In the Monday, January 9, 2012 ✣ , strip, Agatha is shown using a glowing implement that appears similar to Gil's Zappy stick, but with a blivet at its head instead of a bulb. Its mechanism and purpose are as of yet unknown.
A tool with a similar head was seen in Gil's lab ✣ in a much earlier strip.
And much later, during an "art interruption" ✣ in the pages of the main story, an illustration of a blivet is seen in a shop window in a portrayal of Mechanicsburg during the Winter Solstice season.
Possibly Relevant Outside Information[]
This could be the Europan equivalent of a power triode, especially if the not-quite-there part is considered to be the grid.
A blivet, impossible trident, poiuyt, or Devil's tuning fork is a famous optical illusion in which a fork that appears to have two rectangular tines at its base tapers into three cylindrical tines at its end. It made an early appearance on the cover of the March 1965, issue of Mad Magazine. Considering that this cover also features a version of Alfred E. Neuman with four eyes arranged in two sets, one directly above the other, a facial feature used by Phil Foglio at least ✣ twice ✣ in Girl Genius, this may be where he first encountered this optical illusion.