Grrl Power #916 – Bad faith
I think Henchwench is trying to vie with Lorlara for second place in the crazy face competition. Sydney is obviously unassailable at number 1.
I assume her contract has a section about how you can’t sue her for tricking you into signing a document that explicitly sets you up for a premeditated double-cross.
This page (and the next few) was directly inspired by your comments from when Henchwench first showed up. I like super powers that have a lot of uh, not rules, but like, when you hear about the power, you think, “that’s cool” but then a day later you have those refrigerator logic moments and you come up with like a million weird power stunts for it. Everything about Henchwench is like that. Like what if she was hired by Absorbing Man or Parasite AND Evil Energy Guy (I couldn’t think of an evil Human Torch off the top of my head) Could she just feed herself unlimited power? Or what if the contract she signed said she only got the powers of the supervillain on call? Like it rotated out depending on what day of the week it was. Not sure why you’d do that, but it would certainly make it really hard to jail her if you managed to catch her without getting her fired first.
Seeing as how Henchwench’s powers are contract based, I’m going to say that she’s like, 1/8th devil. Not demon. Devils are the ones into contracts. Dabbler would be the first tell you… actually, the scene would go like this:
Sydney: It’s a demon! But, uh, not like… I didn’t mean that in a judgemental way. I’m not a racist!
Dabbler: Actually he’s a devil.
Sydney: Oh? Is there a big difference?
Dabbler: Oh gods, yeah. Huge difference. Totally… eh, not really.
Sydney: Oh. Uh, well, I’m still sorry if I implied you all look alike.
Dabber: Sydney, I’m a demon, not a snowflake. I’m not going to report you to HR.
Sydney: Right, sorry. You cloven-hooved ass-goblin.
Dabbler: If you’re trying to upset me, you’ll have to do a lot better than that. I do have cloven hooves, and I love ass gobblin’.
Sydney: Gross. Fine, that zebra haired barber guy said you give really average blowjobs.
Dabbler: I’LL SUE YOU FOR SLANDER YOU FUCKING…
Devil: Should I come back?
Aaaand scene.
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Wasn’t there a moment during the demon hunter mini-arc where Dabbler explained that demons and devils are different in this universe?
There was her impromptu lecture to Tamatha and Aranea, in pages 812-815, but that was more about the underlying power structure for magic itself. Passing mention was made (p813) to the different tactics used by Devils and Demons when it comes to crushing a civilisation – “temptation and corruption” versus “a more direct approach” – but not to any other differentiating factor. Based on this, they might be different Peoples (or groups thereof) that are each specifically suited to one approach or the other, or they might be separate factions within the same People (or group thereof) that are differentiated only by their preferred tactics.
Yeah, in most cases the terms are interchangeable. Any series trying to separate then tends to even struggle as some small difference that is more ideological than species. Even in folklore the two terms aren’t well defined as separate things other than devil is used more frequently to refer to demons specifically from hell trying to tempt the soul and demons are them plus all other evil spirits and monsters depending on who you ask.
It’s very likely that DaveB takes the DnD approach: devils are Lawful, prone to bargaining and temptation to advance theit causes, masters of contracts and bureaucracy. Demons are Chaotic, averse to planning and prone to ultraviolence. They come from different, opposing lower realms.
they didn’t actually cover the difference in those pages. It’s hinted at, sorta, kinda, but the difference between devils and demons is never given. NORMALLY, Devils are order based infernal, while demons are chaos based infernal. Here, it seems that demons are the dark nasties from the astral plane that set up a power exchange with the devils of the infernal plane. Maybe. I think. Again, she rambled and was really unclear on that point.
I think it was pretty clear what you meant without the additional explanation.
Yes, I thought of that as well, but more because I imagine the dissolution of an LCC might a legal process that requires some sort of government intervention. While it’s possible that Arianna could fast track the process with her connections, a more immediate measure would be for individual members to voluntarily sever ties. Even if not all do, I imagine there would be some advantage to not only cutting off her access to any number of abilities, but also having that be a surprise for her. Like she goes to use an optic blast only for her to suffer eye strain from the wasted effort.
That is Maxima’s “I am just done with this lady” face. No more playing around with weird powers, or trying to arrest without damage, now its time to just end the fighting
Ugh, sharp pointy (probably) concrete encrusted rebar…. *shudder*. It’s at this moment that Henchwench knows she’s messed up. That’s going to take some super healing to fix.
Oh, yes. Very sharp and pointy. She just pulled the rebar until it stretched and broke like taffy. Folks to the same to tungsten wire. For what? To make the sharpest needles on the planet.
I think Maxima is about to teach a chump that Arc-swat *prefers* non-lethal take downs.
Up till now, this was Maxima trying to *arrest* somebody. Not its going to be Maxima ending a fight.
Blimey, her teeth jumped back into her mouth for a closeup.
Nice one.
Are you talking about panels 1, 9, 10, and 11, which are at the present, or 2 through 8, which are a flashback?
When I first pulled up the page without zooming in/reading I thought Max had given Henchwomen a wedgie…
Like panel 5 in this one: https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-72-punk-busted/
My first impression was maximum wedgie as well, but the visual wasn’t right. I’m still not sure what the heck Maxima grabbed, but she apparently stabbed/speared Henchwench in the leg or foot to verify she’d lost her super toughness.
It’s generally not good to use the force appropriate for a tank when the tank has turned into a delicate piece of china.
Of course Maxima is probably rather pissed right now, so a more delicate option was only an afterthought.
I feel somewhat silly for even asking this, but why doesn’t Hench Wench work for the good guys? I imagine it would be a longer contract, and the powers are certainly more choice, plus it’s legal.
Because she believes her power only works with supervillains, aka the better guys
She’d have to follow the rules, and she’s not the type to do that.
Because “Henchwench” rocks but “Superintern” lacks je ne sais quoi.
I’d go with “The Delegate”.
I don’t think she’d have to change her name, after all, they let “Jiggawatt” keep that hers.
The good guys don’t have henchpersons, they have assistants. It’s a genre thing.
I think I’m with Max on this one, it’s just gone on too long, makes less and less sense and needs shutting down.
Straight up? Evil Human Torch = The Wicker Man.
Tiki Trooper?
How is she not dead? Like I don’t think I could name anyone more aggravating than her, and it’s not only towards the good guys, she’s seriously annoying even her teammates.
I’m also really surprised at how patient Maxima has been with her.
Maxima is a soldier, she needs specific threat levels, or orders, before she can really go all out. (Also, with everyone else already stopped, Maxima probably doesn’t feel in threat to her life, just annoyed, given how strong Maxima is)
There’s no indication that Max has ever been in personal danger after the stasis gun “broke”.
Involving the Demon/Devil distinction from DnD apparently. On is Lawful Evil while the other is Chaotic Evil.
What’s wrong with Chaotic, I’m the Daughter of Tiamat, the Chaos dragon.:)
There is nothing wrong with it. Woman worked hard for her place, much respect. it’s more the Evil aspect using the order/chaos distinction as a modifier.
And then there is Henchwench, who seems to be Evil Chaotic Lawful.
which I didn’t think was possible, but I’m learning XD
It took me several times reading this for me to understand it was a flashback in the middle of the page, until i got that i didn’t understand this page at all…. Maybe just a small square saying “Earlier” when the flashback begins, and “Now” for when it starts again would have made this page make SO MUCH more sense without a week of trying to understand it
Alternately:
Sydney: “No, No. I meant Goblins who Lived in people’s butts.”
Dabbler: “Ew…those guys are disgusting. I much prefer pussy trolls.”
Sydney: “Wait what.”
Dabber: “Yeah, they started hautning some Christian Fundies. Great people. Hard to coax out, but absolute treasures once you cuddle them some…”
Sydney: “…So…Mr. Devil…what’s it cost to lose some memories…”
Devil: “…In this case it’s free…I’ll be joining you…”
(I love Clerks 2)
ouch a rebar hamstringing
HW: But I am a member of the bar!
Max: And now you have a member that’s been rebar’d!
If she fails as a Henchwoman Evil Today could give Arianna a run for her money as a Lawyer!
(Fucking Auto Correct!) Evil Tifa could give Arianna a run for her money as a Lawyer!
I feel like HW’s got the kind of power-high that Max was warning about in her explosive debut, but condensed.
Not only is she suddenly WAY more powerful than the people she usually deals with, but she’s also more powerful than she’s ever been by a long shot.
Just…not nearly powerful enough to win. The other half of Maxima’s explosive debut: The warning. It was about Exactly This.
Which I guess means Hench Wench is one point for Arianna, since the warning clearly didn’t deter this particular bag of loose screws.
Maxi didn’t want to deter the nut-bars, she wanted them to focus on her
She can want two things.
Yep Max is annoyed, she’s going to end this fight finally.
When are we going to see a scene where Sydney uses the lighthook to spell out BAM! PAF KAPOW! like classic Batman comics?
Have someone who is super-smart hire her to read *Flowers For Algernon*.
So, she is the Manager and thus can block herself from beign fired?
What if everyone else quits instead?
Or what if that makes the contract illegal (can’t have such a clause in your contract)?
Or what if Maxima just beats her up, like she beat up Brut?
Feels like you’ve gotten better at doing eyes. Nice.
I imagine Demon and Devil is more an ideological division among Dabbler’s species (Infernals? Or is that only a demon name? I don’t recall much of my D&D Monster Manual.) than a physical or genetic differentiation (kinda hard to have those when your kind is kinda shapeshifty anyway). Kinda like Republicans and Democrats in the US.
Also Dabs… may be sensitive about the quality of her BJ’s? Maybe Cora could shed some light…
Last panel.
What? She still has a firearm?
Not sure what type but Maxima should have removed that by now.
Maybe that’ll be first thing next episode with First Aid second.
Ohhhhh. That’s Max’s.
And here we discover henchwench’s true superpower- Legaliese rendered reality.
I’m sorry but… did Maxima just stab her through the leg with a 6 foot piece of half inch rebar to keep her from moving?????
Calf and foot apparently.
She’s not going anywhere soon.
Yeah, Max is officially at “Had enough of this shit.” Henchie doesn’t realize she’s actually been holding back this entire time. Which is why she just got kebabed.
Well, that and partially to test Henchie’s theory on her powers ACTUALLY being that anal about Bureaucracy (Which they usually aren’t in similar cases of folks with abstract powers).
Oof. Serious amounts of ouch. :-/
Oh oof. SERIOUS amounts of ouch!
I am enjoying Hench Wench – She is a fun kind of nuts.
Just think about how scary Evil Tifa would be if Vehemence and Jabberwocky had been part of the LLC!