#[Control Brains]

[l-ii-zz]

My blood, I'll go with you

[faithfulwhispers-art]

"Behold! The Irken Empire..."

[akiione]

Against the Control Brains

Astral and Soren (OC) by fizziepop

Commission for fizziepop

☆ Instagram | Twitter | Ko-fi | Commission info

[edgy-ella]

I recently rewatched Invader Zim with @allshaftsfall, and something dawned on me that I should’ve realized years ago: Irkens have really weak backs/spines.

Or at least, it gets worse the taller they get, exponentially more so than with humans. The only tall Irkens we ever see in the series are the Tallest (obviously) and Sizz-Lorr, all of which are noticeably hunched over.

Sure, you could argue that Sizz-Lorr’s weird hunchback comes from his abnormally large PAK and the Tallest’s poor posture comes from the extreme corseting done to their midsections, but that in turn raises another question: why in god’s name would you ever fuck up your spine like that in a society where your status is determined by your height?

This stood out to me as weird for the Tallest in particular, because height is their status, so you’d think they’d be doing everything in their power to make themselves look as tall as possible rather than the opposite. It’s also something not unique to Red and Purple—concept art shows that Miyuki and Spork, the two previous Tallests before the current duo, had the same thing going on.

Hell, even Tak, who is barely taller than Zim, doesn’t always stand up straight.

This mostly applies when she’s in her human disguise, but still. Her height wouldn’t expose her as an alien—nobody cares about Zim’s more damning features, and Dib has classmates much taller than she would be standing up straight—so she doesn’t have anything to gain by slouching. To me, it seems like she feels like she has to consciously stand up straight when out of disguise, interacting with other Irkens (as someone with scoliosis, I can relate), but feels more relaxed as a human where height isn’t that big of a deal.

Before anyone calls bullshit on Tak ever slouching, look at her posture here compared to Gaz.

None of this is an art style thing, either. The humans in the series, both tall and short, stand significantly straighter. The only human I can think of off the top of my head that slouches is Ms. Bitters, and we don’t even know if she is human.

So, what does this all mean? Why’s this important? Well, to me, it begs the question: if the Irkens end up with significantly worse posture the taller they get, why does their society run on a height-based hierarchy? It’s already a silly concept, and the fact that Irkens already seem to have weak backs is just the cherry on top.

To me, this says that this is not naturally a part of Irken culture, and that the Control Brains put it in place whenever they assumed total control of the species, and it seems like it’s there in order to make the Irkens more reliant on the Control Brains. You can’t expect to have a stable leadership if your rulers are chosen arbitrarily, so the people supposedly in charge have to rely on the giant supercomputers to handle all the hard stuff for them. We already knew that the Control Brains were these shadowy figures controlling everything from the shadows, and this is just doubling down on that. And the implications there are wild: were the Control Brains originally made by other Irkens, only for their AI to gain sentience and weaken the Irkens biologically, socially, and culturally? Were the Control Brains made by a completely different race, only to appear like gods before primitive Irkens and force themselves upon them? If so, what happened to whatever race made the Control Brains? What’s the Control Brains’ overall purpose? How far does this “meat shield used to carry the PAK around” thing go?

Unfortunately we are never ever getting any answers to these questions because the franchise is in indefinite hibernation right now and they didn’t tackle the Control Brains in any meaningful capacity when they had the chance in either Enter the Florpus or the comics. But it’s fun to think about!

[noxeorn]

Revenge for @bluecolty

No text version is under the cut :>

[dudesome]

I HC that after the Florpus incident, the Control Brains gave a clear approval for an execution for Zim where the state or anyone else can kill him, no trial needed.

Like, after the shit he pulled, they were like "Nah, eliminate that fuck immediately."

[emeraldspiral]

Thinking about how Zim refers to the Tallest as "a royal audience" in Backseat Drivers and what it implies about their role in society.

Cause like, virtually all royalty throughout human history has used religion to justify their power. Every royal family has always proclaimed themselves literal gods, the human avatars of gods, the offspring of gods and mortals, anointed by god, or otherwise "chosen" by a higher power and that's why they're inherently better than everyone else. More fit to lead and decide what's moral and immoral. Entitled to their land and property and to everyone's respect and deference to their authority. Also why 99% of all fantasy and fairy tales that feature any kind of corrupt royalty always have the copout that the bad guy is an usurper and the rightful heir is always good.

So if the Control Brains are like Irken gods, it kinda makes sense that the general population would just go with the idea that being tall means you get to be in charge. Because the Control Brains have not only declared it, they have the ability to control for height among the population, so whoever becomes Tallest isn't random chance. What the people don't realize though is that the Control Brains are themselves not divine. They aren't all knowing and infallible and their absolute authority isn't deserved either. Like the boss who chooses supervisors based on who's the best ass-kisser rather than any actual merits, the Control Brains don't select or cultivate Tallests based on intellect or competence, because that's not what they want. What they want is complacent figureheads with no interest in challenging their authority.

[fourteenpigs]

Twitter community notes and these guys are kind of twin

Tallest red talking bs and controlbrain butting in to correct him oh I’m laughing with giggles

[messinwitheddie]

Kiz: “You’re a miserable old coot. Seeing these Irken happy makes you unhappy. You can’t give them what they’ve already given to you, so the only thing left is to eliminate anyone who has a better life you wish you had. Kii, I’m very disappointed of what you’ve become, my smeet. Have the years of grooming you to be the fierce, independent, strong woman tire you out already? Or have you given up on your species all together? It only takes love or hate to turn someone’s heart to stone….Which darken yours?”

I thought about this for a while now. A little dialogue in my head about Kiz if she were to have one of those hallucinations speaking to Kii from beyond the grave. Criticizing her life choices and power hungry behavior. Btw HAPPY NEW YEAR!🎉🎇🎆🥂☺️

Kii "Your whispering has tormented me for eons!! Why won't you face me??!"

Kiz "Why won't you face me?"

[Funny enough, Kiz does haunt the green brain's core smeetery hub. Kiz hovers right behind her, in the brain's blind spot. The dialogue was on point. Thank you for this; Sorry this response is so late. Happy New Year!

Worst smeetery background ever lol. I literally draw on a grid and I can't keep my lines straight or my perspective on point.

[kitsupine]

☆Discussion With the Control Brains☆

[ionroir]

PAKs, Control Brains, and the Collective (they’re all connected lads)

[this is all just my personal headcanon]

It is commonly stated that PAKs hold an Irkens personality, and can imprint it onto another living thing or advanced computer. This is somewhat true.

When it comes to personality and memory, PAKs work in tandem with the organic brain. They work off each other to create both a ‘thought version’ and a ‘code version’ of an Irken’s memories, filling in each other’s blanks. They are constantly ‘updating’ each other, but you need both the PAK and organic brain to get the full picture when it comes to memories. This is why in trials and existence evaluations the Irken is still connected to the PAK when memories are being viewed, it wouldn’t be fully accurate otherwise. Going of organic memories alone leaves room for lying or misremembering, and going off of PAK memories alone would leave you with a very streamlined, exclusively Empire focused perspective, which can be incomplete, out of context, or otherwise inaccurate.

Only the Control Brains can fully process an Irken’s memories, as they are the only AI powerful enough to do it (it also helps that they have the power to bypass PAK defenses - unlike more unauthorised methods) Via the Control Brains is also the only legal way to access and download memories, and it is very invasive and uncomfortable for the Irken in question. Attempting to do illegally to someone else would land you quite a severe assault charge.

In terms of personality, the PAK by itself contains.. a version of the Irken’s personality, but not their entire one, only the ‘Empire Approved’ parts. The ‘efficient’ parts, which would make them a Good Irken and Soldier in the eyes of the Control Brains. The PAK personality is still unique to each Irken and bares resemblance to their actual personality but it’s also less whole, more robotic. There are a few reasons for this.

The first (and main) reason is that while you can code a personality into an AI software, no computer holds the processing power to wholly translate and replicate a pre-existing organic personality to a code while simultaneously keeping up with the personality as it grows and evolves (and doing everything else the PAK does.)

This ‘simplified’ personality has some uses though. An Irken who is good at hacking can actually upload it into a computer/device, which can give them (well, that version of them) control of the system.

This is the sort of thing Tak did with her ship. (The PAK personality works a little different when there are defects in the PAK though - hence why Tak’s ship is closer to her actual personality than it would normally have been)

The second reason is simply that from the Control Brains’ perspective it’s easier to control a PAK when its main code is more predictable and also aligns perfectly with your goals all of the time.

The third reason is linked to the second one, and that is the Collective.

The Collective is the complete source of post-PAK Irken knowledge. It (or at least, part of it) is where existing PAKs get their occupational encoding and also where non-defective PAKs have their ‘personality’ and PAK memories uploaded when their Irken dies. The Collective is essentially the universe’s most complex computer and it is also what powers the Control Brains.

So what are the Control Brains? They are the sentient (semi-sentient?) part of the Collective. The main three brains run the judicial system on Irk, and they can be split/duplicated into less complicated smaller brains which can be allocated to other tasks as needed.

The Control Brains always make decisions based on what will bring the most benefit to the Empire. They are the closest Irkens would have to a god/afterlife and they are treated as such, and they aren’t discussed too openly. Their decisions are final. After all, they are the combined consciousnesses of the Irkens’ past and present, if they act for an Empire, surely that’s the best way for them to be?

Well, not really. As I said earlier, only the simplified PAK personality is updated into the Collective, and be default, the Brains. And only ones that aren’t deemed defective at that (and the number of ‘defectives’ being found is only growing)

So.. the Control Brains are made up of consciousnesses that the Control Brains deem appropriate, but only as collected by the machines that are built to streamline everything to the Control Brains��� goals, which the Irkens believe are the ultimate goals of their race.

But in actuality it is a vicious cycle of constantly furthering an empire that benefits nobody all because of a semi-sentient super computer based on biased an incomplete data which is being allowed to make decisions for a people that it isn’t actually as much a part of and isn’t acting in their best interest as much as everyone seems to think.

Now surely, some Irkens have figured this out with all their technological knowledge? Surely a few have managed to get past PAK blocks and share their realisations? Well, of course. But anyone doing that would be committing treason, blasphemy. Anyone doing that must be defective.

And the Control Brains have no tolerance for defectives in the Empire.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Got bitten by the Invader Zim bug again, mostly like new comic with Zib in it, and aus/theories I've seen regarding the Paks and whether or not the Control Brains are running the show.

[zillychu]

everyone sh. shutd up im cooking smthn

[deep-space-lines]

IT'S FINALLY FUCKING DONE. I'M FINALLY FREE

UNTIL FRAUD COMES OUT

Tumblr shrinks it down pretty bad so please. please. I am begging you. look at the full sized image and zoom in. This art piece made my friends worried for my mental health I need someone to witness the amount of detail and effort I put into this

also the original sketch under the cut bc I think comparing them is really funny

[obsessedwithstarwars]

Okay you can’t tell me that Vlad doesn’t have an organ somewhere in his mansion. Upon learning of this, Danny would teach himself how to play the Haunted Mansion theme on the organ and play it at 2am.

Vlad Masters is away on business in Gotham, and the Fentons are coincidentally there for a symposium on ecto-activity. So it’s perfect! Except he goes to the wrong house, er mansion.

Honestly, Danny thought it was one of Vlad’s many mansions. Scaring the old man is his favorite activity after all. There’s a higher amount of ectoplasm here, so it has to be Vlad’s place right?

When Bruce comes out (on one of his few nights off) and sees his carbon copy playing the organ, all thoughts fly out of his head. Danny finally looks up and also blue screens. They stare at each other for what feels like an eternity until Danny’s cell phone rings (the ghostbusters theme??) and he panics. He jumps up and makes a break for the other door rushing through apologies “SorryWronghousegottagobye!” And runs out of the room. “Wait! Who are you?”Bruce exclaims as he rushes after him. They’re on the second story in one of the rooms he rarely uses. How did he know where the organ was? No matter. He’ll catch the kid on the stairs.

Except the kid is already almost at the bottom. How did he get down so effortlessly? The kid practically floated down the stairs.

Bruce gets to the foyer just in time to see the kid realize the door was dead-bolted in multiple spots. He won’t be able to undo them all before Bruce catches up to him.

He slows down and stands behind a pillar, assessing his next move. He needs to be careful here. This is a child after all, no need to spook him any more than he already has. He needs to slowly approach, and ask his questions.

But then the kid does the unexpected. After looking around frantically, he takes a deep breath. Two rings form around his middle and travel up and down his body. His black hair turns ghostly white. He looks back, almost directly at Bruce. His eyes widen as if he realizes he’s being watched. He whispers, barely loud enough to hear, “I’m so sorry, please don’t follow me.” Then, he backs through the locked door and vanishes.

[misslexyhypnoyou]

Be worthy to be brainwashed

🤤