498: Secretary: Part 5

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Secretary: Part 5
And they choose Al Gore as Internet Secretary.
Title text: And they choose Al Gore as Internet Secretary.

Explanation

This is the 5th and final comic in the Secretary story-arc. Black Hat is up to his usual shenanigans. Most of the comic happens in the US Senate chamber room.

Of course, playpen balls have been the topic of many comics before. Notably 150: Grownups.

The other reference of note is of the Tron universe. Tron was an arcade game in the 1980s, from which Disney created a movie. The characters would play on a grid in lightcycles which left behind walls of light. The objective of the game was to force the opponent to run into the wall of light, similar to the Snake game.


Transcript

{The Senate. Hat Guy sits before the committee at his hearing to become Internet Secretary.}

Chairman: We were convened here to review your nomination for the position of internet secretary.

Chairman: However, on review of your qualifications, we've decided to sentence you to death.

Chairman: An unorthodox move, sure. But the vote was unanimous.

{Hat Guy is leaning back in his chair.}

[Meanwhile . . .]

Tron Paul: There's no grid! How do I steeeeer!!!!!

{Back at the Senate. Hat Guy is standing.}

Hat Guy: Well, it's been fun. But I was never actually interested in taking the position. Good lord; listening to internet arguments all day? No thank you.

Chairman: Then why did you sit through all those hearings

Hat Guy: It was taking us a while to move the pumps into the maintenance tunnels.

{The committee members murmur among themselves.}

{There is a panel in the floor between Hat Guy and the committee.}

<<RUMBLE>>

<<plink>> <<plink>>

{A red playpen ball bursts out of the panel and rolls towards the committee chairman.}

<<plink>>

{The room is still. Hat Guy's arms are folded.}

{A geyser of red, white, and blue playpen balls bursts through the panel in the floor. Hat Guy is already gone.}

<<FOOM>>

{The committee members chase Hat Guy out the door as the Senate floor floods with playpen balls.}

{The chase continues into the rotunda, as does the flood of playpen balls.}

{Hat Guy stands in the middle of the rotunda as it fills with playpen balls, surrounded by members of the committee.}

Committee Members: Security! Someone!

Committee Members: Get Him!

{Tron Paul bursts through the wall.}

<<CRASH>>

Tron Paul: Aaaaa!

{Hat Guy grabs the bottom of the lightcycle as Tron Paul goes by.}

<<snag>>

Tron Paul: Hey!

{Hat Guy swings onto the top of the light cycle.}

{Hat Guy crouches on top of the light cycle.}

Tron Paul: Get Off!

{Tron Paul and Hat Guy crash through the far wall of the rotunda.}

<<CRASH>>

{Tron Paul hits the ground.}

<<WHAM>>

Tron Paul: Ow!

{Hat Guy runs away.}

Tron Paul: Ughhh.

{The lightcycle disappears.}

Tron Paul: I feel queasy . . .

Cory Doctorow, above: Hey!

Hat Guy: Hi, Cory.

Cory Doctorow: Need a lift?

Hat Guy: Sure.

{Hat Guy and Cory Doctorow depart in Doctorow's balloon.}

Cory Doctorow: So are you, like, a fugitive now?

Hat Guy: Well, I never did give them my name . . .

[But in the rotunda]

{Senators play in the playpen balls.}

Senators: Let's jump down here from the balcony!

Senators: Senior senators first!

Senators: Wheeee!

Senators: I'm a submarine!

[All is forgiven.]


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Discussion

The Tron video game was based on the movie Ton, not the other way around. Tron the movie was inspired by the video game Pong, but only in a general, Oooh -- computers! sense. (From Wikipedia: "Development of Tron began in 1976 when Lisberger became fascinated with the early video game Pong.") -- ‎64.20.186.2 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

You're quite correct: the game was, indeed, based on the movie. Made the necessary changes. Thokling (talk) 08:17, 25 September 2013 (UTC)

The Light Cycles though were most likely based in part on the game Blockade which was released in October 1976 [1] 6 years before the movie was released so I would doubt they never ran across some copy of it. 108.162.216.166 11:40, 20 July 2017 (UTC)

I hav not laughed like this i a ile.

162.158.63.250 05:24, 28 October 2017 (UTC)qwertybob

Is it just me or does the White House(?) look like the Principle Office[2] from the television show ReBoot? Viridiansurfer (talk) 16:31, 9 March 2020 (UTC)


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