Commentary for Chapter 108 – Sum Quod Sum, Part 1

The literal translation of Sum Quod Sum according to InterTran.com is “to be and to be”. It could also translate to “to be and exist” or more likely Popeye’s favorite “I am what I am.” Interestingly enough the title for next week’s TV episode is Eris Quod Sum which is translated “I will be what I am” and is about Syler. Regardless of the translation, my experience is that whenever someone uses Latin phrases, there is going to be a self discovery coming somewhere in the story.

The first thing we discover is that Elle is in London and having trouble controlling her powers. The easy explanation is that she shot her wad when she knocked Syler out. It could also be because she has no confidence in herself, lost her dad, lost her job, lost her life. Either way, she is shocking everything she sees.

Our favorite speedster must be exhausted because she is everywhere these days. Now Daphne shows up in London to find Elle. Now, I know that Pinehearst has a lot of powered agents. I even know that there are many people with duplicate powers. Therefore, I have to assume that they have a tracker at their disposal because there is no possible way they can know where everyone is without one. So they send Daphne to London to recruit Elle. This confirms my belief that Pinehearst will take anyone, even mentally ill, high risk, incompetent teenage girls who can’t control their powers.

Elle calls Noah, “HRG”. Disrespectful and odd especially knowing that at one time, she must have spent a lot of time with Noah and likely called him “Noah” or Mr. Bennett. Logic dictates that, if HRG is unavailable, and she doesn’t want to take a side with the company, that she seek out someone who is independent, yet could help her with controlling her powers. Unlike everyone else to date who has sought someone named Suresh, Elle seeks to find a needle in a haystack, Tarot’s favorite, Claude.

She finds him with no problem, mainly because he is paranoid. He actually reminds me of the angry ghost who teaches Patrick Swayze how to move objects without intending to do so. Claude has a similar effect on Elle as she seems to control her powers a little more in trying to get him to listen to her.

I have come to cherish Jason Badower’s work. He captures the characters emotion and looks. He really nails Claude in this one. He manages to capture the London landmarks well. I am also a big fan of thought boxes. Dialogue in comics tends to seem forced but writers seem to have a much better time expressing thoughts. It also gives much more insight into the character. Elle’s thoughts let us feel the angst she is experiencing at finding out she is alone in the world and yet has no sense of individual identity. She is seeking help from Claude but not just to control her powers but to help her be an individual. That is why she chose Claude. To teach her how to be alone. To function without relying on Daddy or the Company. To be what she is. Tune in next week for what will likely be the conclusion of Elle’s self discovery as she learns to stand alone.