Pandora's Tale is a queer science-fiction dystopian webcomic by Xanthippe Hutcheon. It tells a story of a strange girl named Pandora and her quest for freedom, along with resistance, transgender identity, and of course, catgirls.
The first two chapters were originally released on comicsbyxan.com, mixed in with Thinking Too Much to Think Positively. After that, the comic moved to its own site.
Thinking Too Much to Think Positively
Xan wanted to create a story where the protagonist is trans and fully accepts that she is trans, but also has a mental struggle that parallels internalized transphobia. She also wanted to re-examine a common problematic plot from early 2000s anime, where a usually-female character imprints on a usually male protagonist as part of the presumed-male audience's wish-fulfillment fantasy. Xan flips this plot on its head by giving us the girl's perspective.
The author was inspired by earlier trans webcomics such as Venus Envy and Closetspace, as well as manga artist Kiyohiko Azuma.
Pandora and Isabelle were also partially based on characters from A Portrait From Space, an older short story Xan wrote.
The series is also inspired by Xan's love of catgirls.[Citation needed]
Xan released the first chapter of Pandora's Tale on comicsbyxan.com from March 20 to April 10, 2019, in between pages of Thinking Too Much to Think Positively.
Start of Chapter 1 on comicsbyxan.com
End of Chapter 1 on comicsbyxan.com
The second chapter was released from July 10 to July 31 2019.
Start of Chapter 2 on comicsbyxan.com
End of Chapter 2 on comicsbyxan.com
In October 2019, Xan launched a new site, pandorastale.com. She reposted the first two chapters, and the new site became the primary home of all future chapters.[c1p0]
In April 2022, Xan released a printed book collecting chapters 1-7.
On May 26 2025, Xan announced a Spanish translation by Val Vgms, which would be released starting on June 1 of that year.
Fediverse announcement of Spanish translation
Fediverse announcement of Spanish translation (archive)
Fediverse announcement of the first chapter's Spanish release
Fediverse announcement of the first chapter's Spanish release (archive)
As suggested by the title, Pandora is the main character of the comic. Pandora is a Helper: a humanoid catgirl who was genetically engineered and brainwashed to be a slave. Pandora is also a trans girl. She must overcome her programming while fighting with the resistance to take down the company that brainwashed her.
Isabelle Monday is the deurtagonist of the story. She is a resistance member and sex worker who has devoted her energy to helping Pandora overcome her programming. Isabelle is bi, black, and trans.
As of Chapter 11, Pandora and Isabelle are the only characters to appear in every chapter.
In the 2060s, rich people own Helpers: brainwashed catfolk kept as slaves. Pandora is a trans Helper, which is not allowed, so she escapes and joins the resistance. Despite escaping, Pandora still has a lot of brainwashing that she has to overcome. Almost every chapter deals with two simultaneous conflicts. Externally, Pandora and the resistance fight to take down Monopolith, the giant corporation that breeds, brainwashes, and sells Helpers. Internally, Pandora has to work to overcome her programming. As the story progresses, we learn more about the state of the world and the other members of the resistance, but the focus remains on Pandora.
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The story begins with a Helper, a catgirl who was genetically engineered to be a slave, telling a human that she is a girl.
The human charged with brainwashing the protagonist says that the protagonist is supposed to be a boy, and plans to erase the protagonist's memories. To avoid this fate, the protagonist attempts to escape, and climbs into a delivery drone intended to ship Helpers to buyers.
By a stroke of good luck, the delivery drone carrying the protagonist crashes in the desert, and the Pioneer City Resistance are able to rescue her. However, the life support pod contains a gas which causes the protagonist to view the next human she sees as her owner. Hence, when Isabelle Monday literally opens Pandora's Box, the protagonist imprints on Isabelle.
On the car ride back to Pioneer City, Isabelle and the protagonist both come out to each other as trans girls. Since Helpers are unable to name themselves, Isabelle gives the protagonist the name Pandora. Isabelle plans to do everything she can to help Pandora overcome her programming.
Back in Pioneer City, Isabelle takes Pandora to see Doctor Shah, a doctor in the resistance who prescribes HRT.
That night, Pandora reflects on her place in the world, and understands that she is not broken.
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The next day, Pandora grapples with the conflict between her brainwashing and Isabelle's desire for Pandora to be independent. Isabelle helps Pandora get a job as a waitress at O, Fortuna, a burlesque nightclub where Isabelle is a dancer and which is actually a front for the resistance. Pandora asks resistance leader Hemmel if she can join the resistance, but Hemmel says Pandora should think about what she can contribute first.
As the resistance awaits an important delivery from a courier, they are threatened by the arrival of a cop.
Isabelle attempts to distract the cop, only for him to reveal he is actually the courier in disguise. The courier is an asshole to Isabelle and Pandora, so Pandora stands up for herself and attacks him. Hemmel sees Pandora's capabilities and welcomes her into the resistance.
As the storyline closes, we see Gabriel Glenholm, the CEO of the Helper Corporation, discussing Pandora's escape.
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Isabelle plans to hang out with Tallulah and Zufolene, so she leaves Pandora in the care of Con, with explicit instructions for Pandora to avoid doing anything dangerous. At the resistance base, Hemmel quickly plans to rescue Petrichor, a resistance member from another city who has been captured by police. Despite Con's objection, Hemmel insists on bringing both Con and Pandora with them.
At the police station, Pandora volunteers to sneak in. Pandora uses her charm to get the cops to lower their guard, allowing her teammates to rescue Petrichor. As an official member of the resistance, Pandora gets the call sign "Charm." Despite everyone coming home uninjured, Isabelle is angry at Con for allowing Pandora to enter a dangerous situation.
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The resistance plots to steal important data which they could use to carry out assassinations. As part of the plan, Miss Fortuna and Doctor Shah pretend to be a rich couple and attend a dinner party hosted by the very rich Hamilton Smith-Rawnsley. Veronica and Noor bring Pandora, Isabelle, and Con along as their "staff."
Inside the party, Pandora locates her target, Eric Fishguard, along with his Helper, Adrastea. Reasoning that the data they want is on the phone Adrastea holds, Pandora tries talking to Adrastea, but fails to get hold of the phone.
Pandora finds that Hamilton has three Helpers locked in a room which they are never allowed to leave. Adrastea becomes suspicious about Pandora's interaction with Hamilton's Helpers, and Adrastea privately confronts Pandora. Pandora explains that her mistress wants her to fight her programming, making it easier for Pandora than for other Helpers. Adrastea reveals that she can also resist her programming enough to let Pandora copy the contents of Eric's phone. However, Adrastea doesn't yet have the willpower to run away from him.
As they leave the party, Pandora tells the other resistance members that she made a friend.
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Pandora has a psychotherapy session with Noor. In flashbacks, Pandora describes a reoccuring nightmare in which Kyndley hurts Isabelle. Pandora describes how she realized she was a girl. When pressed, Pandora says she can get frustrated with Isabelle, and notes the irony in the fact that she is only fighting her programming because Isabelle wants her to. Noor assures Pandora that no one expects her to completely overcome her programming overnight, and that she will get better over time.
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In Pluto City, a Helper named Echo helps a pair of cops arrest a mob boss named Van Tilburg and his accomplice, rescuing Van Tilberg's Helper.
Later, Miss Fortuna introduces Echo as the newest employee of O, Fortuna. As she interacts with the other club employees, Echo gives Pandora a talk about doing what you want and not waiting for others to be okay with it. Echo then suddenly asks Pandora about getting in contact with the resistance.
Hemmel sets up an interview with Echo, asking her why she wants to join the resistance. During the interview, Zero sends Hemmel a photo of Echo posing with the Pluto City police, which Echo is unwilling to explain. Hemmel ends the interview and tells Echo to leave the city.
The next morning, as Echo prepares to leave, Pandora finds her and convinces Echo to tell Hemmel the truth. Echo explains to the resistance that the police took her in after finding her on the street with no memories. Though she initially thought the police were good, Echo came to understand that the police only hurt marginalized people after they dropped charges against Van Tilburg, prompting Echo to want to join the resistance. Hemmel tentatively welcomes Echo to the resistance, to Pandora's delight.
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At O, Fortuna, Echo tells Pandora that she has to learn to stand up for herself. Tallulah asks Pandora and Isabelle to babysit for her daughter Amelia. Pandora demonstrates she is already proficient in childcare, making Isabelle feel useless.
Con and Echo sneak into a parking lot holding a bunch of very expensive yet very flammable police cars, and set fire to the cars. Echo gives Con a stern talk about the way Con treats Pandora, and Con's attempts to avoid thinking about the plight of Helpers. As the police cars burn, Echo calls this a first date.
Isabelle holds Amelia while Pandora goes to the store to get water. The store clerk attempts to scam Pandora, stating that she is a "dirty stray." Pandora leaves crying, afraid to stand up for herself.
Back at Tallulah's apartment, Pandora and Isabelle discuss their feelings of inadequacy as they fall asleep.
However, fans have noted that Pandora's initial act of mental resistance, understanding she's a girl in spite of Kyndley telling her she's a boy, is a metaphorical Pandora's box leading her to escape. Others have noted that the resistance finds Pandora in a literal box, which Isabelle opens, leading to something significant that Isabelle can't reverse.