I mean, at the end of the day, technically almost every single Zim Vs. Dib episode is an embarrassment to Zim. Because Zim is a full-grown probably-centuries-old highly-trained-(former)-elite-alien-soldier armed with superior technology. The fact that he considers this Literal Child to be a threat to his plans would actually be extremely humiliating if Zim could ever admit the reality of the situation. Both in the cases that he’s right (cause having a child, even one with partial access to whatever-passes-for-advanced-technology on this planet be your worthy opponent is Extremely Lame) and in the cases that he’s wrong (because in those cases Zim just wasted a whole bunch of his resources - including a pimple with hypnotic powers, an all-powerful mini-mech and perfect virtual reality and a literal goddam time machine - on a 12 year old that no one listens to anyways)
I mean, jeez, how many times has Dib technically saved the Earth - not by stopping Zim’s latest scheme - but by being the target of it? Making Zim waste resources that should’ve gone into weakening Earth’s defenses or targeting its leaders and instead channeling all of that technology and Zim’s general malice and mayhem at this sixth grader? Again, Zim developed temporary hypnotic powers and wasted them on getting Dib to identify a flaw in his security system that he found. So while Dib technically lost that one battle against Zim…
He also kinda indirectly saved the world from a Zim who would use Pustulio’s Power for literally any other more useful purpose.
But, of course, if Dib could ever come to that revelation - he would absolutely hate it. Dib wants to be the cool hero who saves the world from a dangerous alien invasion via his wits and brainpower
Not the useful distraction that keeps Zim too occupied with one-upping him to actually be a credible threat to Earth. That would be very bad to his ego.
‘Enter the Florpus’ is kind of a great demonstration of that whole thing, actually. Because Dib claims to be ‘all that stands between Zim, and the annihilation of our world’ and despite ‘Florpus’ being kind of a more traditional heroic narrative for Dib - that still couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Because despite Dib being undisputedly the main character of ‘Enter the Florpus’, pretty every major action taken to foil Zim’s plan in the movie was performed by another member of Team Membrane
And the most useful thing Dib actually did himself in that whole movie? Chase Zim for a bit
That whole chase scene had them basically equally-matched for the whole of it, Dib didn't really get any closer to getting his hands on Minimoose and then he pretty thoroughly lost (before his dad came over to save his butt)
But you know, that was still probably an invaluable part of Zim’s defeat. Because Dib chasing Zim around for a bit was a distraction preventing him from somehow making things worse before Professor Membrane and Gaz and the other Competent People could come over to actually stop him.
Dib wasting time and then getting his ass kicked was so vital to Zim’s defeat and the salvation of the Earth - but he’d probably die from despair and embarrassment if he ever had to truly confront that fact.
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