He was ‘damaged’ from fighting the GEF, what makes you so sure he wouldn’t. It seems that the other two Psychics went insane, so what makes Efrem so stable?
chrisbrady
Yes you can. And it’s not as ‘awful’ as you make it out to be. It’s more like guy A likes girl. So his friends do not put the moves on her until he’s had his shot.
Now, the that’s as far is goes. He just gets to ask her out first. Whether or not she accepts, well, that’s her call.
Now, I know the narrative forbids this particular problem, because You and Chris have already decided it’s not going to happen. But what if, what if Reona still felt something for Efrem, and nothing Zap does will ever change her mind. Because she’s (no she’s not, but let’s assume for the sake of this example) the type of person who can only truly love one person, and she decided that Efrem was it. And maybe it was because she saw Efrem first, and luckily he was her type.
Zap would have lost his chance to try for her hand, simply because her personality (in this example only) wouldn’t let him have a shot, because her heart belongs to Efrem.
The main issue for me, is Zap’s calm acceptance of Efrem getting his shot at Reona. And worse, it seems that Effy wasn’t even interested in Reona. That’s jarring, and really, really dirty. To both Reona AND Zap.
Speedy Marsh
You’re right, of course. I guess I was thinking about the “pre GEF mindfracking” Efrem. It was probably a lot harder on him, since he felt the pain and anguish that they were causing.
I don’t know anything about these children you guys are talking about!
kerrie_30
maybe he did it to protect her? or possible from finding someone else before Zap could get there?
I’m unsure and still don’t like what Efrem did.
Fata
Ha ha ha sorry , I was just speculating.
Jim R.
Ya kidding me? Efram was always my favorite. Even had fan art of him from, gosh, -forever- ago.
Me-me
Excelsior joins in too, though. Hologram fun.
sunphoenix
Well… forbidden fruit is always the sweetest.. but yeah.. its pretty low of him to take his ‘friend’s’ dreamgirl for a ride or two all because he know she’ll eventually met up with Zap anyways. It CERTAINLY shows a lack of honor and respect for such a lovely woman .. AND his ‘friend’ for that matter! Also, he put sweet Renoa through a lot of emotional trauma with the betrayal and the callous way he told her how he never cared for her. That was just mean!!!
What are you talking about lack of respect for Reona? Reona totally wanted to bonk Efrem the first time she saw him. She was super into him for like half the series!!
He told her he never cared for her so she could get over him!
It is a little shitty that he went ahead and dated her anyway, but I don’t know. I don’t think he thought he’d ever go back to the GEF and Reona was so great he probably thought they could just make it work. Just because Zap had a dream about her doesn’t negate Reona’s feelings, or really Efrem’s, either.
Speedy Marsh
Now that I think about it, Efrem probably is an emotional wreck. More like emotional 50 car pileup. I mean, even as a kid, it seems like he was a third wheel. Imagine, not just thinking, but actually knowing that Zap and Gunner liked each other better than you.
Then, he has to experience the terror, pain, and anguish of his race being slaughtered, in a way that no non-empath ever could.
Then, after he was kidnapped, he was forced to become the evil that he had suffered.
When he met Reona, what he saw was beauty, both internal and external. He already knew she was special, because of Zap’s dreams. He saw, for the first time since his mother last held him in her arms, the chance to have something truly good in his life.
He probably knew the relationship wouldn’t last, since she was fated to end up with Zap. He might have even had an idea that things would end badly between them. But, the chance to experince a relationship as beautiful as as Zap’s dreams, however briefly, was something Efrem was incapable of passing up.
Zap probably understood that, and I sure he appreciates the sacrifice that Efrem made, in leaving that relationship, and driving Reona away, for her protection.
I know it seems like Efrem broke the “Bro’ code”, or whatever, but I think at this point, Zap is probably just glad that Efrem finally got to experience some true happiness in his life.
chrisbrady
No it doesn’t negate their feelings. But it’s also disrespectful of Zap’s feelings. It doesn’t matter if Reona chooses Efrem over Zap or not, the key element here is that Zap should have gotten his chance to ask first. If Reona said no, then Zap would have to deal with that.
Instead, Efrem used his abilities (implied by you, in fact, I believe you stated that Reona did get over Efrem pretty quick, after he told her he didn’t care about her. Or something to that effect, which you implied that his Empathy might have been used) to get an ‘in’ with Reona. That’s a level of manipulation that’s pretty disgusting in my book.
So no, I’m not going to give Efrem a pass for this. And I know it won’t happen, but I don’t think Zap should either. After all, each and every Psychic has reacted in a mostly human manner, so they deal with things in a human manner.
Speedy Marsh
All three of the psychics spent years living lives that were as close to hell as you can get without actually being there.
One attempted a galaxy wide genocide. Another, pretty much abandoned the last two surviving members of his race, to search for his dream girl.
The last, fell in love with and started a relationship with his best friend’s dream girl. There are worse things he could have done.
It’s weird saying this as a person in a lifelong monogamous relationship (I’ve been married to my highschool sweetheat for almost 25 years), but I’m ok with Efrem starting a relationship with Reona, even if he knew that it probably wouldn’t last.
I wrote a long comment above, about the emotional state I think Efrem was in, going in to that relationship.
Speedy Marsh
Zap forgot that Gunner had a Cracker Jack Secret Decoder Ring, too.
Speedy Marsh
Well, before the comic ends, there will be lots of hooking up:
Zap & Reona
Gunner & Naveed
Kasey & Grontar
Robot & Excelsior
Taddoran & Kiryu
Justin & Iris
Holly & Inman & Scherzer & William
Efrem & Demonica (Efrem has learned that his only lasting relationships, are the ones where he is the submissive)
Several months later, there’ll be a baby boom. These children, when they grow up, will have starring roles in Zap!: The Next Generation.
One of my favorite characters will miss out on all the procreating fun, “Oh, poop!”
He didn’t use his powers to get an in with her, he used his powers to get an out with her.
ShadeTail
Panel 5. The dialogue should probably start with the word “he”.
chrisbrady
So now Efrem has to live with what he’d had and will never have again? Really?
Dunno ’bout you, but I’d try to keep what I had for as long as possible.
I don’t think that Zap is a nice guy for ‘letting’ Efrem have a chance first.
chrisbrady
That’s even worse. He never cared enough for Reona to ever want to explain his behaviour, so he simply makes her ‘hate’ him? That’s worse than just sad.
I didn’t mean that Zap let him have a chance first. I just meant that Zap understands why Efrem did what he did.
(Plus, Efrem did find Reona. If not for him, Zap would still be searching.)
Speedy Marsh
I saw your tweet about being frustrated with the arguments. I’m really sorry if it seems like I’m ignoring or disrespecting Reona’s part in her relationships. That’s kinda the opposite of what I meant to do. The reason I’ve hardly mentioned her choices, is that I respect her choices, and I don’t think anyone has a problem with her side of the relationships.
The real issue we’re arguing about is Zap and Efrem’s relationship. They’re lifelong friends, and two of the last three members of their race. The reason I made statements that seemed to minimize Reona’s importance, is that at the moment Efrem met her, she had only been a story that Zap had told him about his dream. Efrem’s decision to date her was risking his lifelong relationship with Zap, for a relationship he had had for like five minutes.
The reason I’m arguing about that is that I’ve never been in a situation like that, and I’m trying to figure out what the proper choice would be if I were in Efrem’s shoes.
I don’t know if there is a proper choice, really! Maybe that’s the problem. It’s very gray.
Imagine you are Efrem, and you’re third fiddle you’re whole life. You finally make the decision to go it on your own, to try and find your own way, and then you meet an amazing, interesting woman. Here is your first chance at something wonderful that you can have on your own, and she likes you back! She even thinks you hung the moon. Why would he turn away from that?
That’s all I think. I think that’s how he was feeling, at least.
Its implied by the sentence and context of the conversation.
ShadeTail
For a given definition of “fine”, I suppose. The sentence is grammatically incorrect, because it doesn’t have a subject.
But it’s not a big deal anyway, so whatever.
Speedy Marsh
Exactly. I said almost the same thing in one of the 50 bajillion comments I made on this page.
I see a Next button on the top of the page!
jimjim
Ohhhh is does Efrem “know” because he is in love with her too? From his… empathy…? I guess that would kind of be the reverse use that we’ve been introduced to this far.
ReBoot Fan
While I agree that Efrem’s relationship with Reona was questionable, I find it funny that no one thought the same about Demonica’s rape/sexual assault of Zap. She did it knowing that Zap was fully committed to another woman. Then discovered that woman was her (best?) friend Reona, realizing that despite her denial she too had feelings for him. She then openly revealed to her that she had forced it all on him and that Reona should apologize to Zap for blaming him. But Demonica never apologized to either of them. And no one cared.
See you at Wizard World! - 2014-11-05 Chris and I will be at Wizard World Tulsa this weekend (Novemeber 7-9!) at the Cox Business Center in Downtown Tulsa. Come see us if [...]
Volume 3! - 2014-07-22 Hey! If you’ve been waiting to get Volume 3, wait no more!
Vol 3 from Brainstorm Limited on Square Market
TGT Media Interview - 2014-06-28 Sarah from TGT Media asked us some questions recently. Read her piece about Zap! here.
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