Station V3
is a long-running webcomic by Tom Truszkowski, which depicts the ongoing comedic travails of the employees of the eponymous backwater space-station, as they face space pirates, plotter-fish conspiracies, unreality waves and semi-random teleportations to distant galaxies. The cast includes Floyd, the station's robot administrator, Linton the hyper-enthusiastic security chief, Mr. Maintenance Engineer, the resident Plant and, down planetside, the Rumormongers. In more recent years, action has shifted away from the station as the crew gets scattered to various distant points in the cosmos. Reflecting this, the title has changed to things like "Whatever Happened to Station V3" and "They Never Did Find Station V3".
It has spawned three infrequently updated spin-off comics; Station Z7, Silence in the Darkness in Q16, and Ebb's children.
Goes through cycles of posting activity; the most recent run happened in the early months of 2021.
Station V3 provides examples of:
- Abandon Ship: If something goes wrong on the station (which always does) please follow the other members into the nearest escape pod. The one who loves to use this strategy the most? Surprisingly not Linton but Morty, specially if he screwed a repair.
- Answer Cut: The Rumormongers.
- Artificial Gravity: Probably the only thing that never breaks or stops functioning on the Station.
- A Rare Sentence: The strip for december 16th 2022 has "Rumor has it the staring contest caused a time loop."
- Big Red Button: In one of the many Station V3 (several explode or get lost or things like that) there is a button that destroys the Station making the timeline loop. The one who is constantly pressing it? Linton.
- Catchphrase: The Rumormongers' "Rumor has it [insert rumor here]"
- Also, security chief Linton's "[You are/They're/That's] a [big] security risk" and the pirate's "This is a nice [station] we're taking over!"
- Companion Cube: The Plant.
- Averted in that the Plant(s) can think and speak (although only Violet can hear him).
- Deadpan Snarker: Practically everyone in the comic at one time or another. Special mention to Mr. Maintenance Engineer and the Blue Alien with the gas can.
- Demoted to Extra: Emmit hasn't had much to do in recent years, though he's probably not complaining too hard about it.
- Did Not Think This Through: An early strip where Linton gets onboard the pirates' space ship:Linton: This ship isn't going to the station today! You guys are stuck here now! I've wrecked the controls, destroyed the radio, and jettisoned all the escape pods. NOBODY gets off this ship!...wait a minute...Pirate: (sarcastically) That's some brilliant planning on your part.
- The Ghost: Honest J!on, technically. His image often appears on his various billboards, but he never appears in the strip in person.
- Hands in Pockets: Emmit is a very literal example.
- His Name Really Is "Barkeep": Mr Maintenance Engineer.
- In fact, Mr. Maintenance Engineer's race is this since they are named after what they do or do what are they named after.
- Honest John's Dealership: Honest J!on has what you need.
- Lampshade Hanging: In the comic of December 24 of 2006, the Running Gag of the blue alien shows him in front of a christmas decorated asteroid telling him that he is 7 light years away from Station V7 and also comments on how festive the asteroid looks with the christmas lights; the blue alien comments that they probably never took the lights down from last year.
- Lethal Chef: V3's Chef.
- Noodle Implements
- Not Listening to Me, Are You?
- Not Quite Back to Normal: After 19 (or more) time loops and other effects, reality have changed so many different times that normal has never been achieved again, especially since some members of V3 weren't even capable of talking in the beginning.
- Only Sane Man: Mr. Maintenance Engineer, most of the time.
- Running Gag: That astronaut guy with a gas can trying to find the station. Also, "meanwhile, in the alternate universe".
- Space Friction: Whenever a ship runs out of fuel, it tends to coast immediately to a stop.
- Supreme Chef: In one of the Guest Comics, the Chef was taught by a legendary chef (The Muppet Show), his muffins looked really good, just... don't ask him for donuts.
- Those Two Guys
- Token Human: Emmit the shuttle pilot.
