Final Quest #11

I actually think she's stalking his soul and is a bunny boiler. This is some weird fatal attraction thing. CUTTER , I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN.
I see nothing two-sided about this 'recognition'. Maybe this is why Cutter is freaking out in the next installment or something.
This just smacks of mind rape to me on some level.

I like Erin's theory. I think I want to stop reading now and just assume that's how it ends.

Ok, someone has to say it...isn't this just the plot of Inuyasha?

I have read all of it now.

I am happy that Dart and Mender are together. So they count as lifemates now.
I have known loss myself so I understand what Dart means when he says Shushens death has killed "something" and later, when he says "What is in Dart? What is there to him?" Events like that can shake you up very much, and make you into an entirely different person.
Menders tears were very touching.
And about it being an act of trust on Darts part: not every elf will share everything with everybody.
They didn't seem to be this close in issue 7, so I think they must have spend a lot of time together since then. I wish I could have seen that, too.
Didn't Shushen have longer hair in the New Blood comics? The Wendy-Shushen is very good looking!

I think Timmain is very scary, and I dislike her a little more every time she appears.
I don't like the whole new age soul thing in the end, and I hope Elfquest will not turn into something too abstract. I agree with Erin's theory!  

I am glad Moonshade finally made her choice. I just don't understand it. What exactly does she do in the palace? How is it better for her to be without wolfblood?
Strongbow's reaction is very realistic and I feel for him.
I think the dilemma of lifemates making different choices, and how to handle that, is very interesting.

Oh yeah and I don't like Nightfalls new hairdo.

What about Windkin and Ahdri and Aroree?

Mostly just sitting here and waiting, patiently, what the follwowing issue will make of this revelation. I have no idea where this is supposed to go.

In case we can take this one-soul-in two-shells thing literally it think ... I hope it will turn out of one of those "one of a kind" occurances. You know, one of those that are unique ...
- only one half/half hybrid like Timmorn
- only one surviving High One
- only one male-to-male recognition
- only one soul in two living bodies
From what I know ... from what I can  imagine... so far it would make sense when this can happen only between a surviving Firstcomer and an elf born on the WoTMs.

On a different note: I believed that Timmain and Skywise are supposed to recognize for long. I'm fine with their pairing - not thrilled, not opposed. And I enjoyed to SEE them joining finally. But reading it ... gives me creeps. This scene with Timmain lying on Skywise is so familiar (Ruffel anyone? Newstar anyone?) ... its such a cute continuity for me (I "gather" thosesimilrities).
But - in this case it feels wrong.* The dialogue/interaction makes me shudder.
Same with the scene between Cutter and Timmain in the end. I.do.not.trust.Timmain. Not anymore.

When I forget what I know (or was supposed to believe) for long ... when I stop thinking and just follow my gut feeling from this issue ... then Final Quest will be Cutter against Timmain.


EDIT* Damn. This feels like the bellyripper for me. That scene from Prologue - a cheerful scene, a beautiful picture ... hiding a terrible threat in plain sight.

I think it's funny that we've been joking hare Timmain, and she's all "hare Cutter!"

If this was a horror movie, this is when Timmain would eat Cutter and assume his identity. Just have to get rid of the only witness. Run, Aurek!

Cutter can both go to space and stay on Abode because he is too awesome for one body. He gets one to stay on Abode with Leetah, and one for the palace with Skywise. I am also wondering if this will turn out to be common, or unique. I'm guessing unique, as that's always been how he's been portrayed. Just thought, I'd love to see Rayek's reaction to this news.

So it's kind of like that old mind teaser about the boy and the doctor - the master of the palace is not Jink ' s father, it's his mother! (Creepy shape-shifted as his father's best friend)

Much as I hate to admit it - I'd preferred to write this bit off as Winnowill's manipulations - this isn't the first time this two-souls-one-body thing has come up. Winnowill said much the same to Rayek when they first met. (Though can I just ask, if it were true, why didn't she recognize it when he Sent to her before he found her in the throne room?)

I wonder if we're going to enter "Dark Crystal" territory here. The Mystics and the Skeksis turned out to be literal parts of each other and when they were healed, they became a whole new being. So when Winnowill is healed, she and Rayek will recombine and form the original Haken, the one not sick and crazed from his friends' deaths.

Maybe I shouldn't be pushing for the end if that story.

Though this would explain  why I always felt that Rayek and Winnowill were sterile as a couple.

Hmmm if Cutter and Timmain being unique in being one soul in two body's I'm affraid Cutter wil be back on my hated-characters-list. I would like it if Cutter and Timmain would fight each other, and Outlier's horror scenario is also a good option. I'd love to see Cutters face the second before Timmain devours him!

Maybe something like this?

That's great!

When Timmain  first started talking about it all being Cutter I thought it was going to reveal that it's all in his mind and that was going to be the end of it.

Now I'm feeling a little sorry for Skywise. He finally gets the chance to have his own story and it turns out all he ever needed to be complete was to make love with to Cutter with lady parts.

The one-soul-two-bodies has been mentioned before, back in Journey to Sorrow's End. Trying to explain Recognition to Dewshine and Scouter, Treestump says something like "You become one soul in two bodies. Even death won't sever the bond."He paused. "Believe me, I know."

I'm not sure what we saw on the last page was Recognition, however. In the original #20, Strongbow rejected Timmain when she innocently threatened to touch his soul name while sending to him. Cutter's not as strong a sender as Strongbow, and moreover, he wouldn't think to preemptively push her away, or put up "Don't go here!" signs. He'd expect her to just respect them out of hand.

I'm wondering, too, if the whole exchange about spirits and skins flying free is implying that Cutter's spirit could be pulled into the Cutter-shaped Timmain after he dies.

There's a lot going on in this issue on the subject of choice. Timmain's attitude toward choice seems to be "Choice for me, but not for thee", and it's eerie to see Skywise's "All elves MUST become immortal!" And that the healers should be coerced into making them so. What, one fuck from Timmain and his opinion completely changes?

And the way Timmain is silent and plays with his hair after he says, "All the High Ones' children! No one should stay behind! I couldn't bear it!" ... she's got this "Oh, you sweet summer child" expression. I was dubious at first with all the "Timmain's getting creepy/Timmain's a monster", but ... . Unless Wendy really pulls off an amazing explanation of Timmain's motives, I think that's how the character really is going to come across, regardless of whether or not that was the intent.

I don't think Dart and Mender are lifemates yet, but they're a couple/in the process of becoming one.

And now I will forever caption that part of Dart's memory as "seductively eating eggplant."

At this point, I don't care what happens to the Wavedancers. They're all rather meh.

On retconning and "I had this allplanned out": The last is obviously false. The Pinis have said themselves the story changed! Quickblade and Starjumper became Suntop and Ember. Winnowill was just supposed to be a minor character in one issue who stirred up trouble and then disappeared.

I do think there is a lot of retconning going on, partially influenced by the story they want to tell now, and partly to get rid of supposed canon that other people created -- the Kahvi storyline for example. (If you read the letters column, there's even a comment in a reply that Warp may prune some branches of the comic's 'tree' now and then.) I think Wendy's dabbling in New Age philosophy (she shows all the signs of ignoring the bad parts of, that's why I say she dabbles in it) is influencing her writing, and that's bad for the story. I saw it happen with Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover, which went from being a medieval society with psionics that had a scientific background, to a medieval society with New Age and Wiccan mysticism.

They had, as has been stated before, a good solid story in OQ. Then they sort of twiddled their hands for a few decades.

I'm… I'm almost speechless. Every issue of Final Quest I think my expectations can't get any lower, and every issue I'm wrong. It's always worse than I thought it would be from the preview. This is the worst ever. This is garbage plot wrapped up in mediocre art. This is worse than Forevergreen, and I freaking hated Forevergreen. I don't know what else to say.

I know it's not nice to delurk just to be a hater, but I'm bursting to say something and there is literally nothing I have a positive opinion on here.

After re-reading the issue, I think Timmain is really supposed to be evil. In most panels she looks more devilish than anything else. And assuming the shape of someone else is seldom a power of positive characters.

manga wrote:

Much as I hate to admit it - I'd preferred to write this bit off as Winnowill's manipulations - this isn't the first time this two-souls-one-body thing has come up. Winnowill said much the same to Rayek when they first met. (Though can I just ask, if it were true, why didn't she recognize it when he Sent to her before he found her in the throne room?)
So when Winnowill is healed, she and Rayek will recombine and form the original Haken, the one not sick and crazed from his friends' deaths.

Manga, your comment about Winnowill made me thoughtful.  I do hope there won't be some huge twist involving Winnowill yet again - there was a time she was a great villain, but having her as the primary evil force that is somehow always responsible for every dark bit of shenanigans is getting old.  I worry about something happening where she manages to transfer her spirit into the Palace and manipulate everyone via some 'mind takeover' of Timmain.

I looked at Page 14, Issue 7 of SaBM, where Rayek resembles Haken, and that panel does look as though Rayek and Winnowill are sort of 'blending' into a Conehead - and Winnie talks about how incredible and spiritually fulfilling it would feel to him to be 'whole'.  If the two of them are two pieces of a whole soul, I really do not think that idea was completely in place from the get-go.  My emotions run the gamut about this comic, but that seems awfully subversive and revisionist; a little TOO perfect.  Maybe it will be explained away as "well, see? That's the reason Rayek desired, and was able to, understand her and wanted to be bound to her all the time, even against his and other people's better judgement", etc.  Maybe it will be some wacky thing where the only way Winnowill can be 'free' is to learn to love 'herself' and technically that will mean accepting Rayek's love he's apparently forcing on her - lawd, it makes my head hurt.

Erin - yeah, I believe Wendy said Strongbow 'idolizes' Leetah in one of her 'Ask Elfmom' threads all those years ago.  I'll see if I can dig it up for you.

EDIT - Here:

"Elfmom here: When I turned to Strongbow, he looked uncomfortable. Between you and me, he so idolizes Leetah that I think he was hesitant to respond in any way that might contradict her."

You're right that we don't really get much of that in the comic, though....I think most people would mostly just remember Strongbow and Moonshade's very early antagonism for her, as you said.

Outlier wrote:

Now I'm feeling a little sorry for Skywise. He finally gets the chance to have his own story and it turns out all he ever needed to be complete was to make love with to Cutter with lady parts.

I DIED.  

Omigosh guys... I just realized how this is going to end! We may not be giving the Pinis enough credit.
In this episode, in her final words, Timmain tells Cutter that 'there has never been us' only 'you' and that she and Tam are one and the same. I bet her first words of the next issue will be... 'because there is only Wendy Pini'-- and she will go on to explain to him what a comic book is and how they are all one because they are all just projections of the author.

Lunakat wrote:

Omigosh guys... I just realized how this is going to end! We may not be giving the Pinis enough credit.
In this episode, in her final words, Timmain tells Cutter that 'there has never been us' only 'you' and that she and Tam are one and the same. I bet her first words of the next issue will be... 'because there is only Wendy Pini'-- and she will go on to explain to him what a comic book is and how they are all one because they are all just projections of the author.

Awesome. Except the whole breaking the 4th wall thing has always been slightly annoying, though I can hang with it in this case to salvage the story.


What I was thinking along the same lines, that Timmain is just a projection of all the elves in some way, she shifts according to their perceptions. Although the obvious tie seems to be with Cutter/Skywise...I just don't know, it looks like a huge ass projection. I think the palace is some kind of manifestation of the deepest desires of all the elves on some level, and it's impartial as to good/bad/right/wrong.

You know, it really creeps me out how Cutter believes Timmain is worth more than him. So, wait, does this mean he thinks Rayek was right and the magical, immortal elves ARE more important than everyone else? I mean, it's one thing to think she's worth defending but this whole "my body and life aren't worth as much as a hair on your head" thing is ick!

And can I just say, Timmain, that your little bit about his skin living on in you for all time will be just fine until the next disaster? You're long-lived but you're not, in fact, death-less. Or have you forgotten that you are now the ONLY one of your group still alive?

I think with Cutter, it's ancestor worship at an extreme, not that he literally thinks he's worthless compared to Timmain; he just doesn't know how to elaborate. A lot did happen that evening; he might've been overwhelmed. It's not the first time Cutter had doubts.

Zadzi wrote:

I can't stand Timmain. I just can't. She makes my blood boil. She's creepy as hell in that hollow yet stubbornly insidious new age way. And it's like Skywise's drunk the bong juice and he also sounds like a complete new age fruitcake now. Like a fruitcake with a vengeance.  
I actually feel sorry for Strongbow. For the way he's being written. He's not been into 'the way' for a long time. Now he just seems like a hardline conservative who isn't really enjoying anything. And to be honest, I think he's going to pull a Go-Back suicide stunt. I get that Moondshade wants to do her own thing, I really do. I just find something extremely disturbing with the whole pushy 'love and light' immortal zombie love thing, because it's so forced.

LOL at the idea of Timmain and Skywise as the 'new age fruitcake couple'.  "Peace, maaaannnn.....this Spirit stuff is where it's at...star light, star bright, my friends."  *packs another dreamberry-flavored bong load*  "See Aurek over there?  He TOTALLY gets it."

Her just up and walking away from Skywise after their sexy-times was strange.  I guess Timmain isn't a cuddler or something else is happening there.

To be honest, I (occasionally begrudgingly) feel sorry for both Strongbow and Dart.  I can definitely say it's been difficult for me to watch one of my favorite couples in Elfquest have their intense bond unravel via different viewpoints and misunderstandings.

As to Dart - while his 'angst' is sometimes an aspect of him that bothers me, I can also relate to him.  I think I often do relate to Strongbow and Dart because their reactions to their losses are a solid reflection of real life.  Sometimes there are things that happen to a person that are just not a simple matter to 'get over' in a spiritual capacity, no matter how much healing influence you may have from other sources.  I feel sorry that Dart had to see Shushen killed in front of his face, and how he's still struggling for Self years and years later.  I myself had a 20-year relationship come to an end, one where we started as inseparable high-school sweethearts and 'grew up' together, and when it ended after two decades the loss was brutal.  I had to work quite hard to learn who *I* was again, re-establish myself, after being part of such a dedicated duo for so long.  There *was* a time I thought I'd die or at least felt that something good in me had been destroyed, whether it was true or not.  

The exchange between Dart and Mender was one of my favorite scenes in this issue.  Mender is the 'other' hamster-pants male () character who's had a ton of lovemates, enjoys being popular and attractive, but has never had anything more 'solid' as far as a spiritual love-bond.  Dart's the kind of guy Mender would find fascinating - he's had not only a soul-brother, but both a Recognized lifemate and the experience of parenting a child.  Mender's desire to emotionally bond very deeply and understand and appreciate the details of an individual is a very 'healer' aspect/archetype, and I think he's of the mind that "I can be close to anyone but so far I haven't been close ENOUGH to one".  I loved his answer to Dart's question.  'Life' is indeed what he sees in Dart - a person who's had experiences he's yet to have himself, all the highs and all the lows.  I was very touched that he wanted to share Dart's memories of Shushen.  Maybe no one had really asked Dart to do that before and the act of 'exceptional trust' showed that he was ready to express those extremely painful memories to someone else and share his suffering.  I feel like this two are a pretty solid, believable couple.  

Davrille wrote:

And now I will forever caption that part of Dart's memory as "seductively eating eggplant." Pike Rolling

Hee hee!!

Shushen eating eggplant --> Eggplant part of the deadly nightshade family ---> Dart realizing in hindsight that this was obviously foreshadowing

Ugh, ffs. I just took a second look at that, and it's not an eggplant(though I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking it was), it's got a scaly skin, probably intended to be some other fruit.

That's just lazy. Like, really, Wendy, that's so lazy.

YOU CAN BUY PRICKLY PEAR FRUITS IN THE STORE, WENDY. IN THE STORE. IN CANADA.

If anyone needs me, I'm waiting for it to end. At least I'm not having an asthma attack today.

The skin doesn't look scaly in my comic. maybe there was a layer that didn't get printed?

Oh it's not eggplant? Dammit, there goes my analysis!


Kathleen, you seem super upset! The best remedy is to keep writing your own awesome version of this which will redeem it for the lot of us.

PS - Why does Auroree look so weird and different now? Why does Aurek look so scary with that smile? This is like the V series.

And what if Shushen just really loved eggplant?

Zadzi wrote:

PS - Why does Auroree look so weird and different now?

A shower.
Some clean clothes.