Grrl Power #1148 – Challenge the heavens
Sydney gets distracted by literally anything – 1:10
Sydney eats lunch and forgets she was training – 2:1
Sydney loses interest after getting a splinter – 3:1
Sydney hits a vital service line underground – 4:1
Sydney sends the wrecking ball or bulldozer blade flying into the building – 4:1
Aliens land and attempt to steal the orbs – 5:1
Sydney spontaneously discovers she’s distantly related to the Hapsburgs and is whisked away to an adventure in Europe – 6:1
Sydney smashes herself with the wrecking ball and spends two weeks in traction – 8:1
Sydney sticks with a rigorous training schedule for a full week – 174:1
This page sort of depends on the fact that you guys know that Harrison is an ex-Ranger, but I think he’s only appeared in one or two other pages, and I don’t know if he even had any dialogue. I’m guilty here of letting the Who’s Who do the heavy lifting for me. The short version is he was working as a Chicago detective, and doggedly followed a case even after the brass waved him off, and in doing so discovered evidence of the supernatural underground, like you do if you’re the main character of the pilot episode of a supernatural police procedural. Like Fringe, but with more werewolves and vampires. Shady supernaturals tried to eliminate him, but being an ex-Ranger, he gave them way more trouble than they expected and was eventually brought into the loop by non-shady supernaturals. He now works with Arc-LIGHT and often partners with Pixel.
It’s possible Harrison is being slightly hyperbolic about how much caffeine was involved in Ranger school. But people in Cultivation novels are basically junkies. By the time they make it to Silver, half of them have stopped eating food that isn’t more “Legendary Mana Tankard” than riceball.
(Next page actually details points spent. I’ll include an updated skill tree.)
The April vote incentive is up! As promised, it’s a Sydney pinup. Not airplane bathroom selfies, but hopefully her cuteness will satisfy.
Variant outfits and lack thereof over at Patreon, as well as the semi-usual bonus incentive related comic.
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Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. Feel free to contribute as much as you like.
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My main issue with Xianxia/Wuxia/Light novels is that eventually the hero and the bad guy are both God. One creates a galaxy to attack with and the other creates an universe to block. At that point the story has lost all sense of immediacy to me and begins to seriously bog down.
They do tend to overdo the OP MC concept.
Honestly they tend to have a lot of issues. They system is supposed to run on “the mind, body, and spirit coming into ever more perfect balance” but they generally feature no form of intellectual moral or spiritual growth. Their protagonists also generally have no interest in improving the brutal system of might makes right they were born in to (and usually suffered under), and instead behave like sociopaths or even psychopaths while the writing insists to us that they are good and heroic. Both of these usually trace back to Chinese culture, which unfortunately currently exists under a might makes right system where acknowledging the moral and intellectual failings of the system, even indirectly in a work of fiction, makes you “politically undesirable”.
Unfortunately you’re too right about that. Even the many MC that are transmigrated from modern earth into the recently deceased local end up becoming or right from the start being bizarrely sociopathic about things. Even when the memories they inherit are of someone that was weak and totally not a sociopath they still seem to be quick to kill and become totally indifferent to the suffering of others in spite of their backgrounds. I remember one where the reincarnated MC was the first cultivator in a martial arts world he flipped out so bad that he was slaughtering entire cities of innocent people because ONE guy running things ticked him off, even scarier when he finally got back to Earth and his GF she said as long as she was with him she’d be right there killing like a monster as well just to be with him.
Clearly their idea of spiritual/moral growth is nothing like we’d define them given how right up to the end levels of power you’ve obviously morally bankrupt and evil people running things. It’s far too rare to run across an MC that goes ‘screw this might makes right thinking and only power matters, I’ll change this for the betterment of everyone’ and remains a good, moral and decent person from start to finish.
Unfortunately people adapt to their environment. No, that’s not a strong enough statement… People become their environment.
So if you plop someone down into a might makes right world, as they spend more time in that world they by necessity become convinced that might does indeed make right. Not just because that is the actual reality they see around them, but also because they/we are constantly absorbing from our environment ideas about what is normal (like an Overton window, but for reality models instead of just politics).
There is a lot of room for pathos in the subject matter, but I don’t feel like the cultivator books every actually touch on that.
I mean you are not wrong, but its also multiple other issues involved, like the fact that most societies do not offer a way for a minority opinion(as in a non mainstream opinion) to be heard. Sure that can also be exacerbated by being a minority ethnic group in that society as well, but the fundamental issue is “you do not matter since there are more of us” and most countries and groups operate on that basis, america is really one of the few places where that is not true. That non movement of society then creates social unrest and once you get enough minority opinions together with enough unrest you get an uprising.
add in all sorts of different psychological triggers that dont necessitate sociopathy or psychopathy…its not unreasonable for a MC to be an unrepentant killer. That said…my bigger issue with most chinese novels(and ive read a shit load of them, some actually good too :P) is that the MC is almost always a male mary sue. aka no character growth. born “perfect” they never change or develop. its so damn boring. id be fine if it explored for good or bad why they change or become that killer or away from being one…but its always just nope im perfect the way i am. I also think that has far more to do with the indoctrination from their government than anything else, individualism is not a good thing in China, and heavily frowned upon, and in order to be an individual one has to have thoughts and opinions that are at least to a certain extent non mainstream. But when the expression of such ideas, even in ebook form can land you in the shit..well ofc MC is going to be bland as hell and just “go with the flow” so to speak. anything else risks condemnation not only from peers, but from your governemnt.
I would very much like to live in a culture where that is not the case. Can you name one that exists on Earth?
Uh… a houseboat with only one occupant that’s 10 miles away from everyone else?
Basically any conservatist/traditionnalist one.
Pure “Might make right” enable power shifts.
When you seize power, you need traditions to prevent your betters to replace you.
You probably already live in such a culture.
Wha…? Let’s reiterate: “might makes right system where acknowledging the moral and intellectual failings of the system, even indirectly in a work of fiction, makes you “politically undesirable”.”
That pretty much describes a conservative or traditionalist culture, and that is exactly what I’m asking for an alternative to.
To be fair, the world needs more supernatural police procedurals.
They should do a miniseries of “The October Man” but all in German (with subtitles)
The next comic has Sydney completing her target practice session on the remaining items. Kenya says “How would you like to relax with a little shopping?”
We cut to a local mall. They are making their way down the sidewalk when Sydney’s eyes catch sight of the sign over the front of a store. Her eyes get a manic look to them and her face grimaces with anger.
We cut again to a television news screen showing a reporter. He is standing in front of building wreckage and says “Authorities are puzzled over the destruction of a local Crate&Barrel store. We will keep you posted of any developments”
10:1 Sydney surprises Anvil or such and sets off all that kinetic energy she’s gathering here into something catastrophic.
UNFAIR! I’m directly related to the Hapsburgs and pretty much all the other royalty of Europe, via one of the oldest family lines in the British Isles!
When do I get an adventure?
(If you care, look up Lord Rhys, aka Rhys ap Gruffydd. Extra points if you figure out why I call him “BULLET MAN, the human bullet”!)
I’ve been taking a history class on medieval Briton, I think my teacher would be proud to know I remember Rhys.
Are the Hapsburgs in any way related to the Habsburger, the Austrian Dynasty? bit confused a a non-native english speaker…
If it’s a European Dynasty, they are related to the Hapsburgs, so yes! :)
I suspect that by now, half of the people in Europe can claim a Hapsburg ancestor. The called then the “Happy Hapsburgs” for a reason.
“Bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria nube”, indeed
Targetdrone, they are the same dynasty. Hapsburg is just the English language way of writing their name. Sorry for the confusion.
There’s a few ancestry tracing groups I know where the joke is: It’s not a question of whether you’re related to the hapsburg dynasty, but through how many bloodlines are you related to the hapsburg dynasty. (Especially when you are talking about having 10+ countries represented in your direct ancestry.)
I actually would be the whole week on this one. Even with ADHD she is highly motivated because if she has another Orb Burnout it’s not just her head on the line. She really needs to find her limits so she knows what she can do.
Yeah, this is a perfect time to demonstrate the hyperfocus aspect of ADHD.
I’m totally imagining Sydney doing a rather blue-swear version of a Jacques-Zee-Whipper bit as she snaps the lighthook
Oddly enough, I could see her reading Beware of Chicken for the title alone.
Absolutely, but BoC is a subversion. I don’t see Sydney plowing fields.
I think Beware of Chicken was my very first cultivation story I read over on Royal Road. I got drawn there via a Dungeon Core story that is also posting on Reddit (Dungeon Life).
I just spent all day yesterday nothing but reading Dungeon Life yesterday, and now I will likely be checking out the story your username links to. So… be proud that your comment here led to a new reader of Dungeon Life.
Remind me: did Sydney already have twin Lighthook power? It’s not a speedy afterimage because each Lighthook is lifting a separate instrument of destruction.
No, TwinHooks is new
Probably also upped the weight limit
It also appears as if she has more control over the shape at the end.
That hook at one end implies she could form a gripper to pick up items.
She always could pick thing sup, just had a limit of 16 tons (musta been a Hank Williams fan)
Heh, hits me a bit at home. I would watch a show where training is a big part of the story like the original Dragon Ball, YuYuHakusho, Ranma, or martial arts movies and be inspired to do some working out
or training. But end up losing focus the next day or so.
Harrison’s backstory sounds VERY similar to that of Will Smith (Agent J) from Men in Black, except Jay was from New York while Harrison was from Chicago.
Harrison probably gave Dresden a jaywalking ticket.
the ticket actually reads as: Use of sports equipment out of season and for unintended purposes.
In the novels Dresden doesn’t use a hockey stick for his staff, he also doesn’t use a drumstick for a wand. On the other side, the novels are a lot darker. That said, Harrisson could have been one of the surviving officers of the Loup-garou attack on the police precinct that killed Carmichael in Fool Moon.
I feel like I should watch the Dresden Files to better understand the joke. :) I know the general gist that the Dresden Files involved supernatural stuff but that’s about all I know.
I apologize for my lack of nerd knowledge in this. I will try to do better in the future.
The Dresden Files are probably the best-written urban fantasy series out there, and if you every wanted to see a real Paladin and how he should be, Michael Carpenter and the Knights of the Cross are just awesome. Can’t say enough good things about them.
Instead of ‘watching’ it, you should read it. Dresden Files is a novel series that while as some other pointed out is a lot darker, it’s also BETTER.
Seconded. The TV series was utterly mediocre. The books, however, are excellent!!
indeed. when do we find out how he manages to escape his bride? (believe me its a really good idea though many would say he deserves her.)
when is the next book out again?
I am reminded once again why I swore never to start an unfinished series. sadly I have now broken that oath several times.
We have a short story, the Law?, set a bit after Battle Grounds but given Butcher’s recent pace no telling how long before the next main book. His engagement still stands even if he’s trying to dodge big public events.
At least we aren’t in Rothfuss waiting territory yet.
Typical Sydney-ish over-reaction. But, she IS training with her orbs, rather than fretting herself into a coma. So… level up? She’s not a klutz, just don’t think like most people and doesn’t understand why they don’t understand her. Anvil did over-react to the hip flask thing, it WAS her fault for assuming what was in there. As far as the bathroom goes, that’s on Dabbler as much as Sydney. Sydney just had an oops that spiraled out of control is all, but she doesn’t know that or think that was, time for a Dr. Frost visit I think.
Anvil fell victim to the rule of funny.
ANY actual person IRL would have smelled the flask first to see what type and how good the booze was.
“Am I about to drink scotch or vodka or whiskey or gin?”
Very true, any time in my youth someone tell to “drink this, you’ll love it” I’d ask what it was first while sniffing it. After my first “taste” of moonshine I got a lot more careful at any party :/ spit-take anyone?
Yeah, I did that once to my mom. I had found something and wanted to show it to her. so I asked her to just told her out her hand. at that point I dropped a 2in big very fuzzy crawly worm in her hand. Chaos ensued…. She never let me do that again. go figure.
“ She’s not a klutz”
Oh she is most definitely a klutz. Hence her collection of bruises from even before her first superhero fight, like the one on her shin.
And let us not forget her encounter with the billboard.
Or her dance in her bathroom which turned into a fall.
Or her ‘I am the onnnnnne’ dodge of Maxima which turned into a fall as well.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-69-well-she-dodged-didnt-she/
Or her attempt to save the doctor from the imaginary sniper. Which turned into a fall.
Or her transformation into mini-sagat via spicy noodle to the eye.
Theres more btw… but im using a phone to type this.
Enjoyed that recounting. You may be Deus’s high priestess but you’re a pretty good acolyte of Halo as well.
Well Sydney’s my favorite non-Deus character.
There is also the rock which she fell on, after trying and failing to jump into someone’s arms… not once, but twice.
First with Maxima,
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-74-adrenaline-junkie/
(panels 5, 6, and 7)
then with Anvil.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-940-aegis-beskar-adamantine-mlem/
(panels 3, 4, and 5)
And quite possibly the same rock. :)
(Comic #940 above, panel 5)
I suspect the parking lot squirrel of moving the rock around into strategic locations, even though he hadn’t appeared yet in the first instance. It might even be an associate of the Ascenders, given that he apparently had Archon HQ roof access.
The let her do this on the track field? There are plenty of non-super agents who use that area, plus the squishier supers. All it would take is one slip, or the wrecking ball chain to break under the abuse, and someone in the area (or even further, depending on the force used) will get salsa’d by the massive weights she is throwing around.
It’s “Former Ranger” not “Ex-Ranger” unless you get the boot from Regiment in disgrace.
I wish it was “caffeine pills” it’s Folgers crystals between you cheek and gums or Tabasco sauce in the corner of your eyes (no shit).
Source: Ranger for over 20 years.
He is still in or back in I expect his ranger tab is still valid
SO… Literally the small amenities your MRE gets you? I don’t even know if they have the little tabasco bottles anymore. I think they may be using packets now or have dropped them completely
Ex-ranger is short for Extraterrestrial Ranger, a.k.a. as Space ranger.
It looks like she has two light hooks now! That’s pretty nifty.
Why does Pixel look like she is kinda struggling with those small dumbbells? Are they magically heavy? I’m not sure if it was mentioned, but I expected her strength to be more than most fit humans even in her human form. I wouldn’t expect her to break a sweat even if this is the end of a long work out and those dumbbells were made of tungsten.
I’m guessing they’re heavier than they look. Logically, some of the dumbbells the crew would need to get an actual work-out would have to be ridiculously, impractically large, or be made from some heavier elements/enchanted/technomancy-ed
cool. Dual light hooks.
No no, do not mention them! I’ll just repeat what I said elsewhere;
To say it abstractly, most cultivation protagonists win their fights by going Karen on the universe and getting a manager that believes their BS. And we are now reading a more PR friendly version of events as written by the same narcissist Karen.
Speaking of pages on which Harrison01 was, whatever happened with “subtle” Russian mob boss Zaitzev?
a 20 on ‘Sydney accidentally hits someone with the debris, hides, and forgets about training’
“I appreciate her desire to train. but we need to let other people use the equipment” “So.. Achilles used as the end of her energy whip”
from this page we can see that she spent a point on the lighthook, she only had one now she has two.
Sydney is feeling just a little abashed over the whole incident, also b-bashed and c-bashed.
any chance that sydney is checking out what her level up(‘s) have done?
I know that there’s no ill intention, but as someone with ADHD who struggles with Executive Dysfunction and just generally getting stuff started/done/sticking with commitments, it’s disheartening to see it always played for gags. I stress out pretty hard when there’s something I need or want to do and I just… can’t make myself do it. “Haha ADHD Character Gets Distracted” can certainly be funny, but when it’s used EVERY TIME, it feels reductionist. ADHD people aren’t solely our inability to focus or stick to something, even if it sometimes feels that way. Again, I know you’re not trying to be a jerk here, but I’m not a fan. I think normally I wouldn’t necessarily care, but there have been some pretty major things I’ve needed to get done recently that I just… can’t bring myself to do. So this one is hitting a little close to home I guess.
The author claims to have ADHD himself, so… I would guess that he feels that gives him a pass to joke about his own experiences. Different people’s opinions on the matter will differ, and it’s questionable whether any of them really matter.
Dan’s already established she’s capable of maintaining focus through some very long-term projects, in the past, and that’s a big part of why she is a part of ARC in the first place. I know a lot of ADHD people feel more negatively about people betting on whether a first day habit is going to stick, but to be honest, even normal people struggle a great deal with it, and the whole betting action within communities like ARC stem from the fact that the self-motivation most soldiers have are induced by the incredibly cult-like conditions boot camp puts people under.
The idea that someone who hasn’t been pushed through that sort of training for 6 months, but can find the motivation entirely on their own is something worth taking bets on… because even for normal people it is rare.
Honestly the joke actually is- soldiers often have nothing better to do than bet on whether their buddies need an extra push through training- and outside of emergencies their lives are so mind numbingly boring they’re gonna bet on the stupidest stuff.
Betting on the stupidest things, like how fast an animal can run, which group of people can transport a ball more efficiently, who has better pattern recognition, or if you can guess the numbers. All of the stuff you can bet on is pretty stupid.
I bet I can prove you wrong!
Obligatory Rat Race scene 1 and scene 2.
NOXplode is mostly caffeine. For $20 a head in a barracks hallwayIraq, I chopped up a line and snorted it. My 1SG happened to enter said hallway as I was powdering my nose. I collected my $20 from everyone and the only thing 1SG had to say while after taking in the full scene and shaking his head was “F–king privates.”
I was wired until the next evening and had a blueberry postnasal drip for the next 72 hours.
But $20 is $20.
Heh. I used to know an old ranger, and once asked him if Rangers are all like Nic Cage in Con Air, and he snorted and said, “Hell no, they taught us how to tie knots!”
Also, Beware of Chicken is the only cultivator book series I’ve read, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s about one who becomes a farmer. It’s great.
I *would* also recommend Dao of the Deal, except it seems to have been abandoned. :(
I did get recommended a few on the front page of the comments, I have not yet checked any of them out.
Might be perspective…but is anvil’s waistband lower in the fron than the back?
I know someone who eat a whole family sized Sara Lee Black Forest cake each day during SAS selection – and still lost weight.
Carring a heavy rucksack up mountains during winter burns 12,000 calories….
…PER HOUR…
You literally CANNOT eat fast enough to keep up.
Don’t mind this little ol’ comment way back here, I am just testing my Gravatar because it didn’t seem to be working.
Test #2, also changing what I use for my user name to synchronize across more sites. these comments won’t be front page for much longer, so I figure it’s as good a time as any to try to use this section as a test bed, since they won’t be seen by most. :)
Is Sydney going to have to pay for damage to the infield?
Nah, that’s literally what it’s for.
Pixel’s expression in the last panel is hilarious. Well played, Sir!
Great site keep posting more!
Very nice Commics. I would like to make such a booklet myself.
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