Star Power VI: Shooting Stars (VORP VORP VORP)

[Onyavar]

Oh my. Kerina has been reaaaally busy for one night.

Has anyone else noticed that?

[AMX]

Oh my. Kerina has been reaaaally busy for one night.

Has anyone else noticed that?

Oooh, interesting...
Foreshadowing for her being multiple clones?

[halfeye]

Oooh, interesting...
Foreshadowing for her being multiple clones?

I don't think she has been busier than Hymn himself. I still think she's a genderswapped Hymn clone. It's all taking place within or very near one large house, there's no reason that one person couldn't get around that much.

[Vinyadan]

I don't think she has been busier than Hymn himself. I still think she's a genderswapped Hymn clone. It's all taking place within or very near one large house, there's no reason that one person couldn't get around that much.

The clothes... It's not just getting around, it's using up the whole fall/winter collection in one evening.

[halfeye]

The clothes... It's not just getting around, it's using up the whole fall/winter collection in one evening.

Yeah, I see what you mean, but it's mainly the plait that convinces me, the rest could be scarves etc, and not much else, but plaiting takes time.

I still think they're Hymn clones mind, just that there's probably more than one.

[Kornaki]

That's a good catch. I'm shocked the comic is using such a well balanced piece of foreshadowing.

[Kato]

That's a good catch. I'm shocked the comic is using such a well balanced piece of foreshadowing.

If it is that... Maybe I'm too suspicious by now but while I largely believe that is - in fact - well done foreshadowing, I would not ignore the possibility it is not..

[PraetorDragoon]

That's a good catch. I'm shocked the comic is using such a well balanced piece of foreshadowing.

It is pure coincidence.

[Gez]

I wouldn't call it foreshadowing, because it doesn't really foreshadows anything. It's just a subtle hint that she may have clones running around. Either that or she's a quick-change artist; but honestly clones would make more sense in that storyline.

Though perhaps making sense would be what would disqualify it as a Mookie plot point. In which case it'd simply be a continuity error.

[Onyavar]

In fact, it didn't even occur to me that there could be Kerina clones, because they always called her Kerina. Same name, same person.

I feel stupid. Clone Kerina was the obvious solution to the clothes riddle... but it still doesn't fit right.
The more i binge through the last chapters, the less sense it makes.

There would be what, at least eight Kerinas running around, working on the same things and all with the same grouchiness and the same stress level?

One in a business suit, welcoming the guests. She could have changed into one of the evening/night dresses and seems to have short(er) hair.
One in a red evening gown, serving dinner.
One in a pink leotard (?) , manning the surveillance cameras (waste disposal). Long flowing hair.
One in a red/pink gown, manning the surveillance cameras (garden).
One in a pink outfit, white details, red scarf , also in the garden surveillance business. In plaits.
One in a magenta/gold dress and large ear rings., in charge of the sp cloning.
One in a pink/blue trouser suit/gown , sweeping the garden from rebellious clones.
One in a pink jacket, red mini, white trousers,, in charge of both the cameras surveillance and the sp hair that the magenta/gold Kerina received from Hymn. She tried to abort stage 1.
And one in a wide red turtleneck gown, who ran to the labs where stage 3 sp was already developed into a stage 5 sp.

Now, why are they ALL in charge of pretty much the same projects? How do they coordinate with each other? Sure, we have seen them radioing - but whoever was on the other end was calling her Kerina! How are they keeping themselves distinct if they all go with the same name? And how come that eight personal assistants can't be on top of this emergency? For a task force of ~8 PAs and well over two dozen goon singers, they do an awful job, even if they are all loyal except for the one rogue singer.

We have never seen an outfit twice, not even reused parts. What Kerina has been doing the evening can be handled by just one (stressed) person, EVEN if that person runs to her closet and changes her clothes every half hour for no reason. (But the plaits are a problem) It fits especially with three Kerinas responsible for the same lab, and three Kerinas in the (same?) camera surveillance room: there might only be one. Which again leads to the question, what's going on there.

Um, final shot in the dark, what about Kerina being the actual evil mastermind?

[Vinyadan]

Or Kerina has a highly technological suit that takes any shape she wants, like the alien symbiote in the Spider-Man cartoon.

[guttering flame]

Or she's a shapeshifter alien. The clothing are actually false images on her chameleon skin. She was nekkid the whole time.

[Onyavar]

Or Kerina has a highly technological suit that takes any shape she wants, like the alien symbiote in the Spider-Man cartoon.

Oh, you mean an anysuit?
I considered that but we haven't seen this tech level in the comic so far. And if Kerina has one, I see no reason to introduce this particular tech at the end of the clone arc.

[Gez]

Now, why are they ALL in charge of pretty much the same projects? How do they coordinate with each other? Sure, we have seen them radioing - but whoever was on the other end was calling her Kerina! How are they keeping themselves distinct if they all go with the same name? And how come that eight personal assistants can't be on top of this emergency? For a task force of ~8 PAs and well over two dozen goon singers, they do an awful job, even if they are all loyal except for the one rogue singer.

Perhaps they're a hivemind, working as one entity with several bodies.

Um, final shot in the dark, what about Kerina being the actual evil mastermind?

I think that has been the working hypothesis since shortly after she was introduced; since she's the one in charge of pretty much absolutely everything while Hymn gets to just be the loopy professor/artist disconnected from the world.

[Traab]

Perhaps they're a hivemind, working as one entity with several bodies.



I think that has been the working hypothesis since shortly after she was introduced; since she's the one in charge of pretty much absolutely everything while Hymn gets to just be the loopy professor/artist disconnected from the world.

Its possible but complicated considering how she seems genuinely terrified of upsetting hymn and his perfect existence. So if she is the mastermind, she is the dragon, She runs everything sure, but she does it under his command for whatever reason she may have.

[Kato]

Please put some kind of twist on the evil clone trope... e.g. make her not evil but an identical clone who just woke up in a glass tube and is understandably angry? And play it as two Starpowers who need to decide what to do with themselves?
Ah, as if...

[guttering flame]

Like Schlock Mercenary clones? The natural follow up for this page is a (violent) comedy of errors, Brightman thinks her student gone mad and 'Evil' Starpower imprints on Brightman and obeys her every command from now on.

Shame they didn't redo 5th Element Waking Up in the Lab scene.

[Celestia]

Okay, why is she evil? We were just given exposition that "flash clones" are created without memories or knowledge, so she should be a mindless blank slate. Yet she's not...for some reason. I'm starting to think Mookie doesn't know how to write stories well.

[faustin]

I'm surprised about the scene with Brightman just leaving the room with Hymn pleading behind her. Didn't he think in a plan to deal with his "lover" if she proved less than entusiastic? Not even a "Seize her!" order to his clones?
This is getting ridiculous.

[Traab]

Okay, why is she evil? We were just given exposition that "flash clones" are created without memories or knowledge, so she should be a mindless blank slate. Yet she's not...for some reason. I'm starting to think Mookie doesn't know how to write stories well.

She was born about 500x faster than should have been possible, the fact the star power also got copied somehow, and in a way that greatly HURT danica and mitch probably fed into it, and for all we know there is some sort of anti theft "kill everything not star power" programming involved just in case someone unworthy DID manage to get ahold of the power so they could make sure the thief lives just long enough to regret trying. Think about it. If every time you stole a car, it turned into optimus prime and tore you limb from limb, you would probably stop seeing many car jackings take place.

Im going with, cloneica is maddened by pain as that is literally all she has ever known in her 30 minutes of existence, and now she is awake and lashing out. She has the knowledge given to a star power but no context to put it in so she is also going to be very confused. Now, the real question is, are there going to be longevity issues here? Like, is she a slowly melting clonesicle? Is she a time bomb that is going to rupture and shatter this personalized asteroid when she goes off? Or will she be like a fleshy repository of star power knowledge slowly trying to get integrated into a normalish life? Or will she run away and be a hate filled star power lashing out at everything until danica finds a way to stop her? That is a big possibility considering how much drama and violent and enraged danica clone could set off. "Omg, she has gone berserk! We need to arrest star power!" "No! Its not me! Its my flash clone! No, really!"

[Celestia]

She was born about 500x faster than should have been possible, the fact the star power also got copied somehow, and in a way that greatly HURT danica and mitch probably fed into it, and for all we know there is some sort of anti theft "kill everything not star power" programming involved just in case someone unworthy DID manage to get ahold of the power so they could make sure the thief lives just long enough to regret trying. Think about it. If every time you stole a car, it turned into optimus prime and tore you limb from limb, you would probably stop seeing many car jackings take place.

Im going with, cloneica is maddened by pain as that is literally all she has ever known in her 30 minutes of existence, and now she is awake and lashing out. She has the knowledge given to a star power but no context to put it in so she is also going to be very confused. Now, the real question is, are there going to be longevity issues here? Like, is she a slowly melting clonesicle? Is she a time bomb that is going to rupture and shatter this personalized asteroid when she goes off? Or will she be like a fleshy repository of star power knowledge slowly trying to get integrated into a normalish life? Or will she run away and be a hate filled star power lashing out at everything until danica finds a way to stop her? That is a big possibility considering how much drama and violent and enraged danica clone could set off. "Omg, she has gone berserk! We need to arrest star power!" "No! Its not me! Its my flash clone! No, really!"

It doesn't count as good writing if you have to do half of it, yourself.

[Traab]

It doesn't count as good writing if you have to do half of it, yourself.

Bah, trying to guess before the exposition happens isnt doing half the work ourselves, its trying to guess what the eventual explanation will be! But thanks for the compliment.

[Celestia]

Bah, trying to guess before the exposition happens isnt doing half the work ourselves, its trying to guess what the eventual explanation will be! But thanks for the compliment.

The problem is that I doubt Mookie's version will be as clever. It'll probably be more along the lines of, "she's evil because she's an unnatural clone," without giving us an actual explanation.

[halfeye]

I'm starting to think Mookie doesn't know how to write stories well.

Literal LOL, well done.

[faustin]

So, Star Powers Corps are designed so when one turns evil, emits a red signal rather than a white one.
Well, isn't a convenient feature?

[Traab]

So, Star Powers Corps are designed so when one turns evil, emits a red signal rather than a white one.
Well, isn't a convenient feature?

It could also be a fraud feature or some other warning about a hack in the star power system. Being able to basically treat it like the real star powers are system admins means it would be a lot easier to track down and capture this criminal. Also, it sure is handy the being capable of filleting starships is taking its time slowly throttling a squishy human to death. Gives danica time to stop it.

[PraetorDragoon]

It could also be a fraud feature or some other warning about a hack in the star power system. Being able to basically treat it like the real star powers are system admins means it would be a lot easier to track down and capture this criminal. Also, it sure is handy the being capable of filleting starships is taking its time slowly throttling a squishy human to death. Gives danica time to stop it.

Quite possible. Unauthorized access or a Star Corps without a Star backing it.

[faustin]

Quite possible. Unauthorized access or a Star Corps without a Star backing it.

The Galactic Civilization was supposed to be far more advanced than the current Federation, so it wouldn´t be surprising if someone else had tried cloning a Star Power before in order to tap into that power.

[Onyavar]

Well, isnt that security feature great and all, but why specifically must it turn clones evil?

The evilness doesn't come from Hymn and Kerina (the former was oblivious of it yet, the latter was completely confused), and as has been repeatedly stated, Flash Clones start as blank slates.
So the evilness comes either from Danica (in that case, her inherent evil/destructive side has been removed?? I doubt the comic will go that esoterically. Also, it would mean that the Hymn clones are also evil and destructive...) or directly from the power.

I am now certain that no logical explanation will ever be forthcoming. At worst, the question will not even be adressed, at only worse it will be handwaved with "of course, this was a reaction to..." superpowerbabble, at best of the bad, Mike will shrug when asked and they will then put a dedicated clone research into a bus.

[guttering flame]

Does Danica remote control her clone? Now she can relax at home and send her disposable clones to do the dirty and dangerous work. Just close her eyes and animate the relevant clone. It's not evil as long as she erases any nascent mind from the clones at the end of each work day. Thank you Hymn!