471: And then I died

[Morat]

...White Mage promotes violence against the villian, and Black Belt makes a frontal assault. All things I don't believe were ever seen previously in 8BT (Okay hammering doesn't count as violence against a villian...).

White Mage told BB to use violence against Garland.

Black Belt made frontal assaults against both Garland and that random monster that nearly ate him.

[Nugan]

Wow, I can't believe I'm about to make some ub3r-fanboi post on a webcomic message board, but I have to admit it, Brain hooked me with that cliffhanger.

Anyway, my little bit to add to the speculation about 434:

I agree that there's no question that the yellow speaker is BM. I don't think there's any question there. I also think this takes place sometime near the end of the comic, possibly after BM becomes and/or teams up with Chaos.

However, I have trouble believing the red speaker is WM, because of the following lines: "That's not how it works. There is no grand story to history." "Things just happen. Its the act of looking back on them that interposes a sense of narrative." My issue is that WM has always been a believer in fate. That's what's driving her to do just about everything she does. A belief in fate doesn't jive well with those two lines. Those lines are from someone who thinks of history as a bunch of random events we bring meaning to through our own perceptions, not someone who would embark on a quest to save the world based on a vague prophecy. Of course, BM's lines also sounds somewhat like a role-reversal, so its possible that whatever happened changed both of thier perspectives on fate.

If I had to guess, based on the personalities of the light warriors right now, I would say those statements would most likely come from RM, since he's more given to philosophy, or thief, since he tends more towards a chaotic view of existence. However, if this is the "last battle", I would almost lean towards an enlightened fighter, only because things tend to come full circle in fantasy, so it would make sense to end with the same two characters you began with.

A few other thoughts:

"Its not too late." "It is for some people." - This seems to imply that not only one major character has died, but several. Now, that could simply mean BB plus EPS plus KS plus some other less important recurring characters, but it could also mean we'll be waving goodbye to at least one more big name.

The backrounds - I think they may foreshadow important events that have yet to happen, but will not happen at the same time. First frame looks like a volcano, so it probably foreshadows BB's death. Second and third frames are beyond me, but we should probably keep our eyes open for similar images. I think the fourth frame foreshadows not some dying person bleeding on WM, but WM's death, which I think will either be caused by BM in the act of gaining power or be the event that pushes him over the edge. I think she and BB are the best canidates for the "some people" in the comic.

Just my thoughts.

[Mike McC]

Out of all the speculation on comic #434, Nugan's seems to be the most likely. I've looked at the backgrounds of the panels people don't seem to be able to decipher in that one, and what I see is:

1st panel's background looks to be water, land, and clouds, as if one is looking down upon them from a great height.
2nd panel's background is the one people relate to lava or the volcano.
3rd panel's background looks like something is moving very fast, perhaps through the sky.

.... This may be wrong, but I would think those two panels (the first and third) would be what BM was seeing in the present of the comic.

And to all those peopkle who are interpreting the "We thought it would be funny" line as proof of a combined conciousness or omnipotent beign... come off of it. Seriously. The most likely explination is "We (me and the other four in the deathtrap) thought it would be funny." I mean, does every single time you use 'we' make it so you have combined conciousness with another person? This isn't the borg, people. You're reading way too much into a little pronoun.

[Krylo]

Actually, the first panel looks more like the sky to me, with dark clouds. It has a water painted feeling to it. It could be looking down, but really, that's beside the point.

The point is that the second panel's background is EXACTLY the same as Hell King BM's energy, followed immediately by a background that looks like a flash of pure light in a very akira toriyama looking blast. Then you have the blood smattered on white mage's robe.

And, if you look at the text, it's obvious that they're both at the end. "It's all going to end here" and "One last thing," followed directly by the blood smattered robes of white mage.

Further, the change is already beginning in white mage. She even asked Black Belt what he thought the consequences of using the wrong heros to stop chaos would be, and he told her it wouldn't really matter. She's been doubting destiny, and the longer she goes along with them the more she's going to doubt. Look at her even in the fight with Kary. With Lich she refused to interfere because the light warriors must defeat the fiends, with Kary she ordered Black Belt to attack.

That whole thing foreshadows the end when Black Mage kills them all and then dies in the process of killing white mage. Hell, the last line in it even says that he'd kill them all. It's classic foreshadowing.

...And didn't we discuss the hell out of this back when THAT comic came out?

What is Fighters destiny? Why did his master toss him out of Fighters Camp'86 when he answered the last question ( wich would be the right answer apparently )

The correct answer is one. One style. There are twelve techniques/forms/schools but they all should come together into one style. Fighter didn't realize that and that's why he was thrown out. Probably didn't realize it because he was too busy watching chicks in chainmail.

[Bells]

i Take Shinryuu and Nugan's point of view and sign my name on then u.u

So... i Concur !


BTW.... red speaker....
http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=030821

[RMS Oceanic]

Now to swing back through countless galaxies to return to the land of 'Topic'...

The grey blurs across BB make me reckon Kary used her Swords to end what was, at heart, a great character.

I hope he doesn't end up like that Aeris Fanfic I read where he comes back to life only to become evil and run off with Zack. Anyone but Zack!

[Mad Jack the Pirate]

oh, come on people, do you really think Black mage bleeds red?

[Mike McC]

Originally Posted by RMS Oceanic

The grey blurs across BB make me reckon Kary used her Swords to end what was, at heart, a great character.

Well, those grey blurs? Nunchucks, whirling at great speeds, being whirled by BB. Then BB hits Kary (as shown by the little shot of Kary with the blood being splattered a bit), then boom. Disintegration by fire, completely anhillating BB, but not his nunchucks.(which were probably thrown clear of the blast, given my primitive but workable knowledge of physics). So, no swords, just burnination.

And krylo, the green and browninsh blurs in the first panel look suspiciously like landmasses. It just looks so blurry and undefined because that's what Brian does to all the backgrounds nowadays.

[RMS Oceanic]

Interesting point, but BB's chucks are brown, and the chains of them are the wrong shade of grey, by my reckoning.

I reiterate for my request for there not to be a change in the line up of the side of 'Good'.

And please, not Zack!

[Mike McC]

Look closely at the blurs. If Brian is anything, he seems to do his special effects with meticulous detail. Now, looking at those blurs, you'll see ares with a lightish-'chain grey' color, and then other areas with a brownish-'wood stick' color, and the expected blurring gradiant bettween the two. Nope, no swords, just nunchucks being spun around at the speed of chuck.

Besides, why would Kary need to use her swords when it's much more efficient to just burn the fuck out of anyone, especially with her insanely-short-perhaps-even-nonexistant fuse? Swords have the tendency of not always killing things in one hit, and can be quite the annoyance for your impatient villain on the go.