well if you are thinking ‘little green men’ , that is not what ‘extraterrestrials’ actually means…
eg, ‘not of this earth’.. so that means Euryale, sphix, etc, etc… 🙂
I was going to say, if not for copyright infringement, Justin could maybe have a visit from a Canadian cousin with mutten-chops, 100lb heavier than he looks, and who claims to be the best he is as what he does…
Also Prometheus and his brother were also Titans, they just sided with the winning team. They were also the ones who created animals and humans. That was what ultimately got Prometheus in trouble, he wanted his creation to thrive, but Zeus did not want them to have the powerful tool that is fire. Prometheus disobeyed Zeus and stole fire from the gods, giving it to man. The story goes longer than that, but that gives the gist of it.
An important thing to note is that while the vulture eats his liver each day, Prometheus heals quickly and his liver grows back to be eaten again the next day.
that’s not the way “I” read that… i read it as Justin *IS* Prometheus!, that he finally got his act together, got released from the rock (or escaped?) and sometime in the past, he was shot in the head. the wound healed (just like his liver did every day) the only problem was that he lost his memory. PHIX knows Prometheus has a brother, because she’s been outside of all this, but the real question for Shelly to ask now is: does “Justin” have a brother? or has his family been staying away from him till he remembers them again?
We know Prometheus had a brother (Epimetheus – meaning ‘hindsight’ as opposed to Prometheus being ‘foresight’), which was a way of describing the two sides of man, being thinking as well as feeling persons. Epimetheus was not as clever as his brother, but stayed out of trouble with Zeus in spite of being a bit of a screwup.
Marrying Pandora may not have been a great idea, though. Maybe he should have had the foresight to avoid that.
Yeah, and his brother did warn him to be very suspicious of any gifts the gods might give him. In hindsight, he probably should have listened better to his brother’s foresight.
The same, I believe. He’s an old part of Christian myth.
So far, Paul has only gone as far a gently teasing Christians (Mormons and fundamentalists). The burning of the Library annex and Tina’s Madonna have been little more than set dressings. And if you’re an ancient being, Christianity’s absolutists are fair game to get teased.
But an amnesiac Longinus would be a much more profound statement. Imho.
This certainly explains all those wacko girl friends he had. No forsight at all. He learned enough to be careful but not to evaluate what he is getting into any better. The loss of memory doesn’t help either.
I would like clarification as to whether Phix is saying that Justin is Epimethus or Prometheus…I suppose we’ll get it all laid out for us eventually. 😛
I am betting on Epimethus, or a later born brother that is not in mythology. But it does tell us that Justin has believed in protecting the innocent for quite a long time
She’s saying that Prometheus was cocky, but had a brother who is an Italian police officer that had his brains blown out and grown back along with a case of amnesia.
Can’t quite understand how the syntax is causing so much trouble.
Interestingly, this has been brought up as an explanation for certain other regenerator’s memory issues. Might explain the penchant for yellow spandex, too.
Well, if Phix knows that Shelly is a descendent of Bia, then yeah, she might be a bit worried about Justin getting back his memories and what that could mean.
As powerful as Sphinxes are, I’m not so sure that they’re on the same level as Gods or Titans.
It’s about Justin being obligated to harm Shelly, because she’s a descendent of someone who hurt a family member of his.
Bia and her siblings were the ones who chained Prometheus (Justin’s brother) to a mountain, so he could have his liver pecked out on a daily basis, just because he wouldn’t let Zeus punish mankind, because Prometheus had outsmarted Zeus.
– Sitrep:
A way to honour the Gods was to be chosen, Prometheus presented them with two offerings, and the one chosen would be the valid form for the rest of time.
One was an Ox’s stomach containing all sorts of prime cuts of meat. The other was Bull Bones covered in fat.
Zeus picked the Bones with Fat, and when he found out he was tricked, he took away the power of fire from Mankind.
Prometheus wasn’t willing to see that happen, so he snuck into Olympus and stole some of the fire there, so he could give that back to humanity.
Zeus got even more ticked off and had Bia and siblings chain Prometheus to a mountain, (See above for the rest) and also he had Hephaestus craft Pandora, who was the first female human, and sent her to Epimetheus, as a gift.
Epimetheus hoping to put the squabbles behind them, accepted the gift, so as to not further provoke Zeus.
Ah, I did not know that. I didn’t actually know anything about Bia other than her family tree.
Thanks for the info, though if Justin holds something against Shelley for what one of her ancestors did, then he’d be a grade-A jerk. I have no sympathy for the whole “sins of the fathers” mindset.
We’re talking about Greek Mythology here.
Nearly everyone was a Grade A-jerk.
Epimetheus was one of the few who wasn’t one, probably because of his foolish nature.
But considering what The Gods and her flunkies did to him and his family. Well, resentment is to be expected.
Plus there’s the whole difference in cultural norms. To you the idea of him harming Shelly is dreadful, to him it would be Justice.
Look at the Trojan War, Paris and Helen hooked up courtesy of Aphrodite, this despite her already being married to Menelaus. This caused Agamemnon to come to his brother’s aid to avenge the stain upon the family honor.
Bia was talking to Charon and He mentioned something about her decendents. I think it is suposition at the moment who is the decendent they were talking about.
Well I figured the descendant was Monica since it was said she would control the Chimera (Glyph Reader) and it was Monica in the next strip like a typical reveal.
“She told me that the land of the crescent will turn to glass, but you will have a descendant who will set the powers right.” Bia looked less than thrilled, but we don’t know who the prophecy was about.
And then we cut to Monica cheesecake. But that change of scene may actually have meant nothing, we’re just trained to think it does.
Nice derail there Phix. Completely avoided Shelly’s very valid point.
Shelly: “The one time I Sphinxed-out in public, I gutted the nearest human. Eventually one of them is not going to be Justin, the GGG, or Monica (aka able to cheat death at will).”
Eh, they’re just making sure the local reaper gets some vacation time. After all he’s got to do something with all those time slots they keep canceling.
Phix: “Yes, the one time you actually attacked some one, it was one of the few beings on Earth who could take a Sphinx attack and not die from it. Do you think that is a coincidence?”
That would only work, if the versions in which Heracles built the Pillars of Hercules to hold the sky away from the earth, is the “truth” in the Wapsiverse.
Otherwise Atlas would still be keeping Gaia and Uranus apart. Menoetius meanwhile got sent to Tarterus.
So that only leaves Epimetheus, as the free one, who’d still be spending time with his creation. Prometheus would probably still be laying low to avoid attracting any further attention to himself.
Hence Phix saying he’s a good kid now, no longer causing any troubles.
I think it’s safe to say that original mythology is not internally consistent, and that modern authors’ choices have to make it so. Paul’s choices have been contradictory enough to be surprising, all the way back to voodoo dolls that aren’t supposed to come from Peru, but that really work anyway.
I’d still bet on Epi, but… sure. Justin could be an amnesiac Atlas, wandering the Earth and getting sad sex. Why the hell not?
(And if there’s a Randian connection, today’s ep would have to be interpreted, “you’re brain dead if you think you can go without helping one another”.)
Pizza Girl??? Not a chance! Anybody who doesn’t even question how Dietzel manages to order his own pizzas when M’s away has got to be special on some level…
I think Paul confirmed that there’s nothing supernatural about Lydia. She just has some interesting connections that result in access to lingerie ninjas. 😛
@Julie – Yes, I think he did confirm that in the comments, now that you mention it.
@Rowan – Amanda questioned Diesel’s abilities early on, but dismissed them. Since then she’s been poited a few times, but seems to have remained human. Pizza Girl’s story remains largely untold, but so far she just seems like another ordinary person with a special insight into the weirdness of the world.
“My name is Dylan. When night falls, I cruise the shadows, and I listen to their cries of hunger. I feed these demon-haunted streets.
Personally, as a human, given what Prometheus is known for, I’d be a bit worried by Phix’s assertion that he’s changed for the better.
After all, other than playing a trick on Zeus, he’s best known for creating man, shielding us from Zeus’s destruction, and giving us fire and other gifts of civilization after Zeus stole them from us out of spite for said trick.
(Side note: Is there any story really in which Zeus is the good guy?)
GREAT GOOGLY MOGGLY!!!
Considering how far back he was introduced as OTB, then Justin it makes me wonder how far back Paul had this in mind for our nice guy cop who’s flypaper for freaks.
The entire ball of wax got started when Tepoz showed up.
Considering all of the museums in the world where Tepoz COULD have been shipped, how did he get to THAT museum where the one person who could stop the reboots worked?
Who is the ultimate mastermind behind it all?
Plus. Wapsi is described as a “slice” of supernatural life.
A “SLICE”?
I have a feeling Paul has the entire pie mapped out in tremendous and internally consistent detail, particularly in view of the various bits of history and archeology he has shared with us elsewhere.
I can’t even begin to count the times when something seemed contradictory or inconsistent; then Paul hits us with a twist that brings all of the pieces together cleanly and neatly.
You’ll find me over in the Confusion Corner, quietly muttering to myself.
Prometheus’ little brother? Epimetheus? He who gave away humanity’s flesh rending claws? Our big sharp nasty teeth? Our fricking wings? Kill him sphinxes, kill him for our vengeance.
…. It grew back…. neat trick…
Oh my that puts all sorts of interesting connotations to Justin’s earlier freak out….
“It grows back.”
I am immediately reminded of Jeeves from MIB.
And now I am wondering why there are no extraterrestrials in the Wapsi-verse.
Well, I’m not sure if it works on extraterrestrials, but it was mentioned here that Brandi isolated the world from inter-dimensional travelers.
well if you are thinking ‘little green men’ , that is not what ‘extraterrestrials’ actually means…
eg, ‘not of this earth’.. so that means Euryale, sphix, etc, etc… 🙂
But they are of this earth; they live one the planet Earth and, as far as we know, have lived here their entire lives.
Makes me wonder if he called the guy who shot him “an insensitive prick”
You have any idea how much that stings?!…
Does anybody else think that maybe Justin has a distant cousin or some-such with an adamantium (adamantine?) covered skeleton?
I was going to say, if not for copyright infringement, Justin could maybe have a visit from a Canadian cousin with mutten-chops, 100lb heavier than he looks, and who claims to be the best he is as what he does…
The plot, she thickens!
Duum duuuuuuuummm duuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm
well that’s not Jack Webb’s intro – the last is too long.
And here we thought he was just some hunky dude that looked great in a uniform! And, while we’re at it, one of the few male characters in the comic.
This plot twist is Friday cliffhanger worthy. Makes you wonder what Paul has in store for us this week.
Epimetheus. Someone called it a few days ago….
And if Shelly is indeed a descendent of Bia, then things are going to get kinda awkward if he gets his memories back.
What with Bia and her siblings chaining HIS brother to that mountain to have his liver pecked out.
Especially, considering how much stock the Greek mythology places on avenging wrongs against blood-kin. The various vendetta’s etc.
Baird’s niece’s and nephews (the gods, not the titans) were the ones that punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock.
Also Prometheus and his brother were also Titans, they just sided with the winning team. They were also the ones who created animals and humans. That was what ultimately got Prometheus in trouble, he wanted his creation to thrive, but Zeus did not want them to have the powerful tool that is fire. Prometheus disobeyed Zeus and stole fire from the gods, giving it to man. The story goes longer than that, but that gives the gist of it.
An important thing to note is that while the vulture eats his liver each day, Prometheus heals quickly and his liver grows back to be eaten again the next day.
that’s not the way “I” read that… i read it as Justin *IS* Prometheus!, that he finally got his act together, got released from the rock (or escaped?) and sometime in the past, he was shot in the head. the wound healed (just like his liver did every day) the only problem was that he lost his memory. PHIX knows Prometheus has a brother, because she’s been outside of all this, but the real question for Shelly to ask now is: does “Justin” have a brother? or has his family been staying away from him till he remembers them again?
We know Prometheus had a brother (Epimetheus – meaning ‘hindsight’ as opposed to Prometheus being ‘foresight’), which was a way of describing the two sides of man, being thinking as well as feeling persons. Epimetheus was not as clever as his brother, but stayed out of trouble with Zeus in spite of being a bit of a screwup.
Marrying Pandora may not have been a great idea, though. Maybe he should have had the foresight to avoid that.
Husband to Pandora, wasn’t he?
Yeah, and his brother did warn him to be very suspicious of any gifts the gods might give him. In hindsight, he probably should have listened better to his brother’s foresight.
I deduced it. The kudos remain with Paul for throwing the Bia curveball in there.
Note that “Italian police officer” doesn’t rule out Longinus yet, either.
But yeah, now we get to speculate who Pandora was.
This Longinus?
The same, I believe. He’s an old part of Christian myth.
So far, Paul has only gone as far a gently teasing Christians (Mormons and fundamentalists). The burning of the Library annex and Tina’s Madonna have been little more than set dressings. And if you’re an ancient being, Christianity’s absolutists are fair game to get teased.
But an amnesiac Longinus would be a much more profound statement. Imho.
Oh and, heh, lest we forget…
Now that is a nice take on the idea Yamara.
This certainly explains all those wacko girl friends he had. No forsight at all. He learned enough to be careful but not to evaluate what he is getting into any better. The loss of memory doesn’t help either.
I would like clarification as to whether Phix is saying that Justin is Epimethus or Prometheus…I suppose we’ll get it all laid out for us eventually. 😛
I am betting on Epimethus, or a later born brother that is not in mythology. But it does tell us that Justin has believed in protecting the innocent for quite a long time
She’s saying that Prometheus was cocky, but had a brother who is an Italian police officer that had his brains blown out and grown back along with a case of amnesia.
Can’t quite understand how the syntax is causing so much trouble.
Well that was my initial impression, but I also understand where there might be some confusion in all of those hes. 🙂
I think she is trying to IMPLY that Epimetheus is now Justin, or wants Shelly to think so, anyway.
Interestingly, this has been brought up as an explanation for certain other regenerator’s memory issues. Might explain the penchant for yellow spandex, too.
-JRS
I think this is the first time I have seen Phix look worried.
Well, if Phix knows that Shelly is a descendent of Bia, then yeah, she might be a bit worried about Justin getting back his memories and what that could mean.
As powerful as Sphinxes are, I’m not so sure that they’re on the same level as Gods or Titans.
If she is a descendant of Bia, then she’s probably so far genetically removed from her as to make any connotations of incest irrelevant.
Unless there is a LOT incest in her family tree already.
It’s not about Shelly and Justin being related.
It’s about Justin being obligated to harm Shelly, because she’s a descendent of someone who hurt a family member of his.
Bia and her siblings were the ones who chained Prometheus (Justin’s brother) to a mountain, so he could have his liver pecked out on a daily basis, just because he wouldn’t let Zeus punish mankind, because Prometheus had outsmarted Zeus.
– Sitrep:
A way to honour the Gods was to be chosen, Prometheus presented them with two offerings, and the one chosen would be the valid form for the rest of time.
One was an Ox’s stomach containing all sorts of prime cuts of meat. The other was Bull Bones covered in fat.
Zeus picked the Bones with Fat, and when he found out he was tricked, he took away the power of fire from Mankind.
Prometheus wasn’t willing to see that happen, so he snuck into Olympus and stole some of the fire there, so he could give that back to humanity.
Zeus got even more ticked off and had Bia and siblings chain Prometheus to a mountain, (See above for the rest) and also he had Hephaestus craft Pandora, who was the first female human, and sent her to Epimetheus, as a gift.
Epimetheus hoping to put the squabbles behind them, accepted the gift, so as to not further provoke Zeus.
Well, we know how things turned out with Pandora.
Ah, I did not know that. I didn’t actually know anything about Bia other than her family tree.
Thanks for the info, though if Justin holds something against Shelley for what one of her ancestors did, then he’d be a grade-A jerk. I have no sympathy for the whole “sins of the fathers” mindset.
We’re talking about Greek Mythology here.
Nearly everyone was a Grade A-jerk.
Epimetheus was one of the few who wasn’t one, probably because of his foolish nature.
But considering what The Gods and her flunkies did to him and his family. Well, resentment is to be expected.
Plus there’s the whole difference in cultural norms. To you the idea of him harming Shelly is dreadful, to him it would be Justice.
Look at the Trojan War, Paris and Helen hooked up courtesy of Aphrodite, this despite her already being married to Menelaus. This caused Agamemnon to come to his brother’s aid to avenge the stain upon the family honor.
Euhh.. Bia?? I feel quite dense here, but when was it mentioned that Shellinx was related to Bia??
Bia was talking to Charon and He mentioned something about her decendents. I think it is suposition at the moment who is the decendent they were talking about.
Well I figured the descendant was Monica since it was said she would control the Chimera (Glyph Reader) and it was Monica in the next strip like a typical reveal.
“She told me that the land of the crescent will turn to glass, but you will have a descendant who will set the powers right.” Bia looked less than thrilled, but we don’t know who the prophecy was about.
And then we cut to Monica cheesecake. But that change of scene may actually have meant nothing, we’re just trained to think it does.
Shelly makes a fine Titan, if you ask me.
Okay…..that’s a twist I wasn’t expecting.
Nice derail there Phix. Completely avoided Shelly’s very valid point.
Shelly: “The one time I Sphinxed-out in public, I gutted the nearest human. Eventually one of them is not going to be Justin, the GGG, or Monica (aka able to cheat death at will).”
Eh, they’re just making sure the local reaper gets some vacation time. After all he’s got to do something with all those time slots they keep canceling.
Indeed. Achilles had his heel, Shelly has her misdirection by elucidation.
Side-note that this is one line of attack Monica is usually immune to.
An appropriate comic, thanks for the link. This is one of my all time favorites. It says so much about Tina and Shelly.
It might not be an actual derail.
Phix: “Yes, the one time you actually attacked some one, it was one of the few beings on Earth who could take a Sphinx attack and not die from it. Do you think that is a coincidence?”
That would be my bet.
Justin might want to avoid any aviaries in the future.
Over at Schlock Mercenary they’re having problems with brains growing back also.
It’s the wrong brains.
If Justin is a Titan… or Demi-Titan… shouldn’t he be taller? I guess that explains his physique and… erm… anatomy
You know, Prometheus had more then one interesting brother. Not sure Justin Shrugged has the same ring to it.
That would only work, if the versions in which Heracles built the Pillars of Hercules to hold the sky away from the earth, is the “truth” in the Wapsiverse.
Otherwise Atlas would still be keeping Gaia and Uranus apart. Menoetius meanwhile got sent to Tarterus.
So that only leaves Epimetheus, as the free one, who’d still be spending time with his creation. Prometheus would probably still be laying low to avoid attracting any further attention to himself.
Hence Phix saying he’s a good kid now, no longer causing any troubles.
I think it’s safe to say that original mythology is not internally consistent, and that modern authors’ choices have to make it so. Paul’s choices have been contradictory enough to be surprising, all the way back to voodoo dolls that aren’t supposed to come from Peru, but that really work anyway.
I’d still bet on Epi, but… sure. Justin could be an amnesiac Atlas, wandering the Earth and getting sad sex. Why the hell not?
(And if there’s a Randian connection, today’s ep would have to be interpreted, “you’re brain dead if you think you can go without helping one another”.)
Just out of curiosity, is there anyone in this neighborhood who’s just a garden variety, off-the-shelf, standard issue hooman bean?
If not, can I apply for the position??
Katherine.
Maybe.
Jins’ boyfriend, Thatgirlwhosnameescapesme who bakes the goodies for Tina, Amanda, Owen and Lakshmi.
Kevin, Jacqueline, maybe Pizza Girl.
The Sandhals, Daren, various secretaries.
No call on Luci or Lydia yet. But they still could be standard ape descendants.
Maybe we’re all magical. That’s kinda how I read Wapsi Square.
Pizza Girl??? Not a chance! Anybody who doesn’t even question how Dietzel manages to order his own pizzas when M’s away has got to be special on some level…
I think Paul confirmed that there’s nothing supernatural about Lydia. She just has some interesting connections that result in access to lingerie ninjas. 😛
@Julie – Yes, I think he did confirm that in the comments, now that you mention it.
@Rowan – Amanda questioned Diesel’s abilities early on, but dismissed them. Since then she’s been poited a few times, but seems to have remained human. Pizza Girl’s story remains largely untold, but so far she just seems like another ordinary person with a special insight into the weirdness of the world.
“My name is Dylan. When night falls, I cruise the shadows, and I listen to their cries of hunger. I feed these demon-haunted streets.
“I feed them pizza.”
So… I guess I can forget about sending an application, then? Damn…
Wow, I didn’t see that one coming o_O
So — what did Justin and Shelly learn when they visited the Library?
That its dress code is entirely optional.
Ten internets for you!
Truth! 😀
Yowzaa !!
That Justin can’t be a *direct* relation to Prometheus – because Grudge declared him part centaur. 😀
Hmm, so… Shelly could only hurt Justin because her Sphinx nature knew he was also a Titan and couldn’t be permanently damaged.
Interesting… Perhaps that’s also why Shelly is having trouble controlling her Sphinx-ing when she thinks about/is around Justin.
And that’s why Dr Venture always recorded the boys’ engrams as often as possible.
so justin created man out of clay… so, in a sense he’s shelley’s dad…… the greeks had some strange relationships.. :/
Personally, as a human, given what Prometheus is known for, I’d be a bit worried by Phix’s assertion that he’s changed for the better.
After all, other than playing a trick on Zeus, he’s best known for creating man, shielding us from Zeus’s destruction, and giving us fire and other gifts of civilization after Zeus stole them from us out of spite for said trick.
(Side note: Is there any story really in which Zeus is the good guy?)
I think Phix just means, he’s no longer causing trouble that ends up effecting everyone on the planet.
So I suspect she rates him laying low and not causing trouble as far more beneficial, than the other things he did for Mankind.
GREAT GOOGLY MOGGLY!!!
Considering how far back he was introduced as OTB, then Justin it makes me wonder how far back Paul had this in mind for our nice guy cop who’s flypaper for freaks.
Heck – how far back he was introduced as one of the victims of Bud’s sensayumah.
I bet one day we’ll find out that Dietzel was always Loki in disguise or something…. or M’s boss is Zeus, Odin or Fizban.
Holy. Moley.
Looking at Sphix in that last panel: Sphix looks worried AND pained, like she is remembering some rather unpleasant incidences.
Something Big is coming.
I’m wondering about a couple of things.
The entire ball of wax got started when Tepoz showed up.
Considering all of the museums in the world where Tepoz COULD have been shipped, how did he get to THAT museum where the one person who could stop the reboots worked?
Who is the ultimate mastermind behind it all?
Plus. Wapsi is described as a “slice” of supernatural life.
A “SLICE”?
I have a feeling Paul has the entire pie mapped out in tremendous and internally consistent detail, particularly in view of the various bits of history and archeology he has shared with us elsewhere.
I can’t even begin to count the times when something seemed contradictory or inconsistent; then Paul hits us with a twist that brings all of the pieces together cleanly and neatly.
You’ll find me over in the Confusion Corner, quietly muttering to myself.
Paul is Justin’s brother’s go-between.
Prometheus’ little brother? Epimetheus? He who gave away humanity’s flesh rending claws? Our big sharp nasty teeth? Our fricking wings? Kill him sphinxes, kill him for our vengeance.
So–the Biblioteke has a wall of scrolls, a wall of skulls–any other interesting walls?
Wall of scones? Wall of spoons?
Isn’t the stone under the “Coronation” chair one of those ? Or am I thinking of something else ?
Isn’t that the Stone of Scones?
Wall of Noise, Wall of Voodoo, Walla Walla, Wash….
Correction, Wall of Sound rather. I mixed with Art of Noise apparently. Pore old’ brain tryin’ to be two places at once.
And in Marvel-Wapsi, she has a Wall of Skrulls.
(Donates to Pun Jar without protest)
Wall of Mart?
If Justin is a brother of Prometheus, then he is a Titan…?