Appoplexians are felinoids with huge muscles from the planet Appoplexia.[1]
Biology
Anatomy
Appoplexians are approximately 9 feet tall and resemble muscular bipedal tailless humanoid tigers with individual claws sprouting from each wrist. They have white, cream, or dark pink muzzles, hands, stomachs, chests and feet. They also have four-fingered hands, three-toed feet, quill-like eyebrows over each eye, and black stripes on their head, shoulders, back, and legs. Young Appoplexians have more spheroid heads and lack both stripes and muscle mass.
Though most Appoplexians have orange fur, some can have white fur if they evolve in colder climates. Examples include Appoplexians from Dimension 23[2] and Negative Rath.
Besides orange and white, Appoplexians can come in other colors. For example, Malice has dark orange fur, Dario has brown fur, Muck has maroon fur, and Skraprr Byakko has yellow fur.
Powers and abilities
Appoplexians have immense strength that gives them an advantage in combat, allowing them to power their way through many opponents and smash through tough defenses with relative ease. Technically speaking, they are strong enough to lift and throw a Cascan.
Appoplexians are durable enough to withstand a powerful laser at point-blank range without a single scratch. For Omni-Kix Appoplexians, their natural durability is increased thanks to their Omni-Kix armor.
Like ordinary Earth cats, Appoplexians possess enhanced jumping and senses, making them effective hunters. Female Appoplexians are traditionally better hunters than males.[2]
An Appoplexian has a pair of sharp claws on their wrists that can both extend and retract. These claws are very durable, as they do not break off when bitten by Bashmouth's Species.
By stabbing the ground, Appoplexians can create a shock wave strong enough to burst a rock into rubble or knock something over.
An Appoplexian's wrist claws are fireproof, allowing them to cancel out a Pyronite's attacks.
Appoplexians possess enhanced dexterity, being able to operate an Earth cell phone.
Appoplexians have variable levels of intelligence, they can memorize law enforcement protocols despite their brains being hardwired for aggression.
Like ordinary Earth tigers, Appoplexians are capable of running on all fours. Technically speaking, they are fast enough to keep up with Transylians.
Omni-Kix Appoplexians have three sharp, retractable claws on each wrist, increasing the amount of damage they can cause.
Weaknesses
Due to the nature of their mentality, the Appoplexians' greatest weakness is their highly aggressive temperament. Because of their obsession with violence and anger, they are difficult to stop once they start fighting.
An Appoplexian's temperaments can cause them to easily forget things and become easily distracted. This has been demonstrated with chasing after meat.
Because they are mentally cat-like, Appoplexians can also be distracted by and chase after dots of light and smaller animals such as mice and rabbits. Consequently, Appoplexians are vulnerable to being mind-controlled by a Metahuman with the same powers as Nyancy Chan.
Much like ordinary Earth cats, Appoplexians are hydrophobic, meaning that they afraid of water. However, certain Appoplexians are shown to merely hate water.
Certain high-pitched sounds are fatal to Appoplexians, meaning that their hearing is sensitive.
Despite their enhanced strength, Appoplexians are unable to disconnect a young Revonnahgander's bi'nthak with their wrist claws. Technically speaking, they are physically weaker than Tetramands.[3]
Appoplexians can be lifted by a species with as much strength as a Zaroffian.
There is a limit to an Appoplexian's dexterity, as they cannot write a text message properly.
Appoplexians can be easily overpowered by a Celestialsapien's telekinesis.
Appoplexians are vulnerable to being subdued by the Hephaestan Neuro Grip.
Appoplexians can be affected by magic, as there are spells that can constrain them in midair and thrash them abound using telekinetic-enhanced streams of water.
Appoplexians can experience fear in the presence of Toepick's Species.[2]
Culture and society
Appoplexians are powerful, argumentative, and extremely aggressive. They have the urge to fight anything that breathes because they believe that any problem can be solved by hitting it "a lot". This anger even extends to inanimate objects, and can lead to harm for both themselves and others.
Appoplexians have animalistic tendencies such as growling, roaring, and relentlessly seeking food when hungry. These traits may often cause them to follow their natural instincts under certain circumstances, which will subsequently override their mindset and completely distract them from whatever they might be doing.
A select few Appoplexians such as Skraprr Byakko and Negative Rath[2] are more level-headed and reasonable, being able to respectably ask questions and listen to others without arguing. However, they can become aggressive, impulsive, and very eager to fight like the rest of their kind when provoked.
While they are an aggressive species with predator instincts, Appoplexians can be charismatic and energetic at times. For example, they would leap between trees to surprise their friends just for fun.
Appoplexians have had a few female leaders over the years.[2]
Appoplexian bathroom habits are very similar to that of house cats and kitty litter boxes, which led to an incident on the Lewodans' home planet. Thanks to help from Ben Tennyson, the Appoplexians have recently formed a truce with the Lewodans.
Appoplexians are good friends with the Vaxasaurians due to their prowess in gladiatorial combat.
Technology
Despite their aggresive behavior, Appoplexians are more technology advanced than Humans. For example, they have the means of traveling through space and engaging with other species.[2]
Language
Because of their disjointedness, Appoplexians are prone to mixing up metaphors and beginning a conversation with the phrase, "Let me tell ya somethin'....!", followed by either a person's full name or position. For example, Rath refers to Khyber as "Mr. Self-Proclaimed Greatest Huntsman in the Galaxy", Vulkanus as "Baby Man", and Grandpa Max as "G-Pa Max".
Accented Appoplexians such as Mad Ben's Rath would say "Oi!" prior to their usual catchphrase.[2]
Appoplexians such as Nega Ben's Rath would have a dour personality. Rather than their usual catchphrase, they would instead say "I don't wanna tell you anything."[2]
Undead Appoplexians would act backwards and begin a conversation with the phrase, "Let me no tell you things!"[2]
Notable members
- Rath: An Omnitrix transformation used by Ben Tennyson.
- Tigerizer: An alternate version of Rath used by the Ben Tennyson of Dimension 23.[2]
- Negative Rath: An alternate version of Rath used by Albedo.
- Mad Rath: An alternate version of Rath used by Mad Ben.
- Benzarro Rath: An alternate, undead version of Rath used by Benzarro.[2]
- Nega Rath: An alternate version of Rath used by Nega Ben.[2]
- Vexx: The 99th leader of the Appoplexian empire
- Malice: Vexx's lieutenant
- Muck: An Appoplexian gladiator and the champion of Appoplexia
- Dario: An Appoplexian gladiator
- Swiftfoot: An Appoplexian gladiator
- Skraprr Byakko: An Appoplexian Plumber cadet
Half-qualifiers
- 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 Rath.
- Gwen Tennyson: The Prime Timeline's Gwen Tennyson was temporarily transformed into an Appoplexian due to an Ultimatrix malfunction.
- Azmuth: The Prime Timeline's Azmuth transformed into Rath while using the Omnitrix.
- Glitch: Glitch has reconfigured his vehicle form when interacting with Rath.
- Dr. Animo: The Dr. Animo of Dimension 27998.3 temporarily mutated himself into an Appoplexian using DNA from the Omnitrix.
- Rath Arms: An Omni-Glitch fusion comprised of Appoplexian and Tetramand DNA.
Gallery
Notes
- The name Appoplexian is a play on the term "apoplexy" (or "apoplectic"), which describes the state of being overcome with rage; it was first used on-screen by Gwen Tennyson and Rhomboid Vreedle in the Alien Force episode "Con of Rath".
- Due to Dwayne McDuffie's statements are unavailable at the time, it led to the fan misconception that Appoplexia was an unofficial name for the Appoplexians' home planet. This name was first used on January 13, 2010, when the Ben 10 Wiki's disambiguation page for Rath (which originally served as the page for the Classic Continuity's version of Rath) was updated by an anonymous user.
- The name Appoplexia was not mentioned in any official media or merchandise until the Alien Worlds short "Rath AW3: Endless Party Planet", though Alien Worlds is technically canon to the reboot series. The canonicity of Appoplexia's name being official in the original continuity would remain dubious until Dwayne's original statement was recovered in 2023.
- Most Appoplexians in the original continuity have a strong sense of shame. Rath, however, was technically a nudist due to an error with the Omnitrix. Fortunately, the Slime-Biot Skurd was able to permanently correct this error,[2] giving Rath a Luchador-based outfit.
- One of the trophies seen on Khyber's ship is an Appoplexian skeleton with a shattered skull.
- In 2020, Derrick J. Wyatt released a full-color model of an alternate version of Rath used by Ben 23 and asked fans to come up with a name for the transformation; the winning name was Tigerizer.
- Appoplexians were first teased to appear in the reboot series during the episode "Animorphosis". It was eventually confirmed that the Omnitrix in that series contains Appoplexian DNA.[3] Therefore, Rath was one of the countless aliens whose DNA pod was glimpsed in the episode "Innervasion Part 5: High Override" before being added to the active playlist for Season 3, replacing Overflow.
- The triple wrist claws used by an Omni-Kix Appoplexian are modeled after the hand razors of Wolverine from Marvel Comics.