#Tony Stark cameo was fun though

[moralesmilesanhour]

THEY KEEP GIVING HIM NEW SUITS THAT SUCK

[marvelrarepairbingo]

Marvel Rare Pair Bingo Summer Round Up Pt. 2

Hey everyone! It's summer time and the season's just heating up and so are we with these great submissions that have come our way in this Part Two (from the posts on Tumblr) round up for our 3rd round bingo. Things are getting close to winding up as we head into a 4th round near the end of the summer, so stay tuned for more from us about that in the future. For now, however, enjoy these hot new works under the cut from our participants. They promise to a scorcher in the summer sun!

Wolfsheart

Too weird to live, too rare to die Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi Relationships: Justin Hammer & Loki, Justin Hammer/Loki Additional Tags: Domestic Avengers, Avengers Family, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Not Canon Compliant, Everybody Lives, Living Together, Enemies to Friends, rivals to friends, Baking, Getting to Know Each Other, Banter, Fluff, Humor, Fluff and Humor, Family Fluff, Team as Family, Family Feels, Bonding, Family Bonding, Team Bonding, Second Chances, Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas references, Mentions of Morgan Stark - Freeform, Mentions of Timmy Hammer (Justin's nephew), moodboard, Tony Stark's Cars, Tony Stark loves his cars and doesn't want to share them, Mission Fic, mission, Road Trips, Developing Friendships, Talking, Sparks of interest, Teasing, Flirting, There Was Only One Bed, How Justin Got His Groove Back, Pet Names, Loki's magic (Marvel), Team Dynamics, Canon-Typical Violence, Blood and Injury, Blood, Blood and Violence, Not Taylor Swift Friendly, Not Travis Kelce Friendly, hostages, X-Men Cameos Language: English Published: 2024-06-28 Words: 34,750 Chapters: 7/7 For the @marvelrarepairbingo's Moodboard Madness, prompts: 7. Road Trip and will likely fall under 3. Mission Gone Wrong and more than likely (in fic) 8. There was only one bed.

Marvel Heroes & Villains & Those a little In Between Presents Title: Marvel Heroes & Villains & Those a Little In Between Presents: Pride Drag Moodboard Prompt: 3. Drag Shows Pairing: No Pairing. Summary: Pride Drag, raising money for May Parker's Home for Displaced Queer Youth, pulling in various heroes, villains, and those considered a little in between to perform.

MuffinEngineer86

Code Margarita & Rainbows Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi Relationships: Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis, Yelena Belova & Darcy Lewis, James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers Additional Tags: alternative universe, No-Power AU, accidentally married, Unknowingly Married, Drinking, Pride event, funny pride shirts, fairy wings, Flower Crowns, Beefy Bucky, Skinny Steve, Language Language: English Published: 2024-06-23 Words: 3,358 Chapters: 2/? Summary: Darcy was on her way to her first pride event. She was a little hesitant, but two nice strangers offered to show her around. An offer Darcy gladly took.

Stormxpadme

Rainbow blasts For the Pride Month Prompts of Marvel Rare Pair Bingo @marvelrarepairbingo, I made an entry for the Mood Board Madness section. title: Rainbow blasts prompts: Poly ship, Dykes on Bikes characters/ship: Hawkye/Black Widow/Storm/Synch medium: movieverse (Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence) story: Natasha and Ororo are absolutely adamant about leaving the male members of their polycule aka their moping boyfriends at home for Mutant and Superhero Pride this year and rather join the Dykes on Bikes parade section. When the event is threatened by a bunch of radical bigot terrorists sending dozens of suicide bombers to literally blow up everyone's fun though, Everett and Clint need to overcome their aversion against mass events and join the girls to save the day. After Ororo's lightning and Clint's trick arrows have made an inevitable mess of the rainbow decoration while taking out the enemies one by one, Synch lights up the street with his powers for a few hours of celebration instead, before the four of them leave for the nearest motel room for celebrating yet another victory.

Mikeyp16

Bruises and Bullet Wounds After chillaxing for a bit I finally have time to draw for funsies! I’ve started a few bingo fills but yet to finish most, the curse of the WIP 😔 This wasn’t originally going to be a comic hense why the first one is the only one fairly finished, but this little scenario kept playing in my head while drawing so I ran with it Steve here doesn’t know Logan’s a mutant, not yet at least

CaptainJimothyCarter

Weight Of The World On His Shoulders Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen, M/M Relationships: Clint Barton & Kate Bishop, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton Additional Tags: Whump, Clint Barton Whump, Clint Barton & Kate Bishop Friendship, Accidental Killing, Clint Barton Needs a Hug, Archery, Hurt Clint Barton, Clint Barton Feels, Skeletons In The Closet, Circus Performer Clint Barton Language: English Published: 2024-05-03 Words: 1,157 Chapters: 1/1

Summary: Kate asks Clint a question he can't avoid and he relives one of the worst moments of his life.

Xenomorphic-Warrior

Moodboard Madness Marvel Rare Pair Bingo [Round 3] - Square B1 Celebrity AU [feat. Veterinarian AU] + Peter Quill/Thor

Howling in the Dark MRPB’s Mood Board Madness: Historical AU (1940s/World War II) + Bucky Barnes/John Walker, light/pre Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanoff/Sam Wilson Howling in the Dark: A secret history of the Howling Commandos

Fear Street 2005 MRPB's Mood Board Madness Round 2: Horror Movie + Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanoff (ver. 2) Fear Street: 2005 - Things have been going oddly great for the sleepy town of Shadyside in the last decade, ever since a string of murders exposed the Sheriff's dark side, and their golden neighbors over at Sunnyvale lost their good luck and their shiny reputations while at it. But best friends Wanda and Nat are starting to see that the peace and prosperity will not last for much longer as people begin going missing and strange happenings become their new normal.

Annie

For Brock's Sake Fandom: Marvel, Captain America. Ship: Sinthea Schmidt & Jack Rollins, Sinthea Schmidt X Brock Rumlow. Word count: 100 words. Square: N3 “Free.” Rating: Teen. Summary: Is Brock’s best friend vs Brock’s girlfriend. Major Tags: Arguing.

Helping Fandom: Marvel, Cloak & Dagger. Ship: The divine pairing Word count: 100 words. Square: N2 “Helping a stranger.” Rating: Teen. Summary: Another way that Ty and Tandy meet. Major Tags: Escaping.

Taking hands Fandom: Marvel, Captain America. Ship: Brock Rumlow X Sinthea Schmidt. Word count: 229 words. Square: 5 “Hand-holding.” Rating: Teen. Summary: A special moment between Sin and Brock. Major Tags: Fluff.

Run Fandom: Marvel, Captain America. Ship: Brock Rumlow X Sinthea Schmidt. Word count: 555 words. Square: N1 “A locked trunk.” Rating: Teen. Summary: Brock and Sin escaped from Steve. Major Tags: Locked trunk, mission, mention of Dark Dimension.

Violent Fandom: Marvel, The gifted. Ship: Marcos Díaz & Carmen Guerra. Word count: 100 words. Square: I5 “Angry mob.” Rating: Teen. Summary: Carmen asked Marcos for help. Major Tags: Purifiers.

Stranded Fandom: Marvel, Captain America. Ship: Steve Rogers & Janet van Dyne. Word count: 549 words. Square: I4 “Stranded in a blizzard.” Rating: Teen. Summary: Is Steve and Janet vs Snowstorm. Major Tags: Snowstorm.

Kites Fandom: Marvel, Fantastic Four. Ship: Sue Storm & Johnny Storm. Word count: 241 words. Square: 4 “Kite flying.” Rating: Teen. Summary: Sue wanna fly some kites with his brother like when they were children. Major Tags: Fluff.

Saving her Fandom: Marvel, Runaways. Ship: Gert Yorkes X Chase Stein Word count: 100 words. Square: I3 “Stalker.” Rating: Teen. Summary: Chase saves Gert. Major Tags: Time travel, different timelines.

Image Fandom: Marvel, Captain America, Avengers. Ship: Steve Rogers & Clint Barton Word count: 501 words. Square: I2 “Picture of Steve.” Rating: Teen. Summary: Steve’s plan gone wrong. Major Tags: Clint saved the day.

Change Fandom: Marvel, Captain America. Ship: Steve Rogers & Sinthea Schmidt. Word count: 200 words. Square: 3 “Taking photos.” Rating: Teen. Summary: Sin has an objective. Major Tags: Captain HYDRA.

TrashficParlour

Jetlagged Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: F/M Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel, Captain Marvel (2019), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies) Relationship: Carol Danvers/Peter Quill Characters: Carol Danvers, Peter Quill Additional Tags: Fluff, Established Relationship, Short & Sweet, Sleepy Cuddles, Soft Carol Danvers Language: English Published: 2024-05-27 Words: 320 Chapters: 1/1

[thetimelordbatgirl]

A big reason why I like the Black Panther films is that you can totally ignore everything else and the story works fine. You can forget Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame, just watch the first film and then its sequel. I didn’t like Captain America having his third film be changed to Avengers 2.5 just because marvel wanted to compete with Batman V Superman that same year, or Planet Hulk getting a half-assed adaptation in Thor 3, or Wanda stealing the show from Doctor Strange in his own sequel. Cameos can be fun but those were a bit much. The worst offenders are the mcu Spider-Man movies because Peter is shown being pretty dependent on characters like Iron Man, Nick Fury, Doctor Strange, and even versions of himself from older movies. And both Iron Man and Doctor Strange were responsible for the villains showing up in those films.

I will say due to the...really badly handled introduction of Skaar in She Hulk, its likely we could potentially get a Planet Hulk adaption down the line hopefully, but at the same time, as you pointed out, they already took half of that adaption in Ragnarok with Hulk landing on another planet due to leaving for space at the end of Age Of Ultron (another set up that went in weird places...at least it didn't go nowhere I guess like most MCU set ups lately). And your not wrong on the others: Civil War was basically MCU trying to compete with Batman Vs Superman (and yet somehow, Batman Vs Superman is the one getting dragged still when I'd happily rewatch it over Civil War) while also giving Captain America's film to Iron Man basically, and Wanda basically took over a film that wasn't hers to the point every character is depowered just to make her look better as remember: Doctor Strange is meant to be a powerful sorcerer as is Wong and the other sorcerers and even Miss America in the comics is pretty powerful, but they all depowered just to make Wanda this powerful villain that takes over his film that should have been him facing Mordo with the set up first Doctor Strange did, but nope I guess (and given how they planned to have Wanda kill Mordo before it was cut from film...maybe Mordo escaped being in this film...at least main universe him, anyway...).

And oh god, don't get me started on the MCU treatment of Spiderman. At least when you watch the OG trilogy and Amazing Spiderman films, you know they spidey films and you see Peter doing everything on his own with his villains having some form of connection to him. MCU???? Tony Stark caused the first two villains and Peter just happens to get caught in the messes each time and No Way Home can try all it wants: Strange should have told Peter about the spell PRIOR to doing it and therefore, if Peter did still do his stupid mistake, it would be his fault, but no, Strange doesn't, and therefore Strange's fault too. Plus its funny as hell they clearly wish they got to do Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus and Electro and Sandman, but they didn't, so they drag the prior Spiderman films versions of them into this Spiderverse rip off and force a connection between MCU peter and Spiderman films Green Goblin via fridging Aunt May, because beyond that, MCU Peter has zero connection to these villains and the other two Spidey's have more development with the villains then he does.

Like, there's fun little cameos everyone whose seen prior stuff can enjoy (Doctor Who coming to mind here along with DC's Shazam! and Black Adam), and then there's the MCU having the cameos take over the whole film somehow, meaning your forced to watch prior stuff to understand. And as much as I can agree Black Panther is easy to watch because it doesn't rely on prior stuff (with the only set up being in the end credits where we see Bucky), gonna have to sadly point out Wakanda Forever does have that stupid Valentina stuff shoved in to set up Thunderbolts, though gonna assume that was on higher up's end and not Ryan Coogler's end, since its basically apart of their pattern in the MCU at this rate.

[oluka]

Hiiiii, so I've been out of comics fandom for the last like half a year due to irl stuff and now I want to get back in! Have there been any nice Tony and Steve/Tony comics that I need to catch up on? 😊

Hi there! I'm too lazy to look up the exact dates of when comics came out, so here are some that are recent and nice to read.

Captain America/Iron Man (2021) -- on the off chance you missed it.

Iron Cat (2022) -- Tony is not really central, but he has nice moments.

A.X.E.: Judgment Day (2022) and the Tony-centric tie-in A.X.E.: Avengers #1 -- This event was great, with a good plot and excellent art. Tony and Steve both have important roles here. Tony is written mostly in character, and I enjoyed it, but there were some moments in the tie-in issue where the narrative says things about his past and his personality that are straight-up wrong. I forgive the writer, though, because he didn't butcher Tony. Silver linings.

Iron Man (2020) #25 -- last Cantwell issue, which in itself is a win, but there are also two additional short stories that are decent.

If you have Marvel Unlimited, check out these series as well:

Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic (2022) #1-- has a very good stony moment.

Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic (2022) #9-13 -- centred on Tony, Rhodey, and Riri, but has a nice Steve cameo.

T.E.S.T. Kitchen Infinity Comic (2022) -- About a young chef who gets employed by Tony and the recipes she makes. Has a whole lot of domestic Avengers, from what I've seen it's very cute.

There are more issues of Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic with Tony in them, #17 for example, but since I don't have access to infinity comics I can't tell you about them :(

There is a run that just started, called Secret Invasion (2022), where Tony will be one of the main characters. I trust it to be good since it's written by Ryan North.

You can also read Avengers Forever (2021), one of the protagonists is Tony Stark from Earth-818. He’s a little pathetic and sad but I like him.

As for Steve-centric comics, the current Captain America run is nice, with great art: Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (2022).

That's all I can come up with! Have fun reading :)

[kitkatt0430]

And S1 of What If? comes to an end with the Watcher breaking his oath. Truly the godzilla threshold has been met. :D

So recruit number one in the Watcher's fight with Ultron is Evil Strange - a good choice. He won't want anyone else to suffer what he has, being the sole survivor of his reality.

This episode picks up with Peggy at the start of what must be her universe's version of the events of The Winter Soldier. So Natasha's match maker instincts come off more as flirting with Peggy than they do with Steve. Or maybe I just like Peggy/Natasha better than Steve/Natasha? I dunno.

Anyway, Peggy is recruit number 2. Followed by Starlord T'Challa. Gamora - from an episode I think I remember hearing was pushed back to the second season. (The Not You Stark is funny) Killmonger next. Thor, who is not paying attention, until the Watcher picks him up.

They are the Guardians of the Multiverse. I do love it. :D

Thor - *is annoying* Strange - You picked him. The Watcher - *silence*

lol

Strange is having a bit of trouble keeping his form. Now that he's not ripping reality apart for selfish reasons, I do feel a lot more sorry for him. He's shit at speeches, though. Thankfully T'Challa bails him out.

Thor - I know how to deal with this Party Pooper. Viva Los Vegas!!! Ultron - Have not heard that one before

hehehehehe

Oh, the zombies are back. Not a bad plan.

And there's Natasha, making new friends. But can they successfully play keep away with the soul stone?

Where's Zola during all this, anyway? He was still with Natasha at the end of the last ep...

Ah, there he goes, finally using the other stones to retrieve the one he lost... but of course Strange has a time stone of his own...

Thor is still using Vegas as a battle cry. I love it.

Seriously, though, where is Zola? Well... at least there's still an arrow with Zola on it, but what about the drone??? Oh well, Natasha gets to be badass with an arrow to honor Clint. That's cooler.

Right in the eye. Ouch.

So out with one bad guy and in with another. Zola has the imagination Ultron lacks, which I assume is why he wins. Of course, now they've got Zola to deal with. And Killmonger showing his evil colors...

Killmonger vs Zola for a cosmic tug of war over the stones and Strange figures out what the Watcher really intended, which was sticking those two in a pocket dimension to fight for eternity. I do like it. :D

The Watcher sending everyone home. And giving Natasha a new home. Awww, he does have a heart.

That was fun. :D

And then in the epilogue, Natasha leads Peggy into the depths of the ship and... the Hydra Stomper. With someone inside. I am so curious.

I hope we get another season at some point - I'd love to see the universe Gamora came from. And, uh, maybe not have Tony get killed off for a change? (The only surviving version of him here was basically a cameo. Let's give him a bit better?)

[spaceorphan18]

Marvel Movie Night: Spider-Man Homecoming

It's probably no shock to anyone who has followed my blog long enough for me to say that I love this film.

I think for any of us who, in general, enjoy these fun yet ridiculous superhero films has a few favorites, and Spider-Man has always been one of mine. While I loved when he was brought into Civil War, I had been skeptical when they announced they were doing another movie. Did the world need another Spider-Man franchise attempt?

Why yes - yes it did.

No, I don't think this is the best film ever made. It's not even the best Marvel film. But there's something light and enjoyable about it - something that allows me to get comfy on the couch and just enjoy the entertainment for two hours. Sometimes films, characters, stories just connect to a person - and this is one of those films for me.

I adore Tom Holland's Spider-Man. I adore his Peter Parker. He plays the part with just the right amount of awkwardness and eagerness; of youth and wit and dorky charm. With a character as beloved as this, you're always going to have people prefer one aspect or another, but for me (as someone who, yes, actually has read the comics) Holland's portrayal brings out the aspects of the character that I personal enjoy.

And even though I feel like people miss the point due to all the MCU trappings - it is just a film about a kid who happens to have superpowers. It kind of explores and celebrates the fun of being Spider-Man - and maybe all of this works better for people now since we'll eventually be getting the angst ridden origin story a bunch more movies down the line.

I love that the film's first third is mostly just high school-ish hijinx. The cast is fantastic - I love Jacob Batalon as Peter's Guy in the Chair/Bff Ned. Zendaya may not have a huge part in the film, nor is her MJ anything like her comic book counterpart, but man her edgy mysteriousness is so much more interesting Kirsten Dunst's bland and boring MJ. The rest of the kids, too, including Laura Harrier's popular girl Liz, feel like actual kids. And it's nice to have an inner city school be diverse and not full of the same looking white people.

Also, while I don't have much to say about her - I do like Marisa Tomei as Aunt May. It does make more sense for Peter to have an aunt who is closer to middle aged than downright old. And I'm glad she was characterized as someone who is fun while still being an adult. Even if we don't see much of her - the dynamic between her and Peter really works.

Meanwhile, I'm one of those people who actually enjoys the fact that it's all tied up in the MCU. I like that this film shows that there are actual consequences to the events that happen in the MCU. I like that focuses not on space gods and super humans but regular people. And yes, I like the awkward father-son dynamic that is Tony Stark to Peter Parker. (And I know this is a major grip to Spider-Man fanboys out there - I get it, and it's fine that this one isn't for you.) Spider-Man has been teaming up with people in offshoot comic books since the 60s. And, if I'm being honest, I enjoy the character more when he's working with other people.

Spider-Man has always been known for having a huge rogue's gallery. Not sure if the Vulture is one of his most popular or well known, but I think he works for this story. Michael Keaton is perfectly cast - and he's truly more terrifying as just Michael Keaton then when they put him in the somewhat awkward suit. I will say - if I have one grip about the film it's that the action sequences between Spider-Man and the Vulture are somewhat dull. The last sequence on the plane has always bored me a little - and I think it takes away, a little, from that whole -- superhero on the ground -- they spent the whole movie building up.

But that said, I really just love this film - from the Donald Glover cameo, to the Captain America health videos, to the fact that Gwenyth Paltrow had no idea she was in this film. There are so many little moments, fun beats and great one-liners that just makes this film really work and resonate for me. It just makes me feel all warm inside whenever I revisit it. And while I think the next two films in the trilogy might have some higher highs to go along with them, this is probably the best all around film in this particular series.

Final Verdict: This is my Spider-Man, and I'm glad to have him on my screen.

Next Up: More bright colors as Thor Ragnarok turns the corner.

[getmemymicroscope]

God, this is going to be hard without spoilers.

Essentially, though - what a fucking blast! It's fun right from go, it's absolutely hilarious with a ton of fun jokes and wordplay and action sequences and callbacks to the MCU and the X-Men films and call-outs and ... holy hell the awesome cameos. Is it a lot of fan service? Sure, to some extent. But you know what? I'm all here for it! Much like No Way Home, they know what the fans want - and they 100% give it to us. And they make it a hell of a lot of fun in the process.

The movie starts of with a Deadpool-level action sequence, complete with stylistic action, gore, cursing, and great music - and things don't really let up until the end. In the process, we get some great heart-to-hearts between Deadpool & Wolverine - interspersed with them constantly stabbing each other - and a few more such conversations between either of our leads and another character.

The No Way Home comparison is easy to make, at the end of the day, but unlike the recent previous MCU films that really bring everyone together (Infinity War; Endgame; No Way Home), this one ends with probably the most uplifting bit. You know - Infinity War ended with the dust'ification of 50% of the word; Endgame had the death of Tony Stark and added impact of the earlier death of Black Widow; No Way Home ends with Spider-Man completely on his own and forgotten by his friends and family. So, in that sense, this one - while still not exactly 100% happy, is probably the least such 'down' ending. Or, at least, the most hope that things for all of our characters may not end so bleakly.

The cameos - all of them - are fucking amazing. There was a couple I was expecting because I'd heard/read stuff, but I'd done a pretty good job avoiding things for the last few weeks/months, so a lot of them caught me off guard. And I loved them all (even if the movies that some of them came from weren't exactly 'best movie ever' quality).

Absolutely a blast, a perfect example of 'fan service done right,' something the MCU needed (though, to be honest, I've greatly enjoyed essentially every MCU movie - because, honestly, it isn't hard to be entertained, and the whiny babies complaining about everything clearly don't know how to have fun), and the best movie of the year thus far.

Also - the multiverse jokes were great, because, yes, it probably has been a bit overdone at this point. The MCU has started biting off too much and making things too large, so it'd be nice to see some smaller, close-to-home films (funny to say that when, all-in-all, this movie most definitely was not that).

Complete hearts, and will be watching this again.

[nicoline1998enilocin]

Wow. I am officially speechless but in the best way possible! When you mentioned you would reblog the entries, I never expected this long of a reblog, and I was flabbergasted when I saw the length. You have exceeded every expectation, and I'm so happy about it! 🤍

I'm so, so, so happy you enjoyed what I wrote, as I had a lot of fun writing it - I'm delighted I had the chance to partake in your challenge, allowing me to create this absolute bomb of fluff that has given me all the warm feelings possible.

With this, I'm also pleased to announce that I'll be adding onto their story with a few more parts, turning it into a short series with an estimated 4-5 parts in total. I cannot get enough of these two, and I have been working behind the scenes with @ccbsrmsf1 to develop some plans to include in the rest of their story.

More reactions under the cut as well, as I'll be answering some of the points you brought up in your reblog! However I will give a minor spoiler alert; Bucky is going to play quite a big part in some of the upcoming parts, though I won't give away too much about how just yet, other than him being the vet like mentioned in this part, of course 👀

First off, I need to absolutely praise the way you built this little universe. I love all the little cameos and roles you gave everyone 🥹💕 Bruce and Natasha being the close friends, Thor the landlord, Loki the interior designer, Bucky the vet (which as a Bucky girl had me losing my mind 💗), and Steve the artist. It brought it all together for me in the best way, like I want to read up on all of their adventures now lol 🫶🏼✨ You have absolutely blown me away with this amazing comment! It was amusing for me to think about what roles everyone is going to play in this story, and there are still a few characters that I haven't included yet that will make a few appearances, too, but I won't give away who they are just yet! 👀🤍

And Momma Stark? I love her 🥹❤️ I can reassure you that @ccbsrmsf1 and I do too; we have been melting over Maria the entire time I've been working on this 😉

Tony being a momma’s boy is so cute and the way the reader wants to surprise him by learning Italian stooooop 🥺❣️ Remember when I said we love Maria so much? Well, we're gonna see her teaching Sprinkle some Italian, as it'll come in very handy in their future 👀

I would absolutely do anything and everything for Coffee Bean. I love that cat. I barley met him and I already love him. He must be protected at all costs and I just know he is so loved by Tony and the reader ❤️❤️ You are absolutely, completely and entirely right about this - I couldn't agree more! He's so precious, and he's already so loved by Tony and Sprinkle, it's only a matter of time to see how much more they'll love him, and how their story will progress. 🤍

Coffee Bean Cafe are you kidding me that is the most adorable thing ever!! 🐈❤️❤️ I love that they finally confessed and kissed on the day their dream was finally coming true like it was the perfect moment 🥹💗💗 There was no better time for them to confess their love and the day their dream came true, if you ask me! It turned it into the perfect, full-circle moment, and I couldn't be happier about the way I wrote that! 🥰

My heart is officially melted, I feel so soft, and I loved everything about this!!! ❤️✨❤️✨❤️✨❤️ Thank you so much for participating in my writing challenge!! 🥹🫶🏼✨ I'm so honored to have been a part of your challenge, as it was a lot of fun! So much fun in fact, that I even created a second story (with a different storyline), so I could share even more joy and fluff with you all! 🤍

Sprinkles Of Romance

PAIRING || CBF!Young!Tony Stark x CBF!Fem!Reader

WORDCOUNT || 6.8K

SUMMARY || When your dream of opening your coffee shop becomes a reality, you get a lot more than you bargained for. Not only do you get to fall in love with the shop, you also get to fall deeper in love with your best friend.

RATING || Teen (T)

TAGS || Bakery AU. Coffee Shop AU. Childhood Best Friends to Lovers. Mutual pining. Idiots in love.

A/N || SURPRISE! - I wanted to gift you all a special story, and I'm excited to share this story with you all after three weeks of no stories! From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank @ccbsrmsf1 for proofreading and picking this idea for me to write! It has given me the most warm, autumnal, and happy vibes during the writing, and I hope it will give you all a bit of the warmth I enjoy during this time of year! 🤍

A/N 2.0 || This is written for @elixirfromthestars's writing challenge! The prompts used in this story are Coffeeshop AU - Bakery AU - Saying I love you for the first time - “Would it be alright if I borrowed your sweater? It smells like you.” - “I’m only doing it because you’re cute.” - “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice.” - “I’ve tried to forbid myself from falling in love, but now I can’t help it.” - “And when I felt like I was an old cardigan, under someone's bed. You put me on and said I was your favorite.”

All graphics are made by @nicoline1998enilocin

Main Masterlist || Tony Stark

Ever since you were a child, you and Tony were practically inseparable – or, as your mother would say, you two are glued at the hip. Wherever one of you went, the other came along, and this has always stayed the same throughout your life. Tony, Howard, and Maria moved into the house next to yours when you two were still babies, and from the moment you could walk and talk, you and Tony were constantly by each other's sides, getting into all sorts of trouble and going on different kinds of adventures, too.

Throughout it all, you two have also developed deeper, romantic feelings for each other, though neither of you has ever confessed to it to the other. Even though you're both well aware that your friends and family will always support your friendship, relationship, and shared dreams, it is still a hurdle you're unsure how to cross, as neither of you wants to lose the other.

Since you and Tony graduated from business school a few months ago – both getting a degree in how to run a business – you've been on a well-deserved vacation to Italy with all four parents. Still, now that it is over, it's time for you and Tony to return to the real world and hopefully see one of your dreams come true sooner rather than later.

Outside, the weather is turning chillier by the day, and autumn has fully settled over the small town you and Tony call home. The leaves outside are changing colors, and the decoration in your shared apartment has also had a make-over to an autumnal theme, adding to the atmosphere as the smell of freshly baked gingerbread cookies fills the air. While your best friend takes his time to put another batch of said cookies in the oven, the other ones are cooling on the counter, and you are in the middle of getting dressed after a shower.

In front of you is a life-size mirror, and you're checking yourself out from all angles as something about your outfit feels off. You're dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, black boots, a black tank top, and one of your red flannels – a perfect outfit for the weather outside – but it's missing something. Then, as you walk back to your closet for the third time, it finally hits you. As the idea settles in your brain, you take off the flannel with a growing smirk before your feet pad over the hardwood floors of your apartment.

"Hi, Sprinkle," Tony says as he turns to greet you; the butterflies in your stomach are going wild as they always do when you're met with the sight of your tall, broad best friend. As you make your way up to him, he can't help but let out a shy smile, giving him an adorably sweet expression as you crane your neck to meet his gaze. Tony is a good few inches taller than you – you barely reach shoulder height when you're both standing barefoot next to one another – and it's something that has been a part of many of his fantasies about you, though he wouldn't dare to admit that to anyone.

"Can I ask you something?" you say softly. Even though Tony would never say no to you, you still put on your sweetest, most innocent voice to convince him either way. He hums as his gaze wanders over your soft features, the flushed skin from the shower you took earlier still there.

"Would it be alright if I borrow your sweater?"

It's a straightforward question, and Tony can't help but chuckle as he shakes his head slightly. Most of the sweaters he owns are already in your closet, and you could have picked any of those, but you still proceeded to ask for the one he's wearing. If he weren't already madly in love with you, he would be head over heels now, the butterflies in his stomach going wild as he steps closer to you.

"Hmm, I don't know. Why would you need to borrow the one I'm currently wearing when you have so many others already in your closet, ready to be worn?" he asks as he gently caresses your cheekbone with his thumb, his voice dropping lower while his breath ghosts past your cheek as he leans in a bit.

"Uhm… b-because it smells like y-you," you stammer, and Tony shows a satisfied smirk before humming again, letting you know he heard your answer.

"Alright, my sweet Sprinkle. You can have my sweater, but I'm only doing it because you're cute," he tells you with a smile; the heat you were feeling on your cheeks earlier is now soaring through your entire body as he steps back and removes his sweater. Tony's shirt rises a little as he does, giving you a glimpse of his toned abdomen and the little trail of black hair leading into his pants.

The sight before you leaves you nothing short of breathless, and your heart threatens to pound out of your chest as nothing but pure desire courses through your veins. You've seen him shirtless more times than you could count, but seeing him like this will always be some of the happiest parts of your fantasies about him.

"Sprinkle?" Tony says again, and you snap out of your daydream as you realize he's holding out his sweater for you to wear. As you take it, your fingers brush over his, sending a jolt of electricity through your bodies, letting you know you two are even more connected than you thought possible.

"Thank you," you respond before pulling the oversized sweater over your head. The soft and warm fabric feels like you're getting a hug from Tony. His scent envelops you entirely as you curl into the sweater, the sleeves falling over your hands as they fall into place. The entire time, Tony can't help but admire how his sweater looks on your frame and how perfect you look when wearing his clothes.

Then, the little bell from the oven pulls you both from your thoughts as the next batch of cookies is done, and a pang of disappointment surges through your body for a moment. The moment was perfect, but now it's over, and you must return to reality again.

"Can I bring you back anything from the store?" you ask Tony after you've gathered your purse, keys, and phone, ready to head out and get some more snacks for the movie night hosted at your apartment later tonight.

"A few more bags of chocolate chips, please. Oh, and some peanut butter M&M's!" he says excitedly, and you nod before saying your goodbyes and heading out the door. After putting on your headphones, you head to the store, which is only a 10-minute walk from the apartment. As you look around you, coziness and warmth envelop you, as autumn has always been your favorite time.

The scent of freshly fallen rain hangs in the air as you take your time; your pace slows as you enjoy your surroundings, but something catches your eye. Across the street, there's a large sign saying the store is for rent, and you can't help but go over, wanting to get a closer look. Right next door to the empty store is your favorite bookshop, and on the other side is a small restaurant, which fills the air with the rich smells coming out of its kitchen.

As you look inside, you have a perfect view of the store, which is illuminated by the golden rays of the sun coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It's a large space that allows for many possibilities, but the first that comes to mind is one that you and Tony have been dreaming of for years: a bakery with a coffee shop section built in.

Your fantasies come to life before your eyes as you imagine yourself behind the counter, making coffee while your best friend is working on the most delicious pastries that will fill the display with lots of colors. The smells fill the store as soft music plays, and laughter and conversations can be heard. Outside, people can enjoy the sun in the seating area and come in to see what you have to offer.

As you stand there, thinking about all the possibilities, you've completely forgotten about going to the grocery store, as all you can think about now is calling Tony and telling him your thoughts. Between the moment you grab your phone and the moment Tony answers your FaceTime call, barely 5 seconds pass before you're met with his beautiful smile, and a warmth spreads through your chest at the sight.

"Miss me already, Sprinkle?" Tony quips as he answers, making you laugh heartily.

"You know I always miss you when I'm not with you, Tony, but that's not why I'm calling! I was hoping to get your opinions and thoughts on something, as I may have found a way to make one of our dreams come true!" your voice rises about an octave from pure excitement. Before you know it, Tony is on his way to where you're standing, barely five minutes from your apartment.

Within minutes, you see the handsome features of your best friend as he walks closer, and a flurry of butterflies goes wild in your stomach at the sight. His casual style – jeans, sneakers, and a leather jacket thrown over a henley he put on after you took his sweater – is something you've fallen in love with over the years, and it compliments his messy hair and facial hair, making his entire look a combination to die for.

"Hi, Sprinkle," Tony says as he pulls you in for a hug. You can't help but sigh as your cheek is pressed against the firmness of his chest. You can never get enough of his hugs, and you hold on for a little longer than you would with anyone else.

"What's the sigh for?" Tony asks when pulling away, and you feel a burning heat in your cheeks at his question, your gaze avoiding his as you look at the pavement.

"I- Well…" you start as you wring your hands together, "I like hearing your heart beating when I put your head on my chest; it's calming to me," you confess. In any other situation, you would never admit something so personal, but with Tony, it feels right to do it, and you two never have secrets for one another – apart from your romantic feelings.

"You're too sweet, Sprinkle," Tony says with a deep red blush on his cheeks, his hands buried deep in his pockets before he does something stupid. He wants nothing more than to hold your hand or kiss you, but for now, he'll settle for what he can get from you, even if his desire tells him something different. He doesn't want to lose you by doing something stupid, as you're keeping him sane in this lifetime.

"So… what did you want to show me?" Tony then asks, curiosity ultimately getting the best of him now. A broad smile lights up your face as you turn around with spread arms, gesturing towards the store you've been standing in front of the entire time. A large sign telling you that it's for rent is sitting a little to the left of where you're standing, and that's when the coin drops for your best friend.

"You—you want to open a store here?" Tony asks, disbelief shining through in his voice. Not because he's against it in any way—it's been his dream for years already—but because you're not usually the type of person to bring up ideas like this.

"Well, I'd like to have a good look inside first, but from what I can see, I think it's the perfect place to open our bakery and coffee shop! We're right next to the bookstore, which is perfect for when people buy books and read them with some coffee and a treat," you tell him, and he nods in agreement. The placement is excellent, and within 20 minutes of calling the number printed on the large sign, there's a showing scheduled.

"I can't believe we're finally making the first steps to make our dreams come true," you tell Tony as you're still standing in front of the empty store, your hand in his as you squeeze it excitedly. He grabbed it during the phone call to ground himself, and neither of you has let go yet – it feels too good to let the other person go just yet.

That night, when you have your friends Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner over for movie night, you can't stop telling them all about your plans, and when you've explained it all to them, you can't stop smiling. The idea of opening a store with Tony has been on your mind for years, and now that it's closer than ever, it's like your entire life is going into a whirlwind of emotions in the best way possible.

It's been a week since Tony made the appointment for a showing inside the store, and you're having breakfast at the dining room table together. While Tony is dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, you're wearing your favorite Iron Man pajamas because they're warm and fluffy, perfect for the cooler weather outside.

"How're you feeling about today?" Tony asks between bites of his cereal, and you take a few moments to think about it before answering him.

"Nervous, but excited, too. We've wanted this for so long, and now that it might finally be happening, I can tell that there are a lot of nerves settling in my body," you tell him honestly, and he nods in agreement.

"Me too," he says softly, his gaze meeting yours as you stretch out your hand. His fingers intertwine with yours as he looks at you, a warm smile gracing his stunning features. His facial hair has become a bit more of a beard now, which suits him and only intensifies your feelings for him.

"We're going to be okay, though. We've always done everything together, and this won't be any different," he says, and you nod. Wherever one of you goes, the other will always come along, and it will be that way until the day you die. Then, as you're about to say something, Tony's phone suddenly grabs your attention as he's receiving a call. As soon as he sees who's calling, he turns the screen to you, showing you it's Maria.

“Buongiorno mamma, come stai?”

Each time Tony speaks Italian, you can feel your insides going crazy, as it drives you wild in the best way possible. While you've been attempting to learn Italian over the years, wanting to surprise Tony, something always came along that got your attention instead, so you could never practice enough without letting him know about your plans. While he would be the best teacher, if you want to surprise him one day, you'll have to find a different way.

"We're good; I was just talking to Sprinkle about the showing," he says, and you smile as he mentions you to Maria.

"It's this afternoon, but I'll update you and Dad, okay? I'll tell her you said hi, and I love you, too. Ciao," he says before hanging up, returning his attention to you.

"Mom said hi, and she asked when the showing was even though I told her three times already," he tells you with a chuckle. While Maria is one of the sweetest women you've ever met, she's sometimes not the best at remembering things.

"It's lovely of her to call. I always love how well you and she get along," you tell Tony, and he can't help but blush profusely at your words. He's always been a mama's boy, and he's aware of this fact, but when it's pointed out, he still can't help but turn red – though at the same time, he also loves it because he's very proud of the bond he and Maria share.

Shortly after breakfast, you and Tony are ready to head to the showing, which goes on without a hitch. You meet your landlord – a cheerful man with an Australian accent who introduced himself as Thor Odinson, and before you know it, you're in love with the space. Inside, there's a lot of potential for seating; during the summer, the seating area can be extended onto the sidewalk, too. There's a large counter that can be used as the place where you make coffee and display the pastries. In the back, there's an extensive stockroom and a large kitchen that will be turned into a workspace for Tony, as he will do most of the baking once the shop opens.

"So, what do you think?" Tony asks as you're standing in the stockroom together - Thor has left the two of you alone for a moment after excusing himself to pick up a phone call.

"I think we should go for it. The place has a lot of potential, as you saw, and I think Thor is also very nice," you tell him, and Tony nods. You two are lucky to have a landlord like him if you rent the shop, as he seems to be a hardworking, honest guy who's also in for a joke now and again.

"I agree, Sprinkle. Let's make our dreams come true," Tony answers softly before pulling you in for a hug. The way his arms wrap around you so effortlessly has your heart beating like crazy, your insides feeling like they're on fire as you settle in your best friend's arms. You're about to take the most significant step of your life, and you're happy that you get to do it with Tony.

Within 30 minutes, you, Tony, and Thor go over all the essential details for the lease, and then it's time to sign. Your gaze is trained on Tony as he gets ready to sign, but not without one last look of reassurance. It will all be okay, as you will do it together. There's never one without the other, and it won't be any different during the project of your dreams. When both your signatures are on the lease, Thor thanks you both with a firm handshake, wishing you good luck before he must go to another appointment.

You're holding the keys to your shop and a black, gold, and dark green business card that reads 'Loki Laufeyson | Interior Designer' on it. He comes highly recommended by Thor – though he also said that even though Loki is his brother, he's not just recommending him because of their bond. He's genuinely good at his job, and you don't have a reason to doubt his words.

It's official: you will open your own bakery and coffee shop with your best friend –the man you love. Your dream will come true in a few months, and before you know it, another one of yours will also come true, bringing a lot of joy to your soon-to-be busy lives.

The past few weeks have been busy, exhausting, and rewarding all at once because even though you and Tony spend almost every single one of your waking hours in the shop to make it nothing short of perfect, it's also going to be an experience you only get to live through for the first time once. You're trying to soak up every second of it. Luckily, you also have help on most days from Loki, who spends his time overseeing the project from an interior designer's perspective, and your friends and family; they all help lighten the load a bit for you both.

Today, Bruce and Natasha have been helping for most of the day, and they have just gone home, leaving you and Tony to finish up for the night. You're sitting on the floor in the middle of the shop, dust, tools, and tarp everywhere, together with a few Chinese take-out boxes around the two of you, when you suddenly hear a noise you can't quite place.

"Do you hear that?" you ask, and without waiting for an answer, you get up, your feet taking you to the source of the noise. On closer investigation, you can hear a soft meow from the back of your shop, where the backdoor is open to let the paint smell evaporate.

"Tony?" you say softly, not wanting to scare the little creature away, as they've most likely been looking for a place to stay warm. The weather outside has taken a drastic turn the past few days, with more rain than you've seen in a long time, and temperature drops to below 50 degrees Fahrenheit regularly. Within seconds of your calling for him, you hear your best friend's footsteps and raise your hand to alert him, as you don't want to scare away the little being in your shop.

"Is that- "

"A cat? Yeah. I think he's looking for a place to stay warm," you say as you bend down to greet the small cat; he won't be much older than a year at most. He's very fluffy, even though he has just come from the rain, and his brown and white fur perfectly complements his piercing blue eyes. He's the most beautiful cat you've ever had the honor of meeting, and you've met a lot in your years on this earth. As you stretch your hand, Tony sits beside you on the floor, and the cat seems courageous and friendly enough to come and say hi.

"He's so cute, Tony; I can't believe the cat distribution system brought us this little guy," you say with a broad smile, making your best friend smile in return. Right now, Tony considers himself to be the luckiest man in the entire universe to share this moment with you – seeing you falling in love with the little furball in your store has him falling in love with you all over again, even though he's afraid to admit it to anyone but himself.

From that night on, that same cat has frequented your shop almost every night, and you've started to bring in some food for him so he has a place to stay warm and get something in his belly, too. Now, he happens to be sleeping on the large windowsill in the front of the store when Loki is paying another visit, and he has immediately pulled all the attention from your interior designer to himself.

"Look at this; who's this little guy?" Loki asks as he bends down to pet him. It's a bit of a funny sight, the man in a sharp black and dark green suit kneeling on the dusty floor to pet the cat that has been stopping by your shop almost daily.

"He wandered into our shop a week or two ago and visited us nearly every night. We have been calling him 'Coffee Bean,' and so far, he seems to enjoy it," you tell Loki while sweeping the shop floor. Tony is in the stockroom, installing some shelving while you've been busy in the front.

"Coffee Bean, huh? That's adorable," Loki says, and you can't help but smile at how he pronounces the name in his British accent. If Thor hadn't told you that his family adopted Loki as a baby, you would never have guessed the two were related, but their dynamic is fantastic. They've often been at the shop together and share a special bond that shines through in their work.

"Have you brought him to a vet to see if he's chipped?" Loki then asks, but you shake your head – usually, when Coffee Bean is visiting the store, it's either too late or you're too busy to have time to go, so you've been putting it off, though you also know deep down it's the right thing to do.

"I have a good friend who's a vet. His name is Bucky, and he's amazing with cats – even has one of his own," Loki tells you with a smile as he gets up before grabbing a business card from his shoulder bag. It says "James Barnes | Veterinarian," with a phone number and the opening hours of his clinic, which is very helpful.

"I thought you said his name is Bucky?" you ask, curiosity getting the best of you.

"You're right, I did say that. His full name is James Buchanan Barnes, but he tends to go by Bucky," Loki explains with a gentle smile before reorganizing his bag and getting ready to head out the door and to his next appointment. Once he's out the door, it's just you, Tony, and Coffee Bean, though what you don't know yet is that there's going to be a surprise guest swinging by later, even though their timing could have been better.

You and Tony have changed into coveralls to protect your clothes, as the time to start painting has finally arrived. It's been a task you have been looking forward to the most, and as Tony is mixing the color—a beautiful maroon—you're getting all the supplies, like brushes and rollers, ready. Then, as you turn around, something unexpected happens, and you're met with a splash of paint all over your body and the deep laugh of your best friend. When it finally sunk in what happened after a few seconds, a broad grin spreads on your features, and you bend down to grab a brush of your own.

"You're going to get it now, Stark!" you say before dipping the brush in the paint and splattering him with it, but you would soon come to regret that, as he's now following you with paint smeared all over his hands. It doesn't take long for him to catch you, pulling you against his body until you're so close that you can feel his breath on your lips. Your heart goes a mile a minute as you try to catch your breath, but it seems nearly impossible with him being so close.

And then, it's as if the world stops for a moment. There's nothing but you and Tony, your breaths mingling, and your closeness. But then, against all odds, you feel his hand cupping your cheek, the wet paint leaving a large handprint, though neither of you cares. Tony leans in first, your eyes slipping shut as he does. And then, when your lips barely ghost over one another, you hear an excited squeal, and you jump back as the thought of an intruder shoots through your mind.

Both you and Tony jump apart with heated cheeks, looking where the sound came from. Much to your surprise, you're met with the sight of Maria standing in the doorway to the shop – she has entered through the backdoor because she brought some décor to go on the walls once the paint was dry. Still, when she saw little Coffee Bean sleeping peacefully in the sun, she squealed from excitement, disturbing your almost-kiss with the man you've been in love with for as long as you can remember.

As you both face Maria, Tony's hand gently wraps around your forearm, letting you know he's close and everything will be okay.

"What were you two piccioncini up to before I came here?" Maria then asked, and Tony's cheeks turned the brightest red they'd ever been as he heard her calling you two 'lovebirds' in Italian. As soon as she saw the splatter of paint, the handprint on your cheek where Tony cupped it ever so gently, and how you two jumped apart at her arrival, she knew exactly what was happening, though she couldn't help but tease her son about it. She's seen her son fall in love with you over the years, and she's beyond ecstatic that he finally made a move, even if she interrupted it. Progress is progress.

"Oh, well- You know, painting," Tony says softly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as his gaze is trained on the floor.

"Hm, maybe you should start painting the walls instead of one another, don't you think?" Maria quips with a wink, and then you remember the handprint on your face. It's been here the entire time they were talking, and now it's your turn to have cheeks that are practically on fire. Without excusing yourself, you rush to the bathroom – thankfully, you already have running water. As you're cleaning yourself up, Tony and Maria take the time to converse one-on-one.

"When will you tell her how you feel about her, Angioletto? She deserves to know how you feel, and based on what I saw before I interrupted you two, she feels the same about you. That woman has been head over heels in love with you for as long as I can remember," Maria says as she rests her hand on her son's shoulder. Even though she's wearing heels, she still has to crane her neck to look at him directly – it's safe to say he got his height from Howard.

"I don't know how, Mamma; I haven't found the right time. Honestly, I've forbid myself from falling in love, but I can't help it. She's such a sweet, caring, and kind woman, and she also has a smile to die for. I've never felt like this before, but at the same time, I'm also scared about what might happen if I confess- I don't want to lose her, Mamma," Tony says, tears brimming at his waterline at the thought of possibly losing you.

"Anthony, there's not a single universe where she'd leave you. You two have been through so much and are destined to be together. The universe has been waiting this long for you two to get together, which tells me it is meant to be. I can tell that Y/N has so much love for you, and you have so much love for her. Please, tell her how you feel because, honestly, if you're waiting for the right time, you'll wait for the rest of your lives and regret never telling her."

While Maria tells Tony all this, you can't help but overhear, and your heart is on fire at the words your best friend's mom has shared. She's also right because you have so much love for him, but you were afraid he wouldn't feel the same about you. Even though the paint is now washed off your face, the feeling of his warm, soft skin against your cheek is something you'll never forget, and the thought of it makes you smile again.

"You're right, Mamma, thank you," Tony says before leaning down and kissing her on the cheek, giving her a radiant smile as he does. Then, you walk back into the shop, acting like you didn't just hear their conversation.

"Hi, Maria," you say before hugging her, and she greets you as well before finally moving over to great Coffee Bean, who has now woken up. Coffee Bean purrs loudly under Maria's touch, and she can't help but feel proud – of Tony, you, and the cat slowly becoming part of your shop, too.

When her back is turned to the two of you, you dare to look at Tony, the memory of your mouths being so close you were breathing the same air still fresh in your memory. You don't get to think about it for too long, however, because the opening date of your shop is slowly creeping closer, and you still need to get a lot done, painting being the first thing.

The past year practically flew by for you and Tony. From the moment you signed the lease to the point you're about to open your shop for everyone to enjoy officially, it still feels like a blur, but you're incredibly excited. The road to get here hasn't been entirely without challenges, but you've managed to overcome every hardship with the help of your friends and family, all of whom are here today to support you.

A few days ago, your friend and artist Steve Rogers was busy making seasonal paintings on the window that perfectly fit the autumn theme. Pumpkins, leaves, pastries, and coffee are all painted beautifully in orange and brown tones, but the cherry on top is that he incorporated Coffee Beans into the art, too. He's sitting in the middle of the window with leaves falling all around him, making him the focal point of it, and he's meant to draw in as many customers as possible.

Today, you and Tony have been making the last arrangements – checking to see if all the coffee machines work, baking many pastries and desserts, creating different sandwiches, and rearranging the furniture until everything is perfect. It's time for the official grand opening in a little over an hour, so you and Tony have returned to your apartment to get changed, and the nerves are starting to set in for you both.

While you've opted for a sweater dress paired with black boots, Tony has chosen a business casual outfit that goes perfectly with your dress. You two look like the perfect pair – and after tonight, you will be the people everyone longs to be. Once back at the shop, you can already see a small line of people outside the door – you are running a special that the first 25 people will get free coffee and a pastry or dessert of their choice, and it seems it will work so far.

In the store, Wanda and Natasha are happily chatting behind the counter as they prepare for the upcoming crowd. Over the past few weeks, they have spent a lot of time here, getting to know each other and helping you and Tony out wherever necessary, and today is the first time they will officially run the front of the shop.

Howard, Maria, and your parents also chat in one of the booths Loki suggested you get. Thor, Bruce, and Tony have placed them perfectly, allowing customers to enjoy the sun as they sit by the windows. Finally, Coffee Bean is sleeping on one of the windowsills again, enjoying the sun like he has since the first day he set foot in your shop.

"Sprinkle, can I talk to you for a moment?" Tony asks, his heart beating so fast it's a miracle you can't hear it. His eyebrows are furrowed slightly as he looks at you, worry settling in your stomach. You nod before following your best friend into the stock room, where you have some privacy between the coffee beans and other stock. He grabs your hands, encasing them with his large ones as he looks into your eyes with his dark brown ones.

"I- uhm… I've been thinking about something for a long time now, and I have never found a moment more perfect to say it – until now. One of our dreams is about to come true today, but I want to make it two. I've been madly in love with you for the past few years, Y/N. There's nothing more I want to do than kiss you and show you the way an amazing woman such as yourself deserves to be treated. But most of all, I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine for as long as you'll have me," he tells you, and it's like all the air is taken from your chest.

Tony lets go of one of your hands, instead tucking a piece of hair behind your ear as he continues, "I want to feel your lips on mine, and I need to know what they taste like because the thought of them has been driving me damn near mad for years. Please, please let me kiss you, my sweet Sprinkle," he whispers the last few words until they're almost inaudible, but you hear them crystal clear.

"Okay," you whisper back, and with a large smile, Tony leans to capture your lips with his. Your lips are soft against his own, and the subtle vanilla flavor of your chapstick has suddenly become the favorite he'd ever had the honor to taste. Your hands pull Tony even closer, and with the softest of groans, he parts his lips to allow you to explore his mouth. For a moment, there's nothing but you and Tony as time has stopped, and your entire body is on fire as you take your time together.

Then, you pull away to the feeling like heaven is shining down on you. Even though you're left breathless, it's also the best feeling in the world, as you've finally had the chance to kiss the man you've fantasized about for years. Your mouth splits into a grin, your features lighting up the way Tony loves so much, and he can't help but smile right back at you.

"I'm in love with you too, Tony, and I've seen how you look at me when you think I don't notice. The way you steal glances when I'm reading on the couch or when we're walking through the town. Or when you can't take your eyes off me whenever I'm cooking or baking," you add, making him chuckle in response.

"But there's something else I need you to know, Tony. When I felt like an old cardigan under someone's bed, you put me on and said I was your favorite. You always make me feel special and loved; it feels like home with you. You're my home, Tony, and for that, I will love you most of all," you tell him, tears brimming in your eyes as you do. Whenever you feel like you aren't worthy of love, Tony has proven you wrong and shown you what it's like to be so loved that you're practically overflowing with it.

"I love you, Sprinkle. I always have, and I always will," Tony then says before capturing your lips one last time, as it's officially time to start the next chapter of your lives by opening your shop, which you named 'Coffee Bean Café,' after the cat that had nestled his way into your hearts when you started renting the shop. After one last peck on the lips, you and Tony go out of the stockroom, but not without interlacing your fingers first, which doesn't go unnoticed by Natasha.

As you walk by together, she winks at you to let you know she's proud of you, and you can't stop smiling as your cheeks heat up under her gaze. You don't get to think about it too long because it's time to open your shop. After Tony gives a heartfelt speech, followed by you, you officially open the doors for the public, and Natasha and Wanda get to serve all the customers.

"How're you feeling, Sprinkle?" Tony asks when you two finally have a moment to yourselves, and you're almost melting under the sweetness of his gaze. Now that you two have admitted your love for one another, it's impossible not to want to be close to him.

"Excited, but tired at the same time. I'm happy we finally opened our shop, but right now, I mostly want some sleep," you say, and your body emphasizes the point by yawning, making Tony chuckle.

"Me too, but I promise I'll make it up to you tonight with some cuddles on the couch; how does that sound?"

"Like I want to sneak out and get my cuddles now," you tell him honestly, and Tony can't help but laugh at your comment, making some heads turn in your direction. Neither of you notices, though, as you two only have eyes for one another.

"I love you, Sprinkle, and I can't wait to see where this journey will take us." Your boyfriend leans in to capture your lips in the softest, most loving way, showing your love for the coffee shop. Behind you, there's some applause and loud cheering, making you both smile into the kiss. This has been long overdue, but now you plan on making up for every second you missed.

While you and Tony share a lovely kiss, Natasha and Maria look on with huge smiles. Then, Natasha holds out her hand, as the two of them had a bet going about when you two would finally confess.

"I told you they would confess today," she says with an even bigger smile, and Maria fishes a 10 dollar bill out of her pocket, handing it to her as she nods her head in agreement.

Out of all the beautiful things that have come out of the opening of your shop, the friendship between Maria and Natasha is one of the most unexpected, but what's most important is their shared love for you and Tony, as both of them wouldn't want anything other than happiness for the two of you.

[fantasticescapism]

Non Spoiler Review of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (spoiler stuff below the cut)

I'm so lucky I live in a country that released the movie early so, here goes:

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!! I LOVE IT SOOOO MUCH! As soon as it ended, I want to watch it again! The music is awesome (as expected from Danny Elfman) and the horror parts, oh the horror parts, Sam Raimi... damn!

I love how it ended one part of Stephen's life and open it up to another phase. It was *chef's kiss*

As for Wanda, it is a continuation of WandaVision and she's awesome!

America Chavez was fun to watch. Though she can be fleshed out more in the future, the foundation is there. Let's just say, Stephen and Wong just adopted a child.

As we all know, there are other versions of Strange in this movie and I love how our Strange learns things about himself through them that pays off in the end.

I really enjoyed watching it and I can't wait for the digital release cause I want to comb over everything because I'm sure there are Easter eggs I missed.

Spoilery stuff below the cut.

I've seen people say Wanda seems very different here compared to the ending of WandaVision but they seem to forget that she has the Darkhold and we know it corrupts a person so of course she's gonna be different.

I'm sooooo happy Tom Cruise is NOT in this movie and I really hope he won't be in the MCU as alternate Tony Stark. RDJ is THE Tony Stark for me, even if he's from another universe. Don't care what haters think.

I love how the two Stranges fought using music! It made me all giddy when they did that. Other people might think it's cheesy/corny but this is a comic book movie. It's just the way it is.

Kinda little bit disappointed with the Illuminati not because the cameos aren't awesome it's just, they died so easily. But then again, they were against the Scarlet Witch so... Captain Carter and Monica Rambeau Captain Marvel is amazing though! I hope since the Incursion started, we'll see more of them. I think the reason why I was a bit disappointed is because I thought they're a multiversal Illuminati when they're actually just in one universe. My speculation turned to expectation. That's on me. I should've managed my expectations.

Oh the Incursion started!!! Here comes Clea!!! Can't wait for this! I think this movie perfectly ushers us towards Secret Wars.

[sineala]

Holiday comics

This month I've been asked to talk about winter-holiday themed storylines! It's been miserably hot where I am; winter sounds nice right about now. I don't think many of the comics I'm going to name are going to be new to you. You can probably guess what they are! But maybe you'll have fun sitting down and reading them. Put on the air-conditioning and get some ice water.

Marvel has had a whole bunch of holiday issues over the years, and I'm not going to talk about anywhere near all of them. The most recent one I can think of is last year's King In Black Iron Man & Doctor Doom team-up, which features Tony and Doom facing off against a symbiote-possessed Santa Claus. I've never really enjoyed any symbiote-themed Marvel comics -- although I really liked the Venom movie, go figure -- so it's not one of my favorites, but it might be your kind of thing.

My favorite issue in this genre obviously has to be the Avengers vol 5 Annual. This was the annual that came out during Hickman's Avengers run. It's not written by Hickman -- it's by Kathryn Immonen -- and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the events of the run. You can read it without any familiarity with the rest of the run, I promise. It's definitely the happiest issue in that entire Avengers run. It's probably one of the happiest issues of Avengers that you will ever read. I had gotten into Steve/Tony comics relatively soon after this issue came out, and I remember seeing panels on Tumblr without attribution and not knowing if they were canon or fanart or edits. (I kind of enjoy the fact that comics fandom has this problem, actually, even if that means breaking people's hearts about that "solid dick" panel every so often.) And then it turned out they were canon!

You've probably all read it, but this particular annual is set on Christmas Eve. Almost all the team has cleared out for Christmas, leaving a skeleton crew to watch the tower. Specifically, Steve. Tony asks Steve if Steve's going to be okay before leaving for his private island. It's very sweet. But then the actual plot kicks into gear, and some kids who had been taking a tour have stayed to cause mischief, and it's up to Steve to stop them. And also, additionally, Tony and several other Avengers, because when Tony said "private island" he meant that he was shutting himself up in a bathroom with a swimsuit and swim fins and a crab floatie. Yep.

This is also the issue with the famed "Captain Handsome" line because not only is Tony a guy who has canonically used "Captain America" as his own password (good going, no one'll ever guess that) he gives everyone else their own personalized passwords to the tower, thereby making Steve identify himself as Captain Handsome, which I think says an awful lot about Tony.

Anyway. It's the best, and if you haven't read it, you definitely should.

Marvel also puts out a lot of one-off holiday specials that are usually anthologies of winter-themed holiday superhero stories. There were a few of them in the 70s under the title "Holiday Grab Bag," which I have not read. They were revived in 1991 under the title "Marvel Holiday Special." They don't do them every year, I don't think, but there have been a fair number of them.

So obviously these don't all have the Avengers in them, though the Avengers often make cameos; I skimmed through them just to check. It's also probably worth noting that although they are mostly Christmas-themed in nature, they aren't all entirely Christmas-themed; there's a story in the 2011 issue that has Ben Grimm and Kitty Pryde celebrating Chanukah, and the 1992 one has a funny story of Doc Samson attempting to tell children about Chanukah and embellishing it wildly to keep them interested, so that superheroes and nuclear weapons are now involved in it. He is not invited back.

They do have a few stories that might be of interest in the specials. The 1991 special has a story called "Precious Gifts" (by Len Kaminski, who you may remember from early-90s Iron Man) where Steve is volunteering at the VFW for Christmas (as Steve, not Cap) and meets a woman who wants to talk to him about how sad she is that her brother died in WWII and she doesn't even know how. Steve of course asks what her brother's name was. And she says his name was James Barnes, and that's pretty much when Steve's brain bluescreens.

This is Rebecca's first appearance in canon; she later shows up at the tail end of Jurgens' Cap run and then again during Brubaker's run; I haven't actually read either of those. MCU Stucky fandom really ran with her as a character, but here in 616 she and Steve don't know each other at all. He didn't seem to know Bucky had a sister at all, and she didn't know Bucky was Steve's partner, so after Steve figures it out he goes back (as Cap) to tell her about Bucky so she can at least know that Bucky died bravely, and he gives her a patch from one of Bucky's uniforms. It's very touching. I'd never read it before, so I'm glad I found this.

(I really like the scene with Steve interacting with the children at Rebecca's house, because I think it captures two key facets of Steve's character: (1) the angst about how he will never have a normal life and a family, and (2) his terrible sense of humor. "What's Thor like?" "Big." I feel like one of the things I would like MCU fandom to know about comics Steve is that he is, pretty much, Steve "Dad Jokes" Rogers. Not, like, as pithy hero banter, but in everyday conversation.)

This issue also has a Christmas-themed splash page of Steve and Diamondback that I think is pretty cute. Steve is holding up Rachel and Rachel is holding up Steve's shield so it serves as the star on a Christmas tree.

The 1992 issue has an Iron Man story entitled "Holidays on Ice." An ice-themed villain is angry that he can't find a job, so he decides to go ruin the Stark Enterprises holiday party, which was going pretty well until then. Tony suits up and of course defeats the villain handily and then offers him a job, because, well, he's a nice guy and it's Christmas. This is exactly who Tony Stark is, as far as I'm concerned. It's sweet.

The 1994 issue has a Cap story where Steve is chasing human traffickers on Christmas Eve (cheerful, right?) into a farmhouse "where [his] grandfather lived sixty years ago" because I guess someone didn't know Steve was the son of immigrants. Maybe it wasn't canon yet. Steve saves the kid and reminisces about Christmas, the soul of America, human trafficking, et cetera. I would recommend the previous Cap story over this one.

I think the last holiday special I can recall that had Steve and Tony actually interacting was a Gwenpool Holiday Special, and that was way back before Secret Empire (but after Secret Wars), while Steve was still old. I don't recall much about it except that they were attending the same party.

But the one of these that you definitely want to read is the Marvel Holiday Special 2005, which has an Avengers ensemble story by Jeff Parker; if you're familiar with comics because of their Steve/Tony potential, you'll probably recognize his name because he wrote several of the first issues of Marvel Adventures: Avengers, and though this is a early New Avengers-era story it definitely has that MA:A dynamic. It's not particularly shippy as far as the Steve/Tony goes but if you enjoy Comics Being Comics, you should know that this story is called "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santron!" and features the Avengers fighting, um. Santron. Santa-themed Ultron. Yesss.

Anyway, it has the Avengers attending a holiday party at the Sanctum Sanctorum, because why not, and it's generally amusing and has some great team dynamics and I love Santron. There is an unfortunate subplot involving all the male Avengers maneuvering to get Jess Drew under the mistletoe which I think was supposed to be funny but to me came off as kind of creepy. But other than that, I really enjoy this issue.

That's all I can think of as far as holiday special issues go, but there are of course issues of regular comics that just happen to be set in or near various winter holidays. I actually can't think of any holiday-themed Cap issues, but I can think of a couple of Iron Man ones. You probably think I'm going to talk about the second drinking arc, but I'm not -- well, okay, not directly -- because even though that definitely features winter it's not really very holiday-themed. But there are other issues that fit the bill.

Iron Man #313, published in 1995, is called "Resolutions," and I feel like New Year's Eve definitely counts as a winter holiday. Which is when it's set. It's by Len Kaminski, who you may remember from several paragraphs ago as the guy who wrote that story about Bucky's sister. Ha. He's clearly very good at winter-holiday-themed character moments, because that's what this issue basically is. If you've read it, you know exactly what I mean; if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It's one of the only issues from this era of comics that I bothered to track down in paper.

So the entirety of Iron Man #313, pretty much, is about Tony going to an AA meeting on New Year's Eve and recounting his entire history of alcoholism up to this point. If you need a convenient refresher on Tony's drinking problem, this is actually a pretty good issue to pick up; there are later issues that recap Tony's alcoholism, like Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man #500.1, but this issue features the motivations and characterization that get the most play in fandom.  This is the issue where Tony recounts a New Year's Eve he spent as a child. The one where his father forced him to down hard liquor, which Tony did in an attempt to impress him. (Tony describes his father as "not a bad man," because Tony is not a very reliable narrator where his father is concerned.) Anyway, yes, this is that issue. It's dealing with the fallout of Tony drinking during the Vor/Tex arc, though if you love yourself I would suggest not reading the Vor/Tex arc and just reading this. It's good.

The only other issue I can think of that's at all holiday-themed is the arc toward the end of Iron Man volume 3, "You Can't Always Get..." (IM v3 #62-63), which is itself a sequel to "Jane Doe" (#51-52), which I would recommend reading if you enjoy Tony funding a women's shelter and generally being a really good human being. As far as I can remember, the first arc isn't holiday-themed; the second one takes place during the Christmas season, but the women's shelter from the first arc plays a big role here.

Mostly what you will want to read here is Tony and his girlfriend Rumiko going Christmas shopping in #62. The issue opens with them going shopping and Tony carrying all the bags and also taking Ru to go see Santa Claus. After that, they're walking down the street talking about what they really want. And Ru asks Tony what he wants, being as he's The Man Who Has Everything. His reply is: "Something money and power could never buy... something I've been searching for all my life. Someone to watch over me."

Fandom tends to feel like that quote is a pretty telling look into Tony's psyche, as far as I can tell. I think we all like it. So, yeah, that's worth reading.

I'm bad at writing conclusions, but anyway, yeah, that's all of the winter-holiday comics I can think of that are Steve, Tony, and/or Steve/Tony-related; I went through the Marvel Holiday Specials so you did not have to. Definitely read that Avengers annual if you haven't, though. It's a good one.

[mytwinklelights]

A Reunion - Part 1 | Peter Parker x Stark! GN Reader

A/N: Remember over a month ago when I wrote this preview and didn’t post again? Oops sorry, I had to take a little break from tumblr because I was reading way too much fanfic. But now I’m back, just to post, still no reading for a while! Umm but yeah, here’s the first part! I can’t guarantee when part 2 will be posted but it’ll definitely be within the next 2 weeks! I hope you like it, please let message me with any feedback because I need validation to stay motivated lol

Summary: Y/N is an Avenger, the youngest Avenger. Then, Peter Parker comes along and they’re happy to finally have someone their age to hang out with, even if it was the boy they spent their senior year of high school crushing over.

Content Warnings: I don’t think there are any - let me know if I missed any though!

Genres: Friends to lovers, Stark! Reader, Frequent cameos from Avengers and them being cute, Slow burn, Fluff, Angst

Word Count: 2019

                                                             ----

“Alright gang.” Tony begins, standing in front of all the Avengers at the end of a large oval table in the conference room.

“I’m sure you’ve seen these ‘viral videos’ of this Spider-Boy kid swinging around the city and being a friendly neighbourhood vigilante. Well, Happy and I have managed to track him down and he’s agreed to join the team”

“Viral videos of superheroes?” Steve exclaims, looking at Tony whilst tilting his head and looking genuinely exhausted. “I’m still catching up on these keyboard cats and kids biting fingers”.

I giggle. Having Steve around was just the same as having an uncle you saw once the year who lived of the grid. He was extremely sweet, but utterly clueless to anything other than his job. But I mean, that job does include fighting evil aliens.

“Anyway…” Tony continues as the other Avengers chuckles die down after Steve’s outcry “he arrived not too long ago. Happy is next door giving him all the T&Qs and they should be done now. Let me just check and I’ll introduce you all.” Tony then leaves the room, and the other Avengers start to talk among themselves.

I pull out my phone and type ‘NYC spider boy’ into YouTube clicking on the second search result with 20 million views. I have seen this video before as my friend Michael sent it to me around a week ago.

“Do you think there are many other super kids wandering around the city?” Sam asks, whilst looking at the video of my shoulder. Currently the hero is stopping a city bus from off-roading into some confused tourists by building up a wall with his web.

“I doubt it, I mean I guess he’s the only one going viral” I answer, moving the angle of my phone so the others who have gathered around me can see “but it would be cool to be able to meet some people my age who do what I do, no offence guys”

They all laugh. Being the youngest Avenger and hanging out with 30+ year olds all the time can be kind of isolating, but it’s like having a super close family. A family who also happen to be in life and death situations regularly together. But that’s a great bonding experience I would say.

“Guys, this is Peter, the Spider-Boy” Tony draws our attention away from my phone to the door where he has just entered.

“Spider-Man” Peter mutters as a lame attempt to correct him.

“Peter?” I question and the boy stood in front of me was not who I expected. I didn’t expect the masked vigilante swinging through New York to be someone that I knew.

“Y/N?” He responds, looking even more confused than I am “What are you doing here?”

-

“So Tony Stark is your dad?” Peter asks.

After seeing a guy from your school who you shared a chemistry class with last year, walking into a super-secret meeting for superheroes where he will be now joining your team. It is understandable that Peter and I were now talking this out to figure out how this state could be so small.

“Yep” I answer. We were sat next to each other on bar stools at the kitchen island. Wanda made some of her famous fruit smoothies for us and we were both stirring them around with our straws whilst conversing alone in the main living space.

“But your last name isn’t Stark, or Potts?” He continues, genuinely really confused about this whole situation.

“Yeah, well you can’t have the daughter of a billionaire and superhero couple walking around New York City alone, going to a normal school, having normal hobbies. It’s like asking for me to be taken hostage. So, I don’t have either of their last names and the general public doesn’t know I exist. It’s for my safety” I continue, reciting this memorised answer I’ve had to say to multiple people once they find out my existence.

Peter nodded as if he was understanding everything, he probably was, but I guess this wasn’t the conversation he planned to have today.

“And you’re the great Spider-Man” I continued, wanting the change the subject from me to him. “How did that happen? Wait… were you Spider-Man when you sat behind me in Chem last year?”

He began to explain to me the story, it happened to him on our school trip to OSCORP we took last year for our Chem class that happened just before the end of the semester. Something about a radioactive spider. It was strange, kind of the weirdest superhero transformation story I’ve heard. And I’ve heard quite a few.

My story was nowhere near as interesting. I guess having superhero parents who were always around weird alien technology and contaminated substances led to some weird epigenetic alterations of their reproductive cells and then when they had me, I could turn invisible.

They didn’t know at first, I was seemingly a normal baby. Then at my 2nd birthday party when they surprised me with a freaky clown, I was so scared that my body just decided to turn invisible. They weren’t expecting it, the clown definitely wasn’t expecting it and they had to cover up with a very convincing lie.

From then, whenever I was embarrassed, scared or essentially in a situation where I wanted to disappear. I did. Literally. It wasn’t entirely effective though as even though my body tuned invisible, the clothes I was wearing didn’t. I spent the majority of my preteen years of being a walking hoodie and jeans with no head or hands protruding from the gaps. For my 13th birthday Bruce and I got to work on a suit which responds to the activity of my skin cells, when I was invisible, my suit was invisible. It made it a lot more effective for me to actually be invisible when I turned but it also meant my dad let me start training to become an Avenger.

Training was fun, I worked with Nat a lot in our gym in order to become an efficient fighter. ‘Just because people couldn’t see me, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t know how to serve a mean right hook’ she always said. I also spent a lot of time with Wanda, trying to manage my powers. Now I am able to actually turn invisible and visible again on demand. And it only takes extreme embarrassment now to turn me invisible against my will, which is great because mum and dad finally let me, after my years of begging, attend Midtown High and stop being home school. This is where I met Peter last year and now I’m at Columbia studying genetics and engineering. A double major, I know but when you’re around the top geniuses in the world everyday, there is no such thing as too much learning.

“So, I guess we’re the only Midtown Alumni to have these crazy powers huh?” Peter finishes. After a long ramble about his becoming a superhero story. I guess he wanted to ease the tension after I couldn’t really think of what to say after “that’s super cool”. It wasn’t like I wasn’t interested, I really was, but when I wanted to have another person my age to hang out with, I didn’t expect it to be the boy I spent my senior year of high school obsessing over. I had turned shy, like really shy, like my normal levels of shy times 50. I couldn’t think of what to say.

“Sorry, if that story was too long and boring, I’ve only gotten to tell it to one person before, my best friend Ned so I was kind of excited to be able to tell it again.”

“No, it wasn’t boring, it was genuinely really cool!” I say a little too loudly and enthusiastically. I cringe at my tone of voice and speak normally again as I continue “It’s just I didn’t really expect the new Avengers recruit to be you, you know, like someone I know. It’s just kind of weird, but nice? I don’t know, now I’m rambling”

Peter chuckles.

“Umm, so are you going to be staying with us whilst you train or are you going back to Queens?” I ask, hoping this new question will miraculously erase Peter’s memory of what I last said.

“A bit of both, my Aunt is back in queens and I don’t want to leave her completely alone, but this upstate facility is a little too far for an everyday commute. I’m here just for today but once I start training on Monday, I think I might stay for the whole week.”

“Well, I can give you the tour! Since you’ll be staying with us soon, I guess you’ll want to know where everything is!” I say whilst jumping of my bar stool and putting my half full smoothie cup in the fridge. I noticed peter has just finished his, so I grab the glass and put it in the dishwasher for him. He thanks me as I do so.

“So this is the kitchen, where we make our food, different from the kitchen where the chefs make our food for occasions, charity events blah blah blah. And also, this seating area here is kind of the main seating area where we’ll sit throughout the day. Lots of sofas because there are lots of us and this is Bucky’s armchair. Don’t ever sit in Bucky’s armchair.” I say, stopping behind the chair and resting my hand on the headrest.

“Bucky, scary guy with the metal arm right?” Peter questions whilst following me at a slight distance around the room as I show him around. I nod. “Yeah, don’t worry, I won’t be sitting in his chair” he laughs.

I continue to show him the rest of the complex, the gym, the labs and finish up on the floor with all our rooms.

“I’m not sure which one of these rooms will be yours because we have a couple spare ones, but they all have the same layout. Look I’ll show you mine” I walk into my room, then hold the door open for Peter so he can follow me in.

“Uh, so this is my room. Obviously, yours won’t be decorated like mine but It’ll be the same size and have an en-suite attached with a full shower and tub and stuff. You know, the basics” I say, whilst sitting on the edge of my bed.

“I like your room, it’s cosy” he adds whilst looking around and then heading for the bookshelf as soon as he spots it.

“Ah thanks, I mean it’s cool, bigger than when we were in the tower in the city so I can’t complain” I say whilst also looking around. What is it about someone else being in your room that makes you see it with fresh eyes and make you super self-conscious that there is going to be a rogue piece of underwear on the floor? Even though I know I tidied my room this morning.

“Holy crap, Vision you scared the life out of me” I say on an exhale whilst holding my hand to my chest after the large gasp I just made as he enters the room, through the wall.

“Sorry, but your door is open” He continues, “Mr. Stark has told me that your car is here to take you back home Mr. Parker. If you would just follow me, I can lead you there” Vision continues, as if him just floating through my bedroom wall and speaking to the boy from my chemistry class now turned superhero was a normal thing to happen on a Thursday evening.

“Oh… thanks Vision” Peter says with some hesitancy, you can see that this is a weird circumstance for him too. “Well, I’ll see you on Monday then” he says smiling at me and walking towards the door. Which vision doesn’t use to exit.

“Yeah, see you then” I smile as he closes the door and I’m left in my room listening to him shuffling down the corridor.

Part 2

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Is It Really THAT Bad?

How many fucking times must I talk about this movie?

I feel like this movie doesn’t need an introduction. Everyone knows this film. Its reputation precedes it. It didn’t bomb and it’s not generally considered one of the worst films ever made (at least on the level of films like Robot Monster or The Cat in the Hat), but this movie is easily one of the most divisive films ever made. This film has generated enough arguments that, if we harnessed the energy of all the flame wars it has caused, we could probably power the entire world until the heat death of the universe.

With the impending release of Zach Snyder’s bloated redo of Justice League, I’ve decided to go back and ask myself of this film here… is it really that bad?

THE GOOD

Here comes the most uncontroversial opinion: the action scenes in this movie rock (or at least two of them do). The standouts are the titular showdown, which almost makes sitting through the rest of the movie worth it, and the epic warehouse fight Batman gets into, which is like something straight out of the Arkham games. It’s so good. And aside from that, a lot of the cinematography in the film is good. The film knows how to look good, though unfortunately it does end up being a lot of style with little substance.

On the subject of Batman, I think Ben Affleck is a great and inspired choice. I certainly think he’s worthy of standing alongside Batmans like Clooney and Keaton, easily embodying both the Dark Knight and Billionaire Playboy aspects fairly well, though the writing does not always handle him quite as well as it should (we’ll get to that soon enough). Henry Cavill, while still a rather dour Superman, is as good as ever as Superman, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman was a great choice here, especially since she didn’t have control so that she could insert anti-Arab racism, like some DCEU movies.

Perhaps one of the movies most impressive feats is how, in an uncharacteristic moment of brevity, it manages to condense the backstory of Batman into the prologue, getting it out of the way and not making us sit through yet another Batman origin film. This is literally the only thing the movie has over the MCU; where that franchise just has the character Spider-Man inexplicably in existence without even a hint of his origins, they just get Batman’s tragic backstory out of the way so we can see him beating the crap out of people. If more superhero movies want to take this route and just condense the backstory into an opening montage like this, I’d be down for it.

THE BAD

I really could just say “most of the movie” but that’s such a cop out. Let’s actually look at the problems. Let’s work our way up through the things from least problematic to most, shall we?

The best place to start is what Zach Snyder did to Jimmy Olsen.

Jimmy Olsen is made into a CIA spook who is brutally killed early on, and yes, that was Jimmy Olsen. Snyder put him in to shock audiences with his senseless murder, and also because he felt the character had no place in his series. Does making Watchmen just turn people into joyless husks who like to horribly bastardize iconic characters? Jimmy Olsen is ultimately a small microcosm of the film, but he is the sum total of everything wring with the early DCEU. He is bleak, soulless, and shows a critical lack of understanding about the comics and why people enjoy them.

Now let’s move on to the more exciting problem to discuss: the villains. I don’t even think it’s worth wasting much time discussing what’s wrong with KGBeast. While it is kind of interesting they’d think to use the guy at all, the fact he never dons the costume and dies by the end of the film is unfathomably lame for a character named KGBeast.

Now, onto the main antagonist, and the most infamous part of the movie: Lex Luthor.

Lex Luthor is horribly, horribly miscast. Jesse Eisenberg is a great actor for sure, and he’s effective in movies like Now You See Me, The Social Network, and the Zombieland films. But here he is being asked to play one of the most diabolical cunning geniuses in comic book history, and rather than play him as such, he plays him like a cartoonish twit. This Lex is utterly unrecognizable as Superman’s greatest foe. Does anyone think Lex Luthor would send a jar of piss to someone as a joke before he blows them up? That’s more something the Joker would do on an off day. Lex is not cunning, not intimidating, and not diabolical in the slightest, and yet there are moments where Eisenberg’s acting chops shine through and Lex, for a moment, is almost engaging. Luthor really suffers the way Doctor Doom tends to in film adaptations: the filmmaker clearly doesn’t get why people like the villain, and decide to do some weird, unique take that will only cause to alienate fans.

But perhaps the worst of them all is Doomsday. Doomsday has exactly one claim to fame, and that’s killing Superman, so as soon as he shows up if you have even a passing awareness of the character you know how the movie is going to end, which robs the film of tension for its last battle. The fact he also appears with little buildup and doesn’t have any characterization doesn’t help; Doomsday is just the Big Gray CGI Blob that superhero movies try and pass off as a final boss for the heroes to fight. This has worked precisely once, in Iron Man. The Incredible Hulk and Venom did not make it work, and this film is nowhere close to being in the same ballpark as Venom.

By and far the biggest problem, though, is the movie’s incredible length and its very existence in the franchise at this point in time. This is an epic superhero crossover in which two of the biggest comic book characters of all time fight and then team up… And it is the second movie in a franchise. While they do a good job of establishing Batman rather quickly, Wonder Woman comes out of nowhere. And then at the end, Superman ‘dies.’ We have had one single movie prior to this to make a connection to the guy, and yet here he is getting a temporary comic book death with no buildup whatsoever that we know is going to be reversed sooner than later because the movie telegraphs this to us.

Imagine if, instead of building up the character over the course of a decade and putting him in all sorts of different stories, the MCU went right from Iron Man to Endgame. You go from a simpler, character-driven piece to a massive crossover where a hero dies right away, and it doesn’t give anyone time to care. Tony Stark had multiple films worth of characterization under his belt before they threw him in a crossover, let alone killed him, but Snyder expects you to give a damn about a Superman who just started his career in the previous movie of a franchise.

And the ass-numbing length of the movie is no justification. Even before the director’s cut came out this film was a slog, and the director’s cut really does nothing to earn its existence. All it does is add more runtime to an already tedious and bloated film, leading to the same exact ending and fixing none of the overarching narrative problems of the thing. The problem with any director’s cut is that ultimately the movie is still going to be Dawn of Justice, it’s still going to lead to extremely rushed character decisions, and it’s still going to be a mess. You’d have to redo half of the film to make this into a worthwhile and coherent narrative that’s actually worthy of being an entry in a superhero franchise.

And to top it all off, the movie spends far too much time foreshadowing for its own good. People criticized The Mummy for shoehorning in way too many shared universe elements right off the bat, and if that movie was bad for it, so is this one. The cameos from all the members of the Justice League, while striking, could be excised from the plot with little to no impact, and the Knightmare sequence is just excessive and weird.

Is It Really THAT Bad?

The answer to this question has never been harder.

On the one hand, this film does have some merit. There is some good casting choices, good cinematography, good action… But then, on the other hand, the film is overly long, pretentious, has poor writing and dialogue, mishandles everyone aside from Superman, and is just incredibly unpleasant.

This film is in many ways the exact problem Christopher Nolan created with his Dark Knight trilogy. Nolan, by grounding the fanciful characters of comic books into a realistic setting, created a climate in which someone could suck any sort of joy or meaning out of comics. The success of his films meant that people would see dark, gritty realism as preferable to joyous, colorful escapism, and the negative effects of his films, however good you find them, are still felt today even as filmmakers are finally shaking off the grit. Dawn of Justice is the zenith of Nolan’s style of superhero film. There is nothing fun, joyful, or engaging to be found here; it is simply the characters you know and love forced into dark, miserable scenarios that ends in death and misery. Where’s the fun? Where’s the color? Where’s the wonder, the excitement, where is any of it? This film paints a bleak and miserable and hopeless picture of a world of superheroes. It really makes me think of this rather famous comic panel:

I absolutely hate this movie, but not because I think it’s bad. I hate it because it has enough good ideas where it should be the best thing ever, but it really isn’t. It’s a miserable slog of a film that does nothing to justify or earn its massive runtime whatsoever. It really does belong somewhere between 5 and 6 on IMDB, because I can almost see why people like it, but it just isn’t even remotely close to being how good its fan say it is. This is not a good superhero movie, and this is not how we should want superhero movies to be. There is a market for serious superhero fare of course, and there’s no reason that these films can’t engage with mature themes or anything, don’t get me wrong. But this is absolutely not the way to do it.

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Retrospective Review: Spider-man: Far From Home (2019)

And so I'm finally done. Finished my rewatch of all live action Spider-man films in preparation for watching Spider-man: NWH on Sunday. This film is not really a sequel to Homecoming. It really is a sequel to Endgame and an epilogue of the Infinity Saga. While the characters from Homecoming are obviously carrying over, there character dynamics are different and the situation is different from what it was at the end of Homecoming. Like with Homecoming, Far From Home is largely a lighthearted romp and fun watch. If Homecoming was a Spider-man movie in a high school movie, Far From Home is a Spider-man movie in a teen romance film. And it works really well for the most part.

Like with Homecoming, the film is really breezy. The film is slightly shorter than Homecoming and it is tightly placed. It is kind of cool to see Spider-man in new surroundings. The film also does a nice job with the teen romance aspects of the movie. Whereas Zendaya didn't really have much of a character in Homecoming, her character of Michelle finally gets significantly more fleshed out. She and Tom have an enjoyable chemistry. Not quite as good as Andrew and Emma in my books, but still nice and very believable. The humor in the movie works wonderfully well. The film mines a lot of humor from the side relationship between Ned and Betty. The film also introduces Mysterio as a hero initially and re-introduces Fury and Hill to the MCU and connects them to Spider-man, although not really as I will mention later. The action in the movie is a lot of fun. The elemental sequences are vibrant and full of energy. There is one standout sequences at the end of the second act where Mysterio's illusions are on full display. That sequence is thrilling and really intense. Also, the film does a really good job showing Peter's personal conflict between his obligation and his own desires. There is a nice reflection of Tony Stark's impact on his life through Happy Hogan's appearances. There are some genuinely sweet scenes between Peter and Happy in the last act of the movie.

While the film is very enjoyable, there are a few sticking points that blemish the movie a bit. For one, for the movie to work it requires both Tony and Peter to make some really stupid and reckless decisions. Even for someone like Tony, gifting a multi billion dollar tactical weapons system to a 16 year old kid is really reckless. Especially if the weapon system is built to so easily be confused like it almost killed Brad because of a misunderstanding. That is a little tough to buy. Similarly, while the movie does a good job showing Peter's immaturity, the fact that Peter would just give such a massive inheritance away so flippantly is really ridiculous. Like with Homecoming, the spectre of Tony Stark hangs over this film which it can't escape. The villain is again a Tony Stark product. So the film isn't able to be a Spider-man film on its own, even though there are no other major heroes. The climactic action sequence is slightly underwhelming since its mostly just Peter fighting a bunch of drones. Additionally, while the reveal that Fury and Hill were not really Fury and Hill temper this complaint a bit, but Talos was a bit unnecessarily harsh on Peter even though they legitimately endanger a bunch of school kids by routing the school trip to Prague.

The performances are excellent once again. Tom Holland does a terrific job, selling every aspect of the character, from the cutesy romantic side, to the guilt ridden side, to Spider-man persona. He clearly feels at home in the role at this point. Zendaya is also great in the role, delivering a much more complete character. Jacob is hilarious as Ned. While he doesn't have as much to do as in Homecoming, he still is hilarious. Marisa Tomei continues to be lovely as Aunt May though she only really has a cameo. Jon Favreau has few great scenes as Happy Hogan, especially in the last act. Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders are welcome returns and they do play the roles slightly goofier, on purpose I presume because of the reveal at the end. Martin Starr and JB Smoove are pretty fun as the two teachers leading the trip. Jake Gylenhaal is awesome. He's clearly having a blast in the role. He's basically playing two different roles. In the first half, he's playing a facade as the heroic Mysterio. And he's convincing enough that people who don't know why Mysterio is might fall for that. But there is a wonderful turn scene at a bar where is real self comes out and Jake is clearly relishing every minute. The film adds some great touches to add to his unstable behavior such as when he hears laughter during Tony's Civil War presentation of BARF at MIT when in Civil War, there was no laughter. Its an excellent performance, and just like with Michael Keaton in Homecoming, it really lifts the movie significantly. The film also ends on a fantastic reintroduction to JK Simmons as J Jonah Jameson, one of the only actors who can't be recast in the role in any version.

Overall, this is a really fun ride. Jon Watts directs the movie very efficiently, allowing the characters and the actors to shine. He doesn't have a unique visual stamp to him so these movies don't distinguish themselves the way say the GOTG movies do, but he knows how to make a fun and entertaining ride and that's what we get. Looking forward to see him finish out his Spider-man trilogy. This movie is roughly an 8/10 for me.

[therenlover]

I’m getting back into the rhythm of writing actual fics now and... 

Well, let’s just say literally none of you asked for what you’re gonna get, but you’re getting it anyways. But, never fear, you’re still getting Zemo with fun cameos from Tony Stark and everyones favorite spider boy Peter Parker (though he isn’t a spider boy in this instance, but we’ll explore that later) 

Regency AU is still coming, but it’ll probably come next week at some point. I simply could not resist the crazy little ditty that presented itself to my brain. Expect it some time before Sunday, probably tomorrow unless I work really hard today lol. 

[goldlightsaber]

Avengers: Endgame Thought Dump

This movie has been on my mind since I watched it yesterday. I did not expect it to affect me the way it did. I cried several times -- during the parts where the movie cues you to cry and the parts where maybe it’s surprising to cry. I am regretful I didn’t watch it in theaters — I had 0 interest in watching the movie at the time, I have to admit, so I’m not TOO regretful, but I do really wish I witnessed people’s reactions to each scene. That’s my favorite part of watching a movie at a premiere in theaters. As to how I felt about the movie’s contents...

Tony Stark did everything for humanity and it killed him. It almost feels like an inevitable conclusion but I will never be over the fact that he never got to watch his daughter grow up. I will never be over the fact that he was the character that jump-started this whole saga over a decade ago and this is how his story ended. The PTSD, the weariness of saving the world all the time…I will never be over him starting the movie being a husk of a human being and ending it just as exhausted and defeated. It’s just so damn sad to me that the only kind of rest he was ever going to have was death. That he carried the responsibility of saving everyone a little more than most.

And Steve Rogers, despite getting to live the normal life he always wanted to live — his ending was still sad to me. It’s sad to think that all that time he had been in the modern day, he always felt out of place, never felt like he could go on living a normal life. That he never “moved on.” Even after everything he shared with the Avengers, isn’t it just goddamn depressing to think that he still chose another life? That nothing tethered him to the modern day enough? Even though he gained Peggy again, he lost Bucky and Sam and what was left of the Avengers — was that a happy compromise for him? Or did he struggle every day, wondering whether or not he should return? I could talk about the fact that his chemistry with Bucky was so potent that I found it surprising he wasn’t torn about staying. I think his friendship with Bucky was strong on its own, but I won’t even get into Marvel’s inability to portray LGBT relationships…the potential they had was there.

It was on my mind as to why Natasha was the one to die and not Hawkeye. Is it because Hawkeye had a family and Natasha didn’t? We can’t know for sure but that could be part of the reason they weighed the scales in that direction. That was just brutal — we get this ending where it’s revealed that Natasha never knew her father, essentially never knew of any family before the Avengers…and then she just dies? Without ever knowing? I think it makes sense that she would sacrifice herself for Hawkeye and the rest of the Avengers, since they’re her “found family,” but damn. Like Tony, she was also young and had so much more ahead of her.

Those are my Big Emotional Takeaways, but as for smaller stuff/more fun stuff: 

The time travel was the most fun part! The MCU thing where there’s a big invincible army fighting another big invincible army was to be expected but almost the least interesting part because it’s so overdone. However, there was something very Gandalf-brings-army-to-Helm’s-Deep about Wakanda and the other reinforcements showing up, so that was cool. I felt freaking patriotic about it. 

Thanos sitting down and accepting that he was about to die was very in-character and a very potent ending for him. I enjoyed it. 

That poster in Steve’s support group...him having one in the first place...just makes me do that teary-eyed emoji.

I wish they had made Hawkeye cool everywhere else, not just as cool as they made him in Endgame. Those tattoos! The hair! His tight bond with Natasha! A part of me will always question why in the world they never put them together, but I also really like that they had this friendship full of love that wasn’t based in romance. Very valid and cool.

Loki’s cameos were just fantastic. From the second Steve Rogers impression (he’s so surprisingly humor-conscious for a villain, lol), to the shot of him in his prison cell while Thor sneaks past him…HILARIOUS. Also the Tessaract thing. Good stuff.

I finally get the America’s ass joke. Good stuff. 

Peter Parker watching Tony die was...oof. Don’t talk to me. That was brutal. Natasha crying over Hawkeye...also brutal. Why were they saving all these emotional punches for the LAST MOVIE? Where was this in earlier ones? 

Overall, the Russo brothers did a good job considering the extreme feat of balanced storytelling required for such a huge ensemble. A good movie. 

[amandajoyce118]

Agents Of SHIELD S7E05 “A Trout In The Milk” Easter Eggs And References

The team heads to the 1970s where they discover that Hydra has received a hand up from the Chronicoms. 

You know the drill. If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’ve already seen the episode. Especially since I’m watching the episode four days after it aired. So, yes. There are spoilers.

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Those Opening Credits

They are so very ‘70s. If you’ve ever watched a sitcom or a spy series from the era, you’ll see nods in the sequence.

Sousa Wonders About Ending Up In The Present

Perhaps Sousa’s questioning of Daisy and Coulson about ending up in their present time is a nod to the actor’s cameo in Avengers. Let’s hope the show actually ties those two together instead of just giving us an Easter egg or two.

Dooley’s Booth

Coulson talks about Dooley’s booth in the old bar that becomes a SHIELD meeting spot. Dooley was the chief of the New York office of the SSR, for those who didn’t watch Agent Carter.

Bendeery English Ale

Daisy drinks one of these in the SHIELD bar, and there’s also a poster for it in Malick’s office. It is the official unofficial beer of the show. It’s named for a friend of Nick Blood’s and first appeared back in season two.

You Always Bounce Back

Yeah, this is, what, the third time someone has referenced Elena’s first episode of the series and her powers. That feels like it’s not going to bode well for her, but not sure what to make of all the on the nose references just yet.

‘70s SHIELD Uniforms

Those blue and white jumpsuits are straight out of the comics of the same era. Yep. 

Project Insight

We all saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier, right? Project Insight is the big project created by Hydra that targets “threats” to the world in the form of Stephen Strange and Tony Stark. In other words, it calculates the probability that people will go against Hydra and advises on whether or not they should be eliminated.

The Episode Title

The phrase is, as Sousa points out, an “old timey one,” and it’s fun that it gets used repeatedly in the episode.

Coulson Is From Processing

When Malick asks Coulson where he’s from at the bar, Coulson says he’s from processing. That’s a callback to season five when the team ended up in the future. It’s what Deke told them to say when anyone asked where they were from so they wouldn’t give away that they were time travelers.

Come With Me If You Want To Continue To Exist

This show loves to nod to its sci-fi and action movies, right? While Elena talks about Bond movies early in the episode, this line is a nod to the Terminator franchise.

The Launch Hangar

Where the Insight rocket/satellite combo launches from in the middle of the lake is where the zephyr usually launches from in the future.

The Episode Tag

Nathaniel Malick isn’t even supposed to exist anymore, but he’s sure working on living up to the family name, huh? His wanting to talk to Daniel Whitehall about surgically transferring abilities should sound familiar. Whitehall lives for so long by surgically transferring Jiaying (Daisy’s mom, remember her?) to himself. 

The List Of SHIELD Assets/Hydra Threats

I saved this one for last because this is where the majority of the episode Easter eggs come from. When Daisy and Sousa get the list of “threats” for Project Insight in the ‘70s, the computer has a nice “Level 7 only” at the top of the screen. That’s a nod to how the show began, with Coulson as a Level 7 agent, welcoming Ward to his new status on the team.

Sousa and Daisy mention that Bruce Banner, Peggy Carter, and Nick Fury all show up on the list. The long list features some other names that should be familiar. There are actually two sets of lists, but it’s really hard to make out the first one, so help a girl out if I miss some names.

Roberto Gonzalez and Victoria Hand both show up. You might remember them from earlier seasons of the show. Vic is killed by Ward when he breaks Garrett out of SHIELD custody and Gonzalez is killed by Jiaying when he tries to have a meeting with her. I believe Isabel Hartley is also on the first page of the list, but not positive because her name is blurry. In the comics, she dated Vic, but she was killed in the first episode of season two.

Also on the list? Jim Morita and Gabe Jones. They’re both Howling Commandos. Gabe also happens to be Trip’s grandfather while Jim is grandfather to Peter Parker’s school principal.

Some more familiar names that appear are Nicole Amador, Susan Morse, and Nathan Bowen. The first is likely a relative of Akela Amador from season one, while Susan Morse is mother to Bobbi Morse in the comics. Nathan Bowen is the father of Tandy (from Cloak And Dagger) and a scientist who works for Roxxon.

Still with me? Good. Because there are even more.

Conrad Murphy is the father of Sandra Murphy in the comics. Sandra is one of the “Caterpillars” or Secret Warriors in the comics, though she’s not on Daisy’s team. She actually is on the team sent to spy on the Russian organization Leviathan (which was in Agent Carter) and her entire team ends up dead.

Andrew and Margaret Nelson appear - though on separate halves. I’m curious if they’re meant to be relatives of Foggy Nelson from Daredevil, though their names don’t ring any bells for me. It’s worth noting that the show has connected to Daredevil in the past with other Easter eggs and Skye and Matt both having a connection to St. Agnes.

There’s a Susan Parker on the list, who could be related to Peter Parker, or she could be a really random reference to a character that appeared in one comic book in the ‘40s? Likewise, Michael Phillips is a name that is connected to a mercenary who worked with the Punisher in the comics who used to be a CIA agent, but that feels like too common of a name. (There’s also an assistant director with the name who works on the show, so he could just be a nod to him.)

Betty Wright is a famous singer who actually rose to fame in the ‘70s. She died this year. She wrote the original “Where Is The Love” and has been sampled on tons of R&B tracks. Likewise, Mark Roberts might be another pop culture nod since he was an actor who started working in the ‘30s, though that was just his stage name, so who knows?

I’ve got nothing on Ben Taylor, Ben Harris, James Cook (unless they’re talking about the British explorer who would have already been dead), Ronald Collins, Roger Stewart, Leonard Torres, Robert Moore (though I did think initially that it said Morse and wondered if Bobbi was named after her dad), and David Robinson. I also didn’t catch the last name for the entry that starts with Theresa. But that’s - a lot. So, some of the names are presumably filler names, entered just because they were ones the team could use, and they could also be nods to people the VFX team knows in real life.

Edited to add:

Chastity McBride

I completely forgot to note that May’s alias in this episode is a real SHIELD agent in the comics. She’s only appeared in a handful of comics and her main mission was stopping John Garrett and Elektra from an assassination plot.

I think this is the longest list I’ve done in a while, so no speculation this time. Until next week. Or, I guess, later this week!