SFP

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  • TheMeddler

    Are there really no other ‘members of the superhero community’ the news people can interview?

  • Root

    “. . . I own over three hundred seventy stuffed animals and I am not ashamed.”

  • Demitry Synclair

    I’m gonna start referring to that dude as firefox news

  • Subbak

    Someone please punch Furnace in the face….

  • David Nuttall

    What I am saying is that I am a totally jealous jerk, who can’t get over that Allison has decided to walk away from the superhero lifestyle, even after she inspired me a as a little boy to become one when my flame powers started showing up.

  • lizzy

    I find it interesting how Furnace is the de facto spokesperson for “the superhero community”. Although, its not unreasonable for him to assume there is “some dirt going on”, given what the public knows about Moonshadow.

  • lizzy

    Ooh, cliffhanger on Furnace’s line.

    I predict the Invisible Kira will slice him on live TV!

    • Gus

      That would be so sweet…

  • Kid Chaos

    Oh great, Furnace is doing his usual stellar job of making a bad situation even worse.

    • I really think his name should be ‘lighter fluid’ because of how much worse he makes things.

      • Perlite

        I’d say he’d make a better Firebrand.

  • …that one person that makes you cringe reflexively every time they open their mouth.

  • peregon

    The return of Flamewar the Troll! (No. I don’t care. That’s his name now.)

    • Internet Police

      Well I care, I see you have an invalid use of the word “Troll”. I’m going to need to see your internet license and registration please.

      • peregon

        Don’t have, but here’s this?

        • I’ll accept that credential.

  • Markus

    Straw men sure are flammable.

  • elysdir

    At the risk of sounding like I’m saying #notallstuffedanimalowners: I’m not clear on what you’re implying here. Does owning stuffed animals correlate with being anti-feminist and obnoxious, in your experience? That’s a stereotype I haven’t encountered before.

    • anongirl

      Please don’t stereotype. Ever.

      • whitepeopledrivelikethis

        People who don’t stereotype are liars. Always.

        • MrSing

          I’m a liar and I find that offensive.

      • Sterotypes are never true.

    • Mechwarrior

      I’m pretty sure Root was going for the random non-sequitur angle and used stuffed animals precisely because of the lack of correlation between them and Captain Pants-on-Fire’s general behavior.

  • Rod

    0.01 BTC that Furnace gets offed by the slasher on live TV.
    I’ll only take on 5 countering betters max. 🙂

    • Kid Chaos

      No bet; too high-profile. Terrible shame about that… 😉

  • Pat

    Moonshadow is probably not so far gone that she won’t want people making static for someone investigating her. Just a hunch, but she may not want Alison dead, just busy defending herself, so Moonshadow can continue her work.

  • Sabriel

    I hope she isn’t caught hanging out with Patrick. That would be the nail in the coffin for her reputation.

    • Liz

      No one knows who Patrick is (or, ostensibly, was) yet, so it wouldn’t matter yet.

      • Sabriel

        True. I should have said Menace.

  • Sabriel

    He does seem like he could be in her target demographic, doesn’t he?

  • Mechwarrior

    Or “I am a totally jealous jerk, since Alison rebuked all my attempts to get into her pants. And her action figures sell better than mine.”

    • Dean

      “I would be willing to step over all of your corpses to enjoy the level of success that Allison did as Mega-Girl. The fact that she walked away from all that baffles me, and, as I am unwilling to examine the reasoning behind my own life choices and goals, I react to her with unthinking hostility.”

      • Mechwarrior

        “Also, the fact that she is physically my superior in ever way is a threat to my masculinity.”

  • GaryFarber

    Flame is a really useless power unless you toast a lot of marshmallows, or otherwise have a very specific set of circumstances.

    It’s also immensely hazardous.

    And getting insurance must be impossible.

    • Moddey Dhoo

      Do it right, and it you can facilitate glass blowing, smelting, and a whole bunch of other constructive things. It’s not just a destructive power, though it certainly takes a lot more skill and creativity to use it for anything other than destruction.

      • Avery

        Skill and creativity that Furnace does not possess, unfortunately.
        Instead of a superhero artist, we have a man who murders documented migrants (and gets away with it) and who also supports rape culture.

        SFP does an excellent job with this villain (I don’t care what anyone says, he’s no hero), he feels a lot like people I’ve met before and shows how awful it would be if they had superpowers.

        • Mechwarrior

          Furnace is an excellent example of what happens when you give a bully a position of authority.

          • TheGonzoMD .

            I don’t the problem is quite that he’s a bully, lots of superheroes are arguably bullies. Like Spider-Man at times. No, the problem with Furnace is that he’s fucking stupid, and doesn’t know when to rein himself in.

          • Mechwarrior

            Spider-Man is a bully only when he’s under the influence of the Venom symbiont. And since a major part of his backstory was that he was bullied extensively while growing up, he hates bullies and hates the idea of being a bully even more. As soon as he realizes he’s acting like a bully he stops.

            Furnace is the kind of guy who probably spent most of his life beating up people who were smaller and weaker than he was

    • Kid Chaos

      Don’t tell that to the Human Torch (© Marvel)!

    • ZBass

      Well that depends on how it works in terms of whether there’s a food calorie requirement to his flame (a bit like on The Flash how he has to eat obscene amounts). If not, then you could end up with SMBC’s Superman solution

      http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2305

    • I think it would be good in a fight, as long as super villains always made sure that they were as far away from flammable objects as possible. Otherwise you’re just going to cause more damage than you prevent.

      • Ian Osmond

        Which Furnace does. Issue 1, page 21, Allison’s fellow firefighter John: “Furnace has caused more property damage and civilian injury than most supervillains. Where does he get off giving you a hard time?”

  • TheGonzoMD .

    Ever think about getting a hobby?

    Oh wait, your hobby is roasting drug dealers with a biological flamethrower. Nevermind.

  • scottfree

    Who would go on TV and say outrageous things for attention? Probably not.

    How do you think being a sanctioned superhero works when your power is “setting people on fire,” anyway? “Quick, there’s been a disaster! Fire-guy, can you burn those people to death?”

    • I was going to say he’d be there to fight criminals, but I honestly can’t think of a situation in which sending in people with guns wouldn’t be safer than basically sending in a human flamethrower.
      I suspect that having him as a licensed superhero mainly solves the problem of what to do with him. He looks like he’d just cause chaos without being told what to do with his powers.

  • Moddey Dhoo

    Sure there are, but who is most likely to be the one loudly clamoring to be the one being interviewed?

  • Keith

    “What I’m saying is this… I don’t know if I believe anyone is 100% a dick, but I’m pretty close. “

  • Ryan

    “What I’m saying is this … whatever I think is most likely to get me more airtime, that’s what I say.”

  • MrSing

    He’s just angry that he’s on fire and no one is trying to help him.

  • Some guy

    It must really suck having fire powers and anger issues at the same time. I bet all his furniture is always broken and he has to buy several video game controllers a month.

  • Urthman

    As in real life, TV news goes to whoever will give them the most controversial, ratings-grabbing quote. Furnace is probably a reliable source of controversial quotes.

    • I reckon that most of the superhero community would have some respect for Allison. At least enough to want to avoid talking negatively about her. Those people are boring.
      This guy, on the other hand…

  • Nathan(Wilson)

    Is this Furnace’s third appearance? It feels like he’s becoming Allison’s nemesis. Socially at least. (And it works because she’s a firefighter!)

    • Liz

      Ooooh, good catch on the fire-fighting theme!

    • I don’t think he’s really qualified for the position of nemesis. He’s kind of like a really annoying ex-co-worker. Not evil, but unpleasant to be around and even less pleasant to be on the wrong side of.
      The fact that the only thing he can do to Alison is try and damage her reputation makes him not really seem like Nemesis material.

  • Lethologica

    “What I’m saying is this…I can’t do math. That’s why I told you to do it.”

  • ampg

    Alison put on a dress to go see Patrick. Just sayin’.

  • Perlite

    I sense sometime in the future Moonshadow will make a move against Furnace. But, you know what they say “Play with fire, get burned.”

  • Snikt

    Hey look! It’s Aquaman’s pyrokinetic cousin!

  • Gryphonic

    Someday, though not nearly as soon as we wish, Furnace is going to get the crap kicked out of him for opening his mouth one time too many. And it’s going to be incredibly cathartic for all the readers.

    I can fantasize about Patrick doing it, but that doesn’t at all seen Menace’s style.

    Excellent writing job in creating someone this satisfyingly hateable!

    • Tylor

      I can’t help but feel that if Patrick is the one who has to have the final confrontation with Furnace, the experience would be even more cathartic than pure physical violence would be. It would likely be a summation of all of Furnaces shortcomings and defects, a perfect rational put down of who he is, what he’s stood for, and how he’ll never come close to being who he feels he should be, or even who he thinks he is.

      And it will culminate with a close up on his face with Patrick’s words, so that we can see the exact moment that his soul breaks, and you know that his spirit will never recover from having been so thoroughly disillusioned.

      Of course, I suspect that while he will eventually be dealt with, the final confrontation will be Allison dealing with him. While there probably will be a fight (because this is still a story being told through the medium of superheroics), it will also have a conversation going alongside, and that conversation will be where the real knock out punch will be delivered. And that as nice as it might be to see some reconciliation or perhaps a final defeat of Furnace, I am not actually expecting such to happen. I am anticipating that he will still be around as an antagonist to Allison when the story ends. Just that the confrontation in this narrative will serve to showcase Allison’s growth, and perhaps as a way to highlight a theme of the story.

  • Gryphonic

    Make sure it’s being recorded. That’ll go viral!

  • Kid Chaos

    “What I’m saying is this…I’m burning, I’m burning, I’m burning for you!”

  • dragonus45

    … It’s not like his point is entirely invalid.

    • Kid Chaos

      Now if only he could express it coherently…

  • Sabriel

    Good catch!

  • Mystery girl

    Ooh, weekend cliffhanger!

  • Mystery girl

    It’s Mary.

  • Darkoneko Hellsing

    nooow that you mention it.

  • Darkoneko Hellsing

    That guy is litterally burning with jealousy.

  • Lostman

    I agree but the whole thing really suck if you find-out that he has a family or something…

  • Lostman

    Look what he’s going to say may tick people off but remember this; even a broke clock is right two time a day.

    • I knew it! It was Mega Girl!
      To be fair, it is very suspicious that she was there. However, I think if she was involved in the murder, she’d be as far away as possible when it happened.
      Or maybe that’s what she wants us to think…

  • Emmy

    I pretty much agree with everything said about Furnace in this page’s comments. To me, he reads like a “bro” who suddenly found himself with power over the life and death of everyone around him, and so far, he’s despicable.

    Still, something drew my eye to his posture in the bottom left there and I just thought to myself … hmmm … this guy is on fire a lot … I wonder if the nature of his powers affects his mental state?

    In a fantasy setting, you’d expect the fire character to be the “hothead” … in SFP, I doubt it’d be so cut-and-dried, but there’s a human element behind that trope, too. When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail. And, yes, maybe his powers create physiological burdens that make him more prone to outbursts, rash decisions, etc. without a “magical” explanation.

    This is all speculative, and if there’s one person I wouldn’t expect to turn around or necessarily have a sympathetic moment, it’s Furnace. But, just as before, I find myself thinking about that idea that biodynamic powers are getting more pronounced over time. Is Furnace someday going to burn to death?

    (I started writing “spontaneously combust” there, but that version just made me giggle. Pause -> look of surprise -> pile of ash.)

    Yes, he’s an arrogant jerk. But all those same arrogant jerk behaviors could also be symptomatic of someone deeply in denial, who’s struggling and lashing out against something they have no control over.

    • MrSing

      The way I read him is that he has just accepted to be who society expects him to be.
      He is someone who had a great and terrible power unwillingly thrust upon him since he was a child. And his power, to be quite honest, sucks to have.
      Like Alison said to him in the beggining at that student protest “What can you do to stop these people besides kill them?”
      That’s how the world looks at him, as someone whose only and defining quality is that he sets people on fire. Someone whose powers are very visible and very uncontrollable.
      In his and society’s eyes the best thing he can do is use his powers to enforce the law.
      He is not a person, he is just his powers, and all he can do and be is defined by these powers. He is not a man, he is a dangerous tool to be used. Who wouldn’t feel frustrated and misunderstood living like that. Probably the only thing he can take solace in is, ironically, his work as a superhero. As someone who is noble and uses his power to beat back all those ungrateful people that try to ruin the system that gave him a place to live and be.
      So, when Alison, brave and strong Alison who can do anything with her powers. Alsion, who never burned people. Alison who is the perfect hero quits. How is he supposed to feel?
      She broke free from her powers, where he probably can’t or can’t imagine to do the same. And she dares to live a mundaner life, where she can do what she wants.
      She made a mockery of him and everything he has been told.
      So he hates her. He hates her when she doesn’t use her powers, because he can’t imagine doing so himself. He hates her when she does use her powers, because she is trying to have her cake and eat it too in his eyes.
      And he hates her because he is afraid of the implicit choice of freedom she gave him. Of admitting that his entire life is a lie and he did all those horrible things for a system that will never show him gratefulness or warmth and will drop him as soon as he isn’t usefull anymore.
      Or hey, maybe he’s just a jerk. I dunno, we’ve only seen this joker like three times. Any talk like this is probably wrong because we barely know anything about him.

      • Taylor

        He’d make a good living as a welder. It would probably pay better than his current job, too.

        • MrSing

          A normal skilled human or a machine is probably a much better welder than Furnace will ever be at this point in his life.
          Also, you’re kinda defining him by his powers.
          (Why, yes, I am fun at parties.)

          • Taylor

            That would greatly depend on just how well he can control his powers, which hasn’t been defined. Assuming he has/can have fine control of the amount of heat he’s putting down, he’s at just the right age to start an accelerated apprenticeship program.

            He’s his own source of fuel, he’s probably immune to burn injuries, and long falls aren’t a critical risk for him (he can fly, remember). Unless the Union has a problem with it, the kid would have a decent future in a trade that requires enough attention to keep him away from cameras and protest rallies.

            If nothing else, he could get a dull gig at a smelting plant or power facility.

          • Depending on how common biodynamics are (I think very rare?) he could probably do a profitable pyrokinetics display.
            Or just go for a normal life, and become the guy that everyone asks to light their cigarettes. (I’m not in favour of smoking, it’s a stupid and unhealthy waste of money, but I think I’d be tempted to take up the habit if I had fire powers.)

  • Deb

    That’s kind of realistic. If you were that of a threatening girl for anyone’s masculinity and trying to flirt anyway, of course you are gonne make yourself as feminine as you can. I like to think Patrick wasn’t cold with her for a matter of male privilege, but still.

  • Classtoise

    “Mr. Furnace are you implying Alison, a woman who could throw people into the sun and leave zero evidence…uses a knife that probably wouldn’t trim her toenails?”

    • Some guy

      “Yes I am. You can’t impart enough force on a human body to toss it into the sun from the ground without splattering it. Geeze, read some books lady!”

      As huge a jerk as he is, I would love it if he did something rational or said something intelligent. If only to reinforce the fact that Violet is the worst recurring character.

      • Classtoise

        Well A. Mixing real world and comic world physics is foolish, and B. It still gets the point across that she can do things that are far more effective than using a knife covered in DNA.

    • Exactly! Who’d suspect her, except people with a pre-existing irrational hatred of her!

  • fairportfan

    Somebody is gonna get his ass head handed to him…

    …or one shoved up the other.