Wait, his original body was still intact all this time? And despite being the leader they rebelled? And the guys infected with flowers are actually part of the hivemind not subdued or something?
I didn’t know that could happen. I don’t think anyone ever said he was the hive mind leader (which sort of defeats the purpose of a hive mind). I had thought it was odd how he seemed to keep his identity and assumed the hive mind would just be him and he it. I’m not surprised the mind is pissed but I don’t see how Tiger Lilly made it happen.
Force of will.
Hive minds are interlinked but if one mind is so strong willed that it bends the others, it basically becomes the leader.
By exploding and being divided, the non-HT part could make decisions without his overwhelming will and they decided to not include him.
Sufficiently ‘strong’ minds seem capable of overwhelming it – H.T. was willful enough that he basically dominated it much like Unity-on-Brains seemed capable of it as well.
Notably, it seems more individualistic now. Hitty did refer to it as a battle between a force of great Order (presumably, H.T.) and Chaos (presumably, Tigerlily).
I’m impressed that he’s somehow managed to keep hold of something that looks very much like his original body through all of this, considering we thought Nick mulched it ages ago.
Now they can welcome back the original Biomass core, Mother Cypress will join the alliance, and Ira will be faced with Skin Horse, Tigerlily’s robot army, and the Biomass in a united front against him.
I was trying to remember the strip where an A-Sig goon says it’s all part of the plan, Ira says “You don’t even know the plan”, and they reply “Eh, everything always turns out to be part of the plan.”
Then I remembered that was Cigarette-Smoking Man in Monster of the Week. Possibly applies to Ira as well, though.
Since the Biomass was originally part of Mother Cypress, now that HT’s no longer got a controlling interest I wonder if she (or her descendant via seed) can just reassimilate the vegetable portion and assume control?
So, the last ep of Expanse had a scene with a screen listing the members of the Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie strike teams. Alot of sci-fi easter eggs, with names from ST:TNG, BSG, Aliens, etc. etc. Among the names is “Garrity, K”, which the internet is attributing to Shaenon as a “real sci-fi author”. Kudos for the shout-out!!!
I often lament that Shaenon’s sci-fi story “Trash” never got completed. The few sample pages that she posted 9 years ago had me hooked, and then it just stopped.
Well, I wonder if H.T. has finally learned a lesson here. He drove off Renard, his only friend, and now he’s been kicked out of the Biomass. Perhaps he will finally be willing to work with others, but, of course, no one will trust him.
We know that wasn’t some plant doppelganger, because it has his skeleton in it! That’s the original HT, just skeletonized and plant-puppeted.
So how, exactly, does he come back to life and get all his flesh and organs back? Being ejected from the hive mind is one thing, but magicking up meat and blood and all the rest from literally nothing is something else entirely! Or are we going to suggest that somehow the plant collective was able to “clone” his body from the DNA in his bones, or some other stupendous reach like that?
This is a universe with sentient water coolers and clockwork robots, an office building turned mecha controlled by a springpunk receptionist’s head bolted to a hammer-happy battlebot, and Zombie Emperor Norton (not to mention, in the extended universe, literal angels and demons), and you’re hung up on the mechanism by which the plant-based hive mind constructs bodies for its components?
That Chupacabra looks *pissed*.
Ira must feel the same way.
It’s not easy when you’re Mr. Green
I guess even giant hive minds can recognize a toxic relationship, eventually!
Was Dr. Jones an expectorant?
She wasn’t a purgative.
Bye, HT; don’t let the door slam you in the ass on the way out!
They are probably trying to time it right so it does hit him, just out of irritation.
Wait, his original body was still intact all this time? And despite being the leader they rebelled? And the guys infected with flowers are actually part of the hivemind not subdued or something?
They’re not out (yet)
I didn’t know that could happen. I don’t think anyone ever said he was the hive mind leader (which sort of defeats the purpose of a hive mind). I had thought it was odd how he seemed to keep his identity and assumed the hive mind would just be him and he it. I’m not surprised the mind is pissed but I don’t see how Tiger Lilly made it happen.
Force of will.
Hive minds are interlinked but if one mind is so strong willed that it bends the others, it basically becomes the leader.
By exploding and being divided, the non-HT part could make decisions without his overwhelming will and they decided to not include him.
Yeah, that’s how I read it as well.
Sufficiently ‘strong’ minds seem capable of overwhelming it – H.T. was willful enough that he basically dominated it much like Unity-on-Brains seemed capable of it as well.
Notably, it seems more individualistic now. Hitty did refer to it as a battle between a force of great Order (presumably, H.T.) and Chaos (presumably, Tigerlily).
Alternatively, Tigerlily is just that Groovy.
This is so much better than the conventional “spiral slice” destruction I envisioned! All the minds comprising the Biomass get a second chance.
This way we get a relatively-peaceful, non-kill-’em-all confrontation AND a boss fight scene! Everyone wins!
…except HT. And hopefully Mr Green.
Turns out when you get a taste of freedom, you can recognize tyranny for the bitter pill that it is.
And Tigerlilly is nothing but an all-you-can-eat freedom buffet, baby!
Maybe it’s just me, or is that Pierson in the second panel?
http://skin-horse.com/comic/have-a-bit/
By George, I think you’re right!
Maybe. Is that Lt. Eris with him?
Well… oops.
I’m impressed that he’s somehow managed to keep hold of something that looks very much like his original body through all of this, considering we thought Nick mulched it ages ago.
The Biomass could regrow it at any time, and did so in order to eject him.
Now they can welcome back the original Biomass core, Mother Cypress will join the alliance, and Ira will be faced with Skin Horse, Tigerlily’s robot army, and the Biomass in a united front against him.
So much for careful planning.
Not to worry! Mr. Green has a backup plan for every contingency…
I was trying to remember the strip where an A-Sig goon says it’s all part of the plan, Ira says “You don’t even know the plan”, and they reply “Eh, everything always turns out to be part of the plan.”
Then I remembered that was Cigarette-Smoking Man in Monster of the Week. Possibly applies to Ira as well, though.
Since the Biomass was originally part of Mother Cypress, now that HT’s no longer got a controlling interest I wonder if she (or her descendant via seed) can just reassimilate the vegetable portion and assume control?
I get the feeling that the Biomass will be far less threatening now without HT.
Agreed. But I for one am glad to see that H.T. survived.
I love the angry little Jersey Devil, in panel 2
Paging Mme. des Souhaits.
So, the last ep of Expanse had a scene with a screen listing the members of the Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie strike teams. Alot of sci-fi easter eggs, with names from ST:TNG, BSG, Aliens, etc. etc. Among the names is “Garrity, K”, which the internet is attributing to Shaenon as a “real sci-fi author”. Kudos for the shout-out!!!
oops, I usually post as “matteo”; carry on.
…along with Action, Adventure, Romance, Fantasy and Comedy. Yeah, I guess she’s a “real sci-fi author”, also.
I often lament that Shaenon’s sci-fi story “Trash” never got completed. The few sample pages that she posted 9 years ago had me hooked, and then it just stopped.
Now I’ll have to watch that episode again.
Well, I wonder if H.T. has finally learned a lesson here. He drove off Renard, his only friend, and now he’s been kicked out of the Biomass. Perhaps he will finally be willing to work with others, but, of course, no one will trust him.
I hear a sad kitty plaintively calling, “But Vaal hungers!”
H. T. has lost all of his power. He calls for them all to devour. With no more than a shrug, he can be a new rug. I guess this adventure turned sour.
By the waymeet…thought H. T. would have indigestion.
You don’t know rejection until the all-devouring mass spits you out again.
So to echo one of the points that Alphaghoul made above, how is his original body intact?
I mean… even overlooking all the unexplained implications of that time he swallowed a nuclear bomb…
http://skin-horse.com/comic/nice-cup/
…and the fact that there’s no way his original body could still be alive given the fact that it was literally full to bursting with plant matter…
http://skin-horse.com/comic/issue-ever/
…there’s still the issue of us having seen his actual corpse blown full of holes!
http://skin-horse.com/comic/most-of/
We know that wasn’t some plant doppelganger, because it has his skeleton in it! That’s the original HT, just skeletonized and plant-puppeted.
So how, exactly, does he come back to life and get all his flesh and organs back? Being ejected from the hive mind is one thing, but magicking up meat and blood and all the rest from literally nothing is something else entirely! Or are we going to suggest that somehow the plant collective was able to “clone” his body from the DNA in his bones, or some other stupendous reach like that?
This is a universe with sentient water coolers and clockwork robots, an office building turned mecha controlled by a springpunk receptionist’s head bolted to a hammer-happy battlebot, and Zombie Emperor Norton (not to mention, in the extended universe, literal angels and demons), and you’re hung up on the mechanism by which the plant-based hive mind constructs bodies for its components?
“This weird and no weirder” is an odd stance for a reader of this strip to take, is what I’m saying.
Aw, HT looks so sad.
He knows they will punish him. Is the “Babylon 5” marathon viewing still going on?
You’re out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94HdaOB7cWY
Now, cue the other army dropping their mind link.”HURKay, we won!!”