History WhatMeasureIsANonHuman / WebComics

* Turned upside-down in [[http://www.drunkduck.com/I_Was_Kidnapped_By_Lesbian_Pirates_From_Outer_Space/index.php?p=205599 this]] page from ''I Was Kidnapped By Lesbian Pirates From Outer Space''; the pirates fatally shoot what the narration assures us is "really an unfeeling, heartless android. It's OK to kill him!" But in the last panel, it shows an alien woman sobbing over the dead android.

--->'S13':[[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=1293 "This is not a collection of broken circuits. It is not a battered hull. It is not shattered silicon. This is the first of us to die a proper death"]]

* Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}: Dirk has an auto-responder program that's effectively a duplicate of his brain at age 13, and a lot of conversations about him revolve around the ethics of what one does when they have what is essentially a robotic clone of themselves. Dirk encourages AR to be as active as possible, as he considers stifling something that is very much alive to be AndIMustScream. Jake initially disrespects AR, believing it to not have feelings, but AR gets significantly offended by that, claiming that it is mentally as human as Jake is, and a later scene shows that AR might have genuine romantic feelings (though he admits that they might be fake just to fuck with Dirk).

** The trolls aren't so kind towards other sentients ([[CharacterDevelopment at first]]) but this is only because of their upbringing; the Condesce essentially twisted her own race into a galaxy conquering race of xenophobes and casually genocides or enslaves every other sentient race encountered. In fact she doesn't even seem to consider some other trolls sentient or equal. Her caste system created around the hemospectrum basically lets trolls with high-ranking blood colors do whatever they want to trolls with low-ranking colors, who are expected to just lie down and take it. Hell the Condesce goes so far with this as to declare the disabled and crippled to be unworthy of life; if you have even a tiny genetic defect in troll society you're culled before adulthood just because the Condesce doesn't want you breeding.

* In the comic ''Webcomic/RocketMember'', [[LittleBitBeastly gijinka]] (which are humanoid beings with special powers and Pokémon traits) deal with issues concerning their humanity. TheYakuza[=/=]TheMafia Team Rocket outright use Poké Balls to enslave them. This is illegal but nevertheless widespread.

* Completely averted in ''Webcomic/AMiracleOfScience''. Artificial Intelligences are considered people, both legally and ethically. Especially notable since the EvilPlan of the MadScientist they're hunting is to TakeOverTheWorld using a robot army. Even though he's a villain and thus exempt from the moral standards held by the protagonists and society in large, he still treats his creations with respect and [[GenreSavvy actually listens to their advice]].

* ''Webcomic/DaughterOfTheLilies'': Cave elves are written off as non-sapient monsters even though they have a language and an internal society. On the other hand, they're fine with [[ImAHumanitarian eating people alive]]. [[spoiler:As a cave elf herself, Thistle has a lot of anxiety over being a "monster".]]

* The protagonists of ''Webcomic/{{DNA}}'' are genetically engineered furry children. They are considered experiments rather than people, although they are relatively well treated compared to a lot of other examples here. This like likely part of the reason why the story takes place on an isolated island, so that the scientist can get away with not giving them the same rights as humans.

** A large part of [[spoiler: Eightfold's departure stems from the fact that Isabel unconsciously considers her more of an item than an equal.]]

** Tsukiko, a mystic theurge who joins Team Evil, believes and treats undead like people, and, ahem, [[ILoveTheDead loves them]]. She even calls them her "children." Redcloak, however, points out that the undead are just "weapons" made of bones and flesh and dark energy. He proves his point by [[spoiler: seizing control over Tsukiko's "children" with Command Undead, ordering them to restrain and drain her life, eat her corpse, and then destroy themselves. They happily comply, leading to some pretty [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0830.html nightmare-inducing lines]] from Tsukiko.]]

* The protagonists of ''Webcomic/{{DNA}}'' are genetically engineered furry children. They are considered experiments rather than people, although they are relatively well treated compared to a lot of other examples here. This like likely part of the reason why the story takes place on an isolated island, so that the scientist can get away with not giving them the same rights as humans.

* In ''Webcomic/TheGlassScientists'', the police treats werewolf as a non-human beast that should be locked up and the mob tries to kill him even before that.

** Tsukiko, a mystic theurge who joins Team Evil, believes and treats undead like people, and, ahem, [[ILoveTheDead loves them]]. She even calls them her "children." Redcloak, however, points out that the undead are just "weapons" made of bones and flesh and dark energy. He proves his point by [[spoiler: seizing control over Tsukiko's "children" with Command Undead, ordering them to restrain and drain her life, eat her corpse, and then destroy themselves. They happily comply.]]

* Played for laughs in ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' with SuperSoldier {{Cyborg}} [[Franchise/MetalGear Raiden]]'s struggles with [[http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/comic/the-straw-that-broke-the-robocamels-exoskeleton captchas]].

-->'''Dakota''': "I don't know why they needed to do that. I mean, they were creatures, but they were like people too. 'Nooo, you have defeated me...' Boom."

&&* ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'''s "Edwin" storyline. Sam gets called out on this by Detective Morris.

* ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'''s "Edwin" storyline. Sam gets called out on this by Detective Morris.

* Aversion: In ''Webcomic/ItsWalky'', when Joyce kills her EvilTwin (who has only existed for hours), her friends in SEMME are forced to [[strike:immediately]] eventually arrest her for murder. She eventually gets off of it, but not because of the value of the clone's life.

*** Even when not, [[strike:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0707.html the only Good goblins]]]]...

* ''[[{{Goblins}} Goblins: Life through their Eyes]]'' is about a clan of Goblins who have to deal with the fact that they are essentially walking chunks of [[ExperiencePoints XP]] for [[CharacterLevel first-level]] heroes.

* Completely averted in ''AMiracleOfScience''. Artificial Intelligences are considered people, both legally and ethically. Especially notable since the EvilPlan of the MadScientist they're hunting is to TakeOverTheWorld using a robot army. Even though he's a villain and thus exempt from the moral standards held by the protagonists and society in large, he still treats his creations with respect and [[GenreSavvy actually listens to their advice]].

* {{Lampshaded}} in [[http://nonadventures.com/2008/05/31/bad-to-the-clone/ this strip]] of ''TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella''. Wonderella's a HeroicComedicSociopath, and Dr. Shark is a [[FriendlyEnemy Friendly Villain]], so this type of behavior is perfectly normal for them. A clone [[http://nonadventures.com/2008/05/31/bad-to-the-clone/ is fine too]].

* In ''{{Gnoph}}'', the Gnoph symbiotes were created to be organic computers. While some of them are sentient, they are generally not regarded as such. In the most notable instance, a doctor casually murders a Gnoph [[MauveShirt which has become quite sympathetic to the audience]] and then is bewildered by the heroes' horrified reactions. To her, it was just like throwing away an obsolete computer: "I've seen guys be that emotional over cars, but never a gnoph. It was as though I killed his dog or something." The doctor genuinely didn't know the Gnoph was sentient, but is also portrayed as being [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate unethical and amoral]], and in any case the heroes are [[UnstoppableRage very upset]] over the death. ''[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge Very]]''.
* The trope shows up repeatedly in ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' with the artificial beings Molly, Galatea, and Roofus. Bob and Jean treat them as fully human, but other characters (especially [[TheMenInBlack Agent Ben and Agent Jerry)]] often do not. The trope is also subverted in that the alien Nemesites, who have [[AncientConspiracy legally owned Earth since before the dawn of man,]] consider ''humans'' to be wildlife (because we don't have interstellar spacecraft) and the whole planet to be a nature preserve.
* Deconstructed in ''AlienDice'' as more of a 'what measure is a sentient being with free will?' The Dice (semi-sentient creatures such as cats who are transformed into self aware creatures), despite sometimes displaying intelligence greater than their owners, are used, recycled, and in some cases destroyed because it's convenient for the owners. Even more atrocious is the dehumanization of the Indentured Players (who are sentient aliens turned into Dice), who ''lose the right to choose mates or claim their offspring'', among other things. Some characters see the Dice as ''sentient'', but others see them little more than objects to be used at will.
* A major portion of the backplot of ''{{Terinu}}'' as one of the secrets of the rebellion against the Varn was the destruction of their source of power. Which just happened to be composed of cute little humanoids uplifted from animals. Though designed to be subservient, the Ferin were sentient beings, and the wholesale slaughter by the humans was essentially a genocide.

* Subverted in ''{{Minus}}'' [[http://www.kiwisbybeat.com/minus38.html here]], where she ends up apologizing.
* ''SamAndFuzzy'''s "Edwin" storyline. Sam gets called out on this by Detective Morris.

* Lampshaded in KeychainOfCreation, where Misho (a [[FriendToAllLivingThings Compassion 5]] Solar {{Exalted}}) has no problems with killing goblins, and is called out on this. In his own words, [[JustifiedTrope goblins are the nightmares of small children given flesh]].
* {{Newshounds}} has [[http://newshounds.keenspot.com/d/20100607.html Alistair, a cat, trying to get Sam, a dog, equal rights after Sam had a house arrest sentence extended]]
* In ''OffWhite'', when a group of sledders became closed in [[spoiler: and ran out of food, the sapient dogs were the [[NoPartyLikeADonnerParty first to go]] because of this trope.]] One of the sledders even says "people are always more important."

* The {{Mons}} featured in ButImACatPerson have personalities that change from owner to owner, limited free will, and compulsive obedience. Different characters may argue they should be given the same rights as humans, the limited protections of animals, or no more regulation than very sophisticated computers.

* Project SkinHorse exists to avert this trope. Their job is to ensure that nonhuman sapients get their civil rights too, although successes are... mixed.
* ''MagickChicks'' parodies the ''SailorMoon'' example when a former magical girl complains that she never understood ''why'' her evil nemesis's monsters always exploded after being defeated in a manner that makes it quite clear that she really wished they hadn't.

-->'''Dakota''': "I don't know why they needed to do that. I mean, they were creatures, but they were like people too. 'No, you have defeated me...' Boom."

* ''MagickChicks'' parodies the ''SailorMoon'' example when a former magical girl complains that she never understood ''why'' her evil nemesis's AlwaysFemale monsters always exploded after being defeated in a manner that implies that she really wished they hadn't.

* Project SkinHorse exists to avert this trope. Their job is to ensure that nonhuman sapients get their civil rights too, although successes are... mixed.

* The [[Mon]]s featured in ButImACatPerson have personalities that change from owner to owner, limited free will, and compulsive obedience. Different characters may argue they should be given the same rights as humans, the limited protections of animals, or no more regulation than very sophisticated computers.

->'S13':[[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=1293 "This is not a collection of broken circuits. It is not a battered hull. It is not shattered silicon. This is the first of us to die a proper death"]]

* In ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'', [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2012/05/20/no-one-will-ever-know/ Ace doesn't feel right just leaving a carcass made of living spacer parts lying around]], though he doesn't seem to care that the ''androids'' [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2012/01/01/seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time/ were all once organic]].

** Most of this is the result of the amorality/madness of typical [[MadScientist sparks]]. After all, they're just as happy to vivisect/mutate/experiment on/shoot normal human and other sparks as they are to waste Clanks/Jaggers/Revenants/Monsters/etc and eagerly "[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100917 improve]]" themselves. So, in a way, the trope is subverted, since Sparks treat all intelligent beings equally. Equally expendable, in this case.

** Also, according to Muut and then [[WordOfGod Word of Tom]], there is no {{psychopomp}} for robots. By contrast, there ''is'' a psychopomp for [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=335 insects]].
*** So in other words the handbook is right? Robots are souless imitations of life.
**** Surma, while not "soulless", definitely was exempt from the Guides' duties too -- maybe they ignore anyone [[spoiler:having no lifeforce remaining at the time of death]].

* Half this, half CarnivoreConfusion. There is a debate in [[DanAndMabsFurryAdventures the world of Furrae]] whether "Creatures" (supernaturals like Succubi) should eat "Beings" (sentient anthropomorphic animals), and whether or not it's any worse than Beings eating livestock. Many Creatures argue that it's a law of nature that the stronger eat the weaker, whilst Beings insist that you're not supposed to eat sentient entities.
** {{DMFA}} also has one of the few examples of killing the undead being depicted as reprehensible. Undead fully retain their memories and personality when they rise, so they're still the same person as they were before they died. Unfortunately, many of the living are less than welcoming when their former friends and relatives return from the grave.

* {{Lampshaded}} in [[http://nonadventures.com/2008/05/31/bad-to-the-clone/ this strip]] of ''TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella''. Wonderella's a HeroicSociopath, and Dr. Shark is a [[FriendlyEnemy Friendly Villain]], so this type of behavior is perfectly normal for them. A clone [[http://nonadventures.com/2008/05/31/bad-to-the-clone/ is fine too]].

* In ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'': [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20031130.html "Food that talks is not food."]] If it's talking to you, odds are that it's going to get treated as having the exact same rights as everyone else, whether clone, artificial intelligence, or alien. Given the subject matter, those 'rights' include the right to be blown to fine chunks by the HeroicSociopath protagonists or whoever the current baddies are. There's still the question if a goon doesn't get a chance to [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20040307.html say anything]] before being eaten.