Star Power VI: Shooting Stars (VORP VORP VORP)

[Spojaz]

Did anyone catch where the flash clones are "reproduced from host material"? I think we found our lost slaves! Although why anyone would use intelligent beings as raw material instead of say, algae or cornflakes or something is beyond me.

Perhaps that is why cloned star power is evil! The amino acids she is made of are haunted!

[Welf]

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

Has anyone else noticed that?

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

Nice catch. I keep forgetting Garth is an competent artist and it's worth looking at the art. There are definitely multiple Karinas, otherwise he wouldn't make her change costume so quickly.

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.

Maybe the different Karinas teach each other and share knowledge for a seamless change? Each year there is a new one that rises through the ranks until she becomes the senior Karina and then dies.

What do you mean? The clones on Hymn's world are brainwashed like it's done in our present day world. Normal schoolroom education plus private tutoring by more mature clones. Rebel Clone shows they're capable of rejecting even dogmatic teaching. Normal education by enlightened education institution + clone family unit should be fine, no?

I think the music education is not the problematic part. A flash clone needs to learn a lot of basic human stuff like body coordination, recognition of face and body language, acting in social situations, controlling emotions and so on. A lot that is subconsciously build up in the first 14 or 16 years. That needs to be crammed into their minds in a few weeks or months before they can start a higher education and be thought singing or something else. If you cram it into you define their personality and that is basically brain washing.

[guttering flame]

I think the music education is not the problematic part. A flash clone needs to learn a lot of basic human stuff like body coordination, recognition of face and body language, acting in social situations, controlling emotions and so on. A lot that is subconsciously build up in the first 14 or 16 years. That needs to be crammed into their minds in a few weeks or months before they can start a higher education and be thought singing or something else. If you cram it into you define their personality and that is basically brain washing.

Who knows. The comic left that part to our imagination. If they implant abilities and memories into their brains they can just copy Hymn's 18 year old brain patterns. Or random Joe Shmoe.

[random11]

Regarding Star Power's (Danica and Clonica) variable strenght...is really that different from Superman, who in a comic can move the Earth and in other struggles against normal level criminals?

Superman had years of comics, multiple writers, reboots and rewrites.
Star-Power had total of five story arcs, and one of them was to give her a power upgrade.

In addition to that, Superman rarely had problems with his strength, his struggle against normal humans was mostly due to some technology or power that played against him, or limiting his own strength to avoid killing.
Danica's clone does not seem to care about anything, and she's just choking a normal human with nothing to stop her.

The only excuse I got is that her powers are slowly created so the clone will get to the "good stuff" in a minute, or that she is experimenting with what she can do so she will be able to replicate when she sees Danica doing the same thing.

[ZeroiaSD]

Hm, maybe Clonica is sadistic...? She is pulling her close for a look too, so maybe there's something else going on there. Too soon to tell, really.

Did anyone catch where the flash clones are "reproduced from host material"? I think we found our lost slaves! Although why anyone would use intelligent beings as raw material instead of say, algae or cornflakes or something is beyond me.

Perhaps that is why cloned star power is evil! The amino acids she is made of are haunted!

I think the music education is not the problematic part. A flash clone needs to learn a lot of basic human stuff like body coordination, recognition of face and body language, acting in social situations, controlling emotions and so on. A lot that is subconsciously build up in the first 14 or 16 years. That needs to be crammed into their minds in a few weeks or months before they can start a higher education and be thought singing or something else. If you cram it into you define their personality and that is basically brain washing.

It sounds less cloning and more overwriting- and a human has 100% of what a human needs. This also explains why the result is not always 'perfect'.

[random11]

IMO "why not all clones are exactly the same" is one point I don't need explained.

Even if they are perfect clones, they are still humans and they might have slightly different levels of skill (even if they can only be detected by someone wit PERFECT hearing).
And even if the programming was identical to all clones with perfect results, there is still time between them being initiates and singers, so there are all sorts of variables that can make small differences.

[Celestia]

I'll admit, that was a decent punchline. I chuckled a bit.

[Kato]

I don't know... I can't say it worked especially well for me and I'm mostly confused because I can't remember why Burke slurs his words like this / if he did so before.

[Traab]

I don't know... I can't say it worked especially well for me and I'm mostly confused because I can't remember why Burke slurs his words like this / if he did so before.

Hymns crew drugged him so he came off as totally plastered, I dont think he was even fully conscious until the red light special started.

[random11]

Place your bets!
Who is going to be the character that punches Hymn with a snarky line (as in... punchline...)?

Will it be Brightman, with a "relationship is over" line?
Will it be Burke with a drunken comment about ruining his life?
Or will it be Danica because no one else is supposed to have fun?

[Kato]

Just to take the unlikely bet I'll take clone bro with 'that's for my clone buddy!' or maybe chief makes it in time...

[guttering flame]

Why not make it all three four?

[Kwatsu]

This has been a really long walk just to get to a “villain makes evil clone of hero” plot.

[faustin]

Clonica: "Burn the heretic! Kill the mutant! Purge the unclean!"

Finally, I understand her motivation. She is in fact an Angry Marine.

[Celestia]

And now we see the reason why this entire arc has been written: Mookie came up with a pun.

[Vinyadan]

It's Luna! =D

[Traab]

It's Luna! =D

Oh god, clonica gets tusk mouth

[PraetorDragoon]

It's Luna! =D

.....Does that mean she is the love interest?

[Zaq]

It's Luna! =D

This caused entirely unprofessional—unbecoming, even—noises to escape from my mouth.

That may be the hardest this thread has made me laugh.

[halfeye]

And now we see the reason why this entire arc has been written: Mookie came up with a pun.

A typical pun, yes. Huge buildup, total failure on impact.

[Kato]

I'm just wondering if all flash clones can turn their teeth into fangs or if it's a Starpower thing.
Please, anyone, subvert something in this arc.

[Celestia]

I'm just wondering if all flash clones can turn their teeth into fangs or if it's a Starpower thing.
Please, anyone, subvert something in this arc.

Mookie is doing a remarkable job of subverting talent.

[faustin]

Didn't we meet already several alien races designed just to prove that being scary looking, or having big sharp teeth, didn't equal evil? What the point of giving Clonica a demonic face now?

[Celestia]

Didn't we meet already several alien races designed just to prove that being scary looking, or having big sharp teeth, didn't equal evil? What the point of giving Clonica a demonic face now?

Mookie is a big fan of consistency.

[random11]

Poor Mookie.

He has about five plots at the same time, we're already in the fifth issue, and he needs time to wrap all things up.
He has to make clone Danica EVIL for the climax, so we won't feel conflicted about Danica beating up what is basically a child in a body of an adult, but there just isn't time to do it in a good pace.

So...
Make her eyes red? Not good enough.
Choke Brightman? It's still possible the clone is just confused.
So all that is left is a shouting computer and pointy teeth.

[PraetorDragoon]

Poor Mookie.

He has about five plots at the same time, we're already in the fifth issue, and he needs time to wrap all things up.
He has to make clone Danica EVIL for the climax, so we won't feel conflicted about Danica beating up what is basically a child in a body of an adult, but there just isn't time to do it in a good pace.

So...
Make her eyes red? Not good enough.
Choke Brightman? It's still possible the clone is just confused.
So all that is left is a shouting computer and pointy teeth.

I do find it fascinating that he managed to come up with a decent plot (perfectionist musician with a cult centered around himself) and still managed to mangle it. It's pretty amazing.

[faustin]

Is there any point for Hymn to start killing the clones, besides to proof how much of an ******* he is?
There is a serious crisis, one which can potentially destroy everything he has built. Now is not the moment to get rid of your current assets.

[Kato]

Is there any point for Hymn to start killing the clones, besides to proof how much of an ******* he is?
There is a serious crisis, one which can potentially destroy everything he has built. Now is not the moment to get rid of your current assets.

You assume that he (or Mookie) knows what he is doing.. The man is clearly delusional and his decisions are not based on logic.

Also, I guess clone Kerina confirmed?

[Celestia]

This is swiftly degrading into Plan 9 From Outer Space levels of bad. Every new page just adds to the chaos and confusion.

[PraetorDragoon]

This is swiftly degrading into Plan 9 From Outer Space levels of bad. Every new page just adds to the chaos and confusion.

Plan 9 is very amusing to watch though.