One more take on the 434

Amake · 11-10-2005, 04:31 AM

We're not through talking about this episode, are we? Though I didn't find any threads about it, so here's one.

I'm thinking the red text in yellow boxes must be Black mage. "Why did you do it like that?" has to refer to the way they're flying with BM smeared over the nosecone of the ship, and his "I'm going to look back at this one day and think its hilarious" directly following anonymous #1's admitting "that was funny" doesn't imply anything else.

That is if we suppose the final panel has anything to do with the rest of the comic at all. I'm working under the assumption that the comic is intended as as a solvable mystery, where one can look at the present facts and piece them together correctly using logic. (If it isn't, there's no point to any of this. . .)

The speaker with the black text on red background is harder to be sure about. The language - particularily the use of the word "goad" - and the philosophy present in the first panel, as well as the evident mental sensibility of the speaker, all suggest White mage. I mean, she is the only character capable of actually listening to someone, of maintaining a normal conversation.

The real question though, what actually happens that we're not seeing? Is this really a flashback from the future? Or is BM just making up the whole conversation in the present? Compare the amount of time he spends imagining his indiscriminate killing sprees to how often he actually does it. When the dialogue is repeated in the present, as it undoubtly has to be, it'll probably involve BM going "This is just how I imagined it and yet not at all".

Now, I'm not bringing this up cause I want to see who's right or wrong. I just can't wait to see what happens. :3

POS Industries · 11-10-2005, 06:49 AM

This is one of those episodes that has mystified me. I think IQ (heehee I am clever) probably has the right idea. The gold box is clearly BM, and I'm pretty sure that the red box is WM. If this is to be the case, then it is worth noting a change in this point of WM's world view. She is someone who typically believes in fate (the Light Warriors being destined to save the world from a great evil), whereas the person talking here clearly does not. A very likely change, considering that these "Light Warriors" she's been following appear less and less like the ones she's heard about in legends. As she loses faith in what is pretty much her core belief, then a loss of faith in everything else could be close behind. At the point in which this conversation would take place, she could be radically different, believing that life is just a bunch of random events with no drive or meaning.

So, what are the events surrounding this conversation? Hypothetically, this could be one of those "conversations leading up to the final confrontation" that you tend to see near the end of every Final Fantasy game. You know, the ones where everyone sounds like chapters from a self-help booklet (God bless you, Kefka). In this case, there are two possibilities: the first, and most likely, being where BM embraces his dark power and becomes the villain, and WM could be standing alone against him, trying to talk him out of his mad scheme. An interesting battle sequence where he keeps blasting her with his level 9 spells while she casts Life 3 on herself over and over again could follow, perhaps.

The second, and the one I find particularly interesting, involves WM turning evil, or at least becoming so despondant with the emptiness of life after the crumbling away of her entire world view that she embarks to just end it. BM could be there as the one remaining force left to stop her. However, this one might not add up because of the line about him being the one to kill them all. Even still, WM as the end-all-be-all big bad makes for neat plot twistyness.

Either way, it would be kinda cool if, some years down the road, we saw this conversation again in its actual context. I'm hoping that if this is true, then it'll be way down the road after everybody's forgotten about this post so that Brian won't have to worry about changing it just because I had to open my big, metaphorical mouth.

EDIT: Looking back on it, Theory #2 is way off. It's a neat thought, but no.

bolevar321 · 11-10-2005, 08:27 AM

If it is, it'll happen soon. I'm sure you remember the panel with WM's robe pattern covered in blood? well.... Now we know why. "At least she'll always carry a little bit of black belt with her" to quote BM

Warlock · 11-10-2005, 12:36 PM

Well, we know that the yellow box is BM, in HellKing BM colors. The Red text has to be WM, RM, or Fighter, since they are the only ones with red text. I put it down to WM, though, due to the design in the bottom pannel. Personally, I'd like to see WM going evil and going on a killing spree with BM. That'd make me happy.

catlover20410 · 11-10-2005, 03:32 PM

Better yet, asking BM for the secret of the Hadoken.

Wait. Considering what BM's fee would be, NOT BETTER YET!!

Zero-Alpha · 11-10-2005, 03:49 PM

Y'know, I hadn't really considered it before...but if you read 434 carefully, neither voice is actually saying anything that can be taken as totally good or evil.

Sure, Hellking BM's lines seem bad, but are they? Those could just as easily be the lines of a hero trying to taunt a villain.

And the red text lines...I don't know, there's just something about them. They seems almost-resigned, somehow.

I could be way off-base, but I don't think that comic's as straight-forward as we might think.

catlover20410 · 11-10-2005, 03:50 PM

What the hell? That is known as the Mystifier. We don't think it's simple.

Zero-Alpha · 11-10-2005, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover20410

What the hell? That is known as the Mystifier. We don't think it's simple.

I think I misspoke. What I mean is, we shouldn't automatically assume that the gold-and-red text is coming from the "villain" of the scene.

Warlock · 11-10-2005, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover20410

Better yet, asking BM for the secret of the Hadoken.

Wait. Considering what BM's fee would be, NOT BETTER YET!!

Actually, White Mage already knows how BM got the Hadoken. He told her.

ZAKtheGeek · 11-10-2005, 04:07 PM

Not exactly. I'm sure there are plenty of dark demon-gods (or whatever) to sacrifice orphans to.

11-10-2005, 04:07 PM	#10
ZAKtheGeek Worth every yenny Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: not my mind that's for sure! Posts: 1,299	Not exactly. I'm sure there are plenty of dark demon-gods (or whatever) to sacrifice orphans to. __________________ Pyro Icon - It needs your love. I haven't looked at it in months.

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11-10-2005, 04:31 AM	#1
Amake Keeper of the new Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: A place without judgment Posts: 4,506	One more take on the 434 We're not through talking about this episode, are we? Though I didn't find any threads about it, so here's one. I'm thinking the red text in yellow boxes must be Black mage. "Why did you do it like that?" has to refer to the way they're flying with BM smeared over the nosecone of the ship, and his "I'm going to look back at this one day and think its hilarious" directly following anonymous #1's admitting "that was funny" doesn't imply anything else. That is if we suppose the final panel has anything to do with the rest of the comic at all. I'm working under the assumption that the comic is intended as as a solvable mystery, where one can look at the present facts and piece them together correctly using logic. (If it isn't, there's no point to any of this. . .) The speaker with the black text on red background is harder to be sure about. The language - particularily the use of the word "goad" - and the philosophy present in the first panel, as well as the evident mental sensibility of the speaker, all suggest White mage. I mean, she is the only character capable of actually listening to someone, of maintaining a normal conversation. The real question though, what actually happens that we're not seeing? Is this really a flashback from the future? Or is BM just making up the whole conversation in the present? Compare the amount of time he spends imagining his indiscriminate killing sprees to how often he actually does it. When the dialogue is repeated in the present, as it undoubtly has to be, it'll probably involve BM going "This is just how I imagined it and yet not at all". Now, I'm not bringing this up cause I want to see who's right or wrong. I just can't wait to see what happens. :3 __________________ Hope insistent, trust implicit, love inherent, life immersed

11-10-2005, 06:49 AM	#2
POS Industries Argus Agony Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gotta go fishing! Posts: 10,483	This is one of those episodes that has mystified me. I think IQ (heehee I am clever) probably has the right idea. The gold box is clearly BM, and I'm pretty sure that the red box is WM. If this is to be the case, then it is worth noting a change in this point of WM's world view. She is someone who typically believes in fate (the Light Warriors being destined to save the world from a great evil), whereas the person talking here clearly does not. A very likely change, considering that these "Light Warriors" she's been following appear less and less like the ones she's heard about in legends. As she loses faith in what is pretty much her core belief, then a loss of faith in everything else could be close behind. At the point in which this conversation would take place, she could be radically different, believing that life is just a bunch of random events with no drive or meaning. So, what are the events surrounding this conversation? Hypothetically, this could be one of those "conversations leading up to the final confrontation" that you tend to see near the end of every Final Fantasy game. You know, the ones where everyone sounds like chapters from a self-help booklet (God bless you, Kefka). In this case, there are two possibilities: the first, and most likely, being where BM embraces his dark power and becomes the villain, and WM could be standing alone against him, trying to talk him out of his mad scheme. An interesting battle sequence where he keeps blasting her with his level 9 spells while she casts Life 3 on herself over and over again could follow, perhaps. The second, and the one I find particularly interesting, involves WM turning evil, or at least becoming so despondant with the emptiness of life after the crumbling away of her entire world view that she embarks to just end it. BM could be there as the one remaining force left to stop her. However, this one might not add up because of the line about him being the one to kill them all. Even still, WM as the end-all-be-all big bad makes for neat plot twistyness. Either way, it would be kinda cool if, some years down the road, we saw this conversation again in its actual context. I'm hoping that if this is true, then it'll be way down the road after everybody's forgotten about this post so that Brian won't have to worry about changing it just because I had to open my big, metaphorical mouth. EDIT: Looking back on it, Theory #2 is way off. It's a neat thought, but no. __________________ Either you're dead or my watch has stopped. Last edited by POS Industries; 11-10-2005 at 07:08 AM.

11-10-2005, 08:27 AM	#3
bolevar321 Master of chuckery Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 391	If it is, it'll happen soon. I'm sure you remember the panel with WM's robe pattern covered in blood? well.... Now we know why. "At least she'll always carry a little bit of black belt with her" to quote BM

11-10-2005, 03:49 PM	#6
Zero-Alpha Goomba Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 23	Y'know, I hadn't really considered it before...but if you read 434 carefully, neither voice is actually saying anything that can be taken as totally good or evil. Sure, Hellking BM's lines seem bad, but are they? Those could just as easily be the lines of a hero trying to taunt a villain. And the red text lines...I don't know, there's just something about them. They seems almost-resigned, somehow. I could be way off-base, but I don't think that comic's as straight-forward as we might think.