I originally drew this strip to be more violent, but changed my mind and toned it down. However, after lots of discussion on Twitter, that original version is now what you see here. For more about the thought behind the change to and fro, check this Tumblr entry.
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PURITAN PAWNCH!
With some glass breaking into his cheekbone by the looks of it.
Go Joyce!
Looks like he has a glass jaw, amirite?
She needs to kick him in the glass balls before he retaliates.
Yeah! KICK HIS GLASS!
Karma’s a bongo, isn’t it Ryan?
Wait no, don’t say that! You might turn into Downshift from Chaos!
Joyce seems to be channeling Mike in the 5th and 6th pannels.
No, she has the eyebrows, but you can still see the whites of her eyes.
@Jacob
She has whites in her eyes? *squints at the pic*
And loose lips. If only more rapists were that bad at what they do.
And then Sister Claire and Gabrielle appear out of the toilet, and proceed to finish the job. With extreme prejudice.
paunch? joyce isn’t fat.
I said “pawnch”, not “paunch”. It’s a joke from Super Smash Bros., specifically Captain Falcon, whose main attack is called “Falcon Punch”. The way he says it though when he announces the attack is by saying, “Falcon PAWNCH!”
i know.
Love the setup three count!
AND HEEEEE’s DOWN!
you know when i first read this I thought of joyce having these three sentences runing in her head. “I WILL PUNCH SOMEONE IN THE FACE. AND THEY WILL DIE. THEY WILL DIE FROM FACE PUNCHING.” recalling back to a eariler comic if anyone remembers that is…
Smite him Joyce!
Wait.
YOU GAVE ME SIERRA MIST *PONCH*
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFYES.
Seriously, awesome.
I concur.
YAY! GO JOYCE! NOW PUNCH HIS OTHER FACE!
FAAACE!
GIVE ME YOUR FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!
…for a nickel.
The FAAAAAAAAACE is strong with this one!
Her FAAAAITH gives her super-strength.
She had the full armor of God on high mode after all! Even though she kind of didn’t realize what was going on.
Joyce can be Bibleman’s new sidekick?
PUT A SHIRT ON!
Pants are optional.
Oh god Bibleman
It was just the right amount of So Bad It’s Good.
She doesn’t even seem drunk.
Not that ryan is gonna care much once he regains consciousness.
Yeah… as a teetotaler, I guarantee that there’s no way he slipped her a boozy drink without her notice. I can differentiate 3.2% beer from a non-alcoholic beer by the smell and feel of the alcohol.
I had thought he put a roofie or some such in it, actually.
You may be able to tell the difference between booze and booze-free, but most people cannot. Proved in clinical studies (here, among othershttp://psycnet.apa.org/journals/abn/84/5/508/), when most people believe they got whatever they were told they were getting.
She thinks she got sprite, she’s gonna taste sprite. I, however, am just glad she made the S.O.B. bleed.
With her penis … err … glass …
Glass penis?
JOYCE WILL CUT YOU LIKE THE bongo YOU ARE.
Joyce is straight thug 4 life! She’ll cut a wigga!
WILL CUT YOU ON THE FAAAAAAACE
Dang. Got confused about which reply I was on. “With her penis … err … glass …” was supposed to go here.
PENIS GOES WHERE?!?!
Still TBD.
Owned
GO JOYCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(let’s hope she doesn’t get in trouble because people barge in at the wrong moment and then refuse to believe her because he’s the son of the dean or some nonsense like that)
nah, tony’s the son of the dean
the OTHER son of the dean.
Faz is the mother.
You mean Fazette?
No, no he doesn’t.
Awww…
Too late. Now I cannot unsee it!
Brain Bleach is good for that.
it’ll take brain bleach, vodka AND a mind wipe to get rid of that. well im better off than the rest of you guys, I got the first two already. But I dont have the last one…. that crap is add to my list of Faz related nightmares….
this makes me love Joyce so much more
Ahhhh! That felt good!
She got a lot of training with Joe.
So that’s what rookies do to Joyce.
Tanith first! also, go joyce. for Sweet Justice!
Your the first person to get the reference. 🙂
Not the only person. Tanith first forever!
Damn it, I KNEW that name was familiar! All this time, I never put it together. Nice to see so many of Gaunt’s Ghosts here, but I’ve long since stopped being surprised who I find amongst Willis’ fanbase.
*tips hat* Straight Silver!
Got it as well but got no time for commenting while reading Salvation’s Reach!
I got the reference. I just figured you’d gotten so many people commenting on it that another remark would be unnecessary.
The Emperor protects!
She glassed him in the FAAAAAACE!
Uhh wow. Not like I’m a fan of Ryan or anything, but is that really the time he picked to run out of patience?
I guess his blue balls blew up on him.
That would definitely hurt enough to cause an explosion!
The “tease” bit is revealing. Ryan is the species of creep who tells himself that his “mark” really already knows the score on some subconscious level. Maybe she hasn’t admitted it to herself yet, but hey, why else would she show up alone at this kind of party, with all the drinking? Why else would she make herself so hot? She MUST know what he really wants. But out of pure SPITE, she keeps pretending she doesn’t, and throwing little obstacles in his path! Clearly she just likes to blueball him! He’s the victim here! Sometimes Satan can masquerade as an angel so well, he even fools himself.
Oh yeah. How dare she show up at a social event, drink Sprite, take a nice young man at his word that he wants to play board games, and not secretly want to be raped?!
I’m angry that this is true, rather than angry at David Willis.
Then shouldn’t this be a DAMN YOU WILLIS! Monument?
Or…
Ryan douches.
WITH
MAXIMUM DOUCHE!!!!!
There’s ryan now with his “real” dad, having “the talk”…
As the daughter of a pastor, I have to say it’s not easy, you get a lot of pressure put on you and it can make you a little screwy. However, that does not in anyway excuse Mr. Asshat up there and I would be right there cheering Joyce on and following up with a wine bottle to his thick head. 😉 It does however give you a reason to get a funky tattoo. lol
But who’s to say he even IS the son of a pastor? That could all just have been part of his shtick.
He memorized an entire Bible verse just for that purpose? That would be applaudable if it weren’t for such a skeevy purpose.
It’s not hard to memorize quotes, and Bible verses are the same thing as quotes. They’re taken out of context, used to whatever purpose the quoter desires, help make a person look a little less stupid, and are often said wrong.
One verse. And he didn’t have a second one prepped even when he brought it up.
Not that hard.
although it wasn’t one of the ‘easy’ ones. so he did put some work into it.
super short- Jesus Wept
widely quoted- John 3:16
He must have done some research to find a verse that is so easily applicable to most college parties.
heh heh… make you a little “screw”y.
Sorry, serious business rape conversation going on, but that unintentional pun made me giggle a little bit.
You mean “pure SPRITE”. Am i right?
I was going to reply @T Campbell “I thought he said it was pure SIERRA MIST?” … but you kindda beat me to it. lol
Although given all that’s happened since he started trying to mack on her, a bit of suspicion that she’s doing this on purpose is not outrageous. His reaction IS outrageous, but that’s another thing entirely.
If he ever managed to actually take sexual advantage of her, he would go to a special hell. The one reserved for child molesters and people who talk in the theater.
Unlike Saffron, however, it’s beyond the bounds of possibility that Joyce is leading him on intentionally.
Make of this what you will, but ever since I became a Christian, the bad guys in my life started self-sabotaging spectacularly, with excellent timing, a lot.
YMMV
The Christian faith ain’t easy. I know that from experience. And I’m still learning it! It’s all to teach us though.
You’ll never be done learning it. No one ever is. The path to enlightenment and truth is a neverending series of trials and tribulations, and we all follow different roads seeking different destinations.
Wonderful gravatar for this comment
What can I say? Me likey Joyce, and me is often serious. So my avatar is Serious Joyce. ^__^
*applause*
Apparently some of these trials involve punching rapists with glass, and if so, where do I sign up?
Most things that are worth the sacrifice don’t come easy. Just ask Jesus. He thought you were worth the sacrifice.
And the romans thought he was worth the sacrifice, too. Sorry… too soon?
Thank you, Willis. I have never been so satisfied reading a webcomic. Also, a literal punchline! WITH GLASS!
Seen that happen plenty of times on both sides of things. Heck, I know I still have a long way to go personally.It’s a lot harder being a nontraditional Christian, that’s for sure. When did you make your decision?
Let’s call it seven years ago. It’s more complicated than that.
Nah, its harder to be a Pagan.
Nah, harder to be a Space Pagan. Fighting Space Frost Giants every day gets tiring, even with the promise of Space Valhalla.
I think it’s easier when you live in Space Australia.
Gotta be careful though – space dingo’ll eat your space baby!
Try combining the two. I am currently walking the ChristoPagan path, holding both religions with their common truths.
I’ve never been happier.
This was my thought. He spends all night trying to trick her, and *now* he runs out of patience and blurts out the whole thing? He’s not just a monster, he’s a *stupid* monster. I’d seriously recommend he never try to become a supervillian.
He’s been clearly losing patience for a while, actually. Check back to the game room, or how, when he tricks her into taking the glass, he can’t even think of a good lie for the Bible thing. (Actually, as others have noticed, it was one about Satan, even, disguising himself as an angel, but yeah.) He didn’t suddenly break, he’s been working towards it since his original plan for the game room failed.
Not justifying him or anything, he’s a complete jackass; just analyzing why it happened now and explaining that it does make sense.
Also, huh, avatar’s Mike now. I am okay with this.
At time of writing, your av is a new character that looks like young redhead Leslie.
I’ve been thinking that for a while now. Really, after the board games thing failed, if he’d been smart he would have moved on. He’s a stupid, stubborn monster.
Ryan just plain sucks at this in general. He picked the worst possible mark, he still tried to roofie her after she sat around playing a game with a bunch of people who saw them both leave together, he thought he’d do his nefarious deed in the bathroom which is in high demand…seriously, everything about this guy screams idiot.
He also told her that he’d just received a text message with a Bible verse, and didn’t even have one prepped for when she asked the obvious question. Why start a fake conversation when you know you can’t keep it up for even a few seconds? Dumb.
My brain just exploded from the awesome.
Fuuuuuuuuuck yeah!
Yeaaaaaaah! Alright! That is what I am talking about!
THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!
BLAAAAAAAAAAAAM
Looks more like a KPLAK! to me. 😀
Isn’t that a Klingon word?
I think you’re thinking of Q’plah. I know I’m spelling it wrong. 🙂 If I remember right, it means “success” or something. They say it when they’re beginning a hunt or some such thing.
The only Klingon insult I can recall is P’tach!
The added value of P’tach as an insult is that you don’t need to separately spit the insultee in the face — it just comes with the right pronounciation.
How does it feel to sit on the nerd throne, wearing the 8-bit crown, counting the tributes from lesser geeks?
It must feel fabulous. It would to me, at any rate, ’cause the tributes would be gadgets and games, delicious high caffeine drinks and cheesy treats.
The power of Christ PROPELS you!
#1 rule – Do not piss off Joyce.
Speaking of piss, doesn’t Joyce still have to go?
I see an opportunity here. Anyone else follow?
JARATE!
Amazi-Girl’s coming for her mini-crits
Dropping your trousers in front of someone seeking violent access to them seems ill-advised.
Rule 2 don’t hand any object to Joyce if you suspect you might break Rule 1, The pain will magnify
Oh snap. She glassed him! I love it.
I love Joyce.
Joyce is a KRISHTYAN! *PAWNCH*
Wow! Joyce is exactly the kind of person I’d like to see get a cold, hard slap in the face by reality, but I’m happy she stood up for herself!
And, hopefully, this is one of those cold, hard slaps.
reality tried to slap joyce once, but joyce cut that sucka.
Do you wanna know how Ryan got those scars?
On his Faaaace
No, but I know how he got these. *broken glass to the balls*
I’m more reminded of Joker’s “glass of water” scene from Under the Red hood. First thing i thought of when i saw the blood in frame.
“I’m also going to need a husband. Only not this husband because… well, he’s kinda dead.”
There’s a glimpse of Original Recipe Joyce!
Mr. “*dur-hur8, if a girl acknowledges my existence, that means she wants ta, like, DO it & stuff!” deserves that and much worse!
I feel like a just became Joyce for a minute there. BOOYAH!
*applause*
I’m not just typing that, by the way. I literally applauded.
…and Mike finds himself with a pitched tent in his pants for no apparent reason.
“I thought I heard the voices of a thousand cherubim cheering a game winning Superbowl touchdown.”
I did just literally cheer when Joyce knocked him clear into oblivion!
Yes well. You had that coming.
bongo.
Joyce!!! F yeah!
Seconded. And thirded.
And so Joyce channeled Sal in the form of a punch/glass shatter combo.
And Mike.
And Xena.
And Kamina.
And Captain Falcon.
If it were Xena she would have grabbed a nearby alcoholic drink, taken a swig, grabbed a nearby candle and blew fire on him.
Alas, Joyce is far from Xena. But still pretty bad ass, apparently.
Joyce is now my favorite character.
Well, she always was, but now I love her even more.
On a scale from one to ten, Joyce just won.
And she took cues from Mike (“This glass,”) and Billie (“FAAAAAAAAACE!”) to do it.
Also, even when she isn’t an abductee, Joyce will end you.
I don’t think there will be any left for Amber.
You mean Ultracar.
HUZZAH!
This ‘damsel in distress’ rescues herself, I see.
Not even in that much distress.
That might still depend on what that glass contained.
She seemed pretty calm up until she punched him in the FAAAAAAAACE.
Guess amazi girl should come by and take pointers
“you grab the glass from the underside, like so…”
I was really nervous this whole arc- something similar happened to me so I was on edge the entire time. I’m SO happy Joyce was able to stand up for herself! Go Joyce!
He’s not very good at this.
Nice avatar.
If Joyce punches you in the face with a glass cup, you probably deserve it.
THIS IS DIET YOU MEANIEHEAD!
As opposed to when Joyce punches you with her fist, in which case you probably just glanced at a waitresses rack.
EXACTLY!
I think I’m the only person feeling any pity for Ryan right now, but I gotta say he had it coming to him.
No, I also winced. That’s the sort of thing I’d expect to leave a mark. Just ask Eddie Blake.
Then it looks like he got his ‘mark’.
YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
I’m also feeling sorry for him, since that really has to hurt and is probably going to leave some scars. Then again maybe he’ll learn from it in some way, hopefully in a good way… along the lines of “I should be more open with girls about love-making before I get my hopes too high, because they can’t read my mind”. He’s definitely going to look a tad less charming for a while, maybe forever.
Moreover I really hope he’s not getting back at Joyce with great vengeance and furious anger, for I don’t believe that one punch really knocked him out. Maybe I’m wrong, I just have some experience with getting hit on the head.
Yeah, I feel a *smidgen* of pity for him, ’cause that’s going to leave some scars.
But I’m more worried about the ramifications for Joyce.
All I can say is… FINISH HIM!!!
JOYCE WINS. FLAWLESS VICTORY. FATALITY
Wait, doesn’t she need to get a killer combo first!
Wonder Joyce Powers, activate!
Form of; Ruth Lesse!
Or at least a form I’m thinking she wished she had.
Shape of an open can of woop-ass!
By the way, Joyce looks nothing like a tease, so I don’t know where this idiot gets that idea.
…Unless he thinks she looks like Velma Dinkley drawn by a certain pin-up artist.
…Mmmm…
A woman doesn’t have to ‘look’ like a tease to be one. He may have seen her actions (ie gathering a room full of people to play board games) as a tease instead of you know, Joyce just being Joyce.
It’s so sick when some people assume that every girl wants to hook up with them and, when said girls express their disinterest, said girls are now “teases”. Go Joyce! He deserves it for so many reasons.
Most likely he was accusing her of being a tease to try and shift blame to her.
Good Lord was that ever a satisfying punch.
It’s implied he’s a serial rapist, so it’s not like he’s completely all there in the head. He likely lives in his own fucked up world completely dissociated from reality.
Comment of the month, hands down. That creep has done this before.
Now I’ve got Quentin Tarantino’s From Dusk ‘Til Dawn character in my head.
I actually know a guy like this who was booted off campus after it came to light that he had a history of…using dubious forms of “consent”. He was into being a hardcore dom, and like a lot of hardcore doms, would use the “I could tell you wanted stuff you previously said made you uncomfortable by the way you were acting”. I’m sure, to this day, he’s saying my friend (who he attempted to imprison) was out of line to press charges and that he was just drunk.
Him being drunk means absolutely jack shit for his responsibility (or lack thereof) for his actions.
It’s cute that you demand his insulting, selfish words have a basis in reality.
Joyce ain’t one to mess with, blue sweater dude who is totally creepy as Hell. I love that she smashed the glass into his face to, instead of just hitting him or breaking it over his head. This way, he’ll totally have scars (and or be dead, she might go nuts and slice him up).
Mike has taught this one well in the ways of face-punching. Yeeesss.
In the FAAAAAAACE!
Do NOT fuck with Hurricane Joyce!
GO JOYCE MAKE HIM YOUR bongo!!
and jus for good measure, OO-FUCKING-RAH
I can’t decide whether Joyce would make the worst or best Marine ever. Either way, I think it would probably involve showing her DI one of those cootie catcher things.
turn it upside down and you can sort ammo in it!
Probably the best marine. Everyone would just need to convince her that all the enemies are trying to have premarital hanky-panky with her.
And then Joyce killed EVERYTHING.
i think a DI would take one look at her unnatural cuteness and fall over dead from all the asshole being drained from his body at once.
YAHOOOOO! You go Joyce! Left hook! Now right! Now slam his ribs! Good thing it hasn’t affected her one bit!
how about handing her a electric cattleprod and telling her that she’s free to shock his junk a few times?
Fuck. Yeah. Joyce. She doesn’t need someone to rescue her from Ryan, Ryan needs someone to rescue him from her!
Urge to Anti-Joyce rising!
Oh, if ONLY!
Man that’d fuck with EVERYONE in this verse.
So, I didn’t realize what you were referencing at first, and had this awesome vision of Joyce turning into the beast with seven heads and devouring Ryan’s soul.
Actually, just earlier today (before I saw the strip) I thought that it would be terribly amusing if DoA Joyce started channeling Anti-Joyce. And then I came home to this.
FUCK YESSSSSSSSS!!!
IN THE FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCEE
It’s clear that in panels 4 & 5, Joyce realises that the drink might contain roofies leading to her response in panel 6.
That’s also probably when the realization is setting in that Ryan was interested only in getting in her pants. So she feels jilted, aaaand…
Yyyep. Interesting though, I think because of this, she could give Mike a run for his money.
For a nickel that is.
It makes me think of a little bit of Mike’s handiwork in Shortpacked.
Galasso: “As readily as I crush this…this…”
Mike: “This glass.”
Yeeeessss! Go Joyce!
Good girl!
that avatar fits
That glass still had Sierra Mist in it. Ouch.
Least I’m fairly certain it did? If not, oops.
Sierra Mist that’s probably roofied, at that. Dunno how well that’ll work out for him.
YAY! I love Joyce’s expressions. Especially panel 4, super good for some reason. And the fact that she straight up slugged the guy. This is a guy worth slugging! Joe, not so much. Joe would go away if you told him that you really wanted him to.
joe is a decent guy. just very.. honest.. about what he wants from women
Joes not a rapist, bit he’s still incredibly creepy.
Eh, I don’t see it. Joe’s more a douche then a creep. Joe’s the guy that if a girl doesn’t like his game, she’s gonna go “Ugh” be utterly disgusted by the pig, and want nothing to do with him. But not actually be afraid of him. Hes doesn’t give off the predator or desperate gag. He’s more likely to get a drink to the face then mace.
Yeah, Joe’s a creep, but he’s not evil. THIS son of a bongo, however…
Yeah, I think even Joe would be going “WTF, man? WTF?” and looking all astounded. Especially after seeing Joyce’s reconstruction work on Ryan’s FAAAAAAAACE! 😀
Joe doesn’t rape. He “Joes” a girl. With his penis. He knows when he’s not wanted, and he’ll try again later with a different approach.
Ryan is just a twat. Joe would probably have whupped his ass and platonically escorted Joyce back to her dorm. He’d know that a close encounter with a sexual predator is NOT the time to hit on someone.
Eh, he probably would, but it wouldn’t work.
Aaaand that’s the difference between Willis and Lynn Johnson.
joe would flirt to lift her spirits not to actually get anywhere. atleast imo
If that happened, my respect for Joe would go from non-existent to nominal levels for social interaction. Not enough to like him, but enough to speak with him.
O_O DAMN!
“KPLAK”?
Is that Klingon or something?
I bet she would like to use some pain-sticks on him right now.
painsticks as in femurs?
Is that how they make them? Damn those Klingons are hard bastards.
Not her femurs. She needs those to live.
She doesn’t need Ryan’s femurs to live, though. 😀
And now it’s SPKOW!
I liked KPLAK better. It suggested both an impact and a messy rending of flesh.
Well, that ended quicker than I thought.
Fifth panel is terrifying. Sixth panel is utter satisfaction and happiness.
I feel a “yay” for Joyce, here, but I’m slightly concerned that since she struck the first blow, she could get in trouble here. Even if he did suddenly become threatening.
i think shes in the clear legally speaking, trying to force someone into a bathroom against their will is frowned upon
It’s sufficient provocation. Indiana doesn’t have a duty to retreat law, and if Joyce saw the pills or whatever in the drink, she is defending herself from the threat of rape. She could, in theory*, kill Ryan here and it would be manslaughter, not murder.
*Based on my vast knowledge of the law from over 10 weeks of lawschool and skimming a wikipedia article on justifiable homicide in under thirty seconds.
…saw the pills? Pretttttttty sure people usually dissolve those drugs in the drink. I don’t think he’s THAT bad at this.
I wouldn’t know. Not a rapist.
Honestly!
And your gravatar just totally completes that posting.
I could totally believe he’s that bad at this.
Yea for Joyce! I wasn’t expecting that.
Was hoping to see Amazi-Girl, but this was so much better! She should also kick him where the sun don’t shine. But something tells me, despite the blood, he’s not down for the count.
First time I’ve ever commented, but this comic made me say one word out loud, very loudly. “DAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNN”
That was also my first reaction.
My second being “HELL YEAH!”
Heh. B ]
And that is what we call a crowning moment of awesome! Joyce, I’m sorry I had doubts, you just rock on so many levels!
you have been JOYCED! that guy
you have been JOYCED! that guy is a total moron
FUCK YEAH!!! and then Joyce rapes that guy in the butt
With her femurs.
For a dollar twenty-five in change.
Wait, so Joyce would charge the guy for getting butt-raped with femurs. That’s stone cold right there (but no more than he deserves).
I have the weirdest boner right now.
I would see a doctor about that… 😛
It’s called a rage boner.
Sounds serious? Is there a cure? 😀
Yes. 40 more panels of Joyce beating the shit out of this guy.
can I take two and call you in the morning?
A furious beating. 😛
Um… glass still empty, folks, and he’s a lot bigger than she is. Don’t cheer yet.
But help is (hopefully) on the way!
Yea, that’s what I was saying. She got a lucky shot in. He’s not out for the count.
I dunno, Ryan has a pretty big beak. Kind of hard to NOT hit it. If she broke it he may stay down.
She also has a weapon.
Not to mention, crowded house. She screams loud enough, and someone would come running for sure.
I was about to say. They’re not alone here. By turning this into a showing confrontation Joyce has already won. What’s he gonna do, knock her out in front of the rest of all these people and just drag her into the bathroom?
I’m not a firm believer in the kindness of strangers, but I have to believe someone would intervene before it came to that. Shout for help. Do something. Either way the situation is already too hot for Ryan. He doesn’t need this much attention. Most likely he’s gonna slink off before this develops into the story that’ll characterize the party. Not looking for that kind of publicity.
Yeah, well, so did Eddie Blake’s baby-mama. Look how that turned out.
There will be rioting if tomorrow ends on a cliff-hanger.
They’re in a line for the bathroom though…
Panel 3 I was like FINALLY. Panel 6 I was like DONE with this webcomic.
What Joyce is thinking now: [x]HUSBAND
http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z479/Plasma-Mongoose/husbandfail.jpg
I’m running out of Internets to give you. Please take good care of this one.
nice!
Man, Ryan is really *terrible* at this “being a sexual predator” stuff, isn’t he?
Also, new theory: Joyce is Amazi-Girl.
This.
Yeah, this.
That’s gonna leave a mark.
Maybe that’s what he was looking for.
Well, that’s one way to get someone to trade you some clay for your sheep.
Completely, and without a shadow of a doubt, deserved that. I’ve been waiting for that jerk to get what was coming to him and the fact it came from Joyce made it that much sweeter.
Tomorrow just needs to be Amazigirl swooping in, seeing his mangled face on the floor and walking out.
I like this strip. I like that Joyce isn’t made out to be a complete air-head just because she was too naive to recognize this guy as a predator (being naive doesn’t mean being dumb, though some people act like it does). I like the comments of the other readers.
Willis, as usual, you are the master. *bow*
You know, I think even some women who have a bit more knowledge of the world would have been fooled by Ryan at first. At least until he claimed not to find anyone else who wanted to play. Were it not for the “find mark” bit, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it until that later point.
Yeah, what exactly did she have to go on? He offered her a drink and expressed interest in some board games. I wouldn’t have known.
I mean accepting drinks in general is kind of naive, though as Fata Morgana points out not stupid. Not knowing that Ryan was a sexual predator though, well that’s a pretty standard lack of crippling degrees of paranoia.
Heck, even not being able to find other board game members isn’t that big of a hint. It could just as easily be that he’s not really as into boardgames as he claims but was looking for an excuse to spend some time with the cute christian girl. It’s hardly all that outlandish.
That’s right, I forgot that her fists were instruments of the lord.
Wait, does she have super strength in this universe?
No, but she has–at least had— a glass in her hand. It’s both heavy and able to become very sharp very quickly.
Also, the sudden adrenaline surge from likely becoming *very* angry in a very small amount of time can likely add some real power to that punch.
Surprisingly, I’ve never found anger to add power to my punches. I have more adrenaline to let me punch more, but not make stronger punches. My best punches have been when I’ve been focused and calm, since I can, y’know, do a proper punch.
But I’d say the fact that she broke that glass on his FAAAACE negates that thinking.
If it’s a thin glass, it might break quite easily. I’m just wondering if she drank some of it and might pass out in the next strip. (when bleeding guy had gone away.) Her friends will probably assume the worst then.
It also looks like she used that glass as a two-handed weapon, that will get more power.
oh no never mind i saw that wrong, always check before posting about nuances.
insert foot A into mouth B.
Mouth B? You have more than one?
not super strength. cramps.
http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/4/9/l49836194.jpg
This shall go down in history as Joyce’s “Crowning Moment of Awsome”, hopefully there will be more in the future.
You say that as though she hasn’t had several already…
Well, okay, those were all in a different continuity. But still!
This is everything I’ve ever wanted, and more
Euuuunnnngggggghhhhh self-justified egocentric creeper is creepy.
I am glad Joyce picked up on what was going on- not that Ryan made it difficult- and stood up for herself rather than needing a 12th-hour rescue right off the bat. She still might need a 12th-hour rescue when the roofies kick in or when Ryan gets back up, but at least she can say she wasn’t nearly the pathetic target Dorothy thought she would be…
Faster Joyce, KILL KILL!!!!
Weee came for blooooood!
(/grandpa simpson)
THAT IS NOT GRANDPA!
That was Hans Moleman.
It’s been a while since I saw that one.
Well that was contrived. Seriously, he just screams ” I’m a rapist” at the top of his lungs? Ryans acting like a retard just so we can get a “Joyce is AWESOME!” moment.
It does seem like he was handed the Idiot Ball in the 3rd panel but then again, some people do lose it when their plans go awry.
Yes, all fairness, Ryan’s been visibly perturbed by every single kink in his plan. Now Joyce even downed half a glass of (presumably) rohypnol spiked Sierra Mist and opened the door and all but took a step into the room where Ryan could get to work…
And then she backs out.
See, he’s just been established as justifying amoral behavior, suggesting borderline personality disorder or perhaps even being a plain sociopath. Also, thus exact kind of shit happened at a house party I attended once, although right about the point Joyce popped Ryan, instead two of the homeowners showed up and laid down some hell. They told me later he vocalized something much to the effect of what Ryan said, which they found to be justification for a beat down. Never underestimate a college frat boy who thinks he’s infallible. A lot of them do…
I’m still not convinced she drank any of it. She put the cup to her mouth in the last comic, but she spoke, too, so between then and now she could have been distracted enough to not drink any, or at least not more than a sip.
Oooopsie, nevermind, I went back and re-read the strip. I forgot there was one between the “marry me” strip and this one. My mistake!
Oooopsie, nevermind, I went back and re-read the strip. I forgot there was one between the “marry me” strip and this one. My mistake!
Does that mean there’s a sad chance she won’t remember doing this in the morning, then?
What he said. Ryan’s been pissed since the game room, getting almost there only to be thwarted more than once. Now, he got really close, only to fail again, and he’s already pissed (visibly so, if you go and look back). He already screwed up the Bible verse, and wasn’t particularly smooth for the past few strips either, apart from the trick to get her to hold the glass.
Forget the idiot ball. If Ryan himself has been drinking (or taking a drug of any sort) his own self control would be compromised. His logic would disappear if he thinks he can have instant gratification. And I think it is highly likely that someone with access to GHB (or whatever he put in the drink) is also someone who would use recreational drugs before going to a party.
I’ve personally witness guys get buzzed and then shout their ill intentions to a target that has frustrated them. Those same experiences lead me to conclude that the entire bathroom line is about to pull Joyce to safety.
Exactly!
What I have noticed at college parties is that, while strangers often try to stay out of things that aren’t their business, people at college parties are more likely to try to defend their own.
I mean, for gods sake there was a line, there had to be someone to lend a hand. Few people are THAT drunk or inconsiderate.
Remember! Girls can’t actually hurt boys! They’re, like, strong and stuff!
That’s what the glass was for! Duh! 🙂
Is Joyce Brown going to have ta choke a bongo?
Zomg, I can totally picture Joyce’s face full of dark rage with a speech bubble saying exactly this in a panel between looking at the glass and punching him in the face with the glass.
C-c-c-c-creepo breaker!
Suddnely I wish these comments were done through Google+ so that I could +1 this.
Ultraaaaaaaaa-uultraaaaaaaaa creepoooo!
Since Joyce killed a Creeper, will she get gunpowder?
WOOO! She drew blood on the fucker!!
And this time, Joyce actually attacks someone who DESERVED it! 😀
…Hopefully, she isn’t now gonna pass from roofies in her system. Getting physically active and getting your blood pumping tends to make toxins act faster; dunno what the effect on rohypnol would be.
Some drugs, particularly those intended to deal with the nervous system, have weird side-effects on a small portion of the population. Some antidepressants cause vivid hallucinations, some facial creams strengthen suicidal tendencies, and some people go into a homicidal rage on what are, for other people, downers.
I doubt that’s what’s happening here. The angry look at the glass frame 4.5 is too lucid. But who knows?
True Fact! Valium causes me to have psychotic episodes. Attacking a waterbed with a knife isn’t exactly the expected behavior when taking Valium.
I just have to add my Joyce praise:
YOU GO, GIRL!
I literally threw my fists in the air in celebration.
While this is a great character moment for Joyce, it doesn’t strike me as a very Christian way of handling things. Even aside from that, while violence can be gratifying in the short term, I think Joyce is going to discover sooner or later that actions like this one have consequences.
What would the “christian” way of responding be? Get raped?
Some people argue that in the “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” part of the Bible, the word translated as “witch” is actually the word for “poisoner.”
Rohypnol can certainly be construed as “poison”.
So… Yeah, don’t suffer that cockbite.
That is quite curious considering people who sold or procured poisons were judged by the inquisition for the crime of witchcraft…
“Thou shalt not suffer..” is indeed a hot debate. The original word is venefica which can translate to poisoner, while there is a much more accurate word for witch which is malefica. But when time to translate came around those known as witches were those reknowned as makers of remedies and potions, some which proved as harmful or worse than the malady they were prescribed for. So the translation is justified in the minds of many. But others worry about the loss of the other less literal meanings of the word poisoner, those who poison the mind and the soul. Again some suggest that this is a function also rightly attributed to witches and defend this. But what about the poisoner disguised as one of the flock such as Ryan is in this case?
Another interesting debate is that on “turn the other cheek”, a parsing of “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also”. The common understanding is that it advises turning away from conflict. But at the time it was illegal to strike a slave with the open hand, but a backhand was okay which would have the common right-handed person striking you on the right cheek. Thus offering him your left would be to say “if we are going to fight then let us go all the way and fight as equals”.
That is interesting O.o
No no no non! Robert Heinlein threw that out there to see if anyone was dumb enough to bite. The poisoner of wells crap was his palming the quarter on ignorant skeptics to see if he could get them to repeat a really dumb attack on King James and his bible translators. Look at [i]Stranger in a Strange Land[/i] and compare it to the rest of Heinlein’s ouvre and you can see how seriously he took it.
I was not aware of any role Heinlein had in the debate, but he is widely used to stand for all sides of numerous debates so I generally look to him for entertainment purposes only. He ran for Congress as a Democrat but Starship Troopers is looked to as ‘evidence’ of his Libertarianism. Nevermind that Troopers is one of his few pieces of fiction to not be included in Future History and that he also wrote a guide to precinct politics published by his widow after his passing. So better to leave him out of it.
The venefica vs. malefica argument is one embraced with Christian Science and its related branches. It is also widely touted by atheists.
Just for clarity, it’s “Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live among you.” The sentence was exile, not death.
Still, don’t suffer this fucker.
He *did* become threatening, and she did realize he was trying to drug her. She might be off the hook for this one.
She values her chastity about as much as she values her life. She’s been drinking what she suspects are knockout drugs and could pass out at any moment, with someone who has just been revealed to be trying to rape her all night. The only thing on her mind should be to prevent that situation from occurring, and if she’s afraid of passing out, eliminating the threat is probably the most viable option right now. Even Christianity has times for when protecting yourself physically is acceptable.
Puts me in mind of the money lenders in the temple, for some reason…
Defending yourself has consequences? Sure, one of them is… not getting raped.
Preeeeetty sure God will be cool with glass-punching your would-be rapist in the face. Like, I’m 99% sure.
Aaaand since when are Christians (or any other human beings, for that matter) perfectly perfect people who never do anything wrong?
Luke 22:36
During the last supper Jesus tells his disciples to prepare for the violent treatment they will experience after his death. He specifically emphasizes that a sword will be necessary to defend themselves to the point of being worth selling their garments to get one if they don’t already own a sword.
So yes. Jesus has on at least one occasion advocated self defense. I’m not a religious scholar, so I don’t know exactly how bad it has to be to earn Jesus’s approval, but I’m pretty sure Joyce is in the clear with her God right now.
And he didn’t even mention butt-clenching possibilities like roofies and date-rape back then. I’m pretty sure that would have sent Peter and the guys shopping for Glocks, never mind swords.
Swords were kind of the Glocks of the era, so that follows just fine even without supposing new possible dangers.
I mean let’s be real. He wasn’t sending his disciples to grab swords to they could brandish the armament when trouble came in order to ward it off. He wasn’t expecting his disciples to fight their assailants “To the Pain” Princess Bride Style. They weren’t gonna swashbuckle with the things until an opportunity came to escape their assailants Jack Sparrow style. This was a lethal instrument. A killing device. They were gonna have to end some lives to preserve their own.
“While this is a great character moment for Joyce, it doesn’t strike me as a very Christian way of handling things.”
Ecclesiastes (The Holy Bible: King James Version. 2000.)
1 “To every thing there is a season…”
3 “a time to kill, and a time to heal…”
7 “a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;”
8 “a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
“Even aside from that, while violence can be gratifying in the short term, I think Joyce is going to discover sooner or later that actions like this one have consequences.”
Like not getting raped by a man almost twice her size?
I think that is a good consequence.
If the police get involved and do not screw up or mishandle the investigation, she has date rape drugs (and probably no alcohol) in her system as prof, and some people might have heard Ryan’s little rant.
You’re all missing the point.
There is a very easy way to resolve this situation that does not involve hitting him in the face, since he hasn’t gotten her alone yet. All she has to do is stay out in the open with the rest of the partygoers, maybe even find Dorothy or Billie and Ryan’s not going to try anything.
Now, if he had, say, physically grabbed her and tried to FORCE her into the bathroom, defending herself in that manner would be a little more justified. But he didn’t. Joyce looked at him in confusion, looked down at her glass and frowned, then smashed the glass into his face. You want to compare that to the betrayal in the garden, that’s the equivalent of Peter chopping off the Roman soldier’s ear. And what did Jesus do in response to that? Healed the ear and went off with the soldiers willingly.
Joyce didn’t hit him to defend herself. She hit him because he led her to believe that he actually wanted to have some good, wholesome time with her and once his true motives were revealed she felt betrayed.
I think you’re all letting the assumption that he was going to force her into things cloud the fact that he never got the chance to try something before Joyce struck out in anger. And that’s not very Christian at all.
Not that I’m trying to set up Joyce as being in the wrong here. I’m just saying that her actions aren’t in line with what she professes to believe. I find that very interesting.
That depends. Why do you think she looked down at the glass he’d been trying so hard to give to her? Was it because she was contemplating its use as a weapon or because she now suspected there was something in it?
If there was something in it, she’s on a clock right now. She might have enough time to find Dorothy (Billie wasn’t looking all that useful the last time she saw her), but does she know that? If she was just out to slug him for betraying her, I doubt she’d have used the glass.
If she’s lucky, he’ll either be down for the count or making enough noise to draw attention. If she’s not lucky, that’s all she’s got before it’s his turn to be violent. (Since violence has been his intent all along, this just gives him an excuse to stop holding back.)
Yeah, you have to keep in mind that right before they entered the party Billie gave them that line about trusting Jesus but keeping a hand over your glass to safeguard against roofies. She’s just realized that she took a drink from a glass given to her by an strange male with highly dubious intentions.
Seriously? Does he look like he’s asking in Panel 3? You feel Joyce should have waited for him to actually initiate his stated forceful intentions before working to protect herself? Well okay then.
Has Joyce ever professed to believe in non-violence? Very few religions actually forbid violence in the face of aggression. Not sure where anyone would get the idea that this is against her own stated beliefs.
Also, look at what she did to Joe. She thought she was perfectly justified in assaulting him just for thinking dirty thoughts. Now she might have thought her attack was light enough that it could be considered corporal punishment, but it seems clear that the use of force is certainly part of her belief system.
“There is a very easy way to resolve this situation that does not involve hitting him in the face, since he hasn’t gotten her alone yet.”
Except he HAS gotten her alone. No one else is in the direct vicinity. Even with the incredible amount of stupidity he shows in panel 3, do you really think he’d say that around a bunch of people?
“Now, if he had, say, physically grabbed her and tried to FORCE her into the bathroom, defending herself in that manner would be a little more justified. But he didn’t.”
He told her that she WAS going in there. That’s a very visible threat. That’s not saying “Hey, I wanna go in there and make out with you,” it’s saying “I will rape you now.”
“Joyce looked at him in confusion, looked down at her glass and frowned, then smashed the glass into his face. You want to compare that to the betrayal in the garden, that’s the equivalent of Peter chopping off the Roman soldier’s ear. And what did Jesus do in response to that? Healed the ear and went off with the soldiers willingly.”
Except the soldier wasn’t a threat to Peter. In fact, that’s an entirely different situation. The soldiers were arresting Jesus. That soldier he attacked had done NOTHING wrong. He was following his orders, and wasn’t hurting anyone.
Attacking law enforcement when they’re bringing someone to trial is nothing like attacking your would-be rapist to defend yourself.
“Joyce didn’t hit him to defend herself. She hit him because he led her to believe that he actually wanted to have some good, wholesome time with her and once his true motives were revealed she felt betrayed.”
Except he threatened her, she realized her glass was drugged (cause Billie warned her about that) and she acted accordingly. This is NOT a “turn the other cheek” moment.
“I think you’re all letting the assumption that he was going to force her into things cloud the fact that he never got the chance to try something before Joyce struck out in anger. And that’s not very Christian at all.”
He’s BEEN trying things all night. A roofied drink, especially one she’s already been drinking from and which could kick in at any time, is reason enough to act in self-defense.
“I’m just saying that her actions aren’t in line with what she professes to believe. I find that very interesting.”
I’m sorry, bullcrap. If you want to read an anti-Christian agenda into everything, fine. Her actions are PERFECTLY in line for ANYONE in that situation, Christian or not. And even if they weren’t, who cares? An action like this, in a high-stress, high-risk situation like this, does not make her un-Christian. Claiming that this must mean she doesn’t REALLY care about what she believes just makes you an asshole attacking a victim of attempted rape.
And before you say “Oh well that’s not really attacking her, herp derp,” yes. It is. Telling someone who feels so strongly about her beliefs that she’s being “not very Christian at all” is a serious insult.
Joraiem, you said “If you want to read an anti-Christian agenda into everything, fine. Her actions are PERFECTLY in line for ANYONE in that situation, Christian or not.”
It doesn’t sound like he is suspecting such an agenda, it sounds like he is calling Joyce a hypocrit. But that would only be true if Joyce claimed to be a pacifist.
No, he said he “found that very interesting,” like this was all some sort of elaborate plot to show that no one in this story is REALLY a Christian, they’re all just faking it.
Except Willis is an entirely different breed of douche than that when he wants to be douchey.
Also, if you just realized that the one guy you thought was nice is actually trying to rape you, probably drugged you, and is about to physically force into the bathroom with him, you’d probably react on instinct, not reason. I don’t know about you, but my instinct would be to take that motherf***er out and get out of there through any means possible.
And, just to clarify, this is definitely an instance where I’m pretty sure reason would agree with that instinct. All my Christian relatives would agree that glassing the guy is a much better response than giving him a chance to follow through on that threat.
I have staunchly Christian parents, but that’s not to say I’ve never seen them get a little Old Testament when their children were endangered.
I have no doubt that were Joyce my parent’s daughter, Ryan would never be a danger to anyone again.
I personally have considered the turn the other cheek parts to mean that we should avoid violence where we can and shouldn’t escalate simple arguments into fights, by arguments I am talking about things like politics and ‘he said that she said’ stuff. If someone jumps out at you with a knife in the middle of the knife, or you realize that your date is trying to rape you. you don’t just stand there and take it. Running is better than fighting, but running is not a choice if you think you’re drink got spiked.
this is my opinion and I do not consider myself the best of Christians
No, Joyce is NOT acting like Mike. Mike acts like an asshole because he enjoys it. Joyce is defending herself from a rapist – a man who treied to drug her and is currently blocking a doorway, forcing her into a room alone. They do not compare.
I do believe Joyce just cast Smite Evil and rolled a natural 20.
love you… like sooo much…
Damn. Her Charisma modifier IS rather high all told, so yeah. Lessee here…
1d6 + 3, and Ryan was caught flatfooted? Right, natural 20 as well for double damage…
Just used the official WotC dice roller application.
9×2= 18 HP. Not sure if she’d have a STR modifier. That’s for Willis to know. Either way, maximum hit die is d12 for a barbarian, but I’d call Ryan a rogue, so d6 for him. Even if he’s level three, unless he’s got a good constitution, his HP < 0.
It’s a shame she didn’t have a bottle, that way it would have caused more damage to him and less to her hand.
Is it bad that I understood all of that?
Lets just hope that she keeps passing Con saving throws in order resist any of the poison she just took.
As for class, she should have been a monk. They eventually are immune to poison and disease. 😀
Unarmed strike is 1d3 not 1d6. And smite evil adds charisma mod to hit, but Paladin level to damage. So you’re looking at something like 1d3+2 damage. Maybe bump it up to a d4 with a x3 crit multiplier for using a glass… so average 12 damage on a crit.
What’d I tell ya. Willis always with a trick up his sleeve. and Ryan with a fist full of glass in his jaw.
Welp, I found a new Gravatar lol…. awesome way to close this out.
WOOH GO JOYCE!!!! THAT’S WHAT YOU GET FOR MESSING WITH … wait… i honestly cant think of a good way to end that…
and holy crap, it hit midnight, i opened DOA, and there are already over 130 comments…
Looks like he gets a lesson in turning the other cheek.
That is the perfect one liner for this situation.
PWNT
WOO!!!!! Awesome!
You know, I forgot Joyce is supposed to have loads of brothers. They probably taught her how to look out for herself.
Good…I can FEEL your anger. Use your aggressive feelings, Joyce. Let the hate flow through you. Then your journey to the dark side shall be complete!
And we can destroy the fake-Sprite abomination plants as master and apprentice! Their machines are nothing compared to the power of the FAAAAAAAAACE.
No joyce! remember your training! Don’t cut his scrotum off with your broken glass and throw it in the micro wave on high for 5 min to watch out explode!
You’re the chosen one!
THAT WAS TOTALLY BALLIN’!
Joyce is my favorite character now.
Holy shit there’s the blood!
SHE DREW BLOOD!! GoJoyceGoJoyce!
I’m so proud! She didn’t even need Amazi-Girl; Joyce is just. that. badass.
She may yet lose consciousness, and need to be carried out of the building.
Good god, way to fuck it up! If anyone had one shred on sympathy towards Ryan before, his dumbassity killed it.
He had her! The moment he mentioned the ponies, he had her. If he had told Joyce about his missionary uncle in South America, she would’ve ripped off her clothes and tackled him down.
You know what, forget the whole rape deal. This sole moment of sheer, absolute stupidity is reason enough to have him shot.
If anyone had sympathy with Ryan before getting a face full of glass they either weren’t paying attention or shouldn’t be trusted around women either.
who needs Amazi-girl when you can just totally shatter a glass in your hand and immediately need to go to the hospital?
DAYUM. Are we sure Joyce wasn’t part of SEMME in this verse?
POW.
Here’s me betting Willis enjoyed every single I WILL KILL HIM IF HE HURTS HER comment.
KPLAK to the FAAACE!!!
I know violence is bad and Joyce shouldn’t resort to hitting every guy who comes off as a creep but HOLY HELL IS THIS SATISFYING.
Can every comic just be Joyce face smashing date rapists?
Or that. That works too.
Joyce entered Trance!
Joyce used Holy Pow!
Please let it be super-effective . . .
Amazing Girl who? Joyce doesn’t need help from any Amazing Girl! lol 😛
There’s a lesson to be learned here people.
It’s don’t piss off Joyce, especially if she has a glass in her hand.
But you have no one to blame but yourself Ryan. I WARNED you karma was gonna take a chomp outta your ass.
Well I guess it got the other cheeks but still.
Way to go, Joyce. I hope you left permanent scarring.
She got the first hit off, excellent. But time is not on her side, depending on what he laced it with. I’m rather worried that she has limited options here. This isn’t over.
true, but dorothy and billie are looking for her. and i got the impression that amber was going to find amazi-girl to help out. so that’s four people coming to joyce’s aid.
oh wait! i miscounted.
jesus has her back, too. you can infer that his father and the holy spirit do as well. so that raises it to seven people/entities.
Joyce, it seems, will perpetually give you the benefit of the doubt and assume the most benevolent explanation for most any course of action, with the slightest shred of plausibility.
But if you remove all chance of doubt, you lose that benefit.
Turns out that benefit is redeemable for a ‘get out of glass-in-face’ free card. Whoops.
Very much reminded of this bit from Rikk of Fans!:
Your kind always underestimates ours. You mistake good manners for timidity. You mistake self-control for passivity. So self-controlled are we that sometimes we won’t retaliate when you harm us. But if you – ANY of you – harm our loved ones – we will come at you like fanged, slavering beasts from the darkest of LSD nightmares.
Believe it.
Yeah, that was awesome.
Buuuuut…Joyce ain’t quite there. Recall how she handled Joe – he’s a jerk, but she was even worse.
As I recall, Mike had some influence on how the Joyce/Joe date turned out.
Umm, Amazigirl? I think you can take the rest of the night off. She’s got this.
Seriously though, I am loving the DoA Joyce!
Only if she can k.o. him before the roofie kicks in.
Then, she may appreciate the others pitching in.
He, he… It’s always good to see creepy would be Rapists get a beat down.
Joel, Crow, and Tom Servo in unison, “JOYCE!”
“I’m not going in there with you. This glass is going into you with me.”
Also, DAMN he got ugly when all his shit came out.
And then Joyce went and made him even uglier.
She was just turning the other cheek. That is, to say, turning his cheek away from his face with shards of glass.
Anyone else thinking this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcjeOEsPkiQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
holy SHIT O__O
Final version: best of both worlds. The breaking glass and blood, AND the SPKOW sound effect.
To all people worried about him getting back up- they are in a very long line for the bathroom, there are probably people around. It’s a crowded house party where people most likely heard him scream his intent, so- maybe it’s naive to believe in the kindness of strangers, but I also think that having watched her punch him with a glass in the face, no one’s going to stand there while he forces her into the bathroom. At the least, someone will want to use said bathroom (either to puke of for hopefully-consensual sexytimes) and he will not be able to get her there.
BOOYAH!!! This is going better than I could have hoped! Go Joyce!
I can confirm as an owner of shitty glasses and an observer of violence that you can in fact break one across a motherfuckers face.
You mentioned you didn’t plan to draw joyce’s hand anyway, but if you do, it should indicate that she at least needs a bandage, since there’s no way she’d get out of it without at least some superficial wound. It’s unclear (by design, I know) if she punched it into his face, or slashed it across. If it was a slash, she might not be hurt at all. But if she made contact directly with the glass to smash it into his face, she should be hurt.
But whatever else happens, original version much better. Though we must all morn that wasted sierra myst. It just wanted to be drank!
By the time you posted this, I have edited in blood on Joyce’s hand (and where her hand touches) in several future strips. I’m quick, like a bunny!
Ah well, all is well then! Except for that poor soda. Damn you Willis!
Cup of Sierra Mist: 10/5/11-10/13/11.
Impressive.
She had a glass of Sierra Mist for 8 days? dang shes a slow drinker…
maybe if it was sprite, she would have finished it sooner!
A lot of the bars here have ‘toughened’ safety glasses that break down into crumbs. They break in your hand quite easily, usually because of hot dishwashers & fridge-cold hands, and usually without leaving so much as a scratch. The “spkow” noise is dead-on as well.
Nice one, Joyce! 😀
WIN.
Also, gravatar win for you. I like the idea that Robin is watching Joyce glass Ryan with fangirl-like adoration.
Upon further consideration, I realize that Joyce is gonna have a pretty cut-up hand now, though. Ouch. >.o
OMG!
Go Joyce!!!
(I love the glass version by the way, please keep it…)
F**K YEAH!!!!
vindication 🙂 ! been waiting a week to see something like this happen!
I think at this point it needs to be demonstrated (with bright flashy lights) that “naive” and “stupid” are NOT the same thing.
Joyce Brown is naive. She is NOT, by any measure, stupid, and if you try to roofie her she will shatter a glass in your face. 8Db
Hopefully she’ll start getting the message that husbands don’t grow on trees. Or will go to the Campus Crusade for Christ meetings (or whatever Jesus Club they have) and look THERE.
Hopefully not. I’ve seen just as many psychos and rapists in those groups. Besides that, well…honestly, Joyce does need to get broken out of her little unreality bubble a bit. Mind you, I think the play-out of her crush on Ethan might lend some harsh realization to her.
Let’s see…
-Date with Joe: He turned out to be the kind of guy she hates. She inflicted much violence on him.
-Interest in Ethan: I do wonder how she’ll react when/if she realizes this perfectly nice and decent guy is gay.
-The party: Had lots of fun, almost(?) got raped by what looked like the perfect guy from her perspective.
I could see her growing up, or I could see her becoming more cynical and retreating into a self-righteous “world bad, me good” shell. Only time will tell.
I think probably she’ll grow up. I forsee a really interesting parallel between her and Sarah approaching. Sarah discovers the dark side of the real world and becomes a miserable shut-in. Joyce discovers it and begins to approach life in a more realistic and mature sense.
YES
You are entering A WORLD OF PAIN!
MARK IT ZERO!
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU (try to forcibly) FUCK A STRANGER IN THE ASS
POW, RIGHT IN THE KISSER!
Heh, he was totally asking for this.
I suppose her own very likely bloody hand will be worth it though! Go Joyce!
JOYCE SMASH!
And considering what happened to Joe, this shouldn’t be a surprise.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA HA HA HA!!!!!!
This pleases me.
You know as much as I want to see joyce kick his arse she has drunk a fair amount of the roofie juice.
Sometimes it takes a little bit for it too kick in.
So, this strip itself just got me interested enough in the comic to read the whole thing. Love this, love this panel
JOYCE YOU ARE ADORZ I LOVE YOU
I cheered. out loud. at 3 in the morning. I have never been this excited over a webcomic. Joyce has become a hero to me.
*stops before reading any comments to wonder how many times the word “face” with any given number of As will show up.
Beautiful… just beautiful. we are pleased that the douche is now receiving that which he has worked so hard to obtain-the full, emotional Joyce Experience. (Dental plan and medical care NOT included.)
You ruined the Sprite! There can be no greater sin!
C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!
PUNCH-OUT!
JOYCE WINS! GLASSALITY
CHRISTIAN PONCH!
I AM A MAN!
What does the scouter say about her righteousness level?
IT’S OVER 9000!
And finally,
FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!!!!!
You forgot…
BOOM! HEADSHOT!
neither mike nor amazigirl could do it better XD
Ryan McCreepazoid: Ladies’ Man!
OK, enough reading comments I’m not going to respond to directly before seeing what the Friday cliffhanger turns out to be ;|.
Yeah, I’m dreading that myself. Mr. Willis has been playing his audience quite well this week, and might yet be saving one last blow to the gut for us.
WOOOOOOOO! Go Joyce! \o/
While I’m pleased that Ryan won’t get to carry out his despicable plans for Joyce, I’m… less than thrilled that THIS is how Joyce chose to react. Seriously, GLASSING someone? That would get you an instant “grievous bodily harm” charge here in Australia, because Joyce was perfectly capable of walking away at this point after a few acrid words for Ryan. (He’s obviously not going to do anything more drastic if he was scared of witnesses previously.)
I understand that this is the Comicverse, and gratuitous bits of violence aren’t really out of order here, but glassing somebody isn’t on the same order of magnitude as, say, slapping them across the face. You could easily put an eye out or permanently scar someone, and then you’ll have to live with that on your criminal record for the rest of your life.
Please, Joyce… Be more careful! 🙁
I kinda felt this way, too… I mean, he’s a creepo rapist so he probably deserves a scar to mark him for past wrongs, but people have actually died from blood loss from their face. The Black Dahlia, for instance, was cut on her face like the Joker, and though she also received head trauma the cause of death was linked to the blood loss from the wounds in her face. What if Joyce wound up accidentally killing him? (extreme, I know, but freakier things happen.) But even if she didn’t kill him, what if he lost an eye or something?
He will definitely have to go to the hospital, and the best she’ll be able to say is “self defense” when he takes her to court, though she’ll have proof of any drugs being in her blood. But whether she can say he administered them to her… I mean, the only witnesses are a bunch of drunk people to say that he gave her the drugged drink – other than that it’s her word against his. And her hand is definitely going to be damaged in a way that indicates it was definitely her smashing a glass into his face.
I mean, I doubt Willis would have it go down like that… but this definitely was perhaps not the best reaction Joyce could have had. She could have kicked him square in the penis and that would have been temporarily disabling, non-life threatening, and given her a chance to get away as well as leaving her with the satisfaction of payback. And when I can say a kick in the penis is preferable to something else, that’s pretty extreme.
Even if she is charged with assault and battery, she is unlikely to be found guilty because of the presence of mind altering drugs, which can be assumed to not be self administered.
Besides, there are several cities in the US where it would be legally acceptable for any of the party goers to shoot Ryan under the laws of “defense of a third party” or something. Don’t know how the presence of alcohol might affect those laws though.
(IANAL, but…)
The mind-altering drugs bit only matters if the drugs alter one’s mind in a way that creates a loss of control that would’ve produced the criminal act. Few sedatives create violent behavior, and Joyce doesn’t seem to have impaired judgment yet.
As for shooting someone, it’s only legal in most jurisdictions to use deadly force if the other party invoked it first. e.g. If someone punches someone out and starts grounding & pounding them, you can legally wrestle the guy off, but you can’t shoot them, since you’d be the once initiating the use of deadly force in the confrontation.
In this case, Joyce attacked with a weapon that can cause “grievous bodily harm,” and not all jurisdictions will allow the use of such force to avoid injury not on par with that. I don’t know if Indiana allows the use of deadly force in reaction to threat of rape, though. Some states do.
You do realize some people have atypical responses to certain drugs? Most people will just be knocked out by flunitrazepam but a few will just get super-irritable and aggressive, or otherwise act in a way totally unlike what you’d expect.
So yes, the mind-altering effect is there. Joyce’s hypothetical defense lawyer would probably bring up the possibility of her having an unusual reaction to the drug. And honestly, a jury will happily hang their hat on that as a way of saying ‘screw you, rapist’.
Does she know she has time to walk away? In a comicverse (or most forms of entertainment), drugging is a pretty fast process.
She’s not hitting him out of self-defense or fear that she won’t have time to get away if she simply walks. This is sheer undiluted rage that is driving her – nothing honorable or necessary.
Bull. Freaking. Crap. “Nothing honorable or necessary?” He just threatened her with RAPE.
When you’re faced with a serious threat, that’s when the fight/flight response is triggered. She chose to fight and in this situation, that is honorable. Don’t claim to know better than her unless you’ve been in her position.
Drugs, how far could she walk away? she doesn’t know.
Huh, never thought I’d live to see the day that Joyce glassed someone.
Home schooled?
Less than streetwise?
In a hardline Christian social bubble?
Maybe.
Naive/stupid/defenceless? Hardly 🙂
She’s been quite forceful in other ways so far, and she’s managed to get quite a crowd going for her game of Settlers inamongst an otherwise banging party – she’s not exactly the passive, pushover type. Probably warded off a few other potential suitors down the years.
Stupid of you to assume otherwise, Ryan, and shame on you. More so for being so much of a dick that you consider a good time to be putting drugs in a girl’s drink in order to rapidly have your way with her, whilst pretending to be a protector, and getting angry/violent when she rejects your advances. You deserve what’s coming.
Particularly if some of the people you were playing with come out to find where the pair of you have gone and run across this scene. Or your “bad friends”.
Her one mistake, really, was assuming you have to be drinking alcohol to get drugged… One she presumably won’t make again.
Oh cool… I get a happening bow tie 😀
Not strong enough.
Whatever he put in that soda drink is, anyway.
In other news, Ryan, got totally served.
DAAAAAAYMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNN!
Will Joyce get into trouble for glassing him?
He might decide to sue if she’s done any permanent damage.:(
Joyce will hire a lawyer henchman. She will have this henchman use the skill Countersuit(Attempted Sexual Assualt).
Ryan can OBJECT! all he wants, but I somehow doubt he’ll win.
(Great, now I want to see Ryan with a “caught” animation, Ace Attorney-style.
That would please me. And, Ryan wouldn’t be able to stand up in a court as all his credibility and his reputation are broken beyond repair as the courts hear about how he tried to roofie and force her in a bad situation. His temper is too short and he would blow up.
Whether or not there’s any proof that he was the one to roofie the drink or whatnot, once the jury hears the story, it’s over. At best, all charges against Joyce are dropped and Ryan would face educational dicipline. The crowd would cheer. Slowly, one person would start to clap. More join in until there’s a thunderous applause as she leaves the courtroom, her head held high. As Ryan leaves, a black van screeches to a halt, throws open its door and grabs him before speeding off. He was never heard from again.
At worst, it’s be a hung jury, because there’d be at least one parent on the jury who wouldn’t vote guilty.
Rarely post – but I feel compelled to tell you I don’t think this guy could be violenced enough.
Go joyce
Woo! Go Joyce!!!!
I’m in the mood for a bible verse about righteous punishment.
Can anybody supply me with that?
Deuteronomy 22:22/ If a gai be putin sexxes in a ladee, and liek teh ladee haz marij, then bof is kilt, bof teh gai that haz sexxes in teh laddee and the ladee tew: bof is kilt n sended away fum teh chosn pplz.
Amen.
Unrelated, but worthy of expression: your gravatar today is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s fantastic art.
Ezekiel 25:17?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUT6s2fQGIw
It’s not actually totally accurate to the KJ, but I think it fits the bill reasonably well.
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee.
Ezekiel 25:17
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAMBLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM
“Of course you realize, this means war.” Book of Groucho, Chapter 11, Verse 4U
FUCK. That was AWESOME.
Granted I’m kind of worried what he’s going to do next since people don’t USUALLY take having glass smashed across their face very well… aaaaaaaand I’m assuming he did drug her. I’m a little worried 🙁
He miiiiiiiiight get the crap kicked out of him by other party-goers. There are a lot of people who would not like what he was up to.
Joyce might need an ambulance for whatever was in that drink, though. (Cringe.)
There are definite legal ramifications for going this far, but I imagine a good defense attorney (which of course, Joyce’s folks would cover and would likely work pro-bono for such a case, anyway) along with the common public opinion on college campuses, plus her feminist classmates would all deflate the prosecution’s case. This could be racked up to self defense, but if not, it would be a case of battery in the first degree (like I learned in college business law, using a belt buckle or ANY instrument automatically takes the case from assault to battery).
I do share Dr. Z’s thoughts, though, that Joyce will not only have a cut-up hand, but any effects of the attempted drugging will mess her up. There has been a startling, horrific trend lately for horse tranquilizers being slipped into women’s drinks, which not only is easier to acquire, but also makes said females infertile.
Wow.
Joyce is reminding me of my fiancé more and more.
Mr. Willis, if you like, having Joyce’ hand cut up by the glass would add to the drama. But if you feel it detracts from the pacing or other elements, feel free to forget about it. I suggest it only for added drama, and not some silly request for obsessive ‘realism.’
KICK HIS ASS, JOYCE!
Wow, bustin’ a glass in someone’s face. Gives a new meaning to FUCK YOUR FACE. Ya know, if that were a standard saying…
Today: Joyce wins the Internet!
Tomorrow: Ryan wins the Darwin Award!
Ooooh, there was nothing in the Sprite, he just wanted her to need to use the bathroom to get her alone. I guess he hasn’t quite gotten to the point of using date rape drugs yet.
That could complicate things. Ouch.
It won’t complicate anything. Ryan threatened her – she had every right to react that way, whether or not there was anything in it.
That being said, he did seem pretty insistent that she drink THAT Sprite. Considering when he got it, he thought they’d be alone in a bedroom together, it probably is roofied and the bathroom was just his plan B.
I’m having my doubts since he called her a tease. That could just be his delusion talking, but to call her a tease suggests he thinks she might ultimately give in, she’s just stringing him along though. So if he holds that delusion he might also not think he’d need to drug her.
Legally I agree that it wouldn’t matter. The threatening behavior might be enough to justify her actions if she were called into question. But if it turns out she was not drugged she will probably have some guilt later. It won’t be rational but she may still kick herself for reacting so violently to a threat that turned out not to be – even though the threat of being forced into the bathroom is very real.
That’s certainly a possibility. Still, I do kinda wonder what the point of the Sprite was, then, if it was just to make her wanna go pee. Cause when he got it, he was expecting to be alone in a bedroom with her. Why would he need to lead her to the potty?
Well, granted I am trying to make sense of delusion. But there is a reason my fellow moderators on the political forum I haunt have referred to me as the “Nutjob Whisperer”. The soda could have been just the “down payment”. Sometimes a person does some nice things for someone because they believe that it then obligates that person to reciprocate. So he may be all “I got you a drink, I treated you nice. Make with the sexings!”
Fetishes. how many can you count in your bathroom?
HOOWA! You go girl!
Damn straight! 😀
What is more likely at at college party, or any party for that matter, Glass or Plastic? Maybe at an upscale cocktail party or business function but not at anything less.
And thus are Joyce’s rose-colored glasses rent from her eyes and dashed to the ground in pieces.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc_ZNWBx7-M
Jeez.
This whole little mini-arc has really disturbed me. Not feeling the “YAY JOYCE SHE’LL ROXXORS YOUR RAPEY SOXXORS” sentiment. This is a dark and terrible thing.
I have a hard enough time dealing with Joyce’s Christianity, but entwining it with this just pushes all the wrong buttons all the wrong ways.
Peace
Ty
I was thinking the same thing, but recalled that some campuses are working to get people to use their own cups at events. Then again, that tends to apply to food services, rather than mixers and other events that serve alcohol.
And somewhere, Sarah just started to grin really widely and isn;t sure why…
HOLY SHIT, this could break the 400 comment mark.
yeah, maybe if your mom was here with my femurs, your face, joes penis and a nickle. The odds of this happening are small, but you must have FAAAAAAAAAITH
If I’m quick enough, then this makes it comment 350. I think it’s doable.
400 broken as of this posting, I’m showing 408.
614
AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!!!!
You see it here DoA fans, the stadium is in a total uproar as Joyce delivers a dose of Sierra Fist straight to Ryan’s face! Folks had been anxious that his move to follow her to the bathroom with a likely drugged beverage might win the ball game, but we are now primed for extra innings! What WILL happen next? Stay tuned!
So, lesson learned, Willis. When you want to get tons of traffic, either make fun of Starfire or have Joyce punch a rapist.
Or have Joyce punch the Creative Team behind Red Hood!
Whoops. Went a little overboard with the caps there.
Bam! Pow! Wabam! I prefer all of these to Spkow. But still, its nice to see that fucker get his. Next we’re gonna get to see sad joyce but that won’t be for a while. (hopefully)
SoooooOoOOoOohhoooooooo made my day.
Thank you, Willis. I was afraid this arc would break my heart. Instead, it looks like Jesus had Joyce’s back after all. This story could have hurt a character whose irrepressible charm I’ve come to love. Instead, it shows her to have a spine of iron beneath those bright and innocent eyes. Bravo.
Just for the record, I am glad the unedited version was used for this comic.
Good stuff!
…and then we go back half an hour and find out that he really *did* just get her another sprite. oops.
i think the drink is irrelevant at this point lol. though i could be wrong.
Hmmm… interesting theory…
Though at the time he brought it, he wasn’t expecting to actually find the room full of other people, so the “get her to go to the bathroom” part (and the “here hold this glass whilst I check my phone” move) was probably an improvisation. I’m going for it being spiked.
Even if said spiking is only with alcohol…
Uhm…how is Joyce going to recover from this? Do we know that the Sprite is tainted? If it’s not, then from a legal standpoint, essentially Joyce just punched Ryan in the face, with a glass, with little provocation. Sure he just yelled at her, but has he done anything actually threatening? All that Ryan could argue was that he did not intend to rape her, and then suddenly we have a girl who broke a guy’s face with his glass for no reason.
You know, it’s a sad statement on society when this is a really good point. From what I understand, proving rape (especially date rape) is difficult enough, but proving intended rape? Hopefully Dorothy or Amber (my vote’s on Dorothy) gets there and is on top of it enough to do much stuff as they can to prove what happened if the creep decides to press assault charges.
“Sure he just yelled at her, but has he done anything actually threatening?”
“WE ARE GOING IN THERE YOU MOTHERFUCKING TEASE” is a pretty threatening statement from a larger guy to a girl, so she could legitimately argue she was afraid of being attacked. She could be fecked because she immediately goes for violence rather than trying to leave or calling for help, as he hadn’t taken action _yet_.
Yes, such statements can get you charged with assault in several places.
Even in places where assault would not cover it a person might still be charged with menacing.
It looks like Ryan…
Got hit with a Sierra Fist.
+1 internet to you.
Hell yeah Sierra Fist.
*Spittake*
+1 Most clever comment
And thus another meme was born!
YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH
Joyced with his own petard!
Words cannot truly express how happy this comic makes me.
Well, that was kind of…disappointing. Both that Ryan’s grand plans collapse with himself grabbing the idiot ball and explaining to his mark what he was up to, and in that we get waifish Joyce again resorting to extreme violence at odds with her normal characterization. Sure, yeah, justified, satisfying, yeah yeah. But what was a one-off with Joe, has now become an personality aspect through repetition: Joyce isn’t a nice, innocent girl; Joyce is a nice innocent fist of barely-repressed violence who when given offense either justified(Ryan) or not(Joe) is going to skip past all other possible conflict resolution solutions and skip straight to beating your face in.
Now obviously it’s up to Willis if he wants to follow up on this characterization, but the pattern has been set, people: I now expect Joyce to beat the everloving hell out of Dorothy during some lunch chat when the conversation turns to religion-or-the-lack-thereof. Amazi-Girl may end up following Joyce around, but it won’t be to save her – it’ll be to save her victims.
So what would I rather have happened? I’d rather that Amazi-Girl had swooped in to save the day. There was actually a fair amount of setup for it even.
On a completely other note, did Ryan seriously think that oblivious!Joyce would have let him come into the bathroom with her? Seriously?
In all fairness, the incident with Joe was helped along by Mike. Who sort of specializes in getting people to beat the crap out of each other.
In this case, she was in fear of being attacked. So far, what we’ve seen indicates that mostly Joyce just gets loud and angry when she gets offended under normal circumstances.
On the note of whether or not Ryan thought Joyce would let her in with him…Ryan’s a good deal larger than she is. He was probably planning on just forcibly following her in when she had stepped in and was about to close the door.
I see no fear in her face – just fury at betrayal.
And, Ryan just forcing himself in behind her? Before the drug kicks in? Cue protests and screaming. If he was willing to go that route, why bother drugging her to start with?
Because she consistently refuses to enter a scenario where he and she are alone, and he DESPERATELY wants to get busy with her. If the drug kicks in while they’re not alone, he can’t do that. So he performed a rage/quit and gave up trying to get her alone.
Peacefully, that is.
And the bastard totally deserves it. I just hope she doesn’t get charged with assault. She has a pretty solid self-defense claim, and if he did drug her and toxicology proves it, he’ll find himself having to notify all his neighbors.
however since he basically yelled his intentions out to the room, that he was trying to get her alone, she could argue that no matter his stated intentions it looked like rape, it sounded like rape, it was going to BE rape therefore it should be reacted to like an attempted-rape AKA sierra mist glass to the FACE
Okay. One of two possibilities are going to happen from this moment on. One: either Joyce is going to toughen up for good. or two: She’ll be so terrified of Ryan that she will leave the campus for good.
I don’t see option 2 happening any time soon. Glass to the face proves she’s more than capable of taking care of herself.
Option 3: Joyce feels guilty and becomes a pacifist.
Option 4: Joyce feels great and gloats to Sarah that she isn’t as helpless as everyone thinks.
Option 5: Joyce forgets this ever happened because something in her drink is affecting her short term memory, and hearing about this later won’t affect her too strongly because it seems so unreal.
Joyce get tougher? She’s already a walking powder keg of physical violence primed to explode. Known triggers include betraying her expectations of you as a potential hubby. There may be other triggers as well – any sufficient level of frustration may be enough.
I’m sorry, WHAT.
You really don’t seem to get this. Ryan just threatened to RAPE JOYCE. For you to call her a powder keg for defending herself just makes you look like the kind of asshole who would think she was “asking for it.”
I’m pretty sure that comment is in reference to Joe betraying her expectations. She assualted him back then.
I might believe that, if all of the previous comments begbert2 made weren’t saying that Joyce was in the wrong.
Besides, that time she was led into it by Mike. Mike is outside the law.
YES! Woo-Hoo, Go Joyce!
I just hope she doesn’t toughen to the point she thinks this is all Guys want from her because shes Cute and Stacked. It will just make it tougher for the guy who wants to be with her because He really likes her ..for being Joyce…..Cute and Stacked is just ‘Iceing on the cake’.
Fuck yeah, Joyce!
It just goes to show you. Sometimes it IS okay to punch people in the face.
With a glass
Your gravatar makes this comment work -so- well 🙂
GO JOYCE! WOOO! You know, she may come across as innocent and easily minipulated but she’s a lot stronger than she appears. Girl can handle herself when needed. Bravo.
I forsee legal issues. There are a ton of witnesses to this event, regardless of who is considered the aggressor in this violent confrontation. If Roz had anything to do with organizing this party, Robin could have something to worry about soon.
pffft, please. After people beating each other with beer bottles in the background, and amazi-girl kicking butt, this is nothing.
I considered that, but an attempted rape is more likely to compound the sex tape problems.
And the guys Amazi-Girl whipped on may just wake up bruised and carry on to get drunk and fight another day. Joyce, whether she was drugged or not, believes she was drugged. So she’s probably headed to the Emergency Room from here and that opens the door to it being investigated and reported on. Especially with two journalists on scene.
That’s a fair point.
And then Joyce THREW HIM TO THE GROUND…
She don’t like SIERRA MIST
She’s not a part of HIS SYSTEM
Man! Jesus has her back..
This comment is pretty much the greatest thing.
She might have been Homeschooled, but Joyce knows how to handle herself.
Her parents are skilled and experienced street fighters. Part of that underground Christian fight club, you know, the one nobody talks about.
Stop TALKING about it! We can’t have people knowing!
Exactly. First Rule.
You mean the 11th. =p
Am I the only one questioning why college students actually have a glass cup in the first place? I know that where I went to school, all the cups we stole from the dining hall were plastic…
For better face punching power of course.
My college had only glass cuts in the dining halls; however, parties like this are all full of the red plastic Solo biz; I suspect Willis included this for the story’s sake, though a freshman girl at a party where she may not know the hosts getting a glass cup is kind of far-fetched.
Meh. It’s a party. People use the disposables, people raid the kitchen and use whatever they find. Maybe someone’s view of environmentalism is that it is better to wash dishes instead of using landfill fodder to drink from. Glass is feasible. And on a budget it is cheaper to get glasses at the thrift store on $.99 day than it is to buy throw-aways all the time.
Could also have been out of disposables, or maybe Ryan couldn’t find them (got moved around and misplaced, etc).
GO JOYCE!
This strip nearly made me cheer out loud in the middle of the library. Way to go, Joyce! Glad to see that creep get what he deserves.
Part of me wonders why Ryan didn’t say, “Just give me a few minutes and I’ll have this cleaned up for you.”
The other part of me is emphatically telling me to shut up.
This reminds me an awful lot of the baddass Joyce we saw in IW. Willis, are you not telling us something?
Devil’s advocate costume, activate!
Is punching him in the face with a glass cup with such force that it shatters the glass and draws blood really the best way to handle this? He’s a total jerkwad and had it coming and all that, granted. But he hasn’t actually laid a hand on her. If he really did drug her, then she has a plausible reason to retaliate. Otherwise, walking away to the safety of her friends might have been the wiser course.
True enough, but there’s only so much wisdom to be found in the average freshman, and this is really more of a “Split second decision” kind of moment anyway. Decision quality has a tendency to drop at times like that.
I don’t think she knows where her friends are any more than they know where she is. I’d take Ryan’s screaming diatribe in panel 3 as a threat of force…and while I wish it hadn’t come to this, I believe Joyce has done what she needs to in order to protect herself.
If I have to wait until someone who has established himself as an obvious threat and expressed an intention to force me into a bathroom to actually physically grab me, it makes my defending myself just that much more difficult. He has expressed a will to refuse allowing her to leave, so walking away has been established as difficult or impossible without striking him at least once.
Now, a glass to the face was probably overdoing it. But the assailant is shocked and temporarily disabled, so it works. Now, if she doesn’t flee after THAT attack, my argument fails entirely.
I totally called Joyce’s reaction. I don’t know why some commenters thought he’d get away with this or that she’d need any help defending herself.
Some people just thought the defense would be done for her before she was backed enough into a corner to need to do it herself. Amazi-Girl is good at that.
And now after reading the next day’s strip I feel like an idiot. I should have realised that the roofie would kick in.
I’m curious as to how Roz will react when she finds out “the fundie” almost got date raped at this party and ended up defending herself by smashing a glass into her assailant’s face.
She will laugh and applaud.
I know everybody has been talking about Ryan as a rapist, but as far as any actual action in panel goes he has used foul language and harangued her. Then has had a glass smashed into his face. Other than reader speculation about what a douche he is (and yeah, he’s a douche) this is the sort of violent act that results in expulsion and multiple criminal prosecutions. This won’t be overlooked; Joyce’s best hope is that Ryan really did drug her drink (and with something stronger than alcohol).
He’s made it clear by now that he will do anything he can to get her in that bathroom. I think his panel-3 screaming diatribe would constitute threat of force.
I don’t think so. He clearly could have laid hands on her, but did not. They are in the middle of a crowded room, which makes (only implied) threat of force less plausible. Now from the point of view of the comic reader (which is exaggerated,obviously) we have multiple panels showing Joyce absorbing Ryan’s words and then reacting, clearly in rage not fear. Outside of the comic reader view, this looks like at best a “fighting words” defense, and that’s not going to hold a lot of credibility in a gross bodily harm case.
“We are going in there, you motherfucking tease.”
Threat of force, clearly established. He is demanding that not only she, but he as well enter a single person bathroom. Unless the judge and jury are clinically retarded his intentions are very, very clearly understood. Besides, I doubt the party was so loud that the people right next to them didn’t hear him scream that. This is WAY past “he said, she said” hearsay, we’ve got witnesses that he became extremely threatening. Drugs in the drink would only be another nail in Ryan’s coffin.
And if she was legally in the wrong, then it’s the LAW that needs to change, not Joyce. People shouldn’t have to wait until they are attacked to defend themselves from an obvious threat. And it doesn’t get much more obvious than “We are going in there, you motherfucking tease.”
That is not a threat. It does not include an “or else” or any general or specific promise of violence. It is insulting, foul language and, as I said, probably falls under consideration as “fighting words,” that is phrasing of such a nature as to be the equivalent of initiating physical violence and to which an objective observer would feel it reasonable for the recipient to respond physically. But that does not rise to the level of response with potentially lethal force. Without actual violence (a matter as simple as him placing his hand on her shoulder) or a promise of violence (an “or else” or equivalent, such as “no matter what I have to do,”) it is not a reasonable response to smash a glass in someone’s face for saying it. Slapping him, kneeing him in the crotch, probably even pepper spraying him or throwing the contents of the glass in his face are defensible from a legal perspective; glassing a man in the face is not. The presence of all those witnesses will work against Joyce because they decrease the credibility of any implied (and it is only implied) threat of violence on Ryan’s part. Only evidence of acual tampering with the drink could save her from the legal consequences of her act, and since she did not have access to evidence of such tampering at the time such legal vindication will not relieve her personal responsibility (that is, sense of guilt) for the repercussions of her action.
Panels 1-2: Joyce establishes that she doesn’t want to go in the bathroom.
Panel 3: Ryan states that they are going in the bathroom. He doesn’t have to add an “or else” or a “no matter what,” because his tone of voice and body language clearly indicate that he intends to get her in that bathroom even if he has to physically shove and drag her in there. Just because his mere words aren’t technically an imperative or an if-then-else conditional doesn’t mean they’re not threatening Joyce.
I don’t see how Ryan’s actions could be construed as anything but a threat.
This is exactly why it’s so easy for women to get raped at parties. You’re just supposed to totally give a dude the benefit of the doubt until, I dunno, his dick is in you, and then you just wanted it, you drunk skank, why were you at that party anyway?
If you’re right (and you may be) then this situation is a perfect example of why I’m glad that I’m Neutral Good instead of Lawful Good. Because if you’re right, this is one law I definitely want to flip the bird.
Professor, it seems likely that you have very little understanding of what the law actually says on this issue. This is a clear threat, whether or not his words say something like “or else.”
It’s intimidation. He’s using violent language, (implied) tone, and am aggressive physical presence in an attempt to coerce her into doing as he says. Any woman in that situation would take his actions as a threat to her bodily person.
He’s a guy that is clearly bigger than her, and is acting in an intimidating manner. She could be justified in using the glass in self-defense if she felt that a fist alone would be too weak to incapacitate him. (And a lot of that’s psychological: intimidation is designed to make the recipient feel as powerless as he can.)
I think that a jury would side with her– as long as she leaves to report him directly after the punch. If she keeps hitting him, that’s where it starts getting really murkey.
You’re right though, the legality of it is complicated and veeery gray, even if the morality isn’t (so much).
Not to mention she figured out that he’d drugged her. Before too long she won’t be ABLE to defend herself, so she’s doing it while she still has the strength.
And Joyce passes Mike in the poll!
Clearly its thanks to her glass-in-your-FACE-punch. People love violence it seems. Especially if its done by Joyce. XD
She was epic this strip. :3
Willis, you are hereby forgiven for breaking up Robin and Leslie for the forseeible future and subjecting us to Malaya (may she die in a fire amen), You are also forgiven for breaking up Ethan and Drew. As a bonus, you get one free pass at crushing my spirit with some future breakup or hookup with characters that are horribly wrong or right for eachother. And finally the home version of “DAMN YOU WILLIS”. Well done.
And the God spaketh the 11th Commandment, “Thou shalt not piss off Joyce. Else thou will get pwned!”
Somewhere, Mike is aroused, and he is not sure why.
its cool she decked him but i dont want to be her hand right now pulling glass out is gonna hurt when the adrenaline wears off.
Go Joyce!
I’m trying to imagine how she’s punching, because IDK, it seems awkward. Like, it looks like she’s punching forward, but the guy seems to be reeling back like he was backhanded… IDK, I’m halfawake right now, I’m probably just seeing things.
Ever been punched in the face with as much force as Joyce is applying AND not having the fist pulled back shortly after impact like Joyce ISN’T doing? Your body flies backwards. Trust me on that, I found out the hard way.
Holy s***.
BTW David, I’m glad you used the original comic.
1) I literally pumped my fists in the air when I saw this strip. Well done, Joyce.
2) It’s rather amusing that Joyce is (except for Mike) the most physically violent person in this strip, punching two guys in the space of a week. Then again, I’ve seen her previous continuity, so I should not be at all surprised.
3) This should give the “in the FAAAAAAACE” meme a few more months of life, at the very least. Damn you Willis for encouraging them.
We have not seen Mike in a couple days, we don’t know how many people he has punched
Joyce used Glass Punch!
Critical hit!
It’s super effective!
In your FAAAAAACE, Ryan!
YEAH!! KICK HIS ASS JOYCE!!!
Now the whole home schooled jesus-freak always gets on my nerves and there are very few types that make me madder. This is one of them. Now kick him in the balls girl!!
Finishing move! Giga Glass Breaker!!!
Mine is the glass that will pierce the rapist!
Right on, Joyce. Right on.
amen, animal
After looking at the Tumblr entry for this strip’s changes, I enjoyed the sound effect SPRLCH better.
For the record, as someone who *has* broken a glass on someone’s face, I can attest it’s both entirely possible, and that you won’t necessarily hurt your own hand. I didn’t. His face hurt though…
You go, Joyce. You go!
Yeah. Pitchers work a lot better.
Oh look, felony assault. That’ll get you far, Joyce.
And no, before anyone says so, it was not justified. Ryan was a douche. A tremendous one. But whoever incites violence first is the one in the wrong. Legally, at least.
If Joyce realized Ryan slipped something in her drink to incapacitate her, then with that knowledge that makes Ryan having assaulted her first.
Too bad Joyce compromised the evidence, even if Ryan did deserve it.
Providing Dorothy finds her fast enough and Joyce can tell her, they can likely take her to a hospital, say she’s been drugged, and probably have a blood test done real quick to confirm it. That would be evidence enough there, especially when you factor in Ryan more or less admitted to Joyce he was trying to get her alone and that had it been the earlier drink she had she would’ve been out sooner, which means it had to be the drink Ryan gave her and…
Y’know, that’s a lot of rambling. Simply put, if Dorothy finds her fast enough, there can still be evidence.
aslong as someone heard him yelling shes in the clear, attempted forced imprisonment.
Yep, and this place was FULL of people. Hell, someone JUST left the bathroom, they had to have heard.
Quite right.
threat of rape is definitely a viable reason to commit violence
Legally, maybe; morally, hell no. He just as much as admitted to being a date-rapist with immediate criminal intent. She’s probably legally in the realm of self-defense, and even if she’s not, with a gazillion witnesses around to note what the asshole just said, I doubt there’s a jury on earth that would turn in a conviction here.
Ash, the idea that whoever incites violence first (and by that I take it you mean strikes someone first) is legally in the wrong is absolutely false. Self-defense requires reasonable fear for your safety, NOT that you be attacked first. His threatening actions and words, combined with drugging her drink, more than put her legally in the right.
YAY JOYCE!!!!!!!!!! Now pull a “Bruce Willis in Sin City” and rip his junk off with your bare hands!
Go Joyce! 😀
Now, Ryan, what did we learn about patience today?
… No, we learned that it’s a virtue. Come on, “Glrrrurghle” isn’t a word.
Now all Joyce has to do is sic her new drunk friends on him.
This maybe crudely shopped and old meme by now, but I couldn’t help myself.
Oh hey wow let’s counter attempted rape, a heinous action, with violent assault, another heinous action. Hammurabi 4 lyf wooo go joyce yea
Yeah, because using violence to prevent getting raped is really awful. She should have just gone into the bathroom with him instead.
Prude is for Joyce defending herself.
A victim is one who waits for someone else to save them.
Joyce will crush you, as easily as she crushes this…this…
THIS GLASS!
I half expected Amazigirl or Mikey to show up all of a sudden.
oh god so many comments on this i am so overwhelmed oh god
wow, I cant believe there are some of you coming to the defense of this deviant. First, its a comic, You can only do so much communicating in 4 panels, Joyce looked in her glass, that tells the reader that it was drugged. In real life date rape drugs hit you in minutes, she only has a seconds to react before he grabs her and shoves her in the bathroom to rape her. Women have died from heart failure from these drugs, she will need medical help and fast. So her response was totally and absolutely justified.
I can believe people are defending him. Some folks are just born to be victims. They’ll excuse anything if it means they don’t have to take the responsibility for their rights.
I’m not going to get overly involved in the debate here because, in the end, this is just a webcomic. It would be like talking about the kind of jail sentence Bugs Bunny would get for handing Daffy Duck that bomb and blowing his beak to the other side of his face. 😉
All I’ll say is that I’m somewhat amused by all the horror over Joyce’s reaction considering that we’ve had more than a week of hand wringing regarding her possible fate.
FALCON PAWNCH!!!!
Freakin’ rapist… Good to see Joyce justifiable assault someone.
And seriously… “Mother fucking tease…” REALLY? She’s a tease? What in god’s name has Joyce done that indicates she was remotely interested in having sex with him? She talks about the bible, she invites a group of other people to the “game session” and she decides to go the bathroom, and he invites himself a long. She gave no indication whatsoever she wanted anything beyond a games and talking.
Hope Amazi-Girl kicks his ass.
Berserker mode on!
Joyce might not be so ignorant as people realize. I’m pretty sure that she just figured out that he drugged her, and decided to incapacitate him while she retrieves help.
RAWR!
JOYCE SMASH PUNY DOUCHBAG!
joyce used glass to face it was effective sidenote: fuuuuucccccckkkkkkk yes get in there phew had to stop myself from shouting out in the library XD
YES! Take that, date-rapist!
JOYCE SMASH!
Whoooa shit just got heavy
And this strip right here is probably the closest I will ever get to liking Joyce as a character.
Biatch!
Joyce just became my 3rd favorite character
Glad you changed it back to the original, with the blood and glass shards and went with the option of Joyce getting a busted up hand and everything. It’s very, erm….accurate, in terms of what happens when a piece of glassware gets used as a bang-o weapon in a fistfight.
(bang-o weapon = poor-man’s fragmentation grenade)
I am SO glad she had that reaction. I think jesus would be proud, what with the way he wrecked that church.
“Fucking tease”. I dont know what to say, other than a great example of an alarming amount of asshole societal enablers.
That was fucking awesome!
*Thunderous Applause*
“Remove your hand far from me and stop making me afraid with your terror.”
Job 13:21
I must say this was a very satisfying strip to read.
Especially the blood coming out in the last panel there.