Invader OC

Synonyms:	OC
See also:	SI OC, -sona
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Invader OCs are a form of Art Persona taking the form of an Irken, a race of fictional aliens from the TV show Invader Zim. Invaders are the highest rank in the Irken military and, aside from Tallest, appear to be the highest form of social standing in Irken culture. The trend of Invader OCs stretches back almost as old as the show itself, and was popular for much of the 2000s.

Those with Invader OCs would typically create usernames in the format Invader [name] and post pictures or roleplay of their OC. Said OC's would often be drawn with Emo or Scene accessories and clothing, as was typical for many OCs of the time.

Invader OCs were used on a number of different websites, but were found mostly on social networking sites such as Myspace, Bebo, Livejournal, and VampireFreaks, as well as on DeviantArt and FanFiction.Net. Due to many of these sites shutting down, or users changing their names, it is hard to measure the full scale of the practice, however a user search on Fanfiction.net and Livejournal accounts with Invader in the name returns 432 and 509 results respectively as of November 2021.

Reaction from the Creators

When the topic of Invaders is brought up, creator Jhonen Vasquez is very specific in his belief that there was a finite number of Invaders, they were all present for the Great Assigning in the first episode, and he had designs and profiles for all of them. His response towards fan-made Invaders was in the form of his typical snark:

How many Invaders were there, actually? It was something like… I dunno. I remember there was- I had a specific number of Invaders, they all had names, and it’s just funny because you go online and they have, like- You see kids and they create these whole characters for themselves. Like, they’re ‘Invader Billy’ or something like that. And it’s so pathetic because there aren’t any other Invaders, you know? It’s so sad! And I want to just crush those kids’ dreams because I’m like, 'You’re not an Invader, man! You’re just not!’ But, I don’t know where they live.

Jhonen Vasquez commentary, episode The Nightmare Begins, from the Invader ZIM Complete Invasion box set, circa 2001.