Promotional artwork for the episode (later used as the cover art for the Invader Zim: Volume 3 - Horrible Holiday Cheer DVD).
"The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever" is the Christmas-themed episode of the Nickelodeon animated series Invader Zim, and also the last episode produced for the series before it was cancelled. It was also the last episode of the series to actually air on Nickelodeon itself (the remaining episodes of the series were released on DVD before premiering on the Nicktoons Network four years later).
Synopsis
This episode opens two million years in the future, in which a robotic snowman named Mr. Sludgey is telling children the story of the "most horrible Christmas ever". It all started in the past, when Zim, GIR and Minimoose were on the streets trying to make money. When the alien notices that fat men in red coats and white beards were making a lot of money. He captures one and he discovers the story of Santa Claus, in which Zim is amazed over how much power Santa has over the humans.
Zim decides to create a giant Santa suit that he can use in order to pretend to be Santa, and have more power over the humans and become their ruler. Dib figures out Zim's scheme and heads out to stop him in order to not only save Christmas, but to save the entire human race as well. Unfortunately, Zim has the support of every human on Earth, except for Professor Membrane, who has a grudge against Santa. Zim gathers the human race together and commands them to build a transporter for "Santa". Dib confronts Zim in front of everybody, trying to expose him as a fraud. Instead, the humans treat Dib as usually and Zim has him dragged away to the "Jingle Jail". Dib escapes from his prison on Zim's ship and disguises himself as one of Zim's robot elves. Zim, not realizing that the elf is actually Dib, starts venting with him in the room. Zim explains that he is using the santa suit to trick humanity into building a teleporter that will take them to the Tallest for enslavement. But the suit Zim is wearing is starting to take over him because it actually thinks it's Santa. Zim then sees through Dib's disguise and launches him out of the ship and onto a sinking piece of ice in a stronger "Jingle Jail" (a cage made of candy canes and metal slabs).
Gaz comes to rescue her brother in Tak's Ship, but only to beat him up after he confessed that he decapitated her doll. Dib then contacts his dad, who gives his son permission to use all of his anti-Santa arsenal. Armed with a giant robot suit, Dib confronts Zim again at the North Pole, where the teleporter is complete. Unfortunately for both Zim and Dib, the Santa suit has taken full control over the alien, and Dib is forced to battle it Megazord-style. In the end, Dib's robot suit defeats it, Zim is freed from the suit, and the mutated santa monster is launched into space. But it's not a happy ending. Zim, dressed as the Easter Platypus, convinces the human race that Dib killed Santa and they attack him.
With the story ended, we go back to Mr. Sludgey talking to the kids, and he explains to them that Santa is in fact not dead, but is in space gathering strength to attack the Earth every Christmas, and that is why they live in a protective shield.
Availability
The televised cut of the episode made its home video debut on Media Blaster's Invader Zim: Volume 3 - Horrible Holiday Cheer DVD set, released on October 12, 2004, while the original uncut version of the episode debuted on the Special Features disc that came with the show's Complete Series set (and later on later pressings of the Horrible Holiday Cheer DVD). The edited version was later included on the Invader Zim: Season 2 manufacture-on-demand DVD set, released exclusively on Amazon.com on May 4, 2010.
Edits
Several changes were made to the episode after its completion before being broadcast on television. Among the changes, the interview with Zim in his Santa suit was originally accompanied by rock music with Zim talking in a Hulk Hogan-esque voice, depicting the interview as a reference to WCW's n.W.o. Additionally, most of the episode's musical score (except for "Jolly Boots of Doom" and the music during the climactic battle) were far less cheerful, and much of the dialogue was also altered (for instance, the original version had Mr. Sludgey continually refer to Zim and Dib as "Zam" and "Doob", respectively).
When Media Blasters released a Complete Series box set of Invader Zim, the original uncut version of the episode was featured on the set's exclusive Special Features disc. Later pressings of the individual Horrible Holiday Cheer DVD (included as part of the Invader Zim: The Complete Invasion box set) also used the uncut version of the episode. However, iTunes and Amazon Instant Video, as well as the CreateSpace Invader Zim: Season 2 DVD set, instead use the televised version.
Cast
| Voice actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Richard Horvitz | Zim Crowd choir |
| Rosearik Rikki Simons | GIR Santa fan #1 Man in crowd #2 |
| Andy Berman | Dib Crowd choir |
| Melissa Fahn | Gaz Orphan children |
| Dee Bradley Baker | Santa Gerg Guy in crowd Cutest little kid |
| Rodger Bumpass | Professor Membrane Man in crowd #1 Crowd choir |
| Kathryn Fiore | Kid Santa fan #2 Little girl |
| Jeffrey Jones | Presidentman Crowd man Guy in crowd #2 |
| Candi Milo | Clara Woman in crowd |
| Jhonen Vasquez | Minimoose Computer Precocious kid Kid in crowd |
| Fred Tatasciore | WHUH News anchor Mr. Sludgey Santa Walla |
External links
- Invader Zim Wiki: The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever
- Template:Tv.com episode
- "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever" at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever" at the Internet Movie Database