10/24/2014
Posted on 2014-10-24 by Aaron

131 thoughts on “10/24/2014”

  1. Colin

    So this is an application to become your new nemesis, which means periodical harassment until you get tired of it. NOT IT!

    1. Simon

      Well, yes… but I don’t think anyone one else has actually stopped to talk to Veres for long enough to understand that.

      84 is quite possibly the first person on earth to have actually held a conversation with him… the first hero not to just weigh in with a moronic catchphrase before joining battle.

      1. Nightmask

        I imagine Atlas managed it as well, since he did have the God’s respect enough to become his chosen opponent.

  2. Mike

    Ah, the egos…

    If 84 isn’t one of those Veles chooses, I will be shocked. Well, unless it’s Ajax instead, and we get to see him apply the lessons learned from his last go-round with the Headmaster.

    1. ZReporter

      I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t pick her only to come back a week later looking for new challengers saying…

      “Oh the last lot… Still stuck in the egg. I kind of got bored waiting for them so I decided to try again.”

      1. Van

        “By the way, I turned them all into small children and have decided they all need to go back to kindergarten and learn some manners. Who is next? And be careful those morons left a mess.”

      2. KentDA

        Z … I almost spilled my drink at that!

        I could actually see certain villains doing just that.

      3. mrtt

        Oho! Now that would be interesting
        He didn’t pick her to be one of the five, but they failed.
        Then she steals the egg from him and rescues them, thus becoming his new nemesis

  3. John Whiting

    Should I mention that 84 can’t decide if it’s her right hand or her left hand she’s raising?

    1. Tim

      Good catch sir! You have no place on the England Cricket team…

      1. Gillsing

        Let’s just pretend that she raised both hands, and then took down her left hand a lot quicker than her right hand. 😉

  4. Someguy

    Wait… Veles can do the Cosmic Egg thing?

    1. Rock

      Underworld trickster deity of magic, the earth and the herds.
      Yes. He can. :p

  5. Antigone

    Three named teams, plus the first batch to get individual name-tag introductions (the ones who nearly torched 84), plus the FISS sorta-team. A hot fudge sundae says it’ll be one member of each group.

    1. Psiberkiwi

      *looks up from eating a hot fudge sundae* Wait – you telling me this was supposed to be the prize? Oops…

  6. Blackcat Moebius

    Hmmm…. 5 groups (if we include the FISSes) challenged him. He’s picking 5 champions. The math seems obvious, but I also half expect him to send in both 84 and Atlas 2.0.

    1. vonBoomslang

      Note that the Elementalists didn’t get names, which makes me inclined to agree. 84, Atlas 2.0, Meson, Neuronet and Conjuror is my guess.

      1. Nightmask

        Well it’s unlikely he’d pick Forak since we see Forak flying off to deliver Atlas’s pal to the city and I doubt he’s going to be rushing back to the scene of someone with power like Veles.

        1. MattStriker

          I think if he does pick two Numbers the other one would be Ajax.

        2. Moe Lane

          Ajax v. 84 is going to be the real contest, here. The rest are just there to be heartily embarrassed. Which they deserve.

      2. Mike

        If I had to guess, I’d say Veles will pick the spokesperson or apparent leader from each group – 84, Meson, Neuronet, the wind lady from the Elementalists, and Conjurer.

        1. luagha

          I’d agree. I’d also add that if he chooses people who think fast, 84 has already demonstrated that twice within Veles’ hearing. Once with getting Atlas’s pal onto the water, and again with whipping Atlas 2.0 into the ‘save’.

    2. Berpol

      As Forak flew away other choices would be 71 (Brian) or 82 (Ajax).
      This would lead to a teamup of two FISS against three single supers.

  7. AlmondMagnum

    So… What happens if Veles wins? I mean, what if he picks one of those bozos with an overinflated ego, and flattens him (or her) at every encounter?

    1. Christopher

      He makes this “5 go in, only one becomes Earth Champions” thing so that won’t happen.
      Also it was never about brute force (they simply do not have nearly enough force for that). He needs to be challenged mentally.

    2. MattStriker

      Traditionally? Drought. The result of Perun’s victory was to bring the rain back to Earth. Veles winning a round would mean a year of no rain.

      1. enderlord99

        Wait…

        Peasants would pray to the god of “crops don’t grow, but at least it’s sunny!” and nobility would pray to the god of “it’s soaking wet out, but at least there’s a good harvest!”

        That seems backwards to me…

        1. Van

          No worse than the worship of movies stars, bad actors, musicians, and sport stars nowadays.

        2. Wanderer

          It’s a little more complicated. Veles isn’t evil, after all; he’s just a trickster. His domains are water, the underworld, magic, music, cattle, wealth and the peasantry. (He’s been known to save peasants from Perun’s wild shots of lightning.) Perun’s domains are the harvest, thunder, lightning, fire, mountains, horses, carts, weapons and war. So you have a god of herdsmen on the one hand (Veles) and a god of farmers on the other (Perun).

        3. Prairie Son

          And that particular fight has been going on for all of recorded human history.

    3. KentDA

      He set one rule which is vague enough that it’ll probably take someone who stops to Think instead of just brain mauling, body frying or throwing levin bolts.

      After all, who knows what the Eye looks like?

      So he’s not actively doing the picking. But it doesn’t mean he won’t play with their surroundings while inside the egg to weed out the morons, hotheads and the arrogant.

      He comes across as the type who wants a challenge, nothing more. Boredom + Godhood. Not a good combination. No fun in picking on the school idiot, that just leads to more boredom after all. Now if the school idiot survives and gets to the prize … well he obviously wasn’t that big of an idiot!

  8. Prairie Son

    Notice he doesn’t say the other four get to come back out of the egg.

    1. krenn

      i’m guessing releasing the other four is the award for subsequently defeating him in single combat. I’d almost be willing to throw the fight for that outcome.

  9. 3of5

    Wow, that totally ruins my prediction, the last page had me convinced that Tyler’s parents were about to show up. Anyways, I have a feeling that he is going to have way too much fun watching these heroes compete for the right to be his “nemesis.”

  10. Adahn

    Willingly entering into a doorless prison of a trickster god…
    who would be stupid enough to fall for that?

    1. Erik

      When did Veles say anything about willingly entering?

    2. Rock

      The ones who didn’t raise their hands and ask clarifying questions, would be my guess…

    3. Mike

      It’s likely to be unwillingly, as Veles gets to choose…

    4. KentDA

      He never talked about choice, except his choice of who goes in.

  11. David Nuttall

    Okay, I recognize Dr. Fate and Jay Garret’s Flash. But which JSA member is Lady Salem supposed to be based on? Flying with a sword? Hawkgirl? Maybe Sabrina after she is all grown up?

    1. Wanderer

      Non-JSA mystic Madame Xanadu, would be my guess. After all, that’s at least two magic items right there.

  12. Nightmask

    Apparently The Conjurer hasn’t heard of the subtle and intricate powers of politeness and respect, nor the value of reasoned discourse and trying to learn everything you can about a situation in order to best deal with it. Then again seems like the only ones NOT resorting to brute force and trying to beat down the antagonist are 84 and her FISS team.

    1. Someguy

      I think that’s the punch line.

      1. vonBoomslang

        *coughsnrk*

        1. Rock

          Just more supporting evidence of my theory that the reason FISS-superheroes get treated like grunts is not because they are, but because a lot of the “unique” powerset crowd are snotty jerks.

      2. Simon

        Well, it *is* possible to have FISS characters who are more than just nuclear-powered flying sledgehammers… but it’s kind of rare…

      3. Hans Rancke

        That strikes me as likely.

  13. dana

    If I were to guess (and I’m usually wrong), I’d guess the member of each group who’s demonstrated the the biggest ego so far. Because they’re the most fun to humiliate if you’re a god.

    So I’m guessing Meson, Neuronet, the female elementalist, the Conjuror and… 84. Not because 84 has a big ego, but because she’s the only one who’s made the slightest positive impression on him… and because the story is being told from her point of view.

    But remember, I’m usually wrong.

    1. DStaal

      84 did have the biggest ego in her group – not hard when you’re being compared to Forak.

      1. Veritas

        It’s just a matter of quiet confidence instead of bravado.

        She’s also the only one so far to accord Veles even the slightest smidgeon of respect. As Veles wants a champion to face, not an uncontested win (presumably – or why call out Atlas in the first place?), I’d be quite surprised as well if 84 isn’t in the running.

        Because squashing any of those self-important twits who doesn’t know what it actually means to face a god might give him some fleeting amusement – but 84 would be more likely to play within the rules of his challenges (if possibly subverting those rules) rather than just bullishly trying to smash through them. In other words, she’s the only one he’s interacted with this scene who’s likely to play his game right.

        1. KentDA

          The other teams arrived, were cocky, arrogant, belittling the only apparently smart girl in the batch. That and he’s already been attacked, not that it did any good.

          He’ll probably take one of each of major group, just to prove a point. 84 … he’ll take her because she’s been civil and actually might be a good opponent for him.

          That’s the feeling I’m getting. Which could be wrong of course. My cat insists I’m wrong all the time …

    2. By the Farmstead

      He could just select the leaders of each team. They each seem to be the snottiest in general, and 84 is the official leader of the FISS group.

      1. DocSavage

        That’s my bet as well. Either that or the bricks from each team, and the test inside the egg turns out to be an intelligence test. ^_~
        Whichever way it turns out, I’m betting 84 winds up being the new Champion of Earth (per Velles). She’s becoming as central a character as Toby is.

        1. Knug

          Toby . . . you mean Tyler ?

  14. Rock

    Hmm. The Major Arcana are part of the Tarot deck, so… is this latest set of hyper-ego losers a shout-out to the Royal Flush Gang? 😉

  15. Ghostbear0

    She’s a kid and Veras has shown he’s willing to engage in conversation and their treating her like she’s a moron for gathering information. The fact that 84 is the only one the god is actualy responding to should be ringing some seriose warning bells for these idiots.

    1. Van

      I suspect she would challenge him to an ice cream eating contest, and ask him questions while he got serious brain freeze.

  16. James

    Huh well would you look at that Neuronet is acting like a responsible adult!

  17. TomT

    I’m really liking Velas. And I pick 84 and 1 of each of the other teams. I also bet on 84 because she is the only one who has been treating Velas like and intelligent being.

  18. Faust

    He got bored quick with the first team and the second team would be ineffective against him. I think upto three FISS could be chosen.

  19. NeoDarklight

    You know, I’m beginning to think that brute force is the only thing that works on the guy, and that everybody else besides 84 and Veles are too stupid to realize it.

    1. dana

      “Puny god.” 🙂

    2. Unmaker

      His opponent is supposed to be the strong. Veles wants a smart one to make it more interesting for him personally.

  20. Sweeper

    OK, who else thinks Veles would make for an interesting addition to the teaching staff of PS238 or its middle/ high school equivalent?

    In most pantheons I’ve read about, nearly all of the “Trickster” gods had one thing in common; they were teachers of one form or another. I could easily see Veles tacking a sabbatical for a couple decades to teach young metas, especially now that they’ll continue to be born.

    1. Balance

      I don’t know that it’s likely, but I like it. I’m kind of partial to tricksters, and Veles is probably kind of bored during his off-season. He could show up to teach a seminar, maybe–or better yet, as an impromptu substitute teacher. I could see him doing it just to make sure his nemesis is properly trained.

      We’ll have to wait and see more of his character, though.

    2. Mechwarrior

      Now I’ve got this mental image of Veles ending a a fight with 84 early on account of it being a school night.

      1. Van

        Picture how he would handle Victor von Fogg and Zodon.

        1. KentDA

          My head exploded in laughter at the sheer idea of that.

          However, I could see him being a substitute teacher at times.

          “You’re not seriously considering allowing a bored god to teach these kids Phys-Ed, are you?”

          “It’s that or deal with him deciding to summon another swarm of Kjulites. You know how hard it is to clean up the city after those guys go through town.”

          “Phys-Ed it is.”

        2. Psyque

          Veles: “No, no, no! You are a disgrace to villainy! This should be done with style!
          Zodon: “Not this again….”
          Von Fogg: “How dare you speak to me that way!”
          Dante: “I’m not even supposed to be here today!”

    3. Moe Lane

      Yup! Imagine the field trips.

    4. Dorje Sylas

      Well he’s actually kinda busy (digging into the real world Veles) the rest of the time. Most notably being a protector of cattle (and sometimes sheep), and of musicians. Although it would be kinda funny to see him take up the position of music teacher at PS238.

      1. Mechwarrior

        Ooh, now that would allow him to set up a little mentoring for Ron.

  21. Opus the Poet

    I think 84 will be part of the quest just because she’s polite.

  22. Kaian

    Yeah they scold her to not be polite. Not noticing that the godling has only really responded to polite discourse?

    Think about it. The moment he hears Atlas isn’t around he released his hostage. Meaning NONE of the adults thought to negotiate for an instant with the hostage taker. A beat cop could have done better there.
    Next with out saying a word she raises her hand and he not only recognizes the gesture but responds accordingly.

    I was on Moonshadow and the Revenant’s side before we met these yahoos. Now I think we need more of him but that the headmaster is right.

    1. Mechwarrior

      I’ve been wondering for a while now if Veles and the Revenant know each other.

      1. KentDA

        Considering just WHO Revenant knows, it wouldn’t surprise me.

        R: “You do know this is getting old. This is the third time in the past century you’ve pulled the egg routine.”

        V: “Would you prefer I use a labyrinth made out of the local parks?”

        R: “Egg it is.”

  23. Fluffy the terrible

    Why would a witch name herself Lady SALEM? Does anybody else think that’s stupid?

    1. aqua

      teenage girl gets magical powers names herself something dark and witchy then dresses in dark colors? why so surprised? we have people doing that kind of stuff in real life. her look seems like maybe she grew up and is more serious but she is stuck with the name from when she was younger.

      thats the bologna ill come up with for her backstory

    2. Wanderer

      Considering Salem, Massachusetts has had an official witch for decades, not so stupid. Sure, they had one bad fit of mass hysteria back in 1692, but witches have been the town’s main tourist draw ever since. (Besides, the trials were held in Salem Village (now Danvers), Ipswich, Andover and also Salem Town. There has never been a monopoly on stupidity, alas.)

    3. Rock

      Not at all.

      “You burned my people, but I’m still here and I will remind you of what happened and what I am every time I save a life and my likeness and superhero name are plastered across the media and people cheer me. Suck it.”

      1. KAM

        Hanged, but the point still stands.

    4. Prairie Son

      Given the word means ‘complete’ and has strong associations with archaeological sites affiliated with moon goddess worship (including Hecate), not really.

    5. Sweeper

      Perhaps she’s a fan of the movie Van Helping in General and Hugh Jackman in particular. 🙂

  24. mage_cat

    Another benefit to Veles choosing Julie to act as Earth’s new champion against him, from his perspective, is because she is so young. If she can make a credible opponent now, imagine what a fight between them would be like once she has grown into her adult strength, experience, and mental processes. She has the potential to give him decades of increasingly challenging battles.

    1. Psiberkiwi

      Job security at its best.

      1. KentDA

        Uh uh … can I take the other job? I think being the “chosen” opponent for a bored god would not be conducive to a long lifespan.

  25. By the Farmstead

    Actually, I could see Veles taking an interest in the schools, not just 84 after this. He’s powerful enough to cut through anything that annoys him, but it’s about the challenge not perma-death. That makes him a good candidate for permanent big bad for the series. He’s probably really, REALLY bored and a whole cohort of young godlings who have not yet been spoiled might suit his needs. Maybe next ‘year’ will be a different hero or outright villain. He’s powerful, but not a real threat si I’s like him as a recurring character.

    1. DocSavage

      Seconded. The motion’s been made and seconded, all for?

  26. Segev

    As powerful as Veles seems to be, it’s important to remember that we have other beings on par with him going to the school. Toby aside, the parents of Malphast are similarly strong, and then there’s Murphy…

    1. Nightmask

      Except Malphast’s parents can’t access the ‘mortal’ plane, as we saw from the storyarc where they were trying to create a rift large enough to directly access the physical world and we’ve no idea how powerful Murphy really is, given he is simply a fragment of a whole and while we’ve seen him reclaim a few pieces he’s never displayed any really impressive power so far. So to date we’ve not seen anyone actually displaying god level power (outside of Vern’s resurrection level healing) at PS238.

      1. Andorxor

        The time-traveling at will is very godlike.

        1. Christopher

          There is a difference between Timetravel at will. And time pulling you around.
          The resident active time traveller is of the later kind definitely.

          He can’t just do whatever he wants with those powers. Only what time wants him to do.

        2. Mechwarrior

          I think you’re confusing Tom with Paradox.

      2. 3of5

        The school also has Hestia (Goddess from the Rainmaker program), although, her powers aren’t normally ‘god-like’ until someone breaks hospitality.

        1. Jonathan S

          Seems to me that turning a man into a giant monster in order to attract attention is pretty darn inhospitable… 🙂

        2. Nightmask

          Hospitality in regards to where one lives or resides, hence why she had power against the power-negator when he stormed the school and her classroom and why Irons chose not to have her along useful though she’d have been at the former Rainmaker program’s base since Revenant and Moonshadow would have been transgressing the rules of hospitality in entering without invitation.

  27. Leo Orionis

    I like Mxyzptlk — I mean, Veles. And how come no one in the assembled superheroes has thought, “On the other hand, the guy he’s BEEN fighting all these years is Atlas, who’s a FISS.” Do they think he just didn’t know any better?

    1. Wanderer

      They probably assume that he was looking for a comparatively easy “mark”. Consider that non-fans of Superman tend to completely write off his intellect, despite his demonstrating a high intelligence in the majority of his comic runs.

    2. KentDA

      Its all about reputation. Atlas is not a FISS, he’s Atlas!

      All the others? They’re FISS. Nobody. Until they go and prove themselves and “Earn” a name. Then they’re “Name” and not a FISS.

  28. Christopher

    When he said A-type personality, did he mean the old definition of this Theory:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_A_and_Type_B_personality_theory#Type_A
    ?

    If so he seems pretty self concious. He is the kind of god that could make beeing villain cool again.
    Like Loki in Thor 1, 2 and Avengers 🙂

    1. Knug

      I’d say the face that Veles knows the term “type A personality” leads to the assumption that he is old, but up to date. This isn’t a simple country weather deity.

      Trickster gods were (as correctly stated above) enjoyed using their powers to teach a lesson. i.e. if you learn the lesson correctly, you win. Veles will never look to win permanently.

      It could very well be that having Veles as an opponent for years helped make Atlas what he was.

      1. Knug

        *fact, not face.

      2. DreamPen

        I really like this theory. It’d fit very well with the non-FISS looking down on FISS heroes thing.

      3. By the Farmstead

        +1

    2. Signalgk

      I think he’s referring to Freud’s theory that the majority of personalities can be defined as either Anal or Oral – and Veles is sufficiently self-aware that he knows and accepts he is a control freak (an anal personality according to Freudian psychoanalysis) – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_retentiveness

  29. TxSnowman

    I know this story is focusing on 84, but somehow, I can see one of the five being poor Tyler, whose probably doing everything he can to stay out of the way.

  30. Eric

    I suspect good manners, politeness, and at least some measure of a functional brain is going to work in 84’s favour.

  31. Alex C

    Suddenly Moonshadow appears out of nowhere. “Um guys, what’s going on?”

  32. Devlerbat

    These guys do know that Atlas was the previous Champion of Earth (per Veles’s definition) right? Having “more subtle and intricate powers” is not a prerequisite. How you use those powers is what matters.

  33. Jenora Feuer

    You know…

    it sounds like it’s primarily a race to the centre of the egg.

    Didn’t this entire chapter start off with 84 winning a race with the fastest speedster in the school, mostly by being able to fly up and get around obstacles?

    What do you want to be 84 goes in and gets to the eye while everybody else is bogged down battling the monsters summoned to make things more interesting…

    Then, since the person has to get the eye and get out to give it to Veles, the others have to choose between realizing they were beaten by a young girl, and actively trying to beat up a young girl to get the prize themselves…

    1. Mechwarrior

      I don’t think any of them would have any issues with trying to steal it from her on the grounds of her “not being old and mature enough to handle the responsibility.”

      1. Jenora Feuer

        True, which is kind of sad.

        “I tried to beat up a ten year old kid, and lost” should be one of those events that makes you re-evaluate your life. Too bad none of these folks seem much into introspection.

        1. Mechwarrior

          I have the feeling that Veles will lay down some *epic* humiliation on anyone who tries to steal the Eye from Julia, though.

  34. Mister Andersen

    I think folks are overlooking the possibility that with all these teams showing up, and the attitude of the kids at school forming teams to deliberately exclude 84, she’s going to essentially form the Defenders by ensuring everyone brings the eye back to Veles, thereby establishing herself as an avatar of order…

  35. Nodrogs

    How does this sound: 84 waits till five heroes (not including her) are picked. She then takes the egg, announces she’s claiming the eye, and hands the egg back to Veres. Challenge solved?

    1. Lycanthromancer

      I personally think that 4+Julie will be chosen and go inside the egg.

      But I really like your idea. Although, if Julie is picked, she could ask to see the egg prior to entering, take it from him to examine it, and THEN claim it. That way she’d qualify as a contestant, therefore bending the rules over backwards and winning the contest; otherwise, she wouldn’t qualify, and it wouldn’t count.

  36. Lycanthromancer

    I personally think that 4+Julie will be chosen and go inside the egg.

    But I really like your idea. Although, if Julie is picked, she could ask to see the egg prior to entering, take it from him to examine it, and THEN claim it. That way she’d qualify as a contestant, therefore bending the rules over backwards and winning the contest; otherwise, she wouldn’t qualify, and it wouldn’t count.

    1. Lycanthromancer

      …Oops. Double-post. 🙁

  37. Naldru

    Here is my theory. The five go into the egg and find a huge glowing eye. Everyone except 84 starts fighting over the eye to become the next champion. 84 realizes that, although it is an eye, it is not the eye at the “heart”. She finds the actual eye and brings it to Veles. Meanwhile, the others are still fighting over the decoy. Veles offers 84 a favor, and she asks Veles to release the others. Veles then tells 84 they still have to have a contest. She suggests a game of checkers, and he accepts. The chapter ends as they start the game.

  38. Knug

    You know, 110 comments may just be a record for a single daily strip.

    1. Prairie Son

      Any bets how high the count’ll go? I’d say 125.

      1. Lycanthromancer

        Depends entirely how long it takes before the next update, which may be awhile.

      2. Jenora Feuer

        Well, it’s at 123 before I posted this comment, so this comment takes it to 124… anybody want to reply to make it 125?

  39. Mike

    OK – 84, Meson, Neuronet and The Conjurer are all in the next-to-last panel; I think we have a bit of foreshadowing here. I still think the wind lady from the Elementalists will probably be the fifth, with Veles picking the “spokesperson” from each group, but Ajax would be my backup choice since I think he’s the only person to show up in the background more than once since Veles restored Bertram (plus, Veles is looking for a replacement for Atlas, and Ajax’s comment that he could be a better Atlas than Forak might be another foreshadowing).

    1. Mike

      It also just struck me that we are dealing with a trickster god, and Ajax has been unwillingly dealing with tricksters (OK, pranksters) for some time now. More foreshadowing? Maybe I should swap the order of my two guesses for egg man #5.

  40. Mike

    I’m also thinking that the amount of pure speculation in the comments section (I include myself in that) seems to vary as the square of the time interval between updates.

  41. Hybirius

    Sometimes politeness just doesn’t pay.

  42. Pneumonica

    He’s very obviously respecting 84. He’s not the person who’d use “young lady” in a disrespectful tone, and indeed he’s the kind of person for whom “lady” is a term of respect. So, regardless of outcome, I’d say the trickster’s going to be involved in her life from time to time just on the “I like you” principle

  43. Lycanthromancer

    Does anyone else hear Discord when Veles is talking?

  44. Adam

    Babylonian god huh? Try going before a federal judge with that!

  45. Christopher

    Just watched Ghostbusters 1.
    Now I get the “not babylonion god, summerian” part.

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