If this is my final post on Earthworm Jim No Context, I'd be fine. Because I'VE GOT A THEORY WITH SOME EVIDENCE I'M GONNA HIT YOU WITH! BACKED UP BY THE SCRAPPED FILES OF EARTHWORM JIM 3D! AND IF A CONCRETE ANSWER POPS UP FROM CONCEPT ART, AND I'M WRONG, I WILL SPEED RUN IT AS KIM.
Here goes:
Now as we could all piece together, Kim was probably not intended to be the trans icon she is, and was put in that final boss slot final minute. So what was she initially?
Earthworm Kim was originally Jim's mother!
Now I know what you're thinking. WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF IDEA IS THAT?! But, there's some evidence for this.
Evidence #1 Scrapped Dialogue
The following is a dialogue tree found hidden within the files of the PC version Earthworm Jim 3D:
004dd96c Gee thanks..Mr Super-ego
you've been a big help.
"Gee thanks..Mr Super-ego\nyou've been a big help.\n" ds
004de79c I think the swelling is
going down now. "I think the swelling is\ngoing down now." ds
004de79c I think the swelling is
going down now. "I think the swelling is\ngoing down now." ds
004de8e4 Hello EJ. I seem to have
had an allergic reaction
to this water. I hope my
mum isn't angry with me »Hello EJ. I seem to have had an allergic reaction to this water. I hope my mum isn't angry with me« ds
004de9c4 I'm learning to use an
opposable thumb. "I'm learning to use an\nopposable thumb." ds
004deb24 Hello EJ. I seem to have
grown a hand sticking out of
my head. Cool isn't it? I hope
my mum isn't angry with me. »Hello EJ. I seem to have grown a hand sticking out of my head. Cool isn't it? I hope my mum isn't angry with me.« ds
004df034 You've found my wig!
Here's an udder. "You've found my wig!\nHere's an udder." ds
004df1ec Thanks for finding my
family. Have a reward "Thanks for finding my\nfamily. Have a reward" ds
004df2c4 I'm missing just one
more of my kids - find my
child and I'll reward you. "I'm missing just one\nmore of my kids - find my\nchild and I'll reward you." ds
004df430 You've found one of
my aquatic squirts - now
find the other two! "You've found one of\nmy aquatic squirts - now\nfind the other two!" ds
004df4e0
Help me find my 3 children.
"\nHelp me find my 3 children.\n" ds
These text files are not used in the game, and tie into the scrapped hub world Childhood, where Jim would have saved a boardwalk in his youth from radiation poisoning, so the text most likely belongs to scrapped missions in that level. One of them requires the player to find an unnamed mom's kids, and one looking for a wig. Now these are cool, but how do these tie to Kim being the mother?
Evidence #2 Voice Lines
Kim has a total of three recorded lines, as so does every boss:
"Remember Jimmy, it's for your own good!" - Intro quote
"Ouch!" -Hit Quote
"I know where you hid those magazines!" - Defeat quote.
Take note of the first and the last quote, as if Kim was intended to be Jim's feminine side this entire time, then why is it in this cadence? All 3 lines are addressed in a motherly delivery (Quite possibly by Linda Wallem), and the last one especially sounds like a quote from a mom.
Evidence #3 The Paintings in Fear
According to the instruction manual, the manor used to belong to Jim's family before Professor Monkey for a Head took it over. So naturally there are paintings of Jim's family. (despite him being an orphan) Including this painting on the wall that I don't feel like taking a clearer picture of because I do not feel like playing Jim 3D again. She looks the most like Kim. Who is this painting on the wall? It never says.
Evidence #4 Star's Magazine Run.
I used to have an Internet friend named Starlight94, and she was the record holder for this game and Tonic Trouble, often going through the trouble of looking for beta content. One was from a magazine that she couldn't refind again that had a picture of Kim and the childhood level with the writer stating that she was Jim's... Girlfriend. I'm going to take a guess that this is a "Cowboy Bebop at his computer" situation because this Miswriting shockingly happens a lot. Especially my favorite: Bonus Bob! But once this page is found it is confirmed that Kim was originally in the childhood area.
Evidence #5 The boxart?
The PC box features this gag review from Jim's Mom, alluding to masturbation
Can't have Earthworm Jim without sex jokes in the marketing
But with this many references to a mother, AND the scrapped dialogue, AND her supposedly appearing in Childhood, it leads me to this theory.
Teddyroo12, Signing off Earthworm Jim No Context, until new content is made.
