Grrl Power #463 – The crux
Whoops, I just noticed Sydney’s choker is missing in panel 4. I’ll get that fixed when I get up.
Finally we get to the point of the meeting. That does seem pretty serious, given their daily existence depends on the veil. Well, they could exist without it, but a lot of them would have to use up a bunch of sick days since many of these guys are productive members of society when they’re not lurking around weird gothic chambers.
Arc-LIGHT is far more similar to the old A.R.C. than Arc-SWAT. The A.R.C. was explicitly clandestine, which is one of the primary reasons they didn’t run around in blue windbreakers with “ARC” in Helvetica Bold on the back. I’ve said it before, but The A.R.C. and now Arc-LIGHT are a lot like the X-Files or Fringe division, but with a healthy portion of the BPRD thrown in, since often some of their agents were super or supernatural. The Council is used to dealing with them, and even has worked directly with them, as stated on page 460. It’s the whole public facing arm of the group that’s got them riled up now.
I’m not sure if the joke in the stinger lands. It’s been quite a while since I’ve played a JRPG. In fact the last one was FFVII. Well, I played about 4 hours of FFX then traded it to a friend for something else. Of the few JRPG’s I’ve ever played, two of them are actually two of my favorite games of all time, Final Fantasy 2 and 3 (4 and 6 in Japan). In FF2 the main characters only ever says “…” I don’t recall FF3 that well, I don’t think there was a main character, but for some time it was a bit of a joke that JRPG leads are all silent protagonists. Maybe that was just an in-joke among my friends.
As I said I’ve felt my faces (skintone in general, really) are a little monochromatic. I may have over corrected a bit on this page. Sydney looks like she’s either a little cold or drunk, but I’ll get it right soon hopefully.
I’ve updated the vote incentive. It’s a photo from the shoot Maxima did, (or will be since magazines have more than a 2 day turnaround) and actually it’s the throw-to joke on an upcoming page but I figured I’d draw it big and get some extra use out of it.
Mikiron, who did this previous NSFW commission for a Patreon, has done another. Also NSFW. I believe he is available for commissions, though I hear he filled up pretty quick after the last time.
Double res version will be posted over at Patreon as soon as I get up. $1 and up, but feel free to contribute as much as you like :)
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.
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It’s the LIST!
But, which end thereof?!
(Android phones don’t have the interrobang symbol available? :()
It’s the middle of the book, not the end. So i guess it is the part you need to be afraid of.
You have to copy/paste one in. Here: ‽
At long last, The List makes it’s comeback!
She still has that LIST???
It’s only been a few days.
She had that list since long before she aquired those Orbs and was found by Archon.
Why would she get rid of it now?
That would be like suddenly making a sex-change without any prior indications.
In more than one magical culture names have power. And above we can see how powerful such a magical sigil can be in this world. Scarlett’s concern may well be more than just social.
Especially as Sydney is nerd enough to have learnt how to use lockpicks, because she wanted to know how something she did in roleplaying worked in real life. That may not be the only thing she was curious enough to do something about!
There is a good chance that the other party has nothing to worry about – “The List” might be a psychological trick to calm Sydney down:
she writes down things that made her displeased and her reasons why they did it, “offloading” it from the brain and thus allowing herself to stop fussing over things she can’t change.
Doh, I meant my above point to be in reply to this comment, then got distracted by an incoming Skype call. Not that it is bad where it sits, but it was inspired by this comment.
Woohoo! like Tubey, the List is an important part of Sydney. It has shown massive restraint that it hasn’t been out for a couple of days.
Except I don’t know how much she needs Tubey anymore since her secrets out. I’m not saying he’s going away entirely, but, at the very least, he won’t be needed as much.
Will still Him for Stealth Operations
Or if she just wants to try doing something a bit more normal & stay low-key…Like grocery shopping.
“Who wants the pressure of being super all the time?”
~Mr. Incredible (yeah, like he’s one to set a good example on that concept) :-/
Are we just going to forget that Tubey is on the list, not once but twice?
Not at all. But Tubey is indestructible. Whereas Scarlett can combust in daylight!
THE LIST?!?!?! AAAAAH!!!
Headcanon:
In the future, some villain knocks Sydney unconscious, notices The List sticking out of her pocket, and pulls it out.
An hour or so later, Syd regains consciousness. She gets up, looks around. The villain’s lair is in shambles, his equipment and projects lying smashed and broken. She hears a faint whimpering in the corner. The villain is there, curled in a fetal position, The List clutched in his hand, open to the last entry.
“Too much… I have SEEN TOO MUCH.”
“Hey! GIMME THAT!” Syd snatches The List from the villain’s hand. She pulls out a pen and prepares to write in it. She glances down at the villain, who has started to claw at his eyes. Her pissed-off expression softens.
“Eh, forget it. He’s done enough to himself.”
She pockets The List and walks away.
“Dumbass.”
Oh the humanity!
https://img.opposingviews.com/sites/default/files/gallery/13/11/huemanatee.jpg
:-D
the contents of “the list” and other secrets man was not meant to know
Just as well sydneys a woman
Even the Necronomicon mentions Sydney’s List as the Tome That Shall Not Be Named…
Damn Right! Lady, you just made the list! Take that!
(That’ll show em…)
So if she’s making a list, does that mean she’s checking it twice?
No, because this is just the Naughty list. :D
When flipped upside down & listed in the back, it’s a much shorter “nice” list; Leon’s there already because of his nerd/geek cred.
Believe someone else was going to be added to the “Leave No Evidence They Existed” List, but she flipped the book at the last minute to the “Best Buds Do Everything Together” List (not sure which is the scariest List to be on)
That was Math wasn’t it?
If you’re going to play ringleader to a bunch of argumentactive supernatural people, always care a good shut up card slash topic.
Hmm maybe, not operational for how long? There have been a upswing of ufo sightings in the last sixty years, but that seems too long to go unnoticed.
It has been quite a while since anybody got listed.
Interestingly different style to Halo’s serious look, when doing it. I think I prefer that to the round feeling we have been getting. Style wise. Happy or cute is always nicest, expression wise.
“Interestingly different style to Halo’s serious look, when doing it. I think I prefer that to the round feeling we have been getting.”
Same here.
I submit a third “Aye”.
4 days, comic time, for both sides of the list.
Why isn’t Scarlett on the Who’s Who? She made it onto The List (bit difficult to tell if it’s the Front or the Back though, but she does look concerned :D)
I added her but for some reason WordPress likes to truncate the odd leading S in the tag field, so the widget only saw “car01” instead of “scar01” (no relation to the lion). It’s fixed now.
Ooo, you updated her mugshot (panel five would have been funner :P)
Hmm, is that Zephon in the Peanuts Galleria? Does that mean that he isn’t human? o_O
Some of the factions will be humans of a special sort. Vampires and werewolves being human initially, for example. But doubtless there will be mages, off-world adventurers (such as the ones Jules Verne reported on, before the cover-up) and so on.
Yeah but I seriously doubt calling them ex humans would go down too well.
Para-human beside. Trans-human change human. Many alternative could be used
So Zephan is pre-op?
I’d rather be pre-op (not injured) than post-op (convalescing).
If they started off as human but no longer qualify, would we need to call them the ex-men?
Not if they started off as ladies.
Even Jean Grey was considered to be an X-Man…
8-/
I was thinking the same thing, but unless his actual form is human-like, Halo would have seen through his Veil-based disguise.
He does look a little off colour. It might be lighting, but the ones on the bottom row are closer to his usual tone.
Guesticus was doubtless more concerned by the fact that the gallery is for supernatural beings, as far as we have seen so far. Although he is not the only human-looking delegate revealed in that panel.
That was it: what with all the calls for Archon’s removal, thought it a little odd that a member of Archon would hold such a prominent position as to warrant a place amongst the Peanuts
Ignore the comments on his looks, he is in the background when Syd first sees Dabbler’s true form and looks normal.
He could be one of the unhappy exceptions that everyone tolerates, like Dabbler being in ARC. So far he is back-room where the rest of the team are all over the news, which is the main complaint.
Dave just said:
“Arc-LIGHT is far more similar to the old A.R.C. than Arc-SWAT […] The Council is used to dealing with them, and even has worked directly with them [since the 20s]. It’s the whole public facing arm of the group that’s got them riled up now.”
Also Azilus said:
“I must again voice my objection to seating more humans a the Council” (emphasis mine)
I guess Arc-LIGHT earned the seat long ago and Zephan is filling the position now, which is ok for most of them but up to there.
I take it as they are booing Arc-SWAT not all and each human.
I like this analysis.
But what does it rate on the Yorpie Snax™ index? Or on the carrot rating, if you prefer?
Carrots? Where?!
::spins around wildly and falls over in a dizzy heap::
Fresh batch of newly crafted Carrot Snax
Yeah, besides Zephan (not Zephon lol) theres also that cute blue haired girl with goggles in the bottom left corner, who i would like to know more about.
Same sort of goggles as Tracer, but the hair is wrong for her.
Skiing goggles, specifically, though they are also used for snowboarding.
Yeah, the shape fits right although skiing goggles are usually tinted.
I was thinking scuba but sadly the shape is wrong. Pity, it could be funny if she were a being that feels air like we feel water. Imagine her diving across the room :)
My first impression was scuba goggles as well, though my thought was that she was from Atlantis (or a similar submerged place) and her goggles were actually filled with water.
Nope, wrong shape and colour: https://wallpapersite.com/games/tracer-goggles-overwatch-841.html
I think she’s the person behind the Konami code banner.
I think that a witch for instance is a supernatural but a human too. Also last page Dave commented:
“The banner is actually a reference to Gold Digger and their super archaeologists. Yet more humans for Azilus to moan about.”
So I guess a human can be part of The Council if they have some special trait.
Except, Zephon isn’t above the Gold Digger banner
Wonder if the other members know of his status within Archon?
Gold Digger was an example, don’t need to be the one banner for humans.
I find difficult that him could be undercovered.
But now that I think, didn’t he has a black shirt at the dinner? I remember thinking that it was stylish.
He did. And was still wearing it here, earlier. Maybe he freshened up, before taking his seat? Or maybe he got mugged by evil cultists, and has been replaced by an illusion-disguised ringer‽
Color Cantrip. Made a black shirt into a white shirt. More formal and conservative, less stylish.
Sky blue. Makes sense.
He’s actually part of the Mage’s seat.
“Don’t talk to me like a child!”
“Then don’t act like one.”
I don’t care if you’re above me on the food chain – you can’t tell me how to live my life. I enjoy acting like a child. Just because you’re too boring and stiff to also have childlike qualities doesn’t mean I need to act like you.
And this is why Scarlett’s on the list.
“Don’t act like one” is a conditional statement, not a blatant order like Sydney’s “Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.”
Sydney is the one telling Scarlett how to live her life – Scarlett responded by explaining that Sydney will be subject to the consequences of her actions, regardless of who is telling who how to behave. Sydney used The List because she lost that argumant completely.
You do realise that, if anything, Scarlett started it by mocking and treating Sydney like a child, when all Sydney did was state how she wanted to continue to hang out with them
Sydney indeed only stated that she wished to continue hanging out – in one of the most childish ways possible. No “that’s too bad, I was looking forward to meeting more of the people here” or “well, I suppose we’ll have to invite you around more often, then!”, just the expression of a wish that’s only missing a change in facial expression to be a full-on whine. Either of those lines would be extremely out of character, however.
Sydney is, generally speaking, not mature. There’s only so much that can be explained away by a medical condition. If she doesn’t want to be a stuffy boring adult, that’s fine! It is her choice. It should be noted, however, that in serious situations (such as this one, where the presence of high-profile ARC agents endanger these people’s lives and families), her playfulness will not always be appreciated and will often come across as downright insulting. I, personally, am quite glad that someone finally called her on it out loud.
Also, “Don’t tell me what to do!” and “She started it!” are probably not Sydney’s best defense here if the charge is that of childishness.
But there are other times that being ‘in touch with her inner child’ will be a great asset. For instance I imagine it will put her in far better standing amongst the fay community, than the undead.
That depends greatly on the version of “fey community” implemented. The Seelie Court type fey, for example, have a very obscure (naturally) set of rules regarding protocol and manners. And in addition they are quite inscrutable. Even an adult interacting with them very carefully and using the best of manners can violate some unknown rule and be in quite hot water. Someone who acts like a child while being an obvious adult really wouldn’t stand a chance. But a child or even a childlike adult interacting with the Tinkerbell type fey would probably be at an advantage.
Agreed.
The faerie fanning Sydney, in order to revive her, does sound more like the latter, than (in etiquette terms) a restrictively bound Seelie.
https://www.minionland.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/dont-grow-up-its-a-trap-1434976076n4k8g.jpg
So, in other words. Nothing she said was actually wrong since going by your example she should have said the same thing and just used different phrasing. Essentially she should have sounded stiff and boring instead of being herself.
You mean, how Sydney is acting like that kid sister that you don’t want hanging around, even though your mom said to let her go with you & your firends?…
;)
@Guesticus: It’s not about whose right or wrong, but who is more aware of the social ecosystem. In this case, Sydney showed herself to be less aware. She set herself up for Scarlett’s retort by, as Guestyperson stated, expressing her desire to hang out in a childish manner.
Mocking or not, Scarlett was not telling Sydney how to live her life as 5007 stated. 5007 is WRONG in trying to argue the morale high ground for Sydney.
I wasn’t trying to argue any moral high ground. I was stating that the exchange struck a chord with me. Especially since even my parents still treat me like a child even when I’ve proven myself more knowledgeable than they on certain topics.
Sure, I was projecting. But that’s because I identified with it.
I hear you. Too many people associate maturity with things that just keep up appearances. They talk a big game, using all the right words, but then they’re ignorant, irresponsible with money, and have their priorities all screwed up. They get “acting” mature mixed up with “being” mature. Plus, some people just plain refuse to see someone as an equal over something as minor as appearance or age.
Sounds about right to me.
Knowing actions have consequences would qualify as a super power in the real world.
THE LIST! is not child stuff. “Be afraid, be VERY afraid”
Ooh, and our first clear look at the Konnami Code girl. Amongst others. The fungus folk and golems being fairly obvious. And has Zephan Zoeng got a box seat, or is that his younger brother?
Ooo, that plant person from panel Four is real!
Myconid?
Maybe the goggles are an environmental thing. Either for the myconid’s comfort or that of others (in, say, the case of spore generation).
What goggles? Meant the one from the page Yorp posted, they are in the top row behind Zephan
I wonder if he’s a fan of the group Infected Mushroom.
Is she wearing… scuba goggles?
They look like skiing goggles to me.
“is that his younger brother?”
It’s pretty obvious. He has a goatee. Must be an evil twin.
Even more suspicious actually, it is a soul patch!
Although some might find that statement illogical, there does seem to be quite a few examples of that here and there.
“Be afraid, be VERY afraid”…………..
“But they’re so sexy!”
“Shut up, Decolette!”
I figured Sydney was there because of her Orbs Powers. Wondering if it is because ARC Light thinks she can help fix the broken Sigil, or they think she is the cause of it being broken.
Sydney reason for being there was explained weeks ago – her truesight orb lets her see through The Veil, so she needed to be informed so she can better keep secrets she sees.
Her helping with the sigil is a stretch as she’s demonstrated no magic-oriented abilities. The mention of the broken sigil is most likely referencing Arc-Swat’s presence as a whole. If I had to guess, that’s why Dabbler’s there.
Also, to see if anyone in the Mages Guild can figure out what they are
I could be missing something (again) but I don’t remember anything canon about that, just commenters’ theories.
Initially thought they were waiting on the mages so they could examine Sydney’s Balls (or return with the tests they have made without Sydney being aware, due to her fear of Vivisectionists), but maybe they were the ones with the report on the downed sigil
They were specifically waiting on the mages’ report so it wasn’t option 1a, certainly.
One idea just popped into my head because of the broken sigil. What if no one can get a read on her orbs because they are under the veil but don’t put her there?
Except Dabbler couldn’t figure them out either, and the veil doesn’t affect non-humans… Except, she didn’t see the alien at the bar…? I am now confused.
Dabbler did not come here via official council channels. And is of an unique combination of species. So, for various reasons, is not covered by the Veil. So (even if those under the Veil can see others clearly*) Dabbler would not gain that benefit.
Dabbler breaks most rules or assumptions. It is best not to try and factor her in as an example of how things normally work, unless you have no other clues to go by.
* Which we do not know. Here, in this chamber, the Veil is blocked from working at all. Possibly outside everyone sees each other in their human disguises. That would certainly be the most practical thing to do. Otherwise there could be all sorts of mix-ups if interacting with humans and not seeing what they are.
“What do you mean by saying my wife is black? She is clearly a healthy shade of puce.”
So what? Does the council need to approve the budget for repairs? After all these centuries, there should be a form for it.
It wont shut up the others for long. ARC goes public, sigil gets damaged. Someone will surely see the connection.
I think the biggest priority will be getting word out, to the supernatural community, in the affected area, not to go outdoors!
Will the breakdown of one sigil really shut down the veil locally or will just weaken the veil in general? There shut be redundancies. But if they cannot update the veil, that’s probably how it works.
Checking out Dave’s blog, above, they will need to be taking sick leave. So either there is a gap in coverage, or they are playing it safe. I am putting my Yorpie Snax™ on the former.
If you have a gap that isn’t covered, throw in the TV coverage on the known superheroes and claim any weird sightings is them ‘messing about’ with something and “nothing to see here”.
Is Trump in that area? People are starting to notice the Tribble on his head.
Nice Undertale reference in that last panel.
So presumably, there will need to be an investigation in why the Sigil is damaged. And Archon would probably be in the best position to quickly investigate.
I’m starting to fear thet the one that got damaged was underground of the restaurant when they had the super-battle :(
They would have been aware of it before now, I am sure, if that was the case. That fight happened several days ago now. From the fact that nobody in the gallery had a clue, I think the current crisis must have happened today.
I am guessing the meeting was for other purposes initially (otherwise, again, the delegates would have been aware of that much), but the broken sigil got pushed to the top of the agenda (or replaced it completely).
“That fight happened several days ago now”
I think it was only three.
It could be: Day one the sigil got broken (at evening). Day two supernatural realize, gather information, check the sigil and an urgent Council meet is arranged. Day three Arc-Light is informed and Max got commissioned to attend the meeting at night. Here we are.
But not that I’m really thinking it was Archon fault, just a
funnychance :)Reasonable timeline, but there is no way that the rank and file of the council would have remained unaware of their members being outed, as they walked down the street, in those three days.
Plus Ingsol will clearly be aware of which one has failed. If it had been destroyed by Archon I cannot see him having taking the angle he has, so far, in the meeting. Supporting Arc-SWAT initially, then having to reveal that they have already disrupted the Veil.
So yea, it would be ironic, and highly problematic for Archon, but I do not feel it fits the facts.
Could also be that the pure release of magical power damaged/overloaded the spell – given that the spell is global, and has to try to disguise magic.
Or that magic in this world is affected by belief, and the revelation of superheroes is gradually wearing away at the spell (since it is trying to counteract belief in supernatural occurences).
Or some combination. Imagine the spell already being worn away, by the publicity of supers combined with a huge explosion of magic. Oh – and come to think of it, the display put on by Arc-SWAT at the press conference probably didn’t help.
Reasonable supposition. The word ‘damaged’ though speaks more of physical damage to me. Given the similarities between magic and computer programming it sounds more like a hardware than a software issue to me. And ‘damage’ speaks accident or deliberate act, rather than the terms we might expect if something failed through wear and tear.
Although it certainly does not preclude your line of reasoning, by any means.
Who made the final comment? Ingsol? He didn’t seem the type to do snark.
No, that totally sounds like him, specially when you saw how he responded during the repeated interruptions last page
Wha? He’s done snark since his introduction. Recall “I am Ingsol…..and I am wery real” with the toothy grin? Recall his snide asides to Maxima about Gregor’s age and stamina, done in dashed speech bubble so you know it was a whisper but also clearly done purposely loud enough so that Gregor would ‘overhear’ it? There are several more examples, no one should be surprised by now.
I’m not sure Dave is capable of (or just doesn’t think it would fit in with a comedic, um, comic) writing an overly serious character, since Maxima seems to be the most serious of the characters with any decent amount of page time and even she cracks wise quite often. General Falk might be an exception, but then he hasn’t had much page time at all.
And even Faulke has been snarky at times (remember him patting both Ari and Maxi on the shoulder and basically telling them “Good Luck, Ladies” with regard to Sydney)
I took him as being very sincere there. General Faulk’s expression showed empathy, with their predicament, rather than schadenfreude.
Bear in mind he is the head of Archon, and the buck stops with him. If Maxima and Arianna foul up, his resignation will be what senators are calling for. Nobody (sane) will be trying to fire the woman who can shoot nukes out of her finger!* Not if she is otherwise doing her job OK.
General Faulk is just thankful that they are the ones who have to deal with Sydney’s zany behaviour on a day-to-day basis, rather than him. But will feel bad, as any decent commander does, if delegating a very difficult task to his subordinates.
* Obviously a certain Max-hater will attempt to twist this. So I will clarify that no nation would want to remove a nuclear-armed capability from their arsenal. Doubtless there would be individual exceptions to this, but the hawks, in any party, will tell the isolated dove voices to ‘shut up’, before Maxima gets pissed off and decides to go live in another country!
Sooo what is the Demonologist professor doing among the ranks of supernatural monsters? (points to the guy in glasses in the last panel) I am pretty sure he shouldn’t be there, also nice to finally see some eldritch monsters, albeit the more mundane ones.
Let’s not forget that Zephan, in addition to his deep study of Demonology, is also a long-time adventurer and (more importantly in this case) one of the more powerful magic-users around. I imagine the various subsets of magi are sufficiently different from rank-and-file-humans to warrant their seat at the table
be that as it may he is also 100% certified human and i doubt he would be a part the peanut gallery that told Arc-Swat to go to a certain place… so to speak, not to mention he would get in trouble for such behavior against his own coworkers.
I think it’s high time THE LIST got its own “Who’s who” entry :)
+1 :-D
Scarlett’s hair seems particularly yellow in the 5th panel compared to other appearances of her…it’s like Max’s skin shade of yellow.
Mr Mushroom in the gallery does not look like a fun-guy.
Yay, the List is back.
+1
Looks like he has mushroom for growth.
At least no one would mistake him(?) for some toad’s tool.
as if… “I” mistook him for a Zeiram… until i got a better look and saw the eyes were not like Geori’s visor from Star Trek TNG, AND that it was missing the tiny face in the rim of the “cap”…
He got to be big & strong because he ate a Mario earlier…
Is that a Spriggan next to that Myconoid? Or am i barking up the wrong tree…
If it is, surely it would appear under this banner? Those are from my home grounds!
*marks territory*
The most important question that occurs to me is this: is Max’s ass canon? 0_0
*Atomic blast through the 4th wall*
*Duende vaporize*
She has an 4th wall breaking ass cannon now? She is sooo overpowered…..
Just in case: did you check the vote incentive? ;)
Sorry, I meant author’s comment.
I think I know what link you mean but I think I’d rather not see it. (though through your comment I can guess… )
I most certainly did. Surprised at the low number of casualties. ;P
Isn’t there a weapon in some game that’s basically a unicorn that fires rainbow colored lasers from its nether sphinctor?
Sounds like you have an unique vision of Maxima’s butt.
*gestures towards the comfy couch, and picks up notebook and pen*
Please lie down, and make yourself comfortable. Now tell me more, about this infatuation of yours?
Long live Astro Boy!
Yes. That would be Mr. Toots, from Red Faction: Armageddon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLpifjzDvo0
(It’s really just a re-skin of one of the game’s other weapons.)
Wait, do we really want to know what Mr. Toots’ ‘trigger’ is that makes him scream in silent pain? o_O
Are you sure that’s pain? To me, it looks like Mr. Toots is enjoying this a little too much.
I have a quick question about the new vote incentive! Did Maxima bring all of that firepower with her to that civilian studio for the photo shoot, or did the photographer just happen to have it laying around? I mean, we didn’t see any trace of all of that stuff in the couple of pages DaveB did of the shoot. Maybe it was all photoshopped in . . .
Probably photoshopped.
Maybe they shot at several locations, not only the studio, that’s usual. Even more if Arianna’s intention was to have a portfolio from she can choose according the website or magazine that does the request.
Definitely photoshopped – Those barrels from the canon over her shoulder would have bent under the weight of the mechanism and ammo box.
Not with Maxima holding it. Her forcefield automatically extends to provide structural support to anything she lifts up. Hence the ambulance not ending up with a hand-shaped hole ripped through it.
Look at it again. It’s not on Max’s shoulder, she standing next to it, holding on to it.
You sir, have my respect for your choice of favorite games, since FF2 is my favorite as well (even when compared against some of the later ones; sometimes especially then). :)
I got the stinger joke right away. But then, Chrono Trigger is one of my two favorite games of all time (the other being Portal), and I’ve been playing Fantasy Life pretty much nonstop lately.
Ah yes, Chrono Trigger is another silent protagonist game, and another of my favorites.
So I hope they’ll get to the discussion of Sydney’s orbs floating above her head.
I think the odds of that happening have dropped dramatically, with the above broken sigil bombshell.
It’s possible (however unlikely) that Sydney’s ability to see through the Veil might be just what they need to diagnose the failure of the Sigil. Even if Sydney doesn’t know exactly what it is she’s looking at, she can still describe it well enough to give the “mage-troubleshooters” a clue for repairing it, perhaps.
You mean to ask them if any of their supernatural senses or their group of mages can detect anything of or off them? They already know them from TV though so probably somebody would have to ask them to get the topic flowing. (also what Yorp said of course)
Regarding the vote incentive: Do not hold a long gun by the barrel, counterbalancing over your shoulder, especially when there is as much weight on the back end of that rotating barrel arrangement as we see in the picture. What is on the back-end of that gun anyway? If that is anything more in there than a motor and ammo magazine, it really does not belong there, even if she can lift it.
No problem if it’s Max who does it, her zero-TK prevent the gun to be damaged.
It do look strange. At first glance I thought she just ripped it off an enemy tank or something. Not so sure when I read the headline, but still give me that impression :)
That looks like a GAU-8 Avenger cannon, typically mounted in the nose of an A-10. If so, it’s WAY too small – the barrels should be just over 7′ long, and upside down (and has the wrong number of barrels). The odd belt-looking-conduits are the feeder channels (keep the linkless chains from getting tangled during aerial maneuvers), and the large chamber beneath would be the ammo box. If it’s supposed to be an M61 Vulcan (like that mounted in the F-16), the ammo box would be directly behind the cannon and the feeder conduits would be internal.
In all fairness, these problems can probably be chalked up to faulty photoshopping
M61A1 for an F18, possibly slightly undersized. The barrels do not look like they are 20mm bore, looking somewhat closer to 12.7mm but the GAU-19 is very different
It is an ARC61A2 for hand-held super use. You probably can’t pick that up off the shelf in our world.
You can’t pick it up period, whether it is on a shelf or wherever! It is way too heavy.
I am stronger than you think.
That…That’s just…OMG!
Why weren’t you at the recent Olympic Games?!
+1
It weighs less than a tank. And both Maxima and Stalwart can toss those around like toys. Plus, as I indicated, the version that supers would carry around are the versions made specifically for that purpose.
Just like specialised versions of aircraft get made for use on aircraft carriers, as opposed to others built for land-based operation. And helicopter-mounted weapons, even of an identical type to fixed-wing mounted ones, will have different mountings, or other specifications, if it is necessary to ensure they can operate effectively.
If I recall I googled “vulcan canon” and found a picture of one sitting on some kind of flat dolly. There wasn’t anything close enough to it in the picture to use for size reference, so it’s the kind of gun that happens to be the exact right size to fit on that cover with her.
Oh, I will try that search right now… uh… wait, what “the blood is distinctly green in colour” have to do with big guns? Ah, of course: “cannon”, heh… mmm… err, now I’m getting really weird Spock’s rule 34… ooooh “the exact right size to fit “, I get it now, you naughty! Pointy ear crossover ship forever!
She’s not. She’s standing next to it, holding on to it for the photo. Check where the lower barrels are. Not on her shoulder, but below it.
Wait… why is the skull in that banner winking? (last panel)
Hi-mit-su da!
I thought that was a robot/golem/enchanted sentient armor head?
Indeed. Or perhaps it is one of these?
Either that skeleton’s got a boner, or it’s just a Jolly Roger.
“disinvite”? “involved”? When did his fangs suddenly no longer impede his speech.
I thought it was “disinwite” and “inwolwed” ..haha
He does not have a speech impediment, he has an accent. Accents will selectively choose when to apply a particular sound. For instance French people have no problem saying “s”, but will often make the final “s” on a word silent.
Ingsol though does have a variable accent. Which is actually realistic, as I can testify myself, having gone through the process of fitting into a foreign country and having my accent change. Yet having it creep back if talking to someone with my native accent. Although that has become way less pronounced, over the years. So is barely a hint now.
Clearly Ingsol must have consciously resisted change (the opposite of the choice I made), given he still has his after seven hundred years. However, sometimes he blends in well, despite that, whilst at other times he reverts.
I have a similar problem.
When I was in junior high and high school, my best friend and I were huge Beatles fans. Watched all the movies and learned the lines in the appropriate accent.
Met a lovely young Englishwoman at a church convention, began talking to her, and began slipping into that far-too-well-practiced accent. She began looking at me oddly and finally asked, “It’s English, but from where?” I did a “Whaaa?” and then broke out laughing when I realized what I’d been doing.
The explanation let me hear her very sexy laugh for the first time. And yes, a laugh can be sexy.
::wiggles his ears and gives a comical leer::
My instructor in Russian commented on my accent shifting from a Georgian accent (his accent) to a Muscovite accent (a good friend who tutored me and had lived in Moscow for many years). I explained and he said he also did that.
Yeah it comes and goes as needed for clarity. :)
or when it’s funnier. :D
And based on what we’ve so far, he obviously has the prerequisite sense of humor for that. XD
Wait, is he a vampire, or a troll? o_O
And no, he can’t be both, that would be cheating!
The RPG joke lands, don’t worry. It’s somewhat less true than it used to be, but there’s still plenty of jRPGs where the main character never actively speaks. Usually there’s scenes where it’s implied that they say something and other characters react to that, but we the player don’t get to hear/see what they said directly.
Yeah, it didn’t click for me but I don’t play a lot of the ones other people play (I struggle to immerse myself in games with turn-based combat). Even so, it is a clichéd part of the genre and is especially true if we count things like Zelda as JRPGs.
Oh-oh. You’re on The List.
Sooo… did Sydney just unwittingly invite a vampire into her home?
Came here to say just that.
She did, technically, give permission for any and all of those present to visit, for those who need an invitation ala vampire lore and may also apply to some fey and spirits of the living and (un)dead variety. This being because Scarlett used the word “we” which could easily be somewhat creatively applied to everyone present at that meeting…
On the other hand the same fame that is now making them very unwanted at the meeting is probably also going to seriously discourage anyone there from trying to mess with her in a harmful way so worst case she gets haunted or pranked by some of the more extroverted members of the gallery.
On the third hand her stating that she actually would Like to hang out with the monster peoples right after both learning that their kinds actually exist and having met them might just manage to endear her to some of the gallery… might even net her a few fanboys/girls/alternatives?
in the last panel, what is the purple haired girl with goggles ?
Welcome to the club :) Yorp pointed out that she was the one silhouette at the Konnami Code banner we saw before. We all have written pages wondering about who and what she is :)
What she is we do not know specifically. But we do know one key fact. She is powerful enough to warrant an entire faction box to herself. Every other faction has at least two delegates, and most three. So I suspect she is probably one of the most powerful individuals in the chamber.
Gnome tinker type?
Aaand if she is then she might be the one more responsible for the physical/hardware side of the Sigils or perhaps helping them deal with ever upgrading technology and media it has to smurf. (or both)
2nd panel alone has two slots with just one representative as well as a spot with no (visible anyway) representative. Perhaps not everyone who can come does come every meeting?
The one above the Halo Tabard looks to have detached floating “wings”. (not relevant I just like that)
There were two angels and three archaeologists visible earlier. They are probably just out of shot above, or off somewhere ‘playing their harps’.
Yea, those detached wings had caught my attention yesterday too. Makes me wonder if they might be some mechanical devices, which just look wing-like?
Oh, ditto for the currently empty box, that has three delegates before, as visible in the link.
OK, so no evidence for the point but its still possible that not everyone that is “invited” can come or that every group can spare the representatives from their usual duties.
True. And, in support of that they may be the ones working on fixing, or investigating, the sigil. Or perhaps just having to stay in their present location, due to the risk of them being exposed by the problem.
So I should downgrade my ‘probably’ to ‘possibly’.
However factions do represent whole races (and even groups of races) under a single banner. Or other groups of comparable power. So it would be surprising if (barring the above possibility) they could not find someone to stand in as delegates, if their main negotiators were unavailable. This is the supernatural equivalent of the UN, after all. So I still think I have a reasonable chance to have called it right.
Hey who is that little girl in pig tales in the last panel.
Various suggestions, which I recall, from previous discussions (based on the fact that she sits behind the Konami code banner):
™ Super hacker (of various different possible favours).
™ A virtual lifeform manifested in the real world.
™ A hive queen (the Konami code actually deriving from waggle dance, in this theory).
™ Someone who can hack the Grrl Power Matrix and alter reality.
The last panel shows discrimination in the council. They won’t let Bender in because he is a robot, but they will let Leela in because she is a cyclops. (I see she has dyed her hair black)
And what’s with the Frankenstein (sorry, Fronk-en-steen) neck-bolt banner? Is this the ‘some assembly required’ section?
Not the first legend of people making artificial humans. Maybe other Reanimated or Homonculi or whatever the group is took a liking to the story. It actually was sympathetic to the monster, after all.
Uh, Dave, you can’t possibly be remembering FFIV correctly. Cecil had a lot of dialog.
Notice that Dave said that it was FF2.
Unless you mean Japan numering, right.
Yeah, that was my thought, too. Cecil was no silent protagonist.
As for FF6, which I still consider the best FF of all time, while Terra was probably closest to being the main protagonist, a number of the cast were given such a strong spotlight that it didn’t even matter. I wish the latest entries were that great.
yes yes yes! the best ones in the serie so far. and I agree there was no silent protagonist in those ones. terra is pretty much the main character in the first half of the game and celes more or less becomes it( then shared with everyone else as you gather them again) during the second half
It has been a loooong time since I played it. I think I was actually thinking of Chrono Trigger.
I figured as much. Crono is silent.
Scarlett what have you done? The list is home to only the worst offenders. The veil can not save you now…
Well, Sydney does flip the book over & uses the back of the book, probably for those who get on her “good side.” Leon, the hacker back at Archon HQ, was the first we saw to earn that dubious position so the book isn’t only for “worst offenders.”
And we can’t really see which side of the book Sydney is using right now, but circumstances withstanding, the new entry is probably in the front.
That’s right Sydney, put her on the damn list. :| I know it’s all serious time and such now that the meeting began, but did you HAVE to treat Syd that way, Scar? She was just trying to be friendly…
Seems to be a common problem among fictional old ones:
Forgetting what kind of screwups they were when young.
dat sans cameo
The List isn’t really a big deal. If someone really did something bad to me, I would remember it without having to write it down.
It is just for Sydney to keep track of the number of bodies. Once they are buried, they all tend to get blurred in together.
Except for the ones that can climb out of graves…
…Individual interpretation of implied evidence notwithstanding…
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/684
Prediction: first time someone on the list gets theirs from Sydney the rest who have gotten written down are going to suddenly be _very_ _very_ nervous.
I love the views of the surrounding council members. Do you think you could make a page identifying each person/group?
…Though I realize some of them may be visiting from other media. …Had to look up FF2 & Cecil from the other comments (I’m not a gamer).
A wide-screen-shot panel – say, left half on the top of the page, right half on the bottom of the page, with Ingolf (heh – typoed that at first as Ingold, and in Ingold Inglorion) split in half, left half on the right side of the first panel, right half on the left side of the second panel.
That would be nice. :D
Would that I had that much time, but I’ll leave it to your speculation for now. Plus that way I can add groups later if I forget anyone.
It’s called an ellipsis, Dave.
Yeah, my hopes for Sydney calling out The Council, and The Veil, on being unethical have now been completely dashed :-3
That’s mostly because the Council and the Veil aren’t unethical. They have their own ethics, but their ethics are largely not so harmful as you seem committed to believing.