Girl Genius XXXI: Let’s look at it from farther away!

[Agi Hammerthief]

Do they really want to change his flame further after this?

[Shining Wrath]

So Franz took the infusion and got drunk?

This may be more like a meth "Can't hold still" effect than drunkenness.

[JavaScribe]

So, I guess we now know why Hydrargyros wasn't people friendly. The spark that designed his four humors must have balanced them incorrectly.

[Shining Wrath]

Are we learning that getting a Fell Abomination of the Heterodynes really, really high might not be a good idea? This is "drunken Jager" times one hundred.

Franz is basically benign most of the time, but he is (1) a dragon and (2) yes, a creation of the old-school Heterodynes, who were occasionally Not Nice. I'm not sure anyone should count on his behavior being polite, rational, or non-lethal.

[MPHJack7]

I've seen enough television to know that, when a character's eyes change to turn red, it may be a good idea to stay away from them.

[sihnfahl]

I've seen enough television to know that, when a character's eyes change to turn red, it may be a good idea to stay away from them.

And he's a particular shade of orange. And all his gauge needles are either middle or left, rather than right. And glowing red/orange rather than white.

[TeChameleon]

Maybe it's just the colour balance of my monitor, but Franz looks oddly like fried chicken in the latest strip, both colour and texture. It's... kind of reducing the air of menace

[Gez]

Maybe it's just the colour balance of my monitor, but Franz looks oddly like fried chicken in the latest strip, both colour and texture. It's... kind of reducing the air of menace

I took it as him being so rejuvenated that he went from verdigris to his presumably original bronze color. Yay, that means he's a metallic dragon and therefore Good! Oh wait, that's not D&D.

[smuchmuch]

This may be more like a meth "Can't hold still" effect than drunkenness.

I think now is when the meth/cocaine effect is starting to kick in with extra energy AND impression of grandiosity and power if that "you all look like teeny ants" is any indicaton.

[Rakaydos]

So it's probably been gone over before, but I was just reading De Kestle arc (it's really like 4 arcs- Welcome to Mechanicsburg, Into the Kestle (pre library), Repairing the Kestle (post library), Defending Mechanicsburg), and I noticed that Agatha started working on Queenbot shortly after drinking from the Dyne.

We now have a lot more context for queen oversparks and their springs. Does anyone remember other related insights?

[Shining Wrath]

So it's probably been gone over before, but I was just reading De Kestle arc (it's really like 4 arcs- Welcome to Mechanicsburg, Into the Kestle (pre library), Repairing the Kestle (post library), Defending Mechanicsburg), and I noticed that Agatha started working on Queenbot shortly after drinking from the Dyne.

We now have a lot more context for queen oversparks and their springs. Does anyone remember other related insights?

I have argued that Der Kestle is a form of Queen, which makes the relationship between the Heterodyne family and their abode a little more complex.

[Wayson]

You know, I'm looking at the last panel in the most recent update, and I'm starting to wonder if Monster Hunter Lady has so many spikes coming off her outfit because it makes her more difficult to bite or swallow whole. Maybe they're not just a Mad Max fashion aesthetic.

[Agi Hammerthief]

I‘m guessing the other dragon is still inside and just couldn’t get the door open due to changed flame.

[Divayth Fyr]

I‘m guessing the other dragon is still inside and just couldn’t get the door open due to changed flame.

Possible, though that certainly wouldn't be the most practical of locks :D

I wonder, if Hydrargyros' rampage wasn't kickstarted by his creator trying to improve him in a similiar way. Which could also explain why Franz doesn't care about the Iram Solis - he knows it wasn't the artifact, but rather Hydrargyros' actually hypercharged own flame that caused the devastation (assuming the theory true of course).

[otakuryoga]

nice try Miss Zoll, nice try.

[The Glyphstone]

Random speculation- Franz will be reminded about the books he wanted, and 'snap out of it'.

[eee]

Salt pork is good food.

[Laurentio III]

Franz is not evil or cruel here. He already measured Humongulus' strengh, and could undubitably beat it in this enchanted status. Mind, a true monster slayer is scared of him, so it's not just a cosmetic glow.
So, Franz could probably kill and eat everyone, but he is just teasing them. And teasing people is a thing he is already prone to do, even when sleepy.

[Shining Wrath]

Disagree. Everyone present seems to believe that he's about to eat them. A tease stops being funny when people are terrified.

[Rodin]

Yep. Changing Franz's flame has changed Franz. We previously had a friendly brawl between Humongulous and Franz - now we're about to get a deadly serious round 2. I'm fully expecting either Humongulous to beat some sense back into Franz, or for Franz to win but be distracted enough for sparky shenanigans to fix the problem and return him to normal.

I just hope Humongulous survives. He's a fan favourite so I'd be shocked if he doesn't, but you never know...

[lord_khaine]

He already measured Humongulus' strengh, and could undubitably beat it in this enchanted status. Mind, a true monster slayer is scared of him, so it's not just a cosmetic glow.
So, Franz could probably kill and eat everyone, but he is just teasing them. And teasing people is a thing he is already prone to do, even when sleepy.

Objection. We dont actually have any evidence Franz is enhanced. Just that he is clearly out of his mind.

[Drascin]

Franz is not evil or cruel here. He already measured Humongulus' strengh, and could undubitably beat it in this enchanted status. Mind, a true monster slayer is scared of him, so it's not just a cosmetic glow.
So, Franz could probably kill and eat everyone, but he is just teasing them. And teasing people is a thing he is already prone to do, even when sleepy.

A thing to keep in mind is that Franz beat Humongulus the first time by being smart.

This is a thing that has been clearly pointed about Franz as setting him apart from other dragons - he's got much less of an ego and is a lot more aware of the realities of life than your average dragon. He's the one who mentioned to Agatha that she should beat a tactical retreat, he immediately clocked that he had zero chance to take on Humongulus in a direct brawl so he found a better strategy, so on. Franz, normally, is smart and pragmatic, rather than just huge and powerful.

I'm not sure current Franz, being more of a normal dragon, however, is equipped to do "smart", which may be what this scene is building towards. The fact that what Franz normally is, is a big part of his success.

[Wayson]

A thing to keep in mind is that Franz beat Humongulus the first time by being smart.

This is a thing that has been clearly pointed about Franz as setting him apart from other dragons - he's got much less of an ego and is a lot more aware of the realities of life than your average dragon. He's the one who mentioned to Agatha that she should beat a tactical retreat, he immediately clocked that he had zero chance to take on Humongulus in a direct brawl so he found a better strategy, so on. Franz, normally, is smart and pragmatic, rather than just huge and powerful.

I'm not sure current Franz, being more of a normal dragon, however, is equipped to do "smart", which may be what this scene is building towards. The fact that what Franz normally is, is a big part of his success.

Agree, glad you beat me to it.

Franz used the environment and an identified weakness to defeat Humongulus, neither of which are currently in his favor in a small enclosed space without water or tools. Franz is about to be pummeled to within an inch of his life.

[Vinyadan]

The current Franz is like Uppity Spark Franz. Normal Franz is like a Moloch Franz that got used to it.

[Laurentio III]

Objection. We dont actually have any evidence Franz is enhanced. Just that he is clearly out of his mind.

The measurers are showing more energy, but as we are not sure about how to read them, I admit it could be just something unrelated to power.
Even if, him being a weapon, I would bet on them indicating power.

A thing to keep in mind is that Franz beat Humongulus the first time by being smart.

And we have no reason to thing that he is not smart, still. He is just more... threatening.
I openly admit that I'm not sure he is stronger, but we know as a fact from his dragon vs dragon battle during the siege, that Franz is extremely stronger when energized. And it that battle he didn't acted stupidly, just bolder.
He looks more energetic, based on the gauges on his body and the posture. He is usually sluggy and bend, while now is standing.

I looked back at the battle during the siege. The nose indicator (the one visible in most panels) is usually in the middle. Drops to keft when Franz is taking damage, and return in the middle when he is recovering.
When lighting struck, it jumps to the right and turn blue (it's usually yellow). Should I take a guess, it's a stamina or "motor gear" indicator.
Now, that same gear hand is mostly middle, so it goes against my conjecture about him being stronger.

Okay, I admit I'm probably wrong. It's probably just Franz under anti-inflammatory so that he doesn't act like a grumpy grampa.
Still, I feel he could give Homunculus much more a fight now than in his standard status. Maybe not enough to win by brutal force.

[Grim Portent]

The idea seems to be that Franz's alchemical nature has been changed, at least temporarily, rather than him being stronger per se. This might also make him more powerful in some respects, but the important thing is it's making him more prideful, arrogant and cruel, and while he probably can't take Humungulous in a proper fight, he could still kill every human in the room with ease.

[Vinyadan]

I think the problem is that even Franz doesn't know what he is right now, or how his body works at the moment. Maybe he could destroy Homoungulus, if he knew. But this is all new for him.

Or maybe his drugged mind sees size as an absolute indicator of power, so he is all "Franz eat puny humans", but finding someone of his size turns him into a coward.

[lord_khaine]

The measurers are showing more energy, but as we are not sure about how to read them, I admit it could be just something unrelated to power.
Even if, him being a weapon, I would bet on them indicating power.

Im pretty certain we cant even say the measurer are showing more energy.
As we have newer been given an explanation of them.

And being made by a Heterodyne Spark, for all we know he isnt a weapon but a way to clean the cellar of fungus.

[otakuryoga]

And we have no reason to thing that he is not smart, still.

lairs are full of the countless bones of adventurers/slayers who thought
"it's a big dumb(albeit strong and firebreathing) lizard"

[Laurentio III]

lairs are full of the countless bones of adventurers/slayers who thought
"it's a big dumb(albeit strong and firebreathing) lizard"

Unless it's some sort of cunning act, seems that at the moment he is a "coward bullying lizard".