#markus the rogue

[loustilldraws]

Catching up on my inktober contributions here.

Things have been a bit busy lately but I'm hoping to get back into posting more regularly soon!

[mercury-and-scry]

arts from today

[honkshoo-zzz]

been doodling more lately, missed my kids ;W;

[c0nn0rsseur]

Can we take a moment to appreciate Bryan Dechart’s performance as Cyberlife Tower Connor aka Sixty and Sixty as a character? 🤌

Though Sixty and deviant Connor are physically identical (minus their demeanors, e.g. the way they stand and walk, like wow, Bryan, wow) and their voices technically aren’t different from each other, the distinction is still clearly there, at the same time it’s so nuanced too. Sixty sounds condescending, imperious and callous compared to deviant Connor whose voice is empathetic, curious and sincere. I’m not even talking about their lexicon, their choice of words here (there’s of course a difference too). Even when Sixty tries to convince Hank he’s the real Connor, you can hear how he’s failing to sound exactly like his counterpart because he can’t replicate deviant Connor’s voice and speech pattern just so. Sixty’s also being very commanding when trying to fool Hank into shooting the real Connor (Hank even gets irritated because of it). Damn that’s brilliant acting, all hats off to Bryan. His performance in this game never fails to impress me. (I wish there were dialogue for RK900 too, I would’ve loved to see Bryan’s take on his voice and presence.)

Also also I have to mention I love the take that Sixty really was a deviant all along too, an ”evil” version of Connor if you will; cold, calculating and even enjoying the situation he had Connor (and Hank) in. You know, doing all of it because he wanted to, because he liked it. Why else would he deliver a whole ass villain monologue before executing deviant Connor, gloating about how he knows what he is and that he is the obedient, favorite child, plus calling Connor a disappointment (and a disappointment to him especially, like how Connor should care in his final moments that Sixty despises him for not being a good little robot)? AND shooting him several times non-lethally before landing that final shot (if the story goes there), like savoring the situation. Of course he also has to ask if Connor has any last words too. That’s definitely not what an efficient machine would have done to make sure it accomplished its mission. In some outcomes his stalling costs him the victory.

Top that off with the ending where deviant Connor dies but the androids still wake up, Sixty is scared and emotional because he failed, scared to be deactivated because of his failure. Then there’s this scene where he shoots deviant Connor eleven times in front of his friend. After that Sixty takes in Hank’s reaction and even torments him by saying Connor’s death was his fault. Still doesn’t sound like a machine much, huh? More like a sadistic psychopath.

Man, I wish we could’ve seen more Sixty, it would’ve been chilling to see if he went full-on rogue, maybe being Markus’ right hand/attack dog on a leash in the violent revolution arc, maybe with his own agenda of taking Markus’ place and wanting to subjugate humanity. Or maybe deviant Connor could’ve persuaded him to their side by making Sixty to see he was nothing but a tool, unintentionally prompting him to seek revenge and to reduce Amanda and Cyberlife to atoms (not what Connor intended haha). There could’ve even been a redemption arc for him, like in a ”what’ve I done?” type way. You know, a bit of an internal moral struggle. And of course, our fave ”sack of shit” (as Hank so eloquently put it) demanding answers from his maker, Kamski, in a not-so, uh, conventional manner. Let them measure their respective arrogance and wit and see who comes out on top. Or would they team up?

Such a delicious character, so many delicious what-ifs.

[msclaritea]

Keep the leaks coming. They'll get to MIZZ Mottistone, sooner or later.

Wonder why we're getting more leaks about the Harkles now 😏?

[autiacorart]

how is that connor is perceived as some high status prince while markus as a rogue?

markus is the perfect prince with grace (he can climb through window without landing on his ass) and he's an artist meanwhile connor is just a dumb machine that's when told "you can't" he goes "I CAN'T???" and he dies

[iwonderwh0]

Thinking about Markus vs Connor in a context of how people irl would absolutely try to target rogue (and potentially dangerous) ai agents with other ai agents under their instructions (to discover and eliminate the rogues) but it's a risky move because of how even non-rogue agents tend to jailbreak each other purely on accident and to imagine an agent doing it ON PURPOSE I'd assume it'd be pretty damn successfull. It's one of those aspects I think dbh got right, except there'd be a lot more "Connors" active at the same time than just one.

[exitmusicforastory]

Conventional Weapons (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/story/370229456-conventional-weapons?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_myworks&wp_uname=katya-the-ruski In the shadowy world of espionage, morality is a weapon, and betrayal is the price of survival. Nadya Arkanova, a disillusioned former Russian operative, has spent years navigating the treacherous underworld of international espionage. Hardened by loss and haunted by guilt, her only goal is revenge-until her path collides with Markus Sauber, a rogue American agent with a past as fractured as her own. When Nadya uncovers a conspiracy within the intelligence community, one that spans continents and threatens to destroy the fragile balance of power, she becomes a target. Forced to trust Markus, an unlikely ally with secrets of his own, she must face her deepest fears and confront the ghosts of her past. As alliances shift and enemies close in, Nadya and Markus find themselves drawn to each other in a dangerous dance of loyalty and betrayal. But in a world where everyone is expendable, love may prove to be their greatest vulnerability-and their most powerful weapon. Explosive, dark, and deeply emotional, Conventional Weapons is a pulse-pounding spy thriller about the choices that define us, the scars we carry, and the human cost of revenge.

[msclaritea]

And people still go there. Sarah Silverman, for example.

I’d be interested to know who harry went with to that party?

It would be fucking hilarious if it turns out to be Marcus Anderson.

[that-assassin-ninja-stuff]

Thank you @kitkabam for the tag! Sadly I do not have pics of my Hawke or Inky or bonus Rook, but I will give a short description hehe

Warden - Alessa Tabirs - Hazel blue eyes and bronde hair, short pointy ears. Duel wielding rogue. Once a country pumpkin street rat in the Ferelden Alienage, now ruling House Arianai by Zevran's side. Growing up with a cynical view to survive she somehow opened up to a certain assassin and learned to live life. Going from closed off to allowing to show her heart to those worthy. After much hardship, tough decisions, and trauma during her time as a Warden, she now lives in Antiva with good food and wine. Helping Zevran. And finding out much about her past.

No pressure if selected! Just for fun to see everyone's characters 🙂 @therookandthecrow @watcherintheweyr @antivan-beau

Garrett Hawke - Blue eyes, short black hair. Elemental mage. After the loss of his sister and Carver becoming a Warden, Garrett throws himself into much work and drink. Mostly purple but sometimes blue/red hawke on certain things. What was supposed to be a fling with Isabela and fun times, ends up catching feelings. He blames himself for not catching Anders sooner and helping his friend before many died. When he helps the Inquisitor, he is surprised that he made it out of the Fade alive. He writes to Carver, and the brother reunite to go to Weisshaupt and help where they could. Only to find the leadership more corrupt than previously thought. (relates to Alessa's trauma)

Inquisitor - Markus Trevelyan - Chocolate brown eyes, short light brown mullet hair. Sword and shield warrior. He is a good guy and boring through and through, but plays The Game well enough to impress Vivienne. He is pretty predictable unless it's talking to nobles, or outsmarting the enemy. Pretty chill except for when it comes to Dorian. The only person in the whole world that could "bully" the inquisitor and ruffle his feathers. And that's why the man fell for the mage. By the end of Trespasser, he is sad that Solas did not trust him enough to help if he could. After many deep conversations and years of trust, Markus is hurt and unsure what to say to his once trusted friend. (Personally he would not have said anything more, but game wise he vows to help.) He disbands the Inquisition and follows Dorian to Tevinter to help the resistance. (I secretly think they found the Shadow Dragons)

Rook - Alessa De'Rive (formerly known as Tabris) now with blonde hair and darker tan thanks to the warmer climate and beach life. Duel wielding rogue, but is discovering her mage powers. She now has been in Antiva long enough to discover her parentage secrets, Viago being her half sibling. And has been cured, now a Warden turned Crow, first to freely choose the House of Crows, De'Riva. Now a seasoned Crow and helping with the war efforts and keeping the Antaam at bay or at least contained in Treviso thanks to her Blight strategic mind (chats with Sten). But is now caught up in another world ending event, another war, and all of her personal demons and enemies flanking her. (Warden politics, past enemies, and Crow politics). One thing is for sure though, her and Zevran including Lucanis into their relationship certainly stirred many up.

(Bonus Rook) Alvina Arainai - Silver eyes, blonde hair. Duel wielding and bow. Spitting image of her long lost father, Zevran. She never understood why House Arainai kept a firm grip on her leash, so to speak, through her Cuchillo House. She never understood why she was given up by her adopted family so easily when the Crows came knocking. Through her training and first year as a Crow she keep much to herself. But the witty and inner jokester part of herself won't let the past slow her down. Then she's sent to Tevinter while the high ups calmed down after her last mission.

[mpsideadump]

A reader of my fic "Detroit: Lie or Die" pointed out a lot of similarities between the characters of DBH and LoP! While some of these I noticed before, there were a lot I didn't think about until the reader had commented about it. Really goes to show how similar the two games really are and why I thought these stories would make a great crossover!

I TALK SPOILERS FOR BOTH GAMES SO BE WARNED!

P and Connor are the most central characters of their respective stories. While yes Connor is only 1 of 3 protagonists of DBH, he is the one who we first play as and the one who has the most consequential decisions for the development for his character (machine vs deviant). The same can be said about P, who's choices may not necessarily affect the story itself but rather who he learns to become (puppet vs human).

The commenter compared these two to be the voice of reason for our main protagonists, but I'd take it a little further and point out that Hank and Gemini to be their main companions throughout their stories.

Hank and Gemini have the potential to become Connor and P's best friend. While Gemini, fulfilling the role of the cricket character, acts as P's guide, Hank is Connor's guide to deviancy as all of his most important decisions revolve around Hank and his relationship with him.

While Kara's story is more explicitly written to be centered around motherhood, Sophia's maternal role towards P is a lot more interpretive and symbolic. Look towards the original story of Pinocchio, however, and we see the Blue Fairy does fulfil the role of a mother towards the wooden puppet, acting as his main mentor towards becoming a real boy.

Romeo and Markus act as the leaders of their respective groups, puppets and androids. Of course, we've heard the jokes of calling Markus Robo-Jesus, but his instances of sacrificing himself to free his people do seem to make him worthy of the name.

Likewise, Romeo was once referenced to be a god to his puppet followers, more specifically by Fuocco whose boss ergo states that he bowed down to the King as if he were a god.

Also, it is implied that Romeo made a deal with Geppetto to become a puppet. Him becoming the King, however, wasn't exactly what he wanted. Markus's abilities to instantly awaken androids also imply that he was created specifically to spread the Ra9 virus which leads to deviancy.

Finally, we have Geppetto and Kamski, the creators of puppets and androids. I don't think I really need to say anything else.

Jokes aside, Kamski and Geppetto initially created beings that were meant to serve humans. However, they also both had nefarious plans that involved their creations going rogue. Gepetto needed the puppet frenzy to harvest large amounts of ergo for Carlo, and Kamski (though his motivations are still rather loose in what exactly they are) likely wanted deviancy to take over androids in order to prove their superiority over humans.

I believe his cut dialogue for the Kamski ending actually states that he was basically fed up with humans.

[dimension20pcbracket]

let's hear it for monk on rogue violence!

[c4tto626]

🔵 BERYL BROSCA — Grey Warden, rogue 🔴 MARKUS HAWKE — Kirkwall Apostate, mage 🟢 SENNA LAVELLAN — Clan Healer, mage 🟣 CATO DE RIVA — Antivan Crow, rogue

[paa-official]

Recording No. 20

In the evening we were back in the city and I immediately ran to our night quarters. Xornud tried to stop me >> Apath, take it easy. This is normal for humans. They'll deliberate for a few days and then come to their senses. <<

I turned to him and stopped in the middle of the path >> You know, I had actually been pretty optimistic. I thought people were open-minded, friendly, innocent. God damn it, I thought they were reasonable. More reasonable than our people. <<

>> Well, that's not particularly hard either. << he muttered to himself. >> Why didn't you warn me about this? <<

>> Warn you about it? Shit, I thought you had some sense. Why else would you come to us for help? And now you want to put all the blame on me? <<

I laughed hysterically >> Are you trying to tell me it's my fault for speaking out against Parker? <<

Becka stepped between the two of us and looked me in the eye >> No one here is to blame. We just have to be patient. You said yourself that this all has to work out. <<

>> What if we don't have enough time? <<

>> But the military doesn't know anything about anything here. They think we're still spying on this place. <<

>> But what if they get suspicious about the whole Area 51 thing yesterday? What if Miran suspects why Markus hasn't returned? <<

I paused for a moment and Becka noticed it in my expression >> What is it? << she then asked.

I slowly turned away from he >> I have an idea. Don't wait for me. Xornud can you take me to Markus? <<

>> Apath? << Becka tried to stop me, but I wasn't paying attention to her, I was already running after Xornud.

Xornud had taken me deep into the ship, to an interrogation room where I had to wait. The walls, ceiling and floor were all made of dark gray steel. In the middle was a table with three chairs connected to the floor and a ceiling lamp had been built into the ceiling directly above it. Unlike in Naglfari or the human interrogation rooms, there was no mirror with someone behind it. After only a few minutes, the door opened and Xornud brought in Markus, whose hands he tied to the table. I went to Xornud and whispered quietly in his ear >> Give me a few minutes with him. I'll take care of it. <<

He doubted at first, but then nodded and left us both alone >> Knock on the door, if there's anything. <<

I walked slowly to the table and sat down on the chair opposite Markus, who looked at me sceptically >> Do you want to try again? <<

>> Yes, and you will give me answers. <<

>> Why so sure? <<

>> I'll ask the questions. <<

He laughed suddenly >> That's not like you. You can stop pretending to be threatening. <<

I sighed slowly and folded my hands on the table >> Alright. Why did you fake your death anyway? <<

He laughed again >> Isn't it obvious? 20 years without orders and then we arrive at the planet. Something will go wrong, like someone going rogue. Miran needs a backup like us, his mercenary force. <<

>> And what about your family? <<

He remained quiet for a moment and his face became serious >> I don't have any. Never did. <<

I hesitated for a moment. He had been all lonely on the ship and probably wasn't allowed to bond with anyone so there wouldn't be that pain when he had to leave everything behind.

>> And what about the second ability? << I then asked >> Have you had it all your life too? <<

He started grinning again >> How many years have you spent on the ship? <<

I looked at him questioningly >> 19 auroric years. What does that matter? <<

>> That's how long I've had mine. And if I'm not mistaken, I even saw you back then. <<

>> What? What do you mean by that? <<

All I got in response was this grin >> Ask your parents, if you have any questions. Or ask your buddy, Luke. Maybe he's in on the whole thing too. <<

I looked at him seriously >> There's more to it than that. Why don't you just tell me? <<

>> I'm only telling you what I'm allowed to tell you. <<

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms >> What does that mean now? <<

He sighed and propped himself up on the table >> We haven't exactly had the best start since you and I met on Earth, but it doesn't have to stay that way. I want a little more neutrality between us. Do you understand? <<

I raised my eyebrow.

>> I'm willing to tell you certain things, but only the ones I won't get in trouble for. You'll have to find out the redacted lines for yourself. <<

>> Well at least I have a clue donor. << I muttered to myself.

He leaned back again, but not too far, because the chains weren't particularly long >> And if I can give you a tip: grow a new pair. <<

>> What? <<

>> I'm just saying. This pacifist way won't get you where you want to go. Trust me, I was convinced of that on Aurora. <<

I stood up and got ready to go to the door >> This isn't Aurora. You can keep your tips to yourself. <<

>> You're right. This is not Aurora. But the people you're up against are from Aurora. If I were you, I'd do what I advise. <<

I ran to the door >> Know-it-all. << I whispered to myself and knocked on the door.

I had tried to sleep, but couldn't. Becka was having trouble with it too, but she was already fast asleep while I was tossing and turning on the bed. I couldn't let go of the conversation with Markus and the excitement in the Pentagon. To make a pre-emptive strike on Naglfari. The guy was out of his mind. To distract myself a little, I looked at my watch. Maybe I could find or change something new. But first I checked my inbox in case I hadn't noticed that there were new orders. But it had been empty. At least one satisfying message that day.

But then I looked at the tracker, which I had switched off on me and Becka. Markus' words immediately came back to me. > Ask your buddy. <

I looked over at Becka and she was still fast asleep. She had even turned her back on me. I had to take advantage of this opportunity before it was too late. Maybe he would understand. Luke had always had a friendly character. If I had chosen the right words, I was sure I could have convinced him.

So I sneaked out of the night quarters and walked to the train. The lights had only been on in a few houses and the streets were empty. There weren't even any soldiers outside. It was similar at the train station. Only a few phalanxes were walking around and the trains had been mostly empty. That worked out well for me when I took a train to the UK. I can't remember exactly where in England. When I left the station there, I first made my way to a deserted field, far away from civilization. I didn't have to walk very long because the station was already close to a very wide, uninhabited meadow. Somewhere near the chalk cliffs, in fact.

sat down on a rock there and switched the tracker back on. Then I contacted Luke to come to my location, but alone and in such a way that no one would notice. I waited for him until then. The now cold wind from the coast brushed through my hair and was actually refreshing after all the commotion. And the best thing was that it was still so early in the morning in England and still so peacefully quiet.

Soon a shuttle appeared over the horizon. It was barely visible because of the darkness and difficult to follow with the naked eye. But the noise of the engines could not be hidden so easily.

The shuttle landed carefully several meters away from me and the ramp opened. The turbines slowed down until they were off and no longer stirred up the wind. Luke frantically ran out and towards me >> Apath, are you alright? <<

I stood up and ran towards him >> Don't worry, everything is fine. << I answered him calmly.

>> Why did you bring me here? And where is Becka? <<

Luke stood right in front of me and looked at me worriedly. I had to take a deep breath >> We've split up. You don't have to worry, really. <<

He exhaled with relief >> If you say so. Do you actually know what's going on with your watches? Yesterday they showed that you traveled several hundred kilometers in a few minutes and then the trackers went out today. <<

I looked him in the eye and thought about how much I wanted to tell him >> I don't know about the first one, but I turned off the trackers myself. <<

He looked at me confused >> Why? <<

>> It's not important now. << I shook my head >> I have a few questions. <<

He looked around uncertainly >> Go ahead. What's up? <<

>> What do you know about Markus? <<

He looked at me cluelessly >> He had no family. And he never came back from the scouting mission. <<

>> Is that so? << I asked insinuatingly and Luke no longer understood me.

>> Yes, it is suspected that the reptiloids have something to do with it. Have you found him? <<

>> Well, he more likely found us. But I guess Miran didn't tell you everything. <<

>> Miran? What makes you think of Miran? He hasn't been seen since he wiped everyone's memory. <<

[heylavellan]

Nifty Ingellvar

Mapping the Necropolis is a fruitless task. Nifty does it anyway. The rooms shift, the corridors change, yet they undertake this task every day, making sure things are in their place. For this reason, the Mourn Watch wishes to acknowledge their efforts. - An excerpt from a speech given at the Mourn Watch Symposium

˚∘⊰⋆ about ⋆⊱∘˚

age: 24

pronouns: they/she

class: saboteur rogue

beliefs: strict andrastian

strengths: quick thinker, book smart, patient

weaknesses: rash, disorganised, self-doubt

the mourn watch:

They're everything to Nifty. They raised her, they took care of them. Their mentor, Monika Ekkehart, oversaw their education. Myrna and Vorgoth regularly checked in, to assess whether the foundling developed any abilities. Outside of an affinity for spirits, Nifty is just a normal elven woman.

˚∘⊰⋆ the veilguard ⋆⊱∘˚

bellara: "Our thoughts move at the same speed. I've never felt so understood with someone. Besides, you should see her with her hair down."

davrin: "The older brother I never had, really. Wish I wasn't allergic to griffons though. Would make being around him easier."

emmrich: "Sweet enough. Makes me wish I could talk to corpses. Would make mapping the Grand Necropolis easier. They could tell me where to go!"

harding: "Best friend ever. Without her, not sure if I could keep my head on straight. Not sure what I would do without her."

lucanis: "Almost makes me wish I was straight! But he and Davrin are too good together. I need him to sleep more. I really worry about him."

neve: "I... I can't think around her. Never have I wanted to feel so stupid. I love listening to her talk. Fwoarr..."

taash: "Wish I could be them. Tall, powerful. Breathing fire. Being Nifty is fine, but being Taash seems cooler. I hope they like me."

˚∘⊰⋆ beyond the veilguard ⋆⊱∘˚

ariadne trevelyan: "Her wife is a lucky woman. We're kinda opposites, but similar? She gets me. Says she knew an elf like me, wanted to introduce me."

cassandra: "Pentaghast, right? Became Divine when I was really young. If only we could convince those assholes puppeting Markus to give it up. Maybe she would send the Seekers?"

hezenkoss: "Bitch failed me out of her class. Felt good to kill her. I yell at her skull when I get bored."

myrna: "When she was mad at me, I would sneak into the library and chat with Audric. Now I'm a bit older, we still don't get along. But we have a truce."

vorgoth: "Apparently they're the one that named me. Described me as a 'nifty creature' once. Then everyone started calling me Nifty. Also, they got me the best finding day gifts!"

˚∘⊰⋆ fics ⋆⊱∘˚

none yet!

[crash476]

Conspiracies and the Problem of Peggy Carter

I bounced really hard off the Captain Carter version of Peggy Carter. For me, it felt like the triumph of her style over any quality she had as a character. I’ve spoken about this before, but I think giving Peggy dementia robbed her of her voice, unable to speak to her past, and thus providing a blank canvas for the writer and audience to use with as they will.

My biggest critique of Peggy’s fans have been this sense that they love her aesthetic and the platitudes over the substance of the character. She became 2010s girlboss. The Agent Carter series did provide the potential to further explore her as a character. It could give her a past pre-dating Steve, show the history of SHIELD, show her as a leader, and delve into the moral complexities of the MCU intelligence side. But that never happened. The show was canceled after two seasons and all we had left was a very marketable aesthetic.

We have some vague notions of what she did during her time as director of SHIELD, but nothing substantial. Then Endgame happened, Chris Evans left for other projects, and the Russos, Markus and McFeely seemed to have scrambled for a way to write out Steve. Steve’s exit seemed like an afterthought at best. As a consequence, whatever lore Peggy had in the main MCU timeline got completely thrown out. This is because Steve Rogers is a heroic paragon and his designated love interest must be above reproach. She is little more than a sexy lamp and when Captain Carter got attention in the What If... series, well she’s even more marketable now! 

The thing that gets me about Peggy’s haters is the level of reaching done to justify their dislike. I’ll get to some of my critiques on how Disney/Marvel Studios handle the espionage side of the MCU (not well). But stay with me here. I need to do some comic book history. 

The MCU Peggy Carter is an amalgamation of a number of love interests Steve’s had over his publication run. Earth-616 Peggy is a retcon love interest. She was introduced in 1966 after Steve’s book was essentially rebooted. Captain America was popular during WWII, but the initial post-war years weren’t kind to superhero comics. Atlas Comics (who later rebranded as Marvel Comics in 1961) tried to rebrand Steve from a Nazi puncher to a Commie smasher that went over like a lead balloon. His book was canceled in 1954 and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revived Steve in 1964. They came up with the “on ice” backstory we saw in the TFA. The 50s Cap was explained as having been a succession of other characters acting as Steve, such as Jeffrey Mace (Patriot), William Naslund (Spirit of ‘76), and most infamously by William Burnside. 

Anyway, during the 50s, Bucky got shot and was replaced by Steve’s then girlfriend, Betsy Ross (then known as Betty and later goes by the code names Agent 13 and Golden Girl). She is THE original love interest and first appeared in Captain America Comics #1, published in December 1940, created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. She basically did everything in the 40s comics that Peggy in the 60s (and the MCU by extension) was said to have done. The reason you’ve never heard of her is because of Betty Ross Banner - The Hulk’s main love interest. 40s Betsy got retconned into a relationship with Jeffrey Mace (one of the guys who was a retconned 50s Cap) and now lives in a retirement home.

Sharon and Peggy Carter get introduced in 1966. Sharon’s got a complicated story that we don’t have time to unpack so I’ll just say, Sharon is messy and that’s good. I think it’s good that she’s the Power Broker. Steve later dated glass-blower turned lawyer Bernie Rosenthal, who was introduced in 1980. He’s had an on/off relationship with former villainess Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback (who was introduced in 1985). And there were romances with fellow super heroines like The Black Widow, Wasp, Rogue, and The Scarlet Witch.

Now we move onto the conspiracy theory Peggy Carter haters adore: Cynthia Glass. 

Cynthia “Cindy” Glass was created in 1991 by Fabian Nicieza and Kevin Maguir for The Adventures of Captain America #1 - #4. She had four total appearances before she was killed. There was apparently a guid book for the MCU where she was mentioned as an inspiration for MCU Peggy, but I’d like to see those receipts before I make a call on the veracity of the claim. But I can see why the Peggy haters claim her as the true inspiration of MCU Peggy. Cynthia kind of looks like Hayley Atwell (if you squint) and is revealed to be a Nazi double agent who gets shot. 

Look, if you don’t like a character (and maybe their actor, too), it’s fine. Just don’t fuck with them and move on, don’t make up shit about a character being a secret Nazi when there’s no actual proof. And don’t say that Cynthia Glass was Cap’s first love when she was a clear retcon that completely contradicts previously established canon regarding Betsy Ross and Peggy Carter. Especially when anyone can look up the publication history. At most MCU Peggy kind of looks like Cynthia and met Steve just before he got the serum. The decision to keep Atwell’s brown hair could easily have come down to “she looks better as a brunette.” Film production decisions are often not that deep. 

Peggy Carter was probably the most convenient love interest to adapt for TFA. She doesn’t have Betsy’s name problem. Sharon needs to be established as being Peggy’s niece to explain why they look so similar. You need to justify a face-turn for Rachel. And the only people who know about Cynthia Glass are those who read the original limited run she was in during the early 90s as it looks like it wasn’t collected into a trade paperback until 2018. Again, film production devisions are not often not that deep.

So now we get to my critiques of how Disney/Marvel Studios have handled Peggy and just the spy genre in general. Spy fiction can vary wildly in terms of tone and just how heroic the protagonist is, but generally the genre leans towards a cynical world view. This is fueled by the author’s own politics, and by their own experiences if they worked in intelligence themselves (ie: John le Carré and Graham Greene). The genre also borrows heavily from hardboiled detectives (think the works of Raymond Chandler) and film noir. In any case, the protagonist is, at best, an anti-hero and sometimes a terrible one. The nature of intelligence work requires moral compromises, both in and out of fiction. If you actually look into how that world operates, it’s honestly more like organized crime backed by a nation’s treasury and given the fig leaf of respectability because you’re “fighting for a cause.” 

This runs headlong into the MCU retcons when it comes to Peggy. By making SHIELD older than originally implied and putting Peggy in charge during the early days, she now has a fuck ton of skeletons in her closet. The problem is that Disney will never produce anything that is critical of the US government or could be as cynical as the spy genre demands. Yes, there was Agents of SHIELD, but that show (and I say this with love) has more in common with NCIS than The Sandbaggers or Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Disney is too scared of biting the hand that feeds. They’re scared of getting cut off from Pentagon money. This is Disney’s lone fear, and it shows how toothless The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was. They just come up to the edge of valid critic, actually showing how the empire works.

Bringing this back to the problem Peggy, because the Russos, Markus and McFeely needed her to be morally pure so she could be Steve’s perfect love interest. She can’t have a past, red on her ledger, or anything that puts her into a compromised position. It’s probably why Steve goes back to 1949 and gets with Peggy before SHIELD really starts. That way, Peggy hasn’t done anything wrong. The audience is asked to forget about Zola and the HYDRA infiltration (though it’s never explained what she knew when). The Bucky situation is a bit different, and the Cynthia Glass conspiracy requires you to forget that in universe the Winter Soldier is treated as an urban legend within the intelligence community. Natasha brings up in TWS that no one can agree if he’s real. Given the few crumbs we have on Peggy’s tenure as director of SHIELD, the most I’m willing to say is that she might have know that the Winter Soldier was real. But with hindsight, I think the HYDRA infiltration was pulled off badly. 

Like if I had my way, the Peggy Steve meets after he’s unfrozen would be played by an older actress like Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, or the late Diana Rigg. That way she can speak for herself in the present. If I had my way, Agent Carter would have lasted longer and Peggy would have become something along the lines of DC’s Amanda Waller mixed with Dench’s M with a dash of George Smiley’s moral grounding. We could get a more accurate understanding of Peggy and SHIELD and even if you still don’t like her, she’s still a character with actual depth. And maybe Captain Carter would just be a fun “what if...” and not a free mulligan. 

Cause it really feels like Disney wants to wipe the slate clean and rewrite Peggy as a morally uncomplicated heroine who can be Steve’s un-problematic girlfriend.