Fragile Speedster: Difference between revisions

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* [[Lightning Bruiser|Averted]] in ''[[Naruto]]'', Rock Lee moves like a rocket, especially when he's taken off his leg weights, but he can also take one hell of a beating.
* [[Lightning Bruiser|Averted]] in ''[[Naruto]]'', Rock Lee moves like a rocket, especially when he's taken off his leg weights, but he can also take one hell of a beating.
** Also averted with Naruto (in both his [[Super Mode]]s), and A the Raikage and his father. However, Haku, the first speedster of the series couldn't take one punch from either Naruto or Sasuke despite his high speed. And Minato perhaps is so fast because he can't take a hit.
** Also averted with Naruto (in both his [[Super Mode]]s), and A the Raikage and his father. However, Haku, the first speedster of the series couldn't take one punch from either Naruto or Sasuke despite his high speed. And Minato perhaps is so fast because he can't take a hit.
* Casca from ''[[Berserk]]'', while not the ''physically'' strongest of the Band of the Hawk, is still capable of taking out mooks twice her size by way of her agility and dodging maneuvers. Casca can easily be deemed the acrobat of the Hawks, since [[She Fu|she does some crazy flips]] and always lands on her feet {{spoiler|[[Go Mad From the Revelation|even after she goes crazy from the Eclipse]]}}, but when she does get hit, she goes down. Casca is the opposite of her [[Lightning Bruiser]] lover Guts and [[Mighty Glacier]] comrade Pippin.
* Casca from ''[[Berserk]]'', while not the ''physically'' strongest of the Band of the Hawk, is still capable of taking out mooks twice her size by way of her agility and dodging maneuvers. Casca can easily be deemed the acrobat of the Hawks, since [[She Fu|she does some crazy flips]] and always lands on her feet {{spoiler|[[Go Mad from the Revelation|even after she goes crazy from the Eclipse]]}}, but when she does get hit, she goes down. Casca is the opposite of her [[Lightning Bruiser]] lover Guts and [[Mighty Glacier]] comrade Pippin.




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== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* Speedsters are one of the major build types in the ''HERO System''—one of the sourcebooks was even called The Ultimate Speedster. They can be very powerful—a high speed stat is very powerful in the game, and certain builds can give them damage outputs that even dwarf that of the [[Mighty Glacier]], though they tend to be [[Glass Cannon]]s.
* Speedsters are one of the major build types in the ''HERO System''—one of the sourcebooks was even called The Ultimate Speedster. They can be very powerful—a high speed stat is very powerful in the game, and certain builds can give them damage outputs that even dwarf that of the [[Mighty Glacier]], though they tend to be [[Glass Cannon]]s.
* ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]''
* ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''
** Elves in. High Dexterity—meaning they move faster and dodge more easily—is countered by reduced Constitution, which renders them far less resilient than a human of the same class and level.
** Elves in. High Dexterity—meaning they move faster and dodge more easily—is countered by reduced Constitution, which renders them far less resilient than a human of the same class and level.
** Classes such as Thieves and Assassins emphasize speed and Dexterity, doing their damage with bonuses from flanking and sneak attacks rather than large weapons and high Strength. Under the right conditions, they can dish out much more damage than a Fighter, but cannot wear heavy armor and receive fewer hitpoints per level.
** Classes such as Thieves and Assassins emphasize speed and Dexterity, doing their damage with bonuses from flanking and sneak attacks rather than large weapons and high Strength. Under the right conditions, they can dish out much more damage than a Fighter, but cannot wear heavy armor and receive fewer hitpoints per level.
** The quickling, an evil fey creature, is a monster version: very few hit points, tiny weapons, and an extremely short lifespan, but capable of giving the Flash some serious competition in a sprint. Don't even bother rolling initiative for this one.
** The quickling, an evil fey creature, is a monster version: very few hit points, tiny weapons, and an extremely short lifespan, but capable of giving the Flash some serious competition in a sprint. Don't even bother rolling initiative for this one.
* ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'':
* ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'':
** Eldar are fast and fragile, but more specialized than weak, their unit are extremely effective in the right place. This trope applies more to their basic troops and vehicles; while HQ and Elite units, especially [[Mighty Glacier|Wraithguard and the Wraithlord]], are considerably more resilient.
** Eldar are fast and fragile, but more specialized than weak, their unit are extremely effective in the right place. This trope applies more to their basic troops and vehicles; while HQ and Elite units, especially [[Mighty Glacier|Wraithguard and the Wraithlord]], are considerably more resilient.
** The 5th Edition update pushes Dark Eldar well into the fragile speedster end of the spectrum, giving them even more powerful offensive capability at the cost of significantly reduced survivability.
** The 5th Edition update pushes Dark Eldar well into the fragile speedster end of the spectrum, giving them even more powerful offensive capability at the cost of significantly reduced survivability.
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* Helicopters from ''[[Prototype]]'' are the only vehicles capable of outrunning Alex Mercer, by halfway of the game, however, that can be taken down two, ''normal'', non-musclemass enhanced flying kicks.
* Helicopters from ''[[Prototype]]'' are the only vehicles capable of outrunning Alex Mercer, by halfway of the game, however, that can be taken down two, ''normal'', non-musclemass enhanced flying kicks.
* Chipp Zanuff, Jam Kuradoberi and Millia Rage from ''[[Guilty Gear]]''
* Chipp Zanuff, Jam Kuradoberi and Millia Rage from ''[[Guilty Gear]]''
** Taokaka from ''[[Blaz Blue]]''. She is the fastest characer in the game(save Fu Rin Ka Zan Bang) and she specializes at dashing at high speeds with a slash attack. But she has the lowest health next to Carl.
** Taokaka from ''[[BlazBlue]]''. She is the fastest characer in the game(save Fu Rin Ka Zan Bang) and she specializes at dashing at high speeds with a slash attack. But she has the lowest health next to Carl.
* Pikachu and Fox in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', and Falco, Marth, Pichu, and Sheik (who can also turn into a [[Mighty Glacier]]) as well in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]] Melee''. Mewtwo and Peach hover near here - they aren't exactly speedy, but generally more maneuverable... and ejectable. Sonic is so fast that he's [[Too Fast to Stop]].
* Pikachu and Fox in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', and Falco, Marth, Pichu, and Sheik (who can also turn into a [[Mighty Glacier]]) as well in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]] Melee''. Mewtwo and Peach hover near here - they aren't exactly speedy, but generally more maneuverable... and ejectable. Sonic is so fast that he's [[Too Fast to Stop]].
** It depends on the game. Fox and Falco have average weight, and are among the hardest characters to kill vertically in Melee. Marth and Peach also have substantial horizontal recovery and Sheik's weight is respectable (again, Melee). Of course, they are all speedy.
** It depends on the game. Fox and Falco have average weight, and are among the hardest characters to kill vertically in Melee. Marth and Peach also have substantial horizontal recovery and Sheik's weight is respectable (again, Melee). Of course, they are all speedy.
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* The Scout Class in ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' is a strong example of this trope. A potent hit-and-run fighter, good scouts can wreck an enemy team, taking out key targets like medics. But scouts die. They die and they die: every other class in the game can kill scouts efficiently. Sometimes the only way to survive even seconds is to exercise some good ol' fast-movin' [[Confusion Fu]].
* The Scout Class in ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' is a strong example of this trope. A potent hit-and-run fighter, good scouts can wreck an enemy team, taking out key targets like medics. But scouts die. They die and they die: every other class in the game can kill scouts efficiently. Sometimes the only way to survive even seconds is to exercise some good ol' fast-movin' [[Confusion Fu]].
** The Soldier has a weapon called the "Equalizer," which increases the damage the weapon does and his speed inversely compared to how much health he has.
** The Soldier has a weapon called the "Equalizer," which increases the damage the weapon does and his speed inversely compared to how much health he has.
** The [[Mighty Glacier|Heavy]] has two items that increase his speed. The Buffalo Steak Sandvich increases the damage you take and only allows you to attack with a melee weapon. The Gloves of Running Urgently [[Cast From Hit Points|make you lose health when they are equipped]].
** The [[Mighty Glacier|Heavy]] has two items that increase his speed. The Buffalo Steak Sandvich increases the damage you take and only allows you to attack with a melee weapon. The Gloves of Running Urgently [[Cast from Hit Points|make you lose health when they are equipped]].
* Rodan and M.O.G.U.E.R.A. in ''[[Godzilla]]: Save the Earth'' and ''Godzilla: Unleashed''. Baragon, Gigan and Megaguirus are an aversion of the usual Fragile Speedster rules - only the aforementioned daikaiju are faster, but they're quite damaging and reasonably durable; they instead sacrifice in other areas.
* Rodan and M.O.G.U.E.R.A. in ''[[Godzilla]]: Save the Earth'' and ''Godzilla: Unleashed''. Baragon, Gigan and Megaguirus are an aversion of the usual Fragile Speedster rules - only the aforementioned daikaiju are faster, but they're quite damaging and reasonably durable; they instead sacrifice in other areas.
* Pai from ''[[Virtua Fighter]]''. Aoi, Eileen, and, for a male equivalent, Lion, in the sequels.
* Pai from ''[[Virtua Fighter]]''. Aoi, Eileen, and, for a male equivalent, Lion, in the sequels.
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** OG also gives us the Fairlion twins piloted by Latooni Subota and Princess Shine Hausen, who are probably the best examples of the Fragile Speedster. The Fairlions by themselves are very dodgy real robots with decent evasion stats and the "[[Doppleganger Spin|Double Image]]" ability, but sticking Latooni and Shine in them makes them virtually untouchable, especially once Shine hits 130 Will and her Prophecy ability activates. Arm them with some long-range weapons and keep them near each other so they can use their [[Combination Attack]], and they can slaughter entire ''waves'' of mooks and emerge unscathed.
** OG also gives us the Fairlion twins piloted by Latooni Subota and Princess Shine Hausen, who are probably the best examples of the Fragile Speedster. The Fairlions by themselves are very dodgy real robots with decent evasion stats and the "[[Doppleganger Spin|Double Image]]" ability, but sticking Latooni and Shine in them makes them virtually untouchable, especially once Shine hits 130 Will and her Prophecy ability activates. Arm them with some long-range weapons and keep them near each other so they can use their [[Combination Attack]], and they can slaughter entire ''waves'' of mooks and emerge unscathed.
** Gundams are the original SRW Fragile Speedsters, their whole purpose in all the games (except the G Gundam characters, they usually are in the [[Glass Cannon]] area) is to dodge like crazy but have paper thin armor.
** Gundams are the original SRW Fragile Speedsters, their whole purpose in all the games (except the G Gundam characters, they usually are in the [[Glass Cannon]] area) is to dodge like crazy but have paper thin armor.
*** The SEED Destiny Gundams are becomeing more [[Lightning Bruiser]] in Z especially, which gives them good defence and the ''extremely'' broken VPS armor ability, which lessens all non-beam weapon damage. The [[Turn A Gundam (Anime)|Turn a Gundam]] has always been this way, in all appearances it can take a hit and dodge fairly well along with having an I-Field, which greatly reduces or nulifes beam weapon damage.
*** The SEED Destiny Gundams are becomeing more [[Lightning Bruiser]] in Z especially, which gives them good defence and the ''extremely'' broken VPS armor ability, which lessens all non-beam weapon damage. The [[Turn A Gundam|Turn a Gundam]] has always been this way, in all appearances it can take a hit and dodge fairly well along with having an I-Field, which greatly reduces or nulifes beam weapon damage.
* Given the prevalence of female characters in fighting games following this trope, ''[[King of Fighters]]'' is notable for featuring several female heavy hitters and male speedsters. King (a Muay Thai kickboxer), Blue Mary (a tough grappler), Hinako (a powerful ''sumo wrestler'') and Vanessa (a bare-knuckled brawler) are all female and none of them could be considered fragile, while Choi, Sie, Bao, Chris and Benimaru are all male examples of the trope.
* Given the prevalence of female characters in fighting games following this trope, ''[[King of Fighters]]'' is notable for featuring several female heavy hitters and male speedsters. King (a Muay Thai kickboxer), Blue Mary (a tough grappler), Hinako (a powerful ''sumo wrestler'') and Vanessa (a bare-knuckled brawler) are all female and none of them could be considered fragile, while Choi, Sie, Bao, Chris and Benimaru are all male examples of the trope.
* Just like ''[[Street Fighter|Street Fighter II]]'' has Chun-Li, ''[[Fatal Fury]]'' has Mai Shiranui, who is even a ninja; but as new characters were introduced, male children characters (like the Jin brothers and Hokutomaru) became the best examples.
* Just like ''[[Street Fighter|Street Fighter II]]'' has Chun-Li, ''[[Fatal Fury]]'' has Mai Shiranui, who is even a ninja; but as new characters were introduced, male children characters (like the Jin brothers and Hokutomaru) became the best examples.
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* Sasha from ''[[Rondo of Swords]]'' is a typical example. Great movement, terrible defense.
* Sasha from ''[[Rondo of Swords]]'' is a typical example. Great movement, terrible defense.
* Ace, the Carnotaurus from ''[[Dinosaur King]]''. He isn't so fragile (he ''is'' a dinosaur, after all), but he is the fastest of the D-Team's dinosaurs.
* Ace, the Carnotaurus from ''[[Dinosaur King]]''. He isn't so fragile (he ''is'' a dinosaur, after all), but he is the fastest of the D-Team's dinosaurs.
* Nikki in ''[[Mana Khemia Alchemists of Al Revis]]'' is an aversion. She's ''very'' fast, but also quite a heavy hitter and reasonably sturdy. Her flaws are an extremely low [[Mana Meter|max SP]] that her weapons don't improve, and her core skills requiring special items that she needs to defeat enemies with ''another'' of her skills to get.
* Nikki in ''[[Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis]]'' is an aversion. She's ''very'' fast, but also quite a heavy hitter and reasonably sturdy. Her flaws are an extremely low [[Mana Meter|max SP]] that her weapons don't improve, and her core skills requiring special items that she needs to defeat enemies with ''another'' of her skills to get.
* The Manta from ''[[Unreal Tournament 2004]]'' and ''[[Unreal Tournament 3|Unreal Tournament III]]''. Very fast, decently armed, and a great choice for [[Car Fu]] against enemies on foot. On the downside, it has the lowest HP of any vehicle, gets taken out by a single anti-vehicle rocket, and is easily knocked around.
* The Manta from ''[[Unreal Tournament 2004]]'' and ''[[Unreal Tournament 3|Unreal Tournament III]]''. Very fast, decently armed, and a great choice for [[Car Fu]] against enemies on foot. On the downside, it has the lowest HP of any vehicle, gets taken out by a single anti-vehicle rocket, and is easily knocked around.
* In ''[[Super Mario 64]] DS'', Luigi is the Fragile Speedster out of the four (Wario is the [[Mighty Glacier]], Mario is the [[Jack of All Stats]] and Yoshi does his own thing). His speed and high jumps more than make up for the fact that he always takes one more point of damage than normal, and he's often considered the best character in the game.
* In ''[[Super Mario 64]] DS'', Luigi is the Fragile Speedster out of the four (Wario is the [[Mighty Glacier]], Mario is the [[Jack of All Stats]] and Yoshi does his own thing). His speed and high jumps more than make up for the fact that he always takes one more point of damage than normal, and he's often considered the best character in the game.
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* The Red Gazelle from [[F-Zero]] definately qualifies. Incredibly fast, but... you might want to do your best to stay away from anyone who might be feeling agressive.
* The Red Gazelle from [[F-Zero]] definately qualifies. Incredibly fast, but... you might want to do your best to stay away from anyone who might be feeling agressive.
* Another example of a boss that would qualify would be Quick Man from ''[[Mega Man 2]]''. He certainly lives up to his name, but happens to be one of the robot masters that takes double damage from the Mega-Buster (for reference, Metal Man, the guy mocked for being weak to it, takes half the damage Quick Man does), and is weak to two seperate weapons (the Crash Bombs and Time Stopper) instead of the usual one.
* Another example of a boss that would qualify would be Quick Man from ''[[Mega Man 2]]''. He certainly lives up to his name, but happens to be one of the robot masters that takes double damage from the Mega-Buster (for reference, Metal Man, the guy mocked for being weak to it, takes half the damage Quick Man does), and is weak to two seperate weapons (the Crash Bombs and Time Stopper) instead of the usual one.
** His ''[[Mega Man Battle Network|Battle Network]]'' counterpart, however, subverts it, instead going for a [[Lightning Bruiser]] approach. Just ask anyone after their [[Wake Up Call Boss|first encounter]] with him.
** His ''[[Mega Man Battle Network|Battle Network]]'' counterpart, however, subverts it, instead going for a [[Lightning Bruiser]] approach. Just ask anyone after their [["Wake-Up Call" Boss|first encounter]] with him.
** Arguably, also Slash Man from ''7'' could fit under this trope as well. Small, speedy, two weaknesses (Freeze Cracker and Scorch Wheel/Burning Wheel).
** Arguably, also Slash Man from ''7'' could fit under this trope as well. Small, speedy, two weaknesses (Freeze Cracker and Scorch Wheel/Burning Wheel).
* Your ship in the ''After Burner'' series. You can go full throttle and give [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] a run for his money, yet one hit from a missile (except in ''Climax'') will cause you to spectacularly blow up.
* Your ship in the ''After Burner'' series. You can go full throttle and give [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] a run for his money, yet one hit from a missile (except in ''Climax'') will cause you to spectacularly blow up.
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* Alana [http://www.mobygames.com/images/i/15/12/166762.jpeg (far left)] from [[Fighting Force]] is this, contrasted with [[Mighty Glacier]] Smasher and [[Jack of All Stats|Jacks of All Stats]] Hawk and Mace. Alana is faster and weaker than the other characters, and gets a unique jump kick attack.
* Alana [http://www.mobygames.com/images/i/15/12/166762.jpeg (far left)] from [[Fighting Force]] is this, contrasted with [[Mighty Glacier]] Smasher and [[Jack of All Stats|Jacks of All Stats]] Hawk and Mace. Alana is faster and weaker than the other characters, and gets a unique jump kick attack.
* The Virus in ''[[Pandemic]] 2''. Its fast evolution and high infectivity make it the quickest disease to play, but it's the most fragile and highly susceptible to the environment and drugs.
* The Virus in ''[[Pandemic]] 2''. Its fast evolution and high infectivity make it the quickest disease to play, but it's the most fragile and highly susceptible to the environment and drugs.
* ''[[Starcraft]]'' had a number of these:
* ''[[StarCraft]]'' had a number of these:
** Terran Vultures are ''the'' fastest units in the game and are great at harassment and scouting, but aren't very durable and do little damage against anything that isn't a basic-tier unit or worker. With Spider Mines, they can outmanoeuvre and trap units that would otherwise destroy them in a straight fight, but they generally tend to be relegated into a supporting role or forgotten altogether once the enemy starts fielding large numbers of ranged units.
** Terran Vultures are ''the'' fastest units in the game and are great at harassment and scouting, but aren't very durable and do little damage against anything that isn't a basic-tier unit or worker. With Spider Mines, they can outmanoeuvre and trap units that would otherwise destroy them in a straight fight, but they generally tend to be relegated into a supporting role or forgotten altogether once the enemy starts fielding large numbers of ranged units.
{{quote|--''"Vulture Hover Bikes...they were fast, light and highly maneuverable and gave their riders about as much protection as a paper hat.""''}}
{{quote|--''"Vulture Hover Bikes...they were fast, light and highly maneuverable and gave their riders about as much protection as a paper hat.""''}}
** Zerglings are very weak but very fast early game melee units that can be used in a [[Zerg Rush]] to go for an early win. They get a bit trickier to use as each side unlocks stronger units.
** Zerglings are very weak but very fast early game melee units that can be used in a [[Zerg Rush]] to go for an early win. They get a bit trickier to use as each side unlocks stronger units.
** ''[[Starcraft II]]'' replaces the Vulture (which is only playable in the campaign) with ''two'' of these: the Hellion and the Reaper. The Hellion has a flamethrower which is helpful against other weak ground units, but the Reaper is next to worthless against enemy units. But if you vacate your base for a minute to attack, Reapers and Hellions can rush in and lay waste to your workers. Reapers have the added benefit of being able to avoid ramps (where defenses typically are built) and doing fairly powerful damage to structures.
** ''[[StarCraft II]]'' replaces the Vulture (which is only playable in the campaign) with ''two'' of these: the Hellion and the Reaper. The Hellion has a flamethrower which is helpful against other weak ground units, but the Reaper is next to worthless against enemy units. But if you vacate your base for a minute to attack, Reapers and Hellions can rush in and lay waste to your workers. Reapers have the added benefit of being able to avoid ramps (where defenses typically are built) and doing fairly powerful damage to structures.
* ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' has Fragile Speedsters in the form of the Scout (car) and Scientist (jet) classes. While the Scouts are the smallest, the Scientists are the fastest, have the greatest mobility due to flying over most obstacles ... and they have the tiniest health bars. Luckily, this also means they're really good at getting away from their opponents.
* ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' has Fragile Speedsters in the form of the Scout (car) and Scientist (jet) classes. While the Scouts are the smallest, the Scientists are the fastest, have the greatest mobility due to flying over most obstacles ... and they have the tiniest health bars. Luckily, this also means they're really good at getting away from their opponents.
* Fei-Yen, the fastest virtuaroid and a [[Genki Girl]] in ''[[Virtual On]]'', has very fragile armor and weak attack until she activates her [[Limit Break|panic mode]].
* Fei-Yen, the fastest virtuaroid and a [[Genki Girl]] in ''[[Virtual On]]'', has very fragile armor and weak attack until she activates her [[Limit Break|panic mode]].
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== [[Web Comics]] ==
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* Robin, from ''[[Its Walky]]'' and ''[[Shortpacked]]'', could probably create a sonic boom if she felt like it. She's only physically fragile compared to super-strong people like Sal or Beef, though, but her main vulnerability is her emotional and mental stability... Hence, still fragile, just in a different way.
* Robin, from ''[[Its Walky]]'' and ''[[Shortpacked]]'', could probably create a sonic boom if she felt like it. She's only physically fragile compared to super-strong people like Sal or Beef, though, but her main vulnerability is her emotional and mental stability... Hence, still fragile, just in a different way.
* Explosm's ''[[Cyanide and Happiness]]'' webshort featured the "sixty mile-per-hour man who {{spoiler|dashes himself against a wall to commit suicide}}.
* Explosm's ''[[Cyanide & Happiness]]'' webshort featured the "sixty mile-per-hour man who {{spoiler|dashes himself against a wall to commit suicide}}.
* Dave Strider from ''[[Homestuck]]'' can qualify as this due to his flashstepping, but the only times he or any of his copies die are due to hits that would most likely instantly kill anyone else anyway.
* Dave Strider from ''[[Homestuck]]'' can qualify as this due to his flashstepping, but the only times he or any of his copies die are due to hits that would most likely instantly kill anyone else anyway.
* Dot Dash from ''[[Everyday Heroes]]'' can punch her opponent [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=87772 multiple times] before he even knows she's there. However, she can be knocked down if caught [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=88846 off-balance].
* Dot Dash from ''[[Everyday Heroes]]'' can punch her opponent [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=87772 multiple times] before he even knows she's there. However, she can be knocked down if caught [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=88846 off-balance].