Grrodon, still disguised as McCoy, steals the database containing Xadhoom's knowledge and transmits it to Belgravia in order to promote chaos on the planet and make easier for Evron to take over. He is discovered, but part of the file has already been received. In order to discover what the so called "Project Haephestus" is, the PBI ask Paperinik to investigate, disguised as the son of the president of Belgravia. However it might prove more than he can handle, when two old enemies return...
Tropes Present In This Issue:
- Berserk Button: Gordon has also become very sensitive about his current weigth, so much that Oberon has to restrain him when the button is pushed.
- Big Eater: The stress of being trapped for so long in the submarine on the bottom of the ocean caused Fairfax to develop a huge appetite. He is really fat now, especially compared to how thin he originally was.
- Call-Back: Fairfax and Oberon De Spair return after their last appearance in #21 "Tyrannic".
- Continuity Nod: The datapack containing Xadhoom's information from "Under A New Sun" and "On The Dark Side" appears again.
- Chick Magnet: Ljuba develops an instant crush on Paperinik. He wisely chooses to run away.
- Convection, Schmonvection: As long as they are not touching it, lava isn't apparently dangerous. At one point Paperinik even flies a few centimetres above it with no ill effects.
- The Ditz: Grigorji Grimka. Among other things, he didn't tell the PBI he had a fiancee (or how he acted with her) and was cheating on her with The Mole, told them his pet was a cat but forgot to mention it wasn't a housecat but a tiger, and told his lover that Paperinik was coming to Belgravia disguised as him, thus effectively telling De Spair that Paperinik was coming after him. Ljuba actually calls him an idiot.
- Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: Ljuba punches pretty hard Paperinik(dressed as Grigorji)for not telling her he was coming home.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Just like the Raider, President Grimka's first concern is the well-being of his son.
- Evil Detecting Tiger: Paperinik isn't evil,but Balko, Grigorji's pet, instantly understand that the man before him is not the real Grigorji.
- Evil Gloating: At one point Fairfax goes on a full-blown one as he described the process of his plan that are about to manifest. Cue to Oberon, enthralled.Oberon "Ah, I could listen to him for hours!"
- Fluffy Tamer: Grigorji's pet is a tiger.
- Kill and Replace: Oberon takes the place of President Grimka and tries to murder him.
- Just Between You and Me: Fairfax actually defies it, saying that since he was about to be killed there was no use for Paperinik to know his plan. Lampshaded:Paperinik:"Hey, what happened to those nice talkative mad scientists?"
- Impostor Forgot One Detail: Ljuba understands that someone is impersonating Grigorji when he tries to give her flowers,since:1)she is allegic to them and he knows it,and 2)the real Grigorji never gave her any present.
- Actually,Paperinik forget several details,since the dossier the PBI gave him was incomplete.
- Love Makes You Dumb: Grigorji Grimka. Oh sure, warn your secret girlfriend about the secret mission of Paperinik. What Could Possibly Go Wrong??
- Loyal to the Position: As Oberon points out, he has always been a faithful servant of Belgravia, not necessarily of its ruler.
- Master of Disguise: Paperinik, who takes the place of the son of the President of Belgravia. The comic even puts a little Continuity Nod on this, when Mary Ann remarks he used to do this all the time in the past.
- Oberon De Spair does the same to impersonate said president, with a combo of mask and exoskeleton.
- The Mole: Agnes Korba knows that Oberon replaced Grimka and is on his side.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: When Paperinik goes to Belgravia disguised as Grigorji Grimka, he gives Oberon the advantage he needed to force the president in giving him the codes for the nuclear weapons Fairfax needs for his project. Grimka even calls him out for it.
- Grigorji deserves a mention,too. He warned Agnes Korba that Paperinik was going to come to Belgravia disguised as him. Since she is actually in cahoots with De Spair and Fairfax, they can capture him and blackmail the president.
- Papa Wolf: Nestor Grimka may not be the most morally upstanding person in the world, but he genuinely loves his son.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Nestor Grimka refused to give his approvation to "Project Heaphestus" since he considered it to dangerous for the world. As he puts it, his country produces weapons and terror, but global destruction isn't on his list.
- The Reveal: De Spair replaced President Grimka to better fulfill his goal.
- Shown Their Work: At one point Fairfax mentions the different types of magma and how they react in an absolutely correct way.
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Ljuba Gastropova is much taller and bulkier than Grigorji.
- Unfinished, Untested, Used Anyway: A variation: Fairfax received only a part of Xadhoom's file, so he had to complete it on his own.Unfortunatly, he had no idea he was working on an alien experiment, and so it backfires.
- Villainous Rescue: The soldiers serving De Spair arrive to rescue Paperinik, Grimka and Fairfax from the lava. Except it's not them. They are actually the loyal soldiers of Belgravia that arrived to arrest Oberon and Fairfax.
