Star Power 7: Bad Luck for the Starstruck!

[Vinyadan]

Welcome to the seventh incarnation of this community's Star Power discussion thread! Star Power is a comic written by Michael "Mookie" Terracciano and drawn by Garth Graham. It features the faster-than-light astronomer superhero Danica, aka the Star Power, her three cop/military friends, her friend on bail Burke, her professor Brightman and the Chief of security of the space station where they live.

Noted Snarker Mewtarthio describes Star Power as follows:

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What is Star Power, you ask? Shut up! I'm the one asking the questions here!

Now, would you like me to tell you about Star Power? Star Power is a collaborative effort between Michael "Mookie" Terracciano and Garth "Delectable Eye-Organ Fruits" Graham. According to the website, it merges the majesty of hard sci-fi with the wonder of the Silver Age. If you have no idea how anyone could reconcile such disparate elements, don't worry: Neither do Garth and Mookie.

Burke receives a call from mafia-controlled Davo City, on the home planet of agent Grex: Burke may be the only witness who can help take down the five Crime Families! But he is kidnapped while Grex and the detective are laying low. There is only one solution: call in the Star Power.

Previous Threads

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Star Power Thread 1: Snarking Preemptively
Star Power II: The Ion, the Mitch and the Wormhole
Star Power III: Fail to the Void
Star Power IV: Boldly Bolding Where No Man Has Bolded Before!
Star Power V: The Final Yawntier
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...ORP-VORP-VORP)

[Traab]

tagging for later. Also yeah, I still say that danica showing up is going to bring even more attention. I mean, she is an intergalactic superstar now, and her behavior is well known, if I were the head of a crime family setting up a super secret meeting and suddenly a superhero has shown up on planet, the first thing I would assume is she is here for us.

[Celestia]

tagging for later. Also yeah, I still say that danica showing up is going to bring even more attention. I mean, she is an intergalactic superstar now, and her behavior is well known, if I were the head of a crime family setting up a super secret meeting and suddenly a superhero has shown up on planet, the first thing I would assume is she is here for us.

Well, I don't know if I would assume she was here for us as taking out a crime syndicate is a significant step down from her usual MO of planetary conquest "liberation." However, I would still put my guard up and have everyone lay low until she leaves, just in case.

[faustin]

Well, I don't know if I would assume she was here for us as taking out a crime syndicate is a significant step down from her usual MO of planetary conquest "liberation." However, I would still put my guard up and have everyone lay low until she leaves, just in case.

"If I discover several main characters have arrived to my city, until proven otherwise I will assume: a) they are together and b) they are here to mess with my evil plans."

[Traab]

Well, I don't know if I would assume she was here for us as taking out a crime syndicate is a significant step down from her usual MO of planetary conquest "liberation." However, I would still put my guard up and have everyone lay low until she leaves, just in case.

She has brought down the vorp angels, the supernova dragon lords of ultimate awesome porkchop express. She has defeated evil warlords and lunatic singers. Bounty hunters and lord knows what else. This is a meeting between the last large crime families on the planet and they have their fingers in pies across the galaxy. This is most certainly something that would be in her bailiwick. Even if it wasnt, its still wise not to draw attention to yourself when a good guy known for wiping out battleships is in your territory.

[random11]

Burke receives a call from mafia-controlled Davo City, on the home planet of agent Grex: Burke may be the only witness who can help take down the five Crime Families! But he is kidnapped while Grex and the detective are laying low. There is only one solution: call in the Star Power.

Actually, Burke's being there is completely pointless.
His testimony was already given, his information was used, and the only reason he is there is because of the paranoid detective who needed someone he could trust.
Of course that point was forgotten because Grex is pretty lady, so we are left with no reason at all.

Oh there WILL be a reason.
In fact, let's play a game about guessing what cosmic coincidence will happen to make Burke's past relevant to the current plot.
My guess: It will be revealed that the captain Burke killed was a clone, and the original is now working as an enforcer in the crime family.


As for Danica, I assume she got here incognito (as the starpower, avoiding radar, not passing through customs or anything that might identify her), so for now as long as she keeps a low profile no one will know she is here.
That is actually a good thing, it limits her use of powers out of fear of being revealed.

[Welf]

I'm starting to see a pattern of impulsive sex here... I hope he isn't insane like Hymn, too!

Brightman is a career woman in her late 40s/50s with no children or long term partner. There is no point to not engage in casual sex. Grex is a former ganger and works as law enforcement officer, detective person is in constant personal danger. I think both of them probably have a carpe-diem outlook on things and don't do long term plans.

Maybe they just REALLY dont like it when humans stop their people from going to a joy house or whatever it was called? But yeah, I get it, danica is way faster than lightspeed, but even so, it seems a little off. Plus with how concerned our detective dude was about corruption, its almost certain SOMEONE noticed star power flying to this world and passed the info on.

Maybe a human science ship once landed in front of a joy house and kept the customers from entering, thus crashing the economy and leading to a generation of civil war?

[Vinyadan]

Maybe a human science ship once landed in front of a joy house and kept the customers from entering, thus crashing the economy and leading to a generation of civil war?

That's the plot of Star Wars 8...

[Oracle_Hunter]

Since we're getting over 50, I'm making a thread. I looked back at the titles proposed page 49, but I could see no votes, only proposals. So I'm putting up a temporary title; once we get to page 2, the proposal with most votes in page 1 of the new thread will become the title.

When did these threads become a decadent democracy? The title to the swift, say I!

[Kato]

I... Guess I'm really slow this morning but what is going on? Did they bring samples to their meeting? Do they pick those up from bars five minutes before they meet? Does who looks like the boss of the family usually stand in punching distance of random humans?

[random11]

I... Guess I'm really slow this morning but what is going on? Did they bring samples to their meeting? Do they pick those up from bars five minutes before they meet? Does who looks like the boss of the family usually stand in punching distance of random humans?

I guess we're not supposed to understand yet, but that doesn't guarantee that it will make sense later.

If it is random and they did not specifically look for him, Burke has to be the unluckiest man in the universe.
Tries to be a pilot? Captain used him as a cover for slavers networks.
Goes to a party? Host used slaves.
Goes to a pub? Taken as a slave.

Also, that's got to be bad for tourism in the area.
"What happens in Gavo city stays in Gavo city, unless you get kidnapped" isn't much of a slogan.

[Traab]

Yeah, im hoping this will make sense in the next update or two. It makes zero sense to bring an assortment of new slaves to your secret multi family meeting. As an extreme outside chance, its possible these are all informants the families knew about and are rounding them up for a huge villain monologue before offing them. "We run these cities, make sure you have what you need and this is how you repay us?" etc etc etc I say its an extreme outside chance because professional crime families dont last long by being very stupid. And this is very stupid as opposed to just killing them when you clearly had the chance. But this is also mookie soooooo... yeah.

[random11]

Maybe it's just that the organizer has a very stupid henchman.

"But boss, when we had the big drug discussion we brought samples, so I thought to do the same here too!"

[Celestia]

Bringing slaves as a sort of "sample product" does actually make sense in the same way as showing the quality of any product would affect one's desire to purchase said product. However, you'd want to bring slaves who've already been conditioned into servitude. Bringing a new, still rebellious slave will only look bad. Now, having said that, this could make sense if they, instead, are here to showcase a new control technology that quickly and easily reign in even the most disobedient slave. I somehow doubt Mookie thought this through that much, however. I'm sure his thought process starts and ends with, "Wouldn't it be cool if ..."

[Vinyadan]

Welcome to the Chapter of Namira! This is our first meeting on this planet!

[AMX]

Hmm... could these be the same people?
https://www.starpowercomic.com/comic/abraham-joyce/

[Celestia]

Hmm... could these be the same people?
https://www.starpowercomic.com/comic/abraham-joyce/

Doesn't look like it to me, but it could just be inconsistent art. I wouldn't put it past Mookie to have a coincidence that absurd.

[halfeye]

Surely, these are the patsies, all the other families that are getting the blame while the one family walks away clear and free, and in total control.

[AMX]

Doesn't look like it to me, but it could just be inconsistent art. I wouldn't put it past Mookie to have a coincidence that absurd.

If they are the same, it's probably not a coincidence - more likely a show of power for the other families.
"Nobody escapes us" sort of thing.

[Kato]

Maybe it's just that the organizer has a very stupid henchman.

"But boss, when we had the big drug discussion we brought samples, so I thought to do the same here too!"

It's his second day on the job, huh?

Also, do these life traffickers limit themselves to humans or is there a special reason they only brought homo sapiens ?

[faustin]

I guess these slaves are merely there to act as convenient hostages for when Danica gets there. Because I cannot conceive any other way a bunch of gangsters can pose a threat against some superhero who can crush battleships.

[Welf]

It's his second day on the job, huh?

Also, do these life traffickers limit themselves to humans or is there a special reason they only brought homo sapiens ?

They probably still send deliveries to Dr Hymn and keep invoicing him because he had always been such a good customer and they need to get their deliveries out before the quarter ends.

[random11]

Just a thought, why does this world need slaves to begin with?

To be clear, this is a question from pure curiosity.
I do not consider this a world building flaw or even a nit-pick, it might even be better if the story itself never addresses the issue.

Still, in a world where machinery can probably do most of the work cheaper than living slaves, why are they needed?

The only thing I can think of is illegal human (or other races) experiments, but that can't be such a big market.

[Zaq]

Just a thought, why does this world need slaves to begin with?

To be clear, this is a question from pure curiosity.
I do not consider this a world building flaw or even a nit-pick, it might even be better if the story itself never addresses the issue.

Still, in a world where machinery can probably do most of the work cheaper than living slaves, why are they needed?

The only thing I can think of is illegal human (or other races) experiments, but that can't be such a big market.

Maybe slaves require less infrastructure than machines? Meaning that perhaps you can more easily benefit from slaves on a small scale than you can with machines.

Also, just how much cheaper are we assuming that machines are?

I dunno, man, I’m trying.

Anyway, look at the angle Burke’s lying at in P1, then look at the direction of gravity (see the falling water) in P2. Did they sit him up before splashing him?

[Vinyadan]

Just a thought, why does this world need slaves to begin with?

To be clear, this is a question from pure curiosity.
I do not consider this a world building flaw or even a nit-pick, it might even be better if the story itself never addresses the issue.

Still, in a world where machinery can probably do most of the work cheaper than living slaves, why are they needed?

The only thing I can think of is illegal human (or other races) experiments, but that can't be such a big market.

Off the top of my head, there's organ harvesting and sexual slavery.

[Celestia]

Maybe slaves require less infrastructure than machines? Meaning that perhaps you can more easily benefit from slaves on a small scale than you can with machines.

Also, just how much cheaper are we assuming that machines are?

I dunno, man, I’m trying.

Anyway, look at the angle Burke’s lying at in P1, then look at the direction of gravity (see the falling water) in P2. Did they sit him up before splashing him?

Off the top of my head, there's organ harvesting and sexual slavery.

Slaves require housing while machines don't, meaning they require more infrastructure.
The cost/profit ratio of owning slaves historically benefited large scale operations and huge plantations. Small farms simply couldn't afford it.
Technology tends to become cheaper over time as it stops being new, production becomes simpler, and, of course, it becomes obsolete and replaced with better technology. Slaves, though, will maintain a more steady price as, economically speaking, they interact with the market more as a renewable resource. And, due to the illegal nature of slavery, that price will be high. The black market always makes things more expensive.
Even in our world, artificial organs are not farfetched science fiction, so in a futuristic setting, they'd likely be commonplace (and likely also better than transplants). Now, there's no guarantee that artificial organs are cheap, but they're probably cheaper than slaves, especially since health insurance won't pay for the latter.

So, in the end, the only example that could actually still work is the sex slavery. Sure, I'm sure they've got sexbots, but this is definitely an area where more than just a few might prefer the "real thing." This does, however, raise an interesting question. Who the heck thought that Burke of all people would make a good sex slave?

[random11]

Sex workers were the first idea I had (obviously), but I didn't want to raise it since it also depends on the world's attitude toward sex workers in general, and who wants to delve into this?

Just had a horrible thought while thinking about the previous sentence, because I remembered this post from Mookie.
Mookie is the one who wants to delve into this subject, and connect it to LGBTQ representation.

Please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong.

[Kato]

Well, not to defend Mookie too much but we know apart from Mitch and that one species that made Bill's ship, true AI is still a mystery in the setting. And there are many jobs where you need proper intelligence rather than 'just some dumb machine'. Of course, those are usually not the kind of jobs you want forced labor in but it's as good a reason as I can think of.
Or sex slaves.

Also, no update, instead an ad with a weirdly high amount of tentacles. Ew?

[Celestia]

Sex workers were the first idea I had (obviously), but I didn't want to raise it since it also depends on the world's attitude toward sex workers in general, and who wants to delve into this?

Just had a horrible thought while thinking about the previous sentence, because I remembered this post from Mookie.
Mookie is the one who wants to delve into this subject, and connect it to LGBTQ representation.

Please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong.

Oh god. Please don't let the first gay character in the comic be a slave owning rapist.

@Kato: I think the tentacles are referencing Clonica. She was all weird and tentacley

[Kato]

Oh god. Please don't let the first gay character in the comic be a slave owning rapist.

@Kato: I think the tentacles are referencing Clonica. She was all weird and tentacley

Wasn't there that gay character a while back in the background who literally did nothing and Mookie just said they are gay? I mean, so we totally had a gay character already.

Yeah but... she was in the last ten strips and she was tentacly for five strips or so? Or am I misremembering the pacing?