Despite the appearance of the Entity in the previous arc things start in a pretty relaxed manner. One week has passed since Vyce's defeat and exile an in that time Doctor Linksano has been pacified to not take over the world by a junior chemistry playset while Pollo has gotten to work disabling the remaining Shades on-board Vyce's former ship. Linkara meanwhile is currently enjoying the spoils of war...a little to much since he is now walking around in a Starfleet Uniform and Pollo has to remind him he has a review show to do.
One week afterwards Linkara is reviewing a couple of Kiss Comics when 90's Kid arrives for one of his patterned Cutaway Gag although this one is a bit more morbid then most as he talks about digging up Kurt Cobain's corpse for a Nirvana reunion and have Zombie chicks play his body like a puppet. A disturbed Linkara tells 90's Kid that something is seriously wrong with him and continues the review. This is not the last time the 90's Kid says something unusual as, at the end of Linkara's review for X-Force #1, he says his usual catchphrase "What You See Is What You Get...Or is it?"
However the arc officially begins on March 28th with the Entities first victim. Doctor Linksano has used the junior chemistry playset that Linkara gave him to built some kind of gun (that either kills its victim or sends them to another dimension) and plans to use it to get rid of Linkara and rule the world. However, in the middle of his Evil Laugh Linksano looks over in shock and sees something. Static begins filling the scream as a synthesized laugh reverberates around Linksano and then suddenly, after the screen fills completely with static, the doctor has completely disappeared.
Three weeks later, Linkara begins the christening ceremony for the ship that will become a great ally in the fight against evil. With Harvey and Iron Liz there with him Linkara tells his friends that on this day the ship shall be known as Comicron 1. Both Liz and Harvey point out however that Linkara's fans voted for Vigilant as the name for the ship. Linkara eventually decides to name the scout ship Vigilant and still call the main ship Comicron 1. With that Linkara attempts to break the christening bottle to officially welcome it...and fails to do so. Signalling nothing but good news for the ship.
One week after the failed christening Linkara is reading the old tome he got during the A Story of Magic story arc while a radio report from Lori Prince informs listeners that around the United States, but especially in central Minnesota, buildings and people have mysteriously vanished into thin air. According to police reports there has been no physical traces left from these disappearances and eye witnesses have said that it is like the world flickered for a moment before suddenly the individuals vanished. To them it was as if "a piece of the world is missing".
Two weeks later, after Linkara's review of Ultimate Warrior's Workout, Doctor Insano calls Linkara on his communicator to inform him of something. After telling the good doctor that he was the one who stole Neutro Insano gets to the point of why he called Linkara, he needs him to come to Chicago and help him with Hypertime...again. Fortunately Insano informs Linkara that due to Hypertime's nature he'll probably be back before he leaves which is proved when another Linkara that already solved the Hypertime problem arrives at the apartment. After the first Linkara leaves the second one sits down and tells the audience he will review Ultimatum next week.
Over the next three weeks, as Linkara reviews Ultiatum, another member of Linkara's cast is captured by the Entity. This time it's the Ninja Style Dancer who was investigating something, most likely an area where the Entity attacked, when he is suddenly attacked. For two weeks in a row he manages to just barely avoid being consumed by the beast.
On the third week, after Linkara reviews the final issue of Ultimatum, the Dancer returns to the apartment wounded from it's struggles with the beast. Linkara finds him slumped on the floor and asks what happened to him. A wounded Dancer can only give him a piece of paper with two phrases written front and back "a piece of the world is missing" and "its voice is not its own". Linkara runs off to get some medical equipment but is distracted when 90's Kid calls telling him about a limited edition copy of Youngblood Strike Team #4 he found. While Linkara is distracted the Enitity comes up to the Ninja Style Dancer and consumes him. By the time Linkara turns around the Dancer is already gone.
Linkara investigates the area that Ninja Style Dancer disappeared from using a Tricorder and a Sonic Screwdriver but is unable to find any clue as to what happened. Stumped Linkara sits down and reviews SCI-Spy #2. After the review is over Harvey invites Linkara to join Pollo and 90's Kid with him to a Karaoke bar but Linkara declines. He is busy reading the tome and now believes that it has something to do with the Entity. Pollo asks if he now thinks the Entity is real and Linkara admits that it is now a possibility. He asks Pollo to help him update the security on Comicron 1 when he gets back and specifically to install an Artificial Intelligence to help run the ship. Pollo agrees and he and Harvey leaves while a concerned Linkara ponders the possibilities of this new foe.
Two weeks later, after reviewing Gameboy #1, Linkara is shown still poring over every scrap of information he can find about the Entity in the tome. He also notes in his captain log that work on the new AI is going smoothly and it should be up and running by August. Linkara notes in his log that, while many pages in the book are empty, previously empty pages have now begun to fill on their own. The book does have many sections on the Entity, although he book refers to it as a "lost beast", and that there is something "familiar" about it. Linkara turns a page in the book and finds a page filed with one sentence written over and over again "I am the never should".
Suddenly Linkara here's a low buzzing sound that sounds like "hhhhhuuuuu". Linkara admits in his logs that even since the Ninja Style Dancers disappearance he has taken to looking over his shoulder fearing that he may be watched. Linkara says that, even if the Entity is just a figment of his imagination, he knows something else is coming and intends to end its threat once and for all. However Linkara's paranoia is not unfounded as, while he continues his studies, a familiar static charge can be seen effecting the screen where something watches Linkara from a distance.
Two weeks later and Harvey is shown walking around the apartment playing a Nintendo DS when he runs into 90's Kid. Harvey tells 90's Kid that he can accompany him to karaoke again before the two part ways. Suddenly, while Harvey is leaving, he sees the tome sitting on a box. He flicks through a couple of pages before noticing something in the text that he knows. Suddenly, Harvey realizes something and goes to warn Linkara when he is confronted by the Entity. Harvey tries shooting it, but this proves futile and the Entity consumes him, too.
Four weeks later, Linkara introduces Liz to NIMUE the new artificial intelligence for Comicron 1. Liz points out that NIMUE looks almost exactly like HAL-9000 but Linkara just says she only superficially resembles the murderous AI. Linkara turns NIMUE on and asks Pollo if the ethical and honesty sub routines were properly installed. He assures Linkara that they were and NIMUE confirms that her task is to monitor and control Comicron 1 any other task, such as taking over the world, would be a drain on her resources. With that out of the way Linkara begins to transfer NIMUE's consciousness to Comicron 1. However, because of an ion storm, something goes wrong and Liz is flung into an alternate dimension.
In this dimension, Linkara goes by the name Captain Linkara and is an evil villain with an evil goatee, Pollo is in a Tom Servo body, and NIMUE is designed to help Captain Linkara dominate the world. Captain Linkara also loves all of the comics regular Linkara hates (such as Youngblood, All-Star Batman and Robin etc) and hates all the things regular Linkara likes (Watchmen, Booster Gold). Truly evil of the most heinous kind!
While Captain Linkara is reviewing Star Trek #2 (Gold Key) Liz talks with Pollo. They figure out that Liz switched dimensions with the Liz of that world and Pollo tells her that he has called someone who can help them. However Captain Linkara wishes to kill Liz and then use the spaceship to take over the world. Fortunately help arrives in the form of a good universe version of Doctor Insano who defeats Captain Linkara. After his defeat Liz urges Insano to take the spaceship for himself so that Linkara can't get his hands on it. Insano tells her he will think about it and then teleports Liz back to her home dimension.
Liz tells Linkara and Pollo about her experiences in the alternate dimension and Pollo expresses interest in gaining a new body. Linkara asks what his mirror counterpart was like and Liz tells him that he was egotistical, opinionated, and had delusions of grandeur because he owned a spaceship. So clearly nothing like Linkara at all.
Starting the week after the misadventures in the alternate reality something strange begins happening to the ending credits to Linkara's videos. For just a brief moment static appears on-screen and a message appears. Each week reveals a new message. In order the messages are "I'm always watching", "the lost beast has found a home", "you've seen my bones before", "I've already won the game", "it's more then a piece", "I'm not that thin" and "I am beautiful".
Over the next few months various strange things begin occurring. First, after Linkara reviews Kamindi at Earth's End #1, Linkara does his patented "I am a man" punch which seemingly hits a wall of static that forces him back.
After reviewing Twilight Zone #9 Linkara gathers his remaining allies (Pollo, Liz, 90's Kid and NIMUE) and reveals the starling truth. According to NIMUE, over the last several months, almost 1/6th of the Earth's population have gone missing. The reason that these disappearances are only now getting noticed is because those that have disappeared either lived in high population areas such that nobody noticed people disappearing here-or-there or in rural areas were there weren't a lot or people to begin with. Entire familes are removed so that it is less likely for people to ask questions about the missing people, the dissapearnces occur when no one else is around to see it and no residual energy is left after the deed is done.
Linkara decides to implement a series of safety procedures in order to keep the apartment and its occupants safe in case of an attack and Pollo goes to implement them. Sudenly the intruder alarm starts sounding in the living room where Pollo just entered and Linkara rushes to see what happened. Pollo has been taken and all that remains is an energy reading that is rabidly deteriorating and constantly changing. Linkara realises that not even the apartment is safe from the Entity.
One week later, right before the review of Superman and the TRS-80 Whiz Kids: The Computers that Saved Metropolis, Linkara is shown attempting to use a Sonic Screwdriver to make a mobile emitter work. The distortions affecting the credits are also getting worse now distorting the images on screen longer before another phrase, this one being "I am beautiful", suddenly appears.
One week later, after tormenting Linkara for months, the Entity finally makes first contact with him. Firstly it affects the ending credits for his Street Fighter #1 review distorting the entire image so that the credits don't even get completely finish. Next its final message appears "time"s up". Finally, while Linkara is reading the tome, a message from the Entity appears inside the book saying "I SEE YOU LINKARA." Linkara angrily slams the book and tells the Entity that "it is on now!"
October arrives for Atop The Fourth Wall and Linkara, who curiously enough is wearing the mobile emitter on his jacket, is reviewing the final three Silent Hill comic books written by Scott Ciencin. After finishing the review of Silent Hill: Paint it Black the sirens of Silent Hill begin blaring and mist appears in the apartment. Linkara calmly pulls out a communicator and tells someone on the other line that "it's begun." After the end of the episode credits Spoony is shown about to review Warrior #4 when suddenly the Entity's voice appears saying "hhhhhuuuummmmmaaannnn" before distorting around Spoony and Burton snatching both of them away.
This trend of Channel Awesome producers being kidnapped by the Entity continues the next week, after Linkara's review of Silent Hill: Among the Damned, when Marz Girl is captured. Before she goes she recognizes the Entity and expresses shock at its appearance saying that "that just isn't possible, there's no way you can be-".
After Linkara finishes his review of Silent Hill: The Grinning Man suddenly the sirens begin playing again and everything becomes red. An annoyed Linkara passes by the various mediocre obstacles that are left in his wake until he leaves the apartment and is transported to his old house. In his old home Linkara is greeted by the orchestrator of the last three years of Silent Hill related attack Whatley! Whatley tells Linkara that his order has spend a great deal of time trying to destroy Linkara because of his reviews of the other Ciencin Silent Hill books and that they will spread their gospel though him after his death.
Linkara confirms that the "god" Whatley and his cult serve is really the Entity and he figured out their connection through the tome. Whatley confirms this saying that the "Absent Grimoire" was always meant to fall under Linkara's possession to make him compliant with the orders goals. After telling Linkara that resistance against the order is futile Whatley sends one of the Pyramid Head's in his possession to kill Linkara. However Linkara instead pulls out a bat’leth and easily kills the beast. Whatley sends his other Pyramid Head to attack Linkara but instead of piercing skin the Pyramid Head's sword phases through a body of light.
After mocking Whatley "Linkara" pulls out a communicator and tells his friends to come on down. 90's Kid, Liz, and the real Linkara arrive with phaser rifles and are easily able to defeat the remaining Pyramid Head. "Linkara" explains that the real Linkara figured out another attack from a Silent Hill related creature would be coming months ago and planned ahead by creating a holographic version of himself. "Holokara" has been the one reviewing the Silent Hill comics for the past three weeks all in an attempt to draw Whatley out in the open.
After Holokara dismisses himself by deactivating the mobile emitter Linkara uses a Pokeball to capture the remaining Pyramid Head in order to replace the one that was killed by Vyce. He then turns his sights on Whatley. Linkara admits that he can't pass judgement on Whatley but there is someone who can and pulls out the magic gun. Linkara asks Whatley if he knows the name of the gun, which the mad man admits that he does not, Linkara allows the magic gun to pass judgement. With one concentrated blast of white energy the gun gets revenge on the last member of the cult who murdered her and transformed her soul into a weapon.
With the cult dead Liz asks if the nightmare is over. However suddenly the Entity's synthesised call of "hhhhuuuummmaaaannn" is heard to all in the apartment and Linkara tells Liz that the real nightmare is about to begin. After the episode's credit's sequence Benzaie calls up Sad Panda to see if he is okay as, in the last few days, half of France's population has gone missing. Suddenly the Entity arrives and absorbs first Benzaie and then Sad Panda before either can properly react.
The Entity finally starts directly mocking Linkara to the point that, even before he begins reviewing Spider-Man: Planet of the Symbiotes, he uses his usual call of "hhhhhuuuummmaaannn" to frighten Linkara. After Linkara finishes the review NIMUE alerts him that an intruder is present in the living room. Linkara convenes with Liz and 90's Kid who note that the Entity's presence is all around them. Linkara confirms this suspicion with his Tricorder and tries to figure out a way to get a fix on it. Suddenly Liz notices a disturbance and goes to investigate it. Linkara turns around and suddenly Liz is just gone without a trace. Linkara tries to rush to were Liz was when he is suddenly pushed back by a wall of static as the Entity starts laughing at him.
Realising how large the scope of this attack is Linkara gets on the communicator to try and call for reinforcments. However none of his channels work and as Linkara yells "isn't their anybody out there?!" a perspective of a darkened Earth is shown as Linkara's cries go out to nothing. To his horror, Linkara realizes that he and 90's Kid are the last two people left on Earth.
90s Kid makes an offhand comment about how "heavy" their situation is, but then suddenly the wheels in Linkara's head begin turning. Clues that had been left over the past few months come piling up on after the other until Linkara finally comes to a revelation and points the magic gun at 90s Kid.
Linkara has realised that this entire time, at least since his review of Kiss Comics, the Entity has been using 90's Kid as a cover. Linkara lays down the clues; 90's Kid morbid gag about Kurt Coban's body, the call Linkara received that distracted him long enough for the Ninja Style Dancer to be caught. Being the only other person in the apartment when Harvey was attacked, and finally being in the same room with Linkara when Pollo disappeared. After everyone else on the planet is gone, 90's Kid still remains.
But as Linkara reveals the creature he is speaking to isn't 90's Kid. For the past few months the Entity has been using 90's Kid's image to hide in plain site. Because as the poem states, "it's voice is not it's own" it has to inhabit others to speak and act. Linkara has finally figured out, through the poem, what the Enitiy really is.
"A piece of the world is missing. It doesn't mean it's gone. It's your name!"
Suddenly 90s Kid's voice becomes increasingly synthesized as it states that "This game has been very amusing. But I think it's time for it to end. Hhhhhuuuuuuummmmmaaannn." Pulling off 90's Kid's sunglasses the Entity reveals static in it's eyes. And Linkara reveals the true name of the beast.
Linkara can't comprehend that The Entity and MissingNo are one in the same. The Entity explains that it is an Outer God that looks upon a world that lacks its beauty and that it intends to correct this by corrupting every other lifeform until everything is it. Linkara asks where the Entity comes from and it explains that it was birthed in an alternate universe similar to Linkara's own. Birthed by "wondrous accident" the Entity send its shrill voice throughout the multiverse. This voice brought with it many worshipers but also an obstacle: Lord Vyce.
While Vyce couldn't kill the Entity it's continued attacks diminished it's power and made it lesser then it could have been. Seeking away to remove itself from this pest the Entity travelled to Linkara's universe and allowed the hero to defeat his enemy from him. In gratitude for stripping his enemy of his power the Entity allowed Linkara to live while it spread it's limbs across the Earth and began converting all other lifeforms into itself. Now only Linkara remains as the last creature on Earth that is not a part of the Entity.
Linkara pulls out the magic gun and fires it at the Entity. The blast connects but, to Linkara's shock, has no effect on the Entity who merely telekinetically pulls the magic gun into its hand and absorbs it. Linkara runs into another room, telling NIMUE to execute "Emergency Procedure 5", and a force field appears other the door he enters. The Entity merely laughs and waits for Linkara's return.
Linkara talks with NIMUE and asks the status of her and Comicron 1. NIMUE explains that due to the emergency shielding she has been cut off from Comicron 1. NIMUE also explains that Comicron 1 was under attack by the Entity and that, in twenty minutes, it to will be absorbed. Linkara asks NIMUE if the Entity can get past the force field and she responds that the shield posses no obstacle for it. Linkara asks NIMUE why the Entity wouldn't just attack and she hypothesizes that the creature is toying with Linkara.
Linkara realizes that he is helpless against the Entity, the magic gun was completely ineffectual, and none of his other weapons pose any kind of threat to the creature. Even Pokeballs would be ineffectual due to how powerful the Entity has become since its time as a mere glitch. NIMUE asks Linkara what he will to and he decides to read something to clear his head as oppose to just being frightened. After sifting through a few possibilities Linkara decides to review Pokémon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu #1.
After the review is over, NIMUE contacts Linkara and informs him that the Entity's presence has now surrounded the room that the two have barricaded themselves in. Realizing that the end has come, a resigned Linkara bids his farewell to NIMUE, who expresses sadness that the two of them only knew each other for such a short time. After changing into his completed costume for what seems to be the final time Linkara glances at the two comics on his couch, Pokémon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu #1 and the Amazing Spider-Man trade he read Spider-Man: Planet of the Symbiotes from. Suddenly, a gleam appears in Linkara's eyes and one final insane plan is formed.
Linkara goes outside of the room and returns to the Entity. The Entity asks if Linkara is going to fight but he replies that there would be no point. The Entity's power is simply too strong for Linkara to combat. The Entity tells Linkara that it is then time to become one with its glory, but Linkara has one final request: a question he would like answered. An amused Entity allows Linkara to speak and the reviewer asks one simple question: what will the Entity do next after he is consumed?
The Entity explains that, after absorbing Linkara, it will spread its tendrils throughout the universe and absorb that too. It will continue this process until every single thing in the entire multiverse is an extension of itself. Linkara then asks what it will do afterwards. A confused Entity repeats its statements about existing as the multiverse, but Linkara asks it what it intends to do after it becomes the multiverse.
The Entity can't formulate a response, and Linkara points out that, when all is said and done, after it succeeds, the Entity will be completely alone, trapped in its own existence, with nothing to aspire towards. In the end the Entity is no more significant then when it was once a glitch on a screen.
The Entity then begins rambling to itself, desperately trying to determine its purpose, and being unable to come up with one. Linkara then submits a possibility for it to explore. For the Entity is an Outer God, a creature more terrible and powerful then any that was come before and since, and as such there is one possibility out there.
What happens when an Outer God dies?
Hearing this idea, the Entity smiles and tells Linkara that it will find out. It then compresses a ball of static and, with a scream, destroys itself in a flash of light. When the light clears, every one of Linkara's friends that had been kidnapped over the last few months has been restored. Not only that, but everyone the Entity restored has returned, even the magic gun. Linkara's friends ask what happened, and he admits that he convinced the Entity to kill itself. With the knowledge that he has saved the world from destruction Linkara decides to celebrate by playing Pokémon with his friends.
The Stinger of the episode shows that the Entity left Linkara one last surprise for him even after its death: infinite copies of Tricorders found in his sixth inventory slot.
Tropes
- And Then What?: Linkara defeats The Entity by asking what it actually plans to do after it succeeds in absorbing all of reality. Linkara points out that if the Entity does become all of existence, it will have nothing to look forward to except an eternity of having absolutely nothing to interact with. This revelation causes the Entity to suffer an existential crisis and ultimately drives it to kill itself.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Linkara asks the Entity what it intends to do after it absorbs the multiverse. The Entity doesn't know the answer, so Linkara explains that it will be all alone when all is said and done.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: The Entity messes up the closing credits for Linkara's "Street Fighter" video.
- Call-Back: In his review of The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Linkara searches for a comic to read and goes "Aha! Now we've got it!" upon finding it. This was a nod to Linkara's earliest reviews, where he would search through his comic collection and say the same phrase upon finding something to review.
- Driven to Suicide: Linkara makes the Entity question the futility and worthlessness of its quest to become existence, then asks what would happen if an Outer God like it dies. The Entity is intrigued enough by the question to destroy itself, returning all that it had absorbed to normal. He may not have directly intended to do this, since after the fact, he's confused that he managed to do it.
- Dwindling Party: One by one, in the course of this arc, people, Linkara's friends and Channel Awesome producers alike, get absorbed by the Entity. By the time of the Electric Tale of Pikachu review, only Linkara himself and NIMUE are left.
- Everyone Has Standards: When he realizes that '90s Kid has been possessed by the Entity, Linkara admits that he should've noticed earlier given how unsettling he was acting even by his usual standards.Linkara: Even '90s Kid isn't creepy enough to want to prop up Kurt Cobain's body onstage!
- Flat "What": After boasting about how it eventually will absorb all of reality, the Entity becomes very confused when Linkara asks it what it plans to do afterwards:Entity: Existence will be solely defined by me, because I am existence!
Linkara: Oh, and then what're you going to do?
Entity: What. - Foreshadowing: Throughout this arc, 90's Kid says various morbid things that seem out of character for him. It turns out '90s Kid has been possessed by the Entity all along.'90s Kid: I'm '90s Kid, and what you see is what you get! ...Or is it?
- Generic Doomsday Villain: Deconstructed with the Entity. The Entity's only goal is the absorb all of existence with no real plan of what it plans to do afterwards. When Linkara asks why it wants to accomplish that if simply existing in itself is clearly not enough for the Entity, it suffers a full-on existential crisis upon realizing its purpose in life is ultimately self-defeating.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: After the Entity's defeat, Linkara asks everyone he's rescued if they want to play Pokemon, which includes Dr. Linksano.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Whately is killed by the same Magic Gun his cult created in the first place.
- Inopportune Impersonation Failure: Linkara belatedly realizes that the Entity has stolen the image of '90s Kid and has been posing as him for the last few months. In the ensuing rant, he reveals that the Entity has unwittingly given itself away by virtue of surviving while everyone else in the world has been assimilated by the Entity - and also drawing attention to a morbid remark about using Kurt Cobain as a human puppet that the real '90s Kid would never have made. As Linkara lays out the evidence, '90s Kid begins to smirk ever so subtly, before finally unveiling himself in an increasingly synthesized voice:"This game has been most amusing... but I think it's time for it to end. HUUUUUUUUUUUU-MAAAAAAAN."
- Let's Get Dangerous!: As the Entity messes up Linkara's review of "Street Fighter" and leaves him taunting messages, he angrily declares, "It is on now!"
- Mirror Universe: Iron Liz ends up in a mirror universe while Linkara attempts to hook up NIMUE during an ion storm, complete with an Evil Twin of Linkara who thinks All-Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder is "Genius" and thinks Rob Liefeld's artwork is "beautiful". As is the unwritten law of Mirror Universe counterparts, Mirrorkara has a mustache and beard.
- Ominous Visual Glitch: Throughout the story arc, the Entity causes the show's credits to briefly glitch out and leave behind ominous messages hinting to its true nature.
- Special Edition Title: The review for Star Trek #2 has a Mirror Universe version of the title sequence, with the mirror universe theme music from Enterprise in place of the usual song.
- You Are Fat: This makes up roughly half of the (cursed) Mightily Murdered Power Ringers comic's insults toward Linkara. Linkara doesn't deny it, but he's not fazed by it, either.
