Grrl Power IV: Constantly Expanded Universe

[Dragonus45]

That whole ethics discussion here makes me wonder again what the storytelling purpose was to introduce these muggers. The crisis is set up in two strips, solved offpanel, and needs to be shrugged off in two more comics.

So I’m thinking it was just that he wanted to show of Cora because Dave loves his shinys and that littering line was funny enough to be worth it to me alone.

I'm not sure we are a representative sample of reactions. I've looked through the comments for the last few pages on the comic site, and the question of Moral Justification doesn't even seem to get brought up by anyone. There's a longer discussion about the morality of Batman than there is Cora.

I noticed a few there and one that popped up in a discord server I hang out on but the general conversation was more about feeling like it would be out of character for Sydney to use such lethal force and hoping it wasn’t her then it was talking about the force levels itself.

[Traab]

That whole ethics discussion here makes me wonder again what the storytelling purpose was to introduce these muggers. The crisis is set up in two strips, solved offpanel, and needs to be shrugged off in two more comics.

Will anything come out of this scene? Like Sydney lecturing Cora on Archon ethics, showing how much she learned already? Or the other way round, will Cora rub off on Sydney who becomes more ruthless?
If these muggers were only a setup to show off Cora's character (which is how most comic mugging scenes work, let's be honest - the muggers(s) are in most cases cheaper throwaway story devices that the hero is supposed to overcome to show what they are worth), it certainly didn't work as intended by the author. He probably was going for the 'awesome!' reaction,, not the 'this was morally reprehensible!' one.

My guess was it was a way to get past sydney being an idiot earlier. Im honestly more shocked they havent been contacted by the stations security forces over her earlier antics. It may also be a way to bring up a bit more backstory to show us what being a high level adventurer actually means in context with "the real world" as all we have had is dabbler to show us so far and she hasnt managed to cut loose in a violent matter on any sort of large scale. In effect it would work to explain why dabbler is ranked on par with maxima, and yet we havent seen her being very dominant in combat. She doesnt really have a middle range between wizard swinging her staff around to bludgeon goblins, and wizard casting meteor swarm to wipe out armies.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Also, today's strip has cameos by a Hutt and one of the Orbots.

[-D-]

I think the people arguing about the morality of Cora's actions are forgetting a cruicial detail - much like Dabbler, Cora is an adventurer.

From an alien society's point of view, we could be seen as insane to go as far as we do to protect those whose actions don't make them deserving of protection.

Most adventurers tend to be muderous sociopaths, aka muder hobo, so I guess you are right in a sense.

The flip side is that the more different and unrelatable "aliens" are, the harder is to empathize with them. I mean for some insectoid aliens, a phrase "I hope you killed and eaten your mother" could be construed as a praise, but it would be near impossible for most humans to understand it as such.

[Dragonus45]

My guess was it was a way to get past sydney being an idiot earlier. Im honestly more shocked they havent been contacted by the stations security forces over her earlier antics. It may also be a way to bring up a bit more backstory to show us what being a high level adventurer actually means in context with "the real world" as all we have had is dabbler to show us so far and she hasnt managed to cut loose in a violent matter on any sort of large scale. In effect it would work to explain why dabbler is ranked on par with maxima, and yet we havent seen her being very dominant in combat. She doesnt really have a middle range between wizard swinging her staff around to bludgeon goblins, and wizard casting meteor swarm to wipe out armies.

If I had to bet how that Dabbler v Maxima fight went I would bet that it was mostly Dabbler playing keep away while taking potshots while Maxima blasted her way through whatever truck Dabbler was trying to pull at any one moment until it was called a draw because Dabbler always has more tricks and Maxima could always throw out more explosives. Also I’m sure if they really went all out to see who would win a fight there would be chunks missing from the landscape, a city on fire, and several bankrupted insurance companies. Part of me thinks it would probably be Dabler by virtue of her probably having some magical way to win out. But Dabler also has the occasional ego issue and if Maxima just starting throwing pull power bolts at her full speed Dabler might get caught with her pants down.

[Traab]

If I had to bet how that Dabbler v Maxima fight went I would bet that it was mostly Dabbler playing keep away while taking potshots while Maxima blasted her way through whatever truck Dabbler was trying to pull at any one moment until it was called a draw because Dabbler always has more tricks and Maxima could always throw out more explosives. Also I’m sure if they really went all out to see who would win a fight there would be chunks missing from the landscape, a city on fire, and several bankrupted insurance companies. Part of me thinks it would probably be Dabler by virtue of her probably having some magical way to win out. But Dabler also has the occasional ego issue and if Maxima just starting throwing pull power bolts at her full speed Dabler might get caught with her pants down.

Its entirely possible that dabbler unloaded some ordinance high enough to force maxima to turtle but not strong enough to defeat her. She already has a railgun a gravity gun wouldnt be totally impossible.

[Dragonus45]

Its entirely possible that dabbler unloaded some ordinance high enough to force maxima to turtle but not strong enough to defeat her. She already has a railgun a gravity gun wouldnt be totally impossible.

Probably, but I don’t really see her pinning Maxima down for more then a moment with something like that. Max has the kind of power that can drop her with a single hit. Even a glancing one could be the fight. I feel like Dabbler would be fighting smarter with a more defensive hit and run styled fight.

[Douglas]

Its entirely possible that dabbler unloaded some ordinance high enough to force maxima to turtle but not strong enough to defeat her. She already has a railgun a gravity gun wouldnt be totally impossible.

There are some comments from the author somewhere that something like this is pretty much exactly what happened. Dabbler forced Maxima to max out armor, and that turned into a stalemate, with Dabbler unable to harm Maxima but Maxima nearly immobilized by her ultra-defensive power allocation and under too much threat to safely reduce defense.

There could have been a lot of hit and run tactics and such leading up to whatever Dabbler did to get such a good hit in, though.

[Traab]

Probably, but I don’t really see her pinning Maxima down for more then a moment with something like that. Max has the kind of power that can drop her with a single hit. Even a glancing one could be the fight. I feel like Dabbler would be fighting smarter with a more defensive hit and run styled fight.

Yeah I could see her going hit and run at least to feel max out as she would likely be doing the exact same thing as they both ramp up to match and surpass the other. But all she has to do is exert enough force that maxima has to stat dump into armor to stay conscious and the rest of her would be weakened to a level dabbler could more easily handle. Full armor mode means her strength speed blasting and even flight are all MUCH weaker, just like with vehemence. Im pretty sure they stated it was a stalemate and that seems the most likely method of creating a stalemate. It almost has to be a way to pin her in place and not allow her the option to pull a stat switch trick to escape and counter it while not allowing dabbler to finish her off. Or perhaps dabbler flat out cant punch through maxima in full armor but can restrain her that way. Like when vehemence had maxima pinned but without the ever increasing power levels from the violence going on. Maxima flat out couldnt do anything, but vehemence couldnt finish the job (yet)

[Onyavar]

Sydney takes offense. So, is there something wrong with the word combination "limb suit"? After all, that describes exactly what Cora wears; this is not a simple prosthetic.

Can someone please explain that to me?

[Edit:]
Also, new update. Somehow Cora knows the "Earth Sexy Schoolgirl" outfit. So she has been on Earth?

And what is making Sydney so excited about the next "shift"... We'll hopefully see next update. (I first thought Sydney was excited about the "mph-hmmpph" shift... then I read it again.)

[HandofShadows]

Sydney takes offense. So, is there something wrong with the word combination "limb suit"? After all, that describes exactly what Cora wears; this is not a simple prosthetic.

I don't think's she's offended, more weirder out.

"I'm going to ignore that."

[Rogar Demonblud]

Sydney's gone wide-eyed and gaga. I am afraid.

[Traab]

Lets take bets. Im thinking she looks like some sort of rpg character, or possibly looking like a dc/marvel character instead.

[DataNinja]

My first thought was, like, Starfleet uniform, but that wouldn't really fit. So... I'll go with either magical girl, or some, like, power armoured video game/movie protagonist reference.

[Honest Tiefling]

Lets take bets. Im thinking she looks like some sort of rpg character, or possibly looking like a dc/marvel character instead.

Didn't the author literally say that he started this project to practice drawing skills? I mean, it does hurt the narrative a bit but it's not like he hid the purpose of this project. Drawing new faces and keeping them consistent is a very difficult skill for illustrators. And introducing a new character who has to have a different facial structure is one way to do it.

Doesn't Powergirl have short hair in some designs? I don't know if Sydney is the type to be a stickler about that sort of detail. I think modern verisons of Selina Kyle/Catwoman does as well, but I don't think Sydney would be pleased to see a whip-wielding woman in black leather after the last outfit.

[Traab]

Didn't the author literally say that he started this project to practice drawing skills? I mean, it does hurt the narrative a bit but it's not like he hid the purpose of this project. Drawing new faces and keeping them consistent is a very difficult skill for illustrators. And introducing a new character who has to have a different facial structure is one way to do it.

Doesn't Powergirl have short hair in some designs? I don't know if Sydney is the type to be a stickler about that sort of detail. I think modern verisons of Selina Kyle/Catwoman does as well, but I don't think Sydney would be pleased to see a whip-wielding woman in black leather after the last outfit.

Yep, there is a short haired power girl.

For all we know she could be tank girl!

[The Glyphstone]

Spoiler

Show

We all expected fanservice.

No one predicted snek.

[Traab]

I mean its very cool so I guess i can understand her excitement but it sure did seem like it would be a "Hey I know that image!" kind of reaction.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Why do I get the feeling Vale hiked those boxes up in front of her eyes before saying anything?

[HandofShadows]

Why do I get the feeling Vale hiked those boxes up in front of her eyes before saying anything?

I would not at all bet against that. Vale just seems to be doing the job she was hired for rather than being a villain.

[halfeye]

I would not at all bet against that. Vale just seems to be doing the job she was hired for rather than being a villain.

What is Vale? She turned out not to be that bothered when Sciona smacked her around, does she even have a body?

[Traab]

What is Vale? She turned out not to be that bothered when Sciona smacked her around, does she even have a body?

She seems to be some sort of energy or ectoplasmic type of being as sciona impaled her on her wings, including cutting half her head off and vale just didnt even bother to react. Kinda like concretia from the super brawl. Only presumably much more powerful as I doubt vale would be hurled around by Math.

[Narkis]

I mean its very cool so I guess i can understand her excitement but it sure did seem like it would be a "Hey I know that image!" kind of reaction.

It's a marilith, pretty much straight from the monster manual. Especially given the scimitar reference in the accompanying text. Sydney, as a bona fide nerd, recognised it straight away.

[Rogar Demonblud]

As a proper nerd, she should know mariliths have six arms.

[halfeye]

As a proper nerd, she should know mariliths have six arms.

They do? where do they come from again? I remember six armed snake things from a Tanith Lee story (The Storm Lord from 1977).<edit> Oops, eight armed, sorry.

[Rogar Demonblud]

D&D made them famous, but I don't know if they created them whole cloth or found them somewhere else.

[Onyavar]

With four arms, this costume is clearly a half-naga-half-marilith.

[tyckspoon]

D&D made them famous, but I don't know if they created them whole cloth or found them somewhere else.

The specific creature is sort of unique in the details, I think, but the general design is pretty clearly inspired from Hindu mythology - both the snake-tail body and multi-armed supernatural beings are common motifs there.

[Onyavar]

With the face Vale makes there, I have to wonder why she works for Deus.

It looks like "homesick, desperate indebted alien serf" to me and not like "super-powerful alien horror-slash-bodyguard".

[Keltest]

With the face Vale makes there, I have to wonder why she works for Deus.

It looks like "homesick, desperate indebted alien serf" to me and not like "super-powerful alien horror-slash-bodyguard".

It looks like "im about to fall asleep here" to me.