[[MindScrew http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/egslogic.jpg]]

-->''El Goonish Shive: [[{{Understatement}} It's really weird.]]''
-->--Old Ad Banner

[[http://egscomics.com/ El Goonish Shive]] is an [[ActionSeries Action]] [[AdventureSeries Adventure]] {{Dramedy}} [[{{Webcomics}} webcomic]], written, drawn, inked and colored by Dan Shive. He has stated that all of the comic can be summed up in one of Elliot's quotes: "[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-01-28 Because it sounds like one big awkward moment]]".

It's about a cast of characters and their relationships while in the middle of [[FunctionalMagic spellcasting]], [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shape]][[InvoluntaryShapeshifting shifting]], [[GenderBender gender-bending]], and [[PlanetEris blatantly disregarding the laws of physics]]. Or, [[YourMileageMayVary alternately]], it's about a cast of characters who occasionally take time off from obsessing over their relationships to cast spells, change shape, and break the laws of physics. The gender-bending is pretty constant, though.

The series has a heavy focus on interpersonal relationships; it's easy to get so wrapped up in the characters' lives that you forget that an inter-dimensional EvilOverlord has been attempting to attack them since one of the first story arcs.

The cast includes:
* Elliot Daniel Dunkel, who starts off as an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent (except for his study of "[[{{anime}} anime-style]] [[MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours martial arts]]");
* Tedd Drew Verres, Elliot's best friend, [[ChivalrousPervert pervert]], and a part-time MadScientist specializing in TransformationRay technology;
* Sarah Brown, Elliot's [[GirlNextDoor eventual]] [[FirstGirlWins girlfriend]] and often the StraightMan for the cast's weirdness;
* Nanase Kitsune, Tedd's cousin who starts off as Elliot's girlfriend/fellow martial artist and becomes one of the more conflicted characters in the cast after she [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy steers him toward Sarah]].
* Grace [[MeaningfulName Sciuridae]], a [[HalfHumanHybrids part-squirrel part-human part-alien]] RaisedByWolves [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifter]];
* Ellen Danielle Dunkel, Elliot's OppositeSexClone, who was [[CloningBlues split off]] from Elliot by a combination of InvoluntaryShapeshifting and magic items and now lives as his HalfIdenticalTwin sister;
* [[EmbarrassingFirstName Tiffany]] Susan Pompoms, Sarah's angry {{Straw Feminist}} friend who's forced to [[DefrostingIceQueen question]] her own prejudices, and deal with the event responsible for them;
* Justin [[PunnyName Tolkiberry]], Nanase's best friend, who [[BoysLove pines for Elliot]] ever since he [[RescueRomance rescued him from bullies]]...

...and a host of secondary characters.

It has its own wiki, [[http://elgoonishshive.wikia.com/wiki/Shiveapedia Shiveapedia]], which is currently beginning to undergo some WikiMagic.
Oh, and pay no attention to the art quality of the early strips. It [[ArtEvolution gets better]].

Has a [[Characters/ElGoonishShive character sheet]]
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!!This webcomic provides examples of:
* AbortedArc (Hints dropped at Ellen taking up drinking were later explained away because the creator didn't like the direction it would take.)
* AcademyOfAdventure (Two of them: Moperville North and South)
* AccidentalTruth (Susan tells one of these about Justin being gay.)
* ActionGirl (Nanase and Ellen)
* AGodAmI (BigBad Damien, who believes he was summoned to Earth to be the Messiah of the Chimera)
* AlternateUniverse: Several, [[InSpiteOfANail usually with variant Tedds]]. The one where Ellen and Kaoli "met" got Uryuoms and [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2006-08-25 seyunolu]] as accepted part of Human life [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-01-15 for two centuries or so]]. But it ''[[InSpiteOfANail still]]'' has Tedd.
* AntiClimax: Hedge is the King of [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-05-23 this]].
* AntiVillain: Grace's brothers [[spoiler:at first.]]
* ArthurDent (Sarah)
* AttractiveBentGender (Pretty much whenever anyone is transformed, goes in both directions. Isn't getting custom designed by a maniac grand? Tedd as a female deserves special mention, as "she" is [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-05-30 just about the hottest character in the comic]].)
* AuraVision: What makes bloodgrem an useful summon.
* AuthorAppeal (The copious amount of transformation. In-story, Tedd represents this aspect of him.)
* AuthorGuestSpot (Dan's squirrel avatar, though only out of continuity.)
** Actually, Dan is a [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-04-17 squirrel-boy character]] in the [[ShowWithinAShow comic strips Sarah draws in her spare time]].
* BadassTeacher: Endangering students of Mr. Raven is the sort of things insurance companies make a specific exclusion for. Even for wizards.
* BerserkButton (Quite a surprising number of times, for a relatively non-violent series)
* BewareTheNiceOnes (Grace, who 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.]])
* BiTheWay (Ellen, and Elliot was bisexual for a very brief moment of time when transformed)
* BiggerStick
* BigNo (Played with [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2006-02-13 here]])
* BilingualBonus (If you're willing to go [[http://www.ookii.org/egs/uryuom/default.aspx here]] to translate Uryuomoco. A couple real examples with French and Japanese though.)
* BiologicalMashUp: Both magic user and lespuko-chimera can acquire and combine forms.
* {{Bishonen}} (Tedd isn't quite a classic bishie, but he is still both androgynous enough and attractive enough when he takes his glasses off to cause homophobic bully Tony to [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2003-05-21 go into full-scale panic]])
* BizarreAlienBiology (Uryuom reproduction is very... [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2003-09-09 complicated]]...)
* BlackAndWhite (Tedd and Grace play this computer game in the [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2002-02-28 2-28-02]] and [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2002-03-01 3-01-02]] strips)
** An entire side story dedicated just to this game.
* BlessedWithSuck: Sure, Elliot and Ellen 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 them.
* BreakTheCutie (Many times, especially Grace)
* BrickJoke: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2009-11-19 November 19th]] brings us what Shive is pretty sure is the furthest callback joke ever.
* BroughtDownToNormal: [[spoiler:Nanase, after "burning up" her magic in order to defeat Abraham. This is, however, temporary.]]
* BullyHunter: Elliot Dunkel has fought bullies in the past to protect their victims, including fellow cast member Justin Tolkiberry.
* CanNotTellALie: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2008-06-02 Abraham]].
* CantGetInTroubleForNuthin (Ellen, in her first separate appearance)
* CallingYourAttacks (Elliot and Ellen do this on several occasions. Lampshaded when Elliot wanted a do-over of an attack after he forgot to call out a long Japanese name when setting evil, sentient goo on fire.)
* CaptainErsatz (Professor [[strike: [[HarryPotter Snape]] ]] Raven)
* CatGirl (In various ways, ranging from the [[MeaningfulName appropriately-named]] Catalina, to Ellen's online persona, to Grace's werecat form and the variants thereof to normal form of Nioi and Kaoli. Not to mention Elliot's cat''boy'' form...)
* CharacterDevelopment: One of strongest points. It's [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2004-07-07 rather chaotic]] and detail-saving, but profound.
* ChekhovsGun (A lot of 'em. It got to the point that Shive redesigned a character with certain "suspicious" traits [such as an eyepatch] specifically so that nobody would sit around waiting for those to be explained.)
* ChekhovsGunman (Hedge, among others.)
* ChekhovsSkill (sort of): (Tedd glows at seemingly random intervals. He doesn't seem to be aware of it and it happens when he thinks about Grace.)
** Two words: BishieSparkle
***(It's Shive. For all we now it could be radioactivity.)
* TheChrisCarterEffect (ScheduleSlip trouble + Dan Shive's love for ChekhovsGun = we should probably give up on expecting getting answers to all of the questions.)
* CloningBlues (Played depressingly straight.)
* 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:after the [[ReplacementGoldfish 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:since their Uryuom parent's name translates to Tail from Uryuomoco]].
* ComingOutStory (Justin's, [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2006-06-21 related to Susan during Grace's party]], though it had [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2005-08-16 previously been shown without explanation]]. [[spoiler:Nanase, on the other hand, comes out ''during'' the party, though by then everyone there that night except Tedd already knew. She's still only out to the people who were at the party, though.]])
** Justin's ended with a VICIOUS MoodWhiplash. I actually {{Facepalm}}ed at the punchline.
* CongruentMemory
* CrazyPrepared (Mr. Verres' party chaperone presentation)
* CreepyChild: [[spoiler:Chaos]], while {{mindscrew}}ing Mr. Verres and his team.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass ([[spoiler:Grace. If you invoke her Omega form, destruction and violence ensues.]])
* CrouchingScholarHiddenBadass ([[spoiler:Mr. Raven, though this is more of a Crouching ''Creeper'' Hidden Badass]])
* CrowningMomentOfAwesome (Tedd turning up at school wearing a vest (part of the girl's uniform) to show support for Susan's crusade against the uniforms.) [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2008-06-11 Despite being teased since a young age about his looks]].
**Hell, Mr. Verres just got one. Taking down Abraham with an absurdly powerful lightning bolt.
* CrowningMomentOfFunny - Lots. Even [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2008-12-12 the new banner add]] is hilarious. "Read or all these girls will cry!" "I won't." "Read or 80% of these girls will cry!"
* CrowningMomentofHeartwarming (Many)
** [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-06-25 Here for example]].
*** [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-11-04 And here for a Lampshaded example]].
* CurseCutShort: [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2007-04-15 Agent Wolf is such a]].
* CuteLittleFangs (in the person of [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2007-09-14 Catalina Bobcat]])
* DamselInDistress (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]].)
** Actually, Elliot, due to his self gender-bending abilities, temporarily becomes a damsel in distress as well, if only to escape.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: Magics apparently drain user at various rates. Overkill spell may overtax even well-trained wizard.
* DaydreamSurprise ([[http://egscomics.com/?date=2007-05-23 here]], [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2007-05-26 with hints]]), and far more emphatically ([[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-06-09 here]]) ([[AriamakiRisenki This Troper]] actually screamed in response to the last row of panels.)
* DeadpanSnarker (Mr. Raven, sometimes [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-12-10 Susan]] and [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2007-01-08 Mr. Verres]])
* DefaultSettingSyndrome: [[http://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2005-06-14 Newspaper arc]] "Dan in the {{MUD}}".
* DefrostingIceQueen: Susan
** Also, Ellen starts out this way. [[IGotBetter She gets better.]]
* [=~Didn't See That Coming~=]: Everyone who forgets he fights a wizard after having to overcome his spells just to get there deserves to be [[spoiler:[[MacrossMissileMassacre spammed]] by [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2009-07-04 exploding crows]] ]]on the spot.
* {{Didnt Think This Through}}: [[spoiler:Abraham]]. Almost ''everything'' he did at all.
* DiggingYourselfDeeper: Abraham's diplomatic efforts. He doesn't tongue-slip, but still manages to annoy one more hell out of [[spoiler:Adrian Raven]] with ''every phrase'', starting from the second.
* DoingInTheScientist (Recent development turned to the wizards. Though it's not like magic and inner demons weren't called in the first three months. [[LookBehindYou Look! It's a demonic duck of some sort!]])
** Only partially though. It's still hard science manipulating that magic.
*** Or rather science, magic and shapeshifting are all [[{{Magitek}} mixed up]].
* DramaticWind (Susan is particularly good at it. Tedd too as of late.)
** May be justified, since Susan was [[spoiler:initiated along with Nanase in the French NoodleIncident]].
* DreamSequence (a StoryArc of them, each revealing something personal.)
** They were, in order of release; Sarah dreamt of saving Elliot from Hedge, Nanase had a metaphorical dream about her relationship with Ellen, Elliot has a lucid dream and generally fixes everyone's lives, Susan had a flashback to her cheating father, Justin dreamt about his uselessness in combat, Tedd had a creepy {{Foreshadowing}}-ish dream about Lord Tedd, Grace had a dream about Damien, and Ellen lived for six years to gain a her own backstory after an alien nosebeeped her.
*** And another series appears to be imminent.
* DroppedGlasses (...revealing that the character doesn't really need them.)
* {{Eagleland}}: TheGovernment isn't that bad. Even {{MIB}}. But ''[[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-05-26 tourists]]''...
* EducationMama (Nanase's mother)
* EleventhHourSuperpower: ''Three'' times. One is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in expansion, other is justified in previous development and the last one was built up in more than two years so that it was bound to appear and ''[[PersonalityPowers could not]]'' be anything less than Summon "OhCrap".
* EpiphanyTherapy (Lampshaded. Tedd gets over his homophobia long enough to kiss [=GraceGuy=], but Grace is quick to point out that just recognizing he has a hangup isn't enough to instantly make it go away.)
* EmbarrassingFirstName (Tiffany Susan Pompoms)
* EmbarrassingMiddleName: Tedd ''Drew'' Verres isn't such a bad name, but he makes a big deal out of it. [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-03-06 Middle Names are Always Fun!]]
* [=~Everything's Nuttier With Squirrels~=]: Well, [[http://www.egscomics.com/bg/egs_bg_0007_800x600.gif duh]].
* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2009-11-11 Even pitch black evil guy]] [[spoiler: won't help Chaos ruin Vimes to just to kill Abraham [[XanitosGambit ... just to punish Raven for being a disobedient son.]]]]
* EverythingsSmellierWithSkunks: Nope. And [[spoiler:and two seyunolu girls are part-skunk]]. No, really. Just look at those tails. Also, [[spoiler:the [[BilingualBonus name]] is a [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2004-02-10 giveaway]], too]].
* EvilLaugh and PsychoticSmirk (Both played to the hilt with Raven though he could just be being creepy and weird.)
* EvilOverlord (Lord Tedd, though Nioi insinuates that he's nothing of the kind.)
** And what's worse, it's implied he becomes this when [[spoiler: Elliot dies]].
*** I thought Elliot didn't exist in the Alpha dimension because Ellen took his place.
**** No, that's the Beta dimension.
** Well, ''[[MoralityPet to Nioi and around her]]'' he may be [[http://www.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 it looks like "[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-05-09 guy with a furry fetish and a half-cat girlfriend]]" again.
* 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 spectacularly bad at it.
* ExpositionParty (Gets its own arc, the longest in the series.)
* {{Expy}}: Grace definitely has nothing in common with SquirrelGirl... [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-05-25 oops]]. On the other hand, "{{cat girl}}"-to-"[[PettingZooPeople squirrel]] girl" substitution doesn't leave many options anyway.
* FanService ([[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2005-11-05 This filler]] is the most over the top example of it.)
** Let us not forget [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2002-07-03 this one]], which is the first bit of FanService Shive gave us (as well as what he claims is "the first and last violation of the 'No Cleavage' part of Sarah's contract").
* FearLeadsToAnger (The first panel of [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2004-06-30 this strip]])
* FemaleGaze: Guinea's transformation provokes some... reaction from both Ellen and female trooper (agent Cranium?).
* FetishFuel (While not played up for fetish reasons, there ''are'' people out there who consider [[TransformationComic shape changing]] and [[GenderBender gender changing]] a turn on.)
* FirstGirlWins: Elliot and Sarah, Tedd and Grace (that we know of anyway), [[spoiler: Ellen and Nanase, if you count Ellen's "birth" as taking Sarah out of the picture]].
* {{Flanderization}} (Remember when Tedd was a kind of shy kid who was good with machines?)
** [[SubjectiveTropes Then again, some consider it]] CharacterDevelopment
* {{Flight}} (Nanase, in two different ways: wings in her fairy form, and magical levitation in normal form. [[spoiler: Actually three ways: She has wings in her OneWingedAngel (or whatever you call it) form.]] Also, Grace - levitation, though only in Omega form, Nioi - magic, Vlad - wings plus levitation, and the Elves - magic again.)
* {{Foreshadowing}}, tends to get [[LampshadedTrope lampshaded alot]]. What is left is usually cryptic or already blatantly obvious.
** What's seen [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-08-26 here]] translated with [[http://www.ookii.org/egs/uryuom/default.aspx this]]. [[spoiler: "Death. It Is Time For The End Of Man. This Master of Fire Shall Inherit The Earth. My Very Presence Eats Away At Your Flesh" Other than the two bizarre words in the end, it's pretty creepy.]]
* FreakLabAccident
* FreudianExcuse (Most of the cast have really screwy home lives.)
* FunctionalMagic (Nioi is a powerful sorceress, as is Nanase. Nanase in particular uses it very often and quite openly at times.)
* FunPersonified: Grace is usually defined as "bubbly".
* FurryFandom (A segment of the fanbase. Hasn't come up as much in recent years.)
* GenderBender (The entire cast, at least once.)
* GirlPosse (TheLibby Diane and her hangers-on Lucy and Rhoda)
* GoodAngelBadAngel (Susan's Curiosity and Logic; they end up agreeing, to her chagrin. Later, Susan's Nature and Nurture; they do not agree, and [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic Nurture ends up gagging Nature.]])
* GRatedDrug (Involves a CatGirl with catnip.)
** [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2003-07-20 Random magic potion party.]] Because drugs're bad, m'kay?
* GrammarNazi: Mr. Raven is [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-04-18 presented]] and [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-06-20 referenced]] as one, and his Hitler Forelock does not help his case at all.
* HalfHumanHybrids (Grace and her brothers, [[spoiler: Mr. Raven]])
* HalfIdenticalTwins (Elliot and Ellen, though they're not actually twins.)
* HeelFaceTurn (Ellen)
* HeGotBetter:
-->'''Sarah''': He's not your cousin! He was a cat because... his ex- girlfriend was mad at him!
-->'''Hedge''': What?
-->'''Sarah''': Yeah! His ex is a crazy red-headed macho witch woman! She got mad, and turned him into a cat! ...he got better...
-->'''Hedge''': Not buying it.
* HeroWithAnFInGood: As well as F in enchantment. And the same in strategy. Abraham. He thought he's a good guy there, but...
* HighSchool (Two of them of the cross-town rivalry variety, complete with uniforms, bizarre teachers, odd mascots, and most of the other associated tropes. Half the cast attends Moperville North and the other half goes to Moperville South.)
* {{Homage}} (The demonic duck looks very similar to a major character in Goats, the comic strip by Jonathan Rosenberg.)
** [[spoiler: Grace's Omega [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2004-04-30 form]]]] looks very similar to ''{{Naruto}}'''s Kyubi [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/naruto/images/1/12/ThreetailsNaruto.jpg forms]].
* HotAmazon (Elliot has no problem dating Nanase, a black belt who's the only student at their dojo who's a better fighter than him.)
* HyperAwareness: Information gathering is Hedge's strong side. Maybe he's no Sherlock Holmes, but he grasps any clue present, like occasional slips of [[spoiler:Elliot knowing Grace]] or [[spoiler:Grace being in a relationship]].
* HyperspaceMallet (As with everything else in the series, though, an attempt at a logical explanation for when, where, and why it can and can't appear is provided)
** At least Susan and Abe did summon actual weapons out of thin air.
* IGaveMyWord: [[spoiler:Abraham]] really ''[[http://egscomics.com/?date=2009-03-10 does not]]'' want to kill [[spoiler:Ellen Dunkel]], but his oath was too inclusive, so... [[spoiler:and he's quite happy to be pushed into what sounds like a legitimate loophole.]]
* ImportedAlienPhlebotinum ([[spoiler:the TFG]])
* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Technically, [[spoiler:Magus ]]apparently was behind the [[spoiler:v-five Elliot incident]] and tries to manipulate Ellen within some plot that sounds [[{{squick}} quite dubious]]. And is not very good at this. But he's in desperate straits, which isn't even his own fault (unlike Abe's case). And he's still reluctant to kill a guy who stands in his way even when pushed hard to do this.
* {{Infodump}} (Shive is ''really'' thorough when it comes to describing the capabilities of Tedd's technology, the mechanics of alien and hybrid genetics, and more recently, magic. Anything left for the readers to guess about is practically guaranteed to be a ChekhovsGun.)
* InformedAbility (Susan's magical powers, which are seen exactly once and then rarely mentioned afterwards)
* InnocentFanserviceGirl (Grace, [[IGotBetter for a while]], although she [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-05-19 just learns to avoid squicking people]] more than anything.)
* InsultedAwake (Ellen did this to Susan once)
* InterspeciesRomance: Tedd and Grace; Ellen @ Second Life and Archie; the demonic duck also admits to preferring human women. Isn't done obliviously, as at least psychophysiology matters even with shapeshifting seyunolu.
* InvoluntaryShapeshifting (Ellen [[spoiler: was accidentally created in an attempt to undo an involuntary transformation]] and sneezing sometimes causes her to fire a transformation beam from her hand, turning her target - herself, if she has good manners - into the [[LoveIsInTheAir Pheromone-spewing]], [[MsFanservice Female Variant Five.]] More recently [[spoiler:Ellen and Elliot both have to use their GenderBender powers or risk losing control over them. Elliot has it worse, since he can only transform himself and has to do it multiple times per day.]]) Neither of them is happy about this, but Ellen had more of a [[HeroicBSOD BSOD]] than ''Elliot'' did when she realized just how much worse he had it.
* JawDrop
* KamehameHadoken: As a practitioner of "''anime-style'' martial arts", it's no big surprise that Elliot (and Ellen who "inherited" his abilities) uses a variety that emits short-range force blast. He need to have free hands to do it.
* TheKhan: "SKIRRRRT!"
* KnightTemplar [[spoiler:Abraham]]
* KudzuPlot
* LampshadeHanging ([[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-11-26 Mr. Verres']] recent transformation into the newest MrExposition)
* LaughingMad (Ellen, when she's first created and [[spoiler: thinks she's going to die]])
* TheLeisureSuitLarry: T.C., aka "[[SpellMyNameWithAThe The Playah]]".
* ALightInTheDistance: [[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: [[Incoming THWACK ]]
[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2009-10-08 !]]]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters
* LookBehindYou ("Is that a demonic duck of some sort?" Subverted -- there really ''is'' a demonic duck [[spoiler:except during the strike. And it has [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2006-07-14 vacations]]]].)
* LoveIsInTheAir (The super-pheromones of the Variant Five settings. [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-06-12 "Male, female, gay, straight... female variant #5 cares not."]])
* MadScientist (Tedd, [[http://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2004-09-21 Dr. Germahn]])
* MagicPants (At first, it's averted; shapeshifters apparently ruin a lot of shirts, and Grace, the biggest shapeshifter, has absolutely [[InnocentFanserviceGirl no nudity taboo.]] Later, the trope is brought in, with textile technology from a race of alien shapeshifters.)
* MamaBear: Knowing that [[spoiler:Adrian Raven]] is half-human and half-immortal, [[spoiler:Abraham]] managed to draw only one conclusion, and mostly wrong one. The prospect of facing said immortal's reaction after he beaten her child within a hair's breadth of death somehow escaped his attention in all this haste... Isn't it surprising -- where all those heavy boots flying toward his butt came from? And it's still ''not'' enough for her.
--> [[spoiler:Chaos]]: Also? [[/folder]]

[[folder: He hurt my son. ]]

* ManIFeelLikeAWoman (It's [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-03-24 implied]] that Tedd does this on occasion, although other characters have been known to.)
* MandysLawOfAnimeGenderBending (The Sister arcs, [[spoiler:Grace's "brother", Vlad]]. Note that the TransformationRay itself has built-in time limits, which no one's ever even waited for; these cases are by other means.)
* ManShapedHole: [[spoiler:Damien and Adrian Raven]] both made big holes part in the window and part in the wall by being blasted through. Both survived this and flying one storey down to the ground after, being tougher than normal humans.
* TheMessiah (Grace)
* {{MIB}} (Mr. Verres)
* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: About halfway. {{Gender Bender}}s [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-02-22 face]] the consequences of the new hormonal status and reactions on pheromones, whether they are comfortable with this or not. But ShapeShifting does not turn the subject mentally in a cat or squirrel. On the other hand, both innate and artificial ShapeShifting have ''some'' safeguards.
* MindScrew: Lots of it. When done intentionally, usually involves attempts to project the normal family tree onto Ellen's case in several ways.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Uryuoms' eggs work this way, thus Here There Be Chimerae. And [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-03-10 then]], [[HybridMonster part-lespuko chimerae]].
* MostCommonSuperpower (Ellen literally has this as a superpower.)
* MrExposition (Dr. Germahn and Amanda during the Q&A segments, Tedd when he explains the TF/TG gun.)
** Mr. Verres is [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-11-26 An ENDLESS BARREL of exposition.]]
* MsFanservice (In just about every one of her appearances, Amanda ends up transforming, usually shrinking or turning into a {{HalfHumanHybrid}}. This is Fanservice for a particular segment of EGS's fanbase.)
* MysteriousParent (Tedd's Mother, Susan's Father)
** Actually, Susan's father has been shown to be an adulterer, but god knows where Tedd's Mom fits in. She does have something to do with Lord Tedd's evilness in that universe though.
* MysteriousPast (France anyone?)
* {{Nakama}}
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: [[spoiler: Pandora Chaos Raven]]
* NecessarilyEvil (Abraham)
* NegativeContinuity (Some of the EGS:NP storylines. Like this [[http://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2008-09-19 one]].)
* NeverLiveItDown: Abraham "[[ButYouScrewOneGoat But You Screw]] [[GoneHorriblyRight Up]] ''One'' [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Enchantment]]..." [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2009-06-09 Every properly trained wizard heard of him]].
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Abraham and his great idea to make Dewitchery Diamond. What he needed was to remove or suppress lycanthropy of one guy. What he did is a BoobyTrap for [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2006-05-05 unaware shapeshifters and users of cosmetic magic]], with [[NecessaryDrawback side effects]] that in turn suffer several other side effects in such a way that whatever problem caused its activation ''spreads''. And it's nigh indestructible, so all this fun never ends.
* NightmareFuel (Chaos' [[CreepyChild manifestation]] on the physical plane will give you chills with her first appearance. When unfocused her image will [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel haunt your nightmares forever]]. [[spoiler: Which makes the revelation that she's the mother of a grumpy old history teacher, all the more shocking.]])
* NoBisexuals (Both played straight and averted. One of the transformation guns turns the target bisexual for the duration. Outside of this specific example, the number of bisexual characters is either zero or one, depending on how you interpret certain events.)
* NoodleImplements: Ninjas, japanese bath houses, and ''hamsters''. [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2006-10-02 Lots of hamsters]].
* NoodleIncident: Two if you're just counting the main cast, whatever happened in France (and how exactly [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-02-07 French speaking]] immortals are related to this) and the series of events that led to Sarah becoming a Catgirl.
** [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-12-02 He was just joking around!]]
* NoInfantileAmnesia (Ellen, via her "Second Life.")
* TheNudifier (Dr. Germahn once invented a potion that caused your sweat to dissolve clothes.)
* OddFriendship (Susan and Tedd)
* OffscreenCrash (More like an offscreen explosion.)
* OneGenderRace (while some Uryuoms living on Earth adopt gender roles, they really are ambisexual; any two Uryuoms can form an egg together, which can then be 'fertilized' with ''any'' available DNA sources)
* OnlySixFaces: Maybe, not six, but it's here and is only aggravated by the "shapeshifting into some similar form" theme. However, [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2009-02-20 he got]] [[ArtEvolution better]].
* OpenMindedParent (the Dunkels, whose idea of punishment is rather more relaxed than Mrs. Kitsune's)
* OppositeSexClone (Ellen)
* OurElvesAreBetter: Elves are what you get when you breed humans and immortals (read: small-g gods) together, with all the power that implies. [[spoiler:Raven happens to be one, which is why he's been teaching so long.]]
* OwlBeDamned: "READ or the owl will eat you." Also, a RunningGag with Hedge.
* PainfulTransformation: It's one of the problems with being a chimera; part of Grace's design was to counter it. Depends on specific forms: an attempt to transform from [[LegoGenetics living genetic salad]] of six kinds of beings -to-human is nearly lethal, boy-to-catboy is rather painful, but does not incapacitate, and human-to-human GenderBender is "wait, why i move so strange?.. ''Oh!''". Though it may be partially because [[PlayingWithSyringes Project Lycanthrope]] seyunolu were not just made by eggs but also tinkered with.
* PaperThinDisguise (Parodied; aliens and supernatural beings avoid detection by wearing T-shirts with phrases like "Human" and "You Can't See Me," respectively.)
** To be fair, Shive said that he did the "You can't see me" to help drive the point that they were invisible to the reader. In the comic, they actually WERE invisible
** [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2006-03-26 Aliens? What aliens?]]
* ParentalAbandonment (Mr. Verres is often away from home on government business, and the former Mrs. Verres is in Europe somewhere. Meanwhile, Mr. Pompoms has only been seen in Susan's memories, and significantly, his face is always obscured. [[spoiler:Finally, all of Grace's parents are dead; her human gene-mother actually having died before she was conceived, her Uryuom father being murdered by Damien, and her ''other'' two parents being non-sentient lab animals which presumably would not have survived.]])
** [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2007-11-24 Read]] closely.
* PeekaBoo (Due to Grace's views on casual nudity, and a lack of MagicPants.)
* PersonalityPowers: In this '{{verse}} magic development is based on "[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2007-01-31 who you are and what you're doing]]".
* PlayingWithFire (Damien...he ''is'' a demon, after all)
* PlayingWithSyringes (Project Lycanthrope)
* PostHistoricalTrauma (Done self-consciously for Grace's first day at school. [[spoiler:Subverted when it turns out to be not about WorldWarTwo as such, but related personal experience.]])
* PowerGlows ([[http://egscomics.com/?date=2009-09-05 Mostly]] subverted. The glow is optional and only used to indicate that said person is using his/her powers. This is the case with Nanase's fairy doll, and by WordOfGod, with Elliot's and Nanase's martial art skills.)
* PrescienceIsPredictable
* RaisedByWolves (Grace)
* RavensAndCrows [[spoiler:[[/folder]]

[[folder: [[Oh Crap Murder Shroud ]]
.]]]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome The best]] [[PersonalityPowers Goth]] spell ever.
* TheRant (The commentaries on the recent comics, which may explain a plot point, a technique used, or Dan's opinion on {{Scrubs}} and FamilyGuy's different styles of IndulgentFantasySegue.)
* ReinventingTheTelephone (Nanase's Fairy Form)
* ReplacementGoldfish ([[spoiler:Grace; Dr Sciuridae replaced the original gene sample that was to be used for Shade Tail with one from his daughter, after she was killed in a car accident.]])
* RightHandCat: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-02-16 In relevant context]]. Also, Susan and Jeremy.
* RunningGag (The demonic duck, Elliot and Ellen saying "Za?")
** "Either I'm a narcissist, or I'm just that girly." Either way, that was a disturbing revelation Tedd.
** Ellen being the daughter of Elliot and Tedd. Elliot's the mom because Ellen came from him and Tedd's the dad because he made it happen. Turned serious with this [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2005-06-06 here strip]].
** [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-06-24 "READ or the owl will eat you."]]
* SayingTooMuch: "An Endless Barrel Of Exposition" [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-05-27 spilled it again]].
* ScaryShinyGlasses (Mr. Verres, on occasion.)
* ScheduleSlip (Part of the reason arcs seem to take forever. Much ArtEvolution + busy, involved, perfectionist author = forget what it says on the banner, it only updates when Dan Shive thinks we deserve it. The [[http://egscomics.com/archives.php?displaymode=cal&start=0&count=x archive for 2008]] is a good example of what it looks like)
* SchoolgirlLesbians ([[spoiler:Ellen and Nanase, and apparently Catalina]])
* {{Scrub}}: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-04-14 Scrub.]]
* SecurityBlanket (Susan's ''StarTrek'' T-shirts)
* SelfFulfillingProphecy ([[spoiler:Damien was created with the ''intent'' of fulfilling a prophecy.]])
* ShapeShifting (''Lots''.)
* ShipperOnDeck (Sarah, with Nanase and Ellen.)
* ShoutOut (Lots)
* ShowWithinAShow: The Lucky Bunny Bounty Show. Sarah also draws [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-04-17 comics]] -- something about [[AuthorGuestSpot a squirrel-boy character named Dan]].
* SingleTargetSexuality: (While admitting that she does like other people, Grace is pretty much a Teddsexual. This was [[LampshadedTrope even pointed out in universe]].)
* ShooOutTheClowns (If they can't be milked for drama, they're gone.)
* SinisterSilhouettes (About half the cast was introduced this way)
* [[HappyHolidaysDress Skimpy Holiday Dress]] (Ellen tried one on, but her mom thought she would catch cold.)
* SlidingScaleOfFourthWallHardness: The early strips had NoFourthWall. As the years progressed, any mention of the author or even fourth wall breaks in general were dropped and are now relegated to the newspaper and filler strips, which are out of canon.
* ShowWithinAShow: Not only that, but even ''[[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2009-04-16 a guest comic provided by a character from within the comic itself]]''.
* StrawFeminist (Susan was one of these, but thanks to character development is a more rounded person now. It helps that even she knows how much of a jerk she was back when she was a misandrist. Anyway, [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2005-03-21 sometimes]] this lesser {{evil feels good}}, when applied to the AcceptableTargets.)
* StevenUlyssesPerhero and SpeciesSurname ('Sciuridae' is the formal name for the family which includes squirrels; the Greek translates as 'Shade Tail', which was also Grace's CodeName, though it was not in reference to Dr. Sciuridae.)
* StraightGay (Justin)
* StupidSexyFlanders (Any straight GenderBender becomes bisexual for the duration. A certain male-to-female setting - which can also be used on women - will, [[spoiler:for 48 hours]], make you extremely attractive to people who don't like girls. Not to mention the StupidSexyFlanders overtones of {{Gender Bender}}s in the first place. Even without gender-bending, Tedd is ''constantly'' getting this; Justin once joked that he shouldn't worry about ''gay'' men being attracted to him.)
* SubordinateExcuse (Nioi to Lord Tedd)
* SuperSoldier (Grace's brothers [[spoiler:and Grace herself]]; the older chimeras were meant to be super-assassins, while [[spoiler:Grace]] was created specifically to fight Damien.)
* TheTalk (Susan has to explain to Grace why nudity is awkward. Before that, others tried and failed.)
* TalkingToTheDead: An [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2004-10-18 Unknown Would-be Avenger]].
* TakeThat: Or "Does [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2003-09-17 This]] [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Remind]] You... [[CrystalDragonJesus Of]] [[AmericanGunPolitics Anything]]?". See also "Take That -- [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2005-11-09 And Back]]!", "[[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2009-06-19 Vampire sparkling]]: [[http://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2009-10-29 what exactly]] is a big FetishRetardant" and "[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2008-08-04 An Evil Monkey]] [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad American]]!"
** Sketchbook got things [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2003-10-12 like this]].
* TastesLikeDiabetes (Susan began physically choking after Eliot and Sarah started flirting in the same room as her.)
** And [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-01-28 used it]] as a repellent, which [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-01-31 gave Justin]] BrainBleach deficiency syndrome.
* TemptingFate: Grace and Raven [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2009-03-12 knew it's not good]]. [[spoiler:Abraham]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2009-10-08 didn't]].
* ThereAreNoTherapists (Averted with [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2003-09-23 this]]. Read the title if you don't get it. Also see the text message sent [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-02-12 here]].)
* ThereCanBeOnlyOne (Possibly subverted; while Lord Tedd is supposedly out to kill the 'weak Tedds', Nioi insisted that he was misunderstood, and it is clear from various hints that he has a FreudianExcuse lurking in the shadows. Unfortunately due to BrotherChuck and KudzuPlot, we'll probably never find out ''why''.)
* TooMuchInformation: Sometimes, even asking a rhetorical question around a [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2009-03-06 summoned creature]] does this.
* TransformationComic (One of the definitive examples)
* TransformationRay (''The'' key plot device of the series)
* TropesForDummies : [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-12-05 This]] book.
* TykeBomb ([[spoiler: Grace, although it didn't work very well.]])
* VillainOnABus: Lord Tedd
* VoluntaryShapeshifting (There are several "natural" shapeshifters, the TF gun, the TF belt, etc.)
* WallBanger (Ellen and a ''specific'' aspect of her second life, to some. Ellen again, with how she acts to Elliot, for others. Neither of these opinions is widely held in the fanbase, and you'd be hard pressed to find a fan who agrees with both.)
** But then, she was "vFive-d" time and again, [[spoiler:Nanase was the one who pulled her from under that table]], and as she pointed out herself, ''neither'' line of her memories was conducive to [[TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody EGS' normal aproach]] taking over. Of course, she ''also'' was [[spoiler:impressed by Hedge and Guinea]]...
* WebcomicTime (Seven years of EGS equals about a month of in-comic time. The Birthday Party was a particularly jarring example; a year of EGS was one ''day'' of in-comic time. This makes Ellen's character and [[spoiler: Nanase coming out]] slightly odd.)
* WeirdTradeUnion (The demonic duck belongs to the Distraction Union. And then [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-01-02 there are "scabs"]].)
* WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong: "[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-11-15 Surely Nothing Bad Can Come from This]]". Right?
* WillfullyWeak ([[spoiler: Mr. Raven. He is half immortal and very powerful -- but not allowed to interfere with mortal events. [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2009-06-18 Unless you're stupid enough to press his]] BerserkButton.]])
* WizardDuel: Magus vs. Terra, apparently supposed to be non-lethal quarrel. Abraham vs. [[spoiler:Raven]], with spells and weapons both.
* WondrousLadiesRoom (Averted, Lampshaded, and flat-out abused.)
* TheWoobie: (Tedd, Grace, Susan, and Justin are prime examples. Especially Grace.)
* WordSaladTitle ([[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2003-08-13 here]].)
* {{X-Ray Vision}} (Tedd's glasses used to have an x-ray feature. And Grace suggested a version that would ''remove or destroy clothing''. InnocentFanserviceGirl [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-05-21 indeed.]])
* YouWatchTooMuchX: [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2004-07-21 Tedd]], [[DaydreamSurprise wake up]].

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