Line #50 Webcomic/TheFourth


1	[[quoteright:335:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/The_Fourth_trio_1965.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:335:Derk, Skärva, and Lorelei--our villains.]]
3
4	''[[https://thefourthcomic.com The Fourth]]'' is a satirical [[FantasyWebcomics fantasy webcomic]] by [[CreatorCouple Courtney Svatek and Victor Acuña]] about “the odd and helpless situation of being a villain in an adventure game.” The comic features a trio of colorful characters--hapless {{evil overlord}}, Lord Tiberius Skärva the Fourth, his right-hand lackey Derk, and Lorelei, a girl who "obviously never had a mother who warned her to stay away from strange shark people"--and their adventures in a world that runs on classic {{adventure game}} tropes.
5
6	-----
7	!!Contains examples of:
8
9
10	* AdorableEvilMinions: The first dungeon is full of these.
11	** The Lurkins and Flish of Castle Skärva also qualify.
12	* AffablyEvil: The Skärva line seems to like this trope.
13	* AffectionateParody: Of fantasy quests and video games.
14	* AmbiguousInnocence: Kicked around with Lorelei. She's a sweet, caring girl who loves Skärva dearly. But Skärva's a villain, so how innocent can that really make her?
15	* AnimateInanimateObject: The ghosts of Skarva's keep can possess swords, pots, and the like.
16	* ArsonMurderandJaywalking: The mountain hamlet does the TorchesAndPitchforks thing to Skärva and Derk once because he demanded food as their ruler, then because he tried to steal it, and then finally he gave up and just tried buying it, but he didn't have any money.
17	* ArtEvolution: Compare the first page of the comic with some of the newer ones.
18	* ArtShift: A crayon coloring illustrates the path that must be taken to reach Frostbite Fortress.
19	** Skärva's moments of overlord mania often induce these.
20	** Lorelei's recurring nightmare.
21	** Skärva's schemes as they are told to others.
22	* AscendedExtra: The little demon Davis [[spoiler: eventually gets a job at Lord Skärva's castle.]]
23	* AscendedFanboy: In thanks for making donations for Courtney's iPad purchase, she intermittently put some of the contributors in as cameoes in the background of various strips.
24	** It was actually a graphics tablet, so she could, y'know, make the comic better. :P
25	** They've recently opened up a tier system for general donations towards the site and comic's upkeep resulting in fans being inserted into the background in various roles. The larger the donation, the more substantial the part.
26	* AscendedMeme: "[Object/person] says [sound effect] all the time", in the comments, starting after the comic "Snowballs say "plop" all the time." This got to the point where a more recent comic was titled "Skärva gets hungry waiting for Blank all the time".
27	* BackToBackBadasses: [[http://thefourthcomic.com/?comic=panel-2-that-is-the-lamest-thing-skarva-has-ever-heard This strip]] gives a wordless moment that encapsulates this as a single image. Also doubles as a LetsGetDangerous moment.
28	* BadBoss: Surprisingly averted. For all his machinations, Skärva treats his minions reasonably well. The same cannot be said for the wizard at the Temple of Terror, though...
29	* BadassBoast: Skärva often, usually accompanied by a DeliberatelyMonochrome ArtShift.
30	** Davis borrows the ArtShift to give his own boast when he emerges to fight Blank. [[ShutUpHannibal Blank whacks him with his sword midsentence.]]
31	* BatOutOfHell: Parodied. A goddamned bat in Molten Mountain accidentally flies into a torch and promptly flaps around screaming in agony.
32	* BehindTheBlack: Skärva is furious when Cyril's compass leads them to the ocean with no way to cross it, until Derk points out that Skärva failed to notice the harbour town within spitting distance.
33	* BerserkButton: The various dungeon guides seem to have this.
34	** The wizard at the Temple of Terror despises being called short.
35	** Do not mock Frozio's tuxedo.
36	** The Second, Skärva's grandfather, is a rather shy, easily intimidated ghost hanging out in the castle library. Skärva tends to walk over him and [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech tell him to his face what he thinks of him]], all of which he accepts without complaint...but when he spots Derk reading his books, he transforms into an EldritchAbomination, and even Skärva flees in terror.
37	* BigEater: Derk.
38	* TheBigGuy: Derk.
39	* BigOlEyebrows: The wizard at the Temple of Terror. ''They nearly double his height''.
40	* BigThinShortTrio: Derk is big, Skärva is skinny, and Lorelei is short.
41	* BigWhat: Ecta will use this a bit if she can't believe what she's hearing and gets infuriated ([[HairTriggerTemper more than usual]]), but when she does it to Skärva, he's not intimidated.
42	* BookcasePassage: In Skärva's office.
43	* BurningWithAnger: The wizard of the Temple of Terror.
44	** The standard DeliberatelyMonochrome filter for anger is a bright orange, which has been dubbed "Orange Fury".
45	* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Skärva delightfully proclaims his name to anyone that will listen. Many people, including Lorelei, have never heard of him.
46	** When Davis returns, it takes some prodding before Skärva remembers who he is.
47	** Slice has a crush on a Flish called Gilly, who doesn't know or care who he is.
48	* CallBack: On first introduction, Davis mistakes Skärva and Derk for door-to-door religious nuts and insists that he lives in a temple and doesn't need to hear about the gods. When he finally reaches Castle Skärva and is [[AskAStupidQuestion asked if he's there to see Skärva]], he replies he's there to talk about the gods.
49	* CallForward: When fighting in the seaweed room during the pirate trials, Skärva mentions he's taken lessons in swordfighting. We get to see them in Chapter Zero.
50	* CasualDangerDialogue: [[FriendlyEnemies Derk and Blank]] spend a fight [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructing]] Derk's role as a BlackMage rather than TheBrute, and then pointing out LightIsNotGood.
51	* CastFromCalories: Magic is explicitly said to be powered by calories; Skarva claims that "mana potions" are just milkshakes.
52	* CloudCuckoolander: Slice's EstablishingCharacterMoment is to ask a suit of armour how his watch goes.
53	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When Skärva brings out the love potion, Blank thinks he's developed some uncomfortable interest in his enemy.
54	* CommonplaceRare: Blank is ecstatic when he thinks Skarva's giving him [[spoiler: a bottle]].
55	* ConvectionSchmonvection: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] and subverted in Molten Mountain. For Skärva, Derk and Lorelei's visit they apparently turned the heat down so they can walk through unscathed. When the hero travels through, however, they can turn it up to unbearable levels until the hero wears the appropriate attire...which the dungeon keeps in the gift shop to avoid [[FrivolousLawsuit lawsuits.]]
56	* CoolShades: Worn by Veronika's ''bird''.
57	* CoolSword: The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Sword of Stabbing.]]
58	* CurbStompBattle: Whoever happens to be fighting Blank winds up ''soundly'' defeated.
59	* CursedWithAwesome: The gods curses have a way of backfiring. The lurkins (the goblin like grey skinned people) used to be humans slapped with a disfiguring curse for ignoring the gods. They decided the gods abandoned them and they can do whatever they want now, and either as a consolation or due to being TouchedByVorlons, developed magic. According to the authors, the most the Ideneuian pantheon did was collectively say "darn it!" and move on.
60	* CutLexLuthorACheck: Skärva's father was more about the business of evil rather than straight-up evil. People remember him as doing a lot for the community.
61	* CuteGhostGirl: Ecta, kinda.
62	* DeadpanSnarker: When Skärva announces his intent to make a love potion for Princess Veronika, Floyd cheerfully reminisces about the other times he's done exactly that.
63	* DeathGlare: Skärva. Ecta does well too.
64	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: In some of the earlier comics, Skärva would make a sadistically evil proclamation and the art would shift to a grainy black and white just to demonstrate how evil he is.
65	--> '''Skärva''': THEIR LUNCHMEAT SHALL BE OURS!
66	** An orange filter connotes anger.
67	* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud: Skärva furiously wonders aloud how he'll conquer Idenau when his plot for the princess to fall in love with Blank fails. He then remembers that [[OhCrap Blank is standing right there.]]
68	* DistractedByTheSexy: Skärva's latest plan is for Veronika to fall in love with Blank, so Blank will be too preoccupied to defeat Skärva. His minions are astonished by the ingenuity of it.
69	* DumbIsGood: Derk, though still [[VillainProtagonist Lord Skärva's]] [[TheDragon Dragon]], is much more polite and kind-hearted, perhaps to the point of being a [[GentleGiant Gentle Giant]].
70	** Slice seems blissfully unaware that his boss is an antagonist, and probably wouldn't understand if corrected.
71	* DungeonBypass: Used frequently by Skärva and company. It helps that villains know all the secret passages and maintenance tunnels to avoid the puzzles and traps they set up in the dungeons.
72	* EmbarrassingFirstName: Floyd's keeping his well under wraps.
73	* EvilMakesYouMonstrous: At least, in the case of Lord Skärva's great-grandfather. If it wasn't for him, the Skärva's would never look like they do.
74	* EvilPlan: On the tram ride to Frostbite Fortress, Skärva explains that he is looking for a place to hide the last piece of the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Sword of Stabbing]] to the newcomer, Lorelei. But before he finishes his EvilGloating, the tram driver points out a "No Evil Plotting" sign.
75	* ExcitedKidsShowHost: Derk is ''very'' excited to be [=MCing=] a castle staff meeting. The crowd, not so much.
76	** Except [[CloudCuckoolander Slice.]]
77	* FriendToAllChildren: Played with. Skärva seems to be developing quite the rapport with Lorelei, but when he returns to find it's "Take Your Child To Work Day" at his castle, he comes face to face with an adorable imp kid...nearly reducing it to tears.
78	* FacePalm: Skärva gets a few during his inspection of the first temple.
79	* FlyingSeafoodSpecial: The Flish, which are, well, flying, sapient fish.
80	* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The QuirkyMinibossSquad made up of Ecta, Davis, Floyd and Slice.
81	** Choleric: Ecta (Quick to anger, the appointed leader who is well-known through the castle for being astonishingly bossy).
82	** Melancholic: Davis (Determined to get the job done and very confident in his ability to do so, an outsider among the rest).
83	** Leuquine: Floyd (Calm and quiet, reliable and friendly. Ultimately [[OnlySaneMan the one keeping the team together]]).
84	** Sanguine: Slice (The eternal optimist and space cadet who is eager to make friends and is just so darn ''happy'').
85	* FriendlyEnemies: Blank farewells Derk rather amicably.
86	* FrothyMugsOfWater: The author is quick to point out that whatever the characters are drinking, it just ''looks'' like booze. For example, a glass of beer is said to really be apple juice.
87	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Much humor can be had simply by looking at small details in each panel.
88	* GiftedlyBad: Cyril is an awful, awful, ''awful'' musician, and is entirely unaware of that fact.
89	* GoodScarsEvilScars: Sometime after his initial appearance, Blank has picked up a couple of thin scars down the side of his face. Nothing particularly ugly, though. Skärva, for his part, has a permanent black eye.
90	* HairTriggerTemper: Oh man, ''Ecta''.
91	* HealingHands: Lorelei seems to have these.
92	* HelloInsertNameHere: The hero is actually ''named'' Blank.
93	* HereditaryCurse: The MacGuffin that motivates Skärva throughout the comic, brought down on his family by his great-grandfather.
94	* HermitGuru: A little light on the Hermit side, since they're pretty common.
95	--> '''Lorelei''': It's a town, silly! Of course there's a wise old man!
96	* HeroAntagonist: Blank.
97	* HyperactiveMetabolism: Magic power comes from one's inner energy, so wizards have to cast on a full stomach. According to [[http://thefourthcomic.com/?comic=lol-title-9 this strip]], mana potions are, in fact, preserved milkshakes.
98	* HyperspaceArsenal: One page dedicates a panel to Blank rummaging around in his pocket to pull out a spray plunger.
99	* IAmNotMyFather: When people remind him of what his father had accomplished, Skärva changes the topic as fast as he can.
100	* IAteWhat: Derk builds himself a giant sandwich and consumes it rapidly, only for a sickened ghost to emerge from his mouth. He promptly flees in terror.
101	* ImprobableWeaponUser: Blank defeats Ecta and the ghosts with a spray plunger full of starch.
102	* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Skärva is an AffectionateParody of this. He's actually a threat worth noting, but is continually defeated and the audience feels quite bad for him.
103	* InsultBackfire:
104	** Skärva's father isn't insulting Skärva, exactly, but the way he operates.
105	--> '''Skärva the Third''': I just wish you could be more like me.
106	--> '''Skärva the Fourth''': What, dead?
107	** The Third gets a true one on the Fourth
108	--> '''Skärva the Fourth''': When I need advice on how to be defeated, I'll come running.
109	--> '''Skärva the Third''': Oh, I don't think you need any help with that.
110	--> '''Skärva the Fourth''': Hey!
111	* IntangibleMan: When she tries to block his way, Davis walks right through Ecta. Ecta is not impressed. Tends to vary, though, as she's later seen dragging him around by the horns.
112	** Someone shoves a spear through her, which she understandably is rather offended about.
113	* JerkAssGods: The Ideneauian Pantheon doesn't forgive, and they punish "evildoers" quite harshly. Racial degeneration, generational curses, and eternal undeath are a few of their favorites.
114	** Not to mention, most of the 'crimes' required for divine judgement are less about moral reprehension and more about ensuring the gods stay on top; if you're a threat / ''near'' a threat to the gods by being a flawed but powerful creation / [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly proud of your own self-accomplished efforts instead of accrediting them to the gods]] / [[spoiler:InnocentBystander happen to live in the same town as a really horrible villain]], you're fucked.
115	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Well duh.
116	* KiManipulation: Floyd prepares to unleash one on Blank, but Blank counters with his sword's FauxFlame. Not long, later, though, Blank comes across Derk...who unleashes a KamehameHadouken on him. [[TookALevelInBadass The ascension of badass levels cannot be counted that high.]]
117	* KickTheDog: Skärva finally gets fed up with Cyril, [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech tells him exactly what he thinks of him]], and tells him to take a hike. Cyril was last seen [[BreakTheCutie in mute tears.]]
118	* KubrickStare: Skärva pulls this off frequently.
119	* LetsGetDangerous: Slice dives in front of Blank to defend Gilly, making fists with his fins. Blank grumbles a bit and walks off, uncaring, but hey, Slice gritted his teeth and everything!
120	** When Skärva and Derk are arrested, Lorelei prepares to get them out...with a ''cannon''.
121	* LethalLavaLand: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] with Molten Mountain; Skärva notes with mounting dismay just how un-lethal it is.
122	* LightIsNotGood: Turns out light magic is Derk's weapon-of-choice.
123	--> '''[[TheHero Blank]]''': Why light magic? [[LampshadeHanging I would have figured all of Skärva's minions use dark.]]
124	--> '''[[TheDragon Derk]]''': Well, you figured wrong. Besides, you may be protected by the Gods, but only against dark magic.
125	* LimitedWardrobe: Many characters have been seen in night clothes, and costumes are used from time to time for thematic and comedic purposes, but the daily outfit for any one character remains exactly the same.
126	* LiteralSurveillanceBug: Veronika's birds spy on Skärva.
127	* MacGuffin: Minor ones throughout, like the delivery service below, but the over-arching one is the HereditaryCurse that Skärva is driven to overcome.
128	* MacguffinDeliveryService: Ecta, Slice, Davis and Floyd spend a large chunk of time tracking down a flower for Skärva to use in a love potion.
129	** Later parodied outright when the items Blank trawled through umpteen dungeons to find turned out to be food for Skärva to store.
130	* MarilynManeuver: An imp in page 3 pulls one.
131	* MiniatureSeniorCitizens: The aforementioned wizard introduced on page 2. Call him out on it though, and [[BerserkButton he]] [[BurningWithAnger won't be]] too happy.
132	** The Wilderfall village elder. Who's also a raisin.
133	* MissingMom: Averted. Skärva's mother allegedly misses him and wishes he would call. He doesn't dwell on it.
134	* MobileShrubbery: A magical disguise in Lord Skärva's repertoire. It works for the most part, but Lord Skärva does not like to be touched.
135	* MoodWhiplash: Slice loses his happy-go-lucky demeanour and [[LetsGetDangerous goes toe-to-toe with Blank himself]] when Blank is about to end Gilly. Blank irritably storms off as Slice valiantly defends the love of his life. The next strip shows Slice turn around to discover Gilly, still unaware who "that other guy" is, thinks he simply has a death wish and leaves with her friends. [[BreakTheCutie You can see the exact moment Slice's self-esteem is crushed into powder.]]
136	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When Slice chats her up in a coffee shop, Gilly realizes she totally ignored him when he jumped between her and Blank.
137	* MundaneUtility: The inhabitants of Castle Bladud use the fiendish puzzles as public transport (a hovering platform puzzle) and entertainment (a puzzle there one is suspended by strong fans)
138	* NonMammalMammaries: Averted, female Salamandrians don't have them; they're differentiated from the males by their scale patterns and [[TertiarySexualCharacteristics eyelashes]].
139	* NonUniformUniform: Floyd utterly refuses to adhere to the castle dress code.
140	* NoodleIncident: We know that Skärva's great-grandfather and the first's partner did something to bring the curse upon Skärva's line, but every time WHAT they did otherwise naturally comes up in exposition, the speaker talks around it.
141	* NumberTwo: Derk is Skärva's right-hand man.
142	* TheObiWannabe: Skärva does ''not'' want his dead dad's help. When that sinks in, Skärva the Third sounds more like a grouch in a nursing home.
143	* OffscreenMomentofAwesome: We don't actually see what the wizard does to humiliate Skärva.
144	* OhCrap: Often, but not always, caused by the appearance of Blank.
145	* OpenSaysMe: Blank's preferred method of entry, of course.
146	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: There's an encyclopaedia entry detailing how.
147	* OverlordJr: They don't call him The Fourth for nothin'!
148	* ParentalAbandonment: Honestly, we're not quite sure yet where Lorelei's parents are.
149	* PlantPerson: The inhabitants of Wilderfall are a blend of this and [[AnimateInanimateObject Animate Inanimate Objects]].
150	* PrecisionFStrike: Dropped by Lorelei when running to Skärva's aid. Not the F-word you think it is, though.
151	* PrincessesPreferPink: [[AvertedTrope Averted]], possibly [[InvertedTrope inverted]]. Princess Veronika defintely doesn't wear it, and she certainly voices displeasure at [[http://thefourthcomic.com/?comic=a-little-birdie-told-her so much pink]] .
152	* PunctuatedForEmphasis: A rare non-shouted version, instead more exasperated.
153	--> '''Skärva''': Let's. Just. Move. On.
154	* PuppyDogEyes: Lorelei has quite the pair.
155	** [[http://thefourthcomic.com/?comic=lorelei-has-absolutely-no-idea-whats-going-on Successfully used]] by Davis the demon to get a foot in the door, metaphorically.
156	* PutOnABus: The creators have stated numerous times that Cyril is not coming back.
157	** TheBusCameBack: ...until he did, having not improved at all. Bizarrely enough, Frozio came back in the same arc, though not in the same place.
158	* QuirkyMinibossSquad: Skärva assigns this role to Ecta, Davis, Floyd and Slice, although he fully acknowledges Blank will take them out.
159	* RageAgainstTheHeavens: The current arc has Skarva and co. attempting to talk to the gods personally, specifically, to [[CallingTheOldManOut chew them out for slapping the family with a multigenerational Curse of Failure and being]] BarredFromTheAfterlife. Skarva's counting on them being powerless, since they have to work through Blank to stop him.
160	* RedEyesTakeWarning: The Second, once his BerserkButton is pressed.
161	* RedheadInGreen: Princess Veronika
162	* RewardingVandalism: Lorelei thinks the ability to cast magic comes from breaking pots. Skärva says apparently [[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext the pots are just full of milkshakes]].
163	* RightBehindMe: After capturing a hero in full plate armour, Skärva goes on a long rant about how it's ''obviously'' Posthumous that lasts nearly the whole strip. Naturally, Posthumous walks up behind him halfway through the speech.
164	* SceneryPorn: In spades.
165	* SchizoTech: The technology and architecture of Idenau can jump between medieval and victorian-era.
166	* SinsOfOurFathers: The First committed a [[NoodleIncident crime so terrible]] the Gods of Idenau punished him, his associates and their descendants for it. The entire Skärva family line suffers from a HereditaryCurse because of this.
167	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Frostbite Fortress.
168	* SpiritAdvisor: Skärva's dead father tries to be this for him. Skärva, however, will have none of it.
169	* SharkMan: Skärva, and presumably his ancestors up to the First (upon whom the original curse that produced this effect was placed).
170	* ShootTheShaggyDog: Implied. After so much time spent touring through Frostbite Fortress and Molten Mountain, Blank's progress through them comes under [[TimeSkip Time Skips]] and he immediately reaches Skärva's castle. After Frozen Fortress, the only remote mention of the dungeon is the fact that Blank acquired the Sword of Stabbing, a piece of which Skärva hid there.
171	** Quite a while later, it's implied Blank did find the Fortress unusually frustrating and painful... but it's simply not possible for a dungeon to do more than delay a hero. The point seems to have been building character and world rather than plot.
172	* ShoutOut:
173	** The whole comic's premise is based on Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda.
174	** The Mire Manor arc is a shout-out to WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo mysteries.
175	* ShutUpHannibal: Davis's BadassBoast gets cut off midsentence by Blank.
176	* ShuttingUpNow: Ecta furiously demands a more competent team than Floyd and Slice. Skärva gives her a magnificent DeathGlare and she sheepishly runs like hell.
177	* SlasherSmile: Skärva. The teeth help.
178	* SpookySilentLibrary: There's two sections - the main library, deserted but for a Flish at the sign-in desk, and the back section, where the ghost of the Second hangs out. It's the Second's presence that makes it spooky. Not because he's a ghost, but because of [[BerserkButton what happens when someone manhandles his books]].
179	* SpoonyBard: Cyril.
180	* [[SmugSnake Smug Penguin]]: Frozio.
181	* SubordinateExcuse: Derk uses one.
182	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Ecta and Davis, so much.
183	* TempleOfDoom: What the first dungeon claims to be, but it turns out to be nothing more than a NoobCave.
184	* TemptingFate: After the Frostbite Fortress arc, Skärva loudly proclaims Blank will not defeat him this time. Within hours his castle is on fire.
185	* TentacleRope: Ecta tangles with some vines in the Mother Tree.
186	* TerribleTrio: Skärva, Derk, and Lorelei are shaping up to be something akin to this. Aren't they terrible.
187	* ThatOneLevel: In-universe, there's [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Frostbite Fortress]]. It's seen from the ''villain's'' perspective as a very good place to store PlotCoupons.
188	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Blank cuts down Skärva with a single sentence.
189	--> '''Blank''': Well, to be honest, the gods hate you.
190	* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Implied in Skärva's character bio; gaining the trust of the people isn't easy for a shark man, so he just said 'screw it' and went for their fear instead.
191	* [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks Throwing The Orb of the Gods Always Works]]: No, no it doesn't.
192	* TimeSkip: After the first onscreen encounter with Blank, there's a jump forward. Enough for Lorelei to have seen a lot of failures, apparently.
193	* TokenTrio: With Derk as the white male, Lorelei as the white female, and Lord Skärva as the male of SharkMan descent.
194	* TongueOnTheFlagpole: [[http://thefourthcomic.com/?comic=the-missing-page Well, actually on a ice wall]]. Likely a ShoutOut to the TropeCodifier.
195	* TookALevelInBadass: The first time we see Blank and Derk together, Derk is huddled up on the ground in fear. The second time...Derk unleashes KiManipulation.
196	* TorchesAndPitchforks: Mountain hamlets don't take well to megalomaniacal shark men.
197	** Initially it's because he demanded food. Then it's because he tried to steal it. Then it's because he didn't have the money to buy it...
198	* UnconventionalFormatting: Each character has his or her own distinctive font for their speech bubbles.
199	* TheUnreveal: After much preamble, the main characters capture a hero wearing full plate armour, including a helmet, and after eliminating their chief suspect since he was [[RightBehindMe right behind them]], they set about unmasking him. [[spoiler:It turns out to be some zombie they've never met before.]]
200	* VerbThis:
201	--> '''Blank''': I don't want to hurt you, Derk, but I have to save the princess.
202	--> '''Derk''': I understand.
203	--> '''Blank''': Then you won't mind THIS!
204	--> ''Blank tries to slash Derk with his sword.''
205	* VillainProtagonist: Lord Skärva of course.
206	* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Invoked, then averted. The common people don't like him at all, but earlier, when Derk is worried about walking a path covered in baddies, they all wind up treating Skärva like a big celebrity.
207	** His father, on the flipside, is described as providing jobs for minions and boosting the spells and potions business. [[IAmNotMyFather Skärva doesn't like hearing about it.]]
208	* VillainsOutShopping: Skärva takes the time to spring-clean the castle.
209	* VisualPun: In Wilderfall, a sign saying "Fight the power" is being held by a flower.
210	* VitriolicBestBuds: Ecta and Davis don't get along at all. Unless they're making fun of Floyd and Slice together.
211	* WeirdTradeUnion: Skärva's EvilMinions.
212	* [[WhatTheHellHero What The Hell, Love Interest?]]: Gilly gets told by one of her friends that the guy she blew off was trying to save her life.
213	* WingdingEyes: When attempting to woo a bystander, Lord Skärva grows a pair.
214	* WithAFriendAndAStranger: Lord Skärva and Derk have known each other for a time before the comic's beginning. Lorelei is the stranger.
215	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Skärva is often on the verge of tears when his hopes and dreams are slapped around.
216	* YeahShot: Skärva and Frozio slap a truly epic high five.
217	* ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld: Owned by the operators of Molten Mountain. Yes, the ''volcano''.
218	** The irony of this is not lost on Skärva, who comments
219	--> ''Skärva'': I can't wait to explode.
220	* ZergRush: Outlined when Floyd, Ecta and Slice bring Davis up-to-speed on the tactics for when Blank attacks.

Context Webcomic / TheFourth