Sally Walkerton, usually known as Sal, is a pivotal character in the Walkyverse, and one of the main cast members of Dumbing of Age. In the Walkyverse, she's mostly referred to by her adopted name, Sal Walters.
Walkyverse[]
| Sally "Sal" Walters | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First Appearance: | Roomies! November 20, 1997 |
| YOB: | April 1st, 1980 |
| Height: | 5'7" |
| Weight: | 130 lbs |
| Squadron(s): | 128 |
| Abductee powers: | Strength, endurance, and durability |
| Relatives: | Linda Walkerton (birth mother), Charles Walkerton (birth father), David Walkerton (twin brother), John Walters (adoptive father), Martha Walters (adoptive mother) |
To strike fear into everyone's hearts, Sal Walters became a creature of the night. Something dark. Something fierce. Something to wrap around herself so that she wouldn't be hurt by anyone anymore.
In a way, Sal is almost the antithesis of Joyce Brown. She's frightening and dangerous on the outside, but deep down, she's more a confused young girl than anything else. The major difference is that Sal is aware of this dichotomy of character. It's something she knows she can't hide behind forever, but as it turns out, the only thing she's afraid to face is her own life.
Roomies![]
A goofy and impulsive free spirit, she seemed like a perfect balance to Danny Wilcox's stoic and sensible nature, despite her friend Mary Bradford's objections. However, her outgoing nature was little more than a facade used to win her friends in between moves from town to town. After Danny went off to college, she ended up moving with her parents again, much to her anger.
When the Head Alien crashed the Walters family car, she rejected his offer to join him and left her parents to die, stating "See if Ah care." Head Alien called her bluff and killed them; Sal herself narrowly escaped thanks to the intervention of the mysterious Man in Black.
After briefly meeting up with Danny, she made the decision moved on to Colorado, knowing that Danny couldn't possibly understand her situation. Here, she met British SEMME agent Jason Chesterfield. Though unimpressed with his come-ons, she was forced to throw in with the smug Brit after their bar was attacked by Head Alien and his cronies. The two were ultimately saved by the timely arrival of SEMME reinforcements, and Sal subsequently joined the agents on a mission to save Walky and Beef. It was during this mission that she first met Tony, the commander of Squadron 128; soon after she formally joined the Squadron, she began dating him.
She later helped save Joe and Joyce from an Alien abduction, taking Joyce back with her to SEMME despite Joe's objections. She also helped SEMME recover the Power Booster Rod from the Aliens.
It's Walky![]
At the start of It's Walky!, the Head Alien began his Year Zero plan, making all abductees comatose. Sal disappeared during the initial confusion, but resurfaced in time to saved Jason, Joyce, and Walky from the Alien base. Sal destroyed Head Alien's control device for the abductees, but this only meant that they could no longer be stopped.
As the abductees approached Washington D.C., Sal, Jason, Joyce, and Walky raced to the capital to head them off. In the ensuing battle, Walky was almost killed by Tony until Sal shot him in the back. After her brother and Joyce finally stopped the abductees, Sal smuggled Joe out of SEMME's grasp by flying him back to Indiana in a hovercraft. She was later interrogated for killing twelve mind controlled SEMME agents in Washington, including Tony.
Twin
Sal saved Walky again when he went to confront the Head Alien over his missing Nachitos. Walky got more than he bargained for when HA revealed that they were actually twins, and that Sal had been swapped with Beef as a child. After destroying the Alien HQ in anger, Sal and Walky made up and accepted each other. However, her new-found humanity led SEMME into a trap in Miami, and only Joyce flying into a blind rage could stop the Head Alien's schemes.
Some time later, Walky, Beef and Sal went home for Christmas, where she first met her real parents, Linda and Charles. Linda told Sal of her past as a SEMME agent and revealed how she killed the Martians - all of them. Sal later investigated her mother in more detail and found that Linda had been discharged from government service after this episode, citing mental instability.
When Head Alien unleashed Monkey Master on SEMME HQ, Sal found herself unable to abandon SEMME's Big Boss, Anthony McHenry, and bemoaned herself almost comprising the mission.
During the Melonpool crossover, Sal and Squadron 128 helped the crew of the Steel Duck save Ralph Zinobop from Head Alien's clutches. After witnessing the cost of repressed secrets first-hand (in the form of Anti-Joyce), Sal made the difficult decision to tell Linda about her past, including the death of her parents and saving Walky and Beef from the Aliens.
When the Head Alien lured SEMME to the Martian Embassy, he used a recording he had made of the Walters' death in an effort to lure Sal into a trap. However, Jason stopped her and sent Walky in a wig instead. Whilst fighting Monkey Master, Walky attempted to dropped two Resurrection Chambers containing Sal's adoptive parents onto Head Alien to kill him; in the process, they smashed through a ceiling onto the SEMME agents below. Sal narrowly rescued Dina, but was unable to save Big Boss; this, coupled with the bloody remains of her former mother and father, sent Sal into shock.
Renegade
In the wake of this tragedy, Sal's resolve hardened, and she cursed her selfishness. After handing over Joe to SEMME, she discovered that Linda had been made the new Big Boss and quit SEMME in order to fight the Aliens on her own terms. Later, she was found by Jason, Walky and Joe while fighting Monkey Master. The situation was further complicated by the arrival of Squadron 135, who attempted to haul her back to SEMME HQ. She fought them off but was briefly subdued by Beef. Eventually she broke free, leading to a one-on-one fight with her twin brother. Remarking on how they were trained killing machines, Sal kept beating on him until Monkey Master used the confusion to slip away, at which point she chased after him.
Later, Sal waited outside the Martian Embassy for the resurrection of the Head Alien to finish. As he exited the Embassy, she assailed him, but was unable to keep him from escaping. Head Alien then commandeered a Martian ship and attacked Denver; Sal attempted to intervene, but was attacked in turn by the resurrected Tony, who was still under the Head Alien's control. Initially, she refused to fight back, but her resolve quickly hardened and she finally knocked Tony off the ship.
Turning her sights on the Head Alien, she revealed that once SEMME HQ was destroyed, she would kill every abductee on earth and purge the world of evil. After ordering Head Alien to send his Tarantuguns after SEMME's planes, she was confronted by Joyce. In the resulting battle, Sal tried everything she could to bring Joyce's rage back to the surface, but Joyce refused to stoop to Sal's level, accusing her opponent of being a little girl afraid of her emotions. After a SEMME ship fired on the Martian spaceship, Sal found herself inside the ruined SEMME HQ and made for the archives to retrieve the Power Booster Rod. As Joyce and the Head Alien arrived, she used its power to turn North America yellow.
No revelation could stop her - not even the revelation that her mother was framed for the death of the Martians. A force of nature, she intended to purge the world of the abductees. Her plan was only stopped by the arrival of her old boyfriend, Danny. The sight of her former flame jerked Sal out of her rage, and she broke down, dropping the Power Booster Rod.
It was at this point that The Cheese arrived on the scene. Danny attempted to usher the shell-shocked Sal out of the room, but after Joyce was taken out by a blow from the godlike android, Sal regained her resolve and attacked. Using a Mind-wiper, she was able to confuse his circuits, then used the Power Booster Rod to knock him out.
Guilty
Pleading guilty to six counts of attempted murder, she was sentenced to five years in jail. Surprised by the level of support that Danny showed her during this period, she told him she loved him, creating a rift in his relationship with Billie.
At the beginning of 2003, Sal got another visitor: Jason, who had returned with some disturbing revelations. He claimed her crimes were not done of her own free will but were the result of brainwashing at the hands of a sinister foe. However, she refused to give up responsibility, claiming she wanted to serve her punishment for her crimes. It wasn't until Jason revealed that this organization, the JFO, would soon go after her brother, Walky, that she reluctantly agreed to join Jason in a jailbreak. Injured during the escape, Jason needed medical attention, so Sal brought him to an old friend, Mary. With the help of Mary's husband, Peter Paul, she was able to fix Jason up enough for the two of them to continue their mission.
Arriving in New York City, Sal and Jason attacked the JFO's local headquarters and wound up confronting Jason's old flame, Penny. At gunpoint, Penny revealed that their organization was made up of illegal trespassers from another universe led by Jason's father, Dargon Chesterfield. Operating under The Cheese's radar, the JFO had been using manipulating in an effort to ultimately destroy both The Cheese and the Martians. At this point, Dargon chimed in, ordering Penny to attack SEMME. Jason and Sal made a quick escape and fled for Denver in a commandeered plane.
To SEMME with JFO
Arriving with JFO hot on her tail, Sal headed down to the ground while Jason landed the plane. Going back to meet him, she arrives back with Jason to find Walky mourning Dina's death. Confronting him, she tells him not to like her, to stand up and pull through this. When Penny tries to mind-wipe Walky, she tells them to get what they fear the most. Getting Joyce to use the Power Booster Rod, she ends up calling The Cheese who discovers the trespassers in this universe. After the attack, Sal and Jason told Linda that JFO were the ones who had framed her for the Martian genocide.
Told by Linda to unofficially spy on JFO with Jason, Sal makes a brief detour to the apartment of Danny first. Meeting Billie there unexpectedly, she is attacked by her, and Sal is astounded by the lengths she will go to defend Danny from Sal. Leaving the couple alone, she goes on a guilt trip about how alone she is, until Jason brings her back down to earth with his own situation. Apologizing later, the two head for London. Here, they discover the origins of JFO in this universe, and why they framed Linda. Meeting up with Squadron 128 again, Sal has a disagreement with Walky and knocks him out the window. She confronts him on his depressed attitude towards the upcoming Martian invasion and tells him to enjoy his last moments with Joyce. She makes a promise to him that she can change the future and make sure they both live for a long time after the Martian invasion. The next night, she sleeps with Tony and tells him not to tell Jason.
The next day, SEMME was shut down by the government. That evening, as she and Jason helped clear out the building, SEMME came under attack from the JFO. Joining Linda in finding Professor Doc and Alan Rees, they rush to the labs together with Squadron 135. When Beef kills Professor Doc, she tries to keep him occupied while the brainwashing antidote is administered. Unfortunately, Beef wasn't brainwashed; he had willingly joined JFO because he was frustrated by the attention laid upon her and Walky.
As Penny taunts Sal for abandoning everyone she has known, she explains the history of SEMME. Once finished, the remaining agents attack her and Beef. Sal first attacks Beef, then Penny in an attempt to save Jason. Ironically, it ends up being Jason who saves Sal from Penny. He is frustrated with his lack of faith in his abilities and tells his biggest secret: he loves her. Not sure what to do, she follows him outside and tells him that she likes him back, but that she slept with Tony the night before.
Mars Attacks!
Unexpectedly, the Martians attack. She decides to fulfill her promise to Walky and deny any selfish urges otherwise. When the Head Alien takes over The Cheese, she is the first to try and attack him whilst he inhabits the body of his Anti-self. However, when the Head Alien drops a Martian spaceship onto the fighting Jason and Tony, apparently killing them, she goes into shock. When Alan forces the Head Alien's soul out of The Cheese, Sal plunges a Martian fork into the Head Alien's back, killing him for good.
Feeling as though she no longer has any purpose, Sal is left depressed until she spots Tony lifting the Martian spaceship from the rubble and allowing Jason to escape, shortly before he succumbs to the weight and is crushed beneath it. Glad to have him back, they join Joyce in prayer at the fallen body of The Cheese as they wait for Walky's spirit to inhabit it. After Walky-as-The-Cheese eliminates the Martians, Sal stands and smiles, the threat finally gone. Unfortunately, as she can't go back into action herself, she becomes bored and restless, eventually leading her to gatecrash Jason's attack upon the renegade Monkey Master and inadvertently allowing his escape. Angered by her continued lack of faith in his abilities, Jason dumps her, saying that until she believes in him, they can't have a proper relationship.
Joyce and Walky![]
Moving in with Joyce and Walky, Sal got a job at Pluto 9571, a themed restaurant at the local mall, and continued to hook up with Jason on occasion, but strictly on an "ex" basis. Her difficulties in adapting to civilian life intensified when she discovered that her co-workers at Pluto 9571 were actually aliens and Jason became romantically involved with Marcie. She attempted to change her situation by applying for government field work - only to be told that she was getting too old - and by proposing to Jason, who refused.
Shortly thereafter, Sal starts to find something like purpose when she meets and interrogates D.J. Wilcox... but before she can learn of his alternate future, her place in it, and the danger he's now fleeing, the Head Alien II catches up with them both. Hit from behind with a powerful death ray, Sal appears to die instantly. Monkey Master then crushes D.J. Wilcox, and under the Head Alien's orders leaves him alive but dying.
Jason's team later investigated the area and found no bodies are found but discovered traces of blood that were analyzed and found to be Sal's. As days passed, Jason, Walky, and Joyce started to worry that Sal had genuinely been KIA. They eventually trace the Head Alien back to his lair in the ruined SEMME headquarters and, told by Machete that Sal is dead, confront her killer to avenge her. They are easily defeated by the Head Alien II's godlike powers. Just as Jason is about to be finished off, Sal unexpectedly reappears, still weak from her wounds. She inflicts a vicious beating on the Head Alien II, distracting him and allowing Jason to kill him with a brick to the head.
It is revealed that, after being hit by the Head Alien's death ray, Sal was dragged to a hospital by the dying D.J. Wilcox, who then forced Peter Paul (at gunpoint!) to transfer his organs into Sal's body — allowing his alterna-mother to live while he succumbed to his wounds.
Sal is later seen visiting D.J.'s grave with Danny.
Shortpacked![]
Sal made a brief appearance at the Shortpacked! store as a guest at Mike Warner and Amber O'Malley's wedding. An alternate universe version of Sal was later seen battling alongside Rachel and Squadron 128 against the Giant Mutant Frosted Honey Bun in a reality where the Drama Tag was never pulled.
Dumbing of Age[]
| Sal Walkerton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First Appearance: | Dumbing of Age September 14, 2010 |
| Hometown: | Evansville, Indiana |
| Roommate: | Malaya Eugenio (current), Becky MacIntyre (former), Jennifer Billingsworth (former) |
| Relatives: | Linda Walkerton (mother), Charles Walkerton (father), David Walkerton (twin brother) |
| Major: | Undeclared |
After Walky’s twin sister Sal held up two convenience stores, she was was sent by her parents to a Catholic boarding school in Tennessee. Instead of being rehabilitated and finding Jesus, for some reason she came back as a smoking, tattooed, motorcycle-riding rebel gal with a southern accent. How does this happen???
Sal’s mood maintains a steady cool that can’t be shaken even by the strongest displays of authority. Though she avoids most social contact and has few friends, she attracts a sea of admirers. This annoys her.
History[]
Sal grew up in the shadow of "generically beige" brother, Walky, who got the lion's share of her parents' attention for being the "whiter" of the two. By her teens, Sal had finally hit breaking point, embarking on a short-lived crime spree that ended with an ill-advised convenience store holdup and her subsequent arrest.
The Walkertons sent Sal to a Catholic school, hoping to straighten her out. If anything, it redoubled her anger at her parents and the "system", though she was smart enough to hide this from her parents, presenting herself as a perfect little princess even as she spent her spare time cruising around on her motorbike and knocking back illegal beers with the local roller derby team.
Trivia[]
- Wears gloves at all times, even while sleeping or during sex.
- This may be due to a nasty stab wound another character inflicted on her way back when.
- The only time in the strip when her gloves have been off was to meet her parents. Even then she kept her right hand hidden behind her back.
- After several years, she finally eclipsed her roommate as the DoA cast member with the largest number of f-bombs dropped. Admittedly, this strip might have helped.
- Sal also consistently tops the annual "Hottest Lady" polls on the DoA website.
- One of four left-handed main characters in DoA, the other three being Joe, Dorothy, and Ruth.
- Sal's tattoo is of a Tarantugun. According to Willis, there is no in-universe reason for this... yet.
Gallery[]
