F.A.Q.

''The following are answers to frequently asked questions, regarding both the inner workings & certain events that have taken place thus far in the "Dimension" saga. These responses come directly from the saga's writer and animator.''

Creation
Q: What program(s) do you use to make the “Dimension” saga?

''A: Microsoft PowerPoint for animation; Fraps for capturing completed animation as a video file; Adobe Premiere Elements for editing the video file and adding music and sound, and then exporting the final product before uploading it to YouTube. ''

[originally, capturing the animation was done simply by using a digital camera to record the computer screen—before I had access to desktop-recording software—and Windows Movie Maker was my only editing program for a short while]

''Typically, people use Flash for this sort of thing; I’m not those people. As unorthodox as it may seem for me to be using PowerPoint (a program whose purpose isn’t exactly animating sprite series with such multitudes of action), it’s simply the way I chose & learned to bring this story to life.''

''It clearly took time for my skills to reach their fullest potential, as evidenced by the mediocre animation job I was doing when I first started. But with time, and a great deal of patience, soon my animating techniques began to truly flourish. Action scenes and character movements now look more natural, and the style in which I produce this saga is much more prominent than it was several years ago.''





'''Q:  Where do you find your character poses, sprites, etc.? '''

''A: The more common sources are the likes of The Spriters Resource, Mario Fan Games Galaxy, Mystical Forest Zone, etc., for the Sonic & Mario-related sprites (among others). Everyone else’s poses, for the most part, are extracted—and in some cases edited & customized—by me personally.''



'Q:  How come you don’t include characters from other games & franchises (i.e. Metroid, Kirby, Legend of Zelda'' )? '''

A:  ''For one thing, I have never played those games. I figure if anyone should use the likes of Kirby or Link in an animation series, it should be someone who is familiar with those worlds. The “Dimension” saga is based exclusively around the characters I grew up with. (And as it is, five different universes for this plot already is plenty!)''



Q: How come you don’t split episodes into halves/thirds anymore?

''A: Because YouTube finally decided to stop being ridiculous and allowed me to have free reign in the video-length department at last. I NEVER liked cutting up the episodes. Having the ability to let the video(s) play all the way through, uninterrupted, is what I prefer.''



Q: Why have you continued to use the older Mario & Luigi sprites and Yoshi sprites, from “Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga” & “Yoshi’s Island,” rather than those from the newer titles (“Bowser’s Inside Story,” “Yoshi’s Island DS”)?

''A: For consistency’s sake—and because over time I have found much more variety in the character pose department from the “older” style than from the “newer”—I have chosen to carry on with the general sources that I started with, for these sprites. What’s more important to me in regards to sprites is how much they have to offer, as opposed to whether or not they are from the most recent game. That said, the style of sprites that I started with for these characters is the one that I am going to finish with.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''However, I have chosen to introduce a new style of sprites for Bowser, now that he has returned to the saga. When “Mix-Up” was being made, admittedly the variety of poses for his character was very limited, as opposed to now—so since he does have a more recent title these days, in which he has quite the multitude of stances to choose from, I will indeed be making a transition to the newer sprites, in his case.''

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The General Story
<p class="MsoNormal">'''Q: What exactly is the nature of the inter-dimensional travel in this saga? For instance, how is it that such travel can be achieved using specifically-designed devices, like that which was given to Swampy by Eggman Nega—and yet can also be achieved simply by piloting a vessel, such as the Egg Carrier or Tak’s ship? If it’s that easy, why create a special device for it?'''

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: Inter-dimensional travel in this saga is a strange concept. For there to be access at all between these five worlds is a miracle in and of itself. But the way it works, when truly understood, is not overly complicated—even less so when provided with devices like Swampy’s, or Dib’s watch, or Shadow’s Chaos Control ability.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''But with or without those tools, in order for such travel to be possible in the first place, what must exist are “gateways” of sorts— and this is now precisely the case, thanks to the machinations of Eggman Nega. As soon as a connection between all five dimensions was forged, by his doing, said gateways were consequently brought into existence. Thus, they have been present in these worlds ever since the heroes first encountered each other.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''As a result of this phenomenon triggered by Nega, anyone can come and go throughout these five gateways, whether they possess a device or not. But in order to make the trip at all, that gateway must be either found or harnessed. For example, to venture to another dimension WITHOUT any sort of portable tool, one would need to find the actual portal itself, located somewhere in his/her own world. More often than not, the portal would be stationed in the sky somewhere.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''This is proven true when the heroes, now fully aware of the connection between their worlds, are able to pilot vessels into other dimensions. As they have done this throughout the saga, the audience has been led to believe that they can simply program their ships to take them where they need to go and they are instantly transported— but in actuality, each time they wish to venture to another dimension in this way, they must literally take their vessel into the portal itself. Therefore, when people like Bill and Gaz in “Mix-Up” (or even just Bill, to get to Frogger’s dimension in “Obliteration”) were traveling between worlds by themselves—with no Chaos Control, nor any special device—it can be surmised that they found & used the actual gateways to get where they needed to go.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Naturally, however, for the antagonists of the saga such as Mr. D, quicker means of inter-dimensional travel were required, in order to catch up with and stay a step ahead of the heroes during their quests— since it was clear that most of the time, the alliance had either Shadow & his Chaos Control or Dib & his watch, as their own ways of venturing between worlds. So, this was the reason for Eggman stealing Calvin’s Time Machine and Mr. D requiring Swampy’s device— because these were specifically designed to harness the gateways remotely, so as to transport either a single person or several beings into one of the alternate dimensions in an instant. Therefore, this eliminated the need for the proprietor to have to search for and enter the portals directly— which is precisely what Nega had in mind when putting together these devices.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''The process of traveling between dimensions in this saga is still an ever-mysterious one, considering the fact that these gateways were never meant to exist. This, perhaps, is at least partially why the constant travels have been slowly tearing reality apart—again, by Nega’s grand design. But, whether or not the portals can be taken out of existence, now that they have been brought in, is unclear; even if reality is saved and the instability problem is eliminated, the gateways may yet continue to exist for the heroes. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Nevertheless, in order to avoid a recurrence of the instability problem, the travels would need to be kept more in check. Venturing constantly & recklessly throughout the dimensions would have to be avoided.''

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<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Why isn’t Rouge the Bat in this saga?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: Hers is a character I was uncertain about, in regards to what sort of role she would play in the events occurring throughout the saga. A master thief, but also a bit of an enigma, when it comes to whose side she is truly on. If anything, she would have simply gone after the chaos emeralds on her own (in the hopes of collecting them for herself) and provided another obstacle for the heroes—but considering how many other foes the alliance was going up against in “Mix-Up” alone, another one might have been too much.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Also, I wasn’t sure how well I could have written her character in the story, back when I was first conceptualizing it. And not just dialogue-wise, but how she would have fit into the plot, in the long run. After all, my story-writing skills weren’t quite at the level they are now. (if I do say so myself)''

<p class="MsoNormal">So for fear of "overdoing it," I ultimately decided to cut back on what simply would have been one obstacle, or otherwise, too many.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Where is Bowser Jr. throughout this saga?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: Bowser Jr. was another character that I did not know what I would have done with, in the larger scheme of things. Of the Mario games I played over the years, I hardly ever came across one that had Bowser Jr., and so did not know much about him back when “Mix-Up” was being made. The Koopalings, on the other hand, I knew well—hence their involvement in the beginning of the saga.''

<p class="MsoNormal">By the time I did come across Bowser Jr., “Takeover” had begun, and Gemerl had laid waste to the Koopa Kingdom. ''So whether or not Bowser’s son survived the resulting carnage, even I did not know. And this remains true today. Perhaps he was among those wiped out along with the Valley of Bowser, or perhaps he was elsewhere at the time, and is still alive. Either way, I’ve had no plans for involving his character.''

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<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Why is it that Sonic rarely ever transforms into Super Sonic in this saga, even when he has all seven chaos emeralds in his possession?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: Characteristically, Sonic does try to put everyone else's needs ahead of his own, when it comes to the chaos emeralds. Such as when he threw one to Frogger to help him ward off Mr. D in the Icecaps, and when he hands them off to more of his allies throughout the saga (Zim & Dib in the Nazca Lines, as well as Amy; then Frogger again [allowing him to have a super transformation of his own, in the wake of Mr. D being more powerful than ever]; and most recently, to the rest of his team in the pocket dimension, during their brawl with the alien horde).''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Becoming Super Sonic has always been somewhat of a last resort— an ability for him to use only when necessary. It's why he was against any one person getting the emeralds when he and his friends first met the inter-dimensional beings (future allies), back in "Mix-Up." In his mind, it's too much power to be overly abused by a single person. When a foe is too powerful to be stopped without them, though, or a friend of his is in absolute peril (Frogger in Part 6 of "Takeover"), that's when he believes the time is right to use the emeralds himself.''

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<p class="MsoNormal">Q: What compelled you to include Bill in this saga, in such a significant role, after he had only a single episode of screen time in “Invader Zim,” with not much importance to the overarching plot of that series?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: To say the least, Bill was a character (albeit a minor one, yes) whom I found not only hilarious, but also out of the ordinary, and even thought-provoking in a way. His paranoia and overly suspicious nature in said episode had me laughing—in a different sort of manner than how the rest of the show made me laugh—and what's more, his was a sort of character that I could appreciate, personally.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''But in general, I saw potential in Bill, as a character who could at least start off as being behind the scenes during the events of “Mix-Up,” and then possibly build up as more of a prominent character as the story went on. After all, some of the events occurring throughout the saga have in fact been right up his alley, in regards to his investigative pursuits and unusual obsessions. And as I had anticipated, said events did lead to him joining the alliance of heroes in “Takeover,” before eventually tackling the core investigation of the plot to destroy reality itself, during “Obliteration.” So in that respect, he even exceeded my original expectations.''

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">''Overall, characters in whom I’ve seen potential for growth and purpose, I’ve simply included. Skoodge, for example, who also had only a minor role in “Invader Zim.” Moe, who was merely the class bully at Calvin’s school. Even the likes of Treeby and Tank, who were not even part of the story in the “Frogger” game they appeared in. All of these characters have come to find their own purpose in this saga, and I saw that capability in all of them. But Bill, especially.''

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The Specifics: "Dimension Mix-Up"
<p class="MsoNormal">Q: What was Swampy’s purpose in attacking Frogger and his allies at the very beginning of “Mix-Up”?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: By this time, Swampy was in possession of the inter-dimensional traveling device provided for him by Eggman Nega. As an associate of his, Swampy was tasked with sending his adversary (as well as his friends) to another dimension entirely, using said device. However, he was also interested in giving Frogger a most deserved beating, for foiling his original plans, destroying his lair, and being an overall thorn in the crocodile’s side since day one.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''What Swampy did not count on, however, was his two frog spies (Treeby and Tank) still being among them, and even going so far as to attack Swampy themselves, to further masquerade their allegiance to Frogger. The ensuing battle became one of utter confusion, in that after some time it became no longer clear who was on whose side—as well as where the device had been misplaced in all of the commotion. Only when it was inadvertently triggered by the one of the frogs did Swampy realize that they were being transported away already.''

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">''Though this was his task to begin with, Swampy had hoped not to lose the device in the process, and it looked like it was being sent away along with the frogs. However, seeing as two of his accomplices were sent away as well, he figured that one of them would hold onto the device in the meantime, and then deliver it back to Swampy when they met again. (This would happen later, as Tank—being the one who kept the device stored within his metallic body—would come in contact with the crocodile once more, upon the alliance’s capture and relocation to Swampy’s rebuilt lair.)''

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<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Why did Mario, Luigi, & Yoshi join the fight over the chaos emeralds in “Mix-Up”?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: As opposed to some of the others’ reasons (desire to make themselves stronger, believing themselves more worthy, etc.), these three felt more compelled to take them so that they could keep them out of the hands of people like Zim or Calvin, who were clearly too gluttonous to be allowed to possess them. It was clear that the power of the emeralds was having unsafe effects on everyone’s common sense, making them more prone to unnecessary brawling over the rights to have them, and so Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi had little choice but to enter the fray themselves—hoping to snap the others out of it.''

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<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Why did Omega want to help the E-Series in “Mix-Up,” if he hates all of Eggman’s robots and believes the original E-100 series, his predecessors, to be inferior?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: When Shadow came to Omega for help in liberating Chaos Gamma and the rest of the re-created E-Series under Eggman’s control, it can be assumed that Shadow told Omega of what he had just discovered—namely, the impending threat against reality—and convinced him that it was imperative that they liberate the other E-Series robots for aid. Omega, being loyal to Shadow, would follow him without question, and so agreed to partake in this effort.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Following the logic that, once reprogrammed to listen to Shadow instead, technically the E-Series would no longer be considered Eggman’s robots, Omega willingly placed himself into the Doctor’s ranks—temporarily pledging allegiance to him, while at the same time carefully preparing his treachery for when Shadow would arrive. Though it is possible that Omega had to resist the instinctive urge to destroy the E-Series robots while they were still serving Eggman, he made sure to remember Shadow’s command throughout this brief stint nevertheless—and so was able to successfully do his job when the time came, by reprogramming all of the E-Series robots once they were put out of commission.''

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">While perhaps he still believes himself slightly superior to them, in Omega’s mind the E-Series are now allies instead of enemies, since they now follow someone else entirely.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Whatever happened to the head of Metal Sonic?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: Metal Sonic’s head could be anywhere in the universe at this point; it could have been found by anyone, or just as easily discarded by anyone. It is also indefinite as to whether or not the head possesses any capabilities of reviving Metal Sonic’s consciousness on its own— despite GIR having disintegrated the rest of him in “Mix-Up.”''

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The Specifics: "Dimension Takeover"
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;">Q: Why did you have Dib killed in “Dimension Takeover”?

<p class="MsoNormal">A: There were various reasons.

<p class="MsoNormal">''One— It emphasized very heavily just how far Dib was willing to go to protect the people he cared about. In general, that has always been the nature of his character: the sole defender of mankind when they’re too stupid to do anything about what’s happening right in front of them. In this case, however, it was his friends who were in immediate danger; for them, he was certainly ready to give his own life.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Two— It was one of the factors leading to Zim’s descent into madness. He had just been told the truth about his mission & supposed lack of worth in his own empire, and the seeds of doubt had just been implanted in his mind, in regards to his friends and whether or not he could trust them. Tak then deemed it necessary to take one more thing from Zim’s sense of reality, and that was the life of his enemy-turned-ally. This was what completed the conversion of Zim, into a vengeful and rage-driven foe of the alliance.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Three— There could have been no moving forward in the overall plot without a significant enough twist in the story to provide a drastic change in the heroes’ lives. In a way, the death of Dib would bring some of the characters closer, and change the way a few of them saw certain things.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Four— When it suddenly becomes evident to the audience that not even one of the main characters is safe from death, it allows them to begin appreciating the life of the others. Battle sequences come and go, and sometimes people don’t always consider the possibility that one of them is not going to survive. Now, with Dib truly gone, any one of these heroes could suffer the same fate, and that raises the stakes during said fight scenes—which become less about the fancy action and more about whether or not someone is actually going to be killed this time around.''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

<p class="MsoNormal">Q: For “Takeover,” it’s been said that your intention was to introduce an opposing force that none of the heroes had ever encountered before (as opposed to “Mix-Up,” when all of their foes were recognizable); how did you come to choose the enemies from Xevious?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: All of the worlds that I incorporated in this saga were chosen because they had had an impact on me in some way, during my youth. The original “Xevious” was a videogame (NES port, I believe, of the initial arcade version) that I found myself playing at one point while at a doctor’s/dentist’s office—and for years afterward I never saw it again. I didn’t know the name of it at the time; all I knew was that I was playing constantly, enjoying it immensely, until it was time for me to go elsewhere that day. Something about that game had me hooked.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''It wasn’t until years had passed—I’m pretty sure I was 13 or 14—that I got some sort of portable “Plug it into your TV and play it” kind of system that had five different Namco games on it, including ones that I was familiar with (“Galaga,” “Ms. Pac-Man,” “Pole Position”). Then there was a name I didn’t recognize: “Xevious.” I tried it out, and suddenly, I realized that I had just been reunited with the game that I had been hooked on all those years ago. The mystery had been solved, and I actually had the game itself in my possession at last.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''So this was a different kind of source than the others I incorporated into the “Dimension” saga. This was a part of my childhood that had showed its face once, vanished, kept me curious for years afterward, and then entered my life again, this time to stay. And if I hadn’t found the game so fun and so interesting during that first encounter, I would have simply forgotten about it. The fact that it kept my interest for all that time definitely said something. If I had wanted, I could have chosen the enemies from “Galaga,” since I actually played much more of THAT game over the years—but its enemies, while similar in style, I didn’t feel I could ultimately work with in the format of this large-scale story I was developing.''

<p class="MsoNormal">Thus, the reasons I decided to bring Xevious into the “Dimension” saga were as follows: it was a world that played a more unusual (and therefore unique) part in my upbringing than all the rest; it had a very formidable and difficult-to-defeat opposing force in the original game alone; it had an interesting back-story to go along with the enemies and the premise of the game, which I discovered around the time I was conceptualizing “Takeover” and so believed that I could effectively incorporate; and finally, I was fascinated by the primary antagonist of the whole story of Xevious—who was never actually seen, and was a different sort of adversary than everyone else who had fought the heroes in “Mix-Up”— the supercomputer, GAMP.

<p class="MsoNormal">All of these, and the fact that my goal of finding an antagonistic group that would be completely unfamiliar to the heroes was accomplished, were why I ultimately chose to include the enemies, and therefore the world, of Xevious.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

<p class="MsoNormal">Q: How did Mr. D return in the beginning of “Takeover”?

<p class="MsoNormal">A: It was never truly confirmed that the last encounter between him and Frogger actually resulted in any permanent eradication of Mr. D. While it is possible that Eggman Nega (being the one behind many disruptions in the stability of reality) could have had a hand in his return, it is more likely that Mr. D himself had his own methods of coming back—given that he was confident enough to declare to Frogger that the two of them would meet again, as he was evaporating at the end of their battle within the Temple of the Frog.

<p class="MsoNormal">''Though his defeat forced him to remain dormant for years, resurgence clearly was not out of the question, seeing as in “Takeover” he saw a necessity to attempt to reclaim the four sacred elements of Firefly Swamp again. Perhaps time was simply needed for him to regain his full strength, and a physical form, before making a proper comeback.''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Eggman was said to have been killed off-screen in “Takeover.” How did he die?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: According to Dib, Doctor Eggman tried to escape the prison in which he was being held, as the Xevians launched their first attack on the city in Zim’s dimension. The heroes later came across a city in ruins, with many buildings decimated; so most likely, the structure holding Eggman was among them. Either the Doctor was killed when said building ultimately collapsed, or he somehow survived and instead met his end when fleeing the scene—at which point he doubtless ran into a squadron of Xevians, who gave him the same treatment they did so many others who had been residing in the city.''

<p class="MsoNormal">While surveying the aftermath, the Swollen Eyeball Network eventually came across the body of Doctor Eggman, which was how Dib learned of his demise.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Why didn’t GAMP have Gemerl take the Master Emerald along with the chaos emeralds in “Takeover”?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: GAMP had foreseen two possible outcomes that could have occurred had the android taken the Master Emerald, neither of which was very favorable. For one, combining it with the seven chaos emeralds, the very objects it is intended to negate if necessary, might have resulted in a random nullification of Gemerl’s abilities at a most inconvenient time—given how unpredictable such clustered power would have been, as it was when Shadow and the E-Series were inadvertently warped out of existence for five years.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Speaking of which, this was also the other potential outcome that GAMP calculated; such an unstable collective force as both the chaos emeralds and the Master Emerald, without proper control & while in the indirect possession of a powerful supercomputer, could have ended up causing an equally drastic effect of some kind—on either Gemerl or GAMP himself. He knew what mysterious and erratic objects he was dealing with, and blindly collecting power for the sake of power was not his goal. Rather, he was attempting to remove potential threats that could have led to the secret weapon’s activation in the Nazca Lines, now that he knew of its existence. GAMP did not see the Master Emerald as a threat; therefore, it remained where it was.''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

<p class="MsoNormal">Q: How is it that Zim recognized Gemerl in “Takeover” when they had no interactions in “Mix-Up”?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: It is true that Zim had already left the heroes (temporarily) by the time Gemerl was revealed to be back on Doctor Eggman’s side, while everyone was in the Valley of Bowser. However, Zim WAS present during the sewer chase against Eggman back in his own dimension—and the head of Gemerl was visible on one of his machines (the Egg Wheel, to be exact), indicating that the robot had been converted earlier than the Doctor let on. It is probable that Zim saw Gemerl’s head, but did not think much of it at the time.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''In order for him to be aware that the robot had been disposed of once before, prior to his comeback in “Takeover,” Zim would have had to witness the robot’s destruction above the planet Earth. Therefore, it can be surmised that this was exactly what had happened—in that Zim, GIR, & Minimoose were already in their Voot Cruiser and flying straight toward the Death Egg by the time Gemerl was in the middle of his assault on the heroes. Zim most likely saw the robot being destroyed while making his way to the space station—recognizing it from before—and thus remembered this sight later on, when he faced off against the resurrected Gemerl on his own in “Takeover.”''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

<p class="MsoNormal">Q: What was the reason for the scar on Dib’s face, given to him by Mr. D?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: The scar was symbolic. Dib had just been marked by Death— and thus, marked FOR death. Since I knew Dib’s life would be meeting a tragic end later on, I chose to foreshadow it. This was also done a couple of other times later on, when Tak made an inquiry alluding to the scar on his face, stating that such injuries could be very serious— and also when she pointed out Dib’s general inclination for taking whatever measures necessary to defend those who are important to him.''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

<p class="MsoNormal">Q: If Tak ejected all of the excess cargo from the Andor Genesis before escaping the Nazca Lines and its secret weapon, and Dib’s corpse was among said excess cargo, how did he not get sucked into the weapon or incinerated by its firepower?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: The weapon had created a barrier that encased all of the Xevian vessels and bases in the area, in which all were trapped and subsequently destroyed. But Tak was seen just barely managing to pilot the Andor Genesis out of the barrier that was being created, after which she and the two Destroyers left the planet. Since Dib’s body has since been revealed to have survived the resulting carnage, it can be presumed that this was the moment in which Tak had ejected him from the ship—out of the barrier’s range, and therefore outside of the ensuing devastation occurring within. Tak would have been too focused on getting away to have found time to release the cargo while still inside the forming barrier.''

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">However, seeing as everything was being sucked into the weapon itself, whereupon all was being vaporized, it can still be considered a miracle that Dib was far enough away that he was not among them—or at least, not pulled in enough to be brought back into the barrier’s reach.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

The Specifics: "Dimension Obliteration"
<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Why didn’t Zim get the chaos emeralds and sacred elements for himself when he shut down the secret weapon in “Obliteration”?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: Given that he & the Massive were stationed on the other side of the galaxy at the time, there was only so much Zim could do from where he was. No indication was given that the emeralds and elements would have come to him at all, if the weapon were deactivated. Thus far, the only person in the saga who has displayed the capability to send these collective objects to other locations entirely is Eggman Nega.''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

<p class="MsoNormal">Q: After finding all of the chaos emeralds and sacred elements clustered in the Nazca Lines, why did Bill choose to send them to everyone else in the alliance, and not hold onto a couple for himself and his team as they went to infiltrate Eggman Nega’s hidden refuge—considering how powerful Nega has become?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: Bill was completely unaware of Nega’s newfound abilities. It wasn’t until after they had arrived at the asylum that Gaz remembered the terrible beating Sonic said he received from Nega, and what speed & power his enemy had apparently been possessing. Sure enough, upon hearing this information, Bill stopped and hesitated—and at this moment, he was almost certainly kicking himself for not holding onto an emerald or two.''

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">''But, as he sent Minimoose to deliver the emeralds and elements beforehand, he believed at the time that those who were fighting Zim needed those powerful objects more than he did. Like Sonic, he was putting the rest of the alliance before himself.''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;">

<p class="MsoNormal">Q: How is it that Galaxoid & Nebular, while still the owners of the planet Earth, allegedly received the initiative from the late Operation Solvalou, if the original team behind Solvalou was still alive in “Takeover” and the two aliens had already given the Earth back to Calvin by that time?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: By the time of the heroes’ first encounter with Tak & the Xevians in "Takeover," Sonic only assumed that their original prisoners might still have been alive. Not totally unreasonable, considering what he and the others had just learned about the Xevians' incredibly long lifespan—but he simply did not know of what had already occurred years prior, between Solvalou and Galaxoid & Nebular. None of them could possibly have known at that time.''

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<p class="MsoNormal">''And based on what the two aliens revealed in “Obliteration,” they were indeed still the owners of the planet Earth when the Solvalou team passed on their initiative before perishing. So, this would have been some time before the events of "Mix-Up" had even begun—or at least, before its finale. Therefore, when the Xevians first began their attacks in “Takeover,” those who founded Operation Solvalou were already dead, and their initiative—as well as the vessel left behind—was already in the sole hands of Galaxoid & Nebular, despite them having given the Earth back to Calvin.''

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<p class="MsoNormal">Q: So then, if they already had the Solvalou ship in “Mix-Up,” why didn’t Galaxoid & Nebular utilize that in their war against Doctor Eggman?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: In order for the Solvalou vessel to become operational, the “green light” had to have been given, and the time had to have come for Solvalou to make its move against GAMP and the Xevians. This did not occur until the activation of the secret weapon in “Takeover.” Thus, the ship itself remained dormant in “Mix-Up,” unable to be used for the war against Doctor Eggman, let alone anything else. This was to ensure that the vessel would not be destroyed in battle prematurely, and the effort against GAMP left with no ship. And only the Solvalou ship possessed the singular capabilities needed for defeating the Xevians in a direct assault.''

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<p class="MsoNormal">Q: Is “Obliteration” your last project for the saga?

<p class="MsoNormal">''A: Tough question... If I might reiterate what I told someone else via YouTube comment:''

<p class="MsoNormal">"I've seen long-running franchises and whatnot come to an end, providing a satisfying conclusion to their story and finalizing a great run—but then they decide to return out of nowhere, and the follow-ups either somewhat or completely miss their mark. And even if they're still enjoyable to a degree, there's still that lingering feeling that the plot should have simply remained concluded while it was on its highest note.

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<p class="MsoNormal">''I'd prefer not to bring that scenario onto this saga—especially after seven years (going on eight) making it as huge as it is now. And so far, I've already been writing & animating 'Obliteration' in a sense that certain things are coming full circle.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''So for the moment, it's too soon to tell. But we'll see where we stand by the time 'Obliteration' has reached its end."''

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