GIR, a malfunctioning SIR Unit.
A SIR Unit is a robot given to help Invaders with their missions to conquer their assigned planet. However, when a SIR Unit begins to malfunction, it behaves in an aberrant manner ranging from simply eccentric to downright demented, and is no help at all to its master or mistress.
GIR is the best-known example of a malfunctioning SIR Unit as he appears more than any other in the series. However, it is in question as to whether he can truly be considered a typical SIR Unit; since theAlmighty Tallest hate Zim, and didn't want to give him a fully functional SIR Unit, they created GIR out of spare parts.
In keeping with his composite structure, GIR rarely acts like a regular SIR Unit, and consistently displays erratic, hyperactive behavior and a complete lack of obedience. The only time GIR ever acts normally is when he is in "Duty Mode," a phenomenon during which one of the many loose wires in his head presumably connects, and he becomes fully functional.
On one occasion, Zim actually succeeded in locking GIR into Duty Mode, only to eventually realize that he had made a huge mistake: While GIR proved to be far more intelligent, independent and effective than his normal self, he also became exceedingly violent and resentful, and - as a by-product of SIR Unit programming to eliminate any threats to the mission, GIR ultimately identified Zim himself as a threat and attempted to eliminate him.
Malfunctioning SIR Units at their worst.
A package of malfunctioning SIR Units was supposed to be sent out to Zim, but the labels got switched, and Invader Tenn received the destructively psychotic SIRs, while Zim received a Megadoomer X-3 Combat Stealth Mech; the last we see of Tenn, the SIRs are destroying her base.
Facts of Doom[]
- In "Megadoomer", the defective SIRs have voices that sound like GIR's (except they're voiced by Wally Wingert, Kevin McDonald, and others), which may imply that GIR's voice pattern is an aspect of SIR malfunction.
- Likewise, the malfunctioning SIRs are stated to have "eaten everything", possibly implying that GIR's insatiable appetite is another malfunction.
- It is suggested that malfunctioning SIR units are capable of developing some anthropomorphic traits, as seen with GIR who is capable of eating, sleeping and feeling pain; some of the SIR Units that were erroneously sent to Tenn also had these traits.
- Curiously, the SIR units that were seen in "Megadoomer" had red eyes rather than cyan eyes like GIR’s, despite presumably not being in “duty mode”, hinting that cyan eyes may not be a trait that all malfunctioning SIRs share.
- Curiously but not surprisingly in “Megadoomer”, when the Tallest witnessed how dangerous the malfunctioning SIR Units were, rather than have them repaired, they instead chose to send them to Earth, hoping the SIR Units would destroy Zim. This may be because they didn’t want to waste time and monies on repairs and simply went with the easiest solution.
- Given Zim’s mishaps with GIR, he is apparently the only Irken capable of fixing malfunctioning SIR Units, as it was seen he solved GIR’s erratic behavior by locking him in “duty mode”, but that came with its own problems.
- While GIR was a malfunctioning SIR Unit from the start, the only time in the series that was seen how a SIR Unit starts malfunctioning was with how MiMi became insane when GIR controlled her and Tak was forced to dismantle her. This seems to suggest that a SIR Unit can start malfunctioning not just by poor programming but also by a virus of sorts.