Kadiro_Kapira at 1:46PM, Feb. 14, 2014

Methinks the staff's a problem.

TuuronTour at 3:50PM, Nov. 25, 2010

I noticed Bob is silent, and that Savunn can still think for herself. So I suspect that the soulfusion somehow prevents Inkblot from complete control. Fusion is clearly immobilized though.

Tobimaro at 11:53PM, Nov. 21, 2010

Forgot to rate. Great!

Tobimaro at 11:53PM, Nov. 21, 2010

Wow, looks like our hero is in some serious trouble.

Immortal at 4:39AM, Nov. 21, 2010

EssayBee, I hope you can give me permission for a super in my own story to have a fancrush on Fusion, since it's a comic in other dimensions? (She's not the only one, though..... ) He's very passionate about the ladie's in the super hero world, and she is his type...

Zolem at 5:35PM, Nov. 20, 2010

So is Bob hypnotized or somthing?

EssayBee at 6:59AM, Nov. 20, 2010

jamoecw--Regarding Fusion "absorbing" the bullet earlier . . . She actually incinerated it; her dialogue was misleading (chalk it up to her being caught up in the moment). Generally, she fuses the hydrogen (like the sun) and other gases in the atmosphere, which are all less dense than iron and give off energy when fused. If she fuses something denser than iron (such as most bullets), she absorbs energy (which hasn't been seen yet, but will pop up at some point in another series--ahem, "Crossoverkill"). I meant to point that out in the page description on that page but forgot to.

jamoecw at 12:31AM, Nov. 20, 2010

well the brain produces energy, and that energy fluctuates based on thoughts, emotions, and physical movement of the body. sending the proper forms of energy at the right frequencies can induce images, thoughts, and movements. this has been done in very controlled circumstances. usually i find it a cop out when seeing the object has something to do with its ability to send this energy to you. smkinoshita, i agree that usually mind control is a cop out, however usually i like to see if they disobey known phenomena first before drawing conclusions, although i can't say that i don't suspend belief when i read comics. in fact the absorption of the bullet a little while ago then releasing it was highly implausible for two reasons: fist, the control of subatomic particles needs to be at such a high degree, that turning one substance to another would be child's play. which means that most of the world's problems could be solved by someone smart enough to do so. second, that the release of energy be great enough to fry the whole city, unless it was released in some manner to protect them, which would then come into the realm of pseudo science do the sheer volume. while these are obvious infractions to anyone that knows enough science to know the problems with mind control, the fact remains that i have never heard a compelling fictional story that either hid behind vagueness, or encountered problems at least as obvious as these. i know someone that didn't like the matrix due to the reference that humans were an unlimited energy source. he is right, but that is hardly the biggest problem of the science in the story, but i did enjoy the matrix. there are certain things that cause problems for certain people, mind control just happens to be your thing, mine is internal consistancy.

maycroft at 1:22PM, Nov. 19, 2010

Inkblot looks is very cool, it's like watchmen's roschac, but a bit more fancy (and civilized)

smkinoshita at 11:14AM, Nov. 19, 2010

@EssayBee: No, it's just as bad. Same principal.

EssayBee at 10:31AM, Nov. 19, 2010

smkinoshita--Fair enough arguments, and I doubt that the story's logic will sway your opinion. That said, as you can tell from Fusion's inner dialogue, she is in full control of her thoughts--it's just that her body isn't responding they way she wants--so Inkblot's mind control isn't of the "Your wish is my command" variety. Don't know if that's any better than the complete mind subjugation of they typical mind control stories, but it's probably worth mentioning. And "Sprial" isn't about mind control. It does talk about creative ways to cause changes in the body, though. (More will be explained next page--sorry to continue to be so cryptic.)

smkinoshita at 10:11AM, Nov. 19, 2010

@EssayBee: Problem with that being that any form of psi doesn't have a known medium and thus there's no reason for Bob NOT to act as a shielding, especially since soul/life force is generally undefined. In short, if they can communicate telepathically they can block psi. Never read "Spiral" and probably never will, [url=http://www.drunkduck.com/Super_Temps/index.php?p=361947]I reject stories that use mind control outright on writer's principle because it's always weak writing, because it is always a cop-out.[/url] Always. My reasons go on two levels: 1. The mind is a very complicated device, just as people are complex creatures. Thus, any attempts to control it must be treated as a deeply challenging task taking time and energy, and even then it must have limits that are to be respected unless the circumstances are special. Just like hypnosis can't be used on an unwilling subject, mind control requires either special circumstances or a great deal of effort. It's one thing to stun or overwhelm it (equivalent to a KO), but if anything more complex succeeds in a short spanse of time, I automatically reject it outright as not being believable. This holds double for main characters who have already shown that they go far beyond the norm. 2. In writing, instant mind control is a cop-out, without exception. I had a debate with Brock of "The Super Fogeys" and simply he was willing to apply [url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AppliedPhlebotinum] Phlebotinum [/url] to advance the plot and I was not. The degree of which it ruins my ability to enjoy the story depends on method, but even then it will always have a black mark. This hang-up applies to anything that can instantly incapacitate targets without the use of any skill or tactics. This of course is not attempting to speak for anyone but myself, but the use of mind control is a major offence to me (for the reasons outlined) and I am strongly discouraging its use.

EssayBee at 8:30AM, Nov. 19, 2010

smkinoshita--I see what you're saying, and I always enjoy critical feedback so never hesitate to point out any logic holes. Inkblot, being a psychologist as well as a neuroscientist, preyed on Barry's emotional state earlier and didn't use mind control (granted brainwashing of this sort could still be considered mind control). What's going on with Fusion is a true physiological manipulation of Fusion's mind that affects her brain directly--Bob is merged to her soul (or life energy, whichever term you prefer) and not to her brain, so he can't do any kind of brain shielding, and her powers don't affect the way her brain operates (aside from some neuronal connections that tap into her powers--so it is possible that his mind control couldn't be used to directly activate her powers; I'll have to talk to some brain or neuroscience experts to see how this would work). Hopefully the next page will clear things up (and my notes on the next page will elaborate more), but, in the immediate term, ever read "Spiral" by Koji Suzuki? That was the inspiration behind the workings of Inkblot's staff.

smkinoshita at 6:53AM, Nov. 19, 2010

It's not a matter of Bob having mind control, if he's the source of her power then it provides a second barrier and the potential for counter-attack. I hate the way most mind/body control is done in comics -- mostly 'cause it's a cop-out. I actually have some pre-set 'rules and regulations' about mental abilities I use. I didn't speak up before because an emotionally scarred, already mentally vulnerable individual is a perfectly acceptable target. But a ticked-off, stable super who is powered by an alien force merged with her soul is going to be quite beyond the abilities of a mentalist. Nevermind the complexity of trying to understand and manipulate the central nervous system and conscious mind, he's going to have to try to manipulate completely foreign elements including a power-source that is not native to her own physiology. In short, he's a PC trying to hack a Mac with a firewall, without ever having used a Mac or studied one before. I like the comic, but just 'cause I like something doesn't mean I won't call it out.

EssayBee at 5:58AM, Nov. 19, 2010

Immortal--That guy and the Tick would get along: "SPOON!"

Immortal at 10:08PM, Nov. 18, 2010

Y'know, I would rather be an ego-driven super smart super villain with that 'bragging' flaw they have, then be a laughable villain with a ridiculous power, but almost perfect win/loss record. (i.e. I know a super villain in a fanfiction universe who can control spoons....)

EssayBee at 7:40PM, Nov. 18, 2010

Khelder--He's an egomaniac and will never miss a chance to brag about his genius--the bane of so many villains.

Khelder at 4:11PM, Nov. 18, 2010

He'll explain it? Won't that both give both Savunn and Bob the information they need to come up with a plan to beat him, and time for another Super to turn up? I mean, I suspect Brooder has a watch on her at all times in case she tries to 'accidentally' let anyone else go free, and the Police probably just radioed in - so the precinct probably contacted Grasshopper with "One of your main villains is in town" or something... Then again, he's played it pretty old-school so far, why break the habit of a lifetime, eh? XD

EssayBee at 8:37AM, Nov. 18, 2010

giovanni--Close, but not exactly. Inkblot will explain it on the next page. (And I'll also talk about the inspiration for its workings in my notes for the page.)

giovanni at 6:42AM, Nov. 18, 2010

so the staff is an hypnotizer or something

dwrean at 10:13PM, Nov. 17, 2010

looking at his face, i see a cat smile looking to the right. also, to poke at al, mimicry is a form of flattery.

seanb47 at 8:44PM, Nov. 17, 2010

Lots of great comments this page.Especially the Rorschach reference.Lol!

EssayBee at 6:18PM, Nov. 17, 2010

Immortal--Glad you like his look. Originally, I was gonna put a breast pocket on his lab coat, complete with pocket protector and pens, but Inkblot's too vain for that. smkinoshita and aqua 77--Bob is fused to her soul and maintains a separate identity from Savunn, but he has no real control over her mind. This will be touched on later (especially with one character I have in mind). In short, he can read her emotions and probably tell if she's lying, but he can't read her mind, and he certainly can't control it. However, like Bob, Savunn can feel Bob's emotional state as well, so the two of them can provide some emotional support for each other, but neither controls the other. (Hope that makes sense. And it will be discussed in greater length at some point.) leaving a comment--Your read on him is accurate, sir! AzuJOD--Nope. His mask is static, and will be discussed very soon. algeya--Things are about to get even worse for Fusion, I'm afraid.

algeya at 5:47PM, Nov. 17, 2010

poor soul , I hope she break from mind control

aqua 77 at 5:28PM, Nov. 17, 2010

shouldn't bob's telepathic abilities allow him to prevent most if not all types of mind control?