Girl Genius XXIII: Screaming, Ranting and Egregious Violence

[SZbNAhL]

It's blurry to me what happened. Was this Italian guy whose ship was attacked by Bang's band when Zeetha was kidnapped?

Yep. Compare the departing airship in today's comic with the one from the flashback.

[PraetorDragoon]

Well, this was not a plot point I would have expected that would be expanded upon.

[eee]

Well, this was not a plot point I would have expected that would be expanded upon.

I was thinking it would come up eventually. Expeditions to lost realms are not small things, and so far we've been going through the various places where it might have started from. Klaus and the Wulfenbach Empire didn't send them out; neither did the Master of Paris. Albia and England were a logical third possibility.

The REAL danger here is that Zeetha tells her story and it gets back, somehow, to Bang. We've had the Chekhov's Gun of Bang out to kill whoever destroyed her base sitting on the table for a long, long time. It may be about to finally come into play.

[HandofShadows]

The REAL danger here is that Zeetha tells her story and it gets back, somehow, to Bang. We've had the Chekhov's Gun of Bang out to kill whoever destroyed her base sitting on the table for a long, long time. It may be about to finally come into play.

Uh, Bang already knows I think and so does Zeetha. http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comi...3#.WxfnmuSG8dU

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Uh, Bang already knows I think and so does Zeetha. http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comi...3#.WxfnmuSG8dU

Well, they know they'll probably eventually have to fight, because they work for monarchs that are in a crash course towards each other. But I don't think Bang knows that Zeetha is responsible for the destruction of her (Bang's) fleet, and thus her having to take up employment with the Empire.

GW

[Shining Wrath]

Bang strikes me as a NE type - she really just wants to kill as many people as she can get away with killing. The better they can fight, the more she likes it.

So - if and when she finds out Zeetha wiped out the pirate fleet, she might take it as an excuse to fight Zeetha, but I doubt she'll feel that she's obligated to avenge her dead comrades - and she might not mind working for Der Wulfenbachs so much, as I'm sure she gets lots of opportunities to kill people, and probably a higher caliber of foe than she fought as a pirate queen. I expect she'll be angry, but not necessarily "I'm going to kill Zeetha no matter what Gil / Vole say".

[Rogar Demonblud]

Well, the other thing to remember about Bang is that Klaus and Gil are her 'family'. Quite possibly, the only people she truly cares about. So when Zeetha's parentage comes into the open, well, I think Bang's going to be conflicted.

And I'm pretty sure she HATES feeling conflicted.

[Rockphed]

Well, the other thing to remember about Bang is that Klaus and Gil are her 'family'. Quite possibly, the only people she truly cares about.

She also cares about Tarvek, though mostly in a "he survives so many things I hit him with and he squeals so beautifully about it, I must continue to torture him!" way.

[geoduck]

Bang strikes me as a NE type - she really just wants to kill as many people as she can get away with killing. The better they can fight, the more she likes it.

So - if and when she finds out Zeetha wiped out the pirate fleet, she might take it as an excuse to fight Zeetha, but I doubt she'll feel that she's obligated to avenge her dead comrades - and she might not mind working for Der Wulfenbachs so much, as I'm sure she gets lots of opportunities to kill people, and probably a higher caliber of foe than she fought as a pirate queen. I expect she'll be angry, but not necessarily "I'm going to kill Zeetha no matter what Gil / Vole say".

According at least to the Secret Blueprints intro-comic the Foglios did before going on-line, Bang very much cares who burned up her base and fleet; she was going to use them to reclaim the kingdom her family used to rule.

[SZbNAhL]

According at least to the Secret Blueprints intro-comic the Foglios did before going on-line, Bang very much cares who burned up her base and fleet; she was going to use them to reclaim the kingdom her family used to rule.

Couldn't Klaus have handled that? He had the biggest army in Europa for years and would probably have preferred to have a loyal servant like Bang running a vassal kingdom than some minor spark intent on overhrowing him at the first avaliable opportunity.

[Manga Shoggoth]

...And in the background the huge vat of Marmite!

...Hey - Violetta is at a party in a pretty dress!

I LOVE this comic!

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Couldn't Klaus have handled that? He had the biggest army in Europa for years and would probably have preferred to have a loyal servant like Bang running a vassal kingdom than some minor spark intent on overhrowing him at the first avaliable opportunity.

No, because Bang turns out to be the best monster for the job of Empire Head Executioner. That's even assuming that Klaus could even extend his reach that far. If her kingdom is anywhere near Bangladesh, that is well beyond the borders of the Wulfenbach empire.

GW

[Shining Wrath]

No, because Bang turns out to be the best monster for the job of Empire Head Executioner. That's even assuming that Klaus could even extend his reach that far. If her kingdom is anywhere near Bangladesh, that is well beyond the borders of the Wulfenbach empire.

GW

If Bang's kingdom is in the vicinity of India - caste marks of that sort I would associate with a Kali worshiper more than a Muslim, although obviously real-world cultures are not an exact match to GGverse.

Assuming that, though, that would put Skifander as even further in that direction - Australia?

[factotum]

Assuming that, though, that would put Skifander as even further in that direction - Australia?

I don't think Australia really fits with the whole "lost city in the middle of the jungle" thing that Skifander is supposed to be. Maybe Indonesia or the Malay Peninsula?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Assuming that, though, that would put Skifander as even further in that direction - Australia?

Not really? Bang can't have been operating out of her kingdom if she wasn't in control of it. In fact, we know Bang operated somewhere close to Europe, since she hit Moloch's unit somewhere in the wastelands. That suggests she used to eke out her existence in the margins of the Empire, like so many other pirate outfits.

Grey Wolf

[NEO|Phyte]

Not really? Bang can't have been operating out of her kingdom if she wasn't in control of it. In fact, we know Bang operated somewhere close to Europe, since she hit Moloch's unit somewhere in the wastelands. That suggests she used to eke out her existence in the margins of the Empire, like so many other pirate outfits.

Grey Wolf

Bang was working for the baron at that point, though.

[Scarlet Knight]

Once again I am dumbfounded at how talented Phil Foglio is - and by a dress! The detail in Zeetha's outfit is amazing...down to the lace sleeves & cutout!

[geoduck]

I don't think Australia really fits with the whole "lost city in the middle of the jungle" thing that Skifander is supposed to be. Maybe Indonesia or the Malay Peninsula?

The only person who ever mentioned anything about a jungle was the circus-member Madame Olga, who got everything second-hand from Zeetha. The few Skifandar flashbacks we've seen haven't shown any vegetation at all. Also, the print-novels add the title "Guardian of the Red Mountain" to the city's titles, so Australia remains a definite possibility. Personally, I'm suspecting it's actually on Mars.

Not really? Bang can't have been operating out of her kingdom if she wasn't in control of it. In fact, we know Bang operated somewhere close to Europe, since she hit Moloch's unit somewhere in the wastelands. That suggests she used to eke out her existence in the margins of the Empire, like so many other pirate outfits.

She was already working for Klaus when she destroyed Moloch's unit, doing a "Wasteland pacification/blow stuff up for fun" patrol. So again, her kingdom could be anywhere.

[factotum]

Personally, I'm suspecting it's actually on Mars.

The airship we see going on the expedition definitely looks mostly like a regular airship, not a ship capable of travelling to Mars. Also, Girl Genius is set in a universe which is mostly similar to ours except for the actions of Sparks, and I'd thus expect Mars to be uninhabitable, just as it is in real life.

[geoduck]

The airship we see going on the expedition definitely looks mostly like a regular airship, not a ship capable of travelling to Mars. Also, Girl Genius is set in a universe which is mostly similar to ours except for the actions of Sparks, and I'd thus expect Mars to be uninhabitable, just as it is in real life.

Shrug. Of course it's not a sure thing, but I'll run through my list of reasons:

1. The brief glimpses we've seen of Skifandar show what could be a domed/underground city, so, yes, the surface of Mars in the GGverse could well be uninhabitable.

2. The "hallucinations" that Zeetha experiences on the return trip, both in the comic and the print novels, sound an awful lot like zero gravity.

3. It would explain why Lucrezia-in-Agatha was so gobsmacked that Klaus managed to get back to Europa. If she'd banished him to anywhere on Earth, she would have to expect him to be able to get back. If she's able to use that Mirror network, it would explain how she got him there.

4. From the print-novels: the "Red Mountain" thing could be Australia, yes, or.. Mars. Also, the very first scene shows that The Other launched her/its original attacks via orbital bombardment. At the very least, at some point, Agatha's adventures are going to probably take her off the surface of the Earth.

5. Lady Steelgarter's description of the expedition's ship(s) "sailing off into the sky". Yes, airships, but if she was speaking literally... And the design of the ship itself does look a little different than others we've seen, with those jutting out engines(?) and more them mounted around the tail.

6. A small thing, but Zarvek jokes at one point about a young Gil hoping he is a "Martian Prince". With "Chump's" identity leaked by the Foglios, we know he's already halfway there.

Conversely, one point against this theory is the expedition being attacked by pirates on the return trip.

[eee]

Couldn't Klaus have handled that? He had the biggest army in Europa for years and would probably have preferred to have a loyal servant like Bang running a vassal kingdom than some minor spark intent on overhrowing him at the first avaliable opportunity.

He probably could have. But keep in mind Klaus' governing principle towards his empire was "DON'T make me have to come over there!!" He was willing to put up with tyranny in exchange for stability and lack of disruption. Put Bang in charge of a country that had rebelled and kicked her mother and her out years before, and - even after she killed off everyone remotely connected to that, and their families, and lots of other people just for good measure - you'd have almost a certainty of chaos and turmoil. Klaus could have installed Bang, yes. He didn't.

That should tell you all you need to know about it.

[Shining Wrath]

Bang strikes me as a person poorly suited to ruling anything large and complex. NE, as I said. She's not dumb; she's just not interested in building coalitions, balancing power groups against each other, and other stuff even a dictator (e.g., Klaus) has to do. Therefore, Klaus is motivated to not let her rule anything anywhere near his demesne; even if she remains loyal, her domain is likely to be unstable and Make Him Come Over There. Therefore, I don't think we can conclude her erstwhile kingdom is near or far based on Klaus not helping her regain it.

Another possibility for Skifander may be Sri Lanka. Fun fact: it was once known as Serendip, and a fantasy novel about the improbable luck of the Seven Princes of Serendip gave us the word "serendipitous". It'd fit the jungle motif, and I think it would fit the Foglio's sense of humor to have Klaus return from there via improbable good luck while Zeetha has lost her way home due to improbable bad luck.

[Onyavar]

If we are simply going for a jungle motif (zeetha 's 2nd hand backstory specifically mentioned jungles, and the circus people would probably not make that one up or mistake Zeetha's descriptions of Uluru/Mars deserts as "jungle"), then we have very many opportunities: Brasil, Sri Lanka, Kongo, Kambodja, any of the Indonesian and Malay Islands, or maybe an Anden empire like the Inka?

(Based on the comic) we have little information which parts of the World have really been explored in the GGverse. Unlike the steam powered world of our 18th/19th centuries, the spark world is far less connected.

The europeans have met the native americans, but not colonized Amerika, apparently. The circus had a central african pygmy who never heard of Skifander either. We know that Europe has communications with China, they knew the Mongols, and there is diplomatic contact with the Near East (is Z from arabia/maghreb/persia?) I can't remember anything about India. Spanish people/places were never mentioned (?), which I think is really odd.

[Rockphed]

I can't remember anything about India.

Isn't that where Theo's dad's lab was?

[geoduck]

If we are simply going for a jungle motif (zeetha 's 2nd hand backstory specifically mentioned jungles, and the circus people would probably not make that one up or mistake Zeetha's descriptions of Uluru/Mars deserts as "jungle"), then we have very many opportunities: Brasil, Sri Lanka, Kongo, Kambodja, any of the Indonesian and Malay Islands, or maybe an Anden empire like the Inka?

The only mention of jungles is Madame Olga's comment "It's some lost city in the jungle or something". So, yes, it could indeed be in a jungle somewhere, and I will have to eat my words. But those last two words leave a continent's worth of wiggle room. I just hope when the time comes, the Foglios do actually give a more-or-less specific location for the place.

And getting further afield with our speculation, if there were at least two immortal Sparky queens on the loose and possessing teleporter technology, who knows what the rest of the solar system now looks like..

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Spanish people/places were never mentioned (?), which I think is really odd.

Professor Díaz is clearly Spanish.

GW

[Shining Wrath]

The only mention of jungles is Madame Olga's comment "It's some lost city in the jungle or something". So, yes, it could indeed be in a jungle somewhere, and I will have to eat my words. But those last two words leave a continent's worth of wiggle room. I just hope when the time comes, the Foglios do actually give a more-or-less specific location for the place.

And getting further afield with our speculation, if there were at least two immortal Sparky queens on the loose and possessing teleporter technology, who knows what the rest of the solar system now looks like..

Terraforming Mars would be a tall order even for Albia.

[Rogar Demonblud]

The unspoken issue is that in planetary romance, Mars is a desert. Venus is the jungle world.

[Ellen]

The flashback is making a big point of Zeetha's illness. By now, we'd know if she got airsick or seasick, if this was just convenient-plot-illness. Since we aren't given a simple, easy explanation ("It was my first time in an airship, and I didn't travel so well back then"), we can assume there's something more plot pertinent going on. Whether it's space-sickness, interdimensional travel sickness/getting the room too close to the weird, Sparky device, or something else, it's definitely a plot device.

Oh, and we may know how Barry heard about Skifander, since he was the one who went to England.

GG Mars is probably more pulp fiction Mars, with a breathable atmosphere, John Carter, and everything. Although, I would like to know how Zeetha got that strong in a lower gravity (but maybe adjusting to Earth's gravity had something to do with her sickness--and maybe Skifander warrior training lets you rapidly adapt to a heavier planet. Or something).

[factotum]

The flashback is making a big point of Zeetha's illness. By now, we'd know if she got airsick or seasick, if this was just convenient-plot-illness. Since we aren't given a simple, easy explanation ("It was my first time in an airship, and I didn't travel so well back then"), we can assume there's something more plot pertinent going on.

We've known Zeetha got sick aboard the airship returning from the expedition more or less since we first met her. As for why it's plot-relevant, it's pretty obviously intended to explain why she doesn't know where Skifander is and thus can't just travel back there--if she'd been conscious during the journey she would have been able to see landmarks and ask what direction they were travelling.