- Ethan "rescues" Lilah in some overly contrived ridiculousness that only Ethan could accomplish.
- Lilah returns on her own after finding out that Ethan is the right one for her after all.
- The last Ethan saw of Lilah was him dodging the issue. Lilah is never seen again, Ethan suffers a breakdown, focus goes towards Penny Arcade style game one-shots and alternate universe variants.
Why would the last option be the one? Because Buckley doesn't seem like the type to go for overly cliche romantic schmaltz (well... even more overly cliche romantic schmaltz than usual), which is where the comic would have to go in order to restore the Status Quo. Since Buckley has performed the awkward tonal shift of Cerebus Syndrome without so much as looking back, he seems to be trying to resolve the main storyline.
Why would he do it this way? Who knows? Maybe he had a moment of clarity and realized how cookie cutter his comic was. Maybe he wants to move on to something else. Maybe he did manage to turn a huge portion of the fans against him with the miscarriage. Maybe he didn't turn enough fans against him (why he would want to turn fans against him when this is his full time job is anybody's guess). Maybe he realized that only stuff with darker edges tend to be remembered in the long run. Regardless, the comic has shown no signs that it's going to try to go back.
- Seems like a trap right now. Christian sends Ethan on a wild goose chase, and Lilah returns to see no Ethan. And therefore, the comic stays serious.
- Alternatively, Ethan and Lilah are now happily married and owners of a game shop. Seeing as their marriage was the last time we saw them, they probably now live Happily Ever After. The rest of the comic is now one-shots and Choose-Your-Own Adventures.
- Not any more. The strip itself shows that Zeke had all his memories down to the instant that his head was knocked off, and is now threatening Lucas with decapitation. Probably for the best, considering the drama overload and the break, unless the interrupted apology were subverted.
- Actually, this "Zalgo" is just something that the internet came up with.
- I think he fits the Genius mold better... Lilah and Lucas are Beholden, the only reasons they hang around him. Zeke is a Wonder, whose interactions with normal people gave him a number of (personality) Flaws, as what happens with everything he creates when someone else gets a hold of it. Ethan may have been Unmada for quite some time- has anyone ever won an argument with him?
- Either works. I just don't know Genius, but I do know Girl Genius.
- Ethan: The beloved man child who keeps the whole thing together is actually a crazy person holding Lilah hostage.
- Lilah: Ethan's beloved, highly tolerant girlfriend is actually a girl he's been stalking or a random victim he's hoping will develop Stockholm syndrome.
- Scott: The mysterious roommate is actually Lilah's roommate/brother who was wounded/killed and now hidden in his room. His furtive penguin is a stuffed toy or a Boston terrier.
- Christian: Lilah's obnoxious ex-fiance is actually a female detective who stumbled onto the scene and is trying to rescue Lilah (Ethan only had a glimpse of her and thought she was a man).
- Lucas: A the hostage negotiator who's been acting like Ethan's best friend.
- Store guy: Another negotiator who didn't hit it off too well with Ethan.
- The other girls (Asian girl with glasses, Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette Dark Action Girl who looked like Shego, and Kate - the last two coincidentally Lucas' ex-girlfriends) and random "background characters" are members of Lucas's SWAT team on point around the house. "Shego" might be a Cold Sniper.
- Chef Brian and French wrench guy, AKA the Wacky Monkey Cheeze duo: An innocent pizza delivery guy and a maintenance man respectively who stumbled into the situation and are very, very freaked out over what they've gotten themselves into. They've barricaded themselves in the attic (hence why they're there yet don't interact with the others), and although they've escaped Ethan's attention they're driving themselves insane with stress. -OR- They are voices in Ethan's head and/or Ethan's (extremely stupid) alternate personalities.
- The Grim Reaper, enabling alcohol bottle, and the rude rabbit with cigar (who looks suspiciously like this guy) are hallucinations.
- Zeke and Embla: Really tall lamps whose humanoid shape is enough to convince Ethan that they're actual robots.
- What about the four gamers?
- They're alternate personalities, but they're so weak they only manifest as random bursts of violence (for instance, if One shows up Ethan will randomly throw things; if Two or more shows up it's as if he's fighting himself for a few seconds).
- What about the four gamers?
- Ethan's older brother Rory is... Ethan's older brother. His childhood antics are no worse then other people's older brothers', but like Ran Ethan can really hold a grudge.
- Nonsense, this Ethan we're talking about, his hatred of his brother will eventually be justified. Rory's "favor" is almost certainly going to be for money to pay off drug dealers and Ethan (unwittingly) assumes Rory's debt and the thugs come after him, leading to the rooftop scene. Afterward Rory will try to escape justice just like Ethan does but since Rory is the designated villain of this arc he's going to suffer the consequences and go to jail or get taken away by the people he owes money to or endure a Deus ex Machina attack from
Bender and FembotZeke and Embla while Ethan is going to be hailed as a saint and Lilah will apologize for insisting on inviting Rory.- Alternatively, he's working for Christian.
- But you never know, B^Uckers could still surprise us with something like the Macmanus brothers team up to fight the goons (heh, goons), ending with the brothers forging a tight bond with simultaneous crowning moments of awesome and heartwarming (like this, but with more words)!
Ethan: We beat those guys! Together!
Rory: I couldn't have done it without your Mortal Kombat skills!
Both: I love you man!!- Surprise us? That would be horrible, how is that a surprise?!
- Rory isn't the monster everyone expected him to be, and Ethan's victory is because he's working equally with someone else instead of it falling into his lap by accident. But that's not going to happen: this arc will end with Bender and Fembot's Deus ex Machina, Rory being led away by the gangsters he tried to screw, and Ethan and Leelah on their honeymoon with funds that mysteriously appeared.
- Holy shit, Rory isn't a complete monster! But he's The Worst Brother Ever so going to jail anyway.
- Does that have anything to do with this comic◊?
- An idiot protagonist who, despite being borderline retarded and always drunk (using his Irish heritage as a scapegoat), is a total Sue (Peter/Ethan)
- The protagonist's wife. Despite being fully capable of taking care of herself, is forced to be her husband's caretaker and "sex slave" (Lois/Lilah)
- The main character's best friend, who acts as the voice of reason. Sometimes acts like a douche, but is still a Marty Stu (Brian/Lucas)
- A sociopath who was created by the main character several ears ago. Despite being hyped as an original character, degenerates into comic relief (Stewie/Zeke)
- A character that, despite having potential for being funny, is either shunned or not even spoken of (Meg/Scott)
- Constant non sequitur humor (Cutaway gags/Chef Brian)
- An episode/strip that mocks religion (Not All Dogs Go to Heaven/Gamer Religion Arc)
- An episode/strip based on prenatal death (Abandoned abortion episode/Loss)
- An episode/strip considered the show/comic's lowest point, constantly referred to in every discussion (Not All Dogs Go to Heaven/Loss)
- I thought that was obvious.
- So wait, you're saying Zeke is a bot?
- There's nothing more random and destructive than a baby. He'd have more material than he could ever dream of if he kept the damn fetus.
- Actually, Lucas worked at another game store in the same town, so... no.
- You were right, sort of.