So the Cult of the Release wanted the Stormbreaker dead, but the Cult of K'Z'K wants her alive? Um... ok...?

Also, ZOE LIVES! (Whoa, deja vu.)

I like how even Strom recognizes Wilcott's similar taste in clothes.

They probably want Zoe alive for [speculating -Z].

I like how the bullets that hit Qaboos and Skip's host only had the impact sound. Really emphasizes just how far away Strom was. Damn fine shot, he is.

Skip can die from a shot to the head? I thought he was all snot-demony and bulletproof.

But... but... Qaboos. :(

Keeping it spec free on the Analysis that I mentioned earlier, might have to be a two part post.
I'm going to focus mostly on Nash's sharpshooting ability- namely his accuracy and speed and throw his possible distance in as well.
We can assess that Qaboos and Bob are oriented North-South based on the shadows on Qaboos's torso and arm. I know there is a fire burning the tent that some could say caused the fall of the shadows, but based on the relative position of Qaboos, Bob and Wilcott, the fire seems to be providing a rimlight instead of key light. Therefore, with Qaboos and Bob oriented N/S and shots going through their temples, we can assess that Nash is oriented East-West.
With the orientations of the parties involved out of the way, let's look at Nash's equipment. In this strip, it looks like he is utilizing either a bolt action rifle or a bullpup configuration (magazine staged behind the trigger). This is an important point that needs clarifying in confirming the assessments- not because of continuity or suppression (though I'll get to that in a moment) or anything like that, but because of rate of fire and recoil management.
We know that Nash is going for a distance shot due to the scope mounted on the rifle, and odds are it is of a fixed magnification (FM) instead of adjustable magnification (AM). A FM scope is easier to calculate the effects of windspeed, barometric pressure, distance and bullet drop than from an AM. On the AM scope, the calculations vary from the bare minimum magnification than the maximum magnification.
We know that Nash is attempting to maintain a level of concealment based on his use of desert-ghillie (beige mesh tarp) and suppressor.
We know the speed of sound at sea-level on a 20^C (68^F) day is 343.2 meters/sec. On a 35^C (95^F) day, it's 351.9 m/s. Let's assume the temperature in that desert is 35^C and elevation is sea-level.
With those out of the way, let's move on to the fun stuff.
If Nash is not using sub-sonic bullets, there would still be the sound of a rifle report at some point. A suppressor on a rifle firing a sub-sonic load will effectively silence the round in flight until it hits its target, and then you get either a ping, pok or (in our case) 'pik'.
On a bolt-action rifle, it takes about 1.25 seconds to go through the firing cycle (chamber-sight-fire-extract-rechamber-resight). This could be longer if Nash is using a Soviet-style long-bolt (think Mosin-Nagant 91/30) because he would have to break his sight picture to extract and rechamber. If it was a different design (say a British Small Magazine Lee Enfield) he wouldn't have to break sight picture. The problem here is that the SMLE does not look like what Nash is shooting. It looks closer to a Mosin-Nagant, which does not *readily* have sub-sonic ammo available.
If Nash is using standard load ammunition, even with a suppressor, there will still be the report of the rifle. The suppressor would only lessen the sound of the bang in order to make it more difficult to direction-find/direction-guess based on sound. That is the function of suppressors in itself.

Let's assume Nash is over 440 meters away (guaranteed 351.9 m/s based on assumed temperature and elevation plus a fraction for 1.5" firing cycle) else we would have 'heard' at least one bang at Qaboos/Bob/Wilcott land during their frames (or even Zoe and Torg's frame, considering that she observed both Qaboos and Bob drop).
He has effectively just dropped two dudes from a significant distance away faster than sound travels, using what I can assume would be standard load ammunition.
This is why you fear a sniper. They have weaponized mathematics.

I am wondering why the Straw Man is saying "ma'am" twice.

Anyway, the game just changed.

Me too... Typo?

Possibly just a missing comma.

"Yes ma'am, ma'am." <-- like this.

That was a most unexpected way for her to survive this. Not that I was expecting to expect it.

Oh my God! They killed Skippy!
(Well not really, just his body, but still...)
Those bastards!

Poor Bob. He may just have been the most innocent person there.

I really like the way Pete is using the reference links here... in a TV show you would need flashback scenes for getting this kind of farewell-impact.
And the last-appearance-of-Strum link? Especially interesting!
Because Strum is the least interesting thing in this reference :)
Really, that is a major change in plans (as Lacey stated). I wonder if Pete had this reference already in mind when planning this strip of late November!

BTW, of all the webcomics I know, Pete is playing the web-medium best.

You saw what he did in the 4U revolution when testing his armor-piercing bullets -- and that was with coffee-withdrawal shaky hands :)


All of what you said, but especially this. I didn't expect Nash's group to suddenly start protecting Zoe.

Also, oh-crap-more-bad-guys. In any other movie (hm) this would be the scene that leads to the climactic showdown, but with Pete we know the true plot isn't even all in the open yet :)

Yeah, my first thought was the "nice hair" observation between Schlock and Feng (interestingly enough, right before one shot the other).