Gelatonium

A cube of gelatonium from the Gelanator

Gelatonium, colloquially known as gel, is a recurring substance in the Ratchet & Clank series, first appearing in Tools of Destruction. It is a natural resource in the Polaris Galaxy used primarily as fuel for starships, other vehicles, and as a power source for cities.

Gelatonium is drilled on several planets in Polaris, including Cobalia (the gel capital of the galaxy), Sargasso, and Jasindu. Ratchet and Clank used the Gelanator to create gelatonium cubes for bouncing, which allowed them to traverse wide areas. Tumfoids, robots that consume gel, were created to prevent the gel cubes from being used in this manner.

History

Before Tools of Destruction

The gelatonium plant on Cobalia

Gelatonium became the fuel source for much of the galaxy, including the lombaxes (as Alister Azimuth used it for his ship), though exceptions like the vullards continued to use battery bots. During the refining process, gelatinous cubes were created, and refinery workers found them irresistible to bounce on. To curtail this, management used tumfoids to eat the gel when workers misbehaved.

Cronk and Zephyr secured the Igliak gelatonium refinery during the Phylax intrusion, transporting gelatonium to the Meridian armory.

GrummelNet Industries manufactured the Gelanator but sold it exclusively to the Gelatonium Miners Workers Union.

When Emperor Tachyon seized control of the Polaris Galaxy, he took over most gel-rich planets. Three years before Tools of Destruction, he claimed Cobalia, the richest gel source in the galaxy, making the galaxy dependent on his rationing of gelatonium for interstellar travel. The hostile kerchu drilled gelatonium on Sargasso, and had a secret underground gel plant on their home planet, Jasindu.

Tools of Destruction

Ratchet arrived on Cobalia just as the Smuggler's ship ran out of gel during a job. When Ratchet arrived, Tachyon shut down the gel plants, stranding both Ratchet and the Smuggler. After meeting, the Smuggler made a deal: he would give Ratchet and Clank a ride if they reactivated the gel plant, lending them the Gelanator to do so. In "Restore the Gelatonium Pumps", Ratchet and Clank restarted the pumps despite imperial warnings, navigating around tumfoids that ate their gel cubes.

The gel plant on Sargasso.

Additional gelatonium pumps were seen in Kortog's docks during "Swing through the Docks" and in the Nundac Asteroid Ring. The kerchu at Outpost L51, Sargasso, hired the Smuggler to traffic fossermites to scare away the troublesome tumfoids. In "Investigate the Kerchu Outpost", Ratchet visited this refinery while searching for the Dimensionator. He also uncovered another gel plant in Kerchu City, Jasindu, during "Search the Gel Facility".

During this time, Ratchet acquired the Plasma Beasts weapon from GrummelNet, with these creatures appearing to be made from gelatonium.

After Tools of Destruction

Due to Dr. Nefarious' damage to the Great Clock, causing time anomalies, the slug-guzzling swamp weasel, long thought extinct, resurfaced on Outpost Zulu on Sargasso, where they chewed through gelatonium stockpiles, affecting gel prices.

In "Find the Dimensionator", Ratchet and Clank visited a gelatonium exhibit in the Intergalactic Museum of History on Igliak.

Rift Apart

Gelatonium plant on Sargasso

In Rivet's dimension, the kerchu refined gelatonium on alternate Sargasso under Emperor Nefarious' oppression but were wiped out after they misspelled his name on their tax returns. The morts took over, using gelatonium waste to create bombs and a drink called "Gelatoniumade".

Gelatonium waste bomb

In "Stop the Emperor's Invasion", the morts used waste from their gelatonium plant to create bombs to help Rivet during Emperor Nefarious' invasion. Rivet, riding on Trudi, used these bombs to break through the Nefarious Battle Cruiser's shields, destroying the ships and saving the planet.

Characteristics

Gelatonium is a green, gelatinous substance denser than water. It is primarily used as fuel to power vessels and cities across the Polaris Galaxy. Gelatonium cubes, produced during refining or via the Gelanator, serve as a tool for bouncing. Beyond that, it is also consumed as a drink, and may be used to create Plasma Beasts.

Gelatonium is extracted at derricks, refined in plants, and factories, and distributed through various gelatonium plants. It is mined by the Gelatonium Miners Workers Union and licensed signatories, as well as the kerchu. The process generates significant waste, which is highly explosive.

Behind the scenes

At one point, the OmniSoaker in A Crack in Time was intended to absorb gelatonium and function like the Gelanator. However, placing gelanium anywhere allowed players to jump out of bounds, and the bouncing feature was unnecessary due to other mechanics like hydroplants and catapults. Consequently, it was removed.

References

• Insomniac Games (2007). Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
• Insomniac Games (2009). Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
• Insomniac Games (2013). Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
• Insomniac Games (2021). Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.