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24

Drive, p3

June 1, 2022 by Tim

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. 1-800-273-8255


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Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
2 years ago

Dammit.

I can’t hate him now.

nealithi
nealithi
2 years ago
Reply to  Eldest Gruff

No, you can still hate him for his actions.
But it is perfectly acceptable to feel bad about it.

Richard Weatherfield
Richard Weatherfield
2 years ago
Reply to  nealithi

Or you can hate what he did without hating him personally. That’s how I do things.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
2 years ago
Reply to  nealithi

Hatred is an ugly, serious emotion. I don’t use the term lightly. It ignores reason, ignores conscience, burns and consumes until it either eats you alive, or destroys the thing you despise – so you better make sure what you hate is a monster, or you become one. That’s why a desire for vengeance is typically seen as a flaw. I don’t know about “perfectly acceptable.” Acceptable to whom? To modern society? There’s a lot about modern society that’s backwards and twisted. If we all had half as much pity as we did hatred for those we thought of as… Read more »

European
European
2 years ago
Reply to  Eldest Gruff

out of curiostity, why hate him? he seems a super-responsible and -dependable friend, who seems to care. maybe i’ve missed something in the storyline, but if you are referring to the “secret” killswitch, well, after the gathered intelligence and experience, in my opinion too it was the most reasonable thing to do.

Giuliano Berlato Marques
Giuliano Berlato Marques
2 years ago
Reply to  European

Agreed, only thing I’d have done different is replace the Kaboom for a simple shutdown on the limbs or the entire CPU. Much easier to fix.

Last edited 2 years ago by Anhanguara
Wow
Wow
2 years ago
Reply to  European

Lying to your friends is not dependable. Not doing what you say you’re going to do is not reliable. If you think he’s an amazing friend then I’m glad I don’t have a friend like you.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
2 years ago
Reply to  European

Did you miss the storyline in which it went off, after Lucas and Scott talked about removing the failsafe, not because Zeke did anything dangerous but because he was invited out of his cell? And how Scott refused to listen to Ethan or Lucas during that, and forced Zeke to fight for their life by what he was doing with his phone? If you have missed it, then go back and read. If you read it, then go back and read the comments section. I’ve no interest in getting into a large debate about whether or not Scott did something… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Eldest Gruff
David K.
David K.
2 years ago
Reply to  Eldest Gruff

I wish I could upvote this 100 times. Well said. Very well said.

CTOWNS
CTOWNS
2 years ago
Reply to  David K.

Well, what do you do when you’re stuck between “being a good friend” and “possibly allowing a murderous robot to go on a preventable rampage killing who-knows how many people”

I’m gonna generally stick with “the majority of the readers are siding against Scott a bit too readily”

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
2 years ago
Reply to  CTOWNS

Please remember, this is a world with super heroes in it, who generally swoop in and save the day if, say, some villain goes on a killing spree. And, as far as super villains go, Zeke is not necessarily more dangerous than most of the others we’ve seen so far.

Scott’s fear was more xenophobic than rational.

Vampyrr
Vampyrr
2 years ago
Reply to  Eldest Gruff

I would say try not to abuse using the term war crime. They aren’t soldiers and this is not a war so that term does not apply. It has a very real meaning for when it needs to be used but this isn’t it. The rest is more or less accurate.

David K.
David K.
2 years ago
Reply to  European

It was perhaps reasonable to leave it in initially. It might even be argued to be reasonable to have it stay in and be remote triggerable. It was not reasonable to have it on such a close proximity trigger. It was also not reasonable to keep lying to everyone about it for so long. And ultimately Scott’s reasoning was fundamentally flawed. The guy who made Zeke was still out there. Zeke was not a unique threat. Even if Scott destroys Zeke that doesn’t remove the existence of self-aware robots. Beyond that this is a universe in which Eldritch horrors from… Read more »

Merida
Merida
2 years ago
Reply to  Eldest Gruff

I still blame him. Even here he is only thinking of himself. Not apologising or trying to improve. Suicide is an illness but the precondition here seems to be focusing on himself vs accepting fault and trying to improve. Unless there is a huge timeskip, this looks like 1 day after, having never even tried to apologize or help, while Lucas was still keeping a bridge to him and being understanding.

Dylan
Dylan
2 years ago
Reply to  Merida

He grew a full beard in that “1 day” timeskip

David
David
2 years ago
Reply to  Merida

Pretty sure it’s a flashback to when Carlie died, and not the aftermath of the current situation.

Jack0r
Jack0r
2 years ago

Uff, this turned grim fast… I expected this to hit him, but not nearly that hard.

Groober
Groober
2 years ago
Reply to  Jack0r

I think it’s a flashback?

Stef
Stef
2 years ago
Reply to  Groober

I thought the opposite, months or years into the future

Darkening
Darkening
2 years ago
Reply to  Stef

Nah, pretty sure this is them coming to tell him the news about them getting superpowers.

Scortch
Scortch
2 years ago
Reply to  Darkening

Yeah exactly. This is him dealing with losing Carly

Kyoudai
Kyoudai
2 years ago
Reply to  Scortch

That and the loss of his legs

John Swift
John Swift
2 years ago
Reply to  Darkening

Oh ya, thats gotta be it. He doesn’t seem to be this far down currently, tho it wouldn’t be surprising if he does go to a place like this soon.
That picture of two people, was assuming it was Lucas&Ethan but him and his sister makes far more sense.
I guess helping those idiots, one more than the other, became his reason to see tomorrow.

Pierre
Pierre
2 years ago
Reply to  John Swift

Or maybe, his drive is some form of revenge.
In which case, his view on the case will be incompatible with that of Etan and Lucas.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
2 years ago
Reply to  Pierre

I keep thinking. Lucas’ words here, that got him spiraling into flashback. “You both want the same thing – to protect others.”

Well, it strikes me that Ethan and Lucas want to protect others by using their powers… and Scott’s actions, as of late, are to protect others from Ethan and Lucas.

Makes me think back to Emily’s argument, that supers do more damage than good. Wonder if we’re going to see that theme come up again.

chargersfan
chargersfan
2 years ago
Reply to  Darkening

Agreed, they’re coming to tell him about their new powers. But to take that thought a step further, this is probably more about how Scott felt helpless in an unsafe world after what happened to Carly (and his legs? If that’s the same incident). We’re probably about to learn that he got over the incident because he felt safer having superheroes around in Ethan and Lucas. And being the designer of their gadgets and influencer of their actions, maybe he even felt some measure of control over them, which made him feel safe again. That face in the last panel… Read more »

Stef
Stef
2 years ago
Reply to  Darkening

right, yeah, makes sense. It’s just that when I see a shaved face, then the same face with a beard, I assume a lot of time has passed, rather than it being a flashback.

CTOWNS
CTOWNS
2 years ago
Reply to  Stef

I can’t figure out why your post was downvoted lol

Jack0r
Jack0r
2 years ago
Reply to  Groober

True, it being a flashback does make sense. He was in a much darker place before.

Amosho
Amosho
2 years ago

Shit… That’s not where I expected this panel to go.

GUNnibal
GUNnibal
2 years ago

My eyesight being what it is, I thought the object on his lap was a medical chart of some kind first. After enough zooming I finally figured it’s a picture of him and Carlie. Makes so much more sense.

Jack0r
Jack0r
2 years ago
Reply to  GUNnibal

Oh, thanks, I didn’t catch that either^^

The Legacy
The Legacy
2 years ago
Reply to  GUNnibal

Another small detail is his beard; looks like its been at least a week since leaving his room. Yikes…

David
David
2 years ago
Reply to  The Legacy

It’s a flashback to after Carlie’s death I’m fairly sure.

Groober
Groober
2 years ago

For those in the UK here’s the Samaritans details. Don’t struggle alone.

Free number 116123
Email [email protected]
https://www.samaritans.org/

Stef
Stef
2 years ago

Wait, what? Is this suddenly a timeskip?

Vincent Price
Vincent Price
2 years ago
Reply to  Stef

Trust me, you’re going to love this. What you’re seeing now is a reverse timeskip, or you could just call this a flashback.

Jack0r
Jack0r
2 years ago
Reply to  Vincent Price

Judging by the beard, some time must have passed, either in the future or in the past.

ocramot
ocramot
2 years ago
Reply to  Jack0r

I assume he spent some time in depression and didn’t bother to get a proper shaving.

Last edited 2 years ago by ocramot
Jack0r
Jack0r
2 years ago
Reply to  ocramot

Yeah, I just meantn that there is more than a day between frame 1 and 3, either into the future or the past.

BioYuGi
BioYuGi
2 years ago
Reply to  Jack0r

I’m not entirely sure if you’re kidding, but it feels obvious to me. This is clearly some time after he had the accident that killed Ethan’s sister and paralyzed him, and it’s the next day after Ethan and Lucas found out they had superpowers. It’s a flashback.

Gonfrask
Gonfrask
2 years ago

“they can bring the dead back?”
“Well, in some sense…”

It would be quite scary to discover than he is helping Ethan to see if he can replicate his “superhero” event and give extra lifes to other ones…

Last edited 2 years ago by Gonfrask
Killiak
Killiak
2 years ago
Reply to  Gonfrask

That would be very much like the Scott I have come to dislike.

Jesse
Jesse
2 years ago
Reply to  Gonfrask

That is a badass idea, you made my day regardless of whether or not that’s actually the storyline

Gonfrask
Gonfrask
2 years ago
Reply to  Jesse

I can make it even darker. Scott finally is able to replicate the process and use it in her sister, but one thing he doesn’t consider is the effect in the mind.
Always calling Ethan immature is in fact what keep him sane after each respawn incident, his…more volatile, childish mind allow him to process each death easier. Sadly, is not the same for her sister, she can’t bear it, and of course this lead to even darker plotstories…

7eggert
7eggert
2 years ago
Reply to  Gonfrask

That’s a monkey’s paw wish

Gonfrask
Gonfrask
2 years ago
Reply to  7eggert

Pet sematary? Never heard of it ?

??

Karrde
Karrde
2 years ago

omg, he’s just like me

Kelenius
Kelenius
2 years ago

That’s one hell of a tonal shift. From a silly comic about superheroes and robots to a suicide attempt.

Rolando
Rolando
2 years ago
Reply to  Kelenius

Some of the best dramatic/dark moments I’ve seen in fiction, happened in usually comedic/silly/shallow stories.

The contrast can be quite effective.

That’s how I see it, at least

Devilboy
Devilboy
2 years ago
Reply to  Kelenius

If you think the tone of this story has been lighthearted and silly all the time, you’ve not been paying attention.

robloughrey
robloughrey
2 years ago
Reply to  Kelenius

You thought it was a silly comic about superheroes? yeah there are some gags along the way (particularly the one page shots that don’t really fall into the continuity) but this is much more a drama than a comedy.

Brendan Keating
Brendan Keating
2 years ago
Reply to  Kelenius

This isn’t exactly “Loss” over here. We just had a full arc covering free will and mental enslavement. We watched a character agonize over being involved in the death of a villain. If you think this has been fun and light hearted, either you have some very particular hobbies, or you haven’t been paying attention.

James Kite
James Kite
2 years ago

When a friend and I saw Hannibal in theatres, at one point we were both laughing and couldn’t stop, we were a tad hysterical…I suspect those around us thought we had some ..very particular hobbies.

(Eating of brains was involved of the scene in question)

Alex
Alex
2 years ago

One information that i dont Remember, do we know if Scott was on wheelchair even before the incident of Charlie or he was wounded there?

The Legacy
The Legacy
2 years ago
Reply to  Alex

If I recall earlier strips correctly, I believe one of the characters mentioned the Scott was paralyzed during his attempt to protect Carlie.

Aegyuptus
Aegyuptus
2 years ago
Reply to  Alex

I believe he was paralyzed in the accident that killed his sister.

GIE
GIE
2 years ago

In the UK you can call Samaritans at 116 123, or the national suicide helpline at 0800 689 5652.

TheSnowedOne
TheSnowedOne
2 years ago

Been there where Scott is a couple of times in my life; not a good headspace to live in. Also, it is a really hard thing to be honest to friends about. Things are definitely going to be interesting for a bit.

Rolando
Rolando
2 years ago

Yeah, I think some here suspected this was a part of Scott’s past. For those that didn’t see it coming… That’s how it works. Even in fiction, even with hints, those ideas just don’t usually show up in the minds of most. It’s the kind of thing that most often requires some knowledge/experience in the matter, to even consider as a possibility. I don’t expect people in general, to have full and ready awareness on this. What people in general can do to help, is not add to THE STIGMA when the topic arises. The stigma behind suicide, and also… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Rolando
FireballDragon
FireballDragon
2 years ago

At least it works better in the context of this story than “gamer jokes, gamer jokes, OMG sudden miscarriage!”

Aegyuptus
Aegyuptus
2 years ago
Reply to  FireballDragon

Not the time or place, my dude.

Hunter
Hunter
2 years ago
Reply to  FireballDragon

It’s been over a decade, Tim explained his reasoning at the time, are you incapable of getting over anything in your life?

Jack0r
Jack0r
2 years ago
Reply to  Hunter

I didn’t have any problems with the “loss” storyline. I think it was quite effective.

Do you have a link to where Tim talked about the reasoning?

FireballDragon
FireballDragon
2 years ago
Reply to  FireballDragon

I’m sorry, my previous comment was totally out of line. I ended up stooping to the level of single-digit-aged midwestern suburbanite brats whose mental capacity is limited only to memes and nothing more. This is a very well-done portrayal of struggling with suicidal temptation, and I’m beyond sorry that I tried to twist it into a joke. I’d say it’s the fault of the brats I mentioned before indirectly influencing me to do that, but that’d be like blaming violent video games for violent behavior. Once again, I am truly sorry.

The Legacy
The Legacy
2 years ago
Reply to  FireballDragon

I appreciate the apology. I wish more people have the guts to apologize for stuff like that.

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
2 years ago
Reply to  The Legacy

Genuine apologies on the Internet are so rare, I’m still not 100% sure that FireballDragon didn’t just horribly misspell “LOL STFU NOOB.”

Last edited 2 years ago by Eldest Gruff
FireballDragon
FireballDragon
2 years ago
Reply to  Eldest Gruff

I really am sorry. If I weren’t, I would’ve said something like “Lighten up, it was just a joke, don’t take it so seriously,” like dozens of hundreds of cowardly incels on the internet do all the time. I know full well that genuine apologies on the internet are rare, and that’s part of why my apology was so long; I wanted to fully showcase that I have the capacity to own up to my mistakes. I am saying this as legitimately as possible: If we were talking IRL, I would give you full permission to slap me in the… Read more »

Jesse
Jesse
2 years ago
Reply to  FireballDragon

Dude, don’t be a dick

FireballDragon
FireballDragon
2 years ago
Reply to  Jesse

You’re right, I was a dick, I was acting just like an 8-year-old on FunnyJunk, and I’m sorry.

Last edited 2 years ago by FireballDragon
Mike The Limey
Mike The Limey
2 years ago

I’ve been there – looking at bottle of whisky & a month’s supply of codeine.
It’s pretty damn’ dark when you get that low but I found enough light to find my way back up.

Lrbearclaw
Lrbearclaw
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike The Limey

And once you been that low, it is so easy to slip back to it.

Keep fighting, you’re worth it.

GlitcherGirl
GlitcherGirl
2 years ago

Thank you Tim.
For not taking the easy path and making this a joke comic instead.
For letting characters have feelings. Even when they don’t make us comfortable to know about it.

The Legacy
The Legacy
2 years ago
Reply to  GlitcherGirl

I think this is one of the key reasons why Tim did the reboot; he wanted to do a complete tonal change, but you can’t really do that with an existing continuity that has a completely different expectation. It’s really paid off, in my opinion.

Last edited 2 years ago by The Legacy
Kaogen
Kaogen
2 years ago

If you live down under, the number for a helpline is 13 11 14

Last edited 2 years ago by Kaogen
Brendan Keating
Brendan Keating
2 years ago

I’m really glad you’re getting to explore a mature, honest narrative in this structure, and I’m all in.

Christopher
Christopher
2 years ago

This turn, considering what Lucas said in the previous page, makes me really wonder if they aren’t coming at things from different places. Ethan and Lucas want to protect people whereas Scott focused his internal feelings on an external source… “stop the bad guys”. Two different philosophies that can seem identical, but for certain specific things- like Zeke.

_BartoCurry
_BartoCurry
2 years ago

Whew. This got real grim. I’m ready for more. The storytelling is fantastic Tim

Dodgy
Dodgy
2 years ago

Hrm. Different shirt, different beard. Tim might be playing with the timelines.

Henchman Twenty1
Henchman Twenty1
2 years ago

Or maybe Scott actually did take the pills, fell into a coma and has been there ever since, and all the crazy stuff that’s happened since has all been just a drea… wait, wait, nooo. Tim writes this comic, not M. Night Shyamalamalan.

Scott
Scott
2 years ago

“How to Completely Ruin a Storyline One Has Worked so Hard to Build”

You did make me laugh though 🙂

Last edited 2 years ago by Scott
Smith
Smith
2 years ago

As a person with Depression, this actually makes me think for a moment about our little respawning hero. He can’t even do that. As far as we know, he has endless extra lives. He’ll just keep coming back, watching everyone he loves die, watching everyone he cares about fade away into obscurity while he continues to respawn. Unless old age actually gets him, he’s stuck in place.

tgrizz
tgrizz
2 years ago
Reply to  Smith

I have been kept up at night spiraling, thinking about what would happen to Ethan if he gets old. like, at what point does he respawn? His last “healthy” state? so, before the cancer comes or when he was feeling ok and it hadn’t hit him yet? Would there be a point that his death and respawn would become so close he would fall into a loop of death-respawn with pain and memory forever? How would the powers react to something natural, like old age, dementia, stroke? If he dies due to those, what time does he go back to… Read more »

Chernabog42
Chernabog42
2 years ago

To be honest, I’m not quite sure where he’s going with this, but I appreciate the message below for those who need it.

william scott
william scott
2 years ago

nice work adding the suicide awareness links. comics like this can hit hard to vulnerable so i appreciate that.

Jsn
Jsn
2 years ago

The awareness towards suicide prevention I really thankful you did that. Suicide doesn’t just effect the one it effects everyone there connected to.

Depressed, lonely, any other mental disorder. There is help, have the courage to seek it out.

stuff
stuff
2 years ago

well, that escalated somehow quickly – can’t really figure out the time lapse. Could be a week, could be a year. Hoping for some good friend/destiny stuff

Blitz
Blitz
2 years ago

Class act Tim

Bryan Province
Bryan Province
2 years ago

Thank you for addressing this. You may have saved a life of someone reading this.

mat
mat
2 years ago

For Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14

Rex
Rex
2 years ago

Poor guy, Judging by the facial hair, probably a few weeks of stewing with those thoughts to get to that point… Can’t say I’ve gotten that far, but I’ve definitely spiraled like that before.

Snowfae
Snowfae
2 years ago

*clears throat, takes a breath*

JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESUS! 8U

help me
help me
2 years ago

I hate this… I did not need to cry first thing in the morning. The difference between me and Scott is that no-one would knock on my door. Been a rough couple of months and think of it every damn day

7eggert
7eggert
2 years ago
Reply to  help me

The chance of someone getting super-powers to talk about is pretty low, too. Usually we are busy beyond our threshold and everybody is just happy to have some moments alone.

I’ve been where you are, the most important thing was knowing that I could decide about it later and to set goals that I’d want to experience. Eventually things got better, in my case I found God and my body got better.

ApologizingAheadOfTime
ApologizingAheadOfTime
2 years ago

I mean, he won’t know if he doesn’t have a variant of Ethan’s powers, or the ability to mimic other’s, if he doesn’t do controlled testing…..

Last edited 2 years ago by ApologizingAheadOfTime
Bubble181
Bubble181
2 years ago

For people who need to talk about it or have questions:

In Belgium -> 1813
In the Netherlands -> 113
In Switzerland -> 143
In France -> 3114
In Germany -> 1813

Deathpaw
Deathpaw
2 years ago

Thank you for the mental health alert and awareness comic.

South Africa Help Line: 0800 567 567

Kasaix
Kasaix
2 years ago

Has it ever been confirmed that they caught the guy who shot Carlie and Scott?

GeorgeV
GeorgeV
2 years ago
Reply to  Kasaix

Was it ever confirmed they were shot? I can’t remember ever getting specifics about the incident.

Helldemon
Helldemon
2 years ago
Reply to  GeorgeV

Iirc scott got shot trying to save Carlie, may have been a robbery?

Kasaix
Kasaix
2 years ago
Reply to  Helldemon

Yeah, a guy jumped out to rob them. Scott stepped in the way to take the bullet, but it passed through and hit Carlie. She died, and he was left in a wheelchair.

DeathUriel
DeathUriel
2 years ago

If he did ever try. Please avoid making that graphical.
I once read that showing suicide induces suicide for the suicidal for some reason.

If that is fake news, feel free to correct me. I remember this being the reason Netflix decided to remove the suicide scene from 13 Reasons Why, which was full on visual originally.

Helldemon
Helldemon
2 years ago
Reply to  DeathUriel

Idk if what you read was true but some people claimed the way Netflix shot the scene romanticized(?) suicide. So that could have been the reason it was removed though plenty of people claimed they didn’t.

DeathUriel
DeathUriel
2 years ago
Reply to  Helldemon

That’s a fair point. But I would argue that the rest of the first season (droped after it) would be the true romatization of suicide. Like literally the whole point of the thing, was showing how effective her idea was and how people suffered and/or could be held accountable for what they did to her. I mean, the whole thing is basically a suicidal’s wet dream, “I will kill myself and everyone will pay for what they did to me”. So, if it was that it would more or less reason to cancel the whole thing. Personally I don’t think… Read more »

Eldest Gruff
Eldest Gruff
2 years ago
Reply to  DeathUriel

I don’t know much about Netflix, but I know a little about what DeathUriel is talking about. There is a noted “copycat effect” that happens whenever suicide comes up in media. It’s strongest when it happens in real life, with publicly known people (like celebrities), but also does happen sometimes with fictional characters. That’s why the “Content Warning” is so common to put on things like this – it needs a warning. On the flipside, asking someone directly if they’re contemplating suicide is far more likely to prevent it than anything else. Many people wouldn’t dream of asking a friend… Read more »

MSM007
MSM007
2 years ago

Woah…. so the only reason he didn’t end up killing himself is because they got super powers?

7eggert
7eggert
2 years ago
Reply to  MSM007

It was a coincidence, but yes.

Tyler
Tyler
2 years ago

FYI,

For Canadians who are in need, the Suicide Prevention Service phone # is also available 24/7 at

(833) 456-4566

Phaet
Phaet
2 years ago

If it wasn’t for that warning I wouldn’t have figured out it’s about suicide.

7eggert
7eggert
2 years ago
Reply to  Phaet

Was the content warning there from the beginning? Am I really that good at skipping to the comic?

Naomi
Naomi
2 years ago
Reply to  7eggert

I don’t think the part at the top was there when it was first posted. The part with the phone number underneath it was there, though.

Naomi
Naomi
2 years ago
Reply to  Tim

Ah, sorry for my previous comment, then! I guess it caught me off-guard enough that it disappeared out of my memory. ?

The Legacy
The Legacy
2 years ago

Previous post, I thought he was going to double down. But now I feel like he realizes he was wrong, and doesn’t like what he became. And knowing what happened with Carly, he’s struggling to live with himself.

In some respects, I can relate to that.

Salty
Salty
2 years ago

Appreciate the callout, and people will always take a serious twist or topic negatively even handled with care as it was here. For future reference, medically its called “suicidal ideation” if you were struggling to find an appropriate term to use.

Merida
Merida
2 years ago

How does facial hair work? Did he sit there for days or just overnight?

Russ
Russ
2 years ago

This feels like we went back in time. To when his sister died and the guys just got their powers.

Jaymes Buckman
Jaymes Buckman
2 years ago

Apparently, I missed the last panel on Wednesday and only realized when today’s started in a way that confused me. XD

omg omg
omg omg
2 years ago

http://www.i-mockery.com/re/
it is a first hand heartbreaking story about surviving the suicide of a loved one. This guy is so brave, I truly admire him.