#spec's thoughts

[thespectralvision]

I typed up a little thing on Facebook, where I'm trying to be more open about my struggles and less internal, and I wanted to share it here too, since this is my space to be my weird little robot loving self:

It doesn’t take long for most people to realize I’m a Marvel fan. Usually that comes with a follow up question- who is your favorite character? I love watching the reactions; it’s clear people expect me to say Spider-Man or Iron Man or one of the other, more ‘popular,’ heroes. My favorite reaction when I said it was Vision was a comment made of “That’s a bold choice.”

The Vision certainly isn’t the most popular Avenger, it’s true. I’ve talked with artists at conventions who don’t bother bringing prints of him because they just don’t sell and space is limited. I see the comments on conventions where Mr. Bettany is a guest saying “Is Vision the best you can do?”. It sucks seeing that, and upsets me because every character is important to someone. Yes he’s not the most exciting or action packed hero. He’s kind of silly looking. He’s a thinker more than a fighter. And he’s been treated pretty badly in writing since the late 80’s and forgotten until very recently.

Trying to explain why he’s my favorite would take me days. Even choosing my favorite comic run/issue is hard. I would argue that Tom King’s series The Vision from 2015-16 is my favorite series of all time. I’ve read it over and over, and while it’s contested by some as being out of character I think it’s one of her few times Vision (and more importantly his trauma) has really been explored. I’ll talk about that run in another post maybe. I’m also very fond of some one off issues, like Avengers Spotlight 40 from 1990, where (White) Vision finally seeks help for everything he’s struggling with.

The comic I always reread on really bad days though, the one that really explains what Vision has become for me, is Avengers: No Road Home 10, the finale of the run. When I met Paul Bettany I mentioned this story to him - I don’t know if he’s read it or not, but he was kind enough to listen. In the run the godess Nyx wants to engulf the world in darkness, silencing everything. As someone who fights depression and has for a long time she feels almost symbolic of that. Quiet, calm, darkness and the end of light. She plans on doing this by finding The House of Ideas and destroying it, and at that point the run becomes somewhat metaphorical. Vision is the only Avenger able to follow her in before she closes the door, and ends up in the house - another dimension made of stories, where he faces Nyx alone. Now some context for the run - it begins with Vision, broken beyond repair and almost seeking death, believing he will finally be human if he can find a true death. Wanda and Monica and the others are very upset by this, trying to stop their friend and help him understand that death is not what makes us human (It is Vision after all, who always strives for something he can never truly be, while endlessly embodying the best of humanity despite that). He followed Nyx in because he wanted to die…And then we get this panel.

I won’t spoil much more, it’s a personal favorite run and I highly recommend it, but Vision eventually finds, and then becomes the light that defeats the darkness…using the power of stories, and memories, of his friends. And that’s what he became for me. I think about his stories, and the stories I want to tell about him to fight my own inner darkness. I paint images of him in bright colors and focus on the lights because it makes me feel better. He’s powered by the sun in the comics, and even in the MCU often symbolized with light through hologram like effects and the glowing Mind Stone. WandaVision made it clear he was the bright spot in Wanda’s life too. That’s just who and what Vision is in the Marvel-verses. One issue used the phrase "You were meant to be a Vision of mankind's brightest future" to describe him. And that’s one of the many reasons he’s my favorite. That’s what super hero stories are for I think, inspiring us and showing these silly spandex clad heroes against impossible odds to inspire us to fight the seemingly impossible things in our lives too.

I really love thinking about and writing these sorts of things. I tried blogging about comics and Vision for awhile but people didn’t seem interested. I think I’m going start doing it again for me, because much like my art it makes me happy sharing this silly Synthezoid with the world. Thank you Marvel, I never expected I would be so emotional about a red robot man but here we are.

[starlitmothspectra]

Oddly specific EnStars thoughts without context

seeing Tsumugi's elbows is weird to me

I would let Sora kidnap me to play videogames

Tetora: "Tsukasa, what am I supposed to do with this pomegranate?"

Narucchan and Tormari could have been friends but Happy Elements and GCrest are cowards

What does Jun eat before sleeping?

2wink would sell Kaoru for a corn chip

Switch is the slightly shadier EnStars version of TigaLidSai

[radios-universe]

wait so…. is the stereotype that aro/ace spec people love garlic bread because of garlic breath??

hear me out.

because garlic breath is not nice for other people in close range and to many (many being only a-specs whom of which are repulsed by it) think kissing is yucky and… and garlic breath would stop people from kissing you

guys hold on now hold on i think i have something brewing

[butchbonezz]

keep nsfw content in nsfw tags , not asexual ones.

[cinematicnomad]

9-1-1 ▸ 2.09 hen begins

[sunny-rants]

aphobia is not just harmful to asexual and aromantic people. it hurts everyone when society tells people they are not complete without a romantic partner. that they are aren’t a whole person if they aren’t in love and sexually desirable. people spend some of the most fulfilling parts of their lives feeling like they’re wasting that time because they aren’t in a relationship. they spend so much time looking for “the one”. time that could be spent learning, travelling, building a found family. they miss out on meaningful relationships, on soulmates, because they are told that person can’t be the most important person in their life. it devalues the support that’s found in community, it devalues the love found in friendships, it devalues the importance for living for oneself.

[pennywises]

Forgetting it doesn't work. We need to remember. Even the things that hurt.

INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR (2023) dir. Patrick Wilson

[rznant]

im so glad people love slug girl... she's not supposed to a salacious type of character she's got her boobs out because she's rockin the outfit she's very "idgaf" gendered like she found a form she's comfortable with and sticks with it because it's fun more than anything else

[chrishangry]

Let me just say as someone who hides a lot of myself in public how nice it is to see aroace and gender flux folks like me being unapologetically proud of expressing their nonbinary attraction and identity. I’m proud of you and I want to be like you when I grow up….even though I’m 35

[merely-a-caricature]

Yes, I’m asexual, but feeling sexy, attractive, etc. is the biggest confidence boost ever

[glitterghost]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like there is a particular kind of sadness (or loneliness, if you will) that ace/aro folk feel.

[hello-im-queer]

I was today's years old when I realized that people actually think that other people are attractive.

Like

PEOPLE JUST LOOK AT A BODY AND BE LIKE : 'whoa I wanna date, hot, sexy, kiss kiss' ?!?!?

[ravi-is-my-beloved]

I know this probably won't ever happen on the show, but I need Bobby to make either a traditionally Mexican or a traditionally Indian dish for Eddie/Ravi because we haven't seen him do many different cultural dishes and Bobby says he made it less spicy than the recipe called for (because of course he did).

So we see everyone eating and the only ones who aren't sweating and reaching for their water are Ravi, Eddie, and Chimney because the dishes in their cultures are already spicy. They're just chilling, complimenting Bobby on how well he cooked the dish. Meanwhile, Bobby is regretting his decision to make a spicy dish as he keeps having to take sips of his water in between bites.

Also, I need to see Ravi add even more spice to his plate because "It's too bland for my tastes." Because I feel like he'd do that. (I'm projecting my Indian mother onto him, okay.)

[crabofthewoods]

istg half the blogs i see are aroace. do i magically attract the aroaces or is tumblr just aroace heaven

[pokimoko]

If you’re still doing pride animals, how about an aroflux/ace crow, bumblebee or tarantula, your choice!

Have a bumblebee, mon ami! 🐝

[cary-elwes]