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

[Radar]

Would the Shen Wei bleed, though? I think it's most likely they took the phony.

That's what I am thinking as well for two reasons:
1. Zeph is a professional and a pretty skilled magician, so he should have been prepared to flee and leave a decoy look-alike behind - seems like a pretty standard misdirection + escape plan.
2. He is way to calm and almost smug in that last panel for his real self to be in any substantial danger.

[Sean Mirrsen]

That's what I am thinking as well for two reasons:
1. Zeph is a professional and a pretty skilled magician, so he should have been prepared to flee and leave a decoy look-alike behind - seems like a pretty standard misdirection + escape plan.
2. He is way to calm and almost smug in that last panel for his real self to be in any substantial danger.

Oh. The strip's comments reminded me.

Chimyriad.

The decoy is Chimyriad. He/she wasn't obviously present at the fight, but presuming this is actually Zephan (because of the injuries), it means Zephan's place was taken by the shapeshifter.

[Shining Wrath]

Oh. The strip's comments reminded me.

Chimyriad.

The decoy is Chimyriad. He/she wasn't obviously present at the fight, but presuming this is actually Zephan (because of the injuries), it means Zephan's place was taken by the shapeshifter.

Bingo. Good catch. We saw him earlier, we know he was near the fight, and when telekinesis guy goes "Whoom" there's two crunches (X and ?) and a slam (Zephan). Now, we know the Shen Wei isn't affected by the telekinesis (Zephan said so), so the middle "crunch" is presumably Chimyriad, who was in a not-noticeable form. Then he swapped himself in during the presumed confusion after the battle.

[Radar]

Oh. The strip's comments reminded me.

Chimyriad.

The decoy is Chimyriad. He/she wasn't obviously present at the fight, but presuming this is actually Zephan (because of the injuries), it means Zephan's place was taken by the shapeshifter.

I tip my hat to thee!

This is a very good deduction and as Shining Wrath said, it fits the seemingly innocuous details in the comics itself.

[Shining Wrath]

Chimy, confirmed, and getting the snot beaten out of herself by running her mouth.

EDIT:

"You. get. me." made me chortle. Is this in-strip confirmation that Deus is a bad guy?

[The Glyphstone]

I think it's less admission of evil, and more that she's the only person who understands and appreciates his need for theatrics to keep life interesting. Playing into the tropes, so to speak.

[Traab]

Also its an over exaggerated drawing, so im guessing its technically one of those non cannon little drawings he used to do from time to time at the bottom of his comics. The smug evil grinch grin was perfect.

[Keltest]

Also its an over exaggerated drawing, so im guessing its technically one of those non cannon little drawings he used to do from time to time at the bottom of his comics. The smug evil grinch grin was perfect.

I laughed pretty hard when I got to that panel. But I dont see any reason to assume it isnt canon. Its just that Deus and Sidney sometimes travel in the same lanes of a particularly silly highway.

[Dragonus45]

Yea the two of them share a particularly unique sense of humor and and presumably highly overlapping reference pools.

[Shining Wrath]

I just had to edit because I accidentally posted twice in a row - separated by 5 days.

[JeenLeen]

"You. get. me." made me chortle. Is this in-strip confirmation that Deus is a bad guy?

No. Pretty sure it's "you comprehend me and understand me" as opposed to "you caught me". "You get me", not "you got me".

On the other hand, I think it's pretty clear that (by at least several definitions) Deus is a bad guy (both in 'bad person' and 'evil overlord' meanings), or at least he likes to make people think he is. Just whether or not he's a problem for the protagonists is a different question.
I admit, by some definitions, he's a good guy and definitely has done a lot of good. Just motivations and the bad he's done alongside don't balance it out aside from a very utilitarian and ends-justify-means philosophy. (I could probably phrase that better, but not a lot of time to think on this.)

[sihnfahl]

At least he likes to make people think he is.

He's a huge ham, yes, but remember it's a distraction from how manipulative he can be

Just whether or not he's a problem for the protagonists is a different question.

Is it something important to our protagonists and him, and are the outcomes in his favor? No problem.
Is it not important to both? No problem.
Is it something important to both, and the outcomes are NOT in his favor? Problem. He wouldn't resort to murder, though, only leverage towards the outcome he wants.

And, yes, he's done a lot of bad. He's not above having people killed, after all. But, at least it seems like he has the philosophy of "If my subordinates prosper, I prosper."

He had multiple chances to betray or use his subordinates. He never takes advantage. He goes out of his way to make them loyal. Good pay, good medical, generous dental, vacation time that involves going to places most folks are still only dreaming about (spaaaaaace!)

[Shining Wrath]

No. Pretty sure it's "you comprehend me and understand me" as opposed to "you caught me". "You get me", not "you got me".

On the other hand, I think it's pretty clear that (by at least several definitions) Deus is a bad guy (both in 'bad person' and 'evil overlord' meanings), or at least he likes to make people think he is. Just whether or not he's a problem for the protagonists is a different question.
I admit, by some definitions, he's a good guy and definitely has done a lot of good. Just motivations and the bad he's done alongside don't balance it out aside from a very utilitarian and ends-justify-means philosophy. (I could probably phrase that better, but not a lot of time to think on this.)

"You understand me" in response to "You're a villain" suggests that Deus considers himself to have villainous traits. But I suspect it's a throwaway line for a joke and I shouldn't invest much in it.

[Radar]

"You understand me" in response to "You're a villain" suggests that Deus considers himself to have villainous traits. But I suspect it's a throwaway line for a joke and I shouldn't invest much in it.

We are talking about a person, who commissioned a large TV screen with a remote for a specific purpose of creating a dramatic lightning when he wanted to go into a maniacal laughter. Deus loves the theatrics connected to traditional mustache-twirling villainy. As for him being an actual villain, he seems to believe that ends justify the means in a rather brutally utilitarian way, but at the same his ends seem to be positive for general populace so far. So... an anti-villain perhaps? We still do not know his end-goals, so things can go in many different ways.

[KillianHawkeye]

TV? I thought he had an actual lightning machine...

[tyckspoon]

"You understand me" in response to "You're a villain" suggests that Deus considers himself to have villainous traits. But I suspect it's a throwaway line for a joke and I shouldn't invest much in it.

Deus understands the difference between a villain and a SUPERvillain.

[Radar]

TV? I thought he had an actual lightning machine...

It was a high quality surface projector.

Deus understands the difference between a villain and a SUPERvillain.

Very much so. There is also the fact that he needs something to keep himself entertained.

[Shining Wrath]

It was a high quality surface projector.

Very much so. There is also the fact that he needs something to keep himself entertained.

And of course, entertaining yourself by manipulating other sentient life forms is one form of villainy.

[Radar]

And of course, entertaining yourself by manipulating other sentient life forms is one form of villainy.

I was mostly referring to his theatrics, but I agree with that point as well.

[Traab]

At times I wonder, Deus must be incredibly bored, like flash and his living in a world of statues bored. I wonder how much of his villainous actions are because he is evil, and how much is because its the fastest way to get to the end goals he has in mind and is also the most personally entertaining as he gets to make things complicated by playing his "im totally evil and everyone knows it but good luck catching me in anything you can act on" style to troll the heck out of everyone while the plodding steps of the rest of the world plays catch up with him.

[Radar]

At times I wonder, Deus must be incredibly bored, like flash and his living in a world of statues bored. I wonder how much of his villainous actions are because he is evil, and how much is because its the fastest way to get to the end goals he has in mind and is also the most personally entertaining as he gets to make things complicated by playing his "im totally evil and everyone knows it but good luck catching me in anything you can act on" style to troll the heck out of everyone while the plodding steps of the rest of the world plays catch up with him.

Kind of like Mycroft Holmes from Sherlock as well. I cannot find the most relevant quote right after the linked part, where he complains that he lives in a world of goldfish.

[KillianHawkeye]

It was a high quality surface projector.

Ooh, that was way earlier in the comic than I thought it was. No wonder I couldn't find it! Thanks!

[sihnfahl]

Ooh, that was way earlier in the comic than I thought it was. No wonder I couldn't find it! Thanks!

Yeah, and that's why I believe he's a huge ham. He has a surface projector specifically for the lightning crash during dramatic moments.

The fact he's doing it with Vale as his only audience only emphasizes the point to me. Vale is an eldritch horror who's so non-plussed with his antics that her attitude needs imaginary numbers to express.

[lord_khaine]

I dont know. It seems like his antics amuses Vale enough to make her work for him?
At least. We have not seen much of her actual wants besides that she likes watching Deus.

[Forum Explorer]

So do you think there is any significance to Parfait's collar being gone this comic, or is that just art?

[InvisibleBison]

So do you think there is any significance to Parfait's collar being gone this comic, or is that just art?

I'm not sure. My first guess was that it was an art error, but it's been missing from the last two comics she's appeared in as well. I'm not sure if an art error would be so long-lasting.

[lord_khaine]

Its an art error. She had it earlier in the same scene.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archi...tress-huggles/

[Radar]

Its an art error. She had it earlier in the same scene.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archi...tress-huggles/

Repetition of the mistake most likely comes from Dave looking up the previous pages to see, what the characters were wearing etc. So made a mistake once and used it as a reference afterwards.

[Traab]

Moving through the comics again, i swear sydney has a sort of monkey d luffy vibe going on with how she interacts with random people. Like, she seems to make friends with people determined to hate her just by babbling on. Take the latest arc, she got into a chat with carrier and by the end he was like, "Well dang, now I like your idea for a super name better." And then there was cthilla the beholderkin who is just utterly flummoxed by this whole thing. Lets not forget the whole supernatural arc where she both annoyed and befriended a vampire and a werewolf, and probably half his were kin as well as krona and the succubus representative whose name I cant remember. Her basic job was to just be there and be quiet and yet she made connections of a strange sort throughout the group. She seems to exasperate and entertain everyone she meets in equal measure and they cant help but reluctantly like her.

[Yuki Akuma]

I think it's just a protagonist thing. Characters almost always have a relationship with the central character, or they just end up not mattering.