Saint James Infirmary #1332: “Safety First”

[Daphne]

Script: Daphne • Line Art: Plutonian Knight • Colors and Lettering: Octavia Moon

[Sharque]

A bit torn. On the one hand, this looks to be going in an even hotter direction than it already was. On the other, it also seems to be potentially preparing for a “battle in the mind” scenario between Erin and Miriam, which I think I would prefer to see less than the confrontation between Miriam and Aiken.

Then again, if the battle in the mind leads to further Erin domination (which I doubt, as I think it likely sets up Erin breaking free), that could be tons of fun as well. It also might give us insight as to exactly what the soul-sucking of Miriam is. Maybe we get to see Jacqui and Reka in here as well as a foretaste of what awaits Erin, assuming that this is inside Miriam so that Erin’s soul can be fully submitted.

Maybe that’s the point of the soul-sucking, to provide a type of control on par with the watch. So far the only thing that has come close to the watch was Zenon’s control, and even that was simply manipulating the watch’s previous patterns on those affected by it so it technically doesn’t count as a distinct control mechanism. However, perhaps the soul-suck gives a similar means of radically transforming a person, which (assuming this is all somehow Jakob playing the long game), gives him an in with the harem.

[GodWilling]

Maybe we're back in the continuity of pages 1268-1270 and Erin's just experiencing some complications getting her breasts reduced...

I very much like the idea that Miriam is forming a clique of brain- (or soul-) washed supporters. This does seem to be pointing us in that direction. I'll especially like it if we get to see some of the process.

But is this happening within Miriam's mind, or is this "them" having fun with what's left over? Perhaps Miriam retains the "real" women, while the left-overs are transformed? We still don't know what Miriam was holding at the end of 1332, unless she was just making sure zombie-Réka's breasts grow (which ought to happen anyway). She could be putting something into the women's bodies (at a stretch the syringe here is a similar colour to that container) that slowly takes them over and forms a new "soul". Or perhaps that's what the perfume does, and removing the soul simply allows it free rein.

I'm not sure what Aiken might be able to do. It seems likely, given that he's due to arrive before the man with the watch, that he's only coming in order to allow us to see how powerful Miriam is. I'm certainly hoping so. I'm also hoping that we get some kind of explanation of what Miriam did to Amaltheia (assuming she did).

[lancehunter]

Erin having to break free from Miriam's control while trapped in her mind would line up well with the previous SJI cover image (https://mindcontrolcomics.com/comics/sji/c015/), which was released right as this current arc was starting.