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There is still one more thing that struck me as worth writing about. After covering those topics that seemed most vital to me - the quality of Peter's writing, the inner personality traits revealed by the agony of loss and death, the sheer number of characters in Sluggy Freelance, as well as the oncoming conflict between the forces of good and evil - I tried to think about what unfinished business I had yet to write about, when I realized that was it. Therefore, this essay is about, as I said, unfinished business in the Sluggy Freelance world.
Peter is notorious for leaving his subplot open. For every villain defeated, a new one rises to take their place. For every problem surmounted, yet more rise to challenge our heroes. Peter may give us a short-term solution, but the problem is always there, just under the surface and waiting to spring upon Torg, Riff, Zoe and Gwynn the next time they let their guard down.
So, with that in mind, I shall do my best to catalogue these outstanding situations - those unfound enemies, those unsaid secrets, those unpunished actions - to help we readers in trying to guess where the next blow shall be struck from.
'But surely' you might say 'did you not speak of the next conflict? That Epic Confrontation between the Goddess and the Demon King, is that not the next great battle for our heroes?' It might not be. My intent was to outline that a great battle has been set up, but not to forecast just when it will go down. Any number of other plots might pass first, and I imagine Peter would want to take a year of rest before plunging into the story of demons again.
So without further ado, I shall now present to you all outstanding subplots, from which Pete may yet draw his next tale.
1) The Cloners: The Cloners are a mysterious lot. They were brought into the story by Riff, when he wanted a cloned Torg, which is important to remember, since it was not they who made the first move. What is more likely, it seems, is that they are acting on an evil plot already in motion - Zoe, Riff, Torg and Gwynn might have stumbled on it, and it might turn out to be a plan of their enemies in Hereti-Corp or elsehwere, but it is unlikely the plan directly concerns them yet. Since we are still right in this plotline, it is hard to guess how it will be resolved since we have no past references yet.
2) The Vampires: They have been overshadowed lately by the scale of the demon invasion, but they're still out there and still a threat. As we know, there's more then one circle of Vampires left out there, but we're more likely to be concerned by she whose name begins with P. She hunts Sam, and if she learns of just who is responsible for the death of the Lysinda circle, then Riff and anyone around him might be in serious trouble. Why particularily Riff? Because he had a vampire-hunting business and also took out most of the Lysinda circle by himself anyways. Some other loose ends are Arminius the highly effective vampire hunter, Jenny the ex-secretary for Riff's business, and Muffin - who holds one hell of a grudge against Sam for killing her friends and boyfriend.
3)Kittens: Third on the list, but the top in kill-count, the Demon Kittens are still out there but they're looking less of a threat. Hopefully, Torg is smart enough to realize that he should use Chaz against them - if it can pierce the Demon King, a few kittens should be easy. Unfortunately, it is unlikely he'll remember the kittens until after they break free and kill Flaky and her two helpers, since it would be unlike Torg to take the initiative. Either way, next time, the Kittens are likely to go down, but they've proven deadly to secondary characters before, so the question is how many they'll bring down. I can't actually think of any remaining secondary characters that already exist for them to kill, so I imagine next time Peter will simply make some more up.
4)Hereti-Corp: Although nearly annihilated by Riff's rampage and the freeing of the true Aylee - and finished off by the heroic efforts of the sadly deceased Mike - some of the group's leaders as well as their minion Kusari are still alive. Some suspect them behind the cloners, but the last time we saw them working suggests they lack the finances. Nevertheless, they're still out there, and so long as they're alive they might be ressurected at any time to present a more mortal threat.
5) Wilburn: Wait, what? Wilburn, you say? Yes, the Raythe Wilburn. Though the house is un-cursed, the soul well has been freed, and the heroes gone, Wilburn is still actually alive, and so long as he is he might some how drag Torg, Riff, and everyone into some new supernatural phenomenon.
6)Oasis: She seems to be more aware of herself and less insane, but still holds feelings for Torg. Peter last showed her walking the earth, trying to figure out who she was and what it all meant, meaning she could come back at any time. Interestingly enough, her return could mean anything - perhaps she has mellowed, and will allow Torg and Zoe to live in peace? Perhaps she will tell a tale through flashbacks of her true past and her lessons learned? Or perhaps she will resume her attempts to kill Zoe and destroy every last vestige of Hereti-Corp? Peter has left us no clues and given himself a blank card to play as he wills, so who knows?
7)Horribus: Oh, Horribus, I hate him so. He slew Alternate Zoe and broke the heart of Torg. He savaged the peaceful people of the Dimension of Lame in his hunt. He even killed someone using the bathroom! Recently, however, his obsession for Torg cost him in demotion and humiliation. So why is he on the list? He's a broken creature festering in a deep, dark pit. He is here because he is the true great villain of Sluggy Freelance. The Demon King might be the strongest and most dedicated villain, but it is Horribus who hates and is hated by Torg on a very personal level. Wether the Demon King sends his armies to crush the forces of good, and no matter how that does, the true climax will be Horribus fighting Torg, with each out for personal revenge.
8)K'z'k and Skippy: It may feel like a lifetime since they last appeared, but the wording of the end of that story has left the door cracked open for a potential comeback. I would put nothing past them, and Gwynn's dependance on the book of E-ville means they'll always have a backdoor entrance.
9)The Book of E-ville: Before 'That which Redeems', I never would have thought the Book to be worth much attention after K'z'k, but it is important to remember that if one Gwynn could master her book, perhaps regular Gwynn could master this one. It's powers would be a true boon, consider Torg has Chaz and Riff has his inventions. Between them, they could defeat any foe. Either way, it is unlikely to rest easy for long, I imagine Pete will return it to the forefront sooner or later.
10)Aylee: Aylee is one neverending loose end. As she is once more transforming, this time for longer then before, who knows what could happen next? She might be once again a murderous savage, or anything. With the cloners too close for comfort and Torg suddenly fearing she migh be nearing the end of her lifespan, Peter has dropped a lot of hints about what is in store for Aylee, but nothing concrete yet. You would think they would have learned from Clone Aylee that when transforming, she can be influenced, and perhaps making an effort to do something so she won't eat people - maybe piling potatoes around her or something?
11)Good vs. Evil: I've already elaborated enough on this in a previous thread, but in short, the end of 'That which redeems' has set the stage for a much bigger battle. I discussed in detail the core of this conflict, so instead I will list those subplots and such that are still viable within this subplot.
11A)Psykosis: Psykosis is far more cunning and intelligent then Horribus, and has shown an interest in finding a way to reconquer the Dimension of Lame. His usurping of Horribus might lead to a personal fight between the two, and as he leads the army of the Dimension of Pain he is likely to face the Goddess and her forces. Curiously, he seemd shocked to see Mosp die, although this might not be elaborated upon.
11B)Reakk: Reakk is a fool, but likely to aide Horribus again. He might help Horribus return to previous power. Either way, he seems fairly powerful for an idiot, and once bit Alternate Gwynn - it might amount to an interesting show-down later.
11C)the Goddess and the defenders of the Dimension of Lame: The Goddess is going to need some back up, and the only place she can get it from is the DoL. It is completely up to Peter's discretion just what they learn from her - if they can learn how to fight, how to resist, and actually help her out. The Dimension of Lame is likely to be very different the next time it is seen.
11D)Alternate Gwynn, Riff, and Bun Bun: What's left of the alternate main characters still have parts to play. Except Torg and jerk-Torg, no alternate character has met it's alternate self, and I expect that'll happen sooner or later - Riff and Alternate Riff might be quite a thing to see, if only for the difference in their inventions.
11E)The Last Dragon of Annoyia: There is still one undiscovered dragon out there, although just what it'll do or whose side it might be on is completely unkown. It's kind of out of place, really, considering the demons are no logner funny - I simply cannot laugh at their antics again after seeing their true daemonic qualities revealed. Still, if it is more serious then the past two, it might be quite a big deal.
11F)Chaz: I just know there's more to Chaz then we've been told. He is the key to Torg's eventual victory, the defeat of the Demon King, and his final revenge/redemption against Horribus. But then, it's a little too easy, isn't it? Just chop the demon king? There'll be more to it, I would bet. Perhaps to slay the demon king it will require the blood of the goddess to power it? Or maybe Torg will need to use his own blood? It has tasted even the blood of Alt-Zoe, so it is clearly ravenously hungry, and I think just might have an alternate purpose.
I think that's all the loose ends, but I would be glad to hear of any further ones other could think of.
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(though I haven't time to go digging for that right this second; perhaps someone else can find it...).
