The Big Purple Question

by **Ttone12** Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:24 am

This is the big question that is greater than the answer to the universe.

Is Zurg an alien, a cyborg, or a human?!

I think that Zurg is an alien, and that his head is just that, a head. I do not think that it's a helmet that covers a human face, but is his face. I also think that his whole body is purple.

So, what do you think? And if you have an opinion, what do you think of his species and the like.

by **EEZ** Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:32 am

Oh Cosmos, Jana, the question I cannot possibly turn away from. LIKE BLOODY BAIT TO A SHARK.

Well, you already know my stance on this but for those that don't, here it is: I think Zurg is an alien. Why? Here's some reasoning on my end.

--Facial movements are much too fluid (could be argued as an animation quirk).
--He cries tears (could argue cybernetic implants, but that's an overly-done cop out).
--Eats bunzel muffins, goes to the bathroom, and drinks water (seems organic to me).
--Skin can be indented upon (as with the case with Evil Lightyear pressing the tip of his lethal ray into Zurg's face).
--And lastly, I don't think the writers even knew themselves, so... DEUCES WILD.

As with Jana, I think he's purple all over and the real deal. Hey, it's original at least, no?

I'll keep that brief as the last time I got into this discussion a board meltdown occurred (not one of my more crowning moments).

by **Steel** Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:09 pm

Ohohoho, there was such a debate about this on another board. I remember I started the thread way back because of a brain fart I had on a boring bus ride, heee. And then it was revived several months later and everything went downhill...

AND DAMMIT, EEZ. I go out for one night, JUST one night, and when THE question pops up you take all my arguments! Ah well, I'll work with what I'm given. *rolls up sleeves*

I'll admit when I initially started watching BLoSC I couldn't think of Zurg as just some random guy in a mask. I just couldn't. I know BLoSC took a lot of Star Wars cliches and parodied them, but that's all they were, parodies. They were never meant to be taken seriously. In addition, there have been several instances that have proven how Zurg is no robot. He drinks water, eats popcorn, and makes bunzel muffins. He even goes to the bathroom!

Now, sure, his face is a pretty odd face, and one might think that because of it and all the armour he wears (including his morphing gauntlets) he might be part-robot, but... when you see aliens in BLoSC, they look pretty weird too. Sure, I haven't seen any aliens with grill-like mouths, but hell, we have the Porcelons who look like freaking TOILETS. I think Zurg being an alien isn't as far-fetched as aliens who can actually flush!

So yes, I think he is an alien. Morphing gauntlets can just be a nifty technology, he cries, eats, sleeps and defecates, and cyborg or not, he's got rocket BOOTS and he's definitely got knees. I personally go with alien dude with the cool gadgets and gizmos!

I rest my case. Cool

by **EEZ** Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:14 pm

Nerhurhurrr, aliens that look like the loo~! *oddly British moment*

And I have one MORE argument that I'm going to take from you, Steel. That's what you get for sleeping during the posting of an important question such as this! Here it is: just look at our avatars.

I may be a big Star Wars fan and I have certainly seen my fair share of villains in the whole battle armour get-up, but if that's a mask... then it's pretty darn realistic and life-like. Also on that note, we have seen masks in BLoSC such as Shiv Katall's and those metal carapaces during the episode Enemy Without a Face. There's masks, and then there's Zurg's face. If they were going to structure him as they did in TS2, then why go this route?

As we both recently discovered, Steel and I, BLoSC came before TS2. What ever you see in TS2 as Zurg may or may not be the Zurg in the cartoon.

AUGH, ANIMATORS, WHY DO YOU TORMENT US SO!?

by **Steel** Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:22 pm

CURSE YOU, EEZ! *shakes fist* And FYI I wasn't sleeping, I was out. Although it is nearing my bedtime... at this rate I'll never finish that fic! *pout*

But yeah, childish pouting aside, very good argument. A mere mask cannot hope to accomplish such facial expressions. If they'd wanted to make us think it was a mask, they could have stuck with the stoic and solid look Zurg had in Toy Story 2. An unmovable grill that lit up when he spoke, etc. Even though, yes, BLoSC did complete its production before TS2 but was unable to be released before the sequel. So instead, we have a flamboyant villain with a voice that portrays emotion from the entire spectrum and whose lips can curl and twitch!

We've got a lot of arguments that can completely dissuade the fact that his face is a mask, ladies and gents! Anybody else wanna put an idea on the table?

by **levy120** Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:30 pm

Yes. The fact that his "face" didn't morph to Goo in the "Ugga Bugga" episode ;D
As far as I remember at least... *shot*

But regardless of whether or not his face is a mask made of metal or rubber or some sort of very flexible WHATNOT - who has to say that the thing below it is a human? This is BLoSC we're talking about, he can still be an Alien nontheless and wear masks ~

by **Mod** Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:34 pm

It is possible he could be a human. I mean, he is shown to be eating, drinking and going to the bathroom, just like a human does.

But he could also be an alien underneath-Who knows?

by **Steel** Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:04 pm

Aha! I've got a counter for you, Levy. It was ONLY his face that didn't morph in "The Crawling Flesh". And when that didn't happen, his face wasn't moving an inch. No twitches, no squinting, nothing.. You could say that was due to him not being able to move it since it was a mask, but then...WHY did it shrink? Masks don't shrink!

So my argument here is... animator quirk! For both the "face" and the "shrinking" part. And as for whether he's a human or an alien, well. He's an organic, at least! Can't deny that since ALL of his body turned to goop besides the face, eh?

I'm tired and I'm not making much sense. But the thing is, there's plenty of arguments for and against the theory, yeah?

by **EEZ** Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:18 pm

I like the "Ugga Bugga" episode!

What I don't get... previously we saw Zurg inhaling the gas just fine. As in, literally sucking it in and inhaling. What mask does that, my friends? It was like he was smelling VICTORY and it was weird. The only qualm I have about him turning into the blob was that it lacked consistency -- and as we are finding out, the show wasn't the most cohesive in nature. Also, different writers, possibly. This incident only happened once, and all the rest indicates to something ambiguous. I could say that this is an isolated scenario and that it is possibly chalked up to different views within the writers themselves. Who knows?

As for being an alien under a mask -- I'm not big on the Darth Vader gimmick, but seeing as this came out before General Grievous I do prefer him being an alien under a mask better than a human.

Sorry, humans. You're not very interesting.

(You also don't have to be human to eat, drink, and defecate~! *picks up cat* Zurg could be a cat trying to take over the galaxy. You never know!)

by **Saron** Fri Aug 12, 2011 7:30 pm

A cat wouldn't work that hard to take over the galaxy. He would get someone else to do it for him, while he laps cream and relaxes in the sun.

by **Ttone12** Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:35 pm

Well remember, Zurg puts cats IN trees as part of his evil plan, so he couldn't be a cat!

I really love all the ideas about Zurg. I think they left little information on Zurg so that we as watchers could make assumptions. That, or Disney was too lazy....

Of course, there is always the idea that Zurgs "helmet" is actually special latex that morphs with his expressions. Like if underneath he smiles, and his grill teeth automatically morph into his famous smile-though-still-sorta-scouling smile. Even then, he would still be an alien that just happens to have a "helmet" like thing. Then the moment his face was turned to gloops and his facial expressions never changed, it was because there was nothing making the latex morph.

by **EEZ** Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:40 pm

Oh, I don't know... Whenever I look at my cat I see this evil, world dominating twinkle in her eyes. Soon... And you guys do know that was I kidding about the cat comment, right? Seems it may have been taken to some degree of seriousness.

Ah, animatronic suits. The first thing that came to mind was this: nostalgia.

by **Hyper-Death-Ray!** Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:43 am

...After a long reading: I always think He Is An ALIEN with robotic arms. u.u
Or He just wear a robotic armor yeah...

HYPER-DEATH-RAY!! alien

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
For the Edit:
If someone still think that His face Is a metallic Mask (even his mouth moves) you can stay quite relaxed because of this:
There is a transformer with a SIMILAR MOUTH and He is METALLIC but still He can move it like Zurg's One! Can I Show You?
(if this video isn't acepted in this page I can post it in General Discussion! tell me before remove it!)

here another one

by **The Empress of Planet Z** Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:01 am

I'm not entirely sure on the subject myself, but I remember seeing on piece of evidence. Once, when he tried to eat popcorn, it bounced off the "grill" of his "face" with a clang. His gauntlets made part of that noise, yes, but gauntlets don't make that sort of noise against flesh. Another time, (maybe it was the same episode?) he dried his hands with a towel after using the bathroom with the gauntlets still on. I don't quite understand that in respect to any theory, because even if his face is actually his face, he has to wear clothing, and I assume gauntlets are included in the garb. Plus, if he's all alien, can his species survive space without a mask? since we only see him in space as is. As I said, I'm not sure. Very enigmatic.

by **Steel** Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:44 am

I think they’re purposefully leading us astray to keep us guessing too. And I think that even if we ask Tad Stones what they had planned for Zurg, he’ll say that they never had something specific in mind or other. Or... it might really be the Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker take, argh! I suppose I can stand him being a man in a mask, just as long as he isn’t Buzz’s father...!

And besides, he’s too immature to be a parent. And he’d have to be HELLA old to be Buzz’s father in the first place! Buzz is at least 40, which would have to make him either 55 or 60. If he is that old and a man in a mask, he’s definitely insane. Not just mad or crazy, but insane.

Yeah, Empress, it’s those clues that make me think it can go each way, either as a mask or no. But at least those confirm that he’s organic, so that definitely rules our robot. Because robots can’t eat food at all. XL and XR drink oil and NOS-4-A2 fed off of energy.

by **The Empress of Planet Z** Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:33 pm

Yeah, Steel, I've never thought of him as being a robot or even a cyborg. I would agree that he's organic something.

And to digress to the parent issue, I cannot see him being Buzz's father. I think at some points we're led to suspect it, especially with the comically allusions to Star Wars here and there. But one joke I remember in the "Stranger Invasion" episode tells me he's not a father figure. In the episode, Zurg distracts Buzz by saying "Wait, there's something you must know...Buzz...I am...your father." From there, he punches Buzz and knocks him to the ledge to dangle. "Psyche! Made you look, you dimwit!" he adds. Obviously it's a joke we easily pick up on.

Could we say that possibly the BLoSC world is aware of the Star Wars movies? XDDD

by **SteffieMusings** Tue Aug 16, 2011 10:23 am

Considering all the hints there are in the show itself, I can imagine him either being an alien or human (I'm fine with either).

I just can't imagine him being an android at all.

by MC Tue Aug 16, 2011 6:26 pm

Zurg being Buzz's father lol I don't think he has enough money to pay child support that covers Buzz's life insurance policy.

Personally, Zurg has to be an alien, his facial features move, he does organic things like eat, drink, sleep, bathroom, ect., and he can feel pain, texture, temperature. He's also germ conscious! Highly contagiousness to cooties apparently.
All silliness aside, Zurg has to be an alien for origin reasons, he claims to be an Emperor so he has to have some linkage to royalty by blood. We could argue he developed his empire and was just self proclaiming the title, an evil Cinderella story. But one thing Zurg does mention is about his Nana. He kind of gives a hint that she was in most of his life, a mother/parent figure that drove him to become the evil being he now is. He seems alien to me.

Funny coming from me who's fanfic is about the purple lummox being a robot hahaha!

by **LittleGreenCitizen** Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:14 am

If it helps any argument, I found recently what was likely where the BLoSC team derived their version of Zurg from, though of course as it is a very early storyboard where everyone's designs were wonky, it's interesting that Zurg, while rather far from the finalized design of BLoSC and Toy Story 2, here has a bit more rigid 'mask' head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-D3hSmjD3M

Additionally, who says he can't be an alien and a cyborg? General Grievous was and we all know how well that- ah. Right.

by **DarklingDragon** Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:02 pm

Steel wrote:
And besides, he’s too immature to be a parent. And he’d have to be HELLA old to be Buzz’s father in the first place! Buzz is at least 40, which would have to make him either 55 or 60. If he is that old and a man in a mask, he’s definitely insane. Not just mad or crazy, but insane.

That would be funny if you think about it. If they did go for the Darth Vader scenario I could imagine Buzz trying to force his "father" to retire (cause he's so old!). If he's not actually the Vader type, I'd think he's from some kind of alien-cyborg species.

by **Steel** Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:52 am

I think the entire "Stranger Invasion" sequence was done to imitate Star Wars on purpose. The lightsabres, the taunting "I am your Father" line--it's a classic! But I won't deny that I get such an itch when people think it's true... *scratch scratch scratch*

I don't want to say that Zurg was "born" evil, but he's mentioned his Nana, his Mother, and said he had a Little Evil Emperor playset as a kid too. He might have been brought up to be evil, maybe to uphold his father's legacy or something. Or then again, Zurg might just be lying, or fabricating his own stories to suit his purpose and/or to make himself look more intimidating by being "born and bred" into the role of villainy. Anything's possible, really.

And that link is a mighty interesting link, Roonie! It sheds a lot of light on how the Toy Story guys wanted Buzz Lightyear's story to be like. Maybe not so much a space-cop, but a space-hero. Although I can't see any human being strong enough to grab a rocket and launch it into space... Buzz, why you so Gary Stu-ish at times?

Zurg is not father material at ALL. He couldn't even handle the Clone Rangers let alone his own flesh and blood, rofl. At least in the show. Maybe if they'd explored his personality in more depth, he'd be a great dad. Maybe...

by **Mira Nova** Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:55 am

I can't help but think of Toy Story 2 now, where Zurg is playing catch with the other Buzz XDD He would be a very interesting dad that's for sure XD

by **Pythonmelon** Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:18 pm

Im not totally sure here, but his face could very well be part of his armor. He's obviously organic, or at least for the most part. But, hey guys... the robot's faces move just fine! XR, XL, you name it, they have various expressions that squash up their features or make them cry. XR cries in a few episodes... so Zurgs 'face' still could be a mask

by **Booster S. Munchapper** Thu Dec 06, 2012 5:10 pm

My theory?

Zurg is Woody. He wants to destroy Buzz and take over the universe because he's jealous Buzz got his own saturday morning cartoon, and Woody didn't. He's out to destroy the galactic alliance so he can terraform the sci-fi universe into his own cowboy western cartoon.

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