Strip 2: Beginning of the End

In looking at the chain of events that led to Dy-Gar’s creation, I wanted to convey a wider view of Cyktan society than we’ve seen so far. For that, I took partial inspiration from the “talking heads” news reports from The Dark Knight Returns by incorporating a news clip into the background of Dy-Gar’s fractured mindscape. There, we have the common fears and opinions on artificial intelligence contrasted with Treya and the Mecha Liberation Front, and while this comic intends to put forth the idea that sapient machines should be treated as any other intelligent species, I also agree with some of the points made by the robotics expert in this news clip. There is a right way and a wrong way to create artificial intelligence, and if Kier is an example of the “right way,” then Durga is an example of the “wrong way.” Ultimately, though, it’s society’s fear of machines like Durga that created them in the first place, and if we create sapient beings as commodities, in an atmosphere of fear and distrust, then we are going to earn our extinction at the hands of the machine uprising, as the people of Cykta did.

Speaking of which, “Durga” is a name in keeping with the Hindu mythology of Cykta and it sounds kind of like “Dy-Gar” if spoken through a damaged voice box, but it happens to be extremely appropriate to the character as well. Durga is a goddess of war who, according to Wikipedia, “unleashes her divine wrath against the wicked for the liberation of the oppressed, and entails destruction to empower creation.” I swear, I did not plan that ahead of time. Something something happy little accidents.

Anyway, this is it for Rafael Cavalcanti’s contributions to the comic. Stay safe, wash those hands, don't touch your face, and tune in next time for the debut of new and current artist Norberto Oyarzun!

- J.S. Conner

March 15th 2020