Grrl Power #255 – The ARC Wrestling Federation
Vehemence seems to be losing control of the fight, though he fared the Anvil on the head with probably more resilience than the heroes would like. It’s obvious no one is going to accidentally snap his neck, so they’re ramping up the intensity.
To Anvil’s chagrin she’s not wearing her military grade bra, though to be fair, with her chest and that landing, the only thing that might have helped would have been a form fitting platemail curiass. She could have had her arms crossed under and across them but she was trying to stick the landing.
I’d meant to have Sydney calling out attack names throughout the fight, I actually may go and put them back in when I do a general cleanup pass while I’m putting the book together (possibly books, depending on whether or not it’s feasible to do a single volume as thick as this has the potential to be.) For instance on the page where Heatwave accidentally roasts two of the villains Sydney was supposed to lean in and yell “Toasty!” but I guess I forgot to add it.
I’m so pleased with the reactions to the previous page! My favorite comments where the ones where someone read it, then 5 minutes later were like “ZOMG I get it!” Harem may eventually have that moment.
Sorry I haven’t updated the vote incentive yet, but I somehow managed to finish two double pages this week so my extracurricular time was limited. Hopefully I’ll be able to put some time into it this week.
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.
<— If you enjoy the comic, consider supporting it via Patreon or the Amazon referral link.
Someone in a previous comment on the prior comic mentioned Mansion of E as holding the record for longest “day”…..TEN years…. so Grrlpower has some catching up to do.
I just wanted say Thanks and I hate you….. to that person.
I just finished that darn comic. From the start.
There is also the Anime “Bleach” where the main battle lasted for something ridiculous like 9 seasons. That is not counting the 2 or 3 “filler” story arcs when they had to wait for the Manga to get ahead. Lord (and the internet) only knows how long that day lasted in the Manga.
The main battle lasted nine seasons??!!?!?! What did they do? Play a chess game for every time they tried to swing their swords?
13 vs 13
All guys have abut maxima durability and some have powers boosting that durability.
Plus stuff like battlefield effecting powers.
Reality warpers.
Pretty much all the god tier chharacters fighting simultaneously.
Due to having to having everyone looking strong each fight got a 2 episode minimum. Incidently, the Winter War and it’s faollout justifies watching any amount of filler arcs. It’s like the biggest anime payoff to a slow burn I can think of.
I still need to finish it. I stopped in the low 300’s (mostly because I always have a hard time with the subs). Now that Bleach has been fully dubbed I can finish it.
Good to hear it ended well, at least.
Fortunately you don’t have much further to go. The anime was only 365 episodes long and they still don’t cover every thing in the manga. After training with Unohana (who is revealed to be the person Yachiru is named after) in the manga, Zaraki manages a full release Shikai of Nozarashi transforming it into a fricking huge axe capable of cutting through even tougher enemies, a large meteorite, and even space itself.
Its not fully dubbed. Because its not done in Japan. They just decided to cancel it every so often instead of doing rating tanking filler (NOT THAT THERE ISN’T enough filler already in the story…)
Oh? I had thought it was permanently canceled. It might be good to give the series a much needed breather.
I love Bleach, I hope they do continue it.
There are significant rumors that since the manga wraps in 2015 that the anime will start back up next year. No hard anouncement has been made yet though.
You are welcome :P
Just finished it the other day as well :D
Love your comic! I am a huge fan. Well… to be fair that may have something to do with the fact that I’m Hex’s fiance, and you did an astounding job on her character :D Thanks for all your art! I love your comic! XD
Well, in the USA, you’re entitled to express your opinion, even if it’s a biased one…
;)
In fact, at least one news network is biased- I mean, based- on that very right.
Suddenly, I find myself quite jealous of you. =P
Thanks! Glad you enjoy it, and her. I mean the character. Obviously you enjoy the real deal if you’re engaged. :)
Congrats and wishes for a long and happy marriage. Just avoid mentioning small, furry, and fluffy-tailed members of the Sciuridae persuasion.
His face! I cracked up so loud that my neighbors got annoyed!
Anvil on the head…… mep mep.
Yep took me awhile.
Vote incentives are real treats, but I hate to say it, not as much fun as the exceptional pages you post! I’d take an extra page over an incentive, though some incentives can put in some nice background… though I now recall the playboy take off….. humm. kindly disregard this letter….
Wasn’t Anvil’s hair on a ponytail when they were in the restaurant?
And suddenly in https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1448 it’s not tied.
Wat. Why would she take it off, and because there are no injuries I doubt anyone else took it either.
And there are no visible injuries on her arms and legs but shirt and skirt are ripped. Perhaps it is because her clothes are not as robust as her body.
She had it in a ponytail at the press conference.
But her hair has been down since they got to the restaurant.
Actually she still had it in a ponytail during her first fight. Though I didn’t look further to see when it unravels.
Yeah… She had it in a ponytail when she first got hit before Maxima flew up, and from what I quickly checked her next appearance was when FWDT one-shotted her and she didn’t have a ponytail anymore.
She had at least one appearance before then: when she had some mook in a reverse chokehold just after Sydney decked Crushed-nuts
It’s just normal fight stuff. Max’s was tied back too. Hard to fight without mussing one’s hair.
It’s just normal fight stuff. Max’s was tied back too. Hard to fight without mussing one’s hair.
Marvelous fight
You know, my father used to say to me,
” ‘Nando, you silly wight.
It’s not how you feel,
it’s how you fight!”
You fight mahvelous!
I don’t believe Vehemence is really a bad guy. Before starting the fight he shows concern for Vecter, and he mostly seems to be enjoying the fight rather than be an evil raging guy. He kinds of remind me of Zaraki Kempachi from bleach.
Slightly warped version of him anyway but yeah pretty much. There are three big differences I’ve noticed so far. Zaraki would only leave you to you own devices this guy actually suggested to someone he may need medical help. He also gave the heroes an offering of villains in order to weed out anyone who couldn’t handle his strength. Zaraki prefers to handle that task himself. This guy wears far nicer clothes.
He also pointed out the other lurking guy to Sydney. And even mumbled he hoped she didn’t get killed tonight
There is one possibly important element we haven’t noted. Vehemence has stopped smiling.
Yes, but more important is whether he will smile in his next scene or not.
“This isn’t even my final form!”
For example, unless it explodes in your face like in “Lanfeust des étoiles”.
He’s stopped enjoying showing up the heroes since they’ve started returning the favor
I wonder, if Anvil were to slap her own arm lightly and repeatedly for an hour, would she be able to do a super punch….
ms conservation of energy says
“nope”
what Sebastian shaw does is jump off buildings in the morning
Hmmm. “Nautilus slam”…. A nautilus is sometimes referred to as being multi-chambered, so a “nautilus slam” could be a body slam of multiple impacts?
I could be wrong but I think it’s a reference to Nautilus from League of Legends:
https://youtu.be/CaLI89KVlgo 1:39.
His E goes THOOM THOOM THOOM.
And his ulti, apparently.
I don’t play Nautilus and don’t often see others playing him so.
(wish I could actually edit my comment, and here’s hoping I won’t double post.)
Sounds like the third Nautilus I mention here, although that example may be the same as one or both of the other two.
Ah, the first and third are the same, and the same as the one I mention here. The second is someone’s D3 character. :)
/league nerd
I totally missed your earlier comment, sorry.
Or…it could refer to how the tracer for Anvil’s spinning resembles the shape of a nautilus shell?
I’m surprised that some people apparently didn’t get it. GOLDEN SPIRAL PEOPLE!
It would be pretty funny if Heatwave got the “dropped an Anvil on him” joke immediately. Seems like something she would pick up on. Too bad she’s out of the fight.
Due to the little note at the bottom left of the comment I felt the need to add this pun. They went “Asphalt over tea kettle”. Yes I know, it’s terrible, but that’s what I do. (If I were a villain , I’d take over the world through bad punnage)
I wonder what the “Gross Punnage” of that would be?
I like the fact that nobody realized Sydney was actually paying attention to Maxima’s quick lessons and Sydney fired Anvil into the ground where there is less chance of collateral damage and getting sued.
Wow, Anvil looks like one of those ads.
Easy breezy beautiful, Cover girl
Easy breezy beautiful, Clobber girl would also work = P
And Ari probably has the people in R&D working on a line right now.
Plus focus groups working on names and ad styles.
If Ari can’t sell a hair care line based on Kenya’s flowing locks, she should hang up here phone, forever.
And all products will be sold exclusively thru “PowerCuts” run by The Barberarian.
for your consideration:
https://cdn.themetapicture.com/pic/images/2014/10/07/funny-human-body-form-function.jpg
Essentially, all your super-sculpted males here are NOT at their prime strength. Imagine how much stronger they would be if they had a strong man’s build rather than a body sculpter!
This is a valid point. But your confusing “physics as we understand them” and “comic book physics”
And in truth such a character would probably have moments where they think “yeah i can deadlift the empire state building…. but id still trade in half of that for so-and-so’s 30 pack set of abs when i go out to the club
That’s a significant problem in a society that’s been “indoctrinated” to emphasize Form over function. For example, if Architects were to design buildings that way, they’d look terrific…Until they collapse under their own weight. Those who build their bodies for Form are literally depriving themselves of Function.
I guess we can (at least partially) blame Hollywood & the Popular Media for that…After all, Hollywood is nothing more (or less) than an American sub-culture that bases its existence on the manufacture & sale of fiction & fantasy. What they *show* you doesn’t work too well in this universe that works on the principles of Physics (Action-Reaction; Cause & Effect), because the only *real* physics they use for their SFX is to create the *illusion* that they want you to see.
How unfortunate it is for society that people who steep their lives in a culture of fantasy are taken seriously when they speak outside of their own specialty…
I blame Arnold.
I blame Reagan.
I blame your mom
I blame everyone but me.
Don’t blame me!
But think of the philosophical implications: I am blamed, therefore I am.
I blam!, you.
on a side note, according to something I’ve read, Popeye’s musculature is perfect. For golf.
Even if we got rid of all the media warped mental images of how things are supposed to be there would still be some “form” over function built in at the genetic level. Like not being attracted to people with elephant trunks over a more humanoid nose no matter how useful (in oooh sooo many ways… ) that might be. Faces are probably the most important not to mess with. Tail might be tolerable though. Hmmm.
The link given doesn’t work. What’s this about form/function and bodysculpting?
First of all, like Bart wrote, your link doesn’t work.
Then I’d like to say that not all strongmen have to look like barrels with legs. Here are a few of the most successful competitors in the World’s Strongest Man competition:
Mariusz Pudzianowski 5 times champion. 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008
Jón Páll Sigmarsson 4 times champion. 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990
Then there are of course those who look more like you expect a strongman to look, such as:
Žydrūnas Savickas 4 times champion. 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014
I suspect the current style of popular male build has less to do with work and more to do with sexuality; large shoulders to waist is a dominant male sexual characteristic, and it’s no more useful than large breasts on women.
furthermore, men with skinny waists tend to have larger equipment, as larger waists to draw things in – and it’s a sign of youth as well.
so batman in his own way is about as functional as the average wonder woman drawing.
I have some questions.
When Anvil hits someone with (alot of) redirected kinetic energy we see those purple rings.
When she landed on V’s head we saw three rings.
His response: Ow that must have been Max. And apparently winds up to hit her as hard as he can.
Anvil absorbs the attack with (seemingly) little effort but feels that he can hit hard enough to deserve warning the others. and then promptly returns that energy to sender.
Only two rings this time.
Does this mean he can take more damage than he can dish out (which is ALOT)
in which case his demise seems inevitable. if slow. (like watching a bunch of turtles fight)
Unless there are some tricks up his sleeve…
Seeing as this fight has already gone over 50 pages, Can I hope that whatever other trick(s) are up his sleeve we will see them soon?
It is time for V to reveal his bonus power. Or be standing there so wobbily that a puff from Anvil knocks him over for the final KO of the night.
I vote ending this fight the same way it started. “NOSE BOOP!”
Symmetrical fight sequence FTW!
Maybe he’s got that power where any time you are beaten to the brink of death, but don’t actually die or at least manage to come back to life, you come back with greatly improved powers. Didn’t Goku have that?
Stumpy, she had to save SOME of the absorbed energy to be able to jump high enough for the nautilus powerbomb
You’re welcome.
AAAAnd we are back in 3rd place.
Pick it up people, please.
Next page: Fedorka reversed the move and we see him standing over Anvil who is buried up to her waist showing an excellent view of her glutes while she kicks in anger :D
I’d be surprised if there was anything left of Anvils bra after that.
Hopefully so.
So we’ve seen Vehemence show super strength and super speed, and apparently his skin is (virtually) invulnerable/impenetrable. His teeth not so much though. I wonder if those are all his powers. Would be kinda anti-climactic if that were the case.
I am not sure V really has”super speed”.He is FAST, but we really haven’t seen him compared to a speedster.Just because he was fast enough to startle sydney, a normal… admittedly she is pretty quick, but still a normal.
OOOHHHHHI just had a thought about the unknown orbs. Some one else may have suggested it, but I wonder if one will have to do with space travel,whether ftl travel or some kind of teleportation?
*sigh* I guess now we’ll never know what of Maxima’s Vehemence was going to clean.
Her act, maybe?
He might have polished her boot a bit there. If he does that each time he’s sent back up it should make them nice and shiny. :D
Actually, RHJuniors’ link of “h t t p://cdn.themetapicture.com/pic/images/2014/10/07/funny-human-body-form-function.jpg” ACTUALLY ends up at:
“h t t p://themetapicture.com/media/picture.jpe” which seems really odd.
Sorry if this was commented on an I just didn’t see it, but does it seem like Vehemence’s tats are glowing/changing color? I’m not sure if this is just a style change, or maybe a hint at what his powers come from. Maybe magic, maybe showing a reinforcement of his bodies framework?
It has been brought up before, and they were going with the same line of thinking as you. I was thinking of comparing him to the Batman character Bane.
You mean along the lines of he’s using ‘Element X’ to buff himself? Which raises the question of wheather or not Sydney will notice and point out the color changes, as she was the only one who could have seen theme before he stepped in.
Exactly, but unlike Bane, his “distribution system” looks to be entirely under his skin, thus giving it a tatoo-like appearance. If she does notice the color changes, would she have a way to deal with it. So far she’s been doing pretty good as an untrained combatant. It’s like Halo is running off of geek girl instincts and hyperactivity.
It isn’t impossible that one of her two unknown orbs might be a possible counter, but after thinking about it for a moment it is rather unlikely. There is a combination of keeping her for blasting her way to Mary Sue status as well as it being too early for her to need to invoke a possible McGuffin when the team is readily showing itself capable of handling Mr. Cleans violent cousin here.
I’d like to see her at least try to use the unknown orbs in this situation, just to see her get more fustrated with them when nothing happens.
It would be Hi-larious!
On Sydney calling attack names: As a one or two-off joke, it’s good, but I wouldn’t go back and put them in. It’s something that could quickly get annoying, in my opinion. (Just my opinion on the idea.)
ah, good thing you’re not in the battle then, she’d be drawing your aggro. ;P
Mine too – others might like it though. Tastes differ, but I often find running gags get old quick for me.
Brace yourselves… While Vehemence’s appearance is essentially the escalation of conflict that happens with any good story telling, the fight is so far appearing to be too easy and I smell more escalation in the works… Fedorka isn’t going to let them win this easy.
LOL rekt
Still trying to work out where and how Maximas foot connected there. It kinda looks like she’s kicking him away from anvil in frame 7. An axe kick would put her foot ‘in front’ of him, not behind.
I think she just stomped him in the ribs, but the fact that he’s huge screws with perspective enough that it looks like her foot’s behind him. The fact that the force/splash effect is also behind him adds to that. If the impact point’s his ribs, then the visual effect of the impact should radiate from that.
The problem is we are seeing the aftermath of her kick.
And Vehemence is moving away from her at that point.
I’m sorry but panel 4 is just perfect. I can’t help but giggle at his realization and understanding of how badly he fucked up, and how perfectly you captured that.