I’ve gone back twice to try and read through the comic section that covers Katherine’s integration into MIB. The problem is the whole concept of what it was in the wapsiverse was not entirely locked down at the time. Correspondingly, she more or less just is in it for no more reason that she was witness to too much of their meddling and custodial work. This is very much like how in the movie MiB that Agent K qualifies to get in, by simply being witness to too much of the agencies covert activity. They really have no innate qualifications and stumbled into it.
That being said, like Agent K, she was privy to very sensitive information thereby elevating her through the ranks at a much faster rate, if at least to keep her “under control” via the pretense of being more trusted and essentially making her “invaluable” or too much in the know to be allowed free reign and through that, control her indirectly. The position of power she has is actually a way of controlling her and the responsibility she has and why she acts the way she does within and to MIB shows how well their manipulation has succeeded. She had truly drunk their cool-aid. This is very much like a special military or intelligence operative who knows of “morally questionable activities” of the very group they are part of, yet they do not divulge information simply out of loyalty to that group.
Is Wapsi’s Agent K (Katharine) all that powerful? Not really, Goober does define her well as upper management, but with a few more tiers of superiors keeping tabs on her. I would think she is about as high up as one can go given her background. MIB is simply keep her and their interests close to the chest. Her para secretary is undoubtedly a chaperone from MIB simply keeping tabs on Katharine. Seeing as K is moral, MIB need only wait and time will take care of their loose end.
Side Note: In typical Wapsi fashion, K is another example of the “powerful” woman that must first have had some mind-breaking or super traumatic event in their life in order to be “rewarded” with power. That is why I had so hoped that Jacquline Bontemps would have been developed more, but an altruistic trust-fund fueled character may have been too alien for Paul to integrate into his story telling – that and she was powerful through her wealth and not through some form of trauma. Too bad as was the first Wapsi character to have employed other characters, actually caused plot to happen, and funded things out of just being nice and not out of guild, atonement, or emotional upheaval caused by any drama. There was that one strip where MIB agents did interact with Jacquline and even then she seemed to be on equal footing – almost like her money shields her, or better yet, MIB has financial ties to the Bontemps. “Good times” indeed.
Nim, I have only one nit to pick: If you mean Roxanne, who is standing next to Katherine in this strip, when you refer to Kath’s “para secretary”, Roxanne is not para. She has been confirmed by Paul as full human.
I thought it was established that Katherine is above MIB. At least, that’s what I thought was the gist of Bud’s (or maybe it was Brandi)
response when that vampire MIB agent tried to recruit her.
Can’t find the exact page atm, as there seems to be a gap in the archive?
you need to look at the wiki! 🙂 https://wapsisquare.fandom.com/wiki/Katherine
especially the “Katherine Gilchrist and the Lost Dolls of the Anasazi” linked in there.. 🙂 Katherine meets a very young Atsali, and enter a great adventure !!
Tsillah tries to offer Kath a job as an MIB field agent, and Bud says that Kath is already “above MIB”.
Since then, Kath has apparently played a significant role in helping manage and guide human/para relationships. After Digit was accidentally transmogrified into semi-human form, Cricket immediately got on the phone to Kath, and Kath helped arrange for Monica to adopt Digit:
So, apparently, Kath is playing somewhat of a “policy” role. As a Lanthian chimera, she’s fundamentally human, but not just ordinary vanilla-and-chocolate type. That, plus her awareness of para issues, seems to have made her well-suited to be a builder of bridges.
Her powerful personality and loving nature haven’t hurt matters at all.
Katherine is a trained archeologist and former Air Force. She told Atsali how to fly the helicopter MIB arrived on in the desert. She has many skills in addition to uber-parenting.
A little overcomplicated, all. When we first met Katherine, she was working at the museum with Monica; her job seemed to involve preserving and restoring artifacts. We learned something of her background, and apparently her creation, as well as her psychological hangups, as time went on.
It seemed Katherine was still working there when she had her first adventure with Atsali. At some point Katherine went to work for MIB—never mind just what that is—but what is it that she does there *now*? Fieldwork? I can’t see her having a happy job shuffling paperwork at the office. And if she were in charge, would that mean more paperwork?
I did say possibly.
After a certain level is reached, it does not truly matter who is more evil than whom.
i am glad they’re all gone (I hope, at least)
I can think of an equally powerful but much less celebrated being – they are called DADS.
It is still the case that society “expects” the MOM to be this way and some would even argue that they should or it has a inevitable biological basis (to explain how some MOMS can fail so much at it) – But DADS who attain this power level are even more rare and correspondingly more special.
Remember: It is somewhat easy to be a mother or father but very difficult to be a mom or dad.
do note that in ‘toon world’ there are a LOT of things that are out of sight 🙂 … from going to bed, (and doing things..) , and getting up, dressed and getting breakfast…
It sure would be great to just ‘jump in a portal’ and appear in japan, America or Europe… 🙂
If MIB doesnt find away to prolong Katherine life after how fast she took down the blackthorne aspect of are stinkweed, they better whole alphabet. Of backup plans and remember the “K” and “M”plan are no good if kath is dead
Reminds me of a story I once heard. Two men walk into an packed Irish bar and begin drinking. In the course of a few hours get pissed and start acting like fools. In the course of their wayward behavior spot on an old woman drinking a Guinness by herself. Being the fools that they are they start to harass her and call her names. She turns to them and say ” You boys best leave before you get thrown out.” To which one replys “oi you and what army..” The entire bar gets quiet as a church mouse and stands up. Before either can respond they are thown out of the bar head first. Turns out the old woman was the owner’s wife and neighborhood ma to the whole lot.
Granted this might read as an Americanized version of an older story told 3rd hand but the moral of the story is be careful who you pick a fight with they may actually have an army…. or a hulk if your an avenger. lol
OK, forewarned – There is a recent film called ‘I Care for You’, in which there aren’t any really ‘Good Guys’ but if you have or when you do see it, that story given above will resonate…
I’ll have to check it out. I was told that story by someone who I met in pub while ordering a Guinness. The conversation actually started with him saying “always becareful of a woman who drinks Guinness by herself..” lol
CASTEL ENORA GILCHRIST! … does that strike anyone else as an Incantation? The only Possible way to make this page better would have been if the Timing ,am Paul’s Buffers allowed it to be Published on Mother’s Day.
Mom voice.
Full stop.
The Blackthorn’s only weakness.
But I still have questions about Timothy’s father. That and does he have access to his mothers powersets as a witch.
Wow!
That was so-called by readers the last couple pages.
I can not add any to it.
Ia Katherine Gilchrist Fthagn!
To be so would be a demotion from her current position.
What does Katherine do at MIB?
She runs the whole shebang
Always seemed like she had some upper management role within the MIB. Bud & Co outrank her, but not by much kinda stuff.
I’ve gone back twice to try and read through the comic section that covers Katherine’s integration into MIB. The problem is the whole concept of what it was in the wapsiverse was not entirely locked down at the time. Correspondingly, she more or less just is in it for no more reason that she was witness to too much of their meddling and custodial work. This is very much like how in the movie MiB that Agent K qualifies to get in, by simply being witness to too much of the agencies covert activity. They really have no innate qualifications and stumbled into it.
That being said, like Agent K, she was privy to very sensitive information thereby elevating her through the ranks at a much faster rate, if at least to keep her “under control” via the pretense of being more trusted and essentially making her “invaluable” or too much in the know to be allowed free reign and through that, control her indirectly. The position of power she has is actually a way of controlling her and the responsibility she has and why she acts the way she does within and to MIB shows how well their manipulation has succeeded. She had truly drunk their cool-aid. This is very much like a special military or intelligence operative who knows of “morally questionable activities” of the very group they are part of, yet they do not divulge information simply out of loyalty to that group.
Is Wapsi’s Agent K (Katharine) all that powerful? Not really, Goober does define her well as upper management, but with a few more tiers of superiors keeping tabs on her. I would think she is about as high up as one can go given her background. MIB is simply keep her and their interests close to the chest. Her para secretary is undoubtedly a chaperone from MIB simply keeping tabs on Katharine. Seeing as K is moral, MIB need only wait and time will take care of their loose end.
Side Note: In typical Wapsi fashion, K is another example of the “powerful” woman that must first have had some mind-breaking or super traumatic event in their life in order to be “rewarded” with power. That is why I had so hoped that Jacquline Bontemps would have been developed more, but an altruistic trust-fund fueled character may have been too alien for Paul to integrate into his story telling – that and she was powerful through her wealth and not through some form of trauma. Too bad as was the first Wapsi character to have employed other characters, actually caused plot to happen, and funded things out of just being nice and not out of guild, atonement, or emotional upheaval caused by any drama. There was that one strip where MIB agents did interact with Jacquline and even then she seemed to be on equal footing – almost like her money shields her, or better yet, MIB has financial ties to the Bontemps. “Good times” indeed.
Nim, I have only one nit to pick: If you mean Roxanne, who is standing next to Katherine in this strip, when you refer to Kath’s “para secretary”, Roxanne is not para. She has been confirmed by Paul as full human.
I thought it was established that Katherine is above MIB. At least, that’s what I thought was the gist of Bud’s (or maybe it was Brandi)
response when that vampire MIB agent tried to recruit her.
Can’t find the exact page atm, as there seems to be a gap in the archive?
Can’t really see her shuffling papers back at the office. Not that I’d want to wish that fate on her, either.
I guess that, like Ward Cleaver, we’ll never really know what Katherine Gilchrist does.
you need to look at the wiki! 🙂 https://wapsisquare.fandom.com/wiki/Katherine
especially the “Katherine Gilchrist and the Lost Dolls of the Anasazi” linked in there.. 🙂 Katherine meets a very young Atsali, and enter a great adventure !!
Here’s the link you were looking for, RBZ: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/stay-out-of-her-way/
Tsillah tries to offer Kath a job as an MIB field agent, and Bud says that Kath is already “above MIB”.
Since then, Kath has apparently played a significant role in helping manage and guide human/para relationships. After Digit was accidentally transmogrified into semi-human form, Cricket immediately got on the phone to Kath, and Kath helped arrange for Monica to adopt Digit:
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/seriously/
So, apparently, Kath is playing somewhat of a “policy” role. As a Lanthian chimera, she’s fundamentally human, but not just ordinary vanilla-and-chocolate type. That, plus her awareness of para issues, seems to have made her well-suited to be a builder of bridges.
Her powerful personality and loving nature haven’t hurt matters at all.
Confirmed by Bud, she is MIB oversight.
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/stay-out-of-her-way/
Thanks Dave.
I’d re-read that arc a couple of weeks ago, but couldn’t find it because it’s not linked to any character appearances.
Katherine is six people merged into one, so she was a para all along and never kew it until after she met and went upon an adventure with Atsali.
she is a spider demon (??) If someone can find the comic, where is out in the mapmi desert ?
Nope. http://wapsisquare.com/comic/athena-missile-test/
She is the result of the fourth baby of 6 sets of quadruplets being combined into one body. So Anasazi chimera, yes, demon spider, no.
yes, that is part of the ‘lost dolls’ episode 🙂
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/lost-dolls/
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/i-can-help/
yes, that is part of http://wapsisquare.com/comic/lost-dolls/
Katherine is a trained archeologist and former Air Force. She told Atsali how to fly the helicopter MIB arrived on in the desert. She has many skills in addition to uber-parenting.
Not only did she ~serve~ in the USAF, Katherine was raised by an Air Force officer 😏
A little overcomplicated, all. When we first met Katherine, she was working at the museum with Monica; her job seemed to involve preserving and restoring artifacts. We learned something of her background, and apparently her creation, as well as her psychological hangups, as time went on.
It seemed Katherine was still working there when she had her first adventure with Atsali. At some point Katherine went to work for MIB—never mind just what that is—but what is it that she does there *now*? Fieldwork? I can’t see her having a happy job shuffling paperwork at the office. And if she were in charge, would that mean more paperwork?
ALL POWERFUL IS THE HAND WHICH ROCKS THE CRADLE.
Good quotation from a not-so-good person.
possibly the most EVIL person to ever live… A. Hitler
Sorry, Stalin, Mao, n Pol Pot got him beat by a mile. But he is still in the top 10.
I did say possibly.
After a certain level is reached, it does not truly matter who is more evil than whom.
i am glad they’re all gone (I hope, at least)
“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world” – William Ross Wallace, 1865 poem.
… And yet again I’m reminded that Kath is human and mortal. The world is going to absolutely unravel when she’s gone.
I can think of an equally powerful but much less celebrated being – they are called DADS.
It is still the case that society “expects” the MOM to be this way and some would even argue that they should or it has a inevitable biological basis (to explain how some MOMS can fail so much at it) – But DADS who attain this power level are even more rare and correspondingly more special.
Remember: It is somewhat easy to be a mother or father but very difficult to be a mom or dad.
Unfortunately, most dads cannot figure out how to operate most kitchen appliances.. they leave moms to do that and do most of the ‘heavy lifting’ 🙂
I guess it depends on ‘need’ – if finances are stretched, some dads CAN get going with ‘child caring’ while mom brings in the cash.. 🙂
Still miss my dad. And the only kitchen appliance I can think of Katherine using regularly in the strip is the oven to make brownies. 🙂
do note that in ‘toon world’ there are a LOT of things that are out of sight 🙂 … from going to bed, (and doing things..) , and getting up, dressed and getting breakfast…
It sure would be great to just ‘jump in a portal’ and appear in japan, America or Europe… 🙂
And some so-called ‘mothers’ don’t even know how to take care of a pet-rock let alone a living creature that came out of their womb
Mum voice and full name …
I almost sat up straight on instinct just from reading it …
If MIB doesnt find away to prolong Katherine life after how fast she took down the blackthorne aspect of are stinkweed, they better whole alphabet. Of backup plans and remember the “K” and “M”plan are no good if kath is dead
I …..CAN”T!! Maybe when I stop laughing … in 8 hours or so,.
Even Bud went “OH, F*(K!” when she heard Kath’s Mom Voice.
*record scratch*
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/remember-her-name/
Third panel. The moment when Kath goes from anger to omnipotence.
Reminds me of a story I once heard. Two men walk into an packed Irish bar and begin drinking. In the course of a few hours get pissed and start acting like fools. In the course of their wayward behavior spot on an old woman drinking a Guinness by herself. Being the fools that they are they start to harass her and call her names. She turns to them and say ” You boys best leave before you get thrown out.” To which one replys “oi you and what army..” The entire bar gets quiet as a church mouse and stands up. Before either can respond they are thown out of the bar head first. Turns out the old woman was the owner’s wife and neighborhood ma to the whole lot.
Granted this might read as an Americanized version of an older story told 3rd hand but the moral of the story is be careful who you pick a fight with they may actually have an army…. or a hulk if your an avenger. lol
* SPOILERS * – but maybe not really, but maybe…
* Spoilers! *
OK, forewarned – There is a recent film called ‘I Care for You’, in which there aren’t any really ‘Good Guys’ but if you have or when you do see it, that story given above will resonate…
I’ll have to check it out. I was told that story by someone who I met in pub while ordering a Guinness. The conversation actually started with him saying “always becareful of a woman who drinks Guinness by herself..” lol
Just found this strip from just before the adventure with Atsali. http://wapsisquare.com/comic/another-day/
Yes, Katherine, you do matter!! And how!
Katherine Gilchrist. The only being in the known Waspiverse who can make the Blackthorn go “eep!”
Katherine’s mom voice even affected Bud.
The most powerful force in the entire universe… the Mom Voice!
CASTEL ENORA GILCHRIST! … does that strike anyone else as an Incantation? The only Possible way to make this page better would have been if the Timing ,am Paul’s Buffers allowed it to be Published on Mother’s Day.
In panel·2 Roxanneʾs shirt/blouse is open at the top (nice cleavage 🥴).