Grrl Power #265 – In summation…
One of the (few) drawbacks to having an especially active community here in the comments is that a page or two following a big reveal will generally be retread or just confirmation of what’s been discussed by you guys. It’s stuff that needs to be said in the comic anyway since not everyone reads the comments and also there’s the book version to think about. I’ll reiterate one thing I said in the comments for the previous page since it’s easy to miss, is that while Vehemence can draw power from any sort of violence, from a mugging to an earthquake, violence with intent is higher quality and better ‘tasting’. Presumably it comes with lots of Vitamin V. Also there’s a finite amount he’d be able to absorb from something as violent as an earthquake since the range at which he can absorb the energy from is limited. A 2000 mile long fault line’s no good to him if he can only absorb stuff from… well, I haven’t decided his range, but it’s well under a mile. Localized violence is better.
I really wanted this page to be a double page, as Vehemence’s speech took rather a lot of room, but I think I’ve kind of gotten into the habit of trying to make every page I can a double. I’ve done 7 of them in the last 10 pages, and it’s been a little stressful. Burnout is far too dramatic a word, but making this page and the next singles was almost like a vacation for me. By vacation, I mean I didn’t have to draw all day Sunday as well as the other 6 days and it was nice. I did some chores, went to the gym… then spent the rest of the day coloring the vote incentive anyway, but the point is that I wasn’t under the gun trying to get a page finished so I wouldn’t be behind on Monday which is when I write and start penciling new pages.
There were several suggestions in the comments that the team take a break and power up Dabbler to match V’s level, and Dabbler alludes to it here. It would be an epic bait and switch if I just suddenly changed the comic into a 20 page lesbian orgy right now, but… nah. :)
The question is, if Vehemence is so powerful, or at least so potentially powerful, how did Arc-LIGHT not know about him? Granted they haven’t done a great job tonight anyway, but in Vehemence’s case, he’s mostly just hung around in the background gathering power and never really needed to join in. What’s he going to do, get powered up during a race riot, then leap out and start attacking looters? He’d pulp anyone he hit, and while killing someone is usually a pretty violent thing, a dead rioter can’t continue rioting.
Even when he hung around underground super fight clubs, which given the low incidence of super powers are rare, but they still happened, he’s got nothing to prove. He’s just there for the meal. He’s revealing himself now mostly because as debuts go, this is a pretty good one, and also right now he’s so amped it’s like he’s been snorting Excedrin.
Here are some fun links for you. This one makes envious of the gals, cause whereas girls can wear basically anything without anyone batting an eye, guys are generally limited to 2-3 kinds of shirts and either pants or shorts, meaning there’s a whole range of geek wear I’m shut out of, like this Baroness tank dress. Though even if I was a girl, I’m not sure I would traipse around in something quite that sheer, though maybe it’s only partially see-through under studio lights. And probably direct sunlight, but then how often do proper geeks get exposed to that? Anyway if you’re within a decade of my age that site may have a few gems for you.
Here’s a quite funny webcomic I found, Deathbulge. As with a lot of webcomics, it takes a few strips to find it’s footing but is solid once it hits its stride. The RSS seems to be broken unfortunately, but it’s worth going through the archives IMO.
Here’s the link to the new comments highlighter for chrome which I can’t live without anymore, and the GitHub link which you can use to install on FireFox via Greasemonkey.
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.
I don’t think disease is violence. At least not in this case. Anesthesia isn’t violence. Dehydration, Aging, Diabetes, high blood pressure. Well I am a doctor. At this point the real question is if Sriracha is violence.
Sriracha is violence only if used as a projectile. As a condiment it is self-mutilation. Or in Sydney’s case, Tuesday lunch.
Baby Food*
Got that right. I can drink Sriracha without ill effect, and I’m nowhere near Sydney’s level. Although my friends still talk about the day I “met the Man” at Dixie’s BBQ in Bellevue, WA.
Earlier in the comic Sydney ate some food that was spiced with…well, something that would be equivalent to nuclear waste. Too bad she lost her “charge” of that stuff on Maxima’s boots after the bank robbery scene.
If you use it as a weapon it probably counts. Doesn’t mean he can avoid the effects though just because he gets more power from it. You get energy from food tainted with ebola.
Mmmm, Ebola Cakey!
And I think now would be the time for an ontology discussion on what exactly is “violence”. What counts and what doesn’t? Abstract powers like this seem to be risky in that at one point or an other, the question is going to come up that “Hey should(n’t) that count as violence?”
On the other hand, is he getting physically bigger? Or is this just a close up? Is he just flexing? Because his neck looks freakishly humongous.
Anyway, I wonder if any of their magic could just suck his energy; or maybe Dabbler just seduce him – though that may require touching and he seems to know about succubuses.
He’s always been really big, though I doubt he’s actually getting bigger.
But he has switching between hunched over and standing straight up for some reason. Both make him look bigger in a differen way, either wider, or taller
No, his size has fluctuated a little just because drawing really muscular guys seems to throw off my sense of proportion a little, but he’s not actually growing in the comic.
When guys get that muscled up, they ARE out of proportion already. You’ve probably noticed that in hundreds or thousands of photos already. I mean, really, even without photoshopping, a lot of those guys look like a small man sticking his head & shoulders out of the top of haphazardly-stacked piles of meat anyway.
As far as how YOU draw the proportions, I’d say you’re so close that I don’t really notice because of this.
I’m just curious why it would be a lesbian orgy since you have plenty of males on the team.
They’re all unconscious.
Or buried.
Or done.
The unpowered are hiding a ways back from the main fight. They will probably wander back when the magical mood lighting and sheshey muzak start up.
Maybe he’s implying that all girls actually are lesbians, except okay maybe Dabbler who’s bi. That would be cool.
* all girls on the team. Not all girls ever. That would be disastrous for the proliferation of humanity
Going by what has been written Dabber,Peggy, and Harem are bisexuals .
Anvil appears to be straight, Heatwave is straight also as Amorphous is her boyfriend .
As for the rest that is still to be revealed .
Correction on Dabbler, she is a Trysexual
…And Harem could even be Quintsexual…
And MD missed the game winning point.
AGAIN!
No, you used Trysexual as in “try anything.” I didn’t miss the point, I *expanded* from it.
Better ratings.
“Dabbler eludes to it here”
Allude, Dave. Elude means she’s avoiding it.
Whoops, yup, fixed.
So, the problem is that when he’s stronger, he’s harder to hit, not that the hits could less.
Also, look at his neck muscles I’m pretty sure his head is stuck forward.
Vehemence’s neck-muscles are now so bulging that he can no longer turn his head. Just keep circling around behind him until he gets dizzy and falls down.
Or keep up the violence until his muscles reach max bulge, then explode?
So… a variation on the lesbian orgy strategy, then.
More a case of, take him out by causing him to go boom.
Didn’t really notice before that his muscles were increasing as Deepbluediver said
Before my comment that is.
He’s getting cocky.
I’m a fan, but I do hate when people get cocky.
Villains or heroes is indifferent, you get cocky you have to be pummeled!!!!
But that would just make him stronger and cockier. ( I was going to go for another joke involving Dabbler and your use of the word cocky but I took the high ground for once)
Taking the high ground? Here?
Blasphemer!
FINE, lets just do the set up from “It is I” again,
“He’s getting cocky.
I’m a fan, but I do hate when people get cocky.
Villains or heroes is indifferent, you get cocky you have to be pummeled!!!!”
Observer: With actual cocks! XD (at least Dabs will get something out of it while you are powering V up!)
Thank you for the mental image. ;p
Attacking villains with poultry is usually a good way to make them want to punch you…
Oh my god.
I just had a epiphany.
Hyrules chicken are users of vehemic energy!! O.o
This epiphany. I approve of it.
And it also points us to a possible solution. In the games – the only way to escape angered cuckoos is to leave that screen on the map by leaving the town or entering a house.
Sure V is powered up like crazy – and simply not fighting him won’t weaken him. But what if ARC* just… played keep away? Run from the bastard, taunt him, make him waste his energy trying to reach you and fight but refuse to stand still?
Of course this won’t work – he’s faster than many on the team, and that aside the good guys / cops can’t really leave a criminal walking free. Especially not if the media gets wind of the team being bested by a single asshole super right after their press conference, which is exactly how they would spin it if they made the conflict a running engagement.
Personally? I advocate a focused Maxima energy bolt or PewPew Orb shot to his remaining eye. It’s doubtful Peggy’s Barret can do it anymore, and the act would give him yet more power, but if the team could manage to take his sight away that might be enough to neutralize him long enough for a more permanent solution or his store of Vehemic energy to degrade/be consumed.
This comment proves that good things can come of letting my mind go to bad places.
Who are we kidding? Many good things come from the gutter. ;p
You’re welcome. ;)
Could V and Dabbler use a particular nasty session of S&M to become new gods?
Inquiring minds want to know!
If they team up it would probably take crossing the streams to get rid of them!
So, do we think Vehemence weighs more right now than 4 Harem’s? Cause I’m thinking just teleporting him into the middle of the ocean should be a valid strategy.
I was thinking of something similar, but how about just launching him into the sun? He’s strong and fast, but apparently can’t fly. So one good hit to launch him into the air, then range blasts to keep him going. I really think this is one of those enemies that NEEDS to be killed. Not because he’s just that evil, bjt because otherwise, even if you beat him now, containment will be a nightmare.
Would all those giant churning plasma storms barely contained by massive gravity count as natural violence? Has V absorbed enough power to survive for however long it takes to absorb that violence and become a Cosmic Vehemic God? Will Grrl power’s author have a hard time coming up with a second fight that will interest an audience that just watched a villain that had to be launched into the sun on the first day of Scoville’s association with the team? Stay tuned next time…
I would figure that yes, the sun counts as an extreeeeemely violent place. But V would be dead long before reaching the sun so it’s irrelevant. It would not matter even if someone teleported him straight to the star or (in a slightly less suicidal manner) “close”. Given that his range for soaking up vehemic energy is somewhere close to a mile, the radiation and heat would kill him long before he got into range to soak up anything useful. (also, I believe it is established that harem cannot transport living things, Opal could, but she’s unconscious and it is probable that neither of them have the range to drop someone off in outer space. That would be an “I win” button for every fight otherwise.
Can he absorb the vehemic energy of the sun through Sydney’s shield? Can Sydney’s shield stop the sun from killing them? I smell a “I hate you but its to save the world” team up in the future! ;D
Is fighting for air/to breath, count as violence?
If earthquakes do, then suffocation most likely does too.
Not necessarily, it probably depends on the why and how he is suffocating. If it’s because someone is trying to cut off his air with their hand or any kind of implement then yes it’s going to be a violent fight.
If it’s because he has been lured into a bunker and they then flood it with carbon dioxide it’s not so clearcut.
While the act of flooding the bunker with CO2 is done with intent, the actual amount of violence is very low so I don’t think he would be able to gain much from that act. However the amount of violence he is able to commit to the bunker trying to break out is another matter.
My favored theory is that he can’t absorb energy from violence he is committing. Others have speculated that he can and does receive some energy that way. Anything from a low percentage to over 100% return has been suggested. Right now we simply do not know any details about this. The main argument for either no return or a low percentage is that otherwise he would be able to power himself up by just punching a sandbag for hours. As his powers grow he would inflict more violence on that poor bag feeding more energy to him. If that were the case then he wouldn’t have had any need to scrape together the goon squad he used to jumpstart his abilities before being ready to take on ARCHON.
Besides all of teh above already mentioned, Harem has a *small* limit on how much extra mass she can teleport with. Just “humping the Barrett” for Peggy to use, Harem had to cut down to just *one* of her & even had to make a 2nd trip to bring any reasonable amount of ammunition for it, at least to the point that she even considers taking off her boots just to giver herself even that *little extra* amount of capacity to ‘port.
I wasn’t sure what the limits where- I thought she just had to get rid of one of her copies, not that she had to drop down to only one.
See panel 3: Dabbler’s Science Corner #2
TL:DR – With five bodies she can teleport about 25 pounds. Dropping down to one this increase to about 50 pounds.
I’ve mentioned this one before, but it’s worth bringing up again. V apparently still breathes. Sydney could fly one of the unknown orbs into his mouth and block his airway. No matter how violent or strong, he’ll pass out before too long. If the orb won’t go into that ginormous mouth of his, the lighthook could suffice, but she’d need to shrink its length so he couldn’t grab it and pull it out.
Alternatively, the lighthook could be used to grab hold of one of his ankles and simply lift him up into the air, suspending him while he thrashes helplessly. Add the flight orb and slowly go up into the atmosphere, and eventually he starts running low on air via that technique as well.
Dabbler’s tried to cast her sleep spell on him (which he successfully blocked), but near as we can tell, she hasn’t tried her lust aura on him. That might be useful. Additionally, she has teleportation capability that could be brought to bear, as well as cold-based spells (freezing is, at the molecular level, pretty much the opposite of violence. Drop the ambient temperature around him to kelvin-low levels, and he’ll slow down.
Harem could quickly retrieve sleeping gas grenades for Shawn to launch from his SMG. This may or may not be effective.
Acid, tranquilizer, or poisonous darts. They may be violent, but as some have pointed out, he’s damage resistant but not quick healing. A shot through the gap in his teeth could bypass his super-tough skin, hitting the delicate tissues in the back of the throat.
… anyway, just my 2cp
Orb might work if its invulnerable. Light Hook he can probably bite off by now. Lust aura might work, maybe, and has been suggested before. Freezing, lot of definitions of violence I’m betting the injury plus the intent would work in his favor.
Best suggestion would be some kind of VERY potent gas. We’ve seen him choke on debris so this makes sense as the next try.
His eye bounced a .50 cal two power levels ago or so. That would have to be one heck of a tranquilizer gun and dart soft tissues or no.
Cool, if everybody keeps weighing in we will get this! ^0^
For using a tranq on him don’t use a needle, use DMSO to deliver it.
Or from a gas grenade…And hope he stays in the cloud long enough to to breathe it.
DMSO is better it allows whatever it’s mixed with to be absorbed thru the skin.
Hedge our bets? Think they can get him to breath in a liquid concoction of DMSO and tranq? Perhaps if Maxi manages to hit him in the nuts while Sydney places some on the end of the Light Hook and thrusts it down his throat?
How about one of my earlier suggestions (itching powder) & combine it with DMSO? You think that would be sufficient to *really* get on his nerves?
So instead of passing out you would have him use Maxima as a scratching stick?
He recognizes a succubi on sight, and he doesn’t seem too worried, so I’d guess he’s got some kind of resistance to her lust aura. The lighthook idea is good but we don’t know how resistant it is to damage (or what happens to Sydney if it’s damaged).
As far as getting him out of the atmosphere, though, intent + injury might power him up—but then again so what? If he’s orbiting the planet, he can be as strong as he likes and he’s still basically helpless even if the lack of oxygen doesn’t do him in. Basically the lighthook solution, only using an L-point instead of the lighthook.
I’ve been thinking of something along the same lines: I would have Sydney wrap him head to toe in coils of lighthook, then have Max push Syd’s airtight force bubble up as high and fast as possible while she tows V behind her. The idea is to put them in to orbit (escape velocity would be even better). Once V is trapped in freefall with no one to use his strength on Syd can let go and use her flight orb to return.
Entangling him with the lighthook was attempted before and didn’t work. He’s even stronger now. Considering nobody has been able to even budge Sidney by hitting her force shield with zappy rays and hulk punches, it’s unlikely Max would be able to push Syd into orbit by shoving at her shield.
There’s no guarantee or evidence that Max can even reach orbit without expiring herself.
You could try it another way. Maxima inside the shield carrying Sydney who holds the shield-orb and the Violator-orb which she uses to entangle Vehemence outside the shield.
Pushing the shield from the outside might not work, but perhaps moving Syd is possible, especially if she doesn’t want to resist.
Speculation only, and something they will have to experiment with some other day. Trying something like this for the first time in the middle of a fight is kind of desperate.
No Dave, there’s a whole section of Geek girls that are shut out of that awesome too, as those dresses run on the small side for busty gals. Shame, because I’d wear the one you posted too, but it would never fit.
Oh, it could fit, just not in a “go out in public” kind of way. It could be quite fun for home-bound activities.
Well, I guess that would depend on ones exhibitionist tendencies and embarrassment threshold.
No, it doesn’t fit in an “I can’t breathe because this dress is a tourniquet” sort of tight…provided I could manage to get it over the girls.
I am trying to imagine what Vehemenece’s Jail cell would be like. Full of cute fluffy things, maybe some cute cat videos playing. The room done in a nice soft pink, some nice relaxing music in the background. and then I imagine his reaction when he saw it, the look of absolute terror. I think it would have the makings of a hilarious scene.
he’s kind of a juggernaut kind of super for purposes of restraints.. Ie you need to keep him from starting anything because if he can start.. he’ll eventually finish (even if he begets fluffy violence on padded walls, odds are it would Eventually make him strong enough to rip the padding off and start punching brick… and then punching Through brick, etc.. so yeah, full body restraints, keep him from moving a muscle and such or maybe suspended in some kind of levitation field so he cant hit or be hit by anything.
Obviously all of that requires he be somehow drained of the supercharge he currently has, but if you are applying containment measures that’s kind of a given already.
Build a hab module , tow it to the international space station, tether it about 50yds from it, then ferry his supplies to him once a month or so.
Let him get violent when there is 50yds of vacuum to the nearest neighbor.
50 yards of vacuum is nowhere near enough.
Given the durability and strength vehemence has shown while middling-powered up, I suspect he could survive the exposure of a short trip through vacuum. All he would need to do is tear things up inside the habitat long enough to gain that durability, rip a hole through the side of the habitat, then launch himself across the 150 foot gap to the ISS and force his way into an airlock.
What might stop him in this situation would be the vacuum sucking all the oxygen out of his blood as it passes through his lungs – 14 seconds after exposure you’re unconscious when that blood hits the brain. If his super durability lets him hold his breath without shredding his tissues or he fashions a makeshift pressurized suit/mask… that tiny gap is traverse-able.
Park him 50 kilometers away — close enough to monitor with telescopes, reasonable to reach with a supply ship, but highly difficult to survive crossing, much less accurately aim a ballistic path from there to the ISS. Might want to also make those supply drops ballistic care packages thrown at his habitat from the supply craft, rather than risk putting a self powered spacecraft within V’s reach.
By tether, I mean use something like Dabbler’s party favor ammo.
So by the time he has holed the module, it is swinging so wildly he would most likely be unable to target the station.
Remember the law of equal and opposite reactions .
Also remember that the temp there makes a witch’s tit look like a bonfire
Temperature in vacuum is really kind of weird. In the shadow it can be said to be very cold, yet the heat can only radiate from any surface, and that’s a very inefficient way of cooling things down. At the same time the sun will heat up anything that’s not in shadow, making it uncomfortably warm. Hanging around in a orbit around the earth you are actually more likely to boil than freeze to death. But whats even more likely to get you is running out of air…
Take him out of play is simple. Remove him from contact w/any surface, remotely. I gave the answer to this some ten or twelve comics back. It’s how we took out the Hulk. TK levitate or Anti-Grav w/TK to keep him from swimming or clap thrusting (though that won’t work due to “Equal and opposite actions”). It will end up w/flailing, uncontrolled spinning.
Then you nudge the spinning, helping it along and soon centrifugal force and his inner ear do the rest… HURL and surrender. It only took a GOOD TK rank to spin Hulk and Remarkable to lift him w/AG.
V made a point out of thumping the TK guy first thing even though they were on the same side so you are probably right. ‘Cept that the only TK guy is down and spells aren’t getting through his resistance.
They must defeat him with the power of music!!!
Stick the guy in an illusion. Let him think that he’s fighting while he’s just swinging at air and running down his energy.
Really good illusion if he can “feel” the impacts.
humm.. option 1 somehow Sid gets under him throws up the bigist shield she can and goes straight up full speed. and they knock him out from lack of air. Option 2 everyone runs like hell except dabbler and she turns the come thither up to max and wears him out dicey but it may work..
Maxima would have to keep him on it which would mean coming in range.
How would she even get under him?
Maxima makes a pit with a quick punch. Sydney gets in. Maxima presents her nose to V while keeping her hands behind her back. V knows its a trap but can’t resist delicious Maxi nose crunchiness! Must resist… XD
Then it’s ‘Tiger Uppercut!’ XD Or is it ‘ Shoryuken’ now that she doesn’t have the eye patch? O.o
NO!
Lust does not cancel violence. Lust could be added to violence, but you (and Dabs) don’t really want to do that!
I think they meant her mind control thing that she did to Jabberwokky (comic 235).
She can probably give Vehemence the hots for her the same way she did Jabberwokky. But he is not likely to be composed in such a way that having the hots for someone == NOT HURTING THEM!
Sorry to double-reply. But I feel that I should say why. Jabberwokky was (relatively) normal in that satisfying lust ideally involves a situation in which there is cooperation. Her obeying Dabbler’s suggestions was an attempt to offer and perhaps bring about further cooperation — ie, trying to get into Dabbs’ pants WITH Dabbs’ consent. Useless as it turns out unless Dabbs makes visits in jail.
But V’s different; as an avatar of violence, consent is not likely to be ANYWHERE on his list of priorities in terms of satisfying lust, and doing things in order to further cooperation with Dabbs, however futile it was in Jabberwokky’s case, is not something he’s going to do. Dabbs hitting him with a lust aura would essentially be painting a huge target on herself – and not a target for things that she, even as a succubus, could consider to be fun.
Dabbler puts the love whamy on him then Max “wears him out”. This could work True. This could work…
No. Read Bear’s comments. Sexual assault and rape are NOT FUN, no matter what porn you read. (Looks suspiciously at most hentai.)
But everyone’s cool with killing him if we have a problem draining him enough for arrest? o.O’
Hmmm put V into therapy or the grave… decisions decisions….
Anywho, Maxi would never go for it nor let another of the team help Dabs with it so its mostly just one of those hypothetical thingies for thoughts on morality like “the lesser of two evils”. Maybe even a joke to some who’s humor goes that route….. O.O
Oh I see. Sorry I would never have consider that. Seems that if a succubus gets the whammy over on you it always leads to things being on their terms. But V’s probably a human with a super ability not an avatar or god like being/spirit so once his minds that far gone he will probably go the way of all malleable flesh in a succubi’s many waiting hands.
I am waiting for Scoville to try to tickle attack him to see if it is his kryptonite.
she’d need to leave her shield for that
I am waiting for her to suggest that someone else do that
Nope. Shield & Lighthook to do the tickling. She can still leave her shield up.
Seduction isn’t violent, so I think Dabbler is the answer here.
You really shouldn’t mix sex and violence…
It’s kinda cute the way people assume Dabbler doesn’t mix sex & violence. Probably with gusto, great imagination, and frequent practice. Admittedly, probably not the level that Vehemence here would want, but she’s a succubus with a thing for shocking people, in a world full of super-powered folks with tolerances way above normal. Also she can summon whips any time she likes.
Kind of doubly funny, since she jokes about mixing the two right under this comic.
Far too obvious, plus he’s demonstrated at least some ability to counter her spells.
Seduction isn’t violent the way YOU do it. I guarantee it’s violent the way Vehemence does it! BAD IDEA!
There are many kinds of “seduction” that fall under violent, and I would classify succubus mind control as one :\ rape is a violent crime, after all
Hmm Dude’s still gotta breath. Encase him in an impervious, airtight force field (who do we know with one of those?) or… Knock him into low earth orbit. Let him try sucking vacuume.
I’ve been pushing the “knock him into orbit” thing for quite a few pages now. Also, the whole “put him in Sydney’s shield” thing has been suggested NUMEROUS times, so often that it’s being referred to as a trophy for Captain Obvious… in that Sydney has to be INSIDE THE SHIELD.
I think you can determine for yourself why that won’t work.
The problem with spacing him is it’s a boring, lethal solution that works for every problem enemy ever. I’m hoping Dave has something more interesting up his sleeve.
Preferably something not easily repeated. I’d like if V was a dangerous recurring sometimes-enemy.
In other words, one more trophy for the Captain’s… continent, is it? I think he will need a small moon to house his collection at least.
Have dabbler put him to sleep.
(no, not euphamistically. just.. sleep. with intent to give him, a nice,restful, VERY LONG nap)
Wait, someone said that was tried? Where?
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1504
Panels 3 & 4
Maybe I should show up to the fight.
I have a multi-limb fetish.
Well, with the exception that anyone who *isn’t* at least a triple-amputee falls into the “multi-limb” category…
;)
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
There has to be a limit to how much he can power himself up with his own attacks. So defending against him is the best option right now. Achilles, Maxima and Sydney are the best options. Achilles can’t be hurt. Maxima can buff her defense to take a hit, or better yet, buff speed and dodge hits. And Sydney’s shield is impervious. And I’m sure this has been said a dozen times already.
Still, I have seen other good options like sedation/anesthesia and other indirect attacks.
The problem is not if he has an upper limit or not, the problem is if he has a limit Below the point at which he would turn the defense and the user of said defense into unrecognizable paste and debris. Signs point to No on that one. Also going on pure defense is not going to work because V gets stronger by attacking as well as by being attacked, its all about if violence is done to something, the who, where, how or why only changes the flavor/quality of the vehemetic energy produced, and thus how big a powerup it is for him, but presumably he gains at least as much energy from punching someone as he expends by performing and empowering said punch, else he’d be a poor violence-vampire who can only eat by having others feed him.
True. Hence why they need to dig Achilles out of the rubble.
Also, I reiterate my suggestion towards alternative means of attack that aren’t violence.
I haven’t read the comments (can’t keep up) from last page…has anyone suggested anti-magic shell? It seems like the kind of thing Zephan would know, and also something that would be kept on tap for the handling of Dabbler.
He might have the knowledge on a scroll or something but he is the brainy adventurer. Gwen is the mage but she is still learning. Sooo maybe?
IF what V does counts as magic (which I feel it should but meh).
While I sincerely doubt anyone in Archon has the mystic cutzpah, to borrow one of V’s technical terms, to go toe to toe with Dabbler, if they did odds are they would be on the team. (the mystic adepts they had examine sydney’s balls where Zephan, Gwen and Dabbler, only two of those showed they could actually cast spells, X probably has mystic talents and experience, but they also are probably specialized in the field of stealth.
Ultimately, it’s unlikely anyone has the spellcasting power a thousand times stronger than dabbler’s sleep spell, twice.. ten times stronger Maybe, but a thousand? Plus that was Before V went code green, meaning most spells will probably need to be even stronger than That to work on him now
Still, if there’s mystic shenanigans that could trip V up at this point odds are Dabbler, as another being with innate energy-manipulating nature, is gonna be the one to think of it, possibly with some comicsavvy insight from Sydney
This would be a good time to wake up FWTDT and offer him a “get out of jail card” to take this guy out.
And a hanky for his bleeding arse… (that would be a hilarious conversation though)
The only reason I would want to see this is to see the pain on V’s face as Death Toll spouts his posturing jargon at him! XD But V would probably find a way to attack him several ways at once since he saw it done.
All V has to do is not punch (FWT) Death Tolls. Not challenging for him.
At his current power level, he might just blow right through DT’s defense.
If you remember what happened to Anvil when he caught her hand, you will realize that your statement is poorly reasoned.
Assuming they somehow get Death Tolls’ consent to help: Illusion Anvil and Death Tolls to look like Maxima. Everybody attacks, makes some dust, in the confusion Death Tolls gets attacked. Fun starts.
No illusion: Get the place dusty and then do the same thing. If they don’t let him see that they have brought Death Tolls on board then it might work.
So the second villain in a short time period that needs to be thought around rather than pounded down. Is this becoming a theme in the comic? Maxima is in for a much more frustrating job as SWAT field commander if so. I know the fact that DaveB went out of his way to write two characters in the first fight that could take Maxima down is going annoy the heck out of some fans who feel this, done this soon, is a big betrayal of the expectations reading about Maxima’s combat experience and being one of the Superman like few. I can kind of see their point. It would be a nice save of face if MAXIMA was at least the one to logic this one out since the protagonist got the last one. Still probably annoying that so many characters are being written to basically be specialty power negators for her after the build up but something at least.
Having Sydney be the one to shine in this or another soon to be fight was kind of foreshadowed in the beginning and I actually like her zany character as well as her being an insertion for the genre informed reader. Just like in Zombieland where the main character was the hero for all those nerds who had ever watched a zombie flick and yelled out, “COME ON! He would totally know better by now.” or “Its so obvious he could do THIS (insert nerd theory) and easily defend against that.” etc… So while maybe it violates some rules of storytelling by some standards it completes the super comics nerd fantasy wish fulfillment the main character has been promising the reader from the start. Which is why I won’t be one of those fans who is upset or crushed by Maxima’s “failure” to live up to her “informed” description even though I can see the logic of why that’s annoying to some.
Everyone was sure Maxima was the final resort to any challenge. This was good news or bad news depending on the person. Dave has shown he’s smarter than that. Even Max is going to be challenged by the people and events Arc SWAT will face. This gives us a reason to watch what happens next. We do know from hints she has been beaten. But she has never lost. Right now Max has her two best thinkers right there. Between the three of them something will be worked out.
Sure, the people who feel that way believe it is better story wise if she establishes her ability to kick ass in comic instead of us just being informed about it before they start overpowering her to the point we have to use advanced strategy. But that’s them. I’m OK with it since DaveB has set it up so nicely otherwise.
Within the story it kind of makes sense that the people who fight the team are those who can pose a plausible threat to Maxima, since if they didn’t think they could win they probably wouldn’t fight to begin with.
Yes I am OK with it myself. I was stating other peoples opinion with that bit before contrasting it with my own. But I understand why they feel that way. It might have been nice to have a fight or two establishing Maxima’s superior power and or combat experience over even truly strong opponents before stressing her this bad with two capable of both overpowering and outsmarting her in a fight. Just cause they think they can win doesn’t mean they have to be THIS right about it. But I digress, as like I said I myself am good with that part of the story. Good enough anyway.
Instead of giving him a max range, try applying the inverse-square law to his power.
They just need to recruit Death Toll to their team and send him after this guy.
Again, the very nature of Death Toll’s power means you simply cannot send him after someone. Especially someone as smart as Vehemence, who will simply walk around him.
DT meat-shield anyone?
If he knows about succubi, I guess it’s a given that he’s got (naturally or acquired) some kind of resistance to Dabbler’s va-va-voom ‘attack’.
I still think the best idea is for the team to distract him long enough for Maxima to throw him into space.
V gets fired up on just the opposite vibe that a succubus gives off. No seduction chance here.
if you think violence is the opposite of sex and lust… Welcome to the Internet, you must be new here :P
And, for the record, I would think the opposite of tantric energy would be something along the lines of chastity and/or temperance, resisting temptations in other words.
The opposite of Vehemic energy meanwhile… Hmm, peace is the typical notion but I’m not so sure, peace only exists because those with the capacity for violence allow it to, either by not exercising said potential or promising to use said potential on anyone else who tries to use theirs.
Death perhaps? You cant be violent if you are dead, and being dead/innert is pretty much the opposite of being active, exercising force upon the enviroment.. a “dead” volcano is not an active one after all.. and active volcanoes are probably one of the most violent phenomena found in nature on earth. Naturally death tends to result From violence, but violence is usually used by someone/something trying to stay alive, be it while hunting for food, protecting itself from aggressors or otherwise asserting itself. Then again nothing stops you from doing violence to dead things, and yet on the third hand death usually puts an end to violence one way or the other.
I believe most think of opposite forces in terms of hot vs cold. But there’s really no such thing. There is no “cold energy”, just the absence of heat. Along the same lines I am not sure you Can consider the opposite of tantric energy, ie lust/sex to be temperance, so much as temperance or a lacking drive for it to be the absence of such energy.
Obviously this line of thinking diverges from most classical examples of the trope so I doubt that’ll prove the case here, but then the author has proven adept at making use of familiar tropes with a twist.
Try sloth or apathy as a counter.
It’s a matter of intent. S&M despite being violent and painful is intended to result in pleasure. Punching someone out is violent and painful with no pleasure intended or normally resulting.
As to their opposites. Chastity beats Lust or so the Catholic Church said when it listed the 7 Deadly Sins and countered them with the 7 Contrary Virtues. Patience is contrary to Wrath/Anger. But I’m not sure that it would pertain here. Calming V down might be close in intent, but how to do it beats me.
Very good point about the intent behind S&M bit, but there’s still the concept of angry sex and/or “hate***k”. Furthermore there’s no reason to think V gains less power from violence simply because those involved enjoy dealing it out or even having it inflicted on them (V clearly is both, Maxima and crew being more in the dealer camp), so if your intent is to make it hurt because that’s what is desired… that should still give both Dabbler and V energy they can use.
Apathy would be the answer for a direct counter to V’s violence. However, it would have to be a *very* strong “I don’t have any f**ks to give” attitude to be enough to counter against the V-Charge he already has built up. Strong magic or psionic Empathy is what it would take to *infuse* Apathy directly into Vehemence.
I would think Entropy more than Apathy.
Entropy would be a good way to quickly degrade whatever level of power he already has accumulated, but I still think Apathy would be a good way to prevent him from gaining any *new* vehemic energy in the first place.
Actually, even if he still can gain more energy while being apathetic, at least he’d be far less inclined to *use* it for any reason.
Use Death Tool as a Shield?
Okay that might not make him stronger.
I am reminded obscurely of an old joke about a fiddle in the toilet. Yes, the violin’s inherent in the cistern.
O!M!G! That’s awful. Here take your +1 and go sit in the corner.
Yep, that’s worth a +1 alright…It’s just sh***y enough to generate some groaning.
Solution: attack him with benevolently with hugs! Quickly round up all the 70’s trope style hippies you can find! We will beet him, Gandhi style!
Hopefully while singing the soundtrack to “Hair”. Gotta max out those hippie powers :-)
You’re kidding, right? Reminding Vehemence that he’s completely bald might not be a good idea right now…
So they leave that song off, “Age of Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In” would do a number on him if songs about peace have any effect.
boot him into orbit. max has shown that he can be flung about so knock him into the air and just air juggle him as high as you can then smash him further.
Quick! Play some smooth jazz and let Dabbler “counter-act” him!
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now would be a good time for one of Halo’s mystery orbs to do somthing usefull
or she could lighthook his ankles and hold him up till he passes out
That assumes the molestorb can even hold him steady enough to begin with, or keep a tight enough grip on him. I can see the possibility of him swinging or stretching the thing if not outright break it.
It would work better if she twirled him around like a lasso for about a minute or two.
Then when he is set down he would be unable to do anything till his dizziness subsided.
I wonder if Dabbler has a stasis field generator or teleporter gun in her bag of tricks. If she has her own version of the Portal gun, or one that instead of opening a portal just teleports an object to a desired location. It would be real hard for him to get back to earth if the exit end were on the far side of the moon, or on some other celestial object.
Portal 3 feet above his head, portal right under his feet.
Vehemence is now in continuous free fall.
Quick, tickle him until he passes out!
Also, unless he can use that energy to shoot violence lasers Anvil should still be able to handle him.
Someone wake Math up.
Harem, Anvil, Max – get in position.
One, two, threee…. Flash your chests at Math.
There’s your power up, Dabbler.
Well, Vehemence, that’s an impressive speech, but the interesting point is that you still have missing teeth and an obviously damaged eye. Having more POWER doesn’t do you much good if you can’t USE it. As an example, if I could Black Knight you, yes, you’d have incredible power, but you’d be trying to fight the team wiggling on your torso, which isn’t going to get you very far.
Unless your power starts doing regeneration, it strikes me that you can STILL get killed by people with enough power.
been thinking some about that. On the one hand, it’s very possible that since his powersource is violence, he might simply not be capable of using it to fuel healing effects, kind of the opposite of doing harm and all. On the other hand.. and im kinda willing to bet on this… I Think V’s eye might be fine behind that eyelid, all healed up and good to go… but he keeps it closed so he can tempt someone into trying to exploit the blind spot… then open his eye to catch them by suprise and reveal just how Massive a troll he can be :D
Either way I maintain my much earlier opinion of some pages ago that he is Way, Way too blaze about missing an eye to be at all worried about wether he can get it back later, if he cant heal himself then he undoubtedly knows someone how can do it for him. Which is probably why he didnt invite said person to the brawl, both to have them still around to heal him later.. and also to not have her negate the violence that’s been done to various people in the field.
It would certainly fit his apparently very strategic thinking.
So: battleplan. peggy take out the other eye. (Yes i know the first one isn’t gone, but its been shut since the round hit). Scoville, light hook distraction. Pull em tug him lift him. Whatever you need to do. Keep him off balance. Max, anvil and dabby, offense.
He may gain energy, but he’s been taking damage this entire time. You can have all the power in the world, but if your joints, muscles, and senses are caput, you are just as down.
Alternate plan: capsaicin bath dropped from a helicopter and make sure some gets on his injured eye.