Grrl Power #328 – Six cylinder enthusiasm
Sydney recovered pretty quickly from the prior page there, but she’s not one to let trauma get in the way of a callback. It’s not often I throw in a pause panel even though I generally like humor pause beats. A good stare in reaction to someone doing or saying something stupid is usually pretty funny to me, but I tend to cram so much on a page that I never have space for them. In my head, this page and the next were all one scene, but as I started laying it out I realized I had to break it out to two pages which gave me a little extra space. This particular pause is brought to us courtesy of Maxima catching herself and remembering that Dabbler’s alien origins are still classified, and there’s a room full of recruits behind her. I actually almost forgot myself. I’m not sure at what point the people in Arc-SWAT are told. Sydney certainly wasn’t supposed to find out already. Harem knows and she’s only a corporal. Actually the rank of corporal makes some sense. By the time someone hits that rank you’ve mostly sorted out the chaff and the dropouts, and had time to make sure they’re not religiously zealotous or some sort of crazy Earth for humans type. I mean, if they’re on a team with supers they’re obviously ok with a little diversity.
The only thing that doesn’t play right on this page for me is that on the prior one, Sydney was giving this corner of the room a pretty good stare. Though I can tell you as someone with ADD, there have been moments where I’ve looked right past something cause I was concentrating on or expecting to see something else. That may not be ADD, that may just be the way brains work sometimes. Anyway, that’s my excuse. Sydney was looking for some poster or diagram that spelled out why they carry guns and ignored what looks at a glance like an engine block. Oh, and here’s a close up of the stickers on it cause I zoom in too much when I draw:
I’m not sure what those Predatorbusters represent since they obviously haven’t been shooting Predators with that thing. Or have they?
Here’s the link to the new comments highlighter for chrome, and the GitHub link which you can use to install on FireFox via Greasemonkey.
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.
The sign on the gun MOST DEFINITELY is noteworthy for artefacts of resizing — and sould be redrawn at correct scale, I think.
It distracted me from the humor… it’s that bad… re-reading immediately it doesn’t convey the joke as strong…
It is at correct scale, it is just closer to us than it is to them
What he means is that the image was drawn much bigger and then shrunk to that size, which causes image artifacts and fuzziness. It would look better if it was drawn small to begin with.
I took that as duplicating the effect extreme forshortening/forced perspective would have on a camera’s ability to focus with the foreground object being slightly out of focus.
Only if the resizing process was flawed. Which is a matter of how capable Dave’s software is. Judging by his normal results, I doubt that is a problem.
Barring that issue, the reverse is actually true. A small image blown up to large size would lack detail, compared to drawing it in the size displayed. Whereas a large image, reduced to a smaller size, would have a more realistic level of detail.
That is only critiquing your explanation, as it came over, mind. I actually agree with your conclusion, but not the explanation which lead up to it.
If Dave had drawn it at the size displayed, he could have deliberately over-emphasised certain features, to make them more recognisable, from the intended viewing distance.
This is a similar principle to the one used on pictures for road signs. You have to simplify the image, optimising it, to take advantage of humans image processing capabilities.
However a computer or an alien mind (specifically ones which lacked such optimisation) would actually make out the current image easier, in comparison to one optimised for most humans. Likewise those autistic individuals, who process the totality of an image, rather than doing the cartoon shorthand processing, which other folks do.
Overall I think the issue is with lack of cues- the allen wrench, for example, would me more identifiable as an allen wrench if it were with a collection of allen wrenches, as they tend to be (all of them but the size you actually need, natch). Similarly, the gun is just sitting there on bare concrete, ‘near’ (that is, in page layout, not ‘virtual space’) other, larger objects like cabinets and people, without anything nearby that immediately suggests its own scale.
The image would read much cleaner if, for example, it was sitting on a crate of ammo, and there was a greasy rag sitting balled up under it, along with the aforementioned allen wrench set. Those other items in the foreground with it would help give it scale, and allow us to more easily separate ‘front’ from ‘back’ in the image.
If I were to suggest anything it would be a can of WD40 (or a common brand of gun oil*), which is a fairly recognisable product, definitive scale. Whereas a cloth could still be of any size. Likewise a crate of ammo would not really help as, if it were a giant weapon, it would require giant ammo.
The trouble is, of course, that DaveB has to take into account many factors. A lot of which are worsened by adding more details. Time being the biggest issue, of course. But the more visual clutter there is, the more it can distract from the eye lines. And, most importantly, both can weaken the impact of both the drama and the humour.
Non-artists may not appreciate that a lot of work has gone into the composition of that final panel. The human brain is intensely cued up to pick out human faces. Prioritising those which are directed towards the viewer. Which means that Peggy (in the centre of the picture) and Sydney are the ones folks will likely notice first. Especially as the other group are placed further back, and looking at them.
And, Dave is making use of the speech bubble tails, they serve to draw away attention from Peggy and straight to the dynamic between Halo and Maxima. Even when looking at the picture, and not seeking the text.
And of course, that helps to emphasise the difference between Halo’s small face (and even body), in contrast to the HUGE gun, that you are having to peer past to see her. Your eye keeps going back and forth between those two dominant points in the picture.
Even should your eye have started looking at the right hand end of the picture, the eye lines come into play. Every item, every person, is placed to draw your eye right back to where it belongs. Back to Halo and your visual ping pong match between her and the gun. Dave has created a dolly zoom, without machinery!
Even the paleness of the room serves to make the dark gun and Halo’s dark uniform stand out, heightening the effect. The fact that her face is pale does not matter, because of the way we seek those out anyhow. Pick out the body, and the eye automatically seeks out the face.
Further Dave has drawn every single brick, because the perspective lines, that they create, are a subtle contributor to keeping your eyes going in the right direction. Following the sweep of objects, on the right, to end up back to Sydney.
Dave does not want to mess with that composition, by cluttering it up.
* Note that every item which Dave considers, he needs to check out. Neither he, nor I, are gun experts. Would WD40 or some kind of specialist lubricant be used here? Pick the wrong thing and you may find out that it is actually a product used to buff up wooden stocks, and should not go anywhere near a mini-gun.
After that you have to check whether the containers are of such variable size that you would not get an instant feeling of scale. If so, all the above time is wasted, and something else has to be found.
For example, the allen/hex key was almost certainly there for precisely the purposes stated, but, because there are other similar-shaped objects (but of very different sizes), people have been using the HUGE apparent size of the gun to interpret it as a crowbar or a pipe. Rather than the other way around.
Once he finally has an ideal candidate, Dave needs to find a product photo, in the correct orientation and lighting conditions, to make a useful reference. All of which is taking time away from the rest of the picture. And Dave has from six to nine pictures per page, all crammed with detail!
This one I can answer, Yorp.
You would not use WD40 on a gun, except perhaps to help remove corroded metal parts. This is because WD40 is not only a lubricant, it is a penetrant. And on top of that, it isn’t petroleum-based. The son of one of my cousins repairs industrial high-voltage equipment; he says that according to his textbooks, “Its lubricating values only last for about 20 minutes.”
If you get WD40 on a wooden stock, it can gum up and cause damage to the finish. In moist climates, WD40 will mildew and ruin the finish.
It’s okay to use it on the metal parts on the outside of the gun. Also, it’s okay to use it to free stubborn screws and nuts. Just do not get any on the inside, or on any moving parts like the sear, because it will eventually gum up.
There was actually a lawsuit a few years ago in Texas where a hunter sitting in his truck, shot himself in the foot when he accidentally jarred his rifle. It turns out that for years he had been spraying his gun down with WD40 and had never bothered to have it disassembled and cleaned. As a result the WD40 had gummed up, and the surface between the sear and the safety became like a flat plane. (In other words, the safety was not working properly because of the gunk.) This was the cause of the Remington discharging. Had the unlucky shooter bothered to take it to the gunsmith for regular inspection and cleaning, this could have been prevented.
It took two employees at the factory to separate the action from the stock – and this was after the gun was placed in a vice. (That’s how gummy it was.)
Keep WD40 away from your bullets at all costs. A small quantity of WD40 on bullets can neutralize the primers. Test this by putting a few WD40 coated rounds in a zip lock bag for a week. You’re bound to get one or two “sizzlers” at the end of that time.
Bottom line: Don’t use WD40 on a gun unless you have to (such as when you’re trying to disassemble it, and find a rusty screw). There are much better products for rust prevention and lubrication.
The allen wrench kinda fails at setting scale because there is no fixed size for them. I’ve seen one that could be mistaken for a tire iron at one point.
Or everyone is actual size and the gun is actual size, lol :)
that’s a gun I could see Sera’s Victoria using
oops. I honestly had to read that three times before I realised it didn’t say, ‘that’s a gun I could see Victoria’s Secret using’.
Much dyslexia. Understand don’t. World is Doge.
Did somebody call for a doggy?
No, they clearly said Doge:
https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/karishi/527478/1251/1251_900.png
Ahh, so it was you who wanted the doggy. How can I help? I am a very good companion on a walk. And if you need a food tester, look no further!
*wags tail, expectantly*
Nah, you gotta give that bitch a cannon. bitches love cannons.
“It Slices, it Dices, it brings down the wrath of God onto your Enemies. Hi, I’m Billy Mays…”
You’re not Billy Mays, because you’re not shouting.
Ah, yes. In an odd way, I actually miss the guy. Even his THUMBS shout at you.
You forgot to add that it also perforates…With the bullets, of course.
It’s the ultimate in kitchen tools for tenderizing meat.
Love the trigger lol. Made by I Kill Everyone Around too, there’s the allen key.
If that is a Predator killing gun, are you sure that is not an Alien key?
Okay that was pretty good
So is that Maxima’s medium pop-pop gun?
I’ve got ADD as well.. Sometimes I’m in the “miss the trees for the forest” category… I was more wondering where the coffee table came from.. LOL! Not something you see that close to a shooting range alcove.
That gun is HUGE. The handle/trigger system is half as tall as a person.
That’s just a trick of perspective. The handle/trigger system is actually a few feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. The thingy that looks like a pivot pin depressor is actually a section of an NYC subway tunnel.
Man, Dave, your perspective illustration really needs some work.
Nah, if the table top had been more of a different colour from the floor, or their feet hidden behind the table edge, or maybe one of the little plastic drawers of the blue box left open with a couple of nuts/bolts/washers left on the table as well as the Allen key, or a screwdriver or something, it would be clear that it’s a smaller object directly in front of the viewer, not a larger object sitting on the floor.
The perspective illustration is fine, our minds just need another context clue or two to resolve the 2D image into 3D. Once you see it for what it is, it’s very clear.
Judging by the frequency of the comments, I think that this is one of the few candidates that is viable for DaveB giving it an image tweak. Especially as re-colouring the table should be simple.
I think it would also serve to heighten the humour. The image is perfectly set up for the initial impact of ‘OMG, that gun is huge!’ But all too many folks are feeling that it is improbably huge, thus spoiling the intent. The laughs tail off into confusion.
Even those folks who are not coming to that conclusion, will have had an overly- long time re-assessing the image. By which time the pace of the visual humour has been interrupted.
Whereas a subtle re-adjusting of the shade (too far and it looses some of the BIG GUN impact), will allow the same laughing at the ‘OMG it is huge’, but rapidly followed by even more laughing at, ‘oh, that is mostly because it is close to us’. So it keeps the laughs rolling.
“Especially as re-colouring the table should be simple.”
Personally, I think it would be more “normal” that a place like that might have at least a slightly darker-shade of gray paint on the floor, whereas that table would be more like stainless steel.
only after reading this thread i noticed a short line, between one of the “machetes” and the strange “drawer”. the line that separates 2 colours…
proportions to the “drawer” and their shadows was my biggest problem with accepting “its just perspective”. But seeing now that its just a tool box or part box, it now fits perfectly.
Yeah, same here. I looked at it really hard – didn’t notice the table. I *thought* that crowbar was shaped like an Allen key. :)
I think the problem for me was the hardware box was perfectly positioned to look like a set of 3-ft-tall drawers against the wall.
I don’t mean to rag on the art, Dave. Comic is still awesome, and this thread was good for a few laughs. Thanks for making it!
I am sure that Dave will not have taken offence.* Getting feedback is useful to him. And it has all been constructive.
* Seriously. I am sure there were verified Saints who were not as chilled as Dave is.
If that’s the case, then maybe we should petition the Vatican to canonize DaveB as a Saint. After all, the public has succeeded with this tactic with Mother Teresa & Mr. Rogers. It would make “a beautiful day in the neighborhood,” wouldn’t it?
:)
You forget a key requirement. The being dead one.
That might slow our updates!
i don’t mean to offend anyone here, but it wouldn’t want DAVE to be bound to a religion.
vatican can “acknowledge” DAVE being saint but it does not decide whether he actually is or not.
unless they invented the word and got copyright on it… then the word become a meaningless title that only exist for propaganda purposes.
can you think of something that does involve faith?
Nothing really springs to mind. Nobel prizes are for specific categories only. Possibly we could shoehorn him in on the peace one. But that is tainted by past awards to people associated with the opposite. So I think we should spare him that.
Britain has extended the knighthood system though. So members of the public who have done exceptional work in charity, or some other noteworthy activity, can find themselves being honoured.. I imagine that it is implicit that such be either of world wide import, or that has some significance to the UK, if less than that. And we have not managed to spread his fame quite that wide yet.
Plus it might be just as controversial as going for sainthood. I doubt there is any country that England has not pissed off at one point or another. The plus side is that he would qualify, even as an American. The only caveat that he would not be Sir DaveB. But would still be able to append the initials, to his name, to indicate which order of knights he belonged. But probably best to skip that one.
Not sure if the US has something similar? But it would need to be something with a cool title. Nobel Prize winner, Saint and Knight all have world-wide recognition.
The only things I am coming up with, after that, are not really for generic things like “being an exceptionally nice person” they tend to be associated with excellence in a specific profession. So Oscars and the like. But not really applicable for this kind of recognition.
Doubtless, once the readership has gotten high enough for us to get him through the nominations process, he will win a Hugo and Nebula award But that would be for his work, rather than his patience.
Open for suggestions?
But, personally I am hereby nominating him for the title of Eint. As patience and tolerance shows philosophical understanding, I feel this is appropriate. Eint is the title given to the most honoured and respected philosophers, of the Thranx. An alien race in Alan Dean Foser’s Thranx Commonwealth books.
Ever since I first read it, I thought it nice to have a society that values philosophy. Which long predates me actually getting interested in… yawn… philosophy.
To support Dave’s nomination, I cite his activities in lessening the stigma that society places upon people with ADD and ADHD. Plus his support of feminism and his stand against unrealistic and exploitative portrayal of women in comic art
Plus, of course, his patience and tolerance. Which has provided us with this tranquil corner of the internet, to hang out in.
is there anything more fitting for an author of a super hero comic, than to get a title of of a fictional space society of philosophers.?
Eint it is! you have my vote.
For what it’s worth, it made perfect sense to me. I naturally assumed that it was the size of the minigun from every movie ever (especially the original “Predator”). The scale of the people in the background made it very clear how big the room was and how far away Max and Sydney were, so that matched. I even recognized what the stickers were, or at least I was pretty sure.
If anything seemed odd it was the fact that it’s apparently sitting on the floor and pointing *away* form the range.
Regarding the context – sure it looks massive at the start, but a clue as to it’s actual scale is that I used the odd L-shaped-tightening-screwdriver-thing as scale.
That being said, I have no idea what it’s called.
YOU assumed its tiny screw driver.
to me it was like a pipe piece or a crowbar…
+ at the time i didn’t see the “boundary” (see comment above)
I’ve done a bit of DIY here and there, so sort of recognised it as something that’s not a crowbar or a large pipe.
And apparently it’s called a hex key.
https://www.ebanggood.com/uploadfiles/facep/folding-lshaped-hex-key-set-with-ball-end-49205n.jpg
It’s used to tighten the screws and bolts. Each piece of furniture (such as shelving) or equipment comes with only one of these little things. And that only one is unique to that unit. Once you lose it, it’s gone. Which is troublesome when you have a half completed garage shelf.
Ooh, I learnt something new, when looking up Hex/Allen keys:
“The tool can be reconditioned using an electric grinder by removing the worn-out part, and then it works like new”
Probably obvious to you hands-on practical types, but…
*shrugs and holds paws in a gesture of hopelessness*
That’s because the usual wear-out mode of a hex key is getting the corners of the end rounded off (causing it to slip around in the screw head when it is used). Since only the end is affected, and the key is parallel, grinding off the worn end produces a fresh hexagon and restores normal function.
There you go. 8-)
Or you can just go to your toolbox and get another one of the many you have that are the exact same size. I think they are like coat hangers, and reproduce when you aren’t looking.
And then it’s only when you really need them that they grow legs and escape.
Eh, I remember the very first time I saw them and thought: “Hey, someone gave me a broken screwdriver! It’s bent and missing the handle!”
But I was joking…
And this is why I like to use smiley faces everywhere in my post…
Be they lighthearted. :)
A lol moment… XD
Or a cute funny face. :P
Though whether it’s understood that way is another question… o_o
I laughed a little bit. Inside my head.
I don’t say that though, because then people think I am talking about hearing laughing inside my head.
The voices hate it when that happens. :-D
Made me laugh
I think we can all agree that Dabbler is a galactic threat.
If nothing else, she might finally send Maxima over the edge…
dabbler is not a threat to anyone, except her enemies.
and even then you may turn out like barberian.
as for maxima, they reached a stalemate.
Dabbler is a threat to the virginity of any good looking person anywhere.
‘threat” …
“threat”…
Hm. I’m not sure that’s the word I’d use. ;>
Okay, that weapon goes beyond being called something clever like “The Compensator.” Something that unsubtle might as well just be called “The Giant Dick.”
At least, that’s would be the name that the person on the wrong end of that gun would be using to describe the person using it…
well, it has some melee penetrating power.
unsubtle. gotcha. see, that there was the gun I thot Max had meant when she’d asked Peggy if she could hump the Barrett (Final Fantasy)
Pretty sure the Barrett was Peggy’s sniper gun, not this bayonet-wielding, Predator-killing minigun
That minigun would be Chesty Puller’s favorite gun. Of course this is the man that saw a flamethrower and asked, “Where do you put the bayonet?”
You know…. I have to say that I think the only damage done if Max let Sydney get to that thing would be the hernia that the medical facility would have to treat on Sydney.
Hernias usually come in pairs. Even if you only have one hernia rupture & get it taken care of, that just means that the potential of a matching hernia is on the other side of your body.
Lighthook grasp and trigger….bet she could do it….totally freak the enemy out…
Since the gun is upside down, shouldn’t the label be upside down right now?
actually it is correctly placed. the specific weapon may not be the SAME one shown here, but if you watch the scenes in the first Predator movie with Jesse Ventura mowing down the jungle with his mini-gun, that is basically what we see here. the gun hangs from an over-the-shoulder type harness mount (that’s the Y-shaped part pictured going right across Sydney and Maxima’s boots) and you grip the pistol-grip trigger assembly from the top of the weapon, that way you can push DOWN to bring your point-of-aim UP and slight Left motions will translate to the bullets going to the RIGHT downrange and vice versa…
try thinking about how miniguns are usually held.
if you still don’t think the stickers and handle is in the right direction, just google “heavy” (and make sure to look for images)
“try thinking about how miniguns are usually held.”
Um, that way is “they aren’t”. Even with the low-recoil blanks[1] used in the movie the gun was all but uncontrollable. Mind you, Arc-SWAT does have people who could actually carry and use something like that.
[1] Electrically driven gun, the blanks only need to generate muzzle flash.
… what? the hell?
i was commenting on the upside down thing, i have never said it cannot be held!
elsewhere i said it was rather big, but still. maxima, hiro, V if he was part of the team.
even if it was that huge (which i already know its not) obviously there are people who can hold it.
In RL, miniguns are mounted weapons and in the rare cases when they aren’t controlled remotely the grips are the twin handholds you see on many types of heavy machineguns. I’m the one saying you can’t hold it like that, with the one time it was tried being a total failure.
Also, the problem is less in lifting it and more in the fact that you are just going to be randomly spraying due to the recoil.
From what I know of the Predator movie, that’s actually where the trigger IS supposed to go. On top, because its held ort of like a dead lift.
Then again I’m getting my firearms knowledge from a movie starring Arnold Swartzenegger and the weapon was handled by Jesse the Body Ventura so…. I could be wrong.
They need to add a grenade launcher and a cup holder onto that
Don’t forget the mp3 player dock ether. :P
Nooo Infinite scratch, you do not use the CD tray as a cup holder!
We know that any sensible soldier will have the cup holders on either side of his helmet, using tubing to drink his beer hands-free. They should only take their hands off the handles, for essential tasks. Such as removing snacks from the built-in microwave/ toaster-oven.
You’re a friggin’ genius, Yorp. :)
[Thinks to self]
I hope nobody can see through my fur, to see me blushing!
She reveals her hidden nerd card to us again :3
Hooooold on a sec…. how many of those jackets does Max have? That same jacket got toasted from about mid abs down.
No that one had two rows of buttons down the front. She has a lot of leather jackets.
And Archon also supplies most, if not all, of her clothing needs as well.
Don’t worry – i’m sure she’ll have other jackets destroyed in the future so you can see more of Maxima’s abs.
Enlisted and non-commissioned personnel get their uniforms issued to them, and training or combat wear & tear is an acceptable reason to be issued additional uniforms, up to a set amount as ordained by military policy.
Commissioned personnel (officers) get a uniform stipend (once or twice annually) and are expected to buy their own uniforms (and get them tailored to fit well).
That being said, considering the extensive cost of the Archon Super-Uniforms, and the expectation that said uniforms are going to take a regular beating, most likely officers will have their field uniforms issued as well.
Additionally, Max may have up to a couple dozen uniforms, of various types, in her closet, but Arc-Supply will have additionals stored in the Supply Room (Not to be confused with the Weapons’ Locker).
Also, I expect that all sworn personnel have access to the Arc-Suds laundering service, which is responsible for cleaning, mending, maintaining, and monitoring/recording unique damage to military clothing. As an unofficial caution, it is recommended that personnel launder their personal civilian clothing themselves, the Arc-Mat LaundroMat is recommended and inexpensive, or through an outside civilian laundry service.
Time to let Ol’ Painless out the bag!
*shoots a cork out of a cork gun*
Hrm… okay lets take ol’ Painful out of the bag. Oh wait… carrying that on me already.
Actually… lets take ol’ Oh God Kill Me Now And End This Nightmarish Pain out of the bag.
Where is it?
Hey …. where did Sydney go? And where’s Ol’ Oh God Kill Me Now And End This Nightmarish Pain?
Uh oh….
…someone here never watched Predator.
Methinks you are underestimating Pander. She has certifiably passed Sydney-level nerd testing.
Thank goodness Sydney is intelligent and realises that. What Maxima was showing though was a way to intimidate a lot more people than pointing a finger does. But, you certainly are keeping in the spirit of the page, by being pedantic over the terminology, rather than the gist of the lesson. So all is good.
Let me just pick this up and put it where it was meant to be.
*strains, pants, collapses*
I guess I shall just have to make do with putting a copy up there.
It kinda sucks when the only manipulatory appendages you have to pick up & carry things is your mouth, isn’t it?
How about tails? Can we use our tails? (I’m a cat) (=’ ‘=) (And yes, my ears are missing)
Cats dont need weapons. They are weapons.
Carry, yes, but manipulate, no. You should see Buffy, my Jack Russell Terrier (Parson’s Terrier for Americans). Obviously I am biassed, but the only breed which I know to be more intelligent is the Border Collie (the sheep dog). I mention this because it is important to keep them mentally stimulated, if you want them to be happy.
So I get a treat, break it up into bits, and hide the bits in packaging (any small packets, boxes, trays and the like that food, or other things, come in). I then seal it all up again, by folding flaps in and the like. So it is pretty much the same as you would get from a shop, barring any shrink wrap outer cover.
I then give it to Buffy and, as she knows that this means there is a treat in it, she then works at opening it up. Note that she is very sporting about this, and does not rip it open, other than accidentally. She will use one paw, to pin it in place, then use her nose to poke any loose bit. Or she may even use her other paw. But, once a flap is open, that paw will then hold it so it stays open. Then will use her teeth to slide the tray out.
Essentially she duplicates every step that a human would do. Unless it catches, or refuses to undo neatly. In which case, she does not have to resort to looking for a knife or a pair of scissors. Those teeth are very effective. But used to a minimum.
She does not risk throwing the snack loose, by being too violent. As soon as she can get back to gently teasing it open, and examining every corner, she does.
It is entertaining to watch Buffy, as well as being stimulating for her. Plus her tail wags away, so she obviously loves it!
We had a Rat Terrier that would use both paws to hold his Nylabone in a vertical position to make easier chewing. In fact, I grew up in a family that always had a dog as a member of the household, so I’m familiar with the difference between “manipulation” & “carrying.”
:)
Heh, I know you to be dog friendly.
*wags tail*
I was just so surprised to see a dog, using her paws, nose and mouth as efficiently as a person using their hands! The one drawback with using that, as entertainment for her, is that it is over all too fast!
It is like the first time you see a velociraptor, opening a door, using the handle!
Come on, THIS is a dog carrying something as well as a person…
First off that is not a dog, that is a nasty wolf. Secondly packs of wolves prey upon small dogs, like my Jack Russell. Thirdly there was a pack of them howling near my house about half an hour ago.
So I do not endorse a policy of arming wolves with mini-guns!
I stand corrected. No wolves around here (the nearest carnivore would be the urban foxes, and the last time I encountered one it couldn’t run away quickly enough). But we do have more than our fair share of noisy dinosaurs with sharp talons and babies that they just must protect at any cost.
Herring Gulls – and it’s peak nesting time… 8-(
:-D
If Sydney were a bit… let’s call it ambitious, she could go: “I need to know… EVERYTHING!”
She probably would have just about nuff clearance to know of the Stargate and such.
Not like poor sheriff Jack Carter in Eureka, who learns of some new old stuff every episode.
He even KNOWS he needs to get put up to speed on everything sometime soon,
just never gets around to it.
Also, did anybody ever wonder how the hell they’d actually TRAIN (with) their superpowers?
We have seen how the X-Men train with their danger room. I imagine Dave’s techniques will be even cooler than that. Not to mention funnier.
I always found it odd that the X-Men essentially created hard-light construct hologram technology, like the Holodeck in Star Trek… and instead of selling it and making themselves beloved by the population by having a wonderful entertainment device as well as training device…. they just use it to beat up fake Sentinels in an underground bunker.
Actually I think mutants might deserve to be shunned for just being plain stupid. There are so many ways they could make themselves so economically viable to the rest of the world. :) Other than fighting. Heck, they build a super-advanced jet fighter and wonder why people don’t believe that they’re peaceful. Actually HOW DID THEY BUILD THAT THING ANYWAY?
> I found it odd that the X-Men [were idiots]
This is true of pretty much every comic universe. Have you read With This Ring? It’s about a guy from our world suddenly waking up in the DC universe with an orange power ring. He does the superhero thing, but a lot of his time is spent trying to get the world up to speed on magic, spreading use of the available schizotech, etc.
WTR isn’t mine, but I’ve actually started my own shot at “what would happen if superpowers existed in the real world?” [The Change Storms /shameless_plug] The premise is “Probability storms periodically roll through; being caught in a strong one will give you superpowers and might also turn you into a horrific monstrosity and/or kill you. Being around anyone who has Changed will eventually cause you to Change with the possible monstrosity/death side effects.” In many ways it’s similar to Dave’s take on it — no one would wear spandex, traditional supervillains wouldn’t really be a thing because it’s easier to make money legally, and there would be a government-sponsored group of supers who respond to floods, riots, etc.
Aww, I like the X-Men. Original flava and the movies. Although I have not bought paper comics since … um…. some time in the previous millennium.
From your summing up, I could see that a lot of people would not want to be near ANY supers (for example members of any religion or sect which held them to be ungodly or even demonic). Plus the ratio of super powers to ‘EEEK!’ will be very important in determining how popular or unpopular they are, to the rest of the population.
Likewise how long before the contagion was passed on. And whether the dosage was cumulative, or if it reset, if you had a break. And whether you had to hang around with the same super, for some time, or if you could get exposure from brief, but regular, contact with many different heroes.
Do they have much problem with fanboys? Unwanted individuals hanging around, surreptitiously, hoping for super powers to rub off on them?
Heh. So quite a few factors. Please feel free to consider the above rhetorical musing. I would not wish to tempt you into accidentally revealing spoilers, if that is a possibility.
And no problems with plugs, I am sure many of us will check the link out. :)
Much of this is background stuff — setting, not plot — so I don’t really consider it spoilers. It’s also pretty much all in the existing books.
Probability radiation (p-rads) are the same regardless of source. You get them from storms, and from Gifted (the people with powers but no deformities) and from Twisted (the people who got powers and deformities). They accumulate in your system until you Change.
Everywhere on the planet has a certain background count of p-rads; it varies from place to place, with some places being “hotter” or “colder”. Given enough time away from specific sources, your rad count will regress to the background, so the normals who are part of the SRD staff (and are therefore in frequent contact with supers) regularly spend some time in a cold zone in order to dump rads. The only problem with this is that ‘colder’ areas can be hard to survive in long-term…and with that I will stop, since now we *are* edging into spoilers. :>
As to your question about fanboys — something like that is going to be addressed in the next book.
Cool, thank you very much.
I have been told I will be getting a hand-me-down tablet, or some such device, but it will have to wait until I next visit my family, to pick it up. Not wishing to risk loosing it, in the post.
Mind you, I have no idea why folks say that is necessary for reading things from the Amazon. I know you can get tarantulas in bunches of bananas. Perhaps it is something like that, and you have to use that to swat bugs?
Or, maybe, it is dual purpose, and it serves as a convenient reading stand, for the book? I very much need something like that, as my reading eyesight is deteriorating, to the point where I am considering getting glasses. But, either way, I look forward to finding out.
David K. Storrs I looked at the link for your books. May I suggest a visit to LousyBookCovers.com and CoverCritics.com? The story sounded interesting in your comment but the covers and the teaser text could use a lot of improving.
X-Men is a tale of racism, so people don’t want to accept them. So using their powers for employment purposes isn’t always possible. Also, there weren’t at one point enough to them to really make it a career choice and again there aren’t.
In neither universe (Marvel or DC) there just aren’t enough metas to make a profitable sports team, and if a meta used their power for legal employment it would just be a few, and really, they’d only get paid so much.
You have the powers of the Flash, sure there’d be a few companies that may want that fast of delivery willing to pay more for it, but do you really think many would pay that much more than minimum wage (or slightly above) for delivery that’s just a bit slower?
Then there’s unions they’d have to fight for other jobs “What pay just him, when you can pay all these other people for the same job?”
There’s also the saying of “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Then there are just the pricks. Look at Lex Luthor, all that genius, has cured the uncurable and doesn’t release the cures, instead looks to turn them into a pill one has to continuously buy.
Supers in the real world, unless the majority of people are super, would likely not be as golden as one thinks it would be. Now in Grrrl Power it could be different, as there seems to be so many supers they can have super speeders from every country for the Olympics.
I am pretty sure it would have to be the super-Olympics. Just like we separate out the Olympians and the para-Olympians. In order to provide a fair playing field. If one person is born 100 times faster, and never has to train, because she is blessed with a perfect physique, then it is hardly fair to pit them against someone who has to train 14 hours a day, all year round, to maintain their standard and increase their speed by 1/10th of a second
Doubt if every country would have a super speeder, but many might. And they might open it up to allow the use of any powers that can assist. Simply to broaden the number of potential competitors in each event. Barring ones which perverted the intent too far. So no teleporting in the running races. Unless that actually was the only way to have a close competition!
Otherwise it would be oh, this guy is born 100 times faster than normal, and the next fastest was born 80 times, then it drops to 30. So every race has the medals get handed out in that order. And the viewers get to see it all only by slow motion replay! All the track events, and ceremonies, having been completed in under a minute.
Spiderman hits one of his two berserk buttons and because he’s a loner with a creepy theme is an easy target.
in the 60’s JJ’s two berserk buttons make a horrfying sense. JJ’s best friend is black and JJ’s two berserk buttons are masked vigilantes and racism. Makes a lot more sense at that point doesnt it. He has other contributed factor. Spiderman menaces him. ( Knowing the identity drops it down to pranks)
Oh there are plot holes in all sorts of comics, yes. But I find X-Men to be particularly grating because of how they (both the good guys and the bad guys) play the victim card…. yet do things which very much warrant people being justified to do what they do in response to them (at least the government).
Waah waah, you’re persecuted becuase you’re mutants? No… maybe you’re persecuted because people get nervous about a guy who can control other people’s minds, or a girl who can phase through anything and break into houses or destroy electronic equipment, or a woman who can control the weather and cause hurricanes and has thought of herself as a literal goddess and speaks like she’s in a shakespearan play (no meglomania there), or a guy who has death beams coming out of his eyes if he doesnt have a pair of ruby glasses over them. Yeah…. these things are worthy of making people nervous. Oh god, please don’t have the government actually REGISTER these people so the public knows what they can do. Why the heck not – they have people register when they own guns.
Oh yeah, but they’re peaceful. That’s why they have a massive underground bunker under their ‘school’ that would make the Branch Davidian cult blush. And of course a plane which can outfly any military jet. Nothing to get nervous about. We come in peace.
And of course there’s the actual BAD mutants, like Magneto, Mr. I want to kill all humans because the nazis were bad and were human. He alone justifies every single thing the government ever does in the comics. I mean… I know the X-men is supposed to be referencing jews and black people and stuff like that for bigotry. But the difference is jews and African Americans don’t have the ability to teleport into your house and melt your face with a glance. The Japanese who were interned in the US during WW2 did not have the ability to turn a building into spaghetti or whatever. :)
Sure, Superman might make Lex Luthor nervous (although it’s more that Superman makes Lex Luthor envious, not nervous), but at least Superman understands why Batman keeps a piece of Kryptonite to take him out just in case and doesnt get all pissy about it (heck, I believe that Superman’s the one that gave Batman the kryptonite in the first place). And Superman at least understands why people might be nervous around him and doesnt lament how he’s a victim when he’s clearly not :) Bruce Banner might consider himself a victim, but at least he also understands why people fear the Hulk (since he fears being the Hulk a well because he has no real control while being the Hulk except making sure the Hulk doesnt kill anyone). Iron Man doesnt play a victim – he’s just a douche and proud of that. :)
Spider-Man… okay Spider-Man actually IS a victim because JJJ goes out of his way to be a jerk to him. If JJJ’s problem with him was just ‘there’s no way to keep this guy from doing whatever he wants’ – that’s one thing. JJJ’s problem is .. I have no idea what JJJ’s problem is – he just hates Spiderman because … reasons. Although there was this one comic where Monet St. Croix (a mutant who has the rare ability to understand why people fear mutants and superpowered heroes – she just doesnt particularly care that they do since she’s so awesome and stuff) basically tells Spider-Man that most of his problems with JJJ are his own fault since it’s the mask that’s making people like JJJ nervous, compares how the press reacts to Captain America or Iron Man (or even to herself – a muslim woman who admits that she’s thinks that almost everyone’s inferior to her, regardless of whether she has or doesnt have powers) to how they react to him despite all the good he does – pointing out the mask and secret identity being some of the major reasons for paranoia. She also mentions the same thing about Xavier’s school, and that maybe if the school spent enough money on Public Relations and an Ad Agency as they did on their underground bunker, they wouldnt be feeling as persecuted. Did I mention, I think Monet St. Croix is several types of awesome?
Then there are comic-based worlds like Grrlpower – where the author actually makes everything make sense, and the supers are smart enough to have publicity agents and government backing and registration of their powers and identities, and the government isnt the de facto bad guy. And most importantly there doesnt seem to be any emo factor. They like having their powers. Most supers seem to not be psychopaths. They don’t promote vigilantism (which is one sure way to make people nervous about supers and why the Avengers or Heroes For Hire arent feared in comics, while X-Men are or Spider-Man is). They have a common sense idea of how to introduce themselves to the public without causing panic. Everything makes sense (or at least is justifiably silly). :)
I dunno. X-Men just rubs me the wrong way. Okay – my comic nerd rage rant is over :)
That is not policy. In fact even Sydney had a guarantee that she would not have her liberty infringed, for such purposes. Archon did however indicate that they would get a court order to investigate Tubey. But that is justifiable as it is a ‘suspicious package,’ that was doing mighty suspicious things, all by itself.
The heroes identities are known, simply because they are cops and not working under cover. So are just keeping to the norms of society. They have not been registered as supers. Although, in the interests of transparency, they have revealed some, but not all, of their powers, to the general public.
None of this has been done for Arc-Dark or Arc-Light.
What ‘registration’ there has been is the recording of the capabilities of individuals conducting ostensibly illegal activity. Again a perfectly acceptable act. We have had no indication that they are doing anything similar for law abiding members of the public.
Hopefully, if the innocent managed to avoid being charged, they might not keep any criminal record. In Europe, law enforcement are not entitled to keep information, on innocent individuals, so all the data regarding them would have to be destroyed, after a set period of time. That probably will not happen here though, as it is acceptable in US society to retain such information.
Actually it does seem to be the policy that people with powers get registered if they ever USE their powers for either crimefighting or as part of a crime (even if they were found to not be acting under their own intent). As was seen during the car park fight, and afterwards they ALL had to be debriefed.
Plus like you said, with Sydney, Arianna could have gotten a court order if she wanted to.
I agree that if the supers never use their powers, they wouldnt have a record – after all, Archon was surprised at how many supers there were in the fight – obviously a lot (or most) of them never had ANY record of using their powers publicly.
Yup, I did mention that they are recording super criminal acts and thereby effectively creating a register of super criminals. But that is in accordance with current police record keeping procedures of crime means, methodology and criminals.
Vigilantism is a crime, so this applies to those ‘crimefighters’ too. I imagine Heatwave, Mr Amorphous and Achillies all have records, as a result.
Likewise organisations, of all sorts, keep track of the capabilities, that their employees offer to utilise in the performance of their duties. This is as necessary for super powers as it would be to know what formal education and training they have had.
The key part though is that there is no discrimination being applied to supers. The same rules apply to them, as to everyone else in society.
Note that in the car park they were discussing ways and means of avoiding charging the innocent. A debriefing does not, in itself, create a register. It will create a record of the crimes, and the events surrounding it.
There is a key distinction, to be made at this point though. And that is should any of that data be recorded in a way where the names (and any personal information) of the innocent be electronically stored, in a manner in which it could be searched for their data, then that is creating a registry.
As an US organisation, Archon are entitled to do that. An European organisation would only be allowed to do that if:
1) the record was for a specific legal purpose (say keeping a list of witnesses)
2) it retained no more information than was necessary for that purpose (for the example, details of super powers most definitely would not be permitted, as that has nothing to do with their role as being a witness).
3) It was kept for no longer than was necessary, for the specific purpose required (the statutes of limitation would provide an upper bound for how long such is appropriate, with applications to the courts, for extensions in special circumstances, such as witness protection or appeal against conviction needs).
4) it is destroyed, in an irrecoverable manner, once that time period is up.
5) Every effort must be made to keep the information secure and to prevent unauthorised access. Only those people with a need to know would legally be able to check that information. (If witness protection is required, then police would be allowed to access it. Should police try to access it, without such reason, they are committing a criminal act. They can go to jail for doing so. And they do, in Europe.)
This isn’t a ‘Europe is better than the US’ type of statement. It is simply because it illustrates the critical thinking process required to identify if a de-facto registration is being created.
Which, for the unfortunate innocent victims in the car park (such as the super barber), may well be done by Archon, simply because they are not socially used to, nor legally required to think and act in such a way as would prevent that.
Sydney’s orbs are an exception to the majority of supers, in that they provide her power. And as objects, of a suspicious nature, their is a legal loophole, to allow investigation. But that would only extend to opening Tubey up and verifying that there was not something illegal in there.
Once Archon had checked that there were (for example) no explosives, drugs, or other items which contravened current laws, then the court should not permit them to proceed on a fishing trip. They would need to justify any further investigation very specifically.
Note that ‘being able to follow their owner, iin a safe manner, and resist being stolen’ provide absolutely no proof or even suspicion of criminal intent, nor illegal activity. Saying they ‘may be able to do other things’ provides no justification for confiscation, examination or investigation.
The same would be similarly true of any other super, as regards to attempts to examine them and their powers. Systematic attempts to find loopholes, to justify probing for powers, would constitute harassment and a gross infringement of their civil liberties.
Note that, should Halo discover the functions of her green and brown mystery orbs, she is under no obligation (unless stipulated in her contract) to advice Archon of what those capabilities are. She is free to offer to use them to perform her duties, or not, at her own discretion. Always subject to the normal laws of the land, of course.
I am sure though that Archon will have a proviso, in any contract, that says powers which are intended for use, during the course of their duties, must be investigated, to ensure that they comply with all health and safety regulations. And to ensure that they are fit for purpose.
Yep – that right there is WHY the entire ballroom scene with Sidney and the orb reveal makes perfect sense. They had no legal reason (or need) to force the tube open. The bank robbery (specifically Sidney’s panicked and non-powered reaction) proved that whatever “it” was…. was not dangerous. So…. they acted as a spy would instead of a cop.
Step 1 – Invite Sidney to ARCHON (and incidentally go through x-ray and magic scans)
Step 2 – Ask nicely in a setting she is comfortable and encouraged to talk
NOTE – Keep Maxima on guard and in arm’s reach at all times just…. in case. :P (which they did)
– Sidney obviously liked the camera and being interviewed so… put her in front of an audience! That entire group looked like it had been pulled together to get every flavor of “good cop/ shoulder rub cop” in position to ask leading questions to Sidney. AND in such a way she would be open to recruiting after they figure out her power. Supers are both rare and valuable enough to more then justify the effort. (The recruit class is all of three people after all)
“I have no idea what JJJ’s problem is – he just hates Spiderman because … reasons.”
I don’t remember the exact issue, but JJJ had outright said (talking to himself out loud while alone…except for the readers on the other side of the 4th wall) that he’s actually jealous of Spidey. JJJ knows that Spidey acts selflessly & has saved the city (& on occasion, the whole world) numerous times. Spidey has also saved JJJ’s life on a frequent basis.
Jonah knows all of this…and he’s jealous that he himself isn’t more like Spidey.
To Yorp: Still would need the right metas with the right powers and enough of them to hold any kind of tourney. In most universes with super heroes, that just isn’t the case.
Pander: X-Men movie said it best…people don’t require a permit to live. Make a mutant be put on a registry for all to see, maybe it’s time to put anyone outside the norm on a registry for all to see. :p
As for Sydney, I would think in a world that made sense with it’s superpowers, the government would confiscate Halo’s balls. They don’t trust her with a gun, yet they trust her with the alien tech? This is why they have Archon. To beable to take such items away from people, which they legally could do, and I’m surprised they haven’t if the idea is “this is a realistic approach to supers.” :p
Probably the super-Olympics would be more like a demonstration game, than a competitive one. As you say there probably would not be enough competitors, nor with close enough power levels, for there to be any sense of fair competition. But the spectacle would probably draw the crowds and viewers, none the less.
Of course, those events which did have variability, in potential winners, would be the ones of most interest. So I suspect the decathlon would be particularly popular. Although Maxima, with both super reflexes/speed and super strength, would be a likely contender for gold. But it does match her complexion.
What could be done though is the creation of a team event, specifically for the purpose of allowing countries capable of fielding sufficient supers, to actually have a balanced competition. But one which would allow many different types of powers to contribute, without any one dominating.
Just, for gods’ sake do not allow J.K.Rollins to head the committee designing the game!
TRI-BALL
Three types of ball, three goals and three terrains (land, water and air).
Arena: Much bigger than current football pitches. The right-hand corner of each end is a lake. The lakes are connected by a canal. Either side of the canal is a footpath, wide enough for the BIG Ball to roll down. The bottom, and sides, of the lakes, and the canal, are sufficiently curved and sloped to allow the BIG Ball to be rolled out.
The surface of the rest of the pitch is gradually sloped, such that it forms a bridge over the entire length of the canal. With a retaining wall at the ends, to protect against falling from the upper level into the lake.
The BIG Ball: Bigger than a person, with a dense core. But a spongy enough exterior, to minimise risk of crushing injuries, even if it runs over someone. Starts the game in the centre of the pitch, on the surface (not in the canal tunnel below it). Must always remain on the ground (including the bottom of the water or, if frozen, the surface of the ice).
If a single player is capable of lifting it, they may do so, but must remain on the ground (/ice). No jumping, flying, teleporting (or the like) or throwing of the ball allowed. If a second player touches it, the ball must be brought immediately down to the ground, for as long as that continues.
May not be directly transmuted, concealed or otherwise have it’s intrinsic properties altered by super powers.
If it enters a BIG Goal, it gives victory time equal to one third of the base match time (excluding injury time or extra time). This does not stop play for the other balls. Umpires will return the big ball to the centre.
The team with the current lowest victory time may assist. Their opponents may not interfere, and must assist in removing any obstructions, that are impeding the movement of the ball or blocking it’s path. With victory time penalties matching any unreasonable delay.
Once returned to the centre, the team which lost the goal gets to kick off the BIG Ball.
The Home Ball: Basket-ball sized. Both teams have one, distinctively coloured for the team, and starting in one of their own goals, of their choice. All the time it is outside one of their goals, counts as victory time for the opposition, except for when in the opponent’s goal.. All time spent in the opponent’s BIG Goal counts double victory time for the ball owners. And treble for either of the other goals.
As with any ball the may not be deliberately removed from the arena, and must be promptly returned to play if accidentally out of play. Such time does not count towards victory time.
An infallible means of tracking the location of each of these balls must be agreed upon prior to the match. Typically this will be an electronic IFF transmitter, but other means may be used. With the principles that the players must not be able to utilise that themselves, nor interfere with it, via their powers.
Tri-Balls: Tennis ball sized, buoyant. May not be concealed, or changed. May be transported directly by powers (including teleportation) up to, but not including, the penalty area. One third of the balls are neutral coloured and start in the centre of the pitch. The others are evenly divided, coloured according to each team’s colour, and start in their own goals, of their choice.
Every time that a Tri-Ball enters a goal that does not match it’s colour, it gives a small time bonus to it’s team* (as per it’s colour at the time). It then changes colour to match the goal.
The BIG Goal: The only goal big enough for the BIG Ball. It is at ground height, shaped like a football (soccer) goal but bigger.
The Sky Goal: Similar to a basketball goal, but higher.
The Lake Goal: Similar to an ice-hockey goal, but at the surface height of the lake. Attached to the (out-of-bounds) ground at the defending team’s end, and surrounded by water on all other sides.
Players in possession of a ball may be tackled. Any powers must be directed towards the environment, the balls (where permitted) the user, or their allies. Never directly against an opponent. However it is permitted for them to be hampered by the results of using a power. So grass could be made to entwine them, or they could be contained within a conjured cage.
Intellectual rights reserved Yorp 2015
* Equal to one third of the base match time, divided by the total number of Tri-Balls.
I’m personally a big fan of the ‘Cut Lex Luthor a Check’ trope.
Btw, I should mention there’s a comic where Lex Luthor actually does kill Superman. Then turns the world into a Utopia without Superman around to have him obsess over :)
Also, when Lex Luthor became President, he actually almost eliminated unemployment and the crime rate was down to its lowest figures in 50 years. :) Heck, he had Pete Ross as his running mate (who’s the goodiest of goody two shoes who ever gooded a good, and also superman’s childhood best frend). Lex also employs about 2/3rds of the entire city of Metropolis, whether they know it or not, and practically built Metropolis into what it is – and it’s a pretty darned good accomplishment compared to other cities in the DC Universe, like Central City, Gotham City, Fawcett City, High City, Coast City, Bludhaven, Coral City, Midway City, etc. Heck. Pretty much all cities in DC other than Metropolis are really not great places to live in – the only good non-Metropolis places are the small towns like Leesburg and Blue Valley and other folksy places like that. :)
Then of course Luthor went insane due to Kryptonite poisoning, since he kept Kryptonite in his pocket at all times because of his Superman-obsessive paranoia. Then he puts on that purple/green suit and goes all supervillain.
Speaking of LL and Supes and rational behavior and all that….
If you haven’t read The Metropolitan Man by alexanderwales [sic], you really should. That a fanfiction.net link, so it’s free. It’s the story of “what would the Superman mythos look like if Superman arrived in the 1930s and Luthor was NOT psychotic?” Very well done.
With Archon, at least they’re military so it would explain why they have all this high tech stuff :) Plus they probably have fortified bunkers as well, and obviously they have places out in the desert for training exercises (as we’ve seen).
Maybe you could try cramming less onto one page? Like, this page would work fine with just the first and last panels. None of the rest of it is meaningful. It’ll become meaningful if and when the heroes are in a fight against extraterrestrials, and at that point it can be conveyed way more effectively–
Halo: “Do they even know what guns are?”
*Maxima points gun at alien*
*Alien makes a worried facial expression*
Maxima: “Yep.”
Noooo! I love panel two. Sydney looks so cute peeking over the table! Plus the banter goes to character development, showing that Maxima’s nerd roots will come out in the presence of someone proud to be a nerd. And, finally, the section you wish to remove actually has plot relevance!
It is showing that Sydney is included in ongoing analysis, of one of the most contentious secrets in US history! Halo has not been told ‘you have become aware of something that you should not know, and must never discuss it again.’
Rather Maxima has, by this scene, made it clear that Sydney is ‘in the loop’, and will remain there. Whilst we have had other indicators that things are going this way, the significance of lowering her voice, does indicate that Sydney is cleared for things that are not general knowledge within Archon.
Clearly being privy to such top-level secret information has profound implications for Halo’s role, both within Archon and the US in general (be it government, military or security services, as may be applicable). This, in turn, may cause social and professional resentment with her fellow recruits.* Especially given Sydney’s inept (if comical) handling of it.
This is rather like trying to chop out the talk about fast food, in Pulp Fiction. That is one of the signatures of Quentin Tarantino’s writing. Just as this type of scene is a subtly powerful, if under-appreciated, characteristic of Dave Barrack’s writing.
* And other individuals such as those generals, senators and governors who are not cleared for such information.
“…showing that Maxima’s nerd roots will come out in the presence of someone proud to be a nerd.”
Well, Sydney DID tell Max that when you admit to being a nerd, you say it with pride.
well, we already know that max has a bit of a nerd in her, but how does this page show it?
She’s arguing in a semantic argument. That’s nerdy. :)
Just so. Try that kind of stuff on a non-nerd boss, and you will not be doing yourself any favours! And, if they have a sense-of-humour bypass too, then you could get a bollocking (a.k.a. a telling off). Worse still, in a military environment, as it could be considered insubordinate.
Although all the above is just in general. Sydney and Maxima do have a very different dynamic, part of which is a connection, that Maxima realises is best maintained by speaking nerd to Sydney. Courtesy of their Gwen Stacy talk.
I am also waiting for a nerd-drop from our General who has a green-woman fetish…
Mmm, I suspect that he is stuffy enough that his inner nerd is well and truly locked up in the closet! Perhaps with his my little pony collection. Generals do need to preserve an air of gravitas, if they wish to be taken seriously (up and down the chain of command).
Although charismatic extroverts can skip that bit, General Faulk does not seem to be cut from that cloth.
Oh, I’m betting that he got this job because he tends away from the norm…
I hear you. One problem though is that the story is very nerd-heavy. Mainly because Sydney is the principle protagonist. The usual foil to that would be her boss, but Maxima does let her nerd out, in scenes like these.
Of course all of Sydney’s potential love-interests are nerds (Tony, Leon and, for those who put him in the frame, Joel).* Whilst the other protagonists are not themselves nerds, that we know of, they are nerd-friendly.
Peggy though is, refreshingly, a nerd foil. She really was not interested in super powers, in the least. Plus Anvil, Arianna, Super Hiro, Stalwart and Mr Amorphous all show signs of being responsible adults, who may not feel the urge to sit around a table playing dungeons and dragons. They may not even play computer or console games!
*offers smelling salts, to anyone feeling a bit woozy*
But, of all of them, General Fulk is the one who most could anchor the unit to a ‘real military feel’. Note that I am not suggesting he should not have nerdy aspects. In particular, he must have a very broad mind, to allow Maxima the scope for such a relaxed unit with informal, improvised discipline.
However he is the one the chain of command will be looking to, for answers, on such matters. If he can come across as sound, solid, and dependable, then he stands a better chance of convincing his peers, and superiors (let alone those under his command) that he is not a lax and ill-disciplined weirdo himself.
Sadly nerdy behaviour falls outside of that remit. He must be careful to only let his inner nerd out on Thursday nights, behind well closed curtains. But we can always hope for a slip up. That would be funny!
:-D
* Wolverine isn’t of course. But having him as an aspirational love-interest… oh yea, that is nerdy. Try placing that on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being a non-nerd.
Then try to figure out the number for somebody, who’s aspirational love interest is a fictional super hero, who’s s aspirational love interest is, in turn, a fictional super hero!
As if anybody could be THAT nerdy!
Can I replace Wolverine as a love interest with Thor? Because Wolverine is sorta short and hairy and smells bad. Or heck, Spider-Man has a ‘smexy’ thing going on.
You certainly may. Be wary of a man in a mask though. He may not be who he claims!
Although, I guess that is all part of the appeal. ;-)
Thank you Fezzik…. I mean Yorp.
Don’t worry, I won’t let it go to my head.
It fits so nice, he said I could keep it.
Can’t forget about the General being a closet Trekkie, though.
Nope. Not buyin’ it. The guy’s got a fetish for green Star Trek babes.
Don’t forget there are two issues. One being is he a nerd? The point as to the green woman does have bearing.* The other is how much he hides that. It is my contention that society and military necessity is likely to have made him keep it under wraps.
Just for information, to any younger readers, take this tip. Do not put “Hobbies: Dungeon and Dragons and role-playing games” on your Curriculum Vitae (Resume). Whilst I did (and to this day still do) consider that it can be a powerful asset, it is not always perceived as such.
I know categorically that I lost one (lucrative) job offer because the interviewer picked up on that, and clearly did not like it. Whilst I am very good at arguing the pros for it (there are many and it is easy), he had his back up. I went from confident I had the job to knowing that I did not, over that point.
This is not to say you should not bring it up in the interview. But judge your prospective employer. If he or she is clearly nerd friendly, then do not hesitate. If you cannot tell, then pick something else to bring up.
Faulk would not have reached flag rank if he did not make similar judgement calls. With ONE exception I know that Dungeons and Dragons and roleplaying is viewed favourbly amongst many military personnel. If that holds true in senior officer ranks, throughout his likely career path, I will bow to anyone’s personal experience as to that regard.
But, for anyone trying to judge how favourably nerds are treated, do realise that you may have a distorted view of your own experiences. Your nerd experiences will be positive, enjoyable and stand out in your mind. You may over-estimate just how many fellow nerds there are.
More importantly though, ant-nerd sentiment is easily disguised, as with any prejudice. You may have suffered from it, without even realising it.
* And, given that he imagined Tubey containing ponies, he may also have broney tendencies too.
And, given that he imagined Tubey containing ponies, he may also have broney tendencies too.
Given the small text at the bottom of the page, I’m guessing he’s the one with grandkids.
The problem is that the banter kills the flow instead of adding to it. Also, it’s in like every page. Everything just gets relentlessly overexplained, and it goes on and on and on. Even in the action scenes, the pages are all about how things work instead of about what is happening. It’s terrible writing. It’s too much detail.
Only if your expectations are the destination, rather than the journey.
My expectations are that the journey actually happens instead of just being theorized about in dialogue, and that it’s paced well and keeps my attention, and you don’t go into a page worth of detail about every single tiny inconsequential thing.
That is a reasonable stance to take, and it is fair that you stick to it. Dave needs feedback from all his fans and I would not want anybody to feel browbeaten into not speaking up. A very real, if unintended, consequence of myself and others (but mostly me) being so vocal in his support.
In this case, as with many aspects of the comic, there were many hidden layers and aspects of it, ready to be unpeeled. But, if after having them pointed out, you are still left with an unsatisfied feeling, that is good to know.
Personally I am here for the small details. That is what was promised in the ‘about’ page, and Dave has delivered. But he does take into account all feedback, so pointing out that you feel it has gone too far, is constructive, and you might see a change.
i think him getting the job in Archon was supposed to be his punishment.
They needed someone “capable” (he became the general somehow) but not too hasty with punishing the subordinates for having a personality.
(under the previous page i already explained why that.)
As everyone here has either superpowers, or skills bordering with supernatural.
They don’t need to be told that they are special to know it, and if they got a “normal” general… he could get send to hospital for using “girls” as an insult. (you know, the stereotypical yelling at everyone calling them “ladies” or maggots).
Then there are people like the leon, who can really ruin your day, or dabbler who can (AND WOULD!!!) cause a mess like this earth has never seen.
ofc, i don’t think they would go all out villain, but you still need to be careful.
thankfully Maxima is both powerful and tolerant (except already known), giving everyone all the reasons to respect her.
this comment was attached in a wrong place, but at least to the right person.
Yorp June 20, 2015 at 1:50 am
Possibly someone might have set him up, to take the fall, if they felt the whole thing was not going to get off the ground, and they needed a fall guy. That kind of thing has happened. And he might have been exceptional enough (along with such of the team as were on board at that stage), to push it through to fruition.
So possible and interesting if that did happen.
But, barring that scenario, I think that half the officers in any branch of the military would be willing to chew their arm off, if it would allow them to set up and command an entire new branch of the military! Especially one composed of mostly supers!
Officers, like everything in this world, will come in various shades from good to bad. Some sexist, or incompetent, or corrupt. But others none of the above. And, if you have the pick of the best, across all services, you will find ones who lack any of the bad traits, and who are exceptionally good at key ones critical to their job.
Who are the kind of people that Archon recruit. And the guy who has headed up that process is General Faulk. I think we can take it that he is pretty good, at that part of his job, whatever else may be true of him.
amongst some other things i could say:
if you have 2 problems, see if you can make them solve each other.
when normally a general would be required to keep the soldiers disciplined, his lack of “professionalism” would be considered a negative, a flaw, a problem.
something that need to be rid of.
however, then they just so happen to open a new “branch, which unexplored and not very established. And if the used a “better” general in this position… i don’t need to explain that for the 3rd time do i?
while how he takes it is still up to debate, i am pretty sure it wasn’t supposed be a “promotion”
so, is this a case of “everyone has a good and bad traits”…
or is it “some traits can be seen as either good or bad, depending on the situation?
i think its “some traits…”
No need to explain it again. I just did not find the premise you proposed to hold together credibly. So I tried to keep the spirit of it (the general being sent there by people who disliked him), in the nearest scenario I could envisage to do that.
But if you want to keep it strictly as you suggested it simply is not believable to me. You do not assign people to prestige postings as a punishment detail.
This organisation has been set up by laws passed at the highest level of society. It has had billions of dollars pumped into it. It has it’s own research and development organisation. Not one but two intelligence services under it’s command. It represents an entire new branch of the military.
Further it concentrates the majority of the country’s public sector supers under the one roof.. The person who successfully oversees that organisation can very credibly run for president someday!
And you think it will be treated like some fuel dump in Alaska? The place you send officers to, when they need to be punished. Sorry, not buying it.
That said, I am only giving you my opinion. I love everyone having their own take on things. Especially as I do get things wrong, so it may actually play out the way you suggest. And here are other parts, of your concept, such as not choosing a sexist officer, which make great sense. But (in my mind) only if taken in isolation and not if it is all meant to hang off of:
alright, i guess the word “punishment” was a bit out of place.
still, i believe that they moved him because his attitude did really fit the “standard” military. and then just like adding 2+2 they decided to make him useful.
or there may be the possibility that its the move that made him that way.
why i was thinking it could be a punishment is because very few of the Archon recruits are disciplined, meaning he would have to deal with people talking back with no respect whatsoever. dabbler for example.
Getting that position could be seen in 2 ways. (that i can think off)
-in one way, its (as already explained) kind of a survival game, in which if you do something wrong, offend one of them or otherwise get them pissed, you may end up with a bone broken or 2. as normally, in military you don’t have time, to fantasize about super powers, being put in there all of a sudden and you have to adapt or “die”.
-the other way is to think that you were “the chosen one”.
that you are the only one who can do it, and to do so with a pride.
(although, judging by his expressions, it may be something in between. not quite a “survival games” but surely a load of headache.)
now, saying that it is important to get someone fit in the job is a valid reasoning, however doing so while bringing pain to someone you dislike… its a win win.
Actually I LOVE the banter.
Hmm… this comic somehow highlights the thing I always wondered about Dabbler.
Do they really take her seriously?
I mean that is a govermental organization that works with people who have phenomenal abilities. Some of those abilities’ manifestation can be considered “magical” in appearance, some manifest as supernatural proficiency at things (e.g. Math, and some super-genii and gadget-making heroes that might arise).
And then there is Dabbler, who claims to be an alien demon.
Would they not automatically assume that she is merely an unusual superhero with some psychological …issues like compulsive lying and/or confabulations?
I assumed that they just play along with her mania ’cause she is so very useful, but would anyone really seriously consider her to actually be from space and/or hell?
Once you have “gold-skinned, bullet-proo*wap* RESISTANT, super-woman that can fly” alien space succubus isn’t much of a stretch.
Right!
Also, no one so far has displayed outright inhuman physical form, as even Maxima merely has a human appearance despite her dermal and follical differences. Dabbler has a truly alien physiology; four arms, digitigrade legs, horns, and ears that look like they came off a deer or a miqo te (FFXIV).
Not only that, but I’d imagine she’s also been able to show certain people more definite proof of her alien nature.
Most importantly, the resident occult expert seems to have previously verified her authenticity (remember, they as much as admitted to Sydney (if indirectly) that magic, demons, and other arcane elements exist in this world.)
Have a sniff at every scene Dabbler is in… oh, I guess that won’t tell most of you that much. But X has fixed her ‘sound occlusion’ issue, and is watching Dabbler in every one of them!
Invisible spies are the holy grail of espionage,* and this is a setting with a low number of supers, so there will not be many assets as useful as X. You do not assign such an immensely powerful capability to anything other than the most critical national security interests.
Further, note that there has never been any dialogue which treats Dabbler as being ‘maybe’ an alien. Archon are convinced, and I doubt they will have done that idly. Plus Dabbler had X as her personal watcher. Had she been delusional, she would have been assigned a psychiatrist instead.
Dabbler is being taken very seriously.
* This is something that, both for military and espionage purposes, is having massive R&D put into it. And, whilst there are other things in super-settings (such as telepathy) which may be even more useful, invisibility is something that has been yearned after by many societies, down through the ages.
Her presence brings up a point mentioned in a sci-fi novel I read once upon a time. An advanced race was in the habit of sending emissaries to ‘undeveloped’ planets to make first contact and get them used to being part of the greater galactic community. One of the characters said to the visitor basically ‘Why is there only one of you here? You could do much more with a larger presence.” The reply was along the lines of “One alien is a novelty. Two is an invasion.”
You would think that the military would be in panic mode trying to figure out what she is, where she was from and are there any more coming? (For our water! It’s always the water!)
I am sure a heck of a lot of that will have gone on. And clearly Dabbler will have had to give them some answers. But, judging by her propitiatory behaviour, about her technology, she will only have answered them up to a point.
Plus we do get a hint today actually. Maxima is having to guess about the prevalence of guns, in extra-terrestrial society. If Dabbler had given them even a fairly basic (but technical detail free) outline of galactic society, Maxima should have been able to speak with more confidence on that matter.
After all, that is the kind of thing that the military would be very keen on finding out, from someone who was willing to answer all questions.
I doubt it was hard to prove one way or the other — just send her to a doctor.
* DNA sample
* X-ray of bones. (Note; nothing on earth that I’m aware of has a hexapodal form that isn’t an arthropod)
* Blood type / composition
* fMRI of her brain
* MRI of her organs — does she have the same number, type, and placement of organs as a human?
* Does she have fingerprints?
* Does she have trace elements (copper, selenium, etc) in her that are within normal human ranges?
Sure, it’s *possible* that her superpower transformed her so completely that she’s actually human but all of these tests say “non-human” AND she’s also lying about her background, but then you have to come up with answers to all of the following:
* Where does all her schizotech come from? We haven’t seen any evidence that cybernetics like her hand exist, and ditto for her railgun stuff-teleporting-back-to-lab thing.
* Most supers seem to have powers that are of a type, and only a few powers. Leaving Max and Vehemence aside, everyone seems to have one or two powers (superspeed / super martial arts / teleportation, etc). Dabbler has: active lust-aura, passive lust-aura, glamor, cybernetics, magic sword, hammer space, schizotech weapons, and probably a few more that I’m forgetting.
At some point it just becomes easier to say “sure, alien cyborg succubus magician. Sounds good.”
Well reasoned.
cybernetics and magic sword are not powers.
magic being a separate thing aside, we have already seen powers with broader capabilities.
for example, Varia’s gestalt or DT’s nemesis.
while those 2 require a stimuli in form of another sentient being, the potential variety is enormous.
as for Maxima, as far as i know she has only one power, the “ZRTK”.
i am not sure how she does the rays and mini nukes, but most of what she does, flight, streangth, durability, V’s arm’s disintegration, and speed, is thanks to the ZRTK.
but other than that i agree.
her tech is out of this world and if you were to believe in magic, might as well believe in aliens.
it would kind of like an imp not believing in ghosts…
You are just about there with Maxima. To fill in the gap though, Maxima has the two powers. The highly flexible “ZRTK”, which provides the majority of her powers, plus her energy attack.
ZRTK?
…oh, wait. “Zero range telekinesis.” Okay, figured that out just as I was about to click ‘submit comment.’ I’ll leave it here for others, though.
That’s a decent argument but hardly conclusive.
Dabbler is clearly a magical type superhero, like Vehemence and probably some others that work for more obsure divisions of ARC. That is, as we’ve seen a very versatile power set, that could easily account for both the physical appearance (as with V changing composition and size of his body), supernormal tech and magic.
And medical examination can easily be thought to be inconclusive either way – if they find some bits of basic human biology in there it can be easily claimed by dabbler that it’s just a generic similarity of all sentient life forms, or part of her Doppler ancestry, or her adaptation to earth conditions.
If nothing human is found at all that can just as well mean that either such is extent i her transcormatiin or that she has influenced the diagnostic machinery or researchers themselves. – and that is only is she agrees to invasive medical testing in the first place.
Moreover in any case I would think that it would be much easier to allow for an existence if an u erpowerful reality-bending super-type than to admit all theological and cosmological implication of existence of advanced aliens and physical hell, with demons able to interbreed with aliens and produce viable offspring.
Maxima is convinced. Which means that Dabbler has withstood examination by every magical artefact that Zephan and Warehouse 13 could use. Plus she has been probed exhaustively by Area 51. And they have TWO supernatural, extraordinary and super powered intelligence agencies (Arc-Dark and Arc-Light) which have checked her out. And found no deviation from her story.
Dabbler has a laboratory full of super-tech items, the tiniest part of which we have glimpsed, but those include bullets that can capture comets, teleportation devices and a gun that can either shoot a hole through a mountain, or a satellite out of space. If she is modifying extra-terrestrial technology to do that, it is pretty impressive. If she, to comply with your hypothesis, is building it all from scratch, she is is absolutely extraordinary!
Plus she had to get to Earth somehow. There is no way they would have accepted her, without knowing at least the method of transit, and being given some substantive proof. So she has probably shown them where she has parked her spaceship, or the stargate she used. Or maybe her pentagram. And if Colonel Jack O’Neill and Daniel Jackson signed off on her, then that is good enough for me.
Dabbler walks like a duck and quacks like a duck. She is a duck. A purple, four armed duck, with horns and hooves. And sex powers. Lots and lots of sex powers.
Psst. If she IS a super who is powerful enough to do all that AND beat Maxima in a fair fight, it is advisable to call her whatever she wants!
Still, an extraordinary supermodernajām is easier to accept tam the fact that Hell exists. Especially since ARC has rather loose grasp of limits of superpowers, and taking into account that I doubt that much of Dabblertech has been tested, such as her claim of towing asteroids.
And I don’t think she has a spaceship – it was never mentioned and she could’ve just as well teleported or had been summones
Ahh, now I see the issue. As of yet we do not have any firm indicators as to anything religious. In fact Occam’s razor actually points away from it.
This is simply because the elements that we know about (for the reasons I have stated above), although complicated, are actually simpler than having all of those AND part of her ancestry being from Hell.
Elements that we know to exist in the Grrl Power universe:
• Super powers exist (and many things attributed to superstition or legend actually stem from super powers)
• Magic exists (and Succubi use it to create advanced illusions and various types of sex related effects)
• Aliens exist (with advanced technology, plus they are capable of visiting Earth, Dabbler proves that, because she is, per the cast list, part alien)
• Named races: Succubi, Dopplegangers and an unknown alien race.
• Unnamed canonically races (by APPEARANCE): Demons (possibly one, with varied appearances, possibly many species) and an Angel
• Succubi, Doppleganers and at least one alien race can all interbreed (because Dabbler is the result of that). Note that humans are not included in the list.
All of the above elements can exist, without there being Heaven and Hell. So adding those into the equation are adding two extra elements, which is the more complicated solution, so should be regarded as LESS likely. Ways that this can work are:
Dopplegangers, angels, demons and succubi could either be terrestrial or extraterrestrial in origin (we have no indicators either way). What may be true for one may not be true for another. Or they could have common origins. This adds less elements, so we can take it to be the more likely again.
IF they are terrestrial, then either:
1) they are of natural origin and have always lived amongst us, hidden by their magics or racial super powers.
2) as above, but they are of magical origin.
3) as above, but they are of super powered origins (perhaps some super powers breed true).
• If this is the case then their sexual compatibility, with an alien race is likely to be due to magic or advanced technology.
• Legends of the various races have come about because they live in the world around us, and occasionally interact with us.
IF they are of extra-terrestrial origin:
• The known sexually compatible races might be that way because they are actually related. Or they might use magic or technology, as above.
• Legends of the various races have come about because they sometimes come to Earth and interact with us.
For info: ‘Living on Earth, but being related to aliens naturally’, is more complicated, as it requires an extra explanation, not involved in the above elements, so we discard that.
Dabbler getting to Earth, from an extra-terrestrial origin (which is what ‘alien’ implies, as opposed to saying ‘some other species of unknown origin’) could be explained by magic, super powers or advanced alien technology. No one is any more complicated to explain (in terms of extra elements) that any of the others. So spaceships, being summoned (from another planet) or interstellar teleportation are all viable options.
Finally, I think you can rest easy. I doubt that Dave will ever bring in the religious element. He is a clever enough writer to leave it open. Those who want to take it as ‘Demons really do come from Hell and Angels from Heaven, but just spend part of their time on Earth (or on alien planets)’ can do so if they want. Whilst others can choose the simpler explanations outlined above.
Incidentally, more can be found out about Dabbler’s origins, by reading Wereworld (Not Safe For Work). I (and others) have chosen NOT to do so though. As we prefer to see her story unfold from Sydney’s point of view. However Dabbler, as portrayed in Wereworld, was officially on loan from DaveB and her story there is considered canon.
So anyone who does choose to read that, please be very careful to avoid spoilers. Typically it is NEVER discussed here. But should you wish to do so, it would be appreciated if you mark it very clearly and use spoiler tags to conceal it.
You can do that by copying this text into your comment. Just overwrite the middle bit with your text.
[spoiler]Text_to_be_concealed_goes_here[/spoiler]
The one complication being that if you have multiple paragraphs, and you want them all hidden, then you must use the above on every paragraph. One spolier tag at the top of a set of paragraphs and the closing tag at the end of them will not conceal anything (other than possibly the first paragraph).
Any time you use the carriage return button (aka the ENTER button) you will form a new paragraph (even if it is just one line).
Careful, Syd. That thing is the Riddler, full metal jacket style.
Riddle me this….
*bangbangbangbangbang*
I’m out of ammo… but I STILL HAVE MY ROTATING BAYONETS! CHAAAAAARGE!
And thus ended the single most glorious moment in the life of a true idiot.
But, if you have to die, dang, that is a stylish way to go!
Mind you, that will likely do serious damage (even if it does ruin the mini-gun), so it may well keep you alive. Plus any of their allies, who see their point man torn to shreds, may decide to find a softer target elsewhere.
Of course, this would only be pertinent in the usual situations that a bayonet is called for. But it gets +20 on all intimidation checks, under those circumstances!
To get all “practical” here… 6 bayonets are not as effective as 1 bayonet [ignoring intimidate or such]. It takes 6 times the force to insert into the target, and gives 6 times the chance hitting something it can’t penetrate. [This point is what’s behind the bed of nails trick. While one penetrates easily, the 100 or 1000 can’t because the weight is spread out over all of them.] And if we try to spin, we get 6 times the chance of something jamming. Very impressive [and messy] when it works, but it will only work on opponents where it is overkill.
Vibroblades.
Damn the torpedoes! I’ve got a whirling dervish of bayonets with me!
What’s next,Sydney on KP duty???
Yeah, and she’ll be using ol’ spinny there for a potato peeler! :D
The predator thing just made me think “Halo vs Predator, whoever wins we lose”
Who’s to say that’s not to scale, any of the team with enhanced strength like Max or Anvil could probably handle a full sive GAU-8 Avenger 30MM cannon. Which I must say I would like to see.
Considering that the A-10 “Warthog” is practically built around the GAU-8 Avenger, the problem would probably not be the weight, but the bulk would be an issue.
The gun itself is 19.5 feet (almost 5 meters) long, from the tip of the barrels to the rearmost point of the ammunition system. The gun itself weighs 620 pounds (281.23 kg), and each round is 11.5 inches (0.29 meters) long and weighs 13.3 ounces (0.69 kg). With a rate of fire of 3900 rounds per minute, that means that one second of ammunition would weigh almost 99 pounds (44.85 kg).
Just ripping the gun and ammo out of the plane is not going to do you any good, except as a really big club (and I’m sure Maxima would be capable of that). The gun’s firing mechanism is driven by the rotation of the barrels, and the rotation of the barrels is driven by the A-10’s dual hydraulic system. So, pretty much, unless Maxima was somehow able to pick up and point the entire plane, with somebody sitting in the pilot’s seat to pull the trigger, it’s just not going to happen.
It is clearly a poor choice, as the A-10 would be better off flying and attacking independently anyhow.
A better option, for Maxima, would be to utilise a weapon system, which would not be able to operate in the environment, without her assistance.
So, if far inland, say in one of those states in the middle of the US, Maxima could deploy her battleship. Then it would not be limited to just launching it’s long range missiles, it could directly fire it’s main guns on the target.
Ok Maxima’s mini nuke is probably more convenient. But a battleship salvo would have some potential for intimidation.
Although I do not think that adding bayonets, to it’s barrels, would significantly increase the fear factor.
I agree on all counts.
Of course, the only wrinkle in that plan is all four of our battleships have been turned into floating museums now… although, as demonstrated by the “Battleship” movie (2012), all four of them are still seaworthy and could be returned to active service in a relatively short time. Nothing says “Surrender if you want to live” quite as well as nine 16-inch guns being aimed at you.
For the record: Each shell weighed 2,700 lbs (1,225 kg), with a muzzle velocity of 2,500 feet per second (762 m/s), with a nominal range of 24 miles (38 km). At maximum range, which required 660 pounds (300 kg) of black powder, it took more than a minute and a half for the shell to reach its target.
For those that haven’t seen the movie or the DVD extras, that is the Missouri, and she did actually set sail for the first time since Desert Storm. Pretty impressive for a 70-year-old ship (and if I could afford to take a trip to Hawaii, I really really want to see it in person.)
Since it was a summer action flick, don’t expect super-realism… for one thing, there was no way they would have had nearly enough crew on board. In fact, they probably didn’t have enough people on board to man ONE turret, much less all three. (Under optimal conditions, there would be 79 crew per turret.) I won’t say more, to avoid spoilers.
That minigun reminds me of Douglas Adams’ “Kill-o-Zap Gun,” which was meticulously designed to have a right end and a wrong end and to let people know in no uncertain terms when they were on the wrong end of it.
Oh, so sometimes you DO bring knives to a gunfight. o.O
+1 :-D
(And, yup. In fact pretty much ever since guns were invented. Even when the only way they had of keeping bayonets in place was to put them in the barrel of the gun).
You should also bring knives to a nuke-fight.
https://youtu.be/XaUsvc9wReU
He he. I knew that would be what you were linking. I love that bit, and the whole film. And the original book too, although I read that many years ago.
A kick arse totalitarian society. None of this namby pamby nonsense, with people having rights. Want to vote? Prove that you are willing to die, for the body politic, and you earn the right to vote.
And the way the movie was done with the news “want to know more” and the patriotic propaganda feel was just awesome. Shame whoever made the sequels decided to drop those aspects. Not to mention conveying the ‘small cog in a great machine’ that it brought with it. I can’t remember those having any feel of a greater war going on.
There were no sequels to Starship Troopers. :)
Even if you show me clips and links to sequels….. I remain resolute – there were no sequels. Just like there were no sequels to Highlander, there were no sequels to Universal Soldier, there were no sequels to Cyborg, and there was no Indiana Jones 2 or 4. There was just Raiders and Last Crusade.
*covers her ears* No sequels no sequels no sequels!
:)
Hear, hear!
Personally, I’m just glad that the Wachowski brothers learned the lesson from all the guys you mention. The Matrix was an *incredible* movie, and sequels would have just ruined it. I’m glad they didn’t make any.
You are mostly correct. Although I have heard rumours of some kind of fan-fic which had Indiana Jones using a nuclear-bomb proof fridge, which, well that is just laughable that anybody would even write that as a parody. So I would not be interested in ever indulging in watching nonsense like that. Although I had no problems, barring that, with any of the Indiana Jones movie and I think I did see them all.
Not fused about the others, excepting Highlander. That was the first one in my collection, and is never leaving it! They rest though were not exceptional films to start with (OK, but not ones that would live in my collection).
Not sure why you brought up Highlander though? The TV series seemed okayish. For something made for TV. But there really were no sequels for that one!
*puts paws over ears*
LA LA LA LA
Actually, the propaganda pieces reminded me very much of the Coalition (in Rifts, the RPG from Palladium Books), except that the Coalition probably would not bother with on-screen text (since they deliberately keep the majority of citizens illiterate).
If there’s anyone else here who’s at least read the Rifts core book, and seen the Starship Troopers movie, shout out if you agree with me.
DaveB, I have been reading through the Cast page, and noticed a couple of fixables.
1. You have Sydney listed as a “Cadet”. That is the term reserved for an officer candidate. Sydney is currently a “Recruit”, the same as you have listed for Jiggawatt. (Are you giving away a bit of the future? Sydney, once calmed down a lot, would make an excellent officer.)
2. Peggy’s insignia needs to be upgraded to silver, from gold, as she is a 1st Lt.
Yup, Dave has those on his ‘to do’ list, along with others. Don’t bother with the ranks on the cast page, many are wrong. Likewise insignias (and some dialogue) in the early pages. There was a major re-working, once Dave got advice from experienced military folks.
Other than one scene, that is, in the pre-flashback, where it showed that Sydney will be a corporal. Although you are not the only one to think she would be a good officer, the consensus of opinion, at the time the ranks were all tweaked, was that Dave had called her’s just right.
I agree, as I do not think Sydney would be happy as an officer. She could not be her nerdy self. And I do not think that she would command the respect required as an officer, having already become nationally famous as a weird nerd, who pretends that sunlight burns her.
Halo has lost credibility with the government, the general public and people who would be expected to serve under her. As regards any commissioned ranks, anyhow. But she does need some degree of rank, so that, if she needs crowd control, or some piece of evidence put into storage, she can snag any passing cop or soldier.
Doubtless both police and military will have been instructed to co-operate with Archon, so she will have less trouble with chain-of-command and jurisdiction than most personnel might. And the rank will give Halo authority, to back up her request. Just in case they think the doughnut shop, or nearest strip club, is a higher priority.
Has anyone else been getting ‘time out’ error messages, when posting comments?
All of mine, other than relatively short posts, have been suffering from that. For several days now. And most of that time I have had a good connection (or as good as my primitive set up ever gets, anyhow).
It would not surprise me if it is just me mind. But I never used to get this problem (other than when my connection was lousy, but that is to be expected). Plus I have not a hint of any issues, on other websites, during that same period.
TIP: For anyone suffering from the problem, hit ‘refresh’ (eg F5 on Chrome) after that error has popped up. That will put the message through to the server, despite the error. But do NOT hit the ‘back’ option, on your browser. Assuming yours behaves like mine, that will loose the text you typed!
Yeah, I had it twice in the last twenty minutes. I note that hitting Back preserved my text, although you’re right — I was expecting to lose it.
Yup, it’s hit me a couple of times, also on the longer posts. I’m using Firefox and an F5 refresh puts it right on through also.
Firefox will actually save your text if you press ‘Back’- I was worried for a bit when that happened to a super-long post I’d made, but it put it right back where it was.
Good to know, thanks.
Thanks for the info folks. Hopefully DaveB may be aware of a change, on the server or maybe the website itself, that has happened in the last week, which might be contributing to that?
If not, at the very least, it reduces the technology-is-out-to-get-me paranoia I would be feeling, if it was just me.
Actually, Sydney, given the existence of particular superpowers in your universe, there’s plenty of effectively bulletproof people around, they’re just not the ones wearing so-called ‘bulletproof’ vests.
“Quint, we’re going to need a bigger bullet.”
wait…armadrill is that you? YES IT IS!
These are pretty handy for cooling the barrels. . . in your BLOOOD!
He he.
Suddenly, I’m hoping that in Fallout 4 I’ll be able to build a Gatling Laser with Ripper bayonets.
For when you absolutely, positively MUST turn your target into a cloud of chunky giblets.
Thought the “Bloody Mess” perk already did that. You can gib a Super Mutant with a BB Gun if you have that perk.
can’t recall the game name, but there was one that had a shuriken launcher. I used to fire that from anywhere in the virtual gun-ground, and the things would bounce until they hit a person. not sure if they were designed to only stick in flesh, or what, but you could set up some really weird angled shots.
and could take a 100 point bank shot.
I suppose the high caliber sniper scythe is also out. pity, she certainly has the temperament for it.
So that would be a sniper rifle, with a Grim Reaper style scythe bayonet? Well, that certainly would be… distinctive.
https://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2015-01-02
Rocket launcher model, as shown a few strips later, but you get the idea. :)
Heh. Well I guess the Grim Reaper does have to keep up with the times. But he can’t just loose his trademark badge of office. Nobody would recognise him.
I was trying for a RWBY reference, but that works too.
wait, no, the scythe would be on the open end. using the rifle’s recoil to provide the force in the right direction to actually use it. (less practical than the bayonet minigun, since you actually have to fire in order to get that synergy, but RWBY has a habit of being less sensible than this comic)
There would be literally now reason for the bayonets.
1: If the enemy is in front of the gun, they’re gonna get hit by the rounds from the mini gun
2. If the case does occur that someone gets close enough to be melee’d, the mini gun user will simply HIT THEM WITH THE GUN. It would also cause far more damage, considering the size of the gun, and the strength required to operate it.
Heathen!
Don’t you know we love BIG GUNS here? And what could be better than a BIG GUN? A big gun with BIG BAYONETS! But, wait, that can be improved, with LOTS OF BIG BAYONETS!
And then, having them all WHIRL AROUND, in a TERRIFYING display? Sheer genius!
Military folks from around the globe are going to fall in love with that gun. Their magazines and websites will feature it. Even now some will be planning on getting their tattoos proudly showing it. It is a propaganda weapon of GARGANTUAN PROPORTIONS!
For every detractor, who says it is impractical, there will be ten who say that mini-guns can run out of ammo, all too fast. And who wants to resort to using such a valuable weapon, as a mere club?
Not when you can tear your enemy’s heart out, through his back, and splatter shredded bits of it, in the faces of his allies, behind him!
So here’s a thaught:
They never actually told Sydney that Dabbler’s nature is a also a secret to the other recruits. It’s implied here, sure, but without explicit orders to keep it a secret they can’t excepct Sydney to do so
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/630
“Why did you drop you spell Dabbler? You know she doesn’t have clearance to know about you.”
here we know that she is a secret. he appearance require a clearance, so, letting anyone know she is from another world, should be even more of a secret.
dabbler herself said “…succubi glamour…” so that cat is already out of the bag… for her. The other recruits have not however witnessed it and the higher ups try to keep it as much of a secret as possible.
As far as everyone “knows” her strange appearance is a “battle form”.
For military protocol, yes Sydney does need explicit orders. For practical purposes though, she does not. Sydney is smart, and Maxima knows that. Maxima has done enough to make her intent clear, to her, without having to verbalise it. If here is any scope for ambiguity, and misunderstanding, then the burden of that does fall on Maxima.
But I do not consider it realistic that Halo did not get the gist. And really find it unlikely that Sydney would deliberately exploit the lack of a specific order.
Harem is the one who blabs things out, and tries to cover it with with a ‘who me?’ look. Which earnt her a place in the List. That is contrary to Halo’s code of conduct. Having won Maxima’s confidence and trust, Sydney will not want to loose that.
Ah, explaining the joke on the previous page. That’s always a sign that its not funny. In fact, it’s the worst thing to happen to this comic since Dave started it. Maybe it would’ve worked if, in the third panel, the point-of-view was switched to Sydney’s. Not only would it have broken the monotony of those three panels but it would’ve (probably) shown why looking down the barrel of a gun can be a scary thing. Then again, Vehemence was shot in the eye with a .50 cal and ultimately serves why that “joke” fell flatter that a flounder. Especially for being a double page. And I’m sure Sydney’s “dirty mouth” would’ve made an appearance again. But I’m sure coming up with drunken sailor talk is as hard as drawing a totally new panel.
There is no joke explaining going on. Maxima told no joke last page. So your comment makes no sense.
What is happening is Maxima continuing her lesson. Fortunately Sydney is smart enough to have understood. Part of the lesson is that Maxima demonstrated it on somebody who could be hit by a gun. Halo, herself, with her shield down.
Once she had her force field up, she then realised that she was safe from the gun, and no longer felt threatened. Angry, but not in fear. Note that Maxima has not instructed Sydney to threaten to use a gun on somebody who is immune to them. You have jumped to a false conclusion.
Maxima would have only come across as being patronising if she explained the blindingly obvious, to someone of Sydney’s intellect. If she was giving this lesson to 30 random recruits, straight off the bus, yea, she would have to assume some of them were too dumb to realise that. But she does not have to do that with Halo. Who already has combat experience with bullet proof supers.
What Maxima is doing though is making sure that the important part of the lesson has sunk in. Sydney will not do now try to threaten somebody, by just holding up her ‘Christmas tree ornament’. People might not view that as threatening.
If the target is one of seven billion people, who are vulnerable to bullets, pointing a gun is the quickest, easiest and most reliable way of backing up whatever verbal warning she gives.
Should Halo be facing one of the few who are immune to bullets, clearly she will have to use the orb, but in such a way as she conveys the threat unequivocally. Maxima deliberately did not do that with her finger, and Sydney understands the implication that she will have to.
In due course Sydney will be instructed in the police rules of engagement, verbal warning protocols and the like. And the trainer doubtless will tell her what needs modifying, if using a super attack, as a threat, instead of a gun. This may happen in the comic, or it may happen between pages.
However that lesson is yet to come. This lesson though, has made it’s point (to Halo, if not to you) very strongly and will not be forgotten, at that time, or later.
Welp, as I stated at the end of my comment, a change in point of view could have easily explain all of what you said. But, … your explanation only serves to proves my point. Either way, pacing and comedic timing are two something Dave has been brilliant with up to this point.
Also, I’m pretty sure everybody would be “suspicious” of anything concerning supers fighting it out or arc-swat arriving on the scene to “deal justice” out. The gun-thing is just redundant. Jus’ say’n….
Staring down the barrel of a gun is something that has been done in many movies, and needs to be set up completely differently. Plus it would not be funny. Whereas most of us found Sydney’s reaction to be hilarious. Something that would be lacking if we were seeing a gun instead of her face.
And, where would we get the information from about how Sydney took it, if we could not see her react? Or speak?
By the way, if you think that drunken sailors’ language is as restrained as Halo’s was, you have had a very sheltered upbringing. But, you see, most of us found that funny too. Without needing it explained.
However we do all have different senses of humour. And the world would be a very dull place if we did not have variety. So all is good. And thanks for sharing your views.
I don’t know, man. If “Sydney’s intelligent” then I’m sure she would have reacted to having a blast releasing fingertip pointed at her nose a mere second after the fact. Did she “turn the other cheek” so it can get bruised, too? The whole “guns are scary” is a weak sauce. Especially for this kind of comic. I think the only way the end of last week’s two page spread will work is if it’s viewed as a satire on the Finglonger and the Three Stooges. Seriously, Maxima’s not pointing the gun at Sydney to prove a point, she’s trying to poke her eye out with its barrel. Maxima is an asshole is all I’m getting.
Her opening lines, as well as the repetitious banter, on this page are tripe. A bullet resistant (super) person is not going to care is a fire arm is aimed at them. Threats are for mortals of the regular type, who’ll be busy filming any super doing with their cell phones anyway to run from gun, which they’ll zoom in on instead. I feel that the writing here is suffering from the same thing video games are nowadays: trying to be too realistic and forgetting the fun its medium presents. I refuse to believe that in any half baked version of reality that any gun would be more distracting than a sparkly golden chick in fatigues who can shoot proton energy (or whatever) from her fingertip like it ain’t no thing. Wherever Maxima made an appearance she would turn heads and get attention quicker than any weapon, as she’s obviously a one-of-a-kind person in Grrl world.
Terrible composition, pacing, and writing this shtick has. It’s a forced gag sketch, that says, “Guns are dangerous, M’kay.” And that’s it. No character growth, besides Maxima being a jackhat (gentle reader, do you have ..your.. safety helmet on?) or no significant action is taking place, here or there. You can jump from “What body?” to “Ooh, can I shoot that!” and not lose anything. Except sinus pressure, from the nonsense in-between.
Additionally, Sydney’s filthy mouth is a straight gimmick, that only appeared in the first few pages of the first book. You know it in your heart to be true.
Ok, heck of a lot of points, so I am only looking at the first paragraph, for this reply.
Many people will find a pointed finger not to be threatening. For Sydney though it is simply because she trusts Maxima. Halo views her like a big sister, and it is unthinkable that Maxima would harm her. Neither I, nor most readers, viewed it as a credible threat.* Why would Sydney?
However Sydney is smart enough to realise that, although other people will have other reasons, for not viewing it as a threat, the results are the same. It failed to convey a warning.
Sure, for a tough guy like you. And the next time a cop points a gun at you, and you contemptuously ignore her “do as I tell you or I will shoot you dead” warning, she will kill you.
This comic has already pointed out that glass cannons are at severe risk of death, be that from gunshots or any other attack.** Likewise 7 billion other humans. Please be sure to read the scenes in the context as portrayed in the comic. As opposed to in other comics like it.
Society does not care if you choose to ignore a credible warning. All it cares is that the cop gave you fair warning. Which she did. She does not go to jail. You get buried.
Hopefully you will have taken on board the points I have made above. Trust me, that your interpretation is very wrong here. It is not as written, nor is it how the majority of readers are taking it.
The ‘trying to poke her eye out with her gun barrel’ is blatantly absurd, so does not need addressing.
As per the page I linked, plus the whole Gwen Stacey talk, the bond with Sydney is reciprocal. Maxima views Sydney like a little sister or even her daughter. And, as such, is very concerned that Sydney’s wacky behaviour, and seeing the world as if it were a comic, is putting her life in danger!
Without this talk I guarantee you that sooner or later Halo would come across some mundane crime and, underestimating the situation, would try to resolve it by just holding her PPO and expecting them to surrender. She knows how deadly it is. We know that too. But the thugs or glass cannon supers may not. They might not watch TV. They could be foreign. The reason does not matter though.
Because at this point Sydney suddenly finds that she has run out of time. She must either burn these people to death (she would not threaten death if it was not warranted, so they are doing something that justifies this), or face the consequences.
And one of those consequences, especially if she does not have the willpower to kill (WHICH SHE MAY NOT – have another look at the link. She is a lovable softy and Maxima knows it), then it may be SYDNEY who dies.
Maxima is NOT being an asshole. She is doing this to save Sydney’s life!
And this is not arguing it for the sake of arguing it. I am completely convinced of this, and know it to be the correct interpretation. You are simply WRONG.
* The thought process is
“Ohh, she just did a violent demonstration and is now pointing at someone. Is it credible that this is a REAL threat? No. The pointing must be for some other reason.”
Which it was.
But exactly the same process could be made by a drug dealer. Who thinks Maxima would not use a nuke power in a city area. He is (probably) mistaken, but that does not matter, the warning failed to carry a believable threat of death.
** To support that, note Jiggawatt and Heatwave have permanent injuries. Which may have been crippling were it not for Super Doc. And it has been pointed out that the only reason that there were not fatalities is because the ‘villains’ were mostly law-abiding citizens, who had been influenced by the aggro aura. Most (with a few exceptions), were pulling their punches (and not going for the kill).
Whilst Dave is not going to focus on the gore or go all depressing, death in this setting is very real, and is an element which IS affecting these characters decisions. They do not (barring Sydney) think that they are some kind of comic book hero, who has a guarantee of surviving. They believe their lives are on the line and act accordingly!
is it wrong that my first thought upon seeing that gun was “can it simultaneously slice and cook bacon?”
No, that is very right. And, if I could get a VIP bunker seat, at the Alameda County Bomb range, when Mthybusters try to do that, I would love to be one of the tasters.
no, but that’s why we put the bayonet on the flamethrower
or maybe that should read as the toasting fork, instead of the bayonet.
Has someone been playing some Saints Row 4…? Because just looking at that makes me think of the ‘Murica.
Something tells me that, somehow, that…is about 300% more awesome, though. (Per shot.)
The perspective, size and design are fine.. all it really needs is the light of heaven shining on it. Promising Gods justice and pain to all those down range!!
… along with the Holy Hand-grenade of Monty Python…