Intending to eliminate Dib for Zim, Nyx puts out a hit on him. Now Dib and his friends have to deal with bounty hunters from across the galaxy, and the arrival of a familiar face.
- Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: Team Save Earth are on a stakeout looking for Bigfoot early on. They end up missing him due to the interference from the bounty hunter stalking Dib.
- Blood Knight: Havok is obsessed with finding a Worthy Opponent who can match him in a fight, and is ecstatic that Dib lives up to that.
- Carnival of Killers: Numerous bounty hunters come to Earth to hunt the price that Nyx puts on Dib's head.
- Didn't Think This Through: Nyx thought putting out a bounty on Dib without Zim's knowledge or consent would make him happy.
- The Don: This chapter introduces us to Grissom, the leader of one of the largest crime syndicates in Irken space.
- Easily Forgiven: Averted. Dib does not automatically forgive Dwicky for what happened between them in canon, though by the end of their reunion lets his grudge mostly go.
- Expecting Someone Taller: Inverted, as Havok says he expected Zim to be shorter based on what he's heard. Given Irkens' view of the link between height and competence, there's a couple of insults there.
- Flat "What": Zim's reaction, along with Tranquil Fury, to learning that Nyx put a hit out on Dib without his permission.
- Noodle Incident: How, exactly, Dwicky managed to become a badass bounty hunter since going into space.
- Not Quite Dead: Havok is nearly killed during his fight with Dib, but Zim recovers his body and places it in stasis on life support indefinitely.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Most of Team Save Earth and Dwicky's fight with the bounty hunter team TRL and Gabbrot in isn't depicted.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: As usual, this is Zim's view on Dib. When he learns that Nyx put a hit out on Dib without his permission, he is furious, to the point of physically attacking her.
- Quit Your Whining: Gaz says as much to Nyx at the start of the chapter, telling her to stop complaining about her grudge against Dib and doing something about it.
- Secret Police: Havok's first scene also introduces the Consulars, the psychics who serve this role to the Irken Empire.
- Self-Disposing Villain: Arachnos, the first of the bounty hunters to come after Dib, accidentally blows herself up in the process of setting a trap for him.
- Shout-Out:
- Ma'lack, one of the bounty hunters that comes after Dib, is stated to be a Garatron, a minor alien species from one of the later Animorphs books.
- When Havok cuts communications with Grissom, he states "Boring conversation anyway".
- Dwicky having taken a level in badass while living in space is inspired by a similar subplot from Becoming a True Invader.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: When Havok is ranting about how much of a Worthy Opponent he sees Dib as, Dib tells him to just shut up and attacks him, stating by comparison that when Zim rants, it's at least mildly entertaining, whereas Havok sounds like a cliche.
- The Syndicate: This chapter introduces Grissom's organization, the Green Claw Syndicate.
- Took a Level in Badass: Dwicky has become a badass bounty hunter since Dib last saw him.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Dib takes the time to call out Dwicky for what happened the last time they met.
- Wretched Hive: Slumia was already established as this, but here it’s additionally revealed that most of the planet is under control of the Green Claws.
