History Webcomic / StringTheory

* VillainProtagonist: Schtein

* GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke: Parodied when a forced evolutionary virus creates "man-kitty-things" that get into everything. Schtein also keeps one as an adorable pet.

* ArtEvolution: Of the usually dramatic kind as the creator gets better. Perhaps most noticeably, however, is the change in Phineas, who goes from [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chaptertwo/page-twenty-five/ scrawny]] to [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chapter-three/page-fiftytwo-2/ quite buff]]. Perhaps he's simply been working out in prison?

* TheMole: [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chapter-three/page-fiftyone-2/]]

* BiologicalMashup: The man-kitties.

** Early in his career Schtein was found shoving kittens into the [[{{Fallout}} Forced Evolutionary Virus]] injection chamber.

* YoungerThanTheyLook: Schtein is thirty-four.

* HartmanHips: Delia. [[http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/131/1/f/Oh_no__My_pen_by_evilengine9.png Schtein's noticed.]]

* TheMole: [[spoiler: JayJay tells the warden about the explosives in order to lighten his sentence. This is not the first time he has done this. [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chapter-three/page-fiftyone-2/]]]]

* SlasherSmile: Mostly done by Phineas.
** [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chapter-three/page-thirtyseven-2/ "Remember that time I drove a bunch of nails into your legs?"

Now has [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/StringTheory a character page.]]

* DisappearedDad: [[spoiler:Dr. Schtein has a daughter named Alice that he never sees.]] Schtein's father also died soon after he was born.

*** Not to mention, WordOfGod says that Langstrom had an odd attraction to Schtein.

** Schtein's interactions with Aryan thug Drew Mac Manus have a bit of this as well; both get very handsy with each other, even the germaphobic Schtein. Schtein even straddles him [[spoiler:[[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chapter-three/page-twelve-2/ right before the stabbing begins]].]]
--> '''Mac Manus''': You disrespected me, so I'm not really content with merely beating your ass, boy. I'm pretty much gonna have to break you. By the time I'm done, you'll be begging for more beatings.

** Drew MacManus. After pages of him beating and otherwise tormenting Schtein that lead up to [[spoiler:a very disturbing rape threat]], readers are actually rooting for Schtein to kill him.

* [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BathroomStallOfOverheardInsults Hallway Of Overheard Insults]]: [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chapterone/page-thirty-nine/ Complete]] [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chapterone/page-forty/ with]] EvilPlan {{Exposition}} via ExactEavesdropping.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Schtein refusing to help the prison skinheads and telling them to fuck off even while he's in a chokehold. [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chaptertwo/page-fifty/ As long as you ignore what happens right after that,]] when it turns into NightmareFuel.
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: "Admit it, you totally wanted to make out, like...[[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/?p=134/ bunches!]]"
** [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/?p=151/ This page.]]

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: [[spoiler:[[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chaptertwo/page-twenty/ This]]]].
** [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chaptertwo/page-fiftythree/#comments/ What Phineas Armastus did to get in jail.]]

* JerkassWoobie: Schtein, by all means, is the definition of a JerkAss. However, an excellent character design, the fact that he spends the start of Act I and most of Act II pretty beaten up and ill, and background information such as [[http://evilengine9.deviantart.com/art/Birthday-Memories-154693202/ this]], [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chaptertwo/page-thirtyfour/ this]], and [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chaptertwo/page-thirtyfive-2/ this]] make it impossible to not want to just give him a hug.
** There's also Elizabeth Langstrom, Professor Langstrom's sister. Despite being a jerk, you can't really blame her - she's justifiably angry over the pointless death of her brother.
* LicensedSexist: Schtein

* MistakenForGay: [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chaptertwo/page-fortyone/ Phineas]]

* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Osgood

* ShoutOut: You can see [[TheWalkingDead Andrea]] working as a prison guard and [[KimPossible Dr. Drakken]] in a prison outfit in the first panel of [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chaptertwo/page-fortyseven/ page 47]]

* SinisterSchnoz: Schtein. Just...Schtein.

* TearJerker: [[spoiler:Schtein's daughter hanging up on him when he tries to call her and her mother from prison to ask for help. Actually, if the author's hints and the provided backstory are anything to go by, Schtein's relationship with Alice is just one huge TearJerker.]] One of the many things that puts Schtein firmly in JerkassWoobie territory.
** [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/page-four-2/ The shower]] [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chapter-three/page-five-2/ scene]]. Even though Schtein [[spoiler:manages to avoid getting raped by agreeing to help MacManus]], it's probably the most terrifyingly vulnerable we've seen him so far.
* TheRival: Langstrom, to Schtein.

* TheWoobie: Schtein, so very much.
** [[{{PerkyGoth}} Alice]] definitely qualifies. Her parents [[spoiler:separated and divorced]] before she was born and she's apparently never seen or spoken to her father. The first time her father did call her, she hung up; later she found out that he had supposedly been killed over whatever trouble he had been in when they spoke. The second time she's seen in the comic, she's in tears due to (unnecessary) guilt. Poor kid.

* AllThereInTheManual: Schtein has a [[http://www.formspring.me/drschtein/ formspring account]], where he discusses a lot of his past including [[spoiler: his divorce with Janet and relationship with Alice]], weeks before it was really talked about in the main comic.

* DisappearedDad: Apparently [[spoiler:Dr. Schtein has a daughter named Alice that he never sees.]] Schtein's father also died soon after he was born.

** There's also Elizabeth Langstrom, Professor Langstrom's sister. Despite being a jerk, you can't blame her after reading her previous character bio.

** [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/page-four-2/ the shower]] [[http://www.stringtheorycomic.com/comics/chapter-three/page-five-2/ scene]]. Even though Schtein [[spoiler:manages to avoid getting raped by agreeing to help MacManus]], it's probably the most terrifyingly vulnerable we've seen him so far.