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24

Surrender, p17

January 8, 2024 by Tim


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cocovan
cocovan
9 months ago

first time commenter

Jedi
Jedi
9 months ago

Ah, pure, regular Ethan. Nothing to see here, citizen, move along …

John
John
9 months ago

This will be interesting. Having lived, for a few years?, without a concept of death or permanent injury for the self and suddenly having that crash back down would be life altering. I really hope it was BS from the start but even if not im assuming it will eventually be reversed.

Zanquis
Zanquis
9 months ago
Reply to  John

Even worse, using death as a way to recover from any injury or illness.
Got a cold? Force a respawn.
A minor cut? Force a respawn.

TheRealMalakor
TheRealMalakor
9 months ago
Reply to  Zanquis

The Cold wouldn’t vanish, i think.
Wasn’t it mentioned that the previous version would just respawn? And it was just a few minutes ago? Or hours?
If so, the Virus would still be in him, i would think.

Not That Brian
Not That Brian
9 months ago
Reply to  TheRealMalakor

It was established he respawns to a healthy state.

If he respawns while for example suffering blood loss, the blood disappears and respawns with him.

If however he had a bunch of blood taken and had a chance to recover from that regularly, then when he respawns, the blood taken remains. This was tested a couple years back when he tried to sell his blood for a video card IIRC

Snark
Snark
9 months ago
Reply to  Not That Brian

“Last Known Good Configuration” restore.
But it is still an interesting question, what backup policy is used – Full Backups, Full plus Differentials or Incrementals?
Who decides what actually is a last known good config? Gods of Gaming? Ethan’s subconsciousness?

John
John
9 months ago
Reply to  Snark

This is something I have wondered in regards to aging. At what point does natural aging simply make him not healthy thus it would lock his respawn point suddenly and he could never move past there. I dont think they ever implied he looses memories between these points tho but i dono, memories are part of ones body so they should restore aswell…
Tho magic is magic.

Richard II Weatherfield
Richard II Weatherfield
9 months ago
Reply to  TheRealMalakor

He respawns to his last “healthy” state. I don’t think having a cold qualifies as healthy.

Diogo
Diogo
9 months ago

So that only counts as physically healthy, because mentally, that ship sailed a long time ago and never made the trip back.

JozMk.II
JozMk.II
9 months ago

Whether that green goo really did what he said or not, sadly the Troll is winning again..

Daniel
Daniel
9 months ago
Reply to  JozMk.II

Well, jokes on him. Now that Ethan is permanently off the super business (until proven wrong), he can hang out with Lilah without dangering her job

Urainkhali
Urainkhali
9 months ago

Ok. This… will be a “mistake in hindsight”.

Jacob
Jacob
9 months ago
Reply to  Urainkhali

Or he becomes an actual Batman analogue… a joke that lands better when spoken than written.

D00d
D00d
9 months ago
Reply to  Jacob

Well played, I see what you did there.

Jin
Jin
9 months ago

I’mma be honest here. Lucas is taking a massive risk with his friend’s life. Troll or not, there’s enough elements in that city to make the threat plausible. Of course, It could be that if there’s actually a serum to nuke superpowers, it would already be known ages ago and be used against more iconic superheroes by villains with far, far more resources (Or really, by the city itself to put a cap on the escalation). It could be specific only to certain heroes, like Ethan, but there would probably already have been a few cases. That said, I would… Read more »

Groober
Groober
9 months ago
Reply to  Jin

I did wonder if any of the super nerds were going to scroll back through the old episodes to see if there were references to minor superheroes losing their powers. Chekhov’s gun-style.

Vukodlak
Vukodlak
9 months ago
Reply to  Groober

There is not, it’d have been brought up already if there had been.

Techbender
Techbender
9 months ago
Reply to  Groober

Um actually, the correct term is ‘Turbo Nerd’.

Jaysburn
Jaysburn
9 months ago
Reply to  Groober

There aren’t any.

James
James
9 months ago
Reply to  Jin

Might be that it has something to do with how Ethan and Lucas got their powers. If memory serves, it involved a serum of some kind being broken over them and them being zapped by an arcade machine. So it might not be a universal cure, just bespoke to them?

Brad
Brad
9 months ago
Reply to  James

A guy barged in and bumped into Lucas and a vile of green goo broke on the floor where they were standing, then lightning stuck.

The green goo is definitely something known about, at least to some of the bad guys it seems.

ears
ears
9 months ago
Reply to  James

Welp, you sent me on a binge through the series. Of course, I couldn’t just read one page. For anyone interested, June 4th-5th, 2016

Eric the White
Eric the White
9 months ago
Reply to  Jin

Frankly though Ethan needs this. The Troll and the heroes don’t get it yet but this is going to help Ethan. Ethan’s in the exact same spot he is right now as he was before the shot. They don’t really know what the limit on his deaths are. They never really know if he will come back. His powers are video game based. Question is is it a game with a number of lives or can you respawn forever? They don’t know and never have. This will make him a bit more careful, and that’s a good thing. Eventually his… Read more »

Pajuka
Pajuka
9 months ago
Reply to  Jin

I feel like there should be doctors and medical staff aimed directly at supers. Like I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of cases where a hero’s powers might add enough complications to warrant more specialized treatment.

If so, they might know what to look for in terms of power nullification or if Ethan has actually lost his powers. You know… without destructive testing Ethan.

Thorongil BlackHeart
Thorongil BlackHeart
9 months ago

I get that this is going to be a long and hard time for Ethan, but at least I am relieved that we’re getting just a bit of comedic value out of it.

Daniel
Daniel
9 months ago

Well, lords and ladies, unless I read it wrong, seems like the only way to end this situation is for Ethan to self-sacrifice trying to save someone, which is a great plot opportunity since this arc is probably the only time that Ethan will be able to really risk himself heroically for someone that’s important to him. So bets: Who will it be? Will it be Lilah, so she will grow fond of him, and maybe reveal his secret identity (by mistake, no doubt)? Or will they be zeke, so the act will defuse whatever horrible plan that they’re up… Read more »

GUNnibal
GUNnibal
9 months ago
Reply to  Daniel

Interesting thought. I would probably say ZK but that’s just my bias talking.
I also think it could feasibly be Scott. I assume if ZK wants revenge on the meat bags that kept them imprisoned and eventually deceived them, they would probably make Scott the primary target, since he has the knowledge and skill to bring ZK down with code. So, if ZK attacks Scott (whether personally or via other murder bots), Ethan may have that opportunity to do a selfless sacrifice.

Timmeh
Timmeh
9 months ago
Reply to  GUNnibal

which would help ZK be reflective of their actions! I like it

Esc
Esc
9 months ago
Reply to  Daniel

I’m surprised you think Ethan is even going to be going out supering any more. He’s benched.

Jaysburn
Jaysburn
9 months ago
Reply to  Esc

He doesn’t need to be in the midst of “supering” to save someone.

Bethany
Bethany
9 months ago

The background change between panels 1 and 2 is a bit distracting

A different Tim
A different Tim
9 months ago
Reply to  Bethany

Judging by the angle of the floorboards, it’s just a different perspective. We’re seeing different walls in those two panels.

Jedi
Jedi
9 months ago

You even see a bit of the brickwall on panel 2.

Del Cox
Del Cox
9 months ago

To be fair, Ethan’s got a terrible road in front of him. He’d pretty much written out his instinctual survival instinct, so now he has to rely on a conscious one…while trying to tell himself nothing’s changed. Imagine being told you have to breathe manually now or die instantly if you wait too long. Or, you know, maaaybe you won’t. Poor bastard’s going to be in a loop of overcompensation.

Last edited 9 months ago by Del Cox
B B
B B
9 months ago
Reply to  Del Cox

Plus he’s already known to be preternaturally clumsy. This is a guy who managed to kill himself trying to grab a box off a shelf. Hard corners are a real concern at this point.

SuperExoticShrub
SuperExoticShrub
9 months ago
Reply to  B B

But you have to wonder if he only died getting that box because of an unconscious knowledge that extra risky maneuvers aren’t really risky.

Jack S
Jack S
9 months ago

This is where Ethan will prove he is a true hero, something will happen, he will be there by chance, knowing it will kill him he will make a decision which will save lives. It will be witnessed by other heroes, who were unable to act quick enough. Ethan didn’t know when he made his decision, but it was all a hoax. He simply acted for others before himself, which is what everyone sees. When he respawns, which for dramatic effect, will be a few strips later, maybe even as a cliffhanger (think Glenn from walking dead), he will be… Read more »

some guy
some guy
9 months ago

As a veteran save-scummer, I know how terrifying it is to switch to permadeath mode. So I can completely, absolutely, 100% relate to Ethan here!

Steve
Steve
9 months ago
Reply to  some guy

Instead of Analog and D-Pad, or Cape Boy and Arrow Guy, perhaps they could have been… Save-Scummer and Floating Pointer!

Eodyne
Eodyne
9 months ago

Ethan shall become “Bubble Wrap Man”

El_
El_
9 months ago

More secrets between them. It comes from a good place but Ethan may not take it that way if he finds out. Of course, it could also turn into a non event.

SteelX
SteelX
9 months ago

I don’t think he really “cured” his superpowers. He could’ve…put something else in him for somer reason.

foducool
foducool
9 months ago

ahahah gonna babyproof the whole place
that said, for someone as accident prone as ethan, it might not be such a bad idea…

Hizoomi
Hizoomi
9 months ago

♫♩ It’s a death trap
It’s a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we’re young… ♬♪

Pyre
Pyre
9 months ago

As others have said, this is probably a good thing. While Ethan has had some discussions on his fear of death, this is still the guy who will slit his own throat just so he can play Eternal Darkness. Lucas also swings between the “limited lives” being a concern and “giant arrow cuts you in half” shenanigans.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out as well as how it plays out against other media (example: Highlander The Series) that have discussed the concept of using immortality to push limits that you would normally not push.

MarthKoopa
MarthKoopa
9 months ago

I don’t get the point of being secretive over testing the goop

RblDiver
RblDiver
9 months ago
Reply to  MarthKoopa

Lucas assured Ethan that it was the Troll just trolling. If he were to suddenly be open about testing the goop, Ethan would be even more freaked out that Lucas isn’t 100% sure that it’s just a troll. Further, if Scott tested it and declared it safe, Ethan would think that the Troll just made it so that it couldn’t be tested, even further trolling. We’d quickly get into trollception territory.

Verdiekus
Verdiekus
9 months ago

Ethan thinking about his actions ahead of time? Be still my beating heart!

Vukodlak
Vukodlak
9 months ago

It’d be ironic if Ethan was so freaked out about his powers not working he had a heart attack and respawned.

Damien
Damien
9 months ago

This is reminding me of Twice from MHA and how he was afraid to ever take too much damage incase he was one of the clones and died.

Extreme
Extreme
9 months ago

It’ll be interesting to see if this puts his powers in perspective for him and he’s a little more cautious in the future, assuming that this is all a big troll. After all, they never really established that his power has infinite lives, did they?

Matt
Matt
9 months ago

Not gonna lie.
It is very jarring seeing Ethan have any care for his own safety and wellbeing….. just in general really.

Pulse
Pulse
9 months ago

mortality is a bitch for the newly mortal.

that aside, theres gotta be some hiccup

Annatar
Annatar
9 months ago

Isn’t this should be a Major concern for supers community? Or the hero who helping them just ignored even the possibility of such thing as power negator? That Troll may leaked recipe to the darknet or sold to some villains? Why he leave the specimen of goo and injection device for totally unknown heroes and not take it from them to any HQ more organized heroes have?

Steve
Steve
9 months ago

So I finally went through and tried to count all of Ethan’s deaths, and here’s what I got, if anyone wants to check the math: https://cad-comic.com/comic/analog-and-d-pad-01-14/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/analog-and-d-pad-01-21/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/analog-and-d-pad-02-20/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/analog-and-d-pad-04-12/ (first death ever) https://cad-comic.com/comic/analog-and-d-pad-04-15/ (second death ever) https://cad-comic.com/comic/fundraising/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/deposit/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/winter-een-mas-2019-p10/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/demolition-p7/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/analog-and-d-pad-06-29/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/drop-in-p7/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/cooler-heads/  (only implied) https://cad-comic.com/comic/deposited-p1/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/deposited-p16/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/drive-p7/ (Note: says he “tried it 3 or 4 times;” 2 of those may be first two on this list) https://cad-comic.com/comic/bad-blood-p7/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/bad-blood-p8/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/bad-blood-p10/  (2 deaths on one page) https://cad-comic.com/comic/bad-blood-p11/ 19 deaths/respawns on panel, plus 3 more implied (the ear thing and 1-2 more tries the night he got his power). That’s possibly 22 deaths we know about, although… Read more »

Willess12
Willess12
9 months ago
Reply to  Steve

Nice count! You missed two, though: https://cad-comic.com/comic/winter-een-mas-2017-page-9/ https://cad-comic.com/comic/analog-and-d-pad-06-32/ And if I may add one more implied one… https://cad-comic.com/comic/analog-and-d-pad-06-12/ And I think we can safely say Deathblood killed him https://cad-comic.com/comic/brannigan-p4/ There’s also some implications from things he mentions. In that last link, he mentions that he’s been shot before, which we haven’t seen on screen (except for the times he got shot in Bad Blood, but I don’t think he’s referring to that, based on how he words it). There’s also this comic… https://cad-comic.com/comic/turf-p8/ where he mentions having his skull crushed, which we don’t see on screen (before this, at least).… Read more »

Steve
Steve
9 months ago
Reply to  Willess12

6-12 is hard to be sure about (if Scott was tracking in between deaths they MUST have tested that at least once?) but it’s hard to say for sure.

Steve
Steve
9 months ago
Reply to  Willess12

Also it’s ambiguous if Deathblood shot Ethan. Ethan came home and pointed out the blood on his costume was someone else’s, not his: https://cad-comic.com/comic/bad-blood-p17/

Ethan’s standing right in front when Deathblood opens fire, but the bad guys are scattering:
https://cad-comic.com/comic/bad-blood-p16/

It is conceivable that Deathblood fired around Analog. Or not. He already died five times in under two minutes before Deathblood even showed up.

Wildstag
Wildstag
9 months ago

Something tells me that he’s the sort to make that syringe work after discovering that it didn’t work, solely to have it in his backpocket.

Snark
Snark
9 months ago

Daaaamn, Ethan is so ducked.

Even if his friends research the remains in the syringe and declare that it is harmless. Can he trust that result with his life? What if they missed something?

Even if he accidentally dies and respawns can he be sure that the Green Goo(tm) is not coming into effect over some prolonged period of time and his next death will not be permanent?
Fear and uncertainty are a mighty combo to scramble one’s head 🙁

on the other hand. Ethan is not prone to overthinking.
Or is he?