#Iceman fan club

[blueeyeddarkknight]

Val's Hamlet 🎭🤺📜

Source :planet kilmer, vkn, Val's Facebook

[high-five0]

•FIC MASTERLIST•

So this is basically every fic I’ve reblogged so I can access them and see them organized! (Also kind of a fic recommendation post) If there’s any recommendations of what I should read please let me know!

Most of these fics will be platonic!

-Formula One-

•Platonic Grid•

“Martins Grid walk” -taking over the grid walk is not for the faint of heart

“Slow Down, Red Flag” -what the reader does when the racing comes to a stop

“Pure Chaos 2, 3” - amazing multi part smau

“Caffeine of Choice” -a few drivers don’t get your choice of energy

“Golden (Son)” -Prema driver with OP81 as a grid dad

“Early Risers V. Night Owls” -some just don’t understand the morning grumpies

“Line Up” -Pole position equals pissy fans

“Dear Spa” -the Belgium track takes another (read for a good cry)

“Reality” -the cameras not capture everything

“Grill the Kid” “Grill the Grid” -two fics based on the quiz show

“Annoying little brothers” -self explanatory

“Grid Kids”

“Monopoly”

•MV1💙•

“Block Out the Haters” -Max defends his teammate

•CL16❤️•

“Don’t get Squeezed” -Charles little sisters position at the Chinese GP has her worried

•CS55❤️•

“Human Shield”-podium celebrations can get messy very quickly

“You don’t like spicy food?”-trying to play mermaids with chili

•DR3🩶•

“Be your Wingman” -a little crush on a sky sport reporter has someone being a tease

•SV5💚•

“Films of Anger” -Racing incident has too childhood friends explode at eachother (very brocedes core)

“Learning how to Drive” -she can driver at over 200 mph but not on a normal road

•KR7❤️•

“Very Sleepy One Bed” -long races and sharing hotel rooms

“Future world Champ” -a talk with Kimi and Seb about the new driver

“Giddy Goodbyes” -ending the season can be sad but a helmet swap can make it a little better

•LS2🩵•

“Team USA”-Logan supports his girl competing as an Olympic surfer SMAU

“Rookie Reflections” -Logan befriends the new rookie (first f1 fic I’ve ever read)

•OP81🧡•

“Rewatching love” -a group of old Prema drivers watch their old f2 videos

•LH44🖤•

“Driver Headcannons”

•PA17🤍•

“Crash Into Me” -enemies to lovers with the one bed trope what’s not to love?

-Women’s Basketball-

•PB5•

“Courtside”- “what are you doing here? I thought you had to study”

“Teammate Headcannons”

“Sleepyhead”

•KA2•

“Dating Headcannons”

•KM20•

“While we’re young” -the aces play the liberty and 2 lovers are joined together

“I wanna listen to the sound of you breathing” -just 5 more minutes

-FC Barcelona-

•Braça Femeni•

“Head in the Clouds”

“Scrubber” -la Roja debute”

“First” -Scoring your first club goal

“Priorities” -being late to practice opens up a new can of worms

“Numb” -nobody likes a rough game

•ML4•

“Protection” -injury on the field

•JF11•

“Joao with a formula 1 driver”

-Call of Duty-

•Task Force 141•

“Ain’t that a kick in the head” -just some Headcannons of new recruit

“One hell of a first mission” -your first mission goes sideways

“Migraines”

•Ghost•

“Right Behind you” -Ghost wants to keep his distance but can’t (first cod fic I’ve ever read)

“Headcannons”

“A Bedtime Story” -it’s not your fault ghost has a soothing voice

“Like Riding a Bike” -ghost finds out you never learned to ride a bike

“Picture Perfect” -snoring on the plane home

“Rodan”

-Top Gun-

•Dagger Squad•

“Friendship Bracelets”-making brackets for your squad

“Rookie” - not everyone a fan of the new recruit

•Rooster•

“Personal Space” -you like your personal space, a certain aviator likes it too

•Iceman•

“Blood in the Water” -a crash scares everyone

-MCU-

•Deadpool and Wolverine•

“Two pease in a pod”

“Troublemaker” -Wolverine seems to be there for you more times than anyone else

“The Spiderling”

“Oscar Worthy Performance”- the cops cannot be called, so you find one man to vouch for you

•Moonkight•

“Recruitment gone right?” -the avengers sent you to recruit a mercenary

•Daredevil•

“They’re Gonna Taste my Venom”- Venom and his host stumble upon a lawyer

•Spider-Man(s)”

“Art with Hands”- Hobie is the best sign language teacher

-Star Wars-

•The Clone Wars•

•Fives•

“Smugglers” -stealing treats from another commander

“Food Fight”

•104th Battalion•

“Cuddling the 104”

“Mama Wolffe” -Wolffe was grump and unnerving… to most

•Delta Squad•

“Headcannons”

•The Mandolorian•

“Come and Get Me” -Din will always come back for you

-The Last of Us-

“So Far From It”-you get into some trouble but know exactly who to call

“Carved Over the Door” - Joel finally figures out your secret

“The Tunnel” -not a very good get away driver

-Na’vi-

“Angry Spirit” -doing anything for your siblings

•Neteyaem•

“Golden Child” -A battle for the paise of your parents

“And your Brother is Here”

-Random-

•Arcane•

“Stumbled Upon” -Silco stumbled upon one of Vanders Kids

•The Hunger Games•

“Swear” - Finnick helps the new victor

[fathercharlesoffdensen]

In my experience as a fandom veteran of [redacted] years, hyperfixating on fictional people is a lot more fun a) as a curated experience that maximizes enjoyment and minimizes 'hate-watching' and ship wars and harassing franchise creators and trolling; and b) when the end-goal of every interaction, fandom contribution, etc. isn't mining for ~problematic elements in a piece of media and/or amongst those who 'like' something the 'wrong' way. I spent last summer mired in health issues from mold poisoning and the house renovations that followed, during which consciously escaping into beloved fictional worlds via Tumblr and AO3 kept me sane(r than I probably would have been otherwise) - knowing that they're there when I need/want to visit is probably going to factor into my survival of the current summer as well ngl. Fandom! Come for the .GIF sets, fanart, meta, memes, (civil) discourse, and friendships; weed out unnecessary drama as much as possible.

Case-in-point, I've been working my way through the original Uncanny X-Men comic run from the 1960s, and Charles Xavier's moral ambiguity is on dazzling, four-color, two-dimensional display, as well as some rather ~dated representations of disability and the era's gender roles. Indeed, those who balk at the Rogue / Magneto ship likely have even more ire for Professor X's old-school skirt-chasing, pipe-smoking incarnation, especially when he struggles not to make his mentor-student relationship with Jean Grey even more inappropriate than it already appears to be. In my personal life, I try to avoid relationship drama, behave ethically, and communicate clearly because, like daydreaming about gay ships, doing so enhances my quality of life. On the other hand, I want to roll around in the stank of all of my favorite fictional hot messes and their bad decisions and 'unhealthy' relationship dynamics and weird sex preferences, essentially for the same reason. Below are clues for an in-post skeevy Charles scavenger hunt for your continued enjoyment:

Charles out-skeeving Mister Sinister;

Chillaxing at the Hellfire Club with Tony Stark;

Mystique remarking on Krakoa! Charles' "gross" notion to create / continue a mutant leg of the CIA;

Early 60s Wolverine isn't a fan of old-school Chuck either;

Charles scaring the crap out of Scott Summers(/other mutants);

The X-Men rough-housing and nearly harming Charles;

Odin Charles in a jaunty wizard disguise;

Jean practically climbing onto Charles' lap during a battle;

Jean taking up both nursing (!!!) and cooking (!!!) duties for Charles and like four gross teenage mutant dudes;

Charles and Jean icing out the other X-Men regarding Charles' impending death(/'death' - he gets revived almost as much as she does), much to Scott, Hank, Iceman, and Angel's discontent.

TL;DR: In the immortal words of the great philosopher, Thor Christopher Hemsworth, "Do stuff, be nice, have fun" aka don't be a dick. Have a great summer!

[topguncortez]

45?

Talk to Me | Nick "Goose" Bradshaw x Female!Reader

warnings: panic attack, tears, issues with the education system, teachers being treated like shit, unedited.

You weren't ever a big fan of going out to the bars. Especially not on Friday nights after a busy work week. But it was one of your fiance's and his friend's favorite ways to unwind. There was always a whole group that went out, almost right after work, still in their service khakis. You were kind of the odd one out, not being an aviator or someone who worked in the Navy.

You knew Goose was already at the bar by the time you got there. The parking lot was packed which was only a small glimpse of how busy the inside of the O Club probably looked. You sighed, as you got out of your car and headed towards the doors. All you wanted to do after the day from hell that you had was go home, take a bath, drink a glass or two of wine and cuddle with your fiancé on the couch.

"Mother Goose, there's your girl!" Slider's loud voice was the first thing you heard as you walked into the bar. As you suspected, the bar seemed even more full than the parking lot. Goose lifted his head up, and you were met with those honey brown eyes you loved so much, and his gentle smile, waving you over.

You sucked in a deep breath as you pushed through the crowd towards them. It felt hotter in here than it did outside. The usual group had come out tonight; Slider, Iceman, Maverick, Charlie (which the two of them quit trying to hide their relationship) and of course Goose. The moment you were within arms reach, Goose slid off the stool he was on and wrapped his arms around you, greeting you with a kiss.

"Hey, honey," Goose said, "I wasn't sure what you wanted so I just got you a lemonade and a shot of vodka." He placed his hand on the small of your back, guiding you to take the stool he was sitting on.

"Thank you, baby," You tried your best to put a smile on your face, but Goose could see right through it. He didn't say anything though, just grabbed his Budweiser and fell back into conversation with Slider and Iceman.

You were hardly paying attention to the group around you. Your mind was in total overdrive between the loud music in the bar, the sound of the patrons, and the group's various conversations. You were starting to feel slightly overwhelmed by it all. It felt like the walls were starting to close in, the clothes on your body suddenly felt too tight, and your hands were starting to shake.

"Y/N?" You jumped and looked up at your fiancé, a look of concern on his features, "Charlie asked if you had found a dress yet."

"Oh," You shook your head and looked at the ring on your finger, "No, I-I haven't. I uh- have looked at some? I just- I don't know if-"

Goose gently squeezed your hip, "She's still got time. We just picked a date and the venue. Hey, we're gonna go get some air, if you'll excuse us."

In that moment, you were grateful that Goose knew you as well as he knew how to operate a radio system. You climbed down from the stool in probably the most ungraceful way ever, but Goose kept his arm around you keeping you steady. You felt like all eyes were on you as Goose guided you through the crowd and out to the patio. You knew that they probably weren't, but you felt like you could hear the table of Naval officers talking about you. Tears were welling up in your eyes as you finally got outside, the cool evening air feeling like walking into a freezer.

Goose didn't say anything as you gripped the hand railing tightly. You were thankful he didn't say anything, or touch you, but kept close enough to let you know he was still there. It had been a while since you had a panic attack or even felt one coming on. Goose had always been good at being able to notice the signs, and helping you through them. The very first time you had an attack, you had been so embarrassed, but Goose wiped your tears away and told you that it was all okay.

After a couple moments of quiet, Goose looked at you, "Talk to me?"

"I had the worst day ever," Your voice cracked, "I know I'm an adult and I shouldn't let it bother me but. . . high schoolers can be so awful," Goose's heart broke as you cried. You loved being a teacher, but sometimes the love wasn't enough to keep you going. Especially on the days were certain students got under your skin and no matter what you did you couldn't keep control of your classroom.

"Oh sweetheart," Goose cooed, "Can I touch you?" You nodded and he pulled you into his arms, "It'll be okay. Things will get better. It might not seem like it now, but it will." Goose pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

[redfurrycat]

🤠💰☠️🐓Organised Crime Fic Recs🐓☠️💰🤠

Check the Top Gun Masterlist post for the latest updated version. 💕

Ao3 Authors: ALCwriter, Anonymous, Dalearden, Elizabethgee, Flyingfightingfishy, Halestrom, Hangmanbradshaw, Lemqnie, Mackwinnon, Playingwiththeboysisagayanthem, Renai_chan, Res_judicata, ToukoJalorda003.

Daily Heroes > Spies & Secret Agents > Vigilantes, Superheroes & Supervillains

white picket fence by res_judicata {M}

Whenever anyone from the kids’ school asks, Jake always just smiles politely and explains that his husband works for a big international company and that’s why he’s overseas a lot.  He doesn’t say that Bradley is arguably the ‘director’ of said company, nor that the ‘company’ in question is the Mafia. He knows a few of the other parents have their suspicions and that he and Bradley are the subject of their fair share of rumours and gossip. Jake just doesn’t let it get to him, he has his beautiful family and gorgeous husband, the nosy PTA mothers can go fuck themselves. For every, oh my, how can your husband bear to leave such a lovely husband at home with the kids for so many months of the year, Jake can read between the lines.

Live Until We Die by Renai_chan {E}

Speak Softly, Love

Jake leaves behind his crappy life in Texas and moves to California. There, he meets Bradley, a gorgeous man who works at a charity helping the homeless. They fall in love, and everything is sunshine and rainbows until he learns that Bradley is, in fact, Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, heir to the empire of his godfather, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, who rules the underbelly of Los Angeles with ice-cold ruthlessness. Suddenly, Jake find himself embroiled in the dangers of the LA Mafia

Live Until We Die: Outtakes

A compilation of one-shots and drabbles of the Mafia AU.

Along the Razor's Edge

Jake's father makes contact after more than a year when the family farm goes into foreclosure, and Jake is torn between helping save his childhood home and leaving his father to his fate. Bradley steps in, but his plan to help Jake isn't received well by Jake's father, and Jake finds himself caught between his new family and his own flesh and blood.

An Offer He Can't Refuse by Dalearden {_}

Detective Jake Seresin has been on the trail of the Layton gang for a long time. When he starts getting too close he finds himself drawn into their world to the point where he starts to question everything he thought he knew about who he is and what he does. The fact he's also undeniably attracted to one Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw only serves to further complicate matters.

Whiskey Neat by ALCwriter {M}

Jake is fresh out of the Navy and living with his sister to help her through a nasty divorce. While he scrambles to find a way to keep his sister and niece safe he unintentionally falls into the tangles of Bradley Bradshaw. He knows Bradley is most likely bad news and he most definitely knows he should stay away from him. But when shit hits the fan- he has nowhere else to turn. a.k.a Jake gets mixed up with Bradley who just so happens to be a mafia boss.

The Only Exception by mackwinnon {E}

Organized crime AU. Escort Jake meets Bradley in a club while he's with another client. Bradley's instantly intrigued and makes Jake an offer he can't refuse. It's just business. Until it isn't.

wash out the salt from my hands by elizabethgee {E}

Jake's having a great day. He's just won the TOPGUN competition, he met a handsome, mysterious stranger at The Hard Deck who's definitely interested in taking him to bed... What could possibly go wrong?

cosa nostra (this thing of ours) by lemqnie {_}

Bradley is the prettiest thing Jake has ever laid eyes on. It's a shame he's a rival gang's heir and Jake has to kill him.

When Danger Comes Home (Don’t Ever let it Roost) by ToukoJalorda003 {M}

Bradley adored his job, and it had been his dream to go into law enforcement as a kid. He had everything he’d ever wanted - except for a romantic partner, but he’d never even consider dragging them into his dangerous personal life. …Until he took a smuggling case involving Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin, a known member of the city’s organized crime syndicate. Maybe he’d bitten off more than he could chew, this time.

I only pray (don’t fall away from me) by Anonymous {E}

Jake Seresin has an acquired taste. It comes in the form of the clubs most desired; Rooster. His wide doe eyes, ridiculous pornstache that fits him so perfectly, and his tan, toned body. And what Jakes wants, Jake gets.

my boy only breaks his favorite toys by hangmanbradshaw {E}

Jake and Bradley are the sons of the two families who run the town. They've been in a rivalry longer than Jake can remember. It was bound to explode at some point. He just never expected it to be his own freedom's demise. He didn't expect Bradley to look anything but victorious. But here they are.

I Wake Up Drenched in Nightmares and Find I'm Alone by flyingfightingfishy {T}

A sting operation gone (almost) wrong leaves Jake with nightmares and exposes inconvenient feelings.

kiss the ring and let 'em bow down, looking for the time of your life (no one's gonna find out) by playingwiththeboysisagayanthem {M}

“It took Mav’s breath away to reconcile the image before him with the eighteen-year-old boy who stormed out with nothing more than the contents of a single duffle bag and the clothes on his back all those years ago. So forgive him for how long it took for him to find the air to wheeze out, “Bradley?” “Yeah,” the man laughed, scratching at his face in thought as he turned his eyes toward the moon above, “Yeah, I guess it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” “You could say that,” Mav croaked out, “Um, come in, it’s…cold out here.” Because no matter how much time had passed, there would never be a version of the world where Mav turned Bradley away. Bradley just nodded and followed him inside.“ ————— aka, when Mav pulled his papers, Bradley took off. For ten years, nobody ever knew what happened to him. Not until he showed up on Mav and Ice’s doorstep in the middle of the night. As it would turn out, he’s found some trouble since they last saw him and their boy has changed a lot in those ten years.

got a shot of kerosene in my veins by halestrom {E}

Fighting was the only thing Bradley could do to help his family when they found themselves in a mountain of debt, and he didn't regret it, not if it meant they would be okay. But he never expected to meet Jake Seresin, nor to get drawn deeper into a world he didn't want any part of, even though, as time wore on, he realized he wanted Jake. More than he should.

[oonyula]

Decided to condense what I have so far for my Grand Theft Auto/Crazy Taxi crossover AU... so here it is! go girls go! 🎀🐩🍨💕💐

Don't Talk To Me Unless I've had My Morning Cup of Big City Crime!

Gus owns a taxi depot in SA and hires a few guys (Gina Axel Joe). maybe sometimes he makes some side income taking 'hot' calls (he plays getaway-driver-for-hire and makes a little extra cash on the dl and makes a lot cos he drives crazy)

cos in Gus' lore or whatever in the og arcade game, he starts driving Crazy Taxis (haha) cos ppl tip him more when he drove fucked up and fast. Then he got more crazy ass drivers to join his gang/business.

According to Axel's background, he's been a fan of crazy taxi style driving since he was a kid. Like says he was born in a taxi, etc. I think it would just be so funny and cute if in this AU he always heard of the crazy cabbies who drove as getaway drivers for the right price... seeing some of the chases online and the odd sighting in person....

In game canon, Axel also claims to have been born in a cab, that's how much he loves being a cabbie. Take that for what you will??

Axel is the newest cabbie right. He doesn't show up for calls and doesn't seem to be at the depot much. He's straight up pulling small time jobs rather than work, like robbing gas stations and boosting cars.. until Gus one day gets a hot call at some pharmacy or store, and when he picks up his eh, Client....

IT'S AXEL!!! It'd be more of a Spiderman pointing moment if Gus wasn't so pissed at this fag twink for losing him fares ajskf. This legend is his oldfuck boss who hates him because Axel is a slacker LOL

After they barely get away w their lives, screaming down the Senora Fwy and all the way into the grand senora desert they get into a huge fucking argument over Axel's work ethic and maybe he'd almost be getting his severance package as a punch to the teeth...!! If he wasn't as excited as a kid meeting Batman about his boss maybe being THEE coolest cabbie there ever was to drive a shitbox for minimum wage.

Cabbie Info

Gena and Joe are like ok whatever dude. We don't care what our boss does in his free time. They're friends in and outside of work, despite their deoffefenr social circles. But both of them have the mentality of "I just wanna get paid and do my job to the minimum." But you knowwwww...

Gena is trans and mostly cares about tuning up her car for the underground LS car meets and is roommates w Cinnamon from Crazy Taxi 2 (somewhere in Murietta Heights/Mirror Park). She LIVES to work on her car and someday wants to own her own garage. All her paycheque that isn't sucked to rent or her medication goes to her ride. She could really use the money to fund her little dream...

Joe is an average guy who's a bit of a favourite with the few regulars Gus has. He's easy to talk to, rolls with the punches, and thinks of himself as being pretty funny. He lives in the Vespucci Beach area in an apartment by himself, and when he's not working, he's doing DJ sets at the clubs around LS. He's always on the pulse of what's hot in the club scene and has a few friends in interesting places, being a niche social media micro celebrity. Joe can often be seen in the VIP booth at the most elite clubs with his friends Bixbite (Crazy Taxi 3) and Iceman (Crazy Taxi 2). The thought of getting insane clout from this crazy side hustle and being the first on a new trend is really interesting to him...

[ddejavvu]

Hello! Is it alright to ask how your current WIPs are coming along? I’m sorry if I didn’t word it right and I hope it doesn’t come across negatively. I’m just really excited for the next parts of some of your fics that I’ve been reading!

yeah i'll just list out my wips here!!

1-800-HOOKUP - draft from soooo long ago, basically sirius works with james and remus as a phone sex operator, and reader calls in one night as a prank call at a girl's night. but then she hears sirius's voice and she likes it more than she thought she would, and she ends up calling again that night. then she starts routinely calling, asking the others for specifically him, until they've got this pseudo-hookup thing going on over the phone for months. then she hears his voice at the grocery store, and nearly collapses in the produce section <3

Wooden Stairs - based on a request for iceman x mitchell!reader, reader is mav's sister and has a phobia of wooden stairs so when pete isn't there to help her down a flight of them iceman steps in and is super sweet and slow and patient, grabbing her hands and looking her in the eyes, etc etc etc

Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus - preview here

Unnamed Hangman Fic - Jake gets shitfaced at the hard deck and it's reader's job to take him home, your typical rivals to lovers drunken confession fic <3

Unnamed Steve x Reader x Kurt Fic - steve's cousin kurt comes down to visit hawkins for the summer and things get complicated when he walks in on steve and his girlfriend

One Wall Apart - Poly!dilf!roomate!wolfstar x reader. Reader gets kicked out, ends up looking for an apartment, sees an ad that Remus put out, and shows up at his doorstep late at night. he welcomes her in, seeing in her what he saw in sirius in their youth, and, speaking of sirius, he's lounging around as padfoot when she shows up, so he's stuck like that until they can explain away the absence of the giant black dog and introduce her to remus's boyfriend that lives with them all of a sudden

Unnamed Steddie Fic - Eddie's become obsessed with this underground grunge/rock band that's been playing at dingy clubs and bars in hawkins, and, ever the pretentious music fan, complains that steve needs to stop listening to pop songs on the radio and start listening to real music, like the band that he's been getting into. steve doesn't know what to say, because that's his band. eddie's been unknowingly obsessing over the raspy voice of steve harrington for months now, and steve doesn't know how to tell him that, especially now that he's discovering his own sexual identity because of the crush he has on eddie

Unnamed Hotch Fic - Hotch gets shot and weasels his way out of hospitalization over his recovery period, in the case that you all take up babysitting him. he's stubborn and grouchy to his caretakers, all except you <33

there might be more that i remember later!! if so i'll edit or reblog to add them :)

[dragon-kazansky]

Something Worth Protecting

Iceman x Dragon

Bodyguard AU

Dragon's popularity has grown tremendously, and as she takes off on tour, a security team has been hired to see it through. Leading that team is Tom Kazansky. He's the best in the business. He is here to do a job, but for the first time in his career, feelings are involved. He can't get too involved or he'll lose his job. Yet, ignoring what he desires is harder than it looks.

[Masterlist]

[Previous Chapter] - [Next Chapter]

Chapter Three - Hint of the past

♡♡♡

Once Rachael had changed and grabbed her things, Jade went with her to the back door, Kazansky following behind. The two women hugged and Jade promised she would see her tomorrow.

For now, they had to get on the road to the hotel. Rachael had another show tomorrow night.

Tom opened the door for the singer. Dragon didn't even look at him as she got in. He closed the door and got into the driver's seat.

Rachael kept her gaze on outside the window. Tom would glance back at her through the mirror every so often.

They reached the hotel quite late. Rachael was very obviously tired. Tom walked with her to the reception desk, while Ron saw to her luggage.

They signed in and Kazansky escorted her to her room. The room itself wasn't huge, but it was enough. There was no doubt that later in her career the rooms would expand as she went. Though she didn't care. Rachael wasn't doing this for the money, she just wanted people to hear her sing.

"I'll be right outside."

Rachael glanced over her shoulder. Tom was standing with his hands clasped together, looking at her blankly.

"Right."

A moment of pause settled between them. She's not sure why he didn't leave immediately. He just stood there and looked at her. After a moment of intense silence, he stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

Rachael sighed and fell back onto the bed.

She was tired.

The next morning she headed downstairs for breakfast, when she got there, Kazansky trailing behind her, she is met by the sight of her band.

Rachael had wondered if Kazansky had been on duty all night. She was concerned about his lack of sleep status, but when she had asked him, he had apparently switched up with one member of his team, and then returned before she woke.

He seemed adamant he stayed by her as much as he could.

Rachael smiled at her friend Pete, or Maverick as he went by on stage, her lead guitarist.

"Finally joining us."

"Shut up, Mav."

She sits down and places her order with the waitress that comes over. Nick, or Goose, laughs at the pair.

Charles and Leonard, Chipper and Wolfman respectively, chuckled themselves as they dug into their own breakfasts.

These guys were her band. She had heard them play in a club she used to sing at, and after listening to them so many times, she managed to talk to them about joining her. Apparently they were all fans of her signing too, so teaming up to create music sounded like heaven to them.

Her voice and their music, it was the perfect match.

Rachael drinks Mav's coffee, unable to wait for her own, and sighs as she remembers what a success last night was. She smiles into the cup, which Mav glares at because he was drinking that coffee.

"What's on your mind, princess?" Goose asks, smiling at her. Nick called her that to tease her usually, but today she let it slip.

"Last night was... everything!"

The guys all smile at her.

"You were amazing."

"You're going places."

"And I'm taking you with me," she tells Chipper. "All of you. We are in this together."

Just as her breakfast is brought to her, someone up at the counter catches her eye. Rachael looks up to see someone she hadn't seen in a long time. She didn't really know him, but of him.

Jake Seresin. The assistant to her previous manager, a man who didn't want Dragon to spread her wings and tour the world.

Hermes wanted Dragon for himself.

She follows him with his eyes as he waits for something and then leaves when he gets it. Jake doesn't even see her as he leaves, heading in the opposite direction out of sight.

Suddenly, a chill runs down her spine. Was he here? That bastard that used her? Tried to keep her from reaching her dream?

Hermes was a bastard who tried to ruin her, but Jade was there to protect her, to take her away from his greedy hands. It suddenly dawned on Rachael why the bodyguards were needed.

Did Jade know something she didn't?

Pete sees Rachael's mood drop and leans over to talk to her.

"You good?"

She glances at him and shakes her head softly.

"What is it?"

"I just saw Jake, Hermes' assistant. He was over there." She nods across the room. Mav frowns. "If he's here..."

Pete is quick to reach out and place his hand over hers. "Don't. You're here with us. Your bodyguard is right there behind you. If he is here, nothing is going to happen."

Rachael just nods.

Tom watches the two from where he stands. He can't hear them, but he sees the way your guitarist places his hand over yours and leans in close. He frowns a little.

What's this about?

The two remained huddled together throughout breakfast. After, Kazansky escorts Rachael back to her room. She sits on the bed and sighs. Tom talks to someone through his earpiece and watches her closely.

Something is weighing on her mind.

Moments later, Rick is entering the room. Rachael lifts her gaze to see what's happening. She had almost forgotten she wasn't alone before.

Tom nods at Rick and turns to leave, but Rachael calls out.

"Where are you going?"

Tom turns again to look at her.

"To speak to your manager."

"About what?"

"I have some questions, that's all. Rick will look after you."

Rachael glances at Rick. He offers her a small smile and nods his head in her direction. He seems nice. Her eyes drift back to Tom. For some reason it was unsettling that he was leaving.

She had grown used to him being her shadow.

Tom leaves.

Rachael looks back at Rick.

"They call me Hollywood," he says.

"Hollywood? You guys have code names?"

"Yeah."

"Why Hollywood? Were you in a movie?"

He laughs and shakes his head.

"What do they call Kazansky?" She asks.

"Iceman."

She frowns. "Iceman?"

"Yeah. You'll see why once you spend enough time with him."

She doesn't quite understand, but she doesn't ask any more questions. She curls up on her bed and faces away from him.

Worry had settled in her heart.

♡♡♡

@bayisdying - @mrsjaderogers - @breadsquash @cycbaby - @callmemana - @askmarinaandothers - @starlit-epiphany - @callsignscupcake - @ladylanera - @gracespicybradshaw I CAN'T BELIEVE I LEFT YOU OUT

[bearsinpotatosacks]

Thinking of an AU where Goose and Slider are ice hockey players in the university ice hockey team and Ice and Mav are figure skaters. They both go to practice on the uni's ice skating rink only to see the other two there. There's an altercation, Iceman and Mav call Goose and Slider oaves and say Ice Hockey is a perversion of the ice. Goose and Slider say that Figure Skating doesn't respect the boundaries and intensity of the ice.

This continues every week, one week Carole comes to cheer on her boys, because this is Slooserole, of course it is, only to recognise Iceman from her book club.

As a tidbit, Goose doesn't have his hockey jersey when he shows up at practice, only to remember that Carole's wearing it, after a particularly interesting night. She does run into the rink carrying the Jersey, Goose skates over and gives her a smooch. She's also the biggest fan of their hockey team

[topgunreacts]

Iceman Headcanons

Hair is blonde when he’s sad and brunette when he’s horny for justice

Has an opinion

Will frequently eat

Shoes: ???

Prefers red delicious apples

Went to a bear fan club meeting once after seeing a poster at the library, and when he got there he discovered the club was about animal bears. he stayed around because he felt awkward leaving and now he genuinely loves bears as animals. And people.

Can’t and won’t find TV remote

Purple

Collected bottle caps during the year 1994

Knows music is not real but thinks it’s okay for other people to believe in

Was the kid pretending to be a lion on the playground in kindergarten

Sleeps in a bed

That wasn’t vodka it was melted coconut oil

Has a great relationship with his leopard gecko

Morally opposed to reupholstery

[lieutenantfloyd]

Do u have any ideas for songs/artists that the top gun characters would listen to? (specifically iceman haha)

I have so many thoughts about this! I didn't include everyone, but I can make another post with more folks if yall want!

Music I think Top Gun characters would listen to.

Iceman: Tom will listen to anything, however, he has a massive soft spot for female power vocalists. It's become a running joke that if you ever need to find Iceman, just listen for Celine Dion. Aside from that, his most played artists are Carrie Underwood and Mariah Carrey.

Hangman: Realistically, Hangman would listen to country radio with some classic rock mixed in. His all-time favorite artists are James Brown and Led Zepplin.

In my head, however, he has the same music taste as a middle school boy but on a 3-5 year delay and is currently in his Sicko Mode era rn.

Rooster: I think we all know the answer to this. The sheer amount of 80s music rooster has downloaded is almost concerning.

Maverick: Pete Mitchell is the quintessential Bruce Springsteen fan. Aside from that, he'll listen to just about anything.

Bob: Bob has an extensive vinyl collection which consists almost entirely of oldies. His most played artists are Bobby Vinton, Johnny Tillotson, and Patsy Cline.

Coyote: 2000s club hits. It's such a problem Cyclone created a tip line to report anytime Flo Rida or Mike Posner is played out loud.

Cyclone: Cyclone sits alone with his thoughts. Once a year he will play the first 10 minutes of an alpha male podcast. As a treat.

[one-boring-person]

Ok. A little different but I was thinking about Top Gun and I was wondering if you could do an Iceman x Mavericks little sister reader where they meet at a local bar near the base and slowly start falling in love

I hope you like this!😊💛

You Beat Me To It.

Tom "Iceman" Kazansky x reader

Warnings: swearing, alcohol consumption (moderate)

Masterlist

As cliche as it sounds, it had all started with an unfortunate accident in the popular little bar near the airbase. 

It was a busy night in the small place, as it usually was, the room filled to the brim with pilots, RIOs, ground staff and civilians. Music blared somewhere overhead, garish lights illuminating the area in their own peculiar way, casting an odd glow over every person there. People gathered and collected around the bar itself, the tenders never kept idle, money flowing in from a variety of hands, the alcohol and beverages keeping spirits alive throughout the bustling room. It had been here that Iceman found himself.

Slider had insisted they went on that night, despite his own reluctance; it had been a long day at the base and all he had really wanted to do was to sleep and rest. Of course, he knew there was no arguing with his RIO, the young man far too persistent for his own good, so naturally the pilot had found himself dragged into the busy bar, a beer shoved into his hand almost instantly. It hadn't taken long for the girls to start flocking to him. 

Iceman knew he was good-looking, so he wasn't surprised that he was quickly engulfed in a crowd of eager women, all of which flirting and baying for his attention, though he could already tell none of them would tickle his fancy. He kept them entertained, joking with them and keeping them on their toes the entire time as he peered at them over his sunglasses, which he insisted on wearing inside, smirking as they swooned over him. Hands seemed to be everywhere, pressing at his shoulders, chest and stomach, feeling over the muscle in his arms, creeping up his neck until he batted them away with a pointed look. Eventually, he had tired of this, however, and went to push out of the gathered group. Misjudging himself, Iceman had then collided with someone else, a surprised yelp escaping the person as moisture spread between them.

Turning to them, Iceman had been ready with a sharp quip, finding himself tongue-tied when he actually saw who had bumped into him.

"Careful, big guy." Is all she said before she collected her composure and left, heading towards the other end of the room, where some others from the airbase were. 

Frozen in place momentarily, he had watched as she went straight to Maverick and Goose, the former slinging an arm around her shoulders as she approached, grins appearing on their faces.

From that moment onwards, the two seemed unable to avoid meeting each other in the bar.

Not even a week later, Iceman had been sat at the bar, thankfully alone for once, slowly drinking from a beer bottle in front of him, the pilot deep in thought. Once again wearing his sunglasses inside, Ice never realised someone had come up beside him to order drinks until they spoke to him directly.

"Last I checked, the sun tends to stay outside." She had commented, tapping her fingers on the countertop as she waited for her drinks.

Looking up, Iceman had once again gone to say something sharp, only to be surprised when he immediately recognised the person standing beside him. 

"Maybe it's not the sun I'm protecting my eyes from." Is all he can manage, pretty stuck under the intensity of her gaze, a somewhat familiar feeling he had when talking with a particular pilot.

"No? What, then?"

"When I've figured it out, I'll tell you."

She had given him a quick smile, then, thanking the bartender as he gave her the drinks, before leaving, returning to the group of aviators she was with. 

Everytime after this moment, every conversation between the two had been started by a sarcastic or teasing comment on his choice of eyewear, both of them often finding themselves at the bar at the same time. It had been after their fifth time meeting that she actually stayed with him for more than a minute, placing herself into the stool beside him as he fought off a couple of persistent girls, her face creased into a barely concealed smirk of amusement. When he'd finally gotten rid of them, she'd passed him a beer with a knowing look.

"You ever gonna take those off?" She had asked him, gesturing to his sunglasses, sipping her own drink.

"Only when you finally tell me your name." Iceman had replied, smirking at her. In their last few meetings, he'd found he'd started to enjoy her company, often looking out for her when he first enters the bar.

"You only had to ask." She shrugged, holding out a hand, "I'm (Y/n)."

Taking her hand, he told her his name before reaching up to remove his sunglasses. 

"Well, I can see why you always have a fan club." (Y/n) acknowledged, smiling at him to show she meant no harm.

"Thank you, but they're a right pain." He laughed, placing his glasses in his breast pocket.

"I can tell." She chuckled, sipping her drink.

"You often come here?" Iceman inquired, curious as to her reason for coming.

"Yeah, pretty often. I meet up with my brother here." She casts him a look, "You might know him. Pete Mitchell? I guess you'd know him as Maverick."

Iceman had done a double take.

"Maverick? He's your brother?" 

"Yep. And before you say anything, he's just as annoying out of uniform as he is in uniform." (Y/n) rolled her eyes, gesturing to the pilot across the room.

"I thought he might be." 

Following this meeting, it wasn't too hard to arrange a repeat of it, the two finding that they enjoyed themselves a whole lot more than they thought they would. Of course, as soon as Maverick had found out his sister was hanging out with his rival, there had been some trouble.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" The young pilot had snapped at him a couple of months after he and (Y/n) had first met.

"What are you talking about?" Iceman had responded, looking up from the beer in his hand to acknowledge his fellow pilot.

"My sister, you asshole! What's your deal with her?"

"My deal?"

"Yeah, your deal! What the hell do you want with her?" At this point, Goose had come up to stop his pilot from going too far, laughing it off as he always did.

"She's my friend. I don't want anything with her except that." He had told Maverick, though he knew it was a lie: he had developed a particular affection for the girl, finding her presence very enjoyable to be in at all times.

"Bullshit. I know what you're like, you want to get laid." Maverick had been quick to spit back, this comment feeling particularly unfair.

"No, I don't. (Y/n) and I are friends. Suck it up, dickhead." Iceman bit back, scowling at his fellow aviator angrily now, standing up so that he loomed over him.

"And even if we were more, that's none of your concern, Pete." (Y/n)'s voice cut through their argument, the girl coming to stand beside Iceman, an action that clearly irritated her brother.

"He's not good for you, (Y/n). Stop hanging out with him." Maverick tried to reason with her,

"No, he's my friend, and you don't control me." 

"Come on, (Y/n), I'm just looking out for you." 

Sighing, (Y/n) had then done the one thing that stuck with Iceman for months to come.

"No, you know what? Fuck you, Pete." And with that, she had kissed Iceman on the lips, right in front of her brother. 

It hadn't been a particularly long kiss, or a particularly passionate one, but it had left him wanting more, his lips tingling with want as she pulled away after a second. And Maverick's face afterwards had been totally worth it. 

(Y/n) had quickly left after that, leaving Maverick to go sulk with Goose, Iceman fighting with his morality, before he also got up and followed her from the room. Catching up to her just outside, he had taken her arm in his hand gently, pulling her into him. Without letting her speak, he had kissed her again, glad when she had reciprocated, heart skipping a beat when their lips had moulded together almost perfectly. For what felt like years, they had kissed, neither wanting to let go, not until they had to, at which point they'd pressed their foreheads together and stood still, breathing heavily into each other's faces. At that moment, their relationship had become much closer.

*

In all honesty, he wasn't expecting her to turn up. 

(Y/n) had been distant in past months, but that was understandable - her brother lost his best friend, so it made sense that she'd want to be there for him to help him through it. Unfortunately, that had meant that interaction between her and Iceman had been sparse, though he had managed to ask her along to his graduation, which he was very much looking forward to. He was certain he'd won the Top Gun trophy with Slider, and he wanted her to see that.

So when he notices her sitting at the back of the crowd as he takes the award, he feels a burst of pride flare to life within him. With her slight absence in recent weeks had come a revelation, a revelation that he intends to tell her today, whilst the confidence of this win is still rife in his body. Nerves run rampant through him, worried that it will go wrong, though he is mostly sure of what he wants to say; somehow, this is worse than flying a plane into battle, the reaction here totally unforeseeable for him for some reason.

As the crowd gathers to congratulate everyone, he politely pushes through them to the back, focused on (Y/n) as she waits for him, a smile on her face. Quick to reach his destination, he laughs as she swiftly runs to him and climbs into his arms, holding him tightly.

"Congratulations, Ice. I'm so proud of you!" She says to him, looking up into his eyes with a broad smile, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Thank you, (Y/n)." He grins back, unsure of whether or not now is the right time.

"Reaching up to play with the hairs at the base of his neck, (Y/n) seemingly considers something, before she leans up to whisper to him.

"I love you, Tom."

His heart nearly stops at her words, body filling with happiness, relief flooding his mind at the thought that she feels the same way.

"You beat me to it. I love you, too, (Y/n)." He hums back, pulling her in for a deeper kiss.

[wasp-coffee]

(from your pinned post)

1. Who’s your favorite character & why are they your fave?2. Who’s your least favorite character? 3. Who’s an underrated character? 4. What’s your favorite ship? 5. What’s an underrated ship?6. What’s a ship you don’t understand? 7. What’s a ship you dislike?8. What would your callsign be?9. What’s your favorite scene in either movie? 10. Favorite part of the soundtrack from either movie?

thank you for the ask anon :)

1. kdmskdnbzjsjsnxkzjdnsndhxjddh I adore Maverick he's such a little fucking angry cat at times its so endearing. (short people rights!) He's such a jackass (i love him your honour) and he's such a lovable main character.

Huge Iceman fan, love the non regulation dyed hair and chewing gum habit; he is the moment. He's trying his best, being an absolute legend, and looking swaggilicious doing it.

2. In the original? no one. They're everything. In TGM? Penny (see below)

3. probably Goose, obviously everyone loves him but he sometimes sits in the back of my cerebellum on his piano in his Hawai'ian shirts. Fashion icon, the best friend, a great husband/dad and an all around amazing dude. He's such a presence when hes on screen that his death really takes the air from your lungs and leaves you just devastated.

4. Icemav. There's nothing else that really comes close except for the ICONS which are Goose and Carole.

Its really the combination of the acting, the script, and the fact that TGM basically confirmed that they've been married for the last fourty? years. So much so that (imo) tgm only had Penny to distract from them being literally so blindingly queer. Its like 70% of the usual romantic beats and no payoff (unless you're operating on the correct brainwave frequency).

5. probably Wolfman/Hollywood tbh those guys are just coasting happily, no drama, just vibin'

6.+ 7. Rooster/Phoenix, Goose/Maverick, Bob/Hangman, Iceman/Slider - none of them make sense to me and it just seems unnecessary to take two perfectly good friends and try and make 'em romantic. I dont have anything against people who do ship them but for me personally its just not it.

8. I have absolutely no idea. Callsigns are usually decided by other people and they're never something good so most likely "Grumpy"

9. the volleyball–

(rant/essay begins here)

From Top Gun 1986, probably the scene in the 'O' club where Mav and Goose serenade Charlie (the whole piece says so much about their characters and how they interact with everyone including Ice and Slider) Its a hilarious introduction to really most of the cast and it clearly defines the characters who we don't know much about. It also makes the next scene HILARIOUS.

ALSO THE GUY WHO'S CHARLIE'S DATE IS THE REAL VIPER! Pete 'Viper' Pettigrew (real name) who was the technical advisor on the film and a Top Gun Instructor.

+ the final tower buzz with Iceman and Maverick, it gives the film a beautifully circular structure from the beginning and you just know Stinger screamed the house down afterwards. It shows the unity between Iceman and Maverick which as we know continues until Ice's passing fortyish years later. It also shows a real development for both of them from Mr Ice-cold-no-mistakes and Maverick who we can see has more of himself back (like at the beginning of the movie) after Goose's death.

(Imma stop here before i write an essay)

10. 1986 has such an iconic soundtrack - I wasn't a big fan of TGM's admittedly it was far too orchestral for a sequel to rock and roll in the skies.

They should have used modern rock/pop music because it doesn't make sense otherwise the mainly orchestral score doesn't conjure the same ridiculous excitement that the original does. It sounds like any other Marvel movie at times and it really got under my skin in places.

Top Gun 1986 uses Danger Zone three times. THREE.

The score was largely orientated around Penny and Maverick (WHICH IS WRONG) which took away a lot of the emotional weight of Iceman and Mav's relationship friendship.

"but Wasp take my breath away was used in the same-"

Firstly, ik ik. Secondly take my breath away is a fucking banger (thanks Harold) and it fit in snugly with the rest of the soundtrack.

Most of TGM is about Iceman and Maverick, between the guardian angel motifs EVERYWHERE and Iceman's critical role throughout the movie. If anyone should've had a theme it should have been them.

Fight me in the notes.

Penny was thrown in to add stakes if (theoretically) Mav didn't make it back alive she was used to "WELL ACTUALLY-" Rooster's earlier statement about Mav having nothing to loose (and to attempt to make the film considerably straighter) She was three lines from 1986 made into an easy love interest.

(I could probably come up with a considerably better soundtrack on the spot and I don't even want paid!)

(rant over)

Memories by Harold Faltermeyer - the little bit of instrumental that plays when Goose dies and when Maverick is thinking about his dad - Its so striking and sort of whimsical even though its used to convey sadness and grief.

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE (self-explanatory) It was a masterpiece in 1986 and its painfully nostalgic in 2022 (oww my heart, Rooster)

Playing With The Boys - Kenny Loggins strikes again. Banger of a song played over one of the most memorable scenes in movie history, its a brilliant breath of fresh air and so FUN you forget for a few moments that it's a war movie. Great song, great scene and once its embedded in your skull you're going to need an industrial drill to get it out.

thank you for the ask anon :)

[crystalnet]

Current X-book Mood-Ring Guide

There are an awful lot of X-books on the shelves right now. They are most of my monthly haul. No joke it is at least 12 books at this point. So, in order to cope with that, I’ve organized all the books into one of four different categories, aka “booster-pack” themes. Click through if you want to jump aboard the best X-men run since Morrison before the boat pushes off for the Hellfire Gala this summer! These are the 4 categories:

-Mainline Blue/Gold-style 

-Jr. Mutants Academy 

-2nd-Wave Krakoa Niche (aka “the good stuff”)

-Cetera

#1. Mainline Blue/Gold-style

Mood-color/vibe: Actually 90s-style Blue/Gold and like bright primary colors (but also muddy-ass colors from X-factor). 

Books included: X-men, Excalibur, Marauders, X-force

Typical Pokemon: Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Betsy Braddock, Kate Pride, Beast, Black Tom, Storm, Bishop, Emma Frost, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Kid Omega, Domino, a Pyro, Iceman, Avalanche. Rare drops: Apocalypse, X-23, Synch, Darwin, Kid Cable, Fantomex (in that Giant-Sized!)

These be the books for someone who wants those direct, mainline, core-members-style lineups. On the main book (adjective/word-play-less X-men) Hickman/Yu have worked wonders with their run, but it hasn’t been a stable team, instead focusing on Scott and his adventures dealing with some of the more prominent threats to Krakoa. 

So it’s essentially been a revolving door of a book with Cyclops sometimes leading assaults against major problems and sometimes just being a dad to teenagers from the future, and it’s been generally great. 

Meanwhile, the teams we find on the other 3 books could basically be a main X-men team if you just throw Jean/Scott/Logan onto them (except for X-force because Logan is usually on that one, actually, and Jean sort of is..)

X-force: Wolverine usually, Kid Omega, Beast, Jean (quitting?/back-up), Domino sorta, Sage, Black Tom Cassidy, Colossus once? Forge sorta. [Lot’s of backup or sometimes-members on this team but kinda centers on Beast, Omega, Wolverine and Jean or Domino]

Excalibur: Betsy Braddock, Rogue, Jubilee, Gambit, Avalanche, baby/dragon Shogo, Apocalypse (honorary, mia)

Marauders: Kate Pride, Storm, Emma Frost, a Pyro, Iceman, Bishop

On X-force, you get a little Morrison-homage energy going on what with Beast being sus, Quentin Quire having a character arc and dating a cuckoo and then all the body-horror. This one hasn’t been amazing and the art sometimes has issues for me but it’s been a solid expansion on Krakoa-Era lore. 

On Marauders, you get a book centered on Kate Pride and the Hellfire Club. It’s been aight but I’m not the biggest Kate fan. Definitely has heart and the art has been beautiful. 

Excalibur started a little weird for me... I lack the references or attachment to Otherworld or Davis/Moore-era Excalibur so I don’t think I’m even really the target demo, but I will say it recently, post-X of Swords-- which it set up single-handedly basically [along w/ one ish of X-men]-- has gotten more interesting in recent months. The Betsy + Kwannon stuff was great! And Howard did great with Apocalypse before he went off to another dimension. (points off for iffy color-palettes sometimes). 

#2. Jr. Mutants Academy

Mood-color/vibe: Pastel

Books: New Mutants, X-factor, Children of the Atom, Cable

Common Pokemon: Magik, Cable, Rachel Summers, Doug, Warlock, Armor, Boom Boom, Scout, Dani, Warpath, Karma, Glob, Beak, Daken, Eye-boy, North Star, Rachael, Prodigy those Children of the Atom kids, Magma, Rahne, and a lot of lil kid mutants runnin’ around in Akademos/the Wild Hunt area of Krakoa whose names I don’t know yet.

This is the junior-crew club. New Mutants would be in the Blue/Gold books practically due to being part of the first wave of post-HoX/DoX books, but its basically been 3 different books/teams over its run and along w/ Children/Cable/X-Factor, it feels like there a whole handful of books offering up junior-crew shenanigans specifically. 

So New Mutants has been all over the place, starting with a lineup of OG Claremont era New Muties, then focusing on a team consisting of Glob, Armor and Boom Boom (perpetual...”young adult” I guess?), now settling on a new team under Vita Ayala with Magik and Warpath heading up a squad of young ‘uns (beautiful art on the recent stretch). Hopefully it’s settling into its self now, because I can see longevity for this new squad... maybe. 

I still have to read the 2nd issue of Children of the Atom,  but am intrigued by it. X-factor meanwhile seems to be focusing on queer representation with people like Prodigy, Daken, North Star and Rachel on the same group together. Polaris started out the lead of that title only to be plucked out by Duggan (or the fanbase) for the main X-team coming up. This honestly makes sense, because even though she isn’t drawn this way, shouldn’t Polaris be considerably older than someone like Rachel? Eh. 

Also, in issue #4 of X-factor we had a beautiful homage to the Academy X mutants, with several cameos, so it seems like Marvel is intentionally using these junior-crew books to acknowledge all the various junior-crews, whether it be OG Claremont kids, Generation X people, the kids intro’d under Morrison and Whedon, or even the dang ‘ol Academy X ones, they seem to all be getting at least some representation in some book. 

Also Cable owns. Didn’t know I’d like the Kid-Cable guy until this book and his appearances in the main title, but now it’s confirmed. Him dating Esme, Kid Omega dating Phoebe? These crazy telepaths! Anyway, I hope Duggan’s main-team book is more like Cable than Marauders, in terms of pacing and characterization, but they both have beautiful art!

New mutants: Karma, Magik, Mirage, Scout, Warlock, Warpath and Wolfsbane

X-factor: Daken, Eye-boy, Polaris (quit?), North Star, Rachael, Prodigy

#3. 2nd-gen Krakoa Niche aka “the good stuff”

mood-color/vibe: purples, metaphysical/cosmic pallets, tertiary colors

books included: Hellions, S.W.O.R.D., Way of X

common Pokemon: I mean they’re basically all rare drops

This is the good stuff! Who would have thought. And when I think about it,  Way of X and S.W.O.R.D., as part of the second wave of Krakoa-era books that started with Cable, both address some of the core issues and ideas that the whole HoX/DoX mini kicked off better than-- or at least more directly-- the other books. So I guess the non X-men, first-wave Krakoa books feel “mainline” in terms of their team lineups, but in terms of content, these newer ones almost feel more relevant by design. S.W.O.R.D. focuses on the cosmic context of the mutants post-Krakoa and Way is Kurt’s first spot-light moment in the era and is expressly concerned with Kurt’s addressing of the deeper moral quandaries that a people who have conquered death will be faced with. I mean, it's expressly about religion and like, spirituality-- a very tall order, but first issue pulled it off super deftly.

Also Hellions is better than it has any business being! Read this if you want savagely dark humor and some very obscure mutants + Havok/Psylocke/Sinister. But if I had to reccomend one, it’d be a tie b/w S.W.O.R.D and Way. First issue of Way was exceptional and got right into things and Kurt’s very well-written and will surely prove a meditative lead for a book like this, whereas S.W.O.R.D is epic in scale while still have sick character moments/dialogue. Manifold had a great issue or two and is now my favorite new mutant, even in the context of a somehow-actually-good King in Black tie-in. Damn! And everything going on b/w Magneto and Fabian Cortez (who was made to argue for why mutants should be allowed to murder “flatscans”/humans to the whole Krakoan council this week whilst naked. It’s fantastic. Hell, even the Snark-War sounds...interesting? What’s happening to me. 

S.W.O.R.D.: Fabian Cortez, Magneto, Abigail Brand, Peeper, Manifold, Wiz-Kid, Mentallo, Fenzy

Children of the Atom: Cherub, Marvel Guy, Cyclops-Lass (?), Gimmick, Daycrawler

Hellions: Havok, Psylocke, Empath, Orphan-Maker, Nanny, Wild Child, Sinister, Greycrow

#4. Cetera

Mood-color/vibe: colorless, “normal” element

Books included: Fallen Angels (complete 6-ish mini), All the damn Wolverine books, the uh Sword of X “guidebook” and the new Peach Momoko Demon Days books and whatever X-men Legends is.

These are titles which are either complete or don’t fit in with other things or in Demon Days or the X-men Legends’ books’ case, I think don’t even occur in-universe. And per usual of course there are multiple Wolverine books... the main one seems fine. 

Anyway all-in-all, these books are doing weirdly well. Mutants as a concept shouldn't be able to be spread this thin story-telling wise, but the books don’t really feel redundant and most are filling a specific niche or purpose. I may be dropping some of the first-wave Blue/Gold style books (Marauders and X-force I'll probably just check in on from time-to-time), but S.W.O.R.D., Way, the main book under Hickman or Duggan and Hellions all have me verrrrrry satisfied. Even standard stories in the Krakoa era feel special, and that speaks to the power of Hickman’s vision. Hellfire Gala, here we come. 

[katatonicimpression]

How Marauders Does its Characters Dirty Part 1:

Bishop

Marauders is, in theory, an x-men comic centred around the dealings of the Hellfire Trading Company and the intrigue etc you'd expect to get from a hellfire club story. In reality, it often feels more like an Emma Frost/Kate Pryde fan fic. While you'd expect the main characters of a series to get the most attention, the extent to which the supporting characters are sidelined is kind of ridiculous, especially compared to other x-men series out there. So I'm ranting about that... in 8 parts... in no particular order... Let's talk about Bishop.

Why is he here (narratively speaking)? Why add Bishop to this team? And why make him the red Bishop? It would make a lot of sense for Bishop to come into conflict with Kate and Emma. He's principled, and tends to be quite independently minded. You'd expect him to take his position seriously and not be afraid to disagree with Kate. But he hasn't disagreed with Kate or even Emma. He hasn't really voiced an opinion at all. Not in a way that has actually influenced the plot.

He is (at least) an important part of the team dynamic. In the 2018 Iceman series, the prospect of self-serious, world-on-his-shoulders Bishop working with Bobby "never taken anything seriously in his life" Drake is played for laughs. We get a hint of this dynamic with Bishop in charge of Bobby and (somehow even looser cannon) St. John. It's kind of fun, but barely present. I cannot stress enough how much these characters barely appear.

So while Bishop babysitting Bobby and St. John is cute, it doesn't make up for how criminally underused this guy is. And it all comes down to that fact that his natural function in the story should be to disagree with Emma and sometimes Kate, but the writers don't ever meaningfully disagree with Emma so none of the characters can either.

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Val Kilmer Documentary Punctures the Actor’s Bad Boy Myth

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Leo Scott and Ting Poo’s new documentary feature, Val, is not a mortality play. It is a rehearsal for an upcoming act. During a tour of his one-man stage show, Citizen Twain, Val Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer. The actor underwent two tracheostomies, and now can only speak while covering a tube. The narration of the new film is thus done by his son Jack Kilmer, allowing the pair to share a non-verbal connection throughout the journey, and through time and expression itself. While there are flourishes of humor, the documentary is a serious study of an artist who has always struggled to be understood, told through the selective memory of Kilmer’s POV.

“I’ve wanted to tell a story about acting for a very long time,” Kilmer says toward the beginning of the documentary. “And now that it’s difficult to speak, I want to tell my story more than ever.” Kilmer is an artist, one who takes his vocation very seriously and introspectively. An actor’s voice is more than a tool, it is their primary source of communication. Non-verbal exchanges are important, but dialogue is the primary idea delivery system in staged and filmed works. Surgical procedures have split his throat, shredding the scope of his instrument. In the film, Kilmer is forced to project his story on the empty space between the notes.

Among Kilmer’s many defining roles, the one which appears to ring truest is his encapsulation of Jim Morrison, the poet and lead vocalist of the Doors in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic, The Doors. The young Kilmer is shown onstage in a small club, lost in the music, awaiting his cue to become one with the mic. Moments in Kilmer’s personal history, like how the actor was tagged with a “difficult” label, are consigned to rests. The most overt reference to Kilmer’s “bad boy” reputation comes from Robert Downey Jr., who smashes the notoriety to bits in a moment of impromptu dismissal.

There is no gossip here. There is no discussion of A-list-bad behavior. Kilmer sees it all as artistic license.  He was searching for honesty, he remembers. Choices like lying on top of a mattress filled with ice in order to feel a real pain during his last scene with Kurt Russell in Tombstone come across as perfectly valid. Kilmer is still bitter over spending four months learning to play guitar for Top Secret!, and his first note informs him the director thinks he looks funnier faking it. There is little evidence of unprofessionalism, only growing pains.

The bulk of Val comes from clips of 8mm home video footage Kilmer has been shooting most of his life. “I’ve kept everything, and it’s been sitting in boxes for years,” Kilmer informs us. The archive was intended to tell a story about “where you end and the acting begins.” We are gifted with moon shots of both Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn, which have nothing to do with the films Apollo 13 or The First.

Early self-directed screen tests provoke a series of what-ifs. A tortuous encapsulation of a Juilliard acting class is a lesson in what-nots. Val’s hand-held approach to The Island of Dr. Moreau is a highlight. The actor respectfully rocks his co-star and idol, Marlon Brando, on a hammock they both wish was strung to John Frankenheimer. Please turn off the camera, the film’s replacement director demands. But Kilmer only hits pause when it’s time to rehearse.

The behind-the-scenes camcorder footage from sets of Top Gun, Tombstone, and The Doors are treasure troves in themselves, and possibly underused. Most of the audience will be very interested in the candid youth and truth recorded over his career. Val uses the archival clips and unearthed b-roll to establish a chronology.

Many videos were made at home in Los Angeles with Kilmer’s younger brother Wesley, who had an epileptic seizure and drowned at age 15. His death casts a mournful pall following the news that Val was the youngest applicant ever accepted as a drama student at Juilliard. Kilmer calls his brother “an artistic genius,” and one of the most revealing things to come out of the documentary is how often Kilmer used this brother’s art to augment the backgrounds of the sets he is living through on film.

Seeing how Stone speaks about Kilmer now makes me wonder if Val would have been able to put in the same performances in his movies if he knew it at the time. In his audition tapes for Full Metal Jacket and Goodfellas, we see an actor who needs to be taken seriously. He flies 6,000 miles to hand deliver his tape to Stanley Kubrick in London.

While he makes no comment, footage reveals Kilmer’s favorite Batman was played by Adam West. “Every boy wants to be Batman,” we hear, and see the Caped Crusader in every era of Kilmer’s life. A short, animated film he and his brother made with what looks like crayon is a Batman spoof. He still glories in the moment he got deposited behind the classic TV series’ iconic wheels as a youngster visiting the lot. It appears Kilmer still can’t pass a grocery store Batmobile without feeding it quarters. He wears the classic blue Halloween ensemble expecting tricks and treats as a kid, and as a daddy with his kids.

Don’t expect to see Kilmer wearing his cinematic puffed rubber suit at home, and it’s not because he left it at the dry cleaners. Footage old and new, homemade or professionally recorded, presents the Batsuit as an albatross. Heavy rests the cowl. He has to be lifted from chairs, deposited on marks, and his only identifying feature on the set of Batman Forever is a chin and bottom lip. Anyone could have been behind the mask, and the human superhero envied the subhuman villains. Kilmer comes across as quite happy Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones are able to create fully formed performance art in their portrayals. But he wanted to play with those toys.

“Batman Forever,” Kilmer laments, “whatever boyish excitement I had going in was crushed by the reality of the Batsuit. I realized it was just my job to show up and stand where they told me.” As the captured past footage is juxtaposed with modern sequences, we get an unfiltered glimpse of how little this has changed. The sequence of Kilmer at the Comic-Con autograph booth is wrenching. He initially didn’t want to take the part of Iceman in Top Gun because he felt it glorified the military. So many fans ask him to sign “You can be my wingman” on their souvenirs. It turns his stomach. He throws up in a garbage can and wheeled through hallways with a blanket over his head. Trouper that he is, he returns to the booth to finish out the signatures.

Kilmer blurred himself into the role of Mark Twain. There is a beautiful sequence where the actor walks through town to the beach, in full stage makeup, dressed in the signature white suit and long mustache of his character. It is extremely telling when Kilmer tells the camera it’s hard enough writing a good screenplay, much less a great one, which itself doesn’t even match what he feels he needs to bring to a script of a film version of Citizen Twain. Kilmer sold his ranch in New Mexico to finance the project. The documentary only captures some of the frustrations.

Most of the anecdotes are guarded, and all the admissions are part of a subjective narrative. Kilmer’s arc has rough edges, these tales are too smooth, and leave little room for impressionistic interpretation. Kilmer met his former wife, Joanne Whalley, when she was starring in a West End play directed by Danny Boyle, but he didn’t approach her.

“She was brilliant, and I was in town making fluff,” Kilmer concedes. It’s all about the art, even appearances. The documentary hints that Kilmer’s dedication to character did the most damage to their relationship. Wearing the same pair of leather pants for nine months could almost be on the books as probable cause for divorce in Hollywood.

Similarly, Kilmer’s Christian Science upbringing is brought up, and dropped. There is a loving but ambiguous undertone to Kilmer’s relationship with his once-rich-and-powerful father, who put his son in debt after trying to become a southern California land tycoon. But a sequence on his Swedish mother which juxtaposes a car ride he took with her when he was a child with one of being driven to her funeral speaks volumes without words.

Val is about the next step. “What’s past is prologue” William Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest. Kilmer pondered the “too, too solid flesh” while rehearsing Hamlet, and the documentary opens after the actor faced his own mortality. Kilmer swears he feels better than he sounds and, while he finds little to regret in his memories, he expects less in the ones he has yet to create.

Val can be seen on Amazon Prime Video.

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