Girl Genius XXVI: Madness is the best possible response

[diremage]

As exhausted as he was, it's not like you could expect anything out of him.

So, is Zeetha's "By the Gwangi!" line just a random pop culture reference, or did the Foglio's just drop another hint as to her homeland?

Sure, it's right next to the valley of the dinosaurs. We even see her mom kill a few in a flashback at one point.

So, reading old comics I have suddenly taken to shipping Van and Agatha's secretary. Okay, so she said "I am the one putting you to bed" not "I am the one taking you to bed", but the implication is obvious!

You know, I've looked at that arc probably four times and I have to admit I still have no idea who that girl is. What's this about Agatha's secretary?

True. I can't blame mini-castle for burying the lede on that one. Every madder worth their salt should of just assumed the dome was going to be blown.

Well, obviously while there's an abundance of drama already present, there won't be -enough- drama until the heroes get a splash panel of them barely escaping a massive explosion.

[Rockphed]

You know, I've looked at that arc probably four times and I have to admit I still have no idea who that girl is. What's this about Agatha's secretary?

I don't think she has been introduced as such in comic yet, but one of the old cast pages included a note that she was Agatha's secretary. We first meet her during the whole "improving the coffee engine" arc.

Edit: And with some wayback machine magic, I found the page that identified her as Agatha's new secretary.

[Rogar Demonblud]

It's slightly annoying we don't have a name for her. She was still Van's secretary in the Ivo Sharktooth story, though.

[geoduck]

That cast page is still up on the Foglios' website, if it matters.

As for Gwangi.. In one interview or other, the Foglios say that Gwangi was a human warrior, not a dinosaur.
And it's a three-eyed "Fafflenarg beast" that Zeetha's mother is shown assaulting, again not a dinosaur.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Obviously, a fafflenarg beast is just a dinosaur who had the misfortune to meet a Spark.

[Thomas Cardew]

"Already a superabundance of SCIENCE in the thread" would be a great new thread title.

[Scarlet Knight]

As exhausted as he was, it's not like you could expect anything out of him.

So, is Zeetha's "By the Gwangi!" line just a random pop culture reference, or did the Foglio's just drop another hint as to her homeland?

Dinosaurs? The Americas? Another Plane? Could Skifander be....Ixalan?

It's slightly annoying we don't have a name for her. She was still Van's secretary in the Ivo Sharktooth story, though.

We already have Sparafucile; perhaps her name is Maddalena (if she's a spark) or Gilda (if she's not)?

[geoduck]

Dinosaurs? The Americas? Another Plane? Could Skifander be....Ixalan?

Again, I believe the Foglios said once in an interview that the strip would not visit the Americas. If they stick with that, I predict Skifander will either turn out to be in Australia, or on Mars.

[Willie the Duck]

Again, I believe the Foglios said once in an interview that the strip would not visit the Americas. If they stick with that, I predict Skifander will either turn out to be in Australia, or on Mars.

My take was that it was a modern (read as: hopefully less racist) take on that vague equatorial island that 19th-20th century kids stories character's adventurous Dad or Uncle always ended up having spent years on. Klaus as a Capt. Ephraim Longstocking expy works amazingly well.

[Scarlet Knight]

In memory of Ardsley Wooster: a True Englishman who gave his life for Queen and Country.

Beat the drums slowly,
Play the fife lowly,
Sound the death march as they lower you down,
Play the Last Post and Chorus,
Have pipes play the Flowers of the Forest.

[diremage]

In memory of Ardsley Wooster: a True Englishman who gave his life for Queen and Country.

Beat the drums slowly,
Play the fife lowly,
Sound the death march as they lower you down,
Play the Last Post and Chorus,
Have pipes play the Flowers of the Forest.

Now the sun shines down cold on the restless waters of home
a cold winter wind blows over your tomb
The tunnels have vanished deep under the tide,
there's no sparky madness marring Albia's pride
but here in this graveyard it's still No Man's land,
the old bones and rust clanks lie mute in the sand
for man's blind indifference to his fellow man,
For a battle of gods you lay butchered and damned

[HandofShadows]

Bet Clank Lu will escape.

[NobleCuriosity]

Bet Clank Lu will escape.

I’m pretty sure this latest page is meant to be read as “yeah, Clank Lu escaped.”

Goodbye, Wooster, too. I had struggled to believe it was real and irreversible at first, but he seems quite dead right now.

[factotum]

Goodbye, Wooster, too. I had struggled to believe it was real and irreversible at first, but he seems quite dead right now.

Even if he's not, nobody seems to be making any effort to rescue him, so he's dead when the dome blows regardless.

[xroads]

Now the sun shines down cold on the restless waters of home
a cold winter wind blows over your tomb
The tunnels have vanished deep under the tide,
there's no sparky madness marring Albia's pride
but here in this graveyard it's still No Man's land,
the old bones and rust clanks lie mute in the sand
for man's blind indifference to his fellow man,
For a battle of gods you lay butchered and damned

Nicely done. I especially like the last line.

[Vinyadan]

I once knew a Brit called Wooster
Of Albia the proud secret booster
A spy he was, a man, yet true.
He bit more than he could chew:
no more does he need a sewster!

[Rogar Demonblud]

You can just see Higgs doing the mental math in relation to the pursuit curve in that last panel.

[Douglas]

I’m pretty sure this latest page is meant to be read as “yeah, Clank Lu escaped.”

I think the biggest consequence of that will probably be that she can tell the rest of her copies that ascending to Queen status like Albia requires an organic mind - and that Lucrezia herself is capable of it, if copied to an appropriate mind.

I expect that a high level of sparkiness in the host is also required, since otherwise this revelation should lead to an army of Queen Lucrezias conquering Europa. Even with that limitation, it still adds a major specific goal for Lucrezia to seek, which will also dramatically heighten the stakes and difficulty for the heroes when she achieves it. It may also give Lucrezia motivation to capture rather than kill Agatha because Agatha is the only person known with certainty to be a Queen-capable host.

[Manga Shoggoth]

I expect that a high level of sparkiness in the host is also required, since otherwise this revelation should lead to an army of Queen Lucrezias conquering Europa. Even with that limitation, it still adds a major specific goal for Lucrezia to seek, which will also dramatically heighten the stakes and difficulty for the heroes when she achieves it. It may also give Lucrezia motivation to capture rather than kill Agatha because Agatha is the only person known with certainty to be a Queen-capable host.

Well, Albia is also Queen-capable, but probably not an easy target. I think the issue is going to be Lucrezia-capable.

Back in Sturmhalten they were trying to download Lucrezia into just about any girl who showed possibilities, and Agatha was the only one they succeeded with. There was something about Agatha!Lucrezia saying they weren't using the machine properly, but the only successful downloads we have seen were Agatha, Anevka and Zola, and Zola was specifically wired up as a trap.

[Fyraltari]

Well, Albia is also Queen-capable, but probably not an easy target. I think the issue is going to be Lucrezia-capable.

Back in Sturmhalten they were trying to download Lucrezia into just about any girl who showed possibilities, and Agatha was the only one they succeeded with. There was something about Agatha!Lucrezia saying they weren't using the machine properly, but the only successful downloads we have seen were Agatha, Anevka and Zola, and Zola was specifically wired up as a trap.

Zola is Lucrezia's niece while Agatha is her daughter. I feel this is not a coincidence: the summoning engine might only work on somebody closely related to Lucrezia.

[HandofShadows]

The original version of the Summoning Machine wasn't put together properly which is why it killed almost everyone who had it used on them. Agatha being Lu's daughter was the only thing that saved her from being killed. The machine that Lu in Agatha built to use on Zola was a properly built one and could be used on anyone without killing them. The original machine IIRC has been fixed so it works correctly. BUT there is a problem. Lu needs a female spark to take over and go God Queen and there are very few around right now in Europe because the Order kept on putting them in the machine and killing them.

[Vinyadan]

There are a few we know about: the light technician from Martellus' coronation and the women from the circus.

[Radar]

There are a few we know about: the light technician from Martellus' coronation and the women from the circus.

Also Sleipnir I think, since Zullena was the only one of the Castle Wulfenbach tenants without the Spark.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Zola is Lucrezia's niece while Agatha is her daughter. I feel this is not a coincidence: the summoning engine might only work on somebody closely related to Lucrezia.

I had in fact forgotten that relationship. Ah, Happy Families...

[Divayth Fyr]

There are a few we know about: the light technician from Martellus' coronation and the women from the circus.

There is the open question of whether all Sparks can become Queens or only the strongests ones. The latter would further limit potential options.

[Fyraltari]

The original version of the Summoning Machine wasn't put together properly which is why it killed almost everyone who had it used on them. Agatha being Lu's daughter was the only thing that saved her from being killed. The machine that Lu in Agatha built to use on Zola was a properly built one and could be used on anyone without killing them. The original machine IIRC has been fixed so it works correctly. BUT there is a problem. Lu needs a female spark to take over and go God Queen and there are very few around right now in Europe because the Order kept on putting them in the machine and killing them.

Was it ever said that it was because it was broken that it couldn’t work with anyone else, though? I can’t remember.

Anyway, Lucrezia does not have to limit herself to women sparks, Lord Snackleford has managed to become a ‘King’ so gender is no object.

[Divayth Fyr]

Anyway, Lucrezia does not have to limit herself to women sparks, Lord Snackleford has managed to become a ‘King’ so gender is no object.

While the end result was largely the same, the method is quite different. Lucrezia doesn't know all the specifics of what they did (well, probably doesn't know), making a female spark a much faster and reliable option.

[SZbNAhL]

Was it ever said that it was because it was broken that it couldn’t work with anyone else, though? I can’t remember.

I believe it was here.

Also, I share Gil's sentiments.

[Radar]

I believe it was here.

Also, I share Gil's sentiments.

It might not be in any particular context right now, but the scene, where Gil intimidated Wooster (starting at the end of this page) is one of his most spectacular deeds ever. Despite going into all out madness place, chewing the scenery and being as threatening and emotional as possible, he was actually calm, collected and calculating the whole time. This is what makes Baron and Gil so fearsome - they are always in control and know which levers to pull. Well... except around women they like obviously.

[Fyraltari]

While the end result was largely the same, the method is quite different. Lucrezia doesn't know all the specifics of what they did (well, probably doesn't know), making a female spark a much faster and reliable option.

Again, absolutely no indication whatsoever that gender has anything to do with it.

I believe it was here.

But it doesn’t say that it will work on anybody now, just that she is surprised it worked at all. Clank-Lu has had three years to find a spark to use the engine on, the fact that Gil noted no innovation in the Other’s devices during these years is a strong clue that she found no-one she could use it on despite controlling much of Europa. As others have pointed out, female sparks aren’t that rare. It looks to me that her only options for brain-download are Agatha, Zola, Theo and Clanks and Agatha managed to contain her, Zola has no spark, Theo is time-locked and it takes years to build a sufficiently advanced clank apparently.