NPE Proposal: Eon (Race Against Time)

“	My journey here is nearly complete. At last, my great race will rise from its dark sleep. And this time, nothing shall thwart me... once Benjamin Tennyson's dead.	„
	~ Eon.

I originally proposed him to be IH, but the proposal was rejected and several users pointed out that many of his preventions didn’t hold up. So, here we are instead!

What's the Work?

Ben 10: Race Against Time is a 2007 made-for-TV movie based on the Cartoon Network franchise of the same name, created by Man of Action. The story follows a 10-year-old Ben Tennyson, who recently discovered the Omnitrix (a powerful device that allows him to transform into various alien species, each with its own unique abilities) as he attempts to readjust to normal life after an eventful summer vacation with his cousin Gwen and Grandpa Max.

Who is the Character?

Eon is the main antagonist of the film and belongs to an alien race called the Chronians. He arrived on Earth about 200 years prior to the events of the story. When Eon arrived, he was weak and accompanied by an ancient device called the Hands of Armageddon, which could open a time rift to bring his dying race to Earth for an invasion. He was eventually captured by the Plumbers, an intergalactic law enforcement group, and placed in cryogenic suspension.

In the present day, Eon escapes, but his excessive time traveling has left him too weak to use the Hands by himself, which is why he seeks out Ben Tennyson, wielder of the Omnitrix, to transform him into a younger version of himself.

Heinousness

Heinous Actions

First and foremost, his goal is to activate a device called the Hands of Armageddon, which would open a gateway to unleash his race upon the Earth, a catastrophic event that could potentially endanger billions of people. It's also worth noting that earlier in the film, the Plumbers state that the Hands is unstable when at full power and capable of causing mass destruction, and was responsible for the creation of the grand canyon. Eventually managing to free himself from captivity 200 years later, he rapidly ages Constatine Jacobs, the Plumber assigned to watch over him, killing him.

He is also shown to be abusive and controlling toward his minions, who often cower in fear whenever he is around. In a fit of frustration, he kills one of them after experiencing pain due to his accelerated aging.

In the opening scene, after he escapes from confinement, he wrecks the Bellword sign and store fronts and tells his minions to attack local law enforcers. When Ben (in the form of Heatblast) arrives to confront him, Eon attempts to kill him. Later, he breaks into a highly guarded Plumber facility in an attempt to seize the Hands of Armageddon, violently overpowering those in his way. He also begins to stalk and manipulate Ben, revealing a disturbing obsession with him, even confronting him at school. At one point, he even tries to kidnap Ben, claiming to be rescuing him, but in reality intending to use him as a tool to further his mission. He later succeeds in kidnapping not only Ben, but also his cousin Gwen and Grandpa Max. Additionally, he blows up the Rustbucket without any clear reason.

Eon’s most heinous act is the revelation that he plans to transform Ben into a younger version of himself using the Omnitrix. He deactivates the Omnitrix's safety protocols to forcibly turn Ben into a mindless, amnesiac Chronian under his control. This effectively robs Ben of his identity and agency, turning him into a living battery for the Hands of Armageddon.

Furthermore, Eon jails Max, Gwen, and the other Plumbers, not batting an eye at sacrificing others in order to carry out his plan. His seeming eagerness to tamper with time and willingness to jeopardize the safety of the entire planet for the revival of his own kind demonstrates his utter lack of morality. During the final battle, even after Ben regains control and helps shut down the Hands, Eon returns, attacking again only to be finally defeated when Ben slams him into the Arms of Armageddon, destroying it for good.

Heinous Standards

Due to the film being set in an alternate reality, Eon doesn't have to compete with any of the villains from the Prime timeline. Therefore, he easily sets the heinous standards for endangering billions by attempting to activate the Hands of Armageddon and conquer Earth.

Mitigating Factors?

Honorable?

One of the most contested points I made in my IH proposal was that Eon was honorable. Throughout the film, he and his minions repeatedly clash with the Plumbers. Yet, despite their efforts to stop him, Eon never actively seeks to harm them. On several occasions, he chooses to spare their lives, opting to imprison them instead of killing them. Even when they manage to escape, he refrains from retaliating with lethal force.

However, as many users pointed out in the comments, sparing enemies doesn’t necessarily equate to being honorable, unless the villain has a specific moral code or standard against killing. Since Eon never explicitly states he follows such a code, it's reasonable to assume he spares them out of pragmatism or because he doesn’t view them as legitimate threats worthy of killing.

Tragic?

Slightly. Eon was once part of an alien species called the Chronians, who had the ability to manipulate time. However, their greed for power led them to make a catastrophic mistake: trapping themselves in a dimension outside of space and time. This mistake brought their civilization to the brink of extinction, leaving Eon and the remaining Chronians to helplessly watch as their world withered away.

In a desperate attempt to save his people, Eon used the Hands of Armageddon to travel back in time, hoping to find a new home for them on Earth. Unfortunately, his calculations were off, and instead of arriving in the future, he ended up 200 years in the past. There, he was captured by the Plumbers and imprisoned, remaining in captivity until the present day.

While this tragedy seemingly holds up, it is downplayed by the fact that the Chronians' downfall was largely the result of their own arrogance and greed. Therefore, his tragic past is less sympathetic and more karmic.

Extremist?

Although Eon insists that all of his actions are motivated by the goal of saving his dying race, it becomes increasingly clear throughout the story that his true motivations are driven more by power and ego than any genuine desire to do good. This is especially evident during his conversations with Ben, where he openly declares that Ben will become "a god" once Eon has transformed him into a younger version of himself.

What Prevents Him From Being Pure Evil?

While Eon's plan of using the Hands of Armageddon to invade and conquer Earth is primarily driven by his greed and lust for power, he does genuinely care about his people. Even in his pursuit of power, he never loses sight of his ultimate goal: to find a new home for his species and create a perfect world where they can thrive.

Verdict

Easy yes for killing Constantine Jacobs by rapidly aging him, forcibly transforming Ben into a younger version of himself, and attempting to invade and conquer Earth. However, he is minor tragic and cares about his people.