-1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

I was going to post a new section today, but due to the large number of reviews I've received begging elaboration on certain points, or arguing against statements I have put forth, I have taken it upon myself to dedicate an entire section just to addressing these questions and arguments. Some of these arguments have been resurrected time and time again, and may never be resolved, but I wish to say that these are only my opinions, based on my scientific knowledge, and because this is mostly theory and hypothesis, after this section I will NOT be wasting any more space by addressing some of these questions again.

Argument 1: Irkens are not insects because they do not have all of the attributes of those organisms belonging to the phylum arthropoda.

I will say it once more. I stated that Irkens probably evolved from an insect-like organism, and that Irkens are more closely related to insects than any other known life form. They have antennae serving the function of sensory organs, large, pupil-less eyes, clawed hands reminiscent of the claws at the end of an insect's legs, and a simpler organ system than mammals.

As much as many of you would like for Irkens to be more closely related to humans, they ARE NOT MAMMALS. In order to be a mammal, an organism must meet at least most of the following criteria: Possess mammary glands (Irkens do no not), have hair (Irkens do not), give live birth (this much is unknown, even to me, though it appears that they may), and are naturally learning creatures from birth, exhibiting behavioral flexibility (Irkens appear to be at least somewhat robotic in basic behaviour). Mammals also care for their young for long periods after birth, and pass behavioral information to their young. Irkens do not do this. As for warm bloodedness, Irkens are without a doubt warm blooded, but then again, so are birds, and it may be the Irkens' PAKs which allow them to maintain a set body temperature.

Because of the physiology of Irkens, I classify them as a highly evolved representative of the insect family. They may have certain features in common with humans, but they are not as closely related to us as some would like to believe. No offense to those of you who have argued against this point, but it is getting to be like the argument of whether or not dinosaurs evolved into birds.

A note to one of my reviewers: Aa, you are a brilliant mind, and I have not had this much fun and frustration arguing scientific theory with anyone in a long time. You must wear a white coat, or be one of the most well read individuals I have ever met. You have my respect.

Argument 2: Irkens are sterile (or even aesexual creatures), bred that way for centuries, and are only reproduced synthetically at the time of the show.

If Irkens are reproduces synthetically, and the same DNA is used to do so, we would expect all Irkens to be similar in appearance, and depending on the level of genetic control, similar in behaviour. Instead, we see Irkens of varying height, weight, sex, eye color, and behaviour. This is indicative of a large genetic background in terms of whatever breeding program may be in place among the Irken race.

And do Irkens have males and females in their race? Let's look to canon for that answer:

"She stole this plan from me!" and "You should have heard the lies she told about you!" -Zim on Tak

Why would Zim refer to Tak as "she" if Irkens were neither male nor female, or bred to no longer know the difference? Case closed, bailiff, bring in the dancing lobsters!

Argument 3: Is there any canonical evidence that Irkens are insects?

In Mortos Der Soulstaler, Mortos describes Zim as a "bug-man from outer space".

Argument 4: I've heard that…

If you have to start out a statement with "I've heard that…" or "I read somewhere that…", stop and think for a minute. Did you hear this from a reputable source? Did the original person who made the statement have backing in scientific doctrine? Were they someone connected with the creation or production of the show? If not, then how are you so sure that you can trust the statement? It may be a 6th level rumor for all you know. You cannot go on "Someone told me that they heard that…" It's not scientific, it's not logical, and it just makes you part of the rumor machine.

Argument 5: Blue eyes?

I have received a couple of questions involving whether or not Irkens can have blue eyes. Well I've heard (don't get too exited, it was from REPUTABLE sources) that former Tallest Miyuki had blue eyes. In fact, rumor or not, this belief has persisted so long, that all available drawings of her depict her with blue eyes, and nearly all references to her describe her as having blue eyes. Because we sadly never got to see the episode "The Trial", due to Nickelodeon's fascist regime, and so may never get to see Mr. Vasquez's vision of Tallest Miyuki brought to life, this is a prime example of how fans can influence canon by will alone. If 9 out of 10 fans agree that a character never shown had blue eyes, it becomes a fact until the day that Jhonen comes down from on high and says she doesn't. So, now that we can all agree that Miyuki had blue eyes, we can say that blue eyes DO occur among Irkens.

At the time of writing this, I have received word from an anonymous reader that A blue-eyed Irken does indeed appear in at least one episode of Invader Zim, as a deck officer on The Massive. I cannot substantiate this claim, but feel free to assist me by scrutinizing every episode in which deck officers appear. I would do so, but I simply don't have the time to do so.

Argument 6: Irken height

I actually got a review asking me to back up my statement that the average Irken is the same height as a 12 year old human child. Simply, Dib is supposed to be 12 years old, and it is assumed that all of his classmates are between 11 and 13 as well. Since Zim is nearly the same height as all of the children in Miss Bitters' class, and most Irkens seem to be more or less Zim's height, it is safe to say that Irkens are the same height as a 12 year old human.

On the show, children are drawn far smaller in size than they appear in the real world, Dib and Gaz standing only about waist-high to their father. A real life average for the height of a 12 year old male child is about 5 feet (60"). I would place the average height of Irkens at or near this figure if they existed in real life.

Argument 7: Irken Skin:

I was asked what I meant when I stated that Irken skin is a uniform green. I meant that Irkens have a skin that is green in color, and lacking any visible patterns or interruptions in the color. All Irkens also appear to be the same color green, with little variation in skin color per individual, or within the race itself. I exclude scars, wounds or modifications (ae, Tak's cerebral implant), as these are not naturally occurring variations in the skin of an organism.

I hope that this section clarified any questions that you the readers may have had. If not, please feel free to state any questions or comments in your reviews, or send a PM containing your remarks. I apologize if I may sound crass, but I will no longer be discussing the Irken/insect relationship theory, as it has become rather redundant. Now satisfied that I have thoroughly covered Irken biology, I will now turn my attention to Irken technology.