207 – Perdition
Reclaimer is back with a vengeance! Time to see what’s up with Viper—at least, what’s left of Viper. Only a handful of their original remain intact, and their plans have been changed by recent events. We’re going to spend a little time with these guys and see how they figure into the scope of Ferial’s scheming.
Thanks for your patience while I took a few weeks to rest, recuperate, and rejuvenate my mind and body. I’ve hardly fired up my computer while at home, distanced myself from the Xbox, and spent quite a bit of time just reading some new books and sleeping. I feel better all around than I have in a couple of months, so the time off from the Internet has been well worth it.
I’ll be launching a new contest soon (read: in a few days) with an opportunity for a lucky fan to win a free copy of Halo 3: ODST from yours truly. Stay tuned! You’re not going to want to miss this one.
Viper 1
How the hell does someone dump their ride in ruins like these and then just vanish from existence?
Viper 2
Damned if I know. He can't have gotten far, though. Hot zone like this one, there aren't many places to hide.
VIPER 1
No kidding. Radiation readings are spiking right off the dial!
The first Viper soldier standing on a wooden platform.
VIPER 1
(Lowercase) There must be a materials cache somewhere nearby. Thing must be leaking like a damn sieve.
VIPER 1
We probably shouldn't linger! The armor will protect us from most of the radiation for a little while, but every second we're here puts us at higher risk of poisoning!
Close in on the other Viper soldier, glowing from the ambient light.
VIPER 2
We won't be long. I want a few samples to examine for later. We don't find that bastard in another five minutes, then we're outta here. Creep'll fry right in his armor, anyway.
Looking past the glowing Viper soldier to his partner across the ruins.
VIPER 1
Copy that. This place gives me the willies, anyway. It's like a little corner of Hell itself.
First Viper soldier kneeling down to look at something.
VIPER 1
Think we can use any of this stuff, whatever it is that's got this place lit up like a damn candle?
VIPER 2
No idea. That's why I'm taking samples. Capiche?
VIPER 2
Just be glad all this 'heat' is providing us with some cover.
Close up on the soldier.
VIPER 1
Yeah, I guess that's one advantage to lethal doses of radiation...
VIPER 1
...the body snatchers won't be able to find us.
this is a very interesting turn of events, well worth the wait!
I'm gratified that you think so.
Well not sure if it was worth the entire month, but on the other hand it is significantly better than what you might have produced when sick :p
You're not wrong!
I wonder what kind of drug inspired comic jim would come up with if he was delirious.
On second thought, that might get a little off the wall.
Probably the same sick, twisted plot line he's feeding us now. Nothing can get crazier
Is that a challenge?
Nu uh, just a statement. Please, oh God, please! Do not make it more twisted and more evil than now…. We can't take any more!!! I'll do whatever you want just make it stop!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, yes it is.
Yes, yes it is.
Watching Dooby suffer is fun.
i agree with snow for once
Don't encourage him.
I would like to pose it as a challenge, actually.
Welcome back! I checked my RSS feed for the site almost constantly, and it's great to see a new comic back up. I would much rather have you resting and give time for my imagination to explore the Reclaimerverse than have you punching out comics before collapsing in a crippled heap.
tl;dr we love you!
The rest was definitely worthwhile. I think y'all will like this little arc.
Well it's back so I'm sure we all will
I never even knew that jim had set up an RSS feed. Good idea!
Um, yeah, there's been an RSS feed for this comic since day one. There's even a great, big icon for the feed on the left sidebar.
I just noticed it.
Kinda a big thing to miss.
I always saw the logo but I never connected it with RSS. I think it's because it's behind a pink background instead of orange.
Speaking of background why the hell is it pink.
The old yellowish brown one was really cool.
It's actually a light purple, but maybe your screen's resolution isn't able to handle that.
You never noticed??? How is that even possible???
Not very astute, is he?
Don't be mean Jim :p
He can be as mean as he wants. It only makes him easier to laugh at.
Besides I consider myself very crafty.
You should see go at piece of paper with my crayons.
On reflection, I think that joke was really bad. Like worse than my usual bad.
there was a joke?
Let me rephrase that,
I think that very serious sentence was really good. So good, in fact, that I decided to write my phrases essay in English this year on it.
Shakespeare can go to hell.
Hey, grats on feeling better and happier. Fresh air is good for those few of us who encounter it.
And sometimes you just have to force yourself to get out and experience it.
Hey who needs fresh air? Lock yourself inside the house and keep the airconditioner on. That's what I do :p
Hence the reason why you have no tan.
It doesnt kill to get some UV bulbs Jim. Need to look intimidating for the next Lone Wolves match.
Hey hey hey, how did you know that??? OMG A STALKER????
Also the reason i have no skin cancer :p
A does not necessarily lead to B.
I know, and come on I was joking. I probably get about half an hour of direct sunlight a day. Isn't that enough? I mean sheesh I have to actually WALK to my classes. IN THE SUN!!! Then I wish I was at home in front of my computer
Not unless you have a bypass jim.
Bypasses are devices which allow some people to drive from point A to point B very fast whilst other people dash from point B to point A very fast. People living at point C, being a point directly in between, are often given to wonder what's so great about point A that so many people of point B are so keen to get there, and what's so great about point B that so many people of point A are so keen to get there. They often wish that people would just once and for all work out where the hell they wanted to be.
I want to be at point D. Point D isn't anywhere in particular, it is just any convenient point a very long way from points A, B and C. I would have a nice little cottage at point D, with computers, and spend a pleasant amount of time at point E, which would be the nearest pub to point D. My mom of course wanted climbing roses, but I want computers.
What about when the zombie apocalypse arrives and the power for you AC dies, and you run out of food.
Time to go to wallmart. All the best prices.
Yeah but you know, zombies love malls and shopping centers
Actually, they don't. Zombies are always looking for brains, after all…
ba-dump-bump!
not to mention the game Dead Rising
Where did they go in the blues brothers. The mall. Then what happened.
Somebody decided to drive a car through it.
Great thinking. Now none of us get any brains.
That's just because that's where most people are/go at the time. Thinking "OH EM GEE! A MALL! IT'LL BE SAFE AND ALL!" /caps
Patience truly is a virtue.
Every day I checked to see if there was a new Reclaimer comic, and every day I would hope that there would be a new one the following day. But not once did I lose faith; I still came hoping that my perseverance would be rewarded. And it has in spectacular fashion. The wait really was worth it. 
And just think—this is only the warm-up!
I wouldn't use the words "worth it" to describe one comic,
but I see your point.
You know I have to agree with you, one month is not "worth it" for a single comic, but what is worth is the fact that now Jim is back to full writing strength and prepared to write us into confused little kittens once more
Very, very interesting turn of events. Very happy to have you back, Jim.
The loss of you, Jim, wracked our hearts with grief. Putting aside our sorrow, we renewed our faith that you would return to us. And see how our faith has been rewarded!
Geez, you guys are starting to make this sound like a religious event…
Jim, I think you unintentionally started a cult.
I figured my comment was appropriate, given the (rather obvious) reference.
I know I know. Halo 2, arbiter truth and the oracle.
I didn't recognize it right away.
I know I know. Halo 2, arbiter truth and the oracle.
I didn't recognize it right away. How was that obvious?
I'm a littlte ashamed to know that by heart.
We visit the Church of Reclaimer 3 times a week and bow down to the mightiness of the Keymaster in the hope that He may raise us to his level and see befit to bestow the plot of the Holy Scripture of ReclaimerComic unto our mortal minds
And Hallelujah we have been saved by yet another installment of the Holy Scripture. Alleluia!
But it'll wear off, we're just glad you're back :p
OMG IT'S BACK!!!!! AT LAST!!!!! I checked nearly every day and was rewarded for my faith with disappointment and sadness. But my faith never wavered and….. that sounded creepier than I meant it to come out as.Glad you're feeling better Jim though come on, you couldn't have stuck with RC and TOLD US WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON??? And who is in Viper's head and who are the body snatchers? Ah wait a minute surely not whatever was infecting them. Remember that comic where no-one could actually tell what it was? No-one was sure if it was human or elite way back in Standoff…
Um just wondering who is down there? They're not orange so they're not Viper, but I thought they might be looking for Viper. It's not RC cause the armor doesn't match and he's at Narrows, but if it's not Viper and not RC, then who are they and who are they scared of????
If you read the Transcript you will find that they are viper, but who are the body snatchers?
I would wager the "body snatchers" are those infected by the virus. That, or the Flood. I'm leaning more towards the virus though.
As far as their color, Jim said before that different colors denote different squads/jobs. These guys may have been some kind of spy or something, and had their communications cut off, thereby making it impossible for the virus to get to them through the network like everyone else. Unless the virus can also be transmitted via airborne particles, This would mean that as long as they don't get too close to those that are infected they should be fine.
I'm much more interested in whoever/whatever it is they were chasing.
There is 1 thing wrong with that comment
Only 3 Vipers survived the infection. Because they were captured by the calvacada.
So if it's not Viper who these guys are chasing and not Viper who these guys are, who are they and what are they doing? And then the body snatchers are different although that is either the flood or the virus…
They are definitely Viper. What makes them different from the others who were infected (or captured) remains to be seen…
What so they are Viper but not the Viper we know???? Sigh shoudl I have expected anything else… :p
You'll see…
You'll see… Patient, young grasshoppa.
Oh no, don't start THAT again….
i'd like to see the first time…
He seems to say "you'll see" a lot.
OMG IT'S BACK!!!!! AT LAST!!!!! I checked nearly every day and was rewarded for my faith with disappointment and sadness. But my faith never wavered and….. that sounded creepier than I meant it to come out as.Glad you're feeling better Jim though come on, you couldn't have stuck with RC and TOLD US WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON??? And who is in Viper's head and who are the body snatchers? Ah wait a minute surely not whatever was infecting them. Remember that comic where no-one could actually tell what it was? No-one was sure if it was human or elite way back in Standoff…
Oh and fantastic timing on the contest. We got banned from the xbox for the next 5 weeks so once again I'm out of the damn thing…. Sigh….
OMG IT'S BACK!!!!! AT LAST!!!!! I checked nearly every day and was rewarded for my faith with disappointment and sadness. But my faith never wavered and….. that sounded creepier than I meant it to come out as.Glad you're feeling better Jim though come on, you couldn't have stuck with RC and TOLD US WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON??? And who is in Viper's head and who are the body snatchers? Ah wait a minute surely not whatever was infecting them. Remember that comic where no-one could actually tell what it was? No-one was sure if it was human or elite way back in Standoff… Either that or the Flood, you know how they take bodies…. :S
Oh and fantastic timing on the contest. We got banned from the xbox for the next 5 weeks so once again I'm out of the damn thing…. Sigh….
Again with the religious experience…
We'll get back to the Reclaimer eventually. It's time to visit with Viper for a bit.
The human/elite on Standoff has long since been resolved, at least, insofar as who it was.
Hey, just because you can't play the game right doesn't mean you can't participate in the contest. You'll see…
Oooh I'm intrigued for the contest now
Hey Reclaimer is a very religious experience
Dooby, you are turning into one of Jim's cult zombies.
Not the Hollywood horror zombie but the honest to god voodoo zombie.
It was nice knowing you Dooby.
AUHGSDJISO:HFKS BLARGH….. Creepy Halo 3 announcer voice INFECTED.
Heavy breathing and scary voice you will make a fine minion to the cause….
holding rocket launcher
Overkill on Dooby time!
I personally prefer the hunter riffle and dual pistols for taking out zombies.
The auto shotgun works at times too.
Yay, Viper!
Oh, how we’ve missed you! (TvT)
Settle in for a visit…
Nooo!!! I want to know what was gonna happen to RC! And now I'm really confused!
And yet I'm satisfied because I got another sweet comic!
We'll get back to the Reclaimer after a bit. Never fear…
Just in yet another 20 comics when we took that little trip last time
Hey we never did resolve that bit about the guy that didn't get infected did we???
I miss way back when I thought Ferial was a good guy fighting for Vipers freedom.
Sigh, I thought he and RC were going to make a kick ass team and beat up on Viper. Now it looks like viper is the good guys. Arrggghh.
Too bad ferial had to be evil using everybody as a pawn.
Well Viper isn't so much as good, I mean they are UNSC but they went rogue so technically they are still and always were RC's enemies. Still if you look back, RC met Ferial for the first time and he obviously knew Ferial from something, but then it went to the Flashback segment, and explained their first meeting. However at that first meeting, RC was Todash'd to the first Calvacada…. See where I'm going? It's all topsy turvy and nothing matches up….
Yay! You are back Jim. I was beginning to think you had died or something.
Scary thing is so did I, you swine flu and all :p Oh and nice work on the mouseover text, gave me a good chuckle
First, let's call it what it is—H1N1, not swine flu. The virus has absolutely nothing to do with pigs.
And I actually suspect that I got sick with one of H1N1's variants. What I had was definitely flu-like in behavior (despite the fact that I've had my flu shot), and there is a new strain of the virus going around that's resistant to flu vax. Either way, I was pretty sick for about a week and it took me another week just to get all my strength back again. The last couple of days I've actually felt about as close 100% well and healthy as I ever get.
Okay
H1N1 isn't as bad as what most people are claiming. But I'm glad you are feeling better now, as I'm sure most people here are 
Like most flu strains, it's harder on the very old and the very young than on everyone else in between.
Exactly, as of July less than 1000 people had died worldwide and most of them were very young, very old, or had a pre-existing medical condition.
H1N1?
Why not just call it R2D2 while we're at it.
And of course it came from pigs!
Look!
Nawp, just needed some time away. Of course, it didn't help that I did get pretty sick a couple of weeks ago. Flu, I think.
Double whammy :S not much fun is it…
Good to hear you're feeling better though. I had H1N1 a few weeks ago, but it wasn't really as bad as they seem to say (though different people get it worse than others). It definitely wasn't fun though (I even got it in the holidays, not at school).
Damn that sucks, you can't even claim the 7 days off school
You mean the R2D2 virus.
Bleep beep Cough bop boop.
Yeah, that's what I meant. My bad. Beep
Died and became a zombie.
Welcome back, glad to hear you're feeling better. Good to see as well that you didn't lose your air of mystery for these things.
Nope, never.
Sometimes I wish you did, but then you wouldn't be Jim and this wouldn't be Reclaimer…. :p
It is human nature to crave and desire mystery. We love to explore the unknown. I'm just fulfilling that natural longing.
Jim,
I think you're the once turning this into a religious experience for some people.
I also think you're the reason some people sleep with a gun at night.
Oooh, shiny new comment login features!
Not so new. They've been around for a while now.
Well we just haven't had to login to comment in a while now :p
Aye, sadly enough.
But we see now and it seems pretty cool
I use a lot of different computers, I noticed it a looonnnnggg time ago.
Okay, really just 3 or 4 days ago to comment on the previous comic but I beat HSAR!
whooot welcome back Jim!
been checking the page religiously for the last month waiting for an update
hope ur health stays good
It had better. My parents nearly checked me into a psych ward when I began showing reclaimer withdrawal symptoms. They didn't know what it was,,,
Hehe. I think I've got some medication here for that…
What you make Reclaimer pills? For withdrawal?? Sweet, are you going to start selling them at the store :p
Something like that…
When can I get them and for how much???
Easy, just play Left 4 Dead a few times and you'll have you're fill of pills.
It's good to be back. I've missed it!
body snatchers! oh dear! and we're glad to have you back Jim =)
It's an invasion!
So it is much more likely to be the Flood then?
Actually, its probably an army of Jims! Isn't it odd that right as he returns, a mysterious new villain enters the storyline? coincidence? I think not!
Actually, its probably an army of Jims! Isn't it odd that right as he returns, a mysterious new villain enters the storyline? coincidence? I think not! =O
No new villains here, I assure you.
Body Snatchers?
Okay, who hid Jack Nicholson in Jim's Comic!
Darn, just pre-ordered a copy of ODST.
@Jim: Eat a lot of oranges. They're rich in vitamin C.
I know same. On the other hand by the time it would get here the game would well and truly be out
Oh and oranges are good for preventing the flu, however it's a virus so it can't do anything once you've been creepy announcer voice INFECTED. 
I'm probably not even going to buy it until november.
Man, I love Twitter! I saw your tweet about the new post last night and got all giddy! Been waiting for the return of reclaimer for awhile!
Thanks and I'm glad you are feeling better. Keep your spirits up!
I'm doing my best, man.
Our love for you will sustain you
Okay that was just gay… :p
Try not to use the word "Our" next time please.
glad to see you back in in classic RC form Jim, more questions and less answers.
Always, my friend.
Is that actually a good thing? I am yet to figure that out…
i never said it was
just that its good to see jim back to usual.
But then you just said it was good to see him back as usual
Which is his usual irritating self when we don't learn anything 
HOLY SH!T, It's Jim!
Haven't heard from the Viper in a while. Kinda glad to see them make an appearance. Glad you're back on your feet, get what I sent you in the mail perchance? I sent it some weeks ago.
Good to see the RC train a' rollin, keep them coming ;D
I got it a couple of days ago. Thanks for that. Made me chuckle.
What was it?
It was just a funny card for his 30th B-day ;D
You know his age and his address?
Should I be worried if I were Jim?
Yay! Jim is back! i was getting bored of having intense debates(no pun intended) with snowXing on the last comics comments, not to mention he broke the reply system (look for the post with 32 replies)
Yeah, you guys went back and forth quite a bit there.
yeah things did get a little crazy
That's why I didn't post
He can go on a bit, but come on breaking the reply system??? I suppose that is why that comic nearly has the record number of posts 
nearly?
Yeah, only nearly. There's a few comics that have clocked in at well over 200 comments.
whistles
Oh that's nothing, that was when Jim was publishing 3 a week, I mean you guys had a whole month and didn't beat the record
I think that's about to change Jim.
that's what you think , you will never get past the g-mod wall!!
I've built walls in Hammer for Gary's mod. I can just delete them.
I can go on more than a bit Dooby.
Wanna see?
Yeah
good times.
Glad to have RC back. I'd have hated to see this go the way of Another Halo Comic Strip (one of my favs): never updated due to creator health issues.
Never fear. Reclaimer will never fall by the wayside. I fully intend to finish out the story, and when it finally ends, everyone will know it.
Well unless you fall by the wayside :S Then there will not be much you can do, even to let us know. That's a scary thought, what if you die in a car crash and we never find out what happens to you and the comic never gets finished??? We will be waiting and waiting an there will be no note to tell us what happened. You should put that in a Will or something, get someone to tell us what happened to you if you die.. .I know that's morbid
I'm sure if Jim dies I can pose as him and make the story even more ridiculous.
Or If Jim dies I can reserect him from the grave as my zombie slave to continue Reclaimer for me while I'm out doing productive things like Team Fortress 2.
Are these guys supposed to be Viper Hazmat guys or rangers?
Wait and see…
You never ask Jim a question because he will never give you a straight answer :p
I can prove it.
Watch.
Jim, does RC die at the end?
Either he's not going to comment or if he does it'll not be a straight answer.
Why the Hazmat, it's not really a hazardous environments and materials suit.
Actually, I guess a firefight is a Hazardous environment and bullets are hazardous materials. Never mind me.
I'd imagine a radioactive area to be a harardous environment.
Yeah but I doubt combat armor was built for radiation.
It's the future yes but if your space ship has a radiation leak then you're probably dead anyway.
Yaaay radiation! Also Yaaay, Jim is back! Yaaay, imma gonna get me a sammitch!
Btw sorry I replied so late, just got back from Turkey ;D
What was that sandvich? Kill zem oll?
GOOD IDEA!!
Deliscious. Especially in sammitches!
What was that sandvich? Kill zem oll?
GOOD IDEA!!
Oh and um…
How was the Turkey at turkey.
To be perfectly honest, I am working on a complex twisting, turning, warped plot that is loosly inspired by the Lego Bionicle storyline, with the summary alone being over 200 pages, and it is not as complex as this twisted storyline of Jim's
Woot! My map is being used!