Girl Genius XXVI: Madness is the best possible response

[Ailurus]

Aside of the evil twin and having kids, you could be talking about Agatha here.

Agatha's got (hopefully for not much longer) an evil alter-ego in her head, and also at least one clone of that alter-ego running around (Zola). And while there are not any kids yet, der Kestle wants an heir - to the point of threatening to imprison Agatha until it happens and the people of mechanicsburg are already working out how to prepare for kids. So we're not too far off from a 100% matchup.

[Traab]

I think that Lu never really considered going "Queen" before this. She always had something else on her plate at the time. But once she considered it...

This. I think the issue was, she tried going queen, probably for a very long time, but couldnt do it due to being primarily robolu and so had put it aside. She didnt THINK of it till just now because its been something she dismissed as beyond her capabilities a long time ago.

[NobleCuriosity]

Maybe it needed Agatha to have stared into "infinite" (drinking the Castle water).

That would be a good explanation...but Lucrezia has gotten control of Agatha twice already after Agatha drank from the Dyne here: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comi...6#.Xa99IhYpAlQ

Once very shortly after the Dyne drinking in castle Heterodyne (thanks, Zola: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comi....Xa9-VxYpAlQ);
once more while they were working on the Corbettite train and shorted everything. That timw in particular Lucrezia has a strong incentive to try the ascension (given how fast she did it here) in order to get the locket off before it became functional again. Arguably, the baron distracted her too much for her to think of it.

It’s possible that it’s the Dyne drinking AND the locket weakening this much allowing it, though. That would make sense.

This. I think the issue was, she tried going queen, probably for a very long time, but couldnt do it due to being primarily robolu and so had put it aside. She didnt THINK of it till just now because its been something she dismissed as beyond her capabilities a long time ago.

That would also make sense.

[Scarlet Knight]

You forgot the clones. Can't forget them.

So Martellus gets a hug from Agatha at some point this arc for a job well done. He finds a hair on his lapel & realizes he now has her DNA and scurries off to make a clone so he will not have to get sick when she is away.

Agatha goes off to Africa for a couple of years. Meanwhile, Martellus (or Grandma) decides he needs a Heterodyne to cement his shaky kingdom, publically marries the clone and Viola! Kids who are rightful heirs to both houses!

[Rogar Demonblud]

Somehow, I suspect that plot has come up at least once a century with Sparks. I doubt it ends better than anything else involving Sparks.

[wingnutx]

I bet being a Queen requires both knowledge and capability. Lucrezia has the knowledge. Agatha has the capability. So after they inevitably get Lucrezia out of Agatha's head, Agatha will be unable to go full Queen without five centuries of experience or something like that.

Interesting.

[factotum]

Wow, Violetta got *swole* all of a sudden!

[Fyraltari]

Tarvek got really desperate here.

[Rodin]

I don't even know what's happening anymore.

[Deliverance]

Wow, Violetta got *swole* all of a sudden!

Whatever it was that was "starting to work" last we saw her is apparently working: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20191016

[DeTess]

Whatever it was that was "starting to work"

Probably a cocktail of moveit #11 and punchit #9.

[Radar]

Agatha goes off to Africa for a couple of years. Meanwhile, Martellus (or Grandma) decides he needs a Heterodyne to cement his shaky kingdom, publically marries the clone and Viola! Kids who are rightful heirs to both houses!

Not by royalty standards. Since death is considered permanent for nobles despite revivification I would assume they would not allow cloning and other shenanigans like that.

[Vinyadan]

Tarvek got really desperate here.

Yup. "Hey, she's gonna be benevolent -- like the Mind-Controlling Queen!"

[eee]

That's a new look for Vi.

I hope it isn't permanent, like drinking the Jagerdraught.

[xroads]

That's a new look for Vi.

I hope it isn't permanent, like drinking the Jagerdraught.

I hope not either.

But I suspect it'll be a temporary thing, probably with some nasty side effects (like Move It #11).

[xroads]

Has the Foglios ever explained why Violetta's blood was everywhere yet she appears relatively fine (albiet captured) soon afterwards? Or is that a mystery for another time?

[Rogar Demonblud]

The Foglios generally don't explain anything. Presumably the cultists healed her up to make her a better sacrifice.

[Vinyadan]

Maybe they covered her in someone else's skin?

I mean, they are crazy scientist cultists, after all.

[geoduck]

Or Violetta used Smoke Knight tech to fake the blood and make Steelgarter think she was hurt far worse than she actually was.

[The Glyphstone]

A hidden vial of Healit #6.

[FLHerne]

Has the Foglios ever explained why Violetta's blood was everywhere yet she appears relatively fine (albiet captured) soon afterwards? Or is that a mystery for another time?

Most of that could be Steelgarter's, panel 4 shows that she really was "messed op, BAD".

[Divayth Fyr]

Most of that could be Steelgarter's, panel 4 shows that she really was "messed op, BAD".

Still, in panel 1 Oggie claims Violetta's blood is all over the room.

[Vinyadan]

I wonder if Steelgarter came out of the same workshop as Boris.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Agatha goes off to Africa for a couple of years. Meanwhile, Martellus (or Grandma) decides he needs a Heterodyne to cement his shaky kingdom, publically marries the clone and Viola! Kids who are rightful heirs to both houses!

I don't think so, somehow...

Spoiler: The Castle

Show

Sometimes they strode in leading armies. Sometimes they skulked in on moonless nights, and one flew in on wings of bone and brass.

All claimed to be lost Heterodynes. And all found their way here to be tested.

Sometimes they were delusional. Sometimes they were ... false men-puppet things of shadow and dead meat. Somethimes they were simply... honestly... wrong.

They never left - as you can see.

Now it us your turn. I've even saved a place for you.

One of my favourite full pages from the early books...

[Rockphed]

I don't think so, somehow...

Spoiler: The Castle

Show

Sometimes they strode in leading armies. Sometimes they skulked in on moonless nights, and one flew in on wings of bone and brass.

All claimed to be lost Heterodynes. And all found their way here to be tested.

Sometimes they were delusional. Sometimes they were ... false men-puppet things of shadow and dead meat. Somethimes they were simply... honestly... wrong.

They never left - as you can see.

Now it us your turn. I've even saved a place for you.

One of my favourite full pages from the early books...

That page certainly secured Castle Heterodyne as one of my favorite characters. Sure, it is insane, evil, and malicious, and somewhere there is a dial labeled "high drama" turned up to 11, but he managed to threaten with panache. It is hard to do that without any visible appendages.

[NobleCuriosity]

That page certainly secured Castle Heterodyne as one of my favorite characters. Sure, it is insane, evil, and malicious, and somewhere there is a dial labeled "high drama" turned up to 11, but he managed to threaten with panache. It is hard to do that without any visible appendages.

I fully agree that was an incredible sequence. There’s something about that “simply... honestly... **wrong**” line that is simultaneously terrifying, and also humanizing for the Castle. It can’t accept a false heir no matter what, but it seems almost sad about the ones that were just wrong (even though it kills them).

Of course, the line (and resulting theatrics) also shakes Agatha’s resolve a bit.

“I **am** a Heterodyne.”

“I...I **know** I am.”

“Er...how will **you** know?”

Castle: “**BLOOD**”

High drama indeed! For those that want to revisit it, the sequence starts 20080704 (here: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comi...4#.XbDPQhYpAlQ)

[Rodin]

I've always been fascinated by the "false men-puppet things of shadow and dead meat". Plural.

Is it just talking about constructs here? Constructs that some Spark thought could pass as a Heterodyne? Zombies of some kind? Wasped revenants of the Other trying to control the Castle? Or something else?

[Scarlet Knight]

I fear Der Kestle could be fooled by the Test of Blood with a clone.

[geoduck]

Which is almost certainly what Klaus was thinking when he cloned off what he thought was Agatha's dead body.

[NobleCuriosity]

Which is almost certainly what Klaus was thinking when he cloned off what he thought was Agatha's dead body.

Likely, I agree.

I fear Der Kestle could be fooled by the Test of Blood with a clone.

That said, the (Old) Heterodynes frequently raided the surrounding lands, and sometimes spent years away at a time. I’d really think one would die in foreign lands at some point. Given how powerful Castle Heterodyne was, I’d also think someone would have tried the cloning by now (especially since they clearly don’t need the entire body to grow a clone, or even most of it).

There are other explanations—maybe cloning is a relatively new technology (Though then why the long-establishes 50 families rules on resurrections? They seem to be similar procedures...)—but my gut says some of those skulls in the chapel were clones. I wonder if Castle Heterodyne can feel the spark somehow?