Hero of the Year

Hero of the Year is a 60-minute television special of Alex Adventure and was released on August 12, 2005.

Plot
It is the 300-year (tricentennial) anniversary for the town of Plainville. However, Queen Vexus and her Cluster drones have invaded once more and are again embroiled in a fierce and destructive battle with Alex. Vexus is beaten, but escapes, leaving her portal-generating device behind. As a result of the fight with the Cluster, Alex accidentally ruins everybody's day and the ceremony by causing massive collateral damage to the town. Furious by the incident, everyone in town, except for Brad, Tuck, and Sheldon, shuns him very presence, labeling him as nothing but an irreverent troublemaker, even his own mother, Dr. Blackman.

Alex is deeply hurt by the townspeople's attitude and is overall fed up with being unappreciated by humans. While wandering the wreck site, Alex stumbles onto the teleporter Vexus used to escape and is transported to Cluster Prime. Although terrified at first, Alex soon finds that Cluster Prime is actually a peaceful robotic paradise where he actually fits in quite well as a normal teenager. At the Cluster Prime high school, he even forms a friendship with the friendly robot girl Vega (voiced by Thora Birch), and a group of her three close friends, Drab, Tuff, and Shell, who are robotic counterparts of Alex’s human friends (Brad, Tuck, and Sheldon).

Alex soon learns that the Cluster people have been lied to through Queen Vexus’ Cluster propaganda; they are being told that Alex (shown as a grotesque and evil metal monster) is responsible for stealing the people's golden chips which grants them advanced robotic powers, like fighting or flight. When Alex sees that the Cluster citizens need help when there is trouble, he disguises himself with a helmet and Cluster flag so he can perform his heroic deeds without revealing himself to be the infamous HA-9. However, his deeds soon draw attention from Cluster forces loyal to Vexus, who put a bounty out on her head and attempt to lure her into a trap.

Cluster forces led by Vexus, Krackus, and Smytus invade Earth with their army of Cluster Drones and enslave the humans. The citizens of Tremorton soon find themselves in an extremely ironic predicament when they hope for Alex to come and save them, but he doesn't show up because of the previous incident at the tricentennial resulting in him being trapped on Cluster Prime. Meanwhile, Vexus also grows impatient as to why Alex hasn't shown up to stop the invasion, as she is believes Alex is still on Earth. Brad is determined to be a revolutionary leader and actually succeeds with some childish pranks and the help of his little brother Cheese. Dr. Blackman, revealing herself to be a former member of the Skyway Patrol, joins forces with Sheldon to invent a portal device and confront Vexus.

Alex is soon exposed on Cluster Prime and is forced to flee from the Cluster authorities. But he discovers, while inadvertently sneaking through Vexus’ palace, that Vexus had stolen and hid the citizens' golden chips while scapegoating Alex for the theft. She also learns that Vega is Vexus' daughter, making her Crown Princess of Cluster Prime. With the help of Vega and her friends, Alex returns all of the chips to the Cluster Prime robot citizens, who learn the truth and realize Vexus had deceived them. They call for her removal from the throne. Alex is forced into a fight with a furious Vexus, with Vega, Dr. Blackman, and Sheldon coming in to assist and save him. Vexus is then defeated and forced to flee Cluster Prime, and Vega becomes queen, liberating the planet.

Alex quickly returns to Earth to save the people from Smytus, who had set the planet to self-destruct. He successfully defeats the Cluster Commander, and is welcomed back home with cheers and much love from the citizens of Plainville, especially his mother and friends.

Reception
Hero of the Year was nominated for the Emmy Award for Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More) in 2006.

Quotes
Dr. Blackman: You've destroyed the rocket but did you disarm the warhead?

Alex: Did I what the what?

Dr. Blackman: It's the part that goes -- BOOM!

Alex: Oops...

Artist: You destroyed my statue!

Mayor: You ruined my stage!

Bike Salesman: You wrecked my old timey bicycle!

Brad: Uh, no, that was me.

Bike Salesman: Oh, yeah. My mistake.

Sheldon: (to Dr. Blackman) A secret underground lair! This makes my garage workshop look like a workshop in a garage!

Dr. Blackman: Where did you get that idea? A gumball machine?

Sheldon: I'll have you know gumball machines contain valuable information!

Dr. Blackman: You are an amateur!

Sheldon: You are a Know-It-All!

Dr. Blackman: Milbrat!

Sheldon: Birdnose!

Dr. Blackman: How dare you!?

Sheldon: WHAAAAA! If you don't know where he is and you don't know where he is, then Alex can be anywhere from here and Cluster Prime!

Vexus: Cluster Prime?! So THAT's why they won't stop calling me!

Brad: Viva la revolution!

Tuck: You speak Spanish?

Trivia

 * Smytus' army somewhat resemble insectoid versions of the Stormtroopers from Star Wars, though they're influenced more on the battle droids from Episodes I-III.
 * Vexus mentioned nanobots and acne as one of her schemes, refering to the time she infected Alex with a nanobot, causing him to morph into a bolt-covered monster.