1. Is Damon Gray alive or dead?
Future Damon, Valerie's father only appears in the beginning, looking a bit worse for the wear (sporting an eye patch and missing an arm). When Phantom (what I call Dark Danny) comes, he blows up the house he and Valerie are apparently living in (Fenton Works). The Fenton household appears again later (undamaged despite being BLOWN UP (!) though the Opt Center is still damaged in the manner Fright Knight did at the beginning of the episode--chalk it up to animation goof I suppose) and Damon is nowhere to be seen. Even more so is that Future Valerie comes out of a wreckage, probably one from the house Phantom blew up in the beginning (or perhaps she was in hiding till Phantom came since it didn't really look like she popped out of Fenton Works or whatever), but Damon doesn't. Considering his less them abled status, I have reasons to believe he's dead by that point.

2. How did the boiler started it's trigger path to explosion?
Irving states that if any of the Nasty sauces, herbs, and spices grow too hot, it can cause a huge explosion. Danny later uses that to his advantage by grabbing a packet of Nasty Sauce to use against Box Lunch, heating it with his ecto beam and causing it to blow up half of the Nasty Burger.

I don't know if a lot of people actually saw this or not (it took me a while to find out), but while the Nasty Burger did explode because of Danny and his battle with Box Lunch, the boiler has yet to. You CAN notice however that there is a heater grill oven extremely close to the boiler. If you notice, that heater is slowly increasing the heat on the boiler, causing it to rise it's heat and pressure level, thus setting the stage for the explosion that will take place.

3. What did Phantom meant by saying Clockwork was "meddling again?"
Someone generally asked me this, stating the fans were making a bigger deal about this little quote Phantom said more then they really should and in general, I agree. Phantom probably was aware of Clockwork beforehand and he probably meddled before (possibly this "TUE" incident itself), and is why Phantom thinks Clockwork is "meddling again". After all, if we are to believe this entire time period is a cycle, Danny has met Clockwork and thus, when he becomes Phantom later on, he would indefinitely remember the time ghost.

4. In the future, does Valerie know Phantom was once Danny Fenton (the same person, that is)?
After Danny saves Future Valerie, she mutters before lying unconscious, "You're from the past, aren't you? Almost forgot how cute you were back then." It's interesting to note she says this to Danny when he is in his Danny PHANTOM form whom she considers her sworn enemy, so in some aspect, unless Valerie thought Danny Phantom was attractive, Valerie must have figured out Danny Fenton and Phantom are one and the same. The question is how?

Valerie's major appearance before "TUE" was "Reign Storm" where she started to respect Danny Fenton and have a thing for him. Obviously where the "cute" comment comes from, but he has not revealed himself as Phantom to Valerie. My only theory stems that either Valerie researched enough to find out both Fenton and Phantom were the same or perhaps Phantom revealed it to her at some point in the next ten years. Why would he? Like Phantom said when confronting Future Valerie: "I suppose out of respect for our past, I should let you live." I don't know how far into the past he's talking about, whether in between the past and future of Phantom's reign or before Danny lost his folks, but it's clear Phantom has some level of respect for her (and why not, she's pretty much like the only human who can even stand up to Phantom, one assumes), so him revealing his true self to Future Valerie might not seem so farfetched. In fact, manipulating her with it could easily work to his advantage considering her heated personality.

5. Why did Phantom tried to kill Sam/Tucker, but never with Jazz?
One can argue that this came before Phantom had the idea of going back in time to solidify his future, so in an act of cruel manner he just killed them before turning his attention to Danny. OR, perhaps he did know that he had to go back in time to change stuff around. What I mean is, Phantom knew of the events of the Nasty Burger explosion, so he merely tried to kill Sam and Tucker so they'd be prompted to return to their own time period to get blown up later on like the timeline intended. It makes all the more sense when Danny witnesses this and could use it again in the future when he becomes Phantom and meets his past self and his friends, thus repeating the cycle. So in short, his past self who witness Phantom attacking Tucker/Sam did the same thing when he grew up to be the so-called ultimate evil.

As for him not killing Jazz, well, for one thing his past self is not involved or has witness this scene in anycase, so Phantom himself has to wing it on what he wants to do with Jazz. In his case, he probably already knew not to further temper with time as he is doing by going back to the past. Jazz originally died in an explosion and I suspect that is how Phantom wanted her to die, to keep accurate with the current timeline there as much as possible so as to not create any paradoxes and the likes (which is also the main reason why he could have prompted Tucker and Sam to return to their own time). If Jazz died in an entirely different situation, you'd be surprised how something dramatically different can cause different effects. Perhaps Phantom would have been different or he might not even had existed. I believe that's called the butterfly effect, an effect that even the tiniest occurrence can cause a ripple effect and cause the consequences for what someone did originally (see Question 8 for more details).

6. If Phantom didn't want Danny to meddle with his plans, why not kill him?
Because that would create a time paradox. Phantom killing Danny would cause him to no longer exist. Example: A man who is 40 years old went back in time to meet his 10 year old self. He then kills his ten year old self, thusly enabling his own lack of existence. As much as Phantom could have gone the easy way out, killing his own past self will result in Phantom never existing in the first place. Vlad in the future used that to try and kill Danny so Phantom would never come to be, obviously that didn't work, ahaha.

I suppose if Phantom had worn a time medallion, he probably would have survived should he have killed Danny since those medallions are, as Tucker puts it, "like a Get-Out-Time-free card", but he never thought of that, ahaha.

7. If Danny and Phantom are the same person, why wasn't the booooo-merang still not homed in on Phantom yet for Danny it continued to do so?
You have to keep in mind Phantom is completely ghost while Danny is only half. Not JUST that, Phantom came to be that way also because of a fusion with Vlad Plasmius, thus creating his own unique ectoplasm inside of him, thus a different ectoplasm DNA then Danny Fenton/Phantom's.

8. Why was Danny able to get the Ghostly Wail at age 14 when his future self got it just recently?
Chalk it up to changed events in time. I believe this could in a way qualify for the butterfly effect. The butterfly effect is basically a primary example of consequences happening from the events you put into action, no matter how tiny they are. They create a Ripple Effect where the thing you started creates a chain reaction of events that would bypass throughout.

The story "The Sound of Thunder" (which I never read, but looked through a summary) shows a man living in a good life with a good leader as president, having won over a dictator in election or something of that sort. Then he travels back in time to the dinosaur era and steps on a butterfly accidentally. When they return to their timeline, the familiar world he knew had changed dramatically and not for the best (such as the dictator winning the election, etc.) all because that one little butterfly he stepped on caused a chain reaction that led him to that horrible future. If you need another (more familiar) example, try watching "The Simpsons" Treehouse of Horror Part 5, the episode "Time and Punishment" (initially based on "The Sound of Thunder") where Homer goes through the same, ending up in a dinosaur time period where after swatting a bug, the entire world goes completely different then the one he currently lives in (if not greatly exaggerated for humor purposes).

That said, when Phantom wanted to keep Danny out of his hair, he tossed the boy into the future Ghost Zone there where he meets the ghosts whose (after) lives are ruined because of Phantom. They bombarded and attacked Danny and because of the massive amount of stress, Danny builds up his Ghostly Wail and delivers the blow. Because Phantom meddled with time by sending Danny into the ghost zone, it is probable he gained that power in that manner. He's cause was that he sent Danny to the Ghost Zone where the Ripple Effect begins: Danny hovers in the zone, the ghosts find him, they attack him, he's stressed, and thusly he gains his power ten years earlier then Phantom had done so previously. Phantom tossing Danny is his equivalent of stepping on that butterfly.

Although if the timeline really is a cycle, surely Danny (or at least his ghost half who would become evil) would have kept that power as he became Phantom instead of learning it ten years later. So how does THAT work? Well, by the time Danny ends up losing his family/friends to the explosion, he ends up with Vlad and turns into Phantom once again. Danny Phantom merged himself with Vlad, becoming essentially the same person with different biological results; it is possible the different DNA caused him to lose the Ghostly Wail and thus, he had to spend another ten years gaining it back.

9. After Danny used the Ghostly Wail for the first time, how come he's phantom clothes still stayed on when he turned back into human?
Either the artists REALLY made a big doo-doo, they're fan servicing fangirls who wants to see Danny Fenton in Phantom wear, or maybe it's an instinct sorta thing or something. There isn't a whole lot of explanations and reasons why when he turned human he's phantom outfit stayed on. It's not like it's out for protection as humans can walk around in the Ghost Zone just fine.

It's even more interesting that all the other times when he uses the Ghostly Wail, he reverts completely to his human self. Is it possible that using the Ghostly Wail in the Ghost Zone only changes him physically back to human without altering the clothes? Perhaps since as far as I know, it's the only Ghostly Wail he did in the Ghost Zone (Until "Phantom Planet", but by that point, it's clear he has better control of that particular power). Again, maybe it's a pure instinct thing, maybe it's the other two reasons stated above, or maybe this one is just one big mystery.

10. How did Future Vlad knew Danny was his past self then the evil Phantom?
Well, Danny did come in donning his regular Danny Phantom wear as oppose to Phantom's wear, but that doesn't do justice since Phantom could have easily been in disguised, so it comes to mind that I think Phantom just doesn't know where he is (Phantom mentions to Jazz he is currently trying to find his Ghost Portal to destroy it and him).

Phantom immediately left the manor after completely blowing it up ten years ago. Future Vlad, from his mannerisms, his guilt, and his clothes shows it's plain obvious he's been in hiding, lost in his own sorrow and guilt for the past ten years, possibly never even have left. Phantom has yet to find Vlad, but he stated he's looking for his Ghost Portal to destroy and possibly Vlad himself. Why Phantom didn't kill Vlad earlier when he was born is unknown. Perhaps when he blew up the manor, he assumed Vlad died along with it until he heard otherwise. Why Phantom haven't found Vlad in his own manor in ten years is also debatable (maybe he assumed Vlad bolted to different location).

Any who, when Danny entered his broken manor, Vlad (not facing him) calmly said, "Come to kick a defenseless old man while he's down?" Phantom has no problem killing people, so of course Vlad would assume such a thing. So when he does end up facing Danny, he does wonder if it is the true Danny of the past and quickly finds out he is when Danny cries out in shock, "Whoa, what happen to you?!". Future Vlad then proceeds to tell the story of how Phantom came to be. Danny's confusion/reaction to his old alternate self should be the other clue given. So no, he didn't know it at first, but upon seeing boy's confused state and then relating the story and whatnot, he did then. After all, it is possible if this was Phantom in disguise, Vlad would be dead at this point.

11. How was Phantom REALLY born? Why did Danny Phantom do what he did?
Many people assume Danny Phantom did what he did to become Phantom out of pure emotions he held onto during this time. And in many ways, this is the theory I logically agree with the most since the show was REALLY lacking in explantation on this part.

Let's start from when Danny's family/friends got axed from the big explosion. Danny's emotions (however little it was shown and told) is obviously not one that is happy. The show didn't greatly emphasize how Danny felt, but as Vlad himself said, "They felt no pain, unfortunately the same could not be said of you, Daniel." That little sentence notes Danny had a hard time (and who wouldn't, he's family and friends, plus one teacher got killed in one go) and from the looks of it, is clearly depressed, possibly angry and guilty that he himself--the one with ghost powers--could not save them in time, so I imagine a sense of frustration as well. Danny has shown to be an emotional boy, emotions he at times cannot control very well. Bearing that in mind, he asks Vlad to rip his ghost half off.

Danny Phantom separates from Danny Fenton through the use of the ghost gauntlets, then in an instant goes postal as he pulls himself away from Vlad's ghost gauntlets, wears them himself, rips Vlad's ghost half, then possesses him. The main question however is WHY. WHY does Danny Phantom rip Vlad's ghost half, then possess it? Did he do it thinking it'll do good to try and end Plasmius' antagonistic ways? No, why should he feel this way at the current time period this took place? He's depressed and angry at himself for failing to save them, not Vlad--the man who took him in and comforted him in his time. Is it merely because of the emotions Danny overall suffered? it could be; the reason Danny Phantom did what he did is because he has a connection to his human half. This theory can trace as far back as "What You Want" when the Fenton Dreamcatcher debuted. Basically Danny was briefly separated from his ghost half, but the ghost side, seeing that quickly goes back inside his human self, obviously not wanting to leave his human half. The two at that time valued each other.

Next, go see "Identity Crisis" which is the biggest support I can find for my reasons. Danny has stated he wants to separate his ghost and human half so that he can make time to both save the world AND have fun. So he does so via the Fenton Dreamcatcher. The reason Danny Phantom didn't go postal there like he did in "TUE" is that Danny before the split said he wants to save the world/have fun without the hassle of doing both. Fenton and Phantom BOTH agreed to this and thus by the split, they were doing their goals. As Sam herself said, "You did't duplicate yourself, you split yourself in half." which proves Fenton and Phantom are more or less two "separate" guys in one body. Fenton and Phantom when separate are more like their own individuals of the same person. They agree and disagree on the same things and feel and act in the same manner, yet when separated, they, while still agreeing with each as one whole, still have even difference to set themselves as a "separate person" and act upon their own from one another. The only reason they agree to be Fun and Super Danny respectfully was that Danny, when whole agreed to do this beforehand.

So baring that in mind, let's return to "The Ultimate Enemy". When Danny asked Vlad to rip his ghost half off, Phantom rebelled and used the Ghost Gauntlets to be his "evil, jerky self". The question again is why. The only logical explanation I can give is purely out of emotions and anger. Phantom and Fenton has shown to be two separate person when given, so to see Phantom being split from his human half possibly gave away some sort of resentment. Perhaps it's some rare case of rebellion from his human side or perhaps Danny Fenton's depression triggered a sense of madness created by his grief (what with the death of his loved ones) causing the mentally stabled Phantom to turn all evil and possibly wreck havoc on the world, dominating and destruction simply his way of letting out his anger and frustration from the one big failure that altered his life for the worse. For him, what other path did he have other then do things by force, however wrong it may be? His first act is to kill his other half for again potentially emotional reasons. You have to also remember he merged with Vlad as well, gaining his "evil side" and thusly sporting a major personality change that caused him to do the things he does. He basically has Vlad's dark demeanors and Danny's spunk to pull it off.

Why Vlad is alive is debatable, but perhaps Phantom, when he blew up Vlad's manor assumed Vlad died with it. After all, unless proven otherwise, Vlad seemed to have stayed hidden for the majority of the ten years and Phantom implies he may not be know that he's alive and if he is, he'll eventually go find him. Why Phantom overshadowed Vlad is also debatable, maybe his emotional caused him to give him the gumption of giving the older hybrid his just dessert, taking away Vlad's pride--his powers--or maybe he possessed him to in order to get stronger (possibly to spread about destruction), getting more powerful and immediately being overwhelmed by Vlad's ghost's evil side which could have theorically given him the push he needed to contemplate chaos everywhere. Perhaps in the end, Danny Phantom was just being completely resentful towards both Vlad and his human half, he certainly didn't hide how much he despised his past self.

Future Vlad also made note that Danny Fenton wanted the pain to go away and the only way to cure that was the removal of his Phantom side. He could have easily pushed all his terrible emotions to his ghost self, causing him to take the full blunt and eventually drive him crazy from all the pessmistic attitude. Or perhaps Danny was speaking metaphorically, in that his phantom self caused a great deal of pain because his powers could not help his loved ones.

12. If Danny did fight Phantom and his family/friends still got killed, WHY did he become Phantom when he knew of the evil he'd be?
The story is a time loop (to me, anyways). It goes without saying that Danny Fenton meets his evil self and learns off what he will become, fights him, and eventually captures him via Fenton Thermos. Then he goes over to try and save his loved ones from dying in the Nasty Burger explosion. This is the timeline where Clockwork DID NOT interfere in the ending so they all bought the harp farm. The question is, if Danny knew he'd be evil because of this one event, why the hell does he go through with it all over again? Why couldn't he just prevent it?

One theory that could be argued is that Danny, despite what he'll become is too emotional distressed to care. He went through all that time traveling where he learned of what he would become and the fate of his loved ones, but they all end up dying on him because he couldn't reach them in time. It's an extremely anti-climatic mode, one he didn't expect--after all, the hero always wins. The other theory is something I picked up in the "Back to the Future" trilogy DVD on the third and last disc (there's a section where the creators answer a variety of questions about the trilogy). While "Back to the Future" may just be a movie, the trilogy and the creators behind it did a tremendous, almost very careful job obeying the laws of time the movie sets them up for. They don't push the boundaries of unbelievably (well, as unbelievable in a movie about time travel) and stick with the rules and laws they got.

Any who, baring that in mind, they manage to punch out this theory called the "Self-Preservation Instincts of the Space-Time Continuum Theory" (which you can either agree with or take it with a grain of salt--it does have a farfetchy-ish feel, though if you wanna learn more, I recommend the "Back to the Future" trilogy DVD}. Basically what it means is the continuum is always trying to keep on course, correcting itself along the way. If something is blocking it's way, it would find another path and get itself back on course (for example, it's like a river, always flowing on it's own course; if earthquakes, fallen trees, or whatever disrupts it's path, it will always find another course to get back to it's original destination).

For example: anyone did see the first "Back to the Future"? In there, Doc meets Marty when Marty travels to 1955 where they do many events, blah blah blah. Yet when Doc and Marty meet in 1985, Doc NEVER makes any mention about meeting Marty in 1955. The directors actually had other theories aside from that, but if you use the "Self-Preservation...blah blah blah" on Doc, it basically means the continuum worked itself so that Doc's memories were hazy on Marty in the events that unfolded in 1955 so as not to create paradoxes by "making" him have hazy memories of that event (although you can also go by the theory that Doc Brown knew, but just kept quiet about it so as not to screw with time).

That said, Danny goes through all that event where he knows he will be evil, yet his family dies and he still ends up in Vlad's manor and turns into Phantom (this being the timeline where Clockwork did not interfere, remember). Why would he, Danny, allow such a thing? That's when the "Self-Preservation freakin' long word" comes into play. Now naturally unlike Doc who's had 30 years of possible memory loss, Danny's barely had enough time between his loved ones death and when he goes evil. But like it's been stated, the theory states that it finds a way to get the course back on track, to the way it should be in it's eyes. So it is possible it "made" Danny emotionally distressed and guilty enough that he still went into asking Vlad to rip out his humanity and become Phantom regardless of what he had just faced. Of course, you don't even need to use this theory and instead just assume he's grief caused him to repeat the change of events because he was too depressed to think straight.

Phantom said it best when he fought Danny before the explosion: "I'm still here, I still exist. That means you still turn into me." Meaning Danny would have become Phantom and lived this cruel fate if Clockwork did not interfere in the end. It was inevitable.

13. If Danny Phantom was heroic when they were separated in "Identity Crisis", why is he evil in "The Ultimate Enemy?"
Already mentioned this above in Question 11. Like I said, it is plausible to think Fenton and Phantom, while being one and the same--when given the chance--can be two separate individuals. Phantom was heroic in "Identity Crisis" because Danny prior to the split wished to have fun/save the world. Phantom agreed, so to speak and thus is why he acted in a heroic manner, being he possessed the ghost powers necessary to do so.

The way he acted in "TUE" is again theories of his possible resentment towards Danny or possible emotional stress from the lost of those close to him. Go see Question 11 for more details.

14. When Danny Phantom merged with Vlad, he basically "took over", but Vlad, being the stronger one should have been the more dominant one, shouldn't he?
True. Vlad has had 20 years more experience, but the interesting thing is, Danny, who's barely had less then a year has already mastered many of Vlad's powers. His only major grip really are duplication and teleportation and even he's learned some aspect of that over time ("Beauty Marked" he split himself briefly in two and later split in four by "Torrent of Terror", in "Reality Trip", he apparently teleported). The thing is, Danny is learning VERY fast and STILL gaining new powers. If you notice that while Danny has yet to "officially" defeat Vlad, he's pretty much at his equal at that point. I remember one fan stating that Vlad, after 20 years, probably has reached his peak. He has mastered all the powers he could get (then again, "Eye for an Eye" debunked THAT, so maybe his powers just comes more slower then Danny's) while Danny's is still growing and at a rather alarming rate.

So it doesn't surprise me if Danny came out the dominant side instead of Vlad. The only thing that overwhelmed him was Vlad's "evil side" and I believe that's more of a purely emotional level. At that time, Danny Fenton/Phantom was going through a vastly difficult emotional state, so Vlad's ghost's dark, more confident, and dominant personality and feelings taking over Phantom's is no surprise. Does that mean Phantom's evil truly came from Vlad's ghost? Maybe, it is probable. Vlad stated his evil side overtook him. I like to think it's not just Vlad that caused him to act sadistic because not even Vlad would do the methods Phantom has done. I'd like to think Danny Phantom's emotions, his hatred towards the world for what he felt (read above and other questions on my theories on his emotional state) his sorrow and pain combined with the evil in Vlad's heart caused him to act the way he did. Basically triggered him to be who he would be in ten years time. Give 'em the ol' push.

15. So, since they merged, is Phantom truly Danny or is he Half Vlad or what?
This is a toughie. I mentioned above Danny Phantom merged with Vlad Plasimus, but if you saw it (and read my answer in Question 14), you'll notice Danny was the more dominant half. The contribution Vlad's ghost half made when Danny Phantom merged with him was that he was apparently now completely full ghost and has a more sadistic side from Vlad's darker emotional personality.

Is he half of Vlad? Emotionally, I like to think so, physically, not as much. By the time of the future, Phantom was well muscled and possessed a goatee, something Vlad had, true, but he could have easily just gained them muscles on his own. Who said he couldn't? And lots of guys can grow hair on their face if they wanted to or can. I'm not saying it's impossible, but to me, I feel Vlad's merging half was more purely emotional for reasons I already answered in Question 14. So in truth, I do see Phantom more as a full version of Danny with parts of Vlad's evil emotional contributing/triggering his overall sadistic nature. Perhaps he's overshadowing of Vlad "fused" him into his own being. After all, as far as I know, this is really the first time in the show we saw one ghost possessing another. Phantom also always refer to Danny Fenton as his past self and never states the same for Vlad.

16. Why did Phantom kill his human half, but left Future Vlad alone?
Phantom stated in one scene when encountering Jazz in his old room that he is still searching for Vlad, saying "The only remaining portal, the one my idiot cheesehead arch enemy has, soon as I find it, that's going, too." In the beginning of this episode, Phantom pretty much wrecked havoc of the Fenton basement which did house the portal, thus the only remaining one left is Vlad's and since he's in hiding is why Phantom is out to find him. Like I answered in an earlier question, it could be that Phantom assumed Vlad died when he blew up the manor when he was just born, but heard otherwise he was alive later on from...whatever sources he got it from. So perhaps he is after Vlad to not only destroy the portal, but possibly kill him as well.

17. Did Future Vlad really try to kill Danny or what? What exactly happened?
Oh, he tried to kill Danny, but this entire scene is SO ridiculously vague on the execution that I can't cook up a plausible theory for this. Future Vlad at this point in time has lost so much and has barely moved on outside of sorrow and guilt, yet when he sees Danny and how he is willing to change the past, Future Vlad's eyes opened. Using the Ghost Gauntlet to remove Danny's time medallion lodged inside on the boy's request, Vlad then stated he could just kill Danny to ensure a better future. The main problem is that in the next scene, it's not shown what happens. All we get is Danny screaming and a large green glow. So what DID happen? Did that slash Vlad did that was intended to kill Danny removed the medallion? Did Danny used the Ghostly Wail or some sort of power on Vlad to get him to remove it? It's not shown and there's little evidence on what really happened. Any of the ones I said above could have triggered it. This question is based less on theories and more on guesses...I guess.

18. Where are the ghosts of Danny's loved ones?
One of the most interesting things about the future is that in NO case do you ever see any of the afterlife figures of Danny's family and friends (plus one teacher) who died in the explosion. Surely those closest to Phantom and Danny would have come in some shape or form, if not to do something. If you wanna stretch it, Phantom could have easily killed them. He had no qualms on killing his loved ones back when they were alive, why would it matter if their ghost forms die as well? Or they could be in hiding, who knows?

But in my opinion, this is an answer where I feel there is a valid reason beyond simply guessing/theorizing why they never appeared. They didn't appear for stories sake and for the emotional impact. To NEVER see any of the ghosts of Danny's loved one adds a lot to the overall tone of this episode. You start to see and understand just how serious this all is, the massive impact it gave after their death, their consequences. The point of them not appearing as ghosts is to show off the truly saddening aspect of the future. In fact, bringing them back as ghosts would only cheapen the deaths and impact of the episode. I don't feel any guesses are needed to be made with this one: the emotions there explains it all.

19. How did Sam and Tucker knew the boiler would explode by the time the Fenton parents and Lancer was there when earlier they were reassured by Phantom (disguised as Danny) that he fixed the problem?
Remember, after the two and Danny visited the future for the first time, they found out they would die. Both Valerie and Phantom makes hints it happened shortly after the CAT during a Nasty Burger explosion. When they returned to their present time period, Jazz confronts them about Danny and how he is going to cheat on his CAT. Sam puts two and two together and thinks Danny cheating is what will lead them to all die and Danny to be evil.

Phantom (disguised as Danny) later states to Tucker and Sam that he fixed the boiler problem shortly after Tucker and Sam's return to their current present. Well, cut to the next day where Sam and Tucker DOES see Danny (Phantom) cheating. Because that is what leads to the boiler explosion incident, it's safe to say the two theorized Danny (Phantom) was lying to them and the boiler was not fixed; because of what will happen to them, this prompt the duo to warn the others to get away from the Nasty Burger, unaware until the last minute that this would be a walk to their deaths.

20. If Lancer told Danny's parents to meet at the Nasty Burger at five, how come when Danny is sent back in time 2 hours earlier by Clockwork at the end, it's 9AM?
Bad writing on the writer's part, that or so-called "Master of Time" Clockwork doesn't know how to count. Ha Ha.

21. How did Jazz know Danny was the REAL deal instead of Phantom disguised as Danny by the time of the CAT testing?
Like Tucker and Sam, Jazz found out Danny cheating on a test resulted in the birth of Phantom (although in her case, she hears it straight from the horse's mouth). As a result, she tries to stop him, but fails. Later, when Clockwork gave Danny a second chance for a better future, he confesses he was going to cheat to Lancer. That cued in to Jazz that since he won't cheat, he will not become Phantom and that, indeed, is the real Danny.

22. Shouldn't Phantom no longer exist now that the timeline has changed?
Two theories: Clockwork's lair exists outside of time as far as I'm concerned. Because of that, Phantom more or less has a Get-out-time-free-card as a result. I suppose if he left anywhere outside of Clockwork's lair, he'd no longer exist unless he wears a time medallion.

The other theory is given when the Observants makes mention Phantom now exists outside of his time period. Indeed, he is thermos'ed, but does not disappear even though the timeline changed. Whether it be bizzare time manipulation or again, as I stated, Clockwork's lair is time-proof, he's still existing at the current moment. Perhaps the thermos ultimately prevented Phantom's nonexistence or perhaps Clockwork (since he is technically ageless with time not at all affecting him) holding the thermos itself prevented it. Why Clockwork would keep Phantom alive is for his own reasons we don't know, that will forever be a mystery only solved by loads of bad fanfictions. *grins*

23. Why does Clockwork attack Danny/is unaware of a couple of events/etc?
Clockwork was told by the Observants to kill Danny. Despite playing around with them, CW did what he was told and tried, first by sending Box Lunch and Skultech 9.9, then later himself. Later, he also states Danny is doing fine despite the current mess going on. Why would the master of time act in such an unknowing manner?

Simple. It's because he knew EVERYTHING would happen. That's blatantly shouted at by the end. Even he knows the boundaries of altering time and except for that one scene in the end where he dramatically changed the present so Danny would not be evil, it is possible Clockwork kept up his charade of trying to "kill" Danny and act unknowingly so as not to screw up time any further then he was allowed.

24. If Clockwork is all knowing, then why didn't he just stop Danny from becoming evil when he was with Vlad, or why didn't he just alter time immediately instead of letting Danny suffer through all this?
It is not stated whether Clockwork, despite his status, is limited on what he can and can't do, the show never states this and I'm suppose to give out the most canonical answer as possible.

That said, I believe the primary reason why he let Danny suffer through this before he changed the timeline was probably more or less to let Danny learn his lessons on the consequences of his actions, showing how even the smallest cheats can lead to something big. He was basically teaching Danny a lesson and by the end, gave him the chance to fix the problem which Danny did by admitting he was going to cheat, or otherwise, the whole thing would have repeated itself and Clockwork's rescue of his family and friends and lesson he was giving to Danny would have been in vain. Or he could have just merely changed it because he felt like it (perhaps to indeed give Danny a better life--he does admire the boy's dedication saving the world from exploding or some other nonsense); he's ageless, the time cycle of Danny turning into Phantom does not affect him and he has no given time limit to fix/alter time.

But here's something to ask: Why did he seem to mess around time so that it'll fit Danny's favor over in "TUE" when in "Masters of All Time", he refuse to help Danny change the past? I mean, he refused to change the timeline in there, stating he's the "ghost of time, not the ghost of miracle cures" so that Vlad wouldn't be the half ghost he is today on par Danny's request. Although he succumb to Danny's wishes, in the end, he turned everything back to normal regardless if not to further teach the boy another lesson: Changing time has consequences. Not to mention Danny wanted to change the PAST, a timeline already written as oppose to "TUE's" future where timeline can still be rewritten to fit a better time at the time of Danny's age when he went to Clockwork for help.

Doc from "Back to the Future III" said it best when Jennifer (the main character's girlfriend) asks why a paper she got from the future had the words erased. Doc states it's because the future is not written yet and it's up to them to make it their future. Clockwork might be a bit more lenient since the future is unwritten, but the past has already happened and changing it can seriously screw up time. This may not concern someone who is timeless/ageless as Clockwork himself, but it does to Danny and in the end, CW merely is teaching the boy a lesson and befitting time to what he feels is the right path, and if that means cheating a little, ahaha, then so be it.

So in short, I think when it comes to the very concept of how time should work in the DP world is that Clockwork plays by his own rules. He sees fits to change the timeline or let it flow to what he feels is satisfactory to the overall grand scale of the universe, for reasons completely to his own.

25. Is the future where Danny becomes Phantom the true future or what?
It's hard to say. Clockwork DID interfere with what WOULD have happened, yet he's also changed it so it'll be for the better, but in all general purpose, if not for the Time Master, then yes, I think the timeline where Danny became Phantom was the original, true future.

One thing you HAVE to keep in mind is that if Clockwork did not interfere with changing the present (well, during the boiler explosion that is) and gave Danny his second chance, then Phantom would have existed in the future. You have to actually realize Danny's path was that he was really going to be this evil, malicious, dark ghost. Even then, if Clockwork still interfered, it was up to Danny to choose his fate. If Clockwork still did interfere and Danny STILL cheated, then Phantom would have existed either way. I think it was pretty much inevitable until CW's interference and him giving Danny a choice that the timeline with Phantom was indeed the original, true future. Remember Phantom's quote on Question 12...

26. Who the fudge are the Observants?
They never bothered to tell. We're not entirely sure if they're ghosts or perhaps something more. We're not sure if they serve as Clockwork's boss or vice versa (Clockwork mentioned they were his employers, I believe). The story never revealed who they are or what their general intentions do. My theory only stems from the fact that like most powerful deities or beings, they are merely watchers who keep an eye on the events unfolding besides them, only telling others to do whatever when they feel something is wrong (EDiT: As of "Torrent of Terror", they appear to be a high council of ghosts who watch over Earth--and never act--and make sure they can do whatever it is in their powers to see fit that both Earth and Ghostkind are safe or some jazz like that...no pun intended).

Are they more powerful then Clockwork as a result? Who knows, Vlad DID seriously ass kicked them in "ToT" while the Master of Time could obviously have foreseen any attacks from him. In a sense, the Observants are powerful through their politic position, they're obviously must be important enough if they have a job watching over the entire events of Earth.

27. Clockwork interfered at several points throughtout time (sending the Box Lunch and stuff like that), surely that would not have been part of the cycle, right?
Honestly, I think it really depends on your point of view in time. Clockwork (before he sent Skultech 9.9) showed us a small glimpse of future events that shows Danny fighting Skultech and Phantom, and his family dying from an explosion. Now, to me, it is plain obvious that had Phantom not existed, the family wouldn't have died from the explosion which all started because Danny was going to cheat on a CAT test which Phantom did disguised as Danny, thus starting the cycle.

The question ask, does Clockwork's interference of sending Box Lunch and Skultech and the likes have ANY affect whatsoever on the timeline? Yes. If Clockwork did not send Box Lunch, Danny would not battle her near the Nasty Burger, blow up a condiment to set up the boiler explosion, get the test answers, and get Lancer to suspect he is cheating (and later send him to the Nasty Burger with the others when he finds Danny (Phantom) cheating). If Clockwork had NOT sent Skultech, Danny wouldn't have ended up in the future and Phantom certainly would not have gone back in time to solidify his future.

Clockwork in a way DID help cause the timeline of the pathway for Phantom to exist. Why would he allow such a thing? One COULD argue there was a timeline where Danny's family merely got killed in an explosion without Phantom, but out of a different purpose, perhaps and as such, Clockwork sees this and steps in (I call this Timeline C, see Question 28). But honestly I just don't see it for various reasons I've stated throughout. That said, in keeping up with my "TUE-is-a-cycle-timeline" theory, I can possibly state Clockwork is caught in the same paradox as the rest of the others: The cycle (the path that leads to Phantom) will keep endlessly repeating with the events that unfold, including Clockwork's interference. That'll be part of the cycle as well. Clockwork, being the master of time could obviously go back and undo the process, though while there, there's a good chance he'll end up meeting his "past" self so to speak (well, maybe, the dude IS timeless): The one who tells Box Lunch to kick Danny's butt and so forth, but I already stated the reasons why Clockwork did what he did was possibly to teach Danny a lesson or something else entirely for his own reasons. Only THEN did he step in and ended the cycle and gave him a second chance, which again is nothing to Clockwork timewise because he's ageless. Hell, maybe he did it to "satisify" the Observants for all we know, and ultimately keep the course of time that benefits the world in his eyes.

28. How many timelines are there?
More or less, two. Three, if you want to be super specific. We'll call them Timeline A and Timeline B.

Timeline A: The unaltered path. This is when Danny's family and friends gets blown to smithereens. Danny and his friends meet his evil, jerky older self who plans to ensure he would exist by cheating on the CAT test, and even though Danny gains the Ghostly Wail and sucks Phantom into the thermos, he is too late to save his loved ones. He ends up living with Vlad and getting his humanity ripped out, thus causing Phantom to be born, wreck havoc for ten years, meet his past self, then repeat the cycle all over again.

Timeline B: The events of Timeline A plays out UNTIL the explosion. Time freezes and Clockwork comes to inform Danny he has saved his friends and family. Giving him a second chance, Clockwork sends Danny to the past a few hours earlier where Danny declares he was going to cheat, but chose not to. Lancer doesn't call his folks and Sam and Tucker doesn't come to warn them because of the cheating and Jazz doesn't come to get Phantom because he isn't there during that time, thus enabling their safety. Clockwork now watches over Phantom, trapped inside the thermos.

Timeline C: Which would actually be similar to Timeline A, but only in a timeline that doesn't repeat itself. This would be if it wasn't a cycle: AKA predestined paradox, as it were. Namely in that the family and friends would merely die from the explosion without Phantom barging in for he would not exist during that time to interfere. It just happens, so to speak. Quite frankly, I don't see Timeline C existing. It's BECAUSE of Phantom that Timeline A and B works anyways. Predestinateion Paradox, baby.