Knuckle Up

Knuckle Up
Author(s)	Mastergodai, Upstairstudios
Website	https://knuckle-up.kemono.cafe/
Status	Weekly
Launch date	April 23, 2012
End date	Ongoing
Genre	Action, adventure, comedy, fan service
Rating(s)

Knuckle Up is an action/adventure/comedy/fan service webcomic drawn and written by Mastergodai and soft brushed by Upstairstudios, which first began in 2012. It is currently being hosted on Kemono Café, previously hosted by The Katbox. The webcomic normally updates weekly.

Plot

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Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

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Knuckle Up Chapter 3 Cover Page.

Chapter 1 and Chapter 2

Hawke, a professional bounty hunter that belongs to Team Knuckle Up, decides to take a small break to check up on Jo-Jo, a local bartending mistress. Before Hawke could score with Jill, Rush, Hawke’s partner in Team Knuckle Up, interrupts him and reminds him that he is supposed to be finding a lead on their target. On the ship, Rush slams her communicator against the wall and throws Swoop, Team Knuckle Up’s dragon companion, in the trash after teasing Rush about her feelings for Hawke. Hawke finally meets up with Moon, his contact, at the Tit for Tat Harem Bathhouse. Moon playfully flirts and instructs Hawke to strip down, which he gleefully does.

Swoop continues to tease Rush about her crush on Hawke as they fly their spaceship down to meet up with Hawke. Moon explains that Hawke needed to strip down as the Bathhouse has a one clothing article rule. While Moon takes Hawke to his target, she magically transforms him into a woman. Moon promises to change Hawke back once he lures the contact into the bedchamber and knocks him out. Outside, Rush finds Hawke’s clothing and cries as she believes that something bad happened to him. A bystander approaches Rush and tells her that Hawke ran into that bathhouse. Meanwhile, Hawke uses his new female sex appeal to attract his attention. Enrage at Hawke’s supposed betrayal, Rush rushes into the Bathhouse with her weapon unleashed only to be greeted with a body guards and a barrage of bullets. Fortunately, Swoop transforms into her bipedal mode and blocks the bullets with her thick scales. Hawke’s bounty tries to loosen him up for some loving, which backfires as he launches him into the wall. Moon reveals that she was the one that called in the bounty and thanks Hawke with a kiss. At that precise moment, Rush comes crashing in to provide backup to Hawke. Upon seeing Hawke’s female body, Rush absolutely loses it.

After a quick wardrobe change, Hawke tells Rush everything that happens and demands that Moon changes him back now. Before Moon could transform Hawke back, Jupiter, Moon’s superior, appears. Despite Moon’s promise to retrieve the stone, Jupiter chastises Moon for her lack of discipline and failure to protect the stone. As punishment, Jupiter broke the stone into ten pieces and spreads them across the galaxy. Moon must now retrieve the pieces in order to have her magical powers restored. Since Moon’s powers were sealed before she could undo Hawke’s magical transformation, Hawke is stuck as a woman.

At the diners, Moon apologizes to Hawke for all this; however, Rush insinuates that Hawke deserves this, resulting in a verbal clash. Moon diffuses the situation and tries to garners Rush’s help. Rush eventually agrees to help once Moon offers one-million creds. In a private moment between them, Rush tells Hawke that she would have helped him out anyway and is looking forward with Jo-Jo’s expression at Hawke’s new body. Rush joyfully leaves Hawke with Jo-Jo while she raids the supply closet. Jo-Jo initially does not catch Hawke’s transformation; however, Jo-Jo does not seem to mind the transformation at all. Rush believes that she finally got one over on Jo-Jo until Swoop tells her that Jo-Jo has a reputation of pleasuring both men and women with her magical hands. Swoop nearly saves Hawke from Jo-Jo’s tricks.

In the tub, Jupiter is enjoying a warm and quite bath until Pluto, a floating sphere, appears and opens up a video connection to Moon. After enjoying Jupiter’s body, Moon asks her for help in finding the shards. Jupiter initially rejects Moon’s plea until Moon threatens to divulge Jupiter’s encounter with a rouge man.

Back on the spaceship, Rush tries to express her feelings for Hawke; however, a series of misunderstanding leads Swoop and Moon to poke fun at Rush. With their fuel supply low, Hawke heads to Saint’s refueling station. Hawke catches up with Saint, the owner of the station that already knows of Hawke’s condition. Rather than deal with Hawke’s needs, Saint immediately turns his attention to finding Rush hiding on the spaceship. Annoyed with Saint and his antics that normally result in her in the nude, Rush excuses herself to the restroom. Before getting there, a bystander asks for her autograph on a nude image of her.

After a thorough bashing, Saint cuts to the chase and wants in on Knuckle Up’s huge pay day in exchange for the location of a stone shard. Moon gladly accepts the terms. Saint introduces Knuckle Up to Bad News Chica, a small time space pirate that suddenly has superb swordsmanship skills. Upon closer observation, Hawke and Rush realize that Chica has copied Hawke’s swordsmanship style. Moon then reveals that the stone mimicked everything about Hawke during his transformation and thus grants the possessor of that stone some of his skills.

While restocking their ship, Jake appears and is completely taken in with Hawke’s new female body that he saw on the hypernet. Jake decides to come along after hitting on Hawke, who does not appreciate being on the receiving end of sexual pick-up lines. Before heading for Chica’s location, Knuckle Up makes a quick stop to the Gandora Quadrant to meet up with Jupiter. Pluto arrives and informs Jupiter that the Council received word of her helping moon out and has stripped her of her magical powers until Moon completes her mission of finding all the stone shards. Jake introduces himself to Jupiter with another pick-up line.

Team Knuckle Up finally arrives at Chica’s hideout. Rather than use the old infiltration act or blasting themselves in with magic, Jake proposes that they go in as members of Chica’s family. The idea works as Team Knuckle Up does make it in, offering Jake an opportunity to boob hug Chica. After Jake fails Chica’s test, Rush takes the direct approach and demands Chica hand over the tone shard. Chica initially confuses Rush as the man turned woman until Hawke clears it up, opening him up to a sucker punch. Rather than have Hawke fight as Chica knows all his moves, Rush challenges Chica for the stone shard. Jake offers the ship up as a prize if Rush loses.

Jake initially tries to reassure Jupiter that he knows what he is doing and Rush’s skills, which does not go over well as he makes another innuendo. All the women with the exception of Jupiter cheer Rush on. While Rush battles Chica, Jupiter and Moon notice Hawke acting all womanly with concerns over Rush and change in his dialogue. Moon snaps him out of it. Jupiter questions Moon regarding the supposed shape changing spell. Moon tells Jupiter that she used a spell from spell book number sixty three, which contains forbidden spells. Jupiter informs Hawke that they need to find the stone shards faster before he is stuck in that female body forever.

Meanwhile, Chica appears to have the upper hand in this fight. Rather than give into Chica’s taunts, Rush does a power kick to Chica’s head. With his feminine mind seeping through again, Hawke interrupts the fight to clean Rush up, scolding her for using foul language and power driving Chica to the wall and knocking her out with a powerful move for interrupting her and Rush.

Chica wakes up in the ship’s medical bay with Hawke looking over her. Hawke tries to warm up to her with compliments of her fighting skill and cuteness. Chica reveals her real name, Alexis. Hawke understands where Chica is coming from in regards to her family; however, before he could share more info, Hawke’s feminine mind seeps through again. With all the sentiments in the air, Chica agrees to join Knuckle Up just as Rush comes in on these two hugging it out.

Hawke tries to explain his decision to allow Chica to join and splitting some of the reward money with her, but Rush does not want to hear any of this and chastises Hawke for not taking her feelings into consideration. Hawke does and asks Rush if she loves him. Flustered with the question, Rush quickly excuses herself. Rush and her angel and demon spirits beat herself up for not telling Hawke how she feels.

Jupiter examines Hawke in the nude in order to determine the full effect of this curse. Jupiter tells Hawke that she can control the female urges for about a month before they spike. Jupiter tries to relax Hawke and invoke a spell on him using her limited magic. Unfortunately, Jupiter’s spells does not work and may have inadvertently sped up Hawke’s feminine mind. Meanwhile, Rush receives a transmission from Rita, Hawke’s supposed finance who throws a tirade upon learning of Hawke’s female body. Chica turns the transmission off, terrifying Rush. Rush takes the spaceship to Planet Raxion, Swoop’s home world. Team Knuckle Up plans on hiding there and visiting one of the dragon den’s hot springs.

Chapter 3

Despite returning to her home planet, Swoop is concerned that her mother would be upset with her for running away. Of course, this does not stop Moon from wanting to see Swoop naked. At the Raxion’s Most Luxurious Hot Springs, Ru-Taka greets the new arrivals. Initially mistaking Swoop as someone who looks like the missing princess, Ru-Taka promises not to inform anyone of Swoop’s arrival. Swoop requests Ru-Taka to perform the Ru-Taka Special since she has the best hands on the planet to perform the message. During the message, Swoop reveals that she has not yet achieved flight in her normal form, infuriating her.

While Swoop enjoys Ru-Taka’s massage, Rush drags Hawke to the hot springs, blind folding him so that he does not sneak a peek on the other women. During Rush bathing Hawke, Hawke brings up the question regarding Rush’s feelings for him, which she refuses to answer as she is unsure if it is Hawke’s male side or female side asking her. Moon interrupts Hawke and Rush’s private moment with cheers of them finally hitting it off. While Rush distracts Moon with the possibility of seeing Alexis naked and protecting her from another bather’s rage, Ru-Taka grabs Hawke and takes him into the massage parlor. Jake sneaks a peek and see’s Hawke in the nude partially starting to lie down on the table.

Drying off, Swoop asks Rush to pretend to be her lover if and when they encounter her parents. Wanting to avoid being trapped in an arrange marriage with a muscular man that’s not her type, Swoop chose Rush to pretend to be her lover instead of Hawke as his mind continues into slip and slide into a feminine state. Meanwhile, Hawke dresses himself and tries to find Ru-Taka only to pump into and mistake Queen Mai Lufa, Swoop’s mother, as Swoop. Upon hearing Swoop’s name, Queen Mai Lufa immediately requests Hawke to take her to Swoop. Swoop finally confronts Queen Mai Lufa and tries to tell her about her “relationship” with Rush; however, Queen Mai Lufa, overly excited to see Swoop, informs her that Hawke has already told her about Swoop’s bounty hunting career. Queen Mai Lufa gives her blessings to Swoop’s bounty hunting career and asks her to write home once in a while. Unfortunately, Rush’s unnecessary entrance, objection to the marriage, and confession of her love for her lands Swoop in trouble with Queen Mai Lufa.

Back on the airship, Jupiter tends to Rush and Swoop’s injuries they both received as a result of angering Queen Mai Lufa with their "relationship". At this precise moment, Rita contacts Rush and prepares to dock onto her spacecraft. Alexsi joins Rush in greeting Rita, who verbally attacks Rush with her lack of finding the shards and her confessing her feelings for Hawke. Alexsi breaks the tension with a pillow attack.

Chapter 4

With all the noise, Hawke enters. Rita immediately greets him with joy and is surprised with how Hawke look sin his female form. Rita reveals that she has a cure for Hawke’s condition in a small pouch and will gladly give it to him if he promises to fulfill her request. Desiring to return to his old self, Hawke reluctantly agrees to Rita’s term. Hawke prepares the spell in the bathtub. Once filled, Hawke submerges his entire body into the bathtub. Outside, Jupiter tries to convince Jake that this cure will not work only to be utterly surprised with Hawke coming out of the bathtub in his man form. Rita celebratory gloats around Rush, which causes Rush to kick Rita right in the buttocks.

Jupiter is utterly convinced that something is clearly up as the Order’s magic can not easily be broken with another spell. Believing that the spell acts like voodoo, Moon goes off to retrieve her voodoo tome, leaving Jupiter behind to study the spell book yet again. Alone, Hawke hits on Jupiter with multiple innuendoes. Jupiter initially brushes them off but is suddenly cast under some sort of spell as evidenced with the glow in her eyes. Hawke and Jupiter head into her bedroom and proceed to have some fun. Rush walks in and catches the two about to hit it off. Furious that Hawke cheated on her, Rush takes Rita’s spaceship and flies away while Hawke and Jupiter enjoy their time together. Their time is cut short whenever Hawke calls Jupiter Quackers, snapping her back to reality. Jupiter realizes that it is Keisha, or rather Ariel as she tells Jupiter.

Saddened that Hawke is now a man, Jake heads off to get a shower only to find the real Hawke tied up on the floor and still in his female body. Hawke tells Jake that something magically appeared, knocked him out, and tied him up. Hawke is impressed that Jake assisted him without being creepy, which immediately turned to a rage and a beating whenever he groped Hawke. Returning to the bedroom, Jupiter slaps Ariel off of her. Ariel reveals that she managed to track Jupiter down thanks to Saint and that she desires the jewel for herself so that she can finally become a full blooded vampire. Before Ariel could have her ways with Jupiter yet again, Moon comes to the rescue with a bucket of cold water.

Back on Rita’s airship, Rush wakes up to the smell of pancakes that Swoop prepared for her. Upon eating the first bite, Rush realizes that Swoop is with her. Rush tells Swoop that she is over with Hawke, believing that he cheated on her with Jupiter. Swoop sympathizes with Rush, telling her that that she tried to hook those two up for years and saying that they’re better off without him. Working together again, Rush and Swoop decide to continue their bounty hunting careers on their own. Both hide their respective butt and chest in order to lay low. Rush and Swoop encounter Deva, their original partner that does not remember them at all. Caring less about how sue use to be the old captain of the K-U-1 until she was terminated for being a horrible navigator, Deva boasts that she has moved and has become the captain of the Bikini Space Pirate Squad. Deva orders two members to escort Rush and Swoop for their new uniforms.

Returning to Hawke and the others, Ariel and the other women shower off. Ariel refuses to return to her realm until she finds all the jewel shards despite Jupiter’s protests. Rita comes barging in to tell the others that Rush took her ship and left. Rita recognizes Ariel as the woman that sold her the cure. Upon hearing of Rush’s absence, Hawke removes his blindfold. All the women except Moon tell him to avert his eyes; however, he has no interest in any of them. Hawke frantically searches the entire ship to find Rush only to learn that she and Swoop are really gone. Overhearing all this, Ariel offers to help Hawke find Rush in exchange for the Jewel when this is over. Desiring to find Rush more than returning into a man, Hawke agrees.

Rush and Swoop settle into their new uniforms. While waiting for Rush’s bottoms, Swoop suggests that they commandeer one of her planet’s ships instead of joining Deva’s group; however, Rush wants to do this her way without any help. Rush plans on finding all the pieces of the jewel and collecting the riches from Moon. Rush becomes discouraged whenever her new crewmates take significant time in finding her a bottom to her uniform, causing her to question her body figure and this whole ordeal. One of Deva’s crew members informs Rush that Deva is in possession of a magical jewel that can grant wishes and suggests that Rush asks for a new body. Rush is overly excited about this revelation as it would provide her an opportunity to stick it to Hawke. Rush eventually realizes that Deva is in possession of the very jewel they have been looking for this whole time.

Rush interrupts Deva’s beauty sleep and is surprised to learn that Deva has not forgotten Rush after all. Deva is more than delighted to grant Rush’s wish; however, Deva has only one condition. Deva wants Rush. Rush initially rejects Deva’s advances but gives in after Deva reminds Rush that Hawke cheated on her and that she promises to always be there for her. Rush is completely unaware of the fact that Hawke is racing to reach her and save her from Deva’s malicious tactics, going so far as to sacrifice his male body for her. Meanwhile, Rush has second thoughts about changing her body, which Deva reassures. Rush’s body immediately expands. Rush wants Deva to undo the changes; however, Deva refuses and alters Rush’s mind. Swoop anxiously waits for Rush to come out and decides to go in if she does come out soon. Swoop is shocked to see Rush’s new body as she angrily stares back at her.

Cast

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Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

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Starting with the upper left image, Male Hawke, Female Hawke, Jo-Jo, Rush “Rushana,” Swoop Lufa (Dragon Form), Swoop Lufa (Normal Form), Moon Sango, Jupiter, Pluto, Saint, Chica “Alexis,” Jake, Rita, Queen Mai Lufa, Keisha “Ariel,” and Deva.

Hawke

Hawke is a womanizing bounty hunter for Team Knuckle Up. Quoted for hanging out with other women while on the job or with Rush, Hawke has a natural way of dealing with the ladies through his pickup lines and innuendos. During one of his bounty hunts, Hawke teams up with Moon, a magician. As part of their ploy to retrieve her jewel, Moon transform Hawke into a woman in order to lure his bounty and trap him. Hawke’s initial terror yet thrill of his new female body turns to horror when he realizes Moon is unable to turn him back into a man - a problem further compounded when Jupiter scatters the jewel shards and revokes Moon's powers. Throughout his time as a woman, Hawke has to endure all the regular problems women have and how others treat him, from Jo-Jo relaxing him to the back problems of having a larger chest to Jake using innuendoes on him. To make matters worse, Hawke learns that Moon employed a powerful spell that can make him act more feminine at random moments. Even though he is in a woman’s body, the other women still treat Hawke like a man, blindfolding him whenever he is in the springs or showers with them. Throughout all these experiences, Hawke comes to better appreciate women and is more sensitive to their needs, going so far as to sacrifice his own manhood to save Rush. Hawke is an expert swordsman and martial artist. In the Rascals universe, Keith plays Male Hawke while Paige plays Female Hawke. Keith and Paige are twins.

Jo-Jo

Jo-Jo is a bartending mistress that has a thing for both men and women, offering her special massages to all.

Rush "Rushana"

Rush is a bounty hunter for Team Knuckle Up. Rush has a huge crush on Hawke that Swoop and Moon like to tease her about often. Rush’s mood changes depending upon Hawke’s situation, from utter terror of finding his clothes in the middle of the street to rage when she believes him to be having sex with another woman. Despite her harsh demeanor, Rush will do anything for Hawke. Rush does not trust Saint as he has gotten quite a few over on her from those nude images of her that ended up online. To note, Rush’s activities did secure the K-U-1 from Saint in addition to being ranked the number one on the Galaxy’s Sexiest Bounty Hunters. Despite having multiple opportunities to tell Hawke how she feels about him, Rush gets cold feet around him. Rush leaves Knuckle Up after a misunderstanding in which she believes Hawke cheated on her with Jupiter. Rogue, Rush met up with Deva to join her crew with Swoop, who has always sided with Rush as they go way back from their first days when Swoop hired her to be her body guard. Rush becomes insecure with her body figure and asks Deva for a new body using her jewel shards. After becoming Deva’s lover, Rush receives her new body and a new mind. In the Rascals universe, Megan plays Rush.

Swoop

Swoop is a bounty hunter for Team Knuckle Up. Unlike Hawke and Rush, Swoop has a dragon and bipedal form that she can easily switch in between. Unlike most dragons, she has no wings and thus not yet mastered flight. Initially seen naked in Knuckle Up, she is now fully clothed. Swoop is actually a princess who ran away from her home world of Raxion years ago to escape an arranged marriage that her mother organized. Free, Swoop hired Rush to be her body guard. Swoop fully trusts Rush, going so far as to ask her to pose as her lover whenever she returned to Raxion while hiding from Rita and siding with her on her issues. Swoop has a longer lifespan compared to the others as her mother hinted that she is over 300 years old. In the Rascals universe, Lenna plays Swoop.

Moon Sango

Moon is Hawke’s client and contact for the first bounty hunt. Moon is a magic user that transforms Hawke into a woman in order to lure out the bandit that stole her jewels. Once they secure the jewels, Moon rewards Hawke with a kiss. Unfortunately, before Moon could restore Hawke to a man, Jupiter seals her magic away as punishment for failing to properly guard the jewel. Moon’s powers will be restored once she retrieves all 10 jewel shards. Moon offers one million credits to Rush if she agrees to help her on her quest. Moon often hits on the other female cast and playfully encourages Hawke and Rush to make out as women.

Jupiter

Jupiter is a member of a magical order and Moon’s superior. Jupiter has no problems enforcing the rules and handing out punishment, especially when Moon is somehow involved; however, Jupiter has a problem whenever her actions are called into question or she is blackmailed, such as when Moon requires her help or else she will tell the council about her affair with that rogue pirate. Moon’s actions ultimately cause Jupiter to lose her powers too until the jewel shards have been restored. Jupiter tends to shove off any man’s advances, but she is often the target of Ariel’s advances and mind control that lead to relations. Ariel’s nickname for Jupiter is Quackers.

Pluto

Pluto is Jupiter’s orbital messenger.

Saint

Saint is an owner of a spaceship gas station. Saint has a unique ability to gather information fast on anyone without them knowing it. Saint has a thing for Rush, offering her money for nude images of her or for her to star in some of his projects. In fact, Saint gave Rush the K-U-1 spaceship after he got nude photos of her. Saint offers intelligence on the jewel shards in exchange for a cut in the one million credits. Ariel used Saint to find Jupiter.

Chica "Alexis"

Chica is a small time pirate boss that recently has been drawing attention with her superb swordsmanship skills she obtained through the jewel shard. Because of this new found power, Chica becomes cocky and arrogant, destroying anyone that gets in her way. Chica loses to Hawke’s strength. Thanks to Hawke’s mercy, Chica reveals her real name to him and agrees to join Team Knuckle Up. Chica refers to herself in the third person.

Jake

Jake is one of Hawke’s friends that is stunned to see Hawke in his female body. Jake invites himself to join Team Knuckle Up. While he does in fact hit on all the women, Jake definitely hits on Hawke with multiple innuendos.

Rita

Rita is Rush’s space pirate sister and Hawke’s supposed fiancé. Rita learns of Hawke’s female body through Saint and searches for Rush. After finding and demoralizing Rush, Rita fondles Hawke and offers to free him of his female body in exchange for a favor.

Ru-Taka

Ru-Taka is a massage expert at the Raxion’s Most Luxurious Hot Springs. Ru-Taka doesn’t initially recognize Swoop at first. Ru-Taka is known for having the gentlest hands at the hot springs and for her legendary Ru-Special.

Queen Mai Lufa

Queen Mai Lufa is the powerful ruler of the north section of Raxion who desires to merge the three kingdoms in order to obtain equality and peace for all of Raxion’s inhabitants. To do this, Queen Mai Lufa promised that her youngest daughter, Swoop, would marry the prince of the south kingdom. Despite Swoop’s initial concern, Queen Mai Lufa is more than willing to bless her on her bounty hunting career. Of course, Queen Mai Lufa has no problem disciplining Swoop and Rush when it came to Rush’s love outburst.

Keisha "Ariel"

Keisha, who now prefers the name Ariel, is a skunkubus extraordinaire that has the hots for Jupiter. Ariel tricks Rita into sneaking her on board as a cure for Hawke’s female body. Once inside, Ariel possess as male Hawke and brainwashes Jupiter into having relations with her. Ariel desires the jewel shards o that she may transform into a full blooded vampire. Ariel offers her services to track Rush down in exchange for the jewel.

Deva

Deva is the former captain of the K-U-1 until she was terminated for her horrible navigation skills. Deva is not bitter as she is now captain of the Bikini Space Pirate Squad. Often forgetful, Deva is known for her malicious tactics to get what she wants. Deva has no problem attacking Rush’s insecurities with Hawke and promising to take better care of her in order to get her in bed. In the Rascals Universe, Liona plays Deva.

External Links

• Mastergodai on DeviantArt
• Mastergodai on Fur Affinity