surface Petrospiens represent furnished and sculpted crystals, like those found in jewelry.
- In 2020, Wyatt released a full-color model of an alternate version of Diamondhead used by Albedo.
- Despite only appearing in the reboot continuity, Surface Petrosapiens and Subsapiens have been confirmed to exist in the original Ben 10 continuity.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 According to Diamondhead's lenticular bio card from Bandai's Ben 10 toyline
- ↑ According to the trivia version of the episode "Gwen 10"
- ↑ According to Tom Perkins
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 According to the trivia version of the episode "And Then There Were 10"
- ↑ According to Dwayne McDuffie
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 According to Diamondhead's Alien Creation card from Bandai's Ben 10: Ultimate Alien toyline
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 According to Duncan Rouleau
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 According to the trivia version of the film Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 According to Derrick J. Wyatt
- ↑ According to the Brazilian Ben 10: Alien Force Online Editora Sticker Album
- ↑ According to Matt Wayne