Major character who has only appeared on 1 page in the entire OOTS saga

[RatElemental]

Arguably, Soy Latte had two appearances (if the looks, bow and red-feathered arrows are anything to go by).

You're right. Popcorn it is!

[ORione]

Arguably, Soy Latte had two appearances (if the looks, bow and red-feathered arrows are anything to go by).

According to Pompey, that's a mocha latte, not soy.

[littlebum2002]

Nope, not buying this.
You completely disregard the - in my opinion very likely - options of
4) so far relates to the time the comment was written - and since this time is unknown:
4b) so far relates to the time the comment was published. And the comment was published after the whole book was ready, with most strips being published online before.

Plus, if I remember correctly, the giants himself suggests to read the comic before the comment. Not sure about this... summon banana?

So if in the second chapter commentary of a book Rich says "it really looks like the Order is in danger so far" he really means "it really looks like the Order is in danger as of the end of this book"?



EDIT: Also, if it is Sunny, then props to these two:

A major character, in D&D that is, which has only appeared in one strip thus far is the beholder in strip #32.

Obviously it's going to be the beholder from the first book. He's finally finished with the lawyers trying to prevent his big break.

[DapperWarlock]

So if in the second chapter commentary of a book Rich says "it really looks like the Order is in danger so far" he really means "it really looks like the Order is in danger as of the end of this book"?

No, because his suggestion doesn't apply to every single use of "so far." The context is different, especially seeing how the tone of the "Hints for the Next Book" section of the commentary is more that of an epilogue to the compilation, rather than just a discussion of the chapter that comes next physically in the book.

[Rogan]

No, because his suggestion doesn't apply to every single use of "so far." The context is different, especially seeing how the tone of the "Hints for the Next Book" section of the commentary is more that of an epilogue to the compilation, rather than just a discussion of the chapter that comes next physically in the book.

Thank you for putting this into words. I wasn't sure how to formulate my response, but I wholeheartedly agree to your reply.

Context matters a lot!

[Riftwolf]

Sunny came home with a mission?

A semi-obscure song allusion, for those whose reference pools are different than mine.

Sorry UK here explain your allusion

[Precure]

Sorry UK here explain your allusion

https://youtu.be/qfKKBDFCiIA

[infinityman]

So... is it the Beholder? Appeared in strip #32. No guarantees that it's Sunny, but...

[Quebbster]

So... is it the Beholder? Appeared in strip #32. No guarantees that it's Sunny, but...

That's a reasonable assumption. No official confirmation or denial yet as far as I can tell.

[Ron Miel]

No, I don't think so.

Someone who has appeared in exactly one (1) page of the story so far (including all the prequel stories) will become an important ally in the first half of the next book. Good luck figuring that one out.

"Good luck figuring that one out" kind of implies that it's a minor, background character that you wouldn't expect to return, or become important.

But at the end of book 6, invisible orange voice speaks. It's a cliffhanger. It is deliberately left as a puzzle to be resolved in the next book. Everybody was expecting that Orange Voice, whoever it is, would be an important figure in book 7.

There's just too big a contradiction there.

[Emanick]

No, I don't think so.



"Good luck figuring that one out" kind of implies that it's a minor, background character that you wouldn't expect to return, or become important.

But at the end of book 6, invisible orange voice speaks. It's a cliffhanger. It is deliberately left as a puzzle to be resolved in the next book. Everybody was expecting that Orange Voice, whoever it is, would be an important figure in book 7.

There's just too big a contradiction there.

That's not the appearance, though, because Orange Voice doesn't actually appear. The appearance is in strip #32, which fits the definition of "minor, background character that you wouldn't expect to return, or become important" to a T.

(And yes, I know the Character Appearances thread counts speech bubbles as appearances, but it's never been clear that Rich was using that definition of appearances. The speech of an invisible person is arguably not an appearance since they don't, you know, appear.)

[Ron Miel]

That's not the appearance, though, because Orange Voice doesn't actually appear.

That is very convoluted logic, which I don't buy at all. If a character speaks or performs a meaningful action in a strip, that counts as an appearance.

If it is confirmed that Sunny is the 1-page character, then I will regard it as the all time worst plot twist in the strip.

[Peelee]

That is very convoluted logic, which I don't buy at all. If a character speaks or performs a meaningful action in a strip, that counts as an appearance.

If it is confirmed that Sunny is the 1-page character, then I will regard it as the all time worst plot twist in the strip.

I will not be surprised if you regard it as the worst plot twist in the strip, I guess.

Though I would be surprised that you would regard it as plot twist at all.

[PattThe]

That is very convoluted logic, which I don't buy at all. If a character speaks or performs a meaningful action in a strip, that counts as an appearance.

If it is confirmed that Sunny is the 1-page character, then I will regard it as the all time worst plot twist in the strip.

And thus we have reached the inevitability from the audience of any author who teases a long-con mystery. "Werrstt, plot twesst, everr."

[Ruck]

It's not convoluted logic; it's pretty straightforward. You may not agree with the premise behind it, but it's not convoluted.

It's also not a "plot twist" since Rich's comment isn't part of the plot.

[DapperWarlock]

I'm a little hesitant to call it Sunny for sure, just because I have a niggling feeling that they aren't the exact same beholder from strip #32. Under any other circumstances just the skin and eye colors matching would be confirmation enough, but I can't shake the feeling it's a red herring. I guess I'm just waiting for a throwaway line about how they used to hang in the Redmountain hills or whatever.

Or maybe somewhere among the papers in Serini's bedroom/study/living room/dungeon is the script for strip #33.

[PattThe]

[QUOTE=DapperWarlock;25125760]I'm a little hesitant to call it Sunny for sure, just because I have a niggling feeling that they aren't the exact same beholder from strip #32. Under any other circumstances just the skin and eye colors matching would be confirmation enough, but I can't shake the feeling it's a red herring. I guess I'm just waiting for a throwaway line about how they used to hang in the Redmountain hills or whatever.

I can't imagine if we have a second beholder before us that it'd be shaded the same color as Sunny..

[Mike Havran]

That's not the appearance, though, because Orange Voice doesn't actually appear. The appearance is in strip #32, which fits the definition of "minor, background character that you wouldn't expect to return, or become important" to a T.

(And yes, I know the Character Appearances thread counts speech bubbles as appearances, but it's never been clear that Rich was using that definition of appearances. The speech of an invisible person is arguably not an appearance since they don't, you know, appear.)

It comes down what definition of "appear" is used. I would say that if the Beholder from #32 is confirmed to be Sunny, then he will have two appearances before book 7.

[Kardwill]

[QUOTE=PattThe;25125788]

I'm a little hesitant to call it Sunny for sure, just because I have a niggling feeling that they aren't the exact same beholder from strip #32. Under any other circumstances just the skin and eye colors matching would be confirmation enough, but I can't shake the feeling it's a red herring. I guess I'm just waiting for a throwaway line about how they used to hang in the Redmountain hills or whatever.

I can't imagine if we have a second beholder before us that it'd be shaded the same color as Sunny..

But if it's Sunny, then what was he doing in that dungeon? I don't see Serini sending one of her children on a solo mission far away against Xykon or the Order, especially since she made a point to concentrate her efforts on her own gate's security.

Unless Sunny and invisible-Serini were on a recon mission to see what the Lich was doing with the gate?

(Yeah, I know, it's a lot of effort just to justify what was then a one-shot joke character. But finding convoluted justifications to random events is half the fun ^^)

[Dion]

Beholder #32 and Sunny appear to have very different personalities.

Also, wouldn’t Haley remember meeting Sunny?

[Peelee]

Beholder #32 and Sunny appear to have very different personalities.

Also, wouldn’t Haley remember meeting Sunny?

Even if she did, Haley hasn't seen Sunny until just now. Sunny was invisible until activating the antimagic eye, at which point Haley lost her light and has no darkvision.

[Kardwill]

Even if she did, Haley hasn't seen Sunny until just now. Sunny was invisible until activating the antimagic eye, at which point Haley lost her light and has no darkvision.

And event if she did, darkvision doesn't show colors, IIRC.

But no, I don't think Beholder #32 was Sunny. Apart from "they're both beholders" and a pretty standard choice of colors, they don't really have any reason to be the same character.

[hamishspence]

They have one big reason - The Giant specifically stated in Utterly Dwarfed commentary that "a character who has appeared in one strip so far, will be a major ally in the next book".

Making Strip 32 Beholder Sunny, fulfils this statement.

[Kardwill]

They have one big reason - The Giant specifically stated in Utterly Dwarfed commentary that "a character who has appeared in one strip so far, will be a major ally in the next book".

Making Strip 32 Beholder Sunny, fulfils this statement.

Was that comment made before, or after we "heard" Sunny talk during the paladin ambush? That orange speech bubble could count as an "appearance" or not, depending of how you want to rule-lawyer it.

[Fyraltari]

Was that comment made before, or after we "heard" Sunny talk during the paladin ambush? That orange speech bubble could count as an "appearance" or not, depending of how you want to rule-lawyer it.

The way I understand it, it was in the commentary of the book, so it was obviously written after the book was finished but it was placed before that scene.

So yes, but also no.

[hamishspence]

Since the orange voice was invisible - I wouldn't call that an appearance.

IMO, the point of that commentary was to get the readers combing the books for a "one strip character".

[Riftwolf]

And thus we have reached the inevitability from the audience of any author who teases a long-con mystery. "Werrstt, plot twesst, everr."

I wouldn't even call it a long con. Rich announced the mystery ally at the end of book 6. He probably sprung on the idea of reusing the Beholder around the same time. Kind of like how Veldrina was dropped into the plot to fill a vacancy that otherwise would've gone to High Priest of Nondescripta, God of Vagaries.
Belkar's death is a long con. Sunny is like Jiminy; there was no real impetus to call back to him other than Rich thought it'd be funny.

[Precure]

Sunny's alleged first appearance was part of a fourth wall breaking joke about an abandoned sub plot. So, I'm not sure about hoe feasible it is for Haley to recognize Sunny as the beholder from that strip.

[Dion]

Is Sunny a male aberration with alien biology, or a female aberration with alien biology?

In my mind, Sunny is “she/her”.

[HalfTangible]

I put it as he/him. Just because it's easier to tell who's speaking with "he said she said he said he said she said" than "she said she said she said she said she said"