comes off as a pale successor . 
(ROOT (S (VP (VBZ comes) (PRT (RP off)) (PP (IN as) (NP (DT a) (JJ pale) (NN successor)))) (. .)))
(ROOT (S (VP (VBZ ) (PRT (RP )) (PP (IN ) (NP (DT ) (JJ ) (NN )))) (. )))