Girl Genius XXXII: The scientific method at work!

[Manga Shoggoth]

It is a world ruled by Mad Science! Things happen. Usually, they happen to other people. This is entertainment. That's when the front door gets blown in- And you belatedly realize that, once again, you are doomed to be the entertainment in another exciting installment of: GIRL GENIUS!

Many elegant, finely-crafted, and vintage links follow:

Links to Previous Threads

Spoiler

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Girl Genius! (thread)
Girl Genius II
Girl Genius III: Nize Thread!
Girl Genius IV: Because SCIENCE! is my mistress
Girl Genius V: Madre de Diodes!
Girl Genius VI: Der Pestle in Der Kestle
Girl Genius VII: Get on the Slab, I Want to Get to Work!
Girl Genius: VIII Will Show Them All!
Girl Genius IX: The Unstoppable Thread
Girl Genius X: The Othar Shoe Drops
Girl Genius XI: Ding Dong, the Baron's Dead!
Girl Genius XII: For Doom The Bell Tolls
Girl Genius XIII: "Gott's Leedle Feesh in Trousers!"
Girl Genius XIV: A Lightning Arc in All But Speed!
Girl Genius XV: The Weasel, the Spark, and the Wardrobe
Girl Genius XVI: The Wrath of Klaus
Girl Genius XVII: And Then He Had Pie
Girl Genius XVIII: Invisible Hand of the Legendary Smoke Knights
Girl Genius XIX: Worth a Third of Your Grade
Girl Genius XX: Endothermic Life Forms Are Inherently Heretical
Girl Genius XXI: Cancel the Jugglers
Girl Genius XXII: Paris Needs Pants
Girl Genius XXIII: Screaming, Ranting and Egregious Violence
Girl Genius XXIV: Ask Vit a Bit More Terror
Girl Genius XXV: It needs work! BUT THE CONCEPT IS SOUND!
Girl Genius XXVI: Madness is the best possible response
Girl Genius XXVII: Hoy! Hennybody else not dead?
Girl Genius XXVIII: Dancink! Ve is here for de dancink!
Girl Genius XXIX: A giant corkboard of continuity madness
Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition
Girl Genius XXXI: Let’s look at it from farther away!
Girl Genius XXXII: The scientific method at work!

Comic Links
Link to current comic and link to the beginning of the strip. (Updates MWF, usually after Midnight [Eastern Time])
The Continuing Adventures of Othar Tryggvassen, Gentleman Adventurer! (back on hiatus, may update in the future)
A compilation (and much easier to read if you're just catching up) of the first three chapters can be found here at the GG website.
And if one goes to snapbird.org and types in "Othar" in the 'Who?' field, all of Othar's adventures can be read on one page (albiet in reverse order of posting - Now must have a Twitter account to use).
Mirror of the comic found on LiveJournal (No longer being updated as of Mid-May, 2017)
Mirror of the comic found on Facebook (Will occasionally have Girl Genius related news)
And one can find mirrors of Girl Genius on deviantArt as well. (Occasionally Kaja will put up or link to interesting GG related art that is found on dA)

Reference Links
Wiki Project devoted to to Girl Genius
Wikipedia entry on Girl Genius.
TV Tropes page on Girl Genius.
The Secret Blueprints (NOTE: Contains background information on the GG Universe, so it should probably be read after "catching up" to the newest comic, as it contains many spoilers.)

Social Media and News Links
(The Foglios also provide some links at the bottom of the comic pages)
Phil Foglio's new Wordpress art, news, and blogging website.
Kaja Foglio's LJ Page and Studio Foglio News LJ Page (Not currently being updated)
Kaja & Phil's Personal Facebook Page (Not currently being updated)
A twitter account that basically is a catch-all feed for Girl Genius related news.
Cheyenne Wright's Twitter and LiveJournal Accounts (The colorist's twitter and LJ pages)

And finally,
Phil's old LJ page. (Occasionally contains crossposts from the Wordpress website)

====

Q: What is this "Sneaky Gate" y'alls go on about?

Sneaky gate: Named from this hidden gate in comic, it has become a name for viewing new comics early. Remember, if you're going to discuss the new comic, put it in spoiler boxes until the release time (12am EST).

Sneaky Gate 101:

1. Right click the comic image.
2. Select view image or copy paste the image location into the address bar.
3. Modify the date to be the day you're trying to look at. (ex. 20120111 -> 20120113)
4. Go to the modified url.
5. Be disappointed when there's no early comic to read.
6. Alternately, enjoy the comic!

[Thales]

Inexplicably, the last thread never marked as read for me. This one did immediately, though. Was this the case for anyone else?

[wingnutx]

Tagging this thread... FOR SCIENCE!

[Shining Wrath]

Prediction as to tomorrow?
I'm guessing Hector shows up with Iram Solis because not as dumb as he looks. Also, he walked through a wall because ghost.

[Agi Hammerthief]

for Science!
Eccentric science is best science.

edit: and now we see eccentric science at work

[Kantaki]

New comic

"We must be careful. Everything could be trapped."
Immediately grabs shiny thing
Guess Prof. Wyrmhaut is a PC.

Also, Franz is weird by monster standards.
Well, that's Mechanicsburg for you.
Must be something in the water.

[Shining Wrath]

"Gimme gimme gimme click". This will not end well.

[Erik the Green]

Imagine the "Oh Dear, How Sad, Never Mind" gif here. Really, though-even Zola had a more reasonable arrogance to ability ratio. Any thoughts before Monday regarding scorched vs scorched and dead vs nothing but a smoking pair of boots left? Prof. KnowItAll must really want to make a really big batch of S'Mores if she needs the Iram Solis that bad...

[Rockphed]

Imagine the "Oh Dear, How Sad, Never Mind" gif here. Really, though-even Zola had a more reasonable arrogance to ability ratio. Any thoughts before Monday regarding scorched vs scorched and dead vs nothing but a smoking pair of boots left? Prof. KnowItAll must really want to make a really big batch of S'Mores if she needs the Iram Solis that bad...

Little miss tenure will be possessed by Hydroargyros and start to morph into a female dragon bent on replacing humans with her twisted progeny.

[Shining Wrath]

Franz will save her, being a dragon he's likely partially immune to a dragon's booby-trap.
Then Von Hautwyrm will repay the favor by trying to kill the vulnerable Franz, because yes she is a scenery chewing nasty villain.

[Fyraltari]

To be fair, the dragon's corpse really ought to be the safest place in the room. How he managed to die ontop of a still-armed trap is likely to be a mystery for the ages.

[Divayth Fyr]

To be fair, the dragon's corpse really ought to be the safest place in the room. How he managed to die ontop of a still-armed trap is likely to be a mystery for the ages.

Poison? Ranged weaponry (whatshisface the corpse had a gun in a flashback)?

[Fyraltari]

Poison? Ranged weaponry (whatshisface the corpse had a gun in a flashback)?

And he'd still manage to put his hand on the trap without triggering it?

[Kantaki]

And he'd still manage to put his hand on the trap without triggering it?

They're post vital defenses. Obviously they didn't work while Hydraguy was still among the living.

No really, that'd be my explanation. Dragon dude had some sparky thingy that checked his pulse or whatever live signs alchemical crimes against nature have, that armed his defense systems when it didn't read them.
In case of death or day trips.
Less of a bother than activating them manually every time you step out of your door. And certainly less embarrassing than getting ganked by your own intruder repellant.

[Fyraltari]

They're post vital defenses. Obviously they didn't work while Hydraguy was still among the living.

No really, that'd be my explanation. Dragon dude had some sparky thingy that checked his pulse or whatever live signs alchemical crimes against nature have, that armed his defense systems when it didn't read them.
In case of death or day trips.
Less of a bother than activating them manually every time you step out of your door. And certainly less embarrassing than getting ganked by your own intruder repellant.

So, how long do you think he was laying there with his hand on it, waiting to die?

[Spamotron]

Huh, it looks like somebody stole or knocked off a Fun-Sized Mobile Agony and Death Dispenser. Franz is likely to be offended.

Since Lumi knows about the maintenance of Heterodyne creations, I wonder if she knows about a weak spot? Assuming Humongolous doesn't just smash it. The FSMADDs shouldn't be in his mountain leveling weight class.

[Rockphed]

Huh, it looks like somebody stole or knocked off a Fun-Sized Mobile Agony and Death Dispenser. Franz is likely to be offended.

Since Lumi knows about the maintenance of Heterodyne creations, I wonder if she knows about a weak spot? Assuming Humongolous doesn't just smash it. The FSMADDs shouldn't be in his mountain leveling weight class.

Secret weaknesses are for the weak. The heterodynes didn't make their creations weak, they made them strong! And why would someone include the same weaknesses in their hand made knockoff?

[Erik the Green]

"Run is not a plan. Run is what you do when the plan doesn't work."

[Agi Hammerthief]

And he'd still manage to put his hand on the trap without triggering it?

he armed it by putting his hand on it, now it got trigged.

[Shining Wrath]

Maybe Hydrargyros was reaching for the thing that goes boom when fatally wounded. Now it goes boom, and takes out a relative of the person who killed him. If there be an afterlife for dragons, Hydrargyros approves.

According to legend dragons are quite content to nap atop their horde for long periods of time. Taking a nap with a weapon in your hand might be paranoid, but then, dragons sleeping atop hordes have some reason for paranoia.

EDIT: I did wonder what was behind the doors. Now, does this monster have the "only attacks moving things" problem? Because in that case "RUN!" is very bad advice.

[MPHJack7]

Secret weaknesses are for the weak. The heterodynes didn't make their creations weak, they made them strong! And why would someone include the same weaknesses in their hand made knockoff?

Though I think this is tongue-in-cheek, I should note that Fun-MADDs do indeed have a weakness: they can be outsmarted.

Then again, Blitzie doesn't strike me as the most strategically-minded of Sparks.

[Spamotron]

Secret weaknesses are for the weak. The heterodynes didn't make their creations weak, they made them strong! And why would someone include the same weaknesses in their hand made knockoff?

I didn't say secret weakness I said weak spot. If you try build a war machine that is armored and reinforced everywhere you end up with an expensive paperweight. Modern Main Battle Tanks are nigh invulnerable on their front facing but everywhere else is significantly more thinly armored because otherwise they would be too heavy to even move. Yes, Sparks cheat, but even they have limits. Witness the exaust vents on Humongolous that Franz exploited. The Spark that built him likely didn't put them in as a "secret weakness," but so the waste heat from whatever Humongolous uses for a power core doesn't cook his internals every time he powers on.

If the FSMADDs have anything like that Lumi is the most likely to know.

[Grim Portent]

To be fair, the dragon's corpse really ought to be the safest place in the room. How he managed to die ontop of a still-armed trap is likely to be a mystery for the ages.

It seems to be a variant of dead-man's-switch. Hydrargyros either would have been holding it during the confrontation that led to his death and kept holding onto it afterwards as he died, or he was mortally wounded and armed it during his final moments as a way to spite those who might try to take the items from his hoard. The device hasn't moved between pages, so it could be attached to the floor beneath the pile of gold, but I would guess it's just a handheld remote that he was holding when he died.

When our dear monster hunter moved his hand it triggered it.

[Rockphed]

Though I think this is tongue-in-cheek, I should note that Fun-MADDs do indeed have a weakness: they can be outsmarted.

I meant to include something about weaknesses being unfortunate side effects of making things strong. Spamotron gave a much better explanation.

I didn't say secret weakness I said weak spot.

Huh, so you did. I really should not post things when I am tired, but if I did that I would never post anything at all.

If you try build a war machine that is armored and reinforced everywhere you end up with an expensive paperweight. Modern Main Battle Tanks are nigh invulnerable on their front facing but everywhere else is significantly more thinly armored because otherwise they would be too heavy to even move. Yes, Sparks cheat, but even they have limits. Witness the exaust vents on Humongolous that Franz exploited. The Spark that built him likely didn't put them in as a "secret weakness," but so the waste heat from whatever Humongolous uses for a power core doesn't cook his internals every time he powers on.

If the FSMADDs have anything like that Lumi is the most likely to know.

I am fairly certain a modern main battle tank could tank anything the party could easily throw at them at this point, even on the less armored sides. Humungulous might be able to do something to one if he go close to it (I would expect him to suplex it honestly) but I would also expect one to be able to keep away from him easily.

That all said, I don't think this is a Devil Dog or any knock-off thereof. I think this might actually be Hydroargyros either toying with people who he didn't expect to make it into his lair while he was licking his wounds or with his mind transferred into a car. And, honestly, those lights remind me of nothing so much as the batmobile.

[Laurentio III]

Oh! The fun-sized death gifters! I love them! *Glee!*

[Shining Wrath]

That actually looks feline, but not like the FSMADD. Those didn't have the prominent ears, nor an array of "eyebrows". The heads of the FSMADD were smaller and more functional, the function being dispensing A & D. I mean, it could be artistic license, but this looks like a larger creature with a more elaborate head.

Perhaps we now learn what the Full-Size MADD is?

[The Glyphstone]

Fun Sized doesn't mean smaller when you are dealing with the Castle. If anything I'd think larger = deadlier = more FUN.

[Shining Wrath]

Fun Sized doesn't mean smaller when you are dealing with the Castle. If anything I'd think larger = deadlier = more FUN.

Agree, but then, we're talking about a being that can wield buildings as weapons; pretty much all of Mechanicsburg can be used to squish / squash / trap / slice / rend an invader. On the Castle's scale of operations, the FSMADD are kittens.

Even if the FSMADD are larger than the alternatives, whatever that is about to come through the door looks to me to be significantly larger. The heads of FSMADD are maybe 3 or 4 feet wide, that head is 10 or 15 feet wide. If you're right about bigger being more fun, then this is the extra-fun sized model.

[Godskook]

Do we have any indication of when we're going to get back to the main series?

[Shining Wrath]

Do we have any indication of when we're going to get back to the main series?

I see three unresolved plot threads:
1) The beastie that Hautwyrm just released
2) Finding the Iram Solis
3) Finding out what Vipsania is really up to - people in Mechanicsburg were suspicious that she wasn't really with the library, so maybe she's not after books