Girl Genius/Tropes A-E: Difference between revisions

'''Tropes A-E''' | [[Girl Genius/Tropes F-J|Tropes F-J]] | [[Girl Genius/Tropes K-O|Tropes K-O]] | [[Girl Genius/Tropes P-T|Tropes P-T]] | [[Girl Genius/Tropes U-Z|Tropes U-Z]]

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* [[Absolute Cleavage]]

** Makes a brief and remarkably subtle appearance in the last panel of [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070219 this page].

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051130 Lady Vrin], in her nightgown (or whatever it is).

* [[Absurdly Spacious Sewer]]: '''''[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060501 Sturmhalten.]'''''

* [[Accentuate the Negative]]

** The problem with kids these days.

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081103 Here] the crowd calls {{spoiler|Zeetha}} the Baron's daughter, which according to [[Word of God]] is actually true -- if the sketch of her father which looks exactly like Klaus is to be believed.

* [[Aerith and Bob]]

** In a side-story: [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090619 Flopsy, Mopsy, and Nietzsche].

* [[After-Action Patchup]]: After the fight with Dr. Merlot, Zola leaps to provide this for Gil.

** Most notable is probably [[Laughably Evil|Bangladesh DuPree]], whose axecraziness is frequently [[Played for Laughs]].

** Jägers are highly destructive, if not malicious, but "no-longer-a-Jäger" Vole manages to be axe crazy [[Up to Eleven|even]] by [[Blood Knight|their standards]].

* [[Back from the Dead]]

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100514 "Seriously? The old 'bring her family back from the GRAVE gambit? Have you no SHAME?"]

* [[Behind the Black]]

** Gil didn't notice Agatha [[Big Damn Kiss|launching herself at him]] while he was yelling at Tarvek?

** Lampshaded [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20071109 here], where Jenka points out that they should have heard the army of giant clanks (helpfully called War Stompers too) marching up to their tower.

* [[Betty and Veronica]]: Gil & Tarvek, to Agatha.

** Gilgamesh is usually rather pleasant and doesn't scream and beat people to get his way. Piss him off. Go on. Gilgamesh managed to scare the crap out of a ''Jäger'' (one completely off the deep end [[Up to Eleven|even for Jäger standards]]) and the resident version of ''James Bond.''

** Tarvek is the [[Red Oni, Blue Oni|blue to Gil's red]]. He's rather charming and civil by default. When he gets mad, {{spoiler|Zola}} up and surrenders. He doesn't let it end there. Oh, no.

** And lets not forget The Indestructible Airman Higgs...

* [[Big Book of War]]: Agatha brains {{spoiler|Zola}} with one of these, entitled [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|"Using Found Objects as Weapons."]] The [[Unsound Effect|sound effect]] when she beans them is [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110103 "TOME!"]

** Zeetha and her [[Magic Skirt|carefully placed clothing]] swing in to [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100210 save the day].

** When a humanoid killing machine is lying on the floor [[Not Quite Dead]] and you're caught up in your evil plans to enslave several main characters, frankly [[Genre Blind|what do you expect?]]

* [[Big Damn Kiss]]: As of August 17, 2011, [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110817 it has happened]. ''[[And the Fandom Rejoiced]]''. So very big, it had to be continued on [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110819 the next page].

* [[BFG]]

** The [[Gatling Good|gatling guns]] carried by the Wulfenbach clanks. [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030430 Sometimes used by Jägers.]

** The Spark itself. If you have it, you can warp the laws of physics with the contents of the average [[Locking MacGyver in the Store Cupboard|Store Cupboard]]. Bad part? ''[[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity|You go insane to varying degrees whenever you do it]]''. The natural result of that is that most Sparks, and Agatha in particular, have to deal with being shunned, used, or attacked by most everyone they meet. And that's if they don't get killed by one of their own creations.

** Agatha before her breakthrough, when she wore the locket to suppress her Spark. It undoubtedly saved her life, but it also made her completely incompetent and destroyed her self-esteem.

* [[Bling of War]]: Most troops are trying to look cool -- some, too hard. Jägers tend to dress in less unified fancy clothes, with their own peculiar taste. Of "Da Boyz", Maxim wears the most fashionable set -- he's an ex-cavalry officer, after all.

* [[Blondes Are Evil]]: Played straight with Lucrezia and Zola; [[Playing with a Trope|played with]] by Von Pinn. Averted with Agatha (who's a strawberry blonde, therefore crossing into [[Heroes Want Redheads]]).

* [[Blue Blood]]: Noble families are sometimes mentioned as opponents for the Baron. Most notable characters are Zulenna and Tarvek.

* [[Body Count Competition]]: By the [[Jager Generals]], of course.

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20050420 Steam-powered feet?] [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20111019 Steam-powered feet!]

** So, about [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20031001 Gil's intercepted mail]... [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20151030 Surprise!]

* [[Broken Angel]]: The muses, the delicate creations of the greatest spark of the time. Most of them are destroyed or damaged while sparks tried to reverse engineer them. Known examples are [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051107 Tinka], studied by Tarvek, and [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100120 Otilia], found beneath Castle Heterodyne. She manages to cause some trouble in her "broken" state though.

** Also Castle Heterodyne, damaged in the Other's attack.

** Moloch Von Zinzer

** Tarvek in the Paris flashbacks.

* [[Caffeine Bullet Time]]: Agatha has it. It is implied to be a Heterodyne thing.

* [[Call Back]]

** After their reunion, one of the first things Agatha needs to get off her mind is [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090803 an apology to Gil]... [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040929 for yelling at him.][[Lampshaded Trope|Lampshaded]] when even Gil takes a while to remember about the incident. (It'd been a very hectic [[Comic Book Time|few months/years]].)

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090812 "Did you know he really] [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110504 likes waffles?"]

* [[Calling Your Attacks]]: Done by {{spoiler|Zola}} under the influence of a massive overdose of battle stimulants, resulting in a cry of "Chophead Tinybits!"

* [[Came Back Wrong]]: Subverted. Apparently being brought [[Back from the Dead]] causes memory loss (as we have been repeatedly told) and frequently drives the recipient [[Ax Crazy]]. However, when it happens to {{spoiler|Tarvek}}, all it takes to bring him out of a homicidal rage is the following:

'''{{spoiler|Tarvek}}:''' Good Heavens. }}

* [[Can't Live Without You]]: When Gil supports both {{spoiler|Agatha and Tarvek}} when they get infected by Hogfarb's Immolation.

* [[Cartwright Curse]]: Being a suitor to Agatha is hazardous to your health.

* [[Catch Phrase]]

** Agatha's locket. It is introduced at the very beginning, then disappears from the story within the first few chapters. Then its importance is revealed -- and then it comes back a second time, important in a brand new way.

** Dr. Vapnoople's "army" of teddy bears, [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20031210 way, '''way''' back] turns out to be a hint -- before his Spark was cut out of his brain, he built a real army of [[Everything's Worse with Bears|bears]]. '''Powerful''' bears with more-or-less human intelligence ... and [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20150220 they recognize Krosp, by scent], {{spoiler|as their supreme leader. (He hadn't known they were anything more than another of Vapnoople's post-lobotomy delusions.) King of Cats? King of '''''Bears'''''}}.

* [[Chekhov's Skill]]: Agatha's training under Zeetha. Mind you, it's not like it was ever a secret it would be useful.

** Agatha frequently sports these, as do many other Sparks when in [[The Madness Place]], sometimes reaching the level of [[Slasher Smile]].

** The Jägerkin sport those every time they're about to fight, so it also overlaps with the [[Slasher Smile]].

{{quote|'''Castle Hetrodyne:''' [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date{{=}}20080829 All the Wulfenbach sparks are known for their oversized machinery, you know.] I mean, just '''look''' at castle Wulfenbach. What '''exactly''' are we trying to '''say''', here?}}

** The Heterodynes [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110420 never built] ''anything'' small either.

* [[Continuity Nod]]: Hundreds, and ranging from extremely obvious to incredibly subtle.

** While having tea with the Jägergenerals, mention is made of [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20031031 "gingerbread trilobites from Mechanicsburg"], and of the fact that Castle Heterodyne is mad, dying, and useless. Guess what Zeetha's eating as [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081013 she stumbles across Gil] putting his plan in motion in order to enter the mad useless castle, six years later.

** Old Man Death has a mini-flashback of people who rode with the Jägers -- like the Seneschal. Still not sure if he's in there, though.

* [[Convection, Schmonvection]]: Averted beautifully [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051118 here]. Anevka pumping out enough electricity in her arm to {{spoiler|flash-fry her father}} releases enough waste heat to send her entire outfit and wig bursting into flames.

* [[Cool Airship]]

** ''Castle Wulfenbach'', of course.

** Zola's ship would qualify, but as [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080804 this] handy comic showing them both demonstrates, the Baron's ship is tough competition.

* [[Cool and Unusual Punishment]]: Mamma Gkika wants you to remember that [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110518 it's bad to hit women or to wake her up too early in the morning.]

* [[Crapsack World]]: The world is dominated by people and things who'd fit right in with ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' Orks, and the only thing keeping them mostly in check is anti-villain dictator Klaus, who is quite willing to level cities in order to achieve such. His territory is described as containing a lot of empty space despite being central Europe, is littered with forgotten but highly-lethal Spark inventions, and walled-in cities are the closest one comes to safe. The Other systematically leveled much of Europe not long before that, {{spoiler|and currently has free reign of Sturmhalten, a large army, and has mind-controlled Klaus}}. Outside Europe, things aren't much better, with northern nations having a tax on fire. The greatest folk heroes are missing, and the second greatest folk hero is a serial killer.

{{quote|'''[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date{{=}}20110204 Rudolf Selnikov]:''' The depressing thing? ''Twisted and ruthless'' as you people are, throwing in with ''you'' is a step ''up''.}}

** Zola looks like a vapid fool, but then she drops the "vapid fool" mask and soundly beats Zeetha and Violetta, and matches Higgs -- three of the seven most capable physical fighters in the main cast. (The other four are Da Boyz -- Oggie, Dimo and Maxim; and VonPinn, who's a construct.) Though her physical abilities were boosted by a [[Deadly Upgrade]], she ''did'' have to steal the upgrade -- from a [[McNinja|Smoke Knight]] -- requiring a [[Manipulative Bastard|different kind]] of badassery.)

* [[Cry Cute]]: {{spoiler|1=DuPree}} of all people gets a moment [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120118 here].

* [[Cryptic Background Reference]]: All over the place, as [[Chekhov's Gun|Chekhov's Guns]], but [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100322 Sanaa's backstory] is one of the few that is likely never going to be explained further.

* [[Cultured Badass]]: Klaus and Gil at times, but definitely Tarvek. The Jägergenerals can be this when they're not beating the hell out of someone. Wooster's [[Badass Normal]] status puts him here as well. Dolokhov can make tea or beat people up with equal effectiveness.

* [[Cyanide Pill]]: One is offered to Moloch von Zinzer, but he obviously has yet to use it.

* [[Cyber Cyclops]]: Most little Clanks. Subverted, though, as it doesn't stop them from being more cute than sinister. Well, usually; except [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061227 here]. [[Red Eyes, Take Warning]], much?

* [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]]

** Castle Heterodyne. To the point where once it finds out that Othar Tryggvassen is a hero, it immediately dumps him down a bottomless pit. Of course, the castle knows all about [[Contractual Immortality|heroes...]]

** In the novelization, Agatha thinks she knows why Gil is denying having a [[Death Ray]].

{{quote|'''Agatha:''' I'm sure that next time you'll build a much bigger one, but trust me, right now any Death Ray, will do, no matter how--

** [[Napoleonic Wars|Baron Wulfenbach is not on good terms with England.]]

* [[A Dog Ate My Homework]]: "[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090717 Sorry, professor, my latest experiment] ''ate my lecture notes''..."

{{quote|'''Professor Mezzasalma:''' And who the devil is ''this''?!}}

* [[Dysfunction Junction]]

{{quote|'''Tarvek:''' You don't last very long in our family unless you've got a good nose for intrigue.

** And then there's the Mongfish family, which is at least as dysfunctional as the Sturmvorauses (with the same occasional distribution of good guys).

** The old Heterodynes were no pushovers in this. See [[Axe Crazy]] and [[Big Screwed-Up Family]].

* [[Early-Bird Cameo]]: Oggie's [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060726 great-great-grandson] is initially seen 4-years earlier telling kids the story [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20021104 on the first page.]

* [[Eldritch Abomination]]: The Dreen. They work with -- not necessarily '''for''' -- Baron Wulfenbach. A line in the novelization describes them as "unearthly, terrifying creatures garbed in dark, wide-brimmed conical hats and long, obscuring veils. They killed with but a touch...." They can blast a powerful war machine apart with just a touch, too. Tarvek shows terror at the sight of them. A Jaeger general shows terror at the sight of them. ''[[Up to Eleven|Bangladesh DuPree]]'' shows terror at the sight of them. The novelization says even '''Slaver wasps''' are scared of Dreen....

* [[Epic Hail]]

** Agatha's signal from Strumhalten.

* [[Everyone Can See It]]: Mostly played straight, in that anyone who meets either Gil or Agatha and merely hears them ''talk'' about the other knows they're madly in love, but they know it too -- they just refuse to admit it (though Zeetha finally got a confession out of Gil).

** Agatha '''did''' tell Franz the dragon that she was "somewhat" in love with Gil. She also, earlier, skated around the exact words but made it pretty clear how she felt, when she wondered how many other girls worried "about whether or not it's smart to really trust their... ah, you know, the guys they..."

** Hearing a report from Dr. Sun while [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070611 fighting against a pair of assassins sent after his father].

** Making some difficult [[Mad Science]] preparation... while [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120312 in the middle of a fight with DuPree]. She's even unwittingly helping him.

* [[Exploding Closet]]: In [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20021220 Volume 1] Agatha creates one. Gil opens it. The plot is off its leash and has soon crossed its event horizon.

* [[Explosive Overclocking]]: Movit #11, for most people. {{spoiler|Zola}} seems to have survived, but only because she is now under the care of Dr. Sun.

* [[Exponential Plot Delay]]: Agatha's efforts to repair Castle Heterodyne and officially be recognized as the Heterodyne heir lasted three years and ten months, starting from [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20071226 the time she entered the castle] and ending [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20111102 when she ordered the Doom Bell be rung]. The actual ringing of the bell lasted another three weeks. Tarvek was critically ill and about to die for just short of 15 months. The general concept is [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] in [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091211 this strip]. And again [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100521 here], "It only seem like deyz been in de kestle a long time!"

* [[Expressive Accessory]]: Zeetha's headband, with the little face on it that always has the same facial expression as she does.

* [[The Extremist Was Right]]

** Klaus, former [[Trope Namer]].

** Also, Tarvek ("[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051104 I'm not proud of that, but...]").