A good father loves each of his children equally... be they his daughter, his son, or his greener, less insane son! — Professor Membrane

Invader Zim Issue
Issue 37
Chronology
Previous:	Issue 36
Next:	Issue 38
Information
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	November 28, 2018
Creative
Story by:	Sam Logan
Art by:	Kate Sherron
Color by:	Fred C. Stresing

Official Summary

When Dib wakes up one morning to find ZIM inside his house, eating breakfast with his family, he's confused. Even more confused when everyone refers to ZIM as Dib's brother. What horrible plot could ZIM be unfurling? But the more Dib looks into it, the more it seems like... ZIM might actually be his brother? Is that possible? Or will Dib lose his mind trying to unravel the vast conspiracy?^[1]

Release

Issue 37 was released on November 28, 2018.

Variations

Issue #37 has a total of 2 cover variations. 

1. Warren Wucinich with Fred C. Stresing standard retail cover
2. Fred C. Stresing variant cover

Characters in Issue #37 (In Order of Appearance)

Synopsis

One morning, Dib wakes up to find Zim in his room, sharing a bunk bed with Dib, wearing his clothes, and claiming to be his brother. After Zim leaves, Dib reluctantly puts some of his clothes on in turn, before running downstairs after him. Reaching the kitchen, he's shocked to find that his father and sister are eating breakfast with Zim, both also claiming that Zim is his brother and that GIR is their dog.

Confused, Dib becomes convinced that Zim has either brainwashed Gaz and the Professor, or replaced them with duplicates. Reluctantly, he plays along as he and Zim head to Skool.

However, once there, he's further shocked when Ms. Bitters and his fellow Skoolchildren all are also claiming that he and Zim are brothers. Overwhelmed, he feigns sickness and flees the building, heading home. Desperate for answers, Dib searches for proof that Zim isn't his brother, but only finds numerous pictures depicting them as such, and even that GIR is an actual dog, instead of a robot in a costume. When Zim arrives, Dib panics and barricades himself in his room, and tries to contact The Swollen Eyeball Network for help, only for the agent he reaches to emerge from the computer screen and turn into Zim.

Dib attempts to flee out his window, only to stop as he notices blackberries growing on a tree, and a squirrel with a carapace. He realizes that he's in a lazily researched simulation, and wakes up in a pod in Zim's Base, just like during the events of the episode Dib's Wonderful Life of Doom. Zim reveals that he trapped Dib as a test subject for a plan to put all humans in simulations and use them as living batteries.

When Dib tries to point out the flaws in this plan, Zim of course silences him like he usually does, and expresses confusion as to why Dib rejected the illusion rather than accepted it, as Zim assumed he'd be thrilled to have Zim as a brother.

After Dib leaves, Zim inspects the pod, trying to figure out what went wrong, and accidentally traps himself inside it and puts himself in the simulation. His reaction to having a copy of himself as a brother is excitement over how great it is.

Facts of Doom 

• Zim's plan is similar in concept, if different in motive, to his plan in "Dib's Wonderful Life of Doom".
• In the illusion, Zim shows affection for Gaz, albeit more in a manner akin to siblings than as love interests (which was Jhonen's original intention for the two in the early scripts for the 1999 pilot for the series).
• Zim's plan can also be seen as a parody of the basic plot from the Matrix franchise, as Dib points out all the logical plot holes which make the plan not cost efficient (such as blueberries growing on a tree).
  • However, the blueberries growing on a tree could also be a vague reference to the Berries in Mario games.
• There's a minor error near the end of the issue. As Dib is fleeing from Zim in his house, he's briefly show wearing his own clothes as he runs into his room, despite wearing Zim's clothes up to that point. By the next panel, he's back in those clothes. This error was later corrected in reprints of the issue.
• The events of this issue are briefly mentioned in Issue 42 - during his first commercial to the Plim, Dib warns them that Zim might try to turn them all into batteries, like his ultimate goal with Dib here.
• One of the pictures shown on the cover of the issue shows Zim wearing a karate gi alonside Dib. This could be another reference to Power Rangers, which had the characters practicing various forms of martial arts (but primarily karate).

References