Rise of Lydia - discussion

[yardstick]

"Potions" are only magical in the sense that mushrooms and cannabis are "magical".

So Lydia and Jack (and Harold Polk and...) only THOUGHT she was changing form? Shape-shifting potions sound pretty magic(k)al to me!

From a scientific standpoint, potions could make the victim
"highly susceptible to manipulation" through some forms of hallucinogens and pheromones...
but ultimately at some point, you have to determine how much of
"Darque power" and "levitation" and "mind control" is allowable
as "science" versus what is "magic".

We're still talking about a universe where a fat girl can fly.

Bees can fly too....

So can blimps!

[yardstick]

Maybe changing back and forth requires concetration...and with a big barbarian about to chop your head off limits your ability to concentrate?

Chris

The process is surgical, not magical.

Stop assuming. I never said anything about magic, or it being magical. Perhaps the spider aliens have some sort of biological ability to metamorphosize to a small degree that is included in the transformation process.

Many animals can alter their shapes and colors biologically, so it potentially could be done. I doesn't really explain the finger difference, but it could explain the variations on the outward appearence.

Chris

Spiders aren't animals, they're insects.

They arent insects either. They are arachnids...


Sorry... Chiclo moment...

[etos45]

And she shouldn't look exactly like she did in XO since by the time of Shadowman she had become more human. Why would she go back to being arachnid again?

One more time:

Pre-X-O #1: Looks human
X-O #1: Looks less human
X-O #2: Reveals arachnid form ("go[es] back to being arachnid again")
SM #1: Looks human again

And she looks human in Solar as well.

When I said that she looks like she did in XO I didn't mean that she was arachnid, I meant her overall look, but you've latched on to the arachnid apperance only.

Maybe eventually VEI will publish a story between X-O #2 and Shadowman #1 that explains what happened. Maybe she made some form of choice to look more human again?

All the ideas posted here about her looking human in Shadowman were just theories, right?

[ManofTheAtom]

And she shouldn't look exactly like she did in XO since by the time of Shadowman she had become more human. Why would she go back to being arachnid again?

One more time:

Pre-X-O #1: Looks human
X-O #1: Looks less human
X-O #2: Reveals arachnid form ("go[es] back to being arachnid again")
SM #1: Looks human again

And she looks human in Solar as well.

When I said that she looks like she did in XO I didn't mean that she was arachnid, I meant her overall look, but you've latched on to the arachnid apperance only.

Maybe eventually VEI will publish a story between X-O #2 and Shadowman #1 that explains what happened. Maybe she made some form of choice to look more human again?

All the ideas posted here about her looking human in Shadowman were just theories, right?

Yeah.

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Maybe changing back and forth requires concetration...and with a big barbarian about to chop your head off limits your ability to concentrate?

Chris

The process is surgical, not magical.

Stop assuming. I never said anything about magic, or it being magical. Perhaps the spider aliens have some sort of biological ability to metamorphosize to a small degree that is included in the transformation process.

Many animals can alter their shapes and colors biologically, so it potentially could be done. I doesn't really explain the finger difference, but it could explain the variations on the outward appearence.

Chris

Spiders aren't animals, they're insects.

They arent insects either. They are arachnids...


Sorry... Chiclo moment...

They ARE animals.

[Dr. Solar]

Maybe changing back and forth requires concetration...and with a big barbarian about to chop your head off limits your ability to concentrate?

Chris

The process is surgical, not magical.

Stop assuming. I never said anything about magic, or it being magical. Perhaps the spider aliens have some sort of biological ability to metamorphosize to a small degree that is included in the transformation process.

Many animals can alter their shapes and colors biologically, so it potentially could be done. I doesn't really explain the finger difference, but it could explain the variations on the outward appearence.

Chris

Spiders aren't animals, they're insects.

They arent insects either. They are arachnids...


Sorry... Chiclo moment...

They ARE animals.

Which is why MotA's statement was double funny.

[etos45]

They ARE animals.

Wh-wh-what?! How is a spider an animal? Oh, none of this makes sense!

Now I'm going to feel bad when I squash one... you know.. like when you run a squirrel over with your car?

[cjv]

And, of course, it completely ignores the fact that the aliens aren't spiders. They just bear a resemblance to the earth creatures known as spiders.

Chris

[X-O Dudeowar]

Just ordered this from Amazon - should be in my hands by the time I return from training on Thursday (going into my three-day weekend, no less). I'm stoked!

[yardstick]

They ARE animals.

Wh-wh-what?! How is a spider an animal? Oh, none of this makes sense!

Now I'm going to feel bad when I squash one... you know.. like when you run a squirrel over with your car?

As long as the squirrel didnt have a 'fro I think you'll be ok....

[Heath]

I finally read the Lydia story last night. Still haven't read the rest of the HC, though. I just skipped straight to the end.

One thing that really struck me odd was the Spider Aliens referring to the armor as "X-O Manowar" class armor. I thought it was just "Manowar" and Aric added the "X-O."

[ManofTheAtom]

I finally read the Lydia story last night. Still haven't read the rest of the HC, though. I just skipped straight to the end.

One thing that really struck me odd was the Spider Aliens referring to the armor as "X-O Manowar" class armor. I thought it was just "Manowar" and Aric added the "X-O."

Ox is XO backwards... clever, heh

[Heath]

The third panel on that second page, he says, "The X-O suit is Manowar class!" He didn't say, "That suit is X-O Manowar class!"

I guess I was wrong about "X-O" coming from Aric. But that piece of dialog on the second page implies that "X-O" is a generic term and there are various classes of X-O suits - Manowar, Commando, Wolf, etc. So it could be referred to as "X-O Manowar" class, but if so, the other classes could be called "X-O Commando" and "X-O Wolf" too.

I guess it's just semantics. The phrasing just seemed a little odd to me when I read it.

[Heath]

And what does it really say about Lydia's competency if she was in battle wearing a class of armor superior to her opponent's, yet she still had to cheat to obtain a win by default?

And what does it say about the Spider Aliens if that's the kind of leader they're looking for?

[myron]

The third panel on that second page, he says, "The X-O suit is Manowar class!" He didn't say, "That suit is X-O Manowar class!"

I guess I was wrong about "X-O" coming from Aric. But that piece of dialog on the second page implies that "X-O" is a generic term and there are various classes of X-O suits - Manowar, Commando, Wolf, etc. So it could be referred to as "X-O Manowar" class, but if so, the other classes could be called "X-O Commando" and "X-O Wolf" too.

I guess it's just semantics. The phrasing just seemed a little odd to me when I read it.

I always assumed X-O came from Exoskeletal... ...I mean they are arachnid like...so no endoskeleton at all...


Is that just me???

[ManofTheAtom]

The third panel on that second page, he says, "The X-O suit is Manowar class!" He didn't say, "That suit is X-O Manowar class!"

I guess I was wrong about "X-O" coming from Aric. But that piece of dialog on the second page implies that "X-O" is a generic term and there are various classes of X-O suits - Manowar, Commando, Wolf, etc. So it could be referred to as "X-O Manowar" class, but if so, the other classes could be called "X-O Commando" and "X-O Wolf" too.

I guess it's just semantics. The phrasing just seemed a little odd to me when I read it.

In Rai, the armor is called X-O Commando, heh

[ManofTheAtom]

The third panel on that second page, he says, "The X-O suit is Manowar class!" He didn't say, "That suit is X-O Manowar class!"

I guess I was wrong about "X-O" coming from Aric. But that piece of dialog on the second page implies that "X-O" is a generic term and there are various classes of X-O suits - Manowar, Commando, Wolf, etc. So it could be referred to as "X-O Manowar" class, but if so, the other classes could be called "X-O Commando" and "X-O Wolf" too.

I guess it's just semantics. The phrasing just seemed a little odd to me when I read it.

I always assumed X-O came from Exoskeletal... ...I mean they are arachnid like...so no endoskeleton at all...


Is that just me???

nope

[ManofTheAtom]

And what does it really say about Lydia's competency if she was in battle wearing a class of armor superior to her opponent's, yet she still had to cheat to obtain a win by default?

And what does it say about the Spider Aliens if that's the kind of leader they're looking for?

they're more like us than we'd like to think?

[Heath]

The third panel on that second page, he says, "The X-O suit is Manowar class!" He didn't say, "That suit is X-O Manowar class!"

I guess I was wrong about "X-O" coming from Aric. But that piece of dialog on the second page implies that "X-O" is a generic term and there are various classes of X-O suits - Manowar, Commando, Wolf, etc. So it could be referred to as "X-O Manowar" class, but if so, the other classes could be called "X-O Commando" and "X-O Wolf" too.

I guess it's just semantics. The phrasing just seemed a little odd to me when I read it.

In Rai, the armor is called X-O Commando, heh

Was the armor called "X-O Commando" or was the character called "X-O Commando?" I always thought it was the latter. I always saw it as "X-O Commando" was the character while "Commando" was the class of armor. Just like Aric was "X-O Manowar" but he wore "Manowar" class armor.

Or maybe I just need to start re-reading this stuff!!

[X-O HoboJoe]

I always thought all the suits were "X-O" and the class was "Manowar," "Commando," and "Wolf."

Unless there's some romantic spider-alien component and "X-O" stand for "hugs and kisses."

[ManofTheAtom]

The third panel on that second page, he says, "The X-O suit is Manowar class!" He didn't say, "That suit is X-O Manowar class!"

I guess I was wrong about "X-O" coming from Aric. But that piece of dialog on the second page implies that "X-O" is a generic term and there are various classes of X-O suits - Manowar, Commando, Wolf, etc. So it could be referred to as "X-O Manowar" class, but if so, the other classes could be called "X-O Commando" and "X-O Wolf" too.

I guess it's just semantics. The phrasing just seemed a little odd to me when I read it.

In Rai, the armor is called X-O Commando, heh

Was the armor called "X-O Commando" or was the character called "X-O Commando?" I always thought it was the latter. I always saw it as "X-O Commando" was the character while "Commando" was the class of armor. Just like Aric was "X-O Manowar" but he wore "Manowar" class armor.

Or maybe I just need to start re-reading this stuff!!

I'd wait for the hardcover, heh.

[Slashes-With-Claws]

I always thought all the suits were "X-O" and the class was "Manowar," "Commando," and "Wolf."

Unless there's some romantic spider-alien component and "X-O" stand for "hugs and kisses."

I wonder if the Technical Guide has info on that. I should dig mine out and see.

[ManofTheAtom]

I always thought all the suits were "X-O" and the class was "Manowar," "Commando," and "Wolf."

Unless there's some romantic spider-alien component and "X-O" stand for "hugs and kisses."

I wonder if the Technical Guide has info on that. I should dig mine out and see.

http://www.valiantentertainment.com/wik ... lass_Armor

[Zaphod]

I was confused about one part of the story. When Lydia's fleet is leaving it says that they went faster than the speed of light. I thought spider aliens couldn't go faster than the speed of light.

Don't know if this has been addressed or not, but that is the only way the Aliens could travel fast enough to make long voyage space travel work. It is part of the reason long voyage space travel is in the realm of science fiction rather than fact as travelling above the speed of light theoretically is a form of time travel.

I always figured that was a part of what allowed Aric to advance those thousands of years without physically aging. Alien technology "stasis" seems out of the realm of what Shooter was trying to do.

[Zaphod]

I couldn't find a thread on discussion of the HC itself, though I am sure someone will post a link once I post this.

The dustcover being too small is a bit of a pain but I didn't quite get the layout. Beginning was simply, you had 0 first but in this collection the 0 issue is at the end and I can't fathom why that was done.

I know the printing of 0 was well into the series, unlike Harby 0 which was very much in Shooters thoughts while he wrote the initial arc, but it still belongs at the front of the story.

The fanboys may hate it, but this collection shouldn't be for the fanboys. It should be for the uninitiated. If I am a new reader to the universe I am left to scratch my head and my opinion of the company putting it out is not very high.

The coloring, I didn't notice was much improved on the originals and it is probably more to do with the press than anything, but my particular book I received had multiple areas where the text had been smudged.

If this is truly an effort to collect these great stories, build up a base of fans, new as well as old and not be viewed as simply a cashcow by the new owners, the prestige of the HC format is nice, the price was reasonable as well but to look at both HCs next to each other it is apparent (at least to me) that some serious corners were cut the 2nd time around.