Implied Death Threats in Webcomics.
- Cursed Princess Club: During breakfast
with his family, Prince Frederick of the Plaid Kingdom declares his refusal to go through with his Arranged Marriage to Gwendolyn, confident that his brothers' happier engagements to the other Pastel Kingdom princesses will secure his father's Altar Diplomacy between the two kingdoms even without him marrying Gwen. King Leland's response to this is to chuck a knife through the bagel Frederick is holding, which pulls it from his hand and pins it to the wall. Then Leland explains, while holding a terrified Frederick up by his shirt collar, that the other girls would back out of their engagements in solidarity with their jilted sister — so Frederick will marry Gwendolyn, or else he'll "be trading places with that bagel." - Biggs, of all people, from Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures. He does a lot of unethical things, but threaten his family and look out.
- Girl Genius:
- Tarvek is introducing a mook with a gun, but the mook has convinced himself that he's safe because heroes don't kill people. Tarvek disabuses him of that notion thus:Tarvek: I've never really considered myself the "hero" type. Are you the "take his secrets to the grave" type? Just asking.
- Later, Seffie is able to do this through her bodyguard, Sparafucile, simply smiling at the guy. He takes the hint readily.
- Chillingly inverted by a Smoke Knight, who warns Agatha that if they tell her how they do what they do then they would have to let her live. For a very, very long time.
- Tarvek is introducing a mook with a gun, but the mook has convinced himself that he's safe because heroes don't kill people. Tarvek disabuses him of that notion thus:
- Goblins: Big Ears gives Takn the kobold a hint that he doesn't like seeing his friends getting picked on.Big Ears: Right now, you have a magically sharpened axe pressed carefully but sternly at the base of your throat. It's there because you've annoyed me.
(Beat)
What do you think will happen if you make me angry? - The Last Days of FOXHOUND, when Revolver Ocelot tells Dr Naomi to tailor her DNA-specific virus to the members of FOXHOUND.Naomi: I mean, it's not like I have a problem with it but... why would they want that?
Ocelot: Welcome to Ocelot Shack. You've got questions, I've got bullets. - The Order of the Stick:
- Vaarsuvius gets very annoyed at the rest of the Order while they are stuck in the form of a lizard, and the first thing they do after being restored is to effortlessly Disintegrate a dragon that had been threatening them:Vaarsuvius: Fascinating. I cannot help but notice that the disintegrated remains of a dragon are indistinguishable from those of a human, or a halfling, or a dwarf.
Roy: Point taken. - Subverted in another strip. Annoyed about being distracted from his/her research, Vaarsuvius threatens Elan. For context, V had just killed a minor villain in cold blood to avoid having to waste time putting him on trial for his crimes, and Elan had threatened to report V.Vaarsuvius: Do as you wish, though I find it odd that one who just witnessed the haste with which I will remove that which distracts me from my crucial research would risk becoming just such a distraction one's self.
(Beat Panel)
Vaarsuvius: Because then I might be forced to remove the distraction.
Elan: I don't get it.
Vaarsuvius: YOU are the distraction in this case. Remove the distraction, which is you. Remove YOU with haste.
Elan: ...What are you getting at?
Vaarsuvius: Oh, forget it. It would take longer to make you understand than it would to research the next spell. - In this strip, Bandana tells Andi that knocking her out and seizing control of the ship during a battle is Andi's "Strike One."
Andi: ...What... what happens on Strike Three?
Bandana: Nuthin'. 'Cause you won't make it past Strike Two. - Vaarsuvius gets very annoyed at the rest of the Order while they are stuck in the form of a lizard, and the first thing they do after being restored is to effortlessly Disintegrate a dragon that had been threatening them:
- Downplayed in Pixie and Brutus. After Pixie warns him against messing with Randall, a raccoon, Brutus says that that would be wise because Randall would likely tear his stripy tail off. Pixie doesn't get the threat, but Randall does.
- The Sanity Circus: Posey loves doing this. She muses on whether Steven 'will look as lovely in two pieces as the other one...', and when Attley's mother tries to escape from her paralysation magic mutters 'Oh dear, is my spell breaking already? I'm very rusty. Perhaps something a little more permanent will do...'
- Scarlet Lady: In "Horrificator", Nino is getting too much into direct-ator mode...Nino: Ex-CUSE YOU guys, but I am the director, and what I say goes!
Marinette: [snagging his ear] And I am the Producer, the person who picked the Director. I am the person who got us the school to use because you left it to the last minute. And if you don't turn down the attitude and remember that we're your friends, doing this for you... I'll be the person who impaled you with a clipboard. - Being a comedy about a mercenary company, this crops up frequently in Schlock Mercenary.
- After Commander Kevyn self-destructs Schlock's brand new plasma cannon to cover an escape:Schlock: I was gonna name that gun.
Kevyn: I know, but this way they won't expect to find our bodies.
Schlock: They might find yours. - And when a spaceport security official is gleefully preparing to give Dr. Bunnigus the "enhanced search":Schlock: When a firefighter pulls a baby out of a burning building and says "I'm just doing my job", that guy gets a medal. But when a tin-pot bureaucrat says "I'm just doing my job" [as an excuse for groping a woman], he gets filled with metal. Little pieces, moving very fast.
- A mutual example when a crooked union boss threatens Breya.Mobster: Listen up. I own every bailbondsman, bouncer, stevedore and personal trainer in the area. These are some big boys who get bores sometimes and want some rough play, if you know what I mean.
Breya: Oh, I know exactly how boys can be. I'm a mercenary admiral, and I've got a company full of testosterone factories looking to earn some extra money roughhousing. My guys come with full power armor, personal artillery and air support. What do your boys play with?
Mobster: Er... I... Uhm, maybe... - When them company has Ennesby fill in a form that isn't allowed to be filled in with a computer.Ennesby: I hope your fine government does not discriminate against artificial life-forms.
Obstructive Bureaucrat: Humph. It's legal, but it's certainly a violation of the spirit of the law.
Breya: [While Schlock branishes his plasma cannon] The spirit of the law is the least of the things we're prepared to violate. - When trying to get the team into a scientific conference.Scientist: I can't sell passes to this crowd. See... they're...
Kevyn: They're what? Mundanes? Heathen? Muggles? Armed?
Scientist: I was going to say "not on the list". Did you say "armed"?
Kevyn: No. I said "perhaps you should check the list again, this time in 'edit' mode." - When their client has been assassinated before they could get there, and the local government demands the advanced payment of that client back.Tagon: I'm sorry, it's very, very non-refundable.
General Hunning: You were contracted for the use of force, and you've not actually done that. You haven't done any of the violent work that retainer was for.
Tagon: Are you suggesting I may have to resort to violence in order to keep my money?
Hunning: Yes, I... Erm... no, never mind. - When renegotiating with the ship repair company.Tagon: Here are the new terms of our contract: First, our payment to you will be reduced by the amount of the bribe you accepted from Colonel Pranger.
Repair robot: Agreed, but it must be adjusted back up a bit to account for the two Daysun-Tingo robots you've destroyed.
Tagon: You can take my terms as they are, or you can adjust the payment up to account for the destruction of three Daysun-Tingo robots.
Repair robot: But you've only... oh.
- After Commander Kevyn self-destructs Schlock's brand new plasma cannon to cover an escape:
- Unsounded has this exchange between Captain Hetr and Emil Toma, thought to be dead:
