Grrl Power #252 – A mighty blow… to the ego
I know Vehemence said he hopes Sydney survives the night, but that doesn’t mean he won’t flick her in the temple if he manages to get through her shield. She did kind of make him look foolish just now. I guess she forgot Maxima’s “don’t totally piss of the supervillain” advice from a few pages ago, but hey I guess she figured with her shield, why not tank the guy for a while?
It’s difficult for people to see you as a threatening arch-villain if you face plant in the first 2 seconds of the fight. I don’t know why that doesn’t happen to more villains. I mean, sure, Doctor Doom probably has gyro stabilizers in his armor, and Thanos can… well, control time – so he can just pop back to before it happened I guess, but the Flash could trip everyone, or take off their dirty sock and stuff it in their mouth mid-monologue. If I wrote the Flash comic, it would be a very different book.
Here’s the link to the new comments highlighter for chrome, and the GitHub link which you can use to install on FireFox via Greasemonkey. I’ll make a permanent link for those somewhere on the page eventually.
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Dongs Ahoy!Full frontal and backal. Lots of skin, sex on some or all pages, explicit or otherwise.
Do keep in mind the power of the old ways, in this case Keystone Cops except instead of cops were using villains….
Hmm, if Sydney gets knocked out in this fight will the comic skip forward to the moment she wakes up (In the hospital) or will we just get a continued 3rd person view of the battle?
It would be cool to see any actual time progression in the comic before I graduate highschool (started reading about a year ago in 10th grade).
252 updates, and it is still the first day.
Just wait for the 6 months of comics of them sleeping after fight till the next morning..
Actually it should take about 2-2 1/2 years to get through the paperwork, then it will be morning and everyone will go home for some sleep.
Dave, I love your comic and how you tell your story, but I couldn’t resist that joke. :-)
Dave started this as a hobby, right?
It is true that I can never wait for the next update, so much so that I have a tendency to read from the start, just to numb the cravings…
But I guess we either all support him more, so he can put more time into the comic and less into other things, or we sit patiently and enjoy the show?
We have meetings for people like you (every Monday and Thursday), although we do prefer that you introduce yourself in the following fashion: “Hi, my name is Jaheth and I’m a Grrl-Power-aholic”.
It means so much to me that you understand my sickness.
It’s not a sickness, it’s a ‘life style’
…Strangely enough, I don’t think of this as being sick at all. Really though, it’s not like this comic shows a lot of visceral gore, high-grade porn or anything like that, even though there’s the rare instance of (admittedly-humorous swearing, sort of 1 or steps above Yosemete Sam); it doesn’t even need to be tagged as “Adult Content,” So how does this get to be called “sick?”
Would that be an indication that I might be in the “Denial Stage?”…
Sorry to sound impatient, I’m not and the artwork and action are beautiful, I’m just thinking about how many long term effects of archon and Sydney’s super powered orbs we won’t be seeing for a long time.
Keep up the awesome work Dave B and take your time :)
Yeah, this comic is turning out like your average Legislative Bill going through Congress…So much paper that you need a handcart just to move it. I mean, really, haven’t these people gotten the memo about the Paperwork Reduction Act? And how many trees had to die just to circulate that memo?
Just kidding Dave. The big *difference* that really matters is that I enjoy reading your comic, compared to trying to slog through the text of a Bill.
You’re still young. You are impatient. Sometimes going slow and paying attention to detail is better.
If you want everything fast then you are going to be a disappointment to your lady friend.
Yes. This is a double entendre.
Seems more like a single entendre.
I would also like to see some time pass within the next 6 months. The story has a bunch of long term effects on the main characters that it would be interesting to see them in action, but alas I guess only time will tell.
Great comic by the way! I love how you create such awesome characters and visit points which a lot of other webcomic creators just ignore! Keep it up
It’s not an Inverse Ninja situation with the teams for one reason: Teamwork.
The Inverse Ninja problem is because you have 100 Ninjas getting in the way of each other and not coordinating. But when you have a trained combat team with specific tactics and the like, you have a group that works together to overcome foes and problems. Thus the eight each enhance each other’s strengths and compensate for each other’s weaknesses.
There’s also the Action Economy issue. It’s why a sole Big Bad never works well in Pathfinder or 3rd ed. D&D games – if the enemy is tough enough to withstand the attacks of four heroes for ten rounds then his or her attacks are also strong enough to kill the heroes (and lessen their action economy).
It’s not quite the same with this chap; there are several damage sponges in the group including our protagonist. In fact, by “drawing aggro” Halo has effectively prevented V from taking out the weaker members of the team so that they can launch their own attacks to overcome him. But it still is a matter of teamwork to eliminate V rather than inverse ninjas.
If the group with superior numbers is operating as a team, they can be treated as a single entity for Inverse Ninja purposes: the Voltron Corollary. Under this reading, the combat is now functionally equivalent to a one-on-one fight for purposes of the Law. This state is fragile, however, and depends on the team’s ability to maintain cohesion and coordinate the use of their abilities effectively.
You’re thinking the Elite Army trope.
You would think that ninjas wouldn’t have that problem seeing as how they are a trained team of assassins. They wouldn’t get in each others way and coordinate well.
Well, a lot of tropes are on the list not because they’re true, but because they’re so untrue it’s kind of funny to present them as true.
True or untrue doesn’t factor into what’s considered a trope, but rather whether it appears often in literature or other media.
Part of the reason it’s so often used is due to economy of plottime. Say you’re planning to have an issue involve a major fight. If the “fight” is against 100 ninjas, lots need to be taken out quickly to keep it from being the next 100 issues. If it’s against just 1, that ninja gets an entire issue of being a badass before losing.
Are the sinister six ever as big a threat as they are individually? Well, unless it’s set up as a major event, which is structured for a longer haul.
Villain teamups always seem to involve previous threats going down like chumps for similar reasons.
true ninja, or videogame/comic book/movie ninja? if true then yes they would get along, if fantasy then nopers theyz alla buncha showboaters
I remember a flash comic that involved a dirty sock used exactly that way.
That was Mick Folley’s gimic when he was still wrestling: he would pull out a sock from his undies, put it on his hand, and then stick his socked-hand in his opponents’ mouth
ahhh yes, when he was “Mankind” with Mr. Socko
Sydney limit 2 powers at once. Shield both commanded by Maxima and needed to not be a grease stain. So she has two options for a fight. Test how well she can use the tentacle to tie him up and if it can hold him for long. Use flight/shield for ramming speed. With luck she can take him off his feet and to a better place to neutralize him.
Well Maxima put a lot of provisos and warnings on its use but she COULD try the PPO if she can get enough angle to keep it cutting into the ground (hopefully it stops after a while…. ) behind him. We don’t know for sure if he is proof against strong energy beams etc… Or just keep melting the ground under his feet for a lava grease trap effect? heh
Second she could use the Telepresence orb to block his vision and scream in his ears or force him to watch Rush Limbaugh clips on her phone. IF he has some kind of ESP or whatever to navigate then it won’t matter but if he just has super versions of normal human senses (or just normal human senses) then this may be enough to completely blind and partially deafen him till he moves beyond her. I’m not sure how effective it will be though since I’m not sure how much control she has over where the illusion of her is at any given time (can she “fly” the illusion around at will actively blocking him or does she have to run after him? Does the illusion have to appear on the ground level?)
Third she could sneak two of her “unknown” orbs outside the shield quick in a distracted moment (yes, I know, not recommended) and make them follow him around at ground level waiting for a chance to get under his feet with every step and she could still use the Light Hook in conjunction with their tripping efforts. Whether it worked or not the attempt might insult him enough to pull aggro back her way again. (course if it turns out the balls are not indestructible this could have a very sad ending… )
Or she could surrender direct attack to the others and concentrate on blocking his attacks on the others.
Several power stunt options come to mind.
Rapidly change shield diameter to harass V. Constantly getting shoved out of the way or getting stopped while dodging back or to the side would begin to take its toll.
Continue to use the hentacle around arms, between feet, as a blindfold. Or the dreaded Ultra Wedgie.
Since neither the orbs or the resulting abilities seem to be effected by…..well anything at all so far and do not appear to be moved by anything that is not Halo the orbs would make an effective barricade. Maxima nearly brained herself trying to take the orbs from Sydney. Using the 5 other orbs as a point defense or a really really irritating LOS blocking ring around V might take his mind out of the fight.
Shrink the shield to its smallest possible setting and just keep standing in his way using the flight orb. “i’m not touching you….not touching you”
If Vehemence can’t break the shield the shear annoyance Sydney could cause to him would make a god cry.
Except, if the Shield only remains immobile due to it’s location surrounding Sydney, if someone is able to pick up and throw the whole thing… Bowling for Arc-ites!
And we might have the fun possability of Sydney losing her meals (again) and sloshing around in it like one of those amusement balls until she gets the chance to pop the Bubble (but she would still be covered in her last meal :P
Sydney flat out said she did not notice any difference when maxima was beating on the shield. The orbs, the shield, the hentacle………..nothing anyone has done to date has had even the slightest effect. Until the shield is actually breached there is no reason to believe any of Sydney’s artifacts have an upper limit. Like i said……Maxima was shocked she could not move the orbs against their(her) will.
“Do you know how strong I am?!”
And aside from recoiling in surprise, Vehemence did not appear to move Halo at all with his punch. Her orbs appear to be blessedly free of the annoying “feedback loop” which occasionally made the Invisible Girl’s force field pretty crappy. What good is an impenetrable force field if it turns your brain to mush when people pound on it?
We’re not sure if the shield CAN be moved unless Syd wants it to.
We don’t even know if it can be moved by Sydney when she is on the ground
I’m assuming she’s moved around during the fight. She WAS shielded in the dining room at the start.
Pretty sure she kept it up constantly during the first part of the fight and she did move around a bit on the ground. I suppose she could have used the flight orb to reposition but I doubt that is necessary.
For all we know, the shield could be a frictionless surface, or as close to it as possible. After all, we’re dealing with energy, which isn’t as bumpy as matter, after all.
Unless matter is made out of bumpy energy….
Matter is bumpy energy. Or rather, probabilities of bumpy energies that might or might not be in that area but interact with other probabilities of bumpy energy as though both actually are where they might be.
It’s always been interesting to me how ‘immovability’ can be used as a power- at one end of the spectrum, it’s simply Blob’s ability to stick yourself to a surface really well (rooting yourself) so that you can’t be knocked around. At the other end of the spectrum, it’s the ability to implode stars with the right timing and positioning.
There’s a (admittedly horribly drawn) webcomic about a group of gamers, and one of them uses the ability of immovability to take on agents from the matrix in one of their gaming tables. His choice of playing fields? A highway.
Any one else having the problem with the ‘message time out’? It’s getting as annoying as Sydney when she taunts her opponents :P
I do. Can we haz more time please?
Me prefer to haz cheezburgerz. =OP
I got it in spades last comic. So far it hasn’t annoyed me yet in this one.
Dang. I uncalled it. I thought he was going to be my new superhero recruit friend, but instead he’s just kind of a dick. Dang
Also, what happened to the color of his markings?
On this page https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1422 the markings were pink but now they’re almost completely white.
Well, it seems that his powers affect the markings (or they are the source of his power) – they’re pinkish when he’s not using his powers,but glow bluish white when he starts using them.
If Sydney can trip him with the pseudopod couldn’t she just lift him into the air and hold him there indefinitely? Just wrap it about an ankle or his waist.
If the pseudopod is immovable, as Vehemence seems to have demonstrated, then it’s a powerful incapacitating tool for anyone lacking a means of teleportation of some variety.
She is already lucky that her bubble is unmovable.
The pseudopod has been affected by Vektor?
Foot fault. 1 love.
Maybe that’s what the heart psuedopod in panel 5 is for?
Is it just me, or does it seem like the more Big V uses his powers, the more enraged he gets?
After he took out that TK guy, he was in control, but definitely feeling some bloodlust. And just now, he went from shock-still (not exhibiting any powers) to super strength, super speed, and super durability all in the span of a few seconds, and definitely ready to tear Sydney into pieces smaller than her constituent atoms.
Also a possible correlation in how much his tats are glowing to how much his powers are being used.
He could be one of those brick types that trade INT for STR. Hulk style.
It would be a good explanation for the name.
So, first comment I’ve done here… But has anyone noticed the pic of halo up at the top that looks completely different from normal with something around her and skin “cracking”. Possible sneak peek of a hidden form or something I don’t recall?
It confused/intrigued me enough to comment for once >,<
The cast pictures up there are from older strips. That is Sydney’s imagination running amok although I can’t remember the strip it was in.
The one I am currently seeing is from Maxima’s big bang.
Right, but not all of them are from strips, someones are from banners, vote incentives and other stuff, usually included in DaveB’s DeviantArt page.
Welcome out of the shadows. I had a similar thought, when I saw one of Sydney in a wedding dress. But it turned out that was just from her imagining getting married to Wolverine.
There are a number of odd pictures of her in the rotation, so it could be one of several. But the one that springs to mind, as being closest to your description, is fromcooking on evil gas.
I just noticed that the lady was right about one thing: the food did put Sydney in the hospital (or at least the infirmary), although not for the reason she thought it would. Still waiting to see whether that makes the restaurant famous or not, though.
After this, that waiver will be framed and displayed and Sydney’s Noodles will be on the menu. Or rather, a survivable version for the more daring customers.
I loved how the spice was listed as “The Unmaker” in that comic.
“the unmake- spicy enough to take down a super hero”- endorsed by Halo
That was Zeph’s imagination of what might happen when Syd was opening the Tube and trying to wake the orbs up. “THE HARVEST BEGINS!!””
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/468
Not saying you’re wrong, just that I haven’t seen that one in the rotation.
funnily enough it was in the rotation when I answered it. =P
Not the first time I’ve been wrong about something, probably won’t be the last.
Dang it. That was the other one that sprang to mind. But by the time I had looked up the evil gas one, I had forgotten about it. It does have the veins too, so probably is the one referenced.
Pretty sure I have seen it in the rotation, in the past. Someone did list the range of web addresses to look them up, directly, but I did not make a note of them, at the time.
adamas is right and you too, both faces are in the rotation. Actually there are around ninety (90) of them for Halo.
It is easy to find it but I am not sure DaveB would prefer we accessing them that way, so I would not encourage it just in case.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/468
Sydney Scoville; Mistress of the Cheap Shot. And I say that respectfully. Given the fate of Shadow Warrior, Lee POC and Death Toll it is obvious Sydney prefers low energy solutions to problems. That counts with DT because everyone else did the hard work of kicking his ass. So look for her creative instinct to drop something on Vehemence out of left field. She might not lift him but if the occasional punch he tries to throw gets hooked even for a second it will ruin his attack.
so awesomazing! Love this comic! (can’t wait to see Vehemence later wearing a t-shirt with Halo on it, explaining to a cell-mate ‘hey, she beat me, yeah, but she’s sneaky’)
I agree totally.
Am however definitely surprised that she didn’t pull him off the ground with the lighthook and hold him there. Effectively ending his tirade and ability to move.
As well as how fast she moved the lighthook to intercept him as he headed towards Maxima.
We all know Maxima is going to have ‘words’ with her about doing what she did.
But some of those words are going to include ‘You did a great job drawing aggro on him making him show his skills and abilities
All the team needs to defeat Vehemence is 35,000 zuleks…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D13KjR_Xvc
Followed by the worst design for an airlock since the sliding screen door.
1) From now on, people will call getting tripped by a psuedopod as “getting Scovilled”.
2) Sydney’s alternate alternate identity: Aggro-Girl.
3) What’s scarier: Vehemence’s grin or his muscles (and I don’t mean just the size of the latter, but how freaky-looking they are)?
Anyone else remember the fact that Vehemence phased right through Halo’s shield like it wasn’t even there?
#236
Sydney didn’t seem to notice, and I hope she’s not going to rely on her shield to keep her safe from V.
Actually he didn’t..that was her telepresence orb in operation, which as established has no physical presence.
Hows that poking the bear working for you now super spaz?!
Really hoping Vehemence pops that shield of hers and sends her flying with that finger flick to the temple. Girl is way too cocky and needs to be send down a few dozen pegs.
I somehow doubt he’d be able to ‘pop’ her shield, at least not in one hit. Sydney’s shield ball is her most powerful ability (according to her profile tab at any rate). It would be somewhat amusing though if he was powerful enough to move her shield… send her tumbling like she were in a hamster ball…
I know right! Stinking SOB!
I doubt that DaveB plotted the story this way just to set someone up, but it would be hilarious if he did.
I suppose I should have put that in quotes or used the blockquote tag to show proper attribution, but the link should make it clear who the author of the quote is.
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE TROLL.
He’s right, for a raw recruit, Sydney is way too cocky
In the last 24- and probably closer to 10- hours, she was taken hostage in (what she thought was) a bank robbery, seen Maxima catch a bullet that she thought would have killed her without the save, was recruited to a superhero agency she and almost everyone else didn’t know existed, had to reveal her secret not only to said agency, but to the world at large, was interviewed on TV, met a “succubus”, learned that people were now trying to hack into various accounts of hers because of her revelation, was sneak-attacked with the rest of her teammates while waiting for dinner during her first day as a recruit, got nega-knuckled in the face, saw two teammates seriously injured during the attack, and I’m sure I could find more if I looked further, and despite all that, the worst thing one can say about her is that she’s cocky? Then again, maybe it’s because she’s a raw recruit (i.e., young and inexperienced) that she’s so cocky and she’ll gain some maturity as time goes by. She’s probably running on adrenaline fumes at the moment, but, hey, you’re right, hanging’s too good for her.
I’m only really surprised here that Sydney’s exclamation about his speed wasn’t more… colorful than just simply ‘holy crap’, considering what’s fallen out of her mouth in the past… :)
She’s probably busy using her creativity to humiliate and embarrass her opponents.
rofl. Sydney is so awesome. I want her as one of my friends. Give me a power and oh the chaos we would unleash on poor unsuspecting villains of the world laughing the whole time. *evil laugh* That would be so much fun.
Okay, I grant you the Power to Control Fleas. You will be known as the Ringmaster!
I’m just recovering from a Flea infestation. Don’t joke about those, they can be nasty. My legs looked like I got Leprosy there were so many bites.
And you only really need to look at Weaver/Skitter to understand just what can be done with control of even a single species of the most populous biomorphic forms on the planet.
Wasn’t knocking it necessarily. Its just fun cause of the “circus” angle. For their size they are really tough and maneuverable.
Almost any power can have great potential in the right (creative) hands.
molestiorb to the rescue
did vehemence not see this same shield withstand a near nuclear blast?? i don’t think he can punch through it…
It wasn’t a nuclear blast, it was just a large explosion. A mushroom cloud is not an indication of a nuclear bast. Granted nuclear blasts are just large explosions with a lot of nasty side effects but that is beside the point.
It would be interesting to know how many tons of TNT maxima’s blast was equal to.
I don’t think he’s currently in a rational frame of mind. He seems more reactive & adrenalin fueled from the face plant, so he might be pounding on the shield for a couple of minutes until he realizes the futility of it .
Being able to withstand highwinds is not always the same as being able to withstand extreme physical blows (remember, Maxi had to stop the bash-test for the sake of eardrums and windows)
I think it’d be funny if Sydney uses the hentacle to tickle someone – might be most effective if it’s used to tickle Harem when they realise she’s been double-agenting? Context-dependent, obviously.
Well, Math had to use his toes to tickle Anvil (https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/583), but the tactic should work just as well for Halo.
Its weird but I read this the 3rd time before I actually realised it was just the 2 of them on this strip. That sounds dumb but you get so entrenched in what has been going on and the knowledge that they are all there….
I’m actually curious as to just how “super” Vehemence is as opposed to potentially being cybernetically modified (or something along those lines). While heroes and villains alike can have any number of obvious physical traits to distinguish them from normal people (inscribed glyphs or runes, odd-colored skin, various morphological protrusions, etc), it’s not uncommon to see subtle cybernetic traits expressed as something like what Vehemence has (note: keyword, subtle…the opposite spectrum of cybernetics being waaaaay over the top, ex./Cyborg from Teen Titans). It doesn’t help that I see Vehemence and can’t help but think of Tron…
Oh, and I feel the patterning of his marks reinforces my idea. He has extremely bulked-up musculature on his arms and trapezius muscles (which could have happened whenever he activated whatever it is that empowers him–in previous comics he didn’t seem THAT bulked up even through the trenchcoat). Yes, the rest of his chest is incredibly fit as well but he’s now very top-heavy in appearance and the largest muscle masses are where the markings are.
(And, no, this isn’t a shameless plug to demand you remove his pants! Just so we could have one look…for comparison…and science…*cough*)
Hey, I’m all for an occasional example of “gratuitous fan service” for the lady readers as well as for myself; Dave already provided *some* beefcake a while back (https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/672). I’m just thinking that (perhaps) the middle of combat isn’t a good place for it.
Come to think of it, maybe it’s the *perfect* place for it…How skimpy the costumes, but how few there happens the proverbial “wardrobe malfunction” during all that physical activity.
And why doesn’t Bruce Banner wear shirts with the same elasticity as his with pants?
Sydney should now better than to be talking the monologue when the battle isn’t over.
She still has most of her experience in super “combat” come from places where “talking is a free action” I guess…
Dear journal,
Day one on the job and I’ve seen a great place to eat turned into foot powder, people get gamma rayed without turning into green anger fueled monsters, and now I have an M. Bison reject trying to chew on my shin bone.
Guess it’s just one of those days.
Hmmm…if Halo’s “8 against 1” theory pans out, the next question would be, would the government be ready to take Max out? She’s proven she doesn’t like to follow orders, as well as being to powerful to control and more dangerous than anyone.
Do they have heroes ready and willing to take Max out if needed?
People complaining about this comic still being on the first day after 251 updates (the first page isn’t technically an ‘update’, same as you technically only ever have one birthday :P) should go check out “Mansion of E”, it started in 2003 and so far have reached 2013 and it’s still the first day (and that webic updates daily)
You should go check it out anyway, it’s a great webic
Its so normal for first days or weeks to take years in webcomics that I’m surprised there isn’t a trope or “law” written up about it somewhere… I certainly am not complaining.
Its a good day…
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WebcomicTime
Grrl Power is listed as an example.
I see, I see. That covers it generally. I guess there is no reason for there to be a separate mention for the specific idea of a Day that lasts forever.
Am I the only one who noticed V’s right are is as thick as his waist here? Another item of note I have not seen mentioned- the symbols on his hands are very akin to a power symbol. They have been, somewhat deliberately flashed a couple times. Hint at powers perhaps?
Hey, just wondering but are you planning to kickstart this sometime in the future?
Wait, is it just me, or does Vehemence look a lot like a flesh colored Brass Demure?
Running late?
That fourth panel made me laugh out loud!
I wish you would write a Flash Comic non-sequitur one day.
His biggest power of course is the power to not have a belly button.
He has a belly-button. It’s just indistinct.
I don’t get the old Italian man comment
Probably because he ripped off his shirt. Maybe old Italian men are known to do that when they start a fight?
Oh man that trip and faceplant was the best. X’D
This is the second time in this fight scene that a villain’s grand intro was spoiled by a faceplant. On the other hand, it really fits in both cases and happens for different reasons, so it’s ok.
Also, one of my minor ambitions in D&D is to use a still, silent Prestidigitation to tie the villain’s shoes together during his monologue, then watch him faceplant when the fighting starts. Or even better, when he tried to run away and leave us with his minions.