info
Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Fun with Lasers (Amazing Spider-Man, 5-20-13)
23 views
Skip to first unread message
Sneaky O. Possum
May 20, 2013, 4:29:12 PM5/20/13
to
http://www.seattlepi.com/comics-and-games/fun/Spiderman/2013-05-20/
So, how exactly is the Kingpin's LASER CANE supposed to work? Even allowing
that Spidey's tendency to conserve his momentum allows him to be targeted
by a laser, Kingpin obviously isn't trying to blind him, so presumably he's
trying to...cut a hole through him? But there doesn't seem to be any damage
to Spidey's uniform, let alone Spidey himself - so far the laser's main
effect is to make him talk like Shatner ("AARGH! Can't take -- any more of
this--!").
I'm willing to suspend disbelief far enough to buy the idea that techies in
the Spider-verse have solved the problems of reducing a tactical pulsed-
laser weapon to the size of a (very short) walking stick and keeping it and
its power supply light enough for a strong man to wield one-handed (and
that said man could somehow keep the laser steady enough to fire it
effectively), but Kingpin's laser just seems to be punching Spidey really
hard.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the same guy who sold Kingy those
'adamantium' chains also sold him the LASER CANE, and it's basically a big
flashlight coated in gold spray paint, with an old glass doorknob stuck on
the end and a soundcard for added coolness. Even Spidey would have caught
on had he not been overcome by his pathological fear of lasers (he saw
"Goldfinger" at an impressionable age) and been convinced by the beam of
light and the TZAPT! sound that he's being burned alive. ARRGG!
--
S.O.P.
So, how exactly is the Kingpin's LASER CANE supposed to work? Even allowing
that Spidey's tendency to conserve his momentum allows him to be targeted
by a laser, Kingpin obviously isn't trying to blind him, so presumably he's
trying to...cut a hole through him? But there doesn't seem to be any damage
to Spidey's uniform, let alone Spidey himself - so far the laser's main
effect is to make him talk like Shatner ("AARGH! Can't take -- any more of
this--!").
I'm willing to suspend disbelief far enough to buy the idea that techies in
the Spider-verse have solved the problems of reducing a tactical pulsed-
laser weapon to the size of a (very short) walking stick and keeping it and
its power supply light enough for a strong man to wield one-handed (and
that said man could somehow keep the laser steady enough to fire it
effectively), but Kingpin's laser just seems to be punching Spidey really
hard.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the same guy who sold Kingy those
'adamantium' chains also sold him the LASER CANE, and it's basically a big
flashlight coated in gold spray paint, with an old glass doorknob stuck on
the end and a soundcard for added coolness. Even Spidey would have caught
on had he not been overcome by his pathological fear of lasers (he saw
"Goldfinger" at an impressionable age) and been convinced by the beam of
light and the TZAPT! sound that he's being burned alive. ARRGG!
--
S.O.P.
Sneaky O. Possum
May 20, 2013, 4:29:45 PM5/20/13
to
"Sneaky O. Possum" <sneaky...@gmail.com> wrote in
news:XnsA1C689D6AB9A0sn...@78.46.70.116:
Whoops! Posted this to the wrong group.
--
S.O.P.
news:XnsA1C689D6AB9A0sn...@78.46.70.116:
--
S.O.P.
Tom Reedy
May 20, 2013, 6:15:11 PM5/20/13
to
On May 20, 3:29 pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com> wrote innews:XnsA1C689D6AB9A0sn...@78.46.70.116:
It can be deleted if you want.
TR
wrote:
> "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com> wrote innews:XnsA1C689D6AB9A0sn...@78.46.70.116:
TR
laraine
May 21, 2013, 12:31:43 PM5/21/13
to
> http://www.seattlepi.com/comics-and-games/fun/Spiderman/2013-05-20/
>
> So, how exactly is the Kingpin's LASER CANE supposed to work? Even allowing
> that Spidey's tendency to conserve his momentum allows him to be targeted
> by a laser, Kingpin obviously isn't trying to blind him, so presumably he's
> trying to...cut a hole through him? But there doesn't seem to be any damage
> to Spidey's uniform, let alone Spidey himself - so far the laser's main
> effect is to make him talk like Shatner ("AARGH! Can't take -- any more of
> this--!").
>
Just saw an old Star Trek on MeTV.
>
> So, how exactly is the Kingpin's LASER CANE supposed to work? Even allowing
> that Spidey's tendency to conserve his momentum allows him to be targeted
> by a laser, Kingpin obviously isn't trying to blind him, so presumably he's
> trying to...cut a hole through him? But there doesn't seem to be any damage
> to Spidey's uniform, let alone Spidey himself - so far the laser's main
> effect is to make him talk like Shatner ("AARGH! Can't take -- any more of
> this--!").
>
Kirk points a phaser at someone on stun
setting, and it kills them (no external damage).
Apparently a phaser is the next improvement
over laser guns in their time. You don't believe
in such a thing?
C.
Sneaky O. Possum
May 21, 2013, 1:06:47 PM5/21/13
to
laraine <lara...@gmail.com> wrote in
news:9bb092fc-3f82-42a4...@e14g2000yqp.googlegroups.com:
> On May 20, 3:29 pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> http://www.seattlepi.com/comics-and-games/fun/Spiderman/2013-05-20/
>>
>> So, how exactly is the Kingpin's LASER CANE supposed to work? Even
>> allowing that Spidey's tendency to conserve his momentum allows him
>> to be targeted by a laser, Kingpin obviously isn't trying to blind
>> him, so presumably he's trying to...cut a hole through him? But there
>> doesn't seem to be any damage to Spidey's uniform, let alone Spidey
>> himself - so far the laser's main effect is to make him talk like
>> Shatner ("AARGH! Can't take -- any more of this--!").
>
> Just saw an old Star Trek on MeTV.
> Kirk points a phaser at someone on stun
> setting, and it kills them (no external damage).
> Apparently a phaser is the next improvement
> over laser guns in their time. You don't believe
> in such a thing?
"Star Trek" is set in the 23rd century. Are you arguing that the Kingpin
has somehow acquired technology from the future? Hmm...he /is/ in San
Francisco, come to think of it. Perhaps Kirk or one of the crew mislaid
a phaser when they returned to San Francisco in AD 1986 to hork up a
couple of Megapteridae. They were awfully cavalier about their future
tech, what with Scotty giving that guy the specs for transparent
aluminium and Bones giving a hospitalised woman a brand-new kidney. I
think you may be on to something!
--
S.O.P.
news:9bb092fc-3f82-42a4...@e14g2000yqp.googlegroups.com:
> On May 20, 3:29 pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> http://www.seattlepi.com/comics-and-games/fun/Spiderman/2013-05-20/
>>
>> So, how exactly is the Kingpin's LASER CANE supposed to work? Even
>> allowing that Spidey's tendency to conserve his momentum allows him
>> to be targeted by a laser, Kingpin obviously isn't trying to blind
>> him, so presumably he's trying to...cut a hole through him? But there
>> doesn't seem to be any damage to Spidey's uniform, let alone Spidey
>> himself - so far the laser's main effect is to make him talk like
>> Shatner ("AARGH! Can't take -- any more of this--!").
>
> Just saw an old Star Trek on MeTV.
> Kirk points a phaser at someone on stun
> setting, and it kills them (no external damage).
> Apparently a phaser is the next improvement
> over laser guns in their time. You don't believe
> in such a thing?
has somehow acquired technology from the future? Hmm...he /is/ in San
Francisco, come to think of it. Perhaps Kirk or one of the crew mislaid
a phaser when they returned to San Francisco in AD 1986 to hork up a
couple of Megapteridae. They were awfully cavalier about their future
tech, what with Scotty giving that guy the specs for transparent
aluminium and Bones giving a hospitalised woman a brand-new kidney. I
think you may be on to something!
--
S.O.P.
laraine
May 21, 2013, 3:50:05 PM5/21/13
to
On May 21, 12:06 pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
wrote:
So a laser dazzler would blind, but you don't
think there are other similar laser weapons
that would strike without much injury...
BTW, the Trekkies write that in that movie,
there is a painting of Shakespeare for sale in
an antique shop, 1986 San Francisco. Maybe
it's just an aside.
C.
wrote:
think there are other similar laser weapons
that would strike without much injury...
BTW, the Trekkies write that in that movie,
there is a painting of Shakespeare for sale in
an antique shop, 1986 San Francisco. Maybe
it's just an aside.
C.
John W Kennedy
May 21, 2013, 4:42:07 PM5/21/13
to
On 2013-05-21 16:31:43 +0000, laraine said:
> On May 20, 3:29 pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> http://www.seattlepi.com/comics-and-games/fun/Spiderman/2013-05-20/
>>
>> So, how exactly is the Kingpin's LASER CANE supposed to work? Even allowing
>> that Spidey's tendency to conserve his momentum allows him to be targeted
>> by a laser, Kingpin obviously isn't trying to blind him, so presumably he's
>> trying to...cut a hole through him? But there doesn't seem to be any damage
>> to Spidey's uniform, let alone Spidey himself - so far the laser's main
>> effect is to make him talk like Shatner ("AARGH! Can't take -- any more of
>> this--!").
>>
>
> Just saw an old Star Trek on MeTV.
> Kirk points a phaser at someone on stun
> setting, and it kills them (no external damage).
> Apparently a phaser is the next improvement
> over laser guns in their time. You don't believe
> in such a thing?
The word "phaser" was specifically invented to sound vaguely like
> On May 20, 3:29 pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> http://www.seattlepi.com/comics-and-games/fun/Spiderman/2013-05-20/
>>
>> So, how exactly is the Kingpin's LASER CANE supposed to work? Even allowing
>> that Spidey's tendency to conserve his momentum allows him to be targeted
>> by a laser, Kingpin obviously isn't trying to blind him, so presumably he's
>> trying to...cut a hole through him? But there doesn't seem to be any damage
>> to Spidey's uniform, let alone Spidey himself - so far the laser's main
>> effect is to make him talk like Shatner ("AARGH! Can't take -- any more of
>> this--!").
>>
>
> Just saw an old Star Trek on MeTV.
> Kirk points a phaser at someone on stun
> setting, and it kills them (no external damage).
> Apparently a phaser is the next improvement
> over laser guns in their time. You don't believe
> in such a thing?
"laser", whilst estopping all possible complaints that "lasers don't do
that".
(In "Babylon 5", the actor Peter Jurasik was pleased to be in the
position of inventing the Centauri accent; no one could ever say that
he got it wrong.)
--
John W Kennedy
"'Your art then,' said Vertue, 'seems to teach men that the best way of
being happy is to enjoy unbroken good fortune in every respect. They
would not all find the advice helpful.'"
-- C. S. Lewis. "The Pilgrim's Regress"
Sneaky O. Possum
May 21, 2013, 9:39:28 PM5/21/13
to
laraine <lara...@gmail.com> wrote in
news:d7ed402b-e7a1-4058...@n11g2000yqe.googlegroups.com:
> On May 21, 12:06�pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> laraine <larai...@gmail.com> wrote
>> innews:9bb092fc-3f82-42a4-a200-369e6ec
> 7e...@e14g2000yqp.googlegroups.com:
understand how light can be used to blind people, but how it could be
used to punch people in the belly requires a bit more explanation than
"Captain Kirk used a phaser on Star Trek."
> BTW, the Trekkies write that in that movie,
> there is a painting of Shakespeare for sale in
> an antique shop, 1986 San Francisco. Maybe
> it's just an aside.
Star Trek has always been fond of allusions to the Bard - see, for
example, "The Conscience of the King," a first-season episode of the
original series.
--
S.O.P.
news:d7ed402b-e7a1-4058...@n11g2000yqe.googlegroups.com:
> On May 21, 12:06�pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> laraine <larai...@gmail.com> wrote
> 7e...@e14g2000yqp.googlegroups.com:
> So a laser dazzler would blind, but you don't
> think there are other similar laser weapons
> that would strike without much injury...
The question is how such a weapon would work. It is not difficult to
> think there are other similar laser weapons
> that would strike without much injury...
understand how light can be used to blind people, but how it could be
used to punch people in the belly requires a bit more explanation than
"Captain Kirk used a phaser on Star Trek."
> BTW, the Trekkies write that in that movie,
> there is a painting of Shakespeare for sale in
> an antique shop, 1986 San Francisco. Maybe
> it's just an aside.
example, "The Conscience of the King," a first-season episode of the
original series.
--
S.O.P.
marco
May 21, 2013, 11:34:53 PM5/21/13
to
laraine
May 22, 2013, 11:10:40 PM5/22/13
to
On May 21, 10:34 pm, marco <21blacks...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 5:39:28 PM UTC-8, Sneaky O. Possum wrote:
> > laraine <larai...@gmail.com> wrote in
> On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 5:39:28 PM UTC-8, Sneaky O. Possum wrote:
laraine
May 22, 2013, 11:14:09 PM5/22/13
to
On May 21, 8:39 pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
wrote:
If you look in the frame for May 19, Spider Man
is touched by the laser, but doesn't seem to
fall backwards.
So perhaps in the May 20 frame, he just got
startled, or it started to hurt him.
Don't see that we can really conclude that it
is a punch.
C.
wrote:
is touched by the laser, but doesn't seem to
fall backwards.
So perhaps in the May 20 frame, he just got
startled, or it started to hurt him.
Don't see that we can really conclude that it
is a punch.
C.
Sneaky O. Possum
May 23, 2013, 10:24:58 AM5/23/13
to
laraine <lara...@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1fcf65ad-ae7a-49d1...@s6g2000yqs.googlegroups.com:
> On May 21, 8:39�pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> laraine <larai...@gmail.com> wrote
>> innews:d7ed402b-e7a1-4058-98ad-3e069fd
> d0...@n11g2000yqe.googlegroups.com:
[snip]
although Kingpin had the impression that Spider-Man was so badly injured
that one more zap would finish him off, it now seems that Spider-Man was
only pretending to be hurt in order to trick Kingpin into starting an
electrical fire. Sadly, Kingpin seems to be exactly the kind of person
who would fall for that.
--
S.O.P.
news:1fcf65ad-ae7a-49d1...@s6g2000yqs.googlegroups.com:
> On May 21, 8:39�pm, "Sneaky O. Possum" <sneakyopos...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> laraine <larai...@gmail.com> wrote
> d0...@n11g2000yqe.googlegroups.com:
[snip]
>> > So a laser dazzler would blind, but you don't
>> > think there are other similar laser weapons
>> > that would strike without much injury...
>>
>> The question is how such a weapon would work. It is not difficult to
>> understand how light can be used to blind people, but how it could be
>> used to punch people in the belly requires a bit more explanation
>> than "Captain Kirk used a phaser on Star Trek."
>
> If you look in the frame for May 19, Spider Man
> is touched by the laser, but doesn't seem to
> fall backwards.
>
> So perhaps in the May 20 frame, he just got
> startled, or it started to hurt him.
>
> Don't see that we can really conclude that it
> is a punch.
Further developments in the strip also work against that conclusion:
>> > think there are other similar laser weapons
>> > that would strike without much injury...
>>
>> The question is how such a weapon would work. It is not difficult to
>> understand how light can be used to blind people, but how it could be
>> used to punch people in the belly requires a bit more explanation
>> than "Captain Kirk used a phaser on Star Trek."
>
> If you look in the frame for May 19, Spider Man
> is touched by the laser, but doesn't seem to
> fall backwards.
>
> So perhaps in the May 20 frame, he just got
> startled, or it started to hurt him.
>
> Don't see that we can really conclude that it
> is a punch.
although Kingpin had the impression that Spider-Man was so badly injured
that one more zap would finish him off, it now seems that Spider-Man was
only pretending to be hurt in order to trick Kingpin into starting an
electrical fire. Sadly, Kingpin seems to be exactly the kind of person
who would fall for that.
--
S.O.P.
marco
May 23, 2013, 9:37:06 PM5/23/13
to
0 new messages