Recap / Roommates Pages 1 Through 221

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Pages 1-7 Moving in and Pot C Spoilers

Moving in mini-arc

Pages: Roommates, 2 - Nightcap, 3 - Neighbors, 4 - Meetings
Characters: Erik, Jareth.
New Characters: James, Javert.
Running Gags: Fruit Basket, Jareth causing mischief, Erik hurting Jareth, Lampshading Fanservice.
Summary: The first Odd Couple moves in and the new one is introduced. Also the birth of the 'Dreaded Fruit Basket Gag.

Pirates Of The Caribbean Spoilers mini-arc

Pages: 5 - PotC2 Spoilers, 6 - River, 7 - PotC 3 Spoilers
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
Running Gags: Drunk Antics, Javert being unsympathetic, Media Classifications.
Summary: The second and third Pirates of the Caribbean movie and its effects on James. (Beginning of James' alcohol problem, and his friendship with Jareth. Also the first appearance of the Media Classifications jokes.)

• Drowning My Sorrows: Norrington gets Off the Wagon because of his second movie.
• I'm Taking Her Home with Me!: Played with, as this isn't because of Cuteness Overload more like The Woobie effect (except if Jareth has some screwed up sense of cute... which is an option). For those who don't want to check out the page: He took The Drunken Sailor / Off the Wagon James home with him and it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I kid you not! These two are like brothers... or at least step-brothers... Still tried to kill each other, like true family.
• Sink or Swim Mentor: Doesn't want to be but Javert's method of helping involves something suspiciously similar... and also intending to literally throw James into a river. (It would work wonders against the smell at least.)

Pages 8-15 100 Years War and Gags

100 Years War mini-arc

Pages: 8 - 100 Years War, 9 - Silly Boys, 10 - Croissant
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
New Characters: Christine, Sarah.
Running Gags: National Animosities, Girls being sane/scary, This Means War!.
Summary: Well, the main cast reenacts the 100 years of war in small and silly. The girls are introduced. The Boys are silly / Girls are scary Catch Phrases are born.

• Armor-Piercing Question: What are you fighting about?
• Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys: When you have a fight between Erik and Javert (French) and Commander Norrington and Jareth (British and... Um... "British"), this insult is obviously going to be used. Sometimes it's even used under the most ridiculous of circumstances- like in this mini arc. See also Silly Reason for War.
• Silly Reason for War: This arc (lasted 2 pages and involved the main cast) was caused by a disagreement over the name of a pastry product and was made worse by Cultural Posturing. See also Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys in main.
• This Means War!: In a not too serious manner: Jareth to Erik

Standalone gags

Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert, Fruit Basket.
Running Gags: Fruit Basket, Erik hurting Jareth, Vanity (Jareth's), Jareth causing mischief, Lampshading Fanservice.
Summary: Well, these are standalone gags. But we get some new characters ans situational comedy.

11 - Redemption

• Redemption Equals Death: James, in a lampshade-tastic conversation about the trope itself.

12 - Movie Night

• Talking the Monster to Death: Mentioned as Jareth's cause of defeat when the boys watch Labyrinth together.
  Javert: You were monologued to death?

13 - Flush

• Bait-and-Switch: It was a really horrifying experience... noticing that someone is thiner than him.
• Flushing Toilet, Screaming Shower: Jareth pulled this prank on Erik. An inevitable death threat and a wounded ego followed.
• Modesty Towel: Erik.

14 - Celestial...
New Characters: Crowley, Aziraphale.

15 - Tall

• Actor Allusion: invokedThis is why Jareth is the shortest.

Pages 16-22 Gavroche and One X to rule

Gavroche mini-arc

Pages: 16 - Gavroche, 17 - Hospital, 18 - Put It Back
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert, Aziraphale, Crowley, Fruit Basket.
New Characters: Gavroche, The Artful Dodger.
Running Gags: Fruit Basket, Javert's stress level, Lampshading Fanservice.
Summary: A crimewave reached the building causing severe deja vu and more.

• Unexplained Recovery: "Apparently, he got better." to quote Gavroche (here about Javert, he was at the hospital last page).

One X to rule them all arc

Pages 19 - Sweet, 20 - Infestation, 21 - Bad Signs, 22 - Girls Rock, 22b - Epilogue
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert, Sarah, Christine.
New Characters: Frodo, Ringwraiths.
Running Gags: Cuteness Proximity, Girls being scary.
Summary: Frodo and his pursuers found the 'verse. Time to show badass... or not.

• Backto Back Badasses: James and Javert vs. the Ringwraiths.
• Cuteness Overload: Every male character got KO-d by Frodo's illegal amount of cute... the girls seemed immune, though.
• Hope Spot: Erik&jareth's attempted "Big Damn Heroes" move against the Ringwraiths, just before winning Jareth runs out of magic and transforms into an owl.
• Talking the Monster to Death: The MONOLOGUE appearently works on Ringwraiths.

Pages 23-30 Karaoke, a gag and Copies

Karaoke arc

Pages: 23 - Felicitations, 24 - Bloom, 25 - Nightmare, 26 - Karaoke Pt 1, 27 - Karaoke Pt 2
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert, Crowley.
New Characters: Legolas.
Running Gags: Actor Allusion, Drunk antics, Jareth causing mischief.
Summary: Legolas moves in and to celebrate this the characters decide to drink way to much and put the karaoke machine on random... Hilarity Ensues.

• Actor Allusion: The in-universe reason why Norrington can't stand Legolas.
• Comical Overreacting: Their dread, when Legolas brought wine as welcoming gift (helped that James answered the door) with added Slow "NO!" for effect.
• My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Christine (outright quoting Star Wars) when Erik sings "I feel so pretty".
• Not Proven: Jareth lampshades this on the second karaoke page.
• Rebus Bubble: Legolas = Will Turner (Here.)
• Slow "NO!": Invoked and Parodied here.
• Sneeze Cut: Sarah when Jareth sings "Hit me baby one more time" (Word of Pika that they have a Psychic Link).

Standalone gags

Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.

28 - Boring

• Drop-In Character: Lampshaded. Why don't you go home? I know, you have an apartment.
• In the Doldrums: James' and Javert's apartment seems to be concentrated boredom in a closed space (they literally have more paperwork than furniture) and it's the fault of the residents.

Copies mini-arc

Pages: Roommates: Pre-Halloween, 29 - Copies, 30 - Copy Machine
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
New Characters: Leonidas, Steve, Dracula, Nicola Tesla, André Marek, Michael Colefield, Pearse Harman, Georges Seurat.
Running Gags: Actor Allusion, Jareth causing mischief or his copy at least.
Summary: Attack of the dopelgangers. Or at least characters played by Philip Quast, David Bowie, Jack Davenport and Gerard Butler.

• Actor Allusion: invokedThe entire arc.

Pages 31-42 Kids, gags and the Wash

Kids arc

Pages: 31 - Poof, 32 - Shorter, 33 - Wardrobe, 34 - Quick Fix, 35 - Babysitting, 36 - Grand Day Out, 37 - Swipe
Characters: Erik (Kid!Erik), Jareth, James (Kid!James), Javert (Kid!Javert), Christine.
Running Gags: Jareth causing mischief, Girls being scary, Erik hurting Jareth.
Summary: Standard hazards of living with a Fair Folk is the random magic... which gives us a small glimpse what kind of children the cast members were.

• Continuity Nod: They debate if the glowing orb explodes like the ones in the One X ... arc.
• Fountain of Youth: Crystal Ball of youth. And the magic only lasts for thirteen hours.
• Pet the Dog: Jareth in this^note Yes, that is, in fact, Erik comic.
• Schmuck Bait: It kicks off the arc against all of Erik's efforts. "What does this glowing orb do?"

Standalone gags

Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
Running Gags: James awkwardly meeting his ex, Javert's Bizarre Taste in Food, Legolas being freaked out by Todd, Erik's glitterphobia, Uninvited poofing.
Summary: Two new characters are introduced.

Roommates 38 - Todd
New Characters: Todd

• Security Cling: Legolas did the leaping into another person's^note (James', even if he is also terrified of him) arms variety. When he first met Sweeney.

Roommates 39 - Awkward
New Characters: Elizabeth

Roommates 40 - Glittered

The Wash mini-arc

Pages: 41 - Shirts, 42 - Pink
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert (Kid!Javert), Christine.
Running Gags: Jareth tries to help, Erik's reactions to women, Lampshading Fanservice.
Summary: Well, Jareth does the wash. Also Erik's reaction to female underwear is established.

Pages 43-56 The First Vacation

First Vacation arc (2008 Summer arc)

Also known by the name go its parts Road Trip arc (Pages 43-45), Oz arc (Pages 46-50), and Beach arc (Pages 51-56).
Pages: 43 - Automobile, 44 - Roadtripping, 45 - Barometer; 46 - Armed, 47 - Dorothy?, 48 - Wizard, 49 - Tithe, 50 - Boundaries; 51 - Beach, 52 - Bathing Suit, 53 - More Awkward, 54 - Up and Down, 55 - POV, 56 - 7 of 9, Photo Souvenir - Beach Trip
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert, Christine, Sarah, Elizabeth, Aziraphale, Crowley, Todd.
New Characters: The Wizard, the Muchkins, the Gatekeeper of the Emerald City, Mrs. Lovett
Running Gags: Instant Cosplay Surprise, Jareth causing mischief, James awkwardly meeting his ex, Erik's reactions to women, Ax-Crazy killers getting along.
Summary: Jareth organizes a vacation (and blackmails the main cast into participating). It ends up having a short cut through Oz.

• Back to Back to Back Badasses: when they find themselves in Oz.
• Beach Episode: The last third.
• Looming Silhouette of Rage: A textbook example.
• Magi Babble: At the end of the Oz arc part Jareth pulls a "Little Jareth's Magic Lecture" stunt to explain some rules of his magic (boiled down to "I can't teleport between magic and non-magic places without someone saying the right words, sorry."^note Which is only partially true at best, as he can teleport / has a portal / or something in that effect between the Labyrinth and the Building. This implies that the WMG about his mystical domain being bigger than his Magical Land might be true. Or that he might did some serious Rules Lawyering somewhere.) just to prove that he didn't subject the cast to the whole thing for his own amusement.
• Noodle Incident: Erik's Teleportation Sickness.
• Not in Kansas Anymore: Jareth said it after they apparently took the Wrong Turn at Albuquerque and he sung almost every song from The Wizard of Oz, the others were not amused. For playing with bonus points he managed to do this before the random tornado hit.
• Off to See the Wizard: After the Road Trip Plot part ends.
  Jareth: Well, come along, Dorothy. We're Off to See the Wizard and all that jazz.
• Personal Raincloud: James here.
• Road Trip Plot: Seems to be this initially then after 3 pages the Tornado of fate hits and they are Off to See the Wizard.
• Single-Palette Town: The Emerald City as observed by James.

Pages 57-70 Blind Date and University Life

Blind Date arc

Pages: 57- Personals, 58 - Blind Date Pt1, 59 - Blind Date Pt 2, 60 - Rebound
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
New Characters: Elphaba, Kira, random Lady of the Night, Cain and Glitch, Captain Jack Harkness, Éponine.
Running Gags: Actor Allusion, Jareth tries to help, Javert is unsympathetic, Javert's stress level, James being Covert Pervert, Eponine pouncing her boyfriend.
Summary: The repeated meeting with Elizabeth takes a toll on poor James and Jareth (and Erik) thinks that the only non-sympathetic character (Javert) needs a girlfriend, boyfriend. It ends with James hooking up with Éponine for the great annoyance of Javert.

• Drowning My Sorrows: Norrington gets Off the Wagon because of the meeting with his failed relationship.
• Blind Date: Obviously. The others figured Javert needs a girlfriend... or boyfriend (Jareth is an equal opportunity kinda guy).
• You Need to Get Laid: James' solution.

University Life arc

Pages: 61 - Lundi, 62 - Stampede, 63 - Auditing, 64 - Allure, 65 - Daily Grind, 66 - Unemployed, 67 - Staff Lounge, 68 - Rule Number 1, 69 - Attention, 70 - Moral Compass
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
New Characters: Stacy, Prof. Jones, Gandalf, Pippin, Audrey 2.
Running Gags: Javert's stress level, Uninvited poofing, James' unknown rivalry, Girls being scary, Eponine pouncing her boyfriend.
Summary: This arc answers the question what the main cast does for a living. 3/4th of them work at the St. Jude University. Most of the actual story focuses on James and his rivalry with Dr. Jones and his (futile) attempts to keep his students from skipping class.

• Despair Event Horizon: You know a character (here James) reached it if he declares that Jareth is his only hope and seriously takes his advice. Lampshaded by Jareth himself.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: Javert's advised teaching method seems to be much like this. ... There is a reason why he doesn't teach.
• Harsh Word Impact: Not so harsh word impact. Even absolute trust and good faith can hit you hard.
• Late for School: 3 out of 4 main cast members, and they are the teachers. Apparently the alarm clock died, but Jareth swears it wasn't him.
• Necktie Leash: Eponine to James here.
• Education Through Pyrotechnics: Gandalf's suggestion.
• Painted-On Pants: Jareth's best advice to James on how to catch attention, it has unexpected results.
• Rule #1: Erik's is "Always make an entrance!" apparently.
• Super Window Jump: Erik's Big Entrance plan for James' question about how to get attention involved this.

Mystery

Pages: Roommates: Mystery Pg 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert, Sarah, Christine, Aziraphale, Crowley, Todd.
New Characters: Sir Dydimus, DEATH, Avenue Q performer + Kate Monster.
Running Gags: Being dead in canon.
Summary: The residents of the building hold a big Halloween party, then murder!

• The Dog Was the Mastermind: Javert ultimately failed his investigation because wasn't Genre Savvy enough to considering the Muppet as a possible suspect. Everybody who saw Labyrinth should know better.
• Everyone Is a Suspect: Well, it is a "murder" mystery.
• Fair-Play Whodunnit: More or less, the only advantage the detective Javert has over the reader is that he sees things in color.
• For Halloween, I Am Going as Myself: Death.
• Faking the Dead: Jareth, as he would be the victim.
• Halloween Episode: Well the 2008 one.
• Hidden in Plain Sight: Jareth disguised himself as MirrorMask for almost the entire evening to keep the culprit from realizing that he wasn't actually dead.
• Holy Halo: Crowley tries to invoke his trope with his costume to prove he couldn't be the culprit here.
• Masquerade Ball: Halloween party. With almost exclusively Shout-Out costumes.
• The Summation: Javert delivers one at the end. If he is playing Sherlock Holmes he will damn well do it right.
• "Shut Up" Kiss: Sarah to Jareth here.

Pages 71-88 Gags, This Means War and a New Hire

Standalone Gags

Chararcers: Jareth.

71 - Seasons

This Means War arc

Pages: 72 - Jellicle; 81 - Casus Belli, 82 - Strike One, 83 - Strike Two, 84 - You're Out, 85 - Gifted
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert, Sarah.
New Characters: Misto.
Running Gags: This Means War!, Jareth causing mischief and failing against Misto, Cuteness Proximity, Girls being scary/sane.
Summary: Sarah finds cute kitty, then makes the others petsit it... Jareth is not amused.

• Cuteness Overload: Nobody (except Javert and Jareth) can resist Misto.
• Et Tu, Brute?: Jareth's reaction to everybody falling for Misto's charm, he even says it to James literally.
• I'm Taking Her Home with Me!: A perfectly straight example happened on #72, where Sarah found Misto ... later she gave him away.
• This Means War!: In a not too serious manner: Jareth to Misto.

New Hire arc

Pages: 73 - Signs, 74 - New Hire, 75 - Icy Cold, 76 - Authority, 77 - Answer, 78 - Confrontation 1, 79 - Confrontation 2, Omake - Yaoi Slash, 80 - Coping
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
New Characters: M. Andre and Firmin, Jean Valjean.
Running Gags: Lampshading Fanservice, Javert's stress level, Being dead in canon.
Summary: The old superintendents of the building decide to retire (as this is not the Phantomless job of their dreams), the new one forces Javert to face his past.

• Anti-Heroic BSoD:Javert suffers a textbook one (maybe even bordering Angst Coma) when he notices that Valjean moved to the building.
• Bavarian Fire Drill: Erik used this tactic (and his voice imitation ability) on Javert in his Heroic BSoD to test that he still responds to the voice of authority.
• Brain Bleach: Erik's reaction to seeing Javert and Valjean kissing.^note It should be noted that this even only happened in the Omake... So far.
  Erik: "...can't unsee..." *whimper*
• Breather Episode: Inverted. It's a highly dramatic arc set between the setup and actual story of a comedy one (This Means War!)
• Flashback Nightmare: Javert has some about his suicide.
• Modesty Towel: James here.

Standalone Gags

Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert, Sarah.
Running Gags: Lampshading Fanservice, Erik hurting Jareth (not physically this time), Girls being scary, The Magic Family Tree.
86 - Lollypop

• April Fools' Day: April 1th special.

87 - Cheryl
New Characters: Cheryl.

88 - Relativity
New Characters: Schmendrick, Lír.

• Changeling Tale: According to the characters Jareth "babysat" Lír once.
• Tangled Family Tree: Jareth's got its first lampshade.

Pages 89-113 The Repo! cast, Killed for Canon meeting and gags

Enter the Repo! cast arc

(also known as Erik gets a new girlfriend)
Pages: 89 - Archetypes, 90 - Nuff Said, 91 - Crush, 92 - Just Say No, 93 Mechanical Issues, 94 - Help Button, 95 - Wait, What?, 96 - Blind, 97 - Duet, 98 - Duel, 99 - Denouement, 100 - Heal; 107 - Topple, 108 - Cavalry, 109 - Cliffhanger, 110 - Revealing, 111 - Meanwhile..., 112 - Beneficiary
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
New Characters: Nathan, Shilo, Grave-robber, Mag.
Running Gags: Javert being unsympathetic, Media Classifications, Actor Allusion, Jareth tries to help, Erik's rections to women, Ax-Crazy killers getting along, People fainting and Javert carrying them.
Summary: Nathan and Shilo move in, get some visitors from their original story. Also Erik falls in love and in great trouble.

• Bait-and-Switch: Where did that blood came from? Did he kill someone?
• Blind and the Beast: Subverted. Erik starts dating Blind Mag after they get stuck in the elevator for a bit. She's touched his face and knows what's there, but points out that her story has worse in it.
• Commonality Connection: Todd and Nathan. Ax-Crazy? Check. Medical Background? Check. Family issues? Check. PERFECT!
• Drugs Are Bad: #92 Just Say No!
• Duet Bonding: Erik and Mag through singing here.
• Easily-Overheard Conversation: Erik the girl's about Mag. Christine Erik's and Jareth's about Mag again.
• Embarrassing Old Photo: Todd and Nathan have baby pictures of their daughters.
• Filler Strip: #111 Meanwhile... Azi leans on the fourth wall.
• Friends with Benefits: Erik and Mag end up with such an agreement. A subversion because he doesn't even know the expression. Cue: Face Palm in 3... 2... 1... *SMACK*
• Locked in a Room: Erik and Mag stuck in the elevator.
• The Missus and the Ex: Erik's here here. Went slightly melancholic.
• Mood Whiplash: The reveal about Erik's bloody clothes and fainting (Nosebleed).
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Seemed to be subverted when James even lampshaded the OOC -ness of Jareth here but nothing seemed to change. See the Fridge Logic entry for details as it's a Double Subversion with Chekhov's Gun qualities.
  • Also generally if Jareth loses his cool, carefree and generally silly attitude or drops an F-bomb, or Crowley or Azira or even the Erlkönig look concerned, those are pretty sure signs that shit is getting real.
• Tempting Fate: Two times. Shilo we can understand, but Erik should known better.
  Page 89 - Archetypes - Shilo: "Still, it's not like we're going to find any psycho killers or wicked manipulators in this place..." Next panel Erik and Jareth
  Page 96 - Blind - Erik: (Talking about his relationship with Mag) "I doubt Christine will even notice." Guess who stands just around the corner.

Killed for Canon meeting arc

Pages: 101 - Peer Pressure, 102 - Boy Player, 103 - Moderator, 104 - Life Support, 105 - Congratulation
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
New Characters: Angel, Captain America, Death, Boromir, Spike, Dustfinger, Snape, Mr. Teatime, Mercutio, Hoban "Wash" Washburne.
Running Gags: Javert being unsympathetic, Jareth tries to help, Erik's rections to "women", Being dead in canon.
Summary: Jareth shows his manipulative side by using peer pressure to make Erik visit the support group meeting. Which might or might not do any good.

• Breather Episode: It is (even if the humor is a bit black). Easing up the drama about Erik's new relationship in the Enter the Repo! cast arc.
• Hope Spot: A small and silly one for Erik after he survived the support group meeting and before he got home... unfortunately Jareth isn't good at being nice even when he wants to.
• Tropaholics Anonymous: Well, The "Killed for Canon" meeting.
• Waxing Lyrical: All text on this is a lyric from RENT.

Standalone gags

Characters: James; Jareth, Erik, Misto.

106 - Third Tier
New Character: Sherlock Holmes.

• Supernatural Angst: James contemplates the Theory of Narrative Causality and his own luck, to conclude that he doesn't have a chance.

113 - Too Easy

• Everyone Has Standards: Even tricksters, this joke setup is way too easy.

Pages 114-129 The Second Vacation, gags and Morgan's visit

Second Vacation arc (2010 Summer arc)

Pages 114 - Prelude, 115 - Uh-Oh, 116 - Party Hats, 117 - Butterfly, 118 - Landlocked, 119 - Battle Plan, 120 - Drift, 121 - Eagle Eye, 122 - Call Center, 123 - Godot, 124 - Homeward, 125 - ForeSHADOW
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert, Legolas, Elizabeth, Christine, Sarah, Sherlock Holmes, Mrs.Lovett, Todd, Crowley, Aziraphale.
New Characters: Dr. Watson, The Celestial Bureaucracy, Erlkönig, Jadis.
Running Gags: Jareth causing mischief, Javert's stress level, James awkwardly meeting his ex, Uninvited poofing, Jareth tries to help, Instant Cosplay Surprise, Being dead in canon.
Summary: Jareth organizes the second vacation against everybody's wishes... and he learned from the last and commits very new mistakes (This arc sets up the Dark!Jareth arc by foreshadowing Jareth's family and the whole thing possibly backfiring).

• Backto Back Badasses: The imagery is invoked here, though Crowley and Az are dealing with a flood of information rather than physical opponents.
• Beach Episode: Mixed with Road Trip Plot.
• Holographic Terminal: Heaven and Hell have this type of tech, Crowley's terminal even seems to operate by Augmented Reality.
• Kudzu Plot
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero with an F in Good: Jareth organized a dream vacation for his friends and with this he unwittingly created the Big Bad of the Dark!Jareth arc.
• Road Trip Plot: This arc plays this trope pretty straight it's a tubing trip down the river that was established not to be there before or after and flows down at the edge of the map.
• Vanishing Village: Vanishing River. It was established that the biggest body of water around the building is a duck pond... then Jareth organized the tubing trip.

Standalone gags

Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
Running Gags: Jareth causing mischief, Drunk Antics.

126 - Rule 34

• Embarrassing Old Photo: Jareth has embarrassing photos of everybody (and even of events that never(?) happened).
• Rules of the Internet: Jareth misuses Rule 34. It's clearly Rule 63! Or is it? Oh! And he has pics!

127 - Humidity

Morgan's visit mini-arc

Pages: 128 - Switch Hit, 129 - Mashup
Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
New Characters: Morgan.
Running Gags: Girls being scary, Javert's stress level, The Magic Family Tree.
Summary: Morgan comes to visit her son, the Tangled Family Tree gets some more lampshades. We also see what can happen to Composite Characters over time.

• Reality Warping Is Not a Toy: Poor Morgan too many writers, authors and other assorted storytellers messed with her, the result isn't pretty.
• Rebus Bubble: 1+1 = ><> (The magic family tree confused poor Erik a lot).
• Visit by Divorced Dad: Visit by Missing Mom.

Pages 130-140 Kid!Jareth, a gag and the Erlkönig

Kid!Jareth arc (2010 Halloween arc)

Also known as Small Time Traveller arc
Pages: 130 - Falling, 131 - Flying, 132 - Faerie Tale, 133 - Forsaken
Characters: Jareth (Kid!Jareth), Sarah.
New Characters: Jadis, Jareth's sister or the Erlking's daughter, Erlkönig.
Running Gags: The Magic Family Tree.
Summary: Sarah meets a very lonely magical child (from the past), is kind to him and he gives her his word. (We get a setup for Labyrinth.)

• Alliterative Title: More like Alliterative Subtitles actually. Falling, Flying, Faery Tale, Forsaken.
• Call-Forward: A lot of it. Like his Promise (see in Kid!Jareth's tropes) or the Waxing Lyrical example later.
• Halloween Episode: The 2010 one.
• Talking the Monster to Death: In this heartbreaking arc revealed that Jareth's father got banished by his mother with the very SAME monologue that later defeated him in Labyrinth.
• Waxing Lyrical: Kid!Jareth here. "Daddy?! Daddy, get me out of here!" "Sister, sister, please!" a bit later "It's only forever... It's not long at all..." (David Bowie - Underground). It's also a Call-Forward.

Standalone gags

Characters: Erik, Jareth, James, Javert.
Running Gags: Erik's glitterphobia.

134 - Shiny

• Anti-Heroic BSoD: Erik after seeing Labyrinth in HD.
• Security Cling: Erik after he got out of his glitter caused Heroic BSoD.

Erlkönig arc (2010 Christmas arc)

Pages: 135 - Loom, 136 - Lurk, 137 - Lee, 138 - Loss, 139 - Lethe, 140 - Legacy
Characters: Jareth, Sarah, Javert, James, Erik, Christine, Schmendrick.
New Characters: Toby, the Erlking's daughter, Erlkönig.
Running Gags: The Magic Family Tree.
Summary: Some classical Fair Folk stop by and almost steal Toby (again) also try to deliver some warning.

• Alliterative Title: More like Alliterative Subtitles actually. Loom, Lurk, Lee, Loss, Lethe, Legacy.
• Changeling Tale: The Erlkönig arc. Subverted. But poor Toby is a fae magnet. And this is probably the LEAST endearing way you can reintroduce yourself to your son's story. Way to go Erlkönig!
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Jareth vs. Erlkönig
• Deal with the Devil: The Erlkönig offered power to Jareth, just the Wingdinglish made it a bit hard to spot, but was turned down.
• Hope Spot: Jareth&Javert's Villainous Rescue attempt, seemed like they saved the child just before the Erlkönig kicks their asses.
• Kudzu Plot: They save the kid... but how and why it happened remained a mystery.
• Laser-Guided Amnesia: Jareth casts it on Toby and Javert to protect them. Fails on Javert, but at least manages to spare the kid some nightmares. With this act he effectively declared his father in-universe Nightmare Fuel:
  Jareth: You would prefer to let him have nightmares and jump at shadows for the rest of his life?
• Not What It Looks Like: Between Jareth and Sarah. She made a Relative Error about his sister.
• Passive-Aggressive Kombat: The Erlkönig does this, even if the runes make it hard to decypher.
• Precision F-Strike: It devolves into Symbol Swearing but it's pretty sure that Jareth goes at least "Oh Shit..." here.^note Appropriate reaction on learning that the little brother of his Love Interest will probably run into one of his child stealing relatives.
• Villainous Rescue: Jareth tries and fails this when Toby runs into the Erlkonig. But he still leaves so this is a Double Subversion.
• Visit by Divorced Dad: This story can be seen as this. He drops by regularly since though (for his son's great dismay).

Pages 141-154 Limbo fever, the M Word, gags and British Boyfriends

Limbo Fever arc

Pages: 141 - Rome, 142 - Conversations, 143 - Neater
Characters: Jareth, Sarah.
New Characters: Mr. Saito, Cobb and his children.
Running Gags: Actor Allusion, Jareth tries to help.
Summary: Sarah has sleeping problem because of Inception... Jareth solves it. It becomes their landlord.

• All Just a Dream: As an Inception crossover not that much of a surprise. Also has some interesting consequences.
• Dream Land: Limbo.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero with an F in Good: Jareth fixed Sarah's sleeping problem and it became their landlord (It Makes Sense in Context).

M word arc - Part 1

This arc connects and frames the Dark!Jareth arc.
Pages: 144 - Letter, 145 - The M Word, 146 - Failure, 147 - Irrefutable, 148 - OC, 149 - Favor
Characters: Jareth, Erik, James, Javert.
New Characters: Hedwig.
Running Gags: Jareth tries to help, Being dead in canon, People fainting and Javert carrying them.
Summary: The cast got letters, James from his mother and she wants to come to visit.

• Anti-Heroic BSoD: Later James when he learns that his mother is coming to visit.
• Comical Overreacting: Their shock and pity, when they found out that James' mother is an Original Character.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Used by Javert on Heroic BSoD James here.
• Timey-Wimey Ball: Lampshaded here. Trust Jareth (however hard it is), he is a Time Master, you don't want to risk this.
• T-Word Euphemism: Roommates 145 - The M Word^note (Mother)

Standalone pages

Characters: Jareth, Erik.
Running Gags: Lampshading Fanservice, Uninvited poofing, Jareth tries to help.
150 - Story

• Fanservice: Well, Shirtless Scene with bondagey imagery. The fangirls Squee.
• Supernatural Angst: The whole page is actually Jareht contemplating the futility of fighting his story.

151 - Renovations
New Characters: Ariadne.

152 - Wizard
New Characters: Dresden, Bob.

British Boyfriends are Better mini-arc

Pages: 153 - Vegas, 154 - BBaB
Characters: Erik, James, Javert, Legolas.
New Characters: Satine, Christian, The Green Fairy.
Running Gags: Drunk Antics, Javert's stress level, James being Covert Pervert.
Summary: New tenants, way too much absinthe and Javert is not amused.

• Foreign Culture Fetish: Satine, Eponine and (if they can make her) Sarah have "anglophile meetings" where they discuss that "British Boyfriends Are Better".
• What Did I Do Last Night?: This page has James in a drag waked by the Green Fairy wondering what he did and if he is in Las Vegas. As for why... the British Boyfriends Are Better club got him.

Pages: 155-185 Dark!Jareth and M word conclusion

Dark!Jareth arc (2011 Summer arc)

Pages: 155 - Inopportunte, 156 - Breaking, 157 - Doppelganger, 158 - Trinity, 159 - Overture, 160 - Caught, 161 - Yes Mother, 162 - Stuck, 163 - Yoink, 164 - S.R.P., 165 - Rise, 166 - Fall, 167 - Inexplicable, 168 - The F Word, 167b SLASH INTERLUDE, 169 - Face to Face, 170 - Listen, 171 - Magic Words, 172 - Villainy, 173 - Catching Up, 174 - Generous, 175 - Sundered, 176 - Demands, 177 - No, 178 - Strive, 179 - SMACK, 180 - Status Quo, 181 - Tomorrow, 182 - Vows, 183 - Parent Trap
Characters: Jareth (Dark!Jareth), Erik, James, Javert, Sarah, Christine, Aziraphale, Crowley, Erlkönig.
New Characters: Mrs. Norrington, Socks.
Running Gags: National Animosities, Girls being sane/scary.
Summary: Jareth's mirror breaks, his dark side takes over and tries to rerail the stories of the cast. Also James mother finally arrives... and gets along with Jareth's dad way to much.

• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Jareth and Sarah sitting on the edge of the rooftop and Jareth promising in double lined letters that he will never let the fall hurt her. His dark side pushed her down from that very spot some pages before this. The guy is good at being sweet and creepy.
• Call-Back: Dark!Jareth to his own idealistic speech on page 100 here. And how he was wrong.
• Character Rerailment: Invoked. Jareth reverted back to his original Goblin King characterization and was hellbent on undoing all the Character Development the others had gone through as well.
• Cue the Sun: At the end of the arc James used the rising sun to deliver his Rousing Speech about Hope, the importance of Forgiveness and Redemption always being a possibility (and this from the guy whose story was Redemption Equals Death) to Jareth.
• Discriminate and Switch: After she and Sarah find Valjean resting an unconscious Javert's head in his lap, Norrington's mother comments that the two of them seemed "so... you know... the f-word..." She means "French," of course.
• Easily Forgiven: Played with at the end of the arc two people forgave easily, two didn't (Javert still holds the grudge in Such Stuff... a year later).
• Elephant in the Living Room: In the Dark!Jareth arc the fairly obvious fact of Jareth acting weirdly and his eyes suddenly turning monochromatic did get questioned by the other cast members but he ignored the topic so efficiently that even the readers forgot it was.
• Faking Amnesia: Averted but referenced here.
  Sarah (to Jareth fresh out of his dark mode): Not going to try and claim amnesia by possession?
  Jareth: ...No.
• Faking the Dead: Jareth tries to do this dramatically It doesn't fool Sarah. "Spoilsport!"
• Force Feeding: Dark!Jareth's Character Rerailment spell comes in the form of a fruit that nobody would eat willingly. Oh well. This doesn't stop him.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Sarah smacks Jareth out of his Dark! mode here.
• I Always Wanted to Say That: Here.
  Jareth: How I've longed to say this... You have no POWER over me.
• I Kiss Your Hand: Mr. King Mrs. Norrington's here. What can we say, they're both old-fashioned sort of.
• "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Used (and referenced!) in this strip, while Valjean tries to reason with a brainwashed and de-character developed Javert.
• I Warned You: The Erlkönig appeared to note that "I tried." at the beginning. He really tried to warn Jareth in the Erlkönig arc but the kid refused to listen (and it went over everybody else's head because of the runes and his usual crypticness).
• Kick the Morality Pet: Dark!Jareth goes after Jamie and Sarah. Not that it's a good idea. See Villainous Breakdown.
• Kids Play Matchmaker: Implied and Subverted. You would think that a page with the subtitle "Parent Trap" would be this, as a Shout-Out to the plot of The Parent Trap... No it's not, it's a Parent with New Paramour.
• Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Dark!Jareth to James here. James is too savvy or insecure to think of himself as Worthy Opponent though so it's a subversion.
• Love Confession: Jareth 's two sides here.
• Mood Whiplash: This notoriously dark arc ends with the Parent with New Paramour trope.
• Narnia Time: The time in the Building is just weird in this arc. At least there was a "Hour Inside, Half an Hour Outside" joke when Sarah met Mrs. Norrington and it was nighttime at the rooftop when it clearly wasn't even afternoon on the lower levels or outside. And time got back to normal with the next morning.
• Parent with New Paramour: What can be more awkward than seeing your parent flirt/go out? If (s)he flirts/goes out with your friends parent! As James and Jareth can attest. This is the page the arc ends on.
• Rooftop Confrontation: Planned by Dark!Jareth... it didn't go too well.
• Tempting Fate:
  Page 162 - Stuck - James: "I'll be right back."
• Then Let Me Be Evil: After Dark!Jareth's last attempt to make the heroine see his side of the story fails. To be fair talking in Blue-and-Orange Morality didn't help his cause^note (like suggesting that Sarah's wish to be the heroine makes it her fault that a villain is needed). See also: Love Confession
• This Is Wrong on So Many Levels!: Sarah's version: "There's more wrong with that than I can even start to explain...". (She also has Sympathy for the Devil, so Jareth is Easily Forgiven... by her)
• T-Word Euphemism: Roommates 168 - The F Word^note (French)
• Villainous Breakdown: Dark!Jareth suffers one when he begins to realize that he might have got what "he" (read: the story) wanted but that wasn't what he needed. Namely destroy the heroes (or so it seemed), but those heroes happened to be his Muggle Best Friend and his Love Interest.
• Villain Over for Dinner: James's initial reaction to his mother seeing der Erlkönig (after he realized who he is). Later Subverted because the Cool Old Lady is hard to fool... she willingly romances (and trolls) "Cthulhu".
• Wham Episode: It gave some pretty potent Paranoia Fuel and personal drama to the until that point mostly harmless trickster. Also cemented that You Can't Fight Fate or the Theory of Narrative Causality.
• You're Insane!: Used by Javert against Dark!Jareth and his Motive Rant on why he's been forcing Character Rerailment on the others:
  Javert: "Generous?! We are tragedies, you ass! There is nothing generous in making us repeat the same mistakes that cost us everything the first time!"

M word arc - Part 2

Pages: 184 - Challenge, 185 - Accepted
Characters: James, Mrs. Norrington.
Running Gags: National Animosities, Girls being sane/scary, Being dead in canon.
Summary: James comes finally clean and has a talk with his mother. Turns out most of it wasn't needed.

• Pun-Based Title: Meme based but you get the idea: (pages 184-185) Challenge-Accepted.

Pages 186-207 Zombies

Zombies arc (2011 Halloween arc)

Pages: 186 - Options, 187 - Reflexes, 188 - Checked, 189 - Phone Box, Roommates 190 - Arrivals, 191 - Passing Thru, 192 - AoE, 193 - Sacrifice, 194 - Americana, 195 - Depth, 196 - Power Play, 197 - Threat, 198 - Time Out, 199 - Hero, 200 - Participation, 201 - Doom, 202 - CHAINSAW, 203 - Later, 204 - Sonic, 205 - Force, 206 - Return, 207 - Immutable
Characters: James, Jareth, Javert, Erik, Valjean, Aziraphale, Crowley, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Dresden, Bob, Todd, Nathan, Mr. Saito, Cobb and his children, Satine, Christian, Sarah, Christine, Legolas.
New Characters: Dr. House, The Tenth Doctor, Ash, Tallahasse, Zombies.
Running Gags: Javert being unsympathetic, Media Classifications, National Animosities, Uninvited poofing, Jareth tries to help, Ax-Crazy killers getting along, Being dead in canon.
Summary: The residents and new additions team up to avert a zombie apocalypse... not that it's easy.

• Backto Back Badasses: Zombies!
• Creepy Physical: As James can tell you "The Still Dead Check"^note (Normally it involves checking the patient's pulse and asking "Are you still dead in canon?") can turn into a quite an embarrassing experience if you get House. Not that the other option (the Tenth Doctor) sounded much better.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Cast vs. Zombies After they stopped fighting each other at least.
• Don't Try This at Home: Here in the artist comment about gun safety or the lack of thereof. Also here about some fighting moves involving a chainsaw.
• Europeans Are Kinky: At least Tallahassee thinks so. Here.
• Everything's Deader with Zombies: This arc, which to date seems like was just thrown in (more probably it's there to add more plot threads).
• Halloween Episode: The 2011 one.
• Heroic Sacrifice: James. Good thing he is already (canonically) dead.
• I'm Standing Right Here: Well sitting, but you get the idea. James here.
• Kudzu Plot: The invasion was stopped but nothing else was resolved.
• Mexican Standoff: "So, why are we all lined up?"
• Mundane Utility: The stupidest use of a Sonic Screwdriver ever.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: "The Doctors' (and Norrington's) Wacky Adventures through BBC" (Seems like the TARDIS for some reason brought them to all the shows Hugh Laurie was in.)
  • Also the cast's big fight with the zombies.
• Orphaned Punchline: First panel of this page.
  Legolas: And I said being blond has nothing to do with it!
• Plot Armor: James has it!
• Precision F-Strike: Crowley's way to tell people that they should hurry ("Get the F- in!") here.
• Pun-Based Title: (pages 187-188) Reflexes-Checked.
• Snicket Warning Label: The penultimate strip of it notes that those who want it to have an unequivocally happy ending should "cue credits here." The ending is a rapid switch from humorous to heartbreaking. (Warning for Zombieland spoilers!)
• Speed Echoes: Legolas can climb trees FAST!
• We ARE Struggling Together: The team-up with the zombie hunters is everything but smooth.
• Zombie Apocalypse: Looks like one...

Pages 208-221 Gags and Magic cold

Standalone gags

Characters: Erik, Javert, Jareth; Éponine, Mrs. Norrington.
Running Gags: National Animosities, Girls being sane/scary, Javert's stress level, Actor Allusion, Being dead in canon.

208 - La Seine

209 - Younger

• Actor Allusion: Why Erik gets younger and younger in-universe.

210 - The Candle Talk

• If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: Female-to-female example, delivered by Mrs. Norrington to Eponine. Ends with a really awesome warning:
  Mrs. Norrington: ...And if you break his heart, Joan of Arc will look like a child's birthday candle compared to what I do to you. Understand?

212 - Lieutenants
New Characters: Groves, Gilette, Jack Sparrow.

• Pirate: James was a pirate for a short time. His past came to visit, see the random chibi Jack Sparrow in the last panel?

Jareth's Cold arc

Pages 211 - Bundled; 213 - Sneeze, 214 - Swap, 215 - Snarl, 216 - Shoot Me, 217 - Sit, 218 - Self Insert, 219 - Short SightedCharacters: James, Jareth, Javert, Erik, Todd, Sarah, Legolas, Misto.
New Characters: AsheRhyder.
Running Gags: Erik hurting Jareth, Javert being unsympathetic, Girls being sane/scary, Jareth causing mischief, Legolas being freaked out by Todd, Erik's glitterphobia.
Summary: Jareth goes to visit his mother and comes back with a magical cold.

• Attractive Bent-Gender: As Sarah called Jareth out about it:
  Sarah: Right. Do you want to try explaining why they're all built like super-models, on top of being girls?...
• Catch Your Death of Cold: Jareth tried very hard to avert this trope (even if from his reaction he was never sick in his life) when he went to visit his mother for the Holidays. Warm clothing and everything. Unfortunately his mother is An Ice Person and an Evil Matriarch so he ended up with a magical cold that also had Power Incontinence as a symptom.
• Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon: According to her son Jadis threatens him with "I'll bury you in snow until May" if he doesn't visit her for Christmas, being An Ice Person she is probably literal.
• If I Do Not Return: Jareth in #211, when he goes to visit his mother.
• Inconvenient Summons: Ashe('s Author Avatar) got summoned while eating a (Word of Ashe: Turkey and Swiss) sandwich. (S)he and the whole fandom will insist that this little adventure happened too.
• Not What It Looks Like: Jareth and Sarah again. James got turned into a woman accidentally... and a disturbingly pretty one to boot.
• Power Incontinence: So when Jareth has a cold interesting things can happen. Like:
  • "Freaky Friday" Flip
  • Little Bit Beastly
  • Gender Bender
  • Author Avatar - Because the readers demanded it and with this the last bricks of the Fourth Wall are also gone. Here.
  • Mistaken Identity - Not a direct result of all the magic running wild but Sweeney mistakes female!Legolas for his daughter. Hilarity Ensues.
• Sick Episode: Yep. And who knew that Jareth is ridiculously cute when sick... and that colds can be this dangerous.

Standalone gags

Characters: Talahassee, Toby, Sarah, Christine, James; Mrs. Norrington, Erlkönig.
Running Gags: Girls being sane/scary, The Magic Family Tree.

220 - Hunch

221 - Advice
New Character: The Queen of the Night.

• Your Mom: And you would think ancient and powerful supernatural beings are classier than this, but no. The Erlkönig used the version about daughters against the Queen Of The Night as part of their Passive Aggressive Combat, we can't even blame the guy, as the other basically accused him in flowery language of, well, liking little boys^note Which is Fridge Brilliance, as this is one of the modern Alternate Character Interpretations making this insult seem to go against all such criticism..