THIS IS IT! The penultimate strip of Chapter 17: Invasion, Pt. 4 – The End of Lies. This would actually make for a pretty great ending all by itself. Marc was good enough to think up and add the extra beat of Dark Maiden falling to her knees and it just makes this scene just so much more powerful. Marc also added a bit of business with some characters in the last panel that made me laugh pretty hard. See if you can spot it.
The psychology of Dark Maiden was the subject of much debate in the comments under the previous strip. There’s a lot going on there, obviously, and today’s strip should add a bit more fuel to that discussion. I don’t mind saying Zurida is one of my favorite characters at this point, and a move like this is a big part of the reason why.
Next week: One chapter ends and another begins. You will not see what we have in store for you coming, that’s a promise I’m sticking to. I am so terribly excited to unveil what we have in store for you, and I know Marc is as well. See you Monday.Ā
wait, what?! kind sir, could you stop messing with my mind? (please not, great work as always Brock and Mark)
Don’t worry, not stopping.
Everything’s coming up Zurida.
Your son’s annoying half-sibling who, while pathetic, is a serious rival for his father’s affection? Dead.
Your treacherous, ambitious, and highly intelligent cohorts? Dead, dead, and suffering from a mental breakdown.
Your would-be assassin? Crippled mentally and physically, with his sons within your grasp.
Your ex-lover and his terrifyingly intelligent best friend? Firmly on your side (at least, as far as you know) by virtue of your late allies being truly horrific.
Yeah, she’s not looking smug just because it suits her.
Jeez, that’s depressing. If I was Michelle, I’d watch my back.
I’d watch my front! Zurida doesn’t seem one to beat around the bush, after all.
I really really wish you were wrong…
Has anyone gone Star Maiden and Jerry are siblings route yet because I can toss my tinfoil hat on for that one.
You’re blowin’ my mind. I would LOVE to know the logic behind this.
It was the most far out thing I could think of. Next to Cap getting whacked. And you said we’d never see it coming so those two things would be it for me.
I like to think what happens next is even more unexpected than either of those, but you’ll get to judge for yourself soon enough.
Ugh. I hate waiting.
…and, in addition to the counter-attack arriving from the basement momentarily, we pause for Percy’s reaction to his brother’s death…
…and, eventually, Lil Miss Missile’s…
Yes! The end of this chapter is a Reaction-a-Thon!
No, not really.
Well, I can see Percy switching sides to honor Tom’s memory.
Still, I thought Dark Maiden was messed up before in her head, now you and Marc gave it a new layer of crazy as Zurida takes advantage of her emotional vulnerable side on this.
Where’s Swifty when you need him ? š
Who? Who is this… “Swifty?”
Mega Matt knows what his new movie will be like.
Also I knew that those girls would team up when you mentioned that next chapter starts with Spy Gal and another make out possibility. (Though it may not to be related to this “reborn” of Starmaiden)
Also waiting for the come back of Th3rd world comic group guys. Maybe they have a new member too, like a third man or something. š
I’m trying to figure out how the hint of Spy Gal getting an offer to make out leads to the conclusion that Dark Maiden and Zurida would partner up… and I just can’t get there.
As for the Th3rd World Comics guys… man, those guys were tools.
I was thinking evil sisterhood and how the women would take over the world Zurida plays mind games after all, though then again Spy Gal ain’t in the same state as Dark Maiden. Not that I actually thought that anything like that would happen but Zurida’s and Dark Maiden’s allience was kinda obvious. The mother thing though was just another sick twist.
And kinda wish Th3rd World Comic guys would come back (if only to see Marc drawing himself into the comic!) but their role has always been quite minimal even if Jerry’s Origin made me wonder.
All joking aside, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Th3rd World guys did come back at some point. I may just have plans.
In this light, is it wrong to see Star Maiden as a foil to Jerry? Or vice versa. While they are not direct opposites, some parallels can be made. They both had traumatic childhoods and only want to be loved. But whereas Star has been continually manipulated by those she seeks affection or acceptance from Jerry has been completely ignored. Star’s mental state has been caused by deliberate tinkering of those she trusted while Jerry’s has come from a lifetime of neglect from those he admired.
Due to these circumstances, even though Star has killed/maimed WAY more people than Jerry (so far), we as readers still evidence more sympathy for Star than Jerry.
And wow, did Zurida come out on top or what?
Zurida is most definitely on top.
And you’re right about the parallels between Star and Jerry. The essential difference is that one has been robbed of her choice and the other does nothing but make choices, mostly bad ones. It would make sense to see a Jerry/Star confrontation at some point.
That look on her face … I’d be inclined to say this is exactly what she was aiming for. She played a Xanatos Gambit.
If you don’t know what that is, look it up on tvtropes.org (warning, that site will suck up many hours of your life).
Truly, it feels like that’s exactly what just happened here.
I looked it up and read through it a bit, and I think you’re basically right. Xanatos Gambit. That’s an awesome term and I can see its uses. Reading a bit further, it looks like what Zurida is actually doing is Xanatos Speed Chess. Either way, she’s worked things through to come out on top no matter what. She gets it all.
Thanks for pointing that out!
Damn… She’s pulling a Xanatos… No wonder the heroes keep getting screwed, no matter what they do, Zurida wins.
Honestly, It could honestly be either one. It probably is Xanatos Speed Chess, however, considering her implied intelligence and willingness to manipulate, the possibility exists its still a Xanatos Gambit.
She could have planned for a variety of ways to get rid of her enemies (and I get the feeling the relationship with the two of them wasn’t exactly a good one) and secure Star Maiden for her own personal power.
Which is more accurate … well, that’s a topic up for discussion of course.
For sure. Is it possible Zurida’s long game was to bring Dark Maiden fully over to her side?
I would bet on it.
That site makes my head swim, and I’ve been studying to be a pharmacist: a field of medicine where there are no right answers, only lesser-of-plural-evils answers.
Yes, I’ll agree with you, it can be intimidating as it tends toward information overload if you don’t know where to start. First time I found that site I spent like four hours going through cross references and everything. It’s not exactly for the meek as a result. Restricting it to a specific series helps a lot. All that said, its a great source of ideas for those of us who are interested in writing. Also good for hardcore fans of a given series (SuperFogeys is listed there with Tropes as well!)
Brilliant in both writing and art. The deliciously smug expression on Zurida’s face in panel three is fantastic. I’m always impressed by Marc’s large crowd scenes and panel four is another great example. The detail of the guards fleeing was also a nice touch of humor to lighten a scene littered with dead bodies. My prediction for the next chapter . . . Mayhem! We’ve got Zurida consolidating control of the alien armada. We’ve got a titanic transdimensional terror (Zombie Orson Wells is coming to get you, Barbara! http://superfogeys.com/2007/03/27/126-who-the-is-the-third-man/ ) on it’s way. Zurida plans to try and form an alliance with whomever it is, but there’s no guarantee that this new major player will be interested. We’ve also still got Jerry, who has the real power crystal and Mr Crook’s doomsday plans squirreled away. Not a good combination since he just lost the object of his obsession and is rabidly insane. I’m going to guess Jerry will get loose soon, maybe sprung by everyone’s pint-sized tyrant, Dictator Tot. I’m also interested to see Ms. Missile’s reaction to finding out Tom was alive only to be killed for real and how Dr Rocket handles it. And maybe Thrice Evil will finally get his brain unscrambled. On a side note, as diabolical as she is, does Zurida actually love CS for who he is or just because she regards him as the only man worthy of her because of his powers? Because if it’s just the powers, which is the impression I’ve gotten, I’d think she’d just try and swap his brain with Dr Rocket’s. It seems like the kind of thing a insidious intergalactic conqueror might do to improve her love life since CS is definitely a reluctant husband.
Dang, you’ve always got the tally running in your head, don’t you, Andrew? As I was reading through that I was thinking, “Yep, that’s what we gotta get to.” For the most part. Some threads are meant to dangle, but not many. I tend to close off all loops eventually. Your brain swap idea makes a lot of sense. It’s not where things are going, but I follow the logic. Looking forward to your take on Monday’s strip.
Well. Last strip, I thought we had full Dark Maiden rage. But that’s not the case, is it? It’s not Dark Maiden- she would’ve had no regret for her father, it’s not Star Maiden- she wouldn’t cut off Tangerine’s leg OR clung to Zurida, it’s not Crazy Maiden- she would’ve simply thrown Zurida out of Tangerine’s path (or somesuch) then lectured evryone. This is a new personality who has been created as a melding of Crazy and Dark, isn’t it? The amoral child, so to speak. Please tell me I’m wrong, Brock, because that just *feels* wrong. Fascinatingly so, but still…
Remember that even when Dark Maiden was at her peak on the homeworld, she let her father live. She’s demonstrated a soft spot for him. We’ve also seen that while violence tends to change Star to Dark, it’s love that changes Dark to Star. Or at least weakens those walls.
For me, what’s happening here is love weakening the walls between Dark and Star (and I’m defining Star as the crazy one). She lashed out at Tangerine because of the affront to her family, she collapsed in Zurida’s arms because of grief–that’s the love. So, in a sense, you’re right, but not exactly. I’m not seeing this as a new personality. This is just a momentary crossing of two personalities.
So where is the third?
Ahh, see, saying she wouldn’tve cared about her father’s death as Dark Maiden is just me forgetting that occasionally you *imply* the things that *aren’t* set behind Machiavellian plots and are later all revealed. I see what you’re saying now about her always having cared for him; the silence and imperious looks in those scenes with her as Dark Maiden just always came across as more of an “…and I will keep you around as a trophy of my victory” mindset, than that she really cared when she became Dark Maiden.As for how I’ve seen here crazy side as being separate frrom her sane and heroic side, well… She’s always been more aloof as her normal heroic self and as Dark, and downright huggy when crazy, very terse when heroic and as Dark, chatty when crazy, intensely focused when heroic and as Dark, very, curious when crazy… but all of that is simply insanity helping her let go of her inhibitions, isn’t it?
You’re right–I’m okay with leaving some things implied instead of out-and-out shown. To me, there wasn’t really any reason for Dark Maiden to keep her father around except for out of affection, but it never was explicitly stated. Dark is more aloof in that way, where Star is not. But I see her as aloof in the way Bruce Banner is calm. There’s a raging inferno of emotions just underneath the surface.
The question is: will Tangerine finally be in permanent retirement or will he have a cyborg leg fashioned?
How about a wooden leg? Wood is underrated.
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(Written after having seen the next strip…)
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