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Post by ctso74 on Oct 12, 2012 11:45:41 GMT
To be honest, I'm revising my theory that she's somehow related to the "wandering eye" deity and ditching it entirely with this chapter. The most likely answer in my mind is FAAAR more mundane and simple and the clues are all through the series. Jones is an alchemist. "The Stone" mentioned in the cover page of the chapter is none other than the Philosopher's Stone, which she partook of and became immortal. Given the Court's origins are firmly couched in alchemy and said to have sprung from the seed Bismuth, it's most likely to be a construct of Jones' alchemical talents. In short, Jones was a woman who mastered alchemy and cracked the Holy Grail of that art, the Philosopher's Stone. Doing so, she attained immortality (and perhaps her curious invulnerability). We're seeing meaningful moments of her long life (probably clear back to her attaining immortality). I wonder, if her weight has been changed to that of gold. That would explain her being "way heavier than she looks." Also, Eglamore's sword did make a sort of golden light when it struck. Hmmm.
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krael
Junior Member
Posts: 95
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Post by krael on Oct 12, 2012 11:56:11 GMT
To be honest, I'm revising my theory that she's somehow related to the "wandering eye" deity and ditching it entirely with this chapter. The most likely answer in my mind is FAAAR more mundane and simple and the clues are all through the series. Jones is an alchemist. "The Stone" mentioned in the cover page of the chapter is none other than the Philosopher's Stone, which she partook of and became immortal. Given the Court's origins are firmly couched in alchemy and said to have sprung from the seed Bismuth, it's most likely to be a construct of Jones' alchemical talents. In short, Jones was a woman who mastered alchemy and cracked the Holy Grail of that art, the Philosopher's Stone. Doing so, she attained immortality (and perhaps her curious invulnerability). We're seeing meaningful moments of her long life (probably clear back to her attaining immortality). Nice relating Jones and the stone to the philosophers stone. However, I'd sharpen the theory and say that she isn't just some alchemist that mastered the stone. She would rather be the ethereal-personification-of-man's-idea-of-the-philosopher's-stone. Don't forget Coyote suggests that Jones has ethereal origins like him. and what about his direct hint of the stars in the night sky?
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Post by zimmyzims on Oct 12, 2012 12:39:15 GMT
If we are going with the Langdon estate in new England, then this would be in 1833 according to the website posted above, that wouldn't fit in with the 'many decades' surely? Or maybe we are speeding up faster than the graph someone made would guess at! (extrapolating rapidly exponential graphs like that is fraught with error!). I am guessing the next one may be 'centuries ago' and may see her with the first settlers in the US perhaps, where she meets coyote and he calls her Wandering Eye? If she is immortal it would make sense for her to travel around alot, to avoid situations such as in this strip. Also the bobbies in the background appear to be wearing UK police uniforms with those distinctive hats, unless the police in new england were still wearing those at that time in history. It could be any of the three generations of Elizabeth Langdon's. The American police forces used uniforms similar to the English ones. Apparently all the way until the WWII. There are limitations though. If what we saw last time was WWI, as was suspected, then it most likely is not the third Elizabeth who kept the house over both World War's. However, if we saw WWII, then this could be shortly after 1921 (or shortly before WWII), when Woodbury Langdon had died. But before the WWI there is one maybe more likely point where this investigation could take place. Little is known of what took place in the Langdon house between 1833-1835, but 1833 the second Elizabeth Langdon, daughter of John and Elizabeth Langdon, lost it. She was their only heir, also a widow already, and at that point 56-year-old, and was to live for yet another 27 years to 1860. For some reason, she lost the place 1833, and her first bor as well. "Everything is taken from her?"
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Post by TBeholder on Oct 12, 2012 13:00:37 GMT
The first thought: ...she saw no reason not to answer their questions to the best of her knowledge, and everyone who heard the answers saw the reason not to ask them too late to sleep well ever again. What's really interesting is how Grabby McNosy is yanking on her in panel 4. It looks pretty forceful, going by the way her skirt is displaced and her feet are lagging her center mass. He should notice her weight. I doubt he could as much as get her hand in this position if Ms. Juggernaut didn't choose to play along for a time. Too bad it looks like we're fading out in the last panel, I'd like to see her have to hand out smackdowns to Grabby and Officer Tubbs Beardy and company so that she can escape. Nothing against Officer Tubbs and the lads, I'm sure they're just doing their jobs, but I like the smackdowns. Unless they'll begin to watch what they are saying, there's a good potential of at least gratuitous property damage. I mean, that's Jones we talk about - one unfortunate phrasing, she may nod in compliance and walk through a wall, then turn and ask why they are are so tardy following... while keeping this perfect poker face. That's the first giveaway that she aint proper nobility. Any lady worth her salt would be swooning or smacking them about the face. At least, her look is readable as "I didn't expect anything better from the likes of you" cold disapproval.
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Post by tustin2121 on Oct 12, 2012 13:12:17 GMT
Darn, I wasn't the first to think of her being an Earth Elemental, then. I'm am intrigued by the theory that Coyote gave her some immortality or something, of course, would that mean that he's not immortal then? Regardless, I'm waiting for this page in the coming weeks: Box: "Millenia ago" *jones stands ramrod stiff in her usual manner* Jones: "Unga Bunga" *the cave men around her start reacting wildly and positively* *one attempts to hit her and drag her by the hair into a cave* *she throws him away casually, off into the distance* *the other cave men run in fear* *jones stands watching them with the usual face* Maybe she's an alien?
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Post by TBeholder on Oct 12, 2012 13:19:23 GMT
Darn, I wasn't the first to think of her being an Earth Elemental, then. If Coyote's flashback is any indication, an elemental, even when somewhat humanoid, would be visibly different from a human. And half-elementals, as we know, aren't immortal.
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Post by rinabean on Oct 12, 2012 13:49:09 GMT
Darn, I wasn't the first to think of her being an Earth Elemental, then. If Coyote's flashback is any indication, an elemental, even when somewhat humanoid, would be visibly different from a human. And half-elementals, as we know, aren't immortal. Do we know that? Do we know how long Surma would have lived if she hadn't had Annie? I think next Monday we are back to Annie, though I'm certainly curious about the rest of Jones' life. "We 'ave some questions for you." -> "What are you?"
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Post by KMar on Oct 12, 2012 13:50:20 GMT
To be honest, I'm revising my theory that she's somehow related to the "wandering eye" deity and ditching it entirely with this chapter. The most likely answer in my mind is FAAAR more mundane and simple and the clues are all through the series. Jones is an alchemist. "The Stone" mentioned in the cover page of the chapter is none other than the Philosopher's Stone, which she partook of and became immortal. Given the Court's origins are firmly couched in alchemy and said to have sprung from the seed Bismuth, it's most likely to be a construct of Jones' alchemical talents. In short, Jones was a woman who mastered alchemy and cracked the Holy Grail of that art, the Philosopher's Stone. Doing so, she attained immortality (and perhaps her curious invulnerability). We're seeing meaningful moments of her long life (probably clear back to her attaining immortality). Nice relating Jones and the stone to the philosophers stone. However, I'd sharpen the theory and say that she isn't just some alchemist that mastered the stone. She would rather be the ethereal-personification-of-man's-idea-of-the-philosopher's-stone. Don't forget Coyote suggests that Jones has ethereal origins like him. and what about his direct hint of the stars in the night sky? Excellent theory I agree! I would rather suggest that she was an alchemist who mastered the Stone, and in the process of doing so, she became the Stone itself (or rather a personification-of-man's-idea thing à la Coyote's theory, as you suggest.) It would explain the curious resemblance to the features of the 'classic mytology version of Golem' but why she isn't one, too. So, the answer: Jones is Tom's own creation, which derivates from/is inspired of both the Golem and the Philosopher's Stone mythology. If she were a regular ethereal being ("idea of philosopher's stone"), the fact of her existence would not put Coyote's theory in question. At least, no more than the existence of any other ethereal being. However, if she was a regular human once, but is not anymore, that really would be different I think.
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Post by OrzBrain on Oct 12, 2012 13:51:10 GMT
Oooooh, ooooh, I want to see her smack the bobbies around some!
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Post by philman on Oct 12, 2012 14:36:07 GMT
Darn, I wasn't the first to think of her being an Earth Elemental, then. If Coyote's flashback is any indication, an elemental, even when somewhat humanoid, would be visibly different from a human. And half-elementals, as we know, aren't immortal. Well we know that about fire elementals, but we haven't seen any other types of elementals yet. It could just be that a fire elemental or their progeny takes upon some qualities of fire (temperamental personalities, short lives, can be snuffed out fast) while earth elementals may have other qualities more related to stone or earth ( solid, emotionless, can be manipulated into other shapes(as in clay etc), but sticks around unchanging for a long time, obviously very heavy and can break through things as we have seen Jones do.) I have just attributed those things based on what we know about them, but I think it could be a fit. (edit: added line about taking new shapes
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Post by q3 on Oct 12, 2012 15:05:29 GMT
Heh, "Elizabeth" made me think of Elizabeth Bathory and so I've arbitrarily decided that Jones is really a vampire. With a soul! It explains so much.
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Post by Lightice on Oct 12, 2012 15:40:20 GMT
Well, I've been stupid. I think someone already even suggested this: Jones is clearly Galatea, or some variation of the myth. Well, if my theory of Jones being driven to serve the emotional needs of others in spite of her own inability to express any is true, in any case. How I could have forgotten that there is a mythical figure that matches my theory almost exactly, I have no idea.
Or maybe she's Hopiatar from The Kalevala; that's basically a Nordic version of the Pygmalion-myth.
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unrequited
Junior Member
Tormentor of the Heart, close friend of the Spleen
Posts: 74
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Post by unrequited on Oct 12, 2012 15:45:09 GMT
*Many Tens of Thousands of Years Ago* Cavewoman Jones doing Cavewoman things.
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Post by seaofalchemy on Oct 12, 2012 16:22:53 GMT
So, let's just make a list for the sake of weighing the possibilities of what Jones may really be. Plus, I find it rather amusing. So far, we've theorized that Jones is a(n): 1) Not a Robot/Android 2) Alien 3) Clone of a clone of a clone 4) Goddess/Deity 5) Golem 6) Vampire 7) Alchemist 8) Time traveler. Am I missing anything else? But I'm going to add something else into the mix. Jones has created Horcruxes of herself. [EDIT]:Timetraveler. Jones is a timetraveler.
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Post by Lightice on Oct 12, 2012 16:34:02 GMT
Am I missing anything else? Does Galatea count as a golem? She's carved from stone, so I suppose...
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unrequited
Junior Member
Tormentor of the Heart, close friend of the Spleen
Posts: 74
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Post by unrequited on Oct 12, 2012 16:51:11 GMT
Am I missing anything else? I think she's just Immortal.
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Post by csj on Oct 12, 2012 16:52:38 GMT
Langdon is one of the most natively-English surnames possible; its first recorded use dates to Edward I or so. The evidence seems to be somewhat firmer for her being a long-lived/immortal human.
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Post by drybones on Oct 12, 2012 17:50:08 GMT
My favorite theory is that Jones is a golem. Her literal undying loyalty towards this family would make a lot more sense if she was created with the instructions "Hey so protect this family". Wouldn't it make sense to make your protector out of something that, even though it's heavy, can grab weapons bare-handed and eat stone walls for breakfast? The moving parts would be the weak points so you'd try to minimize that. You'd just allow limbs to move but since facial expression requires a lot of complicated moving parts, so as long as it could communicate you'd call it a day/golem.
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Post by sapientcoffee on Oct 12, 2012 19:18:39 GMT
I put a vote in for late 1800s/early 1900s based on fashion.
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Post by atteSmythe on Oct 12, 2012 19:49:05 GMT
What's really interesting is how Grabby McNosy is yanking on her in panel 4. It looks pretty forceful, going by the way her skirt is displaced and her feet are lagging her center mass. He should notice her weight. Too bad it looks like we're fading out in the last panel, I'd like to see her have to hand out smackdowns to Grabby and Officer Tubbs Beardy and company so that she can escape. Nothing against Officer Tubbs and the lads, I'm sure they're just doing their jobs, but I like the smackdowns. Nah, she can peacefully wait until she's in lockup, and then just go through the wall in the middle of the night.
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Oct 12, 2012 19:53:36 GMT
Welcome to the forums, Drybones! I think someone already even suggested this: Jones is clearly Galatea, or some variation of the myth. That was me. I don't repost the theory every thread (to avoid annoying the forum) but I've been saying that since she helped ParSmit hook up; that event made me go back and reexamine her interactions with Randy and James up to that point. I suppose I should gather all of the pro-Galatea clues into one post in the Jones thread. Or maybe she's Hopiatar from The Kalevala; that's basically a Nordic version of the Pygmalion-myth. Many variations on the Galatia theory are possible. There's really nothing to do except ride this bus to the end of the line. Hopefully we'll see her secret origin story this chapter. But if the venus figure is literally Jones and not just a representation of the deity responsible for bringing her to life we could be in for a long trip. Or a lot of skipped Jones stories. I doubt he could as much as get her hand in this position if Ms. Juggernaut didn't choose to play along for a time. That's a standard problem with the 4-color world; the reader is often left filling in the gaps from what's in one panel to the next, and sometimes those details matter. But if someone goes in a direction voluntarily they usually lead with their feet to keep from falling over. She played along in the sense that she opted to allow Grabby to close quarters,but after that she could well have been surprised that he'd grab her arm when she wasn't running away. Unless they'll begin to watch what they are saying, there's a good potential of at least gratuitous property damage. I mean, that's Jones we talk about - one unfortunate phrasing, she may nod in compliance and walk through a wall, then turn and ask why they are are so tardy following... while keeping this perfect poker face. Sadly I must disagree. Jones' style seems minimalist and the jig is up, she won't be able to stay here any longer even if she kills all of those people and stuffs them into closets around the mansion. And the last panel looks like fade-out time. I think she'll probably only do the minimum amount needed to escape while creating as little fuss as possible. That probably means playing along with being arrested and then quietly slipping away much later... though I am really hoping for some kung-fu fighting, or better yet some "mugging the monster."
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Post by scottdog on Oct 12, 2012 19:56:22 GMT
I don't know why we assume this is a real Langdon family from New England, I bet Tom just picked that name.
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Oct 12, 2012 20:01:45 GMT
Nah, she can peacefully wait until she's in lockup, and then just go through the wall in the middle of the night. She wouldn't even need to do that. Some of the servants there would have to be in on it and would testify for her, or at least deliberately muddle the issue. As a lady accused of a nonviolent crime they would probably assume she wouldn't skip out on them without the assets needed to maintain an upper-class lifestyle. She'll be out on the street in a few days at most. Then she can just quietly disappear. Unless they figure something's up with her weight and flip out, and then she has to crack some heads. (crosses fingers)
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ryos
Full Member
Posts: 175
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Post by ryos on Oct 12, 2012 21:17:34 GMT
A pattern has emerged:
years ago several years ago many years ago
decades ago several decades ago many decades ago
Now, if Tom continues this way, we'll get a trio for centuries and one for millennia. "Many millennia ago" would fit the timeframe of ancient Egypt. I'm just sayin'.
One thing has been bothering me, though. I don't think ancient Egyptians had blonde hair. Maybe we'll see her painting caves in France instead...
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hajo
Junior Member
Posts: 70
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Post by hajo on Oct 12, 2012 21:36:18 GMT
1) Not a Robot/Android 2) Alien 3) Clone of a clone of a clone 4) Goddess/Deity 5) Golem 6) Vampire 7) Alchemist Am I missing anything else? The female version of the highlander
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Oct 12, 2012 22:19:38 GMT
One thing has been bothering me, though. I don't think ancient Egyptians had blonde hair. Maybe we'll see her painting caves in France instead... Jones is ethnically ambiguous but dark eyes and sandy-blond hair can be Mediterranean. Egypt might be a stretch unless she's Hyksos, but ancient Greek is probably okay. Although, if she were a statue of an ideal beauty brought to life by a goddess, then an exotic hair color might be acceptable anyway. ;D
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psykeout
Junior Member
I will construct a robotic posting device...
Posts: 56
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Post by psykeout on Oct 12, 2012 22:32:32 GMT
To be honest, I'm revising my theory that she's somehow related to the "wandering eye" deity and ditching it entirely with this chapter. The most likely answer in my mind is FAAAR more mundane and simple and the clues are all through the series. Jones is an alchemist. "The Stone" mentioned in the cover page of the chapter is none other than the Philosopher's Stone, which she partook of and became immortal. Given the Court's origins are firmly couched in alchemy and said to have sprung from the seed Bismuth, it's most likely to be a construct of Jones' alchemical talents. In short, Jones was a woman who mastered alchemy and cracked the Holy Grail of that art, the Philosopher's Stone. Doing so, she attained immortality (and perhaps her curious invulnerability). We're seeing meaningful moments of her long life (probably clear back to her attaining immortality). Wow great job Those are all really solid logic points but for now I'm not going to QUITE buy into it. Mostly because 1) It doesn't account for her density and strength, and 2) I think the 'being of stone' theme has been a little too hinted at and would be too good of a foil for Annie. However, I would totally believe it if the Alchemy thing comes into play. It hasn't been expanded on except for the symbols and names that have been littered around, and we know that all the symbols and alchemy stuff came from a long time ago when the court was new. Having an immortal character may be the only chance we have to expand on the alchemy motif. It should also be noted that Alchemy is sort of halfway between "etheric" and "scientific," so if Jones was on the "alchemic" side, it would account for her not being allied with the court OR the forest. Also this, from the Wikipedia article: "Other mentioned properties [of the philosopher's stone] include: creation of perpetually burning lamps, transmutation of common crystals into precious stones and diamonds, reviving of dead plants, creation of flexible or malleable glass, or the creation of a clone or golem."
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Post by ctso74 on Oct 13, 2012 0:23:23 GMT
One thing has been bothering me, though. I don't think ancient Egyptians had blonde hair. Maybe we'll see her painting caves in France instead... She could have been the inspiration for stories of Hathor (Eye of Ra and Wandering Goddess), without actually being Hathor or Egyptian. On the other hand, she could've always pickup Egyptian in her travels and studies, and had nothing to do with it. Maybe we'll see an awesome, but less ancient, conclusion for this chapter. I'm not sure which I'd prefer. A captivating mystery, either way.
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Post by seaofalchemy on Oct 13, 2012 1:27:03 GMT
Jones has created Horcruxes of herself. I was hoping someone would point out my little joke. Hahaha. Oh well.
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alexh
Full Member
Posts: 113
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Post by alexh on Oct 13, 2012 2:25:57 GMT
One thing has been bothering me, though. I don't think ancient Egyptians had blonde hair. Maybe we'll see her painting caves in France instead... Jones is ethnically ambiguous but dark eyes and sandy-blond hair can be Mediterranean. Egypt might be a stretch unless she's Hyksos, but ancient Greek is probably okay. Although, if she were a statue of an ideal beauty brought to life by a goddess, then an exotic hair color might be acceptable anyway. ;D www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blonde#Evolution_of_blond_hairSo at least now we know she can't be any more than about 11,000 years old. Unless she did something crazy like die her hair. Jones has created Horcruxes of herself. I was hoping someone would point out my little joke. Hahaha. Oh well. Everyone knows Gunnerkrigg Court is just Harry Potter fan fiction. www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=297Totally canon.
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