| Generator Rex | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | |
| Created by | Man of Action |
| Based on | |
| Developed by | Rob Hoegee |
| Directed by |
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| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | Kevin Manthei |
| Opening theme | "Revolution" byOrange |
| Composer | Kevin Manthei |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 60 (2 unaired)(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Ryan Slater |
| Running time |
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| Production company | Cartoon Network Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | Cartoon Network |
| Release | April 23, 2010 (2010-04-23) – January 3, 2013 (2013-01-03) |
| Related | |
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Generator Rex is an American animatedsuperhero television series created byMan of Action forCartoon Network,[1] with John Fang ofCartoon Network Studios as supervising producer. It is based on the comicM. Rex, created byAaron Sowd,Joe Kelly andDuncan Rouleau, and published byImage Comics in 1999. The series premiered in the United States on April 23, 2010, on Cartoon Network, and concluded on January 3, 2013, with a total of 60 episodes, plus two episodes remained unaired.
A two-partcrossoverspecial withBen 10: Ultimate Alien, titledBen 10/Generator Rex: Heroes United, aired on November 25, 2011, while a second 44-minute four-part special,Ben Gen 10, aired on April 11, 2021, featuring different and younger versions of theGenerator Rex characters in theBen 10 universe.
Five years prior to the events of the series, an explosion occurred on Earth, causing microscopic machines called "nanites" to infiltrate the bodies of all its organic life. When activated, nanites mutate the biology of their hosts; living beings with activated nanites are known as Exponentially Variegated Organisms (E.V.O.). Rex is anamnesiac fifteen-year-old boy and permanent E.V.O. who, unlike most other E.V.O.s, lacks physical deformation but has forgotten his past. He is also able to control his active nanites, allowing him to manifest from his body various bio-mechanical abilities and powers. He also has the unique ability to deactivate nanites inside other E.V.O.s, effectively curing them of their mutations and returning them to normal. Working for Providence under Agent Six and White Knight, Rex uses his unique abilities to stop and cure rampant E.V.O.s.
His archenemy, Van Kleiss, is a British scientist who became an earth-manipulating humanoid E.V.O.. He despises Providence and is connected to the original nanite explosion, which is noted as "the Nanite Event" five years prior. He seeks to become all-powerful by using fellow E.V.O.s, and promises to tell Rex about his childhood past if he will join him, using the former's blooming relationship with thesiren-like human E.V.O. Circe to do so. Upon attaining Rex's nanites, Van Kleiss acquires the opposing ability to create E.V.O.s upon physical contact; whereas Rex fully regains his powers and access to new and greater machinery from his Omega-1 Nanite after fully tapping into the further evolved nanite's greater technological abilities.
After her second and final mission with the Pack, Circe defects when Van Kleiss threatens Rex's life and joins his E.V.O. street gang inHong Kong. To further complicate matters, Rex's long-lost elder brother Dr. Cesar Salazar suddenly resurfaces and joins Providence. At one point, Van Kleiss and Rex are forced to work together to escape theartificial intelligence Zag-RS, who is revealed to be a creation of Caesar's who modeled her voice after their late Mexican mother Violetta. Back in Hong Kong, Rex encounters and defeats his former boss Quarry, who was given a proposition from Van Kleiss, but was taken to Abysus for punishment after double-crossing him. Rex's ninja-like partner Six suffers amnesia from a machine of Cesar's invention, but chooses not to regain his memories. In a last-ditch effort to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming a god, Van Kleiss further develops Breach's portal-creating ability, allowing her to travel through time. As a result of her abilities, Rex is sent six months into the future and Van Kleiss is sent to the ancient past. In the future, it is revealed that everything has changed drastically since Rex's "disappearance", and he is shocked to meet a woman in charge of Providence who calls herself the "Black Knight."
Rex is sent six months into the future by Breach's abilities, where everything has changed since his "six-month disappearance" and Providence has been taken over by a woman called the Black Knight. She attempts to manipulate Rex into utilizing his abilities to aid her in "saving" humanity by restarting the Nanite Project with those who had funded it six years ago to become all-powerful by ensuring the creation of five nanites called the Meta Nanites, which contain the "God Code." The first four were scattered across the planet due to the Nanite Event, and the fifth and most powerful one has been kept hidden within Rex himself. Cesar and their lateHispanic scientist parents, Rafael and Violetta Salazar, had secretly programmed them to fully work for him alone.
Upon merging with the God Code, Rex utilizes his newly attained godhood to successfully cure all E.V.O.s. Afterwards, he is reunited with his now-normal friends- Tuck, Cricket and Sqywdd- and girlfriend Circe, and forgives Cesar for his past actions. Van Kleiss, who is revealed to have been responsible for Rafael and Violetta's deaths by trapping them inside as the nanite reactor exploded, is taken to Breach's pocket dimension ofGreenville, Ohio.
Generator Rex ended on January 3, 2013, and then aired reruns onCartoon Network until 2013. Episodes 56 through 60 were released on iTunes for purchase before they aired. The show "ended" with its third season, but had left out many important things unresolvedbefore the two-part season three finale "Endgame"; namely Rex and Circe's romantic relationship that finally blossomed at the end of Episode 51 "Assault on Abysus" and with Rex rescuing her from Providence ("Mind Games") some time before the two-part finale.
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 21 | April 23, 2010 (2010-04-23) | December 10, 2010 (2010-12-10) | |
| 2 | 19 | February 4, 2011 (2011-02-04) | November 4, 2011 (2011-11-04) | |
| 3 | 20 (2 unaired) | November 11, 2011 (2011-11-11) | January 3, 2013 (2013-01-03) | |
| Ben Gen 10 | April 10, 2021 (2021-04-10)[2][3] | |||
On July 11, 2011, the schedule for the 2011San Diego Comic-Con revealed that duringCartoon Network's panel, a crossover special between theBen 10: Ultimate Alien andGenerator Rex series titledBen 10/Generator Rex: Heroes United would be discussed. During the conference, show creators "Man of Action" revealed that the crossover would be a special, extended episode ofGenerator Rex, which aired on November 25, 2011, on Cartoon Network.[4][5] The double-length special[6] revolved around Ben and Rex fighting a villain, originally created by Rex's older brother Caesar, the Alpha Nanite.[7] Rex makes a cameo appearance in theOK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episode,Crossover Nexus along with many other Cartoon Network shows. On February 17, 2021, it was announcedGenerator Rex would have a 44-minute crossover special withBen 10, which aired on April 11, 2021.[8]
Warner Home Video released Volume 1 DVD, a two-disc set that contains the first nine episodes of the series on October 19, 2010.[9]
A video game, entitledGenerator Rex: Agent of Providence, has been developed forWii,PlayStation 3,Nintendo DS,Nintendo 3DS andXbox 360. The game was released on November 1, 2011, in the United States, developed byVirtuos and published byActivision.[10][11] The plot involves Van Kleiss attempting to find blueprints to build an Omega-One Nanite. The entire voice cast reprises their roles from the series.[citation needed]Agent of Providence was given an E10+ rating byESRB.[12] The game was also scored by the series' composer,Kevin Manthei.[13]
Mattel has produced a toy line based on the series. For the main figures each is approximately 4 inches tall and packaged with anordinary day E.V.O. There were also deluxe figures, EVO attack packs, as well as other waves and lines that were never released including a line from MEGA Bloks was announced (in 2010) featuring construction sets.[14]
Cartoon Network has featuredGenerator Rex and Ben 10 in their andDC Comics'sCartoon Network: Action Pack comic books.[15] Two 3D picture books (featuring cardboard 3D glasses) "EVOs and Heroes," a whole analysis on characters and their abilities and "The Swarm," an adaption of the episode of the same name, where Rex must fight insect E.V.O.s that feed on metal, have also been released.[15] For beginning readers, the story "Leader of the Pack" is also based on an episode and features Rex and Bobo being captured and locked in an underground prison cell.[15]
In February 2013,IDW Publishing announced a partnership with Cartoon Network to produce comic books and issues based on its properties.Generator Rex along withBen 10 was one of the titles announced to be published.[16]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Individual in Animation | Chu-Hui Song and Nora Murphy-Breden for the episode "The Day That Changed Everything" | Won |
Headlining the virtual spring break bash is a three-day debut for the previously announced Ben 10 specials
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