#╰ ☆ get up and fight ╱ verses ╱ avengers infinity war

[catlady5001]

end of year fic recs, list #2

part one // here

same as last time: i want to share some fics i really enjoyed this year, organized by fandom! each fic will have a short summary, the word count, and a + symbol if it's a work in progress!

this list will have recs for Spider-Man and BNHA. enjoy! :)

Spider-Man

Fitting In (Tiny Spaces) by aloneintherain (@captainkirkk). while on a team mission, peter parker bites off a bit more than he can chew. 3k, hurt/comfort

In the Home by aloneintherain (@captainkirkk). The Avengers have been infected, turned violent and aggressive against their will. And Peter, the only one unaffected, is trapped inside the Tower with six feral teammates. 69k, angst and comfort

Dark Matter by mysterycyclone (@mysterycyclone). AU where peter parker gets pulled into the DCU after the events of Infinity War, and gets pulled into the both the Wayne family and the Bat Family. 213k+, angst and comfort

Spider-Verse

equifinality by Quillium (@quillium). In a world where Jefferson Davis dies instead of Spider-man, Miles Morales becomes the Prowler and somehow still gets taken under Spider-man's wing. 20k+, hurt/comfort

so lucky, so strong, so proud by ProfessorSpork. Sometimes you end up in a superhero team up where half the people in the group have your face, or your dead ex/best friend’s face, and you just have to find a way to deal with it. 7k, angst and comfort

Down the Waterspout by Mockingone. spiderverse au where spider-man lives.

let's do this one last time by imoticon. michelle jones gets sucked into the multi-verse. gwen stacy helps her. 9k, dimension travel

New Moves by WildInkling (@wildinkling). miles morales takes up ballet!! 3k, fluff

BNHA

komorebi by Calamitatum (@calamitxtum). desperate to prove himself, Hitoshi agrees to help UA find the traitor, even if he has to sacrifice himself in the process. 157k, angst

Accidentally, Tragically, Heroic by whatagoodegg. shigaraki infiltrates ua as a student, and somehow, is accidentally a great hero. 118k+, hurt/comfort

reconcile by whatagoodegg. a child's quirk traps midoriya and shigaraki in a box together until they can 'reconcile' their differences. 151k, hurt/comfort

Foresight by akcugrai (@akcugrai). Izuku's quirk is simple, it tells him exactly what he needs to do, eventually leading him to tear down All for One. 66k, hurt/comfort

Candor by OwlF45 (@owlf45). The Hero Commission passes a new code that requires all heroes to complete a mental simulation test. For Izuku, the consequences are catastrophic. 60k, hurt/comfort

linger on the doorstep (come into the warmth) series by intheeveningsunrise (@intheeveningsunrise). au where midoriya inko adopts aizawa in high school, dramatically changing his life and the life of his brother, midoriya izuku. 408k+, angst and comfort

out of the frying pan (into the ice and fire) series by intheeveningsunrise (@intheeveningsunrise). Izuku runs into his twin at the USJ - and then proceeds to run into him seemingly everywhere he goes. 305k+, angst and comfort

Words as Weapons by NearoRiver. While navigating his father’s (All for One's) high expectations, insidious emotional abuse, and overpowering quirk, Izuku fights to become a hero. 129k+

Ill-Gotten Gains by ghostmaybite. AFO!Izuku steals Aizawa's quirk to kill All for One. things only get more complicated from there. 245k+, hurt/comfort

once forgotten, twice removed by blueh (@blu-eh). number one hero Deku gets thrust into an alternate reality where he’s All for One’s Successor. 42k, hurt/comfort

awake and (un)afraid, asleep or- by driedupwishes. after shouto and eijirou start trending on twitter, shouto starts an instagram to showcase his Hero Deku merch. it spirals from there. 54k, future fic

Independent Study by pianogavin (@pianogavinwrites). After one too many repeat injuries, UA puts a policy in place to alert parents every time their child is hurt at school. This leads to Momo taking care of her own injuries. MomoJirou focused. 6k, hurt/comfort

we don't know what's dead / till it's gone by carolinaa (@officialratprince). momo's dad dies. neither she nor Kyouka know how to feel about it. 8k hurt/comfort

spit to the left, carry on (smile & say you're good) by jublis. Jirou grows into herself during a time of war. 15k, hurt/comfort

old game (new rules) by carolinaa (@officialratprince). the ULTIMATE momojirou fic. after bad experiences in middle school, kyouka is determined to keep to herself at UA, but her classmates have a way of getting under her skin.

Despite Your Good Intentions series by xylophones. yagi toshinori moves into midoriya izuku's apartment building when he is eleven. this has a ripple effect that leads to midoriya izuku becoming the youngest licensed intern that japan has seen, and spirals from there. one of my favorite series!!! 204k, hurt/comfort

Thick Blood, Sweet Water by litbynosun (@coldwind-shiningstars). aizawa shouta and midoriya inko are siblings who only reunite after midoriya izuku has started his first year at UA. 15k, family fluff

the drip of melting ice by planet_B612. Hitoshi moves into the 2A dormitory at the beginning of his second year, learns who his neighbour is, and makes the friends he had declared he isn't there to have within the space of a semester. 20k, hurt/comfort

every story is a ghost by daylightbreaks (). shinsou learns that crushes get complicated quickly when you think that your crush is possesed. shindeku. 26k, hurt/comfort

between the lines (it was there the whole time) by placesinfive. eri, class 1-A, and all the little moments in between. 12k, domestic fluff

make this feel like home by carolinaa (@officialratprince). natsuo spends his winter break at home. surprisingly, it doesn't all go to shit. 27k, hurt/comfort

when the light returns by rubiginosa. bakugou, camie and uraraka go up north to steal a tree for Todoroki. 13k, road trip fic

Leitmotif by LunaLucrea (@lunalucrea). midoriya interns with present mic, and runs into a man with a quirk that lets him hear people's "soul song". 7k, hurt/comfort

pez dispenser debris by thepolysyndetonaddictsupportgroup (@polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup). a quirk creates a younger version of midoriya izuku, who causes headaches for himself and everyone else. this is straight-up one of my favorite fics, and this summary does NOT do it justice. go read!! 74k+, hurt/comfort

hours spent in a hospital waiting room just to lose a knife fight by SpiritusRex (@spiritusrex). izuku's friends support him when he's hospitalized for appendicitis - a disease he can only get after being born Quirkless. 3k, hurt/comfort

with just a little luck by SpiritusRex (@spiritusrex). izuku keeps getting hurt, so his classmates start to gift him good-luck charms, not realizing it puts him on edge. 7k, hurt/comfort

Small Enough to Carry by ghostwriterofthemachine (@ghostwriterofthemachine). One Thing Midoriya Izuku Starts Carrying Around for Each of the People that He Loves, and One Thing Each of Them Starts Carrying Around for Him. 12k, hurt/comfort

A Boy and his Ghost series by LowlyWriter. AU where izuku can see ghosts, and soon befriends Shirakumo Oboro, the ghost who follows his teachers around. 543k, hurt/comfort

hero’s shadow by feelingstabby. the story of how a few heroes help Midoriya Izuku become something more than a lost vigilante. one of my favorite longfics! 818k+, hurt/comfort

When Realities Collide by LowlyWriter. hero-in-training midoriya izuku gets transported to an alternate universe where he is a deadly villain. 168k, hurt/comfort

starkly marked by OwlF45 ((@owlf45). izuku is stuck in a timeloop, but the longer it goes on, the more people begin to recognize him - even if they technically haven't met. 4k, angst

but somehow i'll see it through by artfulacrostic (@artfulacrostic). izuku is the victim of an obedience quirk. 16k, hurt/comfort

idle worship by dreamtowns (@dreamvevo). shindeku social media au revolving around secret identities. one of the best social media fics I've read - dreamtowns puts HOURS of effort into their fics, and it shows. 28k, hurt/comfort

[oswildin]

that's why I loved the loki series, I'm sick of all the hate that it gets just because loki is different. It's called character growth people! I mean I love all versions of loki. He was awesome in the movies but I also loved him in the show and the finale really made him one of the top 5 best mcu character for me.

Don’t get me wrong, the show isn’t at all perfect, but nothing is! I do feel it could’ve done with 8 episodes per season to really show the progression more of Loki’s character, deal and address some of his past trauma and accepting his true heritage etc (which I suppose they touch on or it is implied, but for the sake of plot they did kinda brush it aside). It did feel a little quick to happen, but again he was just plucked from his timeline and shown his whole life, so I suppose the reality set in pretty quick for him.

I think a lot of people cling onto Avengers!Loki (like I get it, trust me haha) a little too much, when realistically he was wearing a mask (I also am not a ‘Loki was mind controlled’ truther. He knew what he was doing and why he did it. I think the circumstances and possible slight influence of the mind stone just egged him on though). He was extremely angry and hurt during the end of Thor and in Avengers, hell even the beginning of Dark World. He even says it himself:

“Trust my rage.”

I suppose in the series, S1 Loki is just so defeated in a way because he realises that ‘nothing matters’, because it is all set out for him. Loki was never evil, did he do bad things? Yes, but he was not evil.

“No one good is ever truly good, and no one bad is ever truly bad.”

The people in the series around him help him grow, realise his potential beyond the expectations and limitations himself and others had put on him. Classic!Loki helps him realise he is more powerful than he realised, Kid!Loki makes him realise he could’ve actually been capable of killing his own brother, Sylvie gives him motivation to be better, to fight for something that matters and Mobius makes Loki see he can be whatever he wants to be, he doesn’t always need masks and illusions.

S2 Loki feels he has something worth protecting, a chosen family if you will. He knows he can’t go back to his timeline, and he failed to protect his mother, he failed being worthy in the eyes of his father, and he failed to see how Thor truly did care for him on the sacred timeline. So now… He’s determined to change that. We still see glimpses of the many facets of his character, S2 EP2 with his ability to be the Loki/God of Mischief people expect, S2 EP 5 with his selfishness and of course the finale where he reaches his ‘full potential’ so to speak.

‘Sentiment is a weakness’ has always been something Loki said or thought he believed… When in reality, sentiment drove all of his actions in the films. And that is mirrored in the series too.

Loki didn’t just suddenly become ‘soft’, it was always there, he just convinced himself that he wasn’t the same as his brother because he wasn’t like his brother… But if you strip everything back, the truth is he is just a ‘scared little boy’, as Mobius put it, who in the past latched onto what he knows best - chaos and mischief.

I cannot comment on the reasons people hate the show when it comes to the complexity of Norse mythology being used for his character, I am not well versed in it enough. I also enjoyed the Sylvie and Loki storyline - especially the complexity of S2 and their clashes. And I also enjoy Mobius and Loki’s bond and how they both helped one another grow. I don’t care about ships particularly, and I certainly don’t let it affect my opinion on the show because of that reason. Plus, I do love Sylvie as a character.

But as a MCU Loki fan, who has grown up with him since Thor1/Avengers, I think the show just expanded upon the character we finally got to see more of in Ragnarok/Infinity War. Tom even said himself that Loki has variety, he ‘plays all the keys’… Loki is never going to be one thing. And I love that about him, it’s what makes him interesting.

I could really go on and on but uh… I better not. Sorry, the special interest was really special interesting here lmao. 💚

Edit: would like to add that people who dislike the show for whatever reasons are entitled to dislike it, just as I’m entitled to enjoy it!

[xoxobuckybarnes]

October 2023 Stucky Fics

Completed

Realignment (Rated: E, Words: 23K) by sunflower_dragon19 / @amethystkrystal

Summary: After assembling their own Infinity Gauntlet, the Avengers defeated Thanos and brought back everyone who disappeared. But their victory came at a great cost: in order to take the Soul Stone, Steve had to sacrifice the Captain America mantle and all the super-soldier strength that came with it. Small and sickly again, Steve’s poor health soon reaches a breaking point and his last option is a difficult surgery only Shuri and her team can perform. But not all hurts can be fixed with medicine, and the real healing begins after the operation -- when Bucky asks Steve to stay in Wakanda with him.

Natasha Romanoff's Dating Service (Rated: M, Words: 12K) by HMSLusitania / @hmslusitania

Summary: Bucky is just trying to survive his PhD. He does not need strange, unfamiliar undergraduates trying to fix him up with their roommate. He can find a guy on his own. Right?

The Limits of Duty (Rated: E, Words: 71K) words & art by LeeHan / @leehanji

Summary: The Kingdom of Winter is at war with the Kingdom of Hydra. To Steve, it feels they always have been. He spent years fighting in the Winter army and now he's been summoned to the capital, Winter's Heart, to take up a new post as Captain of the Star. The capital is rife with intrigue, from the comings and goings of the whispering footmen, to the dashing and secretive Sergeant Barnes, and the goings on of the Winter Queen and her two children, Princess Rebecca and Prince James. When a delegation arrives from the neighboring Kingdom of Shield and painful secrets are flayed wide open, Steve must face the consequences of his heart's desire and confront the limits of his duty.

the nightmare from which I am trying to awake (Rated: E, Words: 15K) by Speranza / @cesperanza

Summary: "You gotta bring him in, Cap." Tony Stark, distant: on speakerphone. "You can come in to me, or you can go to—well, I don't know who else is left. But you gotta bring him in."

as the leaves are changing (Rated: T, Words: 4K) by dontcallmebree / @dontcallmebree

Summary: The subject of Steve’s love life—or lack thereof—is one Bucky happily revisits on an unusually slow Tuesday afternoon. “You know it’s Washington’s worst-kept secret that you’re gay, right?” Unfazed, Steve slants him a deadpan stare and demolishes the rest of his lunch in a giant, singular bite like some self-imposed muzzle. Regardless, the pointed lift of his eyebrow speaks volumes as to where Steve would tell him to shove it were his mouth not otherwise occupied. Bucky Barnes decides to get his boss a boyfriend, to hell with the politics.

Who's That O? (Rated: T, Words: 12K) by LouiKazooie / @louikazooie

Summary: After going through a rough breakup, awkward and upbeat Steve, an omega, moves in with three single alphas. Intelligent and witty Bucky is a grump who took the bartender off-ramp on his road to success. Some things are just inevitable.

2012 'verse (series) by brenayla / @brenayla

Act of Sage (Rated: M, Words: 64K)

Summary: After the Battle of New York, Steve finds a strange note in his apartment. It’s his handwriting, but he sure as hell would’ve remembered writing this.

blister and burn, baby (Rated: E, Words: 23K)

Summary: Bucky yawns himself awake, stretching out over the arm of the couch. He scratches at his chest and turns his head to Steve. “Why did we mess around and then stop?” “What do you mean?” “You said we messed around when we were kids, then we stopped, then we started again in the war. Why?”

Hearts Don’t Need a Break (I’ll Be Waiting for You) (Rated: E, Words: 4K) by Voylitscope_speed / @voylitscope

Summary: The wonderful but awful thing about having Steve here is that it's perfect. Right this minute, Bucky is lying in his bed and curled into Steve. Everything smells like sex, Bucky's favorite shampoo, and that citrusy soap he keeps in his shower just for Steve. His whole body still feels incredible — unwound and remade — and there are places Steve's touch feels burned to his skin. They're pressed close together, and Steve's smiling one of those smiles that always seem like they're just for Bucky. Bucky would be unbelievably happy about it all if it hadn't been sixty-four days since the last time Steve was here. (Or: Bucky enthusiastically welcomes Steve back after a long absence, and they have a very overdue conversation about their relationship — and their feelings.)

bad idea to think i could stop (Rated: E, Words: 9K) by LolitaBlue

Summary: You give me too much credit," Steve breathed, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not the kind of person to make or break someone's life." He'd never seen Bucky like this- as himself. Being honest and vulnerable and not dancing around his feelings for the sake of keeping his emotions safe. Steve appreciated it but was dizzy from the complete 180, and didn't know what to expect from Bucky moving forward. The only thing he knew for certain was that he'd never been so attracted to another human being in his life. Bucky gave a half-hearted shrug. "Dunno. I'm pretty sure you could make or break mine." ---------- bad love!verse part 3 ***This fic is complete, but the series (bad love!verse) is not***

WIP

Lost Vocabularies that Might Express (The Memory of These Broken Impressions) (Rated: E, Current Words: 66K) by dorian_burberrycanary / @burberrycanary

Summary: The worst of times, like the best, are always passing away. How’s that for some consolation on the road? A post-The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Stucky fix-it as part of the all-American road trip, detours included. ***Part of the series A Man Takes His Sadness Down to the River (The Consolation of Philosophy): The Same River, Twice (The Man Is Still Left with His Hands) (Rated: G, words: 4K), Still Left with the River (The Paradox of Motion) (Rated: G, Words: 14K), &  Not Language by a Map (The Grammar of Sensation) (Rated: E, Words: 20K)***

Treading Water (Rated: M, Current Words: 239K) by sparkagrace / @sparkagrace & art by Dyslexic_Fetus (Reagy_Jay) / @reagy-jay

Summary: Olympic swimmer Bucky Barnes always believed that when the time came to retire, he would walk away with his medals and world records firmly in the history books and never look back. He never thought the water would leave him first. ***Part of the series Lane Lines: Lane Lines (Rated: M, Words: 132K), Lumière (Rated: M, Words: 5K), & New Traditions (Rated: M, Words: 6K)***

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Looooong post incoming...

THE INCREDIBLES and INCREDIBLES 2 have been on my mind, lately.

Writer-director Brad Bird’s 2004 superhero movie, done up at Pixar in the days they weren’t owned by The Walt Disney Company, was like a formative film for me. Like STAR WARS was for many kids growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, THE INCREDIBLES was probably that for 12-year-old me, among a couple other movies. (That same year, I was also blown away by SPIDER-MAN 2 and… Umm… I, ROBOT?)

And I’m one of the few weirdos that really, really dug the contested sequel. Well, contested by people online. It did get good critical reception and got an Oscar nom, made a truck ton at the box office, but it’s one of those weird “big” movies that came out, made tons and tons of money, but I hear few talk about it to this day. I feel some other recent Pixar sequels fit that bill as well, like FINDING DORY and TOY STORY 4. These absolutely massive movies that people raced to see, because they love the originals and the characters in them so much, but then seemingly… Forgot about? I think it has a lot to do with just how much stuff comes out now, that it kinda all gets lost in the shuffle. They don’t stick the way TOY STORY 3 did back in 2010, before we got so inundated with lots and lots of stuff oozing out of every pore: TV, streaming, other movies, podcasts, more streaming, etc. etc. Plus, there's that special sauce with the originals that tends to make them hit different than the sequels, no matter how good the sequels may be...

But no matter, I loved INCREDIBLES 2 and still do, even if I think it falls a little bit short of the original. That was a hard act to follow, after all. I did go over some of the few things about the sequel that I thought could’ve been expanded a bit, a few months back… And I’m thinking about them again.

I think the main point of contention with INCREDIBLES 2 was the Screenslaver, and the whole twist being that he was a fictional character, a face that was created by a disgruntled telecommunications company exec who wanted to keep superheroes illegal.

I get it, in a way. Screenslaver looks cool, and that one action sequence with him in the strobe light cage with Elastigirl? I fuckin’ LOVE it. Such a dynamic, well-done action sequence. I guess it made people wish that both Bob and Helen, and the kids and Frozone and maybe those weirdo superheroes like Screech and Reflux, took this guy on. A slender, creepy mask-wearing mind control villain… It's what you expect in a superhero movie, the heroes fighting a rather weird bad guy!

And yet, in a way, I feel like Screenslaver being a mere face. A distraction. Makes INCREDIBLES 2 every bit as subversive as the original. Especially since INCREDIBLES 2 came out in 2018, which was literally a superhero/comic book movie-heavy year. Maybe the heaviest? You had AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, DEADPOOL 2, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES, VENOM, SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (!), am I missing anything? That year was S-T-A-C-K-E-D.

By contrast, in 2004, THE INCREDIBLES debuted opposite of SPIDER-MAN 2 and HELLBOY… And also BLADE: TRINITY, THE PUNISHER, and CATWOMAN… Much different times. Especially when it was greenlit by Pixar in the year 2000… What was happening in superhero movies that year? X-MEN had come out, and that was after a fairly successful BLADE movie… And years after BATMAN & ROBIN was lambasted and put the Batman movie format to rest for a good while. (Now it’s inescapable. Every few years, a new actor portrays Batman in live-action.)

THE INCREDIBLES stood out in 2004, I feel, not just because of the freedom animation allowed for the superhero concept (which put it above many of the live-action spectacles being made at the time), but also because it rung closer to a ‘60s spy movie than a typical beat-em-up extravaganza. It’s clearly set in a midcentury modern world, a stylized retro futuristic early ‘60s that is informed by the presence of superpowered beings. Or “Supers”, as this franchise has always called them. While there isn’t a wealth of material explaining how world events played out, it’s all implied and hinted at in both films.

By the mid-1960s, American animation had kinda been pigeonholed as an outlet for cheap, reliable kids’ entertainment on Saturday mornings. The closest thing to an American “spy” movie in the animated medium back then was, of all things, a FLINTSTONES movie: 1966’s THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE. THE INCREDIBLES almost feels like a lost animated movie made for a slightly older audience circa 1965, but dusted off decades later and done in CGI. That’s a Brad Bird staple. Born in 1957, he loves midcentury modern retrofutures, and just that setting in general. THE IRON GIANT is set in the late 1950s, he had a cancelled take on Will Eisner’s THE SPIRIT that was set around the time it was introduced, his long-gestating RAY GUNN has been described as a 1930s sci-fi noir retrofuture, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE is of course a ‘60s spy show and a series of feature films (Brad’s feels the most ‘60s out of the movies), TOMORROWLAND… Need I say more? Even RATATOUILLE, which doesn’t involve super heroics or gadgets or futuristic technology… It’s literally a movie about cooking! Even that movie has a retro vibe to it. It’s set in the then-present, but it’s timeless in its look and feel.

Anyways, THE INCREDIBLES plays as much James Bond as it does, say, Batman. You have the whole Nomanisan Island lair, close-quarters fights with armed men, Michael Giacchino’s score, it’s a just-right mix. The first INCREDIBLES has a rather conventional bad guy in Syndrome. An evil guy in an eye-catching suit, with all these various man-made powers, as opposed to other Supers’ natural-born powers. INCREDIBLES 2’s villain is merely an average woman, roughly in her 30s? 40s? She has no powers, she’s just a master manipulator, almost a filmmaker in that regard. I mean she’s an artist and a designer, that’s made perfectly clear the minute you see her, so it makes sense that she could pull off this elaborate show. Mysterio in SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME - which was released a year after INCREDIBLES 2 - needed drones and such to do that. That the Screenslaver is merely a brainwashed pizza delivery guy is part of her brilliance.

So, that’s what makes INCREDIBLES 2 stick out from the other superhero movies circa 2018. A year where the majority of the villains were clear-cut, like a big purple alien guy who wipes out half the universe… and here’s INCREDIBLES 2 with a very crafty woman who essentially puts on a big show. And that in the second half, it’s her and her use of mind control technology that are the big obstacle for the Supers. Not a creature or a conventional superhero bad guy. I think it works, honestly. Like, what’s a different kind of challenge? What if all the good guys got brainwashed, leaving a few… Namely the KIDS, to fend for themselves? That’s a very cool idea, honestly. But again, I get why detractors wanted the shadowy mind control guy instead. Part of me would love to see that version of INCREDIBLES 2, too, if it ever existed. According to interviews w/ the filmmakers, Screenslaver was a late addition to the plot. INCREDIBLES 2 was supposed to come out in summer 2019, but Disney had pushed it up a year, which apparently affected a lot of the decision-making. For some, it shows.

Maybe if INCREDIBLES 2 came out in 2008 instead of 2018, and had the same exact villain twist… In a world where other Disney Animation and Pixar movies with twist villains didn’t yet exist (i.e. Hans, Callaghan, Bellwether, Ernesto), it’d be received differently? I do not know. But that’s why it all works for me. I can tune out the succession of “twist villain” movies, and take INCREDIBLES 2 on its own merits.

In my previous piece on INCREDIBLES 2, I did kind of find fault with its rather rushed third act and how the film doesn’t really bite into the meatier political aspect it kind of teases. The whole idea of a society being dependent on superheroes, rather than getting up and helping pitch in to make the world a better place. (Not dissimilar to TOMORROWLAND’s message.) It’s really all just there to serve Evelyn’s character, which I’m totally fine with… It works in that context. But on the other hand, I feel like this could’ve gone further and explored the whole idea of superheroes being - to quote Jenny Nicholson in her review of JOKER - a “band-aid solution” to crime. And it being a PG-rated mass-market Disney release is no reason to keep me from speculating about this version of INCREDIBLES 2.

I get that Brad Bird probably just wanted to keep it simple and streamlined, and that the “who needs Supers anyways” idea is just a device for Evelyn, not there to make a larger statement. I do believe all art is political, even these movies, but how far the creators want to go with the politics is another story. Ultimately, Evelyn’s methods of getting her way are wrong, but she has points… What if a better society could be created that didn’t depend on superpowered beings having to clobber criminals or threats to save the day?

Clearly the world of THE INCREDIBLES needs superheroes, though, because you have things like mole men with massive drill-mobiles cutting through cities like they’re nothing. But I feel that in a world where we are hyperaware of the system’s flaws and how it’s mostly a failure by design and pretty much creates crime (I’m getting political here, heads up), INCREDIBLES 2 could’ve possibly said something about that. Instead of having superheroes, a stand in for the police when the police themselves or the military can’t handle the threat, what’s causing all the crime in New Urbem and Municiberg in the first place? What systemic inequalities are happening? How progressive is this world because of the presence of superheroes/cool tech? Why are there are robberies? What’s the poverty rate? Etc. etc.

And you may be thinking, this is just an animated family movie, it doesn’t have to be that deep… But I disagree. Plenty of family films, and good stories in general, don’t shy away from this kind of stuff. Art is not made in a vacuum. A lot of actual real-life kids LIVE these sorts of things, too.

But even PG-13 Marvel movies, probably because they’re released by Disney - and Disney tries to play moderate when it comes to political stuff (though they are still too far left for dinguses who yell “WOKE” at everything), don’t really go that far either.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR chips at whether there should be government regulation of superheroes or not, until it settles for being a story about two friends turning against each other over a family death… and then a few MCU movies later, none of that matters - the superheroes are ultimately needed to stop the big purple guy in space… THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER asks why, in a post-Blip world, a universe where half of all the living beings just ceased to be… Why are there still such inequalities on Earth, after Thanos’ snap and subsequent revival of everyone who was unalived? It’s all the catalyst for the Flagsmashers, and leader Karli herself. She was so nuanced as an antagonist, and you also had this ersatz Captain America guy who straight up murdered a person in cold blood. I was loving where it was all going, until a few episodes in, they just made Karli a straight-up murderer. All that nuance is flattened, and the final episode is just another big fight scene. Outside of Sam Wilson’s speech at the end, what really changed on MCU’s Earth? What did this Disney+ series have to say, really? Other than bringing up those very real problems we face in the U.S. and around the world?

I think INCREDIBLES 2 is just more interested in being about its characters first, which, again. Is fine. I don’t think less of the movie because of that. The first INCREDIBLES was about the family dynamic first and foremost, too, and not the spectacle. I don’t require Brad Bird to share all of his political views with me. I appreciate that the movie even posits the question to begin with, it’s ultimately why I’ve been thinking about it! Maybe Bird sees that world as simpler because it’s one where superheroes have been around since at least the turn of the 20th century, and things are different because of that.

This is probably why some people get a very Ayn Randian reading out of THE INCREDIBLES, when I think Bird’s conceit was merely “the villain is someone who uses technology to be a pretend-superhero”. It’s all there to inform Syndrome’s character, not necessarily to declare to the audience that people without powers CAN’T be superheroes. Syndrome kills several Supers so he can enact his plan and make everyone into Supers, because he’s big mad at Mr. Incredible, and that’s why he fails. He could’ve just grown up to make super technology to make other people super, not kill a bunch of them. Heck, if he had turned out better, he could’ve singlehandedly ended the outlawing of Supers… And not natural-born Supers… Imagine THAT movie…

The original movie, I feel, just doesn’t necessarily make a case for whether people born without superpowers can be Super. This dichotomy is just there to make the villain what he is, and hint at what he could’ve been instead of a villain. Sure, the Parr family and Frozone saving the day at the end upholds this apparent status quo, but I don’t think Bird was thinking about it like that. He had denied the Ayn Rand comparisons as far back as the release of the first movie.

The likelier reading of this film, and some of Bird’s other films such as RATATOUILLE and TOMORROWLAND, is informed by Bird’s career trajectory. He was mentored by Milt Kahl, of all people! One of the greatest animators, one of Walt’s Nine Old Men… He was mentored by him as a teenager! But most of Bird’s career, as noted by Mark Mayerson, was a long series of denied opportunities. His aforementioned SPIRIT movie didn’t take off in the ‘80s because who during that period - a time when SECRET OF NIMH came and went, and when features like TWICE UPON A TIME couldn’t get an audience - wanted to sink money into an animated action movie of that caliber? RAY GUNN didn’t go through in the 1990s at Turner Animation, and Warner Bros. dumped THE IRON GIANT in the late summer of 1999 with an ineffective marketing campaign that caused it to flop at the box office.

Because IRON GIANT did so badly, Bird took his toys and left Warner Bros. He headed to Pixar with his superhero movie concept, and he got in despite those who didn’t quite want him around. John Lasseter was not fond of an outsider coming in with this very different pitch for a movie. Up until that point, Pixar was literally what I like to call “Team TOY STORY”. John Lasseter, TOY STORY’s director, also directed A BUG’S LIFE and TOY STORY 2. Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton, where instrumental in TOY STORY 1 & 2, directed MONSTERS, INC. and FINDING NEMO respectively. Lee Unkrich, an editor on TOY STORY, co-directed on TOY STORY 2, MONSTERS, INC. and FINDING NEMO. Lasseter fired Jorgen Klubien off of his CARS, which was in the works at the time, and took it over. Tight-knit building. Bird was an outsider, and Lasseter wasn’t thrilled about that. But luckily, Steve Jobs staved him off and also kept Michael Eisner’s doubts about THE INCREDIBLES at bay. Bird got to make his rather outre superhero movie at Pixar in spite of Lasseter, Eisner, etc…. And it was a big hit and an Oscar winner. Lasseter was singing a different tune after that.

Future directors didn’t have Jobs’ protection, though, which meant that Lasseter could fire them more easily… And he did… Brenda Chapman, Bob Peterson, etc.

So then after THE INCREDIBLES, Brad Bird really wanted to get a live-action adaptation of the novel 1906 off the ground, but that didn’t go anywhere. He took over RATATOUILLE at Pixar, made a big hit out of that, and then tried to pursue other endeavors. His MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movie (GHOST PROTOCOL in 2011) did very well, but then after that, he made TOMORROWLAND and it bombed… And then took on an INCREDIBLES sequel. He is just now starting to get his cooler ideas off the ground, as his RAY GUNN is finally in production at Lasseter’s Skydance Animation. Funny how that works, right? The guy is over 60 years old and is just getting started.

If anything, his movies are more about that. He’s a guy with really cool, game-changing ideas for animated movies in an industry that isn’t interested in that… So… The INCREDIBLES movies being about superheroes who want to help people but not being allowed to by the system, RATATOUILLE being about an animal that doesn’t belong in a kitchen wanting to cook for people, GHOST PROTOCOL being about spies still trying to do the right thing and save the world after their unit has been shut down by the system, TOMORROWLAND being about people not subverting the system by pitching in to make the world a better place and also being barred from the utopia - by, again, the system - where they can make that happen… Yeah, it’s very clear that Bird’s movies are just him venting about his own hangups via fantastical concepts, not trying to espouse some sort of Ayn Randian ideology. How the hell do you get “if you’re naturally talented, you should hoard those gifts from the rest of society” out of THAT?

I think that’s what it is, and that’s what informs the world of THE INCREDIBLES. It’s simply an Earth where superheroes exist, and the system makes them illegal instead of finding other ways to correct accidents that have happened whenever they are around. Just outright ban them from doing what they do, instead. I mean, governments in real life ban all kinds of people for various reasons, strip away their rights, dehumanize them, criminalize them, etc… Sometimes mere circumstances, such as poverty, are viewed as personal failure and inherently criminal. There’s a level of relatability with superheroes for some people because of that. The late Kevin Conroy, for example, used his role as Batman in the 1992 animated series an outlet for his struggles as a gay man. X-Men stories, and the early 2000s X-MEN movies, are either interpreted as that or ARE largely about that.

But even then, Bird’s world still posits some interesting questions that it doesn’t fully answer. It’s busier focusing on the characters. This is more an observation, as I’m not trying to dock the original or the second movie any points… I just wonder why, in the sequel, the world the movies are set in was so quick to legalize Supers after everything that has happened. All it took was saving a boat and that was it? Not the defeat of Syndrome’s final Omnidroid? Not the other good deeds before that? I feel like that portion in the final third of the movie was strangely very rushed.

The thing is, before I wrap this up (phew), we only have two canonical movies in this series, and a handful of comedic/gag-based shorts. The world of the INCREDIBLES is wide and ripe for exploring, I’d argue, but Brad Bird’s not getting any younger and he should pursue the projects he really wants to make. Again, RAY GUNN, his Western, his horror movie, his musical, etc. Pixar honored him by not having someone else throw together a second INCREDIBLES sometime in the late 2000s/early 2010s. Like, Disney could’ve forced Pixar to make one without him anyways, but no. They waited. And if there’s a third one to be made, or a prequel set during the “Golden Age”, they’ll likely wait for him to be available and willing to do it. Or if he gives it his blessing and leaves it to another director… Like Pixar did with TOY STORY 4 and INSIDE OUT 2, and almost did with FINDING DORY. I wonder if he was gonna do the same with INCREDIBLES 2, had TOMORROWLAND done great and he went straight for a sequel to that.

I’d like to see more of that universe, but it needn’t be forced out of the filmmakers at Pixar. Maybe the little we know of it is what kind of stokes our imaginations when it comes to this series? Look at something like STAR WARS now… There’s a ton of movies and shows and expanded universe stuff, which arguably dilutes the magic of its universe... THE INCREDIBLES isn’t that big wide despite the original movie almost being 20 years old. THE INCREDIBLES doesn’t need to be that huge, but I would like to see a little bit more of that world. Maybe another movie - be it INCREDIBLES 3 or a prequel called SUPERS or something - or a Disney+ series, but not the behemoth something like STAR WARS or the MCU have become.

I feel it’s worth playing around in a little bit more. I’m also biased, because I love the movies, particularly the first one.

[forzasedici]

i love it that you reblogged the “get to know the blogger” post bc i saw you reblog a lot of “le belle et la bete” gifs and was curious about your general taste/favourite films 👁️👁️

this is going to be so long i'm sorry but i just love talking about it so let's start!

i'm going to highlight some of the movies from my favourites list on letterboxd aka the movies that butter my bun:

— Skyfall (2012) and 1917 (2019) both directed by Sam Mendes are honestly great movies with Skyfall for me being the best Bond movie and 1917 as one of the best war movies. What made 1917 one of my favourites was the watching it at cinema experience plus the reveal in the end is just *chef's kiss*

— Tarantino movies. Like that's it. I know a lot of ppl don't like him but for me he's one of the best writers and sure has his problems but you cannot deny his work is great. Inglorious Basterds for me take the cake as his best movie with Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill: Part I being up there as well. One of his underrated movies is definitely Jackie Brown which I've loved.

— Period dramas. Another one of my fave genres. Emma. (2020) being one of my favourite movies. Emma (2009) is also a great adaptation albeit it is a series. Pride and Prejudice (2005) and (1995) are great as well. Little Women has recently grown on me way more and remains my favourite Greta Gerwig movie. Another underrated movie for me is Ophelia which as the title says focuses more on Ophelia from the play Hamlet. It's really well done and I've enjoyed watching it.

— This one is also a period drama but it is a bollywood movie so I wanted to highlight it. Jodhaa Akbar is a MUST watch such a good movie it's insane like I'm sorry you have a sword fight sequence between two lovers and you have won me over.

— Let's get franchises out of the way. Obviously Marvel movies are some of my favourites with Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Thor: Ragnarok which are in my top 3. Both Black Panther movies and Spider-man: No Way Home are taking honourable mentions. For their series my favourite has been Moon Knight. (Sony gets their cookies for Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse and obviously Venom because come on now eddie and venom are otp y'all don't get it like i do)

— Next big franchise is Star Wars. Original trilogy: Empire Strikes Back. Prequel trilogy: Revenge of the Sith (I'm an Anakin girlie unfortunately) and Sequel trilogy: The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson supremacy). Series: Obi-wan Kenobi (i cried). Honourable mention to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (i also cried).

— Since I mentioned Rian Johnson let's expand on that because the man just gets movies and everyone should watch Looper and Knives Out!!

— Denis Villeneuve. MY MAN!!!! Arrival and Dune *chef's kiss* if you can bear longer movies also Blade Runner 2049 but it isn't one of my favorites exactly because it was long and boring. And since probably someone will say the same for Dune at least Dune has you looking at Oscar Isaac and Timothee Chalamet sure they look miserable but that's when men look the best.

— Spy movies? like idk how to call this but let me list them all. Anna (2019) they succeeded where The Red Sparrow failed like if you're looking for anything similar to Black Widow Anna is the one I would recommend a thousand times. The Nice Guys and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. great comedies I just love them. It's not really a spy but assassin I guess but John Wick franchise is the shit and the best movie is obviously John Wick 2.

— Another director that has me is unfortunately Christopher Nolan. Can I get more basic than that? I do admit his faults and that's sound mixing is fucking awful, I don't understand his movies while I am watching them most of the time and this man cannot write a female character for the life of him BUT 🎶 shapes and colours 🎶. His ideas are what draw me in and it's just visual masterpieces doesn't matter if I can't hear the dialogue if it looks good am I right?

— Smashing musicals and animation together because this is already becoming too long. Singin' In The Rain and The Sound of Music are a MUST watch and also I'm a Phantom of the Opera girlie so if you're going to watch anything watch the 25th anniversary version. I am also unfortunately a Hamilton girlie and the damage to my life caused by that damn musical is irreparable. For animation musical Hercules, The Emperor's New Groove, Anastasia, The Lion King and Tangled and purely animation Howl's Moving Castle, Lilo and Stitch, The Incredibles and Inside Out.

— Now it's time for a quick fire: Ford v Ferrari and Rush are two best movies for my motorsport girlies, Gone Girl and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire for my book girlies, Death at a Funeral and Hot Fuzz for the british comedy girlies, i'm also unfortunately a Titanic girlie probably the movie i've watched most in my life, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS!!! A. MUST. WATCH. Monty Python movies are great if you ignore some of the outdated jokes. Jackie is one of my favorites just because it's one of Natalie's Portman's best performances and that's also including Black Swan but both movies are also visually stunning.

— The Death of Stalin is one of the best comedies as well. Ready Player One is one of my weirder favourites since many ppl see it as an average movie but i'd recommend it to anyone (literally can't believe it's my favourite Spielberg movie 😭😭). Also add to the video game genre Tron: Legacy because I will also recommend that movie to anyone. The Grand Budapest Hotel is also a must watch like if anyone made the world go through a pink paint shortage before Barbie did then it's this movie and finally The Batman (2022). Let's end on a battinson note just because.

— Crazy to think I haven't even mentioned all of my favourites but I guess this is kinda the jist of it all. Basically my taste is anything as long as I like it I guess jsbsjsbsjs. (I forgot to mention the horror genre but that's just because I don't really have a favourite movie like if I had to say anything it would be The Conjuring movies.)

— As for Le Belle Et La Bête it's one of my new favourites and honestly got me into a french cinema mood so I'll probably find more favourites there. One of my goals has always been to watch more foreign movies but not many have entered my favourites club unfortunately. Also fuck disney live-action remakes (except you cinderella (2015)).

get to know the blogger

[ofmythsandfables]

S.teve R.ogers

starter call | open starters | aesthetics | headcanons | photos

VERSES

First Avenger

Takes place after Steve has become a super soldier until the end of CA:TFA

Avenger

Steve has woken up in the future and not only does he have to cope that basically everyone he’s ever known is dead, but now he has to fight aliens invading Earth. Takes place throughout The Avengers.

Getting the Hang of Things

Still learning the ins and outs of the future, Steve also has to come face to face with his past. Takes place throughout CA:TWS

Ultron

Takes place throughout the The Avengers: AoU

Civil War

Steve is being forced to take sides against his friends. Takes place during CA:CW

Infinity War

Fighting the biggest fight of his life, and losing his friends in the process. Takes place during The Avengers:IW

Endgame

Five years later and Steve along with the surviving members of the Avengers try to bring back the rest of the team to save the world one last time. Takes place during The Avengers:Endgame

Life after Endgame ( alternate ending )

After returning the infinity stones, Steve doesn’t go back in time with Peggy, and instead comes back to the present. He still passes on the shield to Sam Wilson so he can live an ordinary life.

Alternate ending 2: No one is dead after returning the stones and the Avengers are intact. This is for my own delusions because I want everyone back together.

Just a Scrappy Brooklyn Kid ( non-super soldier au )

In a modern world, Steve isn’t a super soldier or working with the Av.engers. Instead, he is a retired captain of the US army and currently an artist living in Brooklyn.

[capsarcastica]

The Marvels Review

To those claiming the MCU is falling apart, that Disney needs new leadership, that superhero movies are dying this movie won't do a thing to change anyone's mind. While better than feared, it's worse than hoped.

There isn't a single idea in the movie that isn't half-baked and underdeveloped. So much of the events, hinting at far more interesting stories, are told not shown. So many character dynamics are hinted at but never used, like not meeting your heroes which should be obvious but is never developed.

The movie can't settle on one tone, swinging wildly between straightforward serious and sitcom-like silly. This is most notable in the escape sequence towards the end that tries to be about cute kittens and Lovecraftian horror in every shot.

There will be much discussion about the planet where they can only communicate through song and Carol is an actual Disney-style princess. A better filmmaker, like James Gunn, could have had much fun with it. But, again, it's played both too serious and too silly to settle one what they're trying to do.

Like the over bloated Spider-Man 3, Carol has one story going with Kamala but an entirely different one with Monica that the two don't work together. Carol is more interesting than she was in Endgame, though not enough to really carry a film. Monica seems included more to dump exposition and technobabble. Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris give okay but nothing memorable performances. Kamala is the movie's best part, an excellent continuation from her show. Iman Vellani perfectly embodies the comic book fan getting to be part of the adventure. In fact, it's only the cast of Ms. Marvel that really seems to be trying. The villain is one of Marvel's worst, with nothing memorable about her and a scheme literally out of Spaceballs. Nick Fury, once the glue that held the universe together, is now nothing but a useless character spouting cheesy one-liners.

The Multiverse is pointlessly shoehorned in, proving Marvel doesn't seem to have any idea what to do with it besides forcing it into everything they do.

Those who don't like having to study the entire MCU going into every project should be glad they don't have to know everything all the way back to Iron Man. They just have to know Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, and X-Men: Days of Future Past in order to understand all the story and references. Secret Invasion's place is confusing as the movie was originally supposed to come out before the series, but it neither sets up the series while it would directly contradict the show's ending.

But it makes the worst crime a movie can, it's dull, boring, and forgettable. Everything about the movie screams contractual obligation rather than a story anyone wanted to tell. The story doesn't seem all that impactful to the overall MCU and none of the characters really seem changed.

The film just can't escape all the behind-the-scene troubles. Reports of on-set fighting, terrible test screenings, numerous reshoots. Disney may just have the worst 100th anniversary since only the third Guardians movie has been anything close to a success for them. Many claim there is superhero fatigue, but it's really lousy movie fatigue. Sword-and-sandals, westerns, and slashers all went through the same thing. Superhero movies can no longer get by with just being part of some universe, they have to actually be good. After all, Guardians 3 and Across the Spider-Verse proved audiences will still come out for good story. Disney and all their properties seem to be coasting on name-recognition alone.

Hopefully this movie will be the straw that broke the camel's back proving that they can't just keep blaming online haters, racists, and sexists and that real change is needed.

[soundingstars]

Peter Parker Verses

Child: Peter was fairly quiet as a child being raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben after the passing of his parents. He doesn’t remember much about his parents because of how young he was when they passed. He was a good kid though, one who rarely got into trouble. v: childhood

Civil War: After being bitten by a spider, Peter was recruited by Tony Stark to help with the upcoming fight against the avengers. That was when everything started for Peter making allies with most of the avengers and Tony Stark. v: my first mission

Homecoming: Peter returns back to a normal life despite him continuing to be Spiderman after being at school for most of the day. He struggles with a normal life and being Spiderman while trying to prove his worth to the Avengers only getting ignored in the process. And dealing with the issues that only Spiderman can help take care of. v: just a boy from Queens Infinity War/Endgame: Peter gets dragged into space because of the alien warship that appeared over New York City alongside Tony and Dr. Strange. He was one of the ones that feel during the decimation of the human race at Thanos’ hand before five years passed as the damage was reversed by the stones bringing back the ones that Thanos had wiped out. v: I felt dusty

Post-Endgame: After being revived from The Blip, Peter tries to pick up his life where it left off despite how different everything was now. It was difficult though as it was going to take time to deal with the events dealing with Thanos and the people that had been lost. Peter struggles with his emotions and the nightmares that plague him for awhile while he slowly recovers (AU route with Tony being alive can occur during this verse) v: what is normal again?

Far From Home: Three years have passed since the battle against Thanos as Peter was aiming for some normalcy by going on his class trip to Europe. A new threat appeared though causing Peter to step up to keep people safe and fix the mistake that he had caused. v: The Next Tony Stark

No Way Home: After his identity has been revealed, new threats appear forcing Peter to make a choice and figure out what it means to be Spiderman. A choice that might make him lose everything. v: Everything I’ve loved became everything I lost

AU where Peter is Tony’s biological/adopted son. v: I am a Stark

Adulthood: Years later as Peter as continued to protect the people as Spiderman, he is around 20-25 working alongside the Avengers after finally become apart of the group. Peter does work at Stark Industries working on projects to help improve human life or anything that he thinks could be improved. His identity as Spiderman has been revealed by this point since he thought that it was time to tell the people who was behind Spiderman’s mask. v: older

College: Peter decided to major in engineering and physics, even if it meant long hours because of him being a double major. It most likely was just going to screw up his sleep schedule even more while trying to be Spiderman on the top of it. Something that Peter is willing to try during the years he is at school. v: how to survive college?

Symbiote: A random encounter with a mugger infected by the symbiote caused the parasite to infect Peter. That was when his behavior started to change mostly anger which was out of the ordinary for the enhanced teen. Chaos does erupt while Peter is infected causing destruction to appear around Queens from the influence of the parasite. v: just a parasite

[snowinabottlearchived]

𝐀 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃  →  𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚢 @rgerscap​ 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚎𝚍 : “𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞.”

𝐒𝐇𝐄  𝐙𝐈𝐏𝐒  𝐔𝐏  𝐇𝐄𝐑  𝐒𝐔𝐈𝐓 ,  𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐓  𝐀𝐒  𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 .     fear   rises   where   warmth   and   comfort   had   rested   the   past   few   hours  ,   erasing   fond   memories   in   the   face   of   war  .   she   feels   her   cells   pulsating  ,   ice   demanding   to   erupt  ,   to   protect   its   host   from   what   was   about   to   come  .   it   had   been   years   since   mutant   had   felt   such   a   lack   of   control  ,   since   she   had   been   as   afraid  .   living   on   the   run   had   demanded   a   lot  ,   had   turned   beloved   heroes   into   criminals  .   it   had   never   been   easy  ,   it   had   not   been   what   they   had   expected   from   life   and   still .   THEY   SIMPLY   WANTED   TO   DO   THE   RIGHT   THING  .   stand   up  ,   never   give   in  ,   never   forget   what   you   dedicated   yourself   to  .   believe   in   yourself   and   those   who   are   with   you  .   BUT   WHAT   SHOULD   SHE   BELIEVE   IN   NOW    ?   ?    throat   is   dry   at   the   mere   thought   of   the   enemy   they   were   about   to   face  ,   the   battle   awaiting   them   on   their   own   doorstep  .   this   wasn  ‘  t   but   about   some   accords  ,   about   freedom   or   the   rights   of   those   born   different  .   this   was   about   LIFE   OR   DEATH  .   surviving   or   getting   slaughtered   by   a   maniac   who   was   ready   to   sacrifice   an   entire   planet   to   get   what   he   was   yearning   for  .   YOU   CAN   NOT   ALLOW   YOURSELF   TO   LOSE  .   panic   has   her   gripped   with   its   sharp   claws   as   former   soldier   approaches  ,   making   its   way   through   shared   quarters   the   king   had   kindly   offered   them   for   the   night  .   she   turns  ,   facing   him   with   an   insecurity   she   almost   felt   ashamed   for  ,   though   features   soften  .   he   had   been   with   her  ,   she   had   been   with   him  .   if   this   day   should   be   THEIR   LAST  ,   she   would   gladly   die   at   his   side  .   hand   reaches   out  ,   gently   placed   upon   bearded   cheek  ,  faint   smile   emerges   on   womans   lips  .   their   friendship   had   been   a   deep   one  ,   always  .   a   unique   bond  ,   woven   of   trust   and   understanding  ,   of   kindness   and   care     (    and   even   more    )     .     oh  ,   it   had   turned  ,   had   changed   in   the   last   few   months  ,   developed   into   a   deeper   sort   of   emotion  ,   in   one   that   she   kept   hidden   away   from   the   surface   for   so    long  .   WHAT   IF   IT   WAS   TOO   LATE   NOW    ?    ?     she   wants   more   for   them   than   this  .   breath   is   held   as   words   cut   the   silence  ,   deep   blues   look   down   to   her   as   if   he   knew  .   as   if   he   feared   the   same   as   she   did  .   for   a   moment   heart   seemed   to   stop  ,   a   phrase   that   had   been   lingering   yet   never   spoken  .   red   flushing   into   pale   cheeks  ,   heat   burning   away   the   ice   formerly   trying   to   gain   control  .   HE   LOVED   HER  .   he   did  .   in   a   universe   that   big  ,   in   a   world   that   had   never   treated   him   with   the   respect   he   deserved  ,   never   took   care   of   one   of   its   bravest   protectors  ,   he   had   opened   up   himself   to   her  .   he   had   given   her   everything   he   had   left  .   doe   eyes   fill   with   tears  ,   falling   down   to   their   feet   in   tiny   flakes  .   SHE   COULD   NOT   LOSE   HIM  .       ❛      i   love   you   too  .     ❜          a   whisper  ,  voice   breaks  .       ❛      ever   since   i   can   think   of  .   and   i   always   will  ,   no   matter   HOW   THIS   ENDS  .     ❜            

[theconstantsidekick]

Static Verse Masterlist

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Stark!Reader (endgame), Steve Rogers x Stark!Reader, Tony Stark x Stark!Reader (siblings), Past Peggy Carter x Stark!Reader (brief, one-sided), Natasha Romanoff x Stark!Reader (shameless flirting)

Summary: Tony Stark's sister's a fucking badass, codename—Static. Here's her story through the MCU.

(These scenes incorporate y/n into the pre-existing story as a character without making drastic changes to the plot or mythos. All the major plot points from the MCU remain in place with the addition of the reader as Static, who is not only a Stark but also enhanced. Whatever events from the canon aren’t mentioned, take place without much change.)

All of these are complete stories in and of themselves but fun to read together if you'd like. Or you could follow my suggested reading order

Warnings: Swearing, Canon Typical Violence, NSFW content tagged in the particular chapter.

In order of release—

The Falcon, The Winter Soldier and Static

A series of scenes with y/n (Static) during the events of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Wherein she’s a somewhat retired superhero, doing a solid for the boys, while coping with the aftermath of losing her only family, Tony Stark.

Age of Ultron (ft. Static)

When Ultron strikes against the Avengers using the Maximoff kids, the visions that Wanda shows Y/n Stark makes her lash out and use her powers—powers that her team didn’t know about. This is the aftermath.

Static: Get, Set, Glitch

Following the events of The Falcon, The Winter Soldier, and Static several people from Static’s past make their way back into her life. One of them just so happens to be her ex, America’s Ass; Steve Rogers. How will she deal with Steve’s return, her fragile yet burgeoning new relationship with Bucky Barnes while simultaneously fighting off demons from her past?

Static Verse Snippets

Just some snippets from Static Verse that didn't make it into concrete fics but are fucking important anyway.

Iron Man 1 (ft. Static)

Tony’s standing at the press conference, contemplating whether or not he should tell the world he is Iron Man. What does his (secretly an alien with cool powers, codename: Static) sister have to say about it?

Bucky Barnes, the Boyfriend

Set somewhere around the events of The Falcon, The Winter Soldier, and Static and Static: Get, Set, Glitch, these are small stand—alone snippets with Bucky and his girlfriend (who’s not only enhanced but also a Stark and an Avenger; codename—Static) being hopeless idiots in love.

The Avengers (ft. Static)

The events of the Avengers take place but Tony’s sister’s, y/n (yet to be codenamed—Static) is there to participate in the action.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (ft. Static)

The events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier take place but Tony’s sister, y/n (yet to be codenamed—Static) has to become a reluctant participant and she fucking hates every second of it.

Avengers: Infinity War (ft. Static)

The events of the Avengers: Infinity War happen. Thanos comes bringing reckoning along with him. And Tony’s sister, Y/n (codename—Static) is right there next to her team, ready to fight.

Avengers: Endgame (ft. Static)

The events of the Avengers: Endgame happen. Y/n (codename—Static) get blipped away. And for a while Tony makes peace with it but then Steve shows up to his door and he discovers time travel. So how can he not at least try to bring her back?

Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been?

The last thing Bucky expects is for Y/n to side with Steve on the matter of killing the man who tortured him into becoming the Winter Soldier.

The Sound of Silence and Static

Y/n Stark gets charged with the murder of former Lieutenant General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. Only one problem, she didn't do it. Here's the story of how the gang, which includes Y/n Stark, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers, Joaquin Torres, and Harley Keener solve the whole thing in time for Bucky and Y/n to get their 'happy ever after'.

Captain America: Civil War (ft. Static)

The events of Captain America: Civil War happen but Tony’s sister, y/n (codename—Static) stands in the eye of the storm, with her brother on one side, and her boyfriend on the other.

Iron Man 2 (ft. Static)

The events of Iron Man 2 take place, however, Y/n (yet to be codenamed - Static) is there alongside her brother, confused and annoyed.

Also, check out

Gorgeous fanart made by the amazing @teddys-things, 'Red' and 'Le roi est mort, vive le roi!'

Banner for Static's campaign to unionize the TVA 'Prune Steve Rogers 2024' here and here by the lovely @siwiecola

Spotify playlist by @y-napotat

Pinterest board by @y-napotat

My Spotify playlist

My Pinterest board

Join the Static Verse Discord Server

Join the Static Verse Amino courtesy of the smashing @y-napotat

[prosperdemeter2]

This is going to be an unpopular opinion but...

I feel like the people who complain about MCU Spider-Man only being Tony Stark Jr. have missed the entire point of the MCU Spider-Man movies. It's a lot of discourse coming from the Marvel gatekeep fans that dislike how popular things have gotten. The... "I liked it before it was cool" fans that are super upset that all these young people are into something they also like (instead of seeing it for the positive it is - more merch! More content! Easier to find things about it! And more people you can chat with about things! It's great!). Everything HAS to be an argument over which Spidey’s been better because we can't just let people enjoy things.

But my point.

In Captain America: Civil War Spidey has a very small role to play and a lot of it is a supporting one. But the entire point (in my opinion) of Tony Stark having proof that Spider-Man already exists in New York is to show that Peter Parker would be a hero even without Tony’s tech. The tech is just there to give him the suit (which, I get it, people are salty Peter doesn't have kick ass sewing skills 🙄). It's also stated in their first meeting that Peter makes his own webs and his own webshooters. So he may not have got to the point where he made his own suit but this kid was smart and talented and capable (and younger than both Tobey and Andrew's Peter - approx 14 in CW compared to 17 and college aged).

In Spider-Man: Homecoming Peter rocks that Stark Tech suit. But he also hacks it. He also repeatedly makes phone calls to try and get Tony’s attention to a problem he thinks is worse than it seems on the surface. He's 15 and he feels things like a 15 year old. But okay, I get it, you're mad that he has Tony Stark as a mentor instead of Uncle Ben (so am I but mostly because I want Uncle Ben and not because I'm really mad about the mentor thing). Oh? Wait? That's not it? It's because... he's not expected to figure it all out on his own?

Only that's where you're... kind of wrong. Aside from Ned, Peter rarely received any help against Toomes at all. And it wasn't because Tony didn't care it was just because Peter was 15 and Toomes was good at hiding things.

My big point - big big point - about HOCO is that Peter doesn't beat Toomes (Vulture) until AFTER Tony takes the suit away. He doesn't beat him with the help of SI tech. He beats him AS SPIDER-MAN. There's even the iconic, stuck under a building, "come on, Spider-Man" scene where Peter realizes that he needs to be BE this hero in order to save the city. And not in a big way like Tobey or Andrew always was - Toomes wasn't trying to destroy New York. But he WAS selling weapons to people across the city to hurt dozens of others. Peter was literally being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man we all want him to be. And he did that. Without a suit. Without any tech that wasn't of his own invention. And he even saved the bad guy's life. No one died that day.

But, okay, whatever, that's not your problem either. It's Far From Home. Okay, let's break that down.

Peter helping out SHIELD? I mean I get it but also there's literally a cartoon where that happens and no one complains. He also does it a few times in the comics. Oh wait, no it's the Tony Stark connection again. I get it. You don't like Tony Stark. Chill, guys, it's not that out of character. Peter Parker always looked up to the guy.

"He needed Stark's tech to beat Mysterio". Uh... tell me you didn't watch the movie without telling me you didn't watch the movie.

The entire point of FFH - as far as I took it - was Peter learning to trust himself again. He falls again and again and again for Mysterio's tricks because he doesn't listen to himself. He doesn't trust his "Spidey Sense" (aka Peter Tingle lmao) because of PTSD due to the events in both Infinity War and Endgame. The only way he beats Mysterio in the end is by TRUSTING HIMSELF. When he closes his eyes in that scene against the drones? He's not using tech to figure out where they are - he's using his Spidey Sense. When he stops Mysterio from shooting him? He's using his Spidey Sense. The entire story of FFH was that he was relearning to trust in his own powers and instincts and believing that he was still a hero even after having let down his hero (in his own mind).

I think I see the real issue. Other than the one i pointed out where we're mad what we liked is now more commercialized and popular - MCU Peter Parker has a pretty strong support system. He doesn't only have Aunt May but he has Ned and MJ, Tony Stark for a bit, Happy Hogan, etc. He works hand in hand with the Avengers.

All I'm saying is you can't argue that MCU Peter Parker is a terrible Spider-Man because he works with Tony Stark and then choose to ignore the fact that he beat both of his villains in both of his solo movies without using that tech.

And this post isn't to say that Tobey and Andew were terrible either. They were and are all great Spider-Men in their own unique ways (and let's be honest, Into the Spider-Verse was 100% the best Spider-Man movie out of the bunch and Miles Morales deserves a lot more love).

Why is it so hard to let people enjoy things without turning into a fandom discourse fight?

[deafarcher]

ooc: clint's world

***Last updated: novemer 24, 2024***

General Things That Apply to all Verses in general:

-Clint has an auditory processing disorder then later becomes deaf in one or both ears

-Unknown to Clint, his father is actually Steve Rogers, who had a one night stand with Edith during some time travel shenanigans. *NOTE: this actually only applies if discussed. Otherwise, does not apply*

Childhood (Applies to all verses in general):

-Edith, Clint’s mother, died of cancer on Clint’s ninth birthday.

-He ran away from home about six months later when Clint’s brother, Barney, takes the blame for breaking one of her fairy figurines and Harold, Clint’s father, hits Barney so badly that Clint assumes Barney is dead and that he is going to be next. At least, that’s what Clint will claim. The truth is Barney ran away with Clint to the circus.

-They meet Myrddin (only actually Merlin in a specific verse), who has recently taken over a small traveling circus and the band of thieves who use the circus as a cover.

-Myrddin teaches the Barton boys archery, and becomes their guardian. But he delegates actual care of Clint and Barney to another member of the circus, the recently widowed Peony.

-Not everyone in the circus is a part of the band of thieves, which was originally formed to help supplement their income and make sure they could still make ends meet even in lean times.

-Under Myrddin the band of thieves expand their stealing to stealing more than they need.

-Eventually they attract SHIELD’s attention after stealing a cache of Stark Industries weapons, though SHIELD doesn’t at first realize that Clint is a member of the group of thieves they’re looking for.

-Clint gets nabbed by SHIELD for trying to pick an agent’s pocket. He’s given the chance to become an agent instead of getting sent to prison by that agent, one Phil Coulson. He decides to take Coulson up on that offer, but he won’t leave without his brother.

-Barney shoots him in the chest, almost killing him, instead of just saying no. Barney does so out of a mistaken belief that Clint turned on their people and snitched.

Main Verse:

-Events prior to the first Avengers movie are the same, as is most everything in the first Avengers movie itself.

-Except Coulson. Coulson never actually died from his injuries, though Fury didn’t lie to the Avengers either. He just assumed that Coulson’s injuries were going to be fatal and it turned out not to be. But considering how serious Coulson’s injuries were and all, it is understandable that he made that mistake.

-Clint is one of the Shield hostages on the Lemurian Star. He is not upset about Natasha not being involved in the rescue because he knows how Shield works (he hates it though and blames fury)

-He goes on the run with Steve after the fight in the elevator (Clint doesn't have his bow with him so he rolls his ankle jumping after Steve)

-He quickly bonds with Sam about being unenhanced while fighting alongside supersoldiers

-Ends up getting so badly hurt trying to delay the Winter Soldier from reaching Steve on the helicarriers that he shares a hospital room with Steve afterwards

-he and nat retreat to his brother's farm while rebuilding their covers.

-Laura Barton is Clint’s sister-in-law, she’s married to Barney Barton, whom she met thru Clint while she’s partnered with the archer at SHIELD, pre-Natasha (yes, Laura’s a SHIELD agent)

-Barton kids are therefore Clint’s niece and nephews.

-Clint and Natasha have a child during AoU timeframe, named Hope.

-Endgame and Infinity War are different, I haven't figured everything out yet. I do have a few things figured out.

-Clint is unable to go confront Thanos initially because of a concussion and other injuries from whatever goes in Civil War (serious injuries that prevent him from even being able to escape prematurely from his hospital bed)

-Barney, Laura, their children, as well as Clint and Natasha’s adopted child are all snapped, resulting in Clint going into a tailspin of depression and guilt as he blames himself for it and becomes Ronin

-Clint and Natasha don’t go to Vormir–it’s Steve and Bucky instead, with Steve making the sacrifice to get the Soul Stone (Bucky ends up with Steve’s shield, to give it to Sam once the Snap’s undone, at Steve’s request)

-Natasha is effectively in charge of the Avengers and keeps everyone on task as they continue on with the plan

-Coulson is the one who does the time traveling thing instead of Steve, and it turns out that future!Coulson is the one who gets past!Coulson to recruit Clint into SHIELD

Star Trek AOS AU:

-Clint is born deaf. He communicates primarily thru sign language.

-He’s a security officer onboard the Enterprise. He is armed with a bow and a phaser. The bow isn’t exactly regulation.

[juniaships]

Vesta Lewis but it's the spiderman movies

My OC (technical si) Vesta Lewis as she would appear in the three cinematic versions of Spider Man

2002 Spider-Man

- Known as the weird kid in school who rarely speaks and didn't give an absolute shit what anyone said about her

- Had no real direction in life after school so she got a job working delivery

- She and MJ are kinda friends; especially in the same theatre class

- Second movie she's still struggling with her hero career

- Spends time with Harry out of pity for his father's death

- Works rival pizzeria; she and Peter really bond over how equally difficult their jobs are

- She gets kidnapped this time instead of MJ bc I always felt bad for her since it damaged her rep

- I guess in the final battel she conjures up an illusion of Doc Ock's dead wife as a visual reminder of the man he once was

- Afterwards Vesta heals him so he survives yay

- Third movie

- Venom pays a visit she is TRAUMATIZED

- She goes to investigate and with the help of Reed Richards determines to be an alien symbiote and tries to save Peter

- They have relationship problems

- She gets a visit by Goblin!Harry but she actually fights him off but he threatens her family's safety so she's forced to stand down

- Symbiote kidnaps Gwen and in the foray Vesta manages to convince Harry to help them fight

2012 The Amazing Spiderman

- She and Peter are rivals this time

- Especially since he's better at science than her and she sucks XD

- Um she fights the lizard by herself and almost DIES

- LOVE TRIANGLE involving her Harry and Peter

- 2014 movie she is the one to work at Daily Planet while Peter gets the job at OSCORP

- During all this their romantic feelings come to light and they can no longer hide it

- Harry is PISSED

- At the end Harry is the one to kidnap her (because she intervenes to save Gwen) and *spoilers* she is the one who dies

- Peter is heartbroken; Gwen moves to England to get away from NY for a while

- MCU (aka my self indulgent version that does away with Endgame and Infinity War and dissed knee stink)

- She meets Peter in a meet cute sort of way during CV (even tho i hate that story)

- She attends a different school; but hangs out with the main trio after hours

- They don't know each other's identities; close calls become something of a running gag

- In Far From Home she goes to Europe with the midtown class not bc of school but because of a supposed lost magical artifact

- She and Peter grow really closer to the point EVERYONE makes memes about it

- DRAMA BOMB

- In this AU all the heroes who got snapped in canon are the ones to survive; so this makes Sam Wilson Captain America early; Yelena coming to avenge Natasha, Sharon never turns evil yadda yadda

- Both Peter and Vesta survive the Snap; giving them a chance to grow up into adult heroes

- So the events of NWH happens differently sort of

- Peter is in college, Michelle is pursuing acting and Ned Ganke-Leeds is studying magic under Wong as "Hobgoblin."

- Vesta works taking care of orphans of the Snap

- Both go with the New Avengers to stop Thanos

- Time is restored but the five years aren't reversed; soooooo THINGS HAPPEN

- Peter and Vesta start dating and everything is going well

- at one point loses her powers and gets attacked by Raimi!Goblin

- Ned: Come on Goblin's already taken?! >:(

- But gets saved by a mysterious person....

- ...A mysterious person in a blue silver and grey suit...

- Who calls herself WOLF SPIDER

- aka VESTA FROM THE TASM VERSE

- Turns out when she died she was given a second chance by one of the Eternals for her sacrifice; but she couldn't go back to her hone universe until her duties are done

- TASM!Peter is shocked to see his dead girlfriend breathing and standing in front of him

- TASM!Vesta says she'll explain everything to him in private

- Also Raimi!Vesta and Peter have triplets: Ben, Serena May, and Stanley (get it Stan Lee)

- It ends with Dr. Strange recruiting Wolf Spider to help him stop Scarlet Bitch; she bids goodbye to her counters and goes off

- But not before sharing one last kiss with her world's Peter and promising him she'll be home by Hanukkah :)

[gotthesilver]

2020 fic round up!

Now that the last of the exchange fics have been revealed, it’s time for a round up. Which I haven’t actually done in years, but lets face it, I have more time on my hands this year because of Reasons so why not? We are gonna do this chronologically because organising by fandom just seems like work.

Put the Past Away, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 3.4k. another post infinity war/pre-endgame canon divergence get together because I like writing those a lot.

Forever for You, part of the Fireside verse, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 3.9k. a little addition to my Fireside series, the last part of which I will hopefully get finished this year!

Such a Softer Sin, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 2.2k. a fic written for the smol steve bingo over at the pots server, square: small steve, big dick. which sums up this fic.

Alone Like This, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 7.4k. written for the @cap-ironman fanwork like it’s 2012 fest! canon divergent where steve and tony meet post iron man 2, pre avengers and it goes a lot better.

Got the Love I Need, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 2.4k. virgin steve is like super desperate to get laid. that’s it.

Through Each Other’s Eyes, Marvel 3490, Steve Rogers/Natasha Stark, Teen, 1k. written for the @cap-ironman tiny reverse bang! steve rogers is embarrassingly in love with his wife. like so much.

Glide Me Towards You, MCU, Steve/Tony, Mature, 6.7k. written for one of @crownofstardustandbone‘s many prompts! canon divergent post endgame old men in love trying to figure out what comes next.

A Little Is Never Enough, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 3.4k. written for h/c bingo, square: corporal punishment. this is spanking fic, you probably know if you want to read it or not.

Souvenirs and Secrets Shared, MCU, Steve/Tony, Mature, 1.4k. written for the twink tony bingo over at pots, square: lingerie. steve stumbles across some old photos of tony in lingerie.

Wounds Without a Bandage, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 2.5k. written for the twink tony bingo at pots as well, square: whump. also for h/c bingo, square: fighting. au where steve was found and defrosted post howard & maria’s death and has been in tony’s life since then.

Sins Born In a Kiss, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 3.5k. also written for the twink tony bingo at pots, square: de-aged. tony gets physically de-aged and steve wants to tap that virgin ass.

Your Loss and Your Sorrow, Gone Girl, Margo Dunne & Nick Dunne, Teen, 1k. written for trick or treat. post movie through margo’s eyes.

Salvation In Dreams, MCU, Steve/Tony, Mature, 1.1k. a fill for h/c bingo: gags. tony gets kidnapped.

Love Like a Hunger, MCU, Steve/Tony, Explicit, 1.5k. based on @firulaispng‘s tony as leia art! steve rails tony while tony is in a leia outfit, that’s it.

Hopeless But Still Romantic, Birds of Prey, Harley/Dinah, Teen, 2.5k. written for shipoween! post movie get together for harley & dinah, with some complications along the way because gotham, right?

Taste of Love, MCU, Steve/Pepper/Tony, Explicit, 1.4k. written for shipoween as well! it’s porn, that’s about it.

Taken Back By You, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 2.5k. steve is terrified of babies and tony is excellent with kids and steve has Feelings about that.

Grow Up; Turn the Tables, Clueless, Cher/Josh, Mature, 2.1k. written for yuletide! post movie, cher and josh and how they are several years down the line.

Having You Near, Oceans Movies, Danny/Rusty/Tess and Danny + Debbie, Teen, 1.4k. also written for yuletide! a what if danny isn’t dead and debbie found him hiding out with rusty & tess.

No Place to Go, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen 6.8k. written for the @cap-ironman holiday exchange! post aou canon divergent christmas getting together with all that involves.

Been Alone Here, MCU, Steve/Tony, Teen, 4.5k. also written for the holiday exchange! modern au, no powers. getting back together post addiction and recovery, a little drop of hope in a difficult process.

and that’s it for 2020 fic! to no one’s surprise I posted a lot of stony. also having made this post I remember why I stopped doing round ups, holy shit that took too long, I hope someone appreciates it.

[samwontshare]

Okay rewatched the zombie episode of What If…? when I’m not half asleep:

One thing I love about What If…? is that it’s filled with references to other nerdy shows and constantly self references the MCU. T’Challa’s episode was filled with Star Trek and Star Wars jokes. This episode is no different!

-Grr argh - Peter’s zombie video…

…makes a reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

-The call cards for Happy, Bucky and Sharon all reference other movies. Bucky is a “heavy sleeper” because of 70 years of cryofreeze. Sharon is good at eulogies re: Civil War.

-Happy makes a Jersey joke (dunking on Jersey is seen in basically every New York City based media), but Bucky does this as well in CA:TFA when he catches Steve faking his papers.

-The van that grows and shrinks is a reference to Ant Man.

-Splitting up goes terribly wrong and someone dies, every horror movie ever CHECK! There are a lot of visuals that parallel common zombie tropes.

-Sam kicking Bucky is a callback to CA: The Winter Soldier

-Camp Lehigh is a reference to two different Cap movies. That Sam and Sharon are here continues the TWS references (as well as Civil War) likely because Bucky is Cap in this verse. His shower curtain is even star spangled.

-Sharon is killed by Cap - ironic considering their kiss in Civil War.

-Bucky’s slight head tilt as he stares down Steve parallels their helicarrier fight. Except Steve is the one too far gone and Bucky kills rather than saves Steve. The shield is picked up rather than dropped. He even references “the end of the line.” What a dark twist on their fight.

-And Bucky is lugging around the same weapon and outfit from Infinity War.

-Because this takes place during Infinity War, they go out of their way to show as many Avengers as possible teaming up and then dying horribly. They even replicate Vision losing the Mind Stone. Thankfully Rhodey missed out!

-Hope’s situation could come from anything but strikes me as Walking Dead. Same with them running out of fuel in front of a giant zombie army. And the fact it’s a trap. And someone died for a cure.

-Giant Hope is a callback to Scott sacrificing himself in Civil War for the others to get away.

-Scott’s head in a jar is a Futurama reference.

-Vision is Wanda’s even darker parallel re: Wandavision. Feeding T’Challa to Wanda - yikes buddy!

-Scott makes a Harry Potter joke “wingardium leviosa.” He also references the song Maneater by Hall and Oates.

-“Wakanda forever!” references Black Panther and Infinity War. Okoye 😭

-Bruce telling Peter to avenge them is a reference to Tony Stark’s line in Avengers 1 “if we can’t protect the earth, you can be damn well sure we’ll avenge it.”

-T’Challa reprises his line from Civil War that death is not the end except it hurts 10000000 times more right now, Chadwick 😭😭😭

-Just like Infinity War, they lose. But this time EVERYONE dies in the end. No one survives.

Other things I didn’t catch on first watch:

-Happy’s saving himself for Thor shirt which Peter clearly made haha

-The tone leans hard on things like Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead and other comedy horror movies like What We Do in the Shadows.

-Okoye, who’s normally immaculate in her uniform, is seen with her armor scuffed and mussed.

-Okoye dunks on Happy by calling him an Uber driver ahahaha

-I kept trying to figure out Bucky’s “I should be sad but I’m not” joke and I landed on it being a meta joke on the fact that none of the characters are sad at killing their friends, they’re too busy joking about it. Which is inappropriate for our Main Timeline folks but not here in this horror comedy verse. It could even be viewed as a joke on the genre itself. BUT Sam is notably Bucky’s friend in this verse!

-“The kid has hand sanitizer?” OKOYE IS KILLING W JOKES.

-“T’Challa!”

“Bucky. Is it really you?”

“Who did this to you?”

Bring me all the T’Challa/Bucky fic!!!

Anyway, what references did I miss? :)

[mystifiicd]

POST NO WAY HOME verse ( NO WAY HOME verse is the same as the movie plus / minus a few details ).

Most of the time, Stephen will not exactly know who Peter is. He does however know about Spiderman because the concept of Spiderman has not been wiped from the world since Jameson still remembers there being a Spiderman at the end of the film. But at the same time, due to Stephen having a photographic memory ( as he can’t forget the the 2012 attack of New York as he was there working as a surgeon and say many casualties that day, dying 1000 times fighting Dormammu, and seeing all those possible futures where everyone loses / dies including himself while fighting Thanos ), will remember bits and pieces of his time with Peter, like fragments of time. He was also only the one who casted both spells and casted the last one on a ton of pressure. While the effects made it seem like everyone forgot who Peter Parker was, there are things like Michelle’s pendant that shouldn’t be there and the mysterious piece of Venom that did not get sent home with Eddie. Wong did say to Stephen that tempering with the spell could become dangerous if not used right. Not like I am saying Stephen messed up the spell but things are not like they should be, as in everything seems fine at the surface but helping all those villains had quite the effect on the multiverse, good intentions or not. More so if there is a character that was supposed to be gone and they come back, stay for some reason or another ( as in some people have verses where Otto doesn’t go back ), it’s going to mess with everything and anything. 

Since they both live in New York and Stephen does go outside to touch grass like a normal person as he’s been shown in casual clothes in both Infinity War and No Way Home, showing to have a cute ‘for fox’s sake’ mug and he’s not sorcerer supreme right now ( that’s Wong, who downs a whole alcoholic drink in Shang-Chi and immediately regrets it, I love you Wong ), would be more inclined to run into Peter Parker and maybe strike up a conversation. Either of them initiating it because Stephen isn’t a total jackass as people want him to be and can have a decent conversation. And he can empathize with feeling like he’s all alone because basically he is ( Wong has responsibilities as sorcerer supreme so he can’t be with Stephen all the time and he didn’t really connect with any of the avengers except for Thor on a small tiny scale. Tony is dead so that’s a no go either ). And just because he lost the memory of Peter, there isn’t any harm in trying again. Their conversation can be more grounded as in being broke or just talking about how life sucks, gets better, and then sucks again. Or how they had to let go of their love interests for the sake of something greatest out there in the world. Peter is in pain and one of Stephen’s famous lines in his own movie are; ‘Pain’s an old friend of mine’. He can still be a father figure to Peter in a sense, not as before but still this is a guy who believes in giving people second chances like he was given in his own film. So this verse is pretty much Stephen just being a person first and foremost before the Multiverse of Madness sets in. He still holes up in the Sanctum from time to time but for now, this a small calm before the storm.