Megadoomer

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Megadoomer is an episode of Invader Zim. Originally produced as episode 19B, "Megadoomer" aired as episode 17A on April 26, 2002. It was written by Eric Trueheart and Roman Dirge.

[edit] Plot

The episode opens with the Almighty Tallest introducing a new class of combat stealth mech, the Megadoomer. They look it over (Purple decides he doesn't like it, to which Red replies, "We didn't build it so you could like it.") and decide to send it to Invader Tenn for her use in conquering the planet Meekrob. They then notice a batch of malfunctioning SIR units going crazy. They decide to send them to Zim, hoping they will kill him.

The two packages are then seen being processed for shipping on a planet covered in conveyer belts. A worker, a member of a conquered species whose people are forced to ship packages for the Irkens, complains about his situation. Extremely bitter about his subserviency, the prisoner rants about starting a revolution by switching the addresses on the two boxes. He switches the addresses and an Irken guard immediately comes up behind him and tazes him. Nonetheless, the addresses remain switched.

Later on the planet Earth, Zim is walking home from skool with another boy, ranting about Dib the whole way. The other boy is apparently a stranger to Zim and someone he simply walked up and started talking to out of the blue. They arrive at the boy's house and he runs inside, scared of Zim, who continues ranting as he walks the rest of the way home. As Zim arrives home, still complaining about Dib, the giant box containing the Megadoomer lands with a tremendous crash in front of Zim's house. Zim finds it and calls the Tallest and tells them, in one breath, "Oh-thank-you-you've-done-the-right-thing-my-Tallest-you-won't-be-forgotten-when-I-rule-the-universe-thanks-for-this-amazing-battle-mech-bye!!" The Tallest then receive a transmission from Invader Tenn, who cries out for help as malfunctioning SIR units destroy everything in sight.

Inside Zim's house, Zim and GIR admire the mech, with GIR enthralled because "it's got chicken legs." Zim tells him that it also has a stealth generator and asks if GIR knows what that means. GIR thinks for a moment before thrashing about for a few seconds. Zim tells him that it makes the mech invisible, to which GIR replies, "I had no idea..." Zim then gets into the mech and tries to start it, but nothing happens. GIR opens a compartment and takes out a long, thin tube as Zim cries out, "no batteries!?" Improvising, Zim hooks a giant plug up to the mech and plugs it into the nearest electrical outlet. The mech immediately disappears, but Zim, inside the mech, is still visible (as well as the giant plug). GIR tries to tell him this but Zim is too intent on killing Dib with his new toy to be bothered. Zim then takes the mech out onto the street and heads for Dib's house. As the populace notices the thumping and commotion, they are confused by it, especially since there's a little green guy sitting 20 feet in the air with a giant power cord following him. Suddenly, the mech becomes visible as the power cord reaches its maximum length and is pulled from the socket. Zim doesn't understand why the Megadoomer is now visible and immobile. GIR explains, "the plug thing! It's not plugged!" Zim instructs GIR to find another outlet as quickly as possible. This then happens several times—the plug comes unplugged and GIR runs around maniaclly looking for a new outlet.

At Dib's house, Dib is in the bathroom getting ready for bed when a low thumping attracts his attention. Reminiscent of Jurassic Park, the toilet bowl water vibrates with every step of the approaching mech. Dib then hears Zim calling him out to his destruction. Dib steps out of his house and is confused by the sight of Zim floating in midair. Zim tells him to prepare to meet his doom from an enemy he cannot see. Dib explains to Zim that he can see him and that his robot only cloaks itself and not its passenger. Zim, furious at Dib for agreeing with him on the stupidity of the design, prepares to kill him with the Doom Cannon. This, unfortunately for Zim, causes the city's power grid to overload and leaves him without power. With the mech now completely visible, Zim panics and Dib begins taking pictures of the alien machine. Unable to do anything else, Zim hits the self-destruct button (which apparently works regardless whether or not the Megadoomer is powered) and leaps out of the mech. It then explodes with great force. As Dib recovers, Zim sneaks up to him and takes his camera, declaring "victory!" The two argue over who is victorious and struggle over the camera until they realize the lens cap was on. With no pictures (and his camera snagged by a passing bird anyway) Dib goes back to bed as Zim flees back to his base (only to get crushed by a piece of the Megadoomer).

Out in space, the Tallest receive an automated transmission from the Megadoomer informing them of the self-destruct. They shake their heads in frustration and as Purple wonders if Zim was inside when it exploded, Red says, "Probably not." Invader Tenn is then seen on their viewscreen as the malfunctioning SIR units continue to destroy her base.

[edit] Trivia

• When Zim walks around in the Megadoomer, he is at one point observed by a girl that bears a striking resemblance to Germaine from Neurotically Yours.

• The first appearance of the planet Meekrob, which was going to have a large role in the cancelled two part season finale.

• The water vibration in Dib's toilet was a homage to Jurassic Park, with the water vibrating in the glass as the T-Rex got closer.

• The idea of a mech being powered by an external power source via a cable is not unlike the umbilical cables used by the Evangelions in the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, as noted by Jhonen in the DVD commentary.