Girl Genius XXVI: Madness is the best possible response

[Dexam]

One can only assume that the deepspeaker is looking at this; to be honest I'm amazed that it survived the shock wave and the sub being swallowed by the great cetacean... a Spark-level chef indeed.

[Scarlet Knight]

One can only assume that the deepspeaker is looking at this; to be honest I'm amazed that it survived the shock wave and the sub being swallowed by the great cetacean... a Spark-level chef indeed.

Hmmm, seems the priest still appreciates a nice "bit of tail" ...

[geoduck]

Yeah, it's probably the statue, but it might be Dimo, he might impress them with the green skin and glowing eyes..

[Rogar Demonblud]

Why do I get the feeling we're about to get the next installment of Heterodyne brand whatevers?

[Manga Shoggoth]

Hmmm, seems the priest still appreciates a nice "bit of tail" ...

I feel quite sorry for the poor soul when he realises his latest pin-up girl has had the image doctored. Or chef'd.

[Stabbey]

One can only assume that the deepspeaker is looking at this; to be honest I'm amazed that it survived the shock wave and the sub being swallowed by the great cetacean... a Spark-level chef indeed.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see that he was pointing at Othar Trygvassen: GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER.

[Ellen]

One can only assume that the deepspeaker is looking at this; to be honest I'm amazed that it survived the shock wave and the sub being swallowed by the great cetacean... a Spark-level chef indeed.

Spoiler

Show

You called it.

[Kantaki]

Okay, who tells him the lady looks much less fishy in person?

Maxim can help with his words again.

[PraetorDragoon]

The speaker is going to be so dissapointed when he meets Agatha in person...

(Unless Rakethorn can stitch up a tail, or is that more for the diplomatic corps?)

[HandofShadows]

The speaker is going to be so dissapointed when he meets Agatha in person...

(Unless Rakethorn can stitch up a tail, or is that more for the diplomatic corps?)

We are dealing with sparks (Very strong sparks) here. They could probably whip a tail in an hour or three.

[Rogar Demonblud]

This ought to be good. Where's Glyphstone with that popcorn maker?

[Manga Shoggoth]

Ah, I think Hadrian is beginning to understand how Wooster felt. And that's before we get to the cheese dip...

[Scarlet Knight]

I had trouble imagining the Chef with a British accent, but now I keep hearing him as Eric Idle going "Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Say no more!"

We are dealing with sparks (Very strong sparks) here. They could probably whip a tail in an hour or three.

"Yes, the Aquamorph potion was designed to recue crews from crippled subs. How did you think our Navy Seals became...well...Navy seals?"

[Rogar Demonblud]

"Navy seals? I'm more familiar with the brown ones, but if it has a butt I will kick it." Bucky Katt

Quote probably not accurate, since I haven't read Get Fuzzy in ages.

[Manga Shoggoth]

I hope they aren't anywhere near the blow-hole. A whale that size would have one hell of a blow when it surfaces for air...

[geoduck]

I hope they aren't anywhere near the blow-hole. A whale that size would have one hell of a blow when it surfaces for air...

With all the talk of the Cetaceans living in the deepest depths of the ocean, I wouldn't be surprised if they have some other way of obtaining oxygen. Though I doubt the Foglios have wasted too much time worrying about such things.

[Rogar Demonblud]

And the truth of Axel Higgs is finally confirmed, long after most of us figured it out.

[HandofShadows]

Zeetha is taking it rather well. When someone tells Gil I bet he's either going to make a show of being surprised (but isn't) or be like "Yeah? I figured that out X time ago."

And we are on page 49. Need to choose a new name!

[Traab]

Girl Genius XXVII: Agatha Gets Some Tail.

[factotum]

Zeetha is taking it rather well.

The dialogue in the scene indicates that he already told her at some point--note how he says "I should've told her *first*" when referring to Agatha, meaning Zeetha already knows. We don't know how long ago that was, either, she might have known his real identity since they left Mechanicsburg.

[Rogar Demonblud]

It may be the result of the conversation they just had a few pages ago.

[Agi Hammerthief]

And we are on page 49. Need to choose a new name!

Girl Genius XXVII: Mad Mermaid to the Rescue.

[Manga Shoggoth]

And we are on page 49. Need to choose a new name!

The current votes are:

Girl Genius XXVII: Hoy! Hennybody else not dead?        (6)   HandofShadows, factotum, wingnutx, Thomas Cardew, Ailurus, Grif
Girl Genius XXVII: Hy iz so happy right now!            (1)   Manga Shoggoth
Girl Genius XXVII: Why On Earth Aren't We Dead Yet?     (3)   Rockphed, SZbNAhL, NobleCuriosity
Girl Genius XXVII: Not Dead und a Mystery               (1)   Rockphed
Girl Genius XXVII: Barely 98% water                     (2)   PraetorDragoon, SZbNAhL
Girl Genius XXVII: Do Not Tell Me To "Calm Myself!"     (3)   Rogar Demonblud, Agi Hammerthief, Kantaki
Girl Genius XXVII: No Friends Of Doctor Vapnoople       (1)   Rogar Demonblud
Girl Genius XXVII: It's a catering job now              (2)   diremage, Rockphed

Girl Genius XXVII: What is the Dust Ape Babbling About  (1)   Rockphed
Girl Genius XXVII: Do Not Tell Me To "Calm Myself!"     (2)   Rockphed, mjp1050
Girl Genius XXVII: Authors of the New Outrage           (1)   Rockphed
Girl Genius XXVII: Agatha Gets Some Tail                (1)   Traab
Girl Genius XXVII: Mad Mermaid to the Rescue            (1)   Agi Hammerthief

[Rogar Demonblud]

The 'Not Dead' ones have a bit more oomph now that the forums are likewise not dead.

As for today's strip, more fan speculation confirmed. And a very good ending line from Zeetha.

[factotum]

Is this the first time we've heard any mention of a ritual being required to turn people into Jaegers? I was sure up to this point that the Jaegerdraught alone was sufficient.

[Traab]

Is this the first time we've heard any mention of a ritual being required to turn people into Jaegers? I was sure up to this point that the Jaegerdraught alone was sufficient.

Its probably less ritual and more stabilization treatment. Of course with sparks the line between science and magic is thin. Doubly so with the heterodynes considering how powerful they tend to be as sparks. Im thinking something like spiderman when his mutation went out of control. I bet a number of jaegers went through a vole transformation before it was finally fixed.

[PraetorDragoon]

Maybe the ritual includes tuning and the Jagerthrot or similiar things.

[Manga Shoggoth]

My first thought on reading that was "It's Heterodynes! Of course there's a ritual!". Extreme sparky behaviour aside, it is the big transition from being one of the army to one of the Heterodyne's elite force. One big passing-out ceremony, in fact.

And, of course, the Dyne used to be a sacred spring, after all.

[factotum]

My first thought on reading that was "It's Heterodynes! Of course there's a ritual!". Extreme sparky behaviour aside, it is the big transition from being one of the army to one of the Heterodyne's elite force. One big passing-out ceremony, in fact.

And, of course, the Dyne used to be a sacred spring, after all.

Yeah, but the clear implication here is that this ritual has something to do with why the Jaegerdraught turns people into Jaegers, and thus why it doesn't appear to have done so for Zeetha--e.g. it's not just some ceremonial event, but something with actual power. Which is just weird, frankly, it's not something we usually see in Girl Genius because it's not very scientific (mad or otherwise) to require mystic rituals in order to make something Sparky happen.

I do wonder sometimes just how much of the plot has been planned out in advance and how much is just Phil and Kaja winging it as they go. To me, this whole "ritual" thing seems like a retcon, a slightly clumsy justification for what Zeetha drank back in Mechanicsburg actually being the Jaegerdraught, which wasn't even hinted at back then. I've always believed that about Higgs, by the way--I think he was introduced just as a slightly jokey way of explaining how the Baron escaped a burning airship and ended up in the Mechanicsburg hospital, and they saw he was popular so inflated his role massively.

[Divayth Fyr]

Well, it largely depends on what the "ritual" actually is. What the British Sparks did to empower Snackleford was some sort of ritual. It still involved a bunch of various devices and technology.

I wouldn't be surprised if a part of said ritual involved an electrical shock of some sort (among other things) to the person who drank the Jaegerdraught - Heterodynes seem to like sparks, and having them trigger something in the drink would be somewhat fitting.