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Appearance[]

Irkskeleton

An Irken skeleton.

Irkens are a race of green-skinned humanoids, with three fingers and three toes. Irkens have a skeletal structure, not unlike that of a human's, but theirs are much more resilient and heal much more quickly. An Irken's muscular system has never been fully explored, however.

Irken skin is hairless and green, with some slight variation in its shade from individual to individual, like Humans. For example, the skin color of both Tallests is ever so slightly lighter than Zim's, whereas Tak's is exceptionally pale in comparison.

The antennae on the tops of their heads are unusual in structure, bending back at the ends at a sharp angle. The manner in which they bend, however, differs between genders: males' antennae end in simple perpendicular angles, whereas female antennae curl at the ends. The curled antennae may be a styling choice, however, as Commander Poki has straight antennae.

Antennae

Zim picking up vibrations?

It was never confirmed exactly what the Irkens' antennae are meant to do. They are mainly seen to be used in the same manner as eyebrows to convey emotion, but it's heavily implied in "Battle of the Planets" that they also pick up vibrations.

These antennae also seem to be extremely sensitive, as Zim always seems to avoid touching them when placing on headgear. He also squirmed away uncomfortably when GIR poked at one in "Walk of Doom".

As a show of respect to the Almighty Tallest, Irkens are to show respect by wiggling their antennae. Interestingly enough, in Issue 47, one of the alternate universe versions of Zim has an outer ear yet lacks antennae.

Just like humans, Irkens grow taller. However, it was never conclusively explained how an Irken grows tall enough to be named the planet's ruler, though it's possible that young Tallest-to-be start the same size as the average developing Irken, and then suddenly go through a massive growth spurt that puts them at the forefront of the Irken Empire.

Irken eyes have no sclera or pupils (much like "Grey" aliens, which are the classic sci-fi aliens), and are only one colour. Ruby is the most common, but other colors such as various shades of red, pink, purple, green, blue, and even yellowish-brown exist as well. Due to the other insect-like traits of irkens, it is possible their solid colored eyes are intended to be either compound eyes much like those of a fly or simple eyes like those of a spider.

Zim's vision

Zim's Point of View.

It was also mentioned in "Walk of Doom" that Irken Invaders have surgically-installed ocular implants - since the eyes Zim was born with are not visibly different from subsequent appearances, it can be assumed that these implants are subcutaneous. It is also revealed in "The Frycook What Came from All That Space" that Zim sees the world in a tint of magenta, which seems to imply that depending on the eye color of an Irken it will dictate how they see everything around them. However, this remains unconfirmed, as this scenery was most likely to have been simply reflected off of Zim’s eyes. In "Walk of Doom" when Zim's eyes heal, the city street is shown from his perspective, in regular coloration, showing that Zim, at least while wearing contacts, sees the world in normal color.

Irken tongues are long, segmented, and almost worm-like.

An Irken's teeth are white like human teeth, but with a barely-perceptible pinkish tinge (presumably due to there being more blood vessels and nerves than human teeth) and are interconnected to what resemble two long bands or a zipper (smeets, however, have only one small tooth similar to a human child's baby tooth, suggesting that the other teeth grow and interconnect at a later time).

Zims tounge

Irken tongue and saliva.

Zim is first shown salivating in "The Nightmare Begins" as GIR is singing The Doom Song endlessly, driving Zim catatonic. "Door to Door" seems to confirm that an Irken's saliva is similar to that of humans, as Zim licks the camera lens during one scene ("Backseat Drivers from Beyond the Stars" was going to also have a similar scene with Almighty Tallest Purple; he was going to lick donut crumbs off the "camera lens", likely salivating on the lens in the process).

The overall Irken appearance bears many similarities to the "little green men" stereotype that Earth's dominant species tends to use to represent alien life forms.

In Issue 21 of the comics, much to Zim's surprise, when Gaz was in his body, she showed that Irkens are apparently capable of producing at least two more arms at will. Gaz went on to say that Zim's body was "full of surprises", hinting she may have discovered things about Zim's body that he himself didn't know about. However, given the loose continuity used in the series, it's possible that this is simply a joke that is not meant to be taken as canon fact.

Issue 28 shows that Irkens physically age similarly to humans, as once they get old enough they become frail, their skin grows wrinkled, and they develop problems with their sight, hearing, and memory.

Although Zim claimed in the cancelled episode "Roboparents Gone Wild" that Irkens do not require sleep, Larb's Great Assigning picture showed him sleeping on the Universe's Most Comfortable Couch; this seems to suggest that perhaps the Irkens hold sleep and dreams in a much different regard than humans do.

Interestingly, an alien bearing a slight resemblance to an Irken appeared in Jhonen's comic Squee; this alien had an Irken-like outfit and appeared to be wearing part of Zim's human disguise. Its eyes and head structure, on the other hand, are more similar to those of the infamous Roswell Greys.

As confirmed in the episode "Mortos der Soulstealer", Irkens apparently have souls and life energy. This is particularly interesting, as it has been confirmed that the PAK is essentially the Irken while the body is just "something to carry the PAK around".

PAK[]

Irken PAK

The Irken PAK.

All Irkens are fitted with a hemispherical multipurpose device called a PAK, which is surgically attached to the upper back at birth and holds the Irken's memory, knowledge, and countless tools and weapons, such as spider legs, a communication device, etc. In effect, the PAK is the individual Irken, and the body is simply something to carry the PAK around.

It was mentioned in the cancelled episode "The Trial" that the Control Brains absorb the knowledge and experiences of Irkens when they die, and re-use the PAK for later generations, assigning the individual their personalities and traits. On the other hand, if an Irken is deemed defective, his or her memories and knowledge will be removed from the collective knowledge passed to a new Irken at birth.

If a PAK is forcefully detached from an Irken's spine, the Irken will die in ten minutes. If this happens, their PAK can be reused by other Irkens. Despite the assertion in the commentary that PAKs also circulate blood, Zim's PAK was shown to be detachable in "NanoZIM", and Zim was also seen tinkering with it in his lab then reattaching it without any discomfort, let alone the degenerative effects that were seen in "Ten Minutes to Doom", where he languished after having his PAK dislodged by Torque Smackey. Based on this information, it can be concluded that the side effects only occur if the PAK is detached forcibly, and without the owner's consent.

It should also be noted that the PAK is only compatible with Irken biology; if attached to another creature, the PAK will destroy them, but not before the personality inside of the PAK overwhelms that of the host.

Diet[]

The Irken diet seems to consist mainly of refined carbohydrates, and it is probable that Irkens gain all their nutrients from an Irken form of sugar; the Almighty Tallest constantly eat doughnuts and popcorn, and drink soda, yet never gain weight. This may be because of their modified torsos. There are very few overweight Irkens, with a few exceptions being Invader Skoodge, Invader Krunk, Invader Dooky, and Sizz-Lorr.

It can be assumed that Irkens thrive off of carbohydrates alone, and the only way for it to negatively affect them is to overeat. For example, concept art from "Mopiness of Doom" showed that Zim's laziness and attachment to junk food over a small span of time took a toll on his appearance and weight.

Throughout the series, Zim has been shown eating a snack food resembling Fun Dip. In the transcripts, it's called an Irken licking stick, lik-a-maid sticks, or simply candy sticks. It consists of a pale white, presumably candy stick dipped in a colorful substance, presumably flavored sugar.

In "Tak: The Hideous New Girl", Zim managed to obtain this snack food from a vending machine on planet Devastis. The snack also appeared in "Zim Eats Waffles" and "Hamstergeddon". It was also supposed to appear at the end of the unfinished episode "Nubs of Doom".

The nightmare begins 3

Zim with an Irken sandwich.

Irkens have been seen eating non-fatty foods, though, as Irken sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs have appeared a few times in the series. Irken sandwiches look exactly like Earth sandwiches, except they have the Irken insignia on them.

Additionally, Almighty Tallest Purple was eating a taquito around the time Zim was abducted by Mary and Fred, and one scene from Hobo 13 showed several Irkens eating their version of pizza.

Zim can also be seen casually eating an Irken sandwich in "Battle of the Planets". In "The Nightmare Begins", several Irkens can be seen walking to the Great Assigning holding their version of cotton candy as well.

In the Nicktoons Christmas commercial "How the You-Know-Who Stole You-Know-What", it was implied that some form of chocolate exists on Irk; here, Zim's "chocolate" was in the shape of a candy cane, which Angelica tried to pry away from him as he slept. However, the canonicity of this is questionable, especially seeing as Zim is sleeping (although sleep may be optional for Irkens, as described above, as he was also seen sleeping in the pilot).

Organs and Anatomy[]

20220524 211319

An x-ray image of Zim's Squeedlyspooch.

The details of the Irken inner anatomy are mostly unknown, except for their "Squeedlyspooch", which was mentioned throughout the series and confirmed in the commentary of "Germs" to be one large super-organ, filling an Irken's entire torso and performing most if not all bodily functions. It resembles a combined human stomach and intestines. Irken Squeedlyspooches are also capable of vomiting like human stomachs.

Zim vomits after eating too many soapy waffles in "Zim Eats Waffles", Tallest Purple throws up all over the donuts in "Backseat Drivers From Beyond the Stars", and Zim is actually shown vomiting in issue 2 of the comics. Judging from the color, Irkens may have black and green stomach acid (Squeedlyspooch acid?) but this coloring may also be due to the food Zim ate at the time.

It's possible that the Irken equivalent of a heart is separate from the Squeedlyspooch itself, as Zim made reference to it in "Parent Teacher Night", although it's never given an official name. Irken brains look almost exactly like human brains, but exist mainly to control the PAK, being unable to function normally without it. As the brain is part of a nervous system, it can be said that like all creatures, the Irkens also have nerves.

As "The Girl Who Cried Gnome" and "Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain" showed, an Irken's sense of hearing cannot tolerate high-pitched frequencies, causing them to cover the sides of their head (where a human's ears would be).

Another example of an Irken's ears being in the same location as a human's occurs in "The Wettening", where one scene shows Zim wearing a pair of headphones that cover the same places where a human's ears would be. It is revealed however in Issue 47 that they do have an inner ear.

Irken blood has never been shed in the show, but there have been some hints in episodes such as "Planet Jackers" (when Zim tried to distract the Planet Jackers by fighting them hand-to-hand; after the battle, Zim's battered face was covered in dark green patches). Additionally, whenever Zim sustains a burn injury, the damaged flesh is dark green. However, Jhonen mentioned at some point that Irken blood was a clearish-pink in color, though it's unclear if he was actually being serious or not.

However, he later confirmed it for real at InvaderCON at his panel that it is clearish pink "similar to a Klingon's blood". Since in "Dark Harvest" Zim was deemed a "healthy human boy" by the Skool nurse after she took his temperature, it can be assumed that an Irken's body temperature is very close to that of humans.

An Irken's skeletal system is almost similar in structure to a human skeleton, but more flexible, durable, and can regenerate and heal much faster. The skeletal structure of several Irkens was seen in "The Nightmare Begins" as numerous Invaders marched past a series of X-Rays.

Species Irken Organs02

A variety of Zim's organs being removed.

Although Irkens don't have any nostrils, they smell from the same area as humans; however, this reaction may be for comedic purposes for the show. Either that, or there is a permeable membrane in that area which can detect scents.

In the episode "Rise of the Zitboy", when Dib tried to escape Pustulio's hypnotic control by closing his eyes, Zim stated that he would open them eventually, as he had to breathe sometime.

It's unlikely that Irkens really breathe through their eyes; this particular incident can likely be attributed to Zim's lack of knowledge (at the time) concerning human physiology, or possibly a ploy by Zim to distract Dib.

Genders and Reproduction[]

Organs Inside Out (Zim, Bloaty's Pizza Hog)

Zim, a male Irken.

Irkens are known to be produced through DNA merging in underground facilities many fans refer to as "smeeteries" (a portmanteau of smeet and nursery). No Irken is ever mentioned as having a mate, offspring, or any other family. Jhonen Vasquez has gone on record to confirm that Irkens have no reproductive organs.

The Irken race does have two separate genders, but the differences, as far as can be seen, are purely cosmetic. Males have straight antennae with a single kink at the end, while females have curled antennae and eyelashes. It's unknown whether Irken females have curled antennae naturally, or if they are styled that way for the sake of fashion.

Of note is the fact that the degree to which the antennae curl varies from individual to individual, and at least one female Irken in the series has straight antennae. Irkens can also be defined by their voices, which are clearly either male or female.

However, there appear to be no societal differences between males and females: both genders are seen to be equally competent in every regard; both males and females are seen in the same jobs, though there have been far more male than female Irkens seen in the show.

Character Tak

Tak, a female Irken.

This suggests that either the species has more males than females, some of the background characters with straight antennae are actually females (Commander Poki is a female Irken with straight antennae), or the military vocations featured in the show are male-dominated.

Another thing to consider is that we never see everyday life on Irk, so it is possible that there's an equal amount of females as males on the planet.

The unfinished episode "The Trial" introduced a female Almighty Tallest, named Miyuki, demonstrating that both females and males take important leadership roles.

Strengths and Weaknesses[]

Irken skin can kill parasites such as lice, possibly by secreting some sort of protective substance. However, while safe from such pests, their skin cannot tolerate Earth meat, water, or beans, the former burning them terribly and sometimes even fusing to their skin. They also have negative reactions when exposed to Earth liquids (namely water), though Zim didn't exhibit this weakness when splashed with punch.

As confirmed by Jhonen in the commentary for "The Wettening", it's the pollutants in Earth water that causes the burns rather than the water itself. Paste suffices to completely nullify the effects of tainted Earth liquids. It seems that there is nothing that can protect them from Earth's meat, however.

They sweat similarly to humans, and can get pimples when the skin is scrubbed by an oily substance (such as cheese or bacon). However, unlike human zits, they can grow to enormous size (as big as a classroom when fully swollen), are translucent, and filled with a vast amount of pus. Irken zits also have hypnotic powers when shaken, though it's possible this may just be an allergic reaction to certain chemicals, such as a combination of cheese, bacon, and Acne Blast.

Most Earth foods will make an Irken sick, although foods such as waffles, rich in sugar and carbohydrates, seem to be fine if eaten in moderation. It's seen in certain episodes that an appendage can fall off or be removed and that it has no real influence.

As seen in "Dib's Wonderful Life of Doom" and "Planet Jackers". They can heal at incredibly fast rates, which is why Zim said to Dib in "Halloween Spectacular of Spooky Doom": "As soon as my skeleton stops being broken, I will destroy you!".

Zim's eyes have been seen falling out of their sockets before, although they can usually be simply popped back in without irritation or injury. While capable of sleep, Irkens don't seem to sleep, as confirmed in "Roboparents Gone Wild", and their PAKs may just keep recharging even when functioning so that they don't have to.

Despite their decades of military training, few Irkens show much prowess in the way of physical strength; although he is only a child, Dib has been shown to be more than capable of pinning Zim down. Therefore, with this in mind, it's possible that Irkens rely on their wits, technology, and sheer numbers when it comes to battling, rather than by actual physical prowess.

However, Zim has, on occasion, shown feats of uncanny strength, an example of which being when he bodyslammed a human in "Attack of the Saucer Morons". Irkens also are shown to have incredible agility on Earth, and this may be due to (a) Irk's massive size and gravity, (b) genetic enhancements, (c) all of the above, or (d) the way Zim and Tak are animated. Dib also seems to have this miraculous agility, but that might be due to the fact that he was created/built much like Irkens are or the way he is animated.

In spite of their apparent weaknesses, however, Irkens have extremely long lifespans compared to normal humans. Zim and Tak looked the same in a flashback that took place fifty years ago as they do today, and Jhonen Vasquez confirmed that Zim is almost two centuries old. It has also been said that a year on Irk is equivalent to ten Earth ones, meaning that Irk's axial rotation must be super-slow or the planet is somewhat far from its home star.

However, this could also be in reference to an Irken's lifespan, meaning that in comparison to the average human lifespan of approximately 80 years, Irken live to be approximately 800 years old.

It should also be taken into account that Irkens can technically be considered immortal, as the PAK is the true essence of an Irken individual, and as documented in “Ten Minutes to Doom”, a PAK can override the personality of a new host if given the chance, so if an Irken body is either destroyed or dies, theoretically an Irken could simply put his or her PAK in a new body.

Facts of Doom[]

  • Irkens don't have nipples (seeing as they are not mammalian creatures). At one point, an artist working on the Invader Zim comic series had drawn Zim and Dib with nipples, and both Eric Trueheart and Jhonen Vasquez had asked to remove them from Zim. [1]

See also[]

References[]

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