Zib's Trauma: Headcanon and rant (Part One)
So, after the traumatizing experience of losing his family and entire dimension due to mechanical failure (Or perhaps he was misinformed on what was on the armada ship and how it would react to being beamed out of existence-) I imagine that this kid is going to develop quite a lot of coping behaviors.
DISCLAIMER: I'm in no way a therapist or an expert psychologist- This is me just, researching into things and making my own headcanon on what's going on in the lil guy's brain.
The situation Zib experienced is, frankly, impossible to fully grasp the consequences of psychologically. The situation is frankly, straight out of a cosmic horror movie.
Because of this, I will be taking some creative liberties. I'm basically going to be using what I know and try and patchwork an idea of his mental state (And what it may become).
BEHOLD MY ZIB BRAIN QUILT, HUMANS!!
First things first, I want to address the absolute lies this kid tells to litterally everyone. He disguised himself as a Zim and bamboozled hundreds of Zim's into joining his 'army/cult'. That is not a little lying. He basically had a whole CITY BUILT around this lie. He LURED ZIM'S with a lie (The distress signal). Which makes sense, considering the context - he has a plan, and he needs to lie for it to work. So, not compulsive, right?
But when Dib shows up, he keeps lying. He lies about his own pak, he lies about him designing those weapons (I will return to this point in particular later cuz there is so much to unpack here), he lies about the void, about his dimension, about his victory - and even when he is alone with Dib, when he has the chance to be honest without a zim knowing - he still chooses to lie. He wouldn't even be honest with another version of himself.
It's not until Dib snoops and confronts him that Zib spills the beans - and even then, he KEEPS LYING. He says it doesn't matter if his virus fails and another dimension gets destroyed because there are infinite of them, and no one cares. Next thing you know, he's FREAKING OUT about the fact that somethings going wrong with his virus. So. He obviously cares at least a little, despite his claims.
This lie was directed to Dib - and to himself, I suspect. I mean, he had caught Dib at this point. He's telling dib about how no one believes them, how no one cares, how he HAD to take over to save everyone - and we know this isn't true.
The movie and comics confirms that Membrane does care about his kids, he's just bad at being a parent. Gaz is terrifying but she doesn't want her brother to cry unless it's in the 'funny' way. The family is extremely dysfunctional and pretty messed up - but they do love each other.
That is a nuance I suspect Zib is running from. The idea that his family that hurt him also loved him. That maybe, had they all lived, things could have been different - that things could have changed for the better.
Like, I genuinely believed that if he had witnessed the events of the Movie, it would have broken him. Not sure if he would admit he was wrong and missed them or double down - but he definitely would have killed to have his dad say he was proud of him.
Zim's fucking dead guys. Zib has his fucking pak. Claimed Zim's inventions. Which leads me to-
"WHY IS HE CLAIMING TO HAVE INVENTED ZIM'S SHIT??"
But for us to answer that question, we first must find out if Zib was lying.
To lie requires that the person knows what the truth is, after all. Zib, if we take his story at face value, used the pak to better understand and utilize Irken tech. Zim's pak is teaching him, basically. So, here are two possibilities I'd like to propose:
Zib been changed so much by the pak, has become so 'un-dib' that he is starting to invent tech that other Zim's invent. This is the multiverse Afterall - and if Zib is truly a Zib - then it makes sense that his timeline can parallel that of both Zim's and Dibs.
Zib remembers Zim inventing it and is confusing the memory with one of his own. The pak is directly connected to his brain, guys, that ain't healthy for anyone, especially kid's that are still growing. It makes sense that he would experience some confusion and disorientation.
Either one is concerning, and points to Zib really being a 'Zib', which is so fucked up and sad on so many levels.
If he's just lying about the inventions being his then... well, then it's just another lie added to the pile. But I don't think he's lying because when the zimvoid starts taking apart his stuff he is visibly upset. (I will find a screenshot of that scene later and add it to here big promise)
Doesn't seem like the time to throw in a lie. Especially when Zims are escaping and such.
(Note: It could be argued that the inventions aren't his due to the fact that he had who knows how many zims working under him. I don't know if he had any zims invent stuff for him or not but if he did then him screaming "MY INVENTIONS D:" May be less about the stuff he made being destroyed and more about the stuff he stole being destroyed. Something to consider. Could of just made them build his inventions but either way. Ownership is debatable and the Zim working class deserve to own the stuff they make, guys)
Zib is an untrustworthy narrator, He has his Zim's pak attached to his head and probably brain, we know he is willing to lie, and there is so much we don't know about him.
I do not see this changing in the future for him unless he gets some intense, helpful medical attention and therapy.
And he's currently in the void so... Yeah. I beleive this kid may very well is going to develop - if not already developing, a compulsive lying disorder.
The last thing that happened in the void was Dib learning the truth, the Zim's escaping, and Zib being abandoned by himself. That is NOT going to discourage him lying in the future.
In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the reason's he lies as much as he does is because of just how much being honest has hurt him in the past.
I mean, you all remember the Invader Zim series, right? Rarely anyone believes Dib when he tells the truth - and not only do they not believe him, they go out of their way to 'punish' him Aswell. Calling him crazy, locking him up, really the fact that the whole crazy boy facility place existed.
He already has a bad history of warning people and telling people things and being burned for it.
So what do you guys think happened when he tells everyone that Zim is an alien
Like. Yeah Dib is a tad spoiled, cuz rich kid with famous dad - but there is only so much Membrane is willing to protect him from - and we've seen Membrane let dib be locked away before. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it could have been - maybe Membrane behind the scenes is fighting for Dib and is lessoning the worser parts of treatment or something - but we don't see this and, more importantly, neither does Dib.
That and Membrane's public influence only reaches a certain point. We've seen the public turn on membrane in a comic before. He can only do so much to keep the public away from dib and dib is. A loud child. like so loud.
Not only that - but we've SEEN membrane just straight up deny the existence of things because he beleives them to terrifying to be real. Why would he willingly believe his 11 year old son killed someone? Most parents don't take news like that well!
Best case scenario - BEST CASE SCENARIO - Membrane manages to get people to stop talking about it. to forget it. To protect Dib from murder accusations of what he believes is a child with a skin condition and not an alien. To stop people from seeing Dib talk morbidly about alien organs (Dib did say he'd like Zim's autopsy vid after him or something like that FIRST EPISODE.) Because rumors may fly, and its one thing if people think you are weird, and another if they think you are dangerous.
And Zib views this as betrayal - or perhaps doesn't realize it's his father's doing, and processes it as people not caring about him and what he has to say. Worst of all, His dad is trying to get him to stop talking about it (Cuz Membranes work burying this would be undone if Zib keeps trying to brag about it to everyone he meets) and still doesn't believe him, and Zim is DEAD - and his ears itch.
Maybe Membrane takes it a step further and takes away dibs paranormal research, fully going out of his way to stop dib because the autopsy was too far, fake or not - or maybe he just ignores it, and hopes it goes away. Hopes Dib moves on. Ignores the strange metal hat on his son's head. Ignores the situation until it's too late. until it can't be buried. Until it rises from the dead.
That and there is also the fact that Zim lies repeatedly to avoid the consequences of his actions and suspicion - Both for his mission and for himself. (COUGHCOUGHTALLESTKILLERCOUGH)
So Zib is just. Stuck. In a situation where the truth is horrible, the truth is bad, the truth gets you hurt always - and so it's better just to lie to keep the peace, to keep sane, to stay safe. Better to lie so things can go your way for once then to tell the truth and be disappointed and hurt again. Better to lie and keep control of the narrative then tell the truth and have a narrative form against you.
I genuinely believe that Zib has a lying disorder of some kind. or several. We've seen him pathologically lie to attain his goals - and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up lying compulsively out of habit after spending who knows how long pretending to be someone else. And still pretending, possibly.
He really wants to be a Dib or a Zim, I think.
Also, side note - something I want to point out - when he gets called Zib, he says "Don't call me that."
He never says, "I'm not a Zib" Or "That's not my name." or makes an argument against it. He just says. "Don't call me that."
Not only that - but when Dib says that the pak changed Zib, Zib doesn't deny THAT, either. At any point. He just deflects, instead. Said he thought Dib was different, but he's just as dumb as all the other humans.
This character lies up and down about so many things - but when it comes to what he is, or what the pak's done to him - he doesn't muster up a lie. Doesn't try to argue against it. He knows he's different now.
Just. Something cool I wanted to share.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this rant :D
I plan to make a part 2 at some point - I really don't thing one post can or will cover everything and I just, have so many thoughts on this character, guys.
Please, feel free to share your thoughts on this :D
I love talking about this character igaofiyegaf
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