#pavitr would be an inkling

[synth-spinner]

Atsv Hobie in splatoon would be an urchin and atsv miles is a blue ringed octopus. Annnd post

[demigod-of-the-agni]

thinking about her again. my new wife. tossing her into the mumbattan au washing machine

in my mind, she is mysterio- or at least, proto-mysterio? the precursor of mysterio? whatever. the point is she can control others, and MAYBE— get this— MAYBE she can control reality to some extent, if she values authenticity over special effects

"but agni that's... a very anti-climactic claim" I KNOW but i'm making her a magical girl. that makes it a very climactic claim!!!! have her be very attuned to maya (lit. "illusion", very potent magic wielded by gods, monsters, etc) and have her be obsessed with wanting to. control reality, i suppose

when i mean "control reality" i actually just mean "she can control what you experience". she controls YOUR reality, not the physical reality. she needs to bring her vision to life, and even if it is a little fake on a quasi-mystical/technical level, the fact you responded to it is all she's looking for. kinda freaky but hey, she's now my wife, let her be a little freaky

i WOULD add something about her backstory and while i do have an inkling of an idea it is far too late (3pm) for me to write about it in full. so. another day!!!

oh but i KNOW her name should be keerthi bhatt. do i know why i picked that name, other than the fact "quentin" has a 'k-' sound and "beck" has a 'b-' sound? no idea. something something extravagance and she's destined for producing great things.

(i came very close to naming her keerthi bachchan but then remembered amitabh bachchan is literally on tumblr. if you TAG him i will HUNT YOU DOWN and i will NEVER draw pavitr again)

[tiagems]

I like the idea but I don't think they do this for every recruit. Maybe the younger ones, but I don't think they did this with Pavitr considering he still thinks that being Spider-Man is easy(of course it could just be him being optimistic and thinking that stuff won't happen for years so it's fine! After all, you don't really believe your parents when they tell you that growing up is hard until you actually grow up and go through it). Most recruits probably just have whoever recruited them with them, a familiar face to ease the tension, and maybe Jess there as Miguel's right hand man. Maybe if they get a particularly difficult spider, they have others come in and share their experiences. Just not to this degree.

Moreover, I do feel like this was all planned. By everyone. They discussed this before, and it's pretty telling that everyone seems to know Miles' name and why he's running. And Miguel saying "I wish it didn't have to come to this" as he traps Miles? Like that was a last resort, something he didn't want to do but fully expected to have to. Probably because he was warned by a certain pair of spiders that Miles is headstrong and smart as hell.

Peter and Gwen know Miles. They know he loves his parents, they know he won't let his dad die, but they hoped that talking to him would soften the blow, that they could convince him that this is the right way to do things.

As far as Hobie not reacting, I think that he was just weighing his options. I think he also could tell that Miles needed to reject the canon himself. He'd planted the seeds of doubt before in the room earlier, now he just needed to watch them sprout. And that part was easy enough, Miguel didn't do himself any favors throwing a tantrum as an introduction. But now it was up to Miles to make the decision. Hobie didn't want to interfere with that. I don't think he knew that a ton of spiders were coming but I think he had an inkling that things were going to escalate. He was ready to quit, he already had in his head he was just waiting for Miles to put his foot down before doing it officially.

It's also entirely possible that Hobie was more on edge than he was letting on. We really only see Hobie lose his 'cool' a couple of times after they get to Spider Society. Once when he starts talking about Miles' parents(he stutters ever so slightly when he changes subjects), the dirty glare he gives Miguel when Miguel throws away the empanada Miles gives him, and when they watch the Go Home Machine send Rhino off("super humane and not creepy" is practically dripping with sarcasm and disgust). He seems really good at keeping a cool head, and the entire time he's only looking at Miles. He separates himself from the group, refuses to pitch in unless it's to jab at the others or encourage Miles' refusal to comply.

I agree, I don't think that the swarming was intended to be intimidating and I do think that it was intended to be comforting. But I feel like this was done specifically for Miles. I think they thought that if enough people were around to pressure him, he'd just give in and then they'd hug it out and he'd cry for a bit in pre-mourning or whatever while they all told him that he was doing the right thing.

It's still cultish as all hell, the way they expect Miles to come to the same conclusions as them and play by their rules, and the fact that they did this on purpose to convince Miles that this is the "right way" to do it is creepy as hell. It's still an initiation, and it's one created specifically for Miles. Potentially born of Peter and Gwen remembering how much Miles sought their help and approval back when they first met.

Tl;dr: I think op is half right. They did this to comfort Miles, and they do this often, but not to this scale. This was specifically for Miles.

Never mentioned this and this might sound insane but I'm starting to think this so let me know:

I believe that Miguel didn't mean THIS as an offensive move.

I think THIS happens with every Spider-person intro.

Spider Society is Cultish - but not in the way you may think.

[A MEDIUM HYPOTHESIS post about what the fuck was up with that huge mob that no one reacted to at all.]

So a lot of people have mentioned in the past about these hundreds of people surrounding Miles.

Miguel gives Miles the standard intro - explaining the multiverse and it's connections.

He asks Lyla to do 'the thing' - and none of the information is tailored to Miles. So we know this presentation is a routine thing. The 'explainy' thing Miguel shows to recruits in general.

Then at the end, suddenly 100s of Spider-people come from seemingly nowhere, surrounding Miles. They don't move or speak. But for some reason they're all there and they came from nowhere.

Originally I believed this was to intimidate or trap Miles. But then I realized

Hobie isn't reacting.

To me, Hobie is more reliable, knowledgeable, and trustworthy character in the scene.

We can assume he wasn't in the conversation with Peter and Gwen - so if this was a planned, sudden, offensive move, he wouldn't know about it.

If Miguel suddenly had people surround Miles without explanation, as an offensive move,

I feel like Hobie would have reacted.

At this point we've established in this moment, Hobie's #1 goal is keeping Miles safe. No matter what.

So 100s of Spider-people surround them in a group - but when we look at him, he's not surprised. He's still relaxed, his focus still on Miguel and not the new additions in the room.

He doesn't even really look at the other people. He doesn't wonder where they've come from and he isn't confronting Miguel for summoning them.

But instead, he doesn't. Nobody reacts. He lets the scene play out.

If this was actually an offensive move:

Then why is Hobie not reacting? Why is Gwen not surprised or nervous?

From what we know of his character, I feel like if this were a sudden offensive move, Hobie would NOT have let Miles handle the situation himself.

Hobie is down for fighting hundreds of people - if anything he's the only Spiderman talented at taking down large battalions of armed people (hoards of cops).

But instead he hangs back, letting Miles handle the situation, because he doesn't consider the hundreds of people a threat (until after Miles breaks out).

So why are they here? And why isn't Hobie reacting/alarmed/angry?

Why is everyone so calm about this mob?

Because I think they're supposed to be there. I think it's apart of the intro speech.

I know that may sound a little stupid. But.. in the context of what Miguel is trying to actually do, I believe it. And arguably it makes the whole thing worse.

I believe the reason Hobie didn't react is because - it happened to him. That's what they do.

They give you the speech about the multiverse, they show you all the nodes, and the corresponding tragedies -

And then they bring a group of Spider-people to surround and comfort you.

That's fucking creepy.

As a new recruit it would be an effective tool at assimilation.

To have everything explained to you, to be shown your own tragedies and trauma, to be shown others tragedies and trauma -

And then have those people come from the wings at the very end. To hug you and say 'We understand you! You're one of us now!'

Like an initiation. To bring you to your most vulnerable emotionally - and then present you with people who can 'understand'.

Is it bizarre? Yes. But it's it what cults do.... Yeah.

One of the mainstays and foundations of cults are rituals - initiations, welcomings, and inductions.

And closeness between members, a sense of community and vulnerability is one of the first things cults seek to sow within new recruits.

I think Hobie isn't reacting, because it's happened to him before.

I believed that like Miles, Hobie was shown the explainy' thingy, Miguel explained 'Everything' to him, and then at the end, Miguel brought in dozens of people to offer comfort - or to share their stories.

Hobie, Gwen, and Peter were only there because they know Miles/were already with him.

But for someone like Gwen, or a reason recruit, they'd be given this explainer alone most likely. Just them, Miguel, Lyla, and maybe Jess.

So it kinda makes sense that Miguel would have other people come in at the end to vouch for him/share their experiences.

Now, we know Hobie. When Miguel is showing Hobie's past events, Hobie minimizes it and tries to brush it off. Hobie would probably see these people his time around and be like 'pisss offffffff'

But!! I will say, this crowd could also be used for a double purpose - which I think Miguel would know. But from his reaction, no one has tried running before. He seemed genuinely surprised. So I think it's primary function is comfort/initiation ritual.

Do I think Miguel is purposely doing this to manipulate recruits?

Nah.

I don't think he's doing it with the intention of brainwashing. Miguel believes he's being completely reasonable, so brainwashing wouldn't be necessary in his eyes.

Miguel thinks if he can explain it enough, they'll understand (that is, until he accidentally let it slip about the two days thing and even then he continues trying to explain it further).

I think he does this with the intention of building comradery in a fast way, not understanding that just because HE is fine sharing his trauma and showing it to other people over and over again, doesn't mean everyone else does.

He show people a hologram of his daughter dying in his arms then looks at you like

UMMM SIR???? I JUST GOT HERE. IDEK YOU. IMAGINE HOBIE REACTING TO THAT

Miguel genuinely doesn't understand that's not how you get over shit.

He doesn't understand that because HE likes to overshare and show you his daughter dying (even though reliving said trauma takes a visible toll on him)

- doesn't mean everyone wants to see that, or talk about that, then hug all Kumbaya.

[Miguel be like ayo u mind if I experienced a deep sense of derealization as I relive one of the worst moments in my entire life in 3rd person then continue like everything is okay iight cool]

I don't think he's doing it maliciously. I think as a traumatized person himself he doesn't understand that... What he's doing isn't therapeutic as he thinks it is.

But because in his eyes, doing this would help the recruit understand and bring people together, he'd do it.

(In my eyes).

But that's still cultish. VERY CULTISH.

Having 100s of strangers surround a teen to intimidate them is weird.

Having 100s of strangers surround a teen to offer them comfort at their most vunerable in an attempt to get them to sympathize with your cause and willfully give up their own free choice is WEIRDER.

THAT'S WEIRD AS FUCK. AND CULTS DO THAT.

that makes me MAD UNCOMFORTABLE thinking about it.

'Sorry ur dad is gonna die. Group hug?'

Miguel..... Stop employing teenagers. Matter of fact stop talking to teens. Stop talking to other people's kids all together wtf really wtf

But that's just a hypothesis. And this is one I'm very curious and still thinking about really.

But I always questioned the same things - Where did they come from? Why is no one reacting? Why is HOBIE not reacting? How did they know to be there? What was Miguel trying to do?

I feel like the answer 'They're there to scare Miles,' left me with more questions like

'Why is no one reacting? Why is HOBIE in specific, not reacting? Or rather, why is he not visibly surprised?'

But my hypothesis is that

They were there since he started the explainer thingy. There's a door for them to get in, because this is routine. They probably get paged every time he does the intro.

No one is reacting because this is routine. Gwen and Hobie have both had this happen to them, and the crowd is there for a purpose of some sort. Either crowd control, comfort, initiation, or all three.

But what do you think? I'm still baking this one in the dome so to speak.

Why do you think Hobie and Gwen didn't react? What do you think the crowd is there for/how did they get in?

Is this copium, or are you picking up what I'm putting down cause I am SO CURIOUS about this I've ALWAYS QUESTIONED WHY THE HELL WHERE THEY THERE AND IF THIS IS A THREAT WHY ISN'T HOBIE KICKING MIGUEL'S ASS

[ardsta]

I have just realized something about Into the Spider-Verse.

Spoilers for both Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse.

So Matpat released a theory that Miguel caused an incursion when he was living with his family on a different earth and like, that’s just absolutely what happened, right? Sony is trying to tie their spider-verse to the MCU (whether that’s good or bad) and the MCU says that being a presence in another universe can cause an incursion, and the longer you’re in a place and the more you effect the world the more likely an incursion becomes.

And it’s also probably what’s happening to Earth 50101 (Pavitr Prabhakar’s dimension), too - an incursion caused by either Spot or the spider people or both romping around Mumbattan and destroying a ton of infrastructure.

So if this theory is right (which I really think it is), then Miguel completely misunderstands the cause of the demise of the dimension he was living in. But I think there was a spider-person who could’ve known (or had an inkling in the back of his head) what the REAL cause was. It was blond Peter Parker.

Hear me out. He tells Kingpin that it’s not gonna work when talking about bringing a version of Kingpin’s family into their universe. And like, it makes sense at the time because you think he’s talking about how he won’t actually emotionally recover from losing his family. And he is probably talking about that, too. But, I think he’s also saying how Kingpin’s plan will fail because he will destroy the world by bringing his family to their dimension. And since 1610 Peter is the ‘perfect’ Peter - he’s in shape, doesn’t have a bent nose, was entirely willing to teach Miles to be another Spider-Man - it makes sense that he’d be the one to know or suspect how dangerous long-term dimensional travel would be.

It could also just be foreshadowing, maybe? Like maybe blond Peter doesn’t know but it was a wink at the audience at what could happen in the future. I think blond Peter was smart enough to figure it out, though. And I think Miles or Hobie will be the one to realize it in the next movie.