He killed more than a dozen people. Covered it up with mental manipulation that the victims are still sorting out. The media nicknamed him “the sun mage.” Not just because of the outfit, either.
He shone brighter than any star mage in modern history . . .He could put out flares of power that seared anyone in range . . . By the time the authorities got Kudzu under control, it had burned out his own eyes.
Kale: If you watch the news at all, this should do it . . .
Do you recognize me now??
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I’m now curious which is the new or fake name. Was Kudzu a stage name of sorts, or Kale a name for protection? And while I feel sympathy for Kale, why did the authorities choose to give him such freedom?
On a different note, happy Channukah! I know it doesn’t technically start until sundown, but I’m lazy.
You know, I’m wondering the same things.
My guess, Kudzu was a stage name, Kale is a witness protection special. Even though Kudzu was the name everyone knew him as, there were certainly a few people who knew both his magic boy name and his birth name (Kwao Krua?).
My guess on the authorities choosing to give him such freedom was that he was found to have been somehow manipulated into it. It’s also possible that the people he killed weren’t nearly as innocent as the news would have one believe. The two thoughts don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Heh, first time reading “put out flares of power” I thought that meant extinguishing other people’s flares of power, like anti magic or blocking it.
Burnt out his eyes enough to destroy the muscles but his eyelids are fine?
The eyelids can be healed or remade with autotransplant, it’s just cosmetic surgery. The muscles inside the eye sockets would be harder to do and the nerves moving them impossible (meanwhile, the muscles and nerves moving the eyelids are probably out of the way above the eye itself).
As with Thorn’s burns, the damage used to be more extensive — the professionals healed as much as possible, and this is what’s left.
That makes sense! Thanks you two
Holy SHIT, Kudzu! It was theorized in the comments that he took out his own eyes, but I never guessed his power was so out of control, even to himself, that it would start to literally burn him from the inside.
I’ve been waiting for this reveal for weeks, and now it’s finally paid off, but I am left with almost as many questions as it answered (which I assume will be answered in the next few strips).
Also (it’s me, Noca, I was just typing fast and spelled my own damn username wrong) those are pretty well-detailed eye sockets, Erin, and the amount of research you must have done to portray them accurately kind of scares me.
Well done. Are you okay after referencing all those empty sockets?
I was thinking the same thing! To both your comments.
Even though a lot of us figured Kale was Kudzu, the confirmation still gave new information and new questions, very well done.
Also I love and appreciate all the effort Erin puts into researching stuff and this comic <3
Ohh yes, that research sure was…a thing. Learned a lot about prosthetic eyes! Had to adjust the original plot idea to fit, even. But it all came together in the end.
There’s plenty more levels of backstory to be explored, never fear =D
Does Kale dye his hair? It used to be reddish orange right?
Also it still seems strange that he’s been let out at all. So there must be some sort of extenuating circumstance. Unless prison is so completely against the system that they didn’t want to do that but… someone that dangerous you would think they would make an allowance for locking them up.
A lot of Magicals have hair colour changes when they transform, Eg Holly gets the lighter green tips, Cedar’s fringe also goes bright yellow/orange.
Someone this dangerous would be wonder to be caught alive at all. I would assume the news story is not whole truth.
Oh boy, yeah, that’s eye horror. Even with the warning I’m still going “gaaaaaaaah whyyyyyy” but it is I think less than if I’d been hit with this page completely without warning so, y’know, thanks.
Also Kale is a
cinnamon roll who has done nothing wrong ever in his entire lifea person who deserves a tight hug or other equivalent gesture of affection that he’d take as positively as I would a nice tight hug while wrapped in a cuddly blanket.I get the feeling lunging at Thorn burn scars first isn’t going to work out for Kale in a good way.
Well well… this is an interesting twist. I’ve been wondering who exactly this Kudzu fellow was ever since he popped up in the Magical Thorn AU. And now we see this. This is going to be an interesting exposition dump, assuming all’s clear (and Thorn checked himself for bugs too).
I’m not sure if I should be happy or upset that I called it.
useless ass psychic powersGet him a big fluffy blanket, a warm beverage, and a pile of puppies, STAT!
This is a very satisfying reveal and I’m SUPER pumped to see where things are going to go from here.
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