I have a theory now. On the off chance that I’m right, I will ROT13 it to avoid possibly spoiling anyone:
bhe ureb naq bhe zvzr unir zrg orsber. fcrpvsvpnyyl nobhg n qrpnqr ntb. yvggyr fvf vf gur bar jub vafcverq gur pybja hetr va znel. guvf zrzbel jvyy erghea va gvzr. vg jvyy or gur xrl gb oevatvat fgvgpuzbhgu onpx sebz gur qnex fvqr.
I’ve managed to decode it with the help of the internet, a Google search on what “ROT13” is, and the website https://rot13.com; and here’s what it actually says, everyone; be warned:
“our hero and our mime have met before. specifically about a decade ago. little sis is the one who inspired the clown urge in mary. this memory will return in time. it will be the key to bringing stitchmouth back from the dark side.”
Reposting it in plaintext completely defeats the point of me posting it in ROT13 in the first place. It wasn’t a fiendish puzzle I set up, it was just a way to let people choose whether or not they wanted to read it.
…I’m embarrassed to admit I somehow misunderstood the last row of panels. Instead of reading it as “McBell will defeat/kill me, and when that happens, I hope you won’t blame her for it”, I parsed it as “McBell will defeat/kill me, and when that happens, she (McBell) will hope that you won’t blame her for it.” Not sure how I made that mistake.
This means that Echo/Maggie is being much more tender and vulnerable in the final panels than I had previously understood. She really doesn’t want to break Morgan’s heart, but she thinks she’s locked in to her “narrative destiny”. On the surface level, she enjoys being a villain (because it offers a certain animal satisfaction, and because there’s no sense in being miserable about something you can’t change). But when she contemplates death and the escape from villainy that it offers, her true heart peeks out through the cracks.
God, that’s sad.
Oddly, I think my ROT13 theory is still perfectly sound.
“things got serious when the evil mime broke the fourth wall to speculate on how the dramatic arc she’s aware she’s in will end” I said to myself, not even sarcastically
She’s putting a choice in front of her sister. Making her choose to let her go, and let the predicted battle happen… Or stop her now, by choosing to protect her new protégée.
So she fully intends to fight Mcbell to the death huh? How does she know that there won’t be an unexpected ending? Like the twist with her Turning on ol Gil?
I still think that Maggie may sacrifice Morgan to push McBell forward towards their fates confrontation. Nothing like a revenge mentor storyline to mAke the story worth it.
Part of me is unsure if the 4th wall breaking is actual 4th wall breaking or a in universe delusion. I’m hoping for the latter but I’m keeping an open mind.
AAAAAAAAAAAAA
Oh. Shit.
I predict they kill each other in a fiery Pyrrhic battle. Everyone wins!
I don’t suppose we can just show you love and kindness, and convince you to renounce your evil ways?
Hmmmmmm…
NAH.
No alt text today
I see now. It’s not about killing Morgan. It’s about breaking her heart. Maybe not even wanting to break her heart, but thinking it’s inevitable.
If these are the only two endings that Echo can imagine, that means she sees herself as beyond saving. And that makes me sad.
I have a theory now. On the off chance that I’m right, I will ROT13 it to avoid possibly spoiling anyone:
bhe ureb naq bhe zvzr unir zrg orsber. fcrpvsvpnyyl nobhg n qrpnqr ntb. yvggyr fvf vf gur bar jub vafcverq gur pybja hetr va znel. guvf zrzbel jvyy erghea va gvzr. vg jvyy or gur xrl gb oevatvat fgvgpuzbhgu onpx sebz gur qnex fvqr.
I’ve managed to decode it with the help of the internet, a Google search on what “ROT13” is, and the website https://rot13.com; and here’s what it actually says, everyone; be warned:
“our hero and our mime have met before. specifically about a decade ago. little sis is the one who inspired the clown urge in mary. this memory will return in time. it will be the key to bringing stitchmouth back from the dark side.”
(-_-)
Reposting it in plaintext completely defeats the point of me posting it in ROT13 in the first place. It wasn’t a fiendish puzzle I set up, it was just a way to let people choose whether or not they wanted to read it.
…I’m embarrassed to admit I somehow misunderstood the last row of panels. Instead of reading it as “McBell will defeat/kill me, and when that happens, I hope you won’t blame her for it”, I parsed it as “McBell will defeat/kill me, and when that happens, she (McBell) will hope that you won’t blame her for it.” Not sure how I made that mistake.
This means that Echo/Maggie is being much more tender and vulnerable in the final panels than I had previously understood. She really doesn’t want to break Morgan’s heart, but she thinks she’s locked in to her “narrative destiny”. On the surface level, she enjoys being a villain (because it offers a certain animal satisfaction, and because there’s no sense in being miserable about something you can’t change). But when she contemplates death and the escape from villainy that it offers, her true heart peeks out through the cracks.
God, that’s sad.
Oddly, I think my ROT13 theory is still perfectly sound.
this pretty much confirms for me that she gained 4th wall knowledge when she copied mcbell’s ability
It’d have to work retroactively if that were the case. Echo makes jokes about flashbacks during flashbacks.
Mind you that’s not out of the question, the flashbacks happened after she fought mcbell in comic page order.
wait. no way. THAT’S mcbell’s routine??? of course. it’s her comedic speciality…
“things got serious when the evil mime broke the fourth wall to speculate on how the dramatic arc she’s aware she’s in will end” I said to myself, not even sarcastically
She’s putting a choice in front of her sister. Making her choose to let her go, and let the predicted battle happen… Or stop her now, by choosing to protect her new protégée.
I disagree. Echo seems to think this final battle with McBell is inevitable.
I keep flipflopping between “Oh so she is CRAZY crazy” and “but wait shit she is right, she can see through the fourth wall”
So she fully intends to fight Mcbell to the death huh? How does she know that there won’t be an unexpected ending? Like the twist with her Turning on ol Gil?
I still think that Maggie may sacrifice Morgan to push McBell forward towards their fates confrontation. Nothing like a revenge mentor storyline to mAke the story worth it.
What if it’s not inevitable? What if McBell has already quit being a clown?
I do not claim to fully understand Maggie’s motivation, but I think McBell is THE antagonist for her regardless of her clothes and makeup…
Part of me is unsure if the 4th wall breaking is actual 4th wall breaking or a in universe delusion. I’m hoping for the latter but I’m keeping an open mind.
Echo has commented on Matthews’ bit about suppressing phones, which she wasn’t present for. I don’t think that’d work if she were just delusional.
That doesn’t mean she understands the comic properly though.
maggie. what the fuck.