Line #28 Webcomic/Pulse


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pulse_wc.png]]
2	''[[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/ Pulse]]'' is the story of Annie Chang, a young robotics engineer and "battery" (a person who can store and discharge electricity) in [[SuperheroSchool training to become a superhero named Pulse]] along side her [[VitriolicBestBuds designated partner Tabitha (aka Bolt)]]. And, um, a [[BreastExpansion few]] [[MostCommonSuperpower other]] [[DeconstructedTrope things]].
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4	''Pulse'' is something of a legacy character for the author, Lightfoot; although the current strip dates to 2010, it's actually a continuity reboot of an older strip called ''Pulse, the Blue Bombshell'' that began in 1999; although the original is no longer on the net, some of Lightfoot's earlier work is available on his [[http://lightfootcomics.deviantart.com DeviantArt page (NSFW stuff is flagged, but there's lots of fanservice)]]. The current iteration begins in the wake of a mass slaughter of superheroes; Annie's father works for a secret government project near the Great Lakes to find and train a new generation of superheroes. Annie has a natural talent for controlling electricity, and has always aspired to be a superhero, but until recently never had enough power; when she does, develop, though, she [[BreastExpansion develops]] to a nearly ridiculous degree. She's paired up with caustic test pilot and fellow battery Tabitha "Bolt" Greene, and they're given matching power suits and the ability to heal each other. The story so far is of Annie trying to get used to being a hero in training, as well as the awkwardness of her new body.
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6	In addition to the comic's website, the series is also hosted [[https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/pulse/list?title_no=83924 here]] on Platform/{{Webtoon}}.
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8	[[SimilarlyNamedWorks No relation]] to the 1998 [[Film/{{Pulse}} horror film]], or to the 2015 [[VideoGame/{{Pulse}} horror game]].
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10	!!This webcomic provides examples of the following:
11	* AuthorAppeal: Lightfoot actually plays the breast expansion fairly realistically for the setting, although it's still [[{{Fanservice}} pretty clear what's going on here]].
12	** The original strip was far more blatant and less realistic.
13	* BlessedWithSuck: Annie, pre-powering up; Annie's friend Lucy, who has a power that she refuses to reveal.
14	* BreastExpansion: After gaining increased powers (or increased power), skinny Annie becomes [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/28/ buxom Annie]] overnight.
15	** This trope was far more prevelent in the pre-rebooted comic[[note]] [[spoiler: This would happen regularly to Anne throughout the original story as a result of her power]] [[/note]], before Lightfoot decided to focus more on story and characters than fanservice.
16	* BrickJoke: [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/56/ Pinky]] [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/71/ swear.]] Ouch.
17	* CreepyTwins/[[spoiler:BrainInAJar]]: Mira and Arim Robbins, the cyborg twins. They behave similarly until provoked, at which point Mira has a substantially worse temper. You wouldn't want to mess with Arim either, though; they're very tough. And by tough, we mean [[spoiler:they've had multiple sparring matches ending with one of them needing a ''full body transplant''.]] This is treated as disturbingly routine[[note]]Their bodies have a service manual![[/note]], at least for them and Lucy, who's a cyborg herself (two artificial legs).
18	* CuriousAsAMonkey: Annie is known to almost compulsively take things apart, [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/73/ throughout her life]], [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/74/ even her new armored suit]], and [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/86/ it's something she has to resist on elevators]].
19	* DeflectorShields: Both armored suits have repulsive shields that can be turned off and on. They bounce objects away, but the wearer is not immune to the recoil or reaction of the object.
20	* {{EMP}}: Annie's choice of superhero name.
21	* {{Fanservice}}: Annie in a checkered bikini is a once-a-year treat by the artist for fans, though sideboob and cleavage are everyday treats, or at least every third or fourth strip.
22	* ForcefulKiss: When Annie thought she might be [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/16/ about to die.]]
23	* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Annie is 5' 3", her love interest Thomas is 6'.
24	* InstantArmor: (Also ShapeshifterBaggage) Both suits armored super suits can collapse down into a ring. And then return in a flash of light.
25	* [[SirSwearsALot Lady Swears-A-Lot]]: The writing doesn't demonstrate much, but Tabitha is extremely foulmouthed off camera.
26	* MadScientist: Nigel Robbins works in the same facility as Annie and her father, in a different section (and is also Lucy's supervisor). He's cyborged [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter his daughters]] (Mira and Arim, the CreepyTwins from above), used to build spy gear, and has a reputation as a slapdash and unethical experimenter.
27	* MostCommonSuperpower: Deconstructed. It's not that Annie minds having developed a major case of superhero boobs, but having been flat-chested all her life, she finds it incredibly awkward and embarrassing. (Tabitha does catch her showing off in front of the mirror, though.) [[note]]In the original story, Annie's boobs were even larger; Lightfoot scaled them down, for the reboot. As her continued BreastExpansion ended up with her chest almost larger than the rest of her before the story was discontinued.[[/note]]
28	* PoweredArmor: Both Pulse and Bolt have powered armor that allows them to fly, makes them stronger and makes them more durable- and they power them themselves for up to an hour of continuous use.
29	* ShapeshifterBaggage: Pulse and Bolt's power armors hide (ComicBook/{{Witchblade}}-style) in ''rings''.
30	* ShowWithinAShow: Annie is a big fan of a pulp heroine named Jungle Girl.
31	* SpannerInTheWorks: Ironically, the one person who has any idea what's going to happen in the future is also the person to accidentally alter it. [[spoiler:Believing that it's pointless to try to change the future, Thomas asks Annie out on a date several weeks before he should have, causing Annie to be partnered with Tabitha for the battery experiment, with potentially massive changes as a result.]]
32	* SuperheroSchool: The US Government built an entire city in Michigan (Port Braddon) in order to hide the underground complex where Annie and Tabitha are training.
33	* TeenGenius: Implied; Annie is only 20 but has been designing robotics (including Lucy's artificial legs) for years.
34	* UnderstandingBoyfriend: Annie's boyfriend Tom.
35	* VitriolicBestBuds: What Tabitha's initial gruffness towards Annie turns out to be.
36	* WrenchWench: Annie's previous job was [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/54/ repairing old equipment]], [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/89/ she sometimes returns to that as therapy.]]
37	%%* NoHoldingBackSpeech: Whatever Lucy's power is, [[http://pulse.webcomic.ws/comics/50/ it's apparently terrifying.]]

Context Webcomic / Pulse