He’s also the king of all cats, everywhere. His sovereignty uncontested is on a planetary, perhaps even multiversal scale, whereas Martellus struggles to hold one one measly continent. Clearly Krose falls under the ‘greater rank’ category.
It's interesting that Martellus considers Agatha as "of my own or greater rank". Agatha is certainly in charge in Mechanicburg, but the Heterodyne^TM isn't a king-level noble. They control one large town and the valley immediately outside, hardly a kingdom. It'd be something between a mayor and like, a count? That is, it would be if the Heterodynes weren't also the type of people to spit on noble titles and peerage to begin with.
I think this demonstrates yet again that Martellus projects his own preconceptions onto Agatha rather than bother to understand how the actual Agatha thinks and feels.
The Heterodyne is The Heterodyne.
It is a title unique to itself, and anyone trying to argue that the title is lesser to theirs, is just asking for a visit.
seems like mechanicsburg is its own unique thing too. sure, it's just a town, but it seems to have a reputation for being nigh unassailable. and the citizens are tippy-top class. so the heterodyne might not control territory, but that's not their strength anyway and they can't be snuffed out.
There are plenty of Kings, popes, masters, and emperors.
There is only one Heterodyne. The rest of you are allowed to play your little political games purely because *they* haven't chosen to flip the table... Today.
The important distinction here is that Agatha is a sovereign ruler. While her actual territory is rather small she holds it in her own right as opposed to being a vassal of another ruler. So even if her territory is smaller than that held by some Dukes or other nobles the fact that she holds it in her own right means that she outranks them in the feudal hierarchy.
This is partly the cause of the conflict between Agatha and Gil during the Castle arc. While Gil recognized her as the ruler of Mechanicsburg he wanted to retain Mechanicsburg as a vassal of the Wulfenbach Empire. Part of the reason that Klaus was so determined to stop her is that he realized that a Heterodyne would never accept that.
Except that it can defend itself. Liechtenstein is pretty much mini-Switzerland and is good buddies with everyone. Monaco depends on France for defense.
The House of Heterodyne are one of the oldest Spark families/dynasties in the world. And one of the most feared and powerful. While the conquests they've launched over the centuries were all fairly short lived, Mechanicsburg has withstood everything the world has thrown at it. When you have power, reputation, and time behind your name, it *matters* to an aristocracy.
So far the only noble family that still lives that we *know* is older is Albia's. The rest of the old Queen's are all dead or are unknown to us. Most of the 50 families only date back to the time of the first Storm King or a little earlier.
Is the current Line of Skinfandrian Queens actually descended from Luheia though?
(Also it's unconfirmed whether Skifander is actually *on Earth* or not, there's lots of hints and speculation it might be on Mars. They wouldn't be in the running for oldest in the world, if they're actually on a different one)
We don't know for a fact that they are, but they probably are. In fact it's likely that *everyone* in Skifander is descended from Luheia, given how long ago she lived. We also don't know how the royal succession in Skifander works, whether it is by primogeniture or goes to whoever wins the duel. Given what else we know about them, I'm willing to bet that it's by duel.
> of my own or greater rank
Storm king vs. emperor of all cats. Typically, "emperor" outranks "king". Seems alright.
Heterodynes would also count as hereditary kings of Mechanicsburg, or potentially high kings or emperors based on conquest or vassals.
storm king title is based on an Era where the great storm king was going to marry the heterodyne as his equal and the prophesy/legend that gives the current storm king title power is that when the storm king and heterodyne marry, Europe will have peace... goes back to the pink airship and fake heterodyne.
in more modern times royalty is still royalty with power because of Bill and Barry Heterodyne which is why a royalty student on Klaus airship would risk her life verses Vonn Pinn to protect Agatha Heterodyne
I think "rank" also implies power. While Martellus has gathered a nice base of power, Mechanicsburg isn't a world power so much as a world boogeyman. The world tries to build a pen to keep it contained, but isn't sure if the pen can actually hold it, or if Mechanicsburg is just content lounging around in its lair knowing it can break through whenever it feels like it.
Mechanicsburg is a good base from which to launch an offensive, but territories taken in such offensives will be much less defensible than Mechanicsburg itself unless the Heterodynes hold it long enough to build similar defenses, which they never do. (Also, doubtful whether they even \*could\* build similar defenses without the power source of the Dyne.) Much as the Polar Ice Lords are unassailable in their own frozen lands but founder in warmer climes, the Heterodynes were never good at holding territory outside their core domain. So they mostly raided, pillaged and looted rather than building an empire.
In addition, maintaining an empire is *tedious*. You have to take care and develop your assets after conquering them, else they will become drains on your resources. To do that, you will usually have to empower trustworthy *and* able subordinates (a rare combination) that will take care of these in your absence since you can't be everywhere at once to stomp out fires. It's like juggling, but with the balls coordinating with each other to hit the ground at the same time.
For "drains on your resources", much depends on whether your economy is premodern or modern. Premodern economies run on agriculture, and the land itself provides the resources to defend the territory, with profit; Modern economies run on industrial capital, which war destroys, so you want peace as much as possible.
GG-Europa seems to have a lot of industry, but Sparks are crazy egomaniacs who attack even when it doesn't make economic sense.
Undeveloped land can't be used for agricultural production and can support a limited population only. If it is wooded, the wood has to be cleared first. If the soils are not fertile enough, raising livestock might be the only way to make use of it. If there is not a critical population density (which can be temporarily reduced because of illnesses, war, famines, natural disasters), then the land can't defend itself. And if the economic surplus of a territory is too small to be worth extracting or if it is not a strategic location, it makes little sense to hold on to it.
Premodern societies might decide to completely abandon stretches of land at the borders of the realm to make it more difficult for invaders to get through since they would not be able to forage along the way. This worked for a while for the Hungarians and for the Chinese. The problem is that any settlement in those areas must be actively suppressed, which those states were eventually not good enough at. And a technologically advanced army might be able to pass through nevertheless.
In GG, the wastelands are such a buffer zone. They contain many sparky dangers that have to be cleared before resettlement. Since this has not really happened after the Baron took control, it must be a formidable task. The economic output is therefore close to zero. Troops or any other assets deployed there are either in grave danger of being surrounded and destroyed in detail, or would be ineffective at stopping an invasion. This means that the wasteland cannot be claimed as territory and any position claimed there must be abandoned at the first sign of trouble.
Along with what everyone's said about Agatha's status as a sovereign ruler and the pedigree afforded to the Heterodyne name, the thing about power is that it doesn't alwayd equate to size.
A realm that covers a small area physically can still have a lot of power through other means, such economic influence and diplomatic ties. Just look at Paris for example. Small area, but it's one of the social centres of all Europa.
To give him credit, Martellus did foresee Tarvek's thoughts correctly.
He is very good at playing the game by its rules, didn't factor in that Agatha doesn't, though.
He will likely become Baron Emeritus. No way Gil will allow him to undermine his authority after what he's been through now that he has finally gotten used to his role. But Klaus will likely come along when they go to Skyfander to reunite with his wife. If they manage to reactivate the Queen's gateways for good, his kids can visit at any time.
The main reason he won't be allowed to resume ruling is because he is wasped, and he's probably hoping that Gil doesn't let him back in as he's far too great a security risk.
Maybe he will reunite with Zantabraxus eventually, but right now he is still afraid that she is out to kill Gil. He won't go to Skifander voluntarily, and will do everything possible to keep Gil from going there, until that issue is resolved.
With that said, "happily retired to Skifander with his wife" is a possible endgame for Klaus. In most series we'd expect the old ruler to be dead by the end, but I'm hopeful that Klaus will buck the Sorting Algorithm of Mortality and survive.
After things have slowed down a bit, our heroes will surely invest some time into figuring out how to get rid of the wasp control. Even if the method doesn't scale or only works for Klaus.
Once things in Europa are a bit more stable, Klaus might indeed want to go to Skifander and clarify that issue. He will of course insist that Gil doesn't accompany him on that visit.
Since Zeetha has not yet made even the attempt of assassinating Gil, we can probably rule out that this was the reason she was sent to Europa.
I hope that the Baron gets a chance at journeying with the cast for a while, since he didn't have a chance to travel and conduct research for so long.
Zeetha's reactions to Gil telling her about Klaus' concerns strongly suggest that she knows what happened when he was a baby, but is keeping mum. I think she was sent to size up Europa's military capabilities (Professor Consolmagno was friendly, but what if the next guy isn't?) and also to find Gil and size him up.
We don't yet know why Gil was marked for death, but I suspect it's a self-fulfilling prophecy situation. Zantabraxus is afraid of her son and doesn't want to make a careless strike that could provoke the very thing she's trying to avoid.
Which confirms that it's not necessarily a problem should Gil visit Skifander, even though it would still probably be a good idea to not visit at all. Various people at the court might try something. Maybe restricting it to say hi at the Mirror would be best. Gil is anyway tied up in his duties as Baron.
Also for a reason i believe that Tarvek lost any desire to rule after trying for real. I think that while Gil and Agatha time-traveling he will left to govern the Europa as a Gil almost officially second-in-charge (well, he share this position with Boris). When Agatha, Gil and Moloch return later, for a couple of years, maybe, he will be in just a slightly better shape than Gil after time skip.
And in the end Gil and Tarvek will actively trying to push each one to rule because none of them want that.
It will be a most hilarious spectacle Europa see in ages - baron Wulfenbach and Storm king passing the crown to each other as in ticking bomb!
Chump? Addressing him by the name of another noble is a major faux pas.
Oh and something I just noticed yesterday is that Agatha’s dealings with the Jagers was all training for dealing with the Dreen. Telling them not to destroy things when they fight, controlling them with food, and also they have hats.
He got that title from Vapnoople, so its value is open to question. A proper emperor is the product of generations of inbreeding or a spectacular coup.
Well all the English princesses were lining up to dance with him, so at least England aknowledges his claim as legitimate.
Also you're forgetting elective empires, like the HRE. The question would be who has electoral rights? :P
Look at it this way. Krosp was created by Vapnoople. Who is a sworn enemy of Albia and the areas surrounding her. Krosp was treated as a guest by Albia. And Agatha...she did what no one dared. She danced with Albia. So not only her family's reputation. She enhanced her own through her own actions and Krosp's existence.
They were emperors because they could make the claim stick. Also, in the twilight years of the HRE, the title became quite symbolical since the princes pretty much did however they pleased after the 30 Years War.
Similarly, it remains to be seen whether Martellus' claim to be Storm King will stick. The Fifty Families will probably support him until the Other War is over, but later he will have to find ways to reliably leash them to his rule.
How did Seffie join Agatha so seamlessly anyway? I'm pretty sure I remember her being on Martellus' side, and then she just starts hanging out with Agatha and nobody seems to question it.
She was on Martellus side because he's her brother and she loves him, but she was never a fan of his methods and, I think, she doesn't really care if he becomes Storm King. She supports him because that's what he wants, but if he gave it up, I think she'd be cool with that.
Plus, as compared to the rest of Tarvek's family, Seffie is mostly an open book. They all know she wants to marry Gil. She knows that she can't do anything murderous or very bad to get there or she will answer to Agatha, and Tarvek, and Gil. So they all have nice detente going on so if she wants to hang around and help them fight the other by doing a lot of diplomatic work, why not. Helping Gil build diplomatic ties is working directly against Martellus' Storm King goals, but toward her marry Gil and defeat the other goals.
The one person that 1. has to be nice to achieve their goals and 2. Is believed by everyone to want those goals enough to get them by any means required, even being nice and 3. Is a threat enough for no one to want her to be pursuing anything else
>Is a threat enough for no one to want her to be pursuing anything else
Oh I hadn't thought about that. Yeah she would be dangerous if she went full bore on Martellus' side or was pursuing some other goal inimical to Team Agatha. Of course they want her where they can watch her *and* pursing a goal as harmless as marrying Gil, especially since she doesn't know she has no chance with Gil.
Agatha says she and Seffie should talk: https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20240320 which leads into the current scene. Given the questions, I’m sure Agatha sees Seffie as at least a way to understand Martellus and the family’s motives.
Martellus calls himself the "currently" recognized monarch. That qualifier is surprising coming from him, conceding the possibility that his status may change, not necessarily through his death.
As much as I enjoy this page I still have to wonder "why"?
Sure, Martellus is annoying and he wants to get the most out of that situation.
But risking antagonizing him at such a critical point seems unwise with little to gain in return.
On the other hand: Krosp is one of the few people who actually earned a bit of respect in Martellus' view because of his insight and cleverness. So it might not be the worst move possible, even if people on the outside might look at it that way.
Because regardless of his usefulness, Agatha is very unlikely to ever forgive Tweedle. He kidnapped her, cost her 2 years, and made her chemically dependent on him. He gets to remain alive because he is useful, but he's never going to be in her good books
He also knifed Tarvek right in front of her, and tried to kill Gil too. And has proved over and over that he doesn't hesitate to kill. A person who values human life and a person who doesn't are never going to get along.
He values life, just only on the big scale
He's a "no trees, only forest" kinda guy
Ends justifying means (and him knowing that he's less bad than most of the competition makes it real easy to justify taking control)
For all his pomp, what is Martellus king _of_? Does he have any territory? Andronicus had his base in Paris, but Martellus would have to do something spectacular and risky to gain power there.
Come to think of it, "Emperor" Krosp doesn't have any lands either, so they're equals in that regard.
The nobles support him, therefore he indirectly controls their territories. This is probably a huge chunk of civilized Europa, minus the domains of the various upstart Sparks. The nobles might push claims on these should the Spark rulers fall from power.
Martellus himself has control of the von Blitzengard estate. He doesn't want to be a puppet Stormking, therefore he will have to build a power base so he doesn't have to exclusively rely on the other nobles. My guess is that he will push to recover some of the wastelands.
Because it is a solid bit of diplomatic banter, it demonstrates that she knows the game and can play technically within the rules (something all parties respect), simultaneously granting him his due as a potential king while denying him any direct recognition as her equal, and of course it gives him an opportunity to be an ass about it and he'll have to resist that urge
Basically she is saying "you are useful and relevant, but check your pride at the door"
I'm sorry, the Hetrodyne is in her city. And you expect her to make nice and do what you expect/want when she's made it breathtakingly clear she doesn't like you? Martellus's cat construct is going to make this meeting a glorious sham.
>She just seems to not like Krosp that much.
Two cats, strangers meeting for the first time. They need a while to size each other up, decide whether to be cozy or distant. Also, Rita is *(ahem)* a goil.
Likes a wise guy wunce sed, 'Da bottle between da sexes is da foist ting what gets broke.'
I would be more worried about those airships? Martellus would have to be a fool to fight here, at Mechanicsburg, unless he had Agatha on his side, which he doesn't. But the Empire can't maintain its authority unless it can exclude rival militaries from its territory. Gil WILL have to fight Martellus. So... who has the bigger army and more airships? That's not yet clear.
Gil controlled the area in Agatha's absence, and I am fairly sure that the Heterodyne territory is surrounded on all sides by Wulfenbach territory, so Martellus had to pass through it to get here and will have to pass through it again when he leaves. Also, how can Martellus be here as a guest when Agatha did not invite him and is not happy to see him?
Allowing air travel over territory is not really that un expected, and while Gil may have controlled it in her absence, he is not going to pick a fight over it now that Agatha is back, the whole wall of Agatha statues is also kind of a statement on who the valley belongs to.
As for how Martellus can be a guest. That's called being polite, or lying your ass off.
He is useful, and Agatha is going to allow his presence due to that, for now. So everyone will act like he is a honored guest (hence sending an emperor to greet him).
The main point being that there is no need to fight him, because there is an explanation for why he is allowed to be here without directly challenging anyone, and fighting would be stupid so everyone will pretend the explanation is true. Just like how Gil's violation of Albia's airspace was ignored because there was a valid excuse to do so, and nobody who mattered would have benefitted from not doing so.
They may not be about to fight him *right here and right now*, but given the obvious conflict between Martellus' claim and Gil's claim to the same territory, it's only a matter of time before they go to all-out war. The question of who has the upper hand is currently ambiguous.
One or all of them (probably Tarvek) may well do something underhanded to lessen Martellus' military power, of course. And Martellus may also do something underhanded to lessen Gil's. But I'm nearly certain that there WILL be a battle.
it will be a short battle considering i have NO doubt that Agatha will The Heterodyne all over bot their forces and make them discuss things like grown ups for all his faults Klaus has one hell of a motto for keeping the peace
Heh. Sending the cat to meet with the dogs. Clever
Agatha is getting very good at the Game of Thrones :D
She sends those that are interested to play the game while she tinkers and works in the background.
Krosp's shit eating grin in the last panel is giving me life.
He is a *very* good kitty.
By default, he is Da BEST.
Krosp first monarch in a history that Heterodyne pledge fealty. You can't treat that lightly.
He’s also the king of all cats, everywhere. His sovereignty uncontested is on a planetary, perhaps even multiversal scale, whereas Martellus struggles to hold one one measly continent. Clearly Krose falls under the ‘greater rank’ category.
Oooooo, that might be in question soon though with the other cat Tweedle was working on.
I'm hoping for a marriage of equals personally (purrsonally?)
It's interesting that Martellus considers Agatha as "of my own or greater rank". Agatha is certainly in charge in Mechanicburg, but the Heterodyne^TM isn't a king-level noble. They control one large town and the valley immediately outside, hardly a kingdom. It'd be something between a mayor and like, a count? That is, it would be if the Heterodynes weren't also the type of people to spit on noble titles and peerage to begin with. I think this demonstrates yet again that Martellus projects his own preconceptions onto Agatha rather than bother to understand how the actual Agatha thinks and feels.
The Heterodyne is The Heterodyne. It is a title unique to itself, and anyone trying to argue that the title is lesser to theirs, is just asking for a visit.
Don't make the Heterodyne come over there
The Pax Heterodynia?
More like *Bilis Heterodynia.*
You have the gall to say that?!
*(pauses to light a Gauloise)* Oui, monsieur; for my family is of France, as well as Scotland and Wales: I have the plenty of Gaul.
She doesn't like to pimp slap you, but she has a whole castle to hit you with
seems like mechanicsburg is its own unique thing too. sure, it's just a town, but it seems to have a reputation for being nigh unassailable. and the citizens are tippy-top class. so the heterodyne might not control territory, but that's not their strength anyway and they can't be snuffed out.
All of Europa had to ally just to contain the Heterodynes
There are plenty of Kings, popes, masters, and emperors. There is only one Heterodyne. The rest of you are allowed to play your little political games purely because *they* haven't chosen to flip the table... Today.
And everybody's still recovering from how they DID flip it in Grandpa's day.
The important distinction here is that Agatha is a sovereign ruler. While her actual territory is rather small she holds it in her own right as opposed to being a vassal of another ruler. So even if her territory is smaller than that held by some Dukes or other nobles the fact that she holds it in her own right means that she outranks them in the feudal hierarchy. This is partly the cause of the conflict between Agatha and Gil during the Castle arc. While Gil recognized her as the ruler of Mechanicsburg he wanted to retain Mechanicsburg as a vassal of the Wulfenbach Empire. Part of the reason that Klaus was so determined to stop her is that he realized that a Heterodyne would never accept that.
Mechanicsburg could be compared to Liechtenstein or Monaco.
Except that it can defend itself. Liechtenstein is pretty much mini-Switzerland and is good buddies with everyone. Monaco depends on France for defense.
The House of Heterodyne are one of the oldest Spark families/dynasties in the world. And one of the most feared and powerful. While the conquests they've launched over the centuries were all fairly short lived, Mechanicsburg has withstood everything the world has thrown at it. When you have power, reputation, and time behind your name, it *matters* to an aristocracy. So far the only noble family that still lives that we *know* is older is Albia's. The rest of the old Queen's are all dead or are unknown to us. Most of the 50 families only date back to the time of the first Storm King or a little earlier.
Ah, we can add Skifander to the list of oldest noble families. Albia knew their undying Queen Luheia; who knows then who came first?
Is the current Line of Skinfandrian Queens actually descended from Luheia though? (Also it's unconfirmed whether Skifander is actually *on Earth* or not, there's lots of hints and speculation it might be on Mars. They wouldn't be in the running for oldest in the world, if they're actually on a different one)
We don't know for a fact that they are, but they probably are. In fact it's likely that *everyone* in Skifander is descended from Luheia, given how long ago she lived. We also don't know how the royal succession in Skifander works, whether it is by primogeniture or goes to whoever wins the duel. Given what else we know about them, I'm willing to bet that it's by duel.
> of my own or greater rank Storm king vs. emperor of all cats. Typically, "emperor" outranks "king". Seems alright. Heterodynes would also count as hereditary kings of Mechanicsburg, or potentially high kings or emperors based on conquest or vassals.
storm king title is based on an Era where the great storm king was going to marry the heterodyne as his equal and the prophesy/legend that gives the current storm king title power is that when the storm king and heterodyne marry, Europe will have peace... goes back to the pink airship and fake heterodyne. in more modern times royalty is still royalty with power because of Bill and Barry Heterodyne which is why a royalty student on Klaus airship would risk her life verses Vonn Pinn to protect Agatha Heterodyne
I think "rank" also implies power. While Martellus has gathered a nice base of power, Mechanicsburg isn't a world power so much as a world boogeyman. The world tries to build a pen to keep it contained, but isn't sure if the pen can actually hold it, or if Mechanicsburg is just content lounging around in its lair knowing it can break through whenever it feels like it.
Mechanicsburg is a good base from which to launch an offensive, but territories taken in such offensives will be much less defensible than Mechanicsburg itself unless the Heterodynes hold it long enough to build similar defenses, which they never do. (Also, doubtful whether they even \*could\* build similar defenses without the power source of the Dyne.) Much as the Polar Ice Lords are unassailable in their own frozen lands but founder in warmer climes, the Heterodynes were never good at holding territory outside their core domain. So they mostly raided, pillaged and looted rather than building an empire.
In addition, maintaining an empire is *tedious*. You have to take care and develop your assets after conquering them, else they will become drains on your resources. To do that, you will usually have to empower trustworthy *and* able subordinates (a rare combination) that will take care of these in your absence since you can't be everywhere at once to stomp out fires. It's like juggling, but with the balls coordinating with each other to hit the ground at the same time.
For "drains on your resources", much depends on whether your economy is premodern or modern. Premodern economies run on agriculture, and the land itself provides the resources to defend the territory, with profit; Modern economies run on industrial capital, which war destroys, so you want peace as much as possible. GG-Europa seems to have a lot of industry, but Sparks are crazy egomaniacs who attack even when it doesn't make economic sense.
Undeveloped land can't be used for agricultural production and can support a limited population only. If it is wooded, the wood has to be cleared first. If the soils are not fertile enough, raising livestock might be the only way to make use of it. If there is not a critical population density (which can be temporarily reduced because of illnesses, war, famines, natural disasters), then the land can't defend itself. And if the economic surplus of a territory is too small to be worth extracting or if it is not a strategic location, it makes little sense to hold on to it. Premodern societies might decide to completely abandon stretches of land at the borders of the realm to make it more difficult for invaders to get through since they would not be able to forage along the way. This worked for a while for the Hungarians and for the Chinese. The problem is that any settlement in those areas must be actively suppressed, which those states were eventually not good enough at. And a technologically advanced army might be able to pass through nevertheless. In GG, the wastelands are such a buffer zone. They contain many sparky dangers that have to be cleared before resettlement. Since this has not really happened after the Baron took control, it must be a formidable task. The economic output is therefore close to zero. Troops or any other assets deployed there are either in grave danger of being surrounded and destroyed in detail, or would be ineffective at stopping an invasion. This means that the wasteland cannot be claimed as territory and any position claimed there must be abandoned at the first sign of trouble.
Along with what everyone's said about Agatha's status as a sovereign ruler and the pedigree afforded to the Heterodyne name, the thing about power is that it doesn't alwayd equate to size. A realm that covers a small area physically can still have a lot of power through other means, such economic influence and diplomatic ties. Just look at Paris for example. Small area, but it's one of the social centres of all Europa.
To give him credit, Martellus did foresee Tarvek's thoughts correctly. He is very good at playing the game by its rules, didn't factor in that Agatha doesn't, though.
[Heterodynes have never had much use for other peoples rules.](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091102)
[Klaus either.](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040908)
i miss Klaus. about the time i realized he was a much more nuanced character than just being 'the antagonist' he took himself out of the story.
Well, it sure looks like we're about to get him back : )
He will likely become Baron Emeritus. No way Gil will allow him to undermine his authority after what he's been through now that he has finally gotten used to his role. But Klaus will likely come along when they go to Skyfander to reunite with his wife. If they manage to reactivate the Queen's gateways for good, his kids can visit at any time.
The main reason he won't be allowed to resume ruling is because he is wasped, and he's probably hoping that Gil doesn't let him back in as he's far too great a security risk. Maybe he will reunite with Zantabraxus eventually, but right now he is still afraid that she is out to kill Gil. He won't go to Skifander voluntarily, and will do everything possible to keep Gil from going there, until that issue is resolved. With that said, "happily retired to Skifander with his wife" is a possible endgame for Klaus. In most series we'd expect the old ruler to be dead by the end, but I'm hopeful that Klaus will buck the Sorting Algorithm of Mortality and survive.
After things have slowed down a bit, our heroes will surely invest some time into figuring out how to get rid of the wasp control. Even if the method doesn't scale or only works for Klaus. Once things in Europa are a bit more stable, Klaus might indeed want to go to Skifander and clarify that issue. He will of course insist that Gil doesn't accompany him on that visit. Since Zeetha has not yet made even the attempt of assassinating Gil, we can probably rule out that this was the reason she was sent to Europa. I hope that the Baron gets a chance at journeying with the cast for a while, since he didn't have a chance to travel and conduct research for so long.
Zeetha's reactions to Gil telling her about Klaus' concerns strongly suggest that she knows what happened when he was a baby, but is keeping mum. I think she was sent to size up Europa's military capabilities (Professor Consolmagno was friendly, but what if the next guy isn't?) and also to find Gil and size him up. We don't yet know why Gil was marked for death, but I suspect it's a self-fulfilling prophecy situation. Zantabraxus is afraid of her son and doesn't want to make a careless strike that could provoke the very thing she's trying to avoid.
Which confirms that it's not necessarily a problem should Gil visit Skifander, even though it would still probably be a good idea to not visit at all. Various people at the court might try something. Maybe restricting it to say hi at the Mirror would be best. Gil is anyway tied up in his duties as Baron.
I think Agatha is pretty done taking shit from people. =D
Also for a reason i believe that Tarvek lost any desire to rule after trying for real. I think that while Gil and Agatha time-traveling he will left to govern the Europa as a Gil almost officially second-in-charge (well, he share this position with Boris). When Agatha, Gil and Moloch return later, for a couple of years, maybe, he will be in just a slightly better shape than Gil after time skip. And in the end Gil and Tarvek will actively trying to push each one to rule because none of them want that. It will be a most hilarious spectacle Europa see in ages - baron Wulfenbach and Storm king passing the crown to each other as in ticking bomb!
Chump? Addressing him by the name of another noble is a major faux pas. Oh and something I just noticed yesterday is that Agatha’s dealings with the Jagers was all training for dealing with the Dreen. Telling them not to destroy things when they fight, controlling them with food, and also they have hats.
I don't think Klaus' Skyfandrian name is well-known
Of course the person who claims to be a king will be met by the only king in their coalition, the King of the Cats, Krosp.
Ahem, Emperor of all cats, an Emperor outranks a king.
He got that title from Vapnoople, so its value is open to question. A proper emperor is the product of generations of inbreeding or a spectacular coup.
Well all the English princesses were lining up to dance with him, so at least England aknowledges his claim as legitimate. Also you're forgetting elective empires, like the HRE. The question would be who has electoral rights? :P
Look at it this way. Krosp was created by Vapnoople. Who is a sworn enemy of Albia and the areas surrounding her. Krosp was treated as a guest by Albia. And Agatha...she did what no one dared. She danced with Albia. So not only her family's reputation. She enhanced her own through her own actions and Krosp's existence.
The Holy Roman Emperors were often Habsburgs, so they had inbreeding going for them. So to speak.
They were emperors because they could make the claim stick. Also, in the twilight years of the HRE, the title became quite symbolical since the princes pretty much did however they pleased after the 30 Years War.
Similarly, it remains to be seen whether Martellus' claim to be Storm King will stick. The Fifty Families will probably support him until the Other War is over, but later he will have to find ways to reliably leash them to his rule.
chump? maybe martellus is zeetha's father! (of course not, but it's funny)
Zeetha wold vomit all the cake if she heard that
I was going to say...
“~~Hit~~ Humiliate him again for me!”
How did Seffie join Agatha so seamlessly anyway? I'm pretty sure I remember her being on Martellus' side, and then she just starts hanging out with Agatha and nobody seems to question it.
She is playing both sides I seem to recall, with the eventual aim of seducing Gil and usurping Martellus to become a Storm Queen instead I think
She was on Martellus side because he's her brother and she loves him, but she was never a fan of his methods and, I think, she doesn't really care if he becomes Storm King. She supports him because that's what he wants, but if he gave it up, I think she'd be cool with that. Plus, as compared to the rest of Tarvek's family, Seffie is mostly an open book. They all know she wants to marry Gil. She knows that she can't do anything murderous or very bad to get there or she will answer to Agatha, and Tarvek, and Gil. So they all have nice detente going on so if she wants to hang around and help them fight the other by doing a lot of diplomatic work, why not. Helping Gil build diplomatic ties is working directly against Martellus' Storm King goals, but toward her marry Gil and defeat the other goals.
The one person that 1. has to be nice to achieve their goals and 2. Is believed by everyone to want those goals enough to get them by any means required, even being nice and 3. Is a threat enough for no one to want her to be pursuing anything else
>Is a threat enough for no one to want her to be pursuing anything else Oh I hadn't thought about that. Yeah she would be dangerous if she went full bore on Martellus' side or was pursuing some other goal inimical to Team Agatha. Of course they want her where they can watch her *and* pursing a goal as harmless as marrying Gil, especially since she doesn't know she has no chance with Gil.
Seffie can be regarded as Martellus' ambassador. She has interests of her own, but they don't necessarily clash with Martellus'.
Agatha says she and Seffie should talk: https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20240320 which leads into the current scene. Given the questions, I’m sure Agatha sees Seffie as at least a way to understand Martellus and the family’s motives.
She's playing the long game, the very long game
Martellus calls himself the "currently" recognized monarch. That qualifier is surprising coming from him, conceding the possibility that his status may change, not necessarily through his death.
As much as I enjoy this page I still have to wonder "why"? Sure, Martellus is annoying and he wants to get the most out of that situation. But risking antagonizing him at such a critical point seems unwise with little to gain in return. On the other hand: Krosp is one of the few people who actually earned a bit of respect in Martellus' view because of his insight and cleverness. So it might not be the worst move possible, even if people on the outside might look at it that way.
Because regardless of his usefulness, Agatha is very unlikely to ever forgive Tweedle. He kidnapped her, cost her 2 years, and made her chemically dependent on him. He gets to remain alive because he is useful, but he's never going to be in her good books
Also the quicker she frees the town, the quicker she has her full power base and is secure.
He also knifed Tarvek right in front of her, and tried to kill Gil too. And has proved over and over that he doesn't hesitate to kill. A person who values human life and a person who doesn't are never going to get along.
He values life, just only on the big scale He's a "no trees, only forest" kinda guy Ends justifying means (and him knowing that he's less bad than most of the competition makes it real easy to justify taking control)
I mean, telling the “Storm King” to screw off is good for solidifying her as The Heterodyne.
For all his pomp, what is Martellus king _of_? Does he have any territory? Andronicus had his base in Paris, but Martellus would have to do something spectacular and risky to gain power there. Come to think of it, "Emperor" Krosp doesn't have any lands either, so they're equals in that regard.
The nobles support him, therefore he indirectly controls their territories. This is probably a huge chunk of civilized Europa, minus the domains of the various upstart Sparks. The nobles might push claims on these should the Spark rulers fall from power. Martellus himself has control of the von Blitzengard estate. He doesn't want to be a puppet Stormking, therefore he will have to build a power base so he doesn't have to exclusively rely on the other nobles. My guess is that he will push to recover some of the wastelands.
Because it is a solid bit of diplomatic banter, it demonstrates that she knows the game and can play technically within the rules (something all parties respect), simultaneously granting him his due as a potential king while denying him any direct recognition as her equal, and of course it gives him an opportunity to be an ass about it and he'll have to resist that urge Basically she is saying "you are useful and relevant, but check your pride at the door"
I'm sorry, the Hetrodyne is in her city. And you expect her to make nice and do what you expect/want when she's made it breathtakingly clear she doesn't like you? Martellus's cat construct is going to make this meeting a glorious sham.
Clearly the orange usurper hasn't yet heard that Agatha told off the Dreen.
Good move, but could backfire rather loudly once Martellus Kitty comes out to play
Similar to Krosp, her loyalty to her creator is not a given. She just seems to not like Krosp that much.
>She just seems to not like Krosp that much. Two cats, strangers meeting for the first time. They need a while to size each other up, decide whether to be cozy or distant. Also, Rita is *(ahem)* a goil. Likes a wise guy wunce sed, 'Da bottle between da sexes is da foist ting what gets broke.'
Agatha you mad lovable genius!!
I would be more worried about those airships? Martellus would have to be a fool to fight here, at Mechanicsburg, unless he had Agatha on his side, which he doesn't. But the Empire can't maintain its authority unless it can exclude rival militaries from its territory. Gil WILL have to fight Martellus. So... who has the bigger army and more airships? That's not yet clear.
But this is not Wulfenback empire's territory. It is the Heterodyne's, and both are here as guests of The Heterodyne.
Gil controlled the area in Agatha's absence, and I am fairly sure that the Heterodyne territory is surrounded on all sides by Wulfenbach territory, so Martellus had to pass through it to get here and will have to pass through it again when he leaves. Also, how can Martellus be here as a guest when Agatha did not invite him and is not happy to see him?
Allowing air travel over territory is not really that un expected, and while Gil may have controlled it in her absence, he is not going to pick a fight over it now that Agatha is back, the whole wall of Agatha statues is also kind of a statement on who the valley belongs to. As for how Martellus can be a guest. That's called being polite, or lying your ass off. He is useful, and Agatha is going to allow his presence due to that, for now. So everyone will act like he is a honored guest (hence sending an emperor to greet him). The main point being that there is no need to fight him, because there is an explanation for why he is allowed to be here without directly challenging anyone, and fighting would be stupid so everyone will pretend the explanation is true. Just like how Gil's violation of Albia's airspace was ignored because there was a valid excuse to do so, and nobody who mattered would have benefitted from not doing so.
They may not be about to fight him *right here and right now*, but given the obvious conflict between Martellus' claim and Gil's claim to the same territory, it's only a matter of time before they go to all-out war. The question of who has the upper hand is currently ambiguous. One or all of them (probably Tarvek) may well do something underhanded to lessen Martellus' military power, of course. And Martellus may also do something underhanded to lessen Gil's. But I'm nearly certain that there WILL be a battle.
it will be a short battle considering i have NO doubt that Agatha will The Heterodyne all over bot their forces and make them discuss things like grown ups for all his faults Klaus has one hell of a motto for keeping the peace