Line #174 Webcomic/DubiousCompany


1	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
2
3	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Dubious_Company_TV_tropes_3929.jpeg]]
4	[[caption-width-right:250:Pirates, ninjas, and other cliches, wholesale.]]
5
6	->''"Elator's Archetype though, pegs him as being able to stumble his way through any situation none the worse for wear."''
7	-->-- '''Sal''' (who could be referring to anyone in the cast)
8
9	''Dubious Company'' is an adventure comedy comic written by Ben Hsu (AKA Tagalong) and drawn by Elaine Tipping (AKA Tria).
10
11	It follows Captain Walter Herindale and his best buddy Tiren as they build an [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits assorted quirky crew]] in order to do... something, mostly heavy drinking. All the while they [[AffectionateParody spoof]] and [[PlayingWithATrope play with]] every {{trope}}, {{cliche}}, and {{genre\|Shift}} they come across. Oh, and dealing with Emperor Kreedor's Elite Guards.
12
13	Can be found [[http://www.dubiouscompany.com here.]] [[note]] Although since the site can sometimes be very slow (to the point of triggering 504 errors instead of loading properly) and -- considering the webcomic is finished -- probably won't stay up forever, a Website/WaybackMachine link [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190122164809/http://www.dubiouscompany.com/ has been provided]] for your convenience. [[/note]]
14
15	Also see the [[YMMV/DubiousCompany Crowning Moments]] and [[Characters/DubiousCompany Character Page]]!
16	----
17	!!This webcomic contains examples (by story arc) of:
18
19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:Comic In General]]
22	* AerithAndBob: We have Walter, Leeroy, Mary, Sue, Marty, Gary and (possibly) Sal mixing with Tiren, Elator (Elly), Izor, Kreedor, etc.
23	%%* ArtEvolution: Compare This [[http://dubiouscompany.com/comics/2005/10/23 comic]] to this [[http://dubiouscompany.com/comics/2011/01/13 one]].
24	* BadassBookworm: Tria. The artist is a multilingual educator and practices [[UsefulNotes/{{Kendo}} Atarashii Naginata]].
25	%%* BreakingTheFourthWall: Occasionally.
26	* CreatorCameo: Tria, Tagalong, and their webmaster occasionally appear.
27	%%* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale
28	%%* {{Expy}}: The Sues are shamelessly this: Mary is Anime/SailorMoon, Sue is [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Katara]] and Gary is Zuko.
29	* MagicVersusScience: sort of. The Imperial Elites rely heavily on magic, with [[WalkingTechBane limited]] technological understanding. The pirates are heavy on the technology, and have [[BadassNormal no access]] to magic. Both sides are presented with advantages and limitations.
30	* OrcusOnHisThrone: Emperor Kreedor takes this up to eleven. So far he hasn't left his throne ''once'' in the entire comic. Not even gaining godlike powers has enticed him to actually carry out his evil plans himself.
31	%%* ScheduleSlip: In the beginning. Now is faithfully updated twice a week.
32	%%* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Walter and Tiren both insist that they are JustFriends.
33	* TookALevelInBadass: Everyone, very subtlety through-out the run. Originally, the pirates were only able to defeat [[spoiler: the Sues]] by attacking them in their sleep and ''still'' needed to fight dirty and outnumber them. During the rematch at Kreedor's castle, they were only slightly outmatched while going one-on-one.
34	* UnsoundEffect: sound effects for gestures are common. Such as "nod" and "stand".
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Shipwrecked In Paradise]]
38	* [[WalkThePlank Keelhauling]]: Walter claims this as a punishment, until Tiren deconstructs its usefulness on a flying ship.
39	* WhatDidIDoLastNight: The series starts OFF with Tiren wondering that. Walter found her as a stowaway while she was sleeping. It happens a few more times in the story. (Hey, they're pirates. They get drunk)
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Of Rescues and Mutinies]]
43	%%* ActionMom: Tiren's mother was also a ninja, based on [[http://dubiouscompany.com/comics/2006/08/27 this]] SurvivalMantra.
44	* BornLucky:
45	** Sal is the future high priestess of the god of Randomness, things tend to go her way.
46	** As the crew is nearby Sal, this is often extend to them. This includes suddenly finding cover in the middle of a fight on their own ship.
47	* CrashIntoHello: How did Elly meet Mary? Walter [[FastballSpecial threw him]] on her.
48	* WalkThePlank: Walter subjects Barry to this. Tiren complains about doing it [[PokeThePoodle while docked]].
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Traitor In Our Midst]]
52	* HeadDesk: Mary and Sue use their TwinTelepathy to [[AsYouKnow debrief]] each other. When Mary goes off on a [[WallofBlather tangent]] about Elly, Sue does this to shut it off. It gets worse when Sue "calls" Mary and realizes she's talking to someone about when they went through puberty.
53	%%* LoadsAndLoadsOfRules: Apparently students at Phred's temple play a game like this. See [[http://dubiouscompany.com/comics/2007/09/02 here]]
54	%%* PaperThinDisguise: What was Mary thinking? Oh right: [[LoveInterest Elly]].
55	%%* RandomNumberGod: Phred. The temple is a casino.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Get The Kitty]]
59	* BadNewsInAGoodWay: Sue acting as [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Uhura]] for Izor has bad news: Mary has captured [[ActionGirl Tiren]] instead of [[LivingMacGuffin Sal]]. As she starts to apologize, Izor becomes overjoyed that the pirates defenses are now severed.
60	* InsultBackfire:
61	-->Tiren: I am going to kill your sister, first chance I get.
62	-->Sue: That's normal.
63	* IronicEcho / HilariousInHindsight: Tiren drunk vomits on Mary [[spoiler: much like she did with Walter shortly before [[{{Foreshadowing}} they team-up]]]].
64	* MistakenForGay: Sue thinks this of Mary until she learns Elly is male.
65	* NoodleIncident: Leeroy did something with oranges and noodles. Lampshaded by Sal when she uses it as blackmail.
66	* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Sal blackmails Leeroy into confessing to tampering with the engine room.
67	* TheScream: Walter waking up to the [[BrokenTreasure ruins of his ship]]. Cut to Tiren and Izor:
68	-->Tiren: Did you just hear someone scream?
69	* ThisIsNoTimeForKnitting: After getting the tech needed to find Tiren, Walter goes on a drinking binge, much to Leeroy's chagrin. Several strips later, Walter reveals that the engine [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum runs on drunkenness]]. So Walter needed to be sufficiently plastered to work with it.
70	* WelcomeBackTraitor: Subverted, in that while allegiances changed, no betrayal occurred.
71	* WhyWeCantHaveNiceThings: Why Can't We Have Cool Ships?: Walter really [[WhatDoesThisButtonDo needs]] to lock up the MagiTek [[MadeOfExplodium engine room]] of his CoolShip, err.. [[HeroStoleMyBike Barry's Cool Ship]], err.. [[ButtMonkey Barry's]] other not quite as cool ship.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:The Empire Strikes... Next?]]
75	* ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike: Sue does not want to be rescued by Marty.
76	* DrunkDriver: Subverted. Due to Walter's quirkiness and AppliedPhlebotinum, the CoolShip can only be driven while drunk. And he flys it perfectly well, until Marty makes Walter fly with his hands tied behind his back.
77	* EnemyCivilWar: a minor one between the Sues and Stus breaks out during a hostage crisis. The pirates are [[JawDrop too]] [[BlankWhiteEyes stunned]] to take advantage of it. Also involved in-universe ShipToShipCombat.
78	* ForgotICouldFly: Forgot You Could Fly: "I appreciate the thought lass, but I 'ave wings. Ye don't."
79	* TortureForFunAndInformation: And JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Walter threatens the Sues with [[LaserGuidedKarma allowing Tiren]] to use them as stress balls. It works [[WallOfBlather too well]].
80	%%* TakingYouWithMe: Walter's plan for dealing with Marty.
81	* WordOfGay: Namely that Marty is straight. He's just absolutely sure that Elly is a girl.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Izor's Amazing Plan (Of Amazement)!]]
85	* BatmanGambit: Izor pulls this [[spoiler: with Sal in order to overthrow Kreedor. It involved Sal being [[FauxDeath sacrificed]] only to be "reborn" as the [[HijackedByJesus spirit of a god]] to grant Kreedor godhood. Izor would later assassinate him while his guard was down.]]
86	* DareToBeBadass: Part of Izor's WeCanRuleTogether speech to Sal. If she follows his plan, the world conquering stops, if not more people will die.
87	%%* MirroredConfrontationShot: Compare [[http://dubiouscompany.com/comics/2009/12/22 here]] to [[http://dubiouscompany.com/comics/2009/12/24 here]]. Only Leeroy and Sue end up fighting their [[EvilCounterpart 5-Man-Band Counterpart]] while Sal and Izor work the XanatosSpeedChess.
88	* ProperlyParanoid: Kreedor knows that Tiren is the best fighter. So, she is locked in a metal box, with all her weapons removed, and that box is suspended in air.
89	* [[SpannerInTheWorks Raccoon in the Works]]: Not only does Izor's plan go horribly wrong by the timely intervention of the raccoon, [[spoiler: but by himself when he alters an overly complex ritual. Izor [[WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong knows nothing]] about magic theory. Unaltered the ritual would have killed Sal and nothing more. By [[HoistByHisOwnPetard altering it]], the pirates' intervention, and the raccoon becoming an accidental substitute for Sal, the ritual flung everyone into another dimension and caused... well... we still don't know.]]
90	* StormingTheCastle: The pirates try this after breaking out of the dungeon to save Sal from [[HumanSacrifice ritualistic sacrifice]]. It would have been easier if Kreedor's HauntedCastle wasn't TheMaze.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:On The Middle of Nowhere]]
94	%%* BridalCarry: Walter to Tiren when [[http://dubiouscompany.com/comics/2010/04/15 they needed a flying escape.]]
95	* CostumePorn: invoked by Mary. But then again, who didn't want to [[FanService see everyone]] in their Victorian [[PimpedOutDress formalwear]]?
96	* DareToBeBadass: Played [[ZigZaggingTrope straight, yet inverted]] by, of all people, ''[[LovableCoward Elly]]'' to ''[[DarkMagicalGirl Sue]]''. He dares her not to be a [[HonorBeforeReason badass]] while fleeing.
97	-->Elly: "You're welcome to join if you don't want to die!"
98	* [[WalkingSwimsuitScene Walking Fan]][[WalkingShirtlessScene service Scene]]: Mary becomes a WalkingSwimsuitScene and, much to his irritation, Izor becomes a WalkingShirtlessScene.
99	* YourMindMakesItReal: the exposition on the island's inner workings. Which may justify the walking fanservice scenes and delve deeper into the psyche of [[TheFashionista certain]] characters than they may [[CovertPervert wish]].
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Back To School]]
103	* CatFight: Between [[{{Pun}} Tiren]] and Sakura. [[spoiler: Subverted in that it happens [[WhatCouldHaveBeen off screen]].]]
104	* BroughtDownToNormal:
105	** Walter and Tiren lose their animal [[LittleBitBeastly attributes]].
106	** Mary and Sue lose their superiority.
107	** And Elly [[CurseEscapeClause gets back]] his manly hair.
108	* HighSchoolAU
109	* {{Manipulative B\|astard}}itch [[BitchInSheepsClothing in Sheep's Clothing]]: Mary and Sue meet Sakura and instantly hate her. So they yank at Tiren's newly developed heartstrings with [[MurderTheHypotenuse bad dating advice]]. That way Tiren will take Sakura out without them getting their hands dirty. Sakura herself did nothing to deserve her mistreatment, short of being GenreBlind.
110	%%* ShipTease: Walter/Tiren, Leeroy/Sal, Izor/Sue, Mary/Elly, Marty/Elly, & Tria/Elly.
111	* SittingOnTheRoof: Used by Tiren and Fumiko in the High School arc. It is at this point Tiren realizes she has no idea who Fumiko is.
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Festival Of Veils]]
115	* ArrestedForHeroism: [[spoiler: Sal just revealed who was the real king after the Queen threatened to kill the impostor. The first thing the Queen does is order Elly arrested to face trial (and death)]]
116	%%* CatFight: Between Mary and the [[http://dubiouscompany.com/comics/2011/08/11 Queen]].
117	* CuttingTheKnot: When dealing with [[spoiler: [[ItMakesSenseInContext A king and a look alike who are identical and who various people what to kill for various reasons]]]] What does Sal tell them to do? [[spoiler: [[ItMakesSenseInContext Take off their hats!]]]]
118	%%* DeathGlare:
119	%%** Between Mary and the [[http://dubiouscompany.com/comics/2011/08/04 Queen]].
120	%%** Also between the [[HappyMarriageCharade King and Queen]], with Raque caught in the middle.
121	* DoomedNewClothes: Mary is going to have to burn that PimpedOutDress.
122	* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Invoked and played straight by [[spoiler: Raque on Elly, but it is swiftly averted and deconstructed.]] The readers are left feeling deliberately uncomfortable.
123	%%* [[TennisBoss Tennis with the Bosses]]: Between the King and Queen with the [[BeleagueredAssistant poor guards]] as the ball.
124	* TitleDrop: "I forsee this coming Celebration of Veils will be beset by... Dubious Company."
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Star Something? (Title pending)]]
128	* AdaptationalVillainy: Walter is the pirate he always dreamed of becoming, and the SpaceMarines take him as a serious threat. [[spoiler: In the epilogue, he and Tiren become an OutlawCouple, if the title "{{Fanservice}}" is anything to go by.]]
129	%%* [[BigRedButton Big Red Flashing Button]]: They litter the control panel to Sal's frustration.
130	%%* ContinuityNod: Izor still doesn't have a shirt.
131	%%* DiggingYourselfDeeper: Marty ruins a completely [[DumbassHasAPoint insightful]] moment.
132	%%* [[HowDoIShotWeb How Do I Operate Myself?]]: We could [[AllThereInTheManual read the manuals]], but someone's trying to kill us now.
133	* [[IndirectKiss Indirect Sex]]: Leeroy interprets [[spoiler: Sal becoming the ship he is in]] as indirect intimacy.
134	* [[AccidentalPervert Involuntary Voyuer]]: Sal's new form lets her see and hear everything that happens on the ship, whether she [[PowerIncontinence wants to or not]].
135	* PhlebotinumAnalogy: Sal tries explaining her predicament to the crew, but given they're all from a HighFantasy setting, she [[ExpospeakGag doesn't have]] the necessary knowledge base to get a proper [[{{Dissimile}} analogy]] going.
136	%%* RescueRomance: Marty and [[AngerBornOfWorry Sue]].
137	%%* SpaceIsAnOcean: understandably believed by the cast, until Sal deconstructs it.
138	* ThrownOutTheAirlock: the space marines do this to an unnamed corporal after he [[JustFollowingOrders accidentally]] fires on a friendly ship. Sal later uses footage of it to [[ScareEmStraight rein everyone in]].
139	* WaveMotionGun: Tiren gets to use one. The marines have a more powerful one, but it takes a longer time to charge.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142
143	[[folder: The Search for the [=McGuffins=]!!]]
144	%%* TheBusCameBack: [[spoiler: Why Hi there Barry!]]
145	%%* Catgirls: Phred appears, as a sexy Tiren.
146	%%* ChekhovsGun: Tiren's sword.
147	%%* ElementalPowers: [[spoiler: what Phred's weapons turn out to be, in the form of objects]]
148	%%* FloatingHeadSyndrome: Kreedor gains this.
149	%%* AGodAmI: Turns out, the ritual was VERY successful for Kreedor.
150	%%* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Izor and company finally defect.]]
151	* MacGuffin: To beat Kreedor, some items are needed. Phred actually refers to them as [=McGuffins=].
152	%%* NoIndoorVoice: Kreedor also gains this.
153	* RunningGag: Kreedor REALLY wants his tomatoes [[spoiler: which Izor stole to frustrate Kreedor. Barry and Izor have also started using them as currency.]]
154	%%* TheUnreveal: Where Tiren keeps her sword.
155	%%* WalkingShirtlessScene: Phred also decides to take this form.
156
157	[[/folder]]
158
159
160	[[folder: The Evil Tower of Evil]]
161	* CombatPragmatist: Tiren has never been shy about her love of fighting, but she [[spoiler: kills the villain by taking one of the Prince's swords and kills the villain in mid spellcast]].
162	%%* CunningLinguist: Elly provides translations for the {{P\|urpleProse}}rinces.
163	%%* EvilLaugh: "Right on Cue"
164	* MarriageToAGod: Sal guesses this may be the reason why she and Tiren were captured.
165	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Lord Nefarious
166	%%* StalkerWithACrush: The princes towards Tiren and Sal
167	[[/folder]]
168
169	[[folder: Supplemental & Filler]]
170	* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Phred visits Sal and Leeroy as a pair of sweatpants.
171	* BuffySpeak: When the server crashed in September 2011, a picture was thrown up as a stop gap. In it, Tria can be seen saying "It went splody"
172	%%* ExtranormalInstitute: Walter's elementary school.
173	* KillItWithFire: both of the Sues and Stus were subjected to this in their TroubledBackstoryFlashback [[TradeSnark ™]]. The Sues' family and home were burned down [[RuleOfThree three times]]. Gary's face was burned while protecting Marty during a [[PlayingWithFire fire fight]] with [[SuspectIsHatless Nonspecific Evil Mage #157675]]. The culprit is [[SequelHook still at large]].
174	* MemeticMutation: An errant comment that one of Sal's poses looks like a pin up has led to a discussion about doing a pin up calender for the Crew. [[invoked]]
175	* ShoutOut: Tria uses the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Buster Sword]] in an early comic.
176	%%* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Pirate Barry. WordOfGod says he'll show up soon.
177	[[/folder]]

Context Webcomic / DubiousCompany