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Zim-Xmas-Promo-Art

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 a special half-hour Christmas episode of the Nickelodeon animated series Invader Zim, and also the last episode produced before the show was cancelled. It was also the series' last episode, and the only one from its second season, to actually air on the main Nickelodeon network itself (the season's remaining episodes were released on DVD in 2004 before premiering on the Nicktoons Network in 2006).

Synopsis

Two million years in the future, 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. The alien soon notices a lot of fat men in red coats and white beards are making a lot of money. He captures one and he discovers the story of Santa Claus, which makes Zim 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 with the usual apathy and Zim has him dragged away to the "Jingle Jail".

While on Zim's ship, Dib escapes from his cage (the bars were made out of candy canes) 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 Almighty Tallest for enslavement. But the suit Zim is wearing is starting to take over him because it actually thinks it is Santa. Dib then attempts to attack Zim with one of the candy canes, but it is only absorbed into the Santa suit. Zim, now seeing through Dib's disguise, has him placed in "the actually strong Jingle Jail" (where the bars are actual metal slabs) and then launches him out of the ship and onto a sinking piece of ice.

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 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, which was available exclusively on Amazon.com from May 4, 2010, to June 4, 2021.

Trivia

  • The episode marked the first appearance of Minimoose (and also his only appearance until Oni Press' Invader Zim revival comic series and the movie Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus), but it was not planned as such. Due to the show's cancellation, Minimoose's intended debut episode, "Nubs of Doom", went unproduced, making this episode his official debut. His sudden presence is lampshaded by Zim saying that he has "been with me the whole time."

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) was 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 (which were included as part of the Invader Zim: The Complete Invasion box set) also used the uncut version of the episode. However, digital retailers, as well as the CreateSpace Invader Zim: Season 2 DVD set, instead use the televised version.

Cast

Voice actor/actress Character(s)
Richard Horvitz Zim
Crowd choir
Rosearik Rikki Simons GIR
Santa fan #1
Man in crowd #2
Andy Berman Dib Membrane
Crowd choir
Melissa Fahn Gaz Membrane
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

Note: The Almighty Tallest and Ms. Bitters appear, but do not have speaking parts.

External links

Nickelodeon
Productions
Nicktoons "The Santa Experience" • "Son of Stimpy" • "Doug's Christmas Story" • "Rocko's Modern Christmas!" • "Gone Shopp'n" • "A Scooter For Yaksmas" • "Arnold's Christmas" • "Gift Hoarse" • "Let It Snow" • "Have Yourself a Thornberry Little Christmas" • "A Very CatDog Christmas" • "Christmas Who?" • "Christmas Every Day!" • "An 'Even Steven' Holiday Special" • "Babies in Toyland" • Merry Nickmas shorts • "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever" • "A Rocket X-Mas" • "Holly Jolly Jimmy" • "The Finster Who Stole Christmas" • "A Robot for All Seasons" • "When Santas Collide" • "The Fright Before Christmas!" • "Merry Wishmas" • "It's an Udderful Life" • "The All Nighter Before Christmas" • "A Doomed Christmas" • "A Very Brrr-y Icemas" • It's a SpongeBob Christmas!A Fairly Odd Christmas • "Baconmas" • "A Magix Christmas" • "Huggle Day" • "Happy Chalawunga!" • "A Crustmas Story" • "11 Louds a Leapin'" • Albert • "It's Christmas, You Dorks!" • "Bunsen Saves Christmas" • "Bramley Holiday" • "A Very Casagrandes Christmas" • "Season's Cheatings" / "A Flipmas Carol" • "The Ho! Ho! Horror!" • A Loud House Christmas • "Traditions" • "Just in Time for Christmas" • "Parker Saves Christmas" • "SpongeBob's Road to Christmas" • "Snow Escape" • Twas the Night Before SpongemasA Very Patchy Holiday Stream Special • "Twas the Fight Before Christmas" • "Sandy's Country Christmas"
Live-action shows and movies "X-Mas Eve" • "Ride, She Said" • "Christmas" (Roundhouse) • "The Gift" (The Secret World of Alex Mack) • All That Episode 225 • "O' Christmas Pete" • "Merry Christmas, Kenan" • "Starwalk" • "Miracle on 32nd Skeet" • "The Mystery of the Mice That Roared" • "A Very Canine Christmas" • The Nick at Nite Holiday Special • "A Little So'em So'em for Christmas" • Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh • "iChristmas" • "The Naked Brothers Band Christmas Special" • "Telling Amanda" • "The Good, the Bad and the Ickie Doll" • "Big Time Christmas" • "A Christmas Tori" • "Epic Christmas" • "How to Rock Christmas" • "See Dad Run Christmas Into the Ground" • "The Gift of the Maggies" • Santa Hunters • "Santa's Little Harpers" • "Winter Thunderland" • "The Thank You Mask" • "Christmas Danger" • "A Reggae Potato Christmas" • Nickelodeon's Ho-Ho Holiday Special • "The Gift" (Make It Pop) • "Jingle Bell Rock" (School of Rock) • Tiny Christmas • "Holiday Punch" • The All-Star Nickmas Spectacular • "Down Goes Santa" • "Friendiversary" • All That Episode 1134 • "Krampapalooza" • "A Mouth Noise Christmas" • "Fa-La-La-La-La-La-La-Lay Lay" • "Waiting for Santa" • Nickelodeon's Treasure TruckThe Great Nickmas Tree Sliming • "A Very Delivery Van Christmas" • "All I Want for Christmas is Lay Lay"
Nick Jr. Christmas at Eureeka's Castle • "Waiting for Grandma" • "Mr. Cook's Christmas" • "A Gullah Gullah Christmas" • "Blue's Big Holiday" • "Merry Christmas, Little Bill" • "A Present for Santa" • "Blue's First Holiday" • "Blue's Holiday Wishes" • "Christmas Wishes" • "Diego Saves Christmas!" • "Christmas" (Yo Gabba Gabba!) • "Save the Reindeer!" • Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure • "Great and Grumpy Holiday" • "The Super-Special Gift" • "The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve" • "Santa's Little Fixers" • "Christmas" (Hi-5) • "Happy Holidays, Mr. Grumpfish!" • "A Very Awesome Christmas" • Peter Rabbit's Christmas Tale • "Pups Save Christmas" • "Wally Saves the Trollidays" • "A Very Guppy Christmas" • "Monster Machine Christmas" • "Have a Very Mutty Christmas" • "Santa's Little Genies" • "Christmas 2.0" • "Best Christmas Ever" (Sunny Day) • "The Knight Before Christmas" (Nella the Princess Knight) • "Rusty Saves Christmas" • "The Sugar Plum Fairy!" • "Merry Woodsmas" • "Ryan's Merry Playdate" • "A Top Wing Christmas" • "A Pirate Christmas" • "Pups Save a Bah-Humdinger" • "Blue's Night Before Christmas" • "The Guppies Save Christmas!" • "Ryan's Christmas Time Special!" • "All I Want for Fishmas" • "Christmas is Coming!" • "The Present" • "Charger's Christmas Adventure" • "The Crew Builds a Christmas Show" • "Tiny Chef’s Marvelous Mish Mesh Special" • "Face's Holiday Countdown Party"
Albums
Ren & Stimpy's Crock O' ChristmasRugrats: Holiday ClassicsNick HolidayNick Jr. Winter WonderlandDora's ChristmasMerry Nickmas . Baby Shark's Big Fishmas SpecialNick Jr.'s Holly Jolly Jams
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