Zap/Characters

The characters of the webcomic Zap:

Excelsior's Crew, past and present

Zap Vexler

A amnesiac psychic spaceship captain. He sometimes lapses into a Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass, especially when Reona is in danger. Most of the time he's the Idiot Hero, though. Currently kidnapped by people who knew him before his amnesia.

• Amnesiac Dissonance: Zap, Efrem, and Gunner were on the same side, and Zap was much darker than his post amnesia personality.
• Battle Aura
• The Captain: He really grew into this role over time.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
• Falling Into the Cockpit: Zap, on the run from the GEF, literally falls into the cargo hatch and is made captain by the ship.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom
• Heroes Want Redheads: Or at least Reona.
• Idiot Hero
• Laser-Guided Amnesia: Zap forgets nearly everything, leaving no remnant of his former skills, just his name.
• The Last of His Kind: Along with Gunner and Efrem, he is one of the last known surviving Lost Ones. He believes that there are others out there, but Gunner is not so optimistic.
• Let's Get Dangerous: When you see Zap start to glow, some shit's goin' down.
• Psychic Powers
• Replacement Goldfish: There's various comments on how like Ephram Zap is. At least one side character calls Zap Reona's "Replacement Boyfriend."

Reona Lightstar

The redheaded first mate of the ship with an Arm Cannon. In the current arc she'll learn to be more assertive.

• Arm Cannon
• No Conservation of Energy: Averted, sort of, with a Hand Wave. Her Arm Cannon draws energy from Reona's own body, as confirmed by Word of God.
• Number Two: To Efrem, and then to Zap. Now that they're both gone, she's moved more into the role of...
  • The Captain
• Tsundere: She seems to be Type A at first, but Character Development reveals that she's hiding emotional wounds and insecurities and is naturally a Type B.

Excelsior

The ship herself, who communicates via Robot and can choose her own captain. Later revealed to have a holographic interface that looks just like Reona and was built to seek the "Lost Ones"

• Sapient Ship: the Excelsior is sentient and chooses its own captain.
• Spaceship Girl: A spectral woman from Zap's forced flashbacks of his earlier life turns out to be the holographic projection of the Excelsior's AI.

Grontar Grott

A huge four armed Genius Bruiser, with Overprotective Dad tendencies towards Reona.

• Alliterative Name
• Big Eater: See for yourself.
• Genius Bruiser
• Multi-Armed and Dangerous
• Overprotective Dad

Robot

Formerly named XR-7439-Q, Robot is the Snarky Non-Human Sidekick, a sentient Robot Buddy (though the "buddy" part is involuntary and quite questionable).

• A Dog Named "Dog": Because Zap can't remember his real name, XR-7439-Q gets redubbed to Robot.
• Last of His Kind: Robot is the last robot left with a learning AI.
• Moment Killer: Robot does this a few times.
• Restraining Bolt: He is programmed to obey the captain, like it or not.
• Ridiculously-Human Robots
• Robot Buddy
• Robot Names: XR-7439-Q is Robot's former name.
• Snarky Non-Human Sidekick

Kasey

Kasey is a type of alien called a Stickle, and is a Wrench Wench and Bungling Inventor.

• Bishie Sparkle: See for yourself.
• Bungling Inventor: A racial trait, actually. Kasey, having at least one invention that has not catastrophically failed, may be the least bungling inventor of the Stickles.
• Cat Smile: Appropriate, since she is vaguely lion-like.
• Little Bit Beastly: Kasey has a lion's tail and slit pupils, plus long, pointy, and slightly floppy ears.
• Wingding Eyes: Of the Heart Symbol type when she gushes over Robot.
• Wrench Wench

Efrem Nutari

The Left for Dead former captain, and is not as he first seemed.

• Battle Aura
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Maybe. Or maybe evil all along.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom
• Heroic Sacrifice: He sacrificed his own life to save Reona and Grontar. Except maybe not.
• Face Heel Turn: Again, maybe.
• The Last of His Kind: Along with Gunner and Zap, he is one of the last known surviving Lost Ones.
• Left for Dead
• The Lost Lenore: For Reona, until he tries to kill her, anyway.
• The Mole: If not Brainwashed and Crazy, then he was this to the Resistance.
• Never Found the Body: After Efrem's apparent death, the crew was teleported back to the ship.
• Psychic Powers: Only a psychic can pilot Excelsior.

Holly Kidson

A Space Pirate who kidnaps Reona and Robot seeking to use them in her quest for revenge. She later joins the crew of the Excelsior.

• Space Pirates
• Talk Like a Pirate: Much to the confusion of her crewmates, sometimes.

Holly: Arr, shiver her timbers, mates!
Inman and Scherzer: *confused looks*
Holly: Just... hit her on the head.

Inman and Scherzer

Holly's underlings, who refused to leave after she dismissed them.

• Space Pirates

The Rebellion

Justin Smith

A high-ranking member of the Rebellion, and Reona's superior. He was captured by William and held captive by the GEF until his rescue by Grontar.

Jason Wilkins

A Rebellion grunt who drinks too much. He pointed the GEF at Zap in the backstory, causing him to flee and land aboard the Excelsior. Captured by the GEF at the same time Justin was.

Demonica

Demonica was a fellow waitress with Reona, and introduced her to Efrem. She has since taken over the Rings of Luck Casino and helps out the Rebellion.

• Alien Hair
• Knowledge Broker
• Prehensile Hair: Though it's not quite hair.

The Serpent's Faction

Gunner Stryfe

A mysterious psychic from Zap's past with a Meaningful Name.

• Combat Pragmatist: Gunner gets tired of the psychic battle and just shoots Zap.
• Firing One-Handed
• Glowing Eyes of Doom
• The Gunslinger
• The Last of His Kind: Along with Zap and Efrem, he is one of the last known surviving Lost Ones. Zap believes that there are others out there, but he is not so optimistic.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: So pretty he's very much subject to Draco in Leather Pants.
• Meaningful Name: And not just his last and first name, either.
• Names to Run Away From Really Fast
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: The GEF killed off his entire race, save himself, Zap, and possibly Efrem. His response? Kill'Em All.

Naveed Catlos

A deadly katana wielding Catgirl. She cut off Reona's arm in a flashback.

• Berserk Button: If you like your insides where they are, don't damage her katana, and don't hit on Gunner. Or look like you might touch Gunner.
• Catgirl
• Cats Are Mean
• Clingy Jealous Girl: To Gunner. Implied to be the reason she wiped Zap's memories.
• The Dragon: To Gunner.
• Femme Fatalons: They look sharp.
• Katanas Are Just Better
• Ms. Fanservice: Naveed provides lots of eyecandy with her Stripperiffic outfits.
• Psycho for Hire: Naveed and her cat-like toying with her prey.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning
• The Vamp

Io

The leader of the the Galilean Satellites, Io has the power of fire. He seems to be serious in personality.

• Flaming Hair: When he's using his powers. Otherwise, it's Bald of Awesome.
• Kill It with Fire
• Last of His Kind: With the other four satellites, they are the last of the Elementaros.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After finding out that Naveed doesn't value Callisto's sacrifice all that much.

Callisto

One of the Elementaros, a race that can control the elements, and a member of the Galilean Satellites. Callisto has control over water.

• An Ice Person / Making a Splash
• Elemental Hair
• Heroic Sacrifice: She sacrifices her life to save Naveed.
• Last of Her Kind: With the other four satellites, they are the last of the Elementaros.

Europa

One of the Elementaros, a race that can control the elements, and a member of the Galilean Satellites. Europa has control over wind.

• Blow You Away
• Elemental Hair
• Expy: Of Storm, at least in design.
• Last of Her Kind: With the other four satellites, they are the last of the Elementaros.
• White-Haired Pretty Girl / Darkskinned Blonde

Ganymede

They youngest of the Elementaros, a race that can control the elements, and a member of the Galilean Satellites. Ganymede has control over earth.

• Child Soldier
• Dishing Out Dirt
• Elemental Hair
• Last of His Kind: With the other four satellites, they are the last of the Elementaros.

The GEF

President Billings

The bungling head of the GEF, who has started a pogrom against Psychics.

• A Glass of Chianti: Billings does this on one scene where he tries to be serious.
• Evil Laugh: Seen here.
• Our Presidents Are Different: President Buffoon.

William Haskins

A GEF commander and the head of the Psychic Academy. His character is gaining importance in the story.

• Bishonen
• My Country, Right or Wrong: At first, anyway.
• Mind Control Eyes: After being controlled by Gunner.
• Villain Override

Vitale

A powerful psychic and adviser to the President. Vitale adopted the orphaned William and raised him.

• The Obi-Wan
• Killed Off for Real: Making poor William an orphan twice over.

Maximus Verbatim

The general of the GEF's ground forces. He's planning a coup.

• Beard of Evil
• Eighties Hair
• Eyepatch of Power: It's metal and apparently riveted in place. Ouch.
• The Starscream
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Green hair.

Feonix Yago

The general of the GEF's aquatic forces. His species rebelled against the GEF long ago, but Yago seemingly betrayed them and surrendered. Now he seeks to destroy the GEF from the inside.

• Really Seven Hundred Years Old: 712, to be precise.
• Revenge