Grrl Power #607 – A magnificent proposal
Wow Deus is getting all the action these days. The other guys in the comic might need to step up their game.
So we’re back from the little Harem flashback now. I didn’t put a caption up in the leading corner of the page cause I thought it’d be obvious, but just in case I’m mentioning it here.
Given that Sciona already survived having most of her head chopped off, Vale’s comment about her being “very slightly harder to kill” should tell you something about where her bar is for such activities. Assuming she’s not just posturing.
Yeah, Deus’s proposal is objectifying, but I think I’d be a little flattered if someone implied it’d be worth $80 million dollars to sleep with me. What, you thought Deus meant $10 million when he said eight figures? That’s cause you think smaller than him.
Is it just me, or is Deus kind of channeling Nick Cage there in that middle panel?
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This could be a remarkable mistake, but stuff like this, calculated great risks, is how you get rich in the first place.
I feel like there’s nothing calculated about this- Deus is letting his ego do all the talking.
Either the lay really WILL be worth the astronomical pricetag and then every other lesser lay will seem unimpressive by comparison afterwards, or it won’t be worth the price tag and you wasted your money here.
Deus is a rich guy with expensive tastes, I’m sure, but you can do a LOT with ~$80,000,000. Even have fun in a lot of other ways.
He isn’t spending $80m. He put that price tag on what she wanted knowing she wouldn’t be able to afford it.
He may have said $100k if he was sure she couldn’t afford it.
Saying the higher price means he gets to butter her up, or whatever his magic technique uses for lubricant.
Yeah, Dues isn’t spending anything…He’s just giving Sciona a “special customer discount.” With a price tag of $80 Mil, Sciona could do much worse for earning such a “deep” discount.
I’m sure you meant “Deus,” but considering his price tag, “Dues” is appropriate.
Fair enough- after I posted that original comment I got to thinking about what exactly the market for mystical, magical, super-power-granting artifacts would be like. How many people want what Deus has and know he has it, and how many could afford it? Probably not many.
You can slap whatever price tag you want on something but it’s only worth whatever someone else is willing to give you for it.
The fun things you could do when you have more money than you know what to do with.
Wow, all the respect I developed for Deus over hundreds of pages is gone in one.
It’s still early, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit disappointed by this outcome, but I’ll still wait to see how it plays out. I’m hoping this is just the icing on the cake and that he has plans to get some real benefits from this.
What made you respect him in the first place?
He earned my respect as a villain. Of course he not a good person. He employ assassins and thugs and he cares mostly for money or something else.
But he got rid of a bloodthirsty dictator and improves the people’s life even though that was probably not his main goal. He treats his underlings reasonably. And he’s funny sometimes.
Really? because I am starting to wonder what he’s up too.
Is it possible he’s an Incubus or something like that?
I think Dabbler said that there are no “male succubi”, so it’s going to be ‘something like that’ at best.
An Incubus is no more a ‘male succubi’ than a Succubus is a ‘female incubi’
The opposite of a succubus is an Incubus.
Actually, at least in some versions of the tradition, they were the same beings and simply changed form to suit their partners…
the “opposite” of a succubus would be… nun is stil female, priests are not as honest as they are supposed to be… a monk? buddah?
I was thinking something not only virginal but downright repulsive, so nobody wants them. Which raises the question of what happens when they meet a succubus.
I don’t think so. Trading out one religious figure for another is practically on the same thing, just for a different boss. It’d be like saying a Costco secretary is the opposite of a Winco secretary.
I think the ‘opposite’ of a succubus would be an asexual atheist.
Not really, the lack of a characteristic (being of a species featured in a religion vs. atheist) isn’t the opposite of a characteristic. White isn’t the opposite of red, room temperature isn’t the opposite of hot, etc. Also, Succubi can be asexual (but their culture and dietary needs make it VERY unlikely), so it isn’t a very good fit. It ultimately depends on what you mean by “opposite” though. The truest opposite of anything would just be a version of it made of anti matter.
I would posit the opposite in the sense you are going for would be some sort of angel with virgin powers (weakened by sex whereas succubi are strengthened by sex).
Like Vehemence is not a demon but has similar powers, maybe Deus has powers similar to those of a succubus while not being one as well. Even if I’m going with the “he can copy powers this way” theory for now.
I am seriously starting to consider the possibility of Deus being a super who can copy other superpowers, but unlike Syler who did it by cracking their skulls open to fiddle in their brain he cracks open their underwear to have sex with them.
Another possibility is that he has a rare ability that requires a form of sexual energy to function which is much more potent in supers than in ordinary people.
I was thinking the same thing after I read this page. The only way he would part with something of high value (and likely high power/utility) is if he thought he was getting a better deal. He may be a hound dog, but I don’t see him giving up something so valuable for a few moments of ‘fun time’.
Remember, that high value item was Sci-frights’ to begin with, Deus stole it (or had one of his ‘slackeys’ steal it for him so he could deny fore-knowledge), and he’s not even selling it back to her, that price is just to look and see if he has it (which he won’t have it on premises)
It was not hers to begin with. It was never hers. She just wanted it. Wanting doesn’t make it hers.
Yeah, I think the same. I’m betting on the “Deus can copy powers with sex” thing too, this scene would seem too random otherwise. Probably not definitely (otherwise he would get too powerful), but he maybe has some temporary “superpower reserves”, like he can use a power he copied for some limited time until he “consumes” it and then he has to get lucky again with that same person to “recharge” it. That would make him quite interesting (and give him even another reason to be so attracted by Maxima other than her beauty and charisma).
Well, if Sciona would be Dues’ first (whatever the hell she actually is), then he could slap a new differently-shaped silhouette sticker on the rear window of his car. Or maybe a new rubber-stamp to mark his bedpost.
Overall, I don’t think that he thinks Sciona is worth that much in the first place…He could very easily artificially inflate his “normal asking price” as a way of flattering her & Sciona wouldn’t know the difference. I figure this would be Dues’ way of “whispering sweet nothings in her ear.”
So, Deus has been banging Harem. If he copies powers through sex as you suspect, does that mean that he has multiple bodies running around and, if so, will they cease to exist once the power is consumed? That would literally be worse than losing both arms.
Deus would use it sparingly, as a tool that literally allows him to be two-or-more places at once. ‘I was accepting an award on stage at the time, so I obviously couldn’t have been at X’
I am pondering that as well. All we really know on the subject is a one-off from Dabbler saying there are no male succubi, and then immediately moving on. WHY are there no male succubi, setting aside the whole succubi/incubi debate?
Do succubi only give birth to females?
Do succubi even get pregnant?
Do succubi give birth to males (incubi), but they are killed at birth for the threat they represent?
Is succubi physiology ‘set’ with horns and four arms?
Does that mean that our hypothetical incubi must also have horns and four arms?
Succubi feed off tantric energy, but is that what an incubi needs?
I’m pretty Dave’s past comments have touched upon the possibility of succubi getting pregnant before, with his verdict being “only if they want to”.
Dabbles has four arms and horns (use to also have four bewbs and a tail) because she is also part Extra Terrestrial and part something else, not a full succubus like Deco
Don’t forget that Deco has the glamour as Dabbler, so we really don’t know what she looks like.
Whilst Decolette certainly could have tweaked her appearance, I suspect that any significant disguise would be considered rude in the council chambers.
She is meant to be representing her faction. If Decolette did that whilst appearing to be someone else (unless she always has a consistent false persona) there could be a risk of serious diplomatic repercussions, should anyone penetrate the disguise (or find out in some other way, such as seeing pictures of her when she was younger).
Bottom line everyone there knows Decolette is a succubus, and that they have disguise abilities. So they would be wary of trickery (including other succubi trying to impersonate her for some internal faction plot). Meaning that she would be foolish to try anything like that.
Barring, of course, if she routinely changes her appearance like her hair colour. I still think that would sit badly with most other factions, but demons may be chaotic enough that they do not care. So you could be right.
Don’t see why changing her hair colour, even on a daily basis, would be a problem, changing how she physically appears would
Not counting that scene in the Ballroom, or the lithpy blonde, Dabbles uses just one glamour, and that’s to appear ‘human’ when in public
I phrased that ambiguously. Allow me to modify it to:
“… if she routinely changes her appearance, like some other people change their hair colour.”
I did have Jiggawatt in mind, but chose not to mention her as we have not had a long enough time in comic to see her regularly changing her hair colour. So we only know from Dave’s comment that is one of her things. Ignoring of course the whole ‘white hair’ in her introductory scene, as we have been over that a lot before.
Same. This is a bit too far. Especially since he stripped her before he made clear it was option B, never mind having an answer from her. Might as well break out the magic roofies.
“… he stripped her before he made clear it was option B…”
No? In panel 1 she’s still suited up. She stepped out of it herself in panels 2 through 4.
Ah, that is her own lair. Though that was some dungeon owned by Deus and he was in charge of some sticky disrobing monster out of sight rather than her armour being held on by a layer of purple dental adhesive.
Makes it less creepy, but his offer still has an ewww factor.
Adding to what Wisknort said, there was also option C: Forget about the artifact and leave.
(Or option D: Try to fight Vale.)
I wouldn’t say my respect for the guy is gone now, but it took a big hit here. Don’t know why but I thought of him above making a woman sell her body to him.
That would seem weird for me as well, but maybe he is not getting only sex from sex.
It matters to me literally not at all what Deus is getting out of the deal. He’s still asking a woman to sell her body. I’m ok with hating a villain, but yeah, this page definitely causes a change in my opinion of him.
Sounds like your own failing, this is a genius move that can have far-reaching consequences if he plays his cards right.
That’s what they said about Winestain
Ha I was actually thinking 80 million when I was trying to remember how much 8 figures was. Although I think that was just cause of the 8 in 8 figures.
I am actually confused as to when this is meant to be taking place. One minute they are having a punch up in his office and Arc Swat are there pretty quick with Harem then showing how she did her silk work flashback, next we see Sciona back in his office getting sexually harassed. Is this before she had a punch up with Vale or in the moments before she demands where is it? Not usually confused on these but its early on a Monday.
No, this is after, possible during the Maxi and Gothamer ‘chat’ on the broken heli-pad
the thing with harem was a flashback, this here is “some time later”. Could be an hour, could be next day. though more likely something like 10 minutes.
Definitely needs a yellow box with “Back in the Present, at Sciona’s Lair” in the corner.
Careful, Deus. If she’s not satisfied, she’ll use her blood magic to give you an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours.
Snicker. Turning that comment in a serious direction, it seems like a bad idea to let a blood mage that close to you. She might ‘accidentally’ scratch your back during the deed and then use the blood when she has what she wants and is far away from the scene. And impotence should be a really easy curse for her to make.
I deeply regret that this comment board doesn’t allow me to upvote your comment.
On the other hand, Dues wouldn’t have to worry much about consulting a doctor…He can afford the best. Even if he wasn’t claiming himself as an employee so he can use the “company insurance policy” & have huge tax deductions on his payroll due to his high salary…
:D
Well, now we know what Vale is getting out of the deal she has with Deus.
Alright I’m calling it now! Deus is the son of an Incubus! He has to be, or he’s just that good! I do find it funny that Vale finds it “gross!”, but loves to watch.
I do have one question for you Dave and I don’t know if someone had already asked you this, but here it goes. Dabbler and a lot of other mystical creatures can cast Glamours to hide from Society in plane sight. Maxima hates the attention she gets from her looks so why doesn’t Maxima have someone other than Dabbler, (for obvious reasons) give her an item that masks what she really looks like? That way she could have something of a secret identity and she could use her true form when fighting and put the disguise back on when she doesn’t want anyone to know who she is other than the people she works with or certain higher ups?
Vale is a bodyguard and Sciona is still potentially dangerous, I think that is why she is present, not that she is a voyeur.
Ooops, hadn’t read the minicomic beneath. New lesson, always read everything before posting.
That minicomic is not always canon.
all that means, is they didn’t actualy say it. doesn’t necessarily make it less “valid”.
though i assumed it was more about… “that momen, when ciona realised, she was fucked”…
and now she will be literally fucked… oh god… dave… what have you done.
Vale may also like to participate. She is in the process of opening up her jacket there in panel 5, though she might just be checking that laser wing stab wound in her chest to make sure it sealed back up properly.
Based on how she reacted to getting stabbed through the face, I think she’d be more worried about the tear in her jacket than in her flesh.
she could’ve just been saying “Gross!” to the Cheesy ass B-porno grade line he said.
Well. as Dues’ bodyguard, Vale has to stay close to her boss at all times & her own particular kink is voyeurism…
Yes yes, Dues is a rich, charismatic villain who has all the ladies falling for him while he rules a country from behind the scenes, steal secrets from Archon, artifacts from the council, and no doubt has memorized the evil overlord list. We get it.
Rather than trop out the old Villian Sue complaints, however, I’m thinking that this irritation comes from the slow pace of a web comic, since we are technically still in the setup and villainous reveal of the bad guy, before things go bad for him. With luck, in a few years we’ll get to see Max put him through a wall, and Halo trap Vale on the moon or some such.
Personally I’m really hoping that Deus will stay a shadow figure, never doing anything that explicitly breaks any laws.
Staying in between the conflict, watching from the side, never interfering directly.
I’m with you there. It’s too easy to write someone who is obviously a villian or obviously a hero. I like the character who skirts the line of ethics and morals in such a way that neither side can claim they’re one of them.
I don’t think Deus really straddles that line. I mean, *technically* he hasn’t really done anything to make him necessarily a villain yet, but the way he’s being set up is as the Big Bad, not as a semi-villain.
> I mean, *technically* he hasn’t really done anything to make him necessarily a villain yet
He staged a coup, had a king assassinated, stole a bunch of very dangerous artifacts that seem to constitute mini-WMDs, and is currently in the middle of doing something that dances on the line between sexual harassment and non-violent rape. He’s also carrying out ongoing espionage against a government military organization.
I mean, he’s charismatic as hell and fun to read about, but he’s very clearly a villain and has committed enough crimes to go to jail for life if they could actually be made to stick. (Which they almost certainly couldn’t, given his money, lawyers, and the nature/jurisdiction of some of the crimes.)
“.. and non-violent rape”
wat
“He staged a coup”
He freed a people under the grip of a murderous tyrannical despot and turned them into a first world well schooled nation that wasnt starving to death or being murdered by government hit squads.
“Had aking assassibated.”
Self defense.
“Stole a bunch of very dangerous objects”
Salvaged abunch of dangerous objects that more dangerous people might have used while they were stealing other objects so that they would be safe under his watchful eye, plus could make aprofit and experiment on them for the betterment of mankind. God bless Deus that magnificent bastard.
“Sonething that dances between the line of sexual harassment”
Hard to call Sciona sexually harassed when sheis stepping out in front of him naked to show off her perfect body. He offered to have sex with her. She can say no.
“Non-violent rape”
Dafuq? There is no rape here at all. Theres consent, and I dont think you know what rape is if you’re calling this rape. Dont water down the word.
“Has commited enough crimes to go to jail for life”
He has literally commited almost no crimes at all unless you count undocumented salvage operations. Even with Archon, theyre the ones potentially commiting a crime by being a military organization spying on a private citizen. :)
That’s the main thing I love about Deus, he’s a big ass ham! Its like David Xanatos from Gargoyles and Varick from Legend of Korra had a beautiful baby! That’s the best analogy that fit him also the most messed up!
This is the appropriate reaction Deus. I’m seeing so many people with their undergarments in a twist because Deus is supremely confident and isn’t immediately the sort to trip over his own shoelaces soon as he boasts. People don’t like seeing someone who’s earned that confidence being successful, getting what they want.
He is an excellent villain. And a genre-savvy one, so he’s not likely going to make some huge mistake like “And now I’ll wipe out all the heroes!” or something. More Lex Luthor if Lex and Deathstroke merged.
Only if its the version of Deathstroke from the Teen Titans cartoon! Best version of Slade ever!
Oh, that one was insidious.
I wonder if hes gonna do anything to up the eye of creating a hybrid offspring with her.
Yes. Never too early to start preparing the villains for some future plotline, like Grrl Power 2099.
yay…more soft corny porn with no real story. happy…
ya, im annoyed as well. I really hope the next page is just them moving on with the plot.
since the problem with Sciona ex-body it’s just warmed up sex, soft sex, and more…just when the boobs got inflated…
WHERE is the scenario in all this?
not even real jokes with Halo anymore…
I miss Sydney Jr. I hope we see her soon.
But where and when is this conversation happening? After the events at his office, I assume Archon is watching every possible hiding place Deus has. If they arnt, then they are not that good at intelligence.
nope, they are fooled by Deus since a while. because THIS happening after the office problem that COULD HAVE BEEN a good plot. but nope…back to sex after a ‘small interruption’.
at this point, it could be just under Maxima’s bedroom and no one would know.
Even Dabbler double sentences, Sydney acting, the way Harem reacted after being punched or getting a wedgie. so on…
it had a real ‘body and going on’, a real essence.
now I am more expecting Deus doing all this just to be able to fuck Maxima…
The true plot revealed!
-chuckles-
seems you agree with what I think about a comic I used to love deeply before.
I also fully admit that as a writer and scenarist, that also help others with their work, I feel offended the way we are ‘dragged on’ without a real scenario.
Yeah, I said it and I won’t deny saying it.
C’mon, it’s a really good plot for an 8th grader writing a comic in math class!
I though he meant hundres of millions. Guess I’m thinking to big, and also miscounted
The Urban Dictionary has an applicable entry:
Don’t stick your d in crazy
Deus is an Incubus, or something similar. Calling it now.
The ability to seduce/ensnare women to do his bidding would make him the PERFECT foil to Maxima.
Or just generally being unethical about sex. We literally just heard Max saying she won’t stand for her agents doing “silk work.” Now Deus is insisting on just that? Yeah, I think he’s definitely being set up as a foil.
Dabbler is set as a foil to Maxima in that sense already though?
Eww. Even for that money in cash I wouldn’t want to be buggered by him, no matter how much he says I’d enjoy it. Especially not if he says he is so skilled I will certainly enjoy it.
And who is to say she is that way inclined anyway? After spending so long with male body parts she might not want to go anywhere near them for a long time.
So, bet now. We saw sexy times between Vale and Sciona in the VDSD picture… Is that scene about to become canon?
As distasful as it may seem at an first glance, requesting sex for something sciona wants very badly might give her the idea that deus is easly handled or that she is in control.
As this would imply that he is willing to do alot to fulfil his basic needs. Which would make him seem less threatening then he actually is and have her keep in touch/contact him in the future if she needs anything else.
Or he might just like sex alot.
Ask his impressive array of lovers. It’s reasonable to assume that many of those are not paying him with it for anything valuable.
Well, maybe he’s a sugar daddy. Which again comes down to him liking sex a lot.
Oh, and this.
Also I think it flatters his ego to boink powerful, dangerous and above all unattainable women.
Just his? Sounds like a fairly common trait in males.
Oh, to be sure. It’s just that for most it is not an option and we know it.
Dabbler senses a disturbance in the force…..?
Um – did I misread, or did Sciona actually start stripping down immediately even while telling Deus no? Maybe a case of another huge ego – “look upon divine beauty, ye mortal, and then weep in despair that never shall it be thine! mwahaha, being evil is fun!”. The fact she isn’t bellowing about the loss of her attire makes me hope this is the case.
Because the way it is drawn, it looks like the other option is that Vale was stripping her even as Deus was starting his proposition. Which is perhaps justified in that it was armor, Sciona is a threat and it’s Vale’s job to minimise it, but it pushes this scene into a whole new realm of disturbing. (Vale is holding her coat open, in panel four it looks like a panel is open on Vale’s wrist while the armor flows towards her, etc.)
Come to that, I’m very interested in how Deus has managed to secure the loyalty of his frankly scary bodyguard – any ideas?
Never mind, just realised that was the spinal section of Sciona’s armour, and not Vale’s arm in panel 4. Please ignore second paragraph of my post above.
Completely misread that, apologies to Dave B.
No I’m pretty sure it is Vale’s arm.
No, that is the arm of Sci-frights’ battle suit, Vale is wearing a ‘normal’ leather jacket (look at her folded arm in panel 11)
Yes, the way I understand it is that the sticky purple thing is coming out of Vale, through the wrist and possibly from her torso and she’s stripping Sciona and bringing her armor inside of her. When she finishes the stripping she closes her jacket (which was open to allow the sticky thing to come out). At least that’s what I understand, because I definitely don’t think Sciona would start undressing even as she is saying no to the deal. Any other ideas?
Im wondering something. I think vale might have been scionas “clothing” in that first couple panels, sort of like how aegis used himself as armor for dabbler, only this time to control her and make sure she behaved. Basically, she beat sciona, then held her captured until archon left and brought her back to deus.
No, that’s Sci-fright’s battle suit she just stepped out of
I disagree. Pretty sure Scionia was wrapped up in Vale, possibly to hide her while Archon was there.
No, go back to the page where Sci-fright burst into SmugD’s office, it’s the same suit
Also, Vale wasn’t there when Maxi showed up, so why ‘hide’ Sci-fright, besides, Vale is at least a foot shorter than Sci-fright
Guesticus is right here. It’s her battlesuit.
When can we see SmugD get ripped apart into millions (and millions) of tiny smug douchey pieces? o_O
This? This is going beyond the shit-levels he has previously been shovelling
Ms Pander lawyer, how do you defend this?
You seem upset.
It’s coerced sex. We can have a debate over whether or not it’s technically consensual, but either way, it’s super squicky.
It’s also telling that we JUST heard Max saying she won’t let her agents do “silk work,” and now we get the villain insisting on just that.
I don’t think you know what coercion means. This isn’t coercion. He made an offer. An offer she can freely turn down and there is absolutely no force or blackmail involved. She has no right to the item she wants. She does not have the money necessary to buy it. She can get it for free, in exchange for something that she might actually WANT to do. It’s not even Sciona’s item in the first place, so you can’t even say that she’s trying to get HER item back from Deus. She wants something that she forgot to steal when she had the chance. She can have the other choice of using her vast powers to earn 80 million dollars over her long life, then buy it.
Deus is a sex-positive feminist. He believes in a woman’s prerogative to use her body however she sees fit.
There. Defended it.
The difference for Vale between killing a human and killing Sciona is the difference between hitting someone hard enough to know them out, and hitting them hard enough to kill them.
…
Granted, that makes more sense in the real world, where hitting someone in the head rally CAN kill someone suprisingly easy.
What ever he stole, must be extremely valuable to Sci-fright for her to go through with this just to see what he has, getting anything will cost extra, and of course he would have her stolen items somewhere else, like his own private country
Reminder to all complainers: Deus watched Sciona increase her bust size, back when she used the Epimorph.
So, not only is she still interested in sex*, Deus knows it.
*Well, I suppose you could make some other explanation, but this is by far the most likely.
… so literally every woman who has had implants did it for teh sexors and their bodies are automatically up for sale?
Math where 2 + 2 = plaid
We are talking two very very not nice imaginary characters in an imaginary world who have very little in the way of positive moral attributes.
Why not take things at face value?
[censored due to a shoulder angel holding a baseball bat]
As noober said, or: Show me a line of reasoning that is more likely than “I’m interested in playing the game of lust, this is a step to improve my chances”.
Pseudo-edit: Also, you’re putting some words in my mouth there. Getting implants because you want to be more attractive (/want to have more sex) doesn’t mean your body is up for sale any more than dressing up in revealing clothes does. It’s just a good indication that you’ll consider [sex, not selling yourself], given the right person, circumstances, etc. etc.
You are correct.
Setting that to one side though it is necessary to make the distinction that although Deus did see that Sciona values being sexually attractive, and was thereby easily able to deduce that she is interested in sex, that should not be extended to thinking that she is interested in sex with him.
Even on this page, where Sciona removes her armour, and stands naked in front of him again, she is not doing that as a sexual invitation. Rather it is to proudly display her body and taunt him that he is not worthy of consideration.
I must reiterate though that your observation is correct, and your conclusion sound (and well observed at that). But, the way they are phrased, they come ambiguously close to inviting the inference that ‘Sciona is visually providing consent’.
So PixiePele was right to challenge the dangerous* inference which could be made from your statement. But was wrong to assume that was the point of your comment.
* It is a leap that people do regularly make, that can end up with them doing time for rape. Although, of course, not an issue in this scene, as Deus is specifically asking Sciona for her consent. But your reasoning is solid for explaining why he reasoned that Sciona may be receptive to the indecent proposal.
Just to clarify my point (and I do wish we had a few minutes leeway, to allow editing a post), I am just commenting about your initial comment, and PixiePele’s reply to it.
Your own retort does remove the ambiguity which was present in the original, and I failed to express that in the reply I just made. I was just seeking to show why you got the response that happened. And to emphasise why it was important for that to happen.
Although you were speaking with good intent, it would be all too easy for someone to say the same words but using them as justification for rape. This is always a political hot potato as that happens routinely around the world. In some places even receiving a sympathetic approval, where a society has poor morals.
So this is an area where folks need to tread warily and make sure they do not leave their comments open to misinterpretation.
So Dave, is there any chance you’d do something like a Fan Character Contest sometime in the future?
If Archon has a recruit with the ability to change his appearance,would that a good thing,especially when he decides to impersonate Vale?
(If the real Vale learns of this impersonation,would she attack the imposter?)
Vale:I’ll teach you to impersonate me!!!!
I’m willing to bet he’s up to something more than just getting laid. Even if it’s just creating a situation where she feels like she got enough of a win to leave him alone, but not enough of one to think she can punch him again.
Personally, I’m torn between her being another amazing conquest for someone to whom intercourse with regular humans holds absolutely no challenge or interest, and this being part of some deeper plan of his to collect her genetic material or hold her in thrall to some future plans. Could be interesting, either way.
I cannot step seeing Vale holding her own left shoulder with her left hand in panel 5. Can someone please tell me what I should be seeing?
She hold the left of her coat, not her shoulder
[dpm]:
Given the angle of her left hand upon the coat, & her head being BEHIND the coat, the hand’s position seems extremely awkward/contorted to me, also.
Meanwhile, the storytelling constraints have left Panels 1-thru-4 so small that the Audience is left a bit short on details…
…is Sciona undressing herself, to flaunt/taunt what she doesn’t want to give Deus (as others have suggested above), or was Vale previously wrapped around her, as a concealing “cloak”, & now is when she unwraps from her? (& if THAT’s the case, what happened to Sciona’s armor? It wasn’t damaged at all, when we last saw her, so where did it go?)
Aren’t drow STD’s known to be immortal as well?
If you are a Drizzt Do`Urden fan, you`ll remember that line:
Jarlaxle slept with dragons…
How long will it be before dozens of Supers and Supernatural Women join the #MeToo movement and go after Deus like Weinstein and Ailes?
Assuming Deus survives his next encounter.
Objectification is a stolen medical term for a crippling mental condition where the victim is literally unable to distinguish a human from a coat rack.
Showing sexual interest can not objectify. People (normally) don’t want to have sex with objects, only subjects. Sexualization is inherently subjectifying.
“Objectifying” in the context of sex is a stupid word used almost exclusively by bigoted people who want to portray men’s sexual desire as damaging.
All that being said, ugh, Deus, have a little class would ya’. Trading power for nookie is bad form.
I think it’s a fair term when men treat women with all the dignity of a blow-up doll.
Misuse a word long enough and people start thinking that was the original definition.
Quote: You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.
ok, instead of objectification, how about ‘rape’? He’s attempting to coerce her to offer sex as something other than an expression of her feelings for him.
Many people would call it rape, not merely prostitution or objectification. I’m kinda on the fence whether it’s rape or not – sorta depends on whether she has -and knows she has- the option to just walk away without any repercussions from him.
Most times when a male tries to use leverage or coerecion, the woman can’t just refuse without having to deal with his retaliation.
To quote Sciona, “Fine. I expect to be impressed.”
No matter what else this is, it is definitely not rape.
Here’s your comment with a few words corrected in parentheses.
“He’s attempting to (convince) her to offer sex (in exchange for material gain). Many (idiots) would call it rape, not merely prostitution or (literal brain damage). I’m kinda on the fence whether it’s rape or not – sorta depends on whether she has -and knows she has- (super-wings that can cut through anything).
“Most times when a male tries to use leverage or coerecion [sic], the woman can’t just refuse without having to deal with his retaliation.”
OK, that’s just noxious BS. If you’d said ‘some times’ that would be bad enough, but you said “most times.”
Here’s some fun reading:
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/03/coerced-sex.aspx
https://www.alternet.org/9-out-10-sex-abuse-victims-prisons-are-males-abused-female-staffers
And bear in mind while reading, the single most overwhelming risk factor for someone to become a rapist is having been raped as a child. Most rapists were rape victims first.
So, you saying it’s okay to be a rapist if you were raped first? o_O
Forced consent is still coercion, not true consent: you point a loaded weapon at someone and tell them they can either do it willingly or else, while they may give consent, they were forced to give consent. Sure, they could attempt to walk away, and risk getting shot and raped anyway, butt they still have the choice to say ‘no’, right?
“okay to be a rapist”
U wot mate? Where’d you get that from?
“Forced consent is still coercion”
Yes, and?
Why is this comment here? What are you trying to communicate? What ARE you responding to? It doesn’t relate to anything.
Deus isn’t a rapist. Deus isn’t coercing. He made an offer. She is free to say no with no ill effects or negative consequences to her, save for not getting ownership of something that is not hers to begin with.
Seriously people – pet peeve of mine. Don’t re-define rape as something that’s not rape. I’ve worked in a DA’s office. I’ve seen actual cases. When it’s redefined and watered down to mean ‘anything you might regret doing willingly afterwards’ you make a mockery of actual rape.
+1
+1
{Engage Disability Rights Activist Persona}
Hmm, if you want to complain about ‘stealing’ objectification, you have to go back at least as far as Schopenhauer’s ‘body is the objectification of the will’ in the 19th Century, rather than claiming some heinous theft of a medical term which isn’t even in the ICD-10 or DSM-IV. (The correct medical term for cases such as ‘The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat’ is visual agnosia).
And if you want to be taken remotely seriously by actual disabled people, don’t use ‘crippling’ or any variant of ‘cripple’.
It’s been my observation that a lot of rape fantasies actually revolve around removing the victim’s ability to respond, and that ‘objectification’ is exactly the right term for it. They don’t want someone able to respond, they want a living puppet to gratify themselves with. The disability-related variants are even worse. By extension that applies equally well to people who see other people solely in terms of their potential for sex, not as an actual person with multiple aspects to who they are. It’s reducing a person to a walking, talking sex doll.
{Disengage Disability Rights Activist Persona}
Well said.
And McBlaggart‘s base comment made good points too, albeit using a touchy word.
I was obviously referring to ‘objectification’ regarding its use describing a human percieving another human as an object. Schopenhauer is irrelevant.
Objectification is completely distinct from visual agnosia. Visual agnosia is, predictably, a visual ailment. A sufferer will still understand that a person is a person.
I don’t care about being taken seriously by people who fall for the Generational Retarded Word Swap. A word (like retarded) for a an ailment or condition enters common use. Because the word describes a negative trait it acquires a negative connotation. Then it’s time for the Word Swap. ‘That word is offensive, use this word instead!’ (this reinforces the negative connotation)
And the cycle repeats.
Just end the cycle. It’s easier, involves no language policing and generates no net increase in offense from the persistently hyper-offended.
You are correct that rape fantasies revolve around removing the victim’s ability to respond, but ‘objectification’ is exactly the wrong term for it. Like I said, people (normally) don’t want to have sex with objects. No one has rape fantasies involving the abuse of the family car.
The fantasy may involve removing a person’s ability to respond, but they remain a person with thoughts and feelings, or else they wouldn’t be interesting.
Also of note is that many, perhaps most, rape fantasies involve experiencing the role of victim.
Check out women’s erotic literature. Stories by women, for women, mostly involving a woman falling in love with her rapist.
Surprise! People are into some messed up stuff.
I seem to recall that some porn site released stats showing that women were much more likely to search for rapey stuff than men, but I can’t find it now. Does anyone know where I can find that?
Ooh, more interesting stuff.
You argue your case well for countering the irritation of the politically over-correct tampering with perfectly good words. Especially ones that ‘sound like they were meant to refer to a particular group’, when the historical roots have sod all to do with that.
I would not agree for terms that are routinely used as insults though. If you had a wheelchair bound child and they came home every day crying because of being called “a useless cripple”, then you too would be touchy about the abuse of the word.
However, in the context that you used it, referring to a crippling condition, as opposed to describing a person as being a cripple, I feel that you are right that it is an appropriate word to use.
“Debilitating” is a less offensive word though (for that context) should you find yourself in a situation where you decide you want to avoid provoking the easily offended.
Although it is not a universal substitute, as it does not work if describing the extent of a leg injury. “A crippling leg injury” conveys that the victim cannot walk. Whereas a “debilitating leg injury” is vague enough to fail to convey that point.
Uh. . . Yep, I basically agree with all of that.
I would specify that the problem with a disabled child being called a “useless cripple” is not the word ‘cripple’. It’s the sentiment expressed that matters.
For that matter, being repeatedly called a “useless (anything)” is never going to be a joyous experience.
While I can imagine Deus might feel it a bit of a power play to get with certain, seemingly unobtainable women, and even show off how he drops an $80-mill item for it like he was giving away old junk locked in his closet… I can’t help but feel he might get something else out of it.
Thinking of him as an incubus feels too easy. Its more like maybe he has a power to draw on abilities from sexual contact or more likely some demonic/extra-dimensional contract or deal he’s fulfilling with his “conquests”.
Certainly I could imagine it’s simply him power playing and showing off his wealth and power but it really feels like there might be more to it.
Might be he absorbs information/experience/intellect via intimate contact.
Yeah, probably.
I assume Incubus powers work as succubus powers already shown – they act as super persuasive effects that make the victim *want* to have sex. Sciona isn’t showing any desire at all for Deus, so that rule out him being an Incubus.
He may be (just a wild thought, unresearched) that demon critter that Dabbler stole Soul Reaver from – who will come with a great burning some day. nah, probably not.
I love the fact that Vale is AMAZINGLY powerful… and Sydney still has the ability to weird her out!
I agree that was one of the first things that I picked up when we first started getting hints and to how powerful she might be. A lot of people would chalk it up to her being a main character having quote-unquote main character powers and insight I think it’s just how Halo is.
Personally, I’ve always thought that if someone offered me money to have sex with him, it would mean that I should expect the sex to be (for me) work — you know, a job. And the more money offered, the worse the implied job conditions would be; the worse my employer’s, ah, skills were, and who should know that better than him?
So, not offended. Not flattered. Creeped right the hell out? Yeah.
Maybe he overpriced the item Sciona wants and/or he has so much money that he doesn’t care about 80M.
The factors you mentioned make sense, too, but the woman’s attractiveness is a factor as well.
Remember, that price is just to look at what he had, not to buy back what was rightfully hers in the first place
Yeah- I’ve had a man try to trade me something for sex before, and it was not flattering, it was disgusting, and although I declined, I still felt unhuman and used. To me, it sounds like Deus intentionally overpriced the item just so he could extract sex from Sciona. That’s gross. But I guess it’s good to be reminded that Deus is a villain, and does whatever he thinks he can get away with.
Yuck. I find such behavior disgusting as well. He should just find himself a prostitute.
In fiction I just chalk it up to sex humor though. Sciona is evil, so I don’t feel bad for her (she literally killed dear Sydney), and Deus is annoying in that he has the talents to back his supersized ego up. Not sure if he’s a villain what with him killing an evil king to end a war and give people a perspective by forcing industrial revolution on a 3rd world country (and probably lying to the king’s son about what the father did). Makes it really hard to place him into a category.
In all seriousness, Deus seems to be heavily invested in making love to powerful female supers.
We know he pursued Maxima. He also pursued (and got) Harem. He has Vale serving him.
It makes me wonder if there is some sort of mind control/addictive after effect to his lovemaking.
I think he just loves conquest. He’s always trying to accomplish as much as possible.
Deus: Sex Machina.
+1
+2
There is also the possibility that Vale gets powered by Deus having sex; she may or may not be a succubus, but that may not be the only type of entity that lives off of sexual energy. If Deus really IS as good as he says he is, that may be why Vale works for him, and since we know she is as good as Deus says she is, that would explain why sex with Sciona is worth $80M to him.
I laughed my ass off at that last panel. Like, it was loud.
the subcomic was the icing on the hilarity cake tho
Thaaat sounded as if Vale is some kind of ancient being on the level of C’thulu who has consumed or enslaved countless worlds, but became tired of it eventually, so she instead became interested in living an easy and relatively simple life for a while.
1. scumbag
2. when will we catch up with Halo’s original flashback from like page two?
Probably not for quite a while. At the time she was addressed as ‘corporal’, which is at least two ranks about ‘recruit’. That promotion should really take *at least* a few months even in an accelerated program and the entire 8-year run of the comic to date has covered something like…48 hours? A week at most, as far as I can tell.
Around a week I think, there were some glossed over days of training and such.
For some reason this makes me feel kinda bad for Math, Dabbler got some with Mohawk hairdresser guy, Mr Evil-Corporate-head McX-face got some with Harem and now he’s gonna get some more… When’s it gonna be Maths turn! He’s Gotta Represent the base humans in this sex-off! (I think he’s base human…note sure… wanted to check but the “cast” button isn’t working for me, is it working for anyone else?)
Unfortunately the cast button hasn’t worked in forever, but I remember one of his lines somewhere at the beginning of that big fight they had. He said something like not being “just human”.
Well technically he is (or, at least, Maxima said that trying to distinguish between his abilities and actual superpowers would be difficult, but they are officially in two separate categories). I think his phrase was “there is not such thing as “just human”” that would mean not that he is not a “normal” human but that humans are awesome and dangerous.
Yes, that was the phrase. :-)