Girl Genius!

[Occasional Sage]

They can't ignore him. He's the son of the Baron Wulfenbach. Both are STRONG sparks. You ignore sparks who give you an ultimatum at your peril.

Dunno... shooting at/stepping on/ad infinitum an ultimatum-wielding Spark is also perilous. Why not try for some novelty value? Frankly, they've got nothing to lose at this point.

[Vondre]

They can't ignore him. He's the son of the Baron Wulfenbach. Both are STRONG sparks. You ignore sparks who give you an ultimatum at your peril.

QFT. He told them to turn around, he has stated who he is, and he has given them an ultimatum. Ignoring him would simply mean being a closer target for whatever superweapon he's got up his sleeve.

And it's quite possible that "up his sleeve" is literal, not metaphorical.

[sihnfahl]

And it's quite possible that "up his sleeve" is literal, not metaphorical.

We know it's related to the devices Gil had his workers install on the walls of Mechanicsburg.

They probably trigger the moment some idiot decides to start shooting...

[Oracle_Hunter]

We know it's related to the devices Gil had his workers install on the walls of Mechanicsburg.

They probably trigger the moment some idiot decides to start shooting...

Maybe, but I have to agree with General Selnikov's course of action. Remember all the trouble Agatha caused with a surprise attack? Far better to try and take out the Spark in question than to allow them to really get up to speed.

BTW - the Crest of the Army (The Knights of Jove, remember?) looks very familiar. If there was any doubt about who's running this show, I think it is dispelled. The only question is what happens when the army fractions between the Storm King faction and The Other faction. I'm looking forward to it!

[sihnfahl]

Maybe, but I have to agree with General Selnikov's course of action. Remember all the trouble Agatha caused with a surprise attack? Far better to try and take out the Spark in question than to allow them to really get up to speed.

I think Gil's already up to speed. He's actually rather level-headed for a Spark; do you think he'd expose himself like that if he wasn't prepared? No, I'm thinking that he's pretty sure that, if they start shooting, he won't be hurt.

I think the poor General is making the worst possible decision. He was relying on surprise; they were not. He was hoping to cow them into submission with a large show of force; they were not. He does not know the active defenses of the town, or the status of the opposing side's forces. They mustered as large a force as they could manage in a short time and made straight for Mechanicsburg, hoping that Wulfenbach's troops wouldn't have had time to gather a significant force. Unfortunately... the defenses are in place, active and ready to handle it.

BTW - the Crest of the Army (The Knights of Jove, remember?) looks very familiar. If there was any doubt about who's running this show, I think it is dispelled. The only question is what happens when the army fractions between the Storm King faction and The Other faction. I'm looking forward to it!

Yes, Lucrezia does seem to have set herself up; by using human forces, and not Geisters or obvious Revenants, she's not giving notice that The Other is back - merely those humans who had supported her in the past, making a play for power.

[Occasional Sage]

Yes, Lucrezia does seem to have set herself up; by using human forces, and not Geisters or obvious Revenants, she's not giving notice that The Other is back - merely those humans who had supported her in the past, making a play for power.

That's definately something to respect about the Foglios: smart, well-written villains. Too many novels, traditional text or graphic, lack the subtlety and grace to present really frightening or even competant antagonists.

Lucrezia? Yeah, she doesn't have that problem. Her freaky-smart plot is nicely balanced by some HUGE personality flaws though, which make her a very believable character and a defeatable-but-dangerous problem.

Plus, pretty art all around. Really, how do you go wrong here?

[Midnight Lurker]

I think it may be too soon to say "The Other is Lucrezia Mongfish."

Lucrezia may very well have been yet another victim in a long line of the Other's descendants... in other words, the Lucrezia who poisoned the Baron and had Agatha might still have been herself at the time...

[eMpTy Kay]

I can't wait to hear what the army uses as their battle cry. Since they are the Knights of Jove, I am guessing it will be, "By Jove!"

[BRC]

Gil might be bluffing here, I find that unlikley but think, what other courses of option does he have, maybe he dosn't have a superweapon capable of handling them, in which case he storms out and demands they go away, and them, knowing better than to defy an ultimatum-weilding super-spark DO, or at least pull back long enough for castle wulfenbach to show up

Or maybe he's stalling long enough for them to target the Chekovs gun.
Or maybe he just has a sort of super-awsome megaweapon of unspeakable doom, either way I expect a liberal application of electricity for any soliders who obey selinkov's orders.

[chionophile]

I think it may be too soon to say "The Other is Lucrezia Mongfish."

Perhaps. However, I believe we are entirely justified in saying that "Lucrezia Mongfish is the Other." Which is somewhat different. Doesn't really matter anyway, the Other = Lucrezia and that's all we need right now.

How and why she is the Other is something entirely different and will be explained as it becomes necessary to the plot. Hopefully.

[Gez]

the Lucrezia who poisoned the Baron

Not poison, silly. She was one of the good guys then, remember?

As for the Knights of Jove, it amuses me that they serve the House of Valois. I wouldn't really have associated names like Tarvek, Anevka or Aaronev with Capetians. Though I can see the nickname of "universal spider" applied to The Other, even if she's much sexier than Louis XI.

[thorgrim29]

What, they have coil guns? But, WE dont have coil guns, the haloverse has coil guns..... not fair, I want a coil gun.

[Dorizzit]

Is it just me, or does it look like that machine of Gil's is a miniature slaver wasp hive?

[sihnfahl]

Is it just me, or does it look like that machine of Gil's is a miniature slaver wasp hive?

Nah. Slaver engines have a green glow, with the face of the hive mother pressed against the glass.

This is more of a 'watch the electric storm' glow.

[chionophile]

Well, I was expecting a Tesla Coil type of effect, but holy crap!!

[Tirian]

Now Agatha is probably going to be ticked that Gil killed two defenseless guys.

[sihnfahl]

Well, I was expecting a Tesla Coil type of effect, but holy crap!!

Looks like Gil got a reliable lightning generator going!

So, let's see. The beacons on the walls served as a shield, you all think? The guard "KNEW he hit him"! All those professional soldiers shooting, and not one bullet made their mark? And the war clank wouldn't become stable...

Gil's little 'wand' was a targeting device. Point at the clank, airborne unit with lightning generator go BOOM.

[Nerd-o-rama]

What, they have coil guns? But, WE dont have coil guns, the haloverse has coil guns..... not fair, I want a coil gun.

I'm pretty sure some version of Dune (a film?) also had them, and I believe the Terran machineguns in Starcraft are actually magnetically powered as well.

Yeee, Tesla coil cannon!

[Lord Iames Osari]

Crakoom!

[Porthos]

Now Agatha is probably going to be ticked that Gil killed two defenseless guys.

Nah. She'll be happy that Gil finally built a Death Ray.

And a dem big one at that.

[Sampi]

Now Agatha is probably going to be ticked that Gil killed two defenseless guys.

You would actually call two guys, one commanding a huge war clank, the other commanding an army of those, defenseless?

Go Gil, go!

[Vondre]

God, I love this comic.

[SnowballMan]

You know, it really is hard to retain your commanding demeanor while you are jumping up and down on the inside shouting "It works! It works! It works!"

Anyone else think those devices on the walls are the result of his finally figuring out how the Hetrodyne Lamp works?

[Tekraen]

You know, it really is hard to retain your commanding demeanor while you are jumping up and down on the inside shouting "It works! It works! It works!"

Anyone else think those devices on the walls are the result of his finally figuring out how the Hetrodyne Lamp works?

Seems so. Electricity has been Gil's 'thing' ever since Agatha build that sword for him. I'm starting to wonder if he's going to take Nikola Tesla as his assumed name. Less of a coil, more of a straight generator, with the notch kicked up one or two thousand.

[Human Paragon 3]

Gil is my freakin hero!

[Occasional Sage]

Best. Art.

EVAR.

And nicely set off by the squee-ing. Splash, but cool and pretty splash.

[Gez]

While Gil may be a disappointing evil overlord, given his lack of death rays (though the Mechanicsburg Wall Defense System he devised should compensate for this nicely), he does try to make progresses. Look at his bookshelves:
"Cultivate a Maniacal Laugh"
"A History of the Gearweasel"
"Our Friend, Lightning"
"How to avoid our friend"
"Reanimating a dead joke"
"ZAP!"
"They called me MAD!"
"Mutation: Oops"
"20 Mistakes that will get you blown up"
"Spark with Style"
"How to hire minions"
"Build your own friends"
"I robot, you're okay"
"Who's who"
"What's what"
"Who built what"

[eMpTy Kay]

Agytha has a "My Hero" pose, but I am sure she is more interested in the Lightning Generator.

Poor Gil.

[TigerHunter]

Wait, it sounds to me like you guys are talking about a new page.
I see no new page.

*goes to cry himself to sleep*

[Human Paragon 3]

The new page is here. Anyone else notice that Gil is looking a lot more like Klaus's son lately?