Endtown by Aaron Neathery for September 21, 2012

Woah! Blackie’s going to turn the whole base into nightmare fuel! And Flask’s silhouette’s posture behind the Topsider that transforms looks so unhinged! Admittedly I don’t have much sympathy for the Topsiders at this point, except for Flask. ;-;

One way to cause a lot of trouble is to just create a few of the creatures and make an escape.

This is where it starts… this is where it gets good!

Now panel #4 IS disturbing…

This could be why she had such delight in making Linda transform. In a sense it makes them into the monsters they actually are inside. (At least in Flask’s mind)

This is going to be great fun. Well we have a weekend to try to anticipate what other creatures she can unmask. She should have left her suit on. Nobody would have known she had changed. Please AN. More of this, throw it at us. Please?Blessed Be

“What is it with the eyes. The dittos are all eyes and teeth, the monsters are all eyes and teeth.”I’ve seen some of Aaron’s earlier sketches… All thumbs and belly buttons was just silly, and all fingers and noses didn’t get past his GoComics editors.

If Jenner has that Wacom stylus from panel 2, I’d hate to see what his tablet looks like…

I used to think Flask was an evil, cold-hearted, murderous B****, and I utterly disapproved of her mission of retribution.Now, week by week, I’ve been developing sympathy for her pain. Then compassion in her plight. Then concordance with her motives. Now, I’m a fully-signed-up member of the Captain Blackie Flask Fan Club Genocidal Cheer Squad, with autographed card, special hat and commemorative issue key ring.Does this mean I’m sick?

The sterile aspect of the room…I cannot quite concurIt still contained Topsider doomFor it still featured her!Not only deadly with the plagueBut death in turn of mindResults are not remotely vagueIt’s time for monster-kind!And note the eyes: the biosuitConveys expression wellFlask’s desperate plan is bearing fruit:The fruit of plants from Hell!I sympathize with folks who wakeFrom surgery too soon…In my own case, a big mistake:To such drugs, I’m immune=|====/ Level HeadVote for Endtown 2.0And for Doc Rat, tooThe Endtown ForumThe Endtown AuctionThe Endtown Books

end at midnight (CST) tonight! And just to clarify, these are not PRINTS.. these are original drawings. Be certain not to miss your chance to bid and help keep Endtown alive in the process. Thank you! :-)

Considering its a mutation I understand its different, but I would find it odd if all of the others turn into something that can only be described as monstrous.

Don’t they go insane if they are awake during the transformation? Isn’t that why Petey-2-b cut into Blackie’s space suit while she slept?

It’s obvious: #eyes = lust (usually oncontrollable) — #teeth = greed (dito on the uncontrollablity front)! #Got it? 8^}

A villain may smile, or in Flask’s case have, a sympathetic story, nevertheless they’re still a villain and should face the consequences for their decisions.

It is impressive how Aaron can convey panic in the cold expressionless topsider uniform..

I knew Blackie was good….in an evil, painful for of way. You go girl!

The monsters are living teratomas. While most teratomas are in a small part of the body that goes out of control, in the monsters the whole body’s cells go out of control at once, and they don’t die because the body has already matured, with organs, circulatory system, etc., to support it. The body’s organized enough to keep the monster alive, but not not enough to stop the additional HOX mutations. You can see examples in labortory experiments where flies are grown with legs out of eyes, eyes on their legs, etc.

If Flask runs around poking biosuits and making monters, there will be mayhem. But she’ll be in it as well. At this point she not thinking clearly anyway and probably just wants damage—LOTS of damage to happen—with the possibility of escaping in the confusion.

Now that I think about it, the TSers may have measures in place to contain this. It’s a daily possibility after all. All it eoild take to start is one beast berserk, and a lot of biosuits would be opened. TSers not killed outright would become berserkers themselves and make more.

I do have sympathy for Flask now, BUT I still don’t know her reasoning for vaporizing the 2 co-workers in Endtown during Al & Gustin’e story……not cool…..

And so we have let two monsters out.

Even before the backstory, Flask struck me more as a monster than a villian. Her actions seemed to come not so much from past torments that twisted her to become capable of doing terrible things. As I watch this I’m beginning to understand the pain she went through, losing Petey 2B, the pit, I can see how she can hate the topsiders so much to want to wipe out the colony at all costs. When she faces topsiders her reactions are just so visceral that I don’t imagine her using conscious thought. She just needs to destroy them because of what they did to her.

Just read through all of the comics in one go.

I must say, it was a wonderful read. It is not often I care so much about characters in a comic.

Three Steps Over Japan stated Mallard did not force Flask into the mission. Remember the meeting when he decided to do something about it. Flask basically stated “My schedule is open.” She was not forced she wanted to go.She already knew about it ahead of him. He was pretty angry about her leaving him out of the loop when she already knew. She could not act alone when she first found out. She needed what I would call cannon fodder to go along. Permission if you would. Wally by selection. Petey along (To show him how much she loves him. “All this is for you Watch your enemies burn”.), Holly snuck in. She used them as bait getting Linda into the crew (not voluntarily). Even had outside settlements attacking (The firefight noticed by Wally). That kind of focus blinds one to other possibilities. She fail to notice it was a trap. Marx arrives. The ship is a collector of throw aways. Useless items. (Interesting term) All is not lost she thinks. I will figure someway of using this device. Now she has the same goal different weapon. She is so set on the destruction of the Topsiders she does not even check to see if the weapon she found was any good. (Bad choice for a soldier. (I never shot another weapon without first checking it out). NOW BOOM. Her and Marx. “You got your wish. Now you are dead. You are just a thought held by me.” WHY did you do this? Now we know the reason.

Also I guess she was a contortionist. She did get the tail. What a Cougar.

I’m quite curious about this mutagen now. If it cannot be ‘purified’ from the air, what exactly is it? Nanotechnology? Why does it apparently convert awake people into grotesque monsters and unconscious people into animals? Is the brain capable of subconciously choosing their transformation with these nanobots?

What about during the initial End of the World event? It seemed that people were arbitrarily changed during that old man’s memory was recounted to him…

If they aren’t nanobots, why cannot the air be purified?

What happens to children when they’re born? It seems there’s no sterile rooms to even take off the suits. I had thought that the Topsiders’ bases were safe on the inside before this storyline.

So many questions, must keep reading!

TyrnnThis story goes way back. Vol 1 and Vol 2 give a good idea. Where exactly the “virus” came from has never been stated. There are opinions and guesses. The author know but has not covered it fully. It appears in back story concerning a person last name Sparkplug. He is the inventor or harnessed the Aimsworth Radiation (disintegrator weapon). First as a large gun truck then into missiles. Shortly after that a “virus” appeared causing terrrible mutations. Terrible if you became a monster or woke up as cat. Your own point of view. The fools all over launched into WWIII. They (Sparkplugs group I suspect to be APEX a weapons manufacturer) turned their own weapons also known as Zero weapons on their own kind in a sorry attempt to eliminate the “virus”. They even missiled their own cities. (Beautiful panel of Sparkplug facing it hoping for his own end only to find his device to guard against the Zero weapon prevented his own death. Lost his family to the virus.) A good bet is it may change one’s DNA causing a rapid sudden mutation. Asleep or unconscious causes a change but not to the mutated monsters like this panel shows. Flask was asleep when she changed. Linda the Kowala was knocked out. Others awake Horror on Horror. A panel shows that when Al rips the hood on a Topsider. He screams to be killed. He is by his own friends boot like a bug. We know the Zero weapons came first. Then the virus. Was it the weapons own side effect? A good question. So think of this. The topsiders use the zero guns to kill and create the virus at the same side. As you can see a very developing story. Many side lines yet untold. this is just another side of Endtown.

I see others now call her (Flask) a “monster”. HOW WOULD YOU ACT? Sob in a corner? Bemoan your fate? Give them " Oh its okay your just doing this because you can." Ever see a soldier look out over a battlefield seeing the suffering of his fellow soldiers and himself? When he/she makes that decision to cross that line of civility. Morals disappear. Yes a “monster” does appear but is it evil? A villian? Look at her shadow. If I were them? I would be gone. That is now one PO’d cougar and it is on the loose.

I’ve always liked Flask, even when she being nasty. Now, I like her even better.

“I’m still not sure that Flask is morally correct to try and attempt genocide. 2 wrongs don’t make a right.”I’m waiting for people to catch the irony here. Flask takes a rocket and aims it back at the outpost so the TSers will be killed with their own weapon. Flask takes the airship and positions it so that the TSers will shoot at it and be killed by their own weapon. Marx manipulates Flask into taking a faulty rifle and she is killed by her own weapon…

Has anyone else had the experience of a cat waking up unexpectedly on the vet’s table?She’s lucky they weren’t taking her temperature.

Riddle me this:Q: “Where have Flask’s surgeons all gone?”A: “They took the weak end off.”

“LOL thanks TSOJ, I needed that!”And the one that was all thumbs and butts never moved anywhere.

Contortionist? Flask has, after all, mutated into a cat. This would indicate she has also now acquired a great deal of feline physiology. Ever see a cat groom itself? Nuff said!

No one mentioned it. Not one single person posting even noticed it. Panels three and four. WELL HELLO BLACKIE!!! Look at her image. No features. Just fade to black. And who thought it was about her hair or eyes in the mask. Led Zeppelin said it. “And you know sometimes words have two meanings.”

Later folks. Going to fireup PS3. COD MW3 awaits. Never the top score but will hand you your butt on occasions. My VA shrink said it would be good for me. Military created me with talents. Have to get them out somehow. Better there than elsewhere.

And don’t forget Three Step Over Japan. You can do anything to people even if they don’t deserve it. Just be a bigger, badder, punk then them. Captain Kerpow reminds me of Reagan against the evil Soviet empire. “Tear down this wall. Reagan punch. Reagan punch.” Nearly went to WWIII over him. 1986. The missiles of the evil Soviet empire where fueled and ready. All it would have taken was an order. JAL 007 incident then a NATO excercise nearly caused the end. He had drumed up so much rhetoric about punishing them for JAL 007 they were scared out of their minds hearing that NATO stuff going on.

Amen. I may feel less safe but atleast I am still alive and fully armed. Just old habits.

Depends. If they’re awake, monsters. If they’re asleep or otherwise unconscious, they’re some critter or other.

Often it is two rights that make a wrong. Especially in politics.Blessed Be

This is a drawing I sent to Aaron to cheer both of us up.

I’m sensing this part may be coming to a close. One thing I hope is that salvation doesn’t end in her really being dead in the story. It’s too close to my reality. I feel she would have a lot to give in the future and I hope she’s able to do it.

To Jenner & TSOJ, Thanks for the picture. I think Flask needs that experience.

And a link for Jenner’s Picture if you want to bookmark it

Just got back from a (badly-needed) cruise to Alaska and was getting caught up on last week’s Endtown strips when the last panel from Friday struck me: Doesn’t that mutating Topsider look like a Basil Wolverton creation after a hard night?