The source is NOT initially loaded into a variable with no obfuscation other than Bleach.

I demonstrated that the source is loaded into a variable.

And yes, there is a point where the script exists as plaintext as it it passed to perl, this is essentially unavoidable without modifying perl.

Not true. perlcc avoided is. Obfuscation would avoid this.

It's pretty amazing to me that I get negative reputation on this board for posting truths,

I suspect you're nodes are getting negative reputations due to your use of infantile arguments like pretending I don't know what "intact" means.