Webcomic / The Adventures of Wiglaf and Mordred

One of these three is a woman.

The Adventures of Wiglaf and Mordred is a humorous comic about Wiglaf (our hero) befriending Mordred (our villain), by force if necessary. It's also about Mordred's super villain family, their cronies, their friends, and pretty much everyone else that happens to drop in or appear in the background of a strip.

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This comic provides examples of:

• A Match Made in Stockholm: Geoffry and Janus.
• The Ace: Wiglaf was created to be a subversion of this trope. He's perfect at everything... but because he's perfect at everything, people can't stand him. He's also got an almost obsessive-compulsive need to fix things.
• Amazon Brigade: The Valkyrie Sisters.
• Amulet of Dependency: The Artifacts, including Grace, Éclat, and Bliss.
• Arch-Enemy: Azrael to Wiglaf, and Lancelot to Mordred.
• Artifact of Doom: The Sword of Grace, the Orb of Bliss, the Sword of Éclat, and most of the other artifacts in the set.
  • Wiglaf (and others) probably consider Camlann this due to his Wall of Text rants and the fact that he keeps burning the hands of nearly everyone who touches him.
• At the Opera Tonight: The Piano Concert arc.
• Ax-Crazy: Galen, the "doctor" who enjoys cutting people open for fun.
  • Sedrick goes Ax-Crazy at one point.
• Berserk Button
  • Azrael has one towards art pieces and artifacts being stolen, as demonstrated when he threatens Generic upon learning about his stolen Ming Vase, Picasso, and other things.
  • Bliss, to a lesser extent, when someone handles/touches her orb. She blasted Wiglaf when he touched it, though she doesn't seem to remember this fact at all when Mordred brought it up mere seconds after. Later we also discover she hates people fighting.
  • Arthur, if you dare to touch Mordred. Also qualifies as Big Brother Instinct.
• Big Brother Instinct: Arthur towards Mordred. Lampshaded. Repeatedly. Janus as well, to a lesser extent.
• Big, Screwed-Up Family: The Garrotts. Seriously.
• Black Sheep: Boudica is the only member of her family that is in no way a villain. She is, in fact, a concert pianist. She does, however, show shades of murderous intent when Wiglaf upstages her at the concert.
• Blatant Burglar: Generic Burglar. And yes, that's his real name.
• Bodyguard Crush
  • Sedrick has one on Arthur.
  • Driver, though not quite a bodyguard, has on on Mordred.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Arthur and Sedrick have no recollection of Gawain.
• Butt-Monkey
  • Gawain at the hands of the voodoo priest/ess, Arthur, Sedrick, Galen, Ricky, and sometimes Hagen. He may, in fact, be The Chew Toy. Good thing he can't die.
  • Horatio may also be a Butt-Monkey or Chew Toy, though it's hard to tell if he suffers misfortune often enough.
• Bystander Syndrome: Mordred.
• Catchphrase: Mordred's "I hate you." Usually delivered to Wiglaf.
• Cat Boy: Herschell.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: Wiglaf. Even living with a family of super villains can't cure it.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Driver with Mordred in the early days of the comic.
• Clingy MacGuffin: Grace, as well as the rest of his set.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Bliss.
• Criminal Amnesiac: Gawain, somewhat. See, he can regenerate from injuries, and he considers Arthur and Sedrick his arch-enemies... but he's been shot in the head so many times he can't for the life of him remember why. So in the meantime, he figures a steady paycheck and a job as a Garrott henchman won't be such a bad thing, at least until he remembers.
• Cute Clumsy Girl: Boudica, who even trips while walking onstage for her big performance.
  Boudica: Oopsie.
• Daddy's Little Villain: Hagen. "I'm a henchman too, ya know."
• Deadpan Snarker: Grace and Mordred.
• Deathbringer the Adorable: Mordred's puppy, Grendel.
• Dude Looks Like a Lady: A good portion of the male cast, but especially Azrael and Wiglaf, prior to getting haircuts. Inverted with Driver, who is a lady who looks like a dude.
• Empathic Weapon
  • Camlann.
  • Grace, who was once a human, but was turned into a sword.
  • Subverted by Bliss, who doesn't quite realize she could be a weapon.
  • Inverted by Éclat, who is technically empathic, but doesn't seem to bother with the whole "empathy" bit at all.
• The Everyman: Mordred's downstairs neighbour, Julian, is one of the very few token normal people in The Adventures. Living under/around villains and heroes on a regular basis as he does, he frequently exercises Unusually Uninteresting Sight.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Security. Played with in Driver's case; her name is actually Ainsley Driver.
• Everyone Is Related: Well, not necessarily to each other, but it's hard to find someone in the comic who isn't related by blood to someone else. Here's a helpful relationship chart◊.
• Evil Gloating: Subverted when Vilhelm begins to monologue, and then says, "And I don't need to explain why because in an hour or so: you won't care!"
• Evil Matriarch: Madame Garrott, despite being retired, most certainly qualifies.
  • There are hints that Wiglaf's mother, Linnea, may also be a ruthless matriarch, if not an evil one.
• Eyeless Face: It turns out Isabelle has one of these.
• Eyes Always Shut: Security, though he has opened his eyes on a few occasions.
• Eye Scream: On page 712, Jade (telekinetically) rips the eyeball from Driver's head and gives it to Boss, who then eats it. According to The Rant, it was originally going to be worse.
• Failed a Spot Check
  • Nearly everyone in the cast with Security, who turns up in random locations (sometimes hundreds of miles apart) at random times without anyone questioning how or why he's there, with a few exceptions: Hnæf, who immediately tries to investigate Security the first time they meet and freaks out when his super-AI information network computer, Mí­mir, can't find any information on him, and Geoffry, whose parental instincts over-ride whatever it is Security does when Security was talking to Safir, Geoffry's son. Security ended up with a spectacular black eye.
• Fan Disservice: Somewhat intentionally here.
• Fangirl: The Valkyrie Sisters with Azrael.
  • Mordred's fangirls include Brat, Janus, and Arthur. Especially Arthur.
  • Wiglaf has his fair share of them as well, as seen a few times in the comic, as well as in a sketch drawn by the artist showing him jogging, with a multitude of fangirls hiding behind a bush stalking him. During the Ben and Éclat arc, we see that the latter is also a huge fan.
• Fanservice
  • Most often it is a Shirtless Scene when an attractive member of the male cast will appear, well, without a shirt-Such as Wiglaf when he had to remove his chain mail to get past airport security.
  • Throughout the comic, there are a number of filler Pin-Up pages whose content varies from "character having fun", to humorous Fanservice, like the "female character popping out of a cake" ones for the comic's birthday.
  • In this early strip, the last panel is even stated to be nothing more than Fanservice.
• Fauxshadow: A literal case on page 457, "Going to Catch Flies", which is explained on the very next page as Security having fun with a flashlight.
• Filler Strips: Used purposely at the end of each arch in the form of character pin-ups.
• Flower Motifs
  • Flowers and similarly herbaceous objects have been used repeatedly to delineate Lancelot's, Mordred's, and Driver's personalities and dispositions.
  • The decorative hilt on Grace's sword is quite flower-like.
  • A non-canon portrait by the author once used a daisy to illustrate Wiglaf's personality.
  • In the event of Azrael's redesign, 457. "Going to Catch Flies," Liliy scattered small pink flowers on his white trousers.
• Fluffy the Terrible: The Sword of Grace is a manipulative psychopath.
  • The Orb of Bliss is initially implied to be worse. Ironically, Wiglaf makes Mordred go on a quest for the Orb of Bliss specifically because it sounds benevolent. Turns out she is, mostly, though she is still very powerful.
  • The Sword of Éclat is is a male chauvinist, takes great delight in tormenting his owner, and his power is to make anything he touches come to life as a violent creature, so "Éclat" does not quite fit.
• Funetik Aksent: Driver and Galen both speak with very heavy accents (southern and Russian, respectively). In Driver's case it's shown in The Rescue arc (and Word of God) that she gets it from her father, who also has a noticeable southern accent.
• Girl with Psycho Weapon: The Valkyrie Sisters each wield deadly weapons of one form or another (except for Svafa, who is a deadly weapon).
• Go-Karting with Bowser: Wiglaf regarding Mordred and just about everyone involved in Mordred's life.
• Hadaka Apron: Janus decides to spice things up for her husband while baking cookies.
• Half-Identical Twins: Janus and Arthur.
• Handsome Lech: When going clubbing, Arthur Jr. is purported to be one of these.
• Healing Factor: Gawain. Due to the whole zombie thing. Not a boon when Gawain meets Dr. Galen.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: Word of God on Wiglaf and Mordred, despite the obvious.
  • To a lesser degree, Azrael and Ben could be considered this.
• Humanity Ensues: Éclat's power ends up turning Camlann, the sentient magic sword, into a magic and very angry human.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: Sedrick to Arthur.
• I Call It "Vera": Azrael's sword Grace. However, according to Azrael, Grace is male. Subverted when it turns out that Grace is actually a spirit bound to the sword whom only Azrael can see, and not just a figment of his imagination.
  • The same thing happens with Mordred and Bliss, as Wiglaf just understood. In a later chapter, he actually goes on a quest to make the artifacts visible to everyone. He finds it.
  • The killer plant left in Mordred's apartment by Lancelot, whom Wiglaf and Mordred decide to name Hissy.
• I Lied: Janus.
• Important Haircut: Driver, after realizing that both she and Mordred have changed and that she's starting to get over him, buts her hair short so her glass eye and real eye are visible. She also stops dying it, letting it slowly fade to its natural blonde. She says that she's happy with the change, regardless of what Mordred thinks of it.
• Insistent Terminology: Lancelot insists that he's not a mad scientist. Mordred insists that he is.
• Invisible to Normals
  • Grace, Bliss, and Éclat, as well as all other artifacts in the same set are only visible to each other, their respective owners, dogs, and the undead.
• Karma Houdini: All of the Garrotts and everyone who works for them, to a greater or lesser extent, except Boudica. Azrael, apparently a known and wanted serial killer, is even able to casually attend a probably-televised concert and greet the famous pianist.
• Let's Get Dangerous!: Surprisingly, Mordred, to an extent, as seen when he holds his own against Sedrick, of all people. As Word of God stated, "Someone had to take after dad". Of course, as soon as Wiglaf returned he resumed his act of being "oh so helpless". Of course, this leads one to wonder, just what he could be capable of if he weren't so lazy.
• Mad Scientist
  • Lancelot is a Mad Botanist, and is in denial about it.
  • Galen is empirical in her approach to testing pain endurance.
• Meaningful Name
  • Azrael, known as the "Angel of Death". It fits his murderous tendencies, to say the least.
  • Ainsley Driver, possibly by way of Prophetic Name or What Did You Expect When You Named It ____?.
  • "Bliss," "Grace," and "Éclat" also fall under this trope, in twisted ways.
• Morality Pet: According to some fans, Wiglaf is one of these to Mordred, though there has been debate.
• Named Weapons: Camlann, the magical (chattering) sword.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: In universe, anyone with the last name Garrott will range from rather rude to an outright terrifying villain.
  • Also Azrael, Ricky, Galen, The Valkyires, Alistair and, pretty much anyone working for the Garrotts.
  • Wiglaf and his other name 'The Devil of Bohuslän', except in this case, it's the villains running, not everyone else. Though that is a pretty ominous name for the hero.
• Motive Decay: Gawain has been shot in the head so many times, he no longer remembers why he hates Arthur so much.
• Nigh-Invulnerability: Word of God has stated that although the artifacts are magical, they are not indestructible. However, it would take a lot of power to destroy any of them and doing so is very difficult. For example, Mordred stuffed the Orb of Bliss into a box and dropped it out the second story window. It was returned to him unharmed (but angry).
• No Name Given: Wiglaf's sister is known only as "Brat".
• Noodle Implements: Gawain's zombiefication "involves a golden egg, a spork and a swamp witch... Oh, and there was a puffer fish."
• Obfuscating Stupidity
  • Mordred seemed ignorant of Wiglaf's hero persona, but later revealed to Driver (and the audience) that he'd known since the beginning. He just enjoyed bossing around the his brother's rival, and figured Wiglaf wouldn't have put up with it had he thought Mordred knew.
  • St one point, Arthur was insisting to Sedrick that his male dragon Gustave had indeed laid eggs. In fact, Gustav's species is able to spontaneously "change it's sex in order to procreate", something that Arthur was fully aware of despite acting stupid about what was going on and Sedrick was not aware until he looked it up while trying to prove Arthur wrong.
• Odd Couple: Wiglaf and Mordred, and the basic premise of the entire comic.
• Offhand Backhand: Svafa in this strip.
• Offscreen Teleportation: Security. 'Nuff said.
• Overlord Jr.: Apparently the original intent for Safir, but subverted in practice.
• Our Zombies Are Different: Gawain is a zombie. He is also pretty much indistinguishable from a living person apart from the fact that he regenerates from every injury. Although, injuries can have lasting effects, as being shot point blank in the head causes him to lose some important memories. He has an amulet which seems to have something to do with keeping him "alive".
• Papa Wolf: Do not talk to Safir without talking to Geoffry and Janus first. Geoffry will fuck you up.
• Phoning the Phantom: Downplayed. Grace insists Azrael look at the sword and not him when addressing him, because it makes him look like less of a nutcase than talking to thin air.
• Pre-Explosion Glow: When Bliss gets very angry, her silvery-blue orb turns blood red. That's when you know to run.
• Puppy-Dog Eyes: Safir on these two pages.
• Pure Is Not Good: Arthur Sr is apparently pure enough to hold Camlann without burning. It might just be the intimidation factor.
  Camlann: He passes! HE PASSES!
• The Rant: Both a regular blog and accompanying text with each comic, which almost always has very little to do with the comic itself (including random song lyrics).
• Real Men Wear Pink: Azrael. Down Time and Roomies just to name two chapters. Though the latter page does reveal that Azrael's bloodstream is now devoid of testosterone.
• Redhead In Green: Lancelot
• Removing the Head or Destroying the Brain: Lampshaded by Arthur and averted by Gawain.
  Arthur: You're not a zombie. Everyone knows you take them out with a shot to the head. And you're still standing.
  Gawain: Have you ever killed a zombie?
  Arthur: No.
  Gawain: Met one?
  Arthur: No.
  Gawain: Then, how exactly do you know that actually works?
• Retired Monster: Arthur Garrott Senior, and probably his wife Agnes "Hera" Garrott too.
  • Alistair, aka The Golden Barber, who "made his claim to fame lobbing off heads with a rusty butcher knife." He also happens to be Driver's dad.
• Ritual Magic: Several characters have come about through the use of ritual magic.
  • Gawain, a zombie, remembers his creation involved ritual use of Noodle Implements.
  • Grace explained that he was part of a set, and Word of God explained that all the objects in the set were once human, though none lived at the same time: Grace was from Medieval Ireland, Bliss from Victorian Era England, and Éclat from France during the French revolution.
• Running Gag
  • How Security got his start.
  • "Was that the Stable Boy?"
• Scary Shiny Glasses: Vilhelm channels Gendo pretty often.
• Security Blanket: Wolfy for Safir. Wolfy may be a #1 Dime, but his loss is more likely to be a Berserk Button for Geoffrey or Arthur Sr. than for Safir.
  • Grace was initially considered a Security Blanket for Azrael.
• Signed Up for the Dental: Gawain joins the side of evil for the dental.
• Sliding Scale of Undead Regeneration: Level four. Gawain only feels pain when he first takes injury, and can stick any bits that get chopped off him back in their respective sockets. He also doesn't degenerate, although his flesh and skin slough from his bones when he touches an Anti-Magic field.
• Snarky Non-Human Sidekick: Three, all swords. One won't shut up when he's allowed to talk (see Talking Weapon) while the others lines are inaudible to anyone else.
• Stalker with a Crush: Brat.
• Stating the Simple Solution: Arthur Sr. to himself, after Security escapes him.
  Arthur: Why don't I ever just kill you?
• Stockholm Syndrome: One possible explanation for Janus and Geoffry's relationship.
• Strong Family Resemblance
  • Hagen truly looks like a combination of her parents.
  • Wiglaf and Lennart. Even pointed out by Mordred here, and even then Wiglaf needed to have it practically spelled out for him.
• Subordinate Excuse: Sedrick with Arthur and Wiglaf with Mordred.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Mordred, who leans more towards the "ice" part.
• Talking Appliance Sidekick: Camlann, a lot.
• Talking Weapon
  • Camlann. And really, it's more like the sword that won't shut up.
  • Grace, although fewer people can hear him.
  • Éclat, with the same caveats as Grace
• Tangled Family Tree: It rivals the X-men chart that is the page example.
• Teen Genius: Hnæf, though he was only twelve when he was introduced. Also combined with Photographic Memory to make him the most potentially annoying Teen Genius ever.
• Traumatic Haircut: Mordred has cut Wiglaf's hair without permission on at least two occasions. Wiglaf got back by dyeing Mordred's hair neon pink.
• Torture Technician: Galen.
• The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Hagen. There's no denying that, while he might have only gotten that way because of his wife, Ricky is not pretty and his daughter is.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Galen and Ricky. This is probably Galen's fault.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: Wiglaf and Mordred.
• Walls of Text
  • Actually used to describe the comic in at least one review: "The Adventures of Wiglaf and Mordred, who are hot for a wall-o-text". Most often perpetrated by Mordred, though the most obvious example is anytime Camlann is removed from his sheath, especially the first time after Wiglaf and Mordred fly back to the US after retrieving him. After becoming human, it's any time he opens his mouth.
  • Bliss after Mordred tried to throw her out a window to shut her up and she was brought back by Julian.
• Weirdness Coupon
  • Sometimes Lancelot, sometimes Wiglaf.
  • Generally averted by Mordred.
  • Subverted by Azrael.
  • Bliss
• Wham Episode: Sedrick decides that it's time to make some changes around here. And this is only the beginning...
• What the Hell Is That Accent?: Driver's intended accent (southern US) had to be clarified by Word of God.
• Wild Magic: Possibly Camlann. His background has not been sufficiently explained, but he cannot interact with the possessed objects, so he is likely to be a different sort of magic, and he is sentient and willful.
• Would Hit a Girl: As demonstrated here, Wiglaf isn't afraid to hit back when provoked, regardless of gender.
• Yandere: Sedrick in the October 2011 arc. So much. See this.

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