| 1 | '''Tropes A to E''' | ElGoonishShive/TropesFToL | ElGoonishShive/TropesMToR | ElGoonishShive/TropesSToZ |
| 2 | ---- |
| 3 | !!!''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' provides examples of the following tropes: |
| 4 | |
| 5 | * AbnormalAmmo: In Night Out Part 3 -- Ellen's Crew, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-07-18 a group watches a movie]] where horses are used as projectiles. It's never shown how it's done on screen, but it is commented on. |
| 6 | -->'''Susan:''' Would ''you'' be able to do that? |
| 7 | -->'''Justin:''' I doubt it-- I'm not trained in the art of using horses as projectile weaponry. |
| 8 | * AbileneParadox: Narrowly subverted in the "So a Date at the Mall" story where Elliot and Ashley are discussing whether to eat immediately or to wait until later. Both of them are hungry, but let the other make the decision as to whether to eat immediately. They both assume the other isn't hungry and agree to delay eating. Thankfully a [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2015-03-27 combined stomach growl]] gives them an excuse to do what they both want to do. |
| 9 | * AbusiveParents: |
| 10 | ** [[BigBad Damien]] ended up making himself a sort of twisted father figure to Grace and her brothers, but there is nothing "fatherly" about him at all. He is an abuser pure and simple, able to control his "children" through fear and constantly hitting them whenever they displease him. And like any parent whose children are young enough, he's too powerful for them to do anything about it. And the reason he wanted Grace back? [[spoiler:He wanted to breed with her so that he could raise an army. Whether she wanted to or not. (She didn't, by the way.)]] |
| 11 | ** Unintentionally done by Tedd's mother, [[spoiler:using a magic analysis wand to see why he had no magical potential; he was frightened by the noise it made until it became a Pavlovian Response. Worse yet, when it appeared Tedd had no magical aptitude she couldn't reconcile with that and ended up abandoning him.]] |
| 12 | * AbortedArc: |
| 13 | ** Hints dropped at Ellen having depression and taking up drinking were later explained away because the creator didn't like the direction it would take. Then, the unopened cans are stuffed back in the refrigerator by Elliot... [[{{Pun}} behind the]] RedHerring. |
| 14 | ** The "Lord Tedd" arc will presumably pick up again someday, but it's more or less indefinitely on hold because the author realized he introduced it too early. |
| 15 | ** Susan's crusade against the school uniform policy dropped out of focus and then ended abruptly [[spoiler:not because nobody in the school wanted to wear the uniforms (even if only Susan was willing to openly act on the matter), but because the parents of the students complained about the increased laundry costs.]] (Although the author had always intended to [[{{Anticlimax}} end the arc in a lame way]], he admitted he didn't intend for it to be so abrupt.) |
| 16 | * AcademyOfAdventure: |
| 17 | ** Moperville North: The school was attacked by the Goo, twice. It is also where Abraham's summon appeared and where Elliot met the griffin Andrea. |
| 18 | ** Moperville South: Raven mentions offhandedly that South has many unusual children -- [[BadassTeacher and he's in charge of protecting them]], as he says to the wizard who invaded the school with the intention of murdering one of said children. |
| 19 | ** Moperville University is ''predicted'' to become a place where a lot of magical incidents happen. The centre of the flow of ambient magical energy into Moperville will shift from woodland where it originally was to Moperville University, and TheMenInBlack thinks this will cause the university to be the centre of multiple magic happenings. |
| 20 | * AccidentalTruth: |
| 21 | ** Susan [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-06-27 lies to her mother]] about [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-03-11 Justin being gay.]] And [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-07-10 one more about]] [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-11-19 spontaneous hair color changes being a thing.]] |
| 22 | ** [[OppositeSexClone Ellen]] and [[HalfHumanHybrid Grace]]'s math teacher pretends to [[AwesomeByAnalysis deduce facts about his new students]], and concludes that "the end result appears to be a duplicate squirrel of some sort." The girls are rather shocked about how close to the mark he is until he says he was just messing with them and it had all been [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2007-12-17 gibberish]]. |
| 23 | * ActionGirl: All the girls ([[GenderBender and some of the guys]]) are combat capable except for [[UnfazedEveryman Sarah]]. |
| 24 | * ActuallyNotAVampire: |
| 25 | ** A variation. Susan flashbacks to an earlier encounter with an 'Aberration' -- a person who has used magic in order to become immortal through parasitically leeching off the life-force of others. She starts to describe to her friends about how it had some vampire-like characteristics, realizes her description sounds like it is of a vampire, and decides to say it was one. When her friends ask if it really was one, she said 'No, not really, but it was a monster that used to be human, hypnotized young women and sucked blood out of their necks. It doesn't matter what I say. You two are going to hear "vampire."' The accompanying comments say no, it's not a 'real' vampire. About one arc later, the body-snatcher Sirleck is also identified as an Aberration, albeit one of a different variety than the one Susan and Nanase encountered in France. The common thread is that Aberrations are creatures that were once human, but physically and mentally transformed themselves into monsters in order to gain immortality. |
| 26 | ** Despite what [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2009-10-29 some people might think,]] Raven assures you that [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2009-11-03 he is not, in fact, a vampire.]] He also [[ItMakesSenseInContext wants you to know that sandwiches are delicious]]. |
| 27 | * AdorableFluffyTail: |
| 28 | ** Grace Sciuridae has a big, fluffy tail in both her native full- and half-squirrel forms and is one of the friendliest characters in the cast. [[spoiler: She grows two more tails in her omega form, which look notably sharper since she is more threatening in this state.]] |
| 29 | ** PlayedWith with Nioi, a part-skunk hybrid with a big fluffy tail. While she serves an EvilOverlord AlternateSelf of Tedd, she [[spoiler: protects Grace from Damien's explosion]] and takes pains to give Ellen [[spoiler: and her own AlternateSelf]] memories of a happy childhood. [[spoiler: Kaoli, the alternate self, herself plays this trope straight.]] |
| 30 | * AerithAndBob: |
| 31 | ** Jerry the Immortal thinks you should be glad he's a Jerry, because most immortals go for elitist names from ancient mythology. |
| 32 | -->'''Jerry:''' Let me tell you, there is ''nothing'' more hilarious than the legendary hissy-fits that result from two or more immortals named Zeus running into each other. |
| 33 | ** One of these examples is "Chaos", who originally wanted to be known as "[[MeaningfulName Box]]", but settled for "[[Myth/GreekMythology Pandora]]" when the former proved too obscure for people to get the reference. |
| 34 | * AgentsDating: Agents Wolf and Cranium are dating and doing a [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-10-26 terrible job at concealing it.]] |
| 35 | * AirVentPassageway: Noah uses the school's air vents to hunt a magical creature. |
| 36 | * AlienAmongUs: Uryuoms hide themselves among humanity using their natural abilities. By technicality though, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-09-03 they're born on Earth, they're not aliens.]] |
| 37 | * AllCheeringAllTheTime: A sketchbook entry [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2010-11-11 explains]] why "Cheerleadra" is an awful superhero concept, because they'd waste time on useless cheering than actually solving the situation. |
| 38 | * AllTherapistsAreMuggles: One noted issue that is brought up by Grace when discussing the possibility of any of the cast getting therapy is whether or not the therapist is in the know regarding magic and therefore wouldn't think the cast member that sees them are insane. |
| 39 | * AlliterativeList: The narration lists of "invisible, intangible, and inaudible" [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2008-08-25 here]]. They all start with "in". |
| 40 | * AlphaBitch: |
| 41 | ** Subverted. Diane is set up to be this, but she's revealed to actually care for her friends (and be concerned for random crying strangers), [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-02-01 as seen here,]] and is thus really a LovableAlphaBitch. Her friend Lucy, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2004-12-13 on the other hand,]] fits the bullying part of the archetype but isn't the leader of the group. |
| 42 | ** Susan seemed to be an example of this at first, being portrayed as a snobby mean rich girl... but the moment she was given more screen time, she quickly got one hell of a character development. She was also revealed to have a traumatic backstory, so it would be more appropriate to call her a BrokenBird, or, more recently, a DefrostingIceQueen. |
| 43 | * AlternateSpeciesCounterpart: Done in [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/2009-10-27 NP: Revenge of the Jokes 1]], where the normally human Amanda is a catgirl for the second panel. |
| 44 | * AlternateUniverse: Several. The one where Ellen and Kaoli "met" got Uryuoms and [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2006-08-25 seyunolu]] as an accepted part of Human life [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-01-15 for ''at least'' two centuries or so.]] |
| 45 | * AmbiguousGender: Tedd (even without his regular GenderBender shenanigans) and Noah. WordOfGod even notes that a female posing model is used for both. It's even the first trope used for a joke in the comic. |
| 46 | * AmicableExes: |
| 47 | ** Nanase and Elliot are this after the former broke it off for Sarah's sake. Partially subverted for her that she later dates his OppositeSexClone Ellen. |
| 48 | ** More straight is [[spoiler:Sarah and Elliot, who came to their own conclusions why a relationship wouldn't work. The former because she felt it was too slow and passive, and the later realizing that he loved her [[LikeBrotherAndSister as a sister]]. Regardless, they're still very close, even teasing one another that they ''should'' have reacted more viciously.]] |
| 49 | * AmusingInjuries: The end result of a Demonic Duck jumping out of [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-05-03 a moving car.]] They were NOT amusing enough to distract Susan. (Justified as she was the one driving the car, and the author has a strong dislike of drivers in fiction who let themselves get distracted way too easily.) |
| 50 | * AnachronismStew: Played With. The comic is set in modern day but due to the fact that it has taken several years to go over a few months the technology progresses rapidly so [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2003-06-13 Susan having a DVD/VHS player]] is impressive near the beginning [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2017-03-07 but her having a modern cell phone]] is common place later on. |
| 51 | * AnchoviesAreAbhorrent: Susan trolls Nanase by pretending to order a pizza with "as many anchovies as you can manage". |
| 52 | * AndThatWouldBeWrong: [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2010-08-25 Sensei Greg, on the possibility that his training could give "atomic breath or something" to a sociopath:]] "While awesome, that would be totally irresponsible." |
| 53 | * AnAesop: [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2012-02-07 This]] comic and [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2012-02-09 this]] one pretty much sum up the aesop for the Death Sentence arc. Basically, people ''should'' be looking for a better solution, especially when the current situation is crap. ''However'', people need to temper that with the reality that sometimes, there ''isn't'' a better solution, only bad options and the best thing to do there is pick the least bad one. |
| 54 | * AngerBornOfWorry: The first panel of [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2004-06-30 this strip]] has Mr. Verres give a lecture to everyone following [[spoiler:their encounter with Damien]] that's muddled between anger and relief that no one can tell whether they're being chastised or praised. |
| 55 | * AntiClimax: |
| 56 | ** While looking for Grace, every time Hedge tries to do something dramatic, it gets ruined by something interrupting the drama. For example, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-05-23 being interrupted by a concessions stand worker]] with popcorn he had ordered. It's literally a RunningGag with him. |
| 57 | ** The extremely long school uniform subplot ends very suddenly when the principal ends the policy following complaints from parents about the extra laundry. |
| 58 | ** [[spoiler:Elliot and Sarah's break up]] was surprisingly amicable, and it went down ''very'' smoothly, much to the surprise of the pair and many readers. This was quickly lampshaded about how none of their friends are going to believe that it went so smoothly. |
| 59 | * AntiSchoolUniformsPlot: Moperville North institutes a uniform policy after the principal catches Susan and Tedd in the midst of a sissy slap fight that, he's told, began when Tedd poked fun at a shirt Susan was wearing. Susan is fundamentally opposed to this new policy, because it requires the girls to wear skirts, which she hates. Susan rebels by wearing the boys' uniform, and Tedd even joins her with the girls' uniform. The policy is eventually revoked, but not due to anything Susan did; the principal got complaints from parents about the additional laundry the policy generated. |
| 60 | * AntiVillain: |
| 61 | ** Grace's brothers, [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn or at least, at first]].]] Hedge hated working for Damien, and did everything in his power to not bring back Grace, or even a woman in general, knowing full well what Damien's intentions were. Guineas too, but he had a lot less room for undermining Damien. Vlad was the only one who was actually loyal, and even he had mixed feelings at best upon learning Damien was dead. |
| 62 | ** Abraham didn't want to kill Ellen, but his oath was too broad, and he felt that he had no choice. [[spoiler:He was all too happy to accept the loophole Nanase presented]]. |
| 63 | * ArbitrarySkepticism: |
| 64 | ** The cast has dealt with magic, not-aliens, alternate dimensions, immortals, shapeshifting {{Biological Mash Up}}s, and lots and lots of GenderBending, but Tedd's claims of an interdimensional space whale that eats magic only gets him an odd look from his father. Possibly justified immediately afterwards -- Tedd tells Elliot that his father can't be expected to know ''everything'', and Tedd's the only character known to even be able to ''sense'' the space whales. |
| 65 | ** In [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp/2015-02-02 the NP arc "Zombie Plans"]], Susan derides the idea of a ZombieApocalypse as being scientifically impossible. Grace quickly points out the flaw in that logic. It ends with them asking Edward if it's possible, and he confirms that true undead reanimation is impossible, and the government is prepared for situations that could cause people to act like zombies while not being truly undead, like mutant mind control fungus. |
| 66 | ** Justin assumes [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/party-179 rumors of someone selling magic stuff]] is just a scam. When this comes up in conversation he realizes that he probably should have looked into that more. |
| 67 | * ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: A non-sexual example, as Kevin, [[ItMakesSenseInContext the sentient magic wand]], is overlooked by a Magpie construct that targets "[[https://egscomics.com/comic/2018-04-23 valuable magical artifacts]]" to his consternation. |
| 68 | -->'''Kevin''': I am '''deeply''' [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry offended]]. |
| 69 | * ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: |
| 70 | ** The Anime Style Martial Arts dojo is located in the same neighborhood as a strip club, cigarette store, adult bookshop, abortion clinic, and '''[[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-04-27 an ice cream shop]]'''. |
| 71 | ** In the commentary section of [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2010-04-09 one comic,]] referring to an ObviouslyEvil EldritchAbomination: "It probably ate a puppy for breakfast right before it burned down an orphanage and talked loudly on a cell phone at a restaurant." |
| 72 | ** In one strip where Agent Wolf is accusing Lavender (Mr. Verres' Uryuom secretary) of being an alien (again), he says that she has [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2007-04-11 a tail, bug-eyes, no nose or ears]], and a [[ImpossibleHourglassFigure damn near impossible figure]]. |
| 73 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2007-03-22 "I know this is a stressful time for you. You just realized you're gay, you're worried your family will find out, you were sneezed on..."]] Though admittedly, since she was the size of a ''doll'' when she was sneezed on, whether that's really that trivial is up for grabs. |
| 74 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2004-10-29 "Students fighting, transgender mayhem, wrecked hallways, hairpiece snatchings."]] |
| 75 | * ArtifactTitle: Played with after so many people asked about the title's meaning. It was ''intended'' to be nonsense ("El Goonish" + the author's last name), but to appease the questioners, he [[https://egscomics.com/?date=20030813 introduced]] a "hired goon." In a non-continuity FourthWallMailSlot {{filler}}. For one panel ([[MiserAdvisor do you know what is it worth to hire a really huge goon?]]). There was also [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-02-12 one]] easily missed mention of goons before this. There's also repeated references to [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros "Super Smash Goons Melee"]]. |
| 76 | * ArtisticLicense: In the comic, change blindness tends to be treated as something that all characters experience to the same (frankly sometimes extreme) degree. In reality, while change blindness is very real, different people experience it quite differently. |
| 77 | * ArtisticLicenseBiology: PlayedForLaughs in [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/2016-06-03 an NP comic,]] with a football player who claims his motivation is "disproving evolution" -- every point he scores without evolving is apparently further proof against evolution. The reporter he's talking to points out how this doesn't follow because [[DontBeRidiculous not everything evolves via leveling up]]. [[spoiler:In fact, the very next comic shows that football players evolve by ''trade'' -- [[GenderBender into cheerleaders]].]] |
| 78 | -->'''TheRant''': This is as least as valid as any "but why are there still monkeys" argument. |
| 79 | * ArtisticLicenseEconomics: Invoked. |
| 80 | -->'''Magus:''' I can ''totally'' hook you up with straw turned to gold.\ |
| 81 | '''Sirleck:''' I'm already worth millions, and you'd just be devaluing gold in general if you made more. |
| 82 | * ArtEvolution: Contrast [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-01-26 this]] and [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-02-26 this]]. Same characters, same artist, 8 years. |
| 83 | ** He's also shifted from grayscale to full-color and back multiple times. |
| 84 | ** The [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-01-21 first comic]] and [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2012-01-21 tenth anniversary comic]] are also an excellent example of how the art has changed. Same two characters, nearly identical dialogue with a slight difference in the plot, vastly improved art style. |
| 85 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2018-02-12-nase-fv5-sarah-and-elliot Six more years later in 2018]] (to further contrast with the above examples), his style is ''still evolving'', albeit in more subtle but clearly visible ways. |
| 86 | * ArtImitatesArt: The second panel of [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2012-02-14 this]] page contains an extra imitating Creator/EdvardMunch's ''Art/TheScream''. |
| 87 | * AskAStupidQuestion: In "Sister III - Catspaws", [[spoiler:the messenger of Magic]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2016-08-10 asks why Pandora shapeshifts into a child.]] He's ''instantly'' given an answer when she throws a massive temper tantrum. |
| 88 | * AssholeVictim: PlayedForLaughs when [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2017-08-21 a literal]] [[KickTheDog puppy-kicking]] orphanage-burning robber ends up as the first victim of an invading army of aberrations, showing that they've been eating humans while trying to avoid giving the story too dark a tone. Ironically, he never gets a chance to try his planned crimes as a result. |
| 89 | * AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: In [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2016-03-11 this comic,]] Andrea reveals that human royal bloodlines in her world have the strongest inherited magical ability, also making it a [[TheMagocracy Magocracy]]. |
| 90 | * AsYouKnow: One of the immortals following Elliot [[https://egscomics.com/?date=20080825 recaps]] the plot points related to them. When her companion [[LampshadeHanging calls her on it]], she points out that it helps compensate for their EasyAmnesia. |
| 91 | * AuraVision: What makes bloodgrem a useful summon instead of merely obnoxious. Also, this is Luke's power from his magic mark. He can see something to do with magic, possibly magic potential. |
| 92 | * AuthorAppeal: |
| 93 | ** The copious amount of transformation. In-story, Tedd represents this aspect of him. Or rather an exaggerated version, Tedd is more pervy than Dan. |
| 94 | --> '''[[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2012-03-29 Dan]]''': I suppose it's POSSIBLE Sarah won't get transformed at any point while assisting Tedd. Possible, but not bloody likely. |
| 95 | ** Also, judging from [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-02-19 this rant]], Susan (and Diane's) "concern for hygiene" is another example. |
| 96 | ** The fact Dan thinks goth girls are hot is pretty obvious. Most blatantly with Elliot (who's a bit of an idealized self-insert) getting a goth girl disguise form and liking it because it appeals to his obvious attraction to goth girls. |
| 97 | ** Large-busted girls, usually not to excess within the main comic, but without much limit in Patreon images. Lampshaded on [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2015-06-10 this page,]] and then the lampshade is lampshaded in Dan's commentary. |
| 98 | * AuthorAvatar: Dan's squirrel avatar, though only out of continuity. Tedd and Elliot each serve this purpose less explicitly at times. Dan is also a [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-04-17 squirrel-boy character]] in the [[ShowWithinAShow comic strips Sarah draws in her spare time]]. |
| 99 | * AuthorCatchphrase: Dan never "plans" anything, he "plots". As in, "I was plotting to have new comics up Monday through Friday, but..." |
| 100 | * AuthorFilibuster: |
| 101 | ** The ''Legends of Celida'' arc so far seems to exist for the sole purpose of allowing Dan to rant about the true nature of Sheik from ''Ocarina of Time'' [[spoiler:and whether Zelda is simply casting an illusion or out and out transforms into a male]]. |
| 102 | ** The ''Duel of the Discs'' arc is pretty much Dan using Justin, Grace, and Tensaided to give his opinions on ''Magic: The Gathering'' and the Star Wars prequels. And the arc before that, ''By the Numbers'', was basically Dan's opinion on movie rating sites like Rotten Tomatoes, albeit with a bone tossed towards possible future character development for both Elliot and Susan at the very end. |
| 103 | * AuthorGuestSpot: Dan has appeared as himself as he appears in real life as the "super smart" guy in panel six of [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-09-17 this]] strip, but as he only revealed that it was him in the commentary and calls it a cameo, it is more like a CreatorCameo. |
| 104 | * AwesomeMcCoolname: Pandora Chaos Raven. She chose it herself, and claims that it matches her personality. [[spoiler:Raven is actually her married name. She keeps it even though her human husband died centuries ago.]] |
| 105 | * AWizardDidIt: The author's (word-for-word) explanation for any discrepancies in scenery or building layout, in [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-07-07 this page's]] commentary. Also invoked in the title for [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2006-05-05 this comic.]] |
| 106 | * BadassBoast: [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-06-18 "No one will care if I kill you."]] |
| 107 | * BadassFamily: |
| 108 | ** The Verres family. Edward is a powerful wizard. Cousin Nanase is a powerful magic user. Resident and practically-an-in-law Grace is a powerful Seyunolu. [[spoiler:Tedd is a Seer, a rare type of Wizard with EvilCounterpart Lord Tedd showing the potential power he could achieve]]. |
| 109 | ** And the Raven family as well, with Adrian being one of the series' biggest badasses, and his adopted son/lodger Noah being able to defeat a dragon singlehandedly and is the child left behind from the experiments that created Damien and Grace. Meanwhile, Adrian's mother, Pandora, is one of the most powerful Immortals on the planet, although that power and mental instability go hand in hand. [[spoiler:At least, up until her forced reset, but she did purge the world of the majority of aberration as her last act pre-reset]]. |
| 110 | * BadassLongcoat: Hedge, Abraham, and, of all people, Tedd's dad. |
| 111 | * BadassTeacher: Endangering students of Mr. Raven is the sort of things insurance companies make a specific exclusion for. Even for wizards. |
| 112 | * BadBadActing: The "Pizza" sidestory uses AnimatedActors, and some of the characters are better actors than others. |
| 113 | ** [[http://egscomics.com/egsnp/pizza-02 Kitty]] is an extra LargeHam. She doesn't so much speak her lines as shout them, and while her character shows an [[IDoNotLikeGreenEggsAndHam initial reluctance to eat pizza]], her [[ChewingTheScenery appetite for scenery]] more than makes up for it. |
| 114 | ** [[invoked]] [[http://egscomics.com/egsnp/pizza-03 Ashley]] gives the script [[TookTheBadFilmSeriously far more respect than it deserves.]] She also blatantly tries too hard. In particular, any gestures she makes are exaggerated. |
| 115 | ** [[http://egscomics.com/egsnp/pizza-05 George]] completely phones it in. He makes absolutely no effort to sell his performance and merely reads off the script. |
| 116 | * TheBadGuyWins. Zigzagged with Voltaire in Sister III. [[spoiler:While he fails to get Magic to change its rules and leave humanity defenceless, he ''does'' succeed in getting Immortals to agree to change their laws to be less restrictive because the incident he orchestrated to be the basis for it turned out far better than he could dream off when all Immortals learned they could have generations of descendants among humanity that they did not previously know about]]. |
| 117 | * BadLiar: |
| 118 | ** Elliot. It proves to be a massive liability when he's being questioned by Damien and Hedge, but later is one of the reasons Mr. Verres leaves him to supervise Grace's birthday party. |
| 119 | ** Catalina just can't seem to hold back that she's dating Rhoda. |
| 120 | ** Same with [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2014-01-13 Ashley]], who is a self-admittedly horrible liar as [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2015-11-13 demonstrated here.]] |
| 121 | * BallsGag: When Grace is challenged to a volleyball spiking contest, her response is [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/jestful-29 "Let's smash balls!"]]. She's confused why the room suddenly got quiet after. |
| 122 | * BaitAndSwitch: |
| 123 | ** In the Fate of Magic arc, it looks like it will be Tedd arguing for [[spoiler:revealing magic]] and Arthur arguing for [[spoiler:keeping it secret]]. But Tedd manages to get Arthur on board simply by [[spoiler:figuring out that there are over a thousand seers who will be aware of the magic change]]. Arthur realizes his goal is simply impossible in the modern world, but [[spoiler:magic itself]] is not so easily convinced. |
| 124 | ** [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/balance-121 In the rant]] for the end of Part 6 of the "Balance" arc, a comic that had Mr. Verres mentioning to someone on his phone he needed to tell Tedd and Grace ''something'' the next day, and that a moving van was involved, Dan chose to take the opportunity to address "the most obvious question a person might have": [[NotSoDire Why Mr. Verres was taking his phone call in the basement, and not upstairs.]] |
| 125 | * BarbieDollAnatomy: Shirtless males are drawn without nipples in greyscale comics. WordOfGod is that this is because he can't make them look right without color. Color [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2015-01-07 comics]] [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2014-08-28 and sketchbook entries]] have nipples though. And [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp/2016-06-25 now]] that's true for shirtless females in greyscale comics too, although given that Pandora was forming her body out of a cloud, there probably isn't anything there anyway. |
| 126 | * BarBrawl: It is [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2016-07-11 mentioned]] that Blaike was involved in tavern fights. |
| 127 | * BattleCouple: Ellen and Nanase are dating and once fought alongside each other against the ArcVillain of the "Family Tree" storyline. |
| 128 | -->'''Nanase:''' ...Are you doing okay?\ |
| 129 | '''Ellen:''' Flying...is '''''[[CasualDangerDialogue awesome!]]'''''\ |
| 130 | '''Nanase:''' Focus, honey. |
| 131 | * BearsAreBadNews: Blaike Raven and Pandora once had to flee from a bear creature. A bear creature that was [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2016-07-08 giant, magic, and half lion.]] |
| 132 | * BeatPanel: Frequently, and once [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-04-03 turned into gag in its own right.]] |
| 133 | ** Used to great effect when Nanase encounters one of the guys she dated before she came out. |
| 134 | -->'''Gary:''' I don't mean to be rude, it's just I used to think you didn't want to go on a date with me because I was too geeky.\ |
| 135 | ''[beat]''\ |
| 136 | '''Nanase:''' Yes. [[SureLetsGoWithThat It was entirely because I am a lesbian.]] |
| 137 | ** Again [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2013-01-01 in the sketchbook,]] which features 8 beat panels in a row before it's revealed that Elliot's arms are stuck in that position. |
| 138 | * BeatTheCurseOutOfHim: When Liam the griffin is under a mind control spell, being knocked briefly unconscious is enough to restore him to his senses. |
| 139 | * BeautifulAllAlong: Guineas is a rare male example. He believed his human form was hideous, but when he was finally convinced to transform at the end of Painted Black, it turns out that he's a buff attractive man. Ellen and a female officer have to stop and [[FemaleGaze look at him slack-jawed]]. |
| 140 | * BerserkButton: Quite a surprising number of times, for a relatively non-violent series. |
| 141 | ** In the earlier arcs, Tedd is extremely sensitive over him looking feminine, to the point of using the TF Gun on Elliot in a MomentOfWeakness. [[note]]Later revealed to be [[spoiler:Magus's influencing Tedd's emotions at a key point, as part of Pandora's scheme to get Magus a new body in as complicated and uncertain a way as possible.]][[/note]] |
| 142 | ** Dan himself admitted in a commentary that while was perfectly fine with people believing in conspiracy theories, you will get on his bad side if you try to convince him the moon landing was faked. |
| 143 | -->'''Dan:''' People worked their asses off, made sacrifices, and some even died in their effort to reach the moon. If someone is going to proclaim we never made it there, they better damn well have really solid evidence or '''kindly shut the hell up.''' |
| 144 | ** In a Q&A session, Dan reveals that [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-02-19 he absolutely despises...]] doors on public bathrooms. |
| 145 | -->'''Dan''': I've seen people exit bathroom stalls and walk ''right past the sinks''! '''There should always be a way to get out without touching that damn dirty handle'''! |
| 146 | ** And Mr. [[PunnyName Tensaided]], being an uber-nerd, proves [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2012-05-09 a bit of intolerance for complete]] non-nerdy types, at least as far as the hiring process goes. |
| 147 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: |
| 148 | ** Grace is normally a nice girl, but she can shapeshift into any number of extremely lethal forms when provoked. [[spoiler:And when she's reluctant or unable to enter close combat, she just uses telekinesis instead.]] [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-06-25 Beware, indeed.]] |
| 149 | ** Tedd looks like Lord Tedd when he discovers Damien's mistreatment of Grace, and especially when he learns it ''wasn't'' a one-off event. As "One Way Road" shows, he wants to be able to help his absurdly powerful friends, and is not satisfied with roles of a reclusive ballast or MissionControl. And as a MadScientist, he's able to climb the JustForFun/SuperWeight ladder if he really wants... and does, as TheStinger to the same arc shows. |
| 150 | ** Pretty much most of the regular cast. They're all pretty much very nice people, but each of them, when pressed, can unleash the beast. Elliot, Ellen, and Nanase are among the most powerful and protective of others. |
| 151 | * BigDamnKiss: |
| 152 | ** The [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-09-29 kiss]] between Nanase and Ellen at the end of the Grace's Birthday Party arc was given an extra-large panel, and a glowing, star-filled background. There were even [[http://www.egscomics.com/bg/egs_bg_0039_800x600.jpg four]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/bg/egs_bg_0040_800x600.jpg different]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/bg/egs_bg_0041_800x600.jpg wallpapers]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/bg/egs_bg_0042_800x600.jpg made]] using that panel. |
| 153 | ** Also during the Grace's Birthday Party arc, Tedd and Grace, while not their first kiss, have [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2006-08-09 a significant kiss]] when Tedd discovers that Grace's GenderBender party theme was a gift for ''Tedd'' all along. While Grace feels terrible that she didn't realize Tedd might be uncomfortable being romantic with guy!Grace due to [[MistakenForGay homophobic bullying]], Tedd finally goes for it out of love for Grace, complete with [[PowerGlows glowing background]]. (Which gets {{Lampshaded}} one comic later when Grace asks, "How long have you been able to glow?") |
| 154 | ** The kiss [[spoiler:between [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=2073 Elliot and Ashley]]]] in the "So a Date at the Mall" arc was emphasized with a large panel, and an [[DutchAngle odd angle,]] and served as a turning point in the arc, as they transitioned from two characters on a date to an actual couple. |
| 155 | * BigEater: |
| 156 | ** Nanase eats a lot very quickly, which is sometimes [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2008-04-28 quite subtle]] and other times {{Lampshaded}} [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2011-09-12 to hell]]. At one point, Susan [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-03-13 point-blank asked]] how she manages to avoid being fat. She [[GenderBender (well, at the time, he)]] casts spells "[[CastFromCalories from calories]]", in addition to being a martial artist. It's eventually established that her trim belly is probably due to what she doesn't use being [[https://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1455 stored on the mezzanine]]. |
| 157 | ** Later, at a roadside pancake place the girls stop at on their road trip, Grace [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2010-05-12 became one of only four people]] to eat the entire Pancake Mt. Doom Meal. This consisted of a dozen flapjacks, a variety of fruit fillings, sides of bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, three kinds of syrup, and your choice of eggs. The best part is that "Andy Debtman, Eater of Food" from ''[[Series/ManVFood Man Engulfs Food]]'' arrives to take on the challenge, and stands in front of the Wall of Fame filming his introduction when Grace's photo is added. |
| 158 | %%* BiggerStick Administrivia/ZeroContextExample |
| 159 | * BigNo: PlayedForLaughs several times: |
| 160 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-07-09 Elliot lets out a big no]] after he learns that Nanase is Tedd's cousin. Then he realises he doesn't actually care. |
| 161 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2006-02-13 Mr. Verres]] accidentally blurts out NOOOO! when it dawns on him that he agreed to pay for pizza for eight teenagers. [[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud While in the middle of a meeting.]] |
| 162 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2012-06-26 This strip]] when Justin somehow knows that Nanase's hair was shaved. |
| 163 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2012-08-31 Another one from Justin]], this time deliberately referencing ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', when he finds out Tedd doesn't own the laser disc edition of ''Star Wars''. |
| 164 | * BigWhat: Everyone's reaction to [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2005-01-14 Sarah being okay]] with going along with the theme of Grace's gender-swap birthday party is to shout "what" very loudly. |
| 165 | * BigWordShout: Susan's reaction to learning that she can't play as a princess in a Mario game because they had trouble programming skirt physics. [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2009-11-12 "SKIRRRRT!"]] |
| 166 | * BilingualBonus: |
| 167 | ** If you're willing to go [[http://ookii.org/egs/uryuom/ here]] to translate Uryuomoco.[[note]]actually a cipher upon English, and has been spelled "Uryuomocco" in-comic, the name decodes to "Alienese" or "Alienesse"[[/note]] A couple real examples with French and Japanese, though. |
| 168 | *** "Verres" in Uryuomoco is "Bolloc" ([[DontExplainTheJoke he is]] a [[TheMenInBlack cover-up specialist]]). It's also the French word for "Glasses" (though technically it only refers to the lenses). |
| 169 | *** Pretty much needed for [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2004-08-26 this comic]] to make much sense beyond "ominous dream involving the {{big bad}}."[[note]]Although, ironically, it has parts which the translator cannot translate entirely correctly, and at least one may be an error - although it should be noted that the text is canon while the translator is not, and the other may be an undocumented cluster rule.[[/note]] It translates as follows: [[spoiler:[[BadassBoast "It is time for the end of man. This master of fire shall inherit the Earth. My very presence eats away at your flesh..."]]]] |
| 170 | *** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-10-29 In a later comic,]] the Uryuomoco in the comic was shown translated. In the commentary, Dan stated that it was because he felt it was irresponsible to alienate readers who didn't know how to translate it. |
| 171 | ** Principal Verrückt's last name is German for "crazy". |
| 172 | * BirthdayEpisode: A whole arc took place during Grace's birthday, with CharacterDevelopment for most of the main cast. |
| 173 | * BishieSparkle: Elliot's Mild Mannered form sees Justin [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-11-22 with sparkles surrounding him.]] |
| 174 | * BizarreAlienReproduction: Uryuom reproduction is very [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-09-09 complicated.]] When two of them get together, they can produce enough material to form an egg. The egg at that point is essentially functionless, but touching any of the receptors around the egg causes it to accept that DNA for the child, which doesn't need to be from the parents ''or even from Uryuoms''. That does pretty much make them a genetic engineer's dream. |
| 175 | * BizarreGamblingWinnings: Parodied, when the prize in question is use of the original, unedited version of Star Wars on laserdisc. |
| 176 | * BlackEyesOfCrazy: Lord Tedd's first appearance shows him having dark eyes. [[spoiler:Tedd also gets them when he uses his version of the former's PowerFist]]. |
| 177 | * BlackEyesOfEvil: |
| 178 | ** Elliot and Sarah display these [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-01-05 here]] to indicate extreme anger at Tedd. |
| 179 | ** Nanase, Ellen, and Grace aren't amused by Nanase's ex-almost-boyfriend interrupting their double date. [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-09-29 Could you tell?]] |
| 180 | * BlandNameProduct: A "Swedekea" store. "Salty Crackers Comics" counts too; there's a regional comics chain around UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} called "Graham Crackers". There's also the [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2008-04-30 American Cake]] movie, a reference to the movie Film/AmericanPie, but with the plot of Film/TheBradyBunchMovie. [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp/2017-01-04 One strip]] gives us the manga ''[[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Ranma ¼]]'', ''[[Anime/DragonBallZ Dragon Ball W]]'', ''[[Anime/CowboyBebop Cowboy Rocksteady]]'', ''[[Manga/OnePiece Two Piece]]'', and ''[[Webcomic/OnePunchMan No Punch Man]]''. |
| 181 | * BlasphemousPraise: Tedd once called Creator/JossWhedon before quickly admitting it is blasphemy. |
| 182 | -->'''Grace''': [[PopculturalOsmosisFailure Who's]] Creator/JossWhedon? |
| 183 | -->'''Tedd''': ''[[CreatorWorship God]]''. |
| 184 | -->'''Grace''': [[AmusingAlien Really?]] |
| 185 | -->'''Tedd''': No. [[LampshadeHanging That was blasphemy.]] |
| 186 | * BlatantBurglar: |
| 187 | ** The female French immortal is shown wearing this sort of outfit when proposing an [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2005-02-18 alternative to being invisible and intangible at Elliot's house.]] She never said it was a good idea. |
| 188 | ** One [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2015-05-26-book-thief sketchbook entry]] showed Ashley as a book thief, with a domino mask, an all-black outfit, and a ThiefBag with books falling out. This was inspired by a strip where she [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2015-05-25 claimed to know all the security blind spots in the book store.]] |
| 189 | * BlatantLies: [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp/2015-12-28 This strip]], where Grace takes six {{Beat Panel}}s to unconvincingly deny that she's stalling so that Ellen and Sarah can work out their feelings. |
| 190 | * BlessedWithSuck: Sure, Elliot will get pretty sweet magic powers, but the PowerIncontinence (especially embarrassing for Elliot) means that for a while, life will be just a little crap for him. It's not helped by people who've read too much ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' dumping buckets of water on him. |
| 191 | * BlindingCameraFlash: As the title puts it, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2005-08-24 "Dude, Like, Sarah Just TOTALLY Flashed Female Justin"]]. |
| 192 | * BluntYes: [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2015-06-10 When Tedd discovers that]] AllMenArePerverts is less "complete nonsense" than "an exaggeration of the truth", he says that sucks, and Grace can only say :yep". |
| 193 | -->'''Grace:''' I just said I know a bunch of guys who treat me like that. Sarah's dealt with guys like that, too. And Ellen. And... well, I figure ''every'' girl has to deal with stuff like that.\ |
| 194 | '''Tedd:''' But... that's not okay! That ''sucks!''\ |
| 195 | '''Grace:''' Yep. |
| 196 | * BodyHorror: When Pandora attacks Magus for refusing to push Edward into killing Abraham, she shifts ''half'' her body into a [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-11-11 horrifying amalgamation of claws and mouths.]] |
| 197 | * BookEnds: ''Sister 3'' begins with the narration "Several centuries ago, there lived an Immortal who would come to be known by many names..." before showing the origins of Pandora, including her StartOfDarkness. [[spoiler:The very last panel of the arc is the newly reborn Pandora saying a first-person variation of the same line as she begins to remember her past life.]] |
| 198 | * BothSidesHaveAPoint: |
| 199 | ** The ongoing debate regarding whether magic should be made more widely available to everyone (as opposed to keeping magic a secret, which [[spoiler:has become a moot point in light of the very public displays of the supernatural over the course the comic and the not-changes by the Will of Magic]]: |
| 200 | *** '''Pros''': Some of the cast (most vocally Tedd) feel that magic has too much potential to do good to rightfully keep it out of the public's hands, especially when they already have access to magic and technology that would be greatly appreciated by some (like transgender people looking for a safer way to transition). |
| 201 | *** '''Cons''': Due to the way [[PersonalityPowers magic works in this setting]], making it more available would also heighten the risk of the worst people getting their hands on some particularly horrific spells (e.g. mind control). Not-Tengu is a particularly effective example of what can happen when the average jerk gets their hands on magic. Even the Pro-Magic side concedes that it's too dangerous to spread magic currently due to this, so one of Tedd's goals is to find a way to increase everyone's magical resistance. Those against spreading magic are concerned that this wouldn't really be enough to justify the risk, with Edward Verres himself comparing it to giving everyone a bomb-proof suit to protect themselves from rocket launchers - no one knows how much protection that would actually give under those circumstances. |
| 202 | *** One complicating factor that most of the cast (except for Pandora) don't seem to have brought up is the development of technology compared to magic, particularly weapons: she raises the reasonable point while wizards with fireballs against a group of medieval peasants would be way too one-sided, the same can't be said when against people armed with guns, explosives and ''intercontinental ballistic missiles''. [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2016-08-15 "Magic is exotic and scary, but any random fool with a gun can still best a wizard!"]] In her eyes, making magic widely available would allow people to develop better defenses against both magical and mundane threats. |
| 203 | ** Myst's and Potestas' debate regarding testing the magic-taking artifact on a morally bad person. Myst rightfully points out that they are ''assuming'' the artifact is still in working order when A) it hasn't been used since before Myst was born, and B) they are in a different universe with different rules of magic that may render the artifact inert. Potestas meanwhile points out that Myst is ''assuming'' the person he found is evil based on various things that are all circumstantial and he has no ''definitive'' proof the guy is in fact evil. Because both sides have valid points, their leader Saou makes a compromise. They will look up the person Myst found and get his measure based on how he treats his underlings. If it can be shown he [[MeanBoss mistreats his subordinates]], Saou will approve testing the artifact on him comfortable in the knowledge that the man is at least an AssholeVictim. |
| 204 | * BrainBleach: {{Invoked|Trope}} [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-10-29 here]] when Tedd asks if Grace is able to erase the memory of his father saying he is impotent. |
| 205 | -->'''Tedd:''' Grace, can your antennae function as BrainBleach? |
| 206 | * BreadEggsBreadedEggs: [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2012-08-13 Here,]] Elliot calls a customer doomed. Susan says he was also an ass. Elliot amends his statement to say he is a doomed ass. |
| 207 | -->'''Elliot:''' He's doomed.\ |
| 208 | '''Susan:''' He's an ass.\ |
| 209 | '''Elliot:''' He's a doomed ass. |
| 210 | * BreakTheCutie: |
| 211 | ** Many times, especially Grace, who went through an abusive childhood under Damien. |
| 212 | ** Believe it or not, resident DeadpanSnarker Susan as well. She was apparently a literal WideEyedIdealist before [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-05-31 she had to kill a literal monster herself.]] |
| 213 | * BreastExpansion: |
| 214 | ** Using the "[=FV5=]" setting on the [[TransformationRay TF Gun]] on a woman makes them taller and curvier. The effect doesn't stack, but using it on someone who's quite busty already can get pretty ridiculous results. |
| 215 | ** Subverted in an old [[BonusMaterial sketchbook]] comic, where Ellen attempts to invoke her "Wonder Twin Powers"... and fails to increase her bust. |
| 216 | ** Grace is a VoluntaryShapeshifter, and altering her chest size (or anything else) is no big deal to her. She discusses with Sensei Greg whether it's a good idea to go flat if she ever gets in a fight, but he's too uncomfortable to answer the question. Later on, she admits that she changes her breast size to mess with boys at the comic shop. |
| 217 | ** It's later used in a ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' parody, with the [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1974 "unbalanced"]] enchantment that stops a fairy from being able to fly. |
| 218 | ** This was [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/2016-11-11 one of the things Rhoda tried]] while experimenting with her SizeShifter powers. She also briefly considers [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/2017-01-20 giving Kitty gigantic boobs]] to stop her from chasing her and Catalina, but quickly decides that's a terrible idea. |
| 219 | * BrickJoke: |
| 220 | ** Susan once claimed [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-07-10 that her hair spontaneously changed colour]] to Nanase. Nanase is sceptical but Susan stands by her claim that she herself admits is ridiculous. ''Six years later'', Nanase hears from a government agent that ''officially'', [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-11-19 hair ''does'' spontaneously change colours]]. |
| 221 | --->'''TheRant''': ''[[LampshadeHanging Furthest. Callback joke. EVER.]]'' |
| 222 | ** Ellen once imagined Adrian Raven [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-07-02 as a pimp]]. This is [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-03-12 recalled]] later. |
| 223 | ** Catalina once used a toy hammer [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-04-19 to beat up some perverts]]. George can later be seen wielding a similar hammer when Justin [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-09-22 confronts a fire person]]. |
| 224 | ** In one of the earliest [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-01-24 strips]], Elliot and Tedd do a fundraiser to get Sarah to wear a bikini. It gets an interim payoff over three years later in a sketchbook entry when Minion shouts to revive the fund when Sarah refuses to wear a bikini [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2005-12-09 here]]. The fund was [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2014-09-04 finally funded in real life.]] |
| 225 | ** When Grace finds out that people associate nudity with sex, [[http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2005-10-24 Tedd is surprised that she didn't know,]] since she had told him that her not wearing anything under her trench coat ''wasn't'' sexual [[http://www.egscomics.com/?id=48 when they first met.]] It turns out that she had misunderstood something that Hedge had said about "flashers". ''Then'' she remembers that [[http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2003-11-19 Sarah had seen her naked...]] |
| 226 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-07-04 Vampiric Hat Double Brick]] with yet another TakeThat on top. |
| 227 | ** Another one is from [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-01-20 here.]] Carol, the news journalist, is told by her boss to find a plausible story, like Bigfoot or giant hogs. [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-10-27 I guess she'll]] [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-11-09 cover the current arc too.]] |
| 228 | ** Turns out Raven totally [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2012-02-09 does]] get Grace [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-12-01 apology ice cream.]] |
| 229 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2007-01-17 January 2007]]: "You're suggesting that girls just casually [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-06-11 cuddle]] and [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-06-14 fall asleep]] together? Could you imagine Sarah doing that with Grace?" Three and a half years later, we don't need to imagine. |
| 230 | ** When Jerry the immortal [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2010-06-25 appears]] in "Hammerchlorians" he says most immortals give themselves names from mythology, leading to "legendary hissy fits" when two immortals named "Zeus" meet. In "Sister III, part 22: Apocalypse" [[spoiler:Jerry's reset form]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2017-12-06 insists]] on being called Zeus. |
| 231 | ** [[spoiler:One of Tedd's comments to the Will of Magic is about how spellbooks are overly complicated/hard to understand]]. After [[https://egscomics.com/comic/sister3-296 Ellen gets home, she finds hers has shrunk.]] |
| 232 | * BrokenBird: Susan, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-08-05 but slowly getting better]] once she got [[AngstNuke much angst]] out of her system in one big FreakOut. |
| 233 | * BrokenMasquerade: Breaks on a semi-regular basis to individuals. Later on, it showed more cracks during the Sister 2 storyline and the cracks grew wider during and after the New and Old Flames storyline. [[spoiler:The tipping point was Pandora using the mechanics of her forced reset to ''force every Immortal onto the physical plane and cast a spell that wiped out over 99% of the global Aberration population'', and the spell was visible for miles around and had multiple points of origin. The Will of Magic outright states that even without the previous incidents, that one event would have completely shattered the Masquerade on its own]]. |
| 234 | * BroughtDownToBadass: Nanase, even without her crazy powerful magic, is still a very experienced martial artist who can bench press 160 pounds [[note]]which is vastly above average for a 17-18 year old girl[[/note]]. |
| 235 | * BroughtDownToNormal: Anyone who suffers a magic burnout, caused by overusing magic in a short period of time, loses all access to magic for a time. It can range from a day to a few months depending on the severity of the burnout. [[spoiler:Nanase burns herself out well beyond her limits to save Ellen from Abraham, and ends up burnt out for several in-universe months (as well as several real-life years).]] Interestingly, one of the downsides of Nanase's [[SuperMode Guardian form]] is that it will always cause a magical burnout when it ends, regardless of how much magic she used beforehand. |
| 236 | * BullyHunter: |
| 237 | ** Elliot Dunkel has fought bullies in the past to protect their victims, including both Justin and Tedd. He lapses back from time to time when a friend of his is bullied nearby, though circumstances always manage to deal with the problem before Elliot can get started. |
| 238 | ** Gerald as well, sort of. He wears gothy outfits and makeup specifically to provoke bullies into picking fights with him. However, Nanase eventually realises that he himself is a jerk and does this to pick fights and be able to call himself in the right. |
| 239 | * BunnyEarsLawyer: Resident MadScientist Tedd is quite brilliant... it's just difficult to recognize when his field of expertise is so deeply tied in with his many quirks. [[spoiler:Arthur however considers him worthy of a government funded lab as he is the best candidate to be in charge of researching how to make magic safe for the general public]]. |
| 240 | -->'''Susan''': Tedd[...]has become very responsible with his transformation technology.\ |
| 241 | '''Tedd''': Hey guys!\ |
| 242 | '''Susan''': Tedd, you're a catgirl.\ |
| 243 | '''Tedd''': I am? ''Oh!'' Right. Forgot about that.\ |
| 244 | '''Susan''': ''Adequately'' responsible. |
| 245 | * BurnTheOrphanage: The "Comically evil guy" is introduced [[https://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=2388 plotting to burn an orphanage]] as a distraction for the rest of his evil plan. However, he's eaten by a vampire before he can actually do it. |
| 246 | * TheBusCameBack: Vladia, whose last previous canon appearance had been in [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2005-05-16 2005]],[[note]]And even her last previous appearance in a sketchbook was in [[https://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/2014-12-08-16 2014]][[/note]] shows up again in [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/father-009 2023]] as part of a group looking for Magus. |
| 247 | %%* ButNotTooForeign: Tedd is part Japanese and part Caucasian. |
| 248 | * CaliforniaUniversity: The main cast (and several high school supporting cast members) plan to attend the local Moperville University, with Raven and Tensaided becoming part of the faculty. |
| 249 | * CallASmeerpARabbit: Jeremy, despite being a weird cat-hedghog hybrid, is just referred to as a kitty. |
| 250 | * CallBack: |
| 251 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-02-13 Nothing can penetrate]] [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-01-10 the coat of solitude.]] |
| 252 | ** Nanase wasn't always discreet with her magic, constantly [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2005-04-19 floating around]] prior to her burnout. A fact Diane will bring up when she reveals she knows Nanase had magic, saying [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2013-06-27 half the school]] has seen her float. |
| 253 | ** Elliot simplifies the sudden existence of Ellen with four simple words, [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2013-03-15 "She's family. Help her."]] Ellen will use those same four words to [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2016-12-09 convince Susan to meet Diane]]. |
| 254 | ** [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/party-171 Susan's GPA]] is [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/ourf-028 lower than you'd expect.]] |
| 255 | * CallingYourAttacks: What else would you expect from "Anime Style Martial Arts"? Elliot and Ellen do this on several occasions -- in GratuitousJapanese, no less. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d when Elliot wanted a do-over after he forgot. And [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2004-02-18 mocked]] once. |
| 256 | * TheCameo: Matt and Rat were two characters from one of Dan's previous comics in junior high, who made a handful of appearances in the beginning of the story. [[NoFourthWall They're the only characters who are aware that they're in a comic strip,]] though everyone else just treats them like they're nuts, and WordOfGod says that they were eventually treated for their shared psychosis and are now productive members of society. |
| 257 | * CampStraight: AmbiguousGender Noah, (who is FriendsWithBenefits with Melissa, and who once describes himself as being so pretty that it makes straight men "see rainbows." Dan later admitted that Noah is one of two male characters that he [[AmbiguousGender uses female posing models]] for (Tedd being the other). |
| 258 | * CanNotTellALie: Another world is mentioned where Ancients (known as Immortals in the main world) are incapable of lying without bringing the wrath of their entire race upon themself. Immortals in the main world are under no such restriction, meaning that Tara the griffin (who is from this other world) is easily manipulated by an unscrupulous immortal in the main world because she falsely believes that he cannot be lying to her. |
| 259 | * CanonDiscontinuity: Anything to to with Matt and Rat, ThoseTwoGuys in early strips who had NoFourthWall and were {{Unknown Rival}}s to Elliot in a battle only they acknowledged for control of the comic. |
| 260 | * CantGetInTroubleForNuthin: Ellen tried being an EvilTwin when she believed she only had a few weeks to live, but consistently failed to get Elliot in trouble for anything. |
| 261 | * CantedCamera: Abe's sleep bomb causes this for the next page, reflecting how the spell dazed him. |
| 262 | * CaptainSuperhero: Spoofed when Catalina [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2011-01-07 tried to think of a better superhero name]] than "Cheerleadra." |
| 263 | -->'''Catalina''': They should've called her "captain" something! '''Captain Tiny Skirt!'''\ |
| 264 | ''*disapproving look from Susan*''\ |
| 265 | '''Catalina''': ...What? I don't have a lot to go on. |
| 266 | * CardiovascularLove: In this [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2003-04-23 comic]], hearts show around Tedd when he exclaims he loves Grace. |
| 267 | * CartoonBomb: The spider vampire uses a lot of cartoonish bombs against Andrea the griffin. |
| 268 | * CasanovaWannabe: T.C., aka "[[SpellMyNameWithAThe The Playah]]" is self-proclaimed to be a player, but he is never actually seen with a girl. |
| 269 | * CastFullOfGay: In 2019, a Q/A confirms that the entire main cast is somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and Dan himself considers this to be the norm for humans. Just to break it down; Justin, Nanase, Catalina, and Lucy are all homosexual (or have only been shown having serious romantic interest in the same gender), Tedd and Elliot are gender-fluid and are therefore open to both genders romantically (although Tedd less so due to childhood trauma over being teased for appearing gay), Grace appears to be pansexual (although she describes it as "Tedd-sexual", she is attracted to Tedd regardless of his/her form or gender), Ellen, Rhoda, Ashley, and Diane are bisexual, and Susan is asexual (although not aromantic). One InUniverse explanation is that high magic power provides subconscious gender neutral attraction, making people who are various degrees of bi more likely to notice an interest in the same sex. |
| 270 | * CastOfSnowflakes: Dan's had to come up with lots of new designs for extras in later arcs. |
| 271 | * CatDogDichotomy: Given a StereotypeFlip with Rhoda and Catalina. The two are dating and have a dog and cat motif respectively, but Rhoda is a ShrinkingViolet while Catalina is a GenkiGirl. |
| 272 | * CatGirl: |
| 273 | ** In various ways, ranging from the [[MeaningfulName appropriately-named]] Catalina who almost looks like an outright cat girl, to Ellen's online persona, to Grace's werecat form and the variants thereof to normal form of Nioi and Kaoli (they're skunks, but this looks close enough). Not to mention Elliot's cat''boy'' form.... |
| 274 | ** At some point in the backstory, Sarah [[NoodleIncident was stuck as a catgirl for a day]] thanks to Tedd being careless with the TF gun. |
| 275 | ** Tedd also frequently turns themselves [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2012-01-10 into a catgirl]], of course. |
| 276 | ** And now, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2012-10-23 Sarah again,]] this time on-panel. |
| 277 | * CatScare: Parodied and {{Justified|Trope}} at once -- Jeremy defending his territory is not a critter to be trifled with. Well, unless you can project your spirit energy into a [[SomeKindOfForceField force field]]. |
| 278 | %%* CatapultNightmare: A couple of {{aversion}}s/{{subversion}}s and two PlayedStraight examples. |
| 279 | * CatchingSomeZs: |
| 280 | ** Sarah finds Tedd [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-05-05 asleep on the couch]] making a "ZZZZZZ..." sound, with Grace asleep as well. Since Grace is [[VoluntaryShapeshifting in a half-cat form]] at the time, ''she's'' purring instead of snoring. |
| 281 | ** [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2003-01-09 Jeremy emits 3 Zs when sleeping]]. |
| 282 | * CatchPhrase: |
| 283 | ** Tedd had "Sexy-awesome!" as one in the early arcs, although he dropped it coinciding with his CharacterDevelopment. |
| 284 | ** "Za?(!)" is frequent VerbalTic from Elliot and Ellen, in place of "Huh?". |
| 285 | ** Catalina yells "JACKASSES!" enough for it to be one. |
| 286 | * CerebusRetcon: Before this series developed CerebusSyndrome, many hyper-zany elements were present in the story, and now that the series has become more serious, Dan is having fun going back and deconstructing lots of the ridiculousness of the earlier strips. The self-deprecatingly titled "[[Film/ThePhantomMenace Hammerchlorians]]" arc is devoted to one particular instance of this. |
| 287 | * CerebusRollercoaster: The comic started out wacky, took a turn for the dark in Painted Black, went back to wacky hijinks with Grace's party, turned dark again in Sister 2, turned wacky ''again'' with a (mis)adventure in a furniture store, and seems to have finally settled on a consistent tone of being mature, but the cast gets to have some fun along the way from New and Old Flames onwards. |
| 288 | * CerebusSyndrome: The Painted Black arc was the turning point, dropping most of the goofy tone in exchange for a very serious story. The comic has pulled back on the grimdark significantly since then; the story has never reached the heights of seriousness of Painted Black, even the antagonists have delved into absurdity and humor and generally have sympathetic aspects, unlike Damien. The obvious authorial intent is more mature storylines in substance rather than just being edgy. |
| 289 | * ChafingAgainstTheDressCode: Susan rebels against the newly mandated school uniforms (which she sees as too gendered since the women have to wear skirts) by wearing the boys' uniform. Tedd later stands in solidarity with her by wearing the vest from the girls' uniform, protesting that the girls having to wear vests when the boys don't is more ridiculous than just the skirt vs pants. |
| 290 | * ChainPain: In his original appearances, Hedge wielded a chain as a weapon -- specifically, the very chain that had once bound him in captivity in the laboratory that created him. Very symbolic. Very quickly forgotten, too. It only really appeared in one scene, though Grace references it again later. |
| 291 | * CharacterDevelopment: One of the strong sides of EGS. It's [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2004-07-07 rather chaotic]] and detail-saving, but profound. |
| 292 | * CharacterisationMarchesOn: Goes hand in hand with ArtEvolution and CerebusSyndrome as the author grows from an adolescent to an adult. |
| 293 | ** Tedd was an unashamed pervert with little to no restraints, but he quickly develops restraint. |
| 294 | ** Elliot was a pervert on par with Tedd, which is very inconsistent with his later character failing at perversion. |
| 295 | ** Sarah was a StrawFeminist but this was quickly dropped as the story actually starts. |
| 296 | ** Susan is an especially notable example, as she went from a StrawFeminist who frequently harangues and insults other characters for no good reason, to being a brusque and antisocial but fairly polite girl who has genuine complaints about the sexism she sees around her. [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-12-10 Even her own author is shocked at how different her behavior used to be.]] |
| 297 | --> '''Dan''': Seriously, I tend to skip my own huge blocks of text in these old comics on account of me already knowing the key points and being plenty busy, and after I wrote about Susan [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-11-09 apologizing to Greg,]] someone asked "what about apologizing to Nanase for calling her that thing?" My genuine response was "Susan called Nanase WHAT?!" |
| 298 | * CharacterFilibuster: |
| 299 | ** Tedd once gave a long rant on why he keeps his hair long to get people to blame ''that'' on why he looks girly as opposed to his face. |
| 300 | -->'''Elliot''' and '''Sarah:''' (a synchronized {{Facepalm}}) ''[[OhCrap Aw crap!]]''\ |
| 301 | '''Susan:''' [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-05-05 What? Did I say something wrong?]]\ |
| 302 | '''Tedd:''' They've heard the rant to follow before. |
| 303 | ** Elliot mixes this with a BerserkButton when [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2013-11-26 homophobia comes up.]] |
| 304 | * ChekhovsGag: In an early gag, before it was established that there was a {{Masquerade}}, Nanase is floating through the hallways only to be seen by a physics teacher. [[spoiler:Later, Diane reveals that this habit of hers clued her into the fact that Nanase has magic.]] |
| 305 | * ChekhovsGun: |
| 306 | ** A lot of 'em. It got to the point that Shive redesigned a character who would have had certain "suspicious" traits (such as an eyepatch) specifically so that nobody would sit around waiting for those to be explained. |
| 307 | ** Possibly {{lampshaded}} in the commentary for [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-05-12 this strip]]: "On the plus side, should the fact that there's a photo of Grace on the wall of a pancake place where a TV show episode was filmed ever come up again, the high-res version is already drawn." ''Definitely'' lampshaded in [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-07-07 this page]]'s commentary. |
| 308 | * ChekhovsGunman: |
| 309 | ** Noah is introduced suddenly -- he showed up, gothic [[UsefulNotes/{{Fonts}} font]] and all, and then... completely vanished. For years. It took a long time for him to be revealed to be the Child Left Behind. |
| 310 | ** In an innocuous gag, a griffin named Andrea talks to Elliot in Tedd's list of why he's famous at their school. This later becomes important because her wife comes searching for her after she doesn't return in time. |
| 311 | * ChekhovsSkill: |
| 312 | ** Elliot's [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-04-18 Tamashii Gekido]] was later [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-12-10 used by Ellen on the goo.]] |
| 313 | ** It took [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2010-05-26 nearly eight years]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2010-06-02 to explain how]] Susan [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-11-26 made a sword appear]] back during the Sister arc. |
| 314 | ** A minor one, but Susan's initial attempt to un-summon a magical copy of a fairy doll [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2010-06-11 had explosive results.]] Seven years of strips later, she's learned to ''[[https://egscomics.com/comic/2017-12-08 weaponize it.]]'' |
| 315 | * TheChessmaster: Pandora. Dan even says in [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-10-03 one commentary]] that she's ''not'' someone you want to play at chess. Her desire to manipulate events rather than getting directly involved actually [[JustifiedTrope makes sense]] for two reasons: the other immortals get cheesed off if one of them does anything more than assist people on the physical plane, and she prefers things to be as unpredictable as possible (Chaos is literally her middle name, that she gave herself). Doing everything herself would either earn her severe retribution or just make things too boring. |
| 316 | * ChildrenForcedToKill: [[spoiler:Susan and Nanase]] when, during a class-trip to France, they wind up being targeted by an aberration. He's not technically human anymore, but he LOOKS human -- mostly -- and while [[spoiler:Nanase]] does most of the fighting, it's [[spoiler:Susan]] who ends up having to kill him -- with an ax, even. Unsurprisingly, she was somewhat traumatized, and the storyline that featured the flashback culminated in an Immortal decrying the irresponsibility of the two French Immortals who originally equipped the girls for the battle, while giving them no apparent alternative save dying at the hands of the aberration. Apparently, they could have simply informed the French Government's anti-supernatural-creature-squad instead, but elected to drag two teen girls into a battle in order to 'recruit them for the fight against evil'. OmniscientMoralityLicense, anyone? |
| 317 | * ChildSoldier: After a monster attacked [[spoiler:Susan]] in Paris, two Immortals empowered her and [[spoiler:Nanase]], and instructed how to kill it, though it's implied – and in the Hammerchlorians arc, confirmed – that they could have gone to an experienced local magic-user instead. [[spoiler:Susan]]... didn't take it well. |
| 318 | * ChivalrousPervert: Tedd. There are numerous examples of this, but possibly the best one is the first time he meets Grace. When he asks what Grace is wearing under her trench coat and she says she "Nothing," he quickly welcomes her into the house in the most over-the-top way possible, but the first thing he does once she's inside is offer her some of his clothes to wear. |
| 319 | * ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: |
| 320 | ** The best example in this series was likely Sensei Greg. Despite having played a fairly decent role in early arcs, he was reduced to a brief cameo in Painted Black, and only got a short, non-plot critical scene in the party arc before it got into full swing. Greg made a major return in the New and Old Flames arc, before again mostly disappearing for more than a decade outside of occasional namedrops and NP strips. |
| 321 | ** A more infamous example would be Lord Tedd, who was set up for a long time as a potential BigBad for the series but both him and his plotline quickly became buried amongst plot twists and never seen again. He's still occasionally referenced, but Dan has long realised he was introduced too early. |
| 322 | * ClarkKenting: |
| 323 | ** Tedd can fool Will and Gill without even meaning it -- they call him an impostor when they see him without his glasses. On the other hand, those are really big glasses, they have never seen him without them and they seem not to know what glasses are (instead assuming they ''are'' his eyes) [[FridgeBrilliance which would make sense if, as shapeshifters, they never need glasses since they can shapeshift to correct or modify their vision]]. |
| 324 | ** {{Exaggerated|Trope}} with an incredibly lame (but apparently successful) government campaign to hide the presence of aliens on earth by such methods as having them wear T-shirts that say "Homo Sapiens." |
| 325 | ** In the New And Old Flames storyline, Elliot got a superheroine form spell, which comes with its own alter ego form which seems to allow this trope. However, it is subverted in that in the form Elliot actually [[BlindWithoutEm requires glasses]] and his speech patterns are made mild-mannered. This means he doesn't really need to engage in ClarkKenting consciously; the form does it for him. |
| 326 | * CloneAngst: Played depressingly straight at first. When Ellen was accidentally created, she freaked out, with good reason. She had all of Elliot's memories, but suffered LossOfIdentity since she could never get back his old life, and all of his friends were now essentially strangers she only knew about secondhand. She was permanently stuck in female form, something the original Elliot was so desperate to escape that he resorted to using a dangerous magical artifact he clearly didn't understand rather than risk spending (at most) a few more weeks in that form. Ellen also had reason to believe she might have less than a month to live, and feared she'd spend that time locked up in a research facility as a test subject. She went a little crazy, and as a coping mechanism, tried being an EvilTwin for a while, which only made her more miserable. However, this trope was subverted in the long run. Ellen learned her fears of an imminent demise or being locked up for study had no basis in reality. Elliot's friends welcomed her warmly and treated her like a normal individual, rather than just an accidental female copy of someone they knew. Elliot became fiercely protective of her, treating her as a cross between a little sister and a daughter, rather than the EvilTwin she had tried to be. Even Elliot's parents accepted her surprisingly easily, given the circumstances. Ellen eventually developed her own personality and became a major character in her own right, as well as an unprecedented solution to an earlier LoveTriangle. |
| 327 | * ClueEvidenceAndASmokingGun: How Susan figures out that Elliot transformed into a girl. The way she does it is a bit BatDeduction (Elliot lampshades this). |
| 328 | --> [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2008-08-08 "How the hell did you figure that out?"]] |
| 329 | * CobwebOfDisuse: There's a dojo that's [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-08-25 disused]] but lacking cobwebs... then the [[SideStoryBonusArt sketchbook]] [[{{Lampshaded}} explains]] [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2010-08-26 why.]] |
| 330 | * CodeName: Grace originally didn't have a real name, but went by the code name 'Shade Tail'. 'Grace' was the name her Dr. Sciuridae gave her, [[spoiler:[[ReplacementGoldfish after the dead daughter]] who had been her gene-parent]]. Both for Grace and general Tail [[AlternateUniverse variants]], Tail as the last name is ''not'' arbitrary, [[spoiler:it's the family name, since their Uryuom parent's name translates to Tail from Uryuomoco]]. |
| 331 | * CollectorOfForms: Grace's alien DNA allows her to become or mix-and-match together any form she's had previously. However, she can only gain new forms by first being transformed by an outside force. This is quickly {{Exploited}} however; her boyfriend is a TeenGenius with an alien TransformationRay, so she naturally has enough varied human forms by the end of the summer to be a full-on VoluntaryShapeshifter. |
| 332 | * ColorCodedMultiplayer: When Nanase creates one shadow copy of herself, the copy is colored with one of the primary additive colors (red, green, or blue), while Nanase is colored with the corresponding primary subtractive color (cyan, magenta, or yellow, respectively). This actually [[ShownTheirWork makes sense from a scientific standpoint]]: The real Nanase is absorbing the color the fake one is producing. |
| 333 | * ColorFailure: |
| 334 | ** Nanase does [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-06-30 this]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-08-26 twice]] after discovering that Ellen knows that it's her who picked out Ellen's outfit for the party. She had been a bit bolder than she might otherwise be when choosing Ellen's outfit because she assumed it would just be blamed on Susan. Finding out that wasn't the case was a bit embarrassing. |
| 335 | ** Shortly afterwards it happens to [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-08-07 Tedd,]] when he learns the party theme was for his benefit, and Grace is now blaming herself for not realizing he wouldn't be comfortable. |
| 336 | ** In another arc, Tedd goes white with shock when he discovers that the man who had been hitting on him earlier [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1880 was straight, and thought he was a girl.]] Previously, he had simply assumed that the guy was gay. |
| 337 | ** [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2017-10-25 Susan does this]] after finding out that [[IdenticalStranger Diane]] is a cheerleader, given their contrasting personalities. Particularly since this was during their first meeting and neither was sure if they were related by blood somehow. |
| 338 | ** Ashley gets one [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/oc-12 here]] when she blurts out that she can't picture anyone other than Grace as a character in a story she's writing, by proxy admitting that she's attracted to Grace to her face. |
| 339 | ** In a role-playing game, Rich [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/wie-078 has a white-out]] after he accidentally [[GayMoment calls Larry hot]] while trying to reference the elf bard he's playing as. He then fades back into colour when he realises [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/wie-079 nobody cared.]] |
| 340 | * CombatPragmatist: Unlike his [[TeethClenchedTeamwork "fellow"]] aberration [[PlayingWithFire Gul]][[UnskilledButStrong let]], Scarf resorts to [[spoiler:a regular handgun, [[HandCannon albeit a large one]], to take down Adrian Raven]]. |
| 341 | --> '''Scarf:''' Fancy magic... Fire and noise... All outdone... By humanity's toys. |
| 342 | * ComeBackToBedHoney: [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-07-23 An alternate female Elliot]] knows the best way to take advantage of alternate Tedd's father being out of town is to spend it in bed together. |
| 343 | * ComingOutStory: |
| 344 | ** Justin tells how his gay status became public to [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2006-06-21 Susan during Grace's party.]] He told one person, Melissa, and she didn't keep the secret. His homosexuality became public out of his control and people were making comments about it behind his back. |
| 345 | ** Nanase comes out ''during'' the party, though by then everyone there that night except Tedd already knew. For a while she was only out to the people who were at the party, though. However, after the events of Sister II, she's done hiding and becomes open about her homosexuality. |
| 346 | * CommonLawMarriage: By the events of the ''Squirrel Prophet'' arc, Tedd and Grace have been a happy couple for long enough that combined with the fact they live together, their friends describe them as practically married, with Justin wondering if they did in fact ''legally'' married. |
| 347 | %%* ConRecap. |
| 348 | * ConfusedBystanderInterview: [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-08 Carol interviews a girl,]] complete with [[SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud sound effects]], BuffySpeak, and general [[GenkiGirl hyperactiveness]] when covering the Cheerleadra sighting. Subverted in that she's actually not a bystander. ''She's'' the superhero that she allegedly saw. And [[GenderBender she's not even a "she".]] |
| 349 | * CongruentMemory: Tedd is supposedly better at cooking while female. His argument is that he usually cooks for himself when his father is away on business, which is also when he's most likely to spend a lot of time gender-bent. He seems fully aware of the absurdity of this, however, admitting that it's probably all in his head. Doesn't stop him from doing it. |
| 350 | * ConvectionSchmonvection: Justified. The "fire monster" summons in the New and Old Flames arc aren't really made of fire because they would incinerate themselves. They just look like they're on fire and have fire-related vulnerabilities. It's a beginner's mistake when summoning certain monsters to just go with what looks cool instead of what actually works. |
| 351 | * CoolButInefficient: Invoked. While building a deck for the card tournament at the comic shop, Tedd mentally declares one of the cards to be "not efficient, but pretty damn cool". |
| 352 | * CooldownHug: Tedd invokes this by [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2013-11-26 having Grace hug a very frustrated Elliot.]] |
| 353 | * CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: |
| 354 | ** Ellen's creation was eventually revealed as completely avoidable twice over; first when it's revealed that Tedd has a device that can gauge the end result of a transformation beam (the whole thing started when he claimed to zap himself to test the beam because he ''doesn't'' have such a device and the safety for the gun got stuck) and just likes to turn himself into the girl. The second is when Tedd's father reveals that when he turned from his business trip, he would've brought more than enough parts with him to repair the transformation gun, meaning that Elliot would've only been stuck as a girl for two days instead of a month (he left a note on the fridge explaining this, but the message never got across because of his [[TheIllegible "ink blot handwriting."]]) However, it was eventually later revealed that everything was due to Magus manipulating everyone's emotions in a convoluted plan given by Pandora to get his body back. |
| 355 | ** Tara suspected Elliot of hiding Andrea because an immortal told her so, and she's from an alternate universe where immortals CannotTellALie. However, that's not true in ''this'' universe, which Andrea had actually told her earlier. Elliot and Nanase are not amused to learn this, especially since she was willing to seriously injure Elliot over it. |
| 356 | ** Voltaire admits that his convoluted schemes to interfere with Tedd (including tricking Tara into ''killing his best friend'' just to traumatize him) were unnecessary and he could just have ''talked'' with Tedd and accomplished more. |
| 357 | * CovertPervert: |
| 358 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2006-01-16 Justin]], of all the crew, is the first to wonder if using the TF gun on a female results in a male form with generous... er... gentlemanly parts. |
| 359 | ** Sarah, too. At the very least, she seems to have [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-04-15 lots of]] [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2009-10-29 romantic]] [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-08-20 and possibly sexual]] [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/2014-12-08-17 (Possibly?)]] [[note]]Though that is a Sketchbook page and not necessarily canon[[/note]] [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-01-05 fantasies]] |
| 360 | ** Agent Cranium has [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1695 an interesting ability]] that she claims to have never abused, but the flashback clearly shows she did use it to spy on men. |
| 361 | * CrazyPrepared: Mr. Verres' party chaperon presentation. |
| 362 | * CreatingLifeIsBad: PlayedForLaughs -- "[[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=8 Our goo kinda came to life...]]," but later revealed to be [[spoiler:a monster sent on purpose from an AlternateUniverse]]. Also, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-02-24 in a filler strip]] ''soap bubbles'' came to life as VideoGame/PacMan-like critters... and promptly attacked Tedd. |
| 363 | * CreatorCameo: |
| 364 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-09-17 This]] strip (panel 6) has Dan Shive in a comic shop. Note that this is different from the AuthorAvatar character that appears in some non-canon strips. |
| 365 | ** Also in [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2003-04-14 the second panel here.]] |
| 366 | * CringeComedy: [[ButchLesbian Catalina's]] plan to [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1742 defuse rumors]] [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1743 that Elliot]] [[MistakenForGay is gay]] is to randomly kiss him in front of other people and falsely claim to be lovers. [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1741 That's]] [[SarcasmMode an airtight argument, alright.]] |
| 367 | -->'''Sarah''': It's like a train wreck, and I can't look away... |
| 368 | * CriticalStaffingShortage: The feds specialized in magic are short on numbers, to the point that they have [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/ourf-028 "one full agent, a trainee, a history teacher, and a criminal"]] going after one fugitive mage, making Arthur keep an eye on the main cast, desperate to recruit more. |
| 369 | * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Mr. Verres and Agent Wolf. In early comics, the two characters were pretty goofy and usually played for laughs. That changes a bit later on: |
| 370 | ** We've gotten hints for some time that Mr. Verres is a very prominent figure in the paranormal area (possibly even enough to qualify him as the BigGood of the EGS world), and his moment near the end of the Abraham encounter demonstrates that he has enough skill with magic that you ''really'' don't want to mess with him or anyone he cares about. |
| 371 | ** The encounter with Abraham has also shown that, when he's not obsessed with aliens, Agent Wolf is very professional, and Raven has identified him as one of the most powerful wizards in the Midwestern United States. |
| 372 | * CrushBlush: |
| 373 | ** Two in relation to [[spoiler:Elliot]]. |
| 374 | *** Susan has one [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1742 here.]] |
| 375 | *** Ashley has one [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1733 here.]] |
| 376 | ** Vladia [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/father-018 has one]] pointed at an undisguised Raven. |
| 377 | * CuddleBug: Grace and Ellen occasionally fall into this -- they hug someone all the time, while TheGlomp was performed ''not'' by one of them only twice: by Nanase (to Ellen) and Catalina (to Tedd). In the Second Life it was said to be fairly typical for a greater chimera. As to Ellen, at least Justin [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2007-08-10 thinks it's pretty normal for girls]]. Or she's just that uninhibited. |
| 378 | * CurseCutShort: |
| 379 | ** An example from the Goo: [[AC:[[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-10-14 PROCEEDING WITH A PREPARED SET OF CURSE WORDS IN ORDER TO IMITATE ANGER. DAMN. CRAP. F--]]]] |
| 380 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2007-04-15 Agent Wolf is such a--]] |
| 381 | ** Elliot explaining Justin's coming-out. |
| 382 | --->'''Elliot:''' [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-01-24 He was MISERABLE and DEPRESSED and it was ALL BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID-]] |
| 383 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2012-09-24 "Well, f-"]]. The author alleges that Justin was going to say "fudge". |
| 384 | * CurtainsMatchTheWindow: The hair and eye colours of [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook.php?id=761 Susan]], [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook.php?id=751 Elliot]], [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook.php?id=743 Ellen]], and [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1824 Tedd]] all match. |
| 385 | * CuteApproachesCamera: Jeremy has a close-up picture [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=301 here.]] |
| 386 | * CuteLittleFangs: |
| 387 | ** [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2007-09-14 Catalina Bobcat]] is drawn with very prominent canines to go with her whole CatGirl thing. They get even more pronounced while she's in her actual cat girl form. |
| 388 | ** Grace in her squirrel-girl form (a squirrel obviously should have big incisors instead, but she also got [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-08-30 lespuko]] traits). |
| 389 | ** Vladia also has little fangs, though it's harder to tell. |
| 390 | * CutenessProximity: Jeremy tried this on Susan, but failed. See also Sarah's [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2010-06-11 reaction]] to Grace's full squirrel form. |
| 391 | * DamselInDistress: |
| 392 | ** During the "Painted Black" arc, Grace becomes one when she's captured while infiltrating Damien's base... at least until Damien makes her [[BewareTheNiceOnes really, really mad]]. |
| 393 | ** Zigzagged by Elliot, who ends his stint as a DistressedDude by genderbending his way out of his restraints. |
| 394 | * DangerousForbiddenTechnique: Magic apparently drains users at various rates. Spells too powerful to handle may overtax even well-trained magic users, possibly even [[BroughtDownToNormal removing their magic for months at at a time.]] |
| 395 | * DarkHorseVictory: After an entire year-long arc, [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1991 Some Guy wins the card game tournament.]] |
| 396 | * TheDarkSide: Parodied [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=133 early on, when the Goo is first created.]] Tedd refuses to give in to the dark side and give his principal an army of goo-based hall monitors. |
| 397 | * DawsonCasting: Tedd {{invoke|dTrope}}s this in an EGS:NP strip by claiming to be twenty-one outside of continuity due to ComicBookTime. Grace counters the gap ''might'' be up to a year, making Tedd eighteen. She then goes on to say that it doesn't matter anyways since none of them are likely to look any different before they turn 30. Though the revelation that he may be under the drinking age causes Tedd to excuse himself so that he can dispose of a keg in the fridge before his dad finds it. |
| 398 | * DaydreamSurprise: |
| 399 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2007-05-23 Here,]] it starts with a montage of Grace experiencing school, only for it to be revealed to be Grace dreaming. |
| 400 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-06-09 Here,]] it starts with Susan and Catalina going on a date only for it to be revealed to be Susan fantasising about it. |
| 401 | * DeadlyUpgrade: [[spoiler:Nanase's usage of the [[https://elgoonishshive.com/?date=2009-10-03 Angel spell]]]] very nearly kills her as she was pushed far beyond her limit already when she casts it, and it drains a ''lot'' of energy. |
| 402 | * DeadpanSnarker: |
| 403 | ** Depending on the situation, any given character can give snarking remarks. Definitely Susan, who remarks that Ellen could, just maybe, be covered in goo from the goo monster they just fought in response to Greg thinking she turned into the She-Hulk. [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-07-26 Dying is usually inconvenient.]] Lampshaded [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-08-05 here.]] |
| 404 | ** Elliot once turned it on Susan, telling her to be very detailed in her notes for what she's like when turned into a man. |
| 405 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2004-05-28 This guy, in response to Vladia screeching at him, just reports the absurdity to his superiors.]] |
| 406 | * DeathGlare: |
| 407 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2005-01-10 "If Looks Could Kill..."]] |
| 408 | ** Hello, Lucy. [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-01-08 Ellen is just happy to see you]], that's all. |
| 409 | ** Nanase [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-09-06 can do this]] too. |
| 410 | ** Tedd gets hit with a rather scary [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-01-05 double whammy]]. |
| 411 | ** Elliot [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-01-24 gives a wonderful first impression to]] Melissa. |
| 412 | ** Gerald gets a triple dose from [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-09-29 Grace, Ellen, and Nanase.]] |
| 413 | * DeepImmersionGaming: Several straight examples and variations: |
| 414 | ** Grace perfectly roleplayed and imagined an entire epic duel for Justin's and Tensaided's card game duel. |
| 415 | ** Whenever the characters use IM, instead of showing them typing, the author shows their avatars acting things out as if the conversation was happening face to face. The author explicitly stated it was because simply ''typing'' was ''boring''. |
| 416 | ** During Squirrel Prophet, all the card games are visualised as epic battles rather than just people playing card games on desks. |
| 417 | ** Most NP arcs that focus on video games have Grace as the character in the game world reacting to it. The one exception was the ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' bit, since that was more about how Tedd and Grace play the game rather than parodying the game itself. |
| 418 | * DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-07-04 "You could always get hugs, have a second player for video games, get hugs, have help with chores, get hugs..."]] |
| 419 | ** Not to mention [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-10-25 Dan's commentary here.]] |
| 420 | * DeusExMachina: |
| 421 | ** Subverted or maybe deconstructed mildly with the Dewitchery Diamond. It seems like a plot device at first, but then it solves it in a way completely different from the way everyone expected, and caused more problems than it solved, in the form of KnightTemplar Abraham. |
| 422 | ** Magic is stated to have a flair for the dramatic. The characters expect magic to do last-minute interventions specifically because it is more dramatic. |
| 423 | * DidntThinkThisThrough: Abraham is infamous in the wizard community for his incredible shortsightedness. First he enchanted a diamond to cure a friend of lycanthropy rather than just sell the diamond to hire someone more competent, and because of his ineptitude the diamond's "cure" actually splits the curse from the person as a new being capable of spreading the curse further. Then he made a RashPromise to slay anything created by the Dewitchery Diamond, not foreseeing it being used to break a relatively harmless curse like a GenderBender, forcing him to kill an innocent teenage girl. He also made a critical mistake when fighting Adrian. Anybody who forgets he's fighting a wizard after having to overcome his spells just to get there ''deserves'' to be [[MacrossMissileMassacre spammed]] by [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-07-04 exploding crows]] on the spot. |
| 424 | * DiggingYourselfDeeper: |
| 425 | ** Abraham's diplomatic efforts. He doesn't tongue-slip, but still manages to annoy the hell out of [[spoiler:Adrian Raven]] with ''every phrase'', starting from the second. |
| 426 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2005-08-26 Tedd]] gets a little too invested in Elliot's cup size while setting him up for Grace's gender-swap party. |
| 427 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp.php?id=206 Much later]], Tedd still has the habit, but seems to be a lot better about ShuttingUpNow. |
| 428 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-04-23 Elliot]] gets himself into an awkward situation trying to explain why he accidentally turned into a super-curvy version of [[ACupAngst Sarah]]. |
| 429 | ** Nanase [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1298 has to dance around]] how she used to [[ReallyGetsAround really get around]] and also how her LastHetRomance was Ellen's brother (which Ellen also has all the memories of...). All Gerald's fault. |
| 430 | * DirectionlessDriver: Referenced after Ellen's "birth," when Elliot says Ellen might use a tactic that would never cross his or Tedd's mind to find her way back to Moperville. Cue a scene change [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=196 to Ellen asking a gas pump attendant for directions]]. |
| 431 | %%* DirtyBusiness |
| 432 | * DirtyOldMan: {{Averted}}, but {{lampshaded}}, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-07-20 here.]] Greg's greatest regret is that he doesn't have a dirty mind. |
| 433 | * DisasterDominoes: During ''Who Is Ellen'', Nanase rolls to see how well her character would walk down the stairs. She rolls a one and falls. Larry rolls to save her and also gets a one, meaning her character slams into his. Rich rolls to save them and also rolls a one. George rolls to do nothing and rolls ''yet another one''. The end result is that the entire party falls down the stairs and Ellen asks Justin if the dice are cursed. |
| 434 | * DisownedSibling: Mrs. Kitsune [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2010-01-28 has no sister,]] and it's clearly unsafe to argue about the accuracy of this statement. |
| 435 | * DistantReactionShot: SpaceIsNoisy now -- courtesy of [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-05-07 Catalina]] and [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-12-09 Raven]]. Among others. [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2013-06-03 And it's]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2013-09-23 beginning]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2015-02-13 to bug]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2017-04-14 the neighbors.]] |
| 436 | * DistinctionWithoutADifference: Uryuoms are ''not'' magic; [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2008-11-18 they just use energy that is classified as a type of magic]]. |
| 437 | * DistractedByMyOwnSexy: |
| 438 | ** A V5-ed Susan gets distracted by her own sudden-sexy in [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-07-03 this strip.]] [[{{justified|Trope}} Understandable]], as in addition to the [[HeadTurningBeauty appearance]] this form has a rather... unusual hormonal status, which she wanted to experience in the first place. She stood enthralled until InsultedAwake... and only from the second attempt. |
| 439 | ** Genderbent Sarah also has one of these moments [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2006-01-09 here.]] |
| 440 | --->NO! BAD Sarah! Stop thinking of yourself as a sex object!! |
| 441 | * DistractedByTheSexy: It turns out that Tara the Griffon had been told that [[spoiler:Immortals on this side of the world were capable of lying, unlike the ones they know of]], which would have been very useful to remember when [[spoiler:she tried to kill Elliot because she trusted a local Immortal's word over his]]. However, her girlfriend is cute when she's being nerdy. (For instance, when she's talking about little-known facts about Immortals.) |
| 442 | * DistressedDude: Elliot for most of the Painted Black arc. |
| 443 | * TheDitz: Elliot in his "party girl" form, who has a MotorMouth and very little self-control. |
| 444 | * DitzyGenius: The reason for Grace's [[TheDitz Ditzy]] characteristics. [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2007-02-07 Both her ability to absorb information and her lack of common sense are impressive.]] |
| 445 | * DoesNotLikeMen: |
| 446 | ** Susan started out like this, firmly believing that AllMenArePerverts. A major part of her CharacterDevelopment is moving past this, acknowledging that most males she knows aren't that bad (even the genuinely perverted Tedd has redeeming qualities). She got this from her mother, who extended to issue of her former husband's affair to all men. Susan had to [[AccidentalTruth lie]] that Justin was gay so she'd let him stay over, if only in the hopes that his homosexuality would rub off on Susan. |
| 447 | ** Catalina and Diane are both stated to automatically assume any man is a jerk until he proves otherwise. The former is a lesbian while the latter is, or at least for a long time was, a GoldDigger. |
| 448 | * DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: |
| 449 | ** When Ellen [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-09-20 yells at Tedd]] for never apologizing for the mistakes that lead to her creation, his reply makes it sound more along the lines of an unplanned pregnancy, also tying in with the RunningGag about Tedd being Ellen's father. |
| 450 | --->'''Tedd:''' If you're the result of my mistakes, then they were the '''''best mistakes I ever made!''''' |
| 451 | ** The discussions about transformation can sometimes sound like it's being used as a metaphor for sex (or possibly kinky sex). Especially when the consent issue is brought up. |
| 452 | * DoingInTheScientist: At first, the plot was fairly silly, and all transformation weirdness was due to the Transformation Gun, an invention of [[TeenGenius Tedd's]]. Then it was revealed to come from Uryuom technology. Then ''that'' was revealed to be based on magic, a fundamental form of energy which had already cropped up in earlier storylines. |
| 453 | * DoingInTheWizard: In a way. Magic has actually become ''more'' prevalent after the Sister 2 arc, but it's also become less silly and more systematic. See CerebusRetcon above. |
| 454 | * DontTryThisAtHome: |
| 455 | ** The commentary for [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-05-06 this]] comic goes out of its way to inform readers of the potential hazards of using a sleeper hold. |
| 456 | ** Also in the commentary for [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-06-11 this]] one. |
| 457 | * DoNotGoGentle: The reason Ellen raised hell at the school in "Sister", is because she thought she had less than a month to live. |
| 458 | * DopeSlap: |
| 459 | ** Discussed [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-11-01 here.]] Mr. Verres said he would smack Elliot upside the head for not keeping up with his spellbook, and only isn't [[WouldntHitAGirl on account of him being a girl at the time]]. |
| 460 | ** You normally wouldn't expect someone like Grace to perform this on anyone, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-05-19 but when your friend's been acting like a dummy...]] |
| 461 | * DoppelgangerSpin: |
| 462 | ** Nanase Kitsune |
| 463 | *** [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=85 She creates two images of herself while in a demonstration martial arts match with her boyfriend Elliot.]] Each of the images she creates has different colored hair (green and blue). She uses them to distract him so she can make a sneak attack from the rear. Elliot complains that he hates "these trendy 'which one is real?' illusion attacks". |
| 464 | *** She uses a variation on this early on while fighting a giant blob of goo. In a subversion, ''none'' of the ones fighting the goo are the real Nanase; the real Nanase is rescuing Ellen while the goo is distracted by the duplicates. |
| 465 | ** Magus, while "powerless", later [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2005-06-13 used this]] to run away from more or less godlike beings. |
| 466 | * DoubleStandard: Ashley draws a line between fairy doll Nanase accidently coming across as flirty in a conversation, which makes her uncomfortable, and Grace unintentionally playing into Ashley's fetishes by shrinking herself, which she obviously enjoys. Of course, she has said before that she likes Grace, but it's not quite clear if she takes an explicite issue with Nanase. |
| 467 | * DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: {{Discussed|Trope}} by [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2013-04-22 Elliot and Sarah]] after [[spoiler:they break up]]. They can't say that Elliot threw things at Sarah in their exaggerated retellings. He's a guy and Sarah's a girl. People will freak out. The opposite situation won't get the same reaction. |
| 468 | * DramaticIrony: |
| 469 | ** During the Sister 3 arc, Magus still believes, not unreasonably, that Pandora is a monster and that he needs to stop her. What he doesn't know however is [[spoiler:she underwent a lot of CharacterDevelopment and is [[TheAtoner making up for her actions]], culminating in a HeroicSacrifice where she kills Aberrations in spite of the action being in violation of Immortal law and forcing a reset]]. |
| 470 | ** In "Balance", Luke rejects Justin's plan for him to use his magic-detecting abilities on two unnamed friends of Justin's without their knowledge for a number of reasons, one of which is that he hates using his power, since it just makes him feel powerless. He's particularly skittish about it at that point because [[spoiler: his other friends pressured him into using it the previous night, and he detected an ''insane'' amount of power... from exactly the people Justin's talking about.]] |
| 471 | * DramaticStutter: Tony [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-05-21 stutters his name]] when confronted with Grace in Tedd's form without Tedd's glasses to hide Tedd's feminine eyes. |
| 472 | * DramaticThunder: Happens whenever Nanase's mother says something emphatic. Played seriously the first time, and then for laughs in one of the Q&A comics. |
| 473 | * DramaticWind: Susan is particularly good at it, with her long hair often billowing in the wind in dramatic moments, even indoors. Lampshaded in one comic, where she debates getting a haircut but a gust causes her hair to whoosh, which she decides is reason enough to keep it at that length. |
| 474 | * DreamEmergencyExit: Lucid dreamers can exit magic dreams by pinching themselves. TheRant notes that you ''can'' experience pain in dreams, but because the "pinch-me" cliché exists and magic is powered by intent, pinching yourself is the obvious way of signaling "I want to wake up now". |
| 475 | * DreamSequence: |
| 476 | ** ''Sleepy Time'' is an entire StoryArc of them, each revealing something personal about one of the main characters. |
| 477 | ** Late into ''Parable'', the ''Videogame/{{Fable}}'' parody is revealed to be a shared dream between several characters, and is canon. |
| 478 | * DroppedGlasses: Played with. Tedd forgets to grab his glasses when he wakes up and rushes to check on Grace, revealing that the character [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-05-21 doesn't really need them.]] |
| 479 | * DudeLooksLikeALady: |
| 480 | ** Tedd's face is so feminine that he grows his hair out just so he can blame ''that'' on why he looks so much like a girl when his glasses are off. |
| 481 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-03-29 Noah,]] though he seems completely fine with it. |
| 482 | -->"Regardless of which gender he is at the time, I use the female [plastic] artist model for Tedd. And Noah, [[https://egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2012-04-11 now that I think about it."]] |
| 483 | ** Mist in his non-disguised, non-unicorn form. If his pronouns weren't clarified in that form's introduction on [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/hope-007 this page]], readers would most likely have mistaken him for a woman. |
| 484 | * DysfunctionalFamily: Not only has Tedd's mom gone to Europe and abandoned her family, but when Nanase's mom is asked about her sister, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-01-28 the answer]] sounds much like Pandora-Chaos at her worst. |
| 485 | * {{Eagleland}}: TheGovernment isn't that bad. Even TheMenInBlack (though they have [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-05-09 their moments]]). But ''[[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-05-26 tourists...]]'' |
| 486 | * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: |
| 487 | ** Early in the comic Elliot and Nanase share a rather overtly sexual relationship, with the two even having a tradition of making out after sparing matches. This becomes a rather odd point later on, when Elliot is revealed to be borderline sexually repressed, and even Nanase seems a lot more reserved (of course, this might just be in comparison to her new girlfriend, Ellen, who is a lot more open and flirtatious). Later interactions between Elliot and Ashley seem to be reaffirming Elliot as overtly sexual, insinuating his situation with Sarah was actually more out of character for him due to Elliot not realizing his feelings for her were deeply platonic, not romantic. |
| 488 | ** While it was always insinuated people could simply be more lax about their magic use before it started getting unwanted media attention, some of the magic use in the early comics was pretty oddly overt. Most of all was probably Nanase, who used to openly use blatant magic in public (she regularly levitated through the crowded hallways of her school, to the point where a joke was made that the Physics Teachers have a pet peeve against her). Even weirder, ''after'' magic gets exposure, almost no one thinks of confronting Nanase about her magic use, in spite of using it publicly in her school for possibly years. |
| 489 | ** The early comics ''repeatedly'' bring up the characters worrying about pregnancy and how it might relate to transformations, and nobody ever seems to consider using prevention if they really want to have sex while transformed. It's not until 2013 that Sarah points out that very obvious solution in a talk to Nanase. |
| 490 | * EasilyForgiven: |
| 491 | ** Susan never once apologized for her earlier behavior, and nobody seems to mind that she used to [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-11-07 dismiss Ellen's gender identity]], deem Tedd's transformations as being meant [[https://egscomics.com/egsnp/2004-03-02 strictly for perverted reasons]] without ever inquiring what it actually meant to him, imply [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2005-08-09 Tedd and Elliot wouldn't mind having sex]] (an insinuation that has always been a sore spot for Tedd), and fling insults at [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-10-18 Nanase,]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-11-09 Greg,]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-11-19 Grace,]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2003-04-14 Elliot,]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2002-11-14 and]] [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2003-06-13 Justin]] like nobody's business. Especially the last one stands out, because Diane explicitly had to apologize later on for calling Justin a "defective male", whereas Susan got away with "excess baggage" and "boy-toy". Even Tedd's and Sarah's early attitudes were later referred to as jerkass behavior, which both of them admitted, while [[DoubleStandard nobody ever pointed that out]] about Susan. |
| 492 | ** Ellen is weirdly ready to not only forgive, but even justify [[spoiler:Magus giving her body to [[DemonicPossession an aberration to inhabit]], [[GrandTheftMe possessing her brother]], and taking Ashley hostage.]] She insists that he was in a desperate situation, and wants him to get away with what he did. |
| 493 | * EatingTheEyeCandy: While not hunky, Sarah ends up considering it [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2006-01-09 during the Party arc]]. The object? Herself. ItMakesSenseInContext, really. |
| 494 | * EconomyCast: Played with with regards to the comic book shop Justin works at. The only employees seen with any regularity are Justin, George, and Grace. The business owner, Justin's uncle, is only seen once when he interviews Grace for a position. This led to at least one other character, Sarah, assuming it was just them working at the shop until Justin clarifies that no, there ''are'' other employees. Sarah (and the readers) just never saw them. |
| 495 | * EducationMama: Nanase's mother, who pushes her to insane levels academically despite wanting nothing from her when she grows up other than to be a homemaker. [[spoiler:She certainly knows more about magic than she lets on, so it might be her way of protecting Nanase.]] |
| 496 | * EldritchAbomination: |
| 497 | ** Immortals like Pandora are powerful shapeshifters and can look like Lovecraftian monsters if they choose to. |
| 498 | ** There are aberrations like [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-04-09 this... thing]]. Horrific monsters than were former humans who used magic to turn themselves into monsters. |
| 499 | ** There are [[https://elgoonishshive.com/?date=2013-01-22 "whale" things that Tedd encounters.]] They exist only on the spiritual plane and feed on magic. |
| 500 | %%* EleventhHourSuperpower: Three times. One is {{Justified|Trope}} in expansion, another is justified in previous development, and the last one was built up over more than two years so that it was bound to appear and ''[[PersonalityPowers could not]]'' be anything less than Summon "OhCrap." |
| 501 | * ElSpanishO: The "El" in the name of the comic. |
| 502 | * EmbarrassingFirstName: Susan goes by her middle name because her first name "Tiffany" sounds like a stereotypical cheerleader. Also because her dad, whom she caught cheating, picked that name. |
| 503 | * EmbarrassingLastName: Susan's surname being ''Pompoms'', which would probably be embarrassing even if it didn't clash with her personality so hard. In fact, Susan hates her name so much that it stopped her from getting a [[StevenUlyssesPerhero name-based affinity]], since "Tiffany Pompoms" should under normal circumstances be the kind of name that attracts cheerleading spells. |
| 504 | * EmbarrassingMiddleName: Tedd ''Drew'' Verres isn't such a bad name, but he makes a big deal out of it. [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2006-03-06 Middle Names are Always Fun!]] |
| 505 | * TheEmpath: Uryuom (and greater chimera) have empathic abilities they use instead of pheromones, as well as low-grade telepathy. Both are related to antennae. |
| 506 | * EmptyPilesOfClothing: Greg [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-07-17 stumbles onto a pile]] after charging into Tedd's house to protect Grace. |
| 507 | * EnhanceButton: Discussed in the commentary of [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2010-11-05 this comic]], including a jab at CSI's usage of this trope. |
| 508 | --->Of course, if this was CSI, some dude would magically multiply the resolution of the image, clean it up, and get the license plate of a nearby car from a reflection in Elliot's pupil. |
| 509 | * EndearinglyDorky: Both Elliot ''and'' Ashley. According to Dan, the key to writing their interactions is to remember that they're both dorks and everything flows from there. |
| 510 | * EnlightenmentSuperpowers: Sensei Greg created Anime-Style Martial Arts by going on a viewing marathon and achieving a breakthrough at the end of it. |
| 511 | * EntendreFailure: When Elliot reveals his new date Ashley seems like the fact that he's capable of [[GenderBender Gender Bending]], Tedd [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2014-02-10 tries to be subtle]] when asking if Ashley is bi. Given this is Elliot, it fails. |
| 512 | -->'''Tedd:''' Oh... Does she, um... swing both ways?\ |
| 513 | '''Elliot:''' Swing, what swing?\ |
| 514 | '''Tedd:''' No, no! Does she like apples... and oranges?\ |
| 515 | '''Elliot:''' I don't know her fruit preferences.\ |
| 516 | '''Tedd:''' ''[exasperated expression]'' Bisexual. Is she bisexual?\ |
| 517 | '''Elliot:''' Oh! I dunno, maybe? |
| 518 | * EntertaininglyWrong: |
| 519 | ** Ellen and Nanase reach the conclusion that Susan and Diane must be sisters due to their uncanny resemblance, being born twenty minutes apart, having the same magic affinity, Diane being adopted, and the fact that Jerry appears to believe it. Tedd's father debunks the possibility they're twins SeparatedAtBirth, but Susan's father being "a cheating cheater who cheated" raises the possibility of half-sisters. Ultimately, their familial connection is revealed to be [[spoiler:Adrian Raven, who fathered a distant ancestor of Susan's and is Diane's biological father]]. |
| 520 | ** The thing that convinces Susan that she might indeed be related to Diane is the fact that Jerry appears to believe it enough to protect Diane on "her sister's" behalf, while doing nothing to protect Rhea. The fact that an immortal, who would likely have much more ability to find out something like this, thinks is true is enough to convince Susan it's a real possibility. Jerry, standing next to them and invisible, notes he doesn't know any more than they do. |
| 521 | --->'''Jerry:''' I reached that conclusion for the same reasons Ellen and Nanase did. I don't know ''jack.'' |
| 522 | ** Grace [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2013-03-20 chooses]] ''Film/DieHard'' as the first movie in a ChristmasSpecial marathon due to assuming that [[DidIMentionItsChristmas if it is a movie set during Christmas-time]] it must be a Christmas Special. (She does [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2013-03-21 realize it's a violent action movie]], but still thought it counted as "Christmas".) |
| 523 | ** Despite correctly piecing together the fact that Elliot is Cheerleadra, George makes a wrong assumption about Ellen, thinking that she ''is'' Elliot rather than Elliot's OppositeSexClone. To be fair, he knows that Elliot [[SexShifter can transform into a woman]], that he and Nanase were dating up until Ellen suddenly appeared, and they have the exact same friend group, so that conclusion probably makes more sense than the truth. |
| 524 | * EpiphanyTherapy: Lampshaded. Tedd gets over his [[TransEqualsGay fear of being called gay for liking Grace when she's gender bent]] long enough to kiss male Grace, but Grace is quick to point out that just recognizing he has a hang-up isn't enough to instantly make it go away. |
| 525 | * {{Epiphora}}: From [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/balance-116 balance-116]]: Talking about how magic training "is good": |
| 526 | --> '''Ashley:''' It was surprisingly tiring for how mundane it was.\ |
| 527 | '''Edward Verres:''' This early on, tired is good. Mundane is good. You'll be doing stuff that makes me glad it's not my job to cover this stuff up anymore in no time.\ |
| 528 | '''Ashley:''' Thanks? |
| 529 | * EqualOpportunityEvil: While running as GameMaster for a tabletop rpg, Ellen finds it distasteful that the premade adventure she is running doesn't detail a reason for the why goblins are acting as some guy's evil minions, simply using them as generic and potentially swappable mooks. Her response is to swap out two of the three goblins for a human and a dwarf. |
| 530 | * EspeciallyZoidberg: [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2008-04-21 Susan drops one of these]] on Elliot and Tedd in a moment of frustration, then immediately apologizes as her frustration isn't actually directed at them. |
| 531 | * EurekaMoment: |
| 532 | ** Tedd has such a moment when he [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2010-11-15 realizes that]] the only way for Elliot to stop getting spells themed around turning into a girl is for one such spell to accurately reflect who he is. Magic is trying desperately to give him a spell that reflects his personality, but the gender bending, which is the one thing it is absolutely sure about, is also the one part it is getting wrong. |
| 533 | ** After having her clothes [[https://egscomics.com/comic/party-118 spontaneously grow back to full size]] off her [[IncredibleShrinkingMan shrunken body,]] Grace is able to [[https://egscomics.com/comic/party-119 figure out]] how magic's change gave her the ability to [[MagicPants transform her clothes]]. She then proceeds to follow tradition by shouting "Eureka" and running around naked. |
| 534 | * EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Female Variant Number 5 is designed to release pheromones to make even other women attracted to someone with that form. ''However'', the production of those pheromones are temporary. A few days tops. |
| 535 | * EvenTheGuysWantHim: Discussed. After [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-01-24 the furious look]] [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2011-01-26 Elliot gave Melissa,]] Noah tries to get out of him what was that about and his first theory is that Elliot is jealous of Mellissa being with Noah. |
| 536 | -->'''Noah:''' I have been told I could make straight men see rainbows. |
| 537 | * EveryManHasHisPrice: In the non-canon ''Nanase Craft and the Crypt of Zappiness'', Nanase Craft has principles! She charges ''extra'' if someone wants to use an artifact she found for evil. |
| 538 | * EveryoneCanSeeIt: Elliot and Susan have become far closer to each other than they realize and pretty much everyone, including Sarah, ostensibly Elliot's girlfriend, notices it. Sarah herself would be all for it if Elliot and Susan got together, because it's become clear to her that Elliot isn't even really ''functioning'' as her boyfriend. Even ''Tensaided'' thought that [[spoiler:[[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1533 Susan and Elliot were a couple]]]]. It's gotten to the point that [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2013-04-23 even the in-universe fandom for their video reviews is shipping them.]] |
| 539 | * EveryoneHasStandards: Magus is a good man pushed to very desperate measures due to being trapped in a shitty situation. Despite that, [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2009-11-11 he]] [[spoiler:won't help Chaos ruin Verres to just to kill Abraham... [[ThePlan just to punish Raven for being a disobedient son]]]]. |
| 540 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: |
| 541 | ** During the first few story arcs up until ''Painted Black'', Hedge did everything in his power ''not'' to bring women back to Damien, knowing that he only wanted them for breeding. |
| 542 | ** All aberrations are TheSociopath, but unlike one of his fellow mercenaries, one retains enough humanity to think [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]] is disgusting and is enough of a PragmaticVillain to not want to draw attention via killing more people than necessary. |
| 543 | * EveryoneIsBi: This didn't seem to be true at first, but ultimately, of the main eight, only Justin and Nanase appear to have an uncomplicated gender preference. From the beginning, Ellen was bi and Grace wasn't exactly straight; although any male character turned female will be attracted to men and vice-versa, that's a much greater part of Elliot's life (although that means any homosexual character transformed into the opposite gender will actually technically be considered heterosexual while in that form); Tedd, Sarah, and Elliot slowly come to realize that they're attracted to both sexes regardless of form; and Susan comes to realize she's an exclusive voyeur, whose subjects could be of either gender. Furthermore, more recent important characters, such as Noah and Ashley, seem similarly difficult to label. Eventually confirmed by WordOfGod in a [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/qa8-13 2019 Q&A comic]]: "Gender fluidity and bisexuality feels normal and like the default to me." |
| 544 | * EveryonesInTheLoop: The main cast typically make a point of keeping each other in the loop regarding the constant supernatural happenings. As such, plotlines regarding one character not knowing something important only happen outside the main cast, and even temporary misunderstandings only happen when Susan is being reclusive and hasn't talked to anyone in a while. |
| 545 | * EvilCannotComprehendGood: Sirleck cannot understand why [[OurElvesAreDifferent Raven]] would [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=2190 do charity work for military veterans.]] [[JustifiedTrope It's Justified]]. The process of becoming an Aberration removes one's empathy. |
| 546 | --> '''Sirleck:''' What's the point of living for centuries if you're going to let your heart bleed? |
| 547 | * EvilLaugh: Along with PsychoticSmirk, played to the hilt with Raven, though he could just be being creepy and weird. Definitely just being weird, considering he's one of the series' most powerful supporting heroes. His mother, on the other hand, plays this one straight when she appears on live news and acts all CreepyChild. |
| 548 | * EvilOverlord: Lord Tedd, though Nioi insinuates that he's nothing of the sort. Well, ''[[MoralityPet to Nioi and around her]]'', he may be a [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2003-11-07 very nice]] lad indeed. After all, Lord Tedd is the product of Tedd's issues never fixed by the presence of either Elliot or Grace, and he looks like [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-05-09 "guy with a furry fetish and a half-cat girlfriend"]] again. |
| 549 | * EvilStoleMyFaith: PlayedForLaughs. Upon seeing Susan's [[SickeninglySweet "kitty face"]], Justin thinks to himself that there is no god. |
| 550 | * EvilTwin: When she's first introduced, Ellen tries to be one of these for Elliot in an effort to give herself some sense of identity. She turns out to be [[CantGetInTroubleForNuthin spectacularly bad at it.]] |
| 551 | * ExactWords: |
| 552 | ** Immortals in Moperville's universal neighborhood are forbidden by their own laws from doing much more than "guiding and empowering." However, as the comic progresses, it quickly becomes clear that "[[AmplifierArtifact empowering]]" and "[[MindControl guiding]]" have loopholes big enough to drive a truck through. Loopholes which many immortals use with giddy abandon to achieve ends ranging from "vampire extermination" to "make me not bored." |
| 553 | ** [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/sister3-293 Magus explains]] why he ordered eighty dollars worth of pizza with a casual "You would ''not believe'' how long it's been since I've eaten anything". Normally when someone says that, they might mean "all day" or even multiple days -- but for Magus, this is his first meal in a body of his own after spending years stuck in a spirit form. |
| 554 | * ExpositionCut: The webcomic has built up decades of plot and to keep recaps and exposition to bring other characters in the loop from padding things out, lengthy exposition the readers already know are skipped over. Its frequent use is lampshaded in [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-11-14 this]] comic from late in the "Sister" arc. |
| 555 | * ExpositionDiagram: Both Mr. Verres and Elliot's parents have used the Type 2 version. |
| 556 | * ExpositionParty: |
| 557 | ** Grace's birthday party has each of the main characters get their own CharacterDevelopment arc that starts tying up ''a lot'' of hanging threads. |
| 558 | ** The "Title Pending" arc invokes this, with everyone throwing a party specifically to help Ashley get acclimated to the world behind TheMasquerade. Of course, things go awry and they end up exploring a lot more than just magic. |
| 559 | * ExpressiveHair: |
| 560 | ** When Catalina asks Susan on a date, her hair acts like cat ears, raising when she's happy and laying flat when she's upset. |
| 561 | ** Ashley's weird AnimeHair bang spike thingies often flop around to match her mood. |
| 562 | * {{Expy}}: |
| 563 | ** Grace definitely has nothing in common with ComicBook/SquirrelGirl... [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2002-05-25 oops.]] On the other hand, "{{cat girl}}"-to-"squirrel girl" substitution doesn't leave many options anyway. |
| 564 | ** Mr. Raven comes across as [[Film/HarryPotter Snape]] with better style, at least at first. |
| 565 | -->'''Raven:''' You are a homicidal wizard invading a public school. '''No one will care if I kill you.''' |
| 566 | * ExplainExplainOhCrap: |
| 567 | ** First there was a [[https://egscomics.com/?date=2006-03-24 hilarious version]] with [[GenderBender female Tedd]] and too deductive Susan when she realises Tedd singing in the shower is irrelevant, ''unless he was a girl at the time''. |
| 568 | ** And another, slightly [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1596 more dramatic one]] with Elliot about [[spoiler:his girlfriend Sarah]]: "I care deeply about her and I want her always to be a part of my life! I don't want to hurt her! [[spoiler:She's [[LikeBrotherAndSister like a sister]] to me!]]" |
| 569 | ** [[https://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1925 Later]], Grace is ''sure'' that if Justin has a magic mark, he ''must'' know about it. After all, there's no way he could miss a small mark colored slightly different from the rest of his skin on a spot high up on his back where he'd need a mirror and probably have to make a deliberate effort to notice. And then it sinks in that yes, Justin ''could'' miss it. |
| 570 | ** And then there's [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2016-11-11 Tedd objecting to the possibility]] of [[spoiler:Justin]] having awakened, saying that it can't ''just'' happen, it has to take any number of methods. That's when Tedd realises that [[spoiler:Justin]] could have easily awakened without anyone noticing. |
| 571 | --->Awakenings just don't ''happen!'' Something major has to happen! Or you have to train a lot! Or be really strong! Or have an immortal... make it... there are about five billion ways someone like [[spoiler:Justin]] could have awakened, aren't there? |
| 572 | * ExtraParentConception: Uryuoms are perfectly capable of reproducing with more than two parents involved. The record is twelve. |
| 573 | * ExtraStrengthMasquerade: A variant. There is [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2011-01-12 no special effect]] stopping people from noticing magic if it happens in front of them, and the fact that knowledge of magic can easily be spread with modern technology is one of the main drivers of the plot. However, The Will Of Magic [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2014-03-20 has decided]] (for reasons that presumably make sense to it), that it does not wish magic to be too widely used or publically known. Therefore, whenever the {{Masquerade}} truly breaks, the Will of Magic [[https://egscomics.com/comic/2014-03-21 changes the rules]] for how humans can access its power, everything that everyone knows about magic becomes false, and the {{Masquerade}} is back in place. [[spoiler:When discussing the Fate of Magic, Tedd successfully makes the Will of Magic realise that with modern technology, maintaining the masquerade is no longer feasible, permanently ending the cycle of magic changing the rules]]. |
| 574 | * ExtremeDoormat: Sarah's motive to be upset with Elliot [[spoiler:to the point of wanting to break up with him.]] Elliot never takes the initiative of suggesting something to do and doesn't even have the drive to ''call her'' until someone tells him to do it. Sarah's always the one who must come out to call him or ask him out and decide what they should do, and even though she knows Elliot does it to avoid being oppressive to her, she's sick of it. Not to mention [[LetsWaitAwhile Elliot, in all the months they had being together,]] [[ArentYouGoingToRavishMe never tried to have sex with her.]] |
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