3230: Overton

2026-04-10T13:49:48Z

82.132.236.168: /* Explanation */ Possessive "its".

{{comic
| number = 3230
| date = April 8, 2026
| title = Overton
| image = overton_2x.png
| imagesize = 242x268px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I think I accidentally installed an Overton window in my bedroom. A few months ago, the sun wasn't in my face in the morning, but now it is.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by JOSEPH PAUL OVERTON, BACK FROM THE DEAD. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{w|Joseph Paul Overton}} was a political scientist who created the concept of the {{w|Overton window}}, which is the range of subjects that are politically appropriate to raise during a period of time. The first set of dates, 1960 and 2003, are the years that Overton was born and died.

It is common for political commentators to state that the Overton window has "moved," meaning that the standard for which political positions are "moderate" or "extreme" has changed. In the comic, the "Overton window" refers to the time span in which Joseph Paul Overton was alive. The dates on Overton's grave have been repeatedly crossed out and replaced as this 'window' has moved. This creates the ridiculous implication that Overton was living at least four overlapping lives, or that history has repeatedly changed so that the dates of his life shifted, either of which is impossible.{{cn}} Alternatively, it could reflect changes in the frame of reference the keepers of the grave are using to date events.

In the title text, the speaker notices that the sunlight is now being let in earlier in the morning, and attributes this to it coming through an "Overton window" that can physically move. This is unlikely, since the Overton window is an abstract concept, not an architectural feature, and sunlight is not generally influenced by social attitudes.{{cn}} It is more likely that the phenomenon is due to the seasonal movement of the Sun in the sky, where its apparent path across the sky moves further north or south between the {{w|summer solstice}} (highest arc) and {{w|winter solstice}} (lowest arc), changing the place it falls at a given time of day, and therefore its angle of entry through any given window. This shift is caused by the Earth's tilt relative to its orbit. The Sun's position at a certain clock time may also be perceived to change suddenly due to the beginning or end of {{w|daylight saving time}}, as occurred in most US states and many other countries shortly before this comic was published. (This is an issue that Randall has covered [[:Category:Daylight saving time|multiple times]], although apparently ''not'' (unless this is a subtle reference) this year.)

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[A gravestone is shown on some grass. On the inscription, all of the years except the last one are crossed out in red, and all except the first pair of years have the years themselves in red. The inscription is as follows:]
:Joseph Paul Overton
:<s>1960</s> - <s>2003</s>
:<s>1965</s> - <s>2011</s>
:<s>1973</s> - <s>2018</s>
:1982 -

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]

Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy

2026-04-10T13:06:31Z

82.132.236.168: Undo revision 410036 by 2601:447:C382:BF0:7EC3:E608:3ED2:1B77 (talk) And your argument against that is..? He did something, in that vein.

[[Beret Guy]] is a very strange character. Sometimes he takes these strange tendencies into the supernatural.

'''Click''' to expand for a more detailed explanation:
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==Explanation==
In the early comics he was mostly just a strange and naive guy. There is an early start to the strangeness, but that power could also be attributed to [[Cueball]] (at least it is a shared power) in [[248]].

From comic [[1088]], Beret Guy begins to appear frequently with these strange powers, typically not related to each other, except that he has some issues with electrical sockets and power cords as seen in [[1293]] and [[1395]]. (See also [[509: Induced Current]] and the title text of [[614: Woodpecker]], regarding power cords, but not these strange powers.) He is also capable of waiting for very long time as seen both in [[1088]], [[1617]] and [[2987]].

Many of these apparent powers manifest as objects behaving strangely around him. It is unclear whether these are in fact powers inherent to Beret Guy or whether the objects are simply cursed; as indicated in [[1772]], most of his possessions were acquired from shops specializing in cursed items.

Here is a list of the comics where Beret Guy displays strange powers that are beyond the realm of possibility.

===List of abilities===
#[[248]]: Creates hypothetical situations which trap him and others around him. These situations are spaces, formed with thin, flexible walls that can be torn open with a knife.
#[[1032]]: Is able to photocopy 3d objects to create clones of said object
#[[1088]]: Capable of waiting in the same place for highly extended periods of time, presumably without sustenance
#[[1099]]: He has the ability to grow wings at will, which can extend infinitely if he chooses to do so.
#[[1135]]: He can persuade spiders to spin their silk in such a way that it forms a wearable shirt.
#[[1158]]: He can use his imagination to manifest physical objects
#[[1293]]: His office has an outlet which can dispense soup when needed.
#[[1388]]: He can subduct himself through the floor to form mountains in his room.
#[[1395]]: Is able to inflate a laptop by blowing into a power cord, implying that 1) he exhales helium and 2) he can change the properties of any object at will.
#[[1422]]: His phone has the same properties as a dying star, expanding and exploding as it runs out of power.
#[[1486]]: He is able to harness the energy of a vacuum cleaner and fly using it.
#[[1490]]: He can see individual atoms and distinguish elements apart, but he cannot discern what these atoms make up (he cannot distinguish a human from a dog).
#[[1522]]: By standing on a stepladder and looking through a magnifying glass, he can examine life on exoplanets in detail.
#[[1614]]: Another example of changing the properties of objects at will.
#[[1617]]: He can survive without oxygen for many years. He is also able to gain all necessary nutrients via eating newspaper.
#[[1922]]: Yet another example of changing the properties of objects. He is also apparently able to make dogs follow his exact commands.
#[[2310]]: He has higher dimensional bones, leading to a much greater than normal attraction to the {{w|Great attractor}}. This allows him to sleep and rest on walls and ceilings.
#[[2325]]: Nearby flowing water flows towards him rather than towards the nearest drainage basin. It appears that he is not capable of controlling this.
#[[2376]]: Has the knowledge of a cursed amulet that attracts malicious ghosts. He claims that the can do battle with ghosts, although it is unknown whether this is an ability of his or just him being odd as normal.
#[[2446]]: He had the ability to create very large clumps of {{w|Spike proteins}} after receiving the COVID vaccine, although it is unknown as to whether he is still able to do this.
#[[2534]]: He can construct an object which can stretch and flex to at least 254 miles in length.
#[[2695]]: He created volcano seeds which, when planted, create a tiny volcano.
#[[2710]]: He created a hydroelectric dam that produces more water than passed into it.
#[[2805]]: He has infinite arm strength, as he is able to hold on to a balloon using one arm for at least 1500 years. He experiences no adverse affects during this time.
#[[2850]]: He is able to influence human thoughts at will by changing the status of his house on Google Maps.
#[[2987]]: He stands still for an entire 20 years, presumably without any food or water, to tectonic surf; although he only moved about a meter in that time.
#[[3046]]: He is able to utilize an anomalous ancestry site to figure out that he is related to long-extinct Stromatolites.
#[[3179]]: He is able to estimate the weight of any object that gets hooked onto a fishing rod he is holding.
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3230: Overton

Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy