scarlet--wiccan

[scarlet--wiccan]

realest thing I’ve ever heard recently

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I feel awkward asking, but what do you think about Billy and Teddy, who's top and who's bottom in their sexual relationship?

If you feel awkward, then maybe it's because you shouldn't be asking me this. I make a point to keep this page SFW, and I don't typically discuss this sort of thing. I don't have any problem with sexuality in media or in fandom-- in fact, I quite enjoy it-- but I have specific parameters for this blog, and I just don't see how this is a relevant or necessary question.

But I am gay, and I do have thoughts about the way fandom discusses gay sex. I wouldn't assume that two people in a committed long-term relationship are confined to specific roles, and I think that fandom and pop culture have taken the top-bottom dichotomy and turned it into something really weird, objectifying, and unrealistic. I also think that fandoms, especially this fandom, have a tendency to look down on gay men who they perceive to be feminine or gender-nonconforming, and words like "twink" or "bottom" are often used in a way that feels... derogatory.

This form of homophobia, internalized or otherwise, is prevalent in real life, but it's magnified online and I see it often in how people talk about Billy. To this day, it feels like Young Avengers fans are incapable of talking about Agatha All Along without having a meltdown over Locke's eyeliner. I've addressed this topic many times [x] [x] [x], but I don't usually speculate on the character's sexual role because, again, it's just not relevant. But, having established all of this context, I want to say that I am very much in favor of depicting Billy as an obvious or even "stereotypical" twinky fem gay guy. That doesn't mean he's a bottom, but it is kind of the obvious assumption, and I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that. I certainly think it could be fun and interesting to lean into that, now that the characters are older and have more overt sexual chemistry, but, again, this fandom is weirdly homophobic.

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I don’t want to dismiss your concerns about ultimates bc I do share them in a lot of ways… but it also strikes me that I don’t think the twins had a single line that entire issue (besides Pietro getting upset when Wanda was hurt). I really do feel like the fact that everything about them is presented by Emma, who is shown to be incredibly unreliable, has to be intentional. As of this moment I’m tentatively optimistic about where the story might be going

I’m a bit less pleased with the fan response to this issue and even before it came out. The Betsy spec was weird and the “Emma’s a secret good guy” takes feel very dismissive of the harm we can see her doing

Emma might not be trustworthy, particularly in this continuity, but I don't see what reason she would have to lie about Wanda and Pietro's origins, unless they're somehow even worse. The people she's speaking to are collaborators and conspirators-- and most importantly, clients. I can imagine Emma wanting to hide the less savory details of her business from paying customers, or to withhold sensitive information from people she doesn't fully trust. But even though she's using demure, slightly veiled language, Emma is not hiding the true nature of her "school." What would she stand to gain from fabricating this horrible, dehumanizing story about the twins? She doesn't even seem to value them that much as assets, since she cuts her losses pretty quickly once they've been taken down.

With Wanda and Pietro being taken in by the Ultimates, I do expect them to receive further development and I assume that they'll reveal some more information about their background. Unless Emma was lying through her teeth, or she's so biased that's she's completely overlooked some greater truth about these characters, that won't change the unfortunate circumstances in which they were introduced. Even if they are more clearly depicted as Roma, for example, Camp will have to do a lot of heavy lifting to resolve those problems in a way that feels sensitive and respectful.

[scarlet--wiccan]

Not sure if you’re reading Bring on the Bad Guys, but I’m pretty sure Sister Sorrow is meant to be Romani, given her whole doom-esque backstory and vardo childhood home (more time appropriate than usual ig but still). It’s… frustrating. If you are and have thoughts, I’d be interested, but I understand you can read and comment on everything

I did read the first issue, but I wasn't caught up until just now!

For anyone who hasn't read it, Bring On The Bad Guys-- which is a very corny title borrowed from a late-70s comic-- is an event miniseries largely centered on Mephisto, and each issue stars a different villain who gets involved, somehow, in his evil scheme to gather a series of enchanted soul daggers. Sister Sorrow, whose birth name is Sorana, is a new character who's introduced as Mephisto's reluctant servant. I had to guess, I think she'll probably turn against him and maybe even become the hero of the piece at some point.

Sorana was born several centuries ago in Latveria. When her father was unjustly arrested and sentenced to execution, Sorana prayed for his freedom and unwittingly made a deal with Mephisto. Needless to say, things did not work out in Sorana's favor, and she was bound to Mephisto's service.

During flashbacks to Sorana's childhood, we can see that her family lived in a covered wagon and were apparently part of a migrant community, as there are multiple other caravans camped together. Sorana and her father both wear head coverings and dress in a manner that is very similar to Romani characters like the von Doom family. Given the setting, the imagery, and even the implied social and political backdrop, I have to assume that Sorana's family are Roma as well.

If I'm being completely honest, though, I don't think that the writers and artists set out to create a Romani character on purpose. Sorana's backstory is hardly original-- it reads like a mashup of Victor's origin and Cynthia's demise-- and I suspect that they just cribbed some of the imagery from that story without much consideration. This sort of "gypsy camp" is practically a stock trope in Marvel comics, so it's not hard for me to imagine this was an appropriate choice for any kind of rustic European period setting. Using racialized visual tropes this way is extremely careless, so I can't say that I'm happy with this decision, but, again, considering the social and political themes in her story, no matter how brief, I do think that we have to take Sorana seriously as a Romani character.

If nothing else, I think it's interesting that Mephisto has a pattern of exploiting vulnerable Roma women in this particular region-- but I'm really sick of Roma narratives that are rooted in victimhood! Almost every Romani origin story in Marvel comics follows the same playbook. I really, really hope that Sorana finds liberation at this end of this story.

[scarlet--wiccan]

What do you think about Sister Sorrow? She was introduced in Bring on the Bad Guys - Dr. Doom and her backstory was in back ups for the Green Goblin and Abomination issues of the same series.

answered

[scarlet--wiccan]

Not sure if you’re reading Bring on the Bad Guys, but I’m pretty sure Sister Sorrow is meant to be Romani, given her whole doom-esque backstory and vardo childhood home (more time appropriate than usual ig but still). It’s… frustrating. If you are and have thoughts, I’d be interested, but I understand you can read and comment on everything

I did read the first issue, but I wasn't caught up until just now!

For anyone who hasn't read it, Bring On The Bad Guys-- which is a very corny title borrowed from a late-70s comic-- is an event miniseries largely centered on Mephisto, and each issue stars a different villain who gets involved, somehow, in his evil scheme to gather a series of enchanted soul daggers. Sister Sorrow, whose birth name is Sorana, is a new character who's introduced as Mephisto's reluctant servant. I had to guess, I think she'll probably turn against him and maybe even become the hero of the piece at some point.

Sorana was born several centuries ago in Latveria. When her father was unjustly arrested and sentenced to execution, Sorana prayed for his freedom and unwittingly made a deal with Mephisto. Needless to say, things did not work out in Sorana's favor, and she was bound to Mephisto's service.

During flashbacks to Sorana's childhood, we can see that her family lived in a covered wagon and were apparently part of a migrant community, as there are multiple other caravans camped together. Sorana and her father both wear head coverings and dress in a manner that is very similar to Romani characters like the von Doom family. Given the setting, the imagery, and even the implied social and political backdrop, I have to assume that Sorana's family are Roma as well.

If I'm being completely honest, though, I don't think that the writers and artists set out to create a Romani character on purpose. Sorana's backstory is hardly original-- it reads like a mashup of Victor's origin and Cynthia's demise-- and I suspect that they just cribbed some of the imagery from that story without much consideration. This sort of "gypsy camp" is practically a stock trope in Marvel comics, so it's not hard for me to imagine this was an appropriate choice for any kind of rustic European period setting. Using racialized visual tropes this way is extremely careless, so I can't say that I'm happy with this decision, but, again, considering the social and political themes in her story, no matter how brief, I do think that we have to take Sorana seriously as a Romani character.

If nothing else, I think it's interesting that Mephisto has a pattern of exploiting vulnerable Roma women in this particular region-- but I'm really sick of Roma narratives that are rooted in victimhood! Almost every Romani origin story in Marvel comics follows the same playbook. I really, really hope that Sorana finds liberation at this end of this story.

[scarlet--wiccan]

I shared my first impressions of Vision & Scarlet Witch on Twitter, back when #1 came out. To summarize, I felt that the pacing and plot structure were really strong, and that the introductions to new concepts and characters were seamless. Many readers were concerned that this series would pander to M C U synergy, or push Wanda and Vision back into a romantic relationship, but it's clear that Orlando primarily intends to reconcile their history and resolve some of the unfair writing treatments that both characters have been subjected to over the last twenty years. Vision's arc in this series seems to be focused on addressing his trauma from Vision (2016) and his inconsistent feelings towards Wanda, Billy, and Tommy since Disassembled/HoM. The chemistry between Wanda and Vision is palpable, but so are their boundaries, especially Vision's, and this gives me faith that they will end the series with a healthier, more mature and realistic dynamic.

The second issue, in my opinion, was not as strong. Very little actually happens in #2-- the extended sequence of Vision's rage in the "clutch dimension" eats up too much page space, and the Death's Doorman feels like an inconsequential distraction. I suppose there's a larger point being made here about people who capitalize on death and nihilism, but unlike the death cult/biker gang from #1, this character interrupts the flow of the story. The pacing really starts to fall apart in this issue-- even the splash pages, while gorgeous, feel oddly placed. Wanda's scrying does serve as an elegant vehicle for exposition dumps, though, and Orlando continues to keep readers abreast of everything they need to know.

Issue #3 is more well-structured, and has more substance, but it still feels a bit like treading water. Not much is learned or gained here-- Wanda and Vision are faced with a series of trials, but they pass without any serious struggle while the true villains remain at arm's length. On the whole, Vision's altered emotional state is not doing much to subvert his dynamic with Wanda, or push him in new directions as a character. His increased sentimentality does lead him to indulge the illusion of Vin, and later, Billy and Tommy, but he has no problem reasoning his way through the Reaper's traps, and for the most part, he actually keeps a cooler head than Wanda. It does seem that his powers are beginning to expand a bit, so I'll be interested to see how that develops.

The high point of the issue, of course, comes when the Reaper conjures a fantasy life in which Wanda and Vision get to raise younger versions of Billy and Tommy, along with Vin. Rather than getting lost in the illusion or giving into their grief, they simply choose to honor their past by savoring the moment and moving on. It's poignant way to show that they've both grown past the trauma that, for a long time, seemed to define them-- and perhaps a gentle poke at fans' misplaced nostalgia. Vision's heightened emotions pay off as he takes the lead and is finally given space to process this grief, but Wanda's voice gets a bit lost-- she's done a lot of healing, but she's also had a lot of experiences with unreality, especially surrounding her children, that should inform how she approaches this type of situation.

Thoughts on the newest SW issue?

It’s still Tuesday in America

[scarlet--wiccan]

Did you know it's true that Cher Lloyd is half Romani?

Idk I’m not the police

[scarlet--wiccan]

Opinion on Wanda & Pietro in the new Ultimates issue?

I'm trying to keep an open mind, but I'm not pleased.

To summarize, Wanda and Pietro are introduced as "students" at "school" run by Emma Frost, who is the reigning White Queen of the Hellfire Club. It quickly becomes apparent that this "school" is an institution where children, presumably mutants, are experimented on and conditioned to serve the Hellfire Club as paramilitary agents. Emma notes that she found the twins "in a Eurasian weapons lab. Bred like dogs, and living like them," and that she's been training them "since before they could walk." It's a chilling passage, and to me, it harkens immediately to very real histories of trafficking, slavery, medical abuse and human experimentation that have been carried out against Romani people in that region across multiple regimes, including the Holocaust. Incidentally, today is Roma Holocaust Memorial Day.

Effectively, Emma has trafficked and enslaved the twins, along with countless other children. Her "students" have no true autonomy, and their bodies are literally treated as consumable resources, with Emmanuel Da Costa using Pietro's blood the same way he does Roberto's. Many of these themes are present in 616 canon as well, and those stories are problematic, but they take place against a historical backdrop which acknowledges their Roma identity, and the systems of oppression, exploitation, and genocide that their community had endured, and continues to endure, in real life.

This context is not represented in Ultimates #14, and the characters are also visually whitewashed, compared to their current appearance in the main continuity. Ultimates is notable for being very politically incisive and direct in how it approaches systemic issues-- for a mainstream superhero comic, anyways-- and has introduced new, more diverse interpretations of certain characters. With that in mind, the omission of Wanda and Pietro's Romani background is glaring.

I'm sure some people will argue that these are new, different iterations of the characters, so whether they're Romani or not doesn't matter. I've heard this countless times in defense of M C U Wanda, but to me, it's never made sense-- these characters have been around for over sixty years, and they've been depicted as Romani people for more than forty of those. You can't create new versions of these characters and expect them to exist in a vacuum-- they will always be informed by, or in conversation with, their history. Flattening that history and erasing Romani identities while preserving Romani pain and generational trauma is exploitation.

The issue ends with the Ultimates apparently taking the twins prisoner. It feels safe to assume that this is how Wanda and Pietro will be converted from unwilling villains to heroes, much like how they left the Brotherhood and eventually joined the Avengers in 616-- in which case, there's still time to expand on their origins and do something meaningful with their Romani background. Time will tell, but this issue left a bad taste in my mouth.

[scarlet--wiccan]

I hate to be the guy bringing this issue to your doorstep but do you know if there’s anyway to contact Steve Orlando directly? The colouring of pietro in the recent issue is so bad I was expecting this from the ultimates but it’s extremely disappointing to see this in a series that has otherwise been consistent with his colouring

The fact that you think this is an appropriate way to address the problem tells me that you should not be contacting anybody. Orlando has largely withdrawn from social media and made himself harder to reach due to harassment and an overwhelming amount of inappropriate fan behavior online. Creators are entitled to personal boundaries, and bypassing those boundaries is not going to get positive results. He's not even the right person to contact in this case-- Orlando is neither the color artist, not the editor. Based on past statements, he is part of the reason for Wanda and Pietro's new look, but this particular oversight is not his doing, and I don't believe that he has the direct ability to correct it.

You would be much better off emailing mheroes@marvel.com, which is the contact address for the editorial office in charge of Scarlet Witch. Keep your message clear, concise, and polite. Precisely state the matter at hand-- that there is a discrepancy in Pietro's skin tone, which can be seen as tantamount to whitewashing-- and be sure to include the full title and issue number. It may be helpful to specifically name Ruth Redmond, who is the color artist, and Alanna Smith, who is the series editor, but do not sling accusations-- simply request for your feedback to be passed along.

Some key points that I would encourage you to focus on:

We are given to understand that Wanda and Pietro's appearance has been changed to better reflect their Romani heritage. Depictions of Romani characters as visible people of color are few and far between, especially in Marvel comics, and this change was an important step towards better representation and inclusivity.

Pietro has consistently been colored with the same skin tone as Wanda throughout Scarlet Witch, Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver, and Avengers, as well as in Marvel Unlimited titles such as Who Is the Scarlet Witch and Marvel Meow. This is clearly dictated in the design sheets produced by Russell Dauterman for Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver.

In the past, when Wanda has been colored with an off-model skin tone, this has been corrected-- two examples being variant covers for Doctor Strange (2023) #5 and Avengers (2023) #2. Logically, it should follow that the same treatment would apply to Pietro, as evidently occurred with his appearance in Uncanny Avengers (2023).

Readers feel obligated to speak out when characters of color and those with darker skin tones are lightened or whitewashed, as this is a chronic issue in comic book art. This is done in good faith, as many writers, artists, and editors have proven their commitment to better and more consistent representation. We have every reason to believe that the creative team behind Vision & Scarlet Witch are similarly committed, and that this discrepancy was a mere oversight.

Our hope is that this oversight will be corrected in all future issues of Vision & Scarlet Witch, Scarlet Witch, and related titles moving forward, and we would ask the editors and artists working on this series to consider recoloring these panels when this issue is collected for a trade paperback.

[scarlet--wiccan]

August 2nd is Roma Genocide Remembrance Day, where we commemorate the Sinti and Roma who were murdered during the Samudaripen.

If you want to help the Domari people in Palestine, this post has a link and a guide

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Recently stuff : )

[scarlet--wiccan]

Akihiro Commission by Kir (@ GOTGVOL6 over on Twitter!)

Look at my pretty boy!

(Comms opened March 11, 2025, so she might still have a slot or two left!)

[scarlet--wiccan]

Oh I get that it’s the “finally” part like it wasn’t addressed in both those original storylines and Carol hadn’t been a shitty friend to her since and a lot more recently

Well, maybe you should have said that instead of just copying and pasting something and adding a bunch of question marks to it.

Anyways, did Wanda actually own up to her/the Avengers' failings in those original storylines, and express the desire to be a better friend to Carol in light of that? Because that's what we're talking about here. And again, in the original post that I linked, I explicitly said that they've both failed each other in the past, and part of what makes their friendship feel so potent in Captain Marvel and Star is that they both recognize this and are putting more work into their relationship in the present. I don't know what else I'm supposed to add to that.

[scarlet--wiccan]

“where Wanda finally apologizes for abandoning Carol at her most fragile moment and admits she wasn't a good friend” ???

A: not my words

B: if you have an actual question, please articulate it

C: I assume that this person was referring to this panel, from Captain Marvel #41.

Wanda's not actually speaking to Carol in this scene, but as far as I can remember it's the only time she brings this up.

I am not as familiar with Carol's history as I am Wanda's, and I don't often revisit older Avengers storylines if they aren't Wanda- or Pietro-centric. So I may be incorrect, but I assume that this is in reference to either Carol's rape and abduction by Marcus Immortus, a complex storyline which has been recontextualized on multiple occasions, or perhaps to Carol's struggle with alcoholism in Avengers Volume 3. Both are instances where the Avengers, as a group, failed to recognize Carol's trauma and properly support her.

The original Marcus storyline plays out in Avengers Vol 1 #200, from the year 1980. Here, Carol's assault is depicted, through a degree of fantasy/sci-fi abstraction, as a positive experience. The following year, in Avengers Annual #10, Carol expresses more clearly that this was a traumatic experience, and that she feels the Avengers betrayed her by allowing her to go with Marcus, who, having already violated her reproductive autonomy, proceeded to manipulate her mind, which ultimately led to literal rape. Again, Carol is rebuffing the Avengers as a whole, but the issue emphasizes that Wanda had been closest to Carol, and she is singled out in a line which would define Carol's outlook towards the Avengers for several years:

[scarlet--wiccan]

What is your opinion on Wanda and Carol's relationship?I don't know if you've already commented on the issue of Kelly Thompson's Captain Marvel run where Wanda finally apologizes for abandoning Carol at her most fragile moment and admits she wasn't a good friend, they seem to be in a good term now.

First post the top of my Carol Danvers tag

[scarlet--wiccan]

I'm interested in yours opinion about JeanWanda as lovers or ship

Well I have two posts in my Jean Grey tag that you might like to read. [x] [x]

I find JeanWanda charming and I like seeing fanart of them and stuff, but I'm not terribly committed to it. Even when I ship pairings that aren't canon, or aren't actually supported by the text, I'm still thinking about how they would work within a canon setting. That's an entirely personal preference, but it's mine. JeanWanda isn't supported by the text at all, and it doesn't work in a canon setting, at least not for Earth-616, so my investment is limited.

I have always felt that Wanda and Pietro are chronically misunderstood by their peers, so my priority for romantic relationships is to pair them with people who can genuinely understand their perspectives and experiences. That's why I'm mostly interested in Wanda dating other magicians and spellcasters, and it's why I think they both do better with fellow immigrants and characters of color. Jean and Wanda have a lot that they could connect over, not just in terms of their respective powers, but also because of the way that they've been treated by other people because of those powers.

Jean and Wanda have very little page time together, all things considered, and they really don't have a relationship in Earth-616. Despite this, there is a sense of history between them, and I've always wanted to see them catching up with each other and forming some kind of friendship as adults. The Krakoan era, specifically post-Trial of Magneto, was the first real window of opportunity for that in decades, but, unfortunately, it never happened. Of course, it's still possible, but they're in very different places right now.

I feel like a lot of fans are expecting Wanda to join Jean in outer space for some kind of big cosmic chaos-magic-phoenix-force adventure, but that premise has never really interested me. I've said it before, but these characters are often less interesting to me as people when they're at the height of their powers, and I feel like those situations don't always leave enough space for human conversation. Maybe I just don't have the right kind of imagination for it.