Gen¹³ (film)
Encyclopedia
Gen¹³ is a 1999 animated feature film based on the WildStorm
comic book
Gen¹³
. The film was directed by Kevin Altieri
(Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
) and was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures, and produced by WildStorm Productions. It remains unreleased in the United States
, since Disney Studios shelved the film as they were ambivalent about the idea of promoting a film based on a product from a rival production company. However, a home video release was sold in the European and Australian market for a limited time.
by the National Security Committee to attend a secret military-based school set in a U.S. desert. While there she meets new friends Percival Chang (Grunge) and Roxanne Spaulding (Freefall). But unknown to them, they are secretly subjects to genetic testing by the school's headmasters, Ivana Baiul and Matthew Callahan, who plot to develop the students into Super-Powered Beings (or go Gen Active) to spearhead an insurrection against the government. The only person standing in their way is Colonel John Lynch, of Internal Operations, an original member of Gen 12, investigates the Gen 13 project and is determined to expose their illegal operations. He introduces himself to Caitlin and revealed that he knew her father, Alex Fairchild.
Soon enough, Caitlin begins to start having headaches and throwing up. She tries making her way to the infirmary before she finds a lab. While searching through its databases for information on her father, she is surprised by Grunge and Roxy, who both were looking for a place to having a midnight snack and smoke respectively without being spotted by the cameras. Unfortunately, they are discovered by a guard, who catches them for entering a restricted area. A fight breaks out when Caitlin tried to explain how she got there. Then suddenly, Caitlin displays superhuman abilities and defenestrated the guard. Her headaches start to get worse before her body mass increased. The trio hide in the air vents as the base goes on high alert. But Caitlin is separated from her friends after the guards drop a grenade down the vent, who soon capture them.
Caitlin is chased through the wastelands by her drill sergeant, Helga in an exo-suit. She is able to knock Helga out, before commandeering her exo-suit to go back to Phoenix base and rescue her friends, sensing them being tortured. Ivana is convinced that they are Lynch's spies and doesn't believe them when they deny it. Soon, she is alerted that Lynch is arriving with a squadron to investigate their illegal activities. After she leaves, Matthew reveals to Grunge and Roxy that he knows that they are telling the truth, revealing himself to have psychic powers. He intends to torture them until they go Gen Active or die. Grunge goes Gen active, able to take on the properties of any objects he touched, and breaks free, knocking out Threshold and freeing Roxy. They then kiss afterwards.
After a skirmish with Ivana, the trio intimidate a pilot to fly a helicopter for them back home. Unfortunately, Threshold prevents their escape and destroys the helicopter. Roxy unknowingly manifests her gravity controlling powers, slowing their fall. Threshold descends to reveal that he intends to overthrow the allegedly corrupt government that killed his parents. But the trio view him as fanatical and start to fight him. Lynch arrives to defuse the situation, revealing that Caitlin and Threshold are siblings. Lynch explains that the NSC was after the two of them, so their mother turned to her ex-husband Callahan, Matthew's father, to get them out of the country. But the NSC killed both of them and captured Matthew. Lynch himself found the infant Caitlin and returned her to her uncle once the government's SPB program was discontinued. Caitlin then soon comes to the conclusion that her recurring nightmares were in fact repressed memories of her childhood when her parents were killed.
Meanwhile, Ivana had sets the Phoenix base to self-destruct. A landslide is caused by the explosion, heading right for the others. Threshold holds off the boulders, to allow his sister to escape. Because IO doesn't accept resignations, Lynch offers to help train the trio in use their powers to make the world a better place. Caitlin and her friends accepted his offer, before asking Lynch to tell her about her family.
, a Time Warner
company, to purchase Wildstorm. The sale was finalized in January 1999. By the time the film was finished Disney decided to shelve the film as they did not want to market a film that had ties to a rival production company. Because of this the film was never released in the U.S., although it did receive a limited video release in Europe
and Australia
and also was aired on Russian 2×2 channel on August 1, 2010. Unlike most Disney films, the Gen¹³ film contained suggested nudity, adult situations and adult language.
WildStorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
Gen¹³
Gen¹³
Gen¹³ is a fictional superhero team and comic book series originally written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi and illustrated by J. Scott Campbell. It was originally published by Image Comics under the banner Wildstorm, which went on to become an imprint for DC Comics, who continued publishing the Gen¹³...
. The film was directed by Kevin Altieri
Kevin Altieri
Kevin Altieri is an American television director of animated cartoons. He is best known for his work on The Real Ghostbusters, Batman: The Animated Series, and the music video for Pearl Jam's "Do the Evolution".-References:...
(Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 animated superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, and is a spin-off of the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series...
) and was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures, and produced by WildStorm Productions. It remains unreleased in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, since Disney Studios shelved the film as they were ambivalent about the idea of promoting a film based on a product from a rival production company. However, a home video release was sold in the European and Australian market for a limited time.
Plot
College student Caitlin Fairchild is offered a scholarshipScholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
by the National Security Committee to attend a secret military-based school set in a U.S. desert. While there she meets new friends Percival Chang (Grunge) and Roxanne Spaulding (Freefall). But unknown to them, they are secretly subjects to genetic testing by the school's headmasters, Ivana Baiul and Matthew Callahan, who plot to develop the students into Super-Powered Beings (or go Gen Active) to spearhead an insurrection against the government. The only person standing in their way is Colonel John Lynch, of Internal Operations, an original member of Gen 12, investigates the Gen 13 project and is determined to expose their illegal operations. He introduces himself to Caitlin and revealed that he knew her father, Alex Fairchild.
Soon enough, Caitlin begins to start having headaches and throwing up. She tries making her way to the infirmary before she finds a lab. While searching through its databases for information on her father, she is surprised by Grunge and Roxy, who both were looking for a place to having a midnight snack and smoke respectively without being spotted by the cameras. Unfortunately, they are discovered by a guard, who catches them for entering a restricted area. A fight breaks out when Caitlin tried to explain how she got there. Then suddenly, Caitlin displays superhuman abilities and defenestrated the guard. Her headaches start to get worse before her body mass increased. The trio hide in the air vents as the base goes on high alert. But Caitlin is separated from her friends after the guards drop a grenade down the vent, who soon capture them.
Caitlin is chased through the wastelands by her drill sergeant, Helga in an exo-suit. She is able to knock Helga out, before commandeering her exo-suit to go back to Phoenix base and rescue her friends, sensing them being tortured. Ivana is convinced that they are Lynch's spies and doesn't believe them when they deny it. Soon, she is alerted that Lynch is arriving with a squadron to investigate their illegal activities. After she leaves, Matthew reveals to Grunge and Roxy that he knows that they are telling the truth, revealing himself to have psychic powers. He intends to torture them until they go Gen Active or die. Grunge goes Gen active, able to take on the properties of any objects he touched, and breaks free, knocking out Threshold and freeing Roxy. They then kiss afterwards.
After a skirmish with Ivana, the trio intimidate a pilot to fly a helicopter for them back home. Unfortunately, Threshold prevents their escape and destroys the helicopter. Roxy unknowingly manifests her gravity controlling powers, slowing their fall. Threshold descends to reveal that he intends to overthrow the allegedly corrupt government that killed his parents. But the trio view him as fanatical and start to fight him. Lynch arrives to defuse the situation, revealing that Caitlin and Threshold are siblings. Lynch explains that the NSC was after the two of them, so their mother turned to her ex-husband Callahan, Matthew's father, to get them out of the country. But the NSC killed both of them and captured Matthew. Lynch himself found the infant Caitlin and returned her to her uncle once the government's SPB program was discontinued. Caitlin then soon comes to the conclusion that her recurring nightmares were in fact repressed memories of her childhood when her parents were killed.
Meanwhile, Ivana had sets the Phoenix base to self-destruct. A landslide is caused by the explosion, heading right for the others. Threshold holds off the boulders, to allow his sister to escape. Because IO doesn't accept resignations, Lynch offers to help train the trio in use their powers to make the world a better place. Caitlin and her friends accepted his offer, before asking Lynch to tell her about her family.
Cast
- Alicia WittAlicia WittAlicia Roanne Witt is an American film, stage, television actress and singer.-Early life:Witt was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her mother, Diane , is a junior high school reading teacher, and her father, Robert Witt, is a science teacher and photographer. She has a brother, Ian...
as Caitlin FairchildCaitlin FairchildCaitlin Fairchild is a fictional comic book superhero, who appears in the Wildstorm series Gen¹³. She was created by writers Jim Lee and Brandon Choi, and artist J. Scott Campbell.-Early life:Fairchild is the daughter of Alex Fairchild of Team 7... - John de LancieJohn de LancieJohn de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1....
as John LynchJohn Lynch (comics)John Lynch is a fictional comic book character, published by Wildstorm. He is the head of Internal Operations. He has starred in Gen¹³, Team 7, Sleeper, and Wildcats.John Lynch is an homage to Nick Fury, the one-eyed head of Marvel Comics' S.H.I.E.L.D.... - FleaFlea (musician)Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
as GrungeGrunge (comics)Grunge is the codename of Percival Edmund Chang, a fictional comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm, and is a member of the superhero team Gen¹³.-Character history:Philip Chang sent his son into hiding while he was still an infant... - Elizabeth DailyElizabeth DailyElizabeth Ann Guttman , better known by her stage names of Elizabeth Daily and E.G. Daily, is an American voice actress, actress, singer-songwriter, and musician...
as FreefallFreefall (comics)Freefall is the code name of a fictional comic book character Roxanne "Roxy" Spaulding from Wildstorm Comics. She is a member of the superhero team Gen¹³.-Early life:... - Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
as ThresholdThreshold (comics)Threshold, Matthew Callahan, is a fictional supervillain from the Gen¹³ and DV8 comic books, published by Wildstorm.-Fictional character biography:Matthew Callahan is the son of Stephen Callahan, a former member of Team 7... - Lauren LaneLauren LaneLauren Lane is a television and stage actress. She is best known for her role as C. C. Babcock on The Nanny.-Biography:Lane was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and raised in Texas....
as Ivana BaiulIvana BaiulIvana Baiul is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm. She has starred in Gen¹³ and DV8.-History:Ivana Baiul was the head of Sci-Tech, the scientific division of I.O. There she worked on creating a group of genetically enhanced soldiers for the government, a task previously done 12 times... - Cloris LeachmanCloris LeachmanCloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award...
as Helga
Production
In the mid-1990s Wildstorm owner Jim Lee put the company on the market as comic book sales began to decline. It was during this period that Disney Studios expressed interested in developing a Gen¹³ film. The film project was already in full production when Lee began talks with DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, a Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
company, to purchase Wildstorm. The sale was finalized in January 1999. By the time the film was finished Disney decided to shelve the film as they did not want to market a film that had ties to a rival production company. Because of this the film was never released in the U.S., although it did receive a limited video release in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and also was aired on Russian 2×2 channel on August 1, 2010. Unlike most Disney films, the Gen¹³ film contained suggested nudity, adult situations and adult language.