The fact that Zeke is at least willing to hold off from breaking Ethan to talk for a minute definitely shows improvement. I feel like there would have been a point early on when he’d go straight to kill.
So would the improvement be if he refrained and thus legitemized Ethan’s harmful stupidity (if it had been one of the humans, they’d be maimed or dead and Ethan would be in jail)? Or if he applied some frontier justice for Ethan to pay for his negligent maiming?
Or, in a more amusing twist of fate, call the cops on Ethan for assault. Of course, the world outside the game store would probably see Zeke as property or a threat with no rights.
So really, Ethan never really has to account for his horrific bumbling.
He’s much like a psychopath – no empathy. If he harms Ethan for what was clearly an accident, he’d be jailed in the real world were he a person. Of course, if the guys had blown up his head previously, he’d not be continuing to be a hazard to their wellbeing and perhaps others. I realize it’s a comic and it is exploring the issues in such situations. In the real world, at least where I live, there tends to be very little wiggle room if you threaten or injure someone. The fact they can come back again probably wouldn’t… Read more »
In his defense, Ethan will come back in his starting condition, they can’t fix his eye. Maybe Scott can but I doubt he’d be willing to with their last fail safe discussion.
Something like this came up int he Order of the Stick. Two high level clerics had a relationship and the man jilted the female. Later on he tried to make up and she dropped a flame strike on him and killed him. She then resurrected him, and when he complained that breaking someones heart isnt the same as killing them, she replied “Of course it isn’t you can’t fix a broken heart with a 10 minute spell.”
Zeke knows Ethan is an exception to the “maiming or killing = permanent” thing that makes hurting humans so bad. Ethan clearly deals with the pain quite well too, trauma-wise. Even if he claims it’s not as easy as it looks.
So, Zeke’s murderous boasting remains safer than it sounds.
(Ethan hasn’t been exposed to actual torture yet, though.)
Also, it’s a good time to learn about how remaining ethical/true to yourself/whatever, is way trickier when you’re seeing red (pun intended).
Last edited 2 years ago by Rolando
Me-me
2 years ago
Zeke is lucky this wasn’t Lucas that had an accident. Lucas would have fought back and led Zeke outside (which would have caused him to go boom). Scott would have just detonated the bomb himself.
True. Ethan clearly is less concerned about his health, thanks to both his power and well… Being Ethan xD Also, he clearly has a BIG soft spot for ZK. Lucas would probably react MUCH more aggressively, because he’s sort of the opposite. Vulnerable, far more sensible, and far less trusting. But, in said scenario, ZK may see reason and realise Lucas is way more dangerous to him for all those reasons. And because his power has serious offensive capabilities. All Lucas would need to do, would be to wave one hand and a huge arrow would at the very least… Read more »
Hmm, Ethan has an ability that repairs him at will if he dies.
Zeke has no such ability, and repairing him will take time, effort, and an expenditure of undefined resources.
Therefore….murdering Ethan for accidental damage to his body might not be as unjust as one might think.
Funky T
2 years ago
I bet Ethan will fix him and find the bom still there
Mr_Meng
2 years ago
If according to Zeke every action has an equal and opposite reaction then doesn’t that mean that Ethan should be allowed to kill Zeke since Zeke killed Ethan a couple of times already?
Last edited 2 years ago by Mr_Meng
Kaitensatsuma
2 years ago
Putting the fear of Zeke into Ethan
Greevar
2 years ago
Zeke is like a child. It clearly hasn’t had the time to develop socially and emotionally. Pairing something as emotionally underdeveloped as a child with the lethal power of a killer robot is going to make Zeke’s progress difficult. It will need to develop some compassion and humility if it wants to have a place in the world. Otherwise, Zeke will either end up destroyed or alone.
Whatever
2 years ago
I miss the old Zeke, idle threats of dismemberment, rather than actual violence unless provoked.
_BartoCurry
2 years ago
It’s really cool to see how expressive ZK is. You can see his emotions clearly. Even without the red haha
Smiffwilm
2 years ago
It’s always about the optics, huh?
Crestlinger
2 years ago
Just had an Avatar cabbage merchant moment:
Banned twitch streamers: ‘My optics’
James
2 years ago
Love that there is a glimmer of blue in the bottom of his eye. Like a small amount of “Calm” Zeke is always there and trying to come through.
EDIT. It’s actually his eye cover/plate/screen/whatever, its still an inert purple though.
Last edited 2 years ago by Dr.Synth
Acher4
2 years ago
this is a bit (a lot) horrifying. :O
The Riddler
2 years ago
Hm – am I the only one that’s kind of tired of Ethan being such a doormat for Zeke? When is he going to get some backbone? It’d be nice if Zeke went too far once and injured Ethan and they got in a fight where Zeke clearly won in kills but came away with cracks and damage and Ethan said, “That make you feel better? I’m the same as I was when we started … but your damage will last forever unless I help to repair you. Now who’s superior?” Ethan doesn’t have to always and forever put up… Read more »
Last edited 2 years ago by The Riddler
Anonymous
2 years ago
Hope he doesn’t go for an internet search… ending up on ‘An eye for an eye’ as a human custom would be an easy conclusion to find and reach.
24
The fact that Zeke is at least willing to hold off from breaking Ethan to talk for a minute definitely shows improvement. I feel like there would have been a point early on when he’d go straight to kill.
Oh ya. He was going for it but probably wanted to hear Ethans response, for a variety of possible reasons, first but did let him talk. Progress.
didn’t he always have a penchant for chatting before/during battle..?
Yup. Always been chatty. This is nothing new. The improvement will be if he actually hurts Ethan or not.
So would the improvement be if he refrained and thus legitemized Ethan’s harmful stupidity (if it had been one of the humans, they’d be maimed or dead and Ethan would be in jail)? Or if he applied some frontier justice for Ethan to pay for his negligent maiming?
Or, in a more amusing twist of fate, call the cops on Ethan for assault. Of course, the world outside the game store would probably see Zeke as property or a threat with no rights.
So really, Ethan never really has to account for his horrific bumbling.
He’s much like a psychopath – no empathy. If he harms Ethan for what was clearly an accident, he’d be jailed in the real world were he a person. Of course, if the guys had blown up his head previously, he’d not be continuing to be a hazard to their wellbeing and perhaps others. I realize it’s a comic and it is exploring the issues in such situations. In the real world, at least where I live, there tends to be very little wiggle room if you threaten or injure someone. The fact they can come back again probably wouldn’t… Read more »
heh, ethan can take it
five times no less.
Restorative justice, indeed.
ReSPAWNING justice.
In his defense, Ethan will come back in his starting condition, they can’t fix his eye. Maybe Scott can but I doubt he’d be willing to with their last fail safe discussion.
Something like this came up int he Order of the Stick. Two high level clerics had a relationship and the man jilted the female. Later on he tried to make up and she dropped a flame strike on him and killed him. She then resurrected him, and when he complained that breaking someones heart isnt the same as killing them, she replied “Of course it isn’t you can’t fix a broken heart with a 10 minute spell.”
I remember that part. It’s the same thing where if you can afford the fine, you can do whatever.
In the old system, that’d have cost her a CON point.
Zeke could if he was able to start the robot revolution
I think Zeke can fix it and possibly dig around and find an extra “improvement” he might not have been aware of.
Ok, time out. First checking the dark web how much is an eye and then check Zeke components, so the comparative will be correct
Doe0snt matter since Zeke just wants revenge
Zeke knows Ethan is an exception to the “maiming or killing = permanent” thing that makes hurting humans so bad. Ethan clearly deals with the pain quite well too, trauma-wise. Even if he claims it’s not as easy as it looks.
So, Zeke’s murderous boasting remains safer than it sounds.
(Ethan hasn’t been exposed to actual torture yet, though.)
Also, it’s a good time to learn about how remaining ethical/true to yourself/whatever, is way trickier when you’re seeing red (pun intended).
Zeke is lucky this wasn’t Lucas that had an accident. Lucas would have fought back and led Zeke outside (which would have caused him to go boom). Scott would have just detonated the bomb himself.
I am trying to remember if they didn’t actually disable that failsafe after Lucas discussed that topic with Scott….
I can’t remember either. Can someone jog our memories with cites and references to previous strips?
I think Scott may have said or implied that he disabled it, but elsewhere we saw that it is still very much active.
We didn’t *see* anything, but Scott’s wording was very open ended. Just that Lucas didn’t have to worry about it anymore.
True. Ethan clearly is less concerned about his health, thanks to both his power and well… Being Ethan xD Also, he clearly has a BIG soft spot for ZK. Lucas would probably react MUCH more aggressively, because he’s sort of the opposite. Vulnerable, far more sensible, and far less trusting. But, in said scenario, ZK may see reason and realise Lucas is way more dangerous to him for all those reasons. And because his power has serious offensive capabilities. All Lucas would need to do, would be to wave one hand and a huge arrow would at the very least… Read more »
What’s he complaining about?? He can regenerate!
Allowing Zeke to over-indulge on punishment now will encourage doing the same to anyone else.
I mean it still hurts when it happens. I may regenerate from a cut across the cheek with a knife but I’ll still freak out to try to prevent it.
Your knife isn’t sharp enough, then.
Forget ethics, he’s just a megalomaniac
Aren’t we all? Muahahahaha …
Hmm, Ethan has an ability that repairs him at will if he dies.
Zeke has no such ability, and repairing him will take time, effort, and an expenditure of undefined resources.
Therefore….murdering Ethan for accidental damage to his body might not be as unjust as one might think.
I bet Ethan will fix him and find the bom still there
If according to Zeke every action has an equal and opposite reaction then doesn’t that mean that Ethan should be allowed to kill Zeke since Zeke killed Ethan a couple of times already?
Putting the fear of Zeke into Ethan
Zeke is like a child. It clearly hasn’t had the time to develop socially and emotionally. Pairing something as emotionally underdeveloped as a child with the lethal power of a killer robot is going to make Zeke’s progress difficult. It will need to develop some compassion and humility if it wants to have a place in the world. Otherwise, Zeke will either end up destroyed or alone.
I miss the old Zeke, idle threats of dismemberment, rather than actual violence unless provoked.
It’s really cool to see how expressive ZK is. You can see his emotions clearly. Even without the red haha
It’s always about the optics, huh?
Just had an Avatar cabbage merchant moment:
Banned twitch streamers: ‘My optics’
Love that there is a glimmer of blue in the bottom of his eye. Like a small amount of “Calm” Zeke is always there and trying to come through.
That is purple wiring.
EDIT. It’s actually his eye cover/plate/screen/whatever, its still an inert purple though.
this is a bit (a lot) horrifying. :O
Hm – am I the only one that’s kind of tired of Ethan being such a doormat for Zeke? When is he going to get some backbone? It’d be nice if Zeke went too far once and injured Ethan and they got in a fight where Zeke clearly won in kills but came away with cracks and damage and Ethan said, “That make you feel better? I’m the same as I was when we started … but your damage will last forever unless I help to repair you. Now who’s superior?” Ethan doesn’t have to always and forever put up… Read more »
Hope he doesn’t go for an internet search… ending up on ‘An eye for an eye’ as a human custom would be an easy conclusion to find and reach.