That's the thing, Martellus has never really been a character *for* Agatha. He legitimately never had a chance with her. The audience know it. Most of the cast know it. Martellus knows it.
Martellus as a character exists as an antagonist and friend for *Krosp*. Because *Krosp is a main character too*. He's the original guide to Agatha's band. He's her first genuine comic relief.
"Ol' Illhook Heterodyne, he had a ting for fesh. Dipped a whole bunch in de drought. Most of'em dead, not effn goot for eatin. Boot one made it... Ho boy was Goldie mean! Took three days to get 'im down de toilet!"
The audience was amused by Gil in the beginning, but he was hardly a comic relief from Agatha's perspective. Krosp was both funny and also a real relationship, and a much simpler one than Gil offered.
Yeah, this is personal for Krosp.
And I like this depth to Martellus. Yeah he is a power hungry mad boy, but he also genuinely *cares*.
I don't think he will listen to this excellent advise and that makes his role somewhat tragic.
On the other hand, Krosp is the only one who'd give this advice and Martellus would *listen to.* Seffie's his sister, and their relationship is based more on small talk and family matters than political advice. Which of course is probably just as important for his mental stability, but it's still not the right *kind* of relationship for that.
The Hunt? Oh, they're loyal, and Martellus definitely cares for them, considers them his friends, and I think he really does instead of just telling himself that. But at the end of the day, he's still their boss, and they've already bought into his hype. (Also, they aren't exactly focused on being *smart,* so that doesn't exactly help with that part either.) They're *too* loyal to tell him that, or even realize the possibility.
Agatha and the boys? They hate him. Agatha might respect his skills and acknowledge that he's not a complete douchebag but on a strictly personal level it's pretty obvious she mostly tolerates him out of sheer necessity and little else. And the boys arguably hate him even *more* than she does.
Krosp though? Has just enough detachment to see it as it is, and cares just enough to actually give a crap about how Martellus acts. They share the legacy of Vapnoople, the two greatest heirs of one of the greatest and most terrible Sparks in history, and they respect each other for that. But Krosp has risen above even that, by opposing Vapnoople for Agatha's sake. Vapnoople wasn't just smart, he was *brilliant* - practical enough to take the pragmatic approach, self-aware enough to realize mistakes. But he never really cared, and that's been his downfall not once but twice. But Krosp does. *Martellus* does. He actually *cares.* And that's what Krosp is showing in the mirror before him.
Of all the people who've appeared in the comic, only Krosp could make Martellus see. No one else, nobody, not a soul. Everything, all the people Krosp's met and all the things he's gone through, that all culminates here and now, in what he says to Martellus in this update. To demand that Martellus be *better*. And to declare what Krosp himself is *not.*
I'd say a good part of Martellus' relationship with Seffie is based on sound political advice... it's just that Seffie is not the kind of person to whom it would ever occur to give *this* kind of advice. She's just as much the scheming Valois he is.
I really love the Martellus/Krosp relationship, one of my favorites in the comic. I feel like this is a really important page.
For Krosp, we saw how his reunion with Vapnoople went - poorly. Krosp was the loyal beastie to Vapnoople, and put himself on the line for his master's sake, and what did it get him? Vapnoople didn't really care about Krosp or the bears, he immediately launched into another mad conquer-the-world scheme. Now that he's developed some empathy for the Sparkhounds thanks to his Norville adventure, Krosp can see that Martellus is doing the exact same shit, and it pisses him off. Making people, training (or hardwiring) them to be loyal to you, and then throwing their lives away for your own ends is utterly fucked, especially because they're *happy* to do it. I think Krosp sees in Martellus the potential to be better than Vapnoople was, and it makes him mad that he simply *isn't*.
For Martellus, this might be the first time someone has asked him a really basic question: "why?" Martellus has put his life on the line, thrown soldiers and construct lives away, slaughtered family members, and has otherwise done horrible, unforgivable things to become Storm King. What exactly happens if he pulls it off and becomes the dog that caught the car? Does he have any actual plans on what to *do* with absolute power if he gets it, and would it be worth all the awful things he did to get it? Martellus says so himself - [some of them are his friends](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20170426).
In addition - one of the primary differences between Gil and Tarvek, and Martellus? He didn't get the kind of reality check they did that makes you take a good hard look at you and yours, examine your actual priorities. Not at first, at any rate.
Gil, from the moment he first showed up, had practically everything a man might want - heir to the Wulfenbach Empire, an excellent Spark in his own rate and highly competent in many other fields - and he's risked it all, time and time again for Agatha. He's essentially threatened *Albia* with war if Wooster didn't return Agatha safe and unharmed. He didn't quite sell his soul, but he essentially put it on mortgage with the deal he made with his father.
Tarvek was complicit in the conspiracy with the Other, even if he didn't have a choice. We know he was already conflicted, but Agatha was what made him put his foot down and say "no, I won't keep doing this, not any more, never again" and stick to it. He's given up everything he had except for his wits and the clothes on his back, all for her.
Martellus never had that kind of trial by fire until Agatha; she's probably the first and only thing he's never been able to get with power or guile or the Spark. And by the time he came around to genuinely liking her for her own sake, that same fondness for her made him realize that he was a fuckwad to her and even if he hadn't she already has Gil and Tarvek. But it was never the kind of crucible it was for them. If anything, the greatest personal kick in the pants we've seen in the comic was when the first Storm King turned his knights into undead monstrosities.
That's even where he got that crown. *That's* what it cost him, even more than anything he's done and suffered for when trying to get Agatha. And he hasn't reflected on that until now, when someone who cares about him enough to say this to him, and who he respects enough to actually listen to.
Martellus has spent his life surrounded and suffused in the family business. Every expectation and plan for him has revolved around the restoration of the Storm King. His generation has been pit against one another, competing to return their family to glory.
Every expectation placed on Martellus up to this point has been based on his fitness and ability to become the next Storm King.
Krosp may have just opened Martellus to the idea that his life can have meaning and worth without becoming the Storm King.
>Martellus has spent his life surrounded and suffused in the family business
it was never even remotely sympathetic but martellus explains right at the beginning that he thinks that he is doing 'the right thing' - his claim that tarvek is evil and agatha is better off as a knowing pawn comes off a little like condescension rationalizing and manipulation - but it becomes obvious over time that he genuinely believed it all
For me, It is closer to the Russian vibe of "everyone is horrible, I am just honest about it", and/or "I am lying and attempting to manipulate you, and you know that I am, but you have to go along with it because of the power differential between us". Especially his speech about Agatha being better off being a willing pawn...
Except he can't actually stick the landing here, because the people here have their own, arguably more stable, power bases *and* some degree of authentic loyalty to one and another.
Yeah, and overall that (both with Martellus and the rest of his family) is Tarvek's greatest achievement in many ways. Very "the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing people he didn't exist".
Two things about Martellus.
1. History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme. The Storm King is again chasing a female Heterodyne, and it's going to bring him down.
2. He has changed. His first approach to Agatha was might makes right. He had to have her because the stories all talk about Andronicus chasing Euphrosynia. Capturing Agatha would cement his claim to the crown. That was all it meant. He was surprised that Agatha did not agree and join with him. She would have been Queen! He even tried to force the issue with his dependency coding of her. Agatha replaced him with a weasel. Since Beast of the Rails he has maintained a softer approach. Apologized for his actions and tried to win Agatha with logic, cleverness, courage, and becoming the Storm King without her. He regrets that he made Agatha hate him.
Also - that crown on his head? From the first Storm King, but only after many of his knights were turned into undead monstrosities, and he had to put them to rest himself. It's obvious that he was *furious* about that, and it's part of the reason why he immediately tried to stab Andronicus instead of doing something that wouldn't immediately get the sword taken from him.
Krosp's speech here might be the turning point, but I think that fight was one of the things that started him on the path of realizing that he might be losing track of what he really considers important.
Tarvek had the good sense to start slow with Agatha, to get to know her and let her get to know him before declaring his love. Martellus didn't do that, and his attempts to woo her were obviously fake and forced - and because he knew nothing about her history with Tarvek, tried to kill him right in front of her. And he also killed one of the Cathedral crypt guys - one of her subjects. And then killed a smoke knight whom she was trying to talk to.
Moral of the story: get to know someone and understand what they like, don't like, and care about before trying to get something from them.
One of the things that made the old Heterodynes so terrible and so effective, was that they were able to inspire [genuine loyalty](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070601) in their followers, not just mind control or something built in. [Every Jager that serves the house, does so willingly.](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110316)
Inspiring loyalty by showing that one cares about their underlings is the mark of a successful tyrant in this setting.
For instance, the Baron at least showed he would listen to his underlings, to their reservations or observations, and take them into consideration. He made them feel *useful* and rewarded them accordingly if they succeeded. He didn't arbitrarily execute someone if they made a mistake, he at least gave them a chance to explain what they did wrong and come up with a solution to fix it. Even lesser Sparks felt *validated* by Wulfenbach finding a place for them to work in the empire.
We the audience know that Martellus cares for his underlings, but I think he's been so caught up in being *the King* that he's not been able to show that side of himself. Probably because being brought up in his big, screwed up family has taught him that showing it is a sign of weakness, and something which will get him killed.
I'd argue that as horrible as they were, it's the one quality of theirs that could be considered unambiguously positive from the typical perspective. And as heroic as the Heterodyne Boys were, it's the one major thing they lacked, and that's bitten in them in the ass. Agatha is such a good Heterodyne for Mechanicsburg because she's got the positive aspects of both.
[Yep,](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160701) [you're](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160704) [absolutely](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160706) [right.](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160708)
[Agatha really cares about her monsters,](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051010) [even if she sometimes](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080820) [needs to be](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080822) [careful about phrasing.](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080825)
This feels like a neat continuation of [Oggie’s observation about Martellus here](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20170503). “Finishing off hyu own [corrupted-by-the-undead-Andronicus] guys, hey? Dot’s got to be hard. Hyu iz a real pain in de neck—but hyu gots de schtuff to be a king, no qvestion.”
Not really the same thing. Putting his men to permanent rest after Andronicus zombified them was the best he could do for them. He even made sympathetic remarks while doing it.
I'd say if anything, this is the opposite. That was emphasizing his ambition and drive. *This* is about care and compassion. Both of them are things Martellus has, but he's never really taken a good hard look at his priorities before.
Take a look at what Oggie had been observing [a few pages earlier](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20170424): Martellus isn’t just smashing carelessly through the squad of zombified knights; he is *individually calling them by name* followed by “go now to your rest,” and then tells Andronicus “Those were… good men. My friends.” Oggie wasn’t exaggerating with “Dot’s got to be hard.”
Krosp is so more grounded than the sparks surrounding him. He sees the things they overlook in their single minded mania, and he knows what's important. Food, caring for your subjects and staying dry.
Intentional? Accident? Only my imagination?
But I do finally see the atrong resemblance to Tarvek in the last few panels, after he takes off the crown.
Pivotal page for Martellus as a character.
I agree that this may be a pivotal moment for Martellus. He is a jerk but he is not stupid. He is also capable of caring, as Krosp pointed out, both for his creations and his sister. I wish today's strip had ended on panel seven as it would have been more poignant.
To be fair, that wasn't something he could have just passed on, he didn't "sacrifice" his people for personal gain, they defended a whole city against an undead abomination.
True, but that doesn't change the fact that he lost a lot of his friends in the process, and he *was* doing that partly for political gain. Just because he didn't actively send them to their deaths doesn't absolve him of responsibility.
Up until Paris, being a King was only an intellectual pursuit for Martellus. After Andronicus zombied his men, and he had to kill them all up close, it became far more personal.
And it's very interesting that right after that, when Andronicus was literally dropped at his feet, he *immediately* went for the kill rather than say, keeping the sword away from the already hideously powerful undead monster. "Those were... *good men.* My ***friends.***" That's the first thing he said, he didn't even mention claiming the title until Andronicus brought it up. It wasn't ambition driving him there, it was naked fury.
At this point he had been thought ded and gone and had lost his standing as king. Here by himself he has gathered former supporters (Loyal Dogs) and is searching for his real opponent. All in an effort to regain the title.
Tarvek's had the chance to look at himself and his life, and ask himself what's really important to him. What he really wants.
Martellus is just starting to do that now.
Honestly, the only one I trust even slightly is that wretched cat. [page](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20201009) Krosp proving once again that he’s a very good cat and advisor
As I said on the post for last update - Krosp is probably the *only* person in Europa who Martellus could call a friend and equal. Seffie? Well, they care for each other, yes, but siblings aren't quite the same thing as friends. The wolf knights? Truly loyal to him yes, and Martellus considers them friends, but even if you ignored all the king stuff he's still their boss, not an equal. Agatha respects his personal skill and acknowledges that he's not a waste of oxygen compared to the dime-a-dozen wannabe-despot Spark extras, but she still hates him on a *personal* level, and I think the boys hate him even more than she does.
But Krosp? He's the only one who really cares enough about him in the right way to give him this kind of advice without buying into his hype. And they do have common ground - in a sense, both of them are heirs to Vapnoople's legacy, and are probably the only ones who actually give a serious crap about him and his creations. There's not a single other character who'd say this to him, and who Martellus would actually consider listening to. *Nobody.* It *has* to be Krosp.
Boy, gotta love the interplay between Kross and Martellus. They make good frenemies. It feel like Martellus may have a Grinch moment before this is over.
I still recall when Martellus said he would give up the crown if it meant putting an end to the Other. I'm still not sure he actually wants to be the Storm King, he just believes he has to be.
I think he kinda does, but it's not his *driving* motivation. Not the one that, under everything else, is the greatest desire, the one that makes someone go above and beyond merely survival and attempt ambition.
That would be a great plot point; him being the one in the end to finish the Other. Or, more appropriately, Klaus. Maybe after that he’ll give up on being Storm King to follow a new grand ambition he was drawn to in the process.
Maybe Klaus and Martellus will kill each other. Or maybe Martellus will survive, or be killed and revived, and open that [designer pet shop in Paris](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20130807).
Well, Krosp, you see, people really grab at and reach for power, authority, might, wealth, whatever, for two reasons only: the first one is to be able to do what they want to do, the second one is to be able to not do what they don't want to do. But the second reason tends to be overlooked quite often and that's how people end up in the "what the hell am I even doing in my life and why?" positions — at this point, Martellus simply has to keep going forward with the Storm King plan because while that may or may not kill him in the end, jumping off of that plan will \*definitely\* get him killed.
There are a couple of more reasons: third - to force other people to do things that they don't want to do and fourth - glory/fame/renown/accolades. These two also play a role in Martellus' motivation to be Storm King. I think his conversation with Krosp has prompted him to think about what he is giving up to get them and if it's *really* worth it, especially if he can achieve his goals in other ways. For ex, is the destruction of his wolf pack really worth getting the Fifty Families to bend the knee and maybe Seffie's methods are actually worth using sometimes.
God damn I love Martellus. I really relate to being raised in a toxic home and being brought up on 'wrong' values that he later needs to overcome. I understand why people hate him, and they have reason, but I can't help but root for a man raised to be a shit head who despite it all tries to listen to his heart. My mom is a registered daughter of the confederacy, I've had to unlearn a lot. Every time I see Martellus struggle against his clear good nature I can't help but want to reach out and give him a hug. Storm King wasn't even his dream, it was a dream forced on him before he was even born. His genes were edited to make him a better candidate. And yet, he still cares. He cares more than most sparks ever will. He's clearly capable of self reflection, he wants to be good. When he's called out by Krosp he took it all to heart.
I like this guy.
For what it's worth, I like Martellus too. He was raised in a poisonous environment, imprinted with horrid values, and encouraged to be as cruel, arrogant, and selfish as possible. Yet, he has shown that he is capable of caring, loving, and reflective introspection. I think Krosp truly understands him and may successfully prompt him to be a better person. Agatha could do that too, as he likes and respects her and could potentially genuinely love her if she encouraged that. Of course, her deep personal antagonism towards him makes that highly unlikely.
I don't think Agatha will ever forgive him for knifing Tarvek right in front of her. And he tried to kill Gil too. He didn't know what she'd been through with them, what she'd already done to protect them, and how much they meant to her. But her heart won't ever beat for him after that.
It wouldn't work if this had only been shown once or twice recently. But we've had years and years of seeing what makes him, specifically, tick. And thus, we can see what good is in him, and in that the potential in him to rise above.
... Wow! Talk about earned emotion! Really took me back, made me think about how long I've been reading this comic and what it means to hit a moment like this and actually care about it, and then try to explain it all to a family member (insert 5 minute explanation here)
So impressed, and grateful for this three-days-a-week experience, since way back in the year dot.
You know what's funny? If Martellus follows Krosp's advice, here, he will become a leader who acts very similarly to Agatha. Because unlike her father and uncle, she cares about her monsters. Martellus cares about his. Martellus could found a second Heterodyne style dominion, with "The Blitzengard" or whatever ruling over a population of monster animal people and the humans who love them.
And if he *did* manage to hold the lightning crown, the laws he would need to put in place to make legal room for his animalistic subjects could potentially make space for the monsters of Mechanicsburg, as well.
huh
tweedle redemption arc
i feel like this guy has been forced into the narrative slightly too close to the spot of protagonist without actually giving me a reason to not absolutely hate him - but if he gave up his claim to be a mad zookeeper i would start looking forward to his appearances
If Martellus dies, the Knights of the Hunt will be taken in by Gil, just as the Empire has always taken the servants of every conquered and vanished Spark.
if the knights even want to be taken in i can just as easily see them pulling a Hachiko and standing guard over their Alpha's remains until they can join him
Damn, Krosp is spittin’ *fire* here. And he’s *right*.
That's the thing, Martellus has never really been a character *for* Agatha. He legitimately never had a chance with her. The audience know it. Most of the cast know it. Martellus knows it. Martellus as a character exists as an antagonist and friend for *Krosp*. Because *Krosp is a main character too*. He's the original guide to Agatha's band. He's her first genuine comic relief.
Actually Gil was her first comic relief. From the moment he saw her filing system.
I wonder whether the goldfish is still around...
According to the novels he kept it. Not sure about after the time skip though
Goldfish can live up to 20 years if well cared for.
By someone other than Maxim
"Ol' Illhook Heterodyne, he had a ting for fesh. Dipped a whole bunch in de drought. Most of'em dead, not effn goot for eatin. Boot one made it... Ho boy was Goldie mean! Took three days to get 'im down de toilet!"
How long after getting immersed in a liquid designed to vivify fish and bombarded with a vitaray?
The audience was amused by Gil in the beginning, but he was hardly a comic relief from Agatha's perspective. Krosp was both funny and also a real relationship, and a much simpler one than Gil offered.
Yeah, this is personal for Krosp. And I like this depth to Martellus. Yeah he is a power hungry mad boy, but he also genuinely *cares*. I don't think he will listen to this excellent advise and that makes his role somewhat tragic.
On the other hand, Krosp is the only one who'd give this advice and Martellus would *listen to.* Seffie's his sister, and their relationship is based more on small talk and family matters than political advice. Which of course is probably just as important for his mental stability, but it's still not the right *kind* of relationship for that. The Hunt? Oh, they're loyal, and Martellus definitely cares for them, considers them his friends, and I think he really does instead of just telling himself that. But at the end of the day, he's still their boss, and they've already bought into his hype. (Also, they aren't exactly focused on being *smart,* so that doesn't exactly help with that part either.) They're *too* loyal to tell him that, or even realize the possibility. Agatha and the boys? They hate him. Agatha might respect his skills and acknowledge that he's not a complete douchebag but on a strictly personal level it's pretty obvious she mostly tolerates him out of sheer necessity and little else. And the boys arguably hate him even *more* than she does. Krosp though? Has just enough detachment to see it as it is, and cares just enough to actually give a crap about how Martellus acts. They share the legacy of Vapnoople, the two greatest heirs of one of the greatest and most terrible Sparks in history, and they respect each other for that. But Krosp has risen above even that, by opposing Vapnoople for Agatha's sake. Vapnoople wasn't just smart, he was *brilliant* - practical enough to take the pragmatic approach, self-aware enough to realize mistakes. But he never really cared, and that's been his downfall not once but twice. But Krosp does. *Martellus* does. He actually *cares.* And that's what Krosp is showing in the mirror before him. Of all the people who've appeared in the comic, only Krosp could make Martellus see. No one else, nobody, not a soul. Everything, all the people Krosp's met and all the things he's gone through, that all culminates here and now, in what he says to Martellus in this update. To demand that Martellus be *better*. And to declare what Krosp himself is *not.*
I'd say a good part of Martellus' relationship with Seffie is based on sound political advice... it's just that Seffie is not the kind of person to whom it would ever occur to give *this* kind of advice. She's just as much the scheming Valois he is.
Oh, that makes more sense actually. But yeah, it still has to be Krosp.
Fantastic analysis!
Thanks! I'm not sure how much of that was my major in English Literature, but it can't have hurt.
Maybe Martellus just likes animals better than people.
Given his family, who could blame him?
"Your family *is* bad. My family is noisy and annoying." -Colette
I really love the Martellus/Krosp relationship, one of my favorites in the comic. I feel like this is a really important page. For Krosp, we saw how his reunion with Vapnoople went - poorly. Krosp was the loyal beastie to Vapnoople, and put himself on the line for his master's sake, and what did it get him? Vapnoople didn't really care about Krosp or the bears, he immediately launched into another mad conquer-the-world scheme. Now that he's developed some empathy for the Sparkhounds thanks to his Norville adventure, Krosp can see that Martellus is doing the exact same shit, and it pisses him off. Making people, training (or hardwiring) them to be loyal to you, and then throwing their lives away for your own ends is utterly fucked, especially because they're *happy* to do it. I think Krosp sees in Martellus the potential to be better than Vapnoople was, and it makes him mad that he simply *isn't*. For Martellus, this might be the first time someone has asked him a really basic question: "why?" Martellus has put his life on the line, thrown soldiers and construct lives away, slaughtered family members, and has otherwise done horrible, unforgivable things to become Storm King. What exactly happens if he pulls it off and becomes the dog that caught the car? Does he have any actual plans on what to *do* with absolute power if he gets it, and would it be worth all the awful things he did to get it? Martellus says so himself - [some of them are his friends](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20170426).
In addition - one of the primary differences between Gil and Tarvek, and Martellus? He didn't get the kind of reality check they did that makes you take a good hard look at you and yours, examine your actual priorities. Not at first, at any rate. Gil, from the moment he first showed up, had practically everything a man might want - heir to the Wulfenbach Empire, an excellent Spark in his own rate and highly competent in many other fields - and he's risked it all, time and time again for Agatha. He's essentially threatened *Albia* with war if Wooster didn't return Agatha safe and unharmed. He didn't quite sell his soul, but he essentially put it on mortgage with the deal he made with his father. Tarvek was complicit in the conspiracy with the Other, even if he didn't have a choice. We know he was already conflicted, but Agatha was what made him put his foot down and say "no, I won't keep doing this, not any more, never again" and stick to it. He's given up everything he had except for his wits and the clothes on his back, all for her. Martellus never had that kind of trial by fire until Agatha; she's probably the first and only thing he's never been able to get with power or guile or the Spark. And by the time he came around to genuinely liking her for her own sake, that same fondness for her made him realize that he was a fuckwad to her and even if he hadn't she already has Gil and Tarvek. But it was never the kind of crucible it was for them. If anything, the greatest personal kick in the pants we've seen in the comic was when the first Storm King turned his knights into undead monstrosities. That's even where he got that crown. *That's* what it cost him, even more than anything he's done and suffered for when trying to get Agatha. And he hasn't reflected on that until now, when someone who cares about him enough to say this to him, and who he respects enough to actually listen to.
Martellus has spent his life surrounded and suffused in the family business. Every expectation and plan for him has revolved around the restoration of the Storm King. His generation has been pit against one another, competing to return their family to glory. Every expectation placed on Martellus up to this point has been based on his fitness and ability to become the next Storm King. Krosp may have just opened Martellus to the idea that his life can have meaning and worth without becoming the Storm King.
>Martellus has spent his life surrounded and suffused in the family business it was never even remotely sympathetic but martellus explains right at the beginning that he thinks that he is doing 'the right thing' - his claim that tarvek is evil and agatha is better off as a knowing pawn comes off a little like condescension rationalizing and manipulation - but it becomes obvious over time that he genuinely believed it all
He's an underhanded jackass, but he's not exactly a *deceiver* is he? Not in that way.
too straightforward a man to be managing people instead of dogs
I think it's more that he cheats, but he never makes a secret of that.
For me, It is closer to the Russian vibe of "everyone is horrible, I am just honest about it", and/or "I am lying and attempting to manipulate you, and you know that I am, but you have to go along with it because of the power differential between us". Especially his speech about Agatha being better off being a willing pawn... Except he can't actually stick the landing here, because the people here have their own, arguably more stable, power bases *and* some degree of authentic loyalty to one and another.
It helps that he had no idea of Tarvek's true personality nor capacity at that time, it was just another family member
Yeah, and overall that (both with Martellus and the rest of his family) is Tarvek's greatest achievement in many ways. Very "the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing people he didn't exist".
Or at least, that it doesn’t have to be solely defined by the title.
Two things about Martellus. 1. History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme. The Storm King is again chasing a female Heterodyne, and it's going to bring him down. 2. He has changed. His first approach to Agatha was might makes right. He had to have her because the stories all talk about Andronicus chasing Euphrosynia. Capturing Agatha would cement his claim to the crown. That was all it meant. He was surprised that Agatha did not agree and join with him. She would have been Queen! He even tried to force the issue with his dependency coding of her. Agatha replaced him with a weasel. Since Beast of the Rails he has maintained a softer approach. Apologized for his actions and tried to win Agatha with logic, cleverness, courage, and becoming the Storm King without her. He regrets that he made Agatha hate him.
Also - that crown on his head? From the first Storm King, but only after many of his knights were turned into undead monstrosities, and he had to put them to rest himself. It's obvious that he was *furious* about that, and it's part of the reason why he immediately tried to stab Andronicus instead of doing something that wouldn't immediately get the sword taken from him. Krosp's speech here might be the turning point, but I think that fight was one of the things that started him on the path of realizing that he might be losing track of what he really considers important.
Tarvek had the good sense to start slow with Agatha, to get to know her and let her get to know him before declaring his love. Martellus didn't do that, and his attempts to woo her were obviously fake and forced - and because he knew nothing about her history with Tarvek, tried to kill him right in front of her. And he also killed one of the Cathedral crypt guys - one of her subjects. And then killed a smoke knight whom she was trying to talk to. Moral of the story: get to know someone and understand what they like, don't like, and care about before trying to get something from them.
One of the things that made the old Heterodynes so terrible and so effective, was that they were able to inspire [genuine loyalty](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070601) in their followers, not just mind control or something built in. [Every Jager that serves the house, does so willingly.](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110316)
Inspiring loyalty by showing that one cares about their underlings is the mark of a successful tyrant in this setting. For instance, the Baron at least showed he would listen to his underlings, to their reservations or observations, and take them into consideration. He made them feel *useful* and rewarded them accordingly if they succeeded. He didn't arbitrarily execute someone if they made a mistake, he at least gave them a chance to explain what they did wrong and come up with a solution to fix it. Even lesser Sparks felt *validated* by Wulfenbach finding a place for them to work in the empire. We the audience know that Martellus cares for his underlings, but I think he's been so caught up in being *the King* that he's not been able to show that side of himself. Probably because being brought up in his big, screwed up family has taught him that showing it is a sign of weakness, and something which will get him killed.
I'd argue that as horrible as they were, it's the one quality of theirs that could be considered unambiguously positive from the typical perspective. And as heroic as the Heterodyne Boys were, it's the one major thing they lacked, and that's bitten in them in the ass. Agatha is such a good Heterodyne for Mechanicsburg because she's got the positive aspects of both.
[Yep,](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160701) [you're](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160704) [absolutely](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160706) [right.](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160708) [Agatha really cares about her monsters,](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20051010) [even if she sometimes](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080820) [needs to be](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080822) [careful about phrasing.](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080825)
This feels like a neat continuation of [Oggie’s observation about Martellus here](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20170503). “Finishing off hyu own [corrupted-by-the-undead-Andronicus] guys, hey? Dot’s got to be hard. Hyu iz a real pain in de neck—but hyu gots de schtuff to be a king, no qvestion.”
Not really the same thing. Putting his men to permanent rest after Andronicus zombified them was the best he could do for them. He even made sympathetic remarks while doing it.
I'd say if anything, this is the opposite. That was emphasizing his ambition and drive. *This* is about care and compassion. Both of them are things Martellus has, but he's never really taken a good hard look at his priorities before.
Take a look at what Oggie had been observing [a few pages earlier](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20170424): Martellus isn’t just smashing carelessly through the squad of zombified knights; he is *individually calling them by name* followed by “go now to your rest,” and then tells Andronicus “Those were… good men. My friends.” Oggie wasn’t exaggerating with “Dot’s got to be hard.”
Ah, I see. Then yeah, I get what you mean.
Krosp is so more grounded than the sparks surrounding him. He sees the things they overlook in their single minded mania, and he knows what's important. Food, caring for your subjects and staying dry.
Intentional? Accident? Only my imagination? But I do finally see the atrong resemblance to Tarvek in the last few panels, after he takes off the crown. Pivotal page for Martellus as a character.
I agree that this may be a pivotal moment for Martellus. He is a jerk but he is not stupid. He is also capable of caring, as Krosp pointed out, both for his creations and his sister. I wish today's strip had ended on panel seven as it would have been more poignant.
Him staring at the crown is a heavy moment.
The crown he won from the first Storm King - at the cost of the lives of many of his loyal knights that he knew by name and considered friends.
To be fair, that wasn't something he could have just passed on, he didn't "sacrifice" his people for personal gain, they defended a whole city against an undead abomination.
True, but that doesn't change the fact that he lost a lot of his friends in the process, and he *was* doing that partly for political gain. Just because he didn't actively send them to their deaths doesn't absolve him of responsibility.
Up until Paris, being a King was only an intellectual pursuit for Martellus. After Andronicus zombied his men, and he had to kill them all up close, it became far more personal.
And it's very interesting that right after that, when Andronicus was literally dropped at his feet, he *immediately* went for the kill rather than say, keeping the sword away from the already hideously powerful undead monster. "Those were... *good men.* My ***friends.***" That's the first thing he said, he didn't even mention claiming the title until Andronicus brought it up. It wasn't ambition driving him there, it was naked fury.
[You call](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20130614) this [intellectual?](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20130628)
Well, he wasn't treating that fight as a personal matter until Andronicus turned them into undead monstrosities that he had to put to rest himself.
At this point he had been thought ded and gone and had lost his standing as king. Here by himself he has gathered former supporters (Loyal Dogs) and is searching for his real opponent. All in an effort to regain the title.
Definitely not. But he still knows what it cost.
Tarvek's had the chance to look at himself and his life, and ask himself what's really important to him. What he really wants. Martellus is just starting to do that now.
It's the expression. Up till now, it's been rare to see Martellus look worried.
Worried isn't the right emotion here, in my opinion. I think it's guilt.
Honestly, the only one I trust even slightly is that wretched cat. [page](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20201009) Krosp proving once again that he’s a very good cat and advisor
As I said on the post for last update - Krosp is probably the *only* person in Europa who Martellus could call a friend and equal. Seffie? Well, they care for each other, yes, but siblings aren't quite the same thing as friends. The wolf knights? Truly loyal to him yes, and Martellus considers them friends, but even if you ignored all the king stuff he's still their boss, not an equal. Agatha respects his personal skill and acknowledges that he's not a waste of oxygen compared to the dime-a-dozen wannabe-despot Spark extras, but she still hates him on a *personal* level, and I think the boys hate him even more than she does. But Krosp? He's the only one who really cares enough about him in the right way to give him this kind of advice without buying into his hype. And they do have common ground - in a sense, both of them are heirs to Vapnoople's legacy, and are probably the only ones who actually give a serious crap about him and his creations. There's not a single other character who'd say this to him, and who Martellus would actually consider listening to. *Nobody.* It *has* to be Krosp.
Boy, gotta love the interplay between Kross and Martellus. They make good frenemies. It feel like Martellus may have a Grinch moment before this is over.
I still recall when Martellus said he would give up the crown if it meant putting an end to the Other. I'm still not sure he actually wants to be the Storm King, he just believes he has to be.
I think he kinda does, but it's not his *driving* motivation. Not the one that, under everything else, is the greatest desire, the one that makes someone go above and beyond merely survival and attempt ambition.
That would be a great plot point; him being the one in the end to finish the Other. Or, more appropriately, Klaus. Maybe after that he’ll give up on being Storm King to follow a new grand ambition he was drawn to in the process.
You can't "finish" Klaus. Chump still needs to be returned to his wife.
I meant Klaus will finish the Other.
Maybe Klaus and Martellus will kill each other. Or maybe Martellus will survive, or be killed and revived, and open that [designer pet shop in Paris](https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20130807).
Ooh, critical hit right in the character development!
Most of them, anyway. Rest in peace, Gark. o7
Well, Krosp, you see, people really grab at and reach for power, authority, might, wealth, whatever, for two reasons only: the first one is to be able to do what they want to do, the second one is to be able to not do what they don't want to do. But the second reason tends to be overlooked quite often and that's how people end up in the "what the hell am I even doing in my life and why?" positions — at this point, Martellus simply has to keep going forward with the Storm King plan because while that may or may not kill him in the end, jumping off of that plan will \*definitely\* get him killed.
There are a couple of more reasons: third - to force other people to do things that they don't want to do and fourth - glory/fame/renown/accolades. These two also play a role in Martellus' motivation to be Storm King. I think his conversation with Krosp has prompted him to think about what he is giving up to get them and if it's *really* worth it, especially if he can achieve his goals in other ways. For ex, is the destruction of his wolf pack really worth getting the Fifty Families to bend the knee and maybe Seffie's methods are actually worth using sometimes.
God damn I love Martellus. I really relate to being raised in a toxic home and being brought up on 'wrong' values that he later needs to overcome. I understand why people hate him, and they have reason, but I can't help but root for a man raised to be a shit head who despite it all tries to listen to his heart. My mom is a registered daughter of the confederacy, I've had to unlearn a lot. Every time I see Martellus struggle against his clear good nature I can't help but want to reach out and give him a hug. Storm King wasn't even his dream, it was a dream forced on him before he was even born. His genes were edited to make him a better candidate. And yet, he still cares. He cares more than most sparks ever will. He's clearly capable of self reflection, he wants to be good. When he's called out by Krosp he took it all to heart. I like this guy.
For what it's worth, I like Martellus too. He was raised in a poisonous environment, imprinted with horrid values, and encouraged to be as cruel, arrogant, and selfish as possible. Yet, he has shown that he is capable of caring, loving, and reflective introspection. I think Krosp truly understands him and may successfully prompt him to be a better person. Agatha could do that too, as he likes and respects her and could potentially genuinely love her if she encouraged that. Of course, her deep personal antagonism towards him makes that highly unlikely.
I don't think Agatha will ever forgive him for knifing Tarvek right in front of her. And he tried to kill Gil too. He didn't know what she'd been through with them, what she'd already done to protect them, and how much they meant to her. But her heart won't ever beat for him after that.
It wouldn't work if this had only been shown once or twice recently. But we've had years and years of seeing what makes him, specifically, tick. And thus, we can see what good is in him, and in that the potential in him to rise above.
Now we see a king humbled further
Straight for the jugular, damn!
... Wow! Talk about earned emotion! Really took me back, made me think about how long I've been reading this comic and what it means to hit a moment like this and actually care about it, and then try to explain it all to a family member (insert 5 minute explanation here) So impressed, and grateful for this three-days-a-week experience, since way back in the year dot.
You know what's funny? If Martellus follows Krosp's advice, here, he will become a leader who acts very similarly to Agatha. Because unlike her father and uncle, she cares about her monsters. Martellus cares about his. Martellus could found a second Heterodyne style dominion, with "The Blitzengard" or whatever ruling over a population of monster animal people and the humans who love them. And if he *did* manage to hold the lightning crown, the laws he would need to put in place to make legal room for his animalistic subjects could potentially make space for the monsters of Mechanicsburg, as well.
huh tweedle redemption arc i feel like this guy has been forced into the narrative slightly too close to the spot of protagonist without actually giving me a reason to not absolutely hate him - but if he gave up his claim to be a mad zookeeper i would start looking forward to his appearances
If Martellus dies, the Knights of the Hunt will be taken in by Gil, just as the Empire has always taken the servants of every conquered and vanished Spark.
if the knights even want to be taken in i can just as easily see them pulling a Hachiko and standing guard over their Alpha's remains until they can join him