Grrl Power #906 – Lesmad
If someone tied Maxima to train tracks, the train would be the one in danger.
Fortunately the language Ray and Cora are speaking has a perfect analog to the English word “Damsel” with the same connotations. I guess there are lots of alien civilizations out there that made media involving women being tied to space railroad tracks. Or being tied to chairs with space bombs counting down nearby. You know the formula. Lady+Bondage+Space Danger.
Also, Ray’s alliteration works out in both languages somehow.
I didn’t know this, but “damsel” is actually a shortened version of “Mademoiselle.” #TheMoreYouKnow
Maxima’s attack isn’t actually a Metsu Shoryuken, after the first two hits, she grabs their leg as they fly up past her, and then she “Puny God“‘s them. I guess that would be a Metsu ShoRyuKashouKami. Well, two ground slams, then she leaps up in the air, windmills them and throws them into the ground. Then if they really ticked her off, she can finish it with an Atomic Curb Stomp or an energy blast. That’s the Metsu ShoRyuKashouKami Meteor-Strike Stay-Down WTFBBQ.
I assume Mr. Amorphous, Heatwave and Achilles keep trying to jump in to help with the fight, but the shockwave from those hits keep knocking them back. Dabbler’s just watching.
Oh, I can’t believe I forgot to pimp this: The kickstarter for Tamer 7 is up. It got funded in literally 30 minutes, but backing it is the fastest way to get your hands on the new book when it’s ready.
Just thought I should mention it, and before you ask, yes, I’m still working on the sequel to my fanfic novel. I’m hoping to have it done before Tamer 7 lands, but honestly the monthly nudie pinups are taking a lot of my non-comic time, so the book will happen, but I can’t make any promises about the timing.
Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. Feel free to contribute as much as you like!
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Based on the way she holds herself when tied and blindfolded… I think Detla isn’t a stranger to being a bit submissive on a regular basis.
I mean, there’s only so many ways one can carry themselves when tied in that particular configuration. Simply making the decision to relax instead of struggle, and to remain sitting on the legs instead of flopping over to the side puts you in that position by default. Having the arms tied together straight down behind the back and relaxing them causes gravity to pull the shoulders back and down, which presents the chest, particularly on busty-folk. Having the thighs tied to the ankles and the legs tied to each other means you either sit upright on your knees like she is, you flop forward putting your torso on your thighs (which might be prevented if the bindings on her wrists are connected to those on her legs, but I can’t tell one way or another, so that’s just speculation), or you flop to the side. You could in theory flop onto your back, but the length of her legs and the position of her arms would make that incredibly uncomfortable. Personally my legs protest when I’m on my knees, and especially if I try to sit on them like that, so I’d flop onto my side, but that would basically mean having half your body including your face on the ground whilst tied in a fairly uncomfortable position, so if one can be comfortable on their knees I can see why one would choose this position over being prone on the side.
Dabbler tied her up. You do the algebra. There was no possible way she *wouldn’t* have ended up in that position.
I’m guessing she didn’t put the blindfolds on, though… Not as much lust of nobody can see our touch the other folks…
Imcorrect depending on individual preferences. Submission can be increased if your perception of your surroundings is blocked, forcing you to rely on the mercy of others. Or it might be too much. Different strokes for different folks.
despite our typos <_<
I was talking about ALL the blindfolds on ALL the captives – yes, the blindfold on Detla may increase something, IF she is indeed a submissive type of person, as it may for any and all of the captives, but all the others will have no idea what configuration she's in, or how any of the others are tied up or forced into submission. it's not possible to be sure, but they all strike me as tops – even Detla, so I'd wager a small sum the only titillation to speak of would have to be coming from Cosmos or Cora. Unless someone has a keen sense of echolocation perhaps, and can see with the blindfolds on?
if that's the case, though, I'd hope some of Cora's enhancements would be able to determine that and they'd have earmuffs on, akin to bug-guy's claw corks – one of the big points of blindfolding is to reduce situational awareness, so a captive is less likely to attempt escape or be able to comprehend things for intel reasons or assisting any would-be rescuers. if someone has echolocation, you'd want to impede it for similar reasons, I'd think
One Clary Fee Cation: she’s not on her knees, her lower legs are flat, only possible problem might occur if her feet cramp or start to hurt being bent like that for extended time
All other considerations aside, is it weird that I now want a reader incentive featuring her?
Given her outfit preference, she probably is not a stranger to BDSM anyway.
I’m wondering if Ray Cosmos’ picking sides in this has mostly to do with which side has the prettiest women. After all, once his tourist clients were out of the fight, he no longer has skin in the game.
The alternative would be if he wants to bring more tour groups here eventually and needs to cultivate good relationships with the local powers-that-be. Choosing wisely here could contribute to that goal as well. And I’m sure the astonishing video from this excursion will help sell the destination at high fees to some so-called “adventure travelers.”
Problem with that, though; Some small percentage of adventure travelers are on safari, specifically to hunt and kill the dangerous critters at the destination. And that’s not cool.
Orrrr, maybe he’s picking the side he feels is least likely to get beat up. That’s also a practical consideration.
Also get the impression that despite being a major perv and possibly a little greedy, he’s basically a decent guy morals wise.
Yups, he may be an opportunist (what does he care about what people do to or with the locals, as long as they don’t involve him… directly… and provably :P ), but, as you said, he is basically a decent guy (even Cora and Dabbles would agree on that… if you force them :) )
Now that you are admitting that Ray Cosmos is actually a pretty stand-up guy, even if an opportunist, how much longer could it possibly be until you come around to the glory of our lord and savior, Deus. All praise Deus, amen.
Never, once a Smug D, always a Smug D
Self preservation on the planet of the Super Glamazon Warriors.
He’s probably picking the choice that will secure the largest paycheck in the future. Kinda hard to drag tourists to a planet if the locals have banned you from setting foot there.
He picked a side when his passengers pulled out weapons to attempt to kidnap a woman he was hot for, which happened to have two other hot acquaintances (and likely former lovers) of his.
Things went on from there.
He has no reason whatsoever to change sides at this point, since it’s unlikely the side he picked will lose, and it still has all three hot women on it, plus more.
“He picked a side when his passengers pulled out weapons to attempt to kidnap a woman he was hot for” without cutting him in.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-876-mercs-and-mayhem/
Given how little he probably knows about local law for all he knows he might be guilty of leading an invading army so it would probably be a very good idea for his part of that army (himself) to be on the side of the locals.
Panel 3: ‘You mean I can go all out and They have to foot the medical bills? Sweet.’
Dayum. Those captives certainly are… captivating.
I’ve always subscribed to the idea that translation conventions convey tone/intentions more accurately than literally.
So if they alliterate in the translation (“Dashing Damsel Defeat Dastardly Dame of Destruction”) they’re probably saying something equally poetic or deliberately invoking that same feeling in a flowery, contrived sort of way that’s similar in presentation to some corny english alliteration.
So the words don’t ‘conveniently alliterate’ but that the translation conveys the sense that a deliberate, hackneyed alliteration would give.
Yeah, translation devices are smart enough to do that, it’s when people try and do it on their own you get Comedic Errors or Diplomatic Hoo-hahs (depending on which would be more entertaining)
Hoo-hahs are my favorite form of diplomacy.
Not when they go bad
Maybe was thinking of a brouhaha?
I’ve known lots of women, and I’ve never seen Hoo-hahs go bad.
Well, except that one in that old Woody Allen film.
How many of those women were bad? Or were ‘yeastie’
Sourdough is still making bread.
I think there probably comes a point where the guys just tacitly agree to let Max handle it on her own, since she might- not saying it’s likely, but just possibly might- get so into it that she hits whoever or whatever comes within arms reach.
I’m sure it’s never happened, but would you want to be the first??
Yeah, I’d definitely agree that this would not be the kind of “first” that anyone would want to have with Maxima…
Looks like Maxima had this in hand…!
Max could be considered ‘helpless’, in that she never gets any help from others. Because she doesn’t need it. Or, that nobody CAN help her, because if she ever needs help, the opponent is usually on such a scale that other people’s help doesn’t amount to enough. She’s usually the one PROVIDING help, because she can always help anyone. Help only flows away from Maxima. Thus, ‘helpless’.
Technically, she helps herself, helpless implies that one can’t even help themselves in a situation.
I’ve always had a problem with the expression ‘help yourself’. ‘Helping yourself’ isn’t help – it’s just you, doing something, alone. Help comes from another source – that’s what MAKES it ‘help’.
I would try to continue this line of discussion by contending that that is what makes it an expression – the fact that it doesn’t make literal sense. If it made sense literally, then it would be a statement, and instruction, a description, or an imperative – something like that
> if she ever needs help, the opponent is usually on such a scale that other people’s help doesn’t amount to enough.
Halo being the exception that proves the rule?
Not only Halo. Dabler certainly too, if she chooses one of her ranged weapons. And there are probably other supers which may be usable even against opponents Maxima has trouble with.
You mean, someone like Les? He can be used against any opponent (even if it’s just as a blunt object :P )
Sidney help Max in the first super fight at the restaurant, so someone can help Max.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever called Maxima ‘helpless’ …”
Never more than once, anyhow.
Certainly not to her face, or anywhere she could hear :P
Maxima is dialed in on how hard to punch these people now. Her pistol is right at the edge of the umlaut guy’s durability so she knows that at two points in strength she can comfortably out brawl them. That gives her a good reference point for how hard to hit him, and also Hench assuming she doesn’t have any extra strength powers and her powers don’t stack.
Given her upper limit she has to start slow, imagine if she mistakes umlaut guy for a Hiro level defensive super and opens up at 4 points in strength. Guts everywhere.
This makes sense, especially when she’s in what is still likely a pretty public fight – This is a major square and it’s probably being recorded from 80 angles from nearby buildings by random passers-by. She could end the fistfight toot-sweet but that would lead her right into a nightmare battle vs Arianna.
Reminds me a lot of Superman’s monologue to Darkseid about living in a world full of people made of wet cardboard.
One of the best written scenes in the book ‘Wearing the Cape’ was when the heroine first realized exactly how strong she had become. She cried herself to sleep after the trauma of her change finally set in and when she woke, she had hugged a pillow in her sleep fairly gently. It still exploded.
Astra got VERY careful after that. 95% of the training she got in the first week was how not to hit things.
And the always essential “How to pick up teacups without breaking them” skill.
eventually you will get up to the “gently pet a kitten without being bitten” skill level cause if you do it too hard they WILL bite
Puts me in mind of when Dragon Ball Super pulled the Vegeta has a hard time holding eggs training, and when picking up a baby. Which honestly was just an eyeroll for me as this isn’t a series that normally cares about things like physical adjustments or being too strong to interact with the physical world. hell just look at the latest “Death Battle” between Hulk and Broly…that is what I call (as there is no official name for it), Ludicrously Stupid class…on the power class scale; that I am so tempted to rant about as being a million times worse at scaling DOWN the sheer amount of energy and size of the universe so much more so than any sci-fi that treats planets like Islands where the suspension of disbelief has to make you say; “yeah their universe has fragile physics; other wise this tiny speck within tiny specks having more energy than the entire universe MANY TIMES over; is just beyond stupid….
especially when the same series insist they have physical flesh and blood bodies, not some ascended infinite being form they transform into like the Chousin on Tenchi Muyo and take on less powerful forms to not harm time and space around them. But I digress, that is why you have to remind yourself some series are all about how cool it looks and physics aren’t a factor…and really characters like that shouldn’t even be in “who would win” match ups. Also SHAME on Marvel for making any character that Ludicrously Stupidly powerful when they normally abide by the scale and when you got beyond Omega you ended up with cosmic beings with special higher dimension bodies or were celestial beings…
but I digress, normally these are good scenes, showing the impact all that power has on their daily lives. My little rant I have to cut myself off on there, because at a certain point its not as good. Its like, wow I can lift ten tons without injuring myself, and it makes my body feel as light as a feather I can jump to the roof tops with ease, and my grip and reflexes, I need to train or every time I open a drawer that is a little stuck or a door I didn’t realize was locked I run the risk of breaking the handles off, or I could seriously hurt or kill someone (crack out the anatomy text books to learn how to be gentle while also subduing: on that note a fun thing to check out on youtube is real doctor reacts to movie fight scenes; the super hero ones especially…so many fatal injuries that looked cool on camera; Captain America has a body count beyond the main baddies);
Or if you’re the gadgeteer. How to make light powerskeletons that take energy in normal movement and give it back in combat.
Reminds me of a part in Tenchi Muyo GXP. Seina in order to even live at the Galactic Academy had to receive nanite enhancements, effectively making him super human. However he had to undergo intense personal training because his strength to weight ratio was now so off that the amount of effort he was used, by reflex, using just to move around was now enough to send him hurdling through the air in massive jumps, smashing into the ground, or sending himself spinning around. He had to wear weight restraint, and practice with stacking blocks and not accidentally throwing or crushing them.
This really is that one thing so many series don’t think about when a character is suddenly super strong, if they don’t get there inclemently then there should be this adjustment period that is more than just (Oh I better watch my strength or I’ll crush these door knobs) but (oh..so before the amount of effort to lift my knee since my own body feels like a tiny piece of Styrofoam weight wise to me will send me into a backflip or leaping goofily into the air.) this requires retraining your muscle memory ALOT to get used to.
Honestly a lot of little things would be a problem, ripping clothes putting them on because of the amount of effort you’re used to in tugging an arm or leg through, pulling the belt straps, or you go to lift something off balanced but when you go to strengthen your grip you bend and crush the spot you are holding or it bends and snaps because of the awkward weight distribution and you are forcing it anyway (this goes back to Maxima having zero range telekinesis to avoid this problem that so many super series ignore that would result in bending and break the area they are holding because it can’t support the weight of the rest of the object being held there.)
and much more, so much more to think about than, “I better hold back my punches” or “oops I crushed the cup in my hand”….which I can relate to having accidently crushed a Styrofoam cup after a work out and being in that mindset so I gripped it just a little too hard when I went to lift it…now imagine the whole world is like that, and also your own body is super light to you…would be very surreal; especially at the beginning.
I don’t think I give enough credit to how hard “hold back your punches” is. Max can bump her strength down a fair bit so the world’s not made of paper and is maybe really thick cardboard. That’s easy. But given how her powers work she has to manipulate two separate dials for her punches.
She sets her power level in strength AND she has to have excellent control of her punches. At different base strengths I might add. I wonder how much granularity she actually has over her stats, a jump from 2 to 3 on her power scale is enormous, but if she can set herself at 2.44 then it’s easier.
punching at 2.55 points strength is a lot easier than punching with 55ish% of your strength at 3 points.
it is a very good reason for to stay back out of a fight where non-lethal is the goal. This whole public Arch-Swat thing is new to her too. She has the opposite problem of civilians joining in. She is used to combat, but she is used to lethal engagements. when its a battle field with enemy combatants firing assault weapons, grenades, rockets, and the like there is no problem if you don’t dial back enough and you end up punching a guy so hard in the sternum you pop their ribcage open like a Christmas cracker; or liquefy someone’s internal organs with a gut slap, decapitate or break their neck with a slap, ect… but in the public eye with American citizen criminals where you are encouraged not to kill them; and in fact not maim them (taking Vehemence’s arm off was even considered a last resort; and she got on Dabbler’s case for blowing off Sciona’s leg as not “non lethal enough”…granted for a human that can be pretty lethal if the bleeding isn’t stopped quickly or shock sets in; but that was Sciona.
So yeah, these fights make more sense as to why she doesn’t just Superman up the fight scenes herself as the commenters have said she can; because she needs to gauge the durability of these supers; there is less chance the lower power class team mates are going to accidentally kill them; and once she gets that sweet zone of her powers balanced out then engage with enough force to take down without outright murdering them.
Isn’t this dude like surrendered?
He seems to have forgotten that, once Maxi’s cannon had stopped grinding on him
I’m trying to recall. What was Max like before the gold cover? I don’t recall her being a bad ass then.
Before the gold she also hadnt gotten her superpowers. According to Harem it usually occurs gradually.
So either the geode water accelerated and augmented her powers that she was going to get, or it is entirely responsible for her having powers in the first place.
ORRRRRR it triggered them as a catalyst but also tempered them, so they’re not in full effect. Or even like Captain Marvel (at least in the movie), it’s a medium for controlling and limiting her(?)
She… was a teenage kid, who’s biggest ‘problem’ was an annoying younger brother
Didn’t she energy blast when her brother startled her awake?
After her golden shower
Yes. A good reason why not to pop a paper bag when your older superhuman sister’s sleeping on the couch.
Well, he didn’t know she was a Super at that stage, can’t even remember how much of her had been goldenized (fairly sure it hadn’t been a complete coverage by that stage… although could be wrong)
She was still, up until that point, his annoying older sister who use to get a nasty jump when scared
I’ll admit that if my sister developed similar powers I’d likely end up dead for similar reasons.
Before or after you found out she had the powers? :D
And, would it have been an accident or an “”accident””? (yes, deliberately used double ‘air quotes’ :P )
Pretty sure Max was full gold at the time of the bag popping prank, they didn’t know she could shoot beams though.
Thought she was still ‘shedding’ her old flesh at that stage
In every fight, there is a pace, a rhythm, a choreography. Often you hear one of two combatants, at the beginning of a fight, say, Let’s dance.” The key to winning the fight is to have control over that rhythm…understanding that your opponent has a preferred rhythm of their own but being able to counter & making them dance to your own rhythm is necessary.
Martial arts masters teach this to their students. Batman teaches this to the various Robins that he’s trained. There can be no doubt that Mathias knows this & that every member of ARCSwat picks up on this & learns from him.
I have noticed the rhythm that maxima has established for this battle. She’s controlling the choreography of this dance.
Choom, choom, crack
Choom, choom, crack
Buddy, you’re a boy, make a big noise
Playing in the street
Gonna be a big man someday
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Kicking your can
All over the place, singing
She will, she will rock you
choom, choom, crack
choom, choom, crack
She will, she will rock you
…………………………
“Was that over the top? I can never tell.”
~Riddler, Batman Forever movie
I prefer to think it’s the soundtrack of the minute waltz, because that’s how long it will take Maxima to thoroughly beat them both up.
I shouldn’t think so. That’s sort of, “Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom… smash-smash, bash bash” and her moves make me think of “Hooked on a feeling” (The Blue Suede version, AKA the Ooga Chaka song.) It’s a different rhythm.
Oh yeah I like that song too :)
Fit really well in Guardians of the Galaxy.
I REALLY don’t think he’s thinking of Maxima as helpless. He specifically called her “dashing.” More likely he was attempting to be alliterative in referencing the sexy, powerful, authoritative female who he would very much like to initiate sexual relations with in the near future. And I’m pretty sure that her raw power and capacity for channeling WMD levels of destructive power in a controlled and efficient fashion are actually more of a turn on than a turn off.
helpless is not an explicit word choice from Cosmos, but is thought to be implied by his use of Damsel, which, to Cora, implies a certain amount of helplessness
Reminds me of an old cartoon, where Bluto wanted to get injured, so he laid on the train tracks himself. The TRAIN stops, carefully walks AROUND him, and keeps going while he waits with his eyes closed!
If someone tied Maxima to train tracks, the train would be the one in danger.
PffftBWAHAHA! That line is good enough you should be trying to work it into the dialogue somewhere!
WOOHOO!
GOOD RIDDANCE 2020!!!
I wish the best to all of you. May the rest of your life not suck as hard as 2020.
What are you talking about? Today is Decembuary 1, 2020. (13/01/2020). We still have another several months to go.
Because the ticking over of a clock magically changes things.
Not be a total downer but there is a reason we tend to regard entire decades as bad not just a year…and without actual work it won’t get better.
even the seemingly out of human hands environmental events were caused directly or indirectly by humans screwing with the environment; even the mutated poison ivy was a result of adapting to people spraying herbicide resulting in stronger generations of the plant.
Does Ray Cosmos have a prehensile Pompadour? The world needs to know!
if you mean, is it alive? Yes, yes it is (technically, the Pompadour has a Ray Cosmos for a butt)
Indeed, he is the butt of many jokes, therefore the Pompadour is many jokes – as we have seen!
Is it… the Pompadour of Love?
People love the ‘Dour, just hate what it is attached to
Some people call it Maurice
Glad you got the reference :D
Technically “mademoiselle” is itself “ma demoiselle”, or if you prefer “my damsel”, similar ty “Mylady/My Lady”
“Monsieur” is “Mon Sieur” from an old form of “mon sire” or “my sir”
Yep, that goes about how I expected it to go.
As I said before:
Hench Wench has all the powers of the Company. But thart is only the Invulnerbaility of Brut.
As we seen, that is not nearly enough.
Maxima is on a very short list of humans(?) who can “headbutt” someone else with the thinnest, weakest part of the skull, and not do more damage to herself than her opponent. :/
Thought that that was the top of the skull
That would be the pterion, basically near your temples. The perspective is a bit wonky but i still think she used the back of her head. Which means she was using one of the largest and strongest bones in her skull.
Her head is a little turned in that reverse headbutt but it still looks like the impact is somewhere behind her ear so nowhere near any really weak point.
You also have to consider her target, she’s not slamming her solid rigid skull into someone else’s skull, she’s hitting their mouth and lips and teeth. Teeth are very strong but perpendicular force has a minor tendency to knock them out. The teeth will give before her skull does. Her target zone has more give and crunch than her striking surface so her head isn’t going to be that damaged, the worst she’s likely to get would be scratches and cuts from the teeth. Wait she’s 200% more durable than Hench, all this analysis is unnecessary.
Her superpowers are bigger than their superpowers so she wins this exchange by default.
depends somewhat on her opponent, but typically, your statement/observation would indeed be valid
Just remembered that Syd’s glasses could probably let others know about her situation. The question is… does she remember?
I just noticed that the ARC-SWAT lettering is missing from Maxima’s shirt now.
No, they are still there, under the bust in panel three
Except they were NOT under the bust in this prior picture.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-890-on-brand/
OMG Maxima moved so fast her letter slipped down!!!!!!
Initially, I thought the title was something like mad lesbians for some reason but I fail to figure out what’s the connection to the current event is.
Realizing it was damsel backwards made me feel like an idiot.
… At least you figured it out
As for Damsel, it just means young unmarried woman. It doesn’t mean helpless. However, I would have to agree, Maxima at 34 years old, has aged out of damsel territory. :p
Maybe for a hyu-mon, but she is now a GEoD!
Prescriptively speaking perhaps, but descriptively, I would agree with DaveB/Cora – the usage often carries a note of helplessness implied. and speaking descriptively, it only matters what the users of the language think it means…
“Puny god” is one of my favorite Marvel scenes ever. It’s one of three scenes from the original Avengers that I rewatch on Youtube from time to time when I need to smile. The other two are “And Hulk…Smash!” and “There’s only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.” Any of the three can usually cheer me up.
Just rewatched “puny god”, twice. Laughed again both times.
Puny God
and
Godzilla vs Zilla
are two rather satisfying quick scenes to watch when feeling down.
“the opposite of dentist”
before the 1700’s she would be a great dentist
+1
Just to be pedantic, the proper name for the “Puny God” move is actually “Put Out The Darkwing” as Negaduck used this move on Darkwing by manipulating Comet Guy (a fairly stupid Superman analog) many years before the first modern Marvel movie was made. (Take your pick as to what constitutes a modern Marvel movie – I generally think of Toby Maguire as Spiderman, based on the “modern Marvel movies” being once they stopped sucking, but I cold see counting from the first ones made by Marvel Studios once they got the rights to some of their characters back. Either way, many years before…) Before I saw the Avengers movie, a friend who saw it first was able to perfectly describe the scen by telling me the Hulk pulled a “Put Out The Darkwing” on Loki. And now I have to try to find that scene and make it a gif…
Blue