INVADER ZIM
#128A
"Invader Poonchy"
by Brent Crowe & Rob Hummel

FADE IN:

INT. ZIM'S HOUSE - FRONT LAWN.

ZIM is in his front yard working on a mechanical monstrosity that looks very
much like a huge cannon. NEIGHBORS gawk.

ZIM (SHOUTING INTO THE HOUSE)
Hurry up, GIR. I need those hydro-spanners so that I can prepare the
new...
(notices the gawking neighbors)
...bird feeder.

A camera flashes. ZIM whirls to find Dib standing in the middle of the sidewalk with his camera.

ZIM (CONT'D)
DIB! I see through your disguise!

DIB
I'm not in disguise. And if this...thing is supposed to be secret, you're doing a real bad job keeping it that way.

ZIM
SILENCE!

ZIM chases after Dib. Dib holds his camera away.

INT. ZIM'S LIVING ROOM - MINUTES LATER.

ZIM storms in carrying Dib's broken camera. GIR, in his dog suit, sits motionless against the couch.

ZIM
That little spying weasel. Doesn't he have anything better to do than try to
save his planet from me?
(GIR hasn't moved)
You know GIR, you're supposed to be guarding the base against him!

ZIM pokes GIR to finish his point, but GIR just wobbles there. After a beat, the suit collapses, revealing it is filled with ground beef.

ZIM (CONT'D)
AAAGH!! GIR!? GIIIR!! They've turned you into ground beef! HOWW!? WHYY?!

The real GIR pops his head up from behind the couch.

GIR
Fooooled you! Now there's two GIR's! That's BEEF GIR! LET'S EAT'IM!

ZIM (THINKING)
Why would you...WAITAMINUTE! A decoy. Your insane idea has given me a brilliant one. If Dib thinks there is another IRKEN on Earth, he won't have as much time to interfere in the creation of my SUPER WEAPON. But WHO will be my decoy?

GIR
I WISH I KNEW!

A screen appears. Gretchen's face appears on it.

ZIM
No. Too normal looking.
(the shot changes to Zootch)
Hmmm... I DO like his hair...
(now it's Morla, ZIM just WRETCHES. It changes to Poonchy: Drinker of Hate.)
Poonchy... Yesss....

INT. SKOOL HALLWAY - OUTSIDE CLASS.

The SKOOL BELL rings. The door to Ms. Bitterss' class opens and students pour out. ZIM stealthily zips out and presses himself against the wall. When Poonchy walks out of the room, ZIM lurches forward and BUMPS into him,
dropping a notebook as he does so. On the cover of the notebook is an IRKEN insignia and the word "Poonchy". Dib walks out of the class and steps over the notebook. ZIM picks it up.

ZIM (CLEARLY ACTING)
Oh, INVADER P-... uhhh... I mean, just regular skool child Poonchy, you have dropped your notebook.

Dib looks back, irritated. Poonchy ignores ZIM and simply walks away. ZIM flips through the book, exposing IRKEN text and schematics. ZIM suddenly turns on Dib.

ZIM (CONT'D)
Poonchy? An alien? Dib, that's crazy!

DIB
What are you talking about, ZIM?

ZIM
How dare you accuse that innocent non-alien child of being an IRKEN spy?

Dib
I'm not in the mood for jokes, ZIM.

ZIM
Heh?

Dib turns and walks away. ZIM looks frustrated.

INT. SKOOL CAFETERIA.

The cafeteria bustles with kids eating. Dib sits by himself eating a bag lunch. Across the cafeteria sits Poonchy with several of his friends. ZIM stands in the door, surveying the situation. ZIM walks behind Poonchy and
slaps an IRKEN backpack on him. The backpack fastens itself INTO Poonchy, who writhes and struggles. He sits back up, dazed.

ZIM
Hello there, my Poonchy friend.

ZIM sits next to Poonchy. All Poonchy's friends see Poonchy sitting next to ZIM and they walk away in social horror.

FRIENDS (WALLA)
Ew, I didn't know Poonchy and ZIM were friends. They even wear the same backpack! Let's go guuuuys.

Dib looks up at the commotion and runs over to investigate.

DIB (TO ZIM)
What're you doing to Poonchy, ZIM?

ZIM
What do you mean? What's wrong with his alien-style backpack?

Dib
I didn't say anything about backpacks...

Poonchy rubs his back and kind of stumbles away.

POONCHY
...My back hurts...

Dib turns to follow Poonchy, but Zim grabs him.

ZIM
All right, Dib, you win. I, ZIM, am merely a decoy, sent here to distract you from the real INVADER... INVADER POONCHY!
(he turns to the wall and starts pounding on it)
Oh, I've failed you MASTER POONCHY!!

DIB
Okay, NOW you're just being weird, ZIM.

Dib walks away. ZIM hasn't noticed. He's still pounding.

ZIM
Curse you Dib, you're too clever...

He looks up to see Dib's reaction and sees instead that the whole cafeteria stares at him. ZIM looks irritated.

ZIM (PLOTTING TO HIMSELF) (CONT'D)
Fine, Dib. Looks like it's time for more drastic measures...

EXT. POONCHY'S HOUSE - NIGHT.

As Poonchy walks up the walkway of his house, the dark figure of ZIM lurks around the corner. Poonchy rubs his new backpack and MOANS as he shuts the door behind him. ZIM listens at the door.

POONCHY (O.S,)
Mom, skool was CRAZY. I'm gonna go to my room and wind down with some video games, ya know? Yahhh, YOU knowww. Yeah!

ZIM smiles and sneaks away.

INT. POONCHY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS.

Poonchy walks into his room, which is no longer his room. He is surrounded by IRKEN technology. There is a giant screen with what looks like video game controllers in front of it.

POONCHY
Coooool.

INT. MEMBRANE LIVING ROOM - NIGHT.

Dib sits watching TV. The Mysterious Mysteries THEME SONG plays. Suddenly, the screen goes fuzzy and a shadowy form appears. It's ZIM in a lumpy disguise, his idea of spooky.

DIB
What the- ?

SHADOWY FORM (ZIM)
Agent Dib. I am Agent...eh...Loonypants he he from the Swollen Meatball Network.

DIB
Swollen Meatball Network? I've never heard of any Meatball-

SHADOWY FORM (ZIM)
SILENCE! We need you to investigate some alien signals in your neighborhood.

DIB
Okayyy...

EXT. POONCHY'S HOUSE - LATER

Dib scales the side of Poonchy's house, talking to himself.

DIB
I dunno about this "Swollen Meatball". If tonight's Mysterious Mysteries wasn't a rerun I wouldn't even be here-

He peeks his head up to look into Poonchy's room. He is shocked to see Poonchy sitting amid all the IRKEN TECHNOLOGY. From his POV, Dib can't see what's on the video game screen.

EXT. POONCHY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Now we see the video game screen in the foreground, with Dib peeking in the background. The screen is swarming with "alien enemies". From his vantage point, Dib can only see the back of the screen and Poonchy playing his game.

POONCHY (ABOUT VIDEO GAME)
I'll destroy them all!!!!

Dib's eyes go wide and he drops out of frame. THUD

EXT. POONCHY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Dib stares up at Poonchy's room.

DIB
Poonchy really is an alien! And he wants to destroy us all!

INT. VOOT CRUISER - CONTINUOUS

High above, ZIM hovers in his VOOT CRUISER, watching. He can see Dib backing away from Poonchy's house. GIR sits next to him. ZIM chuckles to himself.

ZIM
HAH! I spared no detail to make Poonchy look like a real IRKEN. Now I can work on my SUPER WEAPON in peace.

EXT. POONCHY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Poonchy spots a read button on his console.

POONCHY
What's this button do?

EXT. POONCHY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

The top of Poonchy's house opens up, revealing the weapon thing that ZIM was working on in the opening scene. Dib backs away in awe.

DIB
I've got to find help.

EXT. VOOT CRUISER - CONTINUOUS

ZIM is shocked as the weapon folds out.

ZIM
Wow that really IS detailed. That looks just like my SUPER WEAPON...hey wait. That IS MY SUPER WEAPON! GIR! GIRRR!! Huh?! Huh?!
(GIR says nothing. ZIM pokes his head. Beef oozes out.)
BEEEEEEEEF!

EXT. POONCHY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The game screen changes. ZIM's VOOT CRUISER fills the frame and a target reticle closes in on it.

POONCHY
I hope this game gets better...

EXT. VOOT CRUISER - CONTINUOUS

The laser cannon fires super lasers at the VOOT. ZIM SHRIEKS and makes the CRUISER dodge the beams. The sudden movement jars beef GIR out of his seat. Beef GIR flops around inside the cabin as ZIM tries to control his ship. We CUT TO:

INT. TV STUDIO - LATER

A NEWSCASTER sits at a news desk.

NEWSCASTER
THIS JUST IN. An evil alien has taken over a local home and is firing lasers all crazy like. Authorities have the location surrounded. Reporter Ted Slunchy has the story...

EXT. POONCHY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Ted Slunchy stands in front of Poonchy's house, holding a microphone. Dib stands next to him. Bedlam reigns behind them as the laser shoots at the surrounding police cars and military vehicles.

TED SLUNCHY
I'm here with Dib, the boy who reported the alien to the authorities. Dib, isn't it true that you have a history of making this kind of thing up?

DIB (PERPLEXED)
No.

TED SLUNCHY
Very interesting. I'm also here with Doctor Spanky, laser specialist. Doctor, what do you have to say?

DOCTOR SPANKY
What we have here is a high impact-

Suddenly, from behind them, someone shouts.

RANDOM VOICE (O.S.)
It's going into super deluxe attack mode! It could destroy the world!!!

A light on top of the weapon DINGS from green to red. Ted pushes aside the expert. Pandemonium breaks out.

TED SLUNCHY
You heard it here first folks. This impressive alien threat has "Super deluxe attack mode" technology! Possible worldwide destruction. RUUUUUN!

The reporter goes running as everything dissolves into chaos.

EXT. VOOT CRUISER - CONTINUOUS

The CRUISER hovers high above the madness. The inside of the ship is coated with meat. ZIM has the newscast on a monitor.

ZIM
Poonchy? Impressive?! But that's MY weapon! I MUST save the earth from POONCHY! Only THEN can I... destroy The EARTH! Computer, activate self-destruct for Poonchy's fake base!

ZIM'S COMPUTER (O.S.)
Base destruction sequence activated.

EXT. POONCHY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

The cannon SPLITS OPEN and sparks start to shoot out of it. The crowd gasps. Dib yells at a GENERAL, who stands in front of a group of military mechs and
tanks.

DIB
You're gonna have to destroy that house! You can't let the super cannon go off!!

GENERAL
The boy is right!

The NOISE level outside is intense as things EXPLODE, people SCREAM and cars CRASH. CUT TO:

EXT. POONCHY'S HOUSE, THE KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

For some reason, it's really quiet. POONCHY'S MOM sits at the kitchen table. She nods off. Through the window, we can see all kinds of crazy stuff going on. Behind her, the microwave HUMS. After a beat, the microwave DINGS. She
snaps awake.

POONCHY'S MOM (SCREAMING)
POONCHY! DINNER'S READY!

INT. POONCHY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Poonchy excitedly plays his game. In the corner of his screen, we can see the self-destruction countdown.

POONCHY
Not now mom, I almost got the super weapon all charged up. Something cool's gonna happen just as soon as I -

Suddenly, his mom's in his doorway.

POONCHY'S MOM (INSANELY CHEERY)
I made fish sticks! Yum, yum yum yum yum.

POONCHY (INSANELY HAPPY)
YAAHHH!! FISH STICKS!! Oooooooh!

Poonchy unplugs the game, and runs off out of the room with his mom. The two of them happy about fish sticks.

INT. VOOT CRUISER - CONTINUOUS

The destruction countdown stops on ZIM'S monitor.

ZIM'S
It's shut down! Now I won't have to blow up the base! Oh well. Woulda been neat.

EXT. POONCHY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

The cannon POWERS DOWN and stops firing.

DIB
Look! I think he's surrendering!

General
You might be right. Let's send in the ground troops just to be safe!

Troops bust into the house. We hear Poonchy's mom SCREAM.

GROUNDTROOPS
Heyyy FISHSTICKS!!

EXT. POONCHY'S HOUSE - LATER

Ted Slunchy once again stands with microphone.

TED SLUNCHY
...And in the end, it was really just a video game belonging to a normal boy...
(a picture of Poonchy fills the screen)
Who was falsely accused of being an alien by this boy...
(horrible picture of Dib)
... who was hauled away from the scene after accusing this woman...
(picture of Poonchy's mom)
...of being an alien robot.
(shot of Dib being pulled off of Poonchy's mom)
Even more mysterious was the green boy yelling at a dog stuffed with beef.
(picture of ZIM screaming at GIR)
They don't get any weirder than that!

GIR, out of his costume and GIGGLING, floats by Ted carrying a load of ground beef. Ted watches GIR fly off-screen, and is immediately hit in the face with a wad of meat. The image goes to STATIC, as though a TV is being turned off. CUT TO:

INT. ZIM'S LIVING ROOM - LATER

ZIM sits on the couch in front of his TV with his remote control in his hand. The room is covered in beef.

ZIM
Well, with Dib in jail, he can't bug me for a while, so...I guess I win.
(beat)
SUCCESS!!!

Zim shoves his fists in the air victoriously. TRIUMPHANT MUSIC swells until ZIM is slammed hard off-screen by a monstrous blast of beef. GIR giggles.

the end.