Grrl Power VII: Let Me Explain For The Next Thirty Comics!

[The Glyphstone]

Either way, someone is definitely paying for this - the supers might be mercs, but the goons are all wearing matching armor suits and helmets. If all their outfits come from one place, thats at least circumstantial evidence that they came from the same place.

If grenade goon hadn't talked, I would be assuming it was Sciona using her golems again. She's still pretty high on my list anyways, with a grudge against Archon and the resources of the apparently well known Mexican supervillain she possessed. If that includes cartel ties, it would mean money and soldiers.

[Radar]

Either way, someone is definitely paying for this - the supers might be mercs, but the goons are all wearing matching armor suits and helmets. If all their outfits come from one place, thats at least circumstantial evidence that they came from the same place.

If grenade goon hadn't talked, I would be assuming it was Sciona using her golems again. She's still pretty high on my list anyways, with a grudge against Archon and the resources of the apparently well known Mexican supervillain she possessed. If that includes cartel ties, it would mean money and soldiers.

And Sciona being behind this would explain the attempt to kill off Archon staff to be honest.

[lord_khaine]

And Sciona being behind this would explain the attempt to kill off Archon staff to be honest.

So far it has not seen like an attempt to kill Archon staff.
More like that one of the hired Supers has sufficiently low care for human life, that witnesses just gets burned by default.

But i dont think its Sciona thats involved.
It seem a little to swiftly for her to build this amount of resources.
And also a needless risk, when she is in a position to build a solid power base in a rather lawless place.

I do think prime suspect is whatever jerk held cementia captive.

[InvisibleBison]

I do think prime suspect is whatever jerk held cementia captive.

I don't think that's particularly likely, since he's dead and his organization was wiped out. Though you never know with supers.

[lord_khaine]

It in turn sounds unlikely that the guy Cora exploded was the brain behind the organisation.
I certainly cant see a reason for why whoever had Cementia captive would go him/her self instead of sending a disposeable minion.

We have also not been told anything about the organisation getting wiped out.
Only that Cora managed to nerve tap a couple of low level flunkies.

[Traab]

So far it has not seen like an attempt to kill Archon staff.
More like that one of the hired Supers has sufficiently low care for human life, that witnesses just gets burned by default.

But i dont think its Sciona thats involved.
It seem a little to swiftly for her to build this amount of resources.
And also a needless risk, when she is in a position to build a solid power base in a rather lawless place.

I do think prime suspect is whatever jerk held cementia captive.

Hasnt it been a couple months since sciona events took place? The whole time shenanigans thing left me a bit confused on the timeline.

[InvisibleBison]

It in turn sounds unlikely that the guy Cora exploded was the brain behind the organisation.
I certainly cant see a reason for why whoever had Cementia captive would go him/her self instead of sending a disposeable minion.

He may not have any disposable minions, or at least none he could trust with this job. Or perhaps he's just a hands-on guy, and wants to be involved personally. And I think you are erring by analyzing the situation with its outcome in mind; as far as he knew, going in person to oversee Sydney's capture was not a risky situation, since he could remain out of sight until Concretia neutralized the orbs. He had no way of knowing that Sydney's glasses were a cell phone.

We have also not been told anything about the organisation getting wiped out.
Only that Cora managed to nerve tap a couple of low level flunkies.

Well, if we assume that the guy Cora murdered was the head of the organization, it seems likely that yacht was his base of operations and the whole organization got taken out when it was raided. On the other hand, if we assume the guy was just a mid-level flunky, then there probably was more to the group than that one unit. Time will tell which assumption is correct, I suppose.

[lord_khaine]

Hasnt it been a couple months since sciona events took place? The whole time shenanigans thing left me a bit confused on the timeline.

It has, not nearly long enough.

He may not have any disposable minions, or at least none he could trust with this job. Or perhaps he's just a hands-on guy, and wants to be involved personally. And I think you are erring by analyzing the situation with its outcome in mind; as far as he knew, going in person to oversee Sydney's capture was not a risky situation, since he could remain out of sight until Concretia neutralized the orbs. He had no way of knowing that Sydney's glasses were a cell phone.

Im not analyzing anything. Im telling my original reading of the comic.
The goon Cora exploded absolutely didnt seem like he had the degree of competence to pull something like this off.
He wasnt treated like the master mind by the other hooded minions.

And Cora herself seemed to think they were just low rank, when she commented on them running back to consult their handler.
At no point did she assume she had shot their handler.

Also i dont know. capturing and interogating a heroine?
Sounds about as risky as tasks get. So many things can go wrong. From a friend showing up.
To Sydney having a secret move they wasnt prepared for. And then eat tank beam.

Well, if we assume that the guy Cora murdered was the head of the organization, it seems likely that yacht was his base of operations and the whole organization got taken out when it was raided. On the other hand, if we assume the guy was just a mid-level flunky, then there probably was more to the group than that one unit. Time will tell which assumption is correct, I suppose.

I think they had access to too many things, and to big a scope, to be limited to a single yacht

[InvisibleBison]

Im not analyzing anything. Im telling my original reading of the comic.
The goon Cora exploded absolutely didnt seem like he had the degree of competence to pull something like this off.
He wasnt treated like the master mind by the other hooded minions.

And Cora herself seemed to think they were just low rank, when she commented on them running back to consult their handler.
At no point did she assume she had shot their handler.

Also i dont know. capturing and interogating a heroine?
Sounds about as risky as tasks get. So many things can go wrong. From a friend showing up.
To Sydney having a secret move they wasnt prepared for. And then eat tank beam.



I think they had access to too many things, and to big a scope, to be limited to a single yacht

These are all good points, and it's entirely possible that I'm wrong about the organization having been wiped out. I will say that, if the organization was intended to be a recurring thing, it's a bit odd that there wasn't any sort of name or logo or other identifying symbol given when they were first introduced, but then again perhaps they weren't intended to be a recurring threat at that time.

[Radar]

These are all good points, and it's entirely possible that I'm wrong about the organization having been wiped out. I will say that, if the organization was intended to be a recurring thing, it's a bit odd that there wasn't any sort of name or logo or other identifying symbol given when they were first introduced, but then again perhaps they weren't intended to be a recurring threat at that time.

Or finding out what kind of organization is behind this will be part of the plot. Also, why would a secret organization have any kind of logo or anything else that would help outsiders in identifying its members?

[lord_khaine]

Well. if i was leading a huge, international organisation using enslaver/bribed supers.
Then i would give each expendable little cell its own name. To make it harder for heroes to spot they were dealing with a huge organisation.

In this specific case, i assume it was simply a teaser, or whatever the term is.
Reveal a little bit of the organisation. And what it does. Then move the plot on.

So its more established in the world that these guys exist, when they for example attack Archon HQ.

[Sean Mirrsen]

And to compound the issue, its not like Sydney has any way to pick up sand on a industrial scale anyway.

She's reaching for the flyball. Aetherium gateway. Space. Vacuum.

Preferably it'll be above the blasted ruin of the alien homeworld, rather than Junction.

[lord_khaine]

Oh yeah was that the gateway one?
Though.. no that still dont move sand on a industrial scale.
At least not unless she can make the gateway quite a bit bigger than what we have seen previously.

I think perhaps people are failing to comprehend, just how BIG Darude is.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archi...asifat-ramlia/

Thats a mountain range he is climbing over.

[Sean Mirrsen]

Oh yeah was that the gateway one?
Though.. no that still dont move sand on a industrial scale.
At least not unless she can make the gateway quite a bit bigger than what we have seen previously.

I think perhaps people are failing to comprehend, just how BIG Darude is.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archi...asifat-ramlia/

Thats a mountain range he is climbing over.

Well the only other stupid thing I could see her try to pull off, is a tornado. She can fly at what, Mach 16 now? And she doesn't get dizzy. Embiggen the shield, and fly a circular pattern around the area at hypersonic speed, try to create a whirlwind and suck up all the sand around the area into one place. It would fit her cartoonish MO. But I don't know if that's the kind of stupid she is shooting for, here.

I would have personally gone for trying to remove sand from the area rather than gather it all up. But yeah, I guess the causeway would have to be a lot bigger to have a noticeable effect.

[lord_khaine]

I mean, at the moment Darude is about the size of a geological feature.
Its kinda hard to imagine what would affect him that didnt involve author fiat.

Well perhaps except something silly like flying Parfait up into the middle of the sandstorm, then give her dress a good yank at the top.

[Traab]

Oh dear god, im getting kung fu hustle vibes from this poor merc. He is going to be taking an inordinate number of debilitating and painful injuries that never quite put him down for good as comic relief isnt he? Now he just needs another 5 throwing knives and a crate of venomous snakes to hit him.

[lord_khaine]

Alright im in turn extremely disapointed with Magma face, and the general quality of mooks here.
If he is defeated by a fire extinguisher. Then all signs point to a guy with an assult rifle being a bigger danger.

[Sean Mirrsen]

Alright im in turn extremely disapointed with Magma face, and the general quality of mooks here.
If he is defeated by a fire extinguisher. Then all signs point to a guy with an assult rifle being a bigger danger.

To be fair, there's more than just the fire extinguisher in play here. Varia could have probably done the same thing with a baton or any other blunt object, the extinguisher just lets her avoid burns or losing any more hair than strictly necessary.

[lord_khaine]

Thats not really improving things are it?
At least a baton is a weapon. This still kinda shows a guy with an assult rifle would have been a bigger issue.

[Radar]

Alright im in turn extremely disapointed with Magma face, and the general quality of mooks here.
If he is defeated by a fire extinguisher. Then all signs point to a guy with an assult rifle being a bigger danger.

I'd say it is a case of "I have the POWER!" vs "I have military training". Magma face clearly has no combat training whatsoever and uses his powers ineffectively. Sure, he dodged a knife but has turned away from the enemy and took a moment to look at the wounded mook instead of engaging said enemy. no professional would do that.

[Dragonus45]

This is a sad showing from OPFOR. I hope this is just wave one coming in and we get to see some some more interesting fights.

[The Glyphstone]

I'd rather get back to the more interesting fight that we interrupted for this scene.

[Keltest]

I'd rather get back to the more interesting fight that we interrupted for this scene.

On the one hand yes, on the other hand the timing is too coincidental for this to not be coordinated.

[Shining Wrath]

Pyro guy will make an interesting prisoner. I wonder if the strong guy is smarter.

[Mechalich]

On the one hand yes, on the other hand the timing is too coincidental for this to not be coordinated.

Not necessarily. A third party with access to some kind of super-surveillance ability or a psychic or something similar could easily keep tabs on both Archon HQ and Deus' HQ. Such a person would recognize that at present ArcSwat's heavy hitters are very much occupied and now is an excellent opportunity to send in the strike team according to the plan they've had in place for weeks or even months.

I mean, this is pretty normal in a superhero universe with a Superman-Expy like Maxima. Every villainous megalomaniac has a 'list of plans to be enacted ASAP' and also a 'list of plans to be enacted only when Superman is busy/off-planet/mentally disabled.' And if you're a talented supervillain you have forces on standby to take advantage of whenever a 'no superman' window appears.

[lord_khaine]

Not necessarily. A third party with access to some kind of super-surveillance ability or a psychic or something similar could easily keep tabs on both Archon HQ and Deus' HQ. Such a person would recognize that at present ArcSwat's heavy hitters are very much occupied and now is an excellent opportunity to send in the strike team according to the plan they've had in place for weeks or even months.

You dont even need anything this complex to find out. A bugged phone on a minor official, complaining about all the additional work the trip of this Archon bigwig is creating.
Or a hacked database at whatever place does flight plans, registering one from Archon HQ to Galten. Finding this out is easy even with normal methods.

And yeah. Once this is registered its easy to trigger plan Smash&Grab.

[Traab]

Am I the only one who thinks the color choice of the previous comic is interesting? Last three panels arianna's skirt has the color tint from the fire making it look more like its see through. Reminded me a bit of that Star Power web comic where our MC in her super suit often looked like she was naked over her naughty bits due to the color scheme of the outfit.

[Traab]

And now Varia is naked Maxima.

[Shining Wrath]

I think Hiro is about to open a largish can of whoop-mook.

It looks like that was a taser fired at Hiro that stuck in the door. And they were using knockout gas? Are they trying to take the Supers as prisoners, while killing the ordinary mortals like Arianna?

[Traab]

I think Hiro is about to open a largish can of whoop-mook.

It looks like that was a taser fired at Hiro that stuck in the door. And they were using knockout gas? Are they trying to take the Supers as prisoners, while killing the ordinary mortals like Arianna?

If I had to guess, going by author note, the initial plan was to shut down power, sneak in, drug everyone in their room, then do what they came to do. Unfortunately, our resident IT guy was on the ball and able to set off the alarm at which point the orders probably went "no witnesses". Had the drugs worked they wouldnt have any info to work with. Same probably for the tazers. They havent had the chance to break out the lethal ordinance yet.