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Zap! is a science fiction webcomic centering around the eponymous main character Zap Vexler. Started in 2003, the already written story is about halfway through being drawn and released. Chris Layfield is the writer, and Pascalle is the artist.
In the story so far, amnesiac Zap finds himself the captain of a Cool Starship called the Excelsior. He discovers that he is psychic and falls for the first officer, Reona, who is still heartbroken over the previous captain, Efrem. He had been apparently killed by an enemy, Naveed. Reona and the ship's mechanic, Grontar, and navigation droid, Robot, aren't too thrilled about Zap being picked as the captain. This is mostly because Zap is a doofus and far from captain material. They fight their way through the GEF, crash land, fight their way through the GEF again, take off, and pick up an ally: Kasey. Another Resistance member, Kasey is infatuated with Robot and helps repair Reona's artificial arm. Zap runs into a stranger (to him at this point), Gunner that claims to be a friend from his forgotten past. Gunner retrains him to use his powers, helps them fight off a nasty blob, then reveals his true intentions, shoots Zap, and absconds with a nearly dead Zap, a never dead Efrem, and Naveed.
At this point in the story there are about five separate plot threads, one involving space pirates, one involving a government conspiracy, and some others following the now split up crew of the Excelsior.
The characters:
- Zap, a amnesiac psychic spaceship captain. He sometimes lapses into a Crouching Moron Hidden Badass, especially when Reona is in danger. Most of the time he's the Idiot Hero, though. Currently kidnapped by people who knew him before his amnesia.
- Reona, redhead first mate of the ship with an Arm Cannon. In the current arc she'll learn to be more assertive.
- Grontar, a huge four armed Genius Bruiser, with Overprotective Dad tendencies towards Reona.
- Robot, formerly named XR-7439-Q, is the Snarky Non Human Sidekick, a sentient Robot Buddy (though the "buddy" part is involuntary and quite questionable).
- Kasey, Wrench Wench and Bungling Inventor.
- Gunner, a mysterious psychic from Zap's past with a Meaningful Name.
- Naveed, deadly katana wielding Cat Girl. She cut off Reona's arm in a flashback.
- Efrem, the Left For Dead former captain, and is not as he first seemed.
- William, a GEF commander and the head of the Psychic Academy. His character is gaining importance in the story.
Tropes used by the webcomic:
Tropes used by the narrative:
- A Glass Of Chianti: Billings does this on one scene where he tries to be serious.
- Air Vent Escape: Zap does this.
- Amnesiac Dissonance: Zap, Efrem, and Gunner were on the same side, and Zap was much darker than his post amnesia personality.
- Amnesia Danger: Zap has to figure out how to work the hyperjump with his forgotten powers.
- Amusement Park: Scene of the biggest fight so far.
- Animated Actors: Not animated, but one filler comic portrayed the characters as actors playing parts. It even included a Classically Trained Extra.
- The concept has since been revisited two or three times, making it a Running Gag.
- Arm Cannon
- Battle Aura
- Big Eater: Grontar.
- Big Red Button: This comic.
- Bishie Sparkle: Kasey.
- Blank White Eyes: A few times. Here's an example.
- Blood From The Mouth: Zap, after a nasty gut shot.
- Bloody Biometric: Naveed uses a guard's severed hand to retrieve her sword.
- Blue With Shock: This comic. Complete with Ocular Gushers.
- Body Horror: The creature that kills the bounty hunters.
- Bounty Hunter: Four of them in one arc.
- Cats Are Mean: Naveed.
- Cat Smile: Kasey, who is vaguely lion-like.
- Clothing Damage: Zap, Reona, and Grontar ruin their nice clothes in the amusement park battle.
- Color Coded For Your Convenience: The three main psychics so far have different colored Battle Auras and eye glows.
- Cross Popping Veins
- Deflector Shields, psychic controlled.
- Deliberately Monochrome: Sepia flashbacks.
- Draco In Leather Pants: Gunner has a few vocal fangirls on the forums. He has elements of Evil Is Cool and Evil Is Sexy (along with Naveed).
- Dramatic Pause: President Billings does this during a press conference, waiting three minutes to ramp up the drama.
- Dream Sequence: A few symbolism loaded sequences here and there.
- Elemental Powers: The Elementaro race. The last four members are recruited by Naveed.
- Elevator Snare: Happens to Grontar.
- The Empire: The Galactic Earth Federation
- Evil Laugh: President Billings.
- Falling Into The Cockpit: Zap, on the run from the GEF, literally falls into the cargo hatch and is made captain by the ship.
- Femme Fatalons: Again, Naveed.
- Five Man Band: fits, for the most part.
- Flashback: Lampshaded in this comic.
- Glowing Eyes Of Doom are an indication of often dangerous psychic powers.
- Government Conspiracy: not fully revealed yet.
- The Guards Must Be Crazy: The GEF grunts are usually idiotic and are killed in droves.
- Hall Of Mirrors: Here.
- If You Know What I Mean: Zap, upon meeting four-armed Grontar, asks if he has four other appendages.
- Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: I believe the GEF have landed about 5 of their shots so far.
- Jedi Mind Trick: Seemingly a standard psychic power.
- Kick The Wrong Dog
- Knowledge Broker: Demonica
- * Laser Guided Amnesia: Zap forgets nearly everything, leaving no remnant of his former skills, just his name.
- Laser Sight [1]
- Last Of His Kind: Robot is the last robot left with a learning AI. The Elelmentaros are the last of their species.
- La Resistance: "The Resistance"
- Law Of Alien Names: Lots of the names fit.
- Leave Him To Me: Reona vs. Naveed
- Lets Get Dangerous: When you see Zap start to glow, some shit's goin' down.
- Living Ship: the Excelsior is sentient and chooses its own captain.
- Mind Control Eyes: [2]
- Moment Killer: Robot does this a few times.
- Ms Fanservice: Naveed provides lots of eyecandy with her stripperiffic outfit.
- Names To Run Away From Really Fast: Come on, Gunner Stryfe?
- Never Found The Body: After Efrem's apparent death, the crew was teleported back to the ship.
- Non Sequitur Thud: This comic.
- Not What It Looks Like: The title and the dialog.
- Numbered Homeworld: Sticklebat 7. The Bungling Inventor Stickle race found their previous six planets "too flammable".
- Rebus Bubble
- Red Eyes Take Warning: Naveed's eye color.
- Robot Names: XR-7439-Q is Robot's former name.
- Peeka Boo: Here Zap is naked, with Robot's head "tastefully" interposed.
- Prehensile Hair: Demonica, though it's not quite hair.
- President Evil - Not competent, but evil.
- Pstandard Psychic Pstance: [3]
- Psychic Powers: Of course.
- Psycho For Hire: Naveed and her cat-like toying with her prey.
- Puppy Dog Eyes: Here.
- The Obi Wan: Vitale, William's mentor and guardian.
- Ominous Multiple Screens: During the computer failure scene.
- One Handed Is Cool
- Our Presidents Are Different: President Billings seems like President Buffoon so far.
- Outrun The Fireball: Zap does this in the second comic.
- Restraining Bolt: the "crowns". And Robot's prgramming to obey the Captain, like it or not (He does not).
- Science Related Memetic Disorder: The Stickle race
- Shirtless Scene: Zap, trying out tuxedos going stark naked.
- Slow Motion Fall: [4]
- Some Call Me Tim: Robot's renaming.
- Space Is Noisy: There are some sound effects during the space battle.
- Space Pirates: And a Terrible Trio, so far.
- Spaceship Girl: A spectral woman from Zap's forced flashbacks of his earlier life turns out to be the holographic projection of the Excelsior's AI.
- Space Whale: Space Squid, actually.
- Spit Take: [5]
- Spot The Imposter: The Body Horror creature takes Zap's appearance. Side by side, everyone debates who to shoot. Gunner comes up and just unceremoniously shoots the fake.
- To be fair here, The monster was quite easily distinguishable ("Meeee, Reaaal Zaaaaaap...") when everyone was "Side by side" as it were, and the remark from Robot seemed like it was an obvious Lampshade hanging.
- Super Registration Act: Psychics are being rounded up for nefarious purposes (implied to be made into Super Soldiers).
- Technopath: One of Zap's first displays of psychic ability is activating the Excelsior's hyperdrive. In fact his mental commands are apparently the only thing that can do so. Gunner, as his name implies, uses his to improve the function of his weapons.
- The Untwist: speculation on if "The Serpent" was really Gunner was rampant. It seemed too obvious.
- Thrown Out The Airlock: Zap, who was mistaken for a stowaway at first, is almost dumped with the trash into space (or so he thought).
- The Vamp: Naveed, again.
- Why Dont Ya Just Shoot Him: subverted, Gunner gets tired of the psychic battle and just shoots Zap. [6]
- Wig Dress Accent: Robot gets by a security checkpoint with pants, a wig and a sign the says "I am human". (The costume really didn't work, though, it was Zap doing a Jedi Mind Trick type thing on the guards.)
- Wingding Eyes: Kasey, of the Heart Symbol type, when she gushes over Robot.
- Word Of God: You can get some spoilers and have some of your wild speculation quashed on the forum by the creators.
- You Didnt Ask
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