1012: "Wrong Superhero"

[mikekearn]

This is why I firmly believe that every scientific laboratory should have no less than a .357 in one of those "In case of emergency, break the glass" cases. I'm pretty sure that guy has nothing more than a 9mm. We can clearly see it lacks the necessary stopping power to take down your average killer mantis. Lab managers, take this to heart. Demand more adequate safety equipment in the work place. It just makes sense.

What should they keep on hand for those fork-spoon hybrids?

A knife?

[VectorZero]

I see you've played knifey-fork-spoony before!

[tomandlu]

Does he come running to see if someone's making a dubious criticism of the plural form "octopi"?

A man writes to an exotic animal supplier:

Dear Sir,

Please send me two mongeese mongooses mongi a mongoose.

P.S. Dammit - send me two.

[Zamite]

I don't know what –ology Randal had in mind (I'm no Bible scholar), but etiology wasn't it. Anybody know?

Why not just Theology.

[MitraSmit]

It's really bugging me (pahdum tsss) that etymology with extra N is still entYmology, not ENTOmology. Entomology man should have realized this.

[Inglonias]

Those of you who volunteered to be injected with praying mantis DNA, I've got some good news and some bad news. Bad news is we're postponing those tests indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men. Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts.

Glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking with Portals. I like this new pseudohero!

I was about to post this too!

[flekkie]

It suprises me how Cyanide And Happiness - like these Etymologyman comics are.
At C&H they have the same kinds of anti-heroes, Seizure man, AssRape-man,Punchline Spoiler Man, Education man...

And the building up is completly the same, A disastrous situation that asks for a superhero, hero appears, but hero isn't helping at all. Instead he makes it worse/does something completly unuseful.

To state my point.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u202/meganwagon/Cyanide%20and%20Happiness/bomb.png


But anyway, apart from noticing the similarity (i'm suprised no-one on the forums yet mentioned this? I assume most of you know C&H as well?),
i really like Etymology man. Superheroe comics are great

[mmcmonster]

Makes me think that either:
1 - Randall's wife is pregnant.
or
2 - Randall just got a new server and is having trouble naming it.

[JamesLucas]

I hope there are enough full-fledged Etymology Man strips for us to finally get up to Etymology Man IV: The Quest for 'P's.

[John Romberg]

I loled!

[DVC]

Yay!

I've been resisting becoming another of those academics who posts xkcd comics on their door, but I use a version of this joke all the time, so I might just have to post this one up.

[Sasquach]

I created an account just to be able to post regarding this comic:

PLEASE oh PLEASE make this into a poster....

[red5]

This is why I firmly believe that every scientific laboratory should have no less than a .357 in one of those "In case of emergency, break the glass" cases. I'm pretty sure that guy has nothing more than a 9mm. We can clearly see it lacks the necessary stopping power to take down your average killer mantis. Lab managers, take this to heart. Demand more adequate safety equipment in the work place. It just makes sense.

At the very least, there should be a handy supply of crowbars in every supply closet.

[peewee_RotA]

I always thought that Entomologists studied the plant life of Middle Earth

[VectorZero]

I always thought that Entomologists studied the plant life of Middle Earth

[DougDean]

Etymology-Man returns! Who says superhero sequels are never as good as the original?

...or maybe Malapropism Man...?

[DougDean]

I always thought that Entomologists studied the plant life of Middle Earth

No; that would be Entologists
Or perhaps Medigeobotanists...

[kubuzetto]

No Green Brain jokes?

Ok.

[Red Hal]

Etymology-Man returns! Who says superhero sequels are never as good as the original?

...or maybe Malapropism Man...?

Malapropism man's battle cry: "To Infinity, and behind!"

[TexasToast]

Also, the Wikipedia page for Etiology clearly says, "Not to be confused with Etymology, the study of the history of words, or Entomology, the study of insects."

I don't doubt that's the word Randall was going for.

[SpringLoaded12]

Wow, I had forgotten Etymology Man until I came to this thread. Weird to think that he first showed up this week, too.

Dealing with the mantis should be easy; just get its head dirty and then hide. When it tries to clean its head with its arms, it's likely to accidentally yank its own head off.

[VectorZero]

I'm more curious how, in a lab that manages to make bug enormous (ignoring surface area : volume ratio problems with a tracheal breathing system and the cubic increase of mass), they manage not to know that they are, themselves, entomologists not etymologists.

Perhaps both Etymology-Man and Entomology-Man have bad hearing and are always accidentally showing up where they don't belong.

Actually maybe it's the receptionist with hearing trouble. When they first called about their insect problem they were put through to Child Protection...

[Coyne]

Ah, so he returns. And after only a 1-comic intermission too. Gee, either he's popular or Randall is in a phase...

Hope we see more of him.

In addition, I want to see the lab scenario which led to this.

Yeah, it was probably pretty interesting.

Bet it also involved a failure to promptly kill insect zero.

[The Scyphozoa]

Really? A callback after only four days?

[Jackpot777]

Also, the Wikipedia page for Etiology clearly says, "Not to be confused with Etymology, the study of the history of words, or Entomology, the study of insects."

I don't doubt that's the word Randall was going for.

But there's the rub. They're firing on it. If they wanted Entomology Man, they would be examining it, studying it, not treating it with extreme prejudice.

They went in there to kill them. Not study. Not to bring back. That's the plan, you have my word on it. But how do we know it'll affect their biochemistry?

I say they take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[Sprocket]

Dear Randall,

I forgive you for everything. The past is the past. Come on, it's hug time.

[Plutarch]

It suprises me how Cyanide And Happiness - like these Etymologyman comics are.
...
To state my point.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u202 ... s/bomb.png

For someone called 'Education-Man,' this character seems to use language poorly. 'That's exactly how long one should brush their teeth.' Surely that should be 'That's exactly how long one should brush one's teeth.' Unless he's talking about brushing someone else's teeth, but that doesn't seem to be the case, as he illustrates his point by brushing his own.

[pscottdv]

This is why I firmly believe that every scientific laboratory should have no less than a .357 in one of those "In case of emergency, break the glass" cases. I'm pretty sure that guy has nothing more than a 9mm. We can clearly see it lacks the necessary stopping power to take down your average killer mantis.

Second that. It's the extra 2.7 thousands of an inch that leaves room enough for giant bug guts to drain out the hole in the carapace! And for Gods sake, replace those aging mortars with RPGs. It's like you're ASKING for a mobile armor attack!

[forbiddenSpell]

Those of you who volunteered to be injected with praying mantis DNA, I've got some good news and some bad news. Bad news is we're postponing those tests indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men. Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts.

Glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking with Portals. I like this new pseudohero!

I also thought of this. I didn't remember the exact quote though, so I'm glad someone else posted it.

[scalziand]

I keep expecting Triangle-man to show up now.

[PolakoVoador]

Those of you who volunteered to be injected with praying mantis DNA, I've got some good news and some bad news. Bad news is we're postponing those tests indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men. Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts.

Congratulations,
You won 200 internets after this awesome quote

[Fire Brns]

This is why I firmly believe that every scientific laboratory should have no less than a .357 in one of those "In case of emergency, break the glass" cases. I'm pretty sure that guy has nothing more than a 9mm. We can clearly see it lacks the necessary stopping power to take down your average killer mantis. Lab managers, take this to heart. Demand more adequate safety equipment in the work place. It just makes sense.

At the very least, there should be a handy supply of crowbars in every supply closet.

Where did the crossbows go?

[sehkzychic]

This is why I firmly believe that every scientific laboratory should have no less than a .357 in one of those "In case of emergency, break the glass" cases. I'm pretty sure that guy has nothing more than a 9mm. We can clearly see it lacks the necessary stopping power to take down your average killer mantis. Lab managers, take this to heart. Demand more adequate safety equipment in the work place. It just makes sense.

At the very least, there should be a handy supply of crowbars in every supply closet.

Where did the crossbows go?

Crossbows should have pretty decent stopping power, too! Or at least "temporary stopping power." Unless you're using metal bolts?

[sehkzychic]

Oh wait, the perfect solution: get a recording of bat vocalizations (including their sonar). It worked for Buffy in her less badass days.

[Ronsonic]

Does he come running to see if someone's making a dubious criticism of the plural form "octopi"?

A man writes to an exotic animal supplier:

Dear Sir,

Please send me two mongeese mongooses mongi a mongoose.

P.S. Dammit - send me two.

Please send me a mongoose and another one.

[Ronsonic]

Is it sad that I just want to yell "Front Sight!" at the guy shooting?

Stance, grip, sight, squeeze!
Stance, grip, sight, squeeze!
Stance, grip, sight, squeeze!
Stance, grip, sight, squeeze!
Stance, grip, sight, squeeze!
Stance, grip, sight, squeeze!
Stance, grip, sight, squeeze!

[Aetius451]

There is an implied self-reference here, though it's not clearly intentional: Though all his words in the comic describe the etymology of "entomology," Etymology Man is really explaining the etymological difference between "entomology" and "etymology."

Carthago delenda est.

[feldgendler]

This is why I firmly believe that every scientific laboratory should have no less than a .357 in one of those "In case of emergency, break the glass" cases. I'm pretty sure that guy has nothing more than a 9mm. We can clearly see it lacks the necessary stopping power to take down your average killer mantis. Lab managers, take this to heart. Demand more adequate safety equipment in the work place. It just makes sense.

They have some superhero summoning buttons behind that glass.

[eran_rathan]

This is why I firmly believe that every scientific laboratory should have no less than a .357 in one of those "In case of emergency, break the glass" cases. I'm pretty sure that guy has nothing more than a 9mm. We can clearly see it lacks the necessary stopping power to take down your average killer mantis.

Second that. It's the extra 2.7 thousands of an inch that leaves room enough for giant bug guts to drain out the hole in the carapace! And for Gods sake, replace those aging mortars with RPGs. It's like you're ASKING for a mobile armor attack!

Its more a matter of the 570 J vs. 960 J of energy (9mm vs. 357 magnum).

[catbus]

The giant (well, bigger than normal, this ain't Mothra territory) praying mantis brings to mind this article which's well worth a perusal: http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/21701757/ The Biology of B-Movie Monsters by Michael C. LaBarbera