Plumber Badge

This article belongs to the Classic Continuity

A Plumber Badge is a device that is standard issued to Plumbers, serving as both their badge and their insignia.^{[DJW 1]}

Appearance

In Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, Plumber Badges looked like circular disk-like objects marked with a green hourglass symbol on a black background, which served as the galactic peace symbol^{[DM 1]} and the insignia of Galvan technology. This design was also used by Azmuth as the faceplate of both the Omnitrix and Ultimatrix.

In Omniverse, Plumber Badges look more like a light gray circular disc shaped like a circular hourglass with a red dot in the middle of it. Like real-world badges, most appear attached to a wallet, but standalone versions have appeared.

Description

When in use, the Plumber Badge glows and is manipulated by tapping different parts. The badge can be used on Ben's and Kevin's cars. Some DNAliens and Aggregor also use them. Azmuth uses the badge's symbol to show the Omnitrix and the Ultimatrix as devices meant for peaceful purposes.

History

In Ben 10: Alien Force, Kevin took Labrid's Plumber Badge after he died. It was then used by the team to find allies against the Highbreed, allowing them to locate Plumber's kids like Alan Albright and Michael Morningstar.

In Darkstar Rising, Labrid's badge was confiscated by Prior Gilhil, though eventually named Ben, Gwen, and Kevin honorary Plumbers, giving the latter two their own badges. He also mentioned that the original Omnitrix doubled as a Plumber Badge, justified by how the Omnitrix takes the form of a Plumber Badge when Ben is in alien form.

Sometime before Ghost Town, Ben gained his own Plumber Badge for identification and communicating with other Plumbers.

Features

• Location Detection
  • Plumber Badges can create a holographic map that can pin-point the location of another Plumber Badge with a flashing dot.^[1] It can even track other badges in space.^[2]
• Communication
  • Plumber Badges have a two-way communication system with other badges and the Omnitrix/Ultimatrix. They can also communicate with the Plumber Headquarters, and can provide video feed.^[3]
• Universal Translator
  • Plumber Badges have a Universal Translator, which allows them to translate any language into any other.^[4]
• Radiation Detection
  • Plumber Badges will flash red and produce sounds when radiation is detected.^[5]
• Extranet Access
  • Gwen used her Plumber Badge as a modem to connect her laptop to the Extranet (an intergalactic version of the Internet).^[6]
• Weapon Enhancement
  • Kevin put his Plumber Badge on a gun taken from a Forever Knight and it enhanced the gun's laser blasts and changed their color to green.^[7]
• Electronic Lock Override
  • Max used his Plumber Badge to gain access to the DNAlien base.^[8]
• Plumber Override
  • Kevin used his Plumber Badge to deactivate the automated self-destruct on board Cooper's ship.^[9]
• Self-Destruct
  • Three Plumber Badges can activate self-destruct mode in Plumber spaceships.^[10]

Known Users

• Ben Tennyson
• Gwen Tennyson
• Max Tennyson
• Kevin Levin
• Rook Blonko
• Alan Albright
• Manny Armstrong
• Helen Wheels
• Lucy Mann
• Molly Gunther
• Scout
• Blukic
• Driba
• Tack
• Michael Morningstar (formerly)
• Pierce Wheels (formerly; deceased)
• Labrid (formerly; deceased)
• Prior Gilhil (formerly; deceased)

Appearances

Alien Force

Season 1

• Ben 10 Returns: Part 1 (first appearance)
• Ben 10 Returns: Part 2
• Everybody Talks About the Weather
• Kevin's Big Score
• All That Glitters
• Max Out
• Darkstar Rising
• Save the Last Dance
• Inside Man
• Unearthed

Season 2

• Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 1
• Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 2
• Fool's Gold
• Ghost Town
• Trade-Off!
• Above and Beyond

Ultimate Alien

Season 1

• Fame (first reappearance)
• Escape From Aggregor
• Too Hot to Handle
• Ultimate Aggregor
• Map of Infinity

Season 2

• Reflected Glory (fakes)
• Deep
• Perplexahedron
• The Enemy of My Enemy
• Absolute Power: Part 1
• Absolute Power: Part 2

Season 3

• Eye of the Beholder
• Revenge of the Swarm
• Basic Training
• Moonstruck
• Prisoner Number 775 is Missing
• The Purge
• The Flame Keepers' Circle
• The Perfect Girlfriend
• The Widening Gyre
• The Mother of All Vreedles
• The Ultimate Enemy: Part 1
• The Ultimate Enemy: Part 2

Omniverse

Season 1

• The More Things Change: Part 2 (first reappearance)
• A Jolt From the Past
• Have I Got a Deal for You
• Of Predators and Prey: Part 1
• Of Predators and Prey: Part 2

Season 2

• Blukic and Driba Go to Mr. Smoothy's

Season 3

• T.G.I.S.

Season 4

• Food Around the Corner
• The Ultimate Heist
• O Mother, Where Art Thou?
• Mud is Thicker Than Water
• OTTO Motives

Season 5

• Rad Monster Party

Season 6

• Catfight
• No Honor Among Bros
• Universe vs. Tennyson

Trivia

• Plumber badges are sometimes given to the children of Plumbers so that they are not mistaken for alien invaders and arrested by other Plumbers.^[1]
• In A Jolt From the Past, when Rook started talking to Ben with his Plumber Badge, a Star Trek communicator sound effect can be heard.
• In Omniverse, the Plumber badges changed from depicting the symbol of Galvan technology to instead the symbol of Plumbers, the red spots on their uniforms due to the hourglass symbol design for the badges used in those series did not make any sense to the crew.^{[DJW 2][DJW 3]}
  • Due to this change, the Plumbers are given the nickname "Redspots" by criminals.^[11]

References

Derrick J. Wyatt

Dwayne McDuffie

Objects
Prime Timeline
Components	Oscillator Key • Reverse Calibrated Lepton Transducer • Tetramand Engine Block • Variable G Offset Modulator
Devices	Absorption Band • Anti-Gravity Projector • Ben's Cell Phone • Centripetal Accelerator • Cincotrix Remote Control • Cloaking Projector • Gwen's Cell Phone • Gwen's Laptop • Holo-Viewer • ID Mask • Kai's Cell Phone • Loyalty Neuro-Matrix • Mind Control Headband • Nuclear Fusion Device • Omnitrix Containment Device • Omnitrix Disabling Device • Omnitrix Remote Control • Power Suppressor • Repo Boot • Sonic Frequency Device • Sonic Pitch Whistle • Surveillance Spider • Universal Translator • Vox Peniculus
Energy	Chroniton Particle • Chronologger • Deterion Energy Mine • Dominus Librium • Dwarf Star • Energy Cuffs • Hedorium Collider • Plumber Power Core • Psyclown • Shock Manacles • Sub-Energy • Verdona's Manacle
Food	Amber Ogia • Artificial Tiffin • Bratharat • Bulking Frond • Chili Fries • Fleen Cake • Fluffaloaf • Gelatin Mold • Gloppenbeef Sandwich • Gyro • Meatball Sub • Mycetian Swamp Hoppers • Pickled Cow Tongue • Prince's Peanuts • Protozoan Smoothie • Smoothie • Steamed Tofu and Wheat Germ with Algae • Tentacle Pop • Wasabi Quinoa Puffs • Zandurian Goulash
Formulae	Miracle Elixir • Mr. Hyde Formula • Ogia Concentrate
Genetics	Devolution Bomb • DNA Repair Gun • DNA Scanner • DNA Transmodulator • Genetic Alteration Field • Highbreed Pulse Generator • Kormite Power Core
Machinery	Cerebral Vortex • Hacking Machine • Helix • Highbreed Weather Array • Non-Baryonic Disruptor Chamber • Plumber Snake • Pretty Boy Cloning Machine • Shrink Ray • Techadon Factory • Vreedle Brother Cloning Machine
Minerals and Alloys	Petropia Back-up Crystal • Bicenthium Alloy • Corrodium • Credit Cube • Element X • Energy Source Crystal • Hedorium • Infinitum • Kormite • Oculant • Polymorphic Crystal • Tayden • Taydenite • Varsidium
Teleportation	Hyperspace Jump Gate • Null Void Projector • Retrieval Beacon Generator • Teleport Beacon • Teleport Receiver • Teleporter Pod • Transmat Portal • Transporter Disc • Warp Field Generator
Time Travel	Chrononavigator • Chronosapien Time Bomb • Hand of Armageddon • Orb of Pumapunku
Other	Corruptura • Dehydrated Techadon Army Cube • Life-Form Lock Microchip • Map of Infinity • Observo • Omnitrix Containment Pod • Plumber Badge • Sonic Disk • Ultimatrix Security Keys
Alternate Dimensions/Timelines
Original Series Future Timeline	Null Void Containment Egg • Transforming Storage Cube
Omniverse Future Timeline	Chronoporter
Non-Canon
Comics	Dalorean Doughnut
Games	Armortron Crusader • Omnitrix Crystal • Potis Altiare • Skeleton Key
Non-Ben 10
Generator Rex	Nanite • Omega-1 Nanite • Rex's Goggles