Once I triumphantly return the Time Thingy to the Tallest, they're bound to let me be the first to use it. Or to command a whole army of Time Thingy users! I'll be unstoppable! — Zim

Invader Zim Issue
Issue 28
Chronology
Previous:	Issue 27
Next:	Issue 29
Information
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	February 14, 2018
Creative
Story by:	Sam Logan
Art by:	Mady G
Color by:	Fred C Stresing

Official Summary

SOMEWHERE IN SPACE is an object so powerful, so deadly, so mysterious, that no one has ever laid claim to it! AND ZIM WANTS IT! But that's before he realizes WHY this mysterious object is so hard to obtain—the closer you get to it, the more time slows down. But hey, ZIM's carried out stupider quests without giving up, so... well, it should be entertaining, at least.^[1]

Release

Issue 28 was released on February 14, 2018.

Variations

Issue #28 has a total of 3 cover variations. 

1. Mady G With Fred Stresing standard retail cover
2. Fian Sygh variant cover
3. "Sketch Cover" variant by Sam Logan and Mady G with Fred C. Stresing

Characters in Issue #28 (In Order of Appearance)

Synopsis

Aboard the Massive, the Tallests' lounging time is interrupted by Commander Theen, the commanding officer of a remote research base dedicated to studying a time manipulating device called a Time Accelerator.

The Tallest barely remember the project, though Red remembers naming it the "Time Thingy", and Purple remembers the Chronal Dampener (which he calls a bendy straw) which controls it.

According to Theen, the base was attacked from below ground, and his whole team and the Accelerator were captured. The Tallest are hesitant to send a rescue on such a risky sounding mission, but then they receive a call from Zim.

The comic then cuts to Zim and GIR traveling aboard the Voot Runner to the abandoned moon, Zim eager to retrieve the Accelerator for the Tallest. He's hopeful they'll let him keep it, in order to aid in his conquest of Earth.

Upon arriving on the moon, GIR accidentally knocks Zim into a crevasse leading underground. Now being closer to the Accelerator's field of effect, time is moving faster for Zim, making communication between the two difficult. As such, Zim's attempt to get GIR to throw him a rope leads to the robot throwing a plastic ham at him, knocking him further down and causing him to experience time at an even faster pace, now making communication impossible. Therefore, Zim goes on in order to retrieve the Accelerator alone.

Zim eventually comes to a cavern where he finds the missing research team, who due to being so close to the Accelerator have lived 37 years in the days since being caught. As such, they've forgotten what Theen looks like, and mistake Zim for their commander. Zim is quick to take advantage of this and takes command.

The researchers explain that they were captured by giant Scavenger Worms, who also stole the Accelerator. They've been trapped ever since, living off of cave mold. Zim says he'll retrieve the Accelerator and free them, but first he has them build him an office that he can lead them from.

Using the containment pod for the Accelerator, he's able to stay in normal time while the other Irkens spend months of accelerated time building the office. Zim then occupies it and begins coming up with plans to try and get past the Worms.

Using the containment field, Zim only experiences most of an afternoon, while the others spend years trying and failing to carry out his various schemes. They've all reached advanced old age by the time they succeed in creating a costume to allow Zim to disguise himself as a Worm.

It works until he's inside their hive, when he gives himself away. He then has to fight his way to the Accelerator, and when he reaches it, finds he's now moving at an even faster pace of time. Using this, he casually walks out and back to the container, locking the Accelerator away.

Abandoning the other Irkens, Zim returns to the surface, and finds the Tallest waiting for him via a communications screen. They're surprised to see he succeeded in his mission, and excited - but only because Purple wanted his "bendy straw" back. He takes the Chronal Dampener, and they leave Zim. He's satisfied, until the loss of the Dampener causes the Accelerator to malfunction and explode.

Back on Earth, at Skool, Ms. Bitters talks about how doomed the skoolchildren are since the skool failed to provide them with a future.

Meanwhile, Dib is confused at what Zim is doing, thinking it's part of a new plan and commenting on how stupid it seems Zim is however not seen at first since only his silhouette is visible.

But the last panel of the issue then reveals that much to Dib's shock, Zim has now been severely aged due to the Time Accelerator's explosion, and doesn't even remember who Dib is.

Facts of Doom 

• The art style of this issue is somewhat similar to that of the Pilot.
• This issue marks the first time publisher Oni Press has changed their logo on the cover, apparently to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
• This is the second time that elderly Irkens have been shown, the first being Hok.
  • This is the first time elderly Irkens have been shown in real life (as opposed to the virtual interface Hok inhabited) and the first indication that Irkens do, in fact, age similarly to humans.
• By the end of the issue, we see how Zim will look an at advanced age.
  • When Zim is shown as extremely elderly, his contact lens somehow has gained a cataract despite being artificial.
  • Zim apparently will grow to be senile in his old age which shouldn't be possible as his PAK has all of his memories.
• Part of the issue makes a subtle reference to Wobbly-Headed Bob, another character by Jhonen Vasquez as he made one woman age thirty three years in two minutes, similar to how the Irken aged 37 years in a few days in the beginning of the comic.
• At the end of the issue, Zim and Dib are seen sitting in the back of the class, when in the series and earlier issues, they sit at the front and on opposites sides of the classroom.
• Repeatedly throughout the issue, there's an illustration error where Zim is shown without his PAK.
• Despite not being an official oneshot issue, this issue has a noticeably different art style than most issues, which is something normally only seen in the oneshots.
• Irkens are drawn with four fingers in this issue rather than three.

References