Grrl Power #566 – Surprise billionaire
Sciona is obviously good at long term planning, but there are simply some scenarios no one is going to predict, like an obtrusive billionaire and his squad of femme fatales showing up in the middle of your heist.
Even if you could actually predict all possible outcomes, there are still limitations on preparation time, like the actual time it takes to prepare for those outcomes and the material resources required to overcome, for instance, the leviathan making the vault its nest, or being met by your future self here to wave you off this course of action, or the shapeshifter pretending to be your future self, or the neutron star that gained sentience and wants to take you for its wife. In a universe full of superhumans and supernaturals and cryptids and aliens, “all eventualities” is an absurdly large possibility space.
It really comes down to managing probability. The neutron star thing? Well below a 1% chance of happening. Like… 0.000000000001%. Actually something which has never happened before is probably impossible to predict, so it would go in the “probably don’t need to worry about it” column. The Leviathan taking up residence in or near the vault? Maybe worth considering, but only to the degree that you prepare in a way that would allow you to deal with any number of large obstacles. Like, I don’t know, a grenade launcher. That’s the only practical way for someone like Batman to operate. He may not have a specific solution for dealing with Solomon Grundy in his belt, but as long as he has a batarang that can pump 50,000,000 volts through someone, he’s probably covered.
I found a great webcomic to share with you guys. It is totally NSFW, but despite being quite explicit on some of the pages, it doesn’t feel sleazy. All the sex is pretty casual and friendly. It also has fantastic art, and is well written and there’s like, a plot and characters and everything. It has the slightly odd name of “I Roved Out in Search of Truth & Love”
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.
My guess (probably like some others): is that it is a knife that allows you to effectively flay someone and wear their skin as a nominally impenetrable disguise.
Arguably, too useful to destroy/too useful not to use, indeed.
When ARC asks the Council about the uses it has been put to in the past, things could get awkward.
Especially with the “can be recharged at the cost of 99 lives” part attached.
Taking the knife’s name as a clue. It enables regeneration of lost bodyparts. So Sciona is either trying to recover her full body or trying to revive someone else.
Wise line of thought. “Morph” means “change”, not “resurrect” though. So the former is more likely, than the latter, if just going by names. Given that a shapechanging power would allow an orc body to transform , but it would not normally grant life to an already dead body.
Of course artefacts can break conventions
Technically the Greek root word “morph” means “shape, form”, and “epi-” means “on, over” etc.
Presumably meaning it transforms the body’s exterior shape but not its capabilities, so Sciona regenerates and Cthillia has her death ray.
I can think of plenty of others who’d want to use it if they can get around that cost bit, or even better:
Maxima: So let me get this straight. If I kill 99 terrorist insurgents with this thing, I can have some fraction of a normal life? Where’s the files on “rules of engagement” again?
Sydney: Aah! 99 more for me!
Harem: Ooh! Chalk up 396 here!
(stares)
Harem: What? I’ve been thinking of branching out.
Sciona regenerates when she has an infusion of troll blood, so that would not be affected either way. But, other than that quibble, agreed.
Sydney, please do not give into temptation, you are perfect as you are. And don’t rush to loose your qualms over killing, for that matter.
Harem though, yea, I could see that she would like to vary her bodies. We can already see that she has done a lot along that line through clothing and body art, so she is clearly that way inclined.
Not so much on the murderous front yet though, either. And I doubt that her boss would approve either.
The odd dictator here and there, if they refuse to accede to his demands, yes. But killing freedom fighters just turns them into martyrs.
Deus should be able to use the artifact quite shortly. While he is in the vault he is already killing…..time!
She’d have to convince her bosses to deploy her first, yes. But I don’t think she’d have much sympathy for hostage takers, say, Boko Haram.
If talking about Sydney, do recall that she got queasy at even contributing towards Maxima tearing off Vehmence’s arm. This despite the fact that he had created an incident of mass terror and was, at that time attempting to murder a police officer.
Whereas if talking about Harem we have not seen her commit any violence at all. So far she has only acted as the team medic and resupply officer. Her only direct combat role was the use of flash-bangs, which are distinctly non-lethal. Likewise her specialist combat training is in martial arts, which, in the era of guns, is of more use as a less-lethal subdual method, than as a way of killing people.
Likewise she appeared to be extremely distressed at the sight of Shadow Boxer attempting to kill Sydney. So I do not think she would relish killing, especially on such a massive scale.
Finally do consider the form of the artifact. It is a bladed weapon. I would be very surprised if it accepted a PPO killed terrorist or a group of them killed with a teleported grenade, to qualify towards the 99 kills. Rather the implication is that they will have to be killed with the artefact itself.
Killing someone up close, with a knife is pretty hardcore and traumatic. For anyone with empathy, that is, and we have seen both these gals do have such. Yet the kill total you are casually suggesting, as being no problem, would be on a par with the worst serial killers on the planet!
*shakes head*
I do not think either would be heroes still, at the end of that process. Even without the corrupting effect that artefacts are known to possess. There is a good reason why it is locked down here, in the Dark Reliquary, under such intense security.
I was mostly joking, but otherwise I meant Maxima herself, in a legitimate combat operation. Remember this and this and this.
Oh Max could do that with one mini-nuke or a quick series of stabity-stabity-stab, faster than the eye can blink.
But her morality is unwavering. No way would Maxima tolerate anyone using such an evil artifact, especially not for such a trivial matter as cosmetic alteration.
Joke or not such powers do give temptation. Even Maxima. She used to be closer to Sydney’s physique (when compared to her present one anyhow) before the geode curse. Being able to walk down the street and not look like a living statue would appeal to her.
But not the price.
If you think about it, if you could charge it up by simply carrying it around with you, when on legitimate work that happened to involve killing then I doubt it would be in the Dark Reliquary. We have seen the Council do have to kill, on a large scale, at times.
I think the reason it is here is because even monsters find it unacceptable. Which means it could even eats souls, or imprisons them for all eternity, over and above the other points I have raised.
Yeah, agreed, especially if it does that… but even if it didn’t, I’m not sure even Maxima would have the stomach for that much. Even if it was ready, I don’t think the others would want to get close to it knowing where it’s been.
Does anyone even know exactly how these things work anyway?
Presumably the council have some idea, for most of these. Which means Sciona will do too, given her two vampire informers from the council.
Was the queasiness due to the act itself? Or all the blood and violence associated with the act?
I have met someone who had his arm bitten off by a tiger. Seeing that alone, even without the blood and gore makes you graphically see what a life-changing injury the person has suffered. Sydney will have had that impact her in a moment. So I believe that would be significant.
Equally I have seen bloody injuries and I know how sickening the sights and smells are. So that is just as profound. And that is with accidental injuries (and a dog bite) as opposed to a deliberate act by a person. Which I am sure would intensify the experience. Especially from someone in a big sister/ surrogate mom role.
In conclusion, all of the above. Each of those aspects would amplify the effect of the others.
For the record, I still kind of regret that one.
Here we get to see the return of Heavenly Sword. Doubtless behind them is the ultimate mastermind…
BEHOLD, The Evil Squirrel Overlord!
Hey, Yoro, where can I see the rest of your profile picture?
Earlier in the comic
Yup, I first appeared in Marketing 101.
He has also been known to host the occasional poker game.
https://wallpapercave.com/wp/bKu9qDs.jpg
Not to be confused, of course, with this fellow.
Zorpo?
Actually, one has to wonder just how Deus knew about the Vault being open… when the Council had no clue because the alarms were disabled.
Did Machina or one of its subsidiaries provide the security system?
If he is working with one of them from time to time it is likely that he has them observed from time to time. With that and himself beeing a rather clever one, he might have figured out, that there might be a group that is up to something and if one expects things to happen, one has a far easier time to pick up clues. While the council was also expecting something to happen, they were also busy fixing the veil-problem and expecting something completly different. Plus, he might have been using methods that the council can’t use because they are unethical and/or illegal.
Honestly, I would totally believe Deus has a routine teleport attempt at the vault Just to check to see if something failed on accident. With underworld connections and spies, he would have known something was going on, and who was involved, just based on availability of certain contractors. After that, it is just a matter of increasing the regularity of teleport attempts. That he teleported into the exact moment when Sciona found what she came for was just coincidence.
It seems more likely that he just has an alarm set up to notify him in the event that the teleport wards drops. And then he does some scrying and other snooping, which seems to be how he knows Sciona’s name despite them having obviously not met before.
The scrying and other snooping is a smart thing to do, because you don’t want your alarm to go off and go “Yes! Assemble a team to teleport into the vault immediately!” only to find out that it’s down for a scheduled maintenance event and there is a metric crapload of additional security measures present for just such occurrences and set to fire at will.
Well argued. I concur. Although he may have also found out from other sources independently, with or without that.
My big problem with all these ideas is the reaction time. Deus assembled his team and went there personally with several important minions, all within a few minutes of the Vault’s initial breach by the not-so-dearly-departed Coot.
That takes intelligence (of the sort practiced by goverments, investigators or journalists), and a bit of preplanning (are CEO’s available to go on a Mission: Impossible-style raid at the drop of a hat?)
For that matter, how the heck did Deus even know the Vault existed in the first place?
I’m overlooking the most obvious answer of all: Coot himself being a (now former) employee of Machina. *facepalm*
There is no need to even be so specific. All Deus needs to do is be monitoring members of the supernatural, and those who interact with them. Which does actually still end up pointing the finger at Coot as being a weak link.
He is a vocal, obnoxious individual who has a hatred of monsters. Deus could have located him by just reading “Conspiracy Theorist Monthly” (or whatever name these things go by in America). If his accounts checked out as being plausible Deus could have bugged him for routine surveillance.
Perhaps hoping to find a Council cover-up team in action. Only to record Sciona’s minions attempting to recruit him for this mission. Stepped up surveillance could have had the whole team being recorded ever since they came into contact with him.
Although there is one other obvious link. Cthillia is a mercenary who works for Deus part-time. Any top-notch corporation will keep tabs on key specialists like her. And the less ethical ones, with access to the appropriate equipment, will covertly monitor them.
So no reaction time necessary. Deus and team could have had as much preparation time as either Cooter or Cthillia. Not to mention being able to pick up comprehensive files on Sciona from his Archon source (Harem). Putting him in the well-informed position he currently is.
And that is just picking the low-lying fruit. Deus has put himself up in direct competition with Arc-Dark and Arc-Light by virtue of using Harem as a double agent. And he is the defacto head of a country. So he does actually have the resources of a national spy agency at his disposal.
Meaning that (coupled with his super-technology company) if there is any way that the NSA, FBI, CIA, Arc-Dark or Arc-Light could have spotted this, through routine surveillance (of crooks, supers or the supernatural) then Deus may have been able to as well.
America may not be his spies home turf, but he does have the advantage of being able to bring them in under diplomatic immunity.
As far as reaction time goes, the author has an easy out with the freeze/burn cutter. It doesn’t appear to be speedy, thus Wyrm’s impatience and his quite valid suggestion that they should have simply used explosives.
that is why will stays home on these outings.
The council isn’t monitoring the vault from outside. The monitoring system is in the vault, and thus, cut off from the council. No news basically means there is nothing to report. So when the connection falls out, they just got ‘no news’.
Without actually looking at the connection, you wouldn’t notice that it’s actually dead.
Deus was probably actively monitoring the Vault (or passively, waiting for any changes).
Both Deus and the vault monitoring systems probably noticed the change, but the vault couldn’t alert anyone, while Deus’s system could.
That, or he recognized the situation (attacks on the veil, the council hunting for Sciona, and he probably knows some of Sciona’s plans) for what it really is, Sciona moving on the vault.
Simple, the the Evil Squirrel Overlord told him.
Which is why when you wire up remote security systems you send “I’m alive” pings, so when connection breaks you get nice big warning along the lines of… “We lost connection and can’t tell if the Alarm has gone off! Go check! NOW! Cause someone could be ransacking your collection of possibly world ending McGuffins.”
The vault is alive? :-O
Boy is it going to need some impressive sore tummy medicine!
Oh my god we are dealing with Marvel-level superpowers, sci-fi technowizards, and actual reality hackers. If the vault isn’t alive, for SHAME on its designers! It is SUPER HARD to deal with an adaptive security system, and one of the reasons why the best home defense (in reality) is a dog. A loyal creature able to act independently (even better if it can rearrange defensive systems to counter an intruder) is way more effective than a series of static defenses. And while yes they had that one guardian at the entrance, where are the hordes of hidden constructs that look like walls waiting to stab intruders in the back? They have an entire group of sentients who are nothing but constructs. Surely they could not get help in making the Vault itself a construct?
Or is the point of all this to show that the vault is just outdated? Like, they made it way-back when before magic-science was a thing and just did not have the history of tropes or history of superpowered warfare when they made the thing and now it is the equivalent of hiding nuclear launch codes behind a security system designed for Windows XP?
*wags tail protectively*
Woof!
While a squad of backup Construct guardians would add significantly to the security, do remember that Constructs are considered People in this universe, with the same sort of rights as Humans, Vampires, Weres, etc. If you, as a Human, would be reluctant to spent the remainder of your life guarding a vault that isn’t visited for decades, then it’s probably safe to assume that you’d have a similarly hard time recruiting Constructs for the job. On top of the challenges with maintaining constant vigilance, which may vary for different classes of People.
And yes, it would be the rest of your life, regardless of how much longer a Construct lives than a Human. Once you’ve seen the ‘backstage’ of the Vault you know too much about where it is and how it works. Even if you have no intention of revealing its secrets, the Council wouldn’t be able to risk you accidentally (or under torture) letting slip information that might allow an intruder to counteract or anticipate any defences. Legitimate visitors such as the Council only ever see the ‘stage’ – most of them never see any details of the countermeasures, besides a guess based on the number and size of hatches present.
So he wants to add another “replica” to his collection?
“Replica”? Yeees.
Ooh, nice callback. +1
Still going to say I’d work for Deus if I had powers… XD
He seems to be a pragmatist, which means even if he’s secretly super duper evil he would still see the point in being a benevolent dictator.
Plus he probably has a great dental plan…
He did dethrone a tyrant at least once. Sure almost the whole country is working for him now, but they have way more options and general a better life than they did before. He is a very interessting character and I am eager to see more of him.
He may be technically evil, but he’s smart. He read the Evil Overlord List.
Overlords that read the list are pretty good guys to work for.
specially since they reward loyalty, let you shoot people, have great health benefits, and have great training programs.
I remember a TV interview with a foreigner fighting in Ukraine, back before the breakaway regions declared independence. He was all excited about how well they were being treated, but could only list “you get to have all the grenades you want! Its incredible!”
There are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Morris"a lot of things you can do with all the grenades you want.
He is just an objectively good leader. He is reasonable, intelligent, has good lines of communication, is not prone to fits of anger that could jeopardize things, realizes failure is not the same thing as making a mistake, and a mistake is not the same thing as betrayal. Above all, he is competent. Really, anywhere he went, he could get people to follow/work for him, and people would be happy to do so, regardless if he was all that was wrong with corporations, a dictator, a supervillain, or a bureaucrat. Good things happen to those beneath him simply because he is not a sludge to work beneath, unlike many leaders nowadays who shall not be named.
Just imagine if the roles had been swapped and Cooter was the billionaire leader.
Um…. I should have given a warning about not reading this comment just prior to bedtime, shouldn’t I?
Cooter only claims to be a billionaire. Anyone who has actually done a decent investigation into things says that Cooter is worth a few hundred million, tops. Which is about what Cooter inherited from his father. In other words, Cooter is exactly the kind of loser we expected him to be.
Nah, he’s like Lex Luthor… himself having no power other than money, but when you have supers who have a need for money, having a superabundance of money can permit you to hire supers with lower moral standards.
Whilst other threads have been proposing potential powers that Deus might have, I think you have misread Zagreus‘s comment. The “… super duper evil” just being an indication of his possible morality, as opposed to stating that he could be an evil super.
That said though I do agree with your opinion. In fact I would be disappointed if it turned out that he did have powers, as the character works extremely well without any!
Of course this would not preclude him from having a bunch of things that would put Iron Man to shame. The guy does build Archon’s special toys, after all. So he probably could stand toe-to-claw with a tough super, if push came to shove. However it would be by using technological devices and/or items enhanced with magic or super powers, as opposed to being born with super powers.
That said though if he does have any then enhanced natural abilities like intelligence and charisma, plus subtle powers such as precognition or other knowledge enhancing abilities, would be the better choices, to keep the flavour of the character that we see.
There is also the big giveaway in that his physique is on par for a meta-human male.
We will find out when ever the story requires the reveal on what exactly his powers are.
I am guessing our golden goddess is quite well acquainted with those abilities as is the US government, at least what abilities he has allowed to be revealed to them – always keep a couple of cards in reserve – information is ammunition.
It is possible for non-supers to be buff. And he did become Maxima’s boyfriend. Knowing that she is not into dumpy nerds (despite being a proud ex-nerd herself), indicates that he would have either needed to start out buff or work out, to gain or keep her attention.
We have seen that Deus is perfectly willing to work hard and long to gain things that he desires. Working out at the gym would be a worthy investment, to woo his lady.
So whilst his physique does leave open the possibility of him being super, I do not think that it tips the scales. Because we must bear in mind that supers are very rare. So there will be an awful lot more buff non-supers than supers.
I do agree that Deus will have kept as many secrets as he could. After all Maxima was not open with him about her origin. She thought he knew nothing of it. That kind of attitude would cut both ways.
There are a couple good indicators that he is powered.
First, he has the physique. And while others can certainly have a buff body, supers have a perfect human physique. Which for a normal human is very difficult to maintain into your middle ages, and very difficult to maintain while also running a huge corporation or set of corporations. Or a country. Or a supervillain organization. Or all of the above.
Second, he has no issues giving orders to superpowered beings. And while money is a sort of superpower all its own when you’re dealing with criminals the though has to at least cross their minds that taking his money is better than taking his orders and then getting paid. And without superpowers of his own to prevent that kind of thing from happening or at least from being successful, well things can get out of hand pretty fast.
You’re hoping he isn’t powered. I’m hoping we get to see a flashback where some villain he hired decided to go the route of taking his money instead of taking his orders and then getting paid, and being made a short, public (to the other villains), and bloody example so that the thought is just pushed out of all of the remaining villains minds forever.
YAY the magnificient bastard bad guy intervenes! This made my day
Is anyone going to mention Charlie’s angels?
The trio of girls do all the work, oh – and he is there.
One difference: we never found out who ‘Charlie’ was
Charlie was shown in one episode, but it was so brief, and you didn’t know it at the time, it was something people tend to not remember.
(I don’t remember the name of the episode, but it was the one where they were doing the magic act. Charlie was one of the audience that gave them an item for the act, but I forget what. I keep thinking handkerchief, but that seems off.)
Oh my god, I can see the mask from The Mask in the last panel…. I’M LOVING IT XD
Ahh, and I can see a Big Mac. I’M LOVING IT.
*Force feeds Yorp a BIG bowl of Poutine.*
Hey, no force-feeding required, I love to eat national fare, and Canada-land is on my list of ‘places to visit before I die’. It has been ever since I became a fan of Just For Laughs. That looks yummy and I am sure I would love it.
Just remember the Poutine is a Quebec delicacy and not NATIONAL in any sense of the word despite propaganda to the contrary, so better recon your hunting grounds.
Also each region differs in what is their local fare.
Nanaimo Bars, Salmon and such is west coast – Prairie oysters from the flat lands, also BEEF and perogies – Beaver Tails, Maple syrup and Kawartha Ice Cream for Ontario and maybe Moose Lasgna – Cod Cheeks, Flipper pie and Screech for the east coast. PEI would be mostly potatoes and lobster.
Duly noted. My culinary habits remain as stated though. As a region lies within a nation its food is part of the national fare. So I made sure to sample gumbo and Cajun cooking, in Louisianan. Being examples of genuine American food. Versions brought across the pond are not quite the same.
Plus it is spotting the little things that give an added bonus. For instance finding out that Tabasco sauce is treated as just another table sauce, like ketchup. Obviously I am speaking about my observations in a local area. That being widespread in parts of the south, but probably not representing the whole country.
Realistically I am not going to get to sample fare from every region in countries I would like to visit. Not without the prospect of a gruelling nationwide tour. In every country on my list.
But the JFL crew operate in Quebec, so that is on the top of my Canada-land list. Obviously I shall have to research when the filming season is. And I will wander around parks and shopping malls, looking like a gormless mug in need of a prank. I think I can pull it off.
To be fair, though…in America, there are some types of food that, while associated with a particular region, can be found throughout most of the country. Of course, generally, said food DOES tend to be better prepared, in the region it IS associated with. For example, you’ll generally find at least one “Chicago-style” pizza restaurant in almost ANY city that’s big enough to have more than one limited-access highway running through/around it. But to find the BEST “Chicago-style” pizza, you HAVE to go to (or near) Chicago itself. Cajun food, as you pointed out, is a great example. Most big-chain, generalized “American food” restaurants that aren’t fast food, (Applebees, TGI Fridays, etc.) have something “Cajun” at least some of the time. “Mexican” restaurants are all over, but the better ones are either closer to the Mexican border, or at least operated by Mexicans. I don’t know for sure, but I’d guess that Canada is at least similar, with at least some of their “regionally associated” food.
And the Hellraiser cube.
Thought that that was a Rubik’s Cube…
Femmes fatales. Like attorneys general.
Or Justices of the Peace. You wouldn’t say Justice of the Peaces, right? :)
French likes to put the noun before the pronoun, and has plural pronouns. Thus “Femmes” for “women” and “fatales” for “deadly (plural)”.
You mean adjective, not pronoun.
Sticking to the point of NSFW comics with good drawings and story, you should really take a look at [Alfie](https://buttsmithy.com/)
I stumbled across that one around the same time I found Roved Out. Both are very good.
Came across the artists’ work some years ago on Hentai Foundry (it’s where he first developed the characters seen in IRO), same with the artist of Alfie
It actually is on DaveB‘s list
Ha.
Goodbye, Sciona. It wasn’t very nice knowing you, but you’re likely to be dead soon.
That, or enslaved in all but name.
Naa. I think Deus is here for stuff in the vault, and I doubt Sciona would be easy to overcome. Fighting or otherwise opposing Sciona would waste time and be highly risky here.
Sciona has stated that she and Cithillia are both here for just the one artefact. That leaves a vault full of other goodies which Deus may be interested in. As such co-operation or mutual non-interference is their most sensible route, and both seem to be highly pragmatic individuals.
Sci-fright didn’t say that was all they were there for, remember last page telling Lia to start opening the other teddies (now, picture both Sci and Lia in sexy teddies :P), just that this particular butter knife is something they are both interested in, and probably what had them teaming up in the first place
Good point. But, despite that, a bit of haggling over any items that both groups desire will be less dangerous than direct confrontation.
Besides which if Deus intended to attack he could have made just as impressive an entrance coming in ‘guns blazing’ (/swords chopping/ lasers zapping etc).
Obviously if negotiations fail then he will not hesitate to use plan B. But we have seen that he prefers the more civilised route even if it is likely to fail.
Whereas, looking at the other party, Sciona has been caught flat-footed, and knows it. She is unaware of her opponent’s capabilities or disposition (there could be a literal army the other side of that portal).
Clearly she will have to compromise on some of the lesser items. Just not on what “Cthillia and I are both here for.”
We have seen Deus willingly offer Maxima her origin story geode, with no strings attached. So clearly he does not mind risking parting with items of potentially great power, in circumstances where it suits him to be magnanimous.
So long as he gets the movie ‘replicas’ he has his mind on (maybe the Spear of Destiny or the Mask of Mask,* as examples) I am sure he will be satisfied with getting the returns with lower risk. Only a greedy and incompetent business man would opt to directly fight an arch villain like Sciona, if there is a profitable alternative.
Therefore I agree with your counters, but stick with my opinion on the dynamics here.
* The Arc of the Covenant and the Holy Grail would not be in this particular vault.
The Mask from “The Mask” was called ‘The Mask of Loki’
Apt.
And here I thought Yorp meant the mask of Mask, the Forgotten Realms deity of thieves.
Okay, so either confirmation that Lia was with Deus in Africa… or sister to the one in Africa (wasn’t the one in Africa shirtless? or was the one speaking backwards in that page with all the possible villains the one who was shirtless?)
Ha! And this is why I love Deus.
He sure has perfected an impressive entrance!
Is the lady all the way on the left supposed to be Opal, the portal gal from the Vehemence fight? Opal is listed in the sidebar, but that gal looks like the prim succubus from the council, not at all like Opal. Hair color is wrong, lips seem different (color and shape), different headwear and makeup… Not sure if sidebar is wrong or if the character just underwent a huge redesign.
Take Opal from the sidebar, remove the dealer’s visor and the makeup. Add a scowl.
Yea, she has changed outfits since the big fight. Just as well she would be rather stinky otherwise.
Also lightened her skin tone and darkened her hair and grew some eyebrows. I admit they are intended to be the same character, but it still threw me for a loop.
Now that the cast list shows that this particular portal person IS Opal, the obvious question remains. How did she escape from the un-escapable prison cell they specifically designed for her?
She cut a deal. Someone mentions the in-comic details in one of the other threads.
Deus, as a shining example of all that is best in capitalism, is her mentor and guarantor. He is setting her a good example, and putting her to valuable work for her country.
Odd concept but what if billionaire has an observation power. where he sees all. explains how he knew where to teleport to say hi and that the vault even existed.
Then why hire a spy inside Archon, which we know he has done?
Because it is *expected* that he has a spy inside. IIRC, he even states that Harem is probably a double agent, pretending to spy for him while giving ARC a view inside his operations. If he DIDN’T have a known agent, they’d be looking at him even harder than they already are.
Yea, the guy already has a reputation for knowing things that he does not. If it did turn out that he had a major super power supplying the bulk of it, then it would be wise to conceal that capability, as best he can. It is all to easy to counter super powers, once you know their nature.
He could find enemies spoofing his ability with illusions, as an example. Something they would have no cause to do unless they suspected that a rival could see areas that nobody could gain access to.
Whereas by maintaining an intelligence network, that could credibly explain many of the things he finds out, he makes it harder for enemies to figure out his talents. Not to mention that, barring him being literally omniscient, there will be things that his power will not tell him. But that extraordinary agents may be able to discover with their capabilities.
Plus gives him alternative intelligence in the event that someone does guess his powers, and take precautions. That way he may get clues if things he is seeing with his powers do not tally with reports from his agents. Either they have been compromised or he has. Regardless of which he would then be able to take steps to determine what is going on.
Something that he might be blissfully unaware of, if just relying on a single intelligence source. Be that Harem or his own super power.
Basically what the Allies did in WW2 to prevent the Nazis from realizing we had broken the Enigma code.
Just so.
It could also be that his power is a lower level, on the “Omniscience scale”. That is, he CAN know anything about anything, but he only DOES know what he is interested in, or has some reason to know about. For instance, he wouldn’t know who won the 1954 World Series, unless he had a specific reason to think about it. If he didn’t already know, from having heard/read it somewhere, and someone asked him, he wouldn’t have to look it up on the internet, but it would still take him several seconds to pull that information out of thin air.
Or if it’s some sort of predictive/future-seeing ability, it’s more specific, the closer to “now” that he gets. Like he could dodge bullets, knowing they’re coming, but he has to wait for more information, to know exactly when/where to have his lackey place the portal.
“…that he does not” = “… that he should not”.
So who is the least dangerous in the room, other than the bozo who is now decorating the walls? Somehow I do not think is anybody who just stepped through Opal’s wormhole.
I sadly disagree as opal is one who stepped through the portal not that I claim her harmless (quick portal person to ocean outside vault) but as a display of ow dangerous the rest are.
From what we know of them Heavenly Sword, as we have seen her being defeated, so know her limitations. The same is true of Opal, but portals have vast power, as per the example Shenron provides. Possibly Wyrmil, if he is all defense, like Achilles. But I doubt that he seems significantly stronger (offensively speaking, not defensively).
We have only seen Vale’s stealth, but that is significant enough boding-wise that I think she is powerful. Being Deus’s ever-present bodyguard, I imagine she is the best that money can hire. So it is safest to assume that she has the edge over any of his part-time hirelings, as Deus would rely on her to guard against any treachery from them.
Given that includes someone who can kill just by looking at someone, that rates Vale as being… highly capable.
As indicated in this scene Deus knows a lot of things, so would be well positioned to judge the relative powers of supers. Meaning he is confident that Vale (and/or his other assets) can take down any likely threat.
The only issue with that is Heavenly Sword was under Vehemance’s influence, then aggro aura when she was fighting. By that I mean imagine a grand master of a fighting skill, suddenly forced to have much higher emotions then normal. Even the best fighter can lose focus, and skills can go down in ability when they aren;t being used properly. (the obvious example is Math vs Boobage made him lose his fight)
Just means we dont actually know how strong she really might be, or what else her powers might actually do when she is in full control.
True. And there is another point in her favour. Originally she was slated to be one of the Arc-SWAT team, before Dave decided that he was short of supers for external roles. So I have no doubt that she is extremely capable.
It is just that I estimate the others present are higher ranked than her.
Plus she did loose that focus. Whereas we saw that, for example, Math retained his lust focus, even above the same influence from the aggro aura. Until Heavenly Sword can ascend to a higher martial plane, to use a powerful focus of her own, she will remain vulnerable to such attacks.
Maybe she should study under the founder of Ranma’s school of martial arts? Although other alternatives are available, if she does not want to loose her panties.
Simple remedy for not losing her panties: don’t wear any!
I still can´t get over how much Deus is like the Main NPC in my setting.
And no.
I didn´t copy this Deus, and i am definitely NOT whining about it being the other way around.
I just find it fascinating that sometimes two people can have the same idea pretty much simultaneously.
So lifes … Does it need to be inteligent? I mean there are a lot other manmals that are way easier to get 99 to kill. I always wonder about this trope why it has to be the whole life? Why it has to be the life not the blood etc. but in the end i guess it sounds way more dramatic to say: you have to kill 99 people to recharge instead of: yeah go and butcher 99 cows and dont eat the meat later it might sting …
The implication is human lives. These are individuals who have no concern about that, but the inconvenience of having to murder humans (or other intelligent people), from a legal perspective, is significant enough that Sciona would probably have distinguished if animal substitutes were acceptable.
Besides, 99 Lives? Who cares?
I mean, really, If you hear in the news that 99 People died, you wouldn´t even shrug these days.
Sad, i know, but true nonetheless.
I care. You only suffer news fatigue if there is nothing you can do about it. Once you have come across something that can make a difference every death pains you. Having a solution but not getting it implemented is galling.
So……do you think Archon has those “anti-teleport wards” in their super prison? Seems like a handy thing to use for that.
they have a better system. You try to open a portal or cast something and the room depressurizes.
Agreed. And Archon are limited to human technology. Whilst they do have magic, we have seen that they are fairly limited. Unless one of their supers (or one they can hire) can produce extraordinary effects they are mostly restricted to bleeding edge present day gadgets. And humanity does not possess teleportation or anti-teleportation ability yet. Well on anything larger than an atom.
Welllll…not that we KNOW of…
>.>
<..>
Okay, no spooks knocking down my door/sniping me. Apparently we DON’T have such tech, yet. Or they don’t want us to suspect as much.
Whatever.
HAD. She is out now, and here in today’s comic.
It is still there. They let her out.
Depends if the prison is run by Archon or if they merely are contracted by Archon. And their security level must be high enough to know about the magical world.
So most likely, no.
I wouldn’t be too surprised by the living neutron star, I mean the avatar of a sun once joined the crew of a man who had been stuck on the time frozen event horizon of a black hole for centuries;
or how in my series the living personification of a blackhole joined a superhero team with a girl who thought she was the avatar of a living galaxy while the amnesiatic avatar (one of several dream projections while the main body slept) of the true powersource of that other superhero was fighting along side them along with an eldritch abomination who wants to be a superhero and another who is the niece of that cosmic being with the amnesiatic avatar…*I really over convoluted and OPed my old “The Galactic Guardians” team LoL.
You refer to this TV-Series, I presume…?
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_(TV_series)]
In the “DCU”, I think her equivalent would be the [Oct.1988]-version of this hero:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starman_(comics)]
If the Bloody Cryptids are Sciona’s team, then I would assume Deus’ team is the Bloody Cryptics.
Host of Deus (not quite charlie’s angels)
Tenth St gang (from the X on his face)
The (name any country) Office of Special Services
Ba da dish.
SUPRISE XANTHOS GAMBIT!!!
Xanatos*
Soooo does Deus have luck powers or prediction powers, with how comically he acts I’m banking on luck but…
I suppose he could also have story/meta powers but those are typically reserved for the insane
How about eccentric? He’s that.
An eccentric is just an insane person with money.
Monsterous races underestimating supers seems to happen on both sides of the alignment grid.
I was going to say that Deus is playing both sides, but the more i think about it the more it seems liek he is playing ALL sides, like those of a dodecahedron.
Is it going to get to the point where we can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys? Or are there too many shades of grey?
I understand there are only Fifty.
I don’t know who you are. I don’t know where you are. But I have a unique set of skills. I will find you and I will slap you.
Not to mention making use of handcuffs and compromising … positions.
Now now, I am sure that this situation can be all tied up to everyone’s mutual satisfaction, as long as its guided by a firm hand….
… And no one forgets about the “safe” word.
“Cloaca”… no wait! The other one… err… I forget that one… EEEK!
*runs away*
really did I drift that far from the taken monologue?
Nope, it was already there, before you said a word. We were all riffing on the “Fifty Shades of Grey”. That has some pretty deep s**t in it.
Well, I mean you were too. But we just ran further with it.
Do you mean Sydnes’s duress word, “Vermilion”? That’s the one Maxima wouldn’t let Halo replace with Cloaca.
That’s the one.
A bit risky if you think about it. The Council vampire boss is a few centuries old, and has recently created vampires he has created with the names “Scarlet” and “Crimson”. I can foresee the ‘rare’ word potentially needing to be mentioned by Sydney in a report, if his denials of those being a theme turn out to be false.
Seems like there’s potential for a Battle Arena Toshinden crossover there.
Pretty sure Deus has a ‘gnosis’ power. He does have that ‘super’ physique. Has neven been shown to grow a beard (not even a 5 o’clock shadow) and he doesn’t seem to be involved in any kind of investigative research as far as his personal goals are concerned. He probably knew about Maxima’s origin by other means than those that he led her (and us) to believe.
We have seen a super with a beard, so Dave has confirmed that the exemption from body hair problems does not extend to facial hair.
Deus is clearly, amongst other things, an information broker. Once you pass a certain point of knowledge about hidden lore, those who need such will flock to you. And is simple to demand a quid pro quo. If you want to learn some secret titbit you must provide information of interest to Deus.
Given how many factions there are present on Earth, and the magical, off-world and other supernatural resources each of them have access to, it is easy to see how someone in his position could acquire a huge amount of information, even without having to directly use any special resources himself.
Of course he does love his toys, so I am sure he will also have quite a few means of information gathering that do not require the assistance of third parties.
I’m still leaning towards Vale having ways to get information and giving him a lot of this stuff. She probably has ulterior motives that coincide with his… for now.
Only until the divorce…
The Bloody Cryptids versus the Jet-set Sharks.
They better watch out, officer Krupke is on her way.
Another orb-origin idea.
The orbs are actually not spheres, initially. They’re very durable fragments of magical space-grade tech from an organic ship that crashed, and some dumb animal ate the pieces by curiosity or happenstance. But the animal made pearls (mussel, oyster, clam). They dissolved in the animal’s system, but still crystallized.
OMG, I cannot believe that noone is going to touch on infinite improbability! This is just begging for it!
Potted plant? Confused whale?
just a spot of tea
A very hot cup of tea……
Useful in the event that the leviathan pops round to visit.
Working on it.
Chocolate and cayenne tea. Mmm.
My first choice with chocolate tea was actually the round Facing Heaven sort but it didn’t come out quite right. V2 uses a different chilli.
I can recommend the chili chocolate from Montezuma’s chocolate. Aptly named Montezuma’s revenge. If you get a chance though go to one of their shops in person. Mail order is all well and good, but in the shops you get giant slab-like bars of chocolate. Or you can have it in broken-up form out of a jar.
The picture, in the link, is therefore a very different looking product to the one I remember. It is worth noting that I am not a fan of dark chocolate. Only liking it in a very narrow range of confectionery, such as with ‘After Eight mints’. It was only because I had been working my way through their product range that I decided to be adventurous and try the revolting-sounding one.
Turns out to be one of the best chocolates I have ever eaten! From that point on it was a must every time I visited the shop. Not for the meek though. It has a strong set of complimentary flavours. As always being too strong would put me off. But the various flavours played off each other and had a party in the mouth.
And that is where you want big chunks of chocolate. To keep those flavours bouncing back and forth.
That’s most definitely not their basic chilli chocolate but it looks significantly more exciting. If I see it in person then I’ll certainly give it a try.
Since last time you mentioned them I tried the 100% black because I was curious. Vile on its own but it makes the very best con carne so thanks for that.
Yea, I have far too much of a sweet tooth to like plain dark chocolate. Dreadfully bitter and too strong. And the purer the chocolate the worse both become. But that is true of any brand, it is simply the nature of the stuff nature provides.
But skillfully mix it with chilli, like Montezuma does and yum!
Glad to have been of use.
I may have mentioned those chocolates before, but they are good enough that they are worth repeating.
Err so to speak.
BEHOLD! Gentlemen!
I have created a portal that only portals to where this portal has portaled before!
*evil lair music plays in background*
You bring up a good point, in a roundabout way. There is no way that Opal could have been here before. So her portal power is stronger than Harem’s teleportation, in being able to open a gate here.
OK Deus was probably able to use some kind of surveillance or scrying to show her the desired arrival spot,* but even that would not be enough for Harem to teleport. Not without something familiar in the locale (she could teleport into the ambulance because she has been to the bank and could see both on the TV reporting).
Mind you Opal is way more powerful overall, given that Harem struggles to carry one big gun and cannot generally carry people (barring Varia and, possibly, very small people). Whereas a whole bunch of people can march through one of Opal’s portals.
In fact, if she can sustain them for a reasonable period, that means she could allow an army to strike deep behind enemy lines, and keep them supplied indefinitely. Not to mention giving them a safe escape route, before the opposition can rally whatever reserve forces might be in the region.
Opal is a strategic asset, who could win wars in this fashion.
* As Oberon points out above, Deus would be very unlikely to step through a portal into an area he was not sure was (relatively) safe.
Which is why Deus wanted her released, under the guise of her being the way for his landlocked country to get goods to and from the coast
If the government wants you badly enough, you can get pardoned for just about anything. After WW II Wernher von Braun got a ‘released on account of national security’ pardon, even though he was the person who designed and built the rockets the Nazis dropped on London.
https://history.msfc.nasa.gov/vonbraun/excerpts.html
If that depressed you, maybe this song will cheer you up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJ9HrZq7Ro
He was quite astute on the ‘Chinese’ part, albeit omitting the ‘Russian’.
You might be making an “Apple-Vs-Orange” type of comparison here.
Opal & Harem use 2 very different methods to get from point-A to point-B.
By opening a “hole” in space-time, Opal bypasses Harem’s weight limitation.
As long as it can move itself, Opal’s only limitation is whether it’s too large to fit thru the hole.
There is no doubt that they are different powers. But their operational role is the same. Getting someone from point A to point B without travelling through the intervening space. So it is entirely appropriate to compare the effectiveness of one versus the other.
Especially as there has already been one suggestion that Harem should be sent in here to nick the artefact before the villains can. So it is necessary to be aware of the limits of her power compared to Opals (which clearly can allow this to be done).
Besides which there are perfectly valid reasons for comparing apples to oranges. For instance if deciding which is the better to eat, say if trying to counter a vitamin C deficiency, in order to prevent scurvy.
True, in terms of moving objects from point A to point B, Opal far outclasses Harem… but the way I understand it, Opal’s main ability is making portals… which to be fair gives her all kinds of cool portal attacks/defense (my favourite being the dropped-rock-accelerated-to-terminal-velocity attack… or the more boring portal-redirect-incoming-projectiles defense)… oh yeah, and the ability to move people and stuff from point A to point B (which is the MAIN use of a portal!!). In a fight, she’s really only useful vs slow (i.e. slower than the time it takes for her to open a portal) non-flying enemies: she’ll just open up a portal under them and drop them somewhere they don’t want to be dropped.
In comparison Harem’s main ability is that she can make 5 copies of herself by teleporting… which means being able to teleport and transport stuff is more of a side effect of being able to make copies of herself. Her advantage is knowledge (5 lifetimes worth), coordination (5 coordinated players worth) and stuff (she can teleport to her “vault” and grab what she needs to defeat you). In a fight, Harem is very handy for these reasons! But as for moving stuff or people around, not so useful (damned weight limit: if only she had a Ring of Holding (a-la-Goblins style)).
Of course Harem (and Opal’s) main problem is they are otherwise human (i.e. susceptible to normal damage): so both probably try to avoid getting too involved in any fight… which is pretty much what we see have seen the two of them do. Opal’s role in a fight is she’s the escape plan. Harem’s role in the fight is assistance/coordination. That makes Harem the more valuable team member.
Harem’s multi-body single mind is indeed a powerful asset. And you make a very good case for her, when you add that in too. Mind you we do not know Opal’s full powerset yet. So it may well turn out that she has other powers which make her even more useful.
But, sticking with the known one, her support role is far superior to Harems, in terms of resupply or equipping a team. For instance if you want a weapon capable of taking out a main battle tank at range Harem could not help you. OK she could offer to slap some C4 on the side of one and blow it up. But teleporting into a firefight is not a safe thing for a squishy unarmoured teleporter to do.
Way better to have a couple of teams of anti-tank soldiers drive in on mini-tractors, towing whatever equipment they need behind them.
Communications? Opal can supply a regimental HQ level of CCC equipment and personnel.
Then we turn to direct attack. Another commentator has suggested a portal to the nearby ocean. Instant 100 atmosphere watercannon. A good way of liquefying the enemy’s organs. And she can set another drainage portal, on the floor in front of her, to stop getting her own feet wet.
Of course I always like to consider the overkill potential. Opening a portal to the surface of the sun giving a fun example. Less fun for anyone on the planet the other end opens up on mind.
I know you meant that opal’s teleportation is stronger overall not that opal as a super is stronger overall, but you should really be careful of wording your comparisons
plus harem’s teleportation is more of a sub-power to her multi-body power (like how super strength typically comes with super durability) while opal’s teleportation is a primary power
I did stipulate the power comparisons. Although Westley Roberts does a good job of championing Harem’s overall capabilities. But I am a big fan of portals. Especially as there is no fundamental reason why they would have any range limitation (beyond targeting where you want them to open).
Being able to connect any two points, anywhere in the universe, is mind-bogglingly more powerful than Harems entire power set and all the skills she has built up.
Teamed up with Deus, who clearly has knowledge of things beyond this world (for instance his discussion with Vale about ‘illusionists on this world’, and by implication knowing of those elsewhere if he is able to make the comparison), and Opal’s powers become a doorway to ultratech, planets of diamonds (if such things exist, we now have weaker evidence supporting the possibility), Kryptonite, Alien Geodes, the Succubus home planet, and through them all of the planets they have relations with… so pretty much the whole galaxy.
As to how Deus may know about such things, there are alien tourists on this planet. Any one of whom may be able to provide locations of interesting planets or phenomena. Which is all that Opal needs to do her thing, if what we see here is anything to go by.
Whilst Harem is limited to her bedroom, the armoury, or the home she grew up in plus the East and West coast Archon HQs. Even being able to be in five places at once does not tip the balance on those power sets. For specific purposes yes (especially with the telepathy). Overall usefulness though, I am confident in my assessment.
Opal could turn Deus into a leader of galactic significance.
Harem … well by betraying Archon she may contribute to that. But once the betrayal is done, she just falls back to her power set and skills. And ‘known traitor’ is not a great asset on a resume.
Something or someone? Don’t forget how familiar Cthillia is to Deus’ team.
Opal is the most powerful super we have seen so far, bar none. And that includes Maxima and our little chibi (that was redundant, but you get the point) reality warper.
I already laid out some ways in which Opal could either save the world or destroy it. Here she demonstrates that ability yet again.
Let’s assume that The Council’s underwater lair is 1 mile below the ocean. A portal that deep opened into a hydroelectric power plant would generate free electricity, and lots of it. Using the pressure to turn the turbine isn’t even necessary, although that would provide a lot of power by itself. Just the fact that it could fill a reservoir which could then turn the turbines is enough. And all it costs is whatever it takes to feed Opal. And pay her, of course.
We could learn some limitations of her power set which might make this impractical, but so far her power level is off the scale. Power isn’t measured only in who can punch the hardest, although Opal can certainly punch very, very hard using her portals. She can’t take a punch personally, but again her portals could serve quite well in a defensive role.
Agreed. It does not matter how hard someone tries to punch you, if the blow is diverted through a portal to go in another direction. Although the strength of the blow does become important if you direct it against the enemy’s chin!
I was just… Referencing a guy called…Dr. Weird.
I did not expect this conversation to happen. At all. O.o;☺
It just took that corner so fast. ↓∟→
↑↑↓↓←→←→BA (start)
You are the one who put us on the roundabout. As a circle it has an infinite number of corners!
Roundabouts in Europe are scary, scary things.
Roundabouts of the mind, now those I do every ady!
I think with portals very regularly.
YEY!
Just think, any company that can create Portals can become a dominant force in the world.
As proven by Valve.
I should probably have more than skimmed Bubba’s comment. It seems I just reversed a reference.
Can’t be any worse than crossing the streams.
Think of it more as picking up on one of the plays of words and getting the intended reference.
Ok, my theory on the dagger is it allows to take an form and put it “on” over any other form. This would have 2 effects, it would completely copy a persons body on the user, and also regenerate & replace the existing body without losing the skills involved of the user.
This would make it useful to anyone injured beyond normal physical/magical damages, and anyone who needs a disguise or new identity. The obvious problem is that it takes other living beings to recharge, and has a huge potential to be abused (as i imagine it was originally to get it put in the vault). That would make it worth keeping, and even using for severe enough threats to the Council,
For a person with a possibly cursed form, like Cthilla, and a blood mage like Scona the ability to change physical form would be pretty damned important and useful. (particularly for the blood mage if the body physically changes to whatever form it is, would let you make massive stockpiles of the rarest blood types fairly easily)
Sciona: …Okay, I’m taking my Epimorph *grab* and my jacks, and going home! *strides past Deus and co. into entry vault*
Opal: Is it just me, or does the whole place smell of puréed redneck?
Sciona and co.: *teleport out with remaining jacks*
Entry vault ceiling: *falls rapidly, driving last liquid remains of Cooter into open vault*
Vale: No, it isn’t just you.
Opal: Ewwwwwww!!
>:=)> Tune in next time, when Sciona takes blood magic to the next level to get back at Deus.
Deus: Home sweet home. Let’s hit the showers, then-
Cooter blood clone 1: *oozes out of Deus’s suit* A-yup! Nice place you got here!
Cooter blood clone 2: *oozes out of Opal’s clothes* Howdy!
Cooter blood clone 3: *oozes out of Vale’s clothes* Ah second the motion to hit the showers! Ladies… ;-)
Deus: All available assets to me. We appear to have brought an infestation of vermin back with us.
Cooter blood clone 4: *oozes out of Heavenly Sword’s clothes* Hey, I resemble that remark! An’ honey, if you like’n swords, wait until you see-
Heavenly Sword: Deus, Vale, do we have any bleach here? Or degreaser?
>:=)>
Heh.
Guess you could say this is a a… Deus ex machina? Pfft-heh
No, no. Deus still owns Machina Industries, and remains their president. He is not ex-Machina, he is Deus of Machina Industries.
Didn’t we have this discussion already? Deus with an X on his face, running Machina Industries. Total coincidence according to the Author.
Unlike the preestablished ‘ship of DeusXMaxima.
Deus ex, Hiro-Maxima triangle.
If it was really that important he not only had it replaced with a copy but it was done before it was placed in the vault originally!
I’m wondering if Deus has been seeding various artefacts and items around the world specifically to spice up his life.
Is it too much I’m thinking he’s a immortal maybe Alexander the Great himself who is simply amusing himself as he hides his true nature quite effectively.
What if that geode isn’t the one Maxima thinks it is?
He’s probably just checking on one of the residents, which would be more alarming the impromptu taking advantage of the situation or he was involved in establishing the vault in the first place?!
The loopholes in his security system would be alarming. I figure him as being more competent than that.
But it would be interesting if he was an aged immortal. It would explain his fascination with the more unusual things that life has to offer.
Question on Sciona….which part of her is the original and which the replacement?
I’d been assuming that the top of the skull was a replacement until I realized that’s where a brain normally is, now, I know she could have a brain somewhere else in her body, but it still struck me as an interesting question.
Head down to the jaw is original
Agreed. The boss vampire dude, who’s name has gone walkies without me, stipulated that she had been ‘mostly beheaded’.
Mind you, come to think about it, both bodies have suffered the same injury. Whilst it is logical to assume that the council disposed of the body (ergo making the top bit of the head the bit that they failed to dispose of properly), it is possible that they were simply very lax and assumed that ‘mostly beheading’ was sufficient on its own.
In which case either part could indeed be the original. Sciona may have been a talented orc shaman. Although I think the other option is more likely. The council is used to vampires, necromancers and others who can come back from the ‘almost dead’. So they would be more likely to opt for overkill than not.
Ingie, the name of the current Council Head is ‘Ingie’
Just noticed someone: all three of Deus’ henchies look pissed off
If in a social situation, yes, I would agree. Here I think it is more appropriate to interpret their expressions as having ‘put on their business faces’. Their intent is to convey ‘do not mess with us’.
Not much to distinguish that from ‘pissed off’, visually, but an important distinction nonetheless. Given that one could be taken as being dissatisfied with being here (and by implication with their boss), whereas the other is ‘my job is to kill you if the boss says so’ (this showing loyalty to the boss).
Didn’t say who (or what) they were pissed off towards (or about) :P
I’m actually surprised this page is not called Deus enter Machina
It is because Deus is entering the Dark Reliquary, not his own company.
But otherwise a nice groaner. :)
I guess there are advantages to being a blood mage – Sciona is now clean while Wyrmil and Cthillia are still blood-soaked.
Nice observation. It does follow from the previous page though. We saw the process begin, with patches of her being blood-free. So I do not think this is a continuity error, but just a facet of her power, as you say.
Gunnie’s clothes were also showing signs of blood-removal, figured that was because of the protective gear they were wearing to deal with the flames
Actually, the “patches of her being blood-free” were mainly the area around her head, where she’d removed the hood from her outfit. Anything else that was blood-free looked like it had been dripping off, but Gunnhildr’s outfit was in a similar state.
What if Dues has a Superpower that lets him know things he shouldn’t?
Hey, you shouldn’t know that! What kind of dark magic are you using?
Google :P