He’s baring his teeth in a predatory manner. Look, I know it’s a DIFFERENT way than we’re USED to, with the eyebrows and corners of the lips pointing the wrong way, but we still need to keep our longstanding survival instincts regardless.
Deanatay
“The smile of an Abh, so maligned that they say it’s like a poisonous flower in its glory. I have yet to see Lafiel with such an expression.”
Realistically nobody would be friends with Mike if he was a complete asshole so there was probably a time when his youthful innocence disappeared along with Marcie’s voice. Maybe that’s another thing that motivates Amber.
SPOILER ALERT: Mike is probably still be an alcoholic with super nice parents. His girlfriend only likes him when he is nice-drunk, so she breaks up with him, like in the other universe.
If you’re younger than negative nine months old you’re too young to start drinking.
Felix
Twelve is around the time that I started really drinking.
Depends on the person of course but for some of us it’s actually good to get it out of the system in our youth. Needless to say(hopefully), but it is not the right way to go for most people though. Some can have real trouble with knowing their limits or even handling alcohol at all.
I have no interest or desire to drink alcohol what so ever anymore. For the most part I had stopped by the time I was 24, only had an occasional drink during a celebration or what ever and now at 28 I don’t drink at all. Not a drop. Been there done that, nothing interesting about it.
Felix
This is just me sharing my own experience for what ever reason(not sure myself). I’m not suggesting anyone start drink, whatever their age. What a waste of time and money.
Inahc
“really drinking” to me implies “heavy drinking”… but I hope that what you actually meant was that was when you started having small amounts of wine or whatever. afaik the liver isn’t fully developed at 12, so it’s not good to actually get *drunk* that young, but it’s good to have some experience with alcohol so it’s not such a big deal later.
Eh, having been misprescribed Adderall as a kid and hearing other people’s bad side effect stories, it’s more likely to leave you zombified than whatever’s going on here.
I understand the side effects on a normal person, and didn’t mean to imply what was happening to Mike was normal, apologies.
But, this is Mike we’re talking about. He turns into a super nice person when he’s drunk in the Shortpacked universe, so I wouldn’t be surprised if psychoactive medications also make him behave very differently in this one.
Regalli
Yeah, I just tend to be tetchy about these things. So many misconceptions about learning disabilities to begin with, plus my particular experience there was So Bad, plus a pedantic streak and here we go. No harm taken.
I wonder if he was still trying to hide everything about himself. All the anger, hatred, rage, at this pretty society of hypocrites and criminals. Still trying to play nice. Still playing the good boy.
Oh, baby Amber. I can’t tell whether this is before or after the Convenience Store, but either way knowing what that’s gonna do for your psyche… poor kiddo.
That whole thing went down when everyone was thirteen or so, right? So here she’s probably tennish, given how small she is and if people are letting her babysit. (Probably only for kids a couple years younger, too, ten’s early. My guess is it’s one of her mom’s friends/coworkers.)
BBCC
They mention homeroom, so I assume they’re in at least middle school.
Regalli
Eleven or twelveish then? They look about on the cusp of puberty. Sure we’ll figure out before the story’s through, anyway.
Needfuldoer
I always guessed the convenience store incident was probably early high school, or around 3-4 years before the main story.
The character models for this arc’s flashback scenes look a lot younger than that. Maybe fourth or fifth grade? That’s when my school system introduced the concept of “homeroom” and changing rooms and teachers for a couple classes. (Sixth through eighth was middle school, which had a room change for every class.)
thejeff
IIRC, they were 13ish then. ~5 years ago.
BBCC
That’s right, they were thirteen. So probably 7th grade, going into 8th, since they were on a school trip when it happened and Sal was away from home for 5 years.
215 thoughts on “Villains”
Ana Chronistic
what the fuck is that on his face
Schpoonman
I don’t like this.
Danni
does. not. compute.
MatthewTheLucky
hyperventilating
Dave
Welp! Existence was fun while it lasted. See ya all in Armageddon~!
Pablo360
*meets you on armageddon hill, where the battle is yet to take place*
This is nice, I’m glad we decided to picnic here
Schol-R-LEA
Well, duh! Of course you aren’t happy with a parent getting a middle school kid drunk right before his first day of class!
Doctor_Who
Some new form of glare but…it’s strange. He doesn’t look like he’s standing on his head.
Reltzik
He’s baring his teeth in a predatory manner. Look, I know it’s a DIFFERENT way than we’re USED to, with the eyebrows and corners of the lips pointing the wrong way, but we still need to keep our longstanding survival instincts regardless.
Deanatay
“The smile of an Abh, so maligned that they say it’s like a poisonous flower in its glory. I have yet to see Lafiel with such an expression.”
Passchendaele
appropriate avvie is appropriate
Mkvenner
The bottom is a smile and the top half has me worried
Psyme
It’s like that thing Faz has on his face, except rounder.
Deanatay
Isn’t he a little YOUNG to be drinking?
Griffin Raynor
Do we really believe that would stop him?
Lokitsu
BURN IT!! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!
hof1991
We get a Mike origin story now. He’s clearly not drunk, but is smiling. How bad a day will he have?
Plasma Mongoose
Mike looks like he is on the verge of a break down.
brasca1
Realistically nobody would be friends with Mike if he was a complete asshole so there was probably a time when his youthful innocence disappeared along with Marcie’s voice. Maybe that’s another thing that motivates Amber.
Furie
It’s obvious he’s seen Ethan’s shirt and just turned the Autobot frown upside down to mess with him.
Bagge
A new Yorker, eh? Suddenly things are making sense.
Proto
NEW YORK CITY?
Get a rope.
Lieutenant Dan
Pick up the pace.
Roborat
I see what you did there.
AnvilPro
Mike has used all the muscles in his tiny, child body to create that false image of a smile
Lingo
Yeah he looks like he’s really straining to keep it in place. Almost exhausted!
Danni
WHAT
Nono
Humanizing chapter let’s go!
Rodrigo
SPOILER ALERT: Mike is probably still be an alcoholic with super nice parents. His girlfriend only likes him when he is nice-drunk, so she breaks up with him, like in the other universe.
It’s nice to see more of his back story.
CleverTrousers
He’s twelve, mate.
chris2315
Never too young to start drinking.
Andrusi
If you’re younger than negative nine months old you’re too young to start drinking.
Felix
Twelve is around the time that I started really drinking.
Depends on the person of course but for some of us it’s actually good to get it out of the system in our youth. Needless to say(hopefully), but it is not the right way to go for most people though. Some can have real trouble with knowing their limits or even handling alcohol at all.
I have no interest or desire to drink alcohol what so ever anymore. For the most part I had stopped by the time I was 24, only had an occasional drink during a celebration or what ever and now at 28 I don’t drink at all. Not a drop. Been there done that, nothing interesting about it.
Felix
This is just me sharing my own experience for what ever reason(not sure myself). I’m not suggesting anyone start drink, whatever their age. What a waste of time and money.
Inahc
“really drinking” to me implies “heavy drinking”… but I hope that what you actually meant was that was when you started having small amounts of wine or whatever. afaik the liver isn’t fully developed at 12, so it’s not good to actually get *drunk* that young, but it’s good to have some experience with alcohol so it’s not such a big deal later.
Pablo360
Oh fuck he’s adorable
Kris
So Mike has a twin. That’s interesting.
tirachokko
wtf mike wtf just wtf what happened to you wtf
Passchendaele
and that was the last time he ever smiled, the end
LeslieBean4Shizzle
Actually, I would bet real money that this storyline is about exactly that.
MM
Yeah, I’m already deeply nervous and vaguely sad.
Passchendaele
Oh, that’s a valid point. o-o
*nervous sweat*
Cattleprod
Oh jeez, meeting Blaine crushed his spirit, didn’t it?
Doctor_Who
That’d do it for me. Just seeing him last strip made me want to kick flowers, say “drat”, and talk back to my mother.
Pure evil.
Pablo360
Oh shit that’s probably right. Damn you Willis et cetera
BBCC
Awww, how adorable!
Now why the screaming blue fuck is it on his face?
DailyBrad
He certainly doesn’t look comfortable.
Curious to see what happened to Mike, if we’re even going to learn.
EvilMidnightLurker
Oh god modern comic prices.
I started reading them as a small child in the Seventies. Inflation is a terrible thing.
Foxhack
Since he’s way too young to get alcohol on his own, I wonder how many drugs Mike is on right now.
I mean the ones parents have their doctors prescribe to their kids for ADHD or similar afflictions…
Regalli
Eh, having been misprescribed Adderall as a kid and hearing other people’s bad side effect stories, it’s more likely to leave you zombified than whatever’s going on here.
Foxhack
I understand the side effects on a normal person, and didn’t mean to imply what was happening to Mike was normal, apologies.
But, this is Mike we’re talking about. He turns into a super nice person when he’s drunk in the Shortpacked universe, so I wouldn’t be surprised if psychoactive medications also make him behave very differently in this one.
Regalli
Yeah, I just tend to be tetchy about these things. So many misconceptions about learning disabilities to begin with, plus my particular experience there was So Bad, plus a pedantic streak and here we go. No harm taken.
Mr. Random
I wonder if he was still trying to hide everything about himself. All the anger, hatred, rage, at this pretty society of hypocrites and criminals. Still trying to play nice. Still playing the good boy.
I wonder what made him want to tear it all down.
newllend(henryvolt)
I don’t care how young he is Mike smiling without being drunk is unsettling.
Keulen
It’s unnerving seeing kid Mike smiling here because the few times we’ve seen him smiling while sober as an adult were fucking terrifying.
Jay
…What the hell is this Willis?
WHAT HATH YOU WROUGHT!?!?
Alice Macher
Mike, showing up drunk is not the way to start out at your new school.
Stephen Bierce
*tries to find that song in the pile of doo-wop records* *fails*
Regalli
Oh, baby Amber. I can’t tell whether this is before or after the Convenience Store, but either way knowing what that’s gonna do for your psyche… poor kiddo.
Skittylover3
Before
Shes waaaayyyy too lil
Regalli
That whole thing went down when everyone was thirteen or so, right? So here she’s probably tennish, given how small she is and if people are letting her babysit. (Probably only for kids a couple years younger, too, ten’s early. My guess is it’s one of her mom’s friends/coworkers.)
BBCC
They mention homeroom, so I assume they’re in at least middle school.
Regalli
Eleven or twelveish then? They look about on the cusp of puberty. Sure we’ll figure out before the story’s through, anyway.
Needfuldoer
I always guessed the convenience store incident was probably early high school, or around 3-4 years before the main story.
The character models for this arc’s flashback scenes look a lot younger than that. Maybe fourth or fifth grade? That’s when my school system introduced the concept of “homeroom” and changing rooms and teachers for a couple classes. (Sixth through eighth was middle school, which had a room change for every class.)
thejeff
IIRC, they were 13ish then. ~5 years ago.
BBCC
That’s right, they were thirteen. So probably 7th grade, going into 8th, since they were on a school trip when it happened and Sal was away from home for 5 years.
Ivy
Haha oooh yes
I am so ready for this
Joe Moose
♫♪~Flashbaaacks~♪♫
motorfirebox
Who’s been letting him drink at such a young age!?
Calvsie
My first thought as well!
Cholma
Damn. Amber makes more money babysitting than the average McDonald’s employee?! She must be GOOD.
Regalli