Grrl Power #241 – Appellation incarceration
Lost power at the house so I had to go to extreme measures to get this comic posted. By which I mean leaving the house with the laptop.
Really the takeaway from this page is that Anvil was a good choice to deal with Atomic Bombshell since her bombs are pure kinetic force for the first fraction of a second before they ignite the air and do all the cool looking fire stuff. That’s the technical term for roiling clouds of flame. Cool looking fire stuff. Since they’re just energy bombs, there’s no shrapnel to hit Anvil either. She can suck most of the kinetic energy out bullets and shrapnel and the like, but they move fast enough that her power can’t totally sap them, so she’s not totally immune to that stuff. She has minimal resistance to energy attacks like fire and whatnot. If Bombshell had thrown her bomb into the ground right in front of Anvil, then she would have been in trouble, but Maxima noticed she went for center mass every time. Obviously Bombshell never played much Quake.
I was planning on drawing Anvil’s clothes ripped up much more, down to boots, bra and a pair of bike shorts that she had the foresight to wear under her skirt, but I didn’t want to get too gratuitous. Well, I wouldn’t mind drawing that, especially when it makes sense. After all, she’s melee only (thrown objects nonwithstanding) and it’s not like she was wearing a kevlar shirt. Jokes about the size of her chest aside, it is realistic to consider that she might be wearing a “combat bra.” Something that’s going to have a better chance to survive some super powered melee and preserve her modesty – or at least the safety of those of you who read this comic at work. I wonder how tough you could make a bra and it still be comfortable. I assume kevlar is scratchier than cotton or silk. I guess something with multiple layers would be in order.
I’ve been wanting to draw more stuff happening in the backgrounds so that I could resolve several fights at once, but I don’t think comics work too well that way. The extra dialog playing out in the last few panels of this page I find to be rather distracting, so I suppose it really only works well with a long shot and multiple action scenes playing out, not multiple conversations.
<— If you enjoy the comic, consider supporting it via Patreon. Or buy something via the Amazon referral link. Or do both.
SuperheroThey're super, thanks for asking!
Meatspace ComicSeriously these are awesome. Check 'em out!
Not UpdatingNo longer updating or only updates sporadically, but definitely worth reading.
SeriouslySeriously you guys. If you like Grrl Power the check these out.
"Mature"Mature subject matter and occasionally something explicit but usually safe. Can't guarantee the ads are safe though.
Dongs Ahoy!Full frontal and backal. Lots of skin, sex on some or all pages, explicit or otherwise.
Totes worth waking up early to see… nighty-nite Boom-boobs
Also, first again!
Also also, Anvil should have “sexy clothing damage” as one of her listed powers
That is what you get when you are a damage sponge in street clothing.
I hope her work clothes are tougher.
The best clothes for Anvil?
BODY PAINT!
I doubt the military would approve.
I doubt Anvil would approve. She is a sharp dresser.
I wear kevlar-lined jeans when riding. The material feels about like denim but a little coarser. Definitely not suitable for underwear.
FWTDT it is too!
I’m guessing he is so full of himself, he’ll explode on contact. That’s his power. Like Daffy Duck said, it’s a great act, but I can only do it one time.
I think his power is directly death related.
Knowing when someone will die is more likely than a killing touch though. Can’t give him too high a body count against the heroines.
As a G cup my bras in general and especially my sports bras are pretty heavy duty. My current favorite sports bra is Panache’s underwire. That sucker has two layers of fabric that are pretty independent of each other. The outer is a breathable mesh and the inner contains all of the support structure (wires and seams) with a comfy lining. Depending on how flexible kevlar is or if it could be molded you could probably replace the outer layer of the bra with it. It might not be the most breathable of garments after that though.
This post is worthless without pics.
And how clever do you feel, now? Seriously – don’t be one of those.
But it’s kinda fun….
C.A. – To be serious for a moment (and only for a moment), my apologies if I offended anybody. My Significant Other is an F-cupper and her bosom is a constant source of humor between us – I’m conditioned to go for the easy boob joke. Think Mathias minus the Martial Arts skills. Or abs. And I make no claims about being clever – that’s DaveB’s job.
The engineering of bras must be a real science unto itself. Factoring in comfort/function/support/appearance. Personally I’m always surprised the shoulder straps aren’t much wider. It seems if I was going to have something tugging on my shoulders all day I’d want the straps to be thick and padded like a backpack’s straps, appearance be damned.
Not that we didn’t know, by if we hadn’t, we would now: you are clearly not a woman.
Seriously, that one phrase apparently is utterly unthinkable to a significant majority of women – how else to explain women’s fashion? And SHOES?!??!!?
Seriously, comfort is clearly a secondary concern to FAR too many women.
I find it hilarious that I was composing my comment immediately below while you were composing this one. :)
RE: “The engineering of bras must be a real science unto itself.”
– – – I might refer you to the following portion of the webcomic, “Wapsi Square”, starting at this page:
[https://wapsisquare.com/comic/07222004]
…& including the 8 pages after that.
DaveB
I seriously don’t care if it’s drop dead fugly, as long as it prevents Pain & Suffering from bringing catastrophic pains in my direction. Most of mine are plain, no frills white or beige ones with heavy padding(not because I need them pushed up, but because my base metal allergies destroy the wires, and therefore the structural integrity in less than three months).
Larger, heavily padded straps and extra support are available, but you have to be willing to look and also to fork over some serious dough for just the plain ones that are engineered well…
Most sensible women in the workforce get the heavily padded shoulder straps and extra padding above the underwires and forget about fashion. BTW, most important rule is proper fitting, even if you are part of the IBTC(which I was part of until I had my son).
My Mother is a tailor, so I’ve learned how to tailor mine to fit right. If I like straps on an old one and cannot find them on a new one, I just stitch them onto the new one. I’ve even carved out padding and put it on a sheer one that was pretty, but had no other function.
I’ve also taken lightweight ones and changed out wire for rolled mesh corset boning–not as strong, but definitely makes them last longer.
I agree about WS. He has been an advocate for function over fashion for many years. The realism his female characters portray regarding that issue is spot on, and in a recent story arc, he has the main character help a teenager find proper sizing and styles.
Paul Taylor has very many great resources regarding this subject, so yeah, WS is a must.
Apropos of the engineering skill required in the making of bras and girdles, the first government contract for the manufacture of space suits was won by a division of Playtex, the bra and girdle manufacturer.
The regular military contractors all came to the table with ridiculous hard shell “Robby the Robot” looking suits, which were not only much more bulky but also restricted the astronauts movement.
And that about sums up the general view of men on women’s fashions. I can’t imagine shoving my feet into a high heel shoe and trying to do anything other than sit behind a desk, where I typically kick off even my dress shoes. And even those I select carefully: no laces or buckles, just some elastic to hold them tight, for ease of getting them on and off while going through airport security. So it’s no surprise that women will put up with thin bra straps which dig into their shoulders all day, all in the name of fashion.
Actually, the best place to bear the load of the bosom is the band, not the straps. Band and straps work together, but the ribcage is far better suited to holding weight than the shoulders. More structural support from the core of the body. A properly-fitted band will allow for a thinner strap because there won’t be quite as much weight on the shoulders.
I agree that Panache is the best for the well-endowed. Their sports bra holds even I-cups in place while doing the plow yoga position, and it comes with a little hook to instantly make it a racer back for even more support. The bouncing and jiggling may make great fan service, but it’s horrible on the lower back. Depending on how “realistic” you want this comic to be (given the obvious exaggerations), you could have some great mini-arcs on proper support of the girls in combat. There’s a lot of engineering and technology in making a good bra.
I would suggest making the undergarments sturdy but not attempting bullet-proof-ness. Save that for the outer garments. Women need breathability and flexibility next to the skin, or it doesn’t matter how safe the garment is from external attacks. The breast tissue is tender and will quickly rub raw from too-tough material. Just like jousting armor needs padding between iron and body, so, too, the superheroine’s costume. Even the super-tough ones need coddling where it counts.
I feel a little stupid posting this, but given how frequently Dave inserts moments of dialogue/scenes specifically meant to discuss and avert superhero tropes specifically about women – this in itself might not be an unreasonable thing.
Mightn’t be a bad idea for a little side comic for the Patreon crowd or Dabbler’s Science Corner. Cheesecake that ain’t gratuitous!
Seconding on the engineering required for bras, there is a tale that might be apocryphal that Howard Hughes designed a bra for Jane Mansfield so that both her girls were painlessly supported and on prominent display. Yes the same HH who built the Spruce Goose and high-speed recon aircraft during WWII. Supposedly those were easier than Jayne Mansfield’s bra.
The bra she wore in The Outlaw is the Hughes model. That heavily wired conical look that screams 50s pin-up girl.
Women need breathability and flexibility next to the skin
This. Even the most restrictive of corsets is worn over a shift, which is usually either cotton or linen even for the wealthiest–in part to keep the corset clean, but also because it really kind of doesn’t feel so great without that soft material between you and the corset. Yes, I speak from experience. …the design of corsets also supports a lack of need for shoulder straps, by the bye. Very few corsets, once you get past the mid-18th century, have shoulder straps, because the entire weight of the bosom is supported by the tightness of the corset, and the straps on Renaissance corsets do more to keep the corset DOWN than to hold it UP, weirdly. And corsets are meant to support something like twenty yards of fabric PLUS usually some sort of metal cage, besides. So it’s not really the straps that hold things in place on bras, either; that elastic band isn’t precisely loose around the ribcage.
appearance be damned.
And that about sums up the general view of men on women’s fashions. I can’t imagine shoving my feet into a high heel shoe and trying to do anything other than sit behind a desk, where I typically kick off even my dress shoes. And even those I select carefully: no laces or buckles, just some elastic to hold them tight, for ease of getting them on and off while going through airport security. So it’s no surprise that women will put up with thin bra straps which dig into their shoulders all day, all in the name of fashion.
I’m sorry, but this is pure sexism right here. You’re very careful to talk about yourself as an individual, but lump all women into one group. Guess what? Women are individuals, too. My bra straps? An inch and a half wide “comfort straps” that not only don’t dig into my shoulders, but rather constantly slide down my shoulders in a very annoying way. (Tightening them doesn’t help, my shoulders are sloped.) At that, my bras are as carefully-selected for comfort as your shoes. And speaking of shoes? Not all women wear heels, by a long shot. I never have, and at this point I couldn’t if I wanted to thanks to a deformity in my feet.
Additionally, men have and do suffer for fashion, too. I get that you don’t, and that’s just as fine as me not particularly caring about fashion. But I see those commercials promising “ripped abs” and “six packs.” Men don’t need those things to be healthy, they only need those things because that’s what society has decided is fashionable for men. So every time you go to the gym and work out so you can have those awesome rippling muscles for the girls to drool over–you’re suffering for fashion.
And finally, exactly what does a rant about your own preferences in shoes say AT ALL about what women would or would not do? That’s the most blatant sexism of all. “I wouldn’t wear high heels, so all women are obsessed with fashion!” Son, go back to school and learn some logic.
Sound really more of a crack about men in some ways. I’ve seen enough women choosing clothes to know that it’s far from uncommon for them to choose stylish over comfortable at least if it’s not something just for hanging around the house in like comfort is a secondary consideration. Not all women do it but it’s not uncommon. Men like to say things like appearance be damned and it seems true sometimes but if you really watch us you’d realize those guys are full of crap we’re pretty damn concerned about appearance too but comfort is usually less second fiddle (unless real money is involved). I’ve seen plenty of men grab a rack suit over a getting fitted one (myself included) because of the price.
You forgot ties and shaving.
whats the point of ties?, their just a strip of fabric that hangs down, usually in your tea or coffee.
And as for shaving, women do a lot worse, waxing, shaving, depilation and that’s just their legs
Have and do men suffer for fashion? Yes. Whether women have and do as well or worse isn’t pertinent to what I wrote. No comparison was being made.
About shaving. Women can let it slide longer then men and where we shave is maybe a little more dangerous. I have a joke I tell about it. The reason women live longer then men is most men get up every morning and put a razor to their throats look in the mirror and say “Shave or cut?” … yeah it’s a little dark but not far off.
@Varika: I applaud you for wearing sensible shoes. I (as a guy) have never really understood why women would wear high heals – shoes that have been proven to cause tendon and joint damage, especially if worn frequently or long term. I know that it is supposed to make women more attractive, something about making the legs look longer and more toned. But, to me (and I admit, I might be a minority), a woman in sensible, non-crippling shoes appears more intelligent to me by way of taking care of themselves, and therefore more attractive. Plus, if I’m in love with the woman, I care about her foot health. I am not an advocate of high heels.
During one research visit I met some people involved in designing bras – they used architecture programs, as used for planning tennis courts etc, as they allowed the needed static calculations (estimating how thick straps must be, flexibility vs support etc) that clothing design programs could not deliver. It really was far more engineering and number crunching than what I had associated with fashion design.
From a purely scientific perspective it’s all just engineering problems. In fact the biggest difference between designing a bra and designing, for example, a suspension bridge is just scale.
So what you’re saying is the Golden Gate Bridge is really a ZZZZZZZZZZ cup.
BOOM!! Exploded from excess laughter.
…Maybe add one or few “+” after those ZZZZZ’s & you might be getting close…
I wonder if Bridge Engineers could find secondary work in designing plus-sizes in the garment industry? In all honesty, I’ve seen people so big that they should be wearing license plates…Women & men both.
If you’ve never heard of this book, you’re in for a very nerdy treat:
[https://www.amazon.com/Stress-Analysis-Strapless-Evening-Gown/dp/0138526087]
…a collection of essays that show how even the nerdiest can sometimes enjoy letting their hair down & poking fun at themselves. This link here:
[https://gendertree.com/a_stress_analysis_of_a_strapless.htm]
…is a transcript of the title article. This 3rd link:
[https://io9.com/a-structural-engineer-performs-a-stress-analysis-of-a-s-1494167139]
…while similar to the 1st, contains links to related topics, if you wish to study this further.
I don’t have a link handy, but clinical analysis has concluded that when a man stares at a woman’s boobs, their stress-levels go into decline…
All the more reason why graphic fan service should not be anything censored from anywhere.
I feel like Dave made a note of the suspension bridge-bra-ZZZZZZZ cup joke for use in a later comic :P
The A Team may save it for a special occasion.
Darn it DaveB! You owe me a keyboard… possibly a new monitor (I think I can clean that)
I was wondering that Anvil’s clothes should be torn up more but then I read your commentary :P
Also if her power is so good that her bustiere can survive a hit from an attack like that unscathed then that’s a fairly valid in-world reason why her outfit hasn’t taken more battle damage.
it’s true that with a name like that you really want to beat him up or whatever like that… for the principle.
and yep two duds at once miss “biggest shot they have” hehe
And I doubt that his powers protect him from handcuffs.
Or a wrestler.
If his name hadn’t been made into a joke earlier, his dialog in panel 7 could be taken seriously. It could have been a moment of cool, what with “death toll” as part of his name, but the poor guy can’t catch a break and just be accepted, like the Dr. Doom was.
doc doom secretly sent robots under the city of new York to build nuclear rockets under the HQ of the world’s strongest super team to launch them into orbit… would have worked if it wasn’t for namor.
you could call yourself ‘hippy mc skippy’ and get respect after a stunt like that.
“I would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for you meddling squids!”
Never say that in a Navy bar.
Also refrain from derogatory usage of the term “jarhead” in a Navy bar too…Unless under special dispensation from Congress to attach to any other Military Branch, you’ll find a lot of Marines in the same bars.
only thing i know right now is that he doesn’t care for his teamate
it’s the second one he threw while barely moving an inch. earlier he deflected the one that i thnk it was maxima, or maybe anvil, at thrown at them by a simple hand gesture… this guy sounds goof but might not act as it.
The throwing is done by Anvil.
But he does nothing to prevent it.
It was Math showing what a ‘mere human’ could do by launching Concretia out of the restaurant. That was the first time he swatted a teammate aside at least and did more than just standing around.
what worries most with him is the fact that he does all that without much effort every time or even moving more than an arm…
He’s conserving his energy. Minimum effort for maximum effectiveness, so when he needs to kick serious ass, he is not worn out from the small fries.
And he’s not even using his name correctly. The point of the poem is that you shouldn’t ASK For whom the bell tolls, because whoever it’s tolling for, it affects you and one day it will be tolling for you. So saying that you should learn “For whom the death tolls” goes against the source of his name, which he was ALREADY using stupidly since the bell was a stand-in for death in the first place.
In short, this guy thought he’d sound cool by using a line from a poem he does not understand in the slightest sense.
most people don’t search past the first appearance on poems or anything like taht sincerely
Most people, yes.
“Half the population has an IQ less than the average”
That probably miss-worded quote is from erm… Someone.
Even the better half can’t all know one poem or such thing correctly.
Technically most knowledge learned beyond primary school level is known by people who can be deemed a minority on a fact by fact basis.
people just go to the most common meaning without surching further than the tip of their nose
Hm.
Hmmmmm…
If Anvil’s powers work only when the attacking force comes is contact with her skin, then indeed, her clothing should be all in shreds by now (kevlar bra needed). Her glasses, too, in particular.
However, if Anvil’s powers create a force-neutralizing aura just outside her skin, then it depends… Clothes that hang loose would likely be shredded, skin-tight clothing (underwear included) would be fine (kevlar bra not needed). Her glasses… I’d still have doubts.
Unless she manages to shield the glasses from every force that was (unintentionally or not) directed at them. Like here.
she had her arms crossed. glasses protected and none the worse for wear…
It’s also not typical glasses. It’s a military grade tactical HUD in a bifocal frame.
Sorry wrong term… bispectacle
So she’s making a bispectacle of herself?
You’re making Anvil sound so…sensual…
…I like it!
I doubt she really needs my help.
Well, if she’s absorbing kinetic force, that transfers through cloth just fine. Silk especially is a very durable material, so while there may be the occasional area that is worn looking, if all she’s been doing is taking punches and impacts, for the most part her top shouldn’t be that damaged except along the seams, and loss of buttons, since the thread in her top is likely ordinary cotton, and if someone with super strength grabs the sleeve and yanks, it’ll come off.
Similarly, “combat underwear” could easily be made comfortable using either thick silk, or a silk lining. Kevlar is definitely not the most comfortable of materials against the skin.
That skirt however, has some weird damage. Did she get it sliced by Hex’s panic attack?
probably. Ot knicked in Speedy’s “slice and sprint” attack
Or she might have shredded it herself so she could move more freely.
also a plausible possibility
The first thing I thought of after that was “going commando?”
You know, Sydney should totally make a bell shaped shield around him and hit it with the light orbs tentacle or whatever you want to call it :P that would so get him to shut up. I mean I can only imagine her reaction to his name, and she’s right there just out of view from current point of view?
I picture her making a ‘gag me’ gesture.
Or fingers in throat.
Same-same I thought.
Whump. lol
I like the “yoink” myself.
Sydney sneaks the lighthook under DT’s cloak and gives him a wedgie just as he tries to attack Anvil with his best shot. Yoink and away!
Soo, vote incentive Anvil with actually ripped clothes?
Cover grrl for the swimsuit issue?
Only if it’s the Body issue.
“I don’t want to play anymore.” Little late darlin’. Another one who was here for the lulz?
Well she thought she had the boom! She just didn’t really have enough boom for the targets she picked!
Kind of sad when the toughest bully on the block meets the toughest kid in town. But you can hear the karma landing with a whump.
I strongly suspect at this point most of the ‘bad guys’ have been mind controlled into doing this- by the real villain- as a way to test the new super police abilities.
I think it’s a more mundane mind control but they were definitely talked into something and didn’t get what they were expecting.
Agreed. The hairdresser would have hardly bailed out like he did if he was mind controlled. Also what he said hinted that someone “sold” this event to them to be a lot of fun instead of pain. And with that in mind, Atomic Bombshell saying “I don’t want to play any more” fits right in.
What we are dealing with is Super Salesman. He can talk anyone into just about anything. Nastiest power, fire up a bunch of civilians and aim them at some super type.
Sydney did try to give a dorkiness alert. . . Just sayin’
Also am I the only one grieving for Anvil’s dress? I thought it looked good and good on her.
You aren’t. I think Anvil’s the most attractive so far, honestly. Just something about the whole package that makes me go yum.
But I bet her dress can be replaced by expense report or by villain restitution. Remember that Adriana’s salivating over legal matters.
In the fifth panel I can’t help but see Bombshell flying towards Anvil in an aggravating manner. I’m seeing perspective on the speed lines and it’s just screwing with my brain.
Bombshell is just doing a Team Rocket exit……….
“I wonder how tough you could make a bra and it still be comfortable. I assume kevlar is scratchier than cotton or silk. I guess something with multiple layers would be in order”.
There was a series over here in the UK a few years back, unfortunately I only saw the last episode, and I think the idea was each week these two structural engineers were given a challenge to solve, as I said in only saw the last episode, they were given the challenge “build a better bra”.
Their first problem was they’re both men and therefore no actual experience, after finding some volunteers, they set to work
They tackled the problem from an engineering point of view, after sticking some white dots on the women’s breast and filming the women as they walked from the side and from the front, and ran the whole lot through a computer to work, they encountered the next problem, breasts don’t move the same way, depending on the size and shape one goes up as the other goes down and a bit of side to side. Using their knowledge of suspension bridges they came up with a prototype, which did offer lots of support and, as the volunteers told them, no comfort. After a shopping trip and buying loads of bras, which the took apart, and came up with a bra loads of comfort, but little or no support, their third effort required them to invent a new material and resulted in a bra with less support then their MK1, but a lot more comfort (which they did sell to a bra manufacturer).
Wot? i was number 1 when I started to type this now I’m number 25 (I guess that what I get for thinking about my post)
Waspi Square did a story arc with a woman who made bra’s that could possibly stop a bullet.
If I remember correct they came up with a non-euclidian fabric.
Here is the page you are referring to:
https://wapsisquare.com/comic/what-the-frig-newtonians/
Lydia’s 1st appearance was in this 9-pg. story arc:
[https://wapsisquare.com/comic/07222004]
I would watch that show on YouTube or Hulu or wherever I might find it. Can you remember the name?
I wish I could, i’m sure it was on channel 4, but I’ve checked their archive list and nothing there rings a bell, I’ve sent them an e-mail asking for the name, but when and it they get back to me I dont know
they got back to me, the programe is called “BETTER BY DESIGN”. it was created by the UK design council. there is some programes on youtube (I had a quick look, but I’ve not found the one about the bra).
You may want to consider writing in some sort of genetically modified super spider silk armor (Since you have supers anyways). It’s exotic enough for supers, should be soft, and something that difficult to harvest (nevermind the “super” spider status) shouldn’t be as widely available as kevlar — which is something a team of supers sanctioned by the US government would want (don’t want bad guys to have access to all the good toys).
Spinnerette can provide the necessary super-silk. She can apparently make a spider silk shield which will completely stop any amount of falling glass shards. The same shards which make multiple and deep puncture wounds in a villain who has control over glass.
It’s kind of like showing Spider Man stopping (ferrous based) bullets with a shield made out of webbing while showing Magneto getting riddled with them.
There’s a bit of difference between grabbing dozens of pieces of stationary glass and potentially hundreds or thousands of pieces of glass being propelled by an explosion. And spider silk is ridiculously overpowered IRL, seriously (10 times the tensile strength of steel and twice the stretch of nylon). It’s like nature is just showing off.
Hey, you really can’t f**k with Mother Nature…After all, The whole sum total of human knowledge is directly derived from what humans observe & study in Nature anyway.
True but every now and then she seems gratuitous when it comes to the sake of gratuitous.
That statement refutes itself. Since you can’t observe all of human knowledge, you would have derive knowledge whence it came from somewhere other than human observation and study. But if you derived that knowledge from somewhere else, then the statement would be false.
Even self-centered introspection is derived from observation of Nature…The Laws of Nature that made this universe exist also are the very same Laws that allow US to exist as well. Self-analysis is still taking observation from a product of Nature…Your own mind!
But just like Kevlar, spider silk isn’t known for being able to withstand being cut by all those falling shards of glass…
Well how long have human’s been around and how long has Mother Nature been around?.
Mother Nature’s had more practice.
Spinnerette is already doing that. Her outfit is made from her own silk.
In real life, there are some goats that produce spider silk protein in their milk. Just extract that protein and use the rest for making cheese. Run it through extrusion machines to get a super strong fibre suitable to rope making.
…so your cheese falls apart, while your clothes hold together? Remind me never to order a cheeseburger from YOU!
Once you extract that protein from the milk, you have to use it in a processed form, so goat’s cheese works. In cheese, the cohesion is usually coming much more from the milk fat instead of the proteins. Besides, in the first pass, they are generally removing the silk proteins and generally leaving the other ones.
In the last few decades, I have not used my diploma to get a job where I was asking “Do you want fries with that?” Okay, working at the community kitchen serving the less enpowered is different, I have asked that question, but that is different.
you would prefer the opposite?
All FWTDT needs now is a fan following him around to make his cape flow in the wind.
Somewhere in the depths of the comic Evil Inc. archives is a device that’s sold to villains to do just that very thing.
I cannot find the footage but there were three guys using wire to make Chris Reeves’ Superman cape flap properly in the flying scenes.
Cape! Cape!
have they never watched The Incredibles?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68ndaZSKa8
No Cape
Talk to For Whom the Dork Toll.
And someone already used that clip, btw.
The first time I read through today’s comic I thought Anvil’s hair grabbed AB which would be a cool extra power but a second look showed her hand. Oh well still a great comic.
Since this is such a hot topic, I created a thread on reddit.
Obviously Bombshell is a total newb. She could have cushioned/controlled her fall with low-energy blasts. That is, providing she has that kind of control over her power, and it doesn’t take too long to bring the power on line.
That’s the thing, isn’t it? So far, AB has shown only a very very low rate of fire – and her notion of power usgae seems to mainly be about “How big a KA-BOOM can I make this time?”
Learning to use a power with such fine tuning, if can be done, takes patience and practice. I’m not sure A Bomb is the sort to consider doing anything that fussy.
Anvil must be as strong as the Hulk after absorbing AB’s attack. I’m almost hoping that For Whom The Ass-whuppin’ Tolls decides to resist arrest.
He should have surrendered,unless he thinks they remaining villains can take out arcswat,wearing a costume and having a stupid name is no crime while attacking them is.
if he’s a top tier- like omega in marvel- then he has more firepower than all the rest put together
so far I’s say most of these guys are barely Morlock level, much less Alphas.
He was with the group of villains who destroyed propierty, intent to kill, resist arrest… Surrender would only have the effect of saving his ass of the pounding.
Standing around in a costume in a super fight without actually fighting is suspicious but is not evidence of association – he could be a curious noncom or a concerned citizen willing to help ARC Swat at need. Maxima did not give “bystanders clear the area” orders, so he can’t even be held accountable for disobeying legal authority. Remember that ARC Swat haven’t generally been close enough to hear the exchanges between the supers, so they don’t know there is any real relation yet. The readers know he’s part of them, but ARCHON doesn’t… yet.
Although in some states it’s illegal to have/attend a mass gathering with your face covered (including New York, so the Avengers broke the law).
She DID order Hiro to clear the Civies out at the start of the fight before he started in on Boilerplate.
I continue to be skeptical about the due process folks assume is going to take place. If Death Toll becomes/remains imprisoned it would be because he believes Arcswat will kill him if he walks through the walls (taking his tough guy status at face value).
The proverbial “ham sandwich” that the grand jury will indict is NOTHING compared to how fawning the legal system will be towards the Arc edifice, now that the existence of super villains has been demonstrated. In the case of State of Wherever vs. Guy in Skull Mask, with prosecution testimony from terrifying God-Cops, all jury members vote guilty, regardless of the word talk that lawyer-beings emit.
Surrender would also get the death penalty off the table. But, yeah, the most he might be looking at is parole violations (associating with criminals). With more evidence, tag him with conspiracy to commit a felony or accomplice before the fact.
I would think his conversation with AB would be enough to prove he was at least an accomplice.
His threat to Anvil finishes any “I’m just a pawn in the game of life” excuses for Death Toll. He is there to kick ass. Why he waited so long may never be explained, except in his upcoming biography, “For whom The Death Tolls: My Life As A Totally Misunderstood Phrasic Portmanteau.”
gggaaaa!
(wake up from mangaesque nosebleed that woould put master roshi to shame)
ok, anvil image in the end,,, so,, HOT,, i have a thing for girls with glesses,, girls with bustier and girl that are fit but still womanly so,,,,,
( pass out again from nosebleed looking at the picture)
Now I smart villain would’ve used this as an opportunity for bad press for ARC. Start saying stuff like, I haven’t done anything (which Anvil has already admitted that he hasn’t), and basically say they can’t take him, make a big deal out of it when they do take him away, then release the video footage.
But so he’s wearing a costume? No big deal on that. ARC Swat just came out as this big super hero deal. He could get public opinion against them pretty quick if he tried.
Not sure how Max noticed Atomic Bombshell went center mass every time, when she only fired once though.
Nah, they still have every right to arrest him, even if he didn’t do anything but stand there.
They might have to let him go later, but it’s sufficiently suspicious to bring him in to check
They could hold him for 72 hours as a person of interest, longer if they decide to push the patriot act, which, in my opinion, they should. In my opinion, violent gangs of any sort should be considered domestic terrorism and treated harshly.
Ahhh the US, land of the free*.
*Only applies to people who follow orders, the law, don’t stand out and are not remotely connected to people or places that don’t meet those criteria. Those might have their rights completely removed and dealt with as seen fit by the personnel in charge.
No I agree. Laws have been made for a reason and should never be circumvented by other laws. Although dealing it in the “Law and Order” way would be a bit overboard, charging somebody for a stupid “artist” name and/or standing around in costume at a fight between a “gang” and the police sounds simply stupid and would be abused state power.
They could arrest and fine him for obstructing police forces, since they have to assume he is an enemy, but thats not really a serious offense.
And as a sidenote: I hope nobody throws any attacks his way before he attacks ARC. I’m pretty sure that you’re allowed to defend yourself if you have sufficient reason to believe there is somebody trying to KILL you – even if he is police.
As far as I’m concerned the one playing it smartest is the Fedora Man. He’s suspicious and they can detain him on that in this situation but he plays everything smart. He responded to interrogation without admitting any wrong doing. He took pains to not directly involve himself in anything during the fight and even provided information to the authorities about others acting suspicious on the field. Connecting him to the group will be difficult and he didn’t engage in vigilantism. I suspect he’ll even allow himself to be brought in for questioning or volunteer as a witness to avoid an actual arrest and to gather more info for whatever he plans.
Fedora should have plenty of time to pull a fade out unless Max tells someone to stop him.
I’m thinking he won’t or she will do that. He knows he wasn’t unnoticed and he is far brighter than the rest of these yahoos. A smart opponent wouldn’t just learn an opponents kung fu but the rest of their habits a well.
He may want to rescue a couple of the better fighters to form the cadre of a new team. That would put him in harm’s way. And let us see him in action.
Panel 7. That is a left hand on his right arm.
pretty sure that is a right hand on his right arm.
Then why is his thumb showing curled in on the right side of the panel.
Appears that way to me also. Wrong hand. Not that important to me. I would not have seen it had it not been pointed out.
That is just a shadow.
There is a perfectly extended thumb on the left side.
What you’re seeing on the right side of the panel is the “bulking” of the glove; not a thumb
Bell Boy better hope he’s as tough as he thinks, though his faltering so quickly seems to imply otherwise…
If I may, I’ve always thought combining an action event with a chat event was a good way to combine 2 activities in one panel. Good for big boom backgrounds with nonchalant mid/pre/post battle banter between 2 whom need to speak for story/comedy. Less confusing then trying to split two conversations and still leaves something to look at, especially if your looking for easter egg spoof spots. Bonus, paning the camera (so to speak) with the background battle presents a good excuse for glamorizing a long speach without making it drool and even sets up the occasional background to forground interactive event (stray bullets for example).
Yergh. If “…learn for whom the death tolls” is an arrestable offense, “I’m taking you to boom town!” clearly warrants the death penalty…
No, but having someone who just used lethal force in public appeal to him for assistance, and not only not denying association but then speaking threateningly to the arresting officer, CERTAINLY is!
I knew that name was familiar, a hommage to Ernest Hemmingway’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls”
Hemmingway took the phrase from a book written by John Donne in 1624. Part of the book is often quoted as a poem called “No Man Is An Island.”
Who else thinks that FWTDT will get asked if he lost a bet?
+1 internets for Dave for inserted True Lies reference!
+1 more for the Mortal Kombat ref.
+1, you buuuh!
I’m wondering how Anvil recognizes that he said his Supervillain Name. There is nothing in what he says or how he says it that would tell someone who didn’t already know that he considered the phrase “For Whom The Death Tolls” to be his name.
He says “Join me in combat, amazon, and learn for whom the death tolls.” What part of that sounds like a name?
If he had said “Join me in combat, amazon, and experience the might of For Whom The Death Tolls.” then I can see Anvil picking it up.
A lot of people still wouldn’t recognize it as a name, because it isn’t customary to use such a long phrase as a name. I can just imagine him walking up to someone and saying “Hello. I’m For Whom The Death Tolls.” and them saying “Um… ok… and what is your name?”
Maybe she’s a Boondocks fan and thought it was like A Pimp Named Slickback.
It looks like Anvil’s first reaction “What.” Is to his monologue. DT then expands the last part “for whom the… it’s a phrasic…” which Anvil takes to mean his name is For Whom The Death Tolls. Proper assumption and his reply to her insult confirms it.
Thursday we get to see Anvil ring his bell.
I suspect he may have also put some inflection on it too (He’s just seems the sort of dumbass who would have.), like “Join me in combat, amazon, and learn For Whom The Death Tolls.”
That would fit the DT we know and are horribly irritated by. Kid’s got more ham in him than a sausage factory.
I don’t think she recognised the full thing as his name. She did stop and say “What.” to him, as Eddi pointed out. When he started to explain she said that’s the stupidest name ever, etc. She did not specify what was and I think she may have seen the skull and assumed it was “the death” at first, possibly even after his attempted explanation. Even if she got a couple more words “the death tolls” it still fits and makes sense. Saying phrasic could just mean he was using “the death tolls” as part of another phrase. I guess I will have to ask her, I am seeing her tonight….in my dreams.
Buuuh, the mating cry of the sedated everywhere.
A Bomb is in a happier place now.
I wonder if her glasses aren’t just a fashion statement. We’ve been told that supers, or at least those born to their powers, are essentially human paragons. They have perfect bodies, are taller and naturally muscular, the women show the most common female superpower, etc. So why would any of them need corrective eye-wear?
Aaaand, this was supposed to be a reply to RockB’s comment here:
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1448/comment-page-1#comment-221364
They are cameras and HUDs, not corrective wear. https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1303
They’re basically a Tactical version of Google Glass
Doofus didn’t think the name through very well. Consider him announcing his name.
” I am For Whom The Death Tolls.”
Death tolls for him? What $0.75 for 2-axles, and $1.50 for big rigs?
I vote we just call him Death Tool.
I have been calling him Death Troll or last couple of weeks.
I still prefer Death Tool. Maybe just Tool.
More like: The death toll from an earthquake might rise as high as five thousand.
Less like: Toll booth.
Still nonsensical. Maybe for whom the death toll rises, or he who raises the death toll, or The Super-Villain Soon-to-be-Known as All-Hat.
Hopefully his combat skills are more developed than his wit.
Is it just me or does it look like AB is being thrown towards us/Anvil in panel 5?
You can see it that way, that is the problem with showing 3D action in a 2D picture.
The speed lines are supposed to be an arc from Anvil to AB. But they curve oddly. Trying to show AB is on a high arc toward the lawn?
Metallic carbon nano-fibre impact-weave undergarments? Extremely strong and heat resistant, can’t be manufactured with conventional technologies – can make carbon nanotubes… (mostly straight) – and metallic carbon is AWESOME (but little info on web – but I know it exists in flat sheets) – but there are some amazing carbon fibre (macroscopic) materials that have fantastic impact properties. Down side is that it only comes in black… which kind of matches the colour of the undergarments she is wearing…
Not sure if a kinetic bomb would actually damage clothing anyway – also to absorb a massive kinetic hit would probably involve some kind of kinetic-to-potential energy transformation as Anvil’s flesh deforms upon impact – so the more flesh Anvil can get in contact with the collision, the more energy she can dissipate – and yes, having move flesh to deform would also help!! A kinetic hit will push the clothing up against Anvil, who then absorbs the kinetic energy, so clothing survives (clothing only needs to be able to withstand the pressure of being stuck between the “hit” and Anvil – think hitting a hammer on a piece of fabric on an anvil!!
When you burn nitrogen (i.e. combine nitrogen and oxygen to form nitrous oxide) you obviously need increased temperatures and/or pressures (a kinetic “bomb” would probably do this), or supply energy from another source (like an arc of electricity). I believe this flame has a yellow/yellow-green glow (similar to a yellow aurora?) – although good references for this are hard to find – clearly not enough mad scientists out there reporting on the colour of their nitrogen flames…
Graphene (1 atom thick sheets of carbon) is an awesome substance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcg9_ML2mXY
~dreamy siiiiiiiiigh~ Annnnnnnvillllllll……. Guh…. <3
Battledamaged Anvil! Thank you, Dave! Sexy and tasteful. I knew you wouldn’t dissapoint!
“Battle-Damaged Anvil” sounds like one of those play-action figures.
Don’t have anything complimentary to say about the action on this page (the art is still great though) so will come back Thursday
One, Dave please make that battle damaged Anvil you were wanting to draw next month’s vote incentive. I will give you money if you do.
Two, is Bombshell’s bandana supposed to be all orange in panel 5?
And three, what I’m really wondering is how will Sydney choose to mock him and will she be the one to take him down?
Well yeah man, she is the heroine after all. Sure, throw a flower and guaranteed to hit A heroine but she is THE one. I think there are plenty of insults “Take off the skull, there are treatments for acne now.” “Do you want me to wait while you pick a better name?” “I’m sorry I can’t hear the tolling for all the rolling on floor laughing…” etc