Monday's comic!

[murgatroyd666]

http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20190211

You know, I used to hate Tarvek. Now I'm starting to identify with him ...

Comments

[madfilkentist]

He might regret that when his gun runs out of charges again.

[turk187]

Next time Phil does an intermission comic I want it to be an adventure of the mini castle and the beast and the slaver wasp weasel.

[deckardcanine]

I have never quite forgiven Tarvek for his early actions. I still hope Agatha doesn't settle for him. But I can accept him as a hero now.

That monster with the eyeball in its mouth reminds me of a scene from Beetlejuice.

[turbobeholder]

Depends on which monsters will be left standing.

[turbobeholder]

There are weasel, mini-Castle, mini-Beast. But where's the tricky cannonball?

[spectrum_09]

I am assuming you mean his actions at Sturmhalten. I admit to reacting negatively to Tarvek about that at the time. However...

You need to be looking through Tarvek's eyes at that time. He and his sister opposed their father's efforts to revive Lucrezia (OK, for their own plans to rule Europa). he DID try to get Agatha out of Sturmhalten but the Geisters (freed by Dingbot Prime) captured her and installed Lucrezia. Vrin did not trust Tarvek as far as she could throw him so he had to quickly suck up to Lucrezia to stay alive.
When he discovers Agatha is still able to gain control, albeit fleetingly, he does assist her. After all she IS the Heterodyne Princess to his Storm King. He is also growing to like her personally. However, she appears determined to talk to Klaus or, at least, his Quester. That is something Tarvek cannot allow as it spills the beans on the Sturmvoraus family, something that would cause Klaus to place Tarvek in front of a firing squad.
He wants to help Agatha escape Lucrezia and the Geisters but he wants to stay alive to do it. He alters her message as he expects just a Quester (the message would stay confined to a limited audience). When the Geisters report Wooster in Gil's flyer, he and they think it's the Quester. He needs Lucrezia to get out of Sturmhalten with the Geisters as only she can control them. Vrin would probably kill him for letting Agatha gain control. She does try later.
This goes to all to hell with Klaus' airborne assault on Sturmhalten and Agatha's message getting broadcast to the world.
Yes, he is a slimy weasel but he was in a very tight spot in Sturmhalten. This is also where we can question Tarvek's planning ability - none of his plans worked.

I continue to see him as a Sydney Carton type.

[bunsen_h]

It'll be along. Guesswork: Tarvek and Higgs will manage to take out all but one of the monsters, and just before it gets them, it'll get clonked from behind by the thing that was inwented by a not-so-leetle young lady from Transylwania.

[turbobeholder]

You forgot he wound up with one more big loose end. Lunevka with beacon engines and the most competent Geisters. He had to stay on the "good" side of Lucrezia|Agatha until this problem can be solved (one way or another).
Also, suppressing Lucrezia with music boxes was an option, but she's a very competent conspirator who would help with hiding and infiltration early on. While Agatha herself needs help. While music boxes won't make hiding any easier.

[marycatelli]

One is never enough.

[katzedecimal]

Ditto

[katzedecimal]

Let your inner Jaeger out, Tarvek

[murgatroyd666]

Tarvek's one act that is NOT easy to rationalize is the creation of Lunevka. After he deactivated his "sister," he then installed the "Lucrezia" head on Anevka's body. He could have -- and should have -- just left Anevka's clank body lying there and smashed the helpless "Lucrezia" head. There would have been no adverse repercussions. Nobody other than Lucrezia-in-Agatha knew about the "Lucrezia" head, and Tarvek could have invented an excuse for the head's destruction. (For example, blaming it on the battle with Anevka.)

But then we wouldn't have had the rest of the saga.

[madfilkentist]

What bothered me most was how easily Tarvek switched from sucking up to one person to sucking up to that person's worst enemy. He obviously had a lot of practice. I grant you, it's a survival skill if you're in a Storm King family.

[spectrum_09]

What I question is why he revealed the spark wasp engine - other than the plot necessity of wasping Klaus.

Tarvek wanted to learn as much as he could about Lucrezia's plans. Anevka had to be replaced. The plan required two Lucrezias. Tarvek had planned to follow the Geisters and Lu-in-Agatha. http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160318#.XGLHmVxKhWw
By being present, he would be able to do something once he had a chance.

Admittedly, he is acting on his own agenda but he is taking a larger view of the situation than just protecting our heroine. He'll deal with that afterwards.

[murgatroyd666]

The plan required two Lucrezias.

Why? Which plan to do what?

[turbobeholder]

Lucrezia wanted to be in two places at once. This way she ends up in a body with Tarvek's backdoors and enough of advantages to not ditch it "just in case".
Otherwise she would take both Tarvek and Geisters with her (they would keep an eye on him), until she uses a beacon engine to grab some human body. Then someone else is "overwritten", and it's a toss which Lucrezia will accompany Tarvek, if any.

Also, Tarvek both helped and sort of made a personal sacrifice for Lucrezia, which scores him loyalty points.

[spectrum_09]

http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060807#.XGNCDzNKhWw

http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060920#.XGNBujNKhWw

[murgatroyd666]

Well, considering the timing ... if he hadn't created Lunevka, he would have been faced with the problem of extracting Lucrezia from Agatha's head without her cooperation.

I guess a lot of it depends on whether Tarvek realized that Lucrezia was the Other. I'm not sure he did.