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Act One
Penny is soft and kind, a foil to both Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer. The other two are rough around the edges and a little clueless, while she seems wise and warm-hearted. She first makes an appearance with her song "Caring Hands" in which she is asking pedestrians walking by to sign a petition to turn an old building into a homeless shelter instead of demolishing it. Everyone who walks by ignores her, despite her insistance that "you only have to sign your name, don't even have to read it" (Whedon). It points out the self-centeredness of American society; signing the petition for a new homeless shelter wouldn't benefit any of those pedestrians, so why should they sign? Besides, the narrative in the United States regarding the homeless seems to be that they are "a bunch of scary, alcoholic bums" as Captain Hammer so delicately puts it (Whedon). Even Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer, who both end up helping her cause, only do it for one very selfish reason: they want to get in Penny's good graces.
Penny lingers in the background after being unintentionally snubbed by Billy, whose attention is fixed on setting up his Wonderflonium heist. Next we see her mere seconds from being crushed by the van containing Dr. Horrible's target, which he lost control of when Captain Hammer smashed the signal receiver on top of the van and then shoved it off course, nearly taking out a few other pedestrians in the process. This is when Penny first meets Captain Hammer--he "saves" her (Dr. Horrible is actually the one who stops the van from hitting her when he suddenly regains control of the vehicle) by shoving her into a pile of garbage and then proceeds to ignore her in favor of gloating to Dr. Horrible.
Penny was an innocent bystander in a conflict between Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible, and suddenly she is sucked into the middle of it against her will. Dr. Horrible is trying to balance pursuing her and getting his dream job, though he hasn't made his intentions thoroughly clear to her. Captain Hammer swooped out of nowhere and took her because he wanted her, and he really has no consideration for other people's emotions and needs. So Penny is now seen as a prize to be won rather than a human being with her own thoughts and feelings, and that is ultimately what gets her killed.
Penny lingers in the background after being unintentionally snubbed by Billy, whose attention is fixed on setting up his Wonderflonium heist. Next we see her mere seconds from being crushed by the van containing Dr. Horrible's target, which he lost control of when Captain Hammer smashed the signal receiver on top of the van and then shoved it off course, nearly taking out a few other pedestrians in the process. This is when Penny first meets Captain Hammer--he "saves" her (Dr. Horrible is actually the one who stops the van from hitting her when he suddenly regains control of the vehicle) by shoving her into a pile of garbage and then proceeds to ignore her in favor of gloating to Dr. Horrible.
Penny was an innocent bystander in a conflict between Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible, and suddenly she is sucked into the middle of it against her will. Dr. Horrible is trying to balance pursuing her and getting his dream job, though he hasn't made his intentions thoroughly clear to her. Captain Hammer swooped out of nowhere and took her because he wanted her, and he really has no consideration for other people's emotions and needs. So Penny is now seen as a prize to be won rather than a human being with her own thoughts and feelings, and that is ultimately what gets her killed.
Act Two
Penny becomes friends with Billy in this act, hanging out with him in the laundromat and eating frozen yogurt, of which he "accidentally" ordered two. She sings with Billy in the duet "My Eyes," speaking of her infatuation with Captain Hammer. Such an infatuation can blind a person to the faults of his or her love interest, though Captain Hammer's seem too big to be ignored. She does admit that he seems a bit cheesy, though she believes there is something underneath that outer layer, just waiting to be discovered. Later, she sings "Penny's Song," in which the viewer gains some insight into her backstory, and strangely, she is the only person whose history is revealed in the slightest. She insinuates that she did not come from the happiest home, and that she hopes to be what she never had for the people who need it most. She is truly a person who wants to do good in the world, a refreshing break from the selfish and yet comedic Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer.
Act Three
Penny's down-to-earth attitude makes one wonder how she was so easily romanced by the narcissistic Captain Hammer, with whom she has absolutely nothing in common. Penny is somehow able to ignore his off-putting self-centeredness, though she also seems to be the only one who doesn't worship him like a hero. In the third act, she is the only one who reacts with shock and a hint of disgust when he backhandedly attempts to motivate the homeless people in front of him. Everyone in the audience takes no notice of his ignorant words and merely sings along as if he could do no wrong. Halfway through his solo, "Everyone's a Hero," she leaves the stage, presumably to take care of more important things. However, we see her hiding behind a row of chairs when Dr. Horrible crashes the party. When Captain Hammer turns the death ray on Dr. Horrible, Penny takes shrapnel to the chest as the gun backfires. Penny is ultimately the one who pays the price for the two men's thoughtless and selfish actions.
Penny only ever gets hurt when Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer come together to make trouble. Penny would've been fine in the first act if Captain Hammer hadn't interfered with the direction of the van, though the van wouldn't have been there to hurt her if Dr. Horrible hadn't attempted the heist. Similarly, if Hammer had never escaped from the freeze ray's hold, he never would have shot the death ray, and thus would not have hurt Penny. However, if Dr. Horrible had never interrupted the shelter's opening, she would have been in no danger at all.
All in all, it is difficult to lay a finger on who actually brought Penny's fate upon her. There are always two sides to a story, and no event can be singled out for scrutiny when there are so many other surrounding factors in play. In the end, she was an innocent who got caught up in a petty rivalry, and ultimately became fuel for Dr. Horrible's ambition, even though his purpose died with her.
Penny only ever gets hurt when Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer come together to make trouble. Penny would've been fine in the first act if Captain Hammer hadn't interfered with the direction of the van, though the van wouldn't have been there to hurt her if Dr. Horrible hadn't attempted the heist. Similarly, if Hammer had never escaped from the freeze ray's hold, he never would have shot the death ray, and thus would not have hurt Penny. However, if Dr. Horrible had never interrupted the shelter's opening, she would have been in no danger at all.
All in all, it is difficult to lay a finger on who actually brought Penny's fate upon her. There are always two sides to a story, and no event can be singled out for scrutiny when there are so many other surrounding factors in play. In the end, she was an innocent who got caught up in a petty rivalry, and ultimately became fuel for Dr. Horrible's ambition, even though his purpose died with her.