Panel 1: This cryptic scene with the mysterious, “ominously anomalous” clouds constitutes an impressively poor choice—nay, an amazingly and inexplicably poor choice—on Decades-Ago Me’s part, one that I cannot currently explain the reasoning behind. I certainly do remember what the clouds are supposed to be, believe me, but I can’t quite figure out why I was flirting with the reveal of their nature at this point so early on in Empowered. Then again, maybe I didn’t have that long of a series in mind back then, or perhaps I was at one time imagining a very, very different path for future volumes, as the revelation of what those clouds represent would’ve radically altered the entire premise of the series going forward.

The Cumulus Congestus of Mystery do represent another unanswered long-term plot thread, true, but mainly because answering the matter would severely destabilize the series. The same is true for at least one or two other threads I’m occasionally accused of dangling, threads which are slated to end with truly dire consequences for beloved characters—and hence I’m in no rush to resolve, to be honest. But don’t worry, thread-resolution enthusiasts; rest assured that I can wrap up every g-d long-term storyline in a single Empowered volume if I have to, though perhaps not in a graceful or non-heartbreaking fashion.

Then again, I’m often too optimistic about “The Dangling,” as it were. For example, I was all but certain that I would be able to address and clarify in short order a certain ominous flashback that appeared near the end of Empowered vol.6. Why, I’d planned to explain that scene in Empowered vol.7, then ran outta space; then in vol.9, but ran outta space; then in vols.10 and 11, but ran outta space yet again. Volume 12, maybe?

That said, these cryptic clouds do reappear for a brief and similarly enigmatic scene a few volumes from now. Yay?

-Adam Warren