Ep 1. The Nightmare Begins

Invader Zim is an animated television series that follows the story of an extraterrestrial being named Zim, who is sent to conquer Earth by his rulers, the Irken Empire. The show debuted on March 30th, 2001, and it quickly developed a cult following due to its dark and quirky themes.

The first episode of Invader Zim is called "The Nightmare Begins," and it begins with Zim being banished by the Irken Armada to a distant planet because of his dangerous and reckless behavior. However, Zim is not ready to give up his dream of conquering the universe, so he escapes in a small ship and heads straight for Earth.

Upon his arrival on Earth, Zim is dismayed to see that the planet is inhabited by humans, a species that he had never encountered before. Nevertheless, he quickly begins formulating a plan to take over the planet by posing as a human and enrolling in a local elementary school.

Zim disguises himself as a green-skinned child and adopts the name "Dib" so that he can blend in with the humans. However, his disguise is quickly discovered by Dib, a student at the same school who is obsessed with the paranormal and conspiracy theories. Dib believes that Zim is an alien and sets out to expose him to the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, Zim starts to learn more about the strange and confusing world of humans as he attends school and interacts with his human classmates. He meets some friendly humans, like his neighbor, a girl named Gaz who is obsessed with video games. However, he also encounters some not-so-friendly humans, like the school bully, a boy named Zootch, who tries to pick a fight with Zim.

As Zim tries to navigate his new life as an elementary school student, he also starts to hatch his plan for conquering Earth. He creates a series of robotic "SIR" units that he plans to use to take over the planet, starting with the destruction of the city's power supply.

However, his plan is foiled when Dib interferes and manages to destroy one of Zim's SIR units. Zim quickly realizes that Dib is onto him and decides to take matters into his own hands. He sets out to find out what Dib knows and to stop him from foiling his plans for world domination.

The first episode of Invader Zim introduces viewers to the show's unique and twisted sense of humor, as well as its dark and sometimes grotesque animation style. The characters are all eccentric and quirky, and the plot is full of unexpected twists and turns that keep the audience guessing.

Overall, "The Nightmare Begins" is a perfect introduction to the world of Invader Zim, and it sets the stage for the wild and unpredictable adventures to come.