Dr. Animo has escaped his Plumber prison, and Ben and Rook must track him down before he turns the world into his personal mutant ant farm!
This episode includes examples of:
- Absurdly Spacious Sewer: The sewer that Dr. Animo escaped into is so big that Ben and Rook’s voices actually echo when they first find themselves in it.
- Admiring the Abomination: Ben tells Dr. Animo that the idea of a giant ant army is actually pretty cool, but he can’t let him go through with it.
- Air-Vent Passageway: Discussed and lampshaded. Ben comments that there must be some kind vent or access panel that Dr. Animo used to escape his cell because there’s always one in situations like this.Ben: Why is that anyway? Do they want prisoners to be able to escape?
- Ant Assault: After recognizing the Mucilator as an intruder, the giant ants swarm the monster. Then, Rook programs the power core to atomize the ants, causing them to explode. The explosion de-mutates the Mucilator back into Zed who runs off to its owner.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: Ben and Rook take this stance when they’re surrounded by giant mutant ants.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: In the sewer, Ben and Rook encounter a giant ant that’s been mutated by Dr. Animo. And to make things worse, it also breathes fire.
- Chekhov's Classroom: When Ben asks Rook how he knows so much about ants, Rook recites a few facts about their massive population and widespread presence across the Earth. When they catch up with Animo, he lectures them about the power of ants...using the exact same statistics, which Ben proudly proclaims he already knows.
- Covered in Gunge: Rook covers himself and Ben in slimy ant pheromones in order to keep the giant ants from attacking them.
- Defrosting Ice King: Ben, as Rath, blatantly admits he's this regarding Rook.Rath: LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, NEW ALIEN PARTNER THAT I NEVER WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT I'M BEGRUDGINGLY BEGINNING TO LIKE, IN SPITE OF MYSELF...
- Department of Redundancy Department: Rath calls Dr. Animo the “mutator of mutant mutants”.
- Failure Montage: Ben flashes back to all the times he’s defeated Dr. Animo, each one ending with him vowing his revenge on the then ten-year-old Ben.
- Full-Name Ultimatum:Rook: Aloysius James Animo…Ben: Oooh, he middle-named you! You are so busted!
- Ground Punch: Diamondhead punches the ground, sending crystals bursting out of the cement to surround the Slamworm and prevent it from continuing its attack.
- I'm Not Doing That Again: Ben says this verbatim when he tries to use Diamondhead’s crystal sword to stab the Slamworm only for the blade to break off.
- In a Single Bound: This episode sees the debut of a new alien for Ben: Crashhopper, a giant anthropomorphic grasshopper with incredible jumping abilities.
- Irony: Rook points out the irony of ants existing on every continent on earth except for Antarctica.
- Lame Pun Reaction: When the Slamworm bites off the blade from Diamondhead’s sword and then starts thrashing around wildly, Ben comments “Guess you bit off more than you can chew, huh?”. This earns him an unamused look from a group of bystanders hiding nearby.Ben: Aw, come on, that was a little funny!
- Make Some Noise: Ben (unintentionally) uses Echo Echo’s sonic abilities to make Dr. Animo’s giant ant atomize and explode.
- Mistook the Dominant Lifeform: Upon arriving on Earth, Rook read a book written by a fellow alien who thought ants were the dominant lifeform because they outnumber humans so greatly.
- Not Me This Time: When Zed shows up in the middle of Ben and Rook fighting the giant ants controlled by Animo, Ben asks the doctor why he can’t stick to just one mutant at a time. In reply, Dr. Animo tells him that Zed isn’t his creation.
- Nothing Can Stop Us Now!: Dr. Animo tells Ben “Nothing can stop me!” as he presses the Big Red Button on his machine that will turn all of the ants on Earth into giants.
- Nutritional Nightmare: When his lunch gets dropped on the ground, Ben’s cheeseburger gets mixed together with his chili fries and hot fudge sundae. He ends up eating it anyway and claims it’s not bad.
- Palate Propping: Ben, as Diamondhead, has to do this with his own body to keep the Slamworm’s jaws from clamping closed on him.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: A reference to the move Them! - fitting for an episode about giant ants.
- Properly Paranoid: At the end of the episode, Rook agrees that Ben’s been right all along about someone dangerous sending mutant aliens after him.
- Red Herring: In-Universe. While the audience knows Khyber is behind it, Ben and Rook assume that Dr. Animo is the one sending the various creatures Zed turns into to hunt Ben.
- Sand Worm: At the beginning of the episode, Zed transforms into a Slamworm and attacks Ben.
- Self-Destruct Mechanism: Rook uses the power core he retrieved from one of the ants to make Animo’s machine self-destruct. However, once he realizes it will also destroy himself, Ben, and several nearby populations, he adjusts it to only make the ants atomize.
- Strong Ants: Dr. Animo is using the giant ants to transport huge pieces of machinery for him to use on his invention that will mutate every ant on earth and turn the world into an ant farm ruled by him.
- Tempting Fate: Ben makes a relieved comment about finally having some down time, right before Khyber sics Zed as a Slamworm on him.
- Took a Shortcut: To get to the top of Animo’s tower, Rook climbs up the side of it and Ben uses Crashopper’s jumping abilities. Dr. Animo, however, uses the elevator.
- Totally Radical: At one point, Rook attempts to use “earthling” slang; calling Ben “dude” while speaking in a poorly executed Surfer Dude accent.Rook: ...I’ve been working on my conversational earthling.
- Villain of the Week: Dr. Animo makes his first Omniverse appearance in this episode.
- We Will Meet Again: Dr. Animo says “You haven’t seen the last of me, Ben Tennyson!” as he sits alone in his cell sewing more creepy mutant stuffed animals, followed by an Evil Laugh.
- You Meddling Kids:Dr. Animo: Curse you, Tennyson! Curse you and your meddling ways!
