Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Izzy Fisher Bathes in DEATH BATTLE’s Blood!

         

Izzy Fisher, the Dark Horse of Bloodbath

Blackwidow Apocalypse was created by CRUSH it can be read on DeviantArt, Webtoon, Twitter, and Manga Plus


Welcome back to the blog! And whew, five blogs in one month. I think I was able to achieve it because Mortalia and Just a Goblin were much shorter series to cover. I was reading/collecting feats from Silent Sillies since February and it didn't have a complex plot to summarize. Paranatural was a big task to reread, but the wiki greatly helped make the process more efficient. But then there's this blog, where once I got to the third chapter of Blackwidow Apocalypse, I absolutely knew I wanted to cover a character from it. I got so engrossed that I completely binged the series in a few days. I'm reeeeeally excited to talk about this one. While there is another BA character I reeeeeally wanna make a blog on, I settled with Izzy since she has some matchup options I'm very interested in discussing. I'd highly recommend checking out this series for yourself, as I'm gonna be covering some BIG SPOILERS from here on out.

Background

"SHUT UP. I got nothin' to say to you, dirtbag. Except that I'm gonna cut you and half - and go home - and sleep like a fuckin' baby."

Welcome to St. Jumpkick, California, the worst fucking city in America! Founded by drunks in 1918, it's been in a steady decline in population ever since due to how frequently its residents are murdered.

The city has become a battleground for killers of all walks of life. What they all have in common though is that they're participants in the long-running fight tournament called Bloodbath. Despite having over eight million people registered, it's somehow kept under wraps by the ones running it. It's based on the principle that anyone can join the tournament if they kill someone that's already participating, taking their place. Each fight is overseen by a referee, and their outcomes are determined if the loser is killed or disqualified after exiting the battle's bounds. In the case of disqualification, the loser is slaughtered by the head referee Nathan Discord.

What the contestants aren't aware of is that the higher ups don't give a shit about the tournament, as it's a front for something far more nefarious. Helmed by the mysterious Orchestrator, the souls of everyone that died are used to fuel an enigmatic eldritch abomination.

Bloodbath attracts three types of people: people that pursue strength, people that seek fortune, and merciless killers. One of the most recent additions to the Bloodbath is a shocking standout compared to the rest, and that contestant is the ill-tempered punk Isabel Erin Fisher.

Izzy is all kinds of fucked up. She was a student at St. Jumpkick High School, which sought to mold its students into loyal lapdogs to serve its retired warmonger principal Hendrick Bastardsword. Izzy was a delinquent who frequently got into trouble with her best friend/girlfriend. However, things went horribly wrong after Izzy gifted her a pendant. The pendant was discovered by the school and was viewed as a dress code violation. That was the straw that broke the camel's back and she was subjected to an intensive program that's used as a last resort to fix troublemakers: the Six Program. Izzy experienced the traumatic program shortly after her girlfriend. While it left Izzy partially brainwashed, her lover was essentially executed.

Izzy left her school after that, as her will to attest Bastardsword was literally removed from her brain. After that, she lived her life as a traumatized woman, living in a shitty apartment and frequently dodging to pay rent. Although the program should've erased all traces of sentimentality within her, she kept her lover's pendant, which was a constant reminder of what she lost. She may not remember her love's name anymore, but she retained her love for punk, her extreme edge, and her burning rage.

Everything changed when a woman fell from the sky. Ingrid, a witch that's been in Bloodbath since she was six, was just disqualified from the tournament and was about to be killed by her opponent. Izzy jumped into the fray and easily killed him. Of course, that meant she was automatically registered into the tournament. Izzy wanted absolutely no part of it, but that thought was put in the back of her mind when she learned who her next scheduled opponent was: Hendrick Bastardsword.

Hearing his name alone was enough to motivate her to invade the campus. She massacred his defenses and murdered her way to the top floor. Fighting Bastardsword proved difficult due to the Six Program's effects that kept her from hitting him, and his constant berating of her. However, she found a loophole where she could land attacks on him with her eyes closed. She reminded Bastardsword of when a fight actually meant something, when he wasn't jaded by how unbeatable was compared to everyone else. It was a real-ass fight. Before his death, he left her with the advice that Bloodbath will be her end. It'll wear her down until only hate remains, like it has done to him. Even though she killed him and burned her school to the ground, she doesn't feel any less furious and nothing's changed. She tries to quit the game, having settled her score with Bastardsword, but the referee claims that's irrelevant and disappears.

Ingrid followed her around more as Izzy killed more contestants. Not just out of obligation for saving her, but because she actually knew Izzy's brother Rudeboy. When she went missing after going through the Six Program, he entered Bloodbath to find answers of her whereabouts. Like Ingrid's father, Rudeboy was killed by Nathan Discord after being disqualified. His dying request to Ingrid was to find his sister. Sadly, Izzy didn't remember him thanks to the program, along with other fuzzy memories. Learning about Ingrid's disturbed past motivates her even more to put an end to Bloodbath - especially after an encounter with Nathan himself. He came to claim Ingrid's life, but Izzy helped her weaken him enough to make him flee.

With Nathan out of commission, the Orchestrator decides to cull the remaining competition to start anew, as the cycle has happened many times before. She chooses a new vessel for the Bloodbath's grim reaper, the Undying Slaughter, to start killing the competition while Izzy chops foes down.

Back to our main gal, Izzy and Ingrid form a close bond, where Ingrid helps Izzy win her matches while Izzy aids her in ending Bloodbath. She plowed through more fights, becoming an unstoppable killing machine. The monotony of it made her hungry for a real challenge, and her wish was granted when she was paired against Ninetynine. Ninetynine was a cutesy and bubbly Angel of Death that decimated heaven and its angels after she was created by them oppose the Devil. Ninetynine was impossibly strong. Her first punch sent Izzy bulldozing through city blocks, she completely bodied Ingrid in one hit, and despite Izzy's efforts she couldn't match her. Before she could lay waste on Izzy once again, Ninetynine's head sputtered as she lost control of herself. But as she regained composure, she remembered everything. Izzy recalled her true name.

As it turns out, Ninetynine was actually her girlfriend Mallory, who after her death, was experimented on and reborn by heaven's angels with a wiped memory. Filled with infinite power she's too scared to use against others ever again, she flies out of town, disqualifying her. While shocked by this revelation and sadened after Mallory fled, she rushed to Ingrid to check on her. But uh oh, Nathan's possessing her now and she can't fight him if she wants to keep Ingird alive. He makes a bet that she'll lose the Bloodbath tournament. But if she wins, she'll have a shot at saving Ingrid. As Nathan disappears, Bastardsword's words of wisdom ring in her head.

All that remained was hate.

Week after week, Izzy slaughtered everyone in her way in a despair-fueled killing spree. However, someone decided to put an end to her endless massacre. Ren-Anji Schiffer, Bastardsword's top student who was thought to have been slain by Izzy, survived and dedicated the rest of his time training to defeat her. He didn't seek vengeance for killing his principal, far from it. Not only did she kill all his friends, but to him, she's on her way to becoming the very man she set to destroy.

Both soon realize that they are literally incapable of killing each other until they reach their goals. As they call truce, a cyborg angel she defeated before named Deadhead returned. It was revealed that Deadhead was actually the fusion of the angelic horsemen that performed the horrific experiments on Mallory. Not only that, but it was infused with Bastardsword's severed arm, so now both share its conscience. Enraged that in spite of losing everything, Bastardsword is still around, she charges at him with hot fury. While Bastardsword/Deadhead have startlingly overpowered new abilities, Izzy and Ren-Anji able to outlast their wrath. Thankfully Mallory returns in the nick of time to make sure Izzy never has to see either of them again.

After apologizing and gaining confidence to use her overwhelming strength to protect others, Mallory joins Izzy and Ren-Anji to put an end to the very root of every trauma they've faced in their lives: Bloodbath.

The trio is then visited by Nathan, who tells them there's one dude in Bloodbath left for Izzy to fight. But because they're so eager to beat him to a pulp, Nathan sicks the Undying Slaughter on them. Ninetynine and Ren-Anji deal with him while Izzy chases after Nathan, fully prepared to stick her chainsaw down his throat. During her fight with him, she is rescued by and reunited with the remnants of Rudeboy's powers, teaming up with her to take down the ref.

During the final moments of the fight, Ingrid finally expunges Nathan from her body and finishes him off once and for all. All seems well, as their shared main rival is finally killed. This would be a perfectly happy ending for Izzy and the gang…

Only, it isn't.

Now that Izzy knows Ingrid is safe, she succumbs to her wounds, leaving her friends to finish the war she could not.

Equipment


Pipe



The weapon she starts out with is a straight pipe. But don't lower your guard because of her odd choice for a weapon. It's so strong she can decapitate a giant with it.

Maxx Damage's Arm

The arm of the first warrior she killed in Bloodbath. Its spike ball for a hand can be released with a lengthy chain attached to it. She can use it as a long ranged weapon or for scaling buildings. The max length of the chain is really long, able to reach near the top of tall buildings

Deadhead's Arm

For the rest of the series, her primary weapon is the chainsaw appendage of the murderous amalgam angel Deadhead. The chainsaw is a holy weapon, which makes it significantly stronger than typical weapons and indestructible against other holy weapons. It's also the only type of weapon that's able to harm holy beings. The only weapons able to withstand it are those with exceedingly talented craftsmanship that it rivals godhood.

Baseball Bat

She used this bat in a baseball game against a giant mecha that murderizes baseball teams

Abilities


Dimensional Storage

Blackwidow Apocalypse is full of unexplainable bullshit, and you just gotta roll with it. One of its many anomalies is Izzy's dimensional storage powers. She has access to a pocket dimension somewhere close to her body she can store one item at a time. She can't store any items larger than she is. Izzy's never questioned how this power works, and it's as easy at breathing for her.

Enhanced Senses

Not only is she highly perceptive, but she's able to fight exceptionally well with her eyes shut.

Berserk Mode

If something hits a particular nerve that REALLY pisses her off (like touching her friend’s pendant, hurting Ingrid, or comparing her to the man who ruined her life) she enters an enraged state that boosts her power and speed. Her rage mode bypasses the work done by the Six Program, letting her kill anyone in her way.


Holy Manipulation

Her chainsaw is filled with heavenly energy, allowing it to harm other holy beings like angels.

Regeneration (Mid, likely way higher)

Her killing intent is so fervent that she's able to completely reattach severed limbs. This brings me to…

Immortality (Type 8) and Will Empowerment

Her will to end Bloodbath and rescue Ingrid is so strong, that she's literally unable to die unless she accomplishes her goals. It's quite literally what kept her kicking up until her apparent death. That's why she's able to reattach her own body parts. It's currently unknown to what extent she can fully regenerate from. But given these abilities, her type of regeneration is likely higher. This isn't like some sort of analogy or metaphor, it's deadass a plot point. In Ren-Anji's fight with the Undying Slaughter—Bloodbath's very own grim reaper—he's unable to kill Ren-Anji at first because he has the his own goals that keep him from dying. When the Undying Slaughter learns of this, he's able to murder him by granting him permission to die. In short, Izzy is literally too angry to die. It's bullshit. I love it.

Techniques


Parry

Like it says: PARRY THAT SHIT!

Feats


Overall


  • Killed the fighter Maxx Damage with a pipe
  • She survived the Six Program many years ago, a last resort correctional procedure to correct the most disruptive students at St. Jumpkick High School
  • Her list of charges for being chosen for Six Program is vandalism of school property, disruptions in class, threats of violence against faculty, multiple dress code violations, and even more
  • Killed G+G, the guards of St. Jumpkick High School
  • She broke into her high school by using Maxx’s arm to reach the 3rd floor
  • Annihilated all of Hendrick Bastardsword’s defenses, consisting of faculty cyborgs, Bastardsword’s elite students who went through special training, and other expendable students
  • Defeated Ren-Anji Schiffer, student council president and strongest warrior in high school, in three strikes. This was before his training to hone his technique to kill Izzy
  • She figured out a loophole to fight Principle Bastardsword: fighting him with her eyes closed. Even with her eyes shut, she’s still hella impressive
  • Killed Principle Bastardsword, an unmatched behemoth who murdered the entire nation of England, and his flawless streak continued. She was the first to give him a real fight in over 400 years.
  • Defeated the cyborg angel Deadhead, even after he sawed through her torso with a chainsaw
  • Participated in the Bloodbath Chef Challenge and won through cheating all 32 rounds except the last. In the end she killed the Guy Fieri-looking-ass  fake referee holding the tournament, K.G.D.
  • Killed Luther Lotus, whose reality warping powers responded to her rage and gave her a really hard time. She was able to best him by using Ingrid, an emotionless husk of a woman, as a distraction, while she killed him from behind
  • Killed Roboyarou the cyborg yokozuna, who's the brother of Mack the cyborg-hunting trucker
  • Destroyed Striker Billion, a Russian robot built during the Cold War that’s been murderizing a bunch of baseball teams. She was able to pay off her rent by selling his scrap
  • Killed ninja master Double Zero and several unnamed combatants in a montage
  • Fought Mallory while she had a broken leg, and wound up restoring her memories. Granted she had to basically be revived by Ingrid after the first punch, but she seriously held her own after that
  • Went on a massive killing spree after her fight with Mallory
  • Fought well against the fusion of Hendrick Bastardsword and Deadhead, despite their new acasuality powers
  • Out of 8,388,608 participants, she made it to the end of Bloodbath. Now she only has one opponent left.
  • Was the first Bloodbath combatant to land a 300 hit combo on the head ref Nathan Discord

Strength



Speed



Durability


Weaknesses

  • She has serious trouble monitoring her rage. While her anger often carries her fights, opponents that can capitalize on her emotions can use that against her
  • She’s extremely powerful and fast in her own right, but she lacks technique. Her usual strategy is just to go in, hit hard, and walk out alive. There’s been some fights where that hasn’t worked out for her, and she either had to outsmart them or need the help of others to get through it
  • She’s banned from the world of professional sports because the body modifications from the Six Program are considered a form of doping
  • Izzy has amazing stamina, having fought in Bloodbath for so long without as much as breaking a sweat. But during her fight with Bastardsword/Deadhead, all those days of fighting without much of a break caught up to her and she couldn't move. Thankfully that wound up being temporary, as she was back to kicking ass after Mallory swept in to help her, so long as she doesn't immediately continue pushing herself again

Matchup Potential


Izzy Fisher vs Travis Touchdown (No More Heroes)


(thumbnail by Vibe Check)

Vibe Check


Connections are as follows: Fucked up loser punks living in crappy apartments in cities known for attracting the world's craziest killers. They unknowingly get themselves involved in a gruesome tournament with organized fights where anyone can take their spot if they are killed, while working their way up until they're ranked #1. Both center around the theme of "killing the past," where both are reminded of the reasons that motivate them to kill and find the conviction to fight these representations of their past. Both sought and claimed vengeance for the deaths of their best friends. Both eventually go on to try and put an end to the cycle of violence they've become entangled in.

I really like the sound of this idea compared to most of Travis' other options. The connections combine the bloody deathmatch tournament, punk-ass loser personalities and lifestyles, buried trauma, and "Kill the Past" aspects of Travis really well that I don't see many other matchups do. While I'm way more partial towards Travis vs Jack more on Jack later as my most wanted matchup, this may actually be my favorite alt for Travis.

But compared to Travis' plenty of other matchups, what does this offer dynamically that others don't? To put it simply, I feel like Travis vs Izzy takes a lot of cool aspects of some of Travis' other options and combines them into one really fun package.

First of all, the setup is easy. It could be staged as Travis entering the Bloodbath tournament and being paired against Izzy. I don't see Izzy willingly signing up for the UAA and Travis could've easily murdered some rando that happened to be a Bloodbath contestant to be registered in the tourney. Izzy could break into his hotel room like many others have in the past to challenge him in the middle of him taking a pee break.

Like Travis vs Jack, the fight could have shifting colors and visuals. Blackwidow Apocalypse mostly uses three colors in its series: black, white, and the color that's most relevant to the character in focus. If it goes the black and white route, the primary colors that it could switch between would be pink and red (or both at the same time, with pink in Izzy's hair and red in Travis' jacket). For especially cool scenes, a character that's performing a really cool attack could have their color dominate the scene in different shades. Of course fully colored scenes could be included too, as all that'd need to be done to make Izzy blend in is using her canon skin tone. Maybe the fight starts out in color, but when Travis performs a wrestling move and hurls her through the door, that's when the black & white visuals kick in and the soundtrack dramatically changes. Whatever the case, there's so much potential for the stylization with colors, and that's not even mentioning the cool No More Heroes aesthetics that could be used throughout the battle! Coupled with the stylized art styles and over-the-top combat both series have, the fight could feel really sleek and high octane.

The banter would be comparable to something like Travis vs Ryuko more on Ryuko later given Izzy's angry and tough personality. It could really play up her "too angry to die" energy and Travis would just eat it up. He'd want her to give him everything she's got and unleash all her rage so he can have a serious fight. Meanwhile Izzy just couldn't give less of a shit about Travis' nerd-outs or nuanced monologues. She just wants him dead and to get on with her day. Given the dark comedy both series are known for, there could also be a lot of that utilized in the fight.

While Izzy doesn't scale high enough to the heavy hitters in her verse, she's definitely able to match whatever scale of combat Travis is in. She can fight at close range with her numerous weapons, speed around him and destroying whatever structures are in her way, and even fight Travis' henshin transformation and Glastonbury mech one-on-one. Her against Travis' Full Armor and Green Mode could really demonstrate their speeds as they dash around each other, with Izzy deflecting his missiles and evading his laser blasts. If Glastonbury is included, you could have a scene like Izzy vs Bastardsword or the Metal Gear EXCELSUS boss fight where she takes off one of its arms to use against his mech's giant fucking beam katana. And of course her berserker mode could be cool to include towards the end to really increase the destructive potential of the fight.

Even Travis' tiger form could be included since she's figuratively portrayed as a tiger in her fight against Ren-Anji. That means there could quite literally be a tiger fight randomly inserted into the battle.

Admittedly she doesn't have many interesting abilities that could clash with Travis' Death Glove powers in particularly unique ways, but Izzy has fought against many haxxy characters before so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. And let's be real, if Travis did appear on Death Battle, he'd likely just have the Death Glove moves from No More Heroes 3 and a couple or-so cool chips from Travis Strikes Again. In terms of the ones he has from NMH3, I can definitely see each one leading to some cool interactions. Izzy could telegraph the Death Kick after being hit by it once and counter it. She could deflect the projectiles from Death Rain in a cool blurry motion, then use Maxx Damage's arm in retort to send him flying into a building in a tracking shot. Death Slow could be utilized to have a comedic moment where Izzy gets caught in it, and she has a funny slowed down reaction to Travis slicing her back. And Death Force could just be a cool way for Travis to counter one of Izzy's moves. If I had to choose what TSA chips I'd like to see in Travis vs Izzy, definitely the NBMB, Strike Freedom and Dendrobium Chips.

Seeing as Blackwidow Apocalypse is a webcomic, the bulk of the track's inspiration would come from No More Heroes 3. I could see it integrating the futuristic vibe TSA & NMH3's soundtracks have while including lots of punk rock influences.

The fight could absolutely be made in 3D. Izzy's design would be easy to make a cool rigged model for, which they team has proven they're capable of.

Of course the death would have to end with a killscreen from the winners' series, since every ranked fight ends with those. If Travis wins it would certainly be a hyperviolent finisher that uses the quicktime event visuals and sound effects when finishing off his opponent. I'd imagine he could bisect her straight through the middle as black blood gushes from her, but turns red as color is fully restored. Then he's greeted by Sylvia, who approaches from behind him with only her legs visible, welcoming himback into the Garden of Madness. But if Izzy wins, have it be a fakeout where Travis decapitates her, but in a callback to the Skelter Helter boss fight, she puts her head back on, decapitates him, and slices his entire body into chunks

But you wanna know what the coolest part of this all is?

The author of Blackwidow Apocalypse is on board with this


I really dig the fight's energy portrayed in their sketch. So if they can see the potential for Travis vs Izzy, then maybe we're on to something.

Don't worry they made up



BUT IF ONE WERE TO DIE—

Deciding who would win is really dependent on how far you scale Izzy to Mallory. Mallory is exceptionally overpowered and is portrayed as above nearly everyone in the story. You could argue Izzy scaling from as low as MCB to as high as multi-cont or moon, because there's no way Izzy can remotely scale to her universe-level bullcrap. Either way, Travis would have an advantage in AP. Same goes for having an edge in speed, so he'd have a better chance of landing his haxxy moves. Thankfully, neither are too much of a gap that it's actually a stomp (at least if you consider Izzy's peak to be moon or multi-cont). While Izzy is able to bulldoze through most of Travis' haxxes with her sheer killing intent alone, he still has a wider variety that would really impede her. Travis may have those advantages, but there's the whole situational immortality Travis has to get past, which I'm uncertain he even can. Yes, he has negated characters' regeneration before, but type 8 immortality is a whole other ballpark. The only way he'd be able to get past it is if he has death manipulation, and I doubt his life-draining chips like the Unicorn Chip would even count for that. Apparently he has some form of soul manipulation with skill chips, but I couldn't find anything on that. And don't get me started on Travis' own resurrection bullshit. Honestly, this matchup could very well be one of Travis' more debatable options. Siding with Travis is probably a safer option, but I wouldn't be surprised if Izzy winds up fully scaling to Mallory later down the line.

Izzy Fisher vs Ryuko Matoi (Kill La Kill)

(thumbnail by Vibe Check)

Vibe Check


The connections are essentially the trash-talking, hotheaded protagonists of hyperviolent series who were experimented on. Both go on a rage-fueled revenge quest to avenge the deaths of loved ones thanks to a minor villain. After deaths of their loved ones, they kept an object close to them that was left by them (Scissor Blade and Mallory's pendant). Both would gain a companion at the start of the series that didn't start out as friends, but they grew much closer as the story went on (Mako and Ingrid). Both have siblings they had no clue existed, which becomes more relevant in their journeys later on. Both have a Berserk Mode and can regenerate.

I don't know enough about Kill La Kill to discuss this too in depth, but it seems to be carried a lot by their general vibes and banter potential. From what I've seen of her, Ryuko has a similarly abrasive loudmouthed personality that could lead to a lot of trash talk between the two. I'd imagine it could be a fun fight, as Blackwidow Apocalypse could match KLK's scale and absurd violence. To my knowledge Ryuko isn't super haxxy either, so the fight could be pulled off easily. In terms of who wins, this one also depends on how far you'd scale Izzy to Mallory. After learning more about Ryuko's stats, I'm more willing to side with Izzy on this one than with Travis.

Izzy Fisher vs Jack Cayman (MadWorld)


(thumbnail by Vibe Check)

Vibe Check


Given it's a matchup between two chainsaw-wielding violent death game participants from series with predominantly black and white visuals, this one vibes hard with what can be done with the art direction. Of course the fight would have to be done in black and white, with the only other colors present being pink and red. Red would often be used for the blood, or having the background change to that color when Jack has the upper hand. Although Jack expectedly loses, the dynamic can work well since Izzy has a smaller toolkit. It could also give Jack an opportunity to really weaponize the environment to his advantage, using everything he can find as a weapon. What Izzy would bring is an increased scale to the combat and a faster pace.

I'd imagine Izzy could invade DeathWatch to fight Jack, killing loads of participants in her way to get to the real challenger. With how Jack is so calm and collected while Izzy is a raging jackass, that could lead to a lot of fun banter exchanges. Maybe even add Howard and Kreese commentating over the fight to add to the comedy.

I'd imagine the soundtrack would sound like nu metal, as it'd be a fusion of punk rock and the aggressive hip-hop MadWorld is known for.

Izzy Fisher vs Hank Wimbleton (Madness Combat)


(thumbnail by Vibe Check)

Vibe Check


Connections are the following: mass killers constantly hunted down by a nefarious shadowy organization constantly sending people to kill them but to no avail thanks to their insane skills and inhuman tenacity. They would gain access to angel powers due to connecting to an angelic object making them a much bigger threat to their enemies, especially the dark shapeshifting observer that monitors their bloodbath.

Shoutout to Sentry for making the connections list that I totally didn't steal shhh. It's a lot more specific than I expected, and I think it can make for a fun fight. Neither banter too much when fighting their opponents, so I could see it not having much dialog. I'd prefer if Hank was in his more realistic appearance rather than his usually toonier one, but there could be a point in the fight where the art style could shift to that as a gag. Seeing as the Madness OST goes insanely hard, this has some really fun soundtrack potential. There could also be a scene calling back to the crowded fight scenes both series have where they gotta take out a bunch of goons while fighting each other.

I'm a little iffy when it comes to Madness Combat scaling so I'm not totally sure where to place Hank, but from what I've heard Izzy might win?

Izzy Fisher vs Yuki (The Dishwasher)


(thumbnail by Vibe Check)

Vibe Check


From the research that I did, there isn't too much of a narrative throughline between Izzy and Yuki. The core theme is basically the rage-fueled chainsaw wielding traumatized protagonists of hyperviolent black and white series with minimal uses of other colors, who are pursued by their brothers after they go missing, along with seeking vengeance on the people that ruined their lives and frequently send loads of people to kill them.

Much like Jack, the sort of visual style the matchup has really carries this matchup, main difference is that Yuki's art style aligns a lot more with Izzy's. The Dishwasher really meshes well with the brutality and violence of Blackwidow Apocalypse, and Yuki has access to lots of weapons like swords and gatling guns, so she could add more variety to the combat.

While I do consider this one the weakest out of Izzy's options, what it has over all her other matchups is that all her other opponents have way more popular opponent options. So if she were to fight Yuki, there's not much competition to raise objections and mention better alts.

NEXT TIME ON WCAB… whenever I feel like it

Saturday, March 18, 2023

Nog Advances in DEATH BATTLE!

         

Nog, the Goblin in Disguise

Just a Goblin was created by Brandon Chen, it can be read on Webtoon


Welcome back to the blog! So, a subgenre of webcomics I haven't tackled yet are the manhwas & manwha-esque series that center around a character leveling up over time. A lot of series in that vain usually don't catch my eye, but this is easily my favorite out of the bunch due to the overall concept. I'm thrilled to talk about it, and I hope y'all get a kick out of it too! Major thanks to ConnorDiesel for the descriptions and scans for Nog's arsenal, abilities, and weaknesses!

Background

"I'm going to find out why these adventurers are killing us, and what this system truly is!"

Goblins. Between them and slimes, they're usually the weakest monster in any JRPG. Thanks to their small build, they're easy to kill and farm for experience points. So how do you think they feel when they're massacred by adventurers?

The life of a goblin is one filled with danger and loss. Adventurers relentlessly target them just so they can take their ears, teeth, linen, and even their fingers. They've been preyed on for so long that goblins have been desensitized to their own siblings dying. They've have tried combatting adventurers by sending more of their kin to face them head on, but that just makes them cannon fodder. While adventurers have plagued their kind for many years, there's one goblin who dreams of the day that goblins and adventurers can see eye to eye.

Nog is his name, and he's an inventor. He builds all sorts of machines and traps to help catch dinner for his kind. Although half of them don't even work, he's always innovating and improving on his previous designs. He's grown tired of the constant struggle goblins face and wants to put a peaceful end to their plight by finding out why the adventurers keep killing them. Everyone in Rektoros Village except his best friend Gubble think he's crazy for thinking he can even reason with them, and that he's destined for failure like his many inventions. But Nog doesn't give up hope, so he and Gubble decide to trap an adventurer to interrogate.

They're successful in capturing one, but when they question him, all he said was that simple-minded goblins wouldn't understand. Nog tried to scare him into thinking he was gonna die for outliving his use… until Gubble accidentally killed him. To his surprise, the adventurer was no ordinary human. For after he died, Nog was bestowed with a small "spirit" only he could see. The ghost was named Pip and it registered Nog as a "player." As a player, he has access to a system of toggle menus that shows the stats of himself and everyone around him and quests for him to take. But the best perk about being a player is that he levels up through fighting and obtains new skills as he gains more EXP. Now that he's introduced to this mysterius system, he's hungry for more answers.

Nog comes up with the crazy idea to disguise himself as an adventurer and infiltrate a guild to learn more about them and hopefully bridge a relationship between their species. With Gubble tagging along to support him, they disguise themselves as gnomes and venture out. They encounter a gang of adventurers dealing with a horde of slimes, and joins them to help out. Led by a human named Tyros, he invites Nog and Gubble to compensate them. After being led to the human town Murlos Village, the goblins enter and succeed the Red Ravens Guild adventurer tryouts and become full fledged adventurers!

The disguised duo go on more quests with the humans and progress in the guild's ranks. With each fight, Nog levels up further. Nog and Gubble are quickly exposed to how different the lifestyle of humans are. Murlos Village is far more luxurious and developed compared to Rektoros Village. Most humans they meet there treat them with lots of respect and companionship, but they also catch glimpses of their dark side. An example being the adventurer Goliath, who gets a sadistic kick from killing goblins.

Quests are open for adventurers to bring back goblin parts to sell on the market in exchange for currency. Not only goblins, but all monsters are seen as ingredients to be harvested for everyday items. There's even one adventurer named Goliath who takes sadistic pleasure in killing goblins for fun. Eugh…

Given how powerful these adventurers are and his low levels, if he wants to protect Gubble and the rest of his village, he needs to become stronger. FAST. He starts pushing himself to help more in fights and increase his levels. However, he starts to become so focused on becoming stronger that he starts to feel more companionship with the adventurers. He even went as far as killing the beast that guarded his village's forest just so he could be on better terms with the adventurers. It even seemed like he was warming up to goblin-slayer Goliath.

However, everything came crashing down when he, Gubble, and a select few others were invited by the most powerful empire in the world, the Cromae Kingdom to take place in an A-ranked quest. At first it seemed like just raiding the kingdom of the orcs turned out to be a slaughter. Nog had grown too comfortable around the adventurers, so this was a wake-up call to stop him from becoming like them. However, it seems some of his other comrades are catching on that something about this war feels off. By the end of it he attempted to talk peace with the emperor of the orcs, but before they could truly reach an agreement after a fight, the emperor was murdered by Goliath.

In spite of the treachery he participated in, Nog not only gained a huge boost in EXP, but also unlocked an evolutionary path for him to evolve into more powerful types of goblins. After evaluating his choices, he decides to permanently evolve into the agile and immensely rare onare goblin. After that, he regroups with Goliath and learns what the other adventurers went through… only for Goliath to unmask him, having figured out his ruse. Having figured out his true identity, he initiated combat with Nog, wanting to be praised for killing a goblin spy. If Nog doesn't put an end to him, his identity will be unveiled and Gubble's will be in danger. With no other option, he's forced to kill Goliath.

Goliath died as a hero who slew the Orc Emperor and gained Tyros' complete trust after grieving with him. But now that he sees Nog as a good friend, how can he ever believe that if he learns the truth? While the event challenged his friendship with Gubble, she chose to stick with him since she could see that he's been helping her all throughout, and is being a comforting shoulder to Tyros like she was to him. While Nog was able to soothe Tyros for a moment, he later realized that Nog was responsible for Goliath's death. As payback for killing his best friend, Tyros stabbed Gubble in the back after she failed to appeal to him. Unable to get through to Tyros, Nog rushes back to his village so someone there can heal her. Unfortunately, Gubble had already passed and Nog's actions led him to being banished from the village.

Nog lost everything. His home, Gubble, his adventurer friends. Gone. As tragic as this was, it was a wakeup call. He realized peace is impossible to achieve without a little conflict. He storms back to the guild, frees all the captured monsters, and defeats everyone in his way in order to find Tyros. Upon finally reaching him, he lets out all his rage as they fight on equal footing. It was an intense fight, and Nog was really close to defeating him. But after sparing him, Tyros had an opening to land a blow that knocked him out. Thankfully his efforts inspired the adventurers he teamed up with to defend him against Tyros. Ultimately he was stopped and Nog was shipped off to the Infinity Prison, the place where the most dangerous monsters are kept like animals, and end up either enslaved, tamed, trapped for life, or forced into death games for the entertainment of nobles.

Nog may have failed to avenge Gubble and unite adventurers and monsters, but his story isn't over yet. When he first came to the prison, he had lost all will to live. However, he starts to regain some motivation after making some new allies, including a survivor of the orc genocide he rescued. Everything changes when he meets the head warden, who also has access to the system. As a goblin shouldn't be in possession of the system, he seeks to extract it from him. He does everything in his power to put down Nog, but with each trial he faces, he boosts the morale of the other monsters in the prison and gives them hope. It all cumulates in Nog's punishment, where he receives brutal lashes in front of all his inmates. In spite of it all, Nog held hope that the monsters would rally against the warden and break free. As it seemed like he received a lethal lash, that's what incited the coming revolution.


Equipment


Unnamed Net Trap

Nog has a few traps that require some preparation to set up. One is a simple net trap that scoops up anyone that walks into the tripwire rope

Net Launcher

It's basically the same as the prior trap, but the net falls on the target instead of scooping them up

The Human Trap

Literally just a beartrap. At least this one's easy to place, and anyone dumb enough to not notice it will be in for a world of pain

Heaven Snatcher

A bush trap where he sets down a cool mineral for adventurers to grab. Once they take it, Nog and Gubble would cut ropes that instantly ensnares them, tying them up and lifting them above ground


Spike Pit

You best appeal to Nog, or else you might wind up falling to your doom!


Hammer

While he doesn't use it for combat, he builds many of his inventions with a small hammer.

Basic Dagger

Nog’s first weapon. As he was too weak to wield anything else, Nog had to make due with this for the majority of his journey thus far. Though it may look worn down, he’s killed quite some powerful opponents using it, so it’s still got its uses.

Healing Potions

Initially gifted to him by his friend Lora, Nog later learned how to craft these for himself should he have the right materials. Standard potions that allow the user to restore lost health.

Leather Bag

A leather bag that can hold up to 30 lbs of items. While it's unnecessary since he has an inventory, doesn't it look stylish on him?

Grappling Gun

Stored in his inventory, Nog uses this to stay incredibly mobile through the air like a monkey in order to make a hasty getaway or lead his opponents into traps.

Daggers

Stored in his inventory. Used against the Mountain King, these daggers have wires attached to the handles, meaning it can be thrown as a grapple in order to pull Nog closer to his enemies.

Hit-Point Hammer

Gifted to him by his friend Tyros, this lightweight hammer was made to accommodate Nog’s size and fighting style of what was believed to be an agile assassin. The hammer has a passive ability that lands a critical hit when he hits the same area twice.

Tripwire Bombs

Hand-held explosives Nog keeps in his inventory, and is used as a trap should he encounter a superior foe.

Goblin Doll Trap

Once someone is lured close to a goblin doll, the expected outcome is that they get caught in a rope that yanks them up by the ankle, tying them up as they dangle upside down

Smoke Bombs

Handcrafted bombs that release flammable smoke. Nog can use them to hide in the smoke, or light a match to surrounds its area in flames.

Sweet Cloud Platforms

Inspired by the bouncy sweet cloud mushrooms in his village, Nog can spawn dozens of platforms of his design to bounce off of. As he bounces from platform to platform, it builds up his momentum to increase his speed, which is incredibly useful when he lacks mana to perform Accelerate.

Slime Shield

A slime that can expand into a shield. It can break if it takes enough damage, but it can regenerate if the attack isn't too strong

Slime

The slime ingredient can be used on its own. It's useful for Nog to throw at his enemies' discarded weapons so they're stuck to the ground.

Iron Bola

Get knifed lol

Tacks

Don't tread on these, they hurt!

Gobble

A mini golem Nog created from scraps collected from the Warden Games. His most advanced creation yet, it's able to transform its hand into any object and create copies of anything it sees. It can be a key, a saw, etc. Don't underestimate its small size, it's capable of deactivating technology, even stuff as advanced as the golems.

Goblin Spiked Climbing Boots

Wearing these lets him walk on walls and ceilings, furthering his stealthy skills

Abilities


Genius Intellect

Nog is a rather curious individual, and thus is always working to create new gadgets and innovations for his village. Though they don’t always work, he seems to be the only goblin who’s intelligent enough to make such things. On top of this, Nog is incredibly crafty in a fight and is very well known to make up plans on the fly, sometimes working perfectly as intended.

Pip and the System

After Gubble had accidentally killed a human adventurer, Nog came in possession of the adventurer’s “system,” an interface that Nog can interact with in order to view the stats and abilities of himself, friends, and enemies, as well as looking over and enhancing his skills. Alongside The System, Nog is also accompanied by Pip, a small electrical wisp known as a "navigator" that only he can see. Pip can read Nog's mind and gives him tips about the system interface and aids him in combat by providing advice. When it comes to other people who have their own system, Nog is able to see that people have a being like Pip following them around if he makes physical contact with them.

Statistics Amplification

By gaining experience points through killing enemies and completing quests, he's able to level up his stats to become stronger. He can also distribute EXP into specific stats like health points (HP) and speed. Some tasks require him to have a higher number in order to perform them, like being able to wield a heavy weapon. The image above shows Nog's current known stats.

Accelerate

Nog’s first and main ability. What he lacks in physical prowess, he makes up for in blazing speed. “Accelerate” temporarily increases his speed by a specific percentage as Nog’s proficiency in this skill increases. Assuming it’s a 100% increase with each level, Nog could be sitting at a potential 300% increase in speed.


Analyze

“Analyze” allows Nog to…well, analyze the environment around him in order to come up with the best possible strategies. Using “Analyze” allows Nog to pinpoint those in his active party, i.e. Gubble, as well as use it to find the proficiency of certain weapons, danger level of enemies, track footprints, and potential weak points. However, if an item or opponent is too “high level,” Analyze may not work. He also can't see the levels of other system users. Despite being a skill in the system, Analyze doesn't run on mana.

Store and Inventory

Much like a video game, “Store” and “Inventory” allow Nog to store things in his inventory for later use. Nog is able to store objects larger than himself inside his inventory.

Crafting

If he has the right materials on hand, Nog can run these materials through the System in order to craft items such as potions. These items seem to share the same effectiveness as if they were made by a professional. Potions have different effects on him, like increasing his stats or healing damage.

After-Image

With the skill “Afterimage,” Nog is able to create illusion clones of himself.

Cruel Bandit

This skill allows Nog to transfer his power or agility onto an object or individual, making something like an ordinary pebble just as strong as him.

Extrasensory Perception

The System can alert Nog to potential danger.

Resistances


  • Illusion resistance (Nog himself isn't resistant to illusions, but Pip can completely nullify them if Nog experiences one)

Onare Goblin Physiology

After defeating the lord of the orcs, Nog was at a high enough level to evolve into a stronger goblin subspecies. Out of the three, he chose the illusive onare goblin. They're known as ghosts due to their supernatural speed, adaptability to the darkness and perfect night vision, and mysterious powers that have yet to be fully shown. Onare goblins aren't too different from regular goblins besides his colored limbs and horn protruding from his forehead. In desperate situations, their horns are said to grow, which unlocks more of their powers. Of his known powers, he wields dark mana/magic, has heightened agility and stamina, has a new skill tree that grants him new abilities as he levels up, has the power to regenerate and reattach limbs he lost, and an unknown transformation.

Regeneration (Low-Mid)

Onare goblin limbs aren't actually real, so he can regrow or reattach his limbs if they're cut off

Dark Mana

Onare goblins are practitioners of dark mana, able to channel bursts of it through their attacks.

Amputation

A passive ability that lets him reattach broken limbs. It should be noted that he is still able to move his appendages around even if they are severed from him as long as they are in range. He can also equip items in his detached arms. Sure, he can regrow lost limbs anyway, but it has a nifty usage I'll get to in the next section.

Blessing of the Pacifist

The description says it all

Techniques


Impulse

An ability that pushes foes away with a pulse of dark mana. It costs 20 MP per second.

Influx

An ability that lets Nog pull his opponents closer to him with dark mana. The cool thing about this is that Nog can combine it with Amputation. One time he let his opponent cut his arm off, but that was intentional. Pinning his target where he wanted them, he pulled them in with Influx, reconnected his limb, and beat the shit out of them. The cost is 20 MP per second.


Feats


Overall


  • Nog is the only one in his village actually developing new things
  • He successfully captured an adventurer, albeit with Gubble's help
  • Helped fend adventurers Lora, Edward and Aria from slimes before Tyros stepped in
  • He passed guild tryouts with flying colors after surviving a minute-long duel against Tyros, the strongest member of the guild
  • Nog is currently considered a B-rank adventurer
  • Completed a quest in helping his gang kill a pack of dire wolves
  • Repeatedly thwarted goblin slayer Goliath's attempts to hunt for goblins by getting in his way and making it look like a mistake
  • Killed the beastly guardian of Ludwood Forest, a C-rank elite level 15 monster, by utilizing his knowledge of Ludwood Forest to constantly evade them and strike whenever he can. Ultimately he needed Gubble's help to take them down, but he still landed the killing blow
  • He was the first in Red Ravens Guild to kill a B-rank monster. He killed the Mountain King, a level 27 elite mountain troll that mauled Gummo the the Great Boar, the challenging monster Nog's party intended to kill for a quest. While Tyros failed to best them on his own, Nog was able to fight them while treating the mountain as his playground. Utilizing his increasing stats, his new afterimage ability, and relying on the heavy-hitters to break down a chunk of the cliffside, Nog was able to slay them.
  • He's been an adventurer for over two months
  • Was deemed worthy enough by the Cromare Kingdom to participate in an A-ranked mission
  • His current stats are as follows:
    • Level: 27
    • HP: 270 (+5)
    • Agility: 49 (+5)
    • Intelligence: 22 (+5)
    • Stamina: 30 (+5)
    • Perception: 20 (+5)
  • Participated in the invasion of Uda'mor, the orc city
  • Helped defeat holy ogre warriors Razzo and Kazzo, the conjoined level 35 elite monster
  • Knocked out two orc guards using two pebbles imbued with his agility via Cruel Bandit
  • Tricked Goliath into falling for his goblin doll trap
  • Defeated the Orc Emperor Onikuro
  • Faced Tyros in equal combat, and bested him while he was empowered by the Phoenix. Despite running low on mana, he was able to beat Tyros with his sheer wits. While Nog ultimately needed to be saved at the end, he had the opportunity to land a killing blow right in front of him—only refusing as to not perpetrate the cycle of violence any longer.
  • Defeated a prison golem, a large self-repairing robot that has defeated many monsters previously. It didn't take him long to figure out its weakness
  • Defeated Vulgor—a powerful djinn and the champion of the prison's Warden Games
  • With Vulgor, fought and defeated Pod, the S-ranked bubble-manipulating adventurer and son of the Infinity Prison warden

Strength


Speed


Durability


Weaknesses

  • Despite his incredibly impressive skills, they rely on Nog’s mana reserves, which are not infinite, forcing Nog to use his “Accelerate” and “Afterimage” skills wisely.
  • Though it happens less and less as the series goes on, some of Nog’s inventions and traps are prone to break down or sometimes fail outright. 
  • Though he has been getting stronger as the series goes on, Nog is still insecure about himself being “too weak,” which causes him to attempt to push past his limits to fend off an enemy. While this tenacity may seem like a great benefit, it also can potentially put him in danger.
  • Susceptible to stat debuffs
  • His illusions can be disabled with magic
  • When Nog becomes too enraged to focus clearly, he ignores Pip's advice and uses his MP willy nilly
  • The onare goblin skilltree relies on abilities that use mana. Running out of mana in a fight can be troubling for Nog, but even worse is that Nog's access to mana can be disabled, severely limiting the abilities from the system he can use

Matchup Potential


Nog vs Goblin of the Goblins (Brave Series)

(thumbnail by Vibe Check)

Vibe Check


Two goblins who belong to villages that are constantly massacred by human adventurers, seen as a worthless species only good for being ransacked and farmed for levels like in a RPG. They try to convince their people to change up their strategies, but are considered outcasts by their own race, with only one person they consider a true companion. Fed up with their village’s uselessness, they and their best friend take matters into their own hands to defeat an adventurer on their own. During their journey however, they find they’re able to level up like humans can, and use their newfound ever-increasing strength to defend their people whether they want their help or not.

The concept of Just a Goblin clicked with me so much because it greatly reminded me of of the journey Goblin goes through in Brave Animated Series, which I do hope is explored further in the next season if it ever comes out.

Because both have a great focus on intense speed, the fight would mainly focus on them zipping around. Goblin starts out just wielding a club, but after obtaining a goblin lord's legendary gear, he now wields a jagged sword and has lightning powers, flight, and super speed. Adding Nog's assortment of gadgets and cloning, and moments where he can utilize his analyze skills can really make the dynamic engaging. The fight could really lean into the sort of JRPG inspirations both relish in by featuring a dramatic chiptune song that sounds like Brave Animated Series' soundtrack.

The banter for this could be interesting because both went about befriending adventurers in different ways. Goblin didn't need a disguise to win over an adventurer, so he could call him out for his constant distraction in becoming stronger instead of dedicating himself to his goals; and constantly lying to the adventurers when he never had to hide his face to win over Main Brave. While Nog hasn't developed enough, I'd imagine once we see his character development he could have a sick comeback. Stuff like that could demonstrate the subversive nature both series are known for.

In terms of who would win, Goblin of the Goblins should somewhat scale to Morewant so that would give him the win, but Nog definitely has more room for growth.

Nog vs Goblin Slayer (Goblin Slayer)

(thumbnail by ConnorDiesel)

ConnorDiesel


Nog vs Goblin Slayer is essentially a contrast matchup as goblin vs Goblin Slayer. Nog’s whole story is him going out into the world of humans in order to understand why humans kill his kind, and what better person to ask than the man who’s made a reputation of doing so.

On top of a pretty solid theme of contrasting opponents, the dynamic is pretty straightforward too with good interaction potential to boot. Nog is still just a goblin (heh) at his core, but he’s also an intelligent goblin, making it so that he can work his around Goblin Slayer’s tactics and plans with his own, and Goblin Slayer, who knew goblins were cunning but surprised by the intelligence that this one has, is forced to change up tactics while simultaneously sticking to his roots. They both plan, predict, and outsmart the other using the tools and skills at their disposal.

Interaction potential, too, I think works really well. It’s no surprise GS knows almost everything there is to know about goblins, but seeing a goblin move around at blazing speeds and cast shadow clones out of thin air would completely up end everything he knows about goblins. Plus, Nog is a goblin of reason, and the fact that he’d be asking GS about why he does what he does is simply narratively perfect for him, with him getting his answer as to why humans kill goblins, and he attempts to persuade Goblin Slayer that not all goblins are bad. That they can be good people, only for GS to respond, “the only good goblin is a dead goblin.

There’s also different ways to go about the ending depending on who wins. If Goblin Slayer wins, Nog cries out in a desperate last attempt to plant a seed of doubt in GS’s mind and, as the final breath of air leaves his lungs, says to himself, “At least I finally got…my answer,” leaving Goblin Slayer in a state where he’s forced to contemplate his lifestyle. Obviously, he won’t change immediately, but that seed of doubt is all that’s needed to make him think, “Maybe…maybe all goblins aren’t so evil.” If Nog wins, have it as Goblin Slayer is on his last dying breathe as well, still trying to kill Nog but too tired to do anything as he collapses on the ground. Nog removes GS’s helmet in order to have the two face to face for the first time in the battle. No words are exchanged, but they look at each other knowing that it was going to end this way one way or another, and the life from Goblin Slayer’s eyes fade away. Nog rests his hand over his eyes, closing them and saying, “Rest now, sir. Your battle is over…”

Nog vs Vainqueur (Vainqueur the Dragon)

(thumbnail by Vibe Check)

Vibe Check


This is less an idea I want for Death Battle and more so a general idea I find interesting. Both are webcomic protagonists that are on opposite ends of the RPG enemy spectrum who gain the ability to level up. So what happens when you put the weakest type of monster against the strongest, with both having the potential for immense growth? It seems like it could be a pretty cool fight with an underdog feel. Nog works well against larger opponents too because t demonstrates his great agility and how he's able to use the arena like a playground. And Vainqueur is just a hammy delight of a character so he'd really carry the banter.

I do wanna cover Vainqueur on the blog someday, but it's taking a while to get through his webcomic since it's a Tapas original.

NEXT TIME ON WCAB… whenever I feel like it

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