Girl Genius

The Dr with the big claw had a decent chance and if I don't recall wrong a flying machine.

From the expression on her face I'm going to go with, "We've never met this character before."

But doesn't the drippy speech bubble look exactly like the dragon's bubble in the previous fight scene? And with the supercharge he just received, there would be no problem taking her into the air.

Well, I personally like the Heterodyne vampire. This strip is so full of what looks like throwaway lines that turn Chekovian that it just seems . . . right somehow that a vampire should show up now.

But the speech face suggests that the speaker is not ancient.

Of course, it's possible that The Abbess has been watching Agatha's progress during Agatha's Progress and decided that she'd misjudged. I'm not sure I'd trust her, were I Agatha, but choices may be limited.

Now, has Klaus figured out a way to cancel Gil's lightning generators?

edited 28th Nov '12 12:28:53 PM by GreybeardFan

No It's plain surprise. if it's ANOTHER new character, I'm gonna tear my hair out.

Unlikely it's the Abbottess; last we saw of her, she was getting locked up somewhere.

I have no idea who the drippy bubble is, but s/he's taller than Agatha — or higher placed — and startling but not terrifying. And doesn't grab Othar and Tarvek's attention from their bickering.

I'm curious whether s/he will offer a method that takes only Agatha up, or takes her with some subset of her associates. If alone, there may be argument...and detours. If in company, the same, but she'll at least have allies.

Tarvek will probably be willing to go up with her regardless, but he'll be happier if it's not a heavier-than-air technique. He appears to think balloons, blimps, and zeppelins make much better sense.

Tarvek is perhaps thinking on how stable and economical the blimps are however the mechanics behind Gil's machine and the theory is perhaps something that he doesn't like or understand well. Still every spark has their own field of expertise and flying machines is something that Tarvek isn't in his home turf. Also Tarvek has a real reason to avoid paying attention somewhere else, Othar might repay the sucker punch he received from the kiss with interests.

Wait... maybe it's not someone who's talking venomous towards Agatha because they're enemies... maybe it's someone who is on Agatha's side who was in the tower, and is angry because Agatha just blew it up with them in in it!

A slim chance, I know, but still...

My best guess is that it's someone who is on her side for the moment but doesn't actually like her and is only serving her begrudgingly if not resentfully, but I think everyone who fit that bill previously is already dead - this current arc did a lot of thinning out those kinds of characters. Hey! Maybe it's rogue Geisterdamen, come to serve as is their wont despite (or perhaps because of) the treachery of Lucrezia.

Racking my mind for whoever would be the most shocking/surprising... could be someone from the Circus, but everyone there seems to like her too much to speak to her that way... hmm...

Hey! Maybe it's Zulenna! Yeah, it's waaaay left field, but now makes a little more sense than any other time thus far to suddenly think she is returning - chaos in the Baron's Empire and the Flying Castle being used for war, perhaps she was moved back home - where she was rejected for her revival. Now she's bitterly demoted to envoy to the Heterodyne; meanwhile, all the noble families and nations of Europe are focusing their attentions on Mechaniksburg for or against either the Heterodynes or the Baron, and Zulenna made it very clear that in such a situation her group would definitely side with the Heterodynes...

In fact, now that I think about it even if it isn't her now she's sure to make a reappearance soon (if she ever was going to) given the current political climate.

I'm assuming whoever it is is higher up because they're already in some sort of flying machine. I'm sure the next update will be a full page spread showing the person riding their magnificent aerothingamajig.

edited 28th Nov '12 11:00:18 PM by KnownUnknown

I don't think Zulenna's voice would be dripping. She appeared to believe her sacrifice was necessary.

I can't imagine that Ticktoffen survived. There is the "cockroach" that Agatha injured on the way in. Hmmm ....

ZoLu is looking more and more likely. Last time she introduced herself from high up in the intoxicating plant. When we first saw her, she came from the pink airship.

And Agatha is, I think, about as dismayed as you can be.

Great thundering Zot! Is it possible ... ? Could Bangladesh DuPree have realized that Gil was right and Klaus is Not Himself?

Could Bang end up as a Red Shirt after all?

edit: Remember that we had the emotional link between Bang and Gil played up. That could provide the opportunity for Bang to come in saying "I'll help you if you promise to save Gil ... if you promise to save Klaus."

edited 29th Nov '12 12:52:24 AM by GreybeardFan

nice theory. That would be FUN.

I really want to know what's happened between Gil and Othar in the past, now. Othar has it firmly in his head that Gil is a Villain-with-a-capital-V, but in general he's a very forgiving guy. He forgave Agatha for pushing him out of an airship, and doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get back at Tarvek for the sucker punch. And yet Gil has lasting enmity. Is it just that Gil is a Wulfenbach and therefore fits the category in the story Othar thinks he's living? Or is there some kind of actual history there? Perhaps Gil being outed as a Wulfenbach after passing as a garden-variety hero in Paris is all the offense he needed, but still I wonder.

think dripping bubble isn't an indicator of the speakers mood but of his/her/it's nature.

If it is Bang then I expect Vole to be on her list of requirements too.

Well all I can say is that following the routine it is cliffhanger Friday and this Wednesday has left us with one debate prone situation. Also when Othar gets to Paris and gets his Geisterwife will he enjoy the moment killing when he is on the receiving end?

I don't see Bang referring to "the Lady Heterodyne", but who knows.

Isn't Othar acting out of character? Shouldn't he be offing sparks right and left?

Isn't he still technically on a mission for the Baron?
Honor and duty before personal stuff, and all that rot?

Characterization Marches On. Othar has a plot to serve and has possibly decided that Agatha is a "good" one, so may live. Tarvek is currently his apprentice (he may not know that Tarvek is a Spark).

Or else Othar has put his killing tendencies on hold to help his perceived love interest.

Thinking of Bang and her so-far undiscovered war with Zeetha, it occurs to me that both regard Klaus in some way as a father and there is room for an additional rivalry for his attentions. Bang has very little in the way of ethical restraint, too.

You know, if it is Bang, she might have run across Agatha's flying cannonball message-bot ... and gotten the story that was true, a few years, and a few days, ago.

And oh would she have a surprise waiting for her when "von Pinn" shows up.

edited 29th Nov '12 1:50:10 PM by GreybeardFan

Yeah she would, but it isn't Bang, it's some new creepy sort. You can tell from the icicles.

No. I find it simply impossible that Tarvek would fail to notice Zola in any mode whatsoever, even with Othar to draw his attention away. And neither he nor Agatha would respond with anything less than instant and complete hostility should Zola show up. The last frame just does not work if it's Zola...not even counting it as a delaying action on the part of the Fs. Their visual follow-through and logical continuity is too good for that, even if it does occasionally falter. *They* know who Agatha's seeing, and they won't betray her character by having her less than fully on her guard if it's Zola.

No, I'm inclined to think it's someone comparatively or even completely new, who is drippy-voiced because of some sort of monsterish-ness. It's not like Mechanicsberg doesn't have plenty of monsters, both native and imported, right now.

And of course Othar knows Tarvek is a spark: Tarvek's the one who ever-so-bitterly fixed the not-quite-working falling machine. Quod Erat Demonstrandum: it has been demonstrated. Dramatically. With Sparky invective, no less.

edited 29th Nov '12 4:53:36 PM by Hippogrif

Othar's always been capable of putting his crusade against all of Sparkdom aside in order to fulfill the greater good - hence why he didn't kill Agatha the second time they met.

He also met and spared Theo offscreen, though its possible he didn't know the guy was a Spark.

Or he let Theo live for a reason called Gargle Blaster.