Highbreed (Ben 10)

The Highbreed are an alien species that feature in Ben 10: Alien Force.

History
The Highbreed race evolved and developed on the world of Augstaka. As they developed, they began to believe that their DNA was the purist in the universe and sought to cleanse all of space of inferior species. What was not known though to many was that this was just an act on their part. Whilst they did believe they were superior to other life forms, the truth of the matter was that they had become a dying species due to their damaged DNA which came as a result of inbreeding and a lack of diversity. Trapped in this decaying state, they sought to cleanse the galaxy of all life as their final act before dying themselves of their genetic degradation. (EP: War of the Worlds) Their path of conquest led them to keep Earth in their sights and sought to covertly take over the planet. However, they were facing resistance from Max Tennyson and members of the Plumbers.

Through DNAlien agents, the Highbreed were involved in a weapon smuggling program which involved arming the Forever Knights with advanced alien technology such as etheric lances. Whilst the Highbreed dispatched forces to apprehend Max Tennyson, they faced nothing but failure. An officer of the species established a secret base of operations on the Earth through the use of a hidden starship with DNAlien menials. The vessel was discovered by Ben Tennyson and his friends who managed to discover the operatin leading to the Highbreed commander bringing about sterilization operations that sought to destroy all Human activity within 5 miles of the ship but the plot was thwarted by the Tennysons. (EP: Ben 10 Returns)

The species were also involved in a clandestine attempt at terraforming the planet. This involved DNAlien agents creating a series of seemingly crop circle shaped energy circuits that were designed to bring about the creation of a weather machine. These large devices were designed to alter the atmosphere and environment on a planet creating colder snow filled weather that was more suited to the DNAliens and the Highbreed. However, this operation was stopped due to the interference of Ben Tennyson and his friends. (EP: Everybody Talks About the Weather)

The Highbreed through their DNAlien agents were also involved in using a factory called the Hatchery to hide production of Xenocytes in order to create an army of DNAliens from the Human population. However, their operation was being tracked by Plumber Max Tennyson. In an effort to curtail the continued sabotage of their operations by Max Tennyson, the Highbreed targeted one of his grandsons in order to draw him out. Capturing the Human, they implanted a Xenocyte on him thus turning him into a DNAlien which Max tried to save but was betrayed by his mind controlled grandchild. The commander in charge of the operation was confident that with Tennyson captured then nothing would stop the delivery of the Xenocytes, however, Ben Tennyson thwarted their plan. The commander was later involved in fighting and overpowering the freed Max Tennyson but the Plumber overloaded the null void projector which catapulted the entire base into the Null Void. However, a number of Xenocyte eggs were being transported elsewhere on Earth. (EP: Max Out)

They were later involved in using the arachnalien Simian in a plot to remove the power source of an intergalactic communicator on Earth's moon. Posing as an innocent prince who attempted to prove to his people that he was worthy to rule them, Simeon tricked Ben Tennyson into helping him onto the moon and removing the communication device's power source. This would leave Earth defenseless and unable to call for help when the Highbreed invaded. When Simeon escaped, he returned to his Highbreed benefactor and presented the crystal power source only to discover that Ben Tennyson suspected him of treachery and switched it which thwarted the Highbreed's plan. (EP: Birds of a Feather)

Eventually, their plans came to fruitrion when they activated a hyperspatial jumpgate on Earth allowing their invasion forces to storm that planet along with countless others in the galaxy. The destruction of the planet Galvan Prime was a signal to the Highbreed fleet to begin an all out invasion of the known universe and destroy all life due to the fact that they were dying out. However, Ben Tennyson along with his friends travelled to the Highbreed homeworld where they learnt of the true nature of the Highbreed. Using the Omnitrix, Ben healed the genetic damage faced by the species by infusing the DNA of random species. The High Council of the Highbreed, however, felt that they were now impure and were going to do the only action that they deemed honourable which was taking their own lives. Yet, a single Highbreed commander called Reinrassic III who became friends with Ben Tennyson showed them the means to continue on living. The Council of the Highbreed thus ended their campaign and delegated the leadership of their race to Reinrassic III. Recalling their forces, the Highbreed ended the war that almost exterminated life in the galaxy. (EP: War of the Worlds)

Biology
A Highbreed appears as tall humanoids that are twice the size of a Human with white skin, four red eye-like marks on their torsos with black hands and feet. They also possess fold-out wings on their back and a purple face with four red eyes with no distinguishable mouth. A member of the species was notable powerful with a remarkable level of physical strength and able to overpower Humongousaur's base strength. Their finger tips can be fired like darts and quickly regenerate allowing them the option to fire them again. Furthermore, they can open their chests and use appendages within to bring water from deep underground.

However, they are unable to operate well in warm climates and quickly dehydrate when deprived of water. Their ships and base of operations seem to have a colder climate to maintain their functions. (EP: Alone Together) In addition, due to their practice of maintaining their purity, the species had brought about inbreeding which led to catastrophic damage to their DNA. This brought about a slow and eventual slide to extinction unless some diversity was brought about into their biology. (EP: War of the Worlds)

A Highbreed possessed four flaps on their skin that extended to wing-like projections thus giving them the capacity to fly through an environment. (Episode: If All Else Fails)

Society
Members of the species considered themselves to be the highest form of life in the universe and that they were the first race to exist. Thus, they believe all other races to be mongrels and vermins who were fit only to be exterminated. This led to them undergoing about a campaign of cleansing the universe of all other species except their own. As fitting with their racial goals, a Highbreed member is arrogant and shows nothing but contempt as wel as hatred for other races. Typically, they refer to an enemy as being "filth", "vermin" or as "scum". This even goes to the standard of being considered infected if they are bitten by an enemy alien. As such, they appear to have a fear of being contaminated by other species. A single member of the race who spent time with Ben Tennyson even felt itself "tainted" by the Human's sentiments and chose self imposed exile rather then return to his race.

The ultimate leader of the Highbreed was known as the Highbreed Supreme who had the authority to call off invasions of chosen worlds. To signify their command as ruler of their race, they typically had the Imperial Seal symbol located in the palm of their hands. (Episode: If All Else Fails) With him sat a council of Highbreed which were obese members of their kind that decided on the actions of their race. For menial duties and to serve as shock troopers, the Highbreed employ the DNAliens. Despite these servant races being their own creation, they consider them as vermin and halfbreeds due to the human half making them repulsive. These servants are expected kneel before their presence and speak only when spoken to.

The attack plan of the species was noted to have worked on dozens of worlds and brought about their downfall. They typically sent a small strike force that infiltrated the target planet which began an infestation of xenocytes by converting the local population into DNAliens. With an improved power base, the Highbreed forced their servants to bring about the creation of a hyperspace jumpgate allowing the Highbreed to directly conquer the planet in question.

Amongst the soldiers of the race, it was believed that there was no higher honor then to fall doing their duty. (Episode: If All Else Fails)

Technology
Their technology was notably organic in appearance.

One dangerous weapon the Highbreed possessed was the use of drone seedlings who were originally captives of the Highbreed but were allowed to be freed with post-hypnotic suggestion placed to serve as a weapon in case their race were ever destroyed. These were parasitic weapons that attached unknowingly to a host and began to slowly convert it into a biomass. The seedlings required a minimum of five out of ninety nine where they merged together to form a powerful weapon of mass destruction capable of destroying an entire planet. The final step of his failsafe process involved the activation of machinery that created organic tendrils that enveloped the seedlngs and placed them into a large cocoon known as the seed pod. If allowed to continue, the seed pod hatched and created a massive construct composed of local organic material such as soil or plants which formed a gigantic living machine shaped partially like a Highbreed. This organism was thus tasked with using its great might to destroy an entire planet and its species. This was accomplished by finding a powerful energy source to feed on whereupon it exploded with the resultant fallout destroying the world. Inside the failsafe was an entire circulatory system to regulate its functions and it also possessed a form of anti-bodies which roughly appeared as hybrid who were connected to the internal anatomy of the larger organism. These umbilical cords powered the anti-body but if the line was severed then the anti-body reverted to a human host. Of all the seedlings, only a single one was used as a brain mechanism for the failsafe. Typically, it was said that once a failsafe sprouted then nothing was capable of stopping it as there was no deactivation mechanism in the device. (Episode: If All Else Fails)

Appearances

 * Ben 10: