…If Rikk dies that might be the single most shocking twist in Fans ever. And the thing is, from a plot sense he *can* die. I mean, he isn’t the main character anymore. Something bad has to happen to splinter Aegis. Whatever happens, this is good storytelling.
Okay, guys, start your bets, start your bets here: what has Rikk contracted? One at a time! Is it AIDS? The BIRD FLU?! Maybe he’s been diagnosed with CANCER! There’s only one way to find out, folks, and, until then, you might as well PLACE YOUR BETS!!!
It better be some crazy-magic-super-intelligent-body-hoping-virus.
They have the ability to transfer people’s brains into comatose victims. Not to mention all of the super-science and magic they have at their disposal. So, I will give mad props to Campbell if he has taken all of that into account. (and I hope its not a ‘well I’m Rikk and no one has to die for me even if they’re already brain dead’ reason.)
Also, I think my respect for FreddyG will also go up if he did it and took all that into account.
Whatever it is, it has to be something that they found out from the baby, because Alison obviously found out about it at the hospital when Rikk wasn’t around. Something genetic? Something that wouldn’t harm the baby, but could be lethal to Rikk? Something not in our universe (but in the Faansverse) which would give T the most creativity?
Listen, I hate to be That Guy, but I’ll just have to say it: Ever since you introduced body-swapping technology, time travel, magic and reality manipulation devices to your story, you kind of rendered the idea of a terminal disease killing a character null and void. You already showed us the guys going to a distant future to retrieve a miracle cure for a doomed character, and you recently showed us Future Guthrie extending his life by transferring his mind into Future Di’s body, so I hope you’ll understand my skepticism. IMHO, the only way Rikk *could* die plausibly is if he *wanted* to die (which sounds like something Rikk would do).
The first thing that popped into my head was Worthington’s Syndrome (I think that was the name they gave Ali’s illness, right?). Would be an insane twist if she beat the disease against all odds but it wound up taking Rikk, the man who already gave everything to save her… might as well give his life too.
Two reasons I think Rikk could actually die here (though I pray it doesn’t come to pass): (1) He’s become something of an unbeatable force in the Fans universe – there is nothing he can’t do and no one he can’t overcome. He is a force of unbeatable will and spirit. Since it would be impossible for him to become any “greater” he may need to disappear for other characters to have a chance to shine. (2) Choosing to die when it’s his time, rather than prolong his life by science or magic, is precisely the sort of thing Rikk would do, as Moebius mentions above.
Alright, I was wrong about what was going on. And this presents its own problems, but there are reasons for it. Even though Moebius is absolutely right, and Rikk shouldn’t be able to die unless he wants to, he’s done his part and doesn’t need to be looking over Aegis anymore. This is a natural, normal part of the story.
Oh… Oh no. Rikk has always been my favorite character, not because he’s so brilliant, but because in a cast full of characters hard not to love, he’s the religious ones. He’s assured in his faith. He knows that everything he does, he’s doing with the backing of his God’s. That is why he will lay down and die if its his time to–because his role in God’s plan on Earth is over. His instrument has played its fill, and now it’s time for the other sounds to be heard.
That said, reading those first two panels hurt. Over the years, he has been one of my role models—not one of those wristband, WWRD-type of role-models, but someone I aspired to become more like, someone I respected, and admired. Seeing him admit his mortality hurts. I do sincerely hope that he’ll turn out in the end, but I do know that no matter what, Rikk will go happy, and it’ll be written beautifully, and many people will cry.
I honestly don’t think Rikk would take the body swapping route, not his style. I think he would feel he was living a lie and causing someone to die, really not Rikk’s deal. Also though the gang has experienced time travel both as travelers and as hosts it was never in a way that they could actually get hold of the technology. Even if the current group of “friendly” time travelers gave them the tech it is obvious that it comes with a huge risk involved and we don’t know that they can travel forward in time. Also I question how well it would work as in the old Faans time travel story arc changing the past merely made another universe so stopping him from getting the disease would not actually stop this Rikk from getting it.
Rikk swaps bodies with Feddyg. Sex life in the Oberf house is now 1000 times more awkward. Hilarity ensues² (except for Feddyg, who’s gonna die a slow death)
Feddyg gave Rikk Douche-bag-itis. It clashes so badly with his body’s “Jesus Analogue Cells” that his body is eventually just going to break down. Poor Rikk.
Rikk would never swap bodies to live. Don’t think they could convince him to take a comatose person’s body to stay alive even if the world desperately needed him, which, at the moment, he doesn’t have reason to think is true. Even if he doesn’t think that he’s stealing someone else’s life or whatever, Rikk would never settle well with the idea that he shouldn’t die along with his body. He considers himself very much another mortal, and the idea of cheating death like that would be outright blasphemy to him.
Wait, what if he’s just going blind and mute? That’s why he’s recording this.
Also, I’m going to count that as one bet for “Carnivorous Dickants”, Sorrow. You’re quite the gambler.
Okay, that’s a lie. But if you kill Rikk, I will send you hateful emails and leave nasty comments on every blog I can find!
…Okay, that’s a big fat lie as well. But…I don’t want Rikk to die. And I’m pissed off at you for getting me choked up over a frakking COMIC character. And I’m NOT CRYING!
From a storytelling aspect I am absolutely delighted by this turn of events. Think back – with all the time traveling, all the visiting the future and visitors FROM the future, where was future Rikk? Nowhere, that’s where – this twist could have been planned from day one! I am casting all about my memory and cannot find even a hint of a memory where the story even suggests that Rikk lives past 30. Plenty of characters do, I don’t even need to list them, all kinds of different people have future identities. But no Rikk. Anywhere.
From a fans point of view: Rick is easily my favorite character. I don’t generally invest in comic strip characters emotionally, but Rikk is really everything I ever wanted to be when *I* was 19 (I’m much more cynical and jaded now) and a part of me thinks of him as the kind of person I *could* have been if the world were fundamentally different from what it is.
He is the only character that I think, deep down inside, I never even considered that he might die (even with the jesus beard) except of old age in bed surrounded by family when he’s a hundred and two. Just the idea that he might be on the way out now, so early, without ever even meeting his son…. Wow. It’s not certain it’ll happen – I won’t speculate on how ‘likely’ since the author obviously already knows – but realizing that it COULD happen, very soon, gets me all knotted up inside, like I’m considering the imminent death of a close friend. You got me, Campbell, dammit but you got me.
…If Rikk dies that might be the single most shocking twist in Fans ever. And the thing is, from a plot sense he *can* die. I mean, he isn’t the main character anymore. Something bad has to happen to splinter Aegis. Whatever happens, this is good storytelling.
Funny thing is, I was thinking of the “Teccies” (sp?) storyline the other day.
Whoa, I’m getting flashbacks to B5’s Sheridan here.
So what’s he got? Does it turn out that Allison’s disease was contagious, and its just been in remission until now?
Rikk dies and the crew goes on a Chrono Trigger-esque adventure to save him in the past. Hilarity ensues.
Okay, guys, start your bets, start your bets here: what has Rikk contracted? One at a time! Is it AIDS? The BIRD FLU?! Maybe he’s been diagnosed with CANCER! There’s only one way to find out, folks, and, until then, you might as well PLACE YOUR BETS!!!
I thought this whole thing was a flashback until I remembered Rikk shaved off his beard.
Good to see Rikk’s taking it well, but, jeez. A terminal illness? That’s… Man. I’d be crushed if Rikk went and died. I’ve known him for years.
Dude, if Rik dies…, listen, it ain’t pretty when a fat man cries. Do you want to be responsible for this fat man crying?
Oh great…
Did you give Rikk cancer as well, Karkat?
It better be some crazy-magic-super-intelligent-body-hoping-virus.
They have the ability to transfer people’s brains into comatose victims. Not to mention all of the super-science and magic they have at their disposal. So, I will give mad props to Campbell if he has taken all of that into account. (and I hope its not a ‘well I’m Rikk and no one has to die for me even if they’re already brain dead’ reason.)
Also, I think my respect for FreddyG will also go up if he did it and took all that into account.
@Gumba Masta.
TJ.
I GAVE YOUR WHOLE UNIVERSE CANCER.
SORRY.
Whatever it is, it has to be something that they found out from the baby, because Alison obviously found out about it at the hospital when Rikk wasn’t around. Something genetic? Something that wouldn’t harm the baby, but could be lethal to Rikk? Something not in our universe (but in the Faansverse) which would give T the most creativity?
Listen, I hate to be That Guy, but I’ll just have to say it: Ever since you introduced body-swapping technology, time travel, magic and reality manipulation devices to your story, you kind of rendered the idea of a terminal disease killing a character null and void. You already showed us the guys going to a distant future to retrieve a miracle cure for a doomed character, and you recently showed us Future Guthrie extending his life by transferring his mind into Future Di’s body, so I hope you’ll understand my skepticism. IMHO, the only way Rikk *could* die plausibly is if he *wanted* to die (which sounds like something Rikk would do).
The first thing that popped into my head was Worthington’s Syndrome (I think that was the name they gave Ali’s illness, right?). Would be an insane twist if she beat the disease against all odds but it wound up taking Rikk, the man who already gave everything to save her… might as well give his life too.
Two reasons I think Rikk could actually die here (though I pray it doesn’t come to pass): (1) He’s become something of an unbeatable force in the Fans universe – there is nothing he can’t do and no one he can’t overcome. He is a force of unbeatable will and spirit. Since it would be impossible for him to become any “greater” he may need to disappear for other characters to have a chance to shine. (2) Choosing to die when it’s his time, rather than prolong his life by science or magic, is precisely the sort of thing Rikk would do, as Moebius mentions above.
I’m not sure what to think… Other then I somehow like where things are going.
Alright, I was wrong about what was going on. And this presents its own problems, but there are reasons for it. Even though Moebius is absolutely right, and Rikk shouldn’t be able to die unless he wants to, he’s done his part and doesn’t need to be looking over Aegis anymore. This is a natural, normal part of the story.
Oh… Oh no. Rikk has always been my favorite character, not because he’s so brilliant, but because in a cast full of characters hard not to love, he’s the religious ones. He’s assured in his faith. He knows that everything he does, he’s doing with the backing of his God’s. That is why he will lay down and die if its his time to–because his role in God’s plan on Earth is over. His instrument has played its fill, and now it’s time for the other sounds to be heard.
That said, reading those first two panels hurt. Over the years, he has been one of my role models—not one of those wristband, WWRD-type of role-models, but someone I aspired to become more like, someone I respected, and admired. Seeing him admit his mortality hurts. I do sincerely hope that he’ll turn out in the end, but I do know that no matter what, Rikk will go happy, and it’ll be written beautifully, and many people will cry.
Good luck, Rikk Oberf.
I honestly don’t think Rikk would take the body swapping route, not his style. I think he would feel he was living a lie and causing someone to die, really not Rikk’s deal. Also though the gang has experienced time travel both as travelers and as hosts it was never in a way that they could actually get hold of the technology. Even if the current group of “friendly” time travelers gave them the tech it is obvious that it comes with a huge risk involved and we don’t know that they can travel forward in time. Also I question how well it would work as in the old Faans time travel story arc changing the past merely made another universe so stopping him from getting the disease would not actually stop this Rikk from getting it.
Rikk swaps bodies with Feddyg. Sex life in the Oberf house is now 1000 times more awkward. Hilarity ensues² (except for Feddyg, who’s gonna die a slow death)
Feddyg gave Rikk Douche-bag-itis. It clashes so badly with his body’s “Jesus Analogue Cells” that his body is eventually just going to break down. Poor Rikk.
Rikk would never swap bodies to live. Don’t think they could convince him to take a comatose person’s body to stay alive even if the world desperately needed him, which, at the moment, he doesn’t have reason to think is true. Even if he doesn’t think that he’s stealing someone else’s life or whatever, Rikk would never settle well with the idea that he shouldn’t die along with his body. He considers himself very much another mortal, and the idea of cheating death like that would be outright blasphemy to him.
I bet it’s Carnivorous Dickants. They’re srs bznz, yo.
/mood whiplash
Wait, what if he’s just going blind and mute? That’s why he’s recording this.
Also, I’m going to count that as one bet for “Carnivorous Dickants”, Sorrow. You’re quite the gambler.
I’m going to have my wild money be on something fiction that Rikk’s got.
If you kill Rikk, I will never read Fans again!
Okay, that’s a lie. But if you kill Rikk, I will send you hateful emails and leave nasty comments on every blog I can find!
…Okay, that’s a big fat lie as well. But…I don’t want Rikk to die. And I’m pissed off at you for getting me choked up over a frakking COMIC character. And I’m NOT CRYING!
From a storytelling aspect I am absolutely delighted by this turn of events. Think back – with all the time traveling, all the visiting the future and visitors FROM the future, where was future Rikk? Nowhere, that’s where – this twist could have been planned from day one! I am casting all about my memory and cannot find even a hint of a memory where the story even suggests that Rikk lives past 30. Plenty of characters do, I don’t even need to list them, all kinds of different people have future identities. But no Rikk. Anywhere.
From a fans point of view: Rick is easily my favorite character. I don’t generally invest in comic strip characters emotionally, but Rikk is really everything I ever wanted to be when *I* was 19 (I’m much more cynical and jaded now) and a part of me thinks of him as the kind of person I *could* have been if the world were fundamentally different from what it is.
He is the only character that I think, deep down inside, I never even considered that he might die (even with the jesus beard) except of old age in bed surrounded by family when he’s a hundred and two. Just the idea that he might be on the way out now, so early, without ever even meeting his son…. Wow. It’s not certain it’ll happen – I won’t speculate on how ‘likely’ since the author obviously already knows – but realizing that it COULD happen, very soon, gets me all knotted up inside, like I’m considering the imminent death of a close friend. You got me, Campbell, dammit but you got me.