#Avengers Academy Members | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ynscrazylife · 2 years

Note

Feel free to ignore, this is a long one boss.

Marvel gang seeing yn gain powers almost instantly, and watching yn struggle with how to control the new powers. Watching yn, the first couple minutes, days and weeks trying not to kill any team members when they can barely control thier new found abilities.

Im imagining yn super weak at first, they fainted when they first acquired the powers. They cant walk, they can almost stand and they haven't eaten anything since it happened. Yn is scared they are going to die or kill off someone they love and all of the team members are trying to keep yn calm, safe and in control of thier body. Im imagining techies trying to find a way to dampen the powers so that yn can walk around again and everyone fighting to cuddle with the youngest member of the team.

When Sparks Fly

Summary: When you wind up with powers in the aftermath of a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission, the Avengers are determined to help you through it.

Pairings: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader (Romantic), Avengers x Stark!Reader (Platonic)

Request to be on a taglist (or multiple) here! (Taglists are at the end of the fic)

Main Masterlist | MCU Masterlist

PSA: Do NOT copy, steal, translate, plagiarize, republish, etc any of my works on Tumblr or any other platform. Also, do NOT claim any of my works as your own. All of these works are either requests I’ve gotten that people have wanted me to write or original ideas I’ve had for works. If you happen to take inspiration from anything I’ve written and want to write something inspired by that, please a) ask me firstand b) IF I say yes, credit me as inspo in your post by tagging me and link whatever work of mine that inspired you. Thanks.

“I swear, this is almost as bad as the day I started at S.H.I.E.L.D.,” you whined, folding your arms in slight annoyance as your step-mother Pepper Potts held up her camera again. Your father, Tony Stark, was standing beside her, grinning as he proudly looked over the photos Pepper took.

“This is the first time you’re going on a mission! This warrants a couple pictures, Y/N,” Pepper retorted, before taking another picture.

“A couple? This has been, like, 100,” you sass, unable to help it. You got it from Tony, after-all.

“I’m glad you’re keeping count,” Tony sassed right back, smirking at your eye-roll that followed.

“Wait!” Peter burst in, having just finished patrol. In his haste, he still wore his Spider-Man suit, but had torn off his mask. He skidded to a halt beside you, putting a sweaty arm around your shoulders.

You softened at your boyfriend’s excitement, your frown lifting into a smile as Pepper snapped a photo of you and Peter. When it was taken, he turned to you. “You’re gonna rock this mission, babe,” he said, kissing you on the forehead.

“I appreciate your confidence, Pete,” you said, grinning lovingly.

“Oh!” Pepper exclaimed, gasping at she glanced at the clock. “Go, go, go! You’re going to be late.”

Following her gaze, you muttered a “shit!” as you scrambled to grab your bag.

“Language,” Steve scolded, wearing a smirk as he walked in with the rest of the Avengers. They had just returned from a mission and there was no way that they weren’t going to see you off today.

“Hi, thanks, bye!” You said rather quickly, throwing your bag over your shoulder before giving Pete a peck on the lips and running off.

“Good luck!” Pepper called to your retreating form.

“Kick ass!” Tony added, pumping his fist into the air.

“Don’t die!” Peter said, right before the door slammed shut. Everyone turned to the young adult, who shrugged. “What? It would really suck.”

Honestly — he wasn’t wrong.

————————————————————————

Since it was your first mission at the academy, it wasn’t meant to be difficult. Key word: meant.

Little did you know, while chasing an ex-A.I.M. agent who had set up his own research and experimentation lab, you followed him into one of his so-called testing rooms — which was a trap. You only realized this when he stopped running and grabbed a gas mask, pulling it on swiftly.

Spotting a gas quickly fill in from the vents, you whispered another “shit!” and turned around, quickly going to the door.

The intel S.H.I.E.L.D. had gotten said that the lab was devoid of any experimental substances. Wrong.

Unfortunately for you — Steve wasn’t here to scold you and the door had locked. You banged on it, frustrated, and turned back around only to see the ex-agent smirking at you.

“I didn’t expect to gain a new testing subject today, but you’ll do quite nicely,” he said.

A quick glance around told you that there were no gas masks left. Nothing to protect yourself. You couldn’t even cover your mouth with anything because your suit wasn’t made to stretch.

Knowing you didn’t have much time, you pressed down on your comms and said: “A gas is quickly filling up the room. I don’t know what it is. The guy’s going to try to escape, so be prepared to—” Your words died on your lips as you started to inhale the gas, overcome with wooziness.

You struggled to continue speaking, only making frustrated noises, and your vision blurred as the guy walked towards you. You didn’t know that he was holding a needle until it pricked your neck. Not long after, you felt your limbs grow heavy and you fell, smacking hard against the ground.

————————————————————————

When the members of the team heard your distress call over the comms, they quickly tracked your location and ran to meet you. Thankfully, they managed to stop him from escaping and taking you with him. But when they got back to the Quinjet, they knew that they had to alert the Avengers, which no-one wanted to do.

When Tony saw Coulson on his caller I.D, he assumed the man was calling him to boast about how well Y/N had done on the mission. Putting the phone to his ear, he was startled when he heard the disappointed words: “I’m so sorry.”

The billionaire stilled, his face instantly paling and altering Pepper and the Avengers that something was wrong. “What happened? Is Y/N okay?” He practically cried, gripping the phone tightly.

“Agent Stark inhaled an unknown gas during the mission. From what we know about it, the gas — and the needle Stark was pricked with — was a part of some experiment that the guy we were tracking down was conducting illegally. We don’t know too much about the experiment yet, but we know that it’s intention is to enhance its subjects somehow. We’re interrogating the guy right now,” Coulson explained, as calmly as he could.

Tony squeezed his eyes shut as he let the news pass over him, doing his best to prevent his voice from shaking. “Can I talk to Y/N?” He asked.

Coulson paused. “I’m afraid not . . . Y/N is unconscious. Has been ever since the incident. The team is en route to S.H.I.E.L.D’s medical wing now, though,” he said.

“I want Y/N transferred to the compound. We’ll have Dr. Cho — she’s the best,” Tony declared firmly.

Another slight pause, and then: “Of course, Tony.” With that, Coulson hung up, leaving Tony to reveal the news to his worried family.

It was safe to say that no one took it well, but Pepper and Peter especially were a wreck. Bruce took the initiative of informing Dr. Cho while the rest anxiously awaited your arrival. They tried to comfort each other the best they could, but with so little information on your condition, there was nothing much that they could say or believe.

When the elevator dinged and two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents rolled you out on a gurney, everyone cling to your side. Peter was especially shaken when he saw you unconscious. The agents didn’t let anyone come with, saying it was imperative that they get you to Dr. Cho now.

Although difficult, your family allowed you to be rolled away alone. For the next half-hour, everyone waited for any news. The majority of the group was seated on the couch, but it seemed that everyone paced around at least once. Tony demanded updates from F.R.I.D.A.Y., only to hear that you were “stable” which wasn’t enough to calm anyone’s nerves or satisfy anyone.

When Bruce finally emerged, the group nearly pounded on him. They were barely able to keep quiet enough for him to actually say anything.

“They don’t think it’s life-threatening, but it’s not good, either,” was what Bruce first said, pausing as he gauged their reactions before continuing. Once he deemed that no-one was going to have some sort of outburst, he continued. “The gas Y/N inhaled is . . . Changing them. From what Dr. Cho can tell and the information they got out of the A.I.M. guy, the gas and the needle modifies one’s DNA to give them enhancements . . . Superpowers, of some sort. The A.I.M. guy let it slip that this will be a slow and painful process for Y/N, though. It was meant to beat down the guy’s test subjects so that by the time their powers were developed and controlled, it would be easier for him to manipulate them into doing what he wanted. It seemed he hadn’t planned on doing this to Y/N, but took the opportunity when he realized he might be able them use it against us.”

This was a lot for everyone to take in. They all held some combination of immense concern and anger. The very thought you suffering was an enraging image, and they wanted nothing more than to be able to take away the pain.

“Is-is there anyway to stop the process before the powers develop?” Pepper asked, trembling slightly. Tony wrapped an arm around her.

Bruce frowned. “Dr. Cho is looking into it. Coulson said when they asked the guy that, he claimed it would just make things worse,” he said.

No-one liked the sound of that.

“Can we see Y/N?” Tony asked next.

Bruce nodded and led the group to the medical bay, where you were lying in a bed. A ton of wires were hooked up to you and a bandage was on your head from where you hit it when falling.

Tony, Pepper, and Peter immediately went to your side and the rest of the Avengers followed. No-one said much, just using the time and the silence to digest this change. Peter and Tony both held each of your hands and Pepper pet your hair. Not long passed before Rhodey and Happy, having received the news, quickly joined.

No-one moved, or wanted to move, until Dr. Cho came in. “Unfortunately, we don’t see a way to reverse the process. We’ll just have to let it play out and help and comfort Y/N the best we can,” she explained, knowing everyone wanted to hear it. “Y/N should wake up on their own. They’re not under any sedation or anything.”

Everyone nodded and turned their attention back to you. A couple hours passed and the only movement that occurred was when someone went to go on coffee and food runs, or they got any update from S.H.I.E.L.D. However, Peter broke the silence when he suddenly jerked back. “Ow!” He said, waving his hand. Meeting the other’s confused looks, he said: “Y/N shocked me.”

“That bad?” Sam asked, a little doubtful.

Peter nodded and glanced back to you, his eyes widening. “Woah, look,” he said. Everyone inched closer, only to see electricity sparking at your fingertips. Although reluctant, Tony and Pepper had to move away at risk of getting shocked.

Seeing the commotion, Dr. Cho shuffled over and began checking your vitals and monitors. “What’s going on? Does Y/N have electricity powers or something?” Bucky asked.

Although his second question hadn’t been serious, Dr. Cho turned around and said: “It seems like it.”

This shocked everyone, but when your eyes began to open, they seemed to snap back to normal. Already in a state of daze and confusion, you got nervous seeing the crowd. “What-what’s going on?” You mumbled, pulling at the wires, only for electrical sparks to fly and interfere with the wires, making you curl up in pain.

“Unhook the monitors!” Natasha cried, while Tony did his best to soothe you.

“You’re home, honey. The gas you inhaled is changing you and giving you, what looks like, electricity powers. But it’s all going to be okay, I promise,” he tried to explain.

This, combined with seeing the worried, confused, and nervous looks on your family’s faces, only freaked you out more. Electrical sparks flew out now, and the Avengers had to dodge being hit. You let out a small scream, trembling, and trying yet failing to control it.

“Get away from me! I’ll hurt you!” You yelled, panicked, hugging yourself and attempting to get as far back on the bed as you could manage.

“No, you won’t. You just need to take some deep breaths, Y/N,” Peter tried to comfort.

But that didn’t seem like it was possible. Any attempt to slow your breaths only made you feel like you couldn’t breathe. You were desperate to regain your regular breathing, and it came out in short gasps. Not only was electrical sparks going everywhere, but it was hurting you, and you were feeling dizzy. “I can’t. It hurts!” You said, trembling, and the next thing you knew — your eyes rolled back into your head and you fainted.

Everyone was relieved as the electrical sparks disappeared, but not happy that you were unconscious again. Tony reached forward and moved some hair out of your face, sighing.

“We need Y/N to calm down. I think we should bring them to their room and reduce who sees them at first — maybe only Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts, me, and Ms. Maximoff. She can help with Y/N’s powers,” Peter said, looking at the Avengers.

While the group all wanted to be with you, they understood that it was overwhelming. With a look at Dr. Cho, who said it would be okay as long as she could check on you, Tony said: “Good idea, kid.” He took it upon himself to gently lift you from your bed and carry you to your room, everyone following behind.

When they got to your room, Tony laid you down on your bed and Pepper tucked you in. Everyone sat around, trying to make the room as comfortable and calming as possible, until you started to stir. They all filed out, leaving behind your parents, Peter, and Wanda.

When you began to wake, the sparks began to fly, but Wanda quickly jumped in. “Hey, Y/N,” she said, smiling at you. You and Wanda were really close. She was like an older sister. “You’re in your room, with just me, your mom and dad, and Peter. We noticed that the electricity only seems to get uncomfortable when you’re upset, so we’re gonna try and help you. I know that this is all really sudden and scary and not what you expected or wanted. But, if anyone can tackle it, it’s you. Think you can take some deep breaths for me?”

You did your best to listen to Wanda’s words, although her powers - which was intent on relaxing you - certainly helped. Realizing you were in your bed and had the people you loved most around you, unwilling to leave and wanting to help, allowed you to feel less scared and take those deep breaths. It took a couple minutes, and Peter holding your hand, but the sparks began to lessen and lessen.

“I’m scared,” you whispered after a moment, tears in your eyes. You found yourself able to express some sadness without the sparks causing chaos, but it was draining your energy and causing pain.

“I know,” Wanda said, cupping your cheek comfortingly. “But you’ve got a whole team right behind you. We love you so, so much.”

“Yeah, we do,” Peter agreed, and your mom and dad nodded, causing you to smile. You squeezed your boyfriend’s hand. He squeezed back.

For the rest of the day, the Avengers visited you in pairs or trios, not wanting to overwhelm you with everyone again. You were disappointed about how your S.H.I.E.L.D. mission had gone, but having your dedicated family at your side helped. The sparks were no longer soaring, but when Coulson had said it would be a painful process, he was by no means exaggerating.

You hadn’t said anything, not wanting to worry anyone anymore, but it became apparent the next day. Everyone was now in the room and, after some slight stress (which Wanda and Peter helped with), the sparks calmed down. You were sick of lying in bed all day and wanted to stand up and walk around, but that proved to not go well.

The second you had risen to your feet — you were tumbling back down. Your knees hit the floor, and Peter barely managed to wrap his arms around you and prevent your head from hitting it, too. He gently pulled you against him as your head lolled against his chest, a wave of dizziness appearing.

“Are you alright?” Tony asked, him and Pepper kneeling down in front of you and Peter. The rest were close by, in case you needed anything.

The sparks came back, but this time just seemed to appear all over your body. You were concentrating hard to prevent them from escaping, and this in turn only exhausted and hurt you more. “Y-yeah,” you answered through grit teeth, but your whimper of pain betrayed you.

“I’ll get Dr. Cho,” Bruce offered, making a move for the door handle.

“No,” you forced out, although your voice was hardly strong. Enough to make Bruce pause, though. “It’s not — it’s my powers. It’s taking everything in me not to let this electricity out, and on top of that I think this whole process is taking a toll on me, like Coulson said it would.”

No-one liked hearing this. The group exchanged looks over your head, worried, and then Tony nodded at Peter, gesturing to your bed. Since your eyes were closed, Peter said, “I’m going to pick you up and put you back in bed, okay?”

When you nodded, Peter gently picked you up and laid down in bed. Your grip never left him, though, so he slid in beside you, in a cuddle. Peter and Pepper both fixed the blankets while you leaned your head against his shoulder.

Pepper and Tony sat beside you and the rest of the Avengers crowded around. Blinking your eyes open tiredly, you managed a small smile, your heart warming with your family surrounding you. Trying to get as comfortable as possible with the pain, you squirmed around and huffed lightly.

“Still hurts?” Natasha murmured, with the others watching over you in concern.

Your answer was an affirming hum, face tightly scrunched up in concentration. “I’m really trying to contain it,” you whispered, which broke everyone’s hearts. You looked exhausted and worn-out, but were still trying so hard.

Steve glanced over at everyone, frowning. “We can leave if you need to let it out,” he offered gently.

You shook your head. “No. I need to learn how to control it,” you insisted.

This had everyone more worried. “You don’t have to learn right now, hun,” Wanda said.

“I do. I can’t hurt anyone again,” you said, and then leaned forward, gasping, as a wave of pain from the electricity racked your body.

You were Tony Stark’s kid — stubbornness was in your DNA.

Peter bit his lip and rubbed your back, wanting to do anything he could to provide you with comfort. Pepper pet your hair until you leaned back, practically collapsing against your boyfriend. “Maybe a story will help distract—” Sam began, but you quickly cut him off.

“No! I can’t be distracted! I need to concentrate unless you want me to fry you!” You snapped, glaring at Sam. Everyone was surprised by your sudden outburst, but your frustration quickly dissolved into guilt and tears escaped your eyes. “I’m-I’m sorry Sam. I just can’t relax. All I can do is think about keeping the electricity in.”

You pulled your knees to your chest and Peter’s arms wrapped around you from behind. Eyes widening, Sam was quick to say: “Hey, hey, it’s alright, kid. No hard feelings.” He smiled.

“I can put you to sleep for a bit, if you’d like,” Wanda offered, also smiling.

You thought about this for a moment and then nodded. Wanda put her index fingers on her temples and, after a moment, your body relaxed and went limp. Peter gently pulled you so you were laying back against the pillow and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. They all just watched you for a moment, glad that you were finally no longer in pain — even if only temporary.

After a couple minutes, Bruce piped up. “There has to be something we can do, Tony.”

Tony glanced over at the scientist and nodded, the wheels already turning in his head. “Can we build something that can absorb the electricity? A bracelet with an insulator like rubber or plastic that could be strong enough for Y/N to be able to let loose some of that electricity?” He pondered.

Bruce nodded, liking where the billionaire was going with this idea. “Let’s see,” he said, and then headed out the door, to their lab.

Tony was more hesitant leave Y/N, but Pepper and the others assured him that they’d be there. Smiling at his wife and then at sleeping Y/N, Tony allowed himself to trust that and followed Bruce.

You slept for most of the day with your family by your side. They only left if it was absolutely necessary. When you woke up still in pain, the Avengers took shifts. If it were up to them, they’d all be with you all the time. Unfortunately, duty called to the team and to Pepper. At any moment, though, at least one of them was always with you. Rubbing your back, keeping you updated with what was going on in the tower and with S.H.I.E.L.D, anything they could do or say that would provide even the littlest bit of comfort.

Two days later, when Fury wanted the Avengers to go out on a mission, they all ended up arguing with him and insisting that they needed to stay with you. Their love for you seemed to out-power the Director’s might. It took a lot of convincing, but Fury eventually backed down after talking to his best spies Clint and Natasha and when he saw you himself.

Later that afternoon, Bruce and Tony finally perfected the bracelets. They delivered it to you proudly, all the Avengers by their side. You gladly wore them and it helped lessen the pain some — although it did not go away entirely. Tony was adamant on going back to the lab and working on it himself, but you were able to put your father at ease. You know the pain would continue as long as your powers were still developing. Soon, your body would get used to it and you’d be in control.

Tony (and everyone else) still worried, of course, but they knew you were right. Sure enough, by the end of the week, you were up and walking around again. Your body had stopped fighting the new development and, after practicing and working with Wanda, you were able to control it with little difficulty. You surprised the group when they were in the living room, coming down the staircase with a large grin on your face.

“So . . . Does this mean I can become an Avenger now, too?” You asked.

Permanent Taglist: @natasharomanoffismywife @hehehehannahthings @paulawand @blackbat2020 @cerberus-spectre @snipyloulou @cc13723things @passionswift @drayshadow @amaryllis23 @storysimp @lamieshelmy @galacticstxrdust @a-lil-bit-nuts @marvel-to-infinity @maryseesthings @lovelyy-moonlight @dumb-fawkin-bitch @thewidowsghost @cowboybabyyy @rootbeerfaygo @immathinker @espressopatronum454 @ladyrebel29-blog @1694 @trashyxxkawa

Marvel Taglist: @stephanieromanoff @summerlovingbaby @ineffablebean @procrastinatingsapphictrash @prettysbliss @caseyfish-blog @sarahp-stan @basiclesbianbitch @mycosmicparadise @xtraordinaryfangrl @peggycarter-steverogers @ima-gi-nati-on @hi-i-1 @mmmmokdok @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @mads-weasley @tenaciousperfectionunknown @afraid-to-be-me @lilclownx @acertainredhead @lilymurphy03 @thanossexual @avengersz-biotch @mjaudrey @un-name-d @leyannrae @buckyandstevesslut @kuzomekou-blog @nylevea @suckerfornatstits @bentleywolf29 @bunnyweasley23 @ss @pianogirl2121 @beth-gallagher22 @pleasantbearscissorstoad @marvelwomen-simp @wandaswifeyforlifey @that-napa-know-how @wisteriaandauroras @mirakeul @eternallyvenus @thatoneshykid13 @jeminiepabo @skagelynn @redsakura101 @todaywasafairytale07 @yelenarmnv @lazyloki-blog @nerd-88 @fairydxll @v0idl1nq_ @inluvwithfictionalwomen @scarthefangirl @marie45019 @strangegardentaco @froufrousnowman @raajali3 @freyathehuntress @youralphawolf72 @otomefan @uwiuwi @princessprudy @ofherscarlettwitchways @liltimmyst @yoalchumly @mythixmagic

2K notes · View notes

er1chartmann · 3 months

Text

Reinhard Heydrich

These are some facts and curiosities about Reinhard Heydrich:

He was born on the 7 March 1904 in Halle.

He was often mocked in his youth as Moses Handel, as it was rumored that he had Jewish ancestors, but it was never proven.

Both his parents were passionate about music and gave birth to a lifelong passion for the violin in their son.

In 1922 he entered the navy, at the naval academy in Kiel but he was discharged because, after having had an affair with the daughter of one of his superiors, he abandoned her for a younger woman.

He join the Nazis in 1931 when Himmler offered him to be the head of the SD, the segret service in the SS. He was given that position because Himmler was impressed by his Aryan appearence, self- assurance and thorough approach to the assigniment.

At the time he wasn’t a big shoot in the Nazis: he worked in a small office and he didn’t gain many money.

After Adolf Hitler took power in 1933, Heydrich was placed in command of the Gestapo in 1934 and dealt with those organizations and people who could harm the Nazi cause.

He himself later organized the attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, called "Operation Himmler", which started the Second World War.

On 20 January 1942 Heydrich held the sadly famous conference in Wannsee in which the "Final Solution of the Jewish question" was planned.

In December 1941 he became the protector of Bohemia and Moravia, and he held a fight against the Czech resistance.

Heydrich became the ‘’de facto’’dictator of the area, ordering repression and persecution,so much that he earned the nickname The Executioner of Prague (Der Henker von Prag).

On 27 May 1942 a commando composed of members of the Czechoslovakian army in exile, trained by the British SOE made an attempt on Heydrich's life. He died on the 4th of June 1942.

To avenge Heydrich, the Nazi murdered all 192 males over the age of 15 living in the village of Lidice, near Prague, and deported all the women and children. Subsequently, all the buildings were burned, and the rubble was then removed to definitively erase the place from the geographical maps.

"Operation Reinhard" was named after Heydrich, the plan for the construction of the first three German extermination camps: Treblinka, Sobibór and Bełżec.

He was a great sport man: he like fancing and he was a horseman.

He cared about his victims as much as we care about the ant colonies in our yards

He open a bordel

He married Lina Von Osten and they had four children:

Klaus Heydrich ( 1933-1943)

Heider Heydrich (1934-)

Silke Heydrich ( 1939-)

Marte Heydrich ( 1942-)

Sources:

Wikipedia: Reinhard Heydrich

Military Wiki: Reinhard Heydrich

The Iron Heart Reinhard Heydrich by Johana Connor

HHhH by Laurent Binet.

I DON'T SUPPORT NAZISM,FASCISM OR ZIONISM IN ANY WAY, THIS IS AN EDUCATIONAL POST

#reichblr #ww2 germany #studyblr #ww2 history #austrian painter #the ss #reinhard heydrich

54 notes · View notes

somedaylazysomeday · 1 year

Text

SomedayLazySomeday's Masterlist

Hey, friends! Here is the collection of everything I’ve written up to this point. Fics have their own page to keep things neat, and those links are posted under the media to which they belong.

All fics feature a female reader with minimal physical description and no use of ‘Y/N’. All of these works are rated mature or explicit and are not intended for minors. Please take note of the warnings listed on the chapter links for each fic.

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

- Ink

Arcane (2021)

Good Intentions - Silco x fem!reader. - 54.7k words. Reader runs a charitable organization, the Haven, which seeks to help people overcome their Shimmer addiction. Silco soon takes an intense interest in the Haven and the woman who operates it.

Noisy - Viktor x fem!reader. - 7.2k words. Reader is a student at the Piltover Academy and lives in student housing, one floor below Viktor. He’s a bit of an insomniac… and a noisy one at that.

Avengers (2012)

Cold - Loki x fem!reader. - 3k words. Reader is in a casual physical relationship with Loki. When she attends a party at Avengers Tower with someone else, he’s bothered by the idea that she’s ashamed of him. Themes of jealousy and minor monsterfucking.

Beetlejuice

A Deal with a Demon - Beetlejuice x fem!reader. - 13.3k words. Reader is a witch who’s a little down on her luck. She summons a demon for help, but he turns out to be very different from what she expected. Themes of magic, desperation, and monsterfucking.

Black Sails

Captured - Captain Charles Vane x fem!reader. - 9.1k words. Reader disguised herself as a man to cross the ocean, but her ship was captured by pirates who brought her on as a member of their crew. Vane eventually figures out the truth. Dub-con themes in Part One; mind the warnings!

The Boondock Saints

Na Buachaillí - Murphy MacManus x fem!reader, Connor MacManus x fem!reader. - 13k words. Reader is a high school science teacher working temp jobs over Christmas break to help pay for her divorce.

Ex Machina (2015)

Winner Take All - Nathan Bateman x fem!reader. - 11.6k words. Reader knows Nathan from MIT, and they constantly run into each other during trivia night at a local bar. Enemies to friends to lovers vibes.

The Gray Man (2022)

Paranoid - Lloyd Hansen x fem!reader. - 9.7k words. Reader runs into Lloyd and he takes a liking to her. She can’t say the same for him. Dark!fic with themes of non-con. Mind the warnings on this one!

The Hobbit

Dexterity - Thorin Oakenshield x fem!reader. - 14.6k words. Reader sells wool at Erebor’s markets and is familiar with the king, handsome and aloof. But Thorin rapidly warms up when a storm forces her to stay in Erebor overnight…

A Boon - Elvenking Thranduil x fem!reader. - 20.2k words. Reader owns a bar in Lake-Town and is very unimpressed with the Elvenking, even as he slowly works to win her over. Enemies to lovers vibes.

Labyrinth

Dreams - Jareth x fem!reader. - 7.7k words. Reader wished away her college roommate, beat the labyrinth, and resisted the Goblin King. But he isn’t done with her yet… Themes of dark fae, magic, and predator/prey.

Random Jareth Fics - Jareth x fem!reader - 6.8k words. Reader is a teacher who was wished away by a young student. She becomes Jareth’s eyes and ears in the human world, working to keep his legend alive. Over time, she becomes less human, but an occasional need still arises.

Narcos

Informant - Javier Peña x fem!reader. - 2.3k words. Reader has some information about Pablo Escobar and ends up making a different sort of deal. (Similar in tone to Oaths, but I hadn’t quite figured out how to write Javier Peña’s character yet.)

Oaths - Javier Peña x fem!reader. - 11.5k words. Reader is a nurse who treats the Escobar family. She turns information over to the DEA, though she doesn’t care for the agent assigned to her case.

Matter of Perspective - Captain Horacio Carrillo x fem!reader. - 9.6k words. Reader works for the DEA in Columbia and accompanies the Search Bloc to prove one of her theories. Enemies to lovers vibes.

Southern Vampire Mysteries/True Blood

Blood Donor - Eric Northman x fem!reader. - 2.4k words. Reader is a were-animal working for the vampires of a town Eric is visiting. You are sent to feed him.

Star Wars

Target Acquired - Jango Fett x fem!reader. - 9.6k words. Reader is a bounty hunter who often finds herself in direct competition with Jango Fett. They have a deal: whoever catches the bounty sets the terms of their night together.

Pursuit - Boba Fett x fem!reader. - 6.5k words. Reader is a bounty Boba finds, but she must convince him to let her go… even if they both know it’s only temporary.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Hunted - Hunter x fem!reader. - 7.3k words. Reader works with the Bad Batch. She has a crush on Hunter that seems one-sided… until a chance encounter with a mysterious substance on a mission. Sex pollen and themes of predator/prey.

Aim - Crosshair x fem!reader. - 9.9k words. Reader works with the Bad Batch and gets stranded with Crosshair after a mission. They won’t make it back to the Havoc Marauder without blowing off some steam. Enemies to lovers vibes in both parts.

Experiment - Tech x fem!reader. - 3.5k words. Tech thinks he can’t be distracted from his work. Reader bets that isn’t true, and she’s willing to prove it.

Stretch - Wrecker x fem!reader. - 13.5k words. Reader and Wrecker are a strong couple, but there are some challenges that come with dating someone so physically large.

Different, But Still Good - TBB!Echo x fem!reader. - 3.4k words. Reader is a sex-positive asexual, unbothered by the ways Echo was changed during his time with the Separatists. They’re both a little surprised when he volunteers to help on an unusually needy day.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Bitten - Commander Wolffe x fem!reader. - 13.4k words. Reader has a crush on Broadside, a pilot with the 501st. When it isn’t returned, a helpful stranger encourages her to let Wolffe provide a distraction.

Tied Up in You - Commander Fox x fem!reader. - 9.8k words. Established relationship between Fox and Reader. Sickeningly sweet glimpses at a loving, unlikely relationship.

Misbehaving - Commander Cody x fem!reader. - 9.2k words. Reader is in a relationship with Cody. Their relationship is one of control and boundaries, but they’re both willing and ready to test each other.

Star Wars: Legends

Bodyguard - Alpha-17 x fem!reader. - 9.2k words. Reader is a Senatorial aide, assigned to work for a hated senator who endangers both of their lives with his politics. Fortunately, Alpha is sent to keep them safe.

Gar Cyare Spice Fics - Alpha-17 x fem!reader. - 6.8k words. Assorted spicy chapters of an ongoing fic on my main blog. (Gar Cyare by WanderingInkSplot) Established relationship between Alpha and the fem!reader.

The Boys

Hooked - Billy Butcher x fem!reader. - 8k words. Reader is a tow truck driver sent to tow Butcher's car. He's less than pleased.

The Walking Dead

Arm Candy - Negan x fem!reader. - 18k words. Reader is a Savior and a prospective wife. Negan likes to show her off at meetings, but he is easily the most distracted person in the room.

152 notes · View notes

karmirage · 10 months

Text

some fun facts for the @tournament-of-x voters

The oldest contestants currently in the match (and by oldest, I mean “the date of their first appearance”, not their actual ages) are Magneto, Jean Grey, Bobby Drake/Iceman, and Scott Summers/Cyclops. All four of them first appear in X-Men #1 in 1963.

The youngest contestant currently in the match (again, in terms of the dates of their first appearance, not actual age) is Gwendolyn Poole/Gwenpool, who first debuted in Howard the Duck #1 in 2015.

Of the contestants, only Laura Kinney/Wolverine appeared first on screen -- her first ever appearance was in Season 3, Episode 10 of X-Men: Evolution in August of 2003. This would be later followed by her first comic appearance in NYX #3, in December of 2003.

As far as classic teams go: the 33 characters remaining include three of the original five X-Men (Jean, Bobby, Scott), four of the classic nine New Mutants (Xuân Cao Mạnh/Karma, Dani Moonstar/Mirage, Roberto da Costa/Sunspot, and Illyana Rasputin/Magik -- Dani, Xuân, and Roberto are also founding members), and two people who have two first appearances (both Illyana and Nathan Summers/Cable appear in canon continuity as babies/toddlers prior to appearing later under their aliases -- Illyana appears in Giant-Sized X-Men #1 in 1975 and Nathan appears in Uncanny X-Men #201 in 1985). Two contestants are also part of the iconic Giant-Sized X-Men team created in 1975 -- Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler and Ororo Munroe/Storm. Two members of the original Generation X remain (Monet St. Croix/M/Penance and Jubilation Lee/Jubilee), as well as two from the Academy X era (David Alleyne and Megan Gwynn, from the New Mutants second generation team and the Paragons, respectively), three if you choose to count Laura Kinney/Wolverine, who joined the remaining students of New X-Men vol. 2 just after M-Day.

All the contestants save nine made their first appearances in X-books (X-Men, Giant-Sized X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants, X-Factor, X-Force, Generation X, X-Men: Evolution and New X-Men). The ones who do not first appear in X-books are Mystique (Ms. Marvel #18 in 1978, though she technically had a cameo appearance two issues prior), Xuân Cao Mạnh/Karma (Marvel Team-Up #100 in 1980), Anna Marie Lebeau/Rogue (Avengers Annual #10, 1981), Dani Moonstar/Mirage and Roberto da Costa/Sunspot (both in Marvel Graphic Novel #4 in 1983), Billy Kaplan-Altman/Wiccan (Young Avengers #1, 2005), Tommy Shepherd/Speed (Young Avengers #10, 2006), Eden Fesi/Manifold (Secret Warriors #4, 2009), and Gwendolyn Poole/Gwenpool (Howard the Duck #1, 2015).

Demographically speaking, four characters in the tournament are canonically Jewish -- Magneto, Kate Pryde, Billy Kaplan-Altman/Wiccan, and Bobby Drake/Iceman (thanks for the reminder, @/ant-ifascottlang!) Though it hasn’t been confirmed, one might assume that Tommy Shepherd/Speed and Lorna Dane/Polaris are also Jewish, being related to them.

The 70s and the 80s are proving themselves to be the most popular -- 8 candidates that were created in the 70s are still in the tournament (Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Ororo Munroe/Storm, Illyana Rasputin/Magik, Mystique, Jean-Paul Beaubier/Northstar, Jeanne-Marie Beaubier/Aurora, Kitty/Kate Pryde, and Emma Frost/White Queen), and 8 characters created in the 80s are still in the tournament as well (Irene Adler/Destiny, Xuân Cao Mạnh/Karma, Anna Marie Lebeau/Rogue, Dani Moonstar/Mirage, Roberto da Costa/Sunspot, Nathan Summers/Cable, Julio Richter/Rictor, and Jubilation Lee/Jubilee).

Of the other decades: seven characters were introduced in the 2000s (Eloise Phimister/Negasonic Teenage Warhead, David Alleyne/Prodigy, Laura Kinney/Wolverine, Megan Gwynn/Pixie, Billy Kaplan-Altman/Wiccan, Tommy Shepherd/Speed, and Eden Fesi/Manifold), five were introduced in the 60s (Magneto, Jean Grey, Bobby Drake/Iceman, Scott Summers/Cyclops, and Lorna Dane/Polaris), and four were introduced in the 90s (Remy Lebeau/Gambit, Lucas Bishop, Neena Thurman/Domino, and Monet St. Croix/M/Penance). Gwendolyn Poole/Gwenpool is the only character remaining in the tournament to be introduced after 2010.

One character is canonically Muslim -- Monet St. Croix/M/Penance.

Eleven characters are canonically LGBTQ+: Bobby Drake/Iceman, Mystique, Jean-Paul Beaubier/Northstar, Kitty/Kate Pryde, Irene Adler/Destiny, Xuân Cao Mạnh/Karma, Julio Richter/Rictor, David Alleyne/Prodigy, Billy Kaplan-Altman/Wiccan, Tommy Shepherd/Speed, and Gwendolyn Poole/Gwenpool.

Laura Kinney/Wolverine, Remy Lebeau/Gambit (thanks for the reminder, @/souldagger!) and Megan Gwynn/Pixie have been confirmed by writers to be queer, but there has been no on-panel confirmation for any of them beyond Pixie’s appearance/alternate dimension self in Secret Wars.

Without counting the upcoming Uncanny Avengers, at least three characters have been recurring Avengers -- Anna Marie Lebeau/Rogue, Roberto da Costa/Sunspot, and Eden Fesi/Manifold. Rogue and Sunspot also notably led teams of Avengers. Several other candidates have been Young Avengers -- David Alleyne/Prodigy, Billy Kaplan-Altman/Wiccan (who was a founding member), and Tommy Shepherd/Speed.

Ten characters are mutants of color -- Ororo Munroe/Storm is Kenyan-American and grew up in Cairo, Xuân Cao Mạnh/Karma is Vietnamese, Dani Moonstar/Mirage is Indigenous American, specifically Cheyenne, Roberto da Costa is Afrolatino and from Brazil, Julio Richter/Rictor is Mexican, Jubilation Lee/Jubilee is Chinese-American, Lucas Bishop is Aboriginal Australian/Black American (according to Chris Claremont, who confirmed that Bishop is indeed descended from Aboriginal Australian mutant Gateway), Monet St. Croix/M/Penance is Monacan-Algerian, David Alleyne/Prodigy is a Black American, and Eden Fesi/Manifold is Aboriginal Australian.

While Laura Kinney/Wolverine first appeared as a visibly brown girl in X-Men: Evolution, her design has since been lightened and she does not have a confirmed ethnicity.

Only eight of the remaining contestants have never appeared in live-action adaptations -- Irene Adler/Destiny, Xuân Cao Mạnh/Karma (though her name is shown on a computer screen in X2: X-Men United), Jean-Paul Beaubier/Northstar, Jeanne-Marie Beaubier/Aurora, David Alleyne/Prodigy, Megan Gwynn/Pixie, Eden Fesi/Manifold, and Gwendolyn Poole/Gwenpool. Of these, only Karma, Penance, Prodigy, Manifold, and Gwenpool have no on-screen appearances at all -- the others appear in the various animated series (Destiny has a recurring appearance in X-Men: Evolution, Pixie pops up in Wolverine and the X-Men, and the Beaubier twins appear in the X-Men cartoon of the 90s). While Penance is listed on Wikipedia as being in Wolverine and the X-Men, it does not cite an episode, though her twin younger sisters appear in Season 1 Episode 10 “Greetings from Genosha.” **this post has been corrected -- Monet St. Croix/M/Penance appears in the direct to TV Generation X movie (thanks for the reminder, @/cranechel!)

#tournament of x #long post #this isn't propaganda this is just some fun facts :) for anyone who would like to see it #i spent way too long on this #edit to add: now updated. more fun facts. peace and love on planet hyperfixation

77 notes · View notes

xkeyon · 4 months

Text

Luna Maximoff Marvel Future

So Luna is a pretty popular character, reaching most of the Marvel fan base thanks to the many connections she has, even though she doesn't get used that much. Marvel loves to bring out the next young hero so why not have one who is known yet can also be developed, letting her have a shot at something and there are 2 paths that come to mind.

That would be the Avengers path, first the Young Avengers later on joining a different Avengers group most likely Uncanny. The other would be the Magic path, as it is revealed one per-generation of the Maximoff line takes on Witchcraft powers and holds a Scarlet Title, so have her be the next inheritor going to Strange Academy while getting private lessons from Wanda.

Ok now that 2 paths are out there what about a costume, most superheroes wear some kind of costume and she has a family full of them. Well I would put costume in 3 sections. Design, Colour, and Attributes. The design would be leaning to the Inhumans, she is a literal Princess for them. Plus her mother's family seems to have a theme that she could follow

A prime colour, with black trim, and a given name symbol on the waist

Crystal = Diamond Medusa = M So Luna could be a Crescent, as for colours I would look to her father for this

Switching out the Black trim for white, as for the Prime I think it should depend on the path she would be on. I would go green for the Avengers, and Blue for Magic. Now Attributes to really scream Avengers or Magic.

If Avengers then wear her mother's Avenger's jacket, a real passing of the torch moment.

If Magic, then Red/Scarlet like Romani articles of clothing. She would adopt these not just with her costume but also everyday clothing as well. Since she would be at Strange Academy and while they have a uniform it does look to have some customization.

So powers, as an Inhuman who has gone through Terrigenesis she has gained powers that in the form of empathic aura reading and control.

But this has given also some precog abilities. It has not been explained how this is, but I think it might be she sees the future someone is leaning to the most based on their emotional state.

She holds a high amount of Inhuman DNA so will have their advanced bodies even before Terrigenesis, as well has received martial training from the likes of Karnak. Of course if she goes the magic path then Witchcraft will be a birthright as much as her Inhuman gifts. Witchcraft a magic that connects to a Goddess and the Earth.

Now while all of these are good things for a hero path to have she doesn't feel at least right now a solo act. Teams and Companions will be important part to her, and how she will act with either the Young Avengers and Strange Academy will depend on who could/should/will be there, but I do know someone who could get added to these Franklin Richards.

Currently depowered him getting his own new path could work here. For the Young Avengers give him a suit like the Thing Suit + Thing Rings, but make it something that connects to the other three Fantastic Four members letting him take on their powers though it being weaker. Each of the main members of the Fantastic Four have been part of the Avengers so he captures still the Young Avengers theme. If magic, well Agatha Harkness was his nanny maybe her recommendation to try plus get into the academy could work here, him learning Quantum Magic, still leaning into the F4's more science connections but looking at it another way.

Their families are close so they know each other and depending on who is on the teams they would most likely have the closest connections with each other, perhaps even moving from friendship to romance.

#luna maximoff #crystal amaquelin #pietro maximoff #quicksilver #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #medusalith amaquelin #house of agon #inhumans #young avengers #strange academy #franklin richards #frankluna #i've seen on twitter some people want her to go the X path but nah

30 notes · View notes

redd956 · 6 months

Text

Worldbuilding questions to get the creative juices flowing 45

Theme: Militaristic Organizations & Similar

How did this group come to own a military? How do they gain new members/recruits? Does every member double as a soldier?

What allows this organization to own a military? Do they have any governments or rivaling organizations? Are they limited in anyway? Are they legal?

Is the military viewed as part of the organization, something they own, something they sometimes do, or something that the leader owns?

How powerful is this organization compared to a national military? Is this well known? Do they have any alliances?

Where do they get their money and resources? Do they participate in any trading?

What does it take for them to get militarily involved? Can they be hired? Are they a bunch of organizations in a trench coat?

How would the world be affected if this organization collapses? How prevalent are they in society? How infamous are they?

Who leads it? (A group of people, a single individual, a political party, a government, a corporation) How did this organization form?

What non-military things does this organization do? How involved are they in the economy? The government?

What types of equipment is this organization supplied with? Do they help supply others? What type of people work in this company? How do they differ from the everyday soldier?

Does this organization hold a good or bad reputation? How has the organization changed overtime? What types of situations do they get in? What type of people are they associated with?

Where is this organization based? Is it global? Do they relocate a lot? Is it associated with one country?

How do they maintain their military? How do they keep themselves safe? Are they hidden under wraps? Is it obvious that they're militaristic? Are they known for their military?

IRL/Historical Examples:

Pepsi

United Nations

Political Brotherhoods

United States' NRA

United Fruit Company

Intelligence Agencies

Anti-Terrorism Groups

Mercenary Groups (Hansa, Samurai, Academi/Blackwater, etc.)

Private Military Companies

Fictional Examples:

Assassin's Creed

Arknights' Rhodes Island

Tom Clancy's Team Rainbow

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Avengers

Justice League

#world building #worldbuilding #worldbuilding questions #worldbuilding questions to get the creative juices flowing #worldbuilding military #worldbuilding organizations

22 notes · View notes

scarlet--wiccan · 5 months

Note

Do you have a good reading order for JeriWanda?

Well, they haven't actually been in very many comics together, so you can pretty much just read everything. This is also a timeline of Jericho's friendship with Pietro.

Avengers & X-Men: AXIS (2014) #8-9-- Jericho is resurrected after his death in New Avengers (2010), and teams up with Pietro, Erik, and Doom to save Wanda and end the Inversion crisis.

Uncanny Avengers miniseries (2015)-- Jericho and the twins are part of an expedition to Counter-Earth.

Uncanny Avengers ongoing (2015)-- Jericho and Pietro are main cast members throughout the series. Wanda joins the cast in #26; she and Jericho officially become a couple in #30.

Doctor Strange (2015)-- features a large supporting cast of magic characters, including Wanda and Jericho, especially in the Last Days of Magic storyline, spanning #6-10.

Civil War II (2016)-- Wanda, Jericho, and Billy are part of a magic team that performs a large spell to banish a Celestial from Earth. This scene is depicted in several other event tie-ins.

Avengers: No Surrender (2018)-- A crossover event comprised of Avengers legacy issues #675-690. Wanda and Jericho appear, as a couple, throughout the event.

Quicksilver: No Surrender (2018)-- following the previous Avengers event, Wanda, Jericho, and Synapse help Pietro escape a frozen temporal plane.

Avengers: No Road Home (2019)-- Wanda is a main cast member and makes frequent references to their relationship; Jericho appears in the final issue.

Empyre: Avengers (2020)-- an event tie-in. Wanda and Jericho have a storyline together.

Strange Academy (2020)-- Jericho is a headmaster at the newly-formed Strange Academy. Wanda is a faculty member, but has a much smaller role in the series. Their relationship is never addressed, and it is not acknowledged again for the next three years.

Scarlet Witch (2023)-- issue #9 lampshades the fact that Wanda and Jericho have been on a "break," with a hint that they still have feelings for each other.

If you want to do a more comprehensive read, you can supplement this list with Scarlet Witch (2014), Darkhold (2021), Trial of Magneto (2021), and Savage Avengers (2019). Wanda and Jericho are not in these books as a couple, but they are major storylines for the two of them individually. Wanda also has a pretty big role in Secret Empire (2017), but I wouldn't waste my time reading it if I were you-- you just need to know she got possessed by Chthon again, and eventually gets better, which leads into her rejoining Uncanny Avengers in #26.

#wandajericho #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #jericho drumm #doctor voodoo

19 notes · View notes

doctorofmagic · 1 year

Text

Doctor Strange and the supernatural characters pt 1 - Nico Minoru

Since Nico will soon be featured in v6, I decided to start with her. For context, let’s do a quick review on her character.

Nico Minoru is a member of the Runaways, a team of teenagers that found out their parents were part of a cult called The Pride. Their goal was to perform a ritual to release the elder gods called Gibborin, who would feed on the souls of the entire world and claim it for themselves. The Runaways saved the world, but their parents died in the process. As a consequence, their hearts never recovered from that trauma, which only worsened due to the following betrayal of one of their teammates, Alex Wilder. The TV show is more or less loyal to the characters, but there are heavy differences in case you’re wondering (and one of them is Nico’s character development, which I’ll explain in a second).

Nico comes from a powerful japanese clan of wizards and her weapon is/was The Staff of One, which she stole from her evil parents. It turns out this artifact is actually an ancient sorcerer called The One, who was challenged by Nico’s ancestor. He lost the battle and thus was turned into the Staff. Nico only learned about that recently in the last Runaways volume, when The One came out and revealed himself.

In the past, Nico was forced to draw her own blood to summon the Staff out of her body, but after making a (terrible) deal with The One, she no longer needs to harm herself in order to summon the staff. In exchange, The One releases a drop of his own essence into Nico’s soul, one at a time. On top of that, her staff allows her to perform spells only once, failing whenever she tries to repeat them. But this is not the only issue with Nico and her magic.

She went through a VERY traumatizing experience along with her teammate Chase in Avengers Arena, when Arcade kidnapped sixteen teenagers and created his own Battle Royale scenario. She lost an arm and actually died there, but the staff brought her back, boosting her magic powers and giving her a new artificial arm, although turning her a little more violent. Her mental health was severely damaged there, and so she decided to never speak of that incident ever again.

Following this event, in Avengers Undercover, she infiltrated Zemo’s organization along with the survivors of Murderworld. Their first goal was to rescue Elsa Bloodstone’s little brother, Cullen, unaware that he actually wanted to stay in order to find Arcade and get revenge for Murderworld.

Meanwhile, Nico was welcomed by Daimon Hellstrom (please don’t ask), who was working under Zemo’s leadership (please don’t ask²). Daimon summoned the soul and body of Alex Wilder back from hell (since he was dead) so they could train magic together. Alex’s true intentions were never revealed, but I do suspect Daimon was using him to waste Nico’s spells and also make her vulnerable since Nico had a relationship with Alex before his betrayal. She later realizes that it’s useless to train her magic skills because she wouldn’t be able to use them a second time in battle, accusing Alex of manipulating her.

After that, Daimon teleported them to a hall where Arcade was hosting a murder game. They did kill Arcade, finally getting their revenge, but he just a meat doll created by Daimon. Zemo manipulated them all so he could lure the Avengers while he attacked S.H.I.E.L.D. and framed the kids.

Turns out Daimon was not only manipulating Nico but Cullen as well. Daimon taught Cullen how to control the monster inside him, unaware that his true intent was to put it under his control (please don’t ask³). Since Arcade was still alive, they proved their innocence, although another emotional scar was carved into their souls.

(”oh, but aren’t they teachers at Strange Academy?” you may ask. YES, they are! Marvel’s continuity, am I right?)

Later on, Nico also joined the A-Force team, which sadly didn’t last. But she became good friends with some of the members, such as Dazzler and Singularity (her relationship with Carol became sour due to a terrible event called Civil War II, although they were able to come to an understanding).

Lastly, the Runaways reunited once more, facing new challenges concerning their found family. The volume was sadly cancelled, although it brought huge changes for Nico. She asked Karolina to take The Staff of One with her to space, which depowered her magic abilities significantly. The consequences are seen in Midnight Suns, her last appearance, where she constantly struggles with self-worth and self-doubt (just like a certain magician we know hehe).

That’s what leads us to the next topic: her personality.

Nico is the very definition of a bi disaster. One of her most infamous bad habits is the fact that she’s always trying to kiss almost every member of her team in order to cope with her loneliness, whether they’re single or not. The thing is, the smallest sign of affection is enough for her to get involved with someone, and at the worst possible times (for instance, after burying a friend). Don’t get me wrong, I love her and I’ll protect her. But I can’t pretend she doesn’t have the same bad coping mechanisms than Stephen did when he was trying to forget Clea. And that’s what stood out the most to me as a Stephen stan, opening my mind to ideas of how they can bond.

The thing is, Nico constantly feels alone and insecure about her own capabilities. First of all, there’s the leadership issue. After Alex’s betrayal, she was forced into leading the Runaways, although she canonically states she never wanted that in the first place. It’s a responsibility she was never ready for.

Secondly, there’s the trust issues. Their parents lied to her all her life and tried more than once harm her. She was in love with Alex and then he betrayed everyone, constantly inserting himself into her life and making it a living hell over and over (sometimes quite literally). She trusted Doc Justice and he tried to murder the Runaways in order to promote himself, even though she swore she’d never trust adults.

And that’s a super interesting point because... The very premise of the Runaways is that adults are bad. They refuse to ask for help because the Avengers and the X-Men failed them over and over. This is why Nico never asked for Stephen’s help like Illyana did. And yet... It seems that this is about to change in v6.

I don’t really know where writers are going with their relationship, but I do hope that Stephen realizes that The One is slowly infecting Nico’s soul. That’s a good thing, believe it or not, because Stephen can be a good role model to Nico and a bridge for her to work on her trust issues regarding adults. He can teach her how to get rid of The One’s grip and also teach her safer methods to perform magic. Friendly reminder that Wong also taught her a spell or two.

Overall, I believe that the Strange Academy was a fresh start to her because Nico doesn’t really have a purpose. Karolina is her first stable relationship, and she’s off to space to deal with Majesdanian stuff. Besides, if Nico is considered to be the “mother” of the Runaways, Chase was the “father”, and he was taken to the future for a reason yet to be explored in future stories. Point is, she needs an adult figure to reassure her. The Midnight Suns was another good addition because she was able to open up with Illyana and find comfort and self-worth.

Personally, this is truly touching and meaningful because, as I always like to put, the magic community has something quite special going on. Their connection runs deeper because of the soul/spirituality. And that’s why I have huuuuuge hopes that Stephen will be able to reach out for her. It’s been shown that he keeps in touch with her whenever magic is involved, not to mention the school itself.

It’s true that they barely interacted in the past, mostly because Nico is always neglected when it comes to big magic events (Last Days of Magic, Civil War II etc). Strange Academy was another missed opportunity, but there’s room now thanks to the team of v6.

This is what I’m looking forward to, honestly. Even with limited powers, Nico is quite creative, although her self-destructive tendencies get in her way, which is exactly what v4!Stephen used to be. I’m pretty sure he’d see himself in her and would do his best to support her. That’s Nico’s opportunity to bond and grow as a character, to work on her trust issues, to heal from the trauma she’s been through and create healthy relationships, not only when it comes to Stephen, but the magic community as a whole. Friendly reminder that he taught magic to both Jericho and Illyana and almost became Billy’s and Wanda’s mentor.

So this is it. As you can see, the potential and background are all there. I’m really excited to see what comes next for them and I do hope they’re able to create a nice and sweet bond in the next issues!

#nico minoru #sister grimm #doctor strange #stephen strange #marvel comics #analysis

74 notes · View notes

mastcrmarksman · 6 days

Text

favorite teammates.

Okay, so Clint has had a lot of teams and team ups; so going from each one would be a lot. Teamwise he has been on (and I am sure I am missing some smaller, more obscure canon) try asking about specific eras / teams instead of this broad cast

Avengers (multiple eras)

West Coast Avengers (original & kate's)

Thunderbolts (original and luke's nyc tbolts)

Great Lake Avengers

New Avengers (underground)

New Avengers (A.I.M Avengers)

Secret Avengers (three iterations)

Avengers Academy

Defenders (briefly)

Wild Pack (briefly)

World Counter-terrorism Agency (briefly)

this team from Occupy Avengers

Shield teams

Clint has been around the block, been around a lot of different team, and eras. He knows a lot of people. So I will say that the most obvious favorites of Clint's will in fact be his first, the originals and kind of the people who made him. A lot of his favorites tend to start off on the wrong foot with Clint.

All of that, and it is hard for Clint to divorce his personal feelings. His favorites as the originals, his favorites are his best friends; but this is a guy wwho actually has a lot of love for a lot of people, who he wants to be on a team where cohension is, where they work out and can sit by the pool together, go out for a bite together. If a teammate can be a friend, they are his favorite, for that reason.

His favorites, I would say, are people he would absolutely want to be around outside of "work" / "superheroing" // clint's favorite's list is long, and think of this. if he had to tap the absolute best for a team. these are his candidates. also natasha, bobbi, and jess are this list but his deep romantic entanglement is why they aren't listed.

Tony Stark // he wouldn't be where he is without Iron Man, by that extension without Tony. Sure, Clint may have naively tried to be a hero, because he wa jealous and in awe of the fame of Iron Man, but Tony's the first to vouch for Clint. Despite all their differences and times they are at odds, Tony's a man he deeply aspects and admires. If he and Tony can be on the same team, it's a good day. (legitmately top of the top for clint)

Steve Rogers // another man who made him who is he is today; there is so much love and respect for this man. Clint's distraught that it affects his personal relationship with Natasha when Steve quits the Avengers. One of the best fighting partners Clint has ever had andd will ever have is Steve; with how Steve worked him, trained him. They fight in sync so well, and again, Steve's one of his favorites to get a rise out of too. (legitmately top of the top for clint)

Hank // that's another very old teammate of clint's; that's another one (like steve actually) that Clint did not start off on the right foot with. It took them a long tim, but its pretty clear that by the time of Hank's death in canon. Clint's obviously regarded Hank as one of the best, and help such a love, respect, admiration for the man, despite everything, and has an almost unwavering faith in.

Wanda Maximoff // absolutely influenced by his crush on her, but simply she is his friend. they go way back with each other. no matter what they've been through, despite the actual pain, of them literally killing the other (house of m; it was a thing); she's still his frind, a good teammate to have to back you up.

Greer Nelson // another big player, now from his west coast ddays, that absolutely is someone who if you look at the text; she had been one who he has fought fiercely for. Its anothre example of someone who made him, this time made him while he was leading, he's taking a shot on her, he believed so much in her after Greer had left the Avengers after beeing on the team for like only a couple of months or less, because she didn't believe in herself. Starting this West Coast branch? When he was looking for members and not coming up with many. That's a big leap to take on someone, when her history is quitting due to confidence issues; that means that Clint did see she had what it takes.

Melissa Gold // from his Thunderbolts era and a little more some; she is the stand out among the rest (now that may in part be due to marvel comics and writers) but she is by far someone that Clint would vouch for (even with all the double/triple crossing with AIM stuff and how she hurt him; which the amount she did tells you a lot. favorites hurt most when they betray you). He's someone he came to trust, to admire, and felt so proud of to watch her grow, watch her redeem herself from her past and make something of her life.

Kate Bishop // I mean, duh, does this have to be said. She is top of the top of the top. She's his first mentee that he took on personally, one on one, and I mean this girl gets vouched for, by, Captain Amereica, by Steve who was Clint's final and best mentor. She is evereything, his favorite that he can say full-stop. ( legimately top of the top for clint / number one )

Now for least favorites; that's hard because with Clint? He's a prickly pear, a cactus to deal with at first. A lot of his frienshipss, working relaitonships, and dynamic start off as hostile or rivals or rubbing each other the wrong way. I mean Clint does not like a lot of people at first (literally so many people are like this for him)

People he didn't like at first and now he is solid with / likes: Pietro, Hank, Steve, Jennifer (she-hulk), Carol Danvers, Sam Wilson, Hulk, Jessica Drew, Vision, Deadpool, Daredevil, Bucky Barnes, etc etc (do you get how the list goes on? literally any newbie he usually dislikes at first and then development/growth happens and he loves them)

I will say this, Clint may jokingly say Pietro is; but Pietro is far from being low on the favorites list, far from being a least favorit. That is his brother, excuse you very much. He actually loves the guy.

The most notable and only least favorite I will name is the most obviouss one; it's Clint's famous grudge.

John Walker // he hates this guy, even when this guy is on the "right" side and "doing good" he hates this guy; he may have said Freefall he feels bad for shooting him the back, but come on, Clint, with how may times you've fought John or attacked him off the cuff? This guy is his least favorite peron to be around on a team aand you will know it. He will try to get along, but he does not trust John, he will never respect him truly. They will not be friends or get along. He will tolerate at best if he ha ss to work with him. He is the least favoritee.

#[ ABOUT ] I guess I just need something or someone to believe in or maybe I just need someone who believes in me #no but there are SO MANY PEOPLE for clint. like. so many. people.#its insane how much love you can pack into one human archer for his teammates.

8 notes · View notes

ethanreedbooks · 13 days

Text

Clash of Titans: Captain America and the Avengers Meet the X-Men in X-Men '97!

Could the Appearance of Captain America and the Avengers Bring About a War with the X-Men?

The potential ramifications of Captain America and the Avengers intersecting with the X-Men storyline in X-Men '97 raise intriguing questions about the dynamics between these iconic superhero teams. While the appearance of Captain America offers a compelling narrative twist and enriches the series' world-building, it also introduces the possibility of conflict between the two groups.

Avengers vs. X-Men (AvX or AvsX) is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoenix Force and the subsequent war between the Avengers and the X-Men. The 12-issue twice-monthly series was first published in April 2012, and features a storyline by Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, and Matt Fraction, with a rotating team of artists including John Romita Jr., Olivier Coipel, and Adam Kubert.

Captain America's presence underscores the global impact of the Genosha tragedy and aligns with his established role as a symbol of hope and leadership in the Marvel Universe. However, his differing ideology and approach to justice may clash with the X-Men's methods, particularly in the aftermath of Rogue's vigilante actions. As a beacon of morality and order, Captain America may view the X-Men's actions as reckless or misguided, potentially leading to tension and disagreement between the teams.

Moreover, the Avengers' involvement could complicate the X-Men's ongoing struggles with anti-mutant sentiment and government persecution. If the Avengers perceive the X-Men as a threat or liability, it could escalate into a larger conflict, especially if other Avengers members share Captain America's concerns.

On the other hand, collaboration between the two teams offers exciting storytelling opportunities and the potential for alliances forged in the face of common threats. Their shared commitment to protecting humanity could ultimately outweigh any initial differences, leading to a united front against formidable adversaries like Bastion and Mister Sinister.

The event was preceded by the four-issue limited series Avengers: X-Sanction by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness and Avengers vs. X-Men #0. Avengers vs. X-Men also ties into the limited series AVX: VS, described as "the fight book" which expands upon many of the one-on-one battles featured in the main series, the digital series; Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite, and into a number of ongoing series including Avengers, Avengers Academy, New Avengers, Secret Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine and the X-Men and X-Men: Legacy. The event was succeeded by the limited series AvX: Consequences.

Overall, while the appearance of Captain America and the Avengers adds depth and complexity to the X-Men '97 narrative, it also introduces the possibility of conflict and rivalry between these beloved superhero groups. The repercussions of their interactions may shape the future direction of the series, offering fans thrilling storylines and compelling character dynamics to explore.

17 notes · View notes

brw · 7 months

Note

Could you please give me a Greer Nelson reading list & a TigerAnt reading list? Thanks.

oooo okay, to be honest these lists are very similar so i'll incorporate them together for you. many thanks to @pymcoded for helping make this list!

the cat #1-#4 is her first solo series and shows her before she is tigra, it's really interesting n one of the first marvel comics written by a woman and is very based in second wave feminism politics.

giant size creatures is where she first becomes tigra.

marvel chillers #3-#7 is a short lived series she stars in beginning issue 3 and is pretty interesting n cool n further establishes her tigra identity

marvel two-in-one #19, fantastic four v1 #177-#184 is her first time working in a team and shows her friendship with ben grimm! she's not majorly in it but it is a good taste for her in team dynamics.

marvel premiere #42 finishes off dr tumolo's side of things and builds upon the cat people and greer's relationship with them.

avengers v1 #211-#216 is her stint on the avengers, as with the fantastic four she's not a main character but it does set up and establish her future relationships with a lot of these characters!

west coast avengers is a big one for both greer and her relationship with hank so definitely read this if that's what you're interested in. i would say just to keep going with this series really until vision and wanda become bigger characters because from that point their arcs dominate a lot of this series and i don't remember tigra having any major character focused issues the later on it goes.

marvel comics presents #162-#165 is a weird interesting story with some really wonderful art taking place in australia where tigra seeks revenge on soldiers for kidnapping aboriginal women. not exactly sensitive but an interesting read.

avengers infinity is a fun team up comic including monica and starfox, again she's not a massive player but it's fun and i like her dynamic with the other cast.

tigra #1-#4 is her solo series which i generally like for the art and the arc of her uncovering police corruption, however it's not perfect in that it ties a lot more importance to her dead cop husband and does go on a bit of a "not all cops!" thing but for a mainstream comic in the 2000s it's pretty interesting.

avengers academy is the next big one for her and hank, i would say read all of it but good issues to focus on are #7, #8, #13-#15, #27-#28, #31, #38-#39

avengers: solo #1-#5 b story is a cute one where hank takes some avengers academy kids out n him and greer are very sweet in it.

moon knight 2021 is her most recent big appearances, she's a semi regular occuring member since #4 so keep reading that, #22 is her big character focused issue so prioritise reading that.

and yeah! that's my tigra reading list, this is most of what i would consider her essential appearances with one or two bonus issues for her and hank :) hope this helps!

#asks #itsblueberry13-blog #tigra #greer grant #reading list #comic recs #reading guide #etc

21 notes · View notes

jaztice · 28 days

Text

Villainous Violence and Purposeful Power: An Essay On Child Abuse In Superhero Stories

So I wrote an essay a while ago and posted it on my website here, but I figured all y'all tumblr girlies might enjoy it too, so I've decided to post it to the hellsite as well. Enjoy my angry ramblings <3 CWs: mentions and descriptions of child abuse, mentions and descriptions of murder, mentions of rape

There’s a trend I often see in popular superhero media that has always rubbed me the wrong way. Specifically, in movies and TV shows, superheroes, if abused as children, are rarely if ever abused by their biological parents. Supervillains, on the other hand, as well as many antiheroes and even some non-villain antagonists, often are. It’s a trend I first noticed in the TV show Daredevil, which premiered on Netflix in 2015 and can currently be viewed on Disney+, but since noticing it, I’ve been unable to stop noticing it in other popular pieces of superhero media. I’ve seen it in the Jessica Jones TV show, the popular Batman movie The Dark Knight, in other less popular characters from the Batman mythos, the first season of The Umbrella Academy TV show, and even in J. Jonah Jameson of the Spider-Man stories. Even when considering examples of heroes suffering child abuse, like Bruce Banner (a.k.a. The Hulk), something always felt amiss to me in these representations. So naturally, I decided to dig deeper.

It’s important to note that trauma has been used in superhero media as an inciting incident for both heroes and villains since the genre’s inception. Popular superheroes like Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker often become heroes due to witnessing the unjust death(s) of their caretakers or people important to them. Child abuse, however, is a very specific sort of trauma, and child abuse from specifically one’s biological/birth parents even moreso. Natasha Romanov/Black Widow of the MCU’s Avengers certainly suffers child abuse, but it’s not perpetrated by her birth parents—instead, she’s abused by the mysterious organization that created her as a living weapon. All the kids in The Umbrella Academy are undoubtedly emotionally abused and neglected by their father, but he is very specifically their adopted father. To reference yet another Marvel Netflix TV show, Danny Rand from Iron Fist does suffer from child abuse; however, it comes at the hands of the monks who rescued him from a plane crash, not his own parents.

In terms of villains being abused as children by their biological parents, on the other hand, there are quite a few that come to mind. Wilson Fisk from Daredevil is a prime example, suffering from emotional and implied physical abuse from his father, until Wilson kills Fisk Sr. by beating him to death with a hammer. Kilgrave from the first season of Jessica Jones is experimented on by his parents until he develops the power to control people with vocal commands (and then uses it to escape their grasp). Trish Walker from Jessica Jones—who, granted, doesn’t become a true “villain” until season 3—is abused in a multitude of ways by her mother and acting agent. Leonard Peabody, the villain of season 1 of The Umbrella Academy, has a physically abusive father who he, similar to Wilson Fisk, beats to death before being imprisoned for 12 years for the murder. Even the Joker claims to have had an abusive father in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (though his actual past and the veracity of any of his statements in the movie are up for debate).

Even more interesting are the instances in which superheroes (or at least non-supervillains) are abused as children. The most notable, of course, is Bruce Banner, though this may come as a surprise to anyone unfamiliar with his character from the comics. After all, only one of the movies about him, Hulk (2003), really addressed the child abuse aspect of his past, and most movies about the Hulk aren’t very popular in the first place. Other instances include some members of the Batfamily, Jason Todd and Cassandra Cain, who both had fraught childhoods due to the actions and abuse of their biological parents, and J. Jonah Jameson, the notorious head editor of the Daily Bugle in the Spider-Man mythos (and a real piece of work), who, according to Wikipedia, had an abusive father who was also a war hero in the U.S. military. In the cases of Jason Todd and Cassandra Cain, both of these characters often vacillate between hero and villain status in the comics, and additionally, they have almost no appearances in popular superhero media (and certainly not as a main character). Jameson’s history is even more curious; his father’s hero status and abusive behavior towards his son and wife explains Jameson’s hesitation in fully believing Spider-Man is a hero, and yet in later editions of the Spider-Man storyline, it’s clarified that his abusive father is in fact his uncle and foster father (his biological father had to, quoting from the J. Jonah Jameson Wikipedia page, “leave his son behind for undisclosed reasons”).

Bruce Banner, however, I found to be a fascinating case study for this topic. According to the Wikipedia page for the Hulk, “As a child, Banner's father Brian often got mad and physically abused both Banner and his mother, creating the psychological complex of fear, anger, and the fear of anger and the destruction it can cause that underlies the character.” In the aforementioned 2003 movie, Bruce’s father tries to kill his young son, believing him to be a danger, but instead kills Bruce’s mother when she tries to stop him, causing Bruce to repress most of his childhood memories. In both instances, this abuse is considered one of the driving forces behind the Hulk, a monstrous, destructive, and very green force within Bruce Banner that reveals itself when Bruce becomes too emotional, excited, or angry. However, the Hulk is almost always considered a wild factor in situations, both out of control and often unable to be fully controlled. It is useful and even heroic, yes, and Bruce does manage to control it in some stories, but the Hulk is ultimately violent and destructive. That is what makes Bruce’s superpower useful. The Hulk is considered dangerous, volatile, and sought after by other violent factions like the military (and even, that one time, a gladiatorial ring). The result of Bruce’s abuse is a violent, uncontrollable, rage-filled monster, and only in controlling this monster can Bruce be considered a hero; otherwise, he is simply considered a threat.

Compare this to Wilson Fisk in the Daredevil TV show, who is depicted as a soft-spoken, deeply traumatized, and terrifyingly violent man in charge of a criminal empire. Wilson, like Bruce, has developed emotional and aggression issues as a result of his child abuse, and though he uses these issues throughout the course of the show to both his own benefit and detriment, he is always cast in the role of a villain. Additionally, Wilson only attacked and killed his father to stop him from beating his mother, and one possible reading of his character might be that both his need for safety and control and his drive to protect others are what drove him to become the leader of a criminal empire with the intention of reshaping Hell’s Kitchen.

What, you might ask, is the point of listing all these different depictions of abuse in superhero stories? To that, I ask you to examine the trend of agency in these depictions. In the case of those cast in more heroic lights (Bruce Banner, perhaps even J. Jonah Jameson), these children suffered from abuse but had little to no hand in stopping or escaping from that abuse. The more extreme the action taken to stop or escape the abuse, however, the more likely the individual is to be cast in the role of villain. Jason Todd and Cassandra Cain both ran away from their abusers, but the former was killed as a child, came back to life, and became a crime lord, while the latter eventually killed her own parents and then became a notorious assassin. In both these instances, Jason and Cassandra are cast as villains in their respective storylines. Trish Walker, though she doesn’t start out as a villain by any means, ultimately becomes one due to her desperation to prove she can save not only herself, but also others, due to her childhood abuse. Kilgrave develops his powers and immediately uses them to perform absolutely heinous acts, including repeatedly raping the main and titular character, Jessica Jones, as well as killing his own parents as an adult. And of course, Leonard Peabody and Wilson Fisk kill their abusive fathers as young children in brutal, violent ways.

Let me make something clear; I think the Daredevil TV show is a fantastic piece of superhero media. But it still falls prey to this trend I’m describing even in its attempt to deconstruct it. Wilson Fisk is not painted in a purely villainous light during the show, at least not for the murder of his father. Even though the heroic protagonist hopes to use this fact (once he discovers it) to put him away in jail, the other protagonists argue that Fisk was, perhaps, justified in his actions. Fisk is a character we’re meant to understand and even sympathize with; the juxtaposition of his motivations against the hero’s motivations are what make the story so compelling. And yet, Wilson Fisk is undeniably a villain, because even though his violent rages and desire to help others allowed him to save his mother, they have also led him to murder innocents in the name of creating a better Hell’s Kitchen. Despite his “good” intentions, he is a villain. He is the villain of this story. And the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father isn’t the reason he is considered a villain, but it is the driving force behind how he became one.

Perhaps it’s easier for people to give a backstory of child abuse to villains. Most people have no knowledge or understanding of what it’s like to grow up in a home where your parents, your birth parents, the people society claims should love and care for you and keep you safe, hurt and scream at and scare you. Perhaps these people cannot fathom how someone wholly good can be created in such an environment. In this way, attaching child abuse to villains is viciously puritanical in its narrative efficiency. When this is the story you see, the implied lesson is that good people always come from good parents (from “good stock”), and bad people come from those who are themselves bad. It is simple and easy to stick to the black and white tale of good vs. evil, hero vs. villain, to repeat (even unknowingly) the idea that good people beget heroes, and bad people beget villains. To show a superhero as flawed is compelling, and to show a supervillain as virtuous is revolutionary. In fact, even in today’s world of superhero story reimaginings (e.g., The Boys TV show, the Invincible TV show), it is far more common for heroes to live safe and healthy home lives before being thrust into their trauma, and it is far more likely for villains to have suffered abuse from their earliest moments.

I would argue it’s also more “tasteful” to write off those suffering from abuse as villainous if they kill their abusers. Suffering and being saved, like Bruce Banner, creates someone who could become a hero, as long as the emotional results of their abuse remain monitored and controlled. Suffering and daring to rise up, to take your power back from those who have hurt you and save yourself, on the other hand? That is the mark of a villain. Villains wrest power from those that hurt them with bloody hammers and bruised fists. And because in so many pieces of superhero media, heroes do not kill, they are doomed by that very action to be the villains of an inherently violent story.

It is a sign of great and unrealized privilege to write stories that center around violence and immediately villainize those that kill. Especially those that kill as children, and especially those that kill their abusers and tormentors. Superheroes have always been larger-than-life figures, bastions of hope and justice that people are meant to admire, so it makes sense that killing others would not be something they do with abandon. But these abused children were not killing with abandon. For those who have been abused by the very people society claims should love them, there are few depictions of how to survive such abuse in superhero media. Either victims of child abuse are meant to stay helpless and sad, props to be saved and then to be regulated and controlled lest their violent, traumatized urges hurt others too, or they are doomed to become villains from the start for daring to deliver a child’s justice to their abusers. After all, in these kinds of stories, killing is wrong, no matter what.

Perhaps now you can see why this would rub me the wrong way.

The world is not black and white. The world is not good vs. evil. It is a privilege to grow up loved and safe and happy and accepted, and most people don’t even realize this because it’s more common for that to already be the case. And for the world to be so safe and happy is a truly wonderful thing. But when the people who grow up without realizing their own privilege then saturate the popular superhero mythos with images of children murdering their abusive parents and becoming villains for heroes to fight, what do they expect to happen? What would you do if your favorite stories said your only two choices were “suffer in silence and control your violent urges” or “take action and become an unforgivable villain?” How is that message any better than the rhetoric used by abusers everywhere to keep those they hurt in line?

I implore those writing superhero stories to read this and think. Think about violence, about killing and murder, about abuse, in the stories you are crafting. Think before you create your heroes and villains, and have empathy for those who were, perhaps, not as lucky as you growing up. Think about the reality being created in your story, where problems can and are often encouraged to be solved with violence, and then consider what it means to villainize those who are violent and suffer violence from their earliest moments. Think about how you use abuse in your story, with your supers and their powers, between your heroes and villains. And think about why suffering abuse at the hands of your birth parents seems to be so different from suffering abuse at the hands of someone or something external, and why it’s alright for heroes to attack and target their abusers, but damning if villains do it to theirs.

Think about what it means to take your power back in a world where violence is not only commonplace, but a viable option for solving problems, and then examine why a child killing their abusive parent is considered a villainous act. Are you afraid of what children in this situation will learn if such an act is not considered evil?

Should you be?

#superheroes #marvel mcu #daredevil #bruce banner #wilson fisk #think piece #opinion piece #my post

9 notes · View notes

alicent-vi-britannia · 1 year

Text

The parallels between Code Geass and Hamlet

In the first episode of R1, when Lelouch and Rivalz go back to Ashford Academy after the former defeated a noble in a game of chess, Lelouch reads a book. For a fraction of a second, we see that this book is Hamlet, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1601 and it is his most recognized work (some would define it as the quintessential Shakespearean and I personally call it the epitome of Baroque). This is a detail that called my attention because it wasn’t necessary to give the book a title. They could perfectly invent one or leave it empty. Instead, the creators of Code Geass opted to choose a real and distinguished work of English and world literature. I read Hamlet a few years ago and it's fresh in my mind, at least I remember it more than other books I've read, and I drew parallels between the two as I reminisced and came up with some interesting results that I'd love to share with you.

To do this, I have to gut the play of Hamlet. Therefore, if you are one of those who don’t like spoilers, or stop wasting time and go read Hamlet, which is on the internet, or, if you are lazy, go see the Kenneth Branagh film, which is Hamlet word for word (hence it is an even longer movie than Avengers Endgame) or continue reading my comparative analysis and I will convince you to give this great work a chance.

Hamlet is the story of a Danish prince who has just returned home to attend the funeral of his father, the king, who recently passed away. But then he hears that a ghost with a striking resemblance to the late king appears in the castle at night; so Hamlet is encouraged to investigate and manages to meet with the ghost that, in effect, is real and it is about his father who has crossed the threshold of the afterlife to entrust him with a mission: to kill his uncle Claudio; for it turns out that he killed his own brother to ascend the throne and marry Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. This is the first act of the play and constitutes the premise of it; as well as establishing its two main themes: revenge and madness.

Immediately, we distinguish several parallels between Lelouch and Hamlet: both are princes who decide to take revenge for their deceased parents against a member of their family, who is precisely the monarch of their kingdom, after receiving a supernatural summons (the ghost of their father, for Hamlet; the Geass, for Lelouch); however, none of them imagine that on this journey they will lose themselves and the beings they love. Throughout the plot, Lelouch and Hamlet will be assisted by C.C. and Horace respectively. Horatio is Hamlet's friend and, like C.C., is the voice of reason and is Hamlet's greatest confidant. He is present in most of the scenes in the play, always accompanying Hamlet and conversing with him. Even in his soliloquies, which are the moments when Hamlet bares his thoughts, he is there; as well as C.C. who remains on Lelouch's side. Neither Horacio nor C.C. take actions in the plot, they limit themselves to being simple spectators and both, additionally, wanted to kill themselves, but they were stopped by Hamlet and Lelouch who wanted them to continue living, for different reasons that I won’t go into details.

Both Hamlet and Lelouch are gray characters that critics and fans of their respective works like to argue about by raising the classic debate: is Hamlet/Lelouch a hero or a villain? In any case, the conclusion is the same for both: they are two of the most human characters both in Shakespeare's work, in the case of Hamlet, and in the anime industry, in the case of Lelouch (if you want an answer , don't think too much about it: both are undoubtedly tragic heroes).

As someone who loves Shakespeare and Code Geass equally, I think Lelouch is a hybrid of Hamlet and Macbeth (another great Shakespearean character). This is because Lelouch and Macbeth live tormented by their crimes, however, they continue to justify themselves that the blood spilled would be in vain if they stop. On the contrary, Hamlet is a bit more pusillanimous and very indecisive (he's not an action type, he's more contemplative and thoughtful).

Although Hamlet has sworn an oath of vengeance in the first act, he doesn't take action right away because he doesn't fully believe the ghost's accusation or so he says (in my opinion, it's because he's afraid to act); so Hamlet decides to check if his uncle is the murderer of his father and find out who are his allies and his enemies by faking his madness (yes, like Lelouch, Hamlet has acting skills) . Of course, his alienated attitude causes strangeness at court, especially it baffles Polonius, who is the king's adviser and an impertinent bootlicker for Claudio, and that motivates him to investigate. At a certain point in the play, Gertrudis, worried about her son, confronts him alone in her room, while Polonius, who is a gossip, hides behind the curtains to spy on them. Hamlet spots Polonius's feet and, believing that he is his uncle, savagely stabs him, only to discover that he wasn’t who he thought he was. This stupid mistake will affect the children of Polonius, which will lead to the great tragic ending of the work.

On the one hand, there is Ofelia, the sweet and innocent youngest daughter of Polonius (well, I presume that she is younger). She is in love with Hamlet and has had affairs with him, they have even consummated sexual relations; but ever since he assumed the role of his madman, Hamlet has been cold and somewhat cruel to her, on the grounds that he believes she is part of plot. Returning to Ofelia, the pain caused by the murder of her father at the hands of the man she loved drives her crazy and leads her to commit suicide. In a sense, her tragic fate brings me back to Shirley.

Like Ofelia, Shirley is in love with Lelouch, due to which she suffers from the barriers he imposes and she is left disoriented, while being curious about his strange behavior (Hamlet's feigned madness, on the one hand, and the Lelouch's efforts to hide his double life, on the other). Her feelings are conflicted when she finds out that her lover is the murderer of her father. It’s worth noting that neither Hamlet nor Lelouch had the intention of killing the father of their respective love interests. It was all a unfortunate accident. From here on, Shirley and Ofelia's paths diverge, but they end at exactly the same point: dead and Lelouch/Hamlet are indirectly guilty, or at least that's how they both feel, because, despite everything, they did love Shirley/ Ophelia.

On the other hand, there is Laertes, the impulsive and bellicose eldest son of Polonius. Laertes has a brief but forceful introduction that is, at the same time, a prelude. Laertes warns his sister that she should be careful around Hamlet because he fears that his love for her is insincere and he is only taking advantage of her. And he adds something like this: "if I find out that Hamlet hurt you, I'll kill him" (of course, Shakespeare says it in a more sophisticated and beautiful way than me; that gentleman did know how to use language properly). Saying that, Laertes leaves for France. When the news of the terrible deaths of his father and his sister reaches his ears, he returns to Denmark to take revenge on Hamlet and I’m inevitably thinking of Suzaku.

Like Laertes, Suzaku was immersed solely in his own business, but when Lelouch kills Euphemia, Suzaku turns to revenge by vowing to kill him (Shakespeare is known for his love of building narrative parallels between two characters, and Code Geass is rife with this kind of parallelism, the most obvious being that of Suzaku and Lelouch: one way or another, they end up becoming the other in the second season). Needless to say, Euphemia's death was an irremediable event as a result of a foolish joke, like Polonius's death that was a mistake. Two tragic accidents. (By the way, coincidence that Suzaku went crazy over Shirley's death afterwards? I don't think so). Suzaku and Laertes are blinded by pain and anger and, although Lelouch and Hamlet try to reach a middle ground, both flatly refuse to listen to reason; which pushes them into a confrontation that, to a certain extent, is sponsored by the enemies of the respective protagonists. Claudio, who already knows that his niece has discovered his crime and intends to end his life, manipulates Laertes to get rid of Hamlet. Charles never deliberately uses Suzaku's anger for his benefit, but Suzaku serves him and his empire, which works to their advantage in a certain way.

In the end, the poison of hatred corrodes Laertes in a literal and metaphorical sense, since he ends up perishing in the duel against Hamlet, being wounded by his own poisoned sword, although he doesn’t leave without first revealing the conspiracy he was hatching with Claudio and make peace with Hamlet, as he understands that his judgment was clouded.

And, to all these, what happens with Hamlet?

Well, he is killed by Laertes in said duel of swords (yes, they kill each other). As is Lelouch dies impaled by the sword wielded by Zero (Suzaku) in the Zero Requiem. Just like Laertes and Hamlet at the end, Lelouch and Suzaku also manage to settle their differences and make peace for the good of the world. And, just as Lelouch kills Charles, Hamlet gets revenge on him by murdering his Uncle Claudius.

See that Hamlet and Lelouch have in common that, though driven by a desire for justice, both are both victims and responsible agents of the misfortunes that befall them, their loved ones, and their nation, as Denmark falls into the hands of of a foreign king and I’m not going to dwell on the consequences of each battle of the Black Knights and the Zero Requiem, I trust that you remember in broad strokes how many losses and how much havoc there was in the world.

Also see that both characters are haunted by death. In addition to the deaths that I mentioned and that are attributed to Hamlet, we must add those of his mother and his two childhood friends who succumb to the hatred and pain that Hamlet feels since his friends obeyed orders from his enemy and he believed that his mother was in cahoots or, in any case, that she didn't love her father because her mother got married quickly because she got married quickly, which, in his eyes, was a betrayal (yes, a lot of people die in this play and, in fact, I think it is the play that honors that Shakespeare meme that wanders Facebook saying that he has no idea how to finish his play, so he kills to all the characters; although it isn’t quite like that either, Horacio survives, a few characters who don’t appear again and Fortinbrás, who is the foreign king. Basically, it's like in Code Geass, all the important characters die except for C.C., the UNF members and the background characters).

I must say that in a certain way it reminds me of Lelouch because he blamed all of his family, not only his father, for the misfortune that fell on him, his mother and his sister (this is because they didn’t respond for them). Lelouch hates his siblings as well and was equally responsible for the death of his mother. Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, dies by mistake, but he was indirectly to blame.

Oh, I almost forgot! Horace tries to commit suicide, but Hamlet stops him because he needs him to tell his story.

Hamlet and Lelouch suffer more from the consequences of their own actions than those of others, that includes their enemies. Their vendettas consume them and make them lose themselves in madness; for until the damage is done, Hamlet and Lelouch are unable to see the destruction they leave behind.

We could say that Hamlet and Code Geass address the stories of two great men who fight to keep their sanity, if not they have already lost it.

I dare say that Hamlet is the most prominent tragedy in general culture (I think if I asked you to talk about tragedy you would think of Shakespeare and this play specifically) and I think it's great that they introduced this detail in the first episode of Code Geass because it's a subtle statement of intent: none of us knew what we were going to find in this series, so it ended up surprising us. Code Geass is properly a beautiful tragedy and no one better than Shakespeare to present it to us. I don’t rule out at all that Hamlet has been inspirational material for Code Geass. I perfectly imagine Okouchi in his house thinking: “hey! What if Laertes and Hamlet had been childhood best friends? That duel would have been more intense! Oh yes!”

Joking apart…

Maybe Shakespeare influenced the good reception that Code Geass had in me. I love tragedies. I love tragic characters. I love Shakespeare. I consider myself an admirer of his work and I recognize his influence on my writing. Hamlet isn’t my favorite work by the English playwright, although I enjoy the story and how things are handled, I find it hard to connect with Hamlet; unlike Lelouch, to whom I already professed eternal love. Anyway, I still have a lot of Shakespeare plays to read and fall in love with.

I hope you liked this analysis. I loved writing it, even though it took me longer than I had calculated. You should turn it into a video so that it lasts forever and ever. Let me know in comments the opinions of him. We will be reading soon.

PS: no, it's no coincidence that the Lelouch from my fanfic, Code Geass: Bloodlines, is a Shakespearean fanboy. I must even say that to build the dynamics of my Lelouch and C.C. I was inspired by Macbeth and his wife; just as I was inspired by the character of Brutus, from the tragedy of Julius Caesar, for my Suzaku.

#code geass: lelouch of the rebellion #code geass #code geass: hangyaku no lelouch #lelouch #lelouch lamperouge #lelouch vi britannia #c.c. (code geass)#shirley #shirley fenette #lelouch x shirley #shirlulu #suzaku kururugi #suzaku #hamlet #william shakespeare #shakespeare #tragedy

92 notes · View notes