2018-05-20
Posted on 2018-05-20 by Aaron

94 thoughts on “2018-05-20”

  1. evilkumquat

    How gracious for him to acknowledge he HAS another son…

    1. AlmondMagnum

      He does when it’s possible Tyler’s developed powers.

    2. Rock

      I’m amazed he even remembers Tyler at this point. Without needing to be prompted by Toby, that is.

      1. Segev

        I’m actually kind-of encouraged. It’s a very low bar, admittedly, but this is looking up from his usual (dis)regard for Tyler. Even still showing paternal hope that his son might manifest powers. It’s almost loving, coming from this megalomaniac.

        Interesting that he didn’t warn Gravipulse that the one he was sending her after was heading for something hazardous in the tower, though.

        1. Messenger

          Don’t be too encouraged, even if you’ve got a really low bar.

          I’m pretty sure Sovereign only remembered Tyler because he *possibly* has manifested super powers- meaning, without that possibility, he wouldn’t have recalled that he even had another son.

          And I’m guessing once they figure out the anomalies they’ve been experiencing in the tower are just technical glitches or similar, he’s going to discard the possibility of Tyler having powers and go back to treating him like trash.

        2. TemperaryObsessor

          So he only remembers Tyler exists because he believes Tyler has finally gotten powers and still seems to think he’s a villain. Sounds about right.

        3. Library Samurai

          Hey, he has twin sons. If both manifest powers, the odds of one being a villain are 80%… practically 100% if the other twin doesn’t have powers that enhance his brother’s somehow, or work in some sort of fire/ice type thematic twin set. The man has genre sense to realize it.

          Also, while Sovreign and Ultima are criminally careless and completely self-centered, they aren’t deliberately cruel to Tyler. They tried to help him find the only meaning and fulfillment they can even imagine a life having — superpowers. Then they finally got a cloned version of their son who appeared to be, to their specs, the ‘real’ way their son was supposed to be. They have no idea how to even relate to a non-powered being. They put him somewhere he could be educated, among those of their kind and those of his kind both.
          Twisted? Yes. Deliberately awful? No.
          Terrible parents, but not purposefully cruel.

        4. Mechwarrior

          You know, Library Samurai, in a lot of ways that makes it worse.

        5. Moe Lane

          Yeah, Mechwarrior, it does.

        6. BuzzBee

          It does however keep hope alive that at some point they can be made to realize their mistakes and then FIX themselves instead of willfully ignoring any attempts to have themselves be called out.

          Granted, it will take a while, but accidental abuse is moderately easier made up for that intentional.

        7. Skull the Troll

          Any regular school would have called DHS/CPS by now. At the very least they would have the kid talking to a social worker. He lives in a closet for f’s sake.

        8. TemperaryObsessor

          I wouldn’t call the way the Powers are treating Tyler accidental abuse. Its not like they set out to be as abusive as humanly possible, but most evil people don’t go that rout. They know others even in the superhero community don’t approve of there methods and even if they don’t its because they basically start the conversation with Lalala I’m not listening. Tyler doesn’t exactly hide the fact that he doesn’t like the way they treat him either. At this point its not ignorance of the harm they cause its ignoring the harm they cause.

        9. Segev

          What makes it worse, still, MechWarrior, is that LibrarySamurai’s hypothesis is probably true…and the Powerses would probably still be more proud of their supervillain son than if he remained not-a-super. They’d be all, “If only our boy hadn’t turned to evil! (But look at what amazing things he’s doing!)”

        10. TemperaryObsessor

          You know after seeing the costumes in color I realized that the coincidence of Tyler choosing Black and Dark Blue and Toby choosing white and light blue means that they have sort of contrasting outfits.
          So now I’m picturing them dramatically acting really concerned about how there son turned to the dark side but actually being more concerned about how Toby can modify his outfit to match Tylers more while still looking good and not sacrificing the family theme.

        11. DarkWarGod

          I would have to say that the Revenant is a way better Dad to Tyler/Moon Shadow then Soviegn Power ever was or ever will be… Yes, he is training Tyler/Moon Shadow to be a crime fighter like him, but no matter what Revenant is always there for him than his own parents… Even if Tyler/Moon Shadow needs to talk to an adult, no matter what he is doing Revenant takes the call & talks to him… Says something about Tyler/Moon Shadow’s parents doesn’t it?

          Plus, I think we have a good teen-aged Hero Team building here with Tyler/Moon Shadow, the Flea, 84, Ambriel, Emerald Guantlet, Murphy, Malphast, Poly Mer, Suzi Fusion, Vern, Toby Marlock/Ultimate Powers, Angie, Prospero, & Cecil… I mean you have a Nightwing in Moon Shadow, a Spider-Man in the Flea, a Supergirl in 84, a Zauriel in Ambriel, a Green Lantern in Emerald Guantlet, mages in Murphy & Malphast, a Plastic Man/Mr. Fantastic in Poly Mer, a Power Girl in Suzi Fustion, a Superman in Ultimate Powers, the Flash in Vern, a good detective in Cecil, & Angie & Prospero can handle Tech & Gadgets for the team..

          Also, out of the kids I cannot choose a favorite as they all remind me of the kids I grew up with… Great work & I would recomend that you buy PS238 for Champions/Hero System if you haven’t already… I use it in my Champions game I set here in Seattle with the Revenant based here in Seattle with my team of heros as well, the Mymirmidons…

        12. Messenger

          I’m with Mechwarrior and Moe Lane, Library Samurai. 🙁 You pretty much said that Sovereign and Ultima are awful because *they don’t know better*.
          How do you… deal with that? How do you judge that? How do you fix that? Are Sovereign and Ultima and other metahumans like them going to realize how awful their perspective and thinking are when it’s a question of imagining things beyond them? I think they may be incapable of that; they can’t think according to to less-awful norms simply because they AREN’T normal.
          I honestly am reminded of very depressing real world psychology and counselling cases like this, where the “evil” people involved are just so un-self-aware and unthinking that they don’t realize the harm they do.
          If this series wasn’t funny and charming and kid-friendly, if Tyler didn’t have his teachers, friends, and the Revenant, PS238 would be one really dark comic. 🙁

        13. Patrick

          I’m still holding onto the hope that the two of them might be ‘accidentally’ depowered temporarily by the janitor. We haven’t seen him in a while, IIRC…

        14. Library Samurai

          Oh, I agree, I think it makes it worse in some ways, too.

          It’s a miracle Tyler grew up as ….uh…”normal” as he did.
          But it does make his parents both more dangerous and more interesting!

          The one I’m worried about is Toby. He’s an awful lot like Tyler, but he’s stuck with the desperately-craved approval of his problematic parents — the thing Tyler wanted and could never get, remember .
          He lives with them and their hand-picked crew.
          He really wants his brother’s love and approval, because (at least right now) he can still recognize and craves the approval of his one more balanced family member.

          He doesn’t get it.
          He gets shunned and ostracized by his own ‘twin’, and all his twins close friends.
          He’s like a puppy in some ways, trying one trick after another to please an unpleasable audience.

          And the only place he finds acceptance … is with his parents and their disturbing worldview.

        15. TemperaryObsessor

          @ Library Samurai
          Yea one advantage of being the unfavorite is its easy to understand that his parents are hurting him. Both to Tyler and everyone else. His family also does not care enough about Tyler to get in the way of his making his own friends.
          Overall this leaves Tyler relatively happy and Toby not fully understanding that his home life is something he needs to escape from.

  2. Prairie Son

    Welp, Tyler has learned one skill from his parents. Proper allocation of the blame (it’s not MY fault).

    1. Pietro

      Hey, at least he gives them the heads up, that’s nice.

      1. Faust

        It’s useful. It’s a distraction and depending on what the heads up is about it may not actually help them.
        Nice, and depending on the game system can earn points.

  3. Hyperstrike

    Uh oh.

    Sounds like some sort over gratuitous “Superhuman Defense System”.

    Proceeding to pain in 3…2…1…

    1. Faust

      Either something that will hit them both or his limited permissions still exceed hers and he won’t be targeted.

      1. CountryMage

        He’s not flying, their defenses disregard nonpowered invaders, I’m guessing she’s about to fly into a restricted zone the children have already been warned against exploring.

    2. TBeholder

      Or something silly, like an invisible column.

  4. Owlmirror

    The way the 3rd panel is structured (smoke obscuring parts of the background, which includes that odd pinkish vertical stripe) makes it look like Ultima Powers is sticking out his tongue/blowing a raspberry.

    Cannot unsee!

    1. TBeholder

      as in, “=N” (in smiley)?

    2. 7eggert

      No. it’s rather an extra set of fish lips.

  5. Nodrog

    Is anyone else looking forward to Tyler being more formidable then they expect, WITHOUT manifesting powers?
    Also, anyone else think the smoke bomb does something the ‘heroes’ don’t realize yet; maybe the refractive particles cling, making it hard for automated security systems to discern authorized beings?

    1. Rock

      What do you mean, ‘looking forward to’? He already is, in my book! 😉

      1. TemperaryObsessor

        Yea but we can still look forward to more of it.

      2. Mollyscribbles

        I think the implication was “looking forward to his parents realizing it”

        And . . . I’m wary of that, tbh. They don’t seem to hold anyone lacking in superpowers in any sort of esteem.

        1. TemperaryObsessor

          I believe there powers of delusion will prevent them from realizing it. They will either convince themselves that Tyler’s skill is his super powers manifesting, or convince themselves that Tyler didn’t really do what he clearly did, he’s just putting himself and others in danger, also he’s not there son and does not exist. Or they could mix and match there beliefs.

        2. Mollyscribbles

          It’s actually a shapeshifter impersonating Tyler in order to infiltrate the tower.

        3. Matthew Davis

          While he’s ranged far afield from the short stories his origin is from, the Revenant has long had an issue with metahumans who think non-powered humans are essentially worthless.

        4. 7eggert

          To be fair, if you meet a super in action, s/he’s probably in action there because in that situation, non-metas are no battle assets, but the supers have to care for them instead of caring to stay alive, and/or they become hostages and thereby allow the villain to escape.

        5. TemperaryObsessor

          Wrong there are plenty of situations where the best thing the average person can do is stand back and let the professionals handle the situation, but that does not separate a superhero from a police officer, or a fireman, or a plumber. Some superhero’s are going to have to handle some situations where a non super powered person and most super powered people don’t stand much of a chance of even getting to the point of being help full no matter how hard they trained but that’s not the default. Usually superheroes are going to be in situations where a person without superpowers could be help full if they have the proper training and have the right level of natural talent and devotion and most people with superpowers can not be much help unless they are properly trained.

        6. 7eggert

          Nest time when you as average John Doe come across a police operation or firefighters in action, try it out. Most likely you will be asked to leave, and arrested if you don’t.

        7. TemperaryObsessor

          Yes and if not having super powers automatically means your not qualified to help than not having the right superpowers also automatically means your not qualified to help.

        8. 7eggert

          Yes, they only stall the villains until the big boys arrive or keep the civilians out of harm’s way. Better to let he bad boys escape than to die and then to let the bad boys escape.

    2. Marie

      Oh, we are bout to seee the second phase of the psychedelic powder: my guess a flashbang of some kind to make dizzy and vision messed up. All fliers who are not practiced at flying blind will hit walls or each other….

  6. Unmaker

    “appropriate to our public relations standards” instead of just proper procedure. Somehow, every time he opens his mouth he makes himself sound worse.

    1. Rock

      Impressive, isn’t it, given he already has a nigh to zero percent approval rating among the commenting audience?

    2. Kheldarson

      The formality makes you realize how little he actually cares. They’re chasing children, for goodness sake. *His* child even. And all he can do is rattle off protocol. He’s a jerk.

      1. Unmaker

        Not just a protocol, not “do the right thing” or “do it by the manual”, his concern is looking good rather than actually doing good. IMO, that’s worse than a by-the-book personality.

        1. TBeholder

          But he did go “by the book”.
          It’s just that the name of the book doesn’t speak too well of his team’s philosophy. Generic corporate style, but at least they aren’t into euphemisms.

    3. Messenger

      Never forget that while they strive for truth and justice, in their own way they also look down on the non-powered people they protect.

      Aaron really captured that nuanced view of being both sincerely noble and utterly condescending at the same time.

      1. TemperaryObsessor

        While I’m pretty sure that Ultima and Sovereign being heroes is better than them being villains I still like the Vonfogg’s better as people.

        1. Rock

          As parents, the Von Foggs are superior in terms of nirture and support. (Though we don’t know how they would have related to a child without a meta-intellect.)

          But Von Fogg Sr. would have gleefully murdered his opponents. Appalling as the Powers’ standards for not doing so appear to be — P.R. instead of morals — at least they don’t go there. That I know.

        2. russellmz

          ehhh…better parents but he tried to get his supergenius child to recite his numbers while doing a countdown on the silly putty bomb(i think? been a while).

        3. Prairie Son

          It was a bomb they wrapped in super-putty, but yes. I wonder how old Victor was then.

        4. TemperaryObsessor

          Yea doing good things to look good might not be the best reason but still better than doing evil things. Also it’s unlikely that they the Vonfogg’s are worse parents than the Powers.
          The good news is that Toby most likely has at least one set of grandparents who don’t think they deserve to rule the world and look down on everybody not in their group.

        5. Messenger

          @ Prairie Son:
          “It was a bomb they wrapped in super-putty, but yes. I wonder how old Victor was then.”

          Your “they” is ambiguous. Tyler, Angie and Prospero were the ones to wrap it up in super-putty in order to contain it.

        6. Sweeper

          Maybe. But the two Vonfogg kids ( that we’ve seen) have manifested super intelligence at very early ages. If they hadn’t, who knows how their dad would’ve reacted, much less thier mom.

        7. Messenger

          This.

          I wouldn’t be surprised if the Von Foggs would be just as bad or even worse had their kids turned out to have ordinary intellects. Check this: 12052012

          Alexandra: “The VON FOGG LEGACY is one that fights for DOMINANCE OF INTELLECT over the TYRANNY OF THE MEDIOCRE! Our zeppelin-state is a model off EFFICIENCY, INNOVATION, AND CIVILIZED RULE by people who actually USE their brains!”

          And as much as an intelligent meritocracy sounds wonderful, I’m sure the reality is far less than the ideals she imagines. What happens when you don’t measure up, even if your level of intelligence isn’t your fault? Would the Von Foggs actually be kind to their hypothetical normal-smarts child?

          Of course, we don’t know. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

        8. Faust

          I’m sure the Von Foggs could give the genetics to someone without. They could no doubt compare family genetics to the person born without and without much trial and error give the right genetics. They would probably loose the right to pass on the family name if it can’t be inherited from them.
          I’m sure they would see producing such offspring as their own failure and something to fix but would be better parents for it, for a wide range of reasons.

        9. TemperaryObsessor

          I think your right Faust, the Vonfoggs have a better chance of successfully fixing one of there children, and are more likely to use sane methods which are more likely to help there theoretical child than kill them. Even if they fail intelligence is ultimately a scale not yes or no so they can still try to get them as smart as they can be using normal methods. I think if they had a normal child they would most likely be treated sort of like the family pet.
          One thing that could happen is the Vonfoggs not being completely horrible could make it harder to break free of them

        10. Messenger

          Faust, TemperaryObsessor: I don’t think we can be sure that they can simply “give” a normal-intellect child of theirs a brain boost. Two kids of their are super-smart like their parents. The Headmaster (supposedly) fears the birth of an Omega Level One metahuman (03282014). The super-science of the PS238-verse has done amazing things…

          And yet it still hasn’t figured out the source of super-powers (11022011; also the book-only letters to Dr. Positron columns). Furthermore, we have a fact in conflict with the Headmaster’s theory: Tyler Marlocke, born to two of the most powerful metahumans on the planet.

          We do know that Tyler has metahuman parallel world counterparts who are, in fact, as powerful or even more than his parents. However, the possibility of a normal kid born of two powerful supers is fact; thus, it’s possible for the same to happen to the Von Foggs.

          (We even know they tried to bestow super powers on him but none of it stuck.)

          BUT

          That’s all *beside* the point. The real point would be:

          If the Von Foggs had a normal intellect kid, and NOTHING they did could make him superhuman or super-smart,
          how would they treat him given what we know of them?

        11. TemperaryObsessor

          @Messenger
          While we can not be sure exactly how they would react to realizing that they can’t figure out give one of their children meta intellect. I think they would either work with what the child had or pay someone else to.
          If they had a child who they couldn’t get above average then we would see if they acted in the child’s interest or tried to pretend they didn’t exist.
          If they had a child famous for something high on charisma and low on intellect like alt universe Victor. We would see if they were willing to accept that decision, or become hostile.

        12. Messenger

          @TemperaryObsessor:
          It’s true that we’ll never know unless Aaron directly addresses it somehow. It’s just such a tossup for me that I’m unwilling to bet on them being the better super-powered parent to a normal child than Tyler’s folks are.
          Also, I doubt they’d look at any other ability as making their kid an equal/worthy of their family. Charisma, strength, other powers, etc., it’s just not the same as intelligence. Not understanding or knowing or even talking on the same level- that really will demonstrate the difference.
          All that said- if we do get such a story and we do see the Von Foggs- still super-villains- are actually more accepting and kind and considerate as parents to a normal child than Sovereign and Ultima are- it would add such contrast, depth and irony to the PS238.

        13. TemperaryObsessor

          @Messenger I’m not willing to bet they would be good parents to a non genius child just better than the Powers if only because they would not think to use life threatening methods as a first resort.
          By working with what the child has I mean that everyone has some measure of intelligence so even if your child will never be a super genius you can still help your child get smarter.
          If they couldn’t get there child above average or there child decided to seek fame the wrong way is when the Vonfoggs are most likely to outright turn against there child.

  7. KeeCoyote

    I think his father is going to get the smackdown he diserved. Triggered by his own arroganance.

    1. Rock

      Been waiting to see that for a while.
      Still looking forward to it. 🙂

  8. Messenger

    I’m worried that they might put together “Tyler” with “Moon Shadow”…

    … then again, maybe not. One of the rules of the setting is, “It’s amazing what people will ignore even when it’s right in front of them.”

    1. SoySauce

      Obviously, Moon Shadow hacked the system so that it would register him as being “Tyler Marlocke”, thus allowing him to safely infiltrate the tower with his credentials. It’s the only logical answer.

    2. Jack Simth

      That’s not actually setting-specific. It’s played up here, but many people can’t see things that don’t match their world view in real life. I’ve got a couple of coworkers that can’t see past even one or two steps of consequences. I walked one of them through a chain of such (a title of that one could reasonably be “why you actively follow up with a location that’s offline even when the location staff said they’ll get back to you later”) and his reply was simply “I still don’t see how that’s our problem”.

    3. 7eggert

      That’s not specific to fictional worlds. Given he right setup, you can switch a slim girl with a fat man right in front of people’s eyes and they are likely to not notice. Just put somebody in “explain way using map” mode, and as long as the girl and that man want to know the same way, what’s the difference?

    4. Ed Rhodes

      Since Ron switch the actual band Tyler was supposed to have with a duplicate, “Moonshadow” is one of the few people in the facility who ISN’T being identified at Tyler!

      1. Prairie Son

        You mean ‘Cecil’ switched out the bands, yes?

        1. Ed Rhodes

          Yes. You’re absolutely right. RON is the ex-Captain Clarinet who seems to be developing quantum powers.
          CECIL is the paranoid one with the bat-wing coat (that my daughter says she would kill for!)

          I’m terrible with names. Thank you.

        2. Mike

          Heh. What my kids would kill for is Herschel’s nanochip injector and a large supply of Barry Ween chips. A lot of their classmates would soon feel the croissants of minty bees being sunk into their faces

    5. whheydt

      It’s like an opera where the man doesn’t recognize the woman he spent the last night in bed with because she is wearing different clothes today than she was yesterday. Or consider “Die Fledermaus” where a man doesn’t recognize his own wife at a ball because she is wearing a small mask and speaking with a fake accent.

      (What? People thought that comics *originated* stuff like that?)

      1. Dstaal

        The didn’t recognize at a ball is actually not as bad as it sounds – once you realize the ball was probably lit by torch and/or candle light. It could well be hard to recognize anyone, mask or not, at one.

        1. whheydt

          You’re not married, are you? 🙂

        2. 7eggert

          Princes will recognize their bride by fitting a shoe and not seeing blood.

          (I recently learned that the particular fairy tale isn’t about shoes, but if a man puts his *** in her ***, and there is blood, she isn’t the one he *** before.)

        3. whheydt

          The “glass slipper” is a copyist error. It’s reading “vair” (fur) as “vere” (glass). The pronunciation of the words is nearly identical.

      2. William H. Stoddard

        Long ago, when the San Diego Comic-Con was much smaller, I ran its programming department. For several years I set up panels modeled on Steve Allen’s “Meeting of Minds” television series. One of them, “The Cultural Impact of Superheroes,” had a woman playing Cutey Bunny and a man playing Daredevil, sitting next to each other. At the end of the panel, all the panelists unmasked. And she turned, looked at him, and said, “Jefferson!?” She had been sitting right next to him for an hour and a half, but his mask had concealed his identity—though she knew him at a glance without it.

        That’s a sample of one case, of course, but I think it’s evidence that it can happen.

        1. Mike

          My personal sample of one is me, from college. Got talking to another freshman between classes and asked her where she was from; she said “Don’t you recognize me?” She was one of my high school classmates. I was so certain that none of my classmates were going to the same college as me that I never considered it might be her. The only “disguise” she had was the ROTC uniform she was wearing (I didn’t know she was in ROTC), but as disguises go that’s thinner than Clark Kent’s glasses.

  9. Felix

    Dyna mode is the name he said, not her other identity.
    Not sure what to make of this.

    1. Prairie Son

      What, you mean the woman chasing Moon Shadow? That’s someone other than their target.

      1. Faust

        “Be cautious, Dynamode said on of those two might be my other son Tyler.”
        I was sure she used a different name before. Turns out she didn’t give her name at all when giving Tyler the wristband.

        1. Wanderer

          What’s more interesting is that Dynamode is able to connect Moonshadow with Tyler, however tenuously.

        2. Rock

          That may be down to the tracking bracelet — which Tyler is no longer wearing.

  10. Storel

    “Then what’s probably about to happen isn’t my fault.” Hmm, oddly phrased. So does that mean if it doesn’t happen, then it is your fault? 😎

    1. Faust

      Because he is bad luck and it is now not currently operating?
      There is a space station and space ship that might decide to manipulate things so defences might be not operating according to standard protocol.

    2. Nightmask

      Not really, it just means he knows what the tower’s automated defenses are likely to do (he’s not certain since his parents deemed him a ‘security risk’ and dropped his rating down to barely above a complete stranger so he can’t be sure if they’re all active like he remembered) and whatever happens to her isn’t his fault. Pretty straightforward really.

  11. Ed Rhodes

    Can I point out that apparently Tyler has been practicing his swinging. I remember when he started, he was a terrified sack of grain at the end of a string, now he looks far more like he’s in control of his actions. I’m impressed.

    1. Prairie Son

      I hadn’t noticed that. Good find.

  12. Faust

    Given his parents offer of a jet pack and the permission slip, is there any way they could be convinced this is their idea?

  13. Joey

    Do you know what would be funny? If Tyler got a superpower, but it was like, “heart” or “communicate with ferns” or something.

    At least when he’s powerless, his parents can have hope. This would probably be worse to them.

  14. Nightmask

    Would be kind of amusing to think that the Powers, with their ‘normals are useless only us special people have a right to try and make things better’ attitude and their belief that they’re representatives of the universe and as such simply could not have a normal child found out that that they’d been right about being destined to have a Child of Destiny and his powerless state is explicitly WHY he’s such a fabulous, destined child. Just imagine their heads exploding at the thought that Destiny Itself isn’t in their hands but that of the normals.

    1. Jenora Feuer

      You know, given the whole ‘decide whether or not humanity gets to continue having superpowers’ arc, the idea that he’s an actual Child of Destiny despite/because of not having powers himself has some backing to it…

  15. Xero

    Ahh using the tactics of The Spirit then (knowing your enviroment better than your opponant)

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