SFP

Glotos

Wow. He got…even uglier.

Was his first face ever his real one? Or just a wart on his head he could twitch meaningfully?

Dalben

It’s hard to say, but it looks like the giant mouth opens at the level where his normal mouth would have been, so his head tilted back thr same way a crocodiles eyes tilt slightly back when they open their mouth but far more extreme. So I think it’s more that he shapeshifterd his mouth into a giant mouth, but limited the shapeshifting to his mouth which necessitated tilting the top of his head way back.

Of course that doesn’t mean that the head we saw is his natural head or even that he needs a head at all, just that I don’t we’re going to wind up with some giant monster with an accessory head as protuberance sticking off him.

Also, while I’m looking at it, Odin doesn’t seem to have any eyes that can see on front of him and doesn’t have a great grip on Duval, if Odin doesn’t have greater than human strength (unlikely) and doesn’t have a way to see without eyes or just bring his eyes forwards (also unlikely) Duval might be able to shrug out of his grasp and run away for a bit, at least until he gets cornered or more help comes. I highly doubt that’s how he’s actually going to get away, but it’s a thought.

David B Huber

Ok. That caught me by surprise!

Gotham

Okay old people might have superpowers /fine/

kram1032

Could easily be a shapeshifter or somebody whose exterior aged faster due to his powers or something to that effect.
- Gotham
  
  Won’t be because there was the yellow eyed lady who was also pushing a certain age. Narratively, having two ageshifters seems gauche
  - Ellie
    
    I think yellow-eyed lady is actually younger than she looks. She seems to be covered in scars, so the “wrinkles” we saw on her face earlier on could actually be more scars.
    - Gotham
      
      “So you’re not actually old people with superpowers?”
      “Well no I can shapeshift and did it to manipulate Mr Duval, this one here just looks old and this is just a very lucky coincidence”
    - Blub Blub
      
      if you smoke, drink and do enough other drugs it’s easy to look 30 years older. Ask most rock stars.
    - David B Huber
      
      Show most rock stars panel 6 and their response will be “Oscar’s got the munchies I see.”
    - Dave M
      
      I’ve often though we should have gotten tissue and blood samples from Lou Reed, Patti Smith, and David Bowie. And we should get samples from Iggy Pop, Mich Jagger, and Keith Richards. Despite their wild and wonderfully decadent lifestyles, none of them overdosed or succumbed to AIDS. Statistically unlikely doesn’t even BEGIN to cover it. 🙂
  - Fluffy Dragon
    
    we already know *he’s* a shapeshifter though… the teeth in panel five are no where to be seen in panel six. (not to mention that the big teeth in panel six can’t fit in the skull of his human form.
    - Gotham
      
      Imagine the scene.
      “Odin wannabe I’ve finally found you! You killed my future husband’s mischief partner and only other friend! Now tell me the truth, how can you have superpowers and be so old?!”
      “I’m actually your age, thing is I can morph, so no paradigm shift of the entire webcomic premise don’t worry”
      “Oh. Is… is that the same for the yellow-eyed lady back there in the corner?”
      “Oh no this one actually is like 35-40 despite her powers and that’s like the weirdest thing right”
    - M. Alan Thomas II
      
      I mean, the conspiracy premise generally implied that there were people who were prepared for and perhaps anticipating the surge of people with powers. This would imply either that they have a VERY good early detection network or already knew that powers were possible, perhaps both.
      
      Generally speaking, the purpose of this sort of conspiracy plot in any story is to signal that the characters’ “common knowledge” paradigm is, at a minimum, incomplete, and possibly a flat-out false history / masquerade maintained by the puppet masters.
    - Gotham
      
      Would I be the only one to think it diminishes the webcomic’s purpose—subverting superheroes narratives by focusing on the groundedness of its universe, superheroes aside, and its complex problems—if the reveal we get is that the universe we’ve been exploring has never been quite like ours to begin with, what with superpowers not being this stark new event that recontextualizes everything, but existing since who knows how long?
    - Dawn Smashington
      
      I think, as you said, it’s definitely a different world than hours because of the onset of powers, but I don’t think we’re going to get a “this is a completely different planet/alternate dimension that has different rules and histories” scenario from that. Or like, even if that were that case, the social justice and philosophical issues that have been explored are still very human and relatable. I don’t think that will change.
    - Gotham
      
      I’m a pretty militant gal myself. Staunchly feminist, irrevocably Leftist, stubbornly antifascist and all the other things that this era transformed from “character defining traits” to “baseline of being a decent human” because this is the absolute worst timeline.
      I share the same interrogations as Alison, about how to live and act ethically, how to use my limited agency to make the world a better place and help those who don’t have the privileges I do.
      
      And I have my bad days, as we all do. The fight is invigorating but sometimes daunting and hopeless. What gets me, these bad days, what tempts me the most toward defeatist cynicism, is the facelessness of the enemy. Sure, the neofascist rise to power all over the world has humans behind them and Trump has the Earth most lovably punchable face, but when I’m scared we’re going to lose, it’s because of the structures that put them here in the first place. Not a secret cabal of dudes pulling the strings, but the all too bleak realization that they don’t even exist. That our capacity for love and empathy is only matched with our capacity for selfishness, tribalism and scapegoating. That these exists in each and every one of us and that even when we win, they’ll always be there, ready to strike back. When we win (and we will), it’s be only temporary. It can only be temporary.
      
      And I’m just one person, exhausted and faillible. It’s a nice wish fulfillment fantasy to imagine putting a few white men on trial and saying “are these the gnashing teeth of a man who loves thy neighbor to you?” before punching them to death. It’d certainly make explaining to a few idiots that sexism is “still real” if they were somewhere out there just… oppressin’ around, doing all the work. I’d just have to point toward them. And then I could murder them. Squee ♥
      
      But that’s an easy answer. SFP isn’t into giving us easy answers, I thought.
      The Conspiracy has been a non-thing for years now. Always there, impossible to avoid, but impossible to find just the same. Impossible to fight in any way that /feels/ like it matters (despite it mattering a whole bunch). Reading the webcomic made me feel like it /got/ my fears, like it knew how to talk to me. There is no word to express how priceless a feeling that is.
      
      I’m not scared of hippos.
    - Dawn Smashington
      
      Before I get into the thing, I wanted to note that I’m a 35 year old result of much of what you’ve said here and I back punching neo nazis in the face. The world sucks as a result of toxic masculinity and we’re the fish swimming in the hurricane.
      
      I don’t think giving old people fangs (heh) in this narrative is a representation of some “easy answer”. I think it underlines the powerlessness that we can feel as a result of older people/ideologies wielding power over the world. Old people/ways are dangerous, and largely they are the ones that need defeating, politically or socially. The battle for real justice has been waging for thousands of years and will be fought for thousands more (if we survive ourselves for that long). The best we can do is attempt to turn the tide as best we can while we can.
    - M. Alan Thomas II
      
      I can’t speak for others, but insofar as I disagree with you on the purpose of the webcomic, I disagree that the purpose is diminished. I think the questions of social justice have always been at the fore in the comic,* and discovering that there is a hidden layer of entrenched privilege in society that is working to prevent any disruption to their position from changing power structures is perfectly in-line with that.
      
      *”SFP follows the adventures of a young middle-class American with super-strength, invincibility and an overwhelming sense of social injustice.” —the comic’s own “About” box
    - David B Huber
      
      The emergence of biodynamics alters the cyclic Generation Gap into a Paradigm Shift where the impact of reevaluating entrenched conventions and mores by young adults is an order of magnitude more effective, as exemplified by Feral’s self-sacrifice to save the lives of strangers. Previous generations might have expressed a desire to improve the lot of others by joining the Peace Corp (an approved outlet).
      
      So I agree exploring the consequences of manipulating super-powered consumers into normal profit centers while they define new roles disrupting the P&L forecast is more interesting than the simplistic Selfish Overlords Stifle Rebellion trope.
    - alexikakon
      
      Yes, mostly because I think determining on a page-by-page basis that where you’re *assuming* the story will go diminishes the work or makes it ‘gauche’ is a thorough underestimation of artists you’ve presumably trusted enough for eight issues. It’s THEIR universe, so personally? I don’t have a problem sitting back to wait and see where they’re going with it before I start decrying their choices.
      
      I also don’t really see where it’s impossible to imagine that (at least) two different biodynamics with abilities that allow them to either shape shift or just look much older than they are would find a reason to band together that we don’t know yet, but that’s a different discussion.
    - David B Huber
      
      I’ve always taken the fan speculations as an admiring tribute to the artists’ creativity and world building. We share our reflections on events as they emerge because Brennan and Molly have made us care. We’re all friends here…
    - alexikakon
      
      I think there’s a pretty significant difference between fan speculation and assigning value judgments to presumed story directions. I also would not include this comment section in even my top 50 list of ‘friendliest’ webcomic comment sections, but gosh is that a conversational can of worms I have zero interest in opening up.
    - Gotham
      
      Well, considering this is an opinion I express only in response to posts stating “maybe this is where the story will go”, we could also have another discussion on the unwarrantedness of criticizing me for *assuming* things.
      
      Regarding the Council of Biodynamics who Happen to Look Old… I fail to see a cogent narrative function, but surprise me, webcomic
    - alexikakon
      
      Apologies, forgot for a moment you were the supreme owner of this comment section and the only one ‘warranted’ to voice your opinion, even in response to a question where you literally asked what other people think. Carry on, I suppose.
    - Gotham
      
      Hey, if you found my comment inflammatory, I engage you to reread yours.
      If you’re done being whiny and hypocritical about it, my point still stand: I’m not assuming where the story goes, my question was literally “will I be the only one to think that IF the story goes there”. Your unasked for views on the values of such speculation taken aside, what you commented wasn’t an answer to that question.
    - alexikakon
      
      Weird how the ‘if’ in your statements only shows up once someone calls it into question and none of the past several pages where you’ve made comments on disappointment on different turns (you’re assuming) the story is taking. Honestly, I find you inflammatory in general, and hilarious that you think I’m the hypocrite here, but you’re right on one thing; it’s my fault for trying to engage rather than rolling my eyes and clicking away like I normally do with this comment section. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again.
    - Gotham
      
      You spelt “false” wrong on your first word there, careful with that
      
      But please don’t go I’m simply mesmerized by how too cool for school you are please tell us more are there other comment sections where you only post that you are too cool to post because man, so cool
    - motorfirebox
      
      Well, if only the new generation has superpowers, that would go against Alison’s whole theme. It would be saying that there’s something different and special about this generation that sets it apart from previous generations, and that specialness would be what allows it to succeed where others failed. In other words, it would be superheros coming to save the world, and Alison’s entire arc is about how superheroes can’t do that—people have to do that, whether or not they have powers.
    - Gotham
      
      Stated very succinctly and without doing the webcomic any justice, the story arc thus far is that Alison and pals tried to save the world with superpowers, failed, and now try their hands at systemic options.
      
      I don’t think they’re going to “win” in the end (insofar as Alison’s “everybody saved forever” goal is concerned, because social progress is always incremental) but if they do manage some amount of success through the systemic options they’re exploring these days (one of these days we’re going to know what the hell Valkyrie is supposed to be), I think it’d be missing the point to then state “they only managed to achieve this success through superpowers”
      
      I guess you could argue superpowers gave them the desire to change the world, or the monetary means, contrary to other generations?
      Alison does seem to hinge upon her merchandising. That one, I can’t interpret to metaphor.
      
      That’s the secret in the end: this is the generation that managed to change the world because of disposable income
    - Gotham
      
      But a simpler answer to your own is that if our villains have superpowers it only makes it more likely they’re going to be defeated with superpowers, which is what we’re trying to avoid
    - motorfirebox
      
      Sure, but in SFP, what do you get for defeating these guys? The Conspiracy has already done its damage—they’ve already doomed the world to not being saved by superheroes, by killing all of the ones that could have made a difference. Alison beating the crap out of Megamouth, here, wouldn’t actually fix anything. You can’t even bring them to justice, because there’s no possible justicial remedy for damning all of humanity.
    - Gotham
      
      Sure, and that could be an intentional point of the webcomic to bring up—at the end of an arduous struggle, Alison has her fist clenched above the bloodied face of Hungry Hungry Hippo but lowers it slowly instead of dealing the killing blow, moaning softly that it won’t even matter—albeit one I would have a few reservations with.
      
      But again that point doesn’t really help your argument. This could also be achieved without old people having superpowers. You’ve supported the case that it is possible for them to exist in this story, not how having them could make the story better.
    - Dawn Smashington
      
      At the very least, fire-eyed woman looked weathered. Lady has seen some things.
    - Fluffy Dragon
      
      *is* seeing some things at any rate…
    - David B Huber
      
      “Oh no, this one is your age but lacks your durability. I’m afraid the zombie potion to remove her will has left our projective telepath in high demand…”
  - kram1032
    
    true
  - bryan rasmussen
    
    yellow eyed lady is just a psycho con-lady, she has these yellow contact lenses, and tells people she has powers and whenever Tyrannosaurus Odin wants to eat someone he looks at her and she pretends to know if he should. everyone is happy, except for the eaten.
    - David B Huber
      
      That’s hilarious! And absurd enough to be true! I love it!
- Weatherheight
  
  Or a person with projective mental illusions linked to an empathic fear attack…
  - David B Huber
    
    Which Patrick would be ideally equipped to counter. Alas, I fear Venice may be out of range for a connection with Mr Duval…
    - Weatherheight
      
      But it would be totally cool if if goes down like that.
      One of my favorite tropes is the villain who underestimates his enemies and gets shafted by it. Mostly because it’s sort of the way things work out often enough in real life (although rarely that dramatically).
- Markus
  
  Or old people figured out how to steal superpowers.
  - Weatherheight
    
    OOOOOOOOO! I Like That!
    They’re not killing kids to stop them from changing the world…
    They’re CO-OPTING those powers so THEY can change the world and make a tidy profit.
    And THEN they kill the kids once they’re sure the powers will remain.
    That would be awesome!
    (Needless to say, we’re probably both wrong…)
Frank

Calling it: Time travel.
- Thomas S
  
  Calling it too – time travel 1 day at a time.
- ZBass
  
  Calling it: Humunculus. Clearly that’s Gluttony.
- Zizhou
  
  I’d prefer not, just because of the enormous Pandora’s box that time travel opens on any semblance of continuity, never mind the paradoxes that it opens the potential time-meddler up to.
  - Frank
    
    Narratively avoidable by making it a one-time event.
    
    Then again, it’s like a reset button, forever floating over everything that happens.
    
    Yeah, probably not. (But if it turns out to be time travel, I called it.) 🙂
  - Randolph Carter
    
    We already had the discussion that time travel was impossible in the opinion of the five best physics experts in the world.
    Of course, superpowers by definition generally break previously known laws of physics.
Edgedy

Given his appearance, he ‘devours’ powers.
- Gotham
  
  Nice theory, but he’s devouring one old dude without powers there so not really susbantiated

Gotham

Anyway I guess we have proof M. Duval and Patrick trusted each other for him to be part of Patrick contingency plans, which makes it all the more sad that Patrick is most likely losing his only other friend

M. Alan Thomas II

Showing your French is fine. ^_^

Personally, I find it amusing when people confuse my first initial for the French term of address.

juleslt

What happened to page 13? Those were not skipped in the previous issues.

Jorb

If you look at the filename, this IS page 13. The url for this page just seems to have been mislabelled.

Olivier Faure

Turns out SFP was a Parasyte spin-off this whole time.

Also, I’m not sure what response Mr Jaws was expecting. “YES! I’d recognize this folder with ‘CLOSED’ written on it anywhere! My rich father gave it to me for my 15th birthday! Where did you find it?”

AKP

I mean, I think that’s the file that contains all the kids they killed. I think if it were Patrick or Alison they’d be able to make a guess at it or suspect it and that would be telling.
- Zac Caslar
  
  Yeah, Jaws testing if Duval is an agent of Patrick. When Duval glances at the closed filed and is asked if he knows what it is Jaws decides he’s lying, and that’s when Duval gets nom’d.
  I actually don’t think Duval is part of Menace’s conspiracy, but Jaws is certain Duval lies out of fear (he’s been caught once and probably lacks the raw ego to be truly outraged enough to be trusted) and that at this stage that gets your head eaten.
  - M. Alan Thomas II
    
    Either Jaws decides that he’s lying and knows what the folder is and therefore knows too much, or Jaws decides that he’s not lying and therefore knows nothing of value and is useless. Either could lead to noms.
- Olivier Faure
  
  Yeah, but it’s a little weird. Why would the folder Menace showed to Mr Duval have the exact same cover as the one the Conspiracy has? Presumably Menace would have compiled his own data, and only the contents would be similar.
  
  Or maybe both Menace and the Conspiracy stole that folder from the US / the UN. Still a little weird.
Vegetalss4

I think that Duval did recognize the folder, from the way he sweats when he is shown it, and hesitates before answering, plus if he hadn’t seen this exact folder before it would be more natural for him to assume that Jaws meant the contents of the mostly non-descript folder rather than the folder itself.
Gotham

Patrick has talked about “black folders” once or twice, but yeah
Like, I have black folders at home and I’m one sharpie away from writing “closed” on them should I worry about the hungry hungry hippoes

Thomas S

Things I expected… Mind reaming, a cone of silence, the display of formidable power and knowledge, a legacy from an earlier wave of now semi-geriatric biodynamic individuals, or a sting operation by some of our existing known protagonists… But not a dentists dream patient springing a sneak Triceratops Rex attack!

Scott

Did you mean Tyrannosaurus Rex or is Triceratops Rex some kind of reference that I’ve missed?
- Thomas S
  
  I pastisched two names together more out of ignorance than any clever byplay. I liked the result though, and kept it.

Ellie

Me: Oh good Duval was lying!
Also me: HOLY SHIT?! FUCK?! WHAT?? WHAT?

Ellie

Also, shouldn’t that say “I can’t say that I do.” in panel four?
- Frank
  
  It’s a colloquialism that’s generally accepted in informal speech.
  - Eric Schissel
    
    though it’s sometimes meant wholly literally…
Weatherheight

See? Ulterior motive…
Granted, I wasn’t expecting “lunchtime!” was the reason but…

Dalben

I guess here’s where we find out what kind of protection Patrick sent him with. I mean even if the guy couldn’t turn into a monster, there had to be a pretty good chance he’d have a gun or a whole company of men with guns to shoot and/or kidnap Duval.

Even a normal CEO of a large enough company would probably have a body guard or two, at the very least an aide or something. Of course if he was dealing with a secret illegal conspiracy a CEO might not want potential witnesses, but all the more reason he’d need some form of personal protection.

Good thing Menace knows a whole bunch of powerful and loyal biodynamics. Maybe there’s one shrunk down in Duval’s pocket or hanging out invisible or about to crash through the ceiling.

Dalben

Or maybe he has some Templar device, since it is after all a weapons company that makes among other things giant death robots, but possibly also more portable weapons

Or (hopefully not) he’s about to be missing a head.
- palmvos
  
  well barring intervention Odin’s going to get a head here.
  
  no I’m not leaving.

Professor Harmless

Okay, offering 2-1 for older generation powered, 5-1 for current generation powered with stupidly advanced learning curve, 10-1 non-human species entirely, 20-1 zombie NAZIS, 50-1 It was all just a dream. Place your bets ladies, gentlemen and all persons. Place your bets.

David B Huber

Would “Illusion designed to induce heart failure” fall under the 50-1 category?

Perhaps this is a trap designed to make Patrick intervene (if his power is greater than whatever shielding the Society has in place) and triangulate his location when he does…
saysomethingclever

i’m putting my money on “non-human species entirely” but i also wanna know the odds on “time travel”, based on other comments. 😉
Oldlion

What about : Biodynamic shapesshifter, looks old, isn’t ?
- Professor Harmless
  
  That would fall under “Current generation”

Jordan Hiller

Well… Shit.

Nice knowing him.

Johnny Awesome

Not so fast, dude–Duval has him RIght Where He Wants Him™
- Eric Schissel
  
  No matter what happens, Duval could claim that this will have been the case (to quote a famous fictional inspector, iirc, “Every move, planned and calculated” (oops))
- Lex of Excel
  
  “My death is all part of the plan for your downfall. Also, I hope I give you indigestion.”

Fluffy Dragon

did not expect that… so the question is… alien? is he(?) somehow connected to the storm perhaps?

Eric Schissel

or just, A Hungry God gets out of his chair.
(edit: strictly speaking, that means the same thing as “Arises”- take it up with him, if you like…)
- saysomethingclever
  
  ooh, i *like* that idea!

Gabrielle|#wayward 🏳️‍🌈

Well… did not see that coming.

Aresius

Wtf is the Bratsvo? Wikipedia suggests it might be Bratstvo, which can be either an Orthodox group or an Ukrainian ultra-nationalist movement led by Dmytro Korchynsky. Either way, it sounds like a blatant lie, even if it was planted as a false memory in Duval’s brain

Merlin the Tuna

Looks like an alternate (or incorrect) reference to the Bratva, the largest Russian mafia.
- Eric Schissel
  
  or given that Their World is Not Ours (or whatever the trope is), that just may be what its name is there
- David Gillon
  
  That was my thought, too.
  
  It could be a legend to hide Patrick’s true background, but it might be one with a core of truth that could make some sense of Patrick’s Mom’s criminally sociopathic behaviour, except that the Vory (the Russian thieves-in-law) have historically excluded women.
TheDistinguishedAnarchist

That’s basically the same thought I had when I read the surname: “…The hell? That doesn’t sound Russian at all.”

Pol Subanajouy

That escalated moderately.

MedinaSidonia

I know you gentlemen have been through a lot. But when you find the time… I’d rather not spend the rest of the winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!

Gotham

They’re not Swedish, Mac. They’re Italians.
palmvos

relax… 2 days and we will get an even bigger cliffhanger, I’m banking on Elvis.. something involving Elvis.

Merus

His last thoughts were: “Oh, me and my big mouth”

Kid Chaos

Dang, beat me to it. 😜

Lex of Excel

Wait a minute. The lady with the golden eyes… The devouring monster… Are they supposed to be Ma-at and Ammut from Classical Egypt?

Also, AAAAAAGGHHHHH!

Gotham

I was waiting for the people who actually know things to tell us if that could be a reference to something mythical related!

The possibility that these are human beliefs made flesh still holds then
- Lex of Excel
  
  Why is this quote coming to mind:
  
  “What are men but mortal gods? What are gods but immortal men?”
  - Kid Chaos
    
    “We are not men disguised as mere dogs; we are wolves disguised as men.” 🐺
    —“Jin-Roh, the Wolf Brigade”
Stephen Gilberg

So much for Nordic identity.
- Lex of Excel
  
  Hope springs eternal.
  
  Personally, I’m pushing for the Teotl. Maybe the next bonus story can take place in Mexico City?

Carla

Well that escalated quickly .

bryan rasmussen

I expect Allison and Feral are not going to appreciate Patrick jumping out of bed screaming at this moment.

Nobody

Everyone is assuming the old people with powers are human. It is possible that they are aliens who intentionally caused the event that gave humans super powers and are in disguise to pull strings behind the scenes to guide/control the world.

saysomethingclever

THIS.
Gotham

It is also possible they are time travelling ghosts mole people
I’m just saying without anything to lean on we can claim anything is possible
- Professor Harmless
  
  Personally my money is on “A Wizard Did It.”
palmvos

10 hours and no image link to the aliens meme? what is wrong with you people?
oh… yeah… right…

Murray C

Since old people can be biodynamics now, I guess that means Gurwara is indeed a biodynamic

Ellie

Or one-eye there has shape-shifted into Gurwara in the past and blondie used her telepathic abilities to send he/she/them into Patrick’s mind.
- David B Huber
  
  I’d forgotten about Gurwara! 🙂 I like the concept (how many projective telepaths do we have running around, anyway?) but the “Odin” persona seems more phlegmatic than Gurwara.

elysdir

I’m wondering whether Duval is lying in panel 4—does he recognize the folder? Doesn’t matter much, just thinking he looks especially wide-eyed and scared there, though that doesn’t necessarily tell us whether he’s lying there or not.

Lostman

Didn’t see that coming…

plainclothes supervillain

JESUS TAPDANCING CHRIST

Kid Chaos

Jake Blues? Is that you? 😎
- palmvos
  
  I live far enough from Illinois that it is safe to say…
  Get the band back together!
  - Weatherheight
    
    Tonight only, the fabulous Zombie Brothers. Rhythm and Blues review. The Palace Hotel utility. Route 16. Lake Wazzapamani. The fabulous Zombie Brothers show band and review.

Lethologica

You’re saying Odin did what?!

Talina M

I didn’t see that coming- I didn’t want to see that coming- I’m sorry I seen that- eye bleach!

kwerboom

My reaction exactly.

Hamster Goddess

this is why i’m scared of hippos.

Nick Malachai

[insert Venom reference]

In a more serious note, holy shit, right? I’m gonna theorize that these are the Biodynamics that came before and, rather than having the optimistic naivete we saw with Mega Girl’s team, they stuck together and focused on becoming successful, and reproduced the event that gave them powers (either accidentally or intentionally). Alternatively, They reproduced the event that created Mega Girl, and gave themselves powers that way, because you know people were studying that storm like crazy.

Mechwarrior

Maybe Biodynamics have always been around, and ancient myths about heroes, monsters, and gods are actually stories about different biodynamics. The global thunderstorm was just something that caused a surge in the number of biodynamics being born and made it impossible for them to hide that they existed anymore.
- Gotham
  
  I hate this so much
  - Lex of Excel
    
    Why? Don’t mean to sound disparaging, I’m just curious.
    
    I’m glad it’s not playing out as the kind of conspiracy designed to shoulder responsibility for the mistakes humanity has made because of irrational, shortsighted decisions.
    
    Modern mythology is alright by me.
    - Gotham
      
      I go over it in needlessly exhaustive details last page if you’re interested.
      
      The tl;dr version is I think the metaphor this story is going works so much better when superpowers is opposed to a systemic force.
- Nick Malachai
  
  coincidentally, I have been trying to write a story where, eventually, it’s revealed that the modern superheroes are to Olympians that Olympians were to Titans, and Titans were to Primordials, and that they would overthrow the pantheon. Considering we’ve made comparisons to one polytheistic pantheon of old to this group (good ole One-Eye, specifically), is it that much of a stretch to expand the comparison?
  - The Improbable Man
    
    This reminds me of the backstory to City of Heroes (may it rest in peace ;_;). The short version is that in WWI, Marcus Cole and Stephan Richter found and drank from the Fountain of Zeus, which made them the Incarnates of Zeus and Tartarus, respectively. Marcus became known as The Statesman, and Stephan became Lord Recluse. While there, they also found and opened Pandora’s Box, which started the Golden Age of superheroes.

Johnny Awesome

I think we’re all missing the most important factor here, which is the complete absence of the Exquisitely Crafted Table. Was it just a devious red herring all along?

(You’ll never convince me, I’m a True Believer)

Gotham

We were not worthy of Their immaculate sight anymore, and really, who could dispute that and live?
Kid Chaos

Excelsior! 😎
palmvos

the table is actually part of Odin- its how he was able to conceal that… maw.

SharonTRose

That was about as expected as the Spanish Inquisition.

Kid Chaos

No-one expects…oh yeah, right. 👿
- palmvos
  
  ::looks at door::

Kid Chaos

“Well, you don’t have to bite my head off!” 💀

cannibalism

Well, I sure didn’t expect *that.*

Wolftamer9

So, uh, holy fuck?

S.I. Rosenbaum

Hm. Less Odin, more Ammit.

S.I. Rosenbaum

theory: Mr Jaws’ superpower is absorbing the superpower of people near him.

Dawn Morrow

big nightmare energy

Hiram

Huh. I didn’t know dentures came in leopard seal.

DonSimpson

I’m thinking of Duval triggering an explosive vest, but doubt it actually happening. Is the one-eyed Guy actually a size-changing cyclops? A traditional-mythic Scandenavian troll? It was obvious that they couldn’t let Duval go, and the choice seemed to be either cooperation or compulsion, but this seems rather extreme, unless the guy absorbs the memories of his food. At this point, I am wondering if something even stranger is going on. is this the last suspenseful page of this sequence? And I am admiring the storytelling.

Dalben

Yeah, why not interrogate him a bit more? Whether they believe him or think he’s lying he must have some useful information. And he could certainly have left word about where he was going that would be sent to Templar and/or Menace if he didn’t return (assuming he wasn’t straight up sent by Menace as in fact he was) and he’s going to be missed. I guess they’re just extremely confident in their power/arrogant.

Possibly Jaws is planning on impersonating him and is some kind of doplleganger type who could suck out his victims memories and fool a telepath and he just wanted to know if it was worth the effort of impersonating Duval before taking his memories and identity – in fact the would make sense. Anything less than that, including perfect shapeshifter who is shielded from telepathy and Menace will know something is up.
- David B Huber
  
  An excellent theory! I believe the Society knows full well Menace is Patrick and only needs Mr. Duval to flush their quarry. So if the next strip shows “Mr. Duval” being escorted out your speculation will be the best fit…

Cori J.

🎶
You guys do not notice that we
Are gifted just by being
Humans, we are
Absolute
Predators, we do not even
Have any enemies
Maybe there are other animals
Watching us and
Thinking that
Someday we will beat them
DOOOOOOWWWWWWN
🎶

bryan rasmussen

do you think when you eat someone and they have sweat all over them that enhances the taste, like salt?

Kerlyssa

awww

Bruce Munro

As much as some people dislike the notion of the Conspiracy having Powers, I have to say I find the notion that a Conspiracy of superpowered folks could 1. Realize the potential of the Storm event 2. Track down and kill anyone with the potential to rock the boat and 3. Do so without people realizing what is happening rather more believable than a Conspiracy of rich old normal dudes and gals accomplishing the same. (When the rich and powerful of our world conspire, it’s really not all that secret).

David B Huber

How do you know? 😉
- Bruce Munro
  
  If you’re replying to my last sentence, I watch stuff other than than Fox News. 😀
  - David B Huber
    
    I was. And touche’ 😀
Gotham

Oh you guys ♥
Am I really that loud that I can be referred to as “people”?
- Bruce Munro
  
  I assumed you weren’t the only one! But perhaps you were loud enough that I thought you were a popular movement. 🙂

Tani M

Well, didn’t expect that.
I wonder how much bite strength those jaws have. If he shoved something in between them (like you can do to a crocodile he might be able to get away. Might.

Weatherheight

“The hippopotamus is responsible for more human deaths in Africa each year that crocodiles or lions. Their tendency to extreme territoriality and looking like they wouldn’t harm a fly causes them to be underestimated and not treated with due concern.
“Tragically, hippopotami have been illegally imported as pets into Italy, notably Venice and Genoa, and have been released into the local environs when they are no longer cute and cuddly. They have multiplied, lacking natural predators, and are making inroads into Greece and Spain as well as moving northwards towards the Alps. The WHO has issued a Hippo Alert throughout southern Europe, but this alert is largely dismissed as a publicity stunt.”

palmvos

the BBC has an article about the hippo boss.. clearly the problem is worse than you paint.
- Weatherheight
  
  Brilliant pivot! I salute you!
  https://www.bbc.com/news/business-39633499

Shjade

“Ha ha, I see the irony: handing me a file labeled CLOSED before showing me how wide your mouth can open! A clever jest, sir! Jolly g-

RRand

Quick! Into the river! Hippos hate water!

Dawn Smashington

Me: “Oh, he’s gonna die! I totally called it! And old people have powers!”

Also me: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e0a5baae36258dc54d21b26b722aba42143d404408163d54b681be2b30568689.jpg

David B Huber

You did indeed! But I can’t help but hope Mr. Duval has some prototype Templar weapon which will at least knock “Odin” through The Exquisitely Crafted Table…
- Dawn Smashington
  
  He’s got a split second to come up with something; it would be neat if it turned out Duval also has a heretofore unseen biodynamic power.
  
  Like, phasing. Phasing would be useful here. Or go all Alex Mack and just shloooop out of that fancy grip.
  
  It’s misty step, that is what our poor Mr. Duval needs.
  - David B Huber
    
    Ha! I like that! It would certainly frustrate Jaws and leave him, er, “gnashing his teeth”!
    - Dawn Smashington
      
      It’s also nice to know that old people aren’t defanged
      
      ….I’ve got nowhere else to use that and I will not apologize
- Gotham
  
  Oh my, you’re right, it is the last issue, time to raise the stakes. If the Exquisitely Crafted Table gets it, nothing if safe. Not even us.
  Fear Their wooden wrath
  - David B Huber
    
    Indeed. Stakes forged from shards of The Exquisitely Crafted Table are the only weapon capable of vanquishing members of the Society! 😉
  - Dawn Smashington
    
    The Exquisitely Crafted Table is the Conspiracy
    
    Older than space, floating through time before finally landing on Earth, its strange machinations disrupting the planet’s weather, it bestows sweet, sweet DNA configuration to those that protect it and demands blood sacrifice for those who might turn against it.
    
    Fear the Table.
    - Dawn Smashington
      
      I’m keeping the time and space mashup as something totally intended and not at all a reflection of my brain mash

Johan

I knew it, they were leviathans all along !!

Emily Smith

nom nom nom

David B Huber

That’s just mean!

Jack Clews

I said he ded.

Layla

I’m a bit lost, so Duval lied to protect Menace? Or was he telling the truth and he knows something menace doesn’t? Or was Duval lied to?

David B Huber

That never occurred to me! I’ve assumed Duval lied to protect Menace…

David Gillon

OMG, the conspiracy theorists were right, the NWO are a bunch of lizards in human drag!

JohnTomato

His orthodontist is so very proud!

jandesf

Oh man. Patrick’s going to be maaaaad.

Virgil Clemens

Oh Mr. Gurwara, what big teeth you have.

AngryFrenchKanadian

I liked the guy, bluh.

BMPDynamite

HOLY WHAT

martynW

I did NOT see that coming.

EthernetGuru

what happened to 13-8 ?

RaijinK

I feel like the comments are covering plenty of intrigue about where the plot is going and not quite enough complimenting how impressively horrifying this sequence is. I get that there’s a lot going on here, but this is one page where the visuals are just making me put the jigsaw pieces down and just sit back and admire what has been done. Just absolutely dreadful. Excellent work.

Kaunisenkeli

Well… definitely didn’t see that last panel coming. o-o

Dawn Smashington

I just realized, I hope there’s a tarp down and they’re not too near the desk, that is going to make one hell of a mess

Darkoneko Hellsing

oh gosh