Eugene proves Roy’s theory for the prophecy wrong.
Cast
Transcript
- Panel 1
Durkon: Try ta get some rest, Aye'll have ye healed in tha mornin'.
Roy: Yeah, OK. Thanks for the clean-up.
- Panel 2
Roy closes his eyes
- Panel 3
Eugene (off-panel): Well, don't you look comfortable. ◀ ▶
- Panel 4
The ghost of Eugene Greenhilt appears.
Eugene: No, no, don't get up. I was just saying how comfortable you look for someone who recently received an omen from BEYOND THE GRAVE!
Roy: Dad!
- Panel 5
Roy: Lay off, Dad. I was poisoned. Besides, that omen thing ended.
Roy: Like, 18 strips ago.
Eugene: Horse puckey! You think I'd come from the dead to warn you about a lame chimera?
- Panel 6
Roy: Woah, time out, Dad.
Roy: Who is that?
Eugene: Hmm? Oh, that's Violet. Her and I are going to catch a play after we're done here.
Violet: Hi.
- Panel 7
Roy: You brought a DATE to come warn me of mortal danger?
Eugene: What? It was on the way!
- Panel 8
Eugene: Hey, that deal was very clear: 'Til death do us part. Once I shuffle off the mortal coil, I'm free to play the field.
- Panel 9
Roy: Whatever, I don't want to think about that. Did you have something to tell me?
Eugene: Don't get uppity, poison boy.
- Panel 10
Eugene: I'm just here to tell you not to write off that cryptic clue I gave you last time so easily.
- Panel 11
Roy: And I don't suppose you're going to tell me what it meant, right?
Eugene: Fft. No, where's the fun in that?
Eugene (to Violet): C'mon, sweet thing, let's get ethereal.
Violet: Nice to meet you.
- Panel 12
Roy: That's it. Tomorrow night, I'm asking Vaarsuvius to cast Sleep on me.
D&D Context
- Ethereal is the state of being for most ghosts and other incorporeal creatures in the D&D world.
- Sleep is a spell that does exactly what it sounds like.
Trivia
- This the first appearance by Violet, one of her two appearances, the other is in #486.
- Roy thinks the prophesy was fulfilled in #21 with the death of Trigak.
- Eugene's "mortal coil" remark is likely in reference to the soliloquy in Act III of Hamlet, of which one line reads, "For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil."
- The real reason why Eugene is not with his wife in the afterlife is because Sara entered heaven while Eugene is in limbo, bound by his oath.