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Penny Arcade - Comic - Prove Me Wrong

DogDog Registered User, Administrator, Vanilla Staff admin
edited August 2017 in The Penny Arcade Hub

imagePenny Arcade - Comic - Prove Me Wrong

Videogaming-related online strip by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. Includes news and commentary.

Read the full story here


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Posts

  • dennisdennis aka bingley Registered User regular
    Looking back on 80s cartoon villains, they were usually so WHINY. Cobra Commander, Skeletor, Mum-ra: all kind of whiny complainers. Venger, on the other hand, was a badass.

  • EnlongEnlong Registered User regular
    But Duke is a name that implies a position of power over the most dangerous of monsters: Man.

  • djc6535djc6535 Registered User regular
    dennis wrote: »
    Looking back on 80s cartoon villains, they were usually so WHINY. Cobra Commander, Skeletor, Mum-ra: all kind of whiny complainers. Venger, on the other hand, was a badass.

    There was always the shreeky 2nd in command who was just waiting to take over. Cobra Commander just waiting to get one in over Destro. Starscream openly told Megatron that he'd kill him the second he could. I don't know why Megatron ever put up with him.

    But they WERE always more compelling. The Autobots are so BORING. The best you've got is a truck. After that the next favorite character is a VW bug and an ambulance. name me one interesting autobot outside of Optimus Prime (which you only know because Peter Cullen is awesome). Maybe Grimlock eventually, but he's a Dinobot.

    Whereas the Deceptions are all fun and interesting. Megatron is a hyper-powered gun. Starscream is a jet. Soundwave is a launch-platform for Ravage and Laserbeak and has the badass digital voice. Blitzwing is the first that can be both a Jet AND a tank. Astrotrain is a TRAIN.

  • WoolyboolyWoolybooly Registered User new member
    Just want to take a moment to appreciate the paralleling going on with their kids for no other reason than it's sooo accurate.

  • moosemaimermoosemaimer Registered User regular
    "Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."

  • LucascraftLucascraft Registered User regular
    I mean, in Star Wars the Empire is just flat out cooler. Even though Stormtroopers have terrible aim, at least they look awesome. The Rebel soldiers have the worst outfits ever.

    Take the opening scene of A New Hope, or the ending scene of Rogue One. Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers bust through the door in a volley of smoke and lasers. They look awesome. They look like power. They look like winners. And then you have the rebel guys, crouching down like cowards with their bowl-dome hats and their stupid jump-suit pants and vests, and it's very hard to root for the good guys. They have literally nothing going on for them.

  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    Lucascraft wrote: »
    I mean, in Star Wars the Empire is just flat out cooler. Even though Stormtroopers have terrible aim, at least they look awesome. The Rebel soldiers have the worst outfits ever.

    Take the opening scene of A New Hope, or the ending scene of Rogue One. Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers bust through the door in a volley of smoke and lasers. They look awesome. They look like power. They look like winners. And then you have the rebel guys, crouching down like cowards with their bowl-dome hats and their stupid jump-suit pants and vests, and it's very hard to root for the good guys. They have literally nothing going on for them.

    your avatar suggests you might be a bit biased

    (obviously the Empire looks cooler; they're rich and in charge)

  • SadgasmSadgasm Deluded doodler A cold placeRegistered User regular
    When I was a kid, it was more that villains always had a way cooler design, even if their personalities were usually obnoxious as hell. I mean, come on, Cobra Commander sounded like someone caught his balls in a vice.

  • YoungFreyYoungFrey Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    Lucascraft wrote: »
    I mean, in Star Wars the Empire is just flat out cooler. Even though Stormtroopers have terrible aim, at least they look awesome. The Rebel soldiers have the worst outfits ever.

    Take the opening scene of A New Hope, or the ending scene of Rogue One. Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers bust through the door in a volley of smoke and lasers. They look awesome. They look like power. They look like winners. And then you have the rebel guys, crouching down like cowards with their bowl-dome hats and their stupid jump-suit pants and vests, and it's very hard to root for the good guys. They have literally nothing going on for them.

    You are also describing a pro-wrestler entrance. And yeah, I think any wrestler would have bested all those bebellbottomed rebels in that corridor too.

    YoungFrey on
  • poipoigirlpoipoigirl Registered User regular
    If I played G.I.Joe I would be Shipwreck before I played Cobra Commander.

  • RingoRingo He/Him a distinct lack of substanceRegistered User regular
    That is a weird way to spell Snake Eyes

    Sterica wrote: »
    I know my last visit to my grandpa on his deathbed was to find out how the whole Nazi werewolf thing turned out.
    Edcrab's Exigency RPG
  • JortalusJortalus Registered User regular
    "I’ll be hanging out the whole time, no doubt in a sun-shielded bunker, so please gaze into the slit in my defenses and if possible push a sandwich through."

    This line from the news post got a real laugh out of me; I couldn't stop myself.

  • jwalkjwalk Registered User regular
    seriously, do you want to be little farmer boy Luke, always crying about his boring life.
    or Darth Fucking Vader, who commands an entire empire and will easily force-choke a bitch if they disagree with him.

  • wallywestwallywest Registered User regular
    jwalk wrote: »
    seriously, do you want to be little farmer boy Luke, always crying about his boring life.
    or Darth Fucking Vader, who commands an entire empire and will easily force-choke a bitch if they disagree with him.

    Truth.

    And if you haven't read the Darth Vader comics, do so now. I mean RIGHT NOW! Go, what are you still reading this for?

    Fine, if you need more motivation he is 10X as badass in the comics than he was in the movies. And that's a very conservative estimate.

    Also, there are evil versions of C3-PO and R2-D2, and that is every bit as awesome as it sounds. They don't sugar coat it either, they are straight up murder-bots.

  • RatherDashing89RatherDashing89 Registered User regular
    My tabletop group always said they wanted to play an all bad guy party. We don't have alignments in our setting, but it's generally assumed players will play at least marginally heroic characters. We only ever made it an hour or two into a session before we realized playing as purely evil bad guys is boring. The stakes are just not there--what happens if we fail? An orphanage​ goes un-burned-down?

  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    wallywest wrote: »
    jwalk wrote: »
    seriously, do you want to be little farmer boy Luke, always crying about his boring life.
    or Darth Fucking Vader, who commands an entire empire and will easily force-choke a bitch if they disagree with him.

    Truth.

    And if you haven't read the Darth Vader comics, do so now. I mean RIGHT NOW! Go, what are you still reading this for?

    Fine, if you need more motivation he is 10X as badass in the comics than he was in the movies. And that's a very conservative estimate.

    Also, there are evil versions of C3-PO and R2-D2, and that is every bit as awesome as it sounds. They don't sugar coat it either, they are straight up murder-bots.

    woah wait what?

    Ima need a link to something here.

  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    My tabletop group always said they wanted to play an all bad guy party. We don't have alignments in our setting, but it's generally assumed players will play at least marginally heroic characters. We only ever made it an hour or two into a session before we realized playing as purely evil bad guys is boring. The stakes are just not there--what happens if we fail? An orphanage​ goes un-burned-down?

    Having played a similar campaign, it sounds like your guys failed to get into character.

    -10 points from Slytherin

  • poipoigirlpoipoigirl Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    I'm reminded of the Starwars games where my brother was trying to turn his character into a Sith. The two guys who gmed refused to let a playing character play dark jedi or sith.

    Note: I liked Shipwreck better then Snake-eyes. Both my parents were in the navy and I grew up a navy bratt. I tend to like sailor characters including Sailor Moon. Plus, I like comedy and, in the cartoon, Shipwreck made me laugh the most.

    poipoigirl on
  • RehabRehab Registered User regular
    dennis wrote: »
    Looking back on 80s cartoon villains, they were usually so WHINY. Cobra Commander, Skeletor, Mum-ra: all kind of whiny complainers. Venger, on the other hand, was a badass.

    The single greatest villain of our time that immediately comes to mind is also super whiny, so I wouldn't say its just an '80s thing.

    But then I have to remind myself that he isn't actually a cartoon villain despite seeming so much like one.
    If he were though his nemesis would obviously be Captain Planet.

    NNID: Rehab0
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    jwalk wrote: »
    seriously, do you want to be little farmer boy Luke, always crying about his boring life.
    or Darth Fucking Vader, who commands an entire empire and will easily force-choke a bitch if they disagree with him.

    I want to be General Veers, who stands way too close to Vader for comfort.

  • EnlongEnlong Registered User regular
    Rehab wrote: »
    dennis wrote: »
    Looking back on 80s cartoon villains, they were usually so WHINY. Cobra Commander, Skeletor, Mum-ra: all kind of whiny complainers. Venger, on the other hand, was a badass.

    The single greatest villain of our time that immediately comes to mind is also super whiny, so I wouldn't say its just an '80s thing.

    But then I have to remind myself that he isn't actually a cartoon villain despite seeming so much like one.
    If he were though his nemesis would obviously be Captain Planet.
    you fool. Captain Planet would collapse immediately if he got within a mile of that much raw hate.

  • RenegadePhantomRenegadePhantom Registered User regular
    Edge of the Empire, and it's family, is hands down the best RPG system I've ever played. It's easy to pick up and actually encourages narrative play.

  • LucascraftLucascraft Registered User regular
    Edge of the Empire is awesome!

    I tried DMing a campaign one time with a group of friends. It was a failed campaign. Why? Because 4 out of 5 players wanted to be wookies, none of them could speak common, and the 5th guy was never able to get a word in edgewise over all the roaring.

    I told them all "next week, I will be giving you all new character assignments since you have failed on your own to create a party capable of roleplay." And we never played again.

  • SadgasmSadgasm Deluded doodler A cold placeRegistered User regular
    KalTorak wrote: »
    jwalk wrote: »
    seriously, do you want to be little farmer boy Luke, always crying about his boring life.
    or Darth Fucking Vader, who commands an entire empire and will easily force-choke a bitch if they disagree with him.

    I want to be General Veers, who stands way too close to Vader for comfort.

    I want to be Boba Fett who everyone has a massive boner for, even though he basically just stood around and waited while everyone else did stuff

  • H3KnucklesH3Knuckles But we decide which is right and which is an illusion.Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    Hey, not only did the Joes have Snake-Eyes and Shipwreck who were cool, but they also had the machinegunners Roadblock (tough guy aspiring gourmet chef) and Rock & Roll (surfer bum). And a former supermodel tank driver codenamed Cover Girl. And speaking of pro-wrestlers; Sgt. Slaughter!
    djc6535 wrote: »
    dennis wrote: »
    Looking back on 80s cartoon villains, they were usually so WHINY. Cobra Commander, Skeletor, Mum-ra: all kind of whiny complainers. Venger, on the other hand, was a badass.

    There was always the shreeky 2nd in command who was just waiting to take over. Cobra Commander just waiting to get one in over Destro.

    Cobra Commander was the leader, not the 2nd in command (that was Destro, who was always trying to betray CC; it was basically an inversion of the Decepticons' leadership). Also, Cobra Commander and Starscream were voiced by the same guy.
    djc6535 wrote: »
    But they WERE always more compelling. The Autobots are so BORING. The best you've got is a truck. After that the next favorite character is a VW bug and an ambulance. name me one interesting autobot outside of Optimus Prime (which you only know because Peter Cullen is awesome). Maybe Grimlock eventually, but he's a Dinobot.

    Off the top of my head?

    Wheeljack, the gadgeteer genius who can fly with rocket thruster arms, what looks like a rocket-propelled grenade launcher over his right shoulder, and things on the side of his head that blinked when he talked (because he had a mouth cover like Optimus). Oh, and he transformed into a Lancia Stratos, which was a champion rally-racing car.

    Jetfire, the autobot scientist who transforms into a starfighter (specifically, the original toy was a Hasbro-made copy of SDF Macross' star mecha, the VF-1S Super Valkyrie that they had licensed the rights to make before Harmony Gold started Robotech up).

    Blur, the blue hovercar that talks like the micro machines guy. Kup, the crotchety grey hovercar that's seen some shit. Ultra Magnus, the car-hauler that wishes he was Optimus Prime. Sky Lynx, the guy who controls two bodies at once (a pterosaur/space shuttle and lynx/crawler launch platform) that wouldn't stop talking about how great he was. Blaster, the red autobot tape cassette player that talked like a DJ on a dance radio station.

    Dinobots still count; they wore autobot badges, after all.
    djc6535 wrote: »
    Whereas the Deceptions are all fun and interesting. Megatron is a hyper-powered gun. Starscream is a jet. Soundwave is a launch-platform for Ravage and Laserbeak and has the badass digital voice. Blitzwing is the first that can be both a Jet AND a tank. Astrotrain is a TRAIN.

    Megatron's scoped Luger transformation was so lame. He needs someone to hold and aim him to do anything! I'll grant you the others are cool, though.

    H3Knuckles on
    If you're curious about my icon; it's an update of the early Lego Castle theme's "Black Falcons" faction.
    camo_sig2-400.png
  • cB557cB557 voOOP Registered User regular
    Lucascraft wrote: »
    I mean, in Star Wars the Empire is just flat out cooler. Even though Stormtroopers have terrible aim, at least they look awesome. The Rebel soldiers have the worst outfits ever.

    Take the opening scene of A New Hope, or the ending scene of Rogue One. Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers bust through the door in a volley of smoke and lasers. They look awesome. They look like power. They look like winners. And then you have the rebel guys, crouching down like cowards with their bowl-dome hats and their stupid jump-suit pants and vests, and it's very hard to root for the good guys. They have literally nothing going on for them.
    Their uniforms on Hoth and Endor were cool.

  • dennisdennis aka bingley Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    djc6535 wrote: »
    There was always the shreeky 2nd in command who was just waiting to take over. Cobra Commander just waiting to get one in over Destro. Starscream openly told Megatron that he'd kill him the second he could.

    Hold on, back up a second. Are you of the mistaken impression that Destro is the commander of Cobra forces?

    I mean, I get why it's a good headcanon, since he was way cooler.

    (Or is this some sort of revisionist G.I. Joe series that isn't from the 80s?)

    dennis on
  • EmperorSethEmperorSeth Registered User regular
    I'd say the coolest character in most universes is a good guy, but a morally ambiguous one. Favorite in Star Wars? Han Solo. Superhero? Batman. Buffy? Spike. X-Men? Wolverine. Harry Pottter? ... this one's a bit trickier, but I guess Snape would fit.

    You know what? Nanowrimo's cancelled on account of the world is stupid.
  • wallywestwallywest Registered User regular
    V1m wrote: »

    woah wait what?

    Ima need a link to something here.

    Names are Triple Zero and BT-1.

    triple-zero-bee-tee.jpg

    This is a good collection with a lot of fun times with the droids. I found a copy at the local library.

    https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Darth-Vader-Vol/dp/1302902202/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1501993285&sr=8-8&keywords=Darth+Vader+comic

  • YoungFreyYoungFrey Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    wallywest wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »

    woah wait what?

    Ima need a link to something here.

    Names are Triple Zero and BT-1.


    This is a good collection with a lot of fun times with the droids. I found a copy at the local library.

    https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Darth-Vader-Vol/dp/1302902202/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1501993285&sr=8-8&keywords=Darth+Vader+comic

    BT-1 looks more like an R5 unit than an R2. But then I don't that much about Star Wars.
    Also, people with Amazon Prime, can also read the first volume in the series for free.

    YoungFrey on
  • H3KnucklesH3Knuckles But we decide which is right and which is an illusion.Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    H3Knuckles wrote: »
    Hey, not only did the Joes have Snake-Eyes and Shipwreck who were cool, but they also had the machinegunners Roadblock (tough guy aspiring gourmet chef) and Rock & Roll (surfer bum). And a former supermodel tank driver codenamed Cover Girl. And speaking of pro-wrestlers; Sgt. Slaughter!
    djc6535 wrote: »
    dennis wrote: »
    Looking back on 80s cartoon villains, they were usually so WHINY. Cobra Commander, Skeletor, Mum-ra: all kind of whiny complainers. Venger, on the other hand, was a badass.

    There was always the shreeky 2nd in command who was just waiting to take over. Cobra Commander just waiting to get one in over Destro.

    Cobra Commander was the leader, not the 2nd in command (that was Destro, who was always trying to betray CC; it was basically an inversion of the Decepticons' leadership). Also, Cobra Commander and Starscream were voiced by the same guy.
    djc6535 wrote: »
    But they WERE always more compelling. The Autobots are so BORING. The best you've got is a truck. After that the next favorite character is a VW bug and an ambulance. name me one interesting autobot outside of Optimus Prime (which you only know because Peter Cullen is awesome). Maybe Grimlock eventually, but he's a Dinobot.

    Off the top of my head?

    Wheeljack, the gadgeteer genius who can fly with rocket thruster arms, what looks like a rocket-propelled grenade launcher over his right shoulder, and things on the side of his head that blinked when he talked (because he had a mouth cover like Optimus). Oh, and he transformed into a Lancia Stratos, which was a champion rally-racing car.

    Jetfire, the autobot scientist who transforms into a starfighter (specifically, the original toy was a Hasbro-made copy of SDF Macross' star mecha, the VF-1S Super Valkyrie that they had licensed the rights to make before Harmony Gold started Robotech up).

    Blur, the blue hovercar that talks like the micro machines guy. Kup, the crotchety grey hovercar that's seen some shit. Ultra Magnus, the car-hauler that wishes he was Optimus Prime. Sky Lynx, the guy who controls two bodies at once (a pterosaur/space shuttle and lynx/crawler launch platform) that wouldn't stop talking about how great he was. Blaster, the red autobot tape cassette player that talked like a DJ on a dance radio station.

    Dinobots still count; they wore autobot badges, after all.
    djc6535 wrote: »
    Whereas the Deceptions are all fun and interesting. Megatron is a hyper-powered gun. Starscream is a jet. Soundwave is a launch-platform for Ravage and Laserbeak and has the badass digital voice. Blitzwing is the first that can be both a Jet AND a tank. Astrotrain is a TRAIN.

    Megatron's scoped Luger transformation was so lame. He needs someone to hold and aim him to do anything! I'll grant you the others are cool, though.

    Buh, can't believe I forgot Rodimus Prime. I know it wasn't their initial intention for the character, but "the chosen one who comes into power during a crisis, but afterwards gradually comes to realize they aren't ready for it and chooses to return the mantle to a worthy predecessor when the opportunity presents itself" is actually a pretty interesting narrative hook. Plus, it sets up a good epilogue: a long time after the end of the series, we see a ceremony where the chosen one, having had the time and space to properly come into their own and earn the rank in the eyes of their people, is given the reigns by the predecessor, who has become a proud mentor. Bonus points if you end things with the chosen one giving a speech about some new problem, and their commitment to resolving it, as a teaser for a proper Next Generation-style series.

    H3Knuckles on
    If you're curious about my icon; it's an update of the early Lego Castle theme's "Black Falcons" faction.
    camo_sig2-400.png
  • wallywestwallywest Registered User regular
    YoungFrey wrote: »

    BT-1 looks more like an R5 unit than an R2. But then I don't that much about Star Wars.
    Also, people with Amazon Prime, can also read the first volume in the series for free.

    Yeah, I didn't mean that he was an R2, just that he's R2-D2's counterpart. They even had an epic battle.

    Technically he's a one of a kind Blastomech droid. He passes as a basic astromech unit, but instead of navigation computers and such he's armed to the teeth with blasters and missiles.

  • YoungFreyYoungFrey Registered User regular
    wallywest wrote: »
    YoungFrey wrote: »

    BT-1 looks more like an R5 unit than an R2. But then I don't that much about Star Wars.
    Also, people with Amazon Prime, can also read the first volume in the series for free.

    Yeah, I didn't mean that he was an R2, just that he's R2-D2's counterpart. They even had an epic battle.

    Technically he's a one of a kind Blastomech droid. He passes as a basic astromech unit, but instead of navigation computers and such he's armed to the teeth with blasters and missiles.

    I completely agree, and admit that I was totally being pedantic.

  • T-DangerT-Danger Registered User regular
    wallywest wrote: »
    YoungFrey wrote: »

    BT-1 looks more like an R5 unit than an R2. But then I don't that much about Star Wars.
    Also, people with Amazon Prime, can also read the first volume in the series for free.

    Yeah, I didn't mean that he was an R2, just that he's R2-D2's counterpart. They even had an epic battle.

    Technically he's a one of a kind Blastomech droid. He passes as a basic astromech unit, but instead of navigation computers and such he's armed to the teeth with blasters and missiles.

    And here's that epic battle: https://comicnewbies.com/2015/12/19/r2-d2-vs-bt-1/

    Gotta love how Artoo gives zero fucks during the whole thing.

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