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Changed line(s) 106 (click to see context) from:
* BlackSheep: The rest of Oggie's descendents definitely act more Jäger-adjacent than he does, and most think as little of his profession as everyone else.
to:
* BlackSheep: The rest of Oggie's descendents descendants definitely act more Jäger-adjacent than he does, and most think as little of his profession as everyone else.
Changed line(s) 111 (click to see context) from:
'''Storyteller:''' ''(glowering at the man)'' That, I'll grant you.
to:
'''Storyteller:''' ''(glowering ''[glowering at the man)'' man]'' That, I'll grant you.
Changed line(s) 113 (click to see context) from:
* HorrifyingtheHorror: A mild example, but his "About the Author" blurb in one of the print comics states that his family's "rather bizarre choices in the way of ancestors" makes them considered odd...''by the people of Mechanicsburg''.
to:
* HorrifyingtheHorror: HorrifyingTheHorror: A mild example, but his "About the Author" blurb in one of the print comics states that his family's "rather bizarre choices in the way of ancestors" makes them considered odd...''by the people of Mechanicsburg''.
Changed line(s) 117 (click to see context) from:
* TheStoryteller: Well, duh. The comic begins with him telling a story (presumably the ''Girl Genius'' story) to some kids.
to:
* TheStoryteller: Well, duh. The comic begins with him telling a story (presumably the ''Girl Genius'' story) to some kids.
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* AmbiguouslyEvil: Not much is known about Beetle's ultimate goals or motivations. He greatly disliked the Baron's rule, and seemed to be planning to use Agatha to further his goals, but at the same time, Barry trusted him enough to entrust Agatha to his care, and [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060324 apparently gave him reason not to trust the Baron]].
to:
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Not much is known about Beetle's ultimate goals or motivations. He greatly disliked the Baron's rule, and seemed to be planning to use Agatha to further his goals, but at the same time, Barry trusted him enough to entrust Agatha to his care, and [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060324 apparently gave him reason not to trust the Baron]]. Depending on what exactly Beetle thought he knew, opposing Klaus might have appeared to be the good-guy thing to do.
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* MentorOccupationalHazard: He's Agatha's mentor, and dies in the series' first chapter as part of the standard process of shaking the protagonist out of her childhood home to send her off to adventure.
to:
* MentorOccupationalHazard: He's Agatha's mentor, and dies in the series' first chapter as part of the standard process of shaking the protagonist out of her childhood home to send her off to adventure.
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Added DiffLines:
* MentorOccupationalHazard: He's Agatha's mentor, and dies in the series' first chapter as part of the standard process of shaking the protagonist out of her childhood home to send her off to adventure.
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* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: He fires dozens of rapid-fire shots at Gil and Agatha with two giant machine guns and they all miss. The only bullet that actually hits is fired with a pistol from less than a foot away, and only gets Gil in the shoulder.
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Spelling/grammar fix(es), Added example(s), General clarification on work content, Cleaning up Word Cruft
Changed line(s) 19 (click to see context) from:
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: His favored means of dealing with criminals in his city is to stick them in a giant bell jar and then leave them there until he needs to reuse the jar. People frequently die of exposure, starvation and/or dehydration before that happens.
to:
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: His favored means of dealing with criminals in his city is to stick them in a giant bell jar and then leave them there until he needs to reuse the jar. People frequently die of exposure, starvation and/or dehydration before that happens.dehydration. He then leaves their bodies there until he needs to reuse the jar.
Changed line(s) 30 (click to see context) from:
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Beetle was the one who inspired Lucrezia's experiments with mind-transferral, meaning a good deal of issues in the story can in some way be traced back to him.
to:
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Beetle was the one who inspired Lucrezia's experiments with mind-transferral, mind-transferal, meaning a good deal of issues in the story can in some way be traced back to him.
Changed line(s) 60 (click to see context) from:
* PetTheDog: He gave Agatha a genuine (if mildly startled) compliment after she managed to clean the lab in a remarkably short timeframe. Of course, then it turned out she'd crammed everything in a closet.
to:
* PetTheDog: He gave Agatha a genuine (if mildly startled) compliment after she managed to clean the lab in a remarkably short timeframe. Of course, then it turned out she'd crammed everything in a closet.
Changed line(s) 69 (click to see context) from:
Seems like a really nice guy, if a bit of a worrywart.
to:
Changed line(s) 83 (click to see context) from:
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha and write her official biography when they run into each other in Paris. She is the presenter behind the stories in the "Radio Play" side stories.
to:
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha and write her official biography when they run into each other in Paris. She is the presenter behind the stories in the "Radio Play" side stories.stories, and co-writer/director of the Cinderella sidestory.
Changed line(s) 90 (click to see context) from:
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
to:
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, Later (real-world time) we see she did meet met Agatha in person in Paris.
Changed line(s) 103 (click to see context) from:
* TheBard: The storyteller is a traveling bard who has multiple random encounters with the protagonists throughout their journey, they find him and a way to escape the maze beneath Sturmhalten when they hear him singing while imprisoned in the local dungeon. He's memorized a great number of tales in addition to spinning his own.
to:
* TheBard: The storyteller is a traveling bard who has multiple random encounters with the protagonists throughout their journey, journey; they first find him and a way to escape the maze beneath Sturmhalten when they hear him singing while imprisoned in the local dungeon. He's memorized a great number of tales in addition to spinning his own.
* HorrifyingtheHorror: A mild example, but his "About the Author" blurb in one of the print comics states that his family's "rather bizarre choices in the way of ancestors" makes them considered odd...''by the people of Mechanicsburg''.
Changed line(s) 115,117 (click to see context) from:
* TemptingFate: He tells Oggie he'll find a girlfriend as soon as Oggie finds a Heterodyne. And then he sees the giant hologram of Agatha bursting out of Prince Aaronev's castle...
* UnwantedAssistance: Is a great-great-great grandson of Oggie. It's Oggie's "assistance" with trying to help the family line along that has in fact led to the Storyteller being one of the ''last'' of said line. Then again, judging by the rest of his family when they visit for the Solstice, it seems more of a matter of him being a bit of a BlackSheep.
* UnwantedAssistance: Is a great-great-great grandson of Oggie. It's Oggie's "assistance" with trying to help the family line along that has in fact led to the Storyteller being one of the ''last'' of said line. Then again, judging by the rest of his family when they visit for the Solstice, it seems more of a matter of him being a bit of a BlackSheep.
to:
* TemptingFate: He tells Oggie he'll find a girlfriend get married as soon as Oggie finds a Heterodyne. And then he sees the giant hologram of Agatha bursting out of Prince Aaronev's castle...
* UnwantedAssistance: Is a great-great-great grandson of Oggie. It's Oggie's "assistance" with trying to help the family line along that has in fact led to the Storyteller being one of the ''last'' of said line.Then again, This is either a dramatic exaggeration or is referring to the Storyteller's particular branch of the family tree; judging by the rest of his the family seen when they the Storeyteller and his wife visit for the Solstice, it seems more of a matter of him being a bit of a BlackSheep.
Ognian's bloodline is quite robust.
* UnwantedAssistance: Is a great-great-great grandson of Oggie. It's Oggie's "assistance" with trying to help the family line along that has in fact led to the Storyteller being one of the ''last'' of said line.
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Changed line(s) 105 (click to see context) from:
* TheBore: The Great Hospital at Mechanicsburg hires him to help get difficult patients to sleep, much to his disgruntlement. This gets him volunteered to help get Klaus to sleep soon after. About the only person who doesn't find his storytelling dull is Tarvek (who is moved to ManlyTears instead).
to:
* TheBore: The Great Hospital at Mechanicsburg hires him to help get difficult patients to sleep, much to his disgruntlement. This gets him volunteered to help get Klaus to sleep soon after. About the only person who doesn't find his storytelling dull is Tarvek (who realizes that the unwitting bard is moved being used by the Baron to ManlyTears instead).pass along a message to Gil).
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Changed line(s) 73 (click to see context) from:
* NoCelebritiesWwereHarmed: Bears an intentional resemblance to Creator/RonGlass
to:
* NoCelebritiesWwereHarmed: NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Bears an intentional resemblance to Creator/RonGlass
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Deleted line(s) 37 (click to see context) :
* ImpossibleTask: At the start of the comic, he and Glassvitch were given plans to build a contraption for Wulfenbach...well, really, Tarsus shoved it on the non-Sparks while he kept working on his own projects. At any rate, after three months of work without getting the gadget to operate, it turned out the whole thing was a test for Wulfenbach's son Gilgamesh to see if he could recognize the deliberately faulty construction. Merlot is understandably upset to see three months of his life, which he could have used for his ''own'' projects wasted for a ''test'' and flips out.
* PetTheDog: He gave Agatha a genuine (if mildly startled) compliment after she managed to clean the lab in a remarkably short timeframe. Of course, then it turned out she'd crammed everything in a closet.
Changed line(s) 64,70 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:The Professoressa]]
!!Dr. Kaja Foglio, Professor of Interpretive History, Artist, Official Biographer of the Lady Heterodyne
[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/professoressa.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:167:some caption text]]
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha and write her official biography when they run into each other in Paris. She is the presenter behind the stories in the "Radio Play" side stories.
to:
Headmaster Beetle's chief of research, he along with Merlot work under Professor Beetle.
Seems like a really nice guy, if a bit of
[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/professoressa.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:167:some caption text]]
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha and write her official biography when they run into each other in Paris. She is the presenter behind the stories in the "Radio Play" side stories.
Changed line(s) 72,78 (click to see context) from:
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
to:
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa ImpossibleTask: Like Merlot, quite upset to learn that he was basically window dressing for Gil's test, but he doesn't react as badly.
* NiceGuy: Encouraging of "Agatha Clay's" initially unsuccessful inventing efforts, andthe Storyteller and is set capable of being friendly to even Silas Merlot.
* NoCelebritiesWwereHarmed: Bears an intentional resemblance to Creator/RonGlass
* PutOnABus: Not seen after themain comic.
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just asBeetleburg portion of the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor:story. The December 2020 side story involves last time he was mentioned he'd learned her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in true identity and sent her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting academic transcripts to Paris a lot more than couple of years before she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.actually got there.
* NiceGuy: Encouraging of "Agatha Clay's" initially unsuccessful inventing efforts, and
* NoCelebritiesWwereHarmed: Bears an intentional resemblance to Creator/RonGlass
* PutOnABus: Not seen after the
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor:
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
Changed line(s) 81,86 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:The Storyteller]]
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
to:
[[folder:The
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.
!!Dr. Kaja Foglio, Professor of Interpretive History, Artist, Official Biographer of the Lady Heterodyne
[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you
%% [[caption-width-right:167:some caption text]]
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha and write her official biography when
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near
Added DiffLines:
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Storyteller]]
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Storyteller]]
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
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* AmbiguouslyEvil: Despite his placement on this page, not really a lot is known about Beetle's ultimate goals or motivations. He greatly disliked the Baron's rule, and seemed to be planning to use Agatha to further his goals, but at the same time, Barry trusted him enough to entrust Agatha to his care, and [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060324 apparently gave him reason not to trust the Baron]].
to:
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Despite his placement on this page, not really a lot Not much is known about Beetle's ultimate goals or motivations. He greatly disliked the Baron's rule, and seemed to be planning to use Agatha to further his goals, but at the same time, Barry trusted him enough to entrust Agatha to his care, and [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060324 apparently gave him reason not to trust the Baron]].
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to:
[[foldercontrol]]
Deleted line(s) 37 (click to see context) :
[[foldercontrol]]
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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Silas Merlot]]
!!Silas Merlot, Beleaugred Professor
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/silasmerlot_angry.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:200:"That... that was Miss Clay! It's her fault I'm here! She ruined my life!"]]
Assistant and second-in-command to Tarsus Beetle.
[[folder:Silas Merlot]]
!!Silas Merlot, Beleaugred Professor
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/silasmerlot_angry.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:200:"That... that was Miss Clay! It's her fault I'm here! She ruined my life!"]]
Assistant and second-in-command to Tarsus Beetle.
to:
[[folder:Silas Merlot]]
!!Silas Merlot, Beleaugred Professor
[[quoteright:200:https://static.
!!Doctor Tarsus Beetle, Tyrant of Beetleburg
[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.
[[caption-width-right:200:"That... that was Miss Clay! It's her fault I'm here! She ruined my life!"]]
Assistant
[[caption-width-right:220:"Know Enough to Be Afraid"]]
Ruler of Beetleburg and
Deleted line(s) 14,40 (click to see context) :
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: He seems to finally breakthrough as a spark out of sheer rage of seeing Agatha again. He always wanted to be a spark and was jealous of their abilities. [[spoiler:It gets him killed like many other sparks as he can't control his obsession and the Castle murders him to protect Agatha.]]
* DidntThinkThisThrough: After discovering Dr. Beetle's hidden notes about Agatha's heritage, he burned down Beetleburg's hall of records with the Baron's cryptography team inside, fearing the Baron would punish him if he knew the truth while not expecting the Baron to punish him for his actions in covering the truth. Agatha would later point out that had he gone straight to the Baron after making the discovery it's likely it would have gotten him into Klaus's good graces and netted him a big reward.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Claims his sentencing is this. Historians would later argue that it was actually disproportionately ''low'', because among the things he burned in the archives was all records of what the Heterodyne Boys had been up to between their disappearance and Agatha being settled in Beetleburg, but the Baron had outlawed more appropriately harsh punishments.
* EvilIsPetty: The first thing he did after becoming in charge of Beetlesburg was expel Agatha simply because he didn't like her.
* ExposeTheVillainGetHisJob: What Silas presumably was hoping for by revealing the Slaver Engine his master was hiding. If it was, it worked in the worst way possible.
* ForScience: In likely an attempt to imitate Sparks, his big experiment at the start of the series was trying to turn chalk into cheese. It just earned him mockery from his peers and subordinates.
* GreenEyedMonster:
** He lives in bitterness and jealousy over the fact that he's not a Spark and feels that he gets overlooked and left out of Beetle's important plans because he's "a mere mortal."
** The novels would later suggest that his erratic personality and his odd experiments is him trying to emulate Sparky traits.
* HatedByAll: No one in Beetleburg really liked the petty, ill tempered man. The novels theorize that the main reason Dr. Beetle took him on as his main assistant was that his poor reputation made him the target of everyone's ire while the tyrant doctor looked all the more benevolent in comparison.
* InsaneTrollLogic: When Agatha meets him again in Castle Heterodyne, he thinks it's "unfair" that Klaus sent him there just for arson and killing his inspectors.
* {{Jerkass}}: As the novelization puts it, even without the jealousy and having to work under Dr. Beetle, he was just "born mean".
* KickedUpstairs: Klaus puts him in charge him not as a promotion but as a punishment, threatening to ship him off to Castle Heterodyne at his first mistake.
* KilledOffForReal: Crushed by Castle Heterodyne while trying to kill Agatha and her friends.
* LaserGuidedKarma: The Baron sent him to Castle Heterodyne for arson and murdering his research team. Agatha straight up tell him he deserved what he got.
* NeverMyFault: Blames Agatha for him getting sent to Castle Heterodyne, despite him being the one who burned down all of Beetle's records and murdered the Baron's men in a vain attempt to protect himself.
* SanitySlippage: He was never all there to begin with, but his fear of Klaus and hatred of Agatha turns him into a bitter, paranoid murderer.
* SpannerInTheWorks: The Baron wanted to interrogate Beetle and had some unspecified plans for him, but Silas's early reveal of the Slaver Engine that Beetle was hiding resulted in Beetle fighting and dying. Likewise, Silas's burning of Beetle's records kept the Baron from learning about Agatha months ahead of time.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tarsus Beetle]]
!!Doctor Tarsus Beetle, Tyrant of Beetleburg
[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beetle_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:220:"Know Enough to Be Afraid"]]
Ruler of Beetleburg and Headmaster of the Transylvania Polygnostic University. Agatha attends TPU under his supervision and acts as his assistant.
----
* DidntThinkThisThrough: After discovering Dr. Beetle's hidden notes about Agatha's heritage, he burned down Beetleburg's hall of records with the Baron's cryptography team inside, fearing the Baron would punish him if he knew the truth while not expecting the Baron to punish him for his actions in covering the truth. Agatha would later point out that had he gone straight to the Baron after making the discovery it's likely it would have gotten him into Klaus's good graces and netted him a big reward.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Claims his sentencing is this. Historians would later argue that it was actually disproportionately ''low'', because among the things he burned in the archives was all records of what the Heterodyne Boys had been up to between their disappearance and Agatha being settled in Beetleburg, but the Baron had outlawed more appropriately harsh punishments.
* EvilIsPetty: The first thing he did after becoming in charge of Beetlesburg was expel Agatha simply because he didn't like her.
* ExposeTheVillainGetHisJob: What Silas presumably was hoping for by revealing the Slaver Engine his master was hiding. If it was, it worked in the worst way possible.
* ForScience: In likely an attempt to imitate Sparks, his big experiment at the start of the series was trying to turn chalk into cheese. It just earned him mockery from his peers and subordinates.
* GreenEyedMonster:
** He lives in bitterness and jealousy over the fact that he's not a Spark and feels that he gets overlooked and left out of Beetle's important plans because he's "a mere mortal."
** The novels would later suggest that his erratic personality and his odd experiments is him trying to emulate Sparky traits.
* HatedByAll: No one in Beetleburg really liked the petty, ill tempered man. The novels theorize that the main reason Dr. Beetle took him on as his main assistant was that his poor reputation made him the target of everyone's ire while the tyrant doctor looked all the more benevolent in comparison.
* InsaneTrollLogic: When Agatha meets him again in Castle Heterodyne, he thinks it's "unfair" that Klaus sent him there just for arson and killing his inspectors.
* {{Jerkass}}: As the novelization puts it, even without the jealousy and having to work under Dr. Beetle, he was just "born mean".
* KickedUpstairs: Klaus puts him in charge him not as a promotion but as a punishment, threatening to ship him off to Castle Heterodyne at his first mistake.
* KilledOffForReal: Crushed by Castle Heterodyne while trying to kill Agatha and her friends.
* LaserGuidedKarma: The Baron sent him to Castle Heterodyne for arson and murdering his research team. Agatha straight up tell him he deserved what he got.
* NeverMyFault: Blames Agatha for him getting sent to Castle Heterodyne, despite him being the one who burned down all of Beetle's records and murdered the Baron's men in a vain attempt to protect himself.
* SanitySlippage: He was never all there to begin with, but his fear of Klaus and hatred of Agatha turns him into a bitter, paranoid murderer.
* SpannerInTheWorks: The Baron wanted to interrogate Beetle and had some unspecified plans for him, but Silas's early reveal of the Slaver Engine that Beetle was hiding resulted in Beetle fighting and dying. Likewise, Silas's burning of Beetle's records kept the Baron from learning about Agatha months ahead of time.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tarsus Beetle]]
!!Doctor Tarsus Beetle, Tyrant of Beetleburg
[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beetle_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:220:"Know Enough to Be Afraid"]]
Ruler of Beetleburg and Headmaster of the Transylvania Polygnostic University. Agatha attends TPU under his supervision and acts as his assistant.
----
Changed line(s) 57 (click to see context) from:
** Still later, its his ill-advised plot against Klaus Wulfenbach that ultimately attracts the Baron's attention to Agatha, thus kicking off the plot.
to:
** Still later, its his ill-advised plot against Klaus Wulfenbach that ultimately attracts the Baron's attention to Agatha, thus kicking off the plot.
Changed line(s) 64,70 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:The Professoressa]]
!!Dr. Kaja Foglio, Professor of Interpretive History, Artist, Official Biographer of the Lady Heterodyne
[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/professoressa.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:167:some caption text]]
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha and write her official biography when they run into each other in Paris. She is the presenter behind the stories in the "Radio Play" side stories.
to:
[[folder:Silas Merlot]]
!!Silas Merlot, Beleaugred Professor
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.
%% [[caption-width-right:167:some caption text]]
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha
[[caption-width-right:200:"That... that was Miss Clay! It's her fault I'm here! She ruined my life!"]]
Assistant and
Changed line(s) 72,78 (click to see context) from:
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
to:
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: After discovering Dr. Beetle's hidden notes about Agatha's heritage, he burned down Beetleburg's hall of records with the Baron's cryptography team inside, fearing the Baron would punish him if he knew the truth while not expecting the Baron to punish him for his actions in
* DisproportionateRetribution: Claims his sentencing is this. Historians would later argue that it was actually disproportionately ''low'', because among the things he burned in the archives was all records of what the Heterodyne Boys had been up to between their disappearance and Agatha being settled in Beetleburg, but the Baron had outlawed more
* EvilIsPetty: The first thing he did after becoming in charge of Beetlesburg was expel Agatha simply because he didn't like her.
* ExposeTheVillainGetHisJob: What Silas presumably was hoping for by revealing the Slaver Engine his master was hiding. If it was, it worked in the worst way possible.
* ForScience: In likely an attempt to imitate Sparks, his big experiment at the start of the series was trying to turn chalk into cheese. It just earned him mockery from his peers and
* GreenEyedMonster:
** He lives in bitterness and jealousy over the fact that he's not a Spark and feels that he gets overlooked and left out of Beetle's important plans because he's "a mere mortal."
** The novels would later suggest that his erratic personality and his odd experiments is him trying to emulate Sparky traits.
* HatedByAll: No one in Beetleburg really liked the petty, ill tempered man. The novels theorize that the main reason
*
* {{Jerkass}}: As the novelization puts it, even without the jealousy and having to work under Dr. Beetle, he was just "born mean".
* KickedUpstairs: Klaus puts him in charge him not as a promotion but
* KilledOffForReal: Crushed by Castle Heterodyne while trying to kill Agatha and her friends.
* LaserGuidedKarma: The Baron sent him to Castle Heterodyne for arson and murdering his research team. Agatha straight up tell him he deserved what he got.
* NeverMyFault: Blames Agatha for him getting sent to Castle Heterodyne, despite him being the
*
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting
* SpannerInTheWorks: The Baron wanted to interrogate Beetle and had some unspecified plans for him, but Silas's early reveal of the
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one
Changed line(s) 81,86 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:The Storyteller]]
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
to:
[[folder:The
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.
!!Dr. Kaja Foglio, Professor of Interpretive History, Artist, Official Biographer of the Lady Heterodyne
[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you
%% [[caption-width-right:167:some caption text]]
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha and write her official biography when
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near
Added DiffLines:
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Storyteller]]
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Storyteller]]
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1,2 (click to see context) from:
->[[center: '''[[Characters/GirlGenius Main Character Sheet]]''' | [[Characters/GirlGeniusProtagonists Protagonists]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusTheHeterodynes The Heterodynes]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusWulfenbachEmpire Wulfenbach Empire]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusKnightsOfJove The Knights of Jove]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusJagerkin Jagerkin]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusMechanicsburg Mechanicsburg]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusParis Paris]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusEngland England]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusCorbettites Corbettite Order]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusAssorted Assorted]] | '''Transylvania Polygnostic University''' ]]
to:
->[[center: '''[[Characters/GirlGenius Main Character Sheet]]''' | [[Characters/GirlGeniusProtagonists Protagonists]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusTheHeterodynes The Heterodynes]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusWulfenbachEmpire Wulfenbach Empire]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusKnightsOfJove The Knights of Jove]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusJagerkin Jagerkin]] Jägerkin]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusMechanicsburg Mechanicsburg]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusParis Paris]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusEngland England]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusCorbettites Corbettite Order]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusAssorted Assorted]] | '''Transylvania Polygnostic University''' ]]
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Faculty and students of Transylvania Polygnostic University.
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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Added DiffLines:
->[[center: '''[[Characters/GirlGenius Main Character Sheet]]''' | [[Characters/GirlGeniusProtagonists Protagonists]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusTheHeterodynes The Heterodynes]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusWulfenbachEmpire Wulfenbach Empire]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusKnightsOfJove The Knights of Jove]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusJagerkin Jagerkin]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusMechanicsburg Mechanicsburg]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusParis Paris]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusEngland England]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusCorbettites Corbettite Order]] | [[Characters/GirlGeniusAssorted Assorted]] | '''Transylvania Polygnostic University''' ]]
[[Characters/GirlGenius Back to the main character page]].
Faculty and students of Transylvania Polygnostic University.
[[Characters/GirlGenius Back to the main character page]].
Faculty and students of Transylvania Polygnostic University.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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Added DiffLines:
[[foldercontrol]]
Added DiffLines:
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Professoressa]]
!!Dr. Kaja Foglio, Professor of Interpretive History, Artist, Official Biographer of the Lady Heterodyne
[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/professoressa.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:167:some caption text]]
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha and write her official biography when they run into each other in Paris. She is the presenter behind the stories in the "Radio Play" side stories.
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Storyteller]]
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
* AuthorAvatar: He and the above-mentioned woman are the stand-ins for the Foglios.
* TheBard: The storyteller is a traveling bard who has multiple random encounters with the protagonists throughout their journey, they find him and a way to escape the maze beneath Sturmhalten when they hear him singing while imprisoned in the local dungeon. He's memorized a great number of tales in addition to spinning his own.
* BlackSheep: The rest of Oggie's descendents definitely act more Jäger-adjacent than he does, and most think as little of his profession as everyone else.
* TheBore: The Great Hospital at Mechanicsburg hires him to help get difficult patients to sleep, much to his disgruntlement. This gets him volunteered to help get Klaus to sleep soon after. About the only person who doesn't find his storytelling dull is Tarvek (who is moved to ManlyTears instead).
* TheChewToy: He's arrested and thrown in an oubliette in Sturmhalten for "unflattering portrayal of a royal", mocked for being boring, pestered by Oggie, frozen in the time-stop, used as a guinea pig from removal from said time-stop by Wulfenbach scientists...
* DeadpanSnarker: When listening to a Wulfenbach troop reciting what he thought happened at Sturmhalten (thanks to having inhaled some of the Circus' hallucinogenic gas).
-->'''Trooper:''' It was unbelievable!\\
'''Storyteller:''' ''(glowering at the man)'' That, I'll grant you.
* DirectLineToTheAuthor: The novelization confirms that the Storyteller is supposed to be Phil Foglio, and the series is him re-telling what he knows of Agatha's rise to power. Though he also admits in-story that he's been exposed to so many mind-altering chemicals and energies that [[UnreliableNarrator he can't be sure exactly what happened]].
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts him meeting Kaja Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: On occasion, the Storyteller comes very close to Agatha, without ever interacting with her (being nearby when Agatha saw the Muse of Time, being present when Agatha unleashed her dangerous Carnival on the Baron, being at Mechanicsburg during the siege).
* SharedFamilyQuirks: When he turns something the Professoressa says into a sex joke, she smirks "It is ''so obvious'' that you two are related." When Oggie does the same thing, she repeats it.
* TheStoryteller: Well, duh. The comic begins with him telling a story (presumably the ''Girl Genius'' story) to some kids.
* TemptingFate: He tells Oggie he'll find a girlfriend as soon as Oggie finds a Heterodyne. And then he sees the giant hologram of Agatha bursting out of Prince Aaronev's castle...
* UnwantedAssistance: Is a great-great-great grandson of Oggie. It's Oggie's "assistance" with trying to help the family line along that has in fact led to the Storyteller being one of the ''last'' of said line. Then again, judging by the rest of his family when they visit for the Solstice, it seems more of a matter of him being a bit of a BlackSheep.
[[folder:The Professoressa]]
!!Dr. Kaja Foglio, Professor of Interpretive History, Artist, Official Biographer of the Lady Heterodyne
[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/professoressa.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:167:some caption text]]
A professor at the Transylvania Polygnostic University who decides she will interview Agatha and write her official biography when they run into each other in Paris. She is the presenter behind the stories in the "Radio Play" side stories.
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
* AuthorAvatar: She is a stand in for Kaja Foglio, just as the Storyteller is the stand in for Phil.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The December 2020 side story involves her inquisitiveness about the Mechanicsburg Solstice resulting in her stumbling into filling in for Agatha as the "Heterodyne". It results in her getting a lot more than she bargained for, and she only reason she gets away unscathed is thanks to the Castle's help.
* IdenticalStranger: Not quite identical, but she looks sufficiently like Agatha for the Revelsmeister to comment on it when he ropes her into the Solstice celebration.
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts her meeting Phil Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: In the Solstice story, she comes even closer to meeting Agatha than the Storyteller has, but is unconscious at the time. That being said, she did meet Agatha in person in Paris.
* SignatureHeadgear: Her top hat with winged goggles is quite nice, and even gets complimented by one of her husband's cousins.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Storyteller]]
!!Prof. Creator/PhilFoglio, Storyteller and Creative Historian
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philfoglio_v1p1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Now, this isn't a ''Heterodyne Story'' like your mama tells you when she tucks you into bed at night ... well, not exactly.]]
An incredibly unlucky traveling storyteller who by strange coincidence always seems to end up near the latest disaster.
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: The December 2020 side story focuses on the Professoressa and the Storyteller and is set after the main comic.
* AuthorAvatar: He and the above-mentioned woman are the stand-ins for the Foglios.
* TheBard: The storyteller is a traveling bard who has multiple random encounters with the protagonists throughout their journey, they find him and a way to escape the maze beneath Sturmhalten when they hear him singing while imprisoned in the local dungeon. He's memorized a great number of tales in addition to spinning his own.
* BlackSheep: The rest of Oggie's descendents definitely act more Jäger-adjacent than he does, and most think as little of his profession as everyone else.
* TheBore: The Great Hospital at Mechanicsburg hires him to help get difficult patients to sleep, much to his disgruntlement. This gets him volunteered to help get Klaus to sleep soon after. About the only person who doesn't find his storytelling dull is Tarvek (who is moved to ManlyTears instead).
* TheChewToy: He's arrested and thrown in an oubliette in Sturmhalten for "unflattering portrayal of a royal", mocked for being boring, pestered by Oggie, frozen in the time-stop, used as a guinea pig from removal from said time-stop by Wulfenbach scientists...
* DeadpanSnarker: When listening to a Wulfenbach troop reciting what he thought happened at Sturmhalten (thanks to having inhaled some of the Circus' hallucinogenic gas).
-->'''Trooper:''' It was unbelievable!\\
'''Storyteller:''' ''(glowering at the man)'' That, I'll grant you.
* DirectLineToTheAuthor: The novelization confirms that the Storyteller is supposed to be Phil Foglio, and the series is him re-telling what he knows of Agatha's rise to power. Though he also admits in-story that he's been exposed to so many mind-altering chemicals and energies that [[UnreliableNarrator he can't be sure exactly what happened]].
* MeetCute: A filler image depicts him meeting Kaja Foglio's in-comic character by having her accidentally drop a book on his head from the top of a high shelf. The book is titled "[[LampshadeHanging How They Met]]".
* MissedHimByThatMuch: On occasion, the Storyteller comes very close to Agatha, without ever interacting with her (being nearby when Agatha saw the Muse of Time, being present when Agatha unleashed her dangerous Carnival on the Baron, being at Mechanicsburg during the siege).
* SharedFamilyQuirks: When he turns something the Professoressa says into a sex joke, she smirks "It is ''so obvious'' that you two are related." When Oggie does the same thing, she repeats it.
* TheStoryteller: Well, duh. The comic begins with him telling a story (presumably the ''Girl Genius'' story) to some kids.
* TemptingFate: He tells Oggie he'll find a girlfriend as soon as Oggie finds a Heterodyne. And then he sees the giant hologram of Agatha bursting out of Prince Aaronev's castle...
* UnwantedAssistance: Is a great-great-great grandson of Oggie. It's Oggie's "assistance" with trying to help the family line along that has in fact led to the Storyteller being one of the ''last'' of said line. Then again, judging by the rest of his family when they visit for the Solstice, it seems more of a matter of him being a bit of a BlackSheep.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
[[folder:Silas Merlot]]
!!Silas Merlot, Beleaugred Professor
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/silasmerlot_angry.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:200:"That... that was Miss Clay! It's her fault I'm here! She ruined my life!"]]
Assistant and second-in-command to Tarsus Beetle.
----
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: He seems to finally breakthrough as a spark out of sheer rage of seeing Agatha again. He always wanted to be a spark and was jealous of their abilities. [[spoiler:It gets him killed like many other sparks as he can't control his obsession and the Castle murders him to protect Agatha.]]
* DidntThinkThisThrough: After discovering Dr. Beetle's hidden notes about Agatha's heritage, he burned down Beetleburg's hall of records with the Baron's cryptography team inside, fearing the Baron would punish him if he knew the truth while not expecting the Baron to punish him for his actions in covering the truth. Agatha would later point out that had he gone straight to the Baron after making the discovery it's likely it would have gotten him into Klaus's good graces and netted him a big reward.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Claims his sentencing is this. Historians would later argue that it was actually disproportionately ''low'', because among the things he burned in the archives was all records of what the Heterodyne Boys had been up to between their disappearance and Agatha being settled in Beetleburg, but the Baron had outlawed more appropriately harsh punishments.
* EvilIsPetty: The first thing he did after becoming in charge of Beetlesburg was expel Agatha simply because he didn't like her.
* ExposeTheVillainGetHisJob: What Silas presumably was hoping for by revealing the Slaver Engine his master was hiding. If it was, it worked in the worst way possible.
* ForScience: In likely an attempt to imitate Sparks, his big experiment at the start of the series was trying to turn chalk into cheese. It just earned him mockery from his peers and subordinates.
* GreenEyedMonster:
** He lives in bitterness and jealousy over the fact that he's not a Spark and feels that he gets overlooked and left out of Beetle's important plans because he's "a mere mortal."
** The novels would later suggest that his erratic personality and his odd experiments is him trying to emulate Sparky traits.
* HatedByAll: No one in Beetleburg really liked the petty, ill tempered man. The novels theorize that the main reason Dr. Beetle took him on as his main assistant was that his poor reputation made him the target of everyone's ire while the tyrant doctor looked all the more benevolent in comparison.
* InsaneTrollLogic: When Agatha meets him again in Castle Heterodyne, he thinks it's "unfair" that Klaus sent him there just for arson and killing his inspectors.
* {{Jerkass}}: As the novelization puts it, even without the jealousy and having to work under Dr. Beetle, he was just "born mean".
* KickedUpstairs: Klaus puts him in charge him not as a promotion but as a punishment, threatening to ship him off to Castle Heterodyne at his first mistake.
* KilledOffForReal: Crushed by Castle Heterodyne while trying to kill Agatha and her friends.
* LaserGuidedKarma: The Baron sent him to Castle Heterodyne for arson and murdering his research team. Agatha straight up tell him he deserved what he got.
* NeverMyFault: Blames Agatha for him getting sent to Castle Heterodyne, despite him being the one who burned down all of Beetle's records and murdered the Baron's men in a vain attempt to protect himself.
* SanitySlippage: He was never all there to begin with, but his fear of Klaus and hatred of Agatha turns him into a bitter, paranoid murderer.
* SpannerInTheWorks: The Baron wanted to interrogate Beetle and had some unspecified plans for him, but Silas's early reveal of the Slaver Engine that Beetle was hiding resulted in Beetle fighting and dying. Likewise, Silas's burning of Beetle's records kept the Baron from learning about Agatha months ahead of time.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tarsus Beetle]]
!!Doctor Tarsus Beetle, Tyrant of Beetleburg
[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beetle_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:220:"Know Enough to Be Afraid"]]
Ruler of Beetleburg and Headmaster of the Transylvania Polygnostic University. Agatha attends TPU under his supervision and acts as his assistant.
----
* AlasPoorVillain: Agatha is genuinely distraught when Beetle is killed, enough so to trigger her [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder breakthrough]].
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Despite his placement on this page, not really a lot is known about Beetle's ultimate goals or motivations. He greatly disliked the Baron's rule, and seemed to be planning to use Agatha to further his goals, but at the same time, Barry trusted him enough to entrust Agatha to his care, and [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060324 apparently gave him reason not to trust the Baron]].
* BigBadWannabe: Was preparing to mount a challenge to Klaus' power... With his forces being completely outgunned, and the Baron fully aware of his plotting.
* CompensatingForSomething: Gil notes that his clanks are ludicrously oversized, Beetle's way of compensating for his lack of height. Beetle objects to this assessment, loudly.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: His favored means of dealing with criminals in his city is to stick them in a giant bell jar and then leave them there until he needs to reuse the jar. People frequently die of exposure, starvation and/or dehydration before that happens.
* CurbStompBattle: His defenses get effortlessly swatted down by the Wulfenbach forces.
* DeaderThanDead: His demise is used to showcase that in the Girl Genius universe 1) [[DeathIsCheap being dead need not be permanent]], and 2) [[KilledOffForReal it still can be]].
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Killed when Gil knocks his own bomb back at him.
* HumongousMecha: His greatest creation is a twenty-meter clank named Tock.
* MadScientist: Third generation Spark.
* MasterApprenticeChain: Had at various points in his life taught Klaus and Lucrezia, along with Bill and Barry Heterodyne, and later Agatha.
* PetTheDog: Beetle's sheltering and care of Agatha certainly appears to be this. It's only much, much later that the audience learns he intended to use her as a weapon.
* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: As the Tyrant of Beetleburg, his word was law. This was why Agatha was allowed to attend whatever lesson she pleased, even if her teachers didn't like her.
* SecretKeeper: He knew Barry had returned to Beetleburg with Agatha, and knew who she, Lilith, and Adam were.
* StarterVillain: To the point where Agatha never even faced him, since he got thwarted by the Baron before he even got to the part of his plan that involved her.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Beetle was the one who inspired Lucrezia's experiments with mind-transferral, meaning a good deal of issues in the story can in some way be traced back to him.
** Still later, its his ill-advised plot against Klaus Wulfenbach that ultimately attracts the Baron's attention to Agatha, thus kicking off the plot.
* WeHaveBecomeComplacent: He's universally acknowledged as the greatest clank engineer of his generation. Unfortunately, he failed to take into account that later generations would use his designs as the starting point for their own work. Thus, when he tried using them to rebel against Klaus, he was trying to fight state of the art Wulfenbach Battle Clanks with models that were thirty years out of date, and the obsolete models quickly lost.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Resents his former protege Klaus for annexing Beetleburg into the empire, despite the fact that the takeover was peaceful and he was allowed to remain in control of local affairs.
* TheWorfEffect: Klaus figures out his plot to use a [[PuppeteerParasite Hive Engine]] to strike against the empire and crushes it effortlessly well before it was ready to go, establishing just how smart and powerful the Baron truly is.
[[/folder]]
!!Silas Merlot, Beleaugred Professor
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/silasmerlot_angry.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:200:"That... that was Miss Clay! It's her fault I'm here! She ruined my life!"]]
Assistant and second-in-command to Tarsus Beetle.
----
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: He seems to finally breakthrough as a spark out of sheer rage of seeing Agatha again. He always wanted to be a spark and was jealous of their abilities. [[spoiler:It gets him killed like many other sparks as he can't control his obsession and the Castle murders him to protect Agatha.]]
* DidntThinkThisThrough: After discovering Dr. Beetle's hidden notes about Agatha's heritage, he burned down Beetleburg's hall of records with the Baron's cryptography team inside, fearing the Baron would punish him if he knew the truth while not expecting the Baron to punish him for his actions in covering the truth. Agatha would later point out that had he gone straight to the Baron after making the discovery it's likely it would have gotten him into Klaus's good graces and netted him a big reward.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Claims his sentencing is this. Historians would later argue that it was actually disproportionately ''low'', because among the things he burned in the archives was all records of what the Heterodyne Boys had been up to between their disappearance and Agatha being settled in Beetleburg, but the Baron had outlawed more appropriately harsh punishments.
* EvilIsPetty: The first thing he did after becoming in charge of Beetlesburg was expel Agatha simply because he didn't like her.
* ExposeTheVillainGetHisJob: What Silas presumably was hoping for by revealing the Slaver Engine his master was hiding. If it was, it worked in the worst way possible.
* ForScience: In likely an attempt to imitate Sparks, his big experiment at the start of the series was trying to turn chalk into cheese. It just earned him mockery from his peers and subordinates.
* GreenEyedMonster:
** He lives in bitterness and jealousy over the fact that he's not a Spark and feels that he gets overlooked and left out of Beetle's important plans because he's "a mere mortal."
** The novels would later suggest that his erratic personality and his odd experiments is him trying to emulate Sparky traits.
* HatedByAll: No one in Beetleburg really liked the petty, ill tempered man. The novels theorize that the main reason Dr. Beetle took him on as his main assistant was that his poor reputation made him the target of everyone's ire while the tyrant doctor looked all the more benevolent in comparison.
* InsaneTrollLogic: When Agatha meets him again in Castle Heterodyne, he thinks it's "unfair" that Klaus sent him there just for arson and killing his inspectors.
* {{Jerkass}}: As the novelization puts it, even without the jealousy and having to work under Dr. Beetle, he was just "born mean".
* KickedUpstairs: Klaus puts him in charge him not as a promotion but as a punishment, threatening to ship him off to Castle Heterodyne at his first mistake.
* KilledOffForReal: Crushed by Castle Heterodyne while trying to kill Agatha and her friends.
* LaserGuidedKarma: The Baron sent him to Castle Heterodyne for arson and murdering his research team. Agatha straight up tell him he deserved what he got.
* NeverMyFault: Blames Agatha for him getting sent to Castle Heterodyne, despite him being the one who burned down all of Beetle's records and murdered the Baron's men in a vain attempt to protect himself.
* SanitySlippage: He was never all there to begin with, but his fear of Klaus and hatred of Agatha turns him into a bitter, paranoid murderer.
* SpannerInTheWorks: The Baron wanted to interrogate Beetle and had some unspecified plans for him, but Silas's early reveal of the Slaver Engine that Beetle was hiding resulted in Beetle fighting and dying. Likewise, Silas's burning of Beetle's records kept the Baron from learning about Agatha months ahead of time.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tarsus Beetle]]
!!Doctor Tarsus Beetle, Tyrant of Beetleburg
[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beetle_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:220:"Know Enough to Be Afraid"]]
Ruler of Beetleburg and Headmaster of the Transylvania Polygnostic University. Agatha attends TPU under his supervision and acts as his assistant.
----
* AlasPoorVillain: Agatha is genuinely distraught when Beetle is killed, enough so to trigger her [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder breakthrough]].
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Despite his placement on this page, not really a lot is known about Beetle's ultimate goals or motivations. He greatly disliked the Baron's rule, and seemed to be planning to use Agatha to further his goals, but at the same time, Barry trusted him enough to entrust Agatha to his care, and [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060324 apparently gave him reason not to trust the Baron]].
* BigBadWannabe: Was preparing to mount a challenge to Klaus' power... With his forces being completely outgunned, and the Baron fully aware of his plotting.
* CompensatingForSomething: Gil notes that his clanks are ludicrously oversized, Beetle's way of compensating for his lack of height. Beetle objects to this assessment, loudly.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: His favored means of dealing with criminals in his city is to stick them in a giant bell jar and then leave them there until he needs to reuse the jar. People frequently die of exposure, starvation and/or dehydration before that happens.
* CurbStompBattle: His defenses get effortlessly swatted down by the Wulfenbach forces.
* DeaderThanDead: His demise is used to showcase that in the Girl Genius universe 1) [[DeathIsCheap being dead need not be permanent]], and 2) [[KilledOffForReal it still can be]].
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Killed when Gil knocks his own bomb back at him.
* HumongousMecha: His greatest creation is a twenty-meter clank named Tock.
* MadScientist: Third generation Spark.
* MasterApprenticeChain: Had at various points in his life taught Klaus and Lucrezia, along with Bill and Barry Heterodyne, and later Agatha.
* PetTheDog: Beetle's sheltering and care of Agatha certainly appears to be this. It's only much, much later that the audience learns he intended to use her as a weapon.
* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: As the Tyrant of Beetleburg, his word was law. This was why Agatha was allowed to attend whatever lesson she pleased, even if her teachers didn't like her.
* SecretKeeper: He knew Barry had returned to Beetleburg with Agatha, and knew who she, Lilith, and Adam were.
* StarterVillain: To the point where Agatha never even faced him, since he got thwarted by the Baron before he even got to the part of his plan that involved her.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Beetle was the one who inspired Lucrezia's experiments with mind-transferral, meaning a good deal of issues in the story can in some way be traced back to him.
** Still later, its his ill-advised plot against Klaus Wulfenbach that ultimately attracts the Baron's attention to Agatha, thus kicking off the plot.
* WeHaveBecomeComplacent: He's universally acknowledged as the greatest clank engineer of his generation. Unfortunately, he failed to take into account that later generations would use his designs as the starting point for their own work. Thus, when he tried using them to rebel against Klaus, he was trying to fight state of the art Wulfenbach Battle Clanks with models that were thirty years out of date, and the obsolete models quickly lost.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Resents his former protege Klaus for annexing Beetleburg into the empire, despite the fact that the takeover was peaceful and he was allowed to remain in control of local affairs.
* TheWorfEffect: Klaus figures out his plot to use a [[PuppeteerParasite Hive Engine]] to strike against the empire and crushes it effortlessly well before it was ready to go, establishing just how smart and powerful the Baron truly is.
[[/folder]]
