Grrl Power #522 – Little Giant Miss Matchmaker
I haven’t shown nearly as much of this as I’d have liked in the comic, but Anvil and Max are pretty good friends, and Anvil is concerned that Max hasn’t been on a date in a while. ( Or under a date in a while.) Not that dating her subordinate is really an option, but maybe she figures pressing her up against a prime slab of beef might ignite her interest with other options. Or she just thinks its funny to smoosh her naked teammates together.
Considering there’s a slab of concrete in between them, Max is secretly just a little impressed. And flattered. Not, you know, flattered in a “I’m validated by male attention” way. More of a “I know I’m sexy, not that being sexy is central or critical to my self identity, but it’s still nice to know that others know I’m sexy.” People are complicated.
Both Max and Hiro are stronger than Anvil, though when she’s all juiced up with kinetic energy, she could probably take Hiro. She burned most of what she had stored with that Super Suplex. Still, Max and Hiro both know to be careful with their strength, even when a friend is being totally inappropriate. Plus if Max pushed Hiro away she wouldn’t be able to cover herself.
This page colored by Keith.
Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. $1 and up, but feel free to contribute as much as you like.
SuperheroThey're super, thanks for asking!
Meatspace ComicSeriously these are awesome. Check 'em out!
Not UpdatingNo longer updating or only updates sporadically, but definitely worth reading.
SeriouslySeriously you guys. If you like Grrl Power the check these out.
"Mature"Mature subject matter and occasionally something explicit but usually safe. Can't guarantee the ads are safe though.
Dongs Ahoy!Full frontal and backal. Lots of skin, sex on some or all pages, explicit or otherwise.
Judging by Dave’s commentary, Hiro is still holding on to the slab of concrete and Max just felt its “movement”. I want say it’s analogous to an unintentional dry humping but with supers.
I’m expecting the slab of concrete has a hole by now.
He’s still moving a slab of concrete with nothing but his trunk.
There’s probably not much left of the concrete by now…Recall, if you will, this particular example of what super strength can do.
(That poor chair! That poor slab of rubble!)
Sydney:(holding hand over her eyes) Oh my god! COVER UP YOU TWO!!! Where’s a webcomic censor when you need one?
Considering she admired the view when he first showed up, then again now his socks are knocked off (along with everything else), I think she’ll be REAL impressed at his “saluting”…
The final panel of the previous comic shows Sydney was shocked at what she saw. Likewise the first panel above does not have any hint of appreciation. Rather the eyes are still conveying shock. More telling though is the down-turned mouth. Sydney is not happy with what she is seeing!
I believe his ability to punch through concrete will significantly worsen that feeling, rather than change it to a positive one.
Although I was pleased to see Sydney’s eyes relaxing, in the next panel, and liked her wry smile at Anvil’s reaction. So I do not think that Sydney feels traumatised by the incident, it was just a surprise, albeit one that she did not find pleasant.
Quick supplement to the analysis of Sydney’s expression in panel 1:
I think it is a bit more of a slack face with the hint of the lower lip coming out as though to precede some sort of stammering. I don’t think she disapproves, but rather that it is another example of the exceptional standard of art we’ve come to see as “normal” here.
A major dating a colonal isnt the issue the issue is her dating a subordanate hed have to transfer to a diffrent branch of ARC
acctually in gov branches where classified inffo is wrjed with alot the accually encurage inner office dating save themtimedoing security checks and your SO knows better than to ak “how was your day”
Don’t hit the booze so early in the morning if it does this to your typing
All times are local time from the server, not the commentor’s local time. Xero could be in Beijingg or Kabul for all we know.
He could also be using a smartphone. Virtual keyboards suck.
Seriously. I’m the only one permitted to garble my posts that much.
Heh.
We do have more than one commentator with dyslexia, plus many folks might only get a moment to pop on, say in a lunch-break at work. So it is reasonable that such happens, and I would normally avoid drawing attention to it myself.
Although I do weaken if a funny pun presents itself.
I am a bad doggy.
*ears droop and hangs head*
Another probability that should be mentioned is that some of the readers here may not have English as their primary language. Some allowances should also be taken for that.
Yep. Anvil is a bull in a china shop, or even 4 bulls in a china shop. Because as much as they run around, they don’t damage or break anything. So Anvil, no matter how hard she tries, just can’t get anybody together. Even if one gets a subconscious raise (can’t prevent it from going up, can’t will it back down) at point blank range from a ‘Dabbler target’ on the other.
Yeah, but that old homily about a bull in a china shop leaves out one very specific detail; There’s a difference between a bull and an enraged bull. If the homily included the word “enraged” in the appropriate place, then it would make more sense.
Mythbusters put a bull in a crowded china shop. The bull carefully walked around everything and didnt knock anything over from what I recall.
Yeah, some financial company also did that just to show that even a “bullish market” can be handled smoothly. What I was referring to is that the homily works only if the bull is enraged or feeling threatened. A bull that’s calm isn’t going to cause any damage.
Bullshit must break all sorts of health and safety regulations, for a crockery shop!
Regardless, for this alone Anvil is now my new favorite. That was a masterwork level Craft Uncomfortable Scene skill check right there.
Dammit Porthos, I should not be conflating Kenya and Elan. Or Xuriel and Elan. Really, any GP character and Elan.
“Craft(Disturbing Mental Image)” is a great feat for a Bard though.
Actually it was Belkar who took did that I think.
“Have some self-control”? Cut the man some slack, Maxima, he’s doing the best he can.
And suddenly, I’m reminded of:
[dance] He is a eunuch.
[dance] He is a eunuch.
[long dance] He’s dead.
Indeed. I wonder: do women still actually think we guys consciously can control that? Does MAXIMA honestly think that, or is she just scolding because she doesn’t know how else to react?
Unless Anvil is also a Major and for some reason Maxima is switching from calling her “Kenya” to her rank-title as she reprimands the actual guilty party.
…also, this does answer a question about whether Maxima’s gold-tone skin is as hard as metal or is pliable and feels like, well, skin. Which is a good thing if she actually does want to have relationships that involve physical intimacy.
Could that mean she’s truly impeneterable? (A virgin, but not by choice…still waiting for a man strong enough…*ahem*)
If so and she merely wanted to be rid of an unwanted hymen, I’m sure her own fingers would be “strong enough”.
The worst unwanted virginity I’ve come across was on True Blood (actually in the books first) where a virgin girl was turned into a vampire. Breaking the hymen was no problem, if painful, but after she “slept” the day away all injuries healed including, yep you guessed it, regrowing the torn hymen. Now that would be a bummer.
Except Hymens do not work that way
Yeah, so far as I’m aware, hymens get torn when they’re not ready to be stretched. So to speak. A women who is actually aroused and “ready to go” as one might say, will not bleed. A virgin might bleed because she’s very nervous about sex for the first time and so the hymen does not relax, while someone who’s not nervous / is sufficiently aroused will not bleed.
At least, that’s my understanding of it, though I’m not an expert on the matter
fairly accurate as summaries go. it is actually a ring of muscle, not a barrier. so if it rips, odds are you failed to use enough foreplay or were too rough. which says a great deal about marriage nights and ‘purity expectations’ in ancient societies, i think. *shakeshead*
You are both wrong, but I’m not going to bother proving it to you. Just search for a medical site to explain it to you. And the example was from a work of fiction…
Eh, I don’t know. Their description sounds pretty consistent with the authorities I’ve heard. There might be some proverbial hairs to split, but at least they’re not under the impression that it’s a ‘cherry to be popped’.
Kenya/Anvil is a sergeant.
I’ve had to educate more than one girlfriend in her 20s or 30s about how to operate the crane, including automatic operations, spill containment, damage control, etc.
Overall, I love this comic. A lot.
That said, it does bug me when female characters who would logically know better act like an erection is a behavioral choice.
I mean, it’s possible that she’s actually reacting to proximity-induced stoicism failure, but it really does read like she’s yelling at him for not controlling something that isn’t actually controllable. Maybe I’m splitting hairs, but it does seem like Max should be aware enough to distinguish between a physical response and acting like Math. One is subject to self-control, one is not, and I really do hope that SOMEONE calls her on the distinction.
Ideally Kenya, later, in private, since that would be a friend gently correcting a friend, not a subordinate inappropriately chastising her superior in public. Y’know, since Kenya is clearly deeply cognizant of propriety.
Only tangentially related: I totally ship Max and Hiro. Fraternization rules can’t be ignored, but it’s established that Archon doesn’t quite fall under the typical military umbrella. In fact, it’s been shown to be atypical enough that they could _probably_ even waive the rule if they really wanted to. Would be a hell of a bone to throw Arianna- hyper-photogenic badass alpha couple is GREAT press.
It may not be a logical reaction, but surprise boners rarely elicit logical reactions. Intellectually she knows his level of self control is finite, and heck, she might even get a little secretly offended if he didn’t kung-fu that slab in half given the situation. Doesn’t mean she can’t be startled.
Dong-fu.
I do believe we have a winner.
You mean a weiner.
Fair point, and thanks for engaging. Still hoping she either catches herself or gets called on it, of course.
The major clearly isn’t bothered. Regardless of their ranks they are also friends, who are coping with an awkward situation in their own ways. They are bound to find similar situations in the future. Super-battles are often going to involve attacks that even reinforced clothing cannot survive.
So the last thing that any of them want to do is prolong the issue, or make future incidents even more fraught, by over-analysing it.
The major had a surprise reaction, so did the lieutenant colonel. They should just get some clothes and move on. In my opinion (counter-opinions are always welcome, even if I get tired with repeating that, at times).
Plus Maxina has made suggestive jokes and comments to, I think, Sydney before about Hiro… I think after the parking lot fight with Vehemence?
Max / Hiro: “Let us never speak of this again”
Kenya: “Riiight”
Sydney: “…………”
Is her natural reaction that of a tsundere?
Seems like.
Or maybe she’s just reminding him to “stay” in control of himself.
Not quite. It is Maxima trying to maintain a balance between the fact that she does fancy him,* and the problem that she cannot act on that, because Hiro is her subordinate officer. Plus Maxima has always kept men at arm’s length so has not developed social graces that allow her to cope with such awkward situations better.
Sadly she is, in her surprise, resorting to an angry display, because that is the only mechanism she has to deal with ‘unwanted’ attention. In this case though she probably would want it, she simply cannot allow it, for professional reasons.
Whereas Anvil feels that Maxima should prioritise her personal life more. Even if she has been a bit impulsive, in trying to promote an impractical relationship.
* Maxima confided to Sydney that she liked seeing Hiro shirtless.
But any potential lovers’ spats could level a mountain…
Since Kenya is a sargeant, they’re already breaking the rules of fraternization, since she and Max are such good friends. “Frat” isn’t just sexual; for example, a Lt who frequently attends parties held off duty by a clique of enlisted under the Lt’s command would most likely be guilty of frat.
Actually, fraternization as it applies to the military is primarily intended for contact that would compromise (or have the appearance of compromising) order, discipline, and the chain of command. A certain level of fraternization among service members of different ranks and positions is actually encouraged in the military.
What could General Faulk do, anyway? He can’t really confine them to quarters or suspend them from duty… that would be taking two of Arc-Swat’s heaviest hitters and putting them on the sidelines for a month. Their paychecks are so outrageous that docking half their paycheck wouldn’t have much impact, and I can’t think of any “extra duties” that would cause Maxima or Anvil to even break a sweat. When it comes right down to it, barring an actual court-martial, about all he can do is issue a reprimand.
MSpears makes very good points. Another is that all elite units have a much more relaxed attitude towards rank. I know from reading a biography of one SAS non-commissioned officer, that he would regularly give orders to captains or colonels (posted into the unit on a temporary rotation) and/or give them a dressing down, if they made an error.
Knowing full well that he would get the complete support of the chain of command (assuming he was in the right and they were endangering the mission). Because an SAS NCO has the experience to make the right call, and the missions they are assigned to are too important, to allow rank protocols to cause the mission to fail. Not when the senior officer is primarily there just to get a bit of combat experience under their belt, before returning to their normal duties.
Therefore Dave had it spot on when Maxima deferred to Sydney’s genre knowledge, in their first battle. Sydney had specialist knowledge, from her years of obsessive comic reading, and having the smarts to translate that to tactical analysis, in the field. This despite the vast difference in their respective ranks.
Likewise there would not be such an issue, in an elite unit, with an NCO being friends with the unit commander, as there might be in a regular unit.
Maxima does need to be wary though. More than one commander has fallen foul of being too friendly with their subordinates. It can lead to indiscipline (of which the above would be an example that a more uptight commander would cite). Plus it can compromise command decisions if having to order friends into potentially lethal situations.
But if Maxima can still achieve results, using friendship and her unorthodox disciplinary techniques, then high command are not going to be fussed. So long as nothing untoward ends up embarrassing them on the front pages of the newspapers.
My go-to for the perils of being in command of friends comes from that one ST:TNG episode where Troi is taking the Bridge Officer Exam. Details under the spoiler (even though it was a decade ago…)
The first time she took the exam, she failed because she was unwilling to order a subordinate friend to their death to save the ship.
Max, self-control is what you do with your hands, not your involuntary reflexes. If you weren’t feeling anything right now, that would basically mean he’s gay.
Or he was turned off by gold chicks. Honestly, I’d think it would actually be a little insulting not to respond at all.
okay first of all the idea that us males -have- control is just a no…
that thing is on Auto Pilot and the Auto Pilot is insane, you can control yourself but not your reactions and that is a reaction. I’m sure some other fellows will have pointed this out too, just adding my voice to that.
Also…. I’m sure Hiro and the other will be Ordered not to talk about this.. but work WILL get out…. cant wait to see Maths reaction and nagging for details XD
It’s a subject that falls under the Laws of Physics & is totally beyond the ability to violate…Action -> Reaction, Cause -> Effect.
“I canna break the Laws of Physics, Captain!”
~Chief Engineer Scott
It’s life, Max, but not as you know it…
If you desperately want it to go away… it wont. But if you desperately want it to stay… it wont.
Watch it Hiro, or you’ll soon be in a sticky situation!!
You are right. You did not show as much as I would have liked.
Wait, is Anvil having an allergic reaction to something? Is that why her face looks all messed up? Was there peanuts in that former building and she’s inhaled peanut-dust? o_O
not as much an allergic reaction as having the light off the orbs hit her in the face, the Cheshire-cat grin isn’t helping matters either.
Anvil, not Halo
And again, it’s in all the panels, including the ones where Sydney’s balls aren’t anywhere near Kenya
I’m pretty sure it has to do with her looking straight at the camera in every panel. It also is partly style shift, her forehead seems much smaller than here, and the lighting does make her seem puffier than normal.
No, it’s not just the angle, and that linked example is when the change started, but chalking it up to DaveB having not drawn either Anvil or Hiro in a long time (too long) and trying a new style
on mobile, it looks like Anvil may have a bullet hole-type scar on the left breast, near the sternum. or it may be a highlight reflection, since she doesn’t move much in panels 1,2 and 4.
Not just mobile, but yes, it looks to be more likely a reflective highlight
I was giving a couple of examples (i’ll admit, 2.5 is a small couple), and I hadn’t gone to fully explain everything. I didn’t mean the first sentence to read as that’s the only reason, but re-reading it does sound like it. The looking at exactly the same angle at quite consistent lighting is the biggest emphasis of the difference/oddness, hence it being put first. Here is the last page Anvil is on before the current scene. And in spots like this she looks significantly less bulkily muscled than she has in the current scene.
For completeness, here is Anvil’s first appearance, here is her second appearence, here is her introduction to Halo, here is likely the most complete view we will get of Anvil, and here is her in the restaurant fight. Her muscles certainly seem to change size quite often, and more than flexing would appear to explain (to me at least).
Yup. Dave gets most of his experience drawing Caucasian faces, so he is extremely good at those. Whilst he did a great job with the mage (the one investigating the problem with the sigils) and likewise with Zephan, both Anvil and Hiro have significantly different features, so will take some practice to perfect, in his new style.
He hasn’t had a problem with Anvil before, and unless the invotive is really old, these last couple pages look like they were drawn by someone else entirely
It’s really not that complicated. No matter how much is said, at the end of the day, all but a very tiny minority of people want to be found attractive. Yes, even the vast majority of strident, screaming feminists. It’s absolutely normal, and the primary effect of all the claims otherwise is to make people on both sides unhappy (though women much more than men).
Remember, most ‘feminists’ actually just want to be treated as equals, have their actions and worth be judged on their actions, not solely on their appearance, and, as such, you will find most men actually agree, unfortunately you find small groups on both primary genders who are on the extreme ends: femazons (unless you are a member of the German National Socialist party, if that even still exists, then you can not be called a ‘Nazi’) want to be more then a mere man, and the butt-plugging morons want women as property
Ok Max, because im sure your nipples arent currently capable of outperforming a plasma cutter right now.
And considering the look on her face in that second to last panel (and the visual of the last panel of the previous strip showing her wearing either a lacy little bit-o’-nothing pair of panties or the ash pattern of such), when he cracked that slab in half and bobbed upright when Kenya pushed them together, he struck her somewhere that is probably fairly sensitive (hence the “OH!!” expression in said second to last panel).
I’d say that would be a pretty involuntary reaction on her own part! *eg*
No one can blame you Hiro.
he was trying very hard to avoid looking or making any comment that might be taken wrong. that shows a lot of respect for Maxima and her views. Sadly Anvil doesn’t seem to have the same respect.. for either of them.
hopefully after this battle is over, and both have had a chance to get covered up properly again, we’ll get Maxima thanking Hiro for making the effort earlier, and apologizing for this (and assigning Anvil an appropriate punishment.. like having to sit through a couple months worth of sexual harassment avoidance training)
Anvil totally did that on purpose.
Yes. Just look at her troll face in the last panel.
“Now kith” ~ Anvil
Is it just me, or does Maxima look less angular than when we first met her, especially in the face?
Apparently Dabbler’s makeover spell is still in effect. At least that’s my best guess. Or, Dave’s art style is evolving just a bit, maybe.
Not just you, something DaveB has been doing with his art lately
I rather liked the more angular look. It made her look more hardass, which made the silly moments all the better, because goofy things happening to a clown is one thing, but it’s even better when when it happens to the straight man (or woman as the case may be)
It also made her a better comedy duo with Halo. They have different personalities as well as looks.
‘Xactly, ro jaws, ‘xactly.
I think Halo’s gonna need her bladder hacked again.
Also, don’t forget that Sydney is currently taking Midol with her ADHD meds…It’s not her bladder that may need some hacking.
Unless you have a golden shower fetish, she relieved herself prior to the game of “Go Fish”
So…did Max just get…*ahem*…slapped…by Hiro?
Your comment about Anvil being a bull in a china shop is inaccurate.
https://youtu.be/Xzw2iBmRsjs?t=39s
Well hey! Hiro is merely practicing his military protocol. Is it not appropriate to salute when in the presence of a superior officer? Heck, that’s even in the book for military protocol.
Actually, not when in the field/on combat operations. It makes identifying the officers easier for snipers.
The joke—->
Your head
“Nothing goes over my head! My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it.”
We know, Drax. We know.
At least she {SPOILERS}
How would she return said salute in kind? I’m not seeing it. I’m trying to, but I’m not seeing it.
I’m thinking that for Max, it would be a two-pronged salute. Something like this.
Well, it seems i’m quite possibly the only person not finding this funny?
Man of steel.. woman of neutronium alloy.
I thought we had agreed that she was a gold-based titanium alloy, currently under development for medical implants and nicknamed “goldium” by our resident research retriever.
Not the point.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_Steel,_Woman_of_Kleenex
https://www.rawbw.com/~svw/superman.html
Gold-Titanium alloy? Is that how she solved the icing problem?
Of course it isn’t.
After all, “the cold never bothered her anyway”.
On the subject of “self-control”… depends on the man in question.
So noone is going to call out the fact that Bull in a CHina shop is in fact a false idiom? Mythbusters showed how GRACEFUL bulls can be. ANVIL IS A GRACEFUL BULL DANCING AROUND FINE CHINA!
Multiple people have already mentioned that…
Right now she’s a graceful bull dancing around death…
“We juggle priceless eggs in variable gravity.”
Who here remembers where that line is from?
Remember, out of universe, the reason that so many ship’s Engineers are from New Scotland is because it’s funny/deliberate homage to everyone’s favorite estimate inflation specialist.
And to finish the quote: “I will live in fear until the day we die.”
Is this really the time for this, children? Sciona was known to be nearby, remember. True, she probably used the robot as a distraction while she escaped, but even so that doesn’t mean the area’s secure.
I’m guessing that, as she’s made of metal, Maxima is actually literally warmer than usual from the explosion.
What Maxima is made of is classified. And even she is not sure.
But, yea, if it has metal-like properties, that give her the golden appearance, then she probably would still be hot from that. Although it would also dissipate faster than from a fleshy body.
I remember one the Mythbusters crew handling some bit of metal, immediately after an explosion, and indicating that it was still hot. Despite the other items involved not appearing to be similarly hot.
Well, assuming that you’re not going to kill off a new character, will Krona (sp?) be getting them some clothes back? If so, I’m interested in seeing what she comes up with, given the underwear incident awhile back. :D
Ooh, clever. Others have been commenting on various other options, such as Dabbler. But you are the first to mention someone on the team who can actually do the job.
The only trouble is did she create new garments, or just change the properties of existing ones? I think it was the latter. Just like changing the property of the grenade from ‘armed’ to ‘disarmed’, she could change underwear from ‘comfortable’ to ‘wedgie’.
Creating something out of nothing is potentially within her power’s ability, but I am not sure if we have had an example of that?
Hiro just needs to move outside of the chain of command if they’re on a strict military command.
However, since ARC doesn’t seem to be a strict military, I wouldn’t see why Hiro and Max couldn’t date. If they were strict military, I’d say they’ve all failed many times over, with the obvious example being Halo.
Sydney is not a failure, she is a success! So far she has not buried any paparazzi, the orphan and bunny sanctuary has not been burnt down* and she has only punched three colleagues, with her orbs! Um and only once punched a hole in the ceiling and she has not repeated that incident where she interrupted the presidential briefing!
Okay, I think I will just pop off and offer Vehemence the opportunity to be represented by me, instead.
* Unless it is in the burning forest, in the background.
I didn’t say Halo was a failure. They failed with Halo, as they didn’t have her fully trained before going out into the field. She’s out and about before learning military structure and discipline.
Which won’t be easy for them to do, as they allow her to stay out in the civilian world.
My guess is they’re not strict military and so, no reason Hiro and Max couldn’t get together other than them having a personal “Keep away from co workers” rule. Which, in their line of work, may not be for the best unless they’re willing to be more like Dabbler or just not getting any, when one figures they likely work more than 40 hour weeks.
so i’m guessing sydney is going to have compressed shirts and pants forcibly added to her utility pouch what with her shield and her squadmates(? co-workers?) tallent with getting their clothes burned off
compressed shirts are shirts that are essentially pressed into a shape (the smallest i have seen has been roughly the size of s scottish mint) just add remove from plastic packet, water and it starts to expand (though they are a bit thin and the water only expands it enough to unfold for wearing)
So the solution to accidental nudity is wet t-shirts? *spockeyebrow*
As long as the t-shirts aren’t white, it probably won’t be a problem.
surprisingly enough the water you add only makes the shirt slightly damp if i remember correctly you only need a cap or two of water to loosen everything up, and that moisture is spread across a entire shirt. (the material its made of though is low quality and thin as its pretty much made to be something that wont be worn over and over again. the ones that are meant to be normally worn after being decompressed end up the size of a tennis ball and can usually be peeled apart by hand)
WHAT HAPPENED TO ANVILS FACE OH GOD!!!
So when does susie news show up with a camera crew after hearing about an explosion in the warehouse district? Because right now im thinking thats the most likely next comic.
*claws crossed*
And I bet she would be decent enough to make sure the cameraman does not take any footage of Maxima and Hiro until they get clothed. She would not want to alienate Archon, for the mere sake of some titillating shots.
My god, Dabbler’s Porno Sense must be going haywire!
CODE 34 WE GOT A SHIPPER ON DECK
https://i1.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/007/582/tumblr_lmputme3co1qa6q7k_large.jpg
Now kiss.
The art, specifically Kenya, look better in this page. But I would still prefer it be in the classic style.
Anvil saw the anguish in Hiro’s eyes … and knew what she had to do. She’s a more dangerous opponent than I ever imagined. Beware, Dabbler.
BTW, who will be the first to ask Hiro how the debriefing went?
Math. With a similarly anguished look in his eyes, for having missed this.
Max – and other women- may not understand this, but we really don’t have any control over that.
And yes, people are complicated.
Ok – the helicopter they arrived in has emergency clothes. (If not now – then it will by the next mission!) Supers that are stronger then their clothing are gonna have mishaps.
How would you even shove someone away, who can just absorb kinetic energy?
Akkido. Less shoving, more deflection.
Aikido you mean?
But you can’t deflect someone who is not moving.
You could push yourself away.
Y’know, I was wondering about that slab. Women of kleenex indeed…
That slab is also a nice (intentional or otherwise) callback to the rubble of their first fight. That time Maxima needed a hairpin and improvised with a bit of rebar!
I hope DaveB makes rubble repurposing a running gag. Scavenging can be a useful skill in a post-super-battle environment. And higher levels of skill would make it useful during the battle too!