>>109583853It's crazy how Zim is such a bizarrely unique protagonist in all of fiction and how in such a chaotic show, it's all dependent on a delicate balance of elements.
While he seems to take cues from the likes of Dick Dastardly and Cobra Commander, Zim ultimately comes across as a far more potent and dangerous menace. His schemes, while half-baked, can be effective, and lacking minions to hide behind, he's often on the ground spreading plague critters and getting down and dirty with mall zombies. While amusingly hapless, he has enough force of personality and grit that you're lulled into taking him seriously; one's impression of him can even radically differ depending on their first IZ episode. If they had, say, watched Planet Jackers first, they'd perhaps view Zim as a legitimate (if tardy) Invader who's willing to soak up punches while his spaceship and horrible robot save the world from getting tossed into a sun. Even when they learn the truth, Zim is never reduced to a punchline or punching bag, there's always the possibility that he'll claw his way into a position vaguely resembling a win.
Episodes like the Wettening and Dark Harvest are great examples of this. Zim starts out these episodes in states of absolute weakness. Rain burns, and a Skool clinic check-up could get him sent to an autopsy table. Lesser shows would have Zim struggle and fail to overcome these plights (and to ensure that you never know if he will, there are episodes where he does fail to do so like Germs and Bolognius Maximus), but instead he utilises his mind and resources to go from the menaced to THE menace of the story. It is this uncertainty, which seeps into all aspects of the show from GIR to the Almighty Tallest, that spices IZ into an unforgettable dish.
Take for example, Voltar from the League Of Super Evil (LOSE), clearly aping Zim's style and height, but for all three seasons of his program, he's showcased as irredeemably pathetic and incompetent.
