Grrl Power #193 – Won’t somebody think of the (exploding) children
The guy Sydney is shooting though in panel 4 is called “Nyah Nyah Can’t Hit Me Man.” It briefly said that on his chest but I thought the target symbol was better and it was too busy to include both. He can phase, teleport, can throw his image a dozen feet in any direction, and has danger sense and the agility of Apollo. He doesn’t actually commit any crimes though, he just shows up during battles and annoys everyone. And I’m this (–] [–) close to making him canon.
Panel 6 was inspired by some Fantastic Four comic I saw 15 years ago where exactly what I drew was happening. The Human Touch dogfighting some guy over New York and it occurred to me that the death toll would be in the thousands. According to the 1st edition Marvel RPG, his fire beams do WAY more damage than a tank round.
I generally don’t pat myself on the back in the comic comment here, but I giggle at “Scraps of Hope” every time.
Alternative Target names:
D’Awww!: Petting Zoo and Kitten Kennel
A Delicate Future: Endangered Eagle Breeding Program
Museum of Angry Gods Sealed Away in Brittle China
Make a Wish Hospice <- Oh god why would I even think of something like this?
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Dongs Ahoy!Full frontal and backal. Lots of skin, sex on some or all pages, explicit or otherwise.
Look behind them and asume you miss and hit that. That’s really good advise :P
Also. Yeay Maxima leveled up
Everytime I hear/read “good advice” im thinking (and hearing) Homer reading the sign:
Do Not
Touch
– Willie
DAMN YOU INTERNET! That being said: I LOVE the “Mind Image” Panel
You! Sick! Little! Monkey!
Now you’ve got me thinking about poor Homer, touching his willy!!!?!
PREVERTS!
I’m surrounded by Preverts!
—
Oh, wait…
(…re-reads…)
Uh, never mind, I’ll just go now.
(…slinks off…)
That’s what every concealed carrier (if they have an ounce of sense) does as well.
Which is why concealed carriers that didn’t have an ounce of sense are the ones that keep making the news.
This.
I’m not against people carrying guns to protect themselves but REALLY the responsibility just cannot be stressed enough.
And the ones who make the news are a tiny fraction of the total number of carriers. But that don’t stop the antis from labeling all carriers as nuts.
It’s that old Aesop-fable about how “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”.
The tiny percentage (that makes the most trouble) draws the most attention away from the far more mature, responsible majority.
I’m not an “Anti” as most think of it. I DO feel it should be more difficult to get certain weapons, Gun Safety classes be Mandatory before buying ANY firearm and that Concealed Carry should require a more comprehensive background check. To me it seems common sense, something far to absent these days it seems.
I agree with you on that. It is far too easy for the irresponsible to get and own a gun. If someone came out with a man-portable laser weapon would you really want every idiot out there to own one? There was a recent story about a guy who pointed a gun at a Girl Scout who knocked on his door to sell cookies. He is not a guy who should have a gun, or even a wiffle bat. As a person who has worked with the public in several different jobs I can say not everyone is even of average intelligence or sanity. Guns should be at least as hard to get as a license to drive with rules that if not followed could result in revocation of your carry rights.
Well since you mentioned driver’s licenses those need to be a lot harder to get and easier to lose as well, which is a point frequently brought home in my blog. more people die from traffic violence (not my term, someone else invented it) than from gun violence. The only reason traffic violence kills fewer 5 and under than guns is we now require putting kids 4 and under inside armored cocoons that are inside other armored cocoons that increase the survivability of a wreck to somewhere above 50 MPH when combined with late model cars that are required by law to be capable of driving into a concrete wall at 35 MPH and every occupant be able to open the nearest door and walk away from the wreck. As pedestrian and cyclist death figures show drivers aren’t getting any safer, but cars sure are. You can track changes in VMT by tracking pedestrian deaths from year to year, similar with cyclist deaths but there is a strong economic variable that affects the cyclist death toll as well, cyclist deaths more closely track the ongoing costs of driving, mostly gas prices but other outside effects as well.
People shoot pretty much the same as they drive, not paying a whole lot of attention to what’s in front of them…
Not disagreeing with you, Opus – and I know that you, personally, are a very safe rider. That said, my personal observations have led me to conclude that the more pedestrian-/bicyclist-centric the town, the more arrogantly pedestrians and bicyclists tend to act within that town. It’s almost as though they believe the “protective” laws will prevent them from being injured/killed when they carelessly wander out in front of 2500 lbs of steel, moving 30+mph…
Not even talking about the people killed or injured riding bicycles, really. I was more focusing on the 4-5K pedestrians killed annually, and the additional 30K killed inside cars. As I pointed out the numbers killed inside cars are declining as the cars that are unable to run into a concrete wall at 35 MPH and every occupant be able to open the nearest door and walk away from the wreck without a scratch (well maybe a few scratches from broken glass and plastic) start to age out of the vehicle fleet. And the number of pedestrian deaths seems to track the VMT pretty well, with a slight decline attributable to the decline of people being able to walk to destinations and having to use a car to get around. My city is one of the worst in the US for that with people driving almost 20K miles a year on average. Since I don’t drive and neither does my wife that means our 40K has to go somewhere to make up the difference so it’s probable that most of that driving is not local. And you hardly ever see a person walking in this city.
I just think anyone who has a gun is nuts for spending that much money on a toy.
Because that’s what almost everyone who has one uses it for. Shooting at paper cutouts or whatever.
I don’t really care either way though. I’m halfway across the earth, no reason to care
And exactly how much have you spent on your TV, Phone, Tablet, Console, or Computer? Last time I saw it, the Xbone and PS4 were going for more than a Nice Glock.
Not that a gun should ever be a toy. I honestly see it as more training that you enjoy than play. I’d do the same thing if I was in the middle ages and bought a sword and/or Bow.
Don’t knock the bow!
It’s not just for the Middle Ages.
Most bow owners are more accurate than handgun owners.
There are far fewer bow owners who dont maintain and practice with their weapon than handgun owners.
Compound bow owner.
former Crossbow here. Although I need to replace mine after it was destroyed in a fire.
I have basic proficiency with bows. And great expertise with laser weaponry (albeit yet to obtain any that can blow somebody to bits). However as for the technology that lies between those two extremes… I have never so much as picked up a firearm. Pushed a couple across tables, so know they are heavier than they look, but that is it.
Don’t knock the bow indeed! Did you know that armor-piercing arrows were invented in the late Middle Ages as a counter to full plate? And that fired from a modern compound bow they can even penetrate a bullet-resistant garment rated for 9mm Parabellum rounds? They had some bad mamajammas back then.
Guns are like lifeboats. You don’t miss them until your life depends on it, then they are suddenly very important. When five armed thugs bust down your front door in a home invasion, you suddenly gain an appreciation for weapons with more than 2 shots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia4csoQLvGY
Ok, ok, I guess I will have to bite.
Yep, you so much improve your odds of surviving by having a culture where the five men are armed with semi-automatic weaponry, when they invade your home, knowing you are likewise equipped. So much more comforting that the alternative, in other areas, where they will be armed with fists.
*Returns to biting tongue*
*Tongue bleeds*
Ow OW, my thongue hurths!
nope. not gonna say it…
not an appropriate forum, not an appropriate audience…
not at all…
Ghaaaaah!!! Having been to many countries on this little spinning mudball, I’ve yet to find one in which firearms are not available. The gun laws may reduce their ubiquity, but not their existence. And we’re quickly moving into an era in which guns can be printed in private, with no manufacturer controls at all… I make no judgment on those that choose, for whatever reason, to not be armed themselves; but I, personally, would prefer to be on one side of that equation than the other.
My apologies to those that don’t want to listen to this idealogical discussion in this forum.
Mmm, it is something that has cropped up here in the past. One of the largest number of comments pages was when DaveB woke up the gun community by asking what guns Peggy should favour. So long as I do not piss them off too much, there should not be too much harm here.
Besides which, I am probably out of range. ;-)
Supply does play an important part, but the point I was making was about the demand side of the equation. The equation goes like this. If you want to rob a store in the UK you will likely succeed whether you use just physical intimidation and threat of violence. The orders staff have are just to co-operate and not endanger themselves. That is the polices’ job, not theirs. And insurance companies get pissed off when staff die, because they have to pay out more. Hence the orders.
So there is little need for villains to risk the longer sentences for carrying even an improvised weapon, let alone the considerably longer ones for using a firearm. Knife crimes are on the rise, because some of the aspects of gang culture are spreading in the UK. But work on changing that socially is proving to be more effective than focussing on the weapons. And, most importantly, gun related deaths are so rare in the UK that they are negligible, especially compared to traffic accidents or any of the big killers.
But, if you are in an area where you can expect every shop owner to have a firearm under the counter, the demand for criminals to carry and use firearms in robberies is prevalent.
Arguments about whether to own a gun only carry any merit if in a culture where gun carrying is already out of control. It is not sensible if trying to decide whether to live where that happens or not. Be that by choosing what policies to follow or otherwise.
Great country though the USA is in other respects, and meaning no offence, I would not accept a green card if you gave me one on a silver platter. A nation where some people are afraid to walk down the streets without carrying a gun? And where you have to know the ‘no go’ areas to avoid being shot. And who are so scared of their own elected government that they feel compelled to own weapons. No thanks.
Well stated, Sir. While my own opinions on the matter are unchanged, I can accept your viewpoint and respect it.
Try Japan. Yes it’s posible to own firearm. But it’s a pain in the ass.
As interesting a point as that might normally be, I know that if there was a gun in my house for protection that I’d have long since used it to end my own life. Just a counter point to yours that they’re practically perfect because in my case it would actually have caused me to die decades before your hypothetical robbery.
Actually, if I had five armed intruders, I’d be reaching for my Angel Sword Avatar Katana, not the .45 I got from my grandfather loaded with Glaser rounds.
Why? Simple. I know my house. They don’t. Someone tries to round a corner, one fewer problem to deal with. At ranges of inches to feet, a firearm is more dangerous to you than to your opponent. I know where the firing lanes are, and i know where the blind corners are, and I will use them to my advantage. Besides, if I need a gun, I can appropriate one.
However, if I clear a firing lane to hit someone, I’m going to get return fire from one of the others, and announce my position. So it behooves me to stay out of the firing lanes and pick them off one at a time, by surprise, and conceal the assault for as long as possible, then start using the bodies as bait.
Furthermore, if you have five armed opponents, you have one of two situations: 1) gang activity, in which case their organization will suck and you can probably get them to kill each other before they can hit you, or 2) professional hit squad, in which case you’d best be Special Forces level trained. In that case, use a Kabar, not a sword or a gun.
Generally, my preferred home defense weapon of choice is a good ol’ Louisville Slugger. Like a Bokken, it gives me the option to use non-lethal force to subdue the invader to hand over to the local authorities. Having said that, it can be used in a lethal fashion quite readily, you just have to pick your target areas a bit more carefully.
I have a Carry and Conceal license. I own several firearms which are secured and well out of the way of little hands. There are uses for them, which is why I am a staunch opponent of gun control in general. Having said that, I am all for requiring mandatory gun safety lessons and a license to own firearms. Not because it will stop illicit use of firearms, but because it will prevent accidents like a homeowner firing at an intruder and accidentally hitting the little girl across the street. It will also make the average gun owner a lot more aware of the responsibilities involved in owning a device with only one intended purpose: to kill.
“Why? Simple. I know my house. They don’t. Someone tries to round a corner, one fewer problem to deal with.”
The Japanese brought a lot of katanas to the world war, and lost terribly despite all the bushido samurai spirit one could ask for banzai charges didn’t work all that well against M1 Garands. Swords became obsolete when repeating firearms became reliable. Using one against intruders possibly armed with firearms is not a smart idea, even if guns aren’t involved western houses do not offer a lot of room to make cuts with a Japanese sword, it’s just too long for the environment, which is part of the reason they wore TWO swords. The second one was for grappling and tight quarters. I’d be thinking more along the lines of a Tomahawk personally.
Either way, no matter how well you know the layout it’s a really bad idea. Professional soldiers train to clear houses constantly are armed with automatic weapons and grenades, have heavy body armor and even then casualties are expected. Hold up in your bedroom, point a weapon at the door, preferably with a tactical 60+ lumen light, call the cops and wait. if they come through the door they come right into the line of fire and you can fill them full of lead before they can orientate on where you are and what you’re doing. This is one situation where it’s far better to play defense then offense.
If you have professional soldiers armed with grenades, you aren’t going to repel them with civilian grade equipment, regardless. If you are dealing with artillary, you sure as hell aren’t going to do anything with civilian-grade equipment.
Home defense is supposed to be primarily against civilian criminal elements. Not a modern equipped military unit.
Oddly enough my house is actually designed for hand-to-hand fighting! Not by me, I hasten to add. Although that would have been cool. But because it is a tradition Bulgarian manor house style. So there is only one entrance, with a thick wooden door in it. The north wall, as is traditional has no windows on it. That is for practical purposes as when the wind is coming from the north it has usually passed over most of frozen Russia on the way. The only houses in these parts which have windows on that aspect have been built by ignorant foreigners.
But, of course, that would expose the house to attack from the north. To counter that, it has what looks like triangular arrow slits running along the inside. Ideal for placing candles in or items of decoration. Whilst they go most of the way through the wall (about two foot), the final part remains stone. So from the outside the wall appears to be solid stone. Meaning that you are not exposed to either the cold wind or somebody using it to lob incendiaries or the like through. However if you have firearms you can easily break through the last part and you have a firing port. Or several, if you have more guns and people to fire them.
A single exit is obviously as much a trap for the defenders as it is a defence against intruders. Not least in the event of fire. So the mechanism they developed to counter that, provides both multiple escape routes and makes ingress to the rest of the building harder. Namely the upper floor is larger than the lower. And has a balcony above the only entrance. In a siege situation, the floor of the balcony has strategically thin parts over the door, so that it can be used as a murder hole to pick off anyone attempting to break down the door. And any of the windows on the upper floor can be used to escape the building in an emergency. But are very hard to access without a ladder, due to the overhang.
Meanwhile the hand-to-hand part I mentioned is that the rooms are all big enough that swinging a sword or an axe would not be a problem. And the staircase to the upper levels follows traditional castle principles in that it winds in the direction which will favour a right-handed defender. If you are swinging a sword downwards at an intruder coming up, you have clear room to swing. Whereas a right-handed intruder will have his swing blocked. Mind you, the rare, mutant, south-paws do gain an advantage on the offence but loose it on the defence. ;-)
And if you really think it’s a toy, you should never own a firearm.
I own three rifles. I hunt and target shoot. It gets me out of the house and into nature a lot more than I would do if I didn’t have those hobbies. And I’ve been thinking about buying a shotgun and adding skeet & trap to my fun with firearms.
I don’t own a handgun, because I feel that handguns are made to kill people. But then I don’t really think I need one. If I heard an intruder in the house I am certain that simply working the action on my 30-06 and calling out “I am armed and will defend myself, my family, and my property” would result in the sound of running feet and possibly some urine stains on the carpet. I’m not going to go hunting room to room looking to put a bullet into someone (unless I think my family is being threatened), I’ll just wait and see how stupid the intruder really is while also waiting for the police to arrive.
Maby she learned that lesson the hard way.
Didn’t she blow up a mosque? Was she aiming for it or was it an accident?
How much ammo was stored in the mosque anyway?
Acceptable collateral damage. Perhaps there were more valuable drainage ditches and parking lots in the area.
Then again… ‘You all saw it! That mosque(orphanage) attacked me’ is not unknown.
The possibility NOT mentioned is that Sydneu does actually hit the target, but with enough power that she blasts a large hole THROUGH said target and hits whatever is behind it as well.
That is Achilles job.
One flaw with that technique though. Achilles then just becomes the projectile who gets punched through the wall killing people!
At least he does not explode and invites with marshmallows :)
Does your bunny need a drink in the morning, just to get out of bed? Then try Bunny Rehab!
Bunny Rehab would make a great name for a band.
dot Tumblr dot com
Maybe it’s actually normal Rehab, but with bunnys to help you
Stress-relief for orphans. It does make sense. Bad Halo!
Lord a troll with super powers we’re doomed
It truely is the ultimate set of powers for a troll.
I think making him full canon would be a little over the top, but there’s no reason he can’t return sometimes
Sounds like an idea for my next character for a super hero rpg…
Oh my! Glad my super campaign has psychics. I have my 100% Psychic version of Mindok who would be a perfect counter. Too bad for the players he is an amoral Mercenary.
He’s not troll… he’s a fan. And he loves getting fron row seats.
Bonus points if the press decide to give him a camera for the “in the action” shots…
Ahh, now give him a ‘press’ pass and he truly would be a menace to Arc-SWAT. He would have access to a whole room full of lawyers to tell him how to avoid prosecution. Even the laws that he broke would have a blind-eye turned to them, for fear of the media bleating about the ‘freedom of the press’. And he would be Suzie News’ arch-rival. I hate him already!
awesome i love the face of targetman phasing through sidney`s shot. ^_^
kinda also sucks for hope. i hope they fix it up :P
Joke aside, it held up to my expectations as always dave, it was serious, comical and logical. that`s the reason i come back everytime to read the new page.
great job
I don’t really get that, wouldn’t phasing (like kitty) be rather unhealthy during an energy based attack? Really, unless you phase out of this dimension entirely an energy attack would still fry your molecules.
It depends on how the phasing works. The usual assumption is that you go into an adjacent dimension where you no longer interact with this one* In which case fire or electricity should pass through you just as easily as lead or steel.
If a different type of phasing is in effect, say jiggling your molecules out of the way as an enemy’s blow passes through you, then possibly you are right. This type works on the basis that we are mostly empty space with a few atoms rattling around inside us. If you can just convince your atoms not to bump into any of the incoming atoms, then they will pass through you without touching. However, the energy of a lightning strike may well be conducted through your atoms, despite them trying to disperse.
* An obvious exception being light, as you can still see and be seen, so light-based attacks might work. As already mentioned by someone elsewhere in the comments. Logically if hearing and other senses work despite being phased then they can also be targeted. Either by direct damage (such as sonic) or through mis-direction or illusion.
Less obviously, gravity. As phased individuals do not seem to float off into the air or fall down through the floor. Unless they have some means of floating or levitating, then possibly gravity is affecting them. Which means that power over gravity could be helpful.
That reminds me about the original (1961) Phantom Girl :)
Wow, I can’t remember that far back, given that I lack Guesticus‘ abilities! But thankfully I have access to my external memories. Pats NotFred on the back.
Abilities? What ‘abilities’? No one told me about having any ‘abilities’
Legionaires & <Legion of Super-Heroes was about the only DC comic collected (along with Catwoman back when she had the cool purple outfit, didn’t like it when she switched to the black leather and goggles), do have a really really old LoSH comic though (not sure where it came from)
Weird. One of your abilities appears to be able to sometimes post without the comment being fed to my RRS reader.
But the one I was alluding to was past life experience. However much or little of it you have, I can’t remember back prior to my own birth. :)
The rates might be high, but they do pay out promptly and have their own construction company that employs super powered people who rebuild your building extremely fast, and in many cases better than what you had before.
Yeah, if I remember correctly, Marvel did a mini-series on that organization. Called it Damage Control.
As for me, I’m thinking less about the exploding children (as referenced in the comic’s alt-text) & think more about the exploding bunnies. Poor little fuzzballs trying to get back up on their luck(y feet) & then THAT happens!
:(
Yes, they did a series on that, and if I recall revived it for another short run. There was also a bit about “superhero insurance” in one of the X-Men comics, just before Colossus and Juggernaut had a bar brawl. The Incredibles movie also started off with why the supers had to go away – too many lawsuits.
The Wearing the Cape books by Marion G. Harmon have heroes being deployed for disaster relief and an all superhero construction team called “The Crew” who help fix things up as well. It’s definitely something that’s being brought up more often as the different flavors of superhero mythos mingle with a sense of realism.
Exploding children. The revenge of the mosque.
A cute black comedy, best executed like either Stephen kings the mist or a zombie film.
wait… what? There’s alt-text too? [sigh] – looks like I’ll have another archive dive soon…
And the civilians who get fried alive/disintegrated/exploded over?
You can always get the survivors to look at the end of your MiB ‘pen’ and make them believe whatever cover story you want. Exploding gas main being a good staple. For those who get disintegrated, you could consider just erasing them from the survivors’ memories completely.
Combined with your usual swift response clean up crew, and a few follow up memory visits, no one would be any the wiser. Although they might wonder why the city has so many vacant lots in it. But you will need plenty of space for all the graveyards, so it probably balances out.
Nyah Nyah Can’t Hit Me Man seems to be the kind of guy one could kill and not be arrested for it, so anoying he seems to be
Except that you can’t kill him, because you can’t hit him
Maybe Syd’s projection can hit Nyah Nyah’s projection.
“My imaginary telepresence can beat up your imaginary telepresence!”
This is why I love comics like this one, the comments sections have as many chuckles, laughs and guffaws as the actual comic. Lots of frustrated comedians and comic writers out there.
Indeed :)
There’s always the poision in the drink or a nuke in his general area but not targeted at him.
However, Sydney, with the Comm-ball and PPO would almost certainly NOT be fooled by his displaced image, would shoot at his feet and catch him in the area of effect. Unless Mr Can’t-hit-me is also a superspeedster, it’d be like trying to dodge a grenade thrown in your lap.
Except he appears to be phased, rather than displaced. If so, there is no illusion to see through. He just isn’t solid enough to hit.
True. Perhaps, since he absorbs enough light to be visible, a really bright and hot blast would cook him? But Sydney should still avoid that kind of stunt until (a) there are no innocent bystanders in a 10km radius and (b) she can make opaque force fields.
Just a wild guess but the shield orb might, at some point through leveling, be able to prevent someone from teleporting in or out of it, same with phasing. This would allow her to trap him. What she does with him after that is anybodies guess
Makeouts?
As referenced on page #2 opaque force fields, Syd knows all about that. and what she would do with him in her forecefield….page #79. Weelll… maybe not anymore.
Except that the comment box mentions that he has Danger Sense (he’ll sense the shot coming before it hits), super reflexes (he will be able to dodge it), phasing (it wouldn’t hit him anyway), AND teleportation (again, get out of dodge)
oh oh oh… what if given leveling up she could encompass the whole city in her force field. Make it so that no one can teleport in or out, and then shrink it. Since she has such knowledge about feats and such, she would be able (by this time) to let certain people and buildings phase through it as it shrinks.
This would be really great in catching any criminal. Super or not. She could even track down deadbeat dads and moms and make the pay their child support.
Could work. Potential problems with anybody out of her line-of-sight who gets squished by the closing force field because she could not tell the force field to let them through. But, let us assume that she can say ‘let everybody through except him’.
In which case there is still the distraction effect of looking like you are running/driving/flying towards a glass wall. Across a city you might expect a few dozen minor pedestrian and cyclist injuries, about the same number of serious car and public transport accidents and possibly one aircraft crash, before they closed the airspace.
His nickname among Supers, Villains and the Police alike would be: “Collateral Damage” :p
And his nickname to the public and on the ‘net would be ‘the Super Troll’.
and an admonition to all normals to not feed or even acknowledge his presence so that he would go away bored and hungry.
Well, that might work…Once. Just as it did for the FF & the Impossible Man.
If we’re polling for possible names, I’d vote for: “Uber-Troll”.
No, he already has a name. It’s “Nyah Nyah Can’t Hit Me Man.” Says so right there in the comment box.
D’OH!!!?!
I meant to say nickname, sorry!
somehow, I don’t think the press will be too eager to write NNCHMM, much less his whole moniker – they’ll probably come up with some other troll-esque name, like The Antagonist, or Taunt-aun…
so is that overpenetration awareness the reason Maxima killed a whole Mosque lol? I’m also scratching my head about what bunnies would need a rehab center for. Cocaine addiction would heart attack’em. Are they actually playboy bunnies?
Sex addiction probably
Trouble is that is just the normal state of affairs (pardon the pun) for bunnies. You would not be able to tell any difference if you did meet a nymphomaniac rabbit.
But, I did manage to figure out the worst-case scenario for bunnies needing to go to rehab.
Most Playboy Bunnies are *NOT* sex-addicts (that’s just masculine wishful thinking)…
…but what about excessively exhibitionist behavior?
Is there rehab for that?
I meant normal bunnys actually
i was actually thinking of the other usual sets of addictions. If they’re playboy bunnies, hugh hefp would have helped with the sex addiction. ‘Sides, I only go to the mansion to discuss science and other current topics of our day.
I had rehab after a car hit me while I was on my bike. It’s how you recover from a nasty injury.
Another squishee on a bike? Yeah, that’s what my rehab has been for.
I once hit a car while on my bike and did $460 (in the 80s) to the rear quarter-panel. I bounced off but the pavement when I landed didn’t give and I broke my shoulder on it.
I notice that no one has yet mentioned what happens to bunnies that “contribute” to the market for Lucky Rabbit’s Feet. How “lucky” can they be when the poor bunny used to have *four* of them?
Support your local Bunny Rehab Center, because they have to deal with the expenses of the rehab program & vet’s bills to cover artificial limbs too! And who ever heard of any insurance company that covers such medical expenses for bunnies anyway?
*raises paw*
But I prefer them in a stew.
Oooh please make him canon. I can just see the fight going on and Sydney spotting him and gripping the Telepresence Orb and getting him with a “BADGERS!” shout. (not dangerous sooo) And then she Forcefields up to do the “can’t touch this dance” and hears a whisper behind her ear: “My, it is cramped in here.”… And then we get to find out if danger sense can suss out the auto-punch or does it only work on intent?
Oh and note to self (and Math), _never_ tickle Sydney when she holds the PPO!
Never tickle Sydney would probably be a safer rule
True…
But not nearly as much fun.
How about never tickle Sydney without her knowledge? She might actually enjoy a good tickle from the right person. Most people do.
I would have thought if anyone needed advice on comicbook logic, physics or history, Sydney would be the source of that information.
In this I think Max is trying to point out the failings of standard comic logic when applied to the “real world” they live in. There is the point in time when a youngster realizes that Tom and Jerry frying pan to the face maneuvers will greatly injure a person hit by them –aka the loss of innocence. This isn’t the WGPCGR line from Spiderman, its a further statement that boils down to “Consequences Occur”.
Even worst, sometimes the “consequences occur” and the hero do not care.
PS: just in case, there was a previous “Human Torch” that was an android, Marvel reused the idea.
You forget that Syndey is also atrociously horrible at remembering the consequences of actions, a telltale symptom of ADHD.
I would know.
Dave’s description a while back of “ADHD is a double-edged sword; also, the handle is a blade” is far more accurate than many people probably think.
Very true. The very definition of “impulsive” is lack of foresight. The real problem is most people don’t understand that ADD and ADHD involve a LACK of control not just inattentiveness.
It’s not so much a lack of control as it is your body performing the actions before your mind has a chance to go “Hey, this might not be such a good idea, shouldn’t we think about this before… and you’re not even listening are you?”
Meanwhile, the rest of your mind is doing something situationally comparable to “OOH, SHINY!“
Well if your body is doing something without your mind telling it to or not to that would be a lack of control in my mind. But yeah that is sort of the process, My point was basically people think we allow these things to happen but that just is not the case.
But… that autopilot comes in handy so often :( Actually, I was asking a friend if our clumsiness was related to our ADHD the other day. I know I have a tendency to run into walls and things because I’m just not really paying attention, but luckily I have excellent reflexes that greatly balance that out for me so that I don’t get hurt or break things usually.
Track the tail on that word balloon, that’s Sydney talking about the aerial supers dogfight, and the aftermath.
Or worse, someone starts paying Nyah Nyah to be the paparazzi for supers.
You EVIL Bastard! Now, that should be cannon.
You EVIL GENIUS.
“Maxima at the beach? This looks like a job for…. The Troll!”
But the camera might not be phaseable. Things with delicate parts could react badly to phasing or he might not be able to phase anything composed of more than a few simple compounds.
Okay just thought of a more annoying thing for him to do. Phase the clothes off cute supers! :)
That would be an attack, depending on the rule set, against an object held by the target. Again, depending on the rule set, it could provoke an attack of opportunity. Displacement and phase ability would be meaningless at the moment of him attempting to phase said clothing items since he would have negated both to attempt the touch attack.
Although if it is his only power, then it is likely he will develop power stunts for it. Such as being able to leave his body phased whist his hands become tangible enough to grab something. Or remain tangible most of the time and only activate his phasing as a dodge when he is attacked. A healthy dose of spidey-sense would be handy if going for the latter option though.
Like The Twins :)
more importantly, it would be a crime, which he does not do.
+1
Err, yes he does. Resisting arrest (assuming that Sydney was actually doing her job, rather than taking pot shots for the fun of it) and murder* are both crimes.
* Ignoring Halo’s negligence, as that does not impact on his guilt. He clearly provoked the action and, knowing the likely consequences, that means he is culpable. It does not matter who ‘pulls the trigger’. Responsibility lies with those who had the intent. Sydney may be charged with contributory manslaughter, but he will be the one sitting in the chair for murder.
And for those who see the analogy for internet trolls, yes, they too can face prosecution. The charges may vary depending on what they are doing and which jurisdictions are involved, but there are many possible ones. Conspiracy to commit [any crime], inciting [any crime], slander/libel and potentially even contributory manslaughter in the event of bullying someone who then goes on to commit suicide. I anticipate we will start seeing precedent setting cases for the last soon.
Depends whether you ask a lawyer or a cop really, resisting arrest is legal if there’s no reason to arrest you, cops can’t legally arrest you just for the hell of it. Not that some cops pay any attention to that mind you.
Wasting police time, interfering with a crime scene and obstruction of justice are all crimes So could justify an officer deciding to make an arrest. Although some may not be arrestable offences in various jurisdictions. But if peoples’ lives or property are being endangered, due to somebody maliciously interfering, then there would be no doubt that an arrest is warranted.
As a technicality, note that resisting arrest is always a crime*. Just as police commit a crime if exceeding the speed limit in a high-speed pursuit. Or a civilian in speeding whilst driving somebody to hospital in an emergency. It is simply a matter that if breaking the law is deemed by the court to be justifiable, given the circumstances, then no conviction will be brought. And if the arresting officer was abusing his power, then he faces possible criminal prosecution himself.
* Under UK law, but I have no reason to suspect that it would be any different in any of the English-speaking countries.
Well, DaveB said “He doesn’t actually commit any crimes though, he just shows up during battles and annoys everyone”. That scene is either an imaginary example, or Max showing precognition (maybe a dream ;), or an author’s gift glance into the future. Anyway he does not do an actual crime…yet.
Yea, I had not read Dave’s comment when I posted that. Which might have changed my interpretation of Masterofbones’ comment.
But the guy would need to be pretty well versed in law to hassle police at a crime scene and not find himself contravening one law or another. Trouble is that police have faced harassment for centuries, so our body of law does contain a lot of remedies for them to counter it.
Maxima would likely be able to break both his un-phased hands before he could re-phase them :P
*nods*
You know…
With his ability to seem to be several feet away, would be effectivly invisible when he say, unhooked Maxima’s top.
Effectively invisible, like sneaking up in total darkness, would result in an elbow to the face or worse if a martial artist.
Yes, the invisible man could certainly undress the super-fast super-strong particle-blasting indestructible trained soldier, as she lacks the super-senses to perceive him. Whether he would survive the next hundred milliseconds is another question entirely.
God help Max (& any other super-femme) if he ever discovers the location of ARCHON’s showers &/or changing-rooms!
A kind reminder to vote, folks. Second place was really sweet and now we fell down to eighth. Go on, it is half a minute.
Ninth now…
Seconded.
Mind you, the comic held 2nd place until the end of the month, as best I can estimate. We are just off to a slow start because the beginning of the month fell at the weekend. So any daily or weekend updating comics have had their regular batch of votes and we are only just starting ours now. Hopefully by the end of the day we should have shot up a number of positions. *Claws crossed*
Lets work on it.
However to be fair just two of the toppers had updates on weekend and two others do not even updated this month yet. I think it is more due fans with the will to vote without need an update.
I’ve started working on a new image but it’s just rough pencils at the moment.
Great! :)
Ok, let’s race, what comes first, you finishing that incentive or us vote kicking you to the third place? :)
Ready?
GO!!
At 7th now
Eighth again! Keep going…
Sixth! :)
and short to fifth…
Go ahead!
The Three Rules of Firearms Handling require only minor adaptation here:
1. The PPO is always loaded (make no assumptions about cooldown time or the like)
2. Do not point the PPO at anything you do not intend to blast with the power of a thousand suns
3. Keep your hand off the PPO until you’re ready to destroy something utterly
* Achilles shouts from the dinner room *
And looks behind you, assume it will ricochet…
Fridge logic is the only logic that works
Is it good enough to hide in to protect yourself from an a-bomb explosion?
No. I think Mythbusters did that one.
So did Indiana Jones.
And if Hollywood says it works, it must be true ;)
My biggest problem being that I have not come across the term ‘fridge logic’ before (nor ‘refrigerator logic’ for that matter). Now ‘water cooler’ meetings were easy to figure out the first time I heard it. But this, mmm so many ways it might go!
What happens when you drop a fridge on somebody?
Can a fridge door stop a bullet? (the Mythbusters thing)
Does a decision that seems reasonable in the heat of the moment, bear up to scrutiny when put in the fridge and given time to cool off? *slides a pile of chips here*
Given the variable temperatures of various compartments in the fridge and/or freezer (analogous to the variability of parameters of any argument) does each possible solution to a problem need to be compartmentalised too?
Or if you over-analyse an argument does someone drop a fridge on you?
*dodges quickly*
Be thou enlightened:
And the link failed. Trying again: Fridge Logic
There is a flaw in calling it that. Can’t think what it is right now, but I am sure it will come to me later.
something occured to me the other night about that “pporb” page shout.
when she “shot it” she started with kameha wannabee. then she switched it with “sydneyha”…. but imagine if she changed it to her actual codename “haloha”… at this point… that would have been even more hilarious like she is saying “hello” if you just ear the prononciation hehe
Or, she is shouting a Hawaiian greeting (considering Kamehameha is also Hawaiian…)
means also turtle
but i thought about that and started to chuckle in bed hehe
Now, which Human Torch is it meant to be? There were so many over the years…
I wonder if the original is still around. He is a construct.
Jim Hammond, an android actually, it seems to be finished.
…I only know of two. (Not counting Ultimate or the infinite alternate universe possibilities as different.)
Google didn’t tell me otherwise.
I’m thinking Toro, the Android (I.E.: Original) Torch’s sidekick, would qualify as a third – although minor – entry.
Holy shit, I lol’d at that sign…
Also, make him cannon, that would be awesome. I can imagine him showing up to fights with terrible puns and wandering hands around attractive women…
What? You think Math needs the competition?
Competition breeds success. No matter who loses, the consumer wins…
Forget making Nyah Nyah You Can’t Hit Me Man canon…
the hero we NEED made canon is “The Human Touch.” Dabbler would like him, I think.
Good laughs! I LOVE annoying and ineffective villians. I had a guy called, “Hangnail Man”. That was his only power, one painful hangnail per digit on your hands. He would rob banks, and make the guards drop their guns with the surprise pain, grab the money and run for it. Guy was a total coward. Then, years later, one of my players designed a brick called “Big Fist”, who could grow his fist to have a 10′ radius. Big Fist ran into Hangnail Man (I swear I was not thinking about the possible repercussions until the situation was a done deal) and Big Fist nearly died from, what should have been an annoying attack, which now became an Penetrating 5d6 Killing Attack. Blood everywhere!
sounds like most of my RPG games as kids.
I knew this would happen but the GM wasn’t prepared. A phaser had snuck into my room and slit my throat while I was sleeping. I myself was a phaser too, and in fact we were archnemises(?sp), and so I pahsed through my bed, to avoid another attack and forgot to mention to the gm that after I was under the bed I was trying to make the blood dense around the wound. I could do that,, nothing and solid.
However after the long monoligue from the villian revealed to me that I had forgotten to tell the gm about clotting the blood. and I was about to die. So I stuck my ‘solid fist into the face of my enemy and phased.
He didn’t like me for 2 days. :P
“Cute Kids & Baby Pets Acting Agency”
Not bad enough, that type of agency has a yearly turnover rate.
I had some rolling laughter going from panels 1 (the level up) and 4 (the orphanage and bunny sanctuary).
Plus love the paper-comic effect for the latter panel and the final two. I think it makes an excellent way of saying ‘this is speculation, not actual action’.
Step one: Find out if NNCHMM can teleport and/or phase through Sydney’s force field. If yes, upgrade the FFO until the answer is no.
Step two: Catch NNCHMM in Sydney’s force field, and shrink it down to the point where he can’t dodge. See if the PPO can affect him while he phases. If no, upgrade the PPO until the answer is yes.
Step three: Take NNCHMM to the hospital. He spent so many points on not being hit that he has barely normal human hit points, and Sidney likely didn’t take this into account when deciding how much power to use. ^_^
Re: “Step 2″…
…have we established yet whether Syd can create a force-field that is NOT around herself?
Nope, no info. So asume it’s not possible until otherwise
Just a thought. Wouldn’t the projected image of “Nyah Nyah Can’t Hit Me Man” be useless against Sydney and that would have prevented her from shooting through said image? She has the super Truesight orb which, since her other hand isn’t shown one could assume she is potentially using.
Read this previous comment.
It’s not an illusion, it’s the actual guy.
He can phase, which means that everything goes through him
Also, she only has truesight if she uses the orb.
Marvel actually had a couple of issue limited series called “Damage Control“, named after the titular company that cleaned up after superhero battles and such. Some superheroes, including Hercules, have occasionally worked for them as part of their community service.
Yeah, I did a comment reply above before I read down the page to your comment. I also recall a few in-comic references that, while they didn’t mention Damage Control directly, mentioned having “super-fights insurance” is a necessity in Marvel’s NYC.
Back when Peter David created the All-New, All-Different X-Factor (great, nonstandard super stuff in that run), in the Annual #8 for that book, a writer named Skip Dietz wrote a story about Strong Guy going into a subway where a train had crashed to shore up the place and look for survivors, while a crowd of scared, angry, expectant people waited outside. No spoilers, but it’s a tough, sad, touching piece that is tangentially, if not directly, related to what we’re talking about with the topic at hand. test
Okay, Spoilers: So the subway crash was just a freak accident, but the crowd wonders if it was supers or mutants or terrorists (this is pre-911, pre-OKC… looks like Pan Am 103 in ’88 would have been the relevant memory at that time). Guido goes in there, using wreckage to support the roof and such, but only finds one survivor – a cute little puppy. He goes out, tells the rescue workers the situation, and sets about looking for an owner. The crowd lashses out at Strong Guy because he isn’t rescuing their loved ones, because he didn’t prevent the accident, and because people like him “probably caused it” in the first place. He screams back at them in pain, and then walks home with the puppy, who he talks to for a moment about the difficulties of such a day, when it licks his face. D’aww.
Don’t worry, it was an evil orphanage.
It attacked you first, right?
LFG reference! love it.
They raise telemarketers there.
Calling when you sit down to eat gets you a popsicle.
Just a note regarding the mouse-over-text. Do you really want to bring in a villain that uses such an attack? Either artificial constructs [ magic/androids/psychic projections/etc] of the low evil level of villainy or the other end of the scale, able to make children into high explosives [super dark – lets not go there]
What?
That’s not what’s happening. It’s a projection of Sydney’s mind after the explanation from Maxima.
The exploding children are because Sydney hit them.
The villain (not actually a villain, just a troll) just jumped out of the way
Marvel has a new Hulk cartoon. It had a recent episode set in Las Vegas with the Hulk and his team being the celebrity guests at a casino opening. Galactus shows up and starts spouting about how powerful he is. The Hulk, just to prove point, trips him and causes him to fall flat on his back. This, however, results in TOTALLY obliterating a city block of downtown Las Vegas. (This may be a good or bad thing depending on your opinions of the town)
Well, it would be bad for insurance company, good for construction contractors, bad for profits (being “out of business” for some time), but good for the PR upon re-opening.
Profits would not be hit. Most companies will have business interruption coverage in addition to the more obvious insurance. They just need to check if “acts of Sydney” are excluded.
It would be bad for customers though, as they are the ones who will have to foot the bill for increased premiums. Directly or indirectly as the case may be. Most likely just increased prices for the industries worst affected. It is easy to assume that the existence of insurance means there is no loss. At the end of the day, every penny of it has to come out of someone’s pocket. And, similar to bookies, the insurance companies like to make sure that it is the punters who cover the losses.
Not to mention, you know, the thousands of people that were in the buildings when Galactus squished them.
That would fall under the public liability insurance any business involved should have*. Although some insurance companies might try to wriggle out of it by claiming that Galactus was a god, and therefore any action of his was excluded by virtue of being “an act of god”. But any competent lawyer would point out that the proximate cause was the action of the Hulk. Whilst the insurance companies would be free to litigate him to recover their losses (good luck on that), they would be obliged to pay out.
Private individuals on their own property or public spaces had better hope their life insurance is up to date.
* Attack by super villains being so common in the Marvel universe that one assumes proper evacuation procedures should be in place. Thus any deaths, under the circumstances described, should only have happened if the companies were negligent.
And I’d point out that since Galactus can be touched,seen, and heard, not to mention fought and defeated, that Galactus is not a god by the common definition of god.
Spoiler alert: No clicking if you intend to watch Dogma.
So if God herself manifested in front of you, you would deny her existence?
I do not think that ‘must be intangible’ is a sensible restriction to place in a definition of a god. Although it is useful if you want to ensure your god of choice does not get publicly beaten up by somebody better than him. But plenty of cultures worship gods that have a physical manifestation in the real world.
Although I will happily concede that Galactus would fail the test of being a god, not having any worshippers, past or present (if that statement is true). Which, without looking up a dictionary definition, would be the criteria I would use. Hence my answer to the question of whether Thor would be held to be a god. He had a huge number of worshippers for a prolonged period in history. And appears in the Wikipedia list of non-fictional gods, so it must be true!
People can justifiably question whether it was right for him to claim worship or if they would have worshipped him if they understood his nature as we do from the film. But that does not stop the fact that they did. Of course, despite being unable to deny his presence in the Marvel universe, people there can still choose to call him a ‘false god’. They just better not expect him to save the planet the next time some big nasty comes looking to destroy it.
Really, based on the xtian definition godhood requires omniscience, omnipotence, and immutability (tho that’s really just an extension/clarification of omnipotence). With that in mind they at least could never consider and physical being to be a god partly because a physical being can be touched which requires a lack of immutability to an extent. Likewise to being seen or heard. And quite obviously an immutable being would be incapable of seeing or hearing anyone else through normal means due to light and sound having absolutely no effect on them. But Thor is very clearly a real god unlike that yahweh character. Cuz he’s awesome, and cuz I said so.
Any being that has omniscience, omnipotence, and immutability would know the rules and how to get around them.
Like using an avatar for one.
If they are even constrained by rules given omnipotence.
And contemplating that you quickly get right down to the old favorites:
Can God create a stone so heavy that he can’t life it? Etc.
the answer to that question is yes but it only works once per rock
Wait, if you can’t see, hear or touch, how do you even know they exist?
And who, apart from Christians themselves, said that their definition was the only one?
Where in the bible does it give that description?
I gave links to reply to that, as there was one for each of the three words. But, having submitted the comment and left it time to sort itself out, it still has not appeared. Normally I would expect the post to be there with ‘awaiting moderation’ on it, due to the multiple links. Even F5 to refresh has displayed nothing.
So I will try again, but just with the single word. In case it interests you enough to do so, it is a simple matter to substitute “omnipresence” and “immutability” to see the results list for each. There are quite a few results on each of the three. At least some of which are clear cut and unambiguous.
https://www.openbible.info/topics/omipresence
Mind you, using the definition of God, as per the Christian bible, is not really helpful when talking about gods in general, and the only one in question specifically being a pagan god. However, that said, it is one of the areas that a court would examine when trying to determine the meaning of the phrase ‘Act of God’.
Most of the world’s insurance is, or at one time was conducted through the London market. With enough historical legal precedent being set there that it influences how insurance is handled in other jurisdictions around the world. Even in many of those where the courts are not based on the English legal system.
So although it was originally created as ‘acts of God’, for the Christian country that the phrase originated in, I feel confident that you could find examples in other countries with polytheistic state religions where it will appear as ‘acts of god’ or possibly even even ‘act of gods’. So much of the case would hinge on this point. Not the matter of is there one God or many. But whether or not the insurance is there to protect against the random acts of just the Christian God, or against God and/or god(s) as the case may be.
Of particular note, in a modern secular sense, this phrase is deemed to be regarding random acts of nature out of the hands of man. Which, as Thor is at the very least, an alien, even if not a god, fulfils the secular understanding. The counter argument being that he is a person, if not a human being. And therefore his actions can be predicted and mitigated against.
The court case would go on for quite some time, as it would have profound implications on the rights of non-human people, amongst the obvious religious issues.
Here is one for you.
If in the next Thor movie he takes down a business, can the insurance company deny the claim because it was an “act of god”?
Yes.
There are various ways of contesting it, but in that setting he is demonstrably real and he is a god. It would make an interesting court case. Much like the The Man Who Sued God.
Nyah Nyah Can’t Hit Me Man can link up with Achilles, who will change his name to Nyah Nyah Can’t Hurt Me Man, and the two of them can go on a campaign of irritation that will bring the world to its knees.
I still think you can beat Achilles with a pit full of quick-setting cement.
While it wouldn’t kill him he will need help for his rescue.
If Achilles is roughly in the strength-class of Juggernaut, he might be able to *walk* out…When it happened to Juggernaut (thanks to Spider-Man), it took a few *months* to make his escape though.
The Juggernaut is obviously FAR worse than Achilles… the Juggernaut doesn’t use shampoo (dat helmet).
On the other hand, Achilles is a perfect example of the “look behind him” rule, considering he’s demonstrated himself to be a sharp-dressing bowling pin according to the tank scene.
Juggs doesn’t require the helmet, he uses it to stop Charlie from invading his nogging (and it’s not like he is permanately wearing the whole getup)
He’s only twice as strong as a norm. Read it on his stat chart.
Achilles isn’t hard to stop. He’s only slightly stronger than a normal human, about on line with a guy hopped up on PCP. A team of normal human policemen could probably capture him and toss him in a jail cell.
In a classic “Brave & the Bold”-teamup of Batman & Etrigan, there was a villain whose only power was invulnerability, locked in a cell, & he starts punching the concrete. His strength is no more than a mere human, of body-builder level, but it’s enough to wear away at the wall – like the steady dripping of water that erodes a boulder. Just by being unbreakable, he can escape by pounding away like a slow-but-patient jackhammer.
Prison Governor: “Cut his food rations down to bread and water to the barest minimum to sustain life. His energy should run out before the wall wears down. But, failing that, put him in a reinforced straight jacket.”
Achilles can’t be starved though.
I’d asume he doesn’t even need to eat to maintain his energy. Probably just does it because food is tastey
A slight distinction – starving will not kill him or harm him. But he still needs food to provide energy to do things.
Unless he has ‘unknown energy source’ as an extra power. Granted that is not an unreasonable assumption, given that most of the heroes do. So I am just pointing out the case if he does not.
In which case he can just lie in a coma for a few centuries or millennia, until the walls erode. But he will need to manage his reserves carefully. So that when something does come within arm’s reach, he will be able to grab it.
If it would take him a month to punch his way through a wall, simply move him to another cell every few weeks and fix the damaged cell.
Just put 1/4 inch steel plates on the walls.
He will not be able to punc thru that no mater how long he has.
That reminds me of how Dooms Day got out of his cell at the start of the Death of Super Man cycle.
Hypothetical panel 4.5
Sydney, kneeling in front of the burning orphanage, holding the mystery orbs in either hand, looking desperate.
“Ok, officially preying that one or the other of these can resurrect and regenerate….”, looks around at various bloody bits scattered about, “… and re-assemble.”
Followed by the brown orb suddenly glowing brightly, a flash, and Sydney being sent backwards in time a few minutes. The power of the Brown Orb is thus revealed to be The Undo Button.
The Omega 13 or the CTRL+Z.
Wait. Was the Omega 13 the thing from Galaxy Quest?
I remember the end of that movie had a time-rewind twist.
The Orb’s code-name would then be “Rewind”!
don’t forget the “Magellan’s Astrolabe”. Warehouse 13, turns time back 24hours. Downside, it lets loose a great evil of your own making.
Well given that there was a villain sporting the “Copy/Paste” commands in the first 3 pages of the comic ( https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/48 through https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/57 ) I don’t see that as violating cannon.
Canon, yes, but only as a character her games master created for their role playing session. It would freak out even Sydney if she were to bump into Kopykraut in real life!
Let us hope that the power of the Green Orb is to remember the future. Or else Halo will be stuck in a perpetual time loop doomed to repeat her tragic error for eternity!
Ah, yes – the “Flicker Effect”!
Fredric Brown had a short story in which time travel is used as a last-ditch attempt to save humanity – no, I won’t spoil the “twist”-ending.
You can find it in this collection:
[https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?35786]
The MASTER of time travel stories :)
Interesting – I hadn’t realized he did other books. My only exposure to him was Martians Go Home, which was dumped on used book stores in massive quantities (for pretty good reason, it turns out).
The “Do-Over-Orb”.
The d’orb!
(D’oh + Orb)
(Though it sounds too much like adorbs)
Do-Over-Orb
Sphere of Redaction
Whoopsie-Doodily Orb
Don’t Tell Mom Orb
Slowly there is some movement then faster the parts come together and then made whole the building.
Perfect building surrounded by burnt clumps of bloody flesh.
RE: Make a wish Hospice.
Laterly I’ve been wishing Unicef would make a commercial to the tune of “Poor unfortunate souls”.
I’m not clear on whether or not that makes me a bad person.
Not if it made you put your hand in your pocket to make a donation.
I was really moved, a few months ago, when I saw the story about this little super hero.
It would make you a hilarious person.
Well, collateral damage is certainly a problem for many supers, but not so much for the Human Torch since he can not only project fire, but control it as well. In his early years it might have been an issue, but at his current level of experience, I’m sure he can dissipate his attacks before they hit any unintended targets… and if he does accidentally set something ablaze, he can put the fire out with just a thought.
Yeah the obvious solution to the stray shots problem is saying that all the beams fired have a terminal length. Or that all the buildings have adamtium particles in the exterior paint.
Or Wagandan Vibranium, if Adamantium won’t cut it. (Hehe. Cut it.)
Are we going to start talking about decay rates of super beams? Half-life of highly unstable radiation exhaust? Ooh, beams are microbes non-replicating outside body conditions or just chemical spills.
I think it’s just easier to mass-sell down-facing reflective paints for buildings… Not even lightsaber designers have figured out moving terminal points for light beams. The best current theories are tubes venting high pressure/temp plasma.
I played a superhero RPG once and one of my hero’s powers were energy blasts that were short-ranged (in addition to being low-power physical force only)
OMFG – I need that master of the understatement level up as a banner I can use on my facebook. Any chance you can make it bigger and post it for us?
I second this idea!
So they rehab playboy bunnies nice to know that someone is looking after them.
He he. Check out the advert banners on the right. One in the rotation is titled ‘Looking for Group’ and has a burning building in the background.
“YOU ALL SAW IT – THAT ORPHANAGE ATTACKED ME!”
There’s a satellite now in a decaying orbit from her pointing at it just now.
*Throws votes and chocolate as bait for making this guy canon, to promptly explode once Sydney gives him the angered spice jar treatment.
Great for pointing out one of the great flaws in many movies – collateral damage. Even without super powers it’s really ridiculous. A whole car chase through a city, firing weapons all around and no police car turns up a bit later, the swat team doesn’t join the chase and most importantly all the misses never hit innocent bystanders. Some movies should have newspaper headers the next day (in the movie) ‘bloodbath in city center’, since two cars, side by side, fired automatic weapons at eachother and the people on the sidewalks behind the cars must surely have been mowed down.
Not to mention how everyone chooses the exactly right way to get out of the way so the chase continues.
I must be tough being a street vendor selling fruit out of a push cart. They ALWAYS get mowed down.
That’s because fruit carts are pretty soft targets. Can you imagine the damage a hot dog cart would do to a fleeing car, what with the propane tank and the burners and the various steam dojiggies inside the cart, not to mention the gas refrigerator?
I’ve been thinking about it. It seems to me that the most valuable land would be the boondocks because of scenes like the Human Torch showed us. It seems to me that supers congregate around big cities like NYC and LA. The mountains of Idaho or Utah probably don’t get much action going on there other than probably moonshine runners in what would start becoming a booming business to deal with all the destruction they see on the nightly news every day.
Why live in a city brimming with supers with powers that may misfire or miss and hit and kill you when you can go live somewhere where your business isn’t going to be reduced to rubble on a daily basis? This counts for DC and Marvel both. Superman is about as careless as Cyclops when it comes to collateral damage.
Yup, let me revel in the feeling of security from super-villain attacks in my remote rural location.
*wags tail*
Ok, got that out of my system, now what was that former feeling? Oh yes, worrying about whether the Russian army will stop at invading just the one former Soviet country…
*rolls up a Sunday newspaper* Bad Yorpy! No politics (specially the made-up kind)
Umm, nothing made up about it. Turn on your TV. Soviet troops have invaded the Ukraine. Which is in my neighbourhood. Not that I feel in any immediate danger, as Romania lies in between the Ukraine/Russia and here. But both Romania and Bulgaria are former USSR member countries. So whatever justification they think they have for marching into Kiev, they could also apply here. I know a fair number of Russian speakers locally who they might decide need ‘protection’. And a few who might be happy to invite them to do just that.
Plus bear in mind that at the moment we are at a tipping point which was last seen in 1914 and 1937. Let us all hope that it does not go the same way. But, yea, real life stuff is a downer, so…
*zips up lip and cowers from the newspaper*
Warsaw Pact, not USSR. The Western extent of the USSR was Moldova, Ukraine[1], Belarus, Lithuania and a the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
[1] Not “the Ukraine”.
Heh, true. Mind you with my memory for names, I am just thankful that I do not refer to the USA as the CSA. Almost as confusing for folks as when I used to persistently mix up Whoopie Goldberg and Goldie Hawn.
Female American actors with ‘gold’ in their name. Russian political organisations. American political TLAs. I only luck out on the latter because one is historic and does not crop up with the same frequency in conversation. Otherwise I would be flipping the coin as to which one my brain would decide to insert in a sentence.
Try explaining that to a girlfriend though…
Given my problem with names I was very confused at the Ukraine distinction you were pointing out. As best I could figure it was something like the difference between Zathras and Zathras. But I got the point in the end.
Gives Yorp the newspaper repeling collar.
It’s interesting how Kiev (who forcibly ousted the pro-Moscow President) and the US/Australia are calling it an invasion, but what the US has been doing for the last 10 years is perfectly acceptable
And the last time something like this happened was in 1939? Seriously? What about Korea? Or Vietnam? Or Afghanistan? Or pretty much most of the North African countries in the last 5 years
*proudly wearing new collar, unzips*Complex issue. Can’t condense easily. Sorry. Real world, yes, but world tipping-points are also where it is interesting to consider how super-heroes in the mix would change things. So off-topic, but hopefully of some merit here.
Ok one minor point, you say Kiev, but mean Ukraine (and I know you are exactly like me and it is a name-swapping issue not a lack of understanding). I will pick up on the US/Australia point though as it is an understatement. Every member of the G8 other than Russia itself has condemned the action, which is a notable consensus of the richest and thereby most influential countries in the world.
I do realise the similarities with what the US has been doing, as regards invading countries where their national interests are being impacted. And am very much aware of the contrasting views of it from for example Russian, Arabic and Islamic vantage points.
Likewise I am very much sympathetic with issues where non-Western interests are ignored to promote Western ones. Living in a former communist country (the term I really meant to use, rather than the more specific one, in my earlier post), makes me aware that not everybody thinks Democracy = good.
Further I realise that non-Western powers may be suspicious that the ‘Arab spring’ may not be as spontaneous and unassisted by the CIA and MI6, as the public tend to assume. Probably with justification, albeit that such actions cannot work if the basic sentiment is not present.
Seriously – yes, Alone in thinking that – no, per William Hague:
Korea/Vietnam were wars by proxy (from the Russian point of view). Here they have already committed their elite special forces and full army directly. If this kicks off into a shooting war we (the western world) join in, it will be a direct war between nuclear super-powers. Therefore considerably more dangerous than I implied with those dates.
However I do not fear ICBMs being launched. Clearly though there is the possibility of a third (traditional) world war. Whilst bearing in mind though that Hitler did not have access to nuclear launch codes when he committed suicide in his bunker.
Which hopefully shows that this is a situation ruled by fear which could have catastrophic ultimate consequences if it escalates. Russia fears the gradual erosion of its power and loss of buffer states. Satellite states have separated from it and have gradually been joining the EU or otherwise distancing themselves from Russian economic control and influence. Plus Russia fears loosing it’s only naval base for the Black Sea, along with the Mediterranean access and regional influence that provides.
Ethnic Russians in the Ukraine fear integration with the EU. Pro-Western Ukranians fear living under Russian control again (or having no choice but to abandon their homes and land and move West).
Ukraine was on the brink of signing a treaty bringing it into closer ties with the EU. The first step in becoming full EU members. The same path that the country I am in has been on. Which means that the EU and the rest of Europe view this as an invasion of a European country by an aggressive European power with a large army. With an incentive to repeat the process if not stopped. Ring any bells?
I sincerely hope that the situation can be de-escalated and that diplomatic means, such as economic pressure, can be exerted on Russia to stop acting in this manner. Critically they lacked international agreement on intervention. Something which the US/UK were at pains to do to legitimise their various recent invasions.
If diplomatic and economic means do not resolve this, the options seem bleak. Without Maxima and Sydney.
*re-zips*
That reference to ‘the last time’ is to 1938: The noises Putin is making about Russians in Crimea are eerily similar to the ones made regarding Germans in the Sudetenland.
Neither Korea nor Vietnam were invasions.
We were aiding allied countries that were being invaded.
Or if you owned a building that you were looking to tear down and build a highrise condo, but the pesky tennants refuse to leave. Well…
Rent some apartments to both hero’s and villians, see what happens.
He he. And very hard to prove any wrongdoing on your part. You would make an ingenious mastermind.
In PS238, Las Vegas is a neutral city. This means that all supers are allowed to use their powers however they want, so long as it doesn’t break any laws, but one law is that there are no super fights of any kind (including verbal). You can start reading here: https://ps238.nodwick.com/?p=838
part of their new training program should be making every super go watch ‘man of steel’.. and then count the casualties.
Kinda like the video I had to watch in driver’s ed, Highway of Death?
Heh, for my school it was “BLOOD!… On the Highway!” with that little pause between “blood” and “on”
I’ve always wondered why the heavy hitters, like Thor or Superman, never just punched villains into orbit where most of them would be neutralized quickly due to passing out from lack of oxygen or just having no way to exert leverage. At least, they could have sent them to the countryside or out into the ocean.
I’d guess that in Kal-El’s case, his strict “No Kill”-policy might make him worry about whether his foe could survive such a punch, or else if he’d die without oxygen before Supes corralled him.
Thor has the whole honor thing going on, but I believe there have been moments of. I don’t feel like doing this *crack relative weakling flies into the sunset.
However, when you think about it, this “No Kill”-policy is strangely vague…
– Over the many decades of his career, how many trillions of disease-organisms has he killed by stopping various plagues?
– How many plants has he eaten? They’re alive too, remember?
– Although he won’t kill animals, he has no problem eating meat that others have killed.
…it just seems conveniently adjustable, somewhat lacking in the rigor of a carefully-defined, clearly thought-out policy.
@Ryan:
Sorry, my follow-up to my previous post was supposed to continue the “Superman”-portion of this topic. I clicked on the wrong “Reply”-button.
First off, viruses and other such plagues aren’t technically alive, so they don’t count.
Secondly, “No-Kill” Policies don’t apply to the non-sentient and non-endangered animals, and bio-engineered killing machines.
Thirdly, Supes doesn’t have a “No-Kill” Policy, he has a “No-UNNECESSARY-Kill” Policies. He’ll try his best to subdue criminals and creatures that don’t know better, but if he’s forced to face an Omnicidal Superbeing, he’ll do anything to stop it, up to and including burning it to ash with his Heat-vision.
And the rest of the time he’ll just level a couple city blocks and put the guy in a prison that leaks like a bloody sieve!
i swear it’s a NO-KILL-HUMANS rule really, I mean alien with a raygun? dead dead and beyond dead the DC version of Cletus freaking Kasady? Oh I’ll just put him in prison instead. I’m sure he’ll stay there right? Really the whole “Only humans have rights” thing pisses me off no matter what the medium is.
Woof!
Avengers:
“I AM A GOD!” – Loki
“Puny god.” – Hulk seconds later.
Absolutely side-splittingly funny scene, bashing the ‘puny god’ around like a rag doll.
It was the best part of the movie. That Loki was an arrogant bully only makes it better.
What I like best in that scene was Loki’s facial expression while he’s lying in the crater of broken pavement. It’s like: “Huh? Wha?”
The problem with the “No Kill” policy is that when have a major battle in the middle of a teaming metropolis, the mundanes would end up getting killed. How many times have we seen the power houses punch someone through a building? Not only is there the chance of getting squished just by being in the way, but also from flying/falling superstructure, possible electrocution, plummeting to one’s death, sudden shock induced heart attacks and strokes, collapse of the building, auto collisions from distracted drivers, the list just goes on and on. It would behoove the real powerhouses to remove the battle from the high population areas expeditiously. Any powerful villain that chooses to remain in such a crowded environment should be assumed to be uncaring of the lives around him/her, and thus be put down with severe prejudice. In other words: Get ’em outta da city, or kill dem fast-like!
Yup. Here we get into precisely the difference between Grrl Power and the traditional super hero genre. The team is Arc-SWAT. They will follow SWAT rules of engagement. Use of lethal force should only be a last resort, after all options have been eliminated, or if there is no time. And even then if less-lethal options* are available such as tasers, and believed likely to be effective, then they should be used.
But there should be no pratting around. If life is in clear and present danger, blast the crap out of the villain! **
* That term makes me laugh.
** After ensuring no bunnies are behind them, of course.
Brings out a recorder and earplugs.
Plays the Brown Note.
Amusingly quite a few Magical Girl shows are better about dealing with the random bystanders. They usually use some kind of barrier that creates a temporary alternate space, or otherwise removes all non-involved people from the area. There are also cases where they goad the villain into travelling to a remote area.
X/1999 or the OVA. Just don’t let the good guys get hurt too badly (or even die).
It’s CLAMP, of course they’re going to die. It’s not just in that series though. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Bleach (to an extent), and Betrayal Knows My Name all have their own forms of barriers that prevent innocents from being harmed.
The collateral damage caused by superfights is kinda what Marvel’s Damage Control is for. They also make sure to bill the ones who are truly responsible. I tell you what, it takes some real balls to serve a bill to Doctor Doom.
Of course, carelessly planned fights were also what set off the Civil War Crossover event, so heroes don’t actually get off scot free either.
True, but the handling of that was a Venusian cluster-frig that turned out even WORSE than what they were trying to “help”
It was later found out that one of the victims of Sydney’s attack on the clinic was a rabbit from Caerbannog who was undergoing rehab after being attacked by a group on knights wielding coconuts and hand grenades.
And there was much rejoicing.
+1