Grrl Power #507 – Not so mini boss
Obviously this turn of events further calls into question Krona’s whole checkpoint system. Did Sciona remember what happened, was she not even included in the loop? Did Harem’s presence throw the whole thing into disarray? Is the only thing keeping Krona from being absurdly powerful shoddy programming chops? Maybe she wanted to be a wedding planner or a reptile veterinarian, but she decided to pursue coding cause of the whole reality hacking thing.
Pixel can get away with being terse with Max because she’s not in the Arc-SWAT chain of command. Obviously it behooves her to be cordial, but Pixel didn’t want to listen to the whole Maxima spiel. Her and Max don’t intersect a lot in their day to day work, but they’ve known each other for a while. (And yes, Sydney could have gotten eyes on with her Lightbee, but that means someone can see her too, and the orders were to keep her well out of harms way. The only reason she’s there is how useful her non-magic abilities would be against the Manekillers. If that went down, it was shields up, but otherwise don’t get involved.)
Over comms, no matter how secure they are, the general guideline is don’t be too specific about ultra classified stuff, like the existence of the supernatural. The Veil can cover electronic communications, but why strain it if you can say “informants” instead of “the secret council of vampires, aliens and elves.”
You never hear anyone using “gormful” or “gormy” as a compliment. I mean, if you can be gormless, you can also be gormful. Or just possessing of gorm. I want to see a tabletop RPG with a bunch of off brand stats like Gorm, Thew, Anfractuousness, Puissance, Luculence, and Callipygiance.
Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. $1 and up, but feel free to contribute as much as you like. Share the comic with your friends, then compete with them to see who can contribute the most!
Checkpoint was defidently NOT time travel
Checkpoint only worked as a location and state reset
The players get reset and only one player remembers what triggered checkpoint
Sciona remembers them entering the base
And is probably confused why two of her prey disappeared suddenly
Pixel didn’t remember, she was cued in when Krona started discussing it. Also, Pixel appears to no longer be injured. It’s likely Sciona was alerted to their presence before the checkpoint was active, so she chose a different strategy when they didn’t all run into the base. At least the situation has evolved in the right direction – forcing an enemy to utilize brute force instead of finesse means you’re in a better tactical position.
it also means you’ve lost the element of surprise
and that the villain if they’re smart, is escaping.
unless they have near god-like power… then its watch the hero’s fail and gloat.
a true villain doesn’t monologue to the captured hero
1. They cripple the Hero
2. they Torture the Hero for information
3. they kill the hero,
4. they adjust their plans, and continue their goals
NEVER ever gloat or monologue.
Which reminded me of the Evil Overlord list found here: https://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html
and with that monologue you have failed your villain final exam, you won’t be getting that license this year either.
He he. I had been grasping for something along those lines, but failing to come up with anything good. Bravo!
1. I am not a villain
2. You have not interupted me doing villainy
3. A villain doesn’t apply for licensing.
Yeah, villains don’t apply for licensing, they steal everyone else’s test. Automatic pass.
6. And if you absolutely HAVE to monologue, then wait until at least 10 minutes after your evil plan is already too far along to stop! It’s usually better to wait to least ten minutes after, just to be sure that the plan is almost complete, if not compete!
7. Always assume that your evil plan can be stopped until at least six months after it has been complete. Jumping the gun on a plan being fulfilled is one of the classic blunders. Heroes have this annoying way of blowing plans that should be unblowable.
Even better, aspire to being a good guy.
Monologue about the wrong plan or a fake plan :D
Or mayhap Sciona called in the golem from off site, before the reset, and like Maxima’s teleconference, it has just now arrived, out of sync with local-event memories.
That part at least we can discount. It was already in situ when she was having the earlier discussion with the vampire, and taking a top-up of his ‘superior’ blood.
Here I am inferring that she is in the same lair, in the two scenes (that one and the one where Pixel and Sydney came a cropper), but the big construct was in the background, when they were talking, in the former.
It is not a default that one player keeps their memory. Halo kept her memories because she didn’t actually die.
Krona and pixel didn’t die either. The person who triggered the reset keeps their memories. Harem only remembers as a sort of deja vu because of her other bodies that weren’t part of the reset.
Actually, it is a default that only the one who triggers the whatever retains their memory, just in the past it has only been Kronachrome affected, this is the first time she has used that on multiple people
Wards or non magic alarms could have been triggered by the current communications.
True.
Could also be that the checkpoint only affects the area around Krona, and the people in it. This would be enough if it moved with her, if she was the only one affected, but definitely wouldn’t affect Sciona who would be out of that range when the checkpoint was made, or triggered.
We still don’t know the range of the checkpoint
Indeed. It could have affected the entire city, provided Maxima and the other Harem bodies were outside of the city limits, and we would have seen the same results. When factoring in ReaperD‘s hypothesis or something else (such as Sciona communicating with distant minions) which could have caused the events to unfold differently this time around.
I’m so glad for the existence of this comic.
+1
It is awesome. It really needs to be made into a Hollywood blockbuster movie though.
Does anybody have Quentin Tarantino’s number?
I don’t know. I think Max would go really well with J.J. Abrams’ love of lens flares.
+3
J.J. Abrams and Michael Bay would have no idea what to do with the story arcs of this comic.
I will admit, they would both be hella good as consultants, though.
Yes, listen to what they have to say… and then do the opposite :P
Actually, I would have said James Cameron, but this looks to be more Speilburgean!
Oh, god, please no. That guy’s a one trick pony and his trick doesn’t play well into this story.
Besides. Clearly this should be a TV show. It’s got episodes built in and everything. Think Netflix will pick it up?
Bite your tongue Yorp. There is only one man who could tackle the awesomeness that is this comic. Joss Wheadon. Tarantino is not fit to be his Key Grip.
He he. I was only dangling some bait, to see if anyone would offer the natural choice. Well done.
Although I am sure there are other capable directors, out there, who could do the story justice too. But Joss is the known safe bet. Quentin is enough of an enthusiast that I think he would do a better job than MCM seems to think mind. Kill Bill shows that Quentin does understand the comic medium, and could use a shooting style that would compliment this comic. He demonstrated many techniques in that pair of films, to show that he is versatile.
But he may be a bit too heavy for this comic. Quentin does play heavily on the combat, where as much of this comic has the focus outside of that. Mind you Quentin does not lack in the captivating dialogue front either.
Where I do agree with MCM though is that the comic would be best served as a series. But nowadays film series are popular enough that we do not just have to look at the TV option. But Netflix is certainly a viable choice, granted.
Mind you I would hope that MCM might have contacts with MGM?
I disagree. I think the Russos are doing much better in the modern comic-movie genre: their films are tighter, have a bigger impact, and have a more consistent quality. They also seem less likely to burn out over several films, which would be necessary for these stories. There’s a reason these guys are doing Infinity War & Avengers 4, while Whedon is out for a while, if he comes back at all.
Well I did say that “there are other capable directors, out there, who could do the story justice too”, which would include them. Part of my reason for agreeing with the Joss Whedon suggestion is that he broke the mold in creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He lead the field in bringing powerful female characters to mass market popularity. And that is a very important aspect of the comic.
Plus, of course, he has proven that he can handle stories which are not action intensive. Which would be absolutely vital in adapting Grrl Power to the big screen. So whilst being able to make successful action comic movies is a big plus, I do not think that alone should prove directors’ qualifications for the job.
Then, of course, there is the availability. If they are raking in millions from creating the current box office hits, with a massive existing fan base, they might not be interested in a relatively small independent webcomic adaptation. Whereas it may very much appeal to Joss and also give him a powerful vehicle to get in on the super hero film market.
You are aware, that Kill Bill was a copy of a Japanese movie, are you not? Complete with it being in two parts: Lady Snowblood
Quentin Tarentino makes it very plain what films he references or pays tribute to. Kill Bill is actually an amalgam of several, each openly referenced. Of which Lady Snowblood is indeed the most influential for the first part.
He made it very clear that the films were inspired by and in the style of 1970s ‘grindhouse cinema’. He just does it very well. This is actually what we want. We want a director who can faithfully reproduce source material but do it very very well.
Dave himself is constantly referencing films, characters, TV series and, of course, the whole super hero genre. Whilst Dave has created a heck of a lot himself, fans of the original material get quite a buzz when they identify works that he has referenced. Both Quentin and Dave are creating homages by doing so. They are fans of the various things they reference and want to share the pleasure they have in consuming that material, with their audience.
Further Joss Whedon does similar things. Firefly is clearly inspired by the western genre. And, if you watch ‘the making of’ episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he (and the various writers and directors employed by him) openly list the various sources which inspire particular scenes or even whole episodes.
Importantly all three create their own original characters, various stylistic elements and blend the parts seamlessly into an entertaining whole. Whilst Quentin did very closely mirror the plot for Lady Snowbird, this is a point that Dave diverges from him. In that Dave has very much non-standard story structures. Which both you and I often have to defend as being his own style.
Should a less-talented director get the rights to make Grrl Power the Movie, I fear that they will abandon this element and shoehorn it into a traditional movie structure. This would be a bad mistake, as it is actually one of the subtle strengths of the comic. So you really need a director who is both sympathetic with the source material and knows how to showcase it in such a way as to gain mass-market appeal.
Yeah, you need a director who doesn’t have an ego the size of a dwarf planet who says “Fuck the source material! Double fuck the fans!! Going to make this movie my damn way, and triple fuck anyone who disagrees!!!”
the guy who directed starship troopers publicly stated that he only skimmed the book,
never finished it, and only wanted the rights because he wanted the name.
plus, he wanted to make a movie about a totalitarian military
which is pretty much opposite the theme Heinlein was going for. Which was courage and
honor
I wish I had those convention,s but alas, names do not connections make, much less short arrangements of letters.
Quentin has an ability with striking visual style, violence and gore, but he story telling chops are very weak. Whedon is the better bet if for no other reason than he has the sense of humor that aligns with this comic, and the episodic story telling chops. (Movies and TV are just different.)
But if we’re just dreaming here, and really we are, I’d like to wander off the beaten path and suggest Edgar Wright.
Connections, not conventions. Damn you auto correct. At least be funny when you fuck things up.
Dreaming yes, but dreams can come real. Some of the comics which do get made into movies are far less worthy than GrrlPower. Not to mention that the comic actually has intrinsic social merit.
Mind you one of our existing fans might turn out to be a budding director, who could sweep the floor with the luminaries we have been proposing. Adapting Dave’s writing and art to the screen might be what inspires them to get into the industry.
Go for it!
*wags tail encouragingly*
Oh, and don’t forget to have a doggy cameo at some point!
*makes a cheeky flourish, with tail*
In the Bay version, Sydney has only one orb and it’s the PPO
In the Bay version a certain turtle quartet would have been in the Council scene, and he would give them Sydney’s line as their own catch phrase: “ALWAYS expect ninjas.”
Which reminds me…
Dave, are you getting the cash from these or did someone camp your spawn?
https://www.amazon.com/CafePress-Always-Expect-Black-01-Novelty/dp/B01IDP77X6
https://www.cafepress.com/mf/60552988/always-expect-ninjas_tshirt
See https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/346 .
I set that up a long time ago, but I haven’t logged in for years. I should probably take it down.
I don’t think Sydney would mind having nothing but the PPO; she would mind that she had Bay to thank for it, though.
….
And the rest of the world would mind, because when all you have is a hammer…..
Mjolnir is a hammer, not because thor is not capable with a sword, but because a hammer is used to build. To repair. That is the proper weapon for a king and a hero. What you mean to say is “…because when all you have is a tiny portal to the middle of the sun…..”
No, the full quote is “When all you have is a hammer, you view the world like nails” or something concerning nails with the implication all you do is smash things on the head
I think I prefer Sydney seeing herself as a builder than a destroyer. We saw her being creative with forming the orbs into a nuclear structure and the tentacle into writing. Likewise she was crushed when she was unable to directly help lift the girders, as they were above her weight limit. I think if Sydney were to try and increase her tentacle weight limit it would be driven by that motivation, rather than being able to defeat foes such as the one we see above.
Even the fact that Sydney does her stick-drawings shows that she wants to be creative, despite her artistic talents being limited. Likewise the fact that she dedicates a pouch of her precious utility belt space to arts and crafts shows this aspect of her strongly. Finally there is her desire to have Sydney Scoville 3rd. Yet another indicator that she favours creation.
Her dislike of destruction is apparent too.
Very true
Anyone can destroy, very few can build, fewer still can build it well.
“If all you have is a hammer, every problem becomes a nail.”
If all you have is a hammer, every problem becomes a nail.
Boy, does that take me back to the 70s.
That’s the one, thank you
She wouldn’t mind anything cause she would be played by Megan Fox, who is unnable to express any basic human emotions.
Also the blast orb would get a second fonction so PPO would also stand for “product placement obligation”
Also all supers would be victoria’s secret models.
Um, aren’t all the Supers already Victoria’s Secret models? o_O
That does not sound like she would be a very good casting, in which case. Although clearly she would want to audition.
Wait, Shirley Sydney means that the situation has devolved?
No both work. I think. they both make sense at least.
Yes, but what ever that beastie is, does not look evolved
It’s become more ka-boomey!
Oh my, it’s reached 9000!
Don’t call her Surely! Her name is Sydney, just as you’ve already said anyway.
:)
Hey boss- your brown shirt is hanging out again………..and a leaf in the wind is in deep drek right now….
Sydney needs to place that skill point now.
She’s about to forget the point and grab either the shield or PPO. that’s when the point will be assigned. This is my gormless prediction.
I’m betting shield since they don’t know how screwed…yet…
I hope she picks shield, maybe it has a life support function and then she can go to SPAAAAAAACE (or at least be a better bubble bus.)
I still want her to choose the point connecting the shield and comm balls. Just to see if that would allow her to make actual force fields where her illusion clone is standing.
If she’s lucky she hits a link that lets her use the pewpew from inside the shield.
Sydney can already use the PPO inside the shield. It’s just that the results could be, um, ‘messy’.
It hasn’t been tried yet, but I imagine it’s on Max’s list of need to knows…
So far the assumption is she cant actually. She cant with the lighthook at least. Yet
What they mean is that we dont know if the PPO laser will appear out side the shield. We know she can, but the question is can she do it twice.
I’m just saying it it’s anything like the Lighthook during the Vehemence fight resolution, it either doesn’t, or she doesnt know how to make it appear on the inside of the shield.
I’m hoping another point in Shield would let her change its shape, or make it invisible to everyone but her (or everyone except whoever is in it).
That way it could gain the additional effect of behaving like the Barrier-Barrier Fruit powers owned by Bartolomeo in One Piece.
He likes taunting people, who then attack him- but instead hit the invisible force field and injure themselves.
Currently she shield does change shape, a lot. Compare how it becomes torpedo-shaped, when Sydney is flying at high-speed, as one obvious example. Likewise it becomes much smaller when indioors, and clearly (by virtue of not being killed when moving from indoors to outdoors in the Steak House battle) will conform to doorways. Plus we have seen her standing next to objects, like tables, and the shield shaping to fit the available space.
Yes there may well be an option to do more than that, as the skill tree has many things on it. Alternatively though Halo may be able to refine her control by simply practicing with it. Much liek the orbs it probably responds to her subconscious desires (“I want to fly fast” prompting the streamlining effect. Or “treat me right”? No I actually want a guy to “eat me right”!)
The invisible force field is an interesting idea. Probably of somewhat less use for Sydney though, as it requires enemies who do not know that she can do that. Whereas she suffers from the glare of publicity which will limit the opportunities to pull of such a trick more than once.
It’s my own fault for not actually paying attention enough to notice that. (Hands you a Yorpie Snack) I more meant that if Sydney could consciously alter its shape, she could make a forcefield, which I couldn’t find a picture of.
But Bartolomeo was able to alter the wall shape so it acted like a tractor’s steamshovel. He is also able to
coat his fist in forcefield so he doesn’t get recoil,
or shape it his shield into stairs , showing it doesn’t always have to be combat-based.
Yea, those would be good uses. Likewise the trick mentioned in a thread above of using it offensively by creating it in an opponent’s body and expanding it.
All assuming that Sydney can project it beyond her own body, which presently she cannot. But that could be part and parcel of an upgrade.
Other force field uses would be to create a trestle table with benches (which could be all connected as one structure, if that is a requirement). For impromptu parties, of course. The fist example could be extended to giving Halo a full-body armour. Gaining Iron-Man like strength and force-armour.
A giant cage could be formed, in order to contain big critters, but still allowing them to breathe and be fed through the gaps.
Or a glistening force-field castle could be created. For stylish camping and party purposes.
Consider also taking ‘bouncy force fields’ to maximise the fun for the latter power stunt.
She should spend the point on Molestorb’s single expansion with dual ring
DaveB – most of your characters already have hi stat for callipygiance, you just need to slap a label on it. Except in Maxima’s case, just hand it to her.
Yea, nothing sticks to her, so no way to label her pyg…
I was thinking “safety first” re slapping Maxima on the butt.
Nah, just get dabbler to press it on there reeeeal good.
Surely Callipygiance is a Feat. Gives one a bonus to Charisma from behind. :D
If used properly, it can also help as a bonus to physical defenses…
Too bad Pixel was left without her memories of her previous fight. It would be nice to be able to remember if 1) she ran up against this thing before, 2) she was able to beat it last time, 3) if not, how she lost.
I really want to have the next comic lead off with Sydney asking the group if anyone brought any poké balls with them.
Well at least she kept her mammaries.
Fangs and those mammaries…
For ornamental spots
and laser-carving shots
and all the times i’ve been tied up with wounds educing clots
Such lovely fangs and
such wondrous mammaries…
+1 for rule 34…
You left out ‘Boweled’ as a status effect. It’s actually on by default, and gives several useful bonuses. Some people try removing the flag as an aid to speedrunning, and spending less time pooping, but it winds up making thigns much harder.
Callipygiance = LOLBUTTSLOL. #themoreyouknow
Callipygiance does indeed mean “niceassness”.
Also, “gormless” derives from “gaumless”, from “gaum”, an old dialect word meaning “understanding” or “attention”
.
(Forced to listen to Sir Mix-a-lot)
Great Googley Moogley Sidney! You need to spend a point on situational awareness, or radar, or auto-detect bad guys or something Grrl!
Can’t wait to have Ms. Hack Reality break down the balls functions for us.
Hopefully she can clue us in to the fx of the mystery orbs.
They need time and a much calmer environment. Of course Sydney is the anti-calm…
Powerful when startled.
I don’t think Krona is going to be the one breaking Sydney’s balls.
I’m sure Maxima is already planning on it.
Great, and if that one can record it, lil miss level up just became target #1.
Unleash the PPO. Turn that thing into slag!
And the warehouse behind it? The warehouse containing an unknown number of victims? Victims who may or may not have been grabbed during one of the other Sigil attacks?
Whatever they do, somebody had better start kicking that things steatopygia
shes short she can aim up. maybe hit the osprey.
+1
She can’t control the AOE yet. It may or may not destroy the monster, but, in their present location, it would most likely destroy her entire squad, herself included.
On gormless: gods bless the etymological dictionary.
gormless (adj.)
c. 1746, also in early use gaumless, gawmless, “wanting sense, stupid,” a British dialectal word, from gome “notice, understanding” (c. 1200), from Old Norse gaumr “care, heed” (of unknown origin); + -less.
So there you are, may you gome the full sense of the word.
Ok, yeah, that was a stretch.
Looks like Dave has been reading Dresden Codak at some point. The helmet on the Tentacle Monster bears a strong resemblance to many of the cyborgs in the D.C. universe.
Hells yeah, a boss battle! Good thing Sidney just leveled.
Not a boss battle. A dragon battle.
did anybody see Pixel scratching her eye with a laser claw in the fist panel and think of the joke about a pirate having to be careful scratching with his hook…that’s how he lost his eye?
The joke was, he got shit in his eye from a flying seagull on the same day he lost his favourite hand
Given that Sydney didn’t reflexively grab the shield orb, my suspicion is that Pixel’s glimpse at the deep code will serve to inform her choice in some way. Like, “GRAB THE GREEN ONE, IT’S A MCGUFFO POWER ORB” or something.
McGuffo would imply that it is the object of a quest. I would rather say orbus ex machina.
You don’t think Sydney’s on a quest?
I think she didnt because she had been told to level the flight orb to see if that opens up the new series of dots, but she didnt do that yet because of krona being in awe of the deep code and everything is happening so fast
I think she didn’t do it because normally she commands the orbs telepathically in addition to physically reaching our her hand and grabbing them, but right now they’re not responding to her telepathy and that’s interfering with her instinctive reaction-level “here’s the process by which the shield orb gets in my hand immediately”.
…. okay, I’ve got two questions.
First, where’s Krona looking in Panel 7? Because Sydney’s already got her powers doing the “Your OS decided to do an automatic update right when you most needed the computer sucks to be you” thing. If Krona’s looking at Steampunk Nightmare, good. But if Krona’s still hypnotized by the orbs, that’s very very bad. Maybe with Krona able to focus Sydney could have sandbagged and not leveled (though, not advisable, given her lack of shield or flight and the likelihood of collateral damage and disintegrating floor, but otherwise she has to level pronto and free up both herself and Krona to fight.
Second, the obvious assumption is that this is Sciona. But do we know it’s Sciona? Sciona isn’t appearing in the who’s-who insert. This could be another automaton… or a sentry… or a lieutenant who was reporting in and noticed the intruders…. or reinforcing allies who get a bit close and friendly before introducing themselves as such….
…. okay, I’ve got a third question. Where is Harem? … er, where are Harem? Where are the Harems? Where is Harems?
…. okay, fourth question. What’s the correct grammar there?
First question: No idea.
Second question: It’s not Sciona. It’s the super-manikin from this page: https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/comics/2017-01-02-GP0489.jpg
Third question: No idea, good question though.
Fourth question: I think ‘where is Harem?’ works fine in this context as we’re only talking about one of them. If we were talking about multiple copies I think ‘where are the Harems?’ works.
*checks link* …. oh, hey, a connection that required me to have an attention span longer than two comics to make! THAT IS SO UNFAIR!
+1 :D
Good point. Makes me go “Huh. Sciona must have wrecked the sigils so it would be easier to find victims with interesting abilities to experiment with.”
There is only one Harem. Harem is one person, she just happens to have several bodies. So, “Where is Harem?” is correct: it just has several answers.
If one wants to know where a specific body is, “Where is Blonde Harem?” is correct.
IMHO.
If Harem were a murder suspect, imagine how many witnesses would need to be called in order to establish whether she could have been at a given location, at a specific time. Presuming, of course, that they can convince the jury that she does indeed only currently have five bodies.
Then imagine how many there would be if the murder took place during the period of the time loop!
Too complicated. Probably have to just do this.
Ahh, but this is Harem we are talking about. She can cross her fingers on one of her other bodies!
Panel 7? Kronachrome is probably looking in the same place Sydney as: Tentonkillerton
What? SITUATION is evolving!
SITUATION has evolved into CLUSTERFUCK!
MORE of a CLUSTERFUCK! you mean. It’s been a clusterfuck since Pixel got strung up like a Capri Sun.
Wherever Sydney goes, there tends to be a massive clustering. She’s basically a clusterfuck magnet…
It’s like she is a god of chaos without even knowing it.
It’s called ‘Main Character Syndrome’. All of the major plots will appear and usually revolve around one person or persons related to them, lol.
It doesn’t have to be a “main character.” Indeed, a lot of fiction exists in which a main character isn’t really affected by much strangeness. Sydney, on the other hand, is a prime example of a living Weirdenss Magnet. I would even go so far as to say that Sydney may even be mildly infectious as such, as it affects everyone around her to some degree or another…Sort of like having Weirdness Magnet 10′ radius.
GURPS.. how I miss you so…
*tear rolls down face*
She’s chaos theory attached to a ADHD body…
I am pretty sure she is chaos in practice, not just theory.
Clusterfuck magnet…would that be the green mystery orb or the brown mystery orb, or just her own latent ability?
Neither. It’s Dabbler’s dream job.
I would conjecture that Sydney was a Weirdness Magnet for a good chunk of her life already. Indeed, it’s quite possible that being a Weirdness Magnet is why Sydney found those orbs, instead of somebody else.
Yup. Taken to its extreme it may even be why her timeline has super powers at all. With the insight that Krona gains from reading Sydney’s level-up screen, she finds out that Krona herself is actually the origin of the orbs. Then, examining other supers and supernaturals, finds out that she crated them all.
With Sydney helping to piece together that Krona must go back in time and grant powers to all those who have them, by some means or other. With this story being significant not because of Halo herself but due to the fact that she (due to her weirdness magnet property) happened to meet and befriend the goddess of supers and the supernatural!
With Krona crating all of the supers and supernatural she would definitely cement her position as most powerful being on the planet. And possibly the most terrifying.
;p
Yeah, if she can create, she could also potential be able to uncreate and stick them all back in the crate she found them in :P
Sneaking suspicion you’re mentioning Scarlet Witch.
FusterCluck sounds funnier
CLUSTERFUCK used DOUBLE TEAM!
“gormless”? Did I just fall into a Firefly episode?
Gormless has a long and illustrious history in science fiction…
Yeah, they’ve appeared as the “comedy relief” in literature, movies & stage plays since the earliest days of dramatic performances.
;)
all I’m wondering is………..
What happened to Harem?
Some while ago Dave stated that where characters do not play a key role in a scene, he will position the frame to exclude them. This is simply to cut down on the number of characters he has to draw.
However it has been a few pages since we have seen her, and I would expect at least the odd reminder that she is around. Harem is one character who can be there one moment and gone the next so it is fairly important for her.
However, for just the same reason, it Harem can avoid minor nuisances like rampaging giant robots. So, from that point of view, it is not vital to show her until she next has a role to play.
Or when one of the cast members notices her absence and likewise queries that.
Not only can she be there one moment and gone the next, she can also be there while at the same time being somewhere else entirely.
Heh. Yea.
If the orbs are in any way related to krona’s abilities, i wonder if one of the unknowns involve time manipulation…
Flyball – gravity
PPO – energy
Truesight orb – light (or simply information)
Tentacle – matter
Shield – force
Brown mystery orb – time
Green mystery orb – life
Time and Life? Didn’t they discontinue both of those magazines? o_O
Yes for the latter. No for the former. I know that much as they rather ironically made
a politician who shall not be namedman of the year, in their end-of-year issue. Despite having been highly critical of him previously.Being Person of the Year isn’t an endorsement from Time, merely an acknowledgment that this person had a substantial (they theorize the most substantial) impact on the world that year. As such, I do not disagree with their choice, and appreciate the criticism present in the cover image.
The horns are a subtle dig, indeed.
*wags tail fiendishly*
Flyball seems more like Correspondence than Gravity, since she has LOCALIZED gravity when touching it. :)
Correspondence and force I would say.
Clever of Archon to invent “supers” in order to avoid paradox. “No no, of course it is not magic. Super powers. That is how they fly and melt tanks!”
The fact that some of the pips are already lit up on the grid makes something occur to me; the interface for leveling up in most games do not just randomly have things lit up in the way that they are here for default skills. So, the orbs must have been “leveled up” a fair number of times before Sydney ever got them. Meaning someone else once had them, and lost them somehow. Either via death or some other means.
That is the way most folks interpret it true. Personally I favour other interpretations. One that has been suggested is that there are ;basic skills’ that come as standard. Like a 1st level warrior knows how to swing a sword properly or a mage can cast the basic spells of their class.
Another is that various skills get auto allocated as the user practices them. Use the tentacle to lift progressively heavier weights and the tentacle strength skill improves. There would be no point in offering a choice of what skill to imporve, as the only thing that has been practiced is lifting stuff. This has the additional advantage of corresponding to real life. A weightlifting session does not allow the person to improve their high-jump skill, for example.
Mind you if the ‘skills’ do pass from one owner to the next, then it would be a misnomer to call them ‘skills’, as it has didly squat to do with the talents of the user. If that is the case then I would explain it as ‘equipment upgrades’ or ‘item customisation’ rather than ‘skills’.
Depends on whom (or what) is getting the skills, maybe the balls are the ones levelling up, not the user
We have not actually met her family yet. We have only seen Sydney pretend to speak to them on the phone. It may well turn out that Joel has been fooled into thinking that the lifelike human projection they make is actually a real person.
I just hope that she is able to have kids, despite being a hard-light hologram! Otherwise bang goes the plan for Sydney Scoville 3rd (other than by adoption)!
Perhaps that is what the brown mystery orb is all about. It simulates a lifeform so that the orbs can interact with indigenous populations in an organic manner. Extra skill with that would allow them to replicate more than just the one form.
Is the original Sydney trapped in a sea-cave, somewhere near Florida? Or did she never exist in the first place?
She has to have existed at some point, since she owns or co-owns property from before her vacation. I’m not sure if there would be any way to prove or disprove if she is real unless she died and came back without the use of a checkpoint. At the very least she can’t be a hologram; even a tactile one, because she gets real injuries and the super doctor examined her and didn’t find anything strange about her physiology. She also can’t be aware of being a projection either, or she could not have activated the checkpoint since she wouldn’t have been in real danger in such a case.
Fair arguments.
There are counters to those mind. The simplest of which is that a ‘simulated lifeform’ could be indistinguishable from the real thing, at our current technology level. If you wanted to interact closely with lifeforms, then you would need to do a thorough job of it. Including breathing, talking, eating and bruising.
All helped by the fact that the doctor was not examining Sydney to see if she was an artificial human.. So even if there were subtle clues, like a hard-light hologram not weighing as much as a normal person, or her having nanites instead of red blood cells, the doctor was not looking that closely.
The other point would require that Sydney have been in our society for a number of years, in order to have built up her cover identity. Only recently having been summoned to pick up the orbs, once that was completed well enough to withstand scrutiny.
When you are speculating over things involving super-powerful orbs, of completely unknown origin, you have very broad leeway for plausible theories. Whatever created them (or whatever they otherwise might be) they are immensely powerful. Meaning that you can legitimately make assumptions like ‘they can replicate humans so well that humans cannot tell the difference’, without taking them out of the power-level ballpark that they are already in.
Let’s do some predictions. “Last” level up was on page #181. 325 Pages between. a rate of roughly 1.8. So we can possibly expect the next level up at Page #909 if the pages are an indication for level ups and level requirements are exponential (Most games have some kind of exponential curve for EXP). I could be wrong however, since the Orbs might have had a few left over exp from the last user / could have had a few starting exp. If the rate stays the same, then we would see the next one in another 325 Pages – Page #830. So Pages #800-950 seem to be ideal candidates.
Things which could level up Halo:
10% Chance: Krona hacking Halos balls to do free level ups – maybe a few levels then everyone realizes that it’s just a April 1st Joke to get the blood boiling. (Sadly April fools is on a Saturday this year)
14% Chance: Halo having a level up because she caught a shark with her Lighthook.
1% Chance: Halo defending pirate aliens who tried to bury booty in asteroids but got caught by communist moon ninjas, finally revealing that the orbs are really space pirate artefacts and have to be hidden from opressive ninjas.
Feel free to add wacky situations leading to a random skill point distribution.
Heh. Interesting and fun thinking.
Don’t forget the fact that she’s used telepresence for a bit and then teleported. Usage accumulation!
We know from the last time her upgrade screen appeared, it wasn’t immediately after she used them.
You know… I wonder if the unknown orbs are the orbs of Save & Load…
Went and read a few chapters behind https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1166 to see exactly what happened again.
I think the orbs were recalculating the shape of the sphere grid, or generating one for Sydney. Whoever had it before saw something else (or as I said before, were aliens with orbs as part of their body).
The reason the grid showed up so quickly this time is because its new map was already preconfigured. At first I thought ‘oh well it went into psycho spin blink mode because a point was ready but it wasn’t being acknowledged so it had to get attention’ but that doesn’t fit anymore.
Or maybe the grid showed up quickly because she was touching a ball when a point became available?
Well, it didn’t exactly show up ‘quickly’ this time, there is a fair bit of time between the ‘reset’ and getting to their turn to speak
I’d point out that Sydney wasn’t running from them in terror this time…
Not running, no, but terror from them? Yes
3.141 (etc.) % chance of leveling up by making a PIe
I expect Dr. McNinja to come out of hiding and help fight off his non-Irish brethren.
I hate to critique this comic, but something is really bothering me. Sydney with the magical headband, it makes her look too round-faced and dowdy. I know the epic bangs she has are hard to draw, and I know that tactically it’s better to have her hair out of her eyes. but can a compromise be reached? how about drawing her bangs laid back over her head like you did
Originally, they were more on the sides rather than centred like they have been, and they looked more ‘natural’ then they became (as in, they lined up with the central parting, not as bangs along the front)
Go back to Yorp’s first appearance to see
What we need is a Sydney Hairdo Montage!
I like to think that Sciona cant remember anything from before but suddenly half her other hideouts wards appear to have been tripped at once and she finally decided to look outside to see what all that noise was and got to see Sydney spazzing back and forth like an idiot on crack with her mobile lightshow and decided “Screw it!Im sending out my murderzord to crush the least stealthy people ever while i go set up shop in that nice haunted pizzaria that everyone keeps telling me about!”.
Wait… we don’t know what happens if an enemy attacks the Sphere Grid. We know from Krona that the real info is behind it, and it’s only visible when a point is earned, but unselected.
Is it possible that monstrosity (mechstrosity?) can damage or destroy the orbs from behind, while the grid is up?
Also, do we know if the orbs gain trait options for later selection if something attacks them in the same manner? Like, absorb the suit (or person in it too) and now they’re inaccessible orb powers?
Possibly.
Or maybe if the giant construct touches the grid it will select the next upgrade and be the one who controls that aspect?
Sydney might gain multiple tentacles, but find that they are under the control of Sciona. And we know how she likes to strip victims and perform kinky bondage with them. Sydney could actually have a hentai orb!
What’s the opposite of “thrillieved”?
But that’s a good point. What if someone else selected the point?
Wait, the orbs started following her around before she ever got a point, so maybe not. But who knows!
I am in the process of creating a rpg system….your wish might (or might not, depending on the final feel of the system) be granted.
There were no wishes made… Ray? What did you do, Ray?
Dave was just envisioning something harmless that would not harm us.
even an octopus without tentacles isn’t completely ‘armless
Pull the other one. It has suckers on it.
I honestly hope this isn’t going to be another long fight, I’d rather see that Frankenstein wannabe get busted to pieces by Maxima.
Actually, I’d like monster to touch one of the balls while it’s still on the selection screen, and for the PPO to auto respond with an instant incineration – no touching Sydney’s balls while in select mode…
No touching Sydney’s balls, never without her permission!
Yeah, you can assume that they have defenses, the question is whether it would be the PPO, or an energy pulse that blows its hand/arm off….
Gormless is such an anachronistic insult. But perhaps that fits someone who studies ancient artifacts for a living.
Next up, laser claws in action, speed-levelling, orb-fu and Krona currency.
I’m off the opinion that Sydney will not pursue the point at all during the fight, accidentally or otherwise. I predict she’ll be damn tempted, but either her own force of will or Krona’s insistence will keep her in-menu until Krona’s analyzed its backdoors.
Agh, try as I might, I still miss blatant phone-induced spelling and grammar errors.
If time travel proves to be possible, using an app, then, in addition to the grandfather paradox, we will have to worry about the drandma paradox and other phat finger errors.
You might see Callipygiance stats high on fantasy sorceresses but not so much on tech preistesses. Unless you were involved in my last Dark Heresy Campaign. “*bzzzt* Dat Ass is overloading my optical sensors. What model cybernetic booty is that? Number 9????”
I’m now imagining Vocaloids with great callipygiance singing “all about da bass (no treble)”
You can do that, you know.
Here’s the vocals; you’ll have to hit DaveB up for the visuals. :D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1pliNbSNcA
+A
Only if it is the Major from SS9 and her custom made military version of a common prosthetic body. Her buttocks are to be killed (by her) for.
Maybe this will help? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyVhmR-5TcE
*puts a black foreleg band on*
I hear that the lights went out on Liberty. But, whilst there is a glimmer of light, have hope.
Wait, is that for that stupid “Women on Strike” rubbish? o_O
Yeah! get back in the kitchen and make me a sammitch!
It was a powercut. Although some wits have made that association. Amongst others.
A powercut that only seemed to affect parts of Liberty? o_O
They indicated that part of the problem was fixing damage from the previous hurricane. Which means that there would be temporary circuitry for parts of it, which could easily have failed, where other more reliable ones stayed on.
Plus tourists can book tours of the crown, so doubtless health and safety requirements demand that illumination has backup generators, for that, as well as any other areas where the general public will be present. This would not be necessary for the floodlighting. Which doubtless has vast power requirements, so would be much more expensive to provide backup generators for.
I am surprised, given the normal level of interest shown in Peggy’s guns, that nobody has commented on the one that appears to be strapped on her chest. I say ‘appears’ as it may actually be something else, which I have failed to identify correctly. If it is a gun though it does have an odd attachment on the pointy end. Whatever it is it looks like it will make it hard to remove from the straps holding it in place.
I think that’s a seat belt.
No, wait, I see it now. Yeah that’s defo a gun. The holster looks like it’ll just snap open, so getting out her rooty-tooty-point-and-shooty shouldn’t be to hard for pegs.
the holster is positioned for a left handed cross body draw. Peggy is right handed. I’m guessing it’s a flare gun. since it would be easier with the safety restraints to carry her service pistol on her thigh.
A good combatant is trained to use weapons ambidextrously. I certainly was trained to break my handedness when I was taught martial arts. I have no idea if that happens with firearms training normally. However Peggy is at the top edge of gun skills, so it would surprise me if she were not at least pretty good with her off hand.
But it would make sense to have a flare gun set up for off-hand use, as you say, despite my above comments.
If it is a flare-gun, I wonder if the odd bit at the front is to select different flare colours? Normally you would have custom ammo for each, but I could see that having a variable colour emitter attached to a generic propellant would give flexibility and cut down on the amount of weight used on reloads.
OK, green for ‘all clear’, red for ‘urgent assistance required’ and pink for ‘hey I found my trippy pills!’
I can see what you mean, but I think you may be combining two half-hidden items.
To me, it looks as though she has a fairly standard semi-automatic pistol, holstered for left-handed draw with the barrel pointing about 30 degrees down, and above that is strapped a separate item of a tube with a block on it, for right-handed draw. If the item on Peggy’s right-hand side is the gun barrel, that would imply quite a severe and probably excessive sweep-back angle on the grip. Alternatively, following a more conventional sweep-back angle, we see a pouch poking out from under her harness strap, at about the right length to hold the barrel.
Not sure what the second item would be, in that case. Maybe one of those escape tools with a hardened glass-punch on one end and a belt-cutting hook on the other, but the block looks too solid to be the hook.
But whatever the case, we can say one thing: if Peggy’s in a situation where she really needs that harness, she’ll have a rather nice set of bruises from the solid metal object(s) being pushed into her chest. Even if she does thereby avoid having a rather nice impression of the Osprey’s instrument panel on her face.
And with that monologue you have failed your villain final exam, you won’t be getting your license this year either.
That would be hot pink and they are combat reflex enhancers you take as needed. Until the fully outfitted combat armor has intravenous means of injecting the appropriate compounds during battle. (Now that is a smart suit indeed.)
Time for FRICKIN LASER BEAMS.