The Lonely Ghost (Episode)

This article is about the Episode, you may be looking for the Comic

The Lonely Ghost
Release Date	October 18th, 2023
Watch Episode	Episode 2: The Lonely Ghost
Details
Episode Number	2
Adapted From	Chapter 2: The Lonely Ghost
Episode Guide
Previous Episode	Episode 1: Alienated
Next Episode	Episode 3: Reunion

The Lonely Ghost is the second episode of the 5 Years Later: Motion Comic, and the adaptation of Chapter 2: The Lonely Ghost.

Summary

After spending five years lost in space, Vlad Masters reflects on his past before receiving a visit from a mysterious stranger.

Details

Major Events

• Recruiting of Vlad Masters
  • Vlad Masters and Eon form an alliance
• Blukic and Driba begin building a ghost portal.
• Battle in Bellwood
  • Danny and Vlad reunite after five years.

Characters

Heroes

• Danny Fenton
• Ben Tennyson
• Rook Blonko
• Lula

Villains

• Vlad Masters
• Eon

Minor

• Crawnch (flashback)
• GoTro (flashback)
• Chirp (flashback)
• Eve (flashback)
• Blukic
• Driba
• Zak Saturday (cameo)
• Max Tennyson (flashback)
• Psyphon (flashback)
• Milleous (flashback)
• Dimension 12 Droid (flashback)
• Six Six (flashback)
• Limax (flashback)
• Gwendolyn Tennyson (flashback)
• Kevin Levin (flashback)
• Vilgax (flashback)
• Magister Labrid (flashback)

Differences From The Comic Version

Some scenes in the Motion Comic were changed, cut, or extended with some visual and dialogue alterations, even since the Recalibrated Event. While most panels have been altered to include vfx and animation, these are the significant changes:

• Additional display graphics were added to Ben’s opening monologue, such as character cards, extra sci-fi graphics, and elaborate animated transitions between the panels to simulate researching on one of the in-universe Plumber HQ computers.
• No Watch Ben makes a brief cameo as Cannonbolt redirecting the Omnitrix Pod towards Ben Prime, a reference to the Omniverse episode "And Then There Was Ben".
• After Young Ben is shown with his first ten aliens, a quick montage of images swirl into the center of the screen. These aliens include:
  • The remaining canon aliens from the Prime Franchise, along with the semi-canon transformations Antigravitesla and Squidstrictor.
  • Aliens from the Prime Franchise that Ben did not have an onscreen transformation of such as a Highbreed, Sotoraggian, Uxorite, Revonnahgander, Chimera Sui Generis, Tzorok, Acurtian Hog, a Dragon, and a Lenopan.
  • The 5 Years Later original aliens Lovespit, Bullwark, Mantabolt, Energuy, Ultraviolent, Scrap Heat, Acidgrime, Koisen, Slobbarrage, Vertebreak, Callus, Mix Master, Tourniquet, Isodope, OnionHead, Krush, Slampeed, Dental Dam, Gacha, Moppet, Overkill, CraterFace, Stick n' Slide, RootWork, Disk Jockey, Trench, FogHorn, and Itsy Glicky Spider.
    • Due to the retroactive nature of the Motion Comic, many aliens that were conceptualized years after the original comic began had the opportunity to appear in this sequence, most notably Statter, Hack n’ Slash, and Soap Reef, who were added to Chapter 8 of the comic after winning the Create-Your-Own Alien Contest. They are the only Non-Ink Tank original transformations to make an appearance.
• An additional scene of Ben publicly announcing the development of Omnitrix City is added. This scene takes place an undetermined amount of time before the present, indicated by the slightly younger appearance of all the characters.
• During Ben’s flashbacks, additional dialogue can be heard accompanying the first three panels, though there are no text boxes added to accompany the new lines. Each line is taken from an episode of the Ben 10 franchise
  • Vilgax’s line “The Omnitrix being used as a play toy?” is from Secrets.
  • Magister Labrid’s line “You are Ben Tennyson, you can do anything.” is from Ben 10 Returns: Part 2.
  • Ultimate Echo Echo’s line “One more should do it.” is from Absolute Power: Part 2.
• The flashback location text has been corrected to “College: 26 Years Ago.”
• Eon creates a visual display of his time powers when discussing his abilities.
• Eon now begins his final line before he takes off his hood, only removing it as he finishes his sentence.
• When Rook and Danny are speaking, a flashback of some of the original Plumbers fighting supernatural creatures was added, along with a shot of The Ghost Zone.

Trivia

• The Plumber IDs in each of the character cards that appear during Ben’s opening monologue are easter eggs representing significant episodes of the Ben 10 Franchise:
  • Ben’s Plumber ID is 111414 or November 14th, 2014: A New Dawn, the last episode of the Ben 10 Prime franchise.
  • Rook’s Plumber ID is 080112 or August 1st, 2012: The More Things Change: Part 1, the first episode of Ben 10: Omniverse, which was Rook’s first appearance.
  • Max’s Plumber ID is 122705 or December 27th, 2005: And Then There Were 10, the first episode of the Ben 10 Prime franchise. Max also used this code in the Omniverse episode Evil’s Encore.
  • Gwendolyn’s Plumber ID is 030406 or March 4th, 2006: Lucky Girl, the first episode where Gwen first develops her magical abilities.
  • Kevin’s Plumber ID is 021106 or February 11th, 2006: Kevin 11, his debut appearance.
• When Ben is on stage in the flashback, Edwin Grand Smith is shown to the far left, along with an Uxorite. Lula, Sandra Tennyson, and Carl Tennyson appear in the audience.
• The score for Vlad's flashback montage was one of the most complicated for Noxi to create, as the visuals were timed to an inaccurate metronome, and required a lot of editing and re-timing to get the sequence to work.
• Most of the scene at Plumber HQ is scored with music from Ben 10: Protector of Earth.
• While O.R.Ash has been voicing Blukic and Driba in a variety of Ink Tank projects for years, this was his first time voicing them in the official 5 Years Later series.