Vexxarr: Difference between revisions

[[File:Vexxarr_4362.jpg|frame|Spoorflix (in spacesuit), Minionbot, Sid, and Vexxarr in their native habitat: Assigning blame for failures.]]

 

 

[http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=100501 Vexxarr] is a comedy Sci-Fi webcomic by Hunter Cressall. The initial setup sounds similar to [[Invader Zim]]: An alien [[Evil Overlord]] sends his flunky to conquer earth, mostly to [[Reassigned to Antarctica|get him out of the way]]. However, it plays out quite differently. For starters, the flunky Vexxarr is quite well aware that he is incompetent, or in his own words: "Let's say I know a thing or two about being volunteered for one-way missions." Secondly, Vexxarr tries an [[Alien Invasion|open invasion]], with [[War of the Worlds]]-esque walkers. It fails miserably, and Vexxarr is captured. Initially, the comic showed Vexxarr living on earth. After a while though, Vexxarr was allowed to leave, and since then the comic has centered on Vexxarr's journey through the galaxy, and trying to find a place that [[Everything Trying to Kill You|isn't inhabited by something that wants him dead.]] [[Fate Worse Than Death|Or worse.]]

 

 

{{tropelist}}

'''Carl''': We're inteligent machines. [[The Farmer and the Viper|It's what we do]]. }}

* [[Alien Arts Are Appreciated]]: The Mahakalosians offer to build ships for Earth in exchange for(among other things) [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=101609 original pressings of Adam Ant records] and [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=060210 nine tons of oreo cookies].

* [[Alien Invasion]]: One by Vexxarr, which failed. {{spoiler|A second one is defeated by using technology stolen from Vexxarr.}}

* [[Anti-Hero]]: Vexxarr slips between [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes|a type IV and a type V]]. This tends to depend on how insane the situation has currently driven him.<ref>You know it's bad when he starts trying to knock his conscience out of his head by slamming it repeatedly against a bulkhead.</ref>

* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]: Don't tell an (overly) friendly Schlumpoid that [[Medical Horror|"hospital" and "food factory"]] mean the same thing...

* [[Blind Jump]]: Vexxarr once punched in random coordinates for a jump, which [[Butt Monkey|naturally landed them directly in front of the fleet they were trying to avoid.]] Later Vexxarr also suggests a true [[Blind Jump]] (when his ship computer is busy with a megalomaniac rant), and Minion bot points him at the button for that procedure. That button doubles as the Self Destruct button, seeing how it does the same thing.

* [[Brain Bleach]]: Rock crab reproductive activities.

* [[Brown Note]]: Hearing, or reading, Sploorfix's lifejournal posts will cause almost any AI to self-terminate.

'''Schlumpoid Queen:''' Ok... I'm going to ask again and I want a direct lie. Pile one on so high I can't see daylight over its height. }}

* [[But for Me It Was Tuesday]]: A variation - it's not that they ''intend'' for anyone to get hurt, but because of Vexxarr's [[Cosmic Plaything]] status, there tends to be...er... some karmic overflow...

'''Minionbot''': Is it a Thursday? }}

** Again when Vexxarr feels there's still something missing from the news that the ship is without power and at the mercy of a malevolent species.

'''Vexxarr''': It's a Thursday. }}

* [[Chewbacca Defense]]: For no real reason really, but effective [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=012312 nontheless].

* [[Cool and Unusual Punishment]]: Vexxarr's main way of keeping Carl in line.

* [[Cosmic Plaything]]: [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=091908 Vexxarr.]

** Vexarr becomes aware of this even before then:

'''Vexxarr''': Whoa whoa whoa... stop right there! What have I told you both? We do ''not...ever...'''goad''''' the universe! }}

* [[Cowardly Lion]]: Sid, like all rock-crabs, is afraid of almost everything, despite the fact that very little can hurt him.

** To make it even weirder he feeds on radiation, like that produced by Bleen weapons and antimatter explosions. So he loves the things that most sane beings would fear the most.

* [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]]: Vexxarr's usual high level of [[Genre Savvy|Genre Savviness]] can sky-rocket into this occasionally. Usually this is directly proportional to how insane a bad situation has become.<ref>Considering that every situation is almost ''always'' bad...</ref>

* [[Delicious Distraction]]: Used [[Invoked Trope|deliberatly]] by Vexxarr whenever a stressful situation arises. And they arise often...to the point Sploorfix has picked up the habit.

* [[Depth Deception]]: [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=082908 For the reader.]

* [[The Drag Along]]: Vexxarr ''hates'' it when things get interesting.

* [[Don't Explain the Joke]]: [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=090508 Or the threat, either.]

* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]:

* [[Everything Trying to Kill You]]: And everyone. By the time Vexxarr has gotten through facilitating an all-out war between the Bleen and the Lattrox, the only people's hit list he ''isn't'' on is the humans and their allies. And that's a pretty damn tiny percentage of the space-faring races, considering that it amounts to about... [[Oh Crap|3]].

** [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=070907 And he knows it].

* [[Evil Overlord]]: The emperor of Bleen.

* [[Evil Versus Evil]]:

* [[False Reassurance]]: [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=030411 Well...]

* [[Fastball Special]]: The result of the [[Nigh Invulnerability]] of the rock-crabs, and their access to a mass driver cannon.

'''Rock-crab:''' Excuse me. May I have directions to your airlock? I need to get back for the second salvo. }}

* [[Five-Man Band]]: probably the most [[Anti-Hero|anti-heroic]] in the history of science fiction but in any case, this is how the line-up looks after Sid has joined up:

** [[The Hero]]: Vexxarr - (our [[Deadpan Snarker]] leader who [[Cosmic Plaything|the universe is continuously trying to kill]])

** [[The Smart Guy]]: Minionbot - ([[Snarky Non-Human Sidekick|the Automaton]] who knows ''far'' [[Mr. Exposition|too much about how all the circuitry of the ship and droids work]], including a couple of life-saving-important secrets that he conveniently forgets to mention)

* [[Genre Savvy]]: Vexxarr has become increasingly savvy about his attempts to find safety, to the point of having a betting pool on how long after encountering anything they would be attacked or ordered to surrender.

'''Minionbot''': I had five dollars on fifty-seven but it was under 'Prepare to be assimilated...' }}

* [[Good Is Not Nice]]: Vexxarr is a borderline type IV [[Anti-Hero]] who can be quite vindictive when he wants to be. But he still has a conscience - albeit one he has tried to literally bash out of his own head - and he ''will'' - in the end - do the right thing.<ref>Eventually.</ref> He is ''not'' going to be nice about it though. ''Ever''. And depriving him of cake is probably going to [[Jumping Off the Slippery Slope|send him off the deep end]].<ref>The aesop of this story is to always supply your [[Anti-Hero]] with chocolate gateau whenever they have to make an important moral decision.</ref>

* [[Gravity Sucks]]: Averted hard; at one point Vexxarr actually tries to hide in ''a black hole's accretion disk'', relying on his invincible hull to protect him against the radiation. It [[Everything Trying to Kill You|almost]] worked, too.

* [[Gunship Rescue]]: [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=031809 Giant Mecha] [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=041309 Rescue actually].

...unless, of course, it would be unimaginably ''fun''... }}

* [[Hammerspace]]: Vexxarr can conjure a paper list of research projects performed by Bleen AI seemingly out of thin air. The explanation: It's just that important to remember how any research project headed by an AI has [[Gone Horribly Wrong]] and ended with the creation of a [[Earthshattering Kaboom|tiny sun]]. (Except the one that ended with a super massive black hole.)

* [[Hive Mind]]:

* [[Humans Are Special]]: Originally it seemed like [[Humans Are Warriors]] but the Mahakalosians stated that "Urthers" were not a warrior race due to the simple fact that they are neither unified nor extinct. [[Humans Are Diplomats|Rather they are special because they are willing to work together with others]].

* [[Humiliation Conga]]: An almost permanent one.

'''Vexxarr''': [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate{{=}}031510 By all means.] }}

* [[Kicked Upstairs]]: [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]]

'''Admiral''': One day it is then. }}

* [[Manipulative Bastard]]: Vexxarr is slowly and steadily becoming a candidate for [[Magnificent Bastard]], if not for the war he started between the two most aggressive races in the galaxy in order to get them to wipe each other out, then [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=010311 For] [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=010511 this] [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=010711 right] [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=011211 here].

* [[Medical Horror]]: The Lattrox use the same word for 'hospital' and 'food factory'.

* [[Mohs Scale of Sci Fi Hardness]]: Although there are realistic parts or ideas throughout the comic, in general the [[Rule of Fun]] and [[Rule of Cool]] override realism.

* [[Noodle Incident]]: When Carl and Minionbot are reviewing the results of simulated drone operations, we don't get to see what they're looking at, but we do hear the names Carl gave the various simulations, such as '''Ode to places a cutting torch should never go''', '''Three drones, one airlock and no sense''', and the cautionary tale about plasma torches, hypergolic fuel and explosive decompression called '''Don't'''.

* [["No Respect" Guy]]: Vexxarr

* [[Oddly Small Organization]]: The Bleen destroyer crew.

Helmsman: We're both right here, sir. }}

* [[Oh Crap]]: Vexxarr's 'face' is very well suited for the appropriate expression. And of course, his status as [[Cosmic Plaything]] gives him plenty of opportunity to use it, like [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=032807 here].

* [[Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions]]: Bleen never had religion, thanks to their race memory. Also, while on earth, he gets a visit from an annoying evangelist.

'''Vexxarr:''' We have video. }}

** Though Minionbot was briefly a Buddhist, and later he convinced the repair drones that Vexxarr (aka ''The Keeper of the Off Switch'') [[Robot Religion|was a god]].

* [[Outrun the Fireball]]: Lampshaded.

'''Vexxarr:''' That's a tough question to answer. The fireball in question has our ship's ID and description...and it's possible we may owe it a lot of money. }}

* [[Properly Paranoid]]: [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=122910 Just checking].

* [[Pungeon Master]]: Sploorfix approaches this at times, much to Vexxarr's and Carl's utter dismay and horror.

* [[Refusal of the Call]]: Vexxarr generally tries to refuse, but that never works out.

* [[Rubber Forehead Aliens]]: Averted, all aliens look decidedly non-human. The only strange thing is that despite Vexxarr's single eye, his eyebrow shows the exact same position-by-emotion as two human eyebrows would. See his angry-look (his look for roughly 90% of the comic.) in the trope picture.

* [[Sarcasm Mode]]: Vexxarr, frequently and repeatedly.

'''Vexxarr''': Hey! The biting sarcasm is ''MY'' bit. Wound my pride with your own material, Bucko. }}

* [[Scary Dogmatic Aliens]]. The Conquistador variant. {{spoiler|They're only doing it for the cake.}}

* [[Scenery Porn]]: Many comics that take place in space use real astronomical pictures as background, see the trope picture.

* [[Snarky Non-Human Sidekick|Snarky Non Organic Sidekick]]: Minionbot to Vexxarr. Not that either are entirely happy with the arrangement.

* [[Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped]]: In-universe.

* [[Stop Helping Me!]]: It does actually help, it's just [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=052209 humiliating.]

** [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=121905 Ouch, Sony.]

* [[Technical Pacifist]]. Parodied with the locutrons.

'''Vexxarr:''' Word of advice? Keep 'em charged. }}

* [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]: Vexxarr's own robotic allies frequently give him one. And then there's the hostile AI left by the [[Precursors|Schlumpoid Forebearers]], who gives them to any Schlumpoid in range. They actually make use of it by assigning him to teach a class called 'Stasis: The failure of Schlumpoid Culture.'

'''AI''': By the end of the semester, I expect you to tell me. }}

* [[Thrown Out the Airlock]]: Both Vexxarr and Carl try to do this to Sid. It never sticks.

'''Vexxarr:''' ''The airlock.'' }}

** Later done {{spoiler|''with consent'' to Minionbot to disengage the malfunctioning hyperdrive.}}

* [[Translator Microbes]]: Justified, since Vexxarr is [[Telepathic Spacemen|telepathic]]. However, all newly picked up crew members can not only talk to Vexxarr, but also to each other without problems (No mouths are ever seen on them either, and Sid lived in a vacuum, so perhaps they communicate telepathically too).

** The [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=111408 Mahakalosians] are an [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=111908 exception]. At least until [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=112108 they learned Bleen].

* [[Unsound Effect]]: Oh so many...

* [[Weapons Grade Vocabulary]]: [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=071906 Weapons grade pleading?]

'''Vexxarr:''' That would be you. }}

* [[What Does This Button Do?]]: [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=111208 Vexxarr tries to discourage this behavior in Sid.] [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=122109 It doesn't stick.]

** Recently Vexxarr himself went through this, when trying to figuer out how to disengage a planetwide [[Cloaking Device|cloaking system]] from a console that was also invisible. There were some... [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=051311 problems.]

* [[Who's Laughing Now?]]: After managing to successfully impersonate the leader of a group of vegetable-based AI that have been trying to kill him, he vents pretty much all of the frustration he's accumulated over the course of the strip through [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=050409 creative vengeance]

'''Minionbot''': That Vexxarr has been in space entirely '''too''' long. }}

* [[Wide-Eyed Idealist]]: Spoorflix. [Insert Eye-oriented pun here].

* [[Wisdom from the Gutter]]: Comes from Sploorfix. At least if you ask Vexxarr, anyway.

** Granted, [[Thrown Out the Airlock|spacing]] is not fatal to the Bleen, but after the number of acolytes in orbit became a navigational hazard the Emperor started vaporizing them instead.

* [[Your Head Asplode]]: Robots actually [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=012108 win arguments] [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=122906 this way].

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Webcomics Long Runners]]

[[Category:Military and Warfare Comics]]

[[Category:Sci Fi Webcomics]]