chosen-2
Original: chosen-2 on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
Old wizard (long white beard, robe): "Boy! You are chosen! You must gather all seven rings of power to yourself and bring peace to the kingdoms!"
Panel 2:
Young boy (skeptical): "How would that bring peace? You think concentration of power brings peace? Peace comes from BALANCE of power."
Panel 3:
Boy: "Look at Europe between the Napoleonic Wars and World War One. Or the Cold War. Did wizards even read books?"
Panel 4:
Wizard: "Oh yeah? You're just gonna ignore all the minor powers dragged into proxy wars?"
Boy: "Would you rather have great power conflict in the nuclear age?"
Panel 5:
Boy: "Look at the Pax Romana! Pax Britannica! Pax Americana! Hegemonic stability means economic growth and widespread peace!"
Panel 6:
Wizard: "Yeah, until the great power overextends, falls, opens up a power vacuum, and you get the most brutal wars in history!"
Panel 7:
Boy (walking away, annoyed): "Forget it! I'm gonna find some boy more suited for the job!"
Panel 8 (captioned "LATER"):
Wizard (to a different, eager small boy): "Boy! You must gather the rings of power to yourself and rule the world!"
New boy (delighted): "Wow! I'll be like GOD!"
Wizard: "THAT'S the spirit!"
Votey:
Caption above scene: "More relatable SMBC humor!"
A bespectacled person, a second adult, and a small child sit together; one says nothing in particular as the camera faces a large smiling figure in the foreground.
Old wizard (long white beard, robe): "Boy! You are chosen! You must gather all seven rings of power to yourself and bring peace to the kingdoms!"
Panel 2:
Young boy (skeptical): "How would that bring peace? You think concentration of power brings peace? Peace comes from BALANCE of power."
Panel 3:
Boy: "Look at Europe between the Napoleonic Wars and World War One. Or the Cold War. Did wizards even read books?"
Panel 4:
Wizard: "Oh yeah? You're just gonna ignore all the minor powers dragged into proxy wars?"
Boy: "Would you rather have great power conflict in the nuclear age?"
Panel 5:
Boy: "Look at the Pax Romana! Pax Britannica! Pax Americana! Hegemonic stability means economic growth and widespread peace!"
Panel 6:
Wizard: "Yeah, until the great power overextends, falls, opens up a power vacuum, and you get the most brutal wars in history!"
Panel 7:
Boy (walking away, annoyed): "Forget it! I'm gonna find some boy more suited for the job!"
Panel 8 (captioned "LATER"):
Wizard (to a different, eager small boy): "Boy! You must gather the rings of power to yourself and rule the world!"
New boy (delighted): "Wow! I'll be like GOD!"
Wizard: "THAT'S the spirit!"
Votey:
Caption above scene: "More relatable SMBC humor!"
A bespectacled person, a second adult, and a small child sit together; one says nothing in particular as the camera faces a large smiling figure in the foreground.
Alt text
An eight-panel black-and-white comic. A white-bearded wizard tells a skeptical young boy he is chosen and must gather all seven rings of power to himself to bring peace. The boy argues back at length, insisting peace comes from BALANCE of power, not concentration: he cites Europe between the Napoleonic Wars and WWI, the Cold War, and asks if wizards even read books. The wizard counters about minor powers dragged into proxy wars; the boy retorts about great-power conflict in the nuclear age and praises Pax Romana, Pax Britannica, and Pax Americana as hegemonic stability bringing growth and peace. The wizard fires back that overextended hegemons fall, leave a power vacuum, and cause the most brutal wars in history. Fed up, the boy walks off saying he'll find a boy more suited for the job. In the final panel, labeled LATER, the wizard tells a different, eager little boy to gather the rings and rule the world; the delighted child cries "Wow! I'll be like GOD!" and the wizard says "THAT'S the spirit!" The joke: the wizard didn't want a thoughtful heir, just a willing one. Votey: a small extra panel captioned "More relatable SMBC humor!" showing a bespectacled adult, another adult, and a small child seated facing a large grinning figure.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.