Necropaxx
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The natural choice for a shoulder to cry on.
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Post by Necropaxx on May 5, 2010 8:12:18 GMT
And here I was hoping for a Zimmy-Jack showdown. Instead I get the most awesome cliffhanger yet. Not complaining, mind you.
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Post by yazzydream on May 5, 2010 8:15:11 GMT
Our first "To Be Continued." Oh SNAP! Fer real, Tom. A cliffhanger. Thanks a lot.
Edit* Yea, I definitly see Aata (buddah guy), and I think that's Shell by the door next to him. And yea, I think that female looking one's pose suggests Jones.
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Post by fjodor on May 5, 2010 8:23:19 GMT
Jack would have Zimmy down faster than you can say "curb stomp". I've got 20 internetdollars saying that Zimmy will rip Jack's heart out before he can say something about her triple-sharp teeth. Zimmingham is her turf.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2010 8:26:36 GMT
I've got 20 internetdollars saying that Jack is a hardened, determined young man with considerable etheric power; Zimmy is a weak, scared little girl who needs Gamma and Annie to clean up after her power incontinence.
Birmingham isn't her turf, Zimmy's scared shitless by everything there. Don't be fooled by her bluster. Just keep in mind her first reaction to anything: Cling to Gamma.
Sooo kurikaesu; Annie + Zimmy = Zimmy; face; pavement. Jack + Zimmy = Zimmy; head; curb.
Unless Jack's in love with her or something.
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Post by fjodor on May 5, 2010 9:00:42 GMT
I remember Jack not being too happy when he was there either. At least Zimmy knows the rules of the place.
But either way, it'll be interesting to see them collide. And I am sure Tom will have loads of surprises for us when it comes to that stage.
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Post by kermittheforg on May 5, 2010 9:05:45 GMT
I wonder how Kat will react when Annie tells her about this? I'm guessing first she'll get mad, then she'll get even. If they ever let Annie out of the cooler, that is.
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preus
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Post by preus on May 5, 2010 9:54:32 GMT
I've got 20 internetdollars saying that Jack is a hardened, determined young man with considerable etheric power; Zimmy is a weak, scared little girl who needs Gamma and Annie to clean up after her power incontinence. Birmingham isn't her turf, Zimmy's scared shitless by everything there. Don't be fooled by her bluster. Just keep in mind her first reaction to anything: Cling to Gamma.Sooo kurikaesu; Annie + Zimmy = Zimmy; face; pavement. Jack + Zimmy = Zimmy; head; curb. Unless Jack's in love with her or something. Nah. Jack's all talk and no action. Zimmy's got some actual power behind her. Even if she can't control it, it's far more impressive than Jack's ability to jump higher than normal. And I resent your implication that Annie's takedown of Zimmy was because of Zimmy's weakness rather than Annie's strength. You're selling Miss Carver short. Remember what she did to Winsbury in chapter 3? She's got her some skillz.
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Post by hal9000 on May 5, 2010 10:08:23 GMT
I've got 20 internetdollars saying that Jack is a hardened, determined young man with considerable etheric power; Zimmy is a weak, scared little girl who needs Gamma and Annie to clean up after her power incontinence. Birmingham isn't her turf, Zimmy's scared shitless by everything there. Don't be fooled by her bluster. Just keep in mind her first reaction to anything: Cling to Gamma.Sooo kurikaesu; Annie + Zimmy = Zimmy; face; pavement. Jack + Zimmy = Zimmy; head; curb. Unless Jack's in love with her or something. Nah. Jack's all talk and no action. Zimmy's got some actual power behind her. Even if she can't control it, it's far more impressive than Jack's ability to jump higher than normal. And I resent your implication that Annie's takedown of Zimmy was because of Zimmy's weakness rather than Annie's strength. You're selling Miss Carver short. Remember what she did to Winsbury in chapter 3? She's got her some skillz. Jack can apparently disrupt space-time within a small area around himself, and seems to be able to levitate/fly (at least, it doesn't look like he's jumping...). He's also quite skilled about matters of computer security and electronics, based on his ability to break into the school's systems and figure out how to initiate the start-up sequence for the plant. And, of course, there is the small matter of the Reynardine trap he built. You should also recall that he wrecked that guard robot's face with a short-ish length of rebar earlier in the chapter. That's stuff from this chapter; if we go back to residential, we can see that he's also managed to reprogram laser cows from grass-cutting duty to get them to erect a laser perimeter fence around the greens keeper's home. So, given some prep-time, I think he could easily curb-stomp Zimmy.
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preus
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Post by preus on May 5, 2010 10:13:23 GMT
Nah. Jack's all talk and no action. Zimmy's got some actual power behind her. Even if she can't control it, it's far more impressive than Jack's ability to jump higher than normal. And I resent your implication that Annie's takedown of Zimmy was because of Zimmy's weakness rather than Annie's strength. You're selling Miss Carver short. Remember what she did to Winsbury in chapter 3? She's got her some skillz. Jack can apparently disrupt space-time within a small area around himself, and seems to be able to levitate/fly (at least, it doesn't look like he's jumping...). He's also quite skilled about matters of computer security and electronics, based on his ability to break into the school's systems and figure out how to initiate the start-up sequence for the plant. And, of course, there is the small matter of the Reynardine trap he built. You should also recall that he wrecked that guard robot's face with a short-ish length of rebar earlier in the chapter. That's stuff from this chapter; if we go back to residential, we can see that he's also managed to reprogram laser cows from grass-cutting duty to get them to erect a laser perimeter fence around the greens keeper's home. So, given some prep-time, I think he could easily curb-stomp Zimmy. Granted he's very skilled with machines, but I doubt that would help him at all in Zimmingham. When has he disrupted space-time?
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Post by hal9000 on May 5, 2010 10:22:28 GMT
Jack can apparently disrupt space-time within a small area around himself, and seems to be able to levitate/fly (at least, it doesn't look like he's jumping...). He's also quite skilled about matters of computer security and electronics, based on his ability to break into the school's systems and figure out how to initiate the start-up sequence for the plant. And, of course, there is the small matter of the Reynardine trap he built. You should also recall that he wrecked that guard robot's face with a short-ish length of rebar earlier in the chapter. That's stuff from this chapter; if we go back to residential, we can see that he's also managed to reprogram laser cows from grass-cutting duty to get them to erect a laser perimeter fence around the greens keeper's home. So, given some prep-time, I think he could easily curb-stomp Zimmy. Granted he's very skilled with machines, but I doubt that would help him at all in Zimmingham. When has he disrupted space-time?
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preus
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Post by preus on May 5, 2010 10:27:00 GMT
Granted he's very skilled with machines, but I doubt that would help him at all in Zimmingham. When has he disrupted space-time? A jagged background? It's possible that's evidence of some kind of superpower, but it's very little to go on. It's also possible that Jack is more powerful than Zimmy, but I very much doubt it. Nonetheless, he's a relatively new character and it remains to be seen how he evolves. I just hope he doesn't become GC's Wolverine.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2010 10:38:33 GMT
Also right here. More on this one specifically: If Jack could do that to Annie's etheric projection then, imagine what he could do now? Keep in mind how much similarity what happens to Annie here bears to Gopping a Nobody, that's definite cause for concern. Also, he isn't jumping. Notice the web aura around him; the prevailing theory is that he's floating on ether like a spider on the wind. PS: Zimmy is physically weak, Winsbury is a blowhard, and Aly was light as a feather (though you didn't bring up Annie manhandling him). Yes, Antimony can defend herself, but she's nothing to call home about in that regard. Etherically speaking, though, she's definitely hot shit. This isn't about Jack having a "superpower". The point to him is, that while not as powerful in any one area as the other characters; Not as gifted with tech as Kat, not as etherically powerful as Annie, not as reality-warping as Zimmy, nor the pure physical talent of an Eglamore... Jack's talents are combined into a cohesive, very dangerous package. He's also very tenacious, judging by how long he's managed to stay on the run and remain in the hunt for answers. This is a very dangerous combination. No matter how much you try to short-sell him, Jack IS serious business.
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Post by digikitty on May 5, 2010 10:38:39 GMT
If that is Jones in the background, I think Annie and Rey might come out of this okay. Jones, out of all of them, would be most likely to listen before jumping to conclusions. Also, the guy in front kinda looks like the headmaster, imo.
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Post by todd on May 5, 2010 10:43:27 GMT
Count me as another person shocked at the cliffhanger - not to mention that we'll have to wait until next Wednesday for the next part of the story (since the Bonus Page will be on Friday, and the title page for Chapter 28 on Monday).
How will things go for Annie? The situation is far more serious this time; I don't think a week's detention will be enough. On the other hand, unless Tom's planning to write Annie out of the comic and make Kat the lead (which would have its own difficulties, since Kat doesn't have ties to a lot of the recurring characters - unless, in turn, Tom plans to bring in a new etheric girl to team up with Kat once Annie leaves - more about this in the "Wild Speculations" thread in a moment), there'll be limits to what the Court can do to her.
But Annie had *better* tell them the whole story about Jack; they're going to need this information if they hope to solve the problem. (Especially since, the way he's going, I don't think his trouble is going to stop when he *does* find Zimmy - if he ever does; in Zimmy's past appearances in "Gunnerkrigg Court", Annie never found her - the two just happened to cross paths. He might go on to threatening the entire Court out of his paranoia.)
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preus
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Post by preus on May 5, 2010 10:43:28 GMT
Also right here. More on this one specifically: If Jack could do that to Annie's etheric projection then, imagine what he could do now? Keep in mind how much similarity what happens to Annie here bears to Gopping a Nobody, that's definite cause for concern. Also, he isn't jumping. Notice the web aura around him; the prevailing theory is that he's floating on ether like a spider on the wind. PS: Zimmy is physically weak, Winsbury is a blowhard, and Aly was light as a feather (though you didn't bring up Annie manhandling him). Yes, Antimony can defend herself, but she's nothing to call home about in that regard. Etherically speaking, though, she's definitely hot shit. This isn't about Jack having a "superpower". The point to him is, that while not as powerful in any one area as the other characters; Not as gifted with tech as Kat, not as etherically powerful as Annie, not as reality-warping as Zimmy, nor the pure physical talent of an Eglamore... Jack's talents are combined into a cohesive, very dangerous package. He's also very tenacious, judging by how long he's managed to stay on the run and remain in the hunt for answers. This is a very dangerous combination. No matter how much you try to short-sell him, Jack IS serious business. You're right. You make a good point. I concede. I don't have to like him, though.
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Post by Tobu Ishi on May 5, 2010 10:59:52 GMT
I've got 20 internetdollars saying that Jack is a hardened, determined young man with considerable etheric power; Zimmy is a weak, scared little girl who needs Gamma and Annie to clean up after her power incontinence. Pfft. Determined? Of course, Jack's a resourceful and nimble young man and he couldn't have gotten this far without major determination. But hardened? If Jack isn't scared sh*tless of what's happening to him, then why is he so haggard, so nervous, so desperate for answers? Take a moment, please, to remember the look on his face when he left Zimmingham. Never neglect to consider the fleeting expressions of fury, worry, and fear that keep sneaking past the swaggering I-can-handle-this facade. Jack is definitely dangerous, unmistakably reckless in his methods, but he's also very much afraid, or he wouldn't be acting like this to begin with. As for Zimmy? Scared? Absolutely, and she has every right. Weak? She's been like this her entire life, and she can still have a coherent conversation with another human being. She can be sucked into Zimmingham, with full first-hand knowledge of everything it contains, and keep enough of her wits about her to find her way to safety. She can get through an episode in that awful place and shrug it off as unpleasant, but essentially same-old, same-old. She may not be leaping tall buildings in a single supernatural parabola, but that girl is made of iron. Pitted, scarred, damaged, but trouble-forged and hardened iron. Basically, IMO, Zimmingham and the eyegunk curse are freaking terrifying, especially for preteens/children, and Jack is just as scared as Zimmy. He simply has more energy left to hide it, more hope that he can fix it, and has had less time to be completely broken down by it. :/ EDIT: Actually, let me simplify that. Ladies and gentlemen... Our scared little girl......and our hardened young man.Put Jack back in Zimmingham and let's see how brave he stays.
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preus
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Post by preus on May 5, 2010 11:17:57 GMT
I've got 20 internetdollars saying that Jack is a hardened, determined young man with considerable etheric power; Zimmy is a weak, scared little girl who needs Gamma and Annie to clean up after her power incontinence. Pfft. Determined? Of course, Jack's a resourceful and nimble young man and he couldn't have gotten this far without major determination. But hardened? If Jack isn't scared sh*tless of what's happening to him, then why is he so haggard, so nervous, so desperate for answers? Take a moment, please, to remember the look on his face when he left Zimmingham. Never neglect to consider the fleeting expressions of fury, worry, and fear that keep sneaking past the swaggering I-can-handle-this facade. Jack is definitely dangerous, unmistakably reckless in his methods, but he's also very much afraid, or he wouldn't be acting like this to begin with. As for Zimmy? Scared? Absolutely, and she has every right. Weak? She's been like this her entire life, and she can still have a coherent conversation with another human being. She can be sucked into Zimmingham, with full first-hand knowledge of everything it contains, and keep enough of her wits about her to find her way to safety. She can get through an episode in that awful place and shrug it off as unpleasant, but essentially same-old, same-old. She may not be leaping tall buildings in a single supernatural parabola, that girl is made of iron. Pitted, scarred, damaged, but trouble-forged and hardened iron. Basically, IMO, Zimmingham and the eyegunk curse are freaking terrifying, especially for preteens/children, and Jack is just as scared as Zimmy. He simply has more energy left to hide it, more hope that he can fix it, and has had less time to be completely broken down by it. :/ EDIT: Actually, let me simplify that. Ladies and gentlemen... Our scared little girl......and our hardened young man.Put Jack back in Zimmingham and let's see how brave he stays. ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2010 11:25:25 GMT
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Alex
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Post by Alex on May 5, 2010 11:25:47 GMT
Nah. Jack's all talk and no action. Zimmy's got some actual power behind her. Even if she can't control it, it's far more impressive than Jack's ability to jump higher than normal. And I resent your implication that Annie's takedown of Zimmy was because of Zimmy's weakness rather than Annie's strength. You're selling Miss Carver short. Remember what she did to Winsbury in chapter 3? She's got her some skillz. All talk and no action? Did you even read the chapter? He infiltrated a critical research facility, turned it on, and built a trap for Reynardine. Then he flew away. "All talk"?
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Post by fjodor on May 5, 2010 11:27:18 GMT
No matter how much you try to short-sell him, Jack IS serious business. Definitely true, no discussion there. But to me Jack acts like a kid who found a gun and a Swiss army knife. Even though he can do a lot with it, he will probably end up hurting himself. And while he looks very smart and clever in situations that he controls, I am not so sure how good he will look if he has to react to unforeseen situations. But I hope we'll find out soon.
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Post by Tobu Ishi on May 5, 2010 11:30:27 GMT
Jack is in very deep trouble, refusing help from wiser heads, and digging himself into a hole that could very easily become his own grave.
I'll grant you that he's making his own way. But if 'dealing with it' means attacking his allies, scratching his face and hands until his fingers bleed, floating around like a puppet on supernatural strings, and alternating acts of vandalism with fits of nervous tension, I can't say it's a very good way. Give him another ten years of going on this way, and I'd be surprised if he's still alive, the poor kid.
If you ask me, Zimmy's much stronger for realizing and admitting that she needs help and taking it where it's offered. : /
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2010 11:33:43 GMT
It all depends on your definition of strength. Zimmy doesn't strike me as strong in that regard at all.
She hasn't realized and admitted that she needs help; she simply grabbed onto a lifeline with both hands and will not let go. Have you seen how she treats Gamma?
And yes, Jack may not be choosing the best ways. He's making pretty bad decisions. However, unlike Zimmy, he is at least making his own decisions, and is choosing his own way.
He's not simply sitting around waiting for someone else to save him.
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Post by Tobu Ishi on May 5, 2010 11:38:36 GMT
Have you seen how Jack has treated Annie and Rey, who only came along to help him? Or, for that matter, how his mind has gone downhill with regards to the treatment of robots? Zimmy is screwed up in uncountable ways after a lifetime of being blessed with suck, but she openly admits that she loves Gamma, and shows her moments of tenderness as well as of cruelty, which is more than we can say for poor Jack at this point.
Sometimes we need others to save us, or at least to give us that crucial leg up and help us save ourselves.
(A metaphorical leg up, of course. Our man Jack doesn't need a literal boost anywhere at this point. XD)
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Post by fjodor on May 5, 2010 11:57:10 GMT
I think Zimmy has not shown her strength yet. After all she managed to survive a long time in Zimmingham, and if she shares the power or anti-aether that Jack has, chances are that she has the same abilities. Maybe she has good reasons not to use it. A rule of magick says that if you work evil, it comes back to you. Maybe she has already learnt a lesson that Jack hasn't yet.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2010 11:59:17 GMT
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preus
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Post by preus on May 5, 2010 12:10:25 GMT
It's true, I have been trying to play down what Jack's capable of. I hate that he's been given all these skills and abilities because I don't think he deserves them. He's not likeable or interesting and I feel he has nothing to offer as a character. This whole chapter, I've felt like Tom has been slapping me in the face with Jack and screaming "LIKE HIM, DAMMIT!" I realize how self-centred this view is, considering a) Jack is very popular with the rest of the fanbase and b) Tom doesn't care what any of us think, he writes what he wants. But that doesn't change how I feel. It's like Wolverine all over again. A complete nothing of a character somehow becomes very popular and is given huge amounts of storyline attention to the extent that he sidelines better characters. The process is still in its first stages with Jack, and hopefully it won't go any further than this, but that seems foolishly optimistic. Looks like Jack's here to stay and I'll just have to deal with it. Regardless of who would win in a showdown, Zimmy is an infinitely better crafted character, as is almost every other character in the comic.
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Post by hal9000 on May 5, 2010 12:12:33 GMT
Wouldn't that be something like: "Ai ga ai wa omosugiru tte rikai wo kobami nikushimi ni kawatte iku mae ni"? edit: haha my rusty japanese + inadvertant uverworld reference = fail ローマ字? 駄目!
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Post by Tobu Ishi on May 5, 2010 12:19:19 GMT
*nods* I certainly think Zimmy's quite weak in many respects, most of them social. She never had a chance to learn about normal human relationships; Jack has a natural advantage there, not being cursed from birth. I don't find it terribly surprising that Zimmy clings with downright violent fervor to the one person she needs more than anyone else. Not especially healthy, but not especially surprising, either.
(Again, drop Jack back into Zimmingham and I'd be interested to see how far he gets before he's grabbing for a lifeline, too. It took Gamma to get him out, last time, same as Zimmy and everyone else. He doesn't seem any more capable of breaking free than Zimmy.)
I suppose the overall point I'm trying to promote here is that Jack and Zimmy are both very strong and very weak, with a mutual great potential for power that is eating them both from the inside out, and they're both very, very afraid of that process...but that I find Zimmy's way of "dealing with it" to be at least marginally better than Jack's, even if it does involve relying on someone else.
After all, most people don't in fact respond to a rebuffed offer of help with all-consuming hate. Even Zimmy managed to befriend Annie--and after she'd suplexed her into the sidewalk, no less. Our boy has some serious problems.
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Post by todd on May 5, 2010 12:24:00 GMT
The worst thing Tom could possibly do now would be to have Friday's page being Tea announcing that "Gunnerkrigg Court" will go on sabbatical for the next few weeks, with another "City Face"-type story to fill in during this time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2010 12:47:35 GMT
Pfft freaking headless rider. Yeah I really should've used one of the scripts, but people tend to get weird when I start speaking in moon runes around them, so... Rōmaji. Tobu, that's a great capstone for the discussion because I actually can completely agree with that. I don't have anything else to pick at anymore, so we'll call it off... FOR NOW. preus, you wouldn't know it from how I've been talking, but I know exactly where you're coming from and respect the hell out of it. A lot of my rationalization of Jack's actions roots from a deep sense of unease about his characterization; I'm really looking (hoping) there's more to him than what appears on the surface. So there you go. So, is Tom going to start posting City Face: Lightfoot's Revenge now? That would be double super-awesome.
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