Girl Genius/Tropes P-T: Difference between revisions

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* [[Pardon My Klingon]]: When Klaus meets Zeetha.

* [[Parental Hypocrisy]]: The moment when Gilgamesh [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030314 jumps in to play corrida] with what amounts to a small locomotive with legs and arms, giving his father time to analyze its structure. [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030324 Klaus roars] at him for taking an unnecessary risk, but Jägermonsters eagerly express approval when they see a [[Badass]] performance, so right at the next page a Jäger sergeant quietly tells Gil that Klaus himself "doz crazy schtupid sctoff like dot all de time." Of course, as they both are mad scientists with [[Chronic Hero Syndrome|chronic anti-hero syndrome]], it wasn't likely to be the craziest for either.

* [[Pass the Popcorn]]

** Boris and Gil are having tea and pretzels while [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030312 sending a Jäger to test out a rogue clank].

** Snaug enjoys [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091123 watching Gil and Tarvek fight.]

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100428 And later], so does Zeetha: "''AGATHA!'' You're missing the show."

** {{spoiler|After Agatha drinks from the Dyne (when Higgs offers a cup of "water" to her.) She stops it before she explodes, however, by channeling the extra energy into the dying Gil and Tarvek, revitalizing them in the process.}}

** After {{spoiler|Zola}} downs a vial of Movit 11, which is basically a supercharged energy drink, Violetta's solution to stop the rampage is to inject her with ''more'' Movit 11, which will apparently lead to a complete nervous collapse (or possibly cause her to ''[[Incendiary Exponent|combust]]'').

* [[Pimped-Out Dress]]: A number show up, for various reasons.

* [[Planet of Hats]]: Somewhat. The Jägermonsters' hat is not only the prominence of literal hats, it's also that these hats are to them as a sword is to a samurai.

* [[Playboy Bunny]]: During the [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090605 Weasel Queen] [[Omake]], Zeetha and Agatha evoke this trope with their [[Form-Fitting Wardrobe|"rabbit costumes".]]

* [[Politeness Judo]]: Getting Moloch to help in the kitchen.

* [[Poor Communication Kills]]: Subverted in some cases, played straight in others.

** Subverted again, and significantly, [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110314 here.] Dimo has just informed the Jägergenerals and Klaus's leadership about the situation, which will presumably reach Klaus's ears presently. Whether they ''believe'' him remains to be seen.

* [[Power High]]: When Agatha is subjected to the effect of [[Super Serum|Dyne water]] plus electroshock for the first time and [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100419 feels godlike]. [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100426 Later] the Castle implies it's a ''normal'' reaction:

* [[Power Limiter]]: The Heterodyne locket Barry gives Agatha is meant to subdue her sparkyness. She eventually outgrows this, and the locket has found a new use in keeping the Other contained.

* [[The Power of Love]]: A minor case -- at one point when Agatha {{spoiler|is under the control of the Other, it becomes obvious that Gil will die without her help. So Agatha shrugs off the possession long enough to get the locket (mentioned above) on.}}

* [[Power Walk]]: Jägermonsters pull one [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20111212 here]. Subverted slightly since most of them are already inside the city and the walk is just to fool enemies.

* [[Power Perversion Potential]]

** Lucrezia seems well aware of the [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100728 possibilities] inherent in her {{spoiler|mind control devices.}}

** Back on Sparks in general, Sparks, especially in places like Mechanisburg, can practically take over someone's mind with their '''voice''' and not a lot else (strong-willed humans can resist it, but some people are just "natural minions".) Easy access to minions, the uses of the control voice, and the "tools" a Spark can make....

* [[Primal Scene]]: Possibly parodied in the novelization, where we learn that the young Agatha was deeply traumatized when she walked in on her adoptive parents recharging each other with generators.

* [[Projectile Toast]]: [[Death Ray]] toast, anyway...

'''Agatha:''' Oh yes. It could toast the ''whole town''. }}

* [[Psycho Serum]]

** The waters of the River Dyne.

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20101013 Movit #11] is no joke either.

* [[Public Secret Message]]

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051005 "What. Do. You. WANT."]

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100621 This! Was! Not! My! Plan!]

* [[Punctuated Pounding]]: [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110117 Tarvek to Zola.] Not explicit, but he's just ''got'' to be timing his punches to his exclamation points.

* [[Punny Name]]: Doubling as [[Bilingual Bonus]]. Dr. Beetle's first name, "Tarsus", is the insect equivalent of the foot. Not a particularly meaningful pun, but it's there.

* [[Rage Against the Author]]: In [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090817 this filler strip], Agatha can't be convinced that Phil and Kaja Foglio have legitimately earned the Hugo Award, suspecting some mind control at work.

** [[Brick Joke|In 2011 they decided to shut down the mind control device and resign from the category.]]

* [[Randomly-Gifted]]: Sparks run in families but also develop among normal people.

* [[Rebus Bubble]]

** Bangladesh DuPree, when her jaw is broken. "Gil = nut?"

'''DuPree:''' [World's Best Boss trophy]! }}

** The Dingbots as well, particularly in their [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091002 internal] [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091005 war] in [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091009 Castle] [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091012 Heterodyne].

* [[Religion of Evil]]: The Geisterdamen worship the Other.

* [[Retired Badass]]: An old Mechanicsburg sandwich-maker shows up in one of the side stories. He is nicknamed "Old Man Death" -- ''by the Jägers''. Turns out he used to run with them back in his youth -- and ''never lost a fight.'' He still can forcibly boot one out of his shop now, leading to the "three tries" rule.

* [[Ridiculously Cute Critter]]: Agatha's little clanks (clinks?) she builds as assistants, practically the unofficial mascot of the comic. Mimmoths also qualify.

* [[Right Hand Versus Left Hand]]

** {{spoiler|Airman Higgs}} is normally [[The Stoic|calm and unflappable]], even when everything is going to hell. But {{spoiler|stab his [[Battle Couple|kinda-maybe love interest]] in the stomach}} and, well, [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20101018 things might get ugly].

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070117 Agatha], after {{spoiler|Lars}} dies.

* [[Rodents of Unusual Size]]: The Sturmhalten guides' description of "normal" sewer rats. There are also giant bunnies in one of the side-stories.

* [[Romanticism Versus Enlightenment]]: A theme of the series is finding the balance between the two. With the Knights of Jove and Baron Wulfenbach representing the extreme sides of those movements.

** Othar yelling "Foul!" everytime someone drops him from high up.

** Burgermeister Zuken of Mechanicsburg's irrelevance.

** Sparks trying and failing to command their own creations: "that never works."

** When the Foglios have something to show you, they'll show you with an "Elegant and finely crafted link".

** People are generally more likely to recognize Gilgamesh for his [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120113 authority] or [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081110 power] when he wears his "[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120604 mighty] nize ''[[Nice Hat|hat]]''".

* [[Schmuck Bait]]: The tantalizingly labelled [[Big Red Button|buttons]] in the last panel of [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100324 this strip.]

* [[Science Hero]]: Damn near everyone.

** Professor Tiktoffen often screams like this, and [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090720 the castle thinks it's funny.]

** Also Tarvek, at least according to DuPree.

* [[Screw Gun Safety]]: [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040213 Panel 4].

** And earlier, the [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030430 Jägermonsters], though it's pretty in-character for them to try.

'''Jäger 2:''' Pretty neat though, ya? }}

* [[Scrub]]: [[Invoked]] in Othar's log:

* [[Secret Test of Character]]: When we first see Gil, his father is asking him to figure out what's wrong with the machine he ordered built -- except he's really testing to see if Gil is honest (or brave) enough to tell him it isn't actually possible for it to work the way Klaus said it should.

* [[Self-Deprecation]]: Phil Foglio's [[Author Avatar]] shows up at a hospital telling stories to sick kids... because they end up so bored that they easily fall asleep without the need for medication.

* [[Self-Destruct Mechanism]]: {{spoiler|Lucrezia}}'s secret lab has one, and she activates it. The cancellation of self-destruct is double subverted.

* [[Sensitive Guy and Manly Man]]: Tarvek & Gil to a degree.

* [[Seppuku]]: Expected of Jägers who break the Oath -- but only if [[Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught|they get caught]].

* [[Shaggy Search Technique]]: Subverted by [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20031006 Agatha] and [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20101124 Tarvek]. These are super-genius Mad Scientists, after all!

* [[Sharing a Body]]: {{spoiler|Agatha and Lucrezia}} have had the antagonistic version of this relationship since the latter's mind was transferred into the former. It was supposed to be a [[Grand Theft Me]], as mentioned above, but it wasn't totally successful.

** Moloch (and practically everyone else) ships Agatha×Gil; Violetta ships Agatha×Tarvek (cue [[Ship-to-Ship Combat]]).

** Then there are Zeetha, "[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080423 Jäger girls]", [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080310 Jägers], ''[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081112 the crowd]''...

* [[Shoot the Dog]]: Tarvek disabling and deactivating {{spoiler|Anevka's clank}}. Wooster nearly does this to Klaus but is interrupted.

* [[Shoulders of Doom]]: [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080512 Zeetha approves.]

* [[Shovel Strike]]: [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070907 Zeetha can do.]

<nowiki>*BWONG!*</nowiki> }}

* [[Show Some Leg]]: [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040524 Here], though apparently subverted on the next page.

* [[Shutting Up Now]]: Two-part example involving Agatha and Moloch, in [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091116 this strip].

* [["Shut Up" Kiss]]: [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110817 here].

* [[Sigil Spam]]

** The Wulfenbach family signs ''everything,'' from their airships to their war machines to the smallest mechanical parts of Castle Wulfenbach.

** The trilobite symbol of the Heterodynes is pretty much ubiquitous in Mechanicsburg.

** It's the same with the Sturmvoraus family symbol in Sturmhalten.

* [[Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids]]

* [[Skewed Priorities]]

** Locking children in vats and letting them out only for Christmas is a terrible thing, but only if you [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090706 let the control group out].

'''General Zog:''' Sir -- dere iz a time to twit nancy-boy feetsmen und a time to crush bogs. }}

* [[Skilled but Naive]]: Vole claims that {{spoiler|Gil and Tarvek}} are this.

* [[The Smart Guy]]: Practically all of the characters are pretty smart. Krosp is an example of the rare ''GG'' smart guy who's also the [[Only Sane Man]] of the group.

* [[Smooch of Victory]]: Agatha's idea of a fine way to celebrate exploding a giant writhing slug.

* [[Soft Glass]]: [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100526 Here.]

* [[Something Only They Would Say]]: Gil learns there are two alleged Heterodyne heirs in Mechanicsburg. One has made several speeches and then entered Castle Heterodyne. The other is in a coffee shop rebuilding their coffee machine (and causing several explosions in the process). It doesn't take him long to realize which one is Agatha.

* [[Speak of the Devil]]: [[Discussed Trope]].

'''{{spoiler|Lucrezia!Zola}}:''' Ooh... So sorry, dear. I can't think what came over me! }}

* [[The Speechless]]: Punch ("Adam"). An early construct of the Heterodyne Brothers, he was unable to speak. {{spoiler|Until Gil extensively repaired both Punch and Judy, granting Punch speech.}}

* [[Spit Take]]

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051109 Agatha drops the bomb. Tarvek reacts accordingly.]

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110525 Doctor Sun in the flashback panel.]

* [[Spontaneous Human Combustion]]: There's a disease (probably engineered by some [[Mad Scientist]]), "[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090810 Hogfarb's resplendent immolation]", that causes this effect. The body is filled with an incendiary substance, and in the end the victim will "go up like a torch".

* [[Squick]]: An in-universe example of this is [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110318 used by General Khrizhan] to explain why Gil and Agatha [[One True Pairing|being together]] is for the best: they can't exactly get their [[Unusual Euphemism|mad science]] on as long as {{spoiler|the Other, Agatha's ''mother,'' is still inside Agatha's head and possibly sensate.}} Nobody will ''ever'' work as fast as those two will when they eventually twig on that. Incidentally, this also serves to keep the [[Unresolved Sexual Tension]] nice and unresolved, just the way the writers like it.

* [[Staged Populist Uprising]]: The Knights of Jove conspirators like to claim they're doing it for the people.

* [[Standard Female Grab Area]]: Subverted. "Snapper" Boikov tries it on Sanaa. [[Hilarity Ensues]].

'''Wrenchman:''' ''<small>Requiescat in pace and all that rot.</small> Dibs on his boots!'' }}

* [[Star-Crossed Lovers]]: Violetta is of the opinion that Gil and Agatha's romance has a huge chance of [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110907 going down in flames.] Tarvek realizes [[Oh Crap|she may have a point.]]

** Gil as his friends "creatively" explain his plans and motivations to the people of Mechanicsburg, as seen in the fourth panel [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081112 here], almost word-for-word.

** And Agatha to Moloch, as seen in the last panel [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091116 here].

'''Moloch:''' Yes... }}

* [[Storm of Blades]]

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110121 Castle chases after a fleeing Zola] with several sharp and dangerous implements, including a cheesegrater, candelabra, and ''[[Noodle Implements|a shoehorn]]''.

* [[Strapped to An Operating Table]]: Various incidents here and there -- this is a world run by mad scientists, after all.

** Tarvek and Gil have to be strapped to a table in this [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090828 strip.]

** Gil does it to DuPree to have his hands free while doing [[Mad Science]].

'''Bang:''' [[Aren't You Going to Ravish Me?|That's what I meant!]] }}

* [[Stripperiffic]]

* [[Super Speed]]: The various Moveit tonics, while not exactly granting super speed, give people temporarily increased speed and energy with some implied physical toll later on. Half a bottle of Moveit #6 got {{spoiler|Tarvek}} on his feet for hours though he was fatally ill, and a few sips of Moveit #11 turned {{spoiler|Zola}} from a reasonably good fighter into a [[Lightning Bruiser|crazy battle goddess.]] {{spoiler|And then Airman Higgs shows us all what super speed ''really'' is.}}

* [[Suspiciously Specific Denial]]: Sheesh, who's adolescent slave-girl fantasies are we indulging here anyway? [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100816 Not mine!]

* [[Take a Number]]: Part of the [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110307 psychological torture room]. "The torturer is now serving victim number 03." In a subversion, the distributor is out of numbers... Othar doesn't take it well.

* [[Take a Third Option]]: Try an incredibly risky procedure with only stuff made for killing someone or take him to another hospital, which may or may not have the requisite stuff anyway? [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090814 Alternatively...]

* [[Take Our Word for It]]: The titillating plot of ''The Socket Wench of Prague''.

* [[Take Over the World]]: Baron Wulfenbach has already taken over the world -- or at least the bulk of Europe, where the story is set -- by the time the story starts, and ''he never wanted to''. There's a conspiracy that seems to be trying to do this for themselves, using {{spoiler|Tarvek}} as figurehead.

* [[Talking Is a Free Action]]: Gil takes a panel to rant about not being taken seriously -- [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080305 in the middle of his fight with Vole.]

** Subverted later on. It turns out Vole remembered and decided not to let talking be a free action [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110729 this time.]

* [[Tall Tale]]: The Heterodyne Boys tales.

** Violetta administers one to Agatha to keep her from [[Leeroy Jenkins|charging a]] [[Psycho Serum|juiced-up]] {{spoiler|Zola}}.

* [[Tattooed Crook]]: DuPree's second-in-command

* [[Tears of Remorse]]: Barry, in the flashback where he gave Agatha her locket.

* [[Tempting Fate]]: Many instances here and there.

'''Maxim:''' Oh, now hyu iz just ''[[Lampshade Hanging|asking]]'' for it. }}

** "It's just one little clank."

** [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060726 "Whelp, the day can't get any] '''weirder'''!" For future reference, that is something you simply ''do not'' say in this story. ''Ever.''

** Tarvek should [[Genre Savvy|really know]] not to [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110214 say such things], but:

** Clank!Anveka tempts fate rather horribly only two pages after the [[Author Avatar]]'s "Whelp, the day can't get any weirder!" above.

*** Next page starts with {{spoiler|Tarvek}} handing the device in question to {{spoiler|The Other.}}

* [[Tenchi Solution]]: This is how the Castle thinks the love triangle should be solved. This may have been a Heterodyne pattern. "The ''Master's'' bedroom ''only'' sleeps ''six''."

* [[They Called Me Mad]]: Seems to be a [[Catch Phrase]] for mad scientists.

** Parodied in the ''Cinderella'' omake, in which Agatha "showed them, showed them all."

** Later, Agatha inspected herself in a small mirror which read on the back "You Will Show Them All."

* [[They Look Like Us Now]]: The "stealth" revenants, only now being discovered.

* [[This Is Gonna Suck]]: Often -- [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110218 like this].

* [[This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself]]: ...[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110727 or not].

* [[Threesome Subtext]]: Agatha×Gil×Tarvek, ever so much, culminating in [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110610 this] exchange:

'''Tarvek:''' Well... ''that'' I can ''live with!'' }}

* [[Through His Stomach]]: Snaug, on Moloch.

* [[Throw a Barrel At It]]: Although it isn't technically "thrown", [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070103 this] is proof that even a Barrel can be [[Axe Crazy]].

* [[Too Dumb to Live]]

** "Hello clank, are you a flowerpot?"

** Special mention goes to [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20071217 X the destroyer] who decided a big X on the ground within range of enemy ordnance was a good place to set up his tent. Admittedly, it was inadvertent [[Schmuck Bait]] in that case...

** Gil got lessons from Dr. Sun, Agatha from Zeetha, and Ardsley Wooster apparently had a few well-hidden under his belt.

** Boris Dolokhov goes from being the Baron's amanuensis [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030310 and being insulted] [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030324 by Jägermonsters] to [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100820 beating a Jägermonster until it was willing to give up classified information].

* [[Too Much Information]]: Tea cozy... [[Noodle Implements|only one spoon]]...

* [[Torture First, Ask Questions Later]]: Oh, Bang.

'''DuPree:''' Oh, right. }}

** "Thank you, Zeetha!"

** Dr. Sun suggesting Gil needed a thrashing visibly scared him.

* [[Tranquil Fury]]: The Oct. [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20101018 18th], [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20101020 20th], and [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20101025 25th] updates. {{spoiler|Though, with that [[Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping|little slip]], it might be a matter of time before Higgs goes nuclear}}.

* [[Traumatic Superpower Awakening]]: Sparks during the "breakthrough" usually go crazy in a destructive way. Due to her uncle's tampering, in Agatha's case the "awakening" part happened when she was technically asleep.

** On a micro scale, [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20031015 this page of the comic] is linked to [[Readings Are Off the Scale|about 7,000 times]] from [[TV Tropes]]. [[Tropes Are Not Bad|Not necessarily a bad thing]], as it's a great page that nicely encapsulates the appeal of the comic as a whole.

* [[Troper Critical Mass]]

* [[Troubled but Cute]]: [[Lampshaded]] at the start of the ''Cinderella'' filler, when Gil and Tarvek argue over who's playing the story's prince:

'''Tarvek:''' ''Feh. I'm'' the misunderstood one with the mysterious agenda. ''Muy sexy.'' }}

* [[Truth in Television]]: Moxana is based upon the [[wikipedia:The Turk|Mechanical Turk]], an eighteen-century chess-playing automaton. The Turk was a hoax, operated by someone inside it, but {{spoiler|Moxana is a real version.}}

* [[Truth Serum]]: The old Prince Sturmvoraus may have given Agatha a [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051109 bit] [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051111 too] [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051114 much]

* [[Turned Against Their Masters]]: This happens every once in a while with Sparks' creations. The Sparks then inevitably order them to stand down, which [[Hilarity Ensues|ends as expected]].

* [[Twisted Echo Cut]]: If the Mistress were here, ''[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051021 she'd say]''... She really could.