DISTRESSED DAMSELS: "THE TROUBLE WITH EMERALD," part 5!

[Link to our previous installment in this series.]

Note that I changed the title of this goofy little pseudo-story effort to The Trouble with Emerald from the previous We Have an Emerald Problem, as I found the former a tad punchier.

So!

I've been trying to think of something to do with the various DiD sketch sets I have kicking around that feature backup superheroine Emerald, who appears as basically a dark-haired, maskless variation on Emp's tattered-suit design (and modern-era  physique) from Empowered. Technically, the character predates Emp as a DiD commission subject by quite some time, but that's another story I'll address at a later date (well, maybe).

Recently, my ever-mercurial muse abruptly informed me of a wacky yet strangely compelling narrative concept into which I could twist and repurpose the Emerald sketch sets. I can tell you, dear readers, that this approach to a suspiciously distress-prone superdamsel will wind up treading rather different territory than Empowered, though conveyed via similarly heavy (if not even heavier) doses of cheesecake.

Much like some of the earlier Rose & Lily sets, this non-comic story format will feature mostly random DiD sketches slathered on with plenty of new text conveying the narrative proper, such as it is.

Previous installments established, via the narration of conspiracy-theorizing supervillain Deathmasque, that distress-prone heroine Emerald was by far the favorite "superhottie" of the so-called "dark-cape community"—to a possibly anomalous if not inexplicable degree.

I'm very short on time right now, so let's get straight into the action, which continues a scene of supervillain Mister Magnetik bedamseling a hapless Emerald as narrator Deathmasque provides a running commentary:

Then Deathmasque's narration continues over images of Emerald straitjacketed by some other unknown supervillain or random bad guys:

And whatever could this "truly, suspiciously blatant thing about Emerald's career" be? Wellp, the following incomplete page begins hinting at said issue:

What was "Trapper-Keeper's (anti-)heroic sacrifice," and why have so many superheroines subsequently "quit the caping field outright"? Our next installment of The Trouble with Emerald, if and/or when I get around to it, will address the Emerald capeverse's unique quirk in the first of two Big Reveals, folks!

Note that the last sketch set was based on an old bunch of roughed-out poses from roughly (ha ha!) a decade or so:

Note also that the "sexeh straitjacket" visual riff was reused in the upcoming Empowered vol. 12:

And lemme seize this opportunity to convey some good news unto you, dear Patrons: I am currently doing approvals on PDFs proofs for Empowered vol.12! Yes, folks, we may actually be hitting the newest bumped-back release date of March 2024! Lordy loo! (I did say may, though.) This really is a good sign, I tell you!

NEXT TIME ON THIS HERE PATREON: No idea, TBH, but something should be coming up in the next M/W/F slot. Let's find out together, shall we?