Zem

Official in-game render of Zem

## Canon in Crash Bandicoot series

Zem is one of Nitros Oxide's henchmen, alongside his pet alien dog, Zam. The two often help the ex-fastest racer in the galaxy to cause trouble for Crash and his friends. Zem is known for his disgusting and vulgar nature, often burping in public without excusing himself and making lots of revolting noises. However, he has only appeared in three Crash titles so far, Crash Nitro Kart, CTR: Nitro-Fueled, and a cameo in It's About Time's 100% ending, so not much else is known about him other than the above info. He is created by Vicarious Visions Inc.

## Canon in Mushroom City Car Wash

### Past

Zem is claimed by Toadettefan14. During his childhood, he was not as strong or as burly, in fact, he was quite the shy one. It did not help that his adoptive brother, Nitros Oxide, always played tricks on him when he least expected it. Zem often hid behind his parents for protection from his brother's mischief. Because he was so gullible and dumb, he did not do very well in school and only made it past the 8th grade before getting kicked out of the classroom.

After Zem dropped out of school, his parents started homeschooling him during his high school years. Oxide was often told not to bother him during his lessons, fearing that one day, his pranks would become too much for them to handle. And they did. On Zem's 20th birthday, Oxide accidentally shot his parents with his newly upgraded plasma gun, putting an end to their life, and taking Zem's life into his own hands.

During this time, Zem often ate excessive amounts of food, trying to make himself stronger so that he could stand his own in battle. He was also not willing to deal with his brother's weird antics every single day, and needed emotional help. After he adopted Zam, the problem was only somewhat gone, however, they started a long-lasting bond with one-another. They also helped Oxide make trouble for anyone who opposed him.

### Present day

After Oxide left Gasmoxia to try to turn the Mushroom Kingdom into a parking lot, Zem and Zam were left behind to keep things occupied while he was gone. However, their alliance with the ex-fastest racer in the galaxy was broken when Emperor Velo XXVII forced them into becoming his allies after Cecilia II took over the planet. Once Zem and the other two heard that Oxide still had not returned after a few weeks, they escaped from Gasmoxia in order to protect themselves from her army. Once in the Mushroom Kingdom, they headed towards Sarasaland to look for Oxide. Once inside Princess Daisy's castle, Zem was among the group that helped to stop Oxide from completing his mission.

After Oxide was stopped, Zem and the other aliens started hanging around Toadette and co., willing to help them out whenever they needed his assistance. However, after the first Mario Party arc, he, Zam, and Velo left Toadette and co. temporarily, wanting to get away from Oxide's craziness and to get a new job at the Mushroom City Police Department. However, during his first day of work, Zam was kicked out because Copper and Booker did not allow dogs in the building, making him feel lonely inside while he was gone, though eventually the two got back together thanks to Toadette and co's help.

Eventually, Zem and Zam had enough of Velo's high and almighty nature and decided to reform their alliance with Toadette and co., quitting their job at the police station for good. Once the two rejoined her group, Zem often travelled with her and the others on their adventures. However, after helping Toadette and co. rebuild Gasmoxia, he, Zam, Oxide, and Jason where instructed to stay on the planet for three weeks by General Speed. During this time, he was getting more bored as the days went by, making him desperate to return to the Mushroom Kingdom. After he, Zam, and Oxide ended their citizenship with the planet a few weeks later, the three, alongside N. Trance and Jason, boarded Oxide's spaceship and left Gasmoxia for good, flying back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

After Zem and the others returned to the Mushroom City Car Wash, he started going on adventures with Toadette and co. again, always willing to help them out with their missions whenever need be. Recently, he has become more gruff than usual, wanting relaxation more than anything else, but he’s still a kind-hearted person.

## Personality

Zem is very laidback, and although he likes going on adventures, they make him exhausted after a while. He favors relaxation above all else, and hates when people take it away from him. He is also very dumb, and is easily fooled by others. Unlike his Crash counterpart, Zem's grossness is not shown in the roleplay, so he does not burp in public or make revolting noises at all. This is to tone down on the crude humor that is usually associated with his personality in the games.

## Abilities

On the battlefield, Zem's most notable power is his strength. He can break through many obstacles that other characters can not. He often uses it to punch his enemies and deliver huge amounts of damage. However, since he does not have any special moves in his arsenal, he has to rely on the others when it comes to fighting Boos or any other type of ghost, as they are immune to physical moves.

## Alternative Outfits

Punk Zem: This outfit has Zem dressed in a rock-inspired aesthetic, complete with a Mohawk, grey earrings attached to his ears, spiked accessories, black fingerless gloves, red socks, brown boots, and a green tank top. He wears this when he’s playing rock music on stage.

Caveman Zem: This outfit has a prehistoric vibe to it, changing Zem's hair and eyebrows from purple to red, his eyes from grey to yellow, and giving him lots of accessories inspired by the first humans that inhabited the earth, including some wood chips attached to some string, a necklace with shark teeth attached to it, and a yellow cave dress with black spots. He wears this when in ancient times, during the age of the dinosaurs.