#//cap is the stereotype soldier-hero yes

[thecinematicalgorithm]

Falcon & the Winter Soldier - Sam Wilson: Captain America?

I’m kind of late to the party, seeing that we’re now 3 episodes in to the long-awaited MCU series featuring Cap’s best buds, but as I’ve been away from Tumblr for some time I’ve decided what better way than jumping back in by analyzing a show that I’ve been looking forward to since its announcement. Also, Bucky Barnes has been one of my favorite characters in the MCU since The First Avenger, and I couldn’t pass up on breaking down his complicated psyche in the course of this show. So here goes, and be forewarned spoilers lie ahead!

When we left off with Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame, Steve had just handed down the Captain America shield, passing on the century-old icon and legacy. I felt this was not only a good choice on Steve’s part, but the only choice. Yes, I know it had been some debate for awhile over whether it would be Sam or Bucky to take up the mantle, but despite the comics I never really liked the idea of Bucky as the Captain, especially given his role as the Winter Soldier. He has too much dark history that, while not his fault, is too damning for the world to look at him as a symbol. Not to mention that Bucky is just far too weary and done with the world’s shit to even want to take up that role.

Sam however, is much better suited for the role and there are many reasons as to why. Firstly, Steve chose him. This is actually a critically important reason that I want to hash out now because, as I’m sure you well know, the end of this episode introduced a new character that, suffice to say, is missing that critical element. Flashback with me to 1942 when Steve sat in a recruitment center where he met Dr. Abraham Erskine, creator of the serum that gave Steve his incredible strength and abilities. It was here that Erskine saw, not a soldier or a warrior or even a hero, but simply a good man wanting to do the right thing. Throughout Steve’s basic training Erskine watched him, and when the time came he chose him for the experiment that would produce the first superhuman, telling Colonel Phillips, that Rogers was the “clear choice”.

Why is this an important detail in Steve having chosen Sam to take up the mantle of Captain America? When Erskine ‘chose’ Steve there was no Captain America mantle. No shield to hand down. Erskine was merely looking for a man who would not turn into some form of monster if injected with his serum. Right? In fact, despite there being no legacy at the time, I believe Erskine did know, or at least suspected that choosing Steve for this role wasn’t just about avoiding another Red Skull catastrophe. He knew he was creating something that would change the course of the war, the military, and history itself. He had no way of knowing what the future held for Steve, but he knew Steve would need to be the same man he saw in that recruitment center. That’s why he took the time to tell Steve to remain who he was, and why his last action before his death was to point at Steve’s heart, effectively telling him, “Stay who you are!”

Steve Rogers, from the beginning, was always the man who fought for “the little guy”. The underdog. The oppressed. The bullied. Erskine chose Steve because he was “the clear choice” even though that clarity was not evident to nearly anyone else. As he said, “...a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion."

Now, Sam is definitely not a weak man. Quite the opposite actually. He doesn’t even have super soldier strength and yet he’s able to tackle the “Big Three”. However, by the second episode we see exactly why Sam would be able to understand and defend the proverbial “little guy”. The Captain America films have never shied away from real-world issues that give the plot relevance and Marvel is continuing that pattern by giving voice to the oppression that the African-American community still faces to this day, and it’s about damn time. It is also diving deep into PTSD, mostly in regards to Bucky, but for now I want to focus on Sam.

The scene in which the police single out Wilson as he argues with Bucky shows us not only why the world needs a symbol to look up to, but also why Sam is the right man for the job. At the time when Steve was chosen, he was not the “ideal man” to everyone around him. He was not the alpha male. He was small, sickly, artistic, gentle and kind. He did not want to go overseas to “kill Nazis”. He was the underdog. But the world needed him. The world needed a soldier who would defy orders to do the right thing. A man who would not change his beliefs, or stoop to his enemies level. A man who uses his power to fight for others.

To the world around him, Sam may not be the ideal man but as Erskine would say, “he is the clear choice”. He has all of that as well as the life experience of someone who belongs to a minority that is stereotyped and pre-judged and oppressed.The introduction of Isaiah, and his place in the MCU history (or lack of I should say), is sadly far too realistic. Sam’s horror was justified and it’s something he will not be able to let go and do nothing about.

I think as the show continues Sam will come to realize that the mantle of Captain America, or that of Steve Rogers, isn’t about the icon or the legacy. It’s simply about doing the right thing, even if against orders, and always, no matter what happens, “staying who you are”. A good man. And this is why Steve chose Sam. He saw a good man that he knew would remain true to who he was and would always fight for “the little guys”. 

Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave your comments, and keep an eye out for my next analysis on Bucky Barnes! Have a great day!

[rose-lighters]

Time to rank every MCU film

Yes I am doing that oh so original thing of ranking every marvel film from worst to best. Criticisms and debates are welcome. (Disclaimer: I like all these films unless stated otherwise)

X. Incredible Hulk - I haven’t seen it. Sorry.

21. Guardians Of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - I can honestly say I hated this film. The only likeable part of the whole film was the soundtrack and the first few minutes with Groot dancing. Beyond that it was dull, cringy and oh so predictable. The second that Ego (???) appeared and said he was Quill’s dad I was just like “Oh so this guy’s the villain then” and noped out of there. I never saw past that point and don’t intend to.

20. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - People praise this film till kingdom come and I for one do not get it at all. Many say that it is unique in moving away from the typical superhero film and towards the spy genre. Maybe I just don’t like spy films but it is in no means a great Marvel film. I liked it enough but it’s so forgettable I had to google the plot for this review. I liked the characters and all but it just never stuck with me as anything special.

19. Guardians Of the Galaxy -  Maybe I just don’t like the guardians??? I don’t know but this was another film that just didn’t stick with me. I like Rocket and Groot but beyond that the Guardians themselves hold no interest with me. I don’t care for the humor particularly and whilst the music is great that really shouldn’t be the best part of a film unless it’s a musical.

18. Avengers: Age of Ultron - People hate this film, I however do not. It’s an okay Marvel film, I don’t care for it enough to hate it. I like that scene where they’re all trying to lift mjolnir and I think I liked the ending (I watched it like two years ago so I don’t remember that well) but I have to agree with a lot of the criticism of white washing the Maximoffs (despite how much I love Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor Johnson, it was still shady). I didn’t hate the ‘giving Hawkeye a family’ like a lot of people did because the already made it clear he wasn’t like comic Clint.

17. Thor: The Dark World - Now we’re moving into films I do like (I love Marvel films more than I dislike them, it's literally just GOTG2 that I don’t like). This was a good film from what I can remember (as I said it's been a while since I’ve seen a lot of these films). I liked the story arcs, I liked that it was set in places other than America and space (ok, so I’m from England, sue me), I loved Tom Hiddleston in this film and I like Darcy. All in all it was an enjoyable viewing, a little dull at times but generally harmless.

16. Doctor Strange - This would be further up if it wasn’t for how dull the first half hour or so is. I had to go back and watch this months after I had first tried just because the start was so boring. Once I moved past it however it was a great origin film. I liked the humour in it and I have always had a soft spot for magic so it was a brilliant film. The effects were absolutely stunning and on aesthetics alone it would place as the second or third best marvel film. I loved the good guys and was genuinely rooting for them despite Strange being a bit of a snarky arsehole.

15. Iron Man - Is this a very important film? Yes. Is it a great film? Also yes. Do I remember it? Not at all. Okay, so I remember some stuff and what I do remember was great but to say its a film that sticks out would be a lie. It’s THE origin story in as much as it’s a formulaic one: flawed character is traumatised and realises their flaws in the process, is influenced by important person, becomes a hero and is betrayed. It works though. That’s the thing, it works so damn well that its almost not in the formula. It's a great watch and honestly RDJ looks great in it (so not the point but I digress). That bit with Stane ripping out the arc reactor made me feel betrayed and I kinda knew it was coming. ( https://tonynatashas.tumblr.com/post/184375713429/that-scene-in-iron-man-where-obadiah-stane-is this post explains why this scene is so great important)

14. Captain America: The First Avenger - Another (enjoyable) origin story. If Sebastian Stan wasn’t in it it would probably be three places down but hey I have a type. No but seriously this was a great film because not only did it show off the brilliance of Roger’s transformation and gave us an idea of who he was and what motivates him but it also then gives us details of his waking in the 21st century and begins to expose his issues with this time travel (for want of a better phrase). This film shows you what you’re gonna get whilst still having pretty good effects, a good, solid storyline and a pretty badass comic book villain. The serum guy creeps me out though and there are so many ethical issues of that level of human experimentation on a person whose only friend went off to war, had Steve died they chose someone no one would really miss which is so concerning.

13. Captain Marvel - A lot of people may have a criticism of this film being so far down but for me it needs to be. I like superhero films where the main character overcomes a flaw and amnesia is not a character flaw. This is a good origin story but it is not a great marvel film. I like Carol but I don’t love her. I love the fact that we have a superhero film with a female main character and i liked that scene where she talks with biker guy but it felt like Samuel L Jackson was a more interesting character at times. I often rate characters on humor so there’s that. It was a good film but I’m mostly looking forward to what will be done with the character as she has so much potential. 

12. Spiderman: Homecoming - This is a weird one for me. It’s the only marvel film I own on DVD and it’s the only one I like where I skip scenes. I can not deal with cringy humour so I skip 80% of the jokes and awkward moments in this film however it’s a really good film. It’s funny and the music is great, I love Zendaya and Jacob Batalon probably more than Tom Holland, their roles are great and the film’s emphasis on friendship is one of the elements from the Iron Man and Captain America films that I love just further amplified. The references to Ferris Bueller and the fact that it is, at its core, a teen flick makes it a brilliant film. The vulture twist was also amazing. 

11. Ant-man and the Wasp - I feel like it isn’t talked about enough but I really bloody love Scott Lang. He is one superhero that I can really get behind because above all else he is just the nicest guy. He is probably one of the most human seeming characters in the MCU and it always makes for such an enjoyable viewing. This could probably draw with ant-man in terms of great films. I loved Ava Starr so much and my heart really went out to her and that FBI guy was a total joy to watch. The Ant man films are so funny and light hearted that they don’t have that sort of weariness that other MCU films have. If only Luis told more stories in the MCU.

10. Ant-man - Honestly just look above. Also I love Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne so much. The villain was kind of eh but I loved the heist aspect.

9. Black Panther - I watched this film for Shuri and to an extent because I felt obligated to so I had low expectations. People were talking about it for the significance of fighting for equality (which I am all for, don’t worry) so I was expecting it to not live up to the hype and it didn’t. That being said it was a bloody great movie. The movie was beautiful, the use of colour and the CGI tech was so damn pretty. The plot was brilliant and for a while I wanted Erik Killmonger to win, he put forward a good argument and I like a ‘baddy’ so to speak. The fights were great and I was so here for their version of going under cover finally not being a hoodie and cap. Was it over hyped? Hell yeah. Was it still a great film? 100%

8. Iron Man 3 - This gets a hell of a load more crap than it deserves, mostly from comic book fans who can’t stand that their precious mandarin was a hoax but honestly I respect the fuck out of marvel for that. Rather than having a stereotypically asian terrorist they turned that stereotype on its head and made the white guy the actual terrorist. Ben Kingsley is one of my favourite actors and he was amazing. I, obviously, also loved the representation of PTSD as a serious issue and how it was displayed in all of its real ugliness. For once it didn’t just show a damaged person who was fixed with romance. So yeah, this film was a masterpiece.

7. Captain America: Civil War - Zemo may just be my favourite MCU villain to date, why? Because he fucking won. This was a film about a man who knew his victims and rather than stupidly trying to attack the big scary strong guys he exposed them and made the best of circumstance. He got under Captain America’s skin and played him like a puppet. This was more than just a villain, this was finally a smart villain. Not to mention that this film had some of the best action sequences and heart breaking moments whilst still having time for a laugh. It’s also the first film (in my opinion) that called out Steve’s morals and his obsession with the past. Bucky was hot used against him and it showed that above all else, even the little people, Steve’s loyalties are with his past.

6. Thor - Most people would disagree and rate this film far lower however for me this was the start. I didn’t grow up watching superhero films because I didn’t like watching TV as a kid so it wasn’t till I was 13 that I saw a superhero film and this was it. I honestly watched it because my friend had it on DVD and I thought Tom Hiddleston looked hot but from what I can remember this was one of the best films I ever saw. I wasn’t too bothered by Jane Foster but I absolutely loved Darcy, Loki and Thor. Whilst I’m not adopted I do know what it is like to be the younger and smarter sibling with an older thuggish brother who is still the favourite so I loved Loki with a passion and was so upset when he fell.

5. Iron Man 2 - This was the film that made me realise that I liked girls, Scarlet Johansson in a black cat suit and red ringlets was an amazing thing to little 13 year old me. Beyond that it was just a solid film, it had spies and daddy issues and sass and Samuel L Jackson. What more can you want?

4. Thor: Ragnarok - This is the peak of Thor, I’m calling it now. Never had a director before been able to capture the absolute chaos of Loki and the sweetheart-ness of Thor so brilliantly. As far as representations of characters this, Captain Marvel and Iron Man 3 may just be the best of all the MCU. This is the full completion of Thor’s arc, this is the film that the first Thor set up. Finally Thor is ready to be King. This film had so much humour but still set it all up so perfectly that it was more than just a comedy. Jeff Goldblum was amazing and honestly Taika Waititi should direct the whole of the MCU. He knows the characters better than anybody.

3. Avengers: Endgame - I cried three times. That scene with the portals was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed and whilst many criticize much of the plot I don’t have too much I’d change, though in fairness I did like the cursed child so maybe I just have a soft spot for all things time travel. Dynamic timelines are not used in cinema enough and the three alternate timelines create have all sorts of implications for future films in the MCU. If Thor is not fat in the next film this may go down to 20th though.

2. Avengers Assemble - This is the film that I believe best represents what the MCU has to offer. It’s a light hearted superhero film with all the characters that were needed at this point in time. For its time it was ambitious and honestly it shows. I loved the dynamics between the characters, the plot was engaging and not overly complex and even if you haven’t seen any other MCU films it makes perfect sense. In some respects it probably is the best the MCU has to offer.

1. Avengers: Infinity War - Oh boy do I love this film. This isn’t just a film, this is the film. Did it have the same emotional impact as Endgame? Fuck no but it didn’t need to. It was serious. It was funny. It had just the right amount of just the right characters and may I just say that is the best that Captain America has ever looked in the MCU. I (controversially) really loved Gamora dying and most of the Guardians being dusted. The memes were great.This was the most ambitious cross over event since Wizards of deck with Hannah Montana. One thing that I can’t get out of my head though is Bruce’s comment of “broke up like the beatles?”. Does that make Bucky Yoko Ono?

[sizequeen1]

Marvel Movies from Worst to Best

Thor: The Dark World: Pure garbage. I honestly can’t remember anything about except how pissed I was that i wasted money on two tickets. Just an absolute waste of time.

Iron Man 2: This one seemed rushed, as if they had churn out a sequel as quickly as possible. Some inadvertent hilarity with Poor Mickey Rourke’s accent and costuming.

Captain Marvel : Terrible. Just the epitome of paint-by-the numbers-Marvel factory junk. Destroyed Nick Fury’s characterization. A poor story in which Carol’s secret is already revealed the audience before she knows it leaves the film devoid of suspense. Carol herself is just incredibly dull.  Her character makes no sense and her lack of connection to the other members of her group leave the betrayal she discovers at their hands limp and unemotional. Finally, at this point the anti-SJW crowd is being blatantly used to market films starring minorities and women and to encourage those who support films starring marginalized groups by tickets in groves to fight sexism and racism. The film industry knows that we think that we’re doing politics through buying movie tickets. And all we do is further enrich a bunch of wealthy white men.

 Ant-Man and Wasp: Every singe moment of possible pain or suspense is wrecked by the worst imitation Whedonesque humor.  The only saving grace is how nice everyone is.

Ant-Man: Luis is the only reason to rewatch this. It wastes every scrap of the inventiveness inherent in the premise.

Avengers: Age of Ultron: Honestly, not the worst film in the world but the plot and characterization of Tony Stark and the bland jaw droppingly bad romance between Bruce and Natasha is hard to recover from and the lack of consequences for Wanda beyond the death of her brother is a head scratcher. I did like Ultron though. He was appropriately creepy villain, and I got his motivation: Peace can only be achieved if humans are gone.

Thor: Meh. I think I rewatched this once. Thor’s wig is bad, the story is basic, and Natalie Portman is embarrassed to be there. Also, the Loki cult was born here, and I never got the appeal.

Doctor Strange: Who cares?  I just got nothing out of this. It’s not a bad movie at all and has lovely visuals but I have no interest in a sequel.

The Incredible Hulk: This movie was...fine? It was fine, It was decent. It was like a cafeteria pizza. Okay.

Spider-Man: Homecoming: Great casting can’t defeat the fact that this is the third go-round on this character in a decade. Despite this, the fact that destroyed the soul of the character by taking away his guilt over the death of his uncle, making the franchise a non-starter for me. Spider-Man isn’t Spider-Man without his pain. He also isn’t Spider-Man in a high-tech robot suit.  

Guardians of the Galaxy: I saw that the film was quality, but almost nothing made me laugh. I thought Gamora was such a boring warrior chick stereotype and Peter was just an unbearable man child. Drax made me alternately laugh with his literalness and wince at his sexism. The only characters I liked completely were Rocket and Groot. Rocket is a tragic figure. This is the only Bradley Cooper movie I could sit through. 

Iron Man 3 2013: I liked this one surprisingly well. The plot twists were great and we got to see who Tony is without the suit, and he is more than a philanthropist billionaire. I liked that Pepper got to fight and save Tony for once. The banter with Rhodey was also good. 

Captain America: The First Avenger: The end drags a bit, and the villain is disposable, but this is the Steve Rogers that I originally fell in love with. The first half creates a character that is indelible and moving as Christopher Reeve’  Superman.

Iron Man 2008: Some of this hasn’t aged well but I guess Tony was supposed to be a repulsive scumbag, but RDJ knocked the character out of the park.  Tony’s losses, his suffering, his betrayals, shaped him into a better man.  

Avengers: Infinity War: The film is solid, emotional, and the end packs a wallop. The only problem is that it is incomplete. 

 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: I didn’t bother seeing this in the theater since I was underwhelmed by the first one, but when I did see it, I was surprised by how moved I was by the story of fathers and sons and sisterhood, and surviving abuse.  They managed to take some pretty shallow characters, like Yondu, and create people whose lives and feelings I cared about. I got to know Gamora and Nebula, a seed that really comes to fruition in Endgame. In this film Gamora began to be a character for me beyond “reluctant love interest” and I came to understand the source of Peter’s childishness. The sexism and racism in the film are still jarring, and those aspects won’t age well.

Captain America: Civil War: Woo. Where do I start with this one. I actually thought they did a great job of expressing Tony and Steve’s philosophical differences although I know that these people are too smart to ever let it come to blows. There were real emotional stakes and consequences here to Rhodey’s health, Bucky’s freedom, and Tony and Steve’s friendship.The originl of Black Panther was entertaining and perfectly integrated into the film. The break up at the end felt genuinely heart breaking. It also had one of the best fights (Steve and Bucky vs. Tony) since the elevator fight in CATWS.

Marvel's The Avengers: Joss had a hell of a challenge in making this, the first real superhero team up, and he did an amazing job. He had to have costumed (no in all black leather) heroes on the screen and have the audience take this seriously. He had to make Loki scary enough to warrant the assembly of super heroes. He had to quickly get the audience up to speed on the characters.  The end battle goes long as these movies tend to, but all of the action told a story, was exciting to watch, and illuminated character.  Yes, Cap’s characterization is a little wonky, but this is the first version of Black Widow that felt three dimensional and the best, most accurate Bruce I have ever seen.

Black Panther: Great sets, costumes, characters and a unique story put this one high on the list, but the politics are wonky (they made the CIA the good guys WTF and portrayed Erik’s desire for revolution as sheer psychotic violence). In addition, the political mobilization around the film was disturbing to me. It scares me that black people think we’re doing politics by buying movie tickets that will just make a lot of rich white men even richer.The film also suffers from having an uninteresting protagonist.  I’m also concerned about the fact that it eliminates two out of three of BPs major antagonists (Klaue and Killmonger) and makes an ally out of the third.

Avengers Endgame:  I’m putting this third but honestly, I enjoyed every part of this movie from beginning to end. The Stony shippers, the Stucky people’s complaints, the time travel arguments? All of that shit perplexes me. I honestly thought the entire film made sense emotionally. The deaths made sense. Those who were brought back made sense. I don’t watch these films for scientific accuracy or to have my slash itch scratched. It was straight up fan service. I left the theater was a scratch in my throat from all my joyful shouting.

Thor: Ragnarok: Just spectacular. I found the first two Thor movies forgettable and didn’t bother watching this one in the theaters. Waititi took certain aspects of the character teased them out more fully and let Chris be Chris.  The visuals are gorgeous. I laughed. I cried.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Yeah, this is still the best Marvel Movie, probably because it feels least like a Marvel movie. It’s a tight spy thriller from start to finish. The last James Bond movie attempted a similar plot about government surveillance, and frankly crashes and burns. The plot, characterization, dialogue, and action in CAWTS in addition to being utterly fantastic, all work together to show how Steve is and is not getting along in the present. It shows me who Steve really is always will be the guy who fights for what’s right no matter what. This film brings Steve into the 21st century and he’s the same guy but somehow more so, and his old fashioned morality turns out to be exactly what we need. Finally: elevator fight.

[thearabkhaleesi]

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR SPOILER REVIEW

I wrote most of my opinions on the movie in general in my NO SPOILER review, so I won’t be repeating myself, but instead will discuss in depth, the story and plot.

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I still can’t wrap my head around Gamora’s death. She was such an awesome, strong female character in the MCU and I’m so sad to see her go. I wished she lived long enough to see the end of, and have a hand in, her father’s demise.

Doctor Strange blew my freaking mind. MAN. I always said I liked his character more than his movie, and this is what I’M TALKING ABOUT. HE’S SO COOL AND AWESOME. I’m so happy we FINALLY see Doctor Strange this way. He kicked a** in the movie and definitely stood out, amongst a large number of amazing characters, which is such an amazing feat. & to anyone thinking: “But he’s so stupid, why would he give the Time Stone away so easily?!” You’re forgetting something. Doctor Strange KNOWS what’s going to happen. He looked at their futures. He knows he has to give up the Time Stone to win in the long run. He said earlier on in the film he would let Tony & Peter die for the Time Stone, and with his stubborn personality, he wouldn’t have a change of heart that fast. As he said himself, “It was the only way…” (to defeat Thanos in the long run)

To say I love the Thor would be an understatement. In Ragnarok and especially in Infinity War, we finally see him at the height of his powers. I’ve also I’ve always been fascinated with the idea how Mjölnir was made, and to see the making of STORMBREAKER, with GROOT, ROCKET, AND TYRION LANNISTER by his side, it was incredible (also: how GOOD WAS HIS CHEMISTRY WITH THE GUARDIANS?! I loved it.)

And, I don’t care what Tony thinks, Thor is the strongest Avenger, and he KILLED IT.

I also loved Scarlet Witch in this movie. In my opinion, she doesn’t get enough appreciation and people underestimate her & her powers, but the fact that she was able to destroy the Mind Stone proved how powerful she is, I thought she was awesome (even though I don’t really like her relationship with Vision).

Now, Star Lord, Oh Star Lord.. what did you do? I have to be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with Star Lord (and Chris Pratt tbh), and I loved & hated him in Infinity War more than ever. He was bad***, cool, exciting, funny… and then he decided to punch Thanos. While it really angered me at first, someone pointed out that it was most probably meant to be in order for them to defeat Thanos in the long run. But seeing the Gauntlet slip out of Spiderman’s hand at the last second made me wince. Damn it, Quill.

One thing I loved without a shadow of a doubt in this movie was the separate, but connected storylines, and the dynamic/relationship between the characters who are meeting for the first time. All of the groups had GREAT chemistry! Tony, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Star Lord, Thor, Rocket, and Groot (HOW CUTE AND PERFECT!). Cap, Black Widow, Hulk, T’Challa, Bucky, Scarlet Witch, Vision. It was all so perfect, seeing two narcissist Sherlocks with big egos quarreling, a mighty Norse god with a raccoon and a tree, and super soldiers and assassins with the King of Wakanda, his army, and Bruce role-playing as Iron Man. It was a perfect blend and unity of our beloved characters.

Captain America is a character that will always have a place in my heart, and I literally squealed and clapped at his entrance. However, I needed more on Captain America / Black Widow. and their time post Civil War. Cap especially is a very important character in the MCU and to me, and I was upset that we didn’t see more of what he was up to. His sudden appearance to help defend Vision and Wanda just felt rushed for plot convenience, which I didn’t appreciate. Maybe they’ll expand on what he was up to in Avengers 4, but I love Cap so much that I just needed more.

Some of my of my favorite comic book characters of all time, Iron Man, Hulk, and Spider-Man, were just as great in this movie. I got so emotional when we discovered Tony and Pepper were engaged, because this is FINALLY where he deserves to be, and yet Infinity War comes along and Marvel loves to torture us. Seeing Thanos stab him made my heart stop, but I’m happy he’s safe (for noe). Seeing Science Bros reuniting and Bruce hugging Tony made me so emotional and reminded me of happier times. Spider-Man is literally one of my childhood heroes, and I LOVE Tom Holland’s version of him, which is arguably the best. He was so fun and brilliant in this movie, and I can’t express my love for his relationship with Tony; they both look at each other as father/son, and the way he calls Tony “Mr. Stark” and always wants to impress him. Gah my heart.

Though I have a few personal issues and bones to pick with Thanos, I can’t deny that I thought he was a great villain. Yes, his intentions can seem stereotypical, and he isn’t my favorite MCU antagonist (Loki & Killmonger), but I can’t deny he was great. He was unstoppable, ruthless, and showed no mercy. Plus, he was scary because you know your faves aren’t safe against him. He was so frightening that on my second screening of the film, there was a little kid a few seats away that sat trembling in fear when Thanos collected all the Infinity Stones. THIS is a great villain.

Something I really didn’t like in the film was Loki’s death. Loki’s death was TOO FAST, AND TOO SOON. If you know me, you know I went through a Loki phase & he’s a character I actually really love. I low-key (lol) expected him to die, but the way it happened kinda angered me. The Loki we’ve seen before wouldn’t be that stupid to try and stab Thanos like that. I AT LEAST expected him to make it really seem like he was betraying Thor (again) but had a bigger plan, and was going to betray Thanos for Thor.  + The scene was too fast. Did we REALLY have to see Drax eating snacks instead of more Loki? It was very disappointing. In my opinion, he was the greatest villain in the MCU and deserved better. However, I do have to say it was amazing to hear him say “We have a Hulk”.

Another thing, Thanos’ children were lame. I hoped for characters similar to Captain Phasma - even though they wouldn’t be the villain in the film, but rather a minor antagonist, I at least expected them to be somewhat cool. But alas,  I don’t really care about them, they didn’t have that big of an impact, and at least we got that hilarious Squidward joke.

So let’s talk about that ending. I’m going to be honest here, don’t worry about the safety of those that died at the end. Most of them have contracts for future movies past Avengers 4. I would say most of them are safe in the long run. Worry about those who are still alive, as it seems THEY are the ones facing Thanos in Avengers 4 next year. Even though I was very emotional, I was actually satisfied with the ending because I love a good cliffhanger, I can theorize a bit, and yet I still don’t know what to expect! I loved it. And I don’t care what Kevin Feige says, those characters will come back somehow…

In conclusion, I loved Infinity War. The Russo brothers took huge risks, but I’ve always wanted to see stakes this high in the MCU. Even though many of my beloved characters “died” at the end, it was emotional, epic and exciting.

9.5

[rkfstudio]

Top Ten Comic Characters of All Time (according to me)

Introduction/disclaimer:

This list is mine and is based on my personal and subjective criteria. My choices are based on what I have read in comics as opposed to other media. For instance, one of my favorite superheroes, Squirrel Girl, is not on this list because I have read next to none of her comics and my love of the character is based almost exclusively on her concept and her appearances in other media.

Also, some people might want to fault me and my list for a lack of “inclusiveness” or “representation” or whatever. Full disclosure: I’m a straight white dude and I tend to relate most to the straight white dude characters that have historically dominated the comics world. Thus, I’m more likely to be drawn to stories about those characters. I do not apologize for my tastes. If they radically differ from yours, feel free to make your own list and tell me why you like the characters you like. That would be awesome.

Finally, there are half a dozen characters outside this Top Ten that could jump into it at any moment. This list represents my Top Ten at the time I wrote this and is subject to change.

Still with me? Cool! Here we go!

 10. Wolverine

               Most people would put Logan aka James Howlett aka the Wolverine much higher on their lists, and I completely understand why. He is “the best he is at what he does” ™ and is one of the most complex and interesting characters in comics. He also, until his death a couple of years ago, was perhaps the most overexposed character in all of comics. He’s a down to earth guy who mostly just wants to be left alone, but neither the comic world nor the comic industry is willing to give him a break. With a cool and dark backstory and super cool powers, he’s one of the legitimate badasses in the Marvel universe.

9. Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes

               “What is this blasphemy?! Jaime Reyes ranked higher than Mr. Snikt?!” Yes. This is my list and I say Jaime gets a higher spot.

Hear me out on this. Beetle gets this spot on my list mainly due to his introductory arc during DC’s “One Year Later” event and his recent “Rebirth” run. Both runs are well written with great character interaction and dialogue. Jaime’s just a regular high school kid who also happens to be a superhero. Not the most original concept (*cough* Spider-Man! *cough*) but he pulls it off in what feels like a fresh way. It also doesn’t hurt that he was a show stealer in his recurring role in the “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” cartoon a few years ago. But his comics just shine to me.

8. Batman

               More controversy! Batman is only at number 8! I realize most people place him much higher because he’s one of the more relatable members of DC’s top-flight heroes in that he’s just a man in a world of gods. For me, he suffers from the same kind of overexposure that Wolverine has had over the years. I also don’t tend to find him as interesting as the characters he deals with, whether his allies or his rogues' gallery. He’s a darker, more brooding Iron Man (I realize Batman came first, but I think the comparison is still valid). I find him at his best when he’s forced to play with others, especially Superman, because the tension between the “solitary crimefighter” and the “super team” dynamics can be so fun. Recommended reading includes the Justice miniseries by Alex Ross and Co. and the Justice League: Lightning Saga story arc.

7. Captain Marvel/Shazam!

               For the five of you that are still reading, this entry might be the last straw. Bear with me. Batman is the dark, brooding hero of the night. Captain Marvel (or Shazam for those willing to give up the ghost of Fawcett Comics) is the polar opposite of that: he is bright, colorful, and full of whimsy. Whimsy and wonder are both things that are in short supply in this post-Watchmen comics world, and that’s a shame. It’s that harkening back to the core of how comics began that is a large part of his appeal to me. Interestingly enough, it’s a couple of his more recent stories that have made me love him as a character. Jeff Smith, of Bone fame, wrote an origin miniseries for Captain Marvel called Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil and it’s wonderful. Also recommended is his part in the previously mentioned Justice series.

6. Captain America

               This is a more conventional pick. Cap makes this list for similar reasons to the previous Captain on this list: he represents the values and sentiments of a bygone age. In particular, his refusal to compromise his beliefs regardless of the personal cost is a breath of fresh air and too seldom seen anymore. Leader, soldier, champion of liberty, that’s Cap. Look up his run in the New Avengers series up through the Civil War arc to see exactly what I’m talking about.

Also, Hydra Cap never happened. Just no.

5. Joker

               You know how the last two choices were upstanding, almost squeaky-clean citizens?

              Yeah, good times.

              For someone completely different, Number Five gives us the Joker. He is, bar none, the most fascinating supervillain ever, responsible for some of the most twisted moments in mainstream comics. Jason Todd? That was the Joker. Barbara Gordon? Yep, that was him, too. Harley Quinn? Mistah J says, “You’re welcome.” The Joker is sick, twisted, and downright evil, and he embraces it like no other. Sometimes, a villain isn’t misunderstood; sometimes a villain is just a villain. And the Joker does “villain” with a style all his own. Required reading includes the Justice series (can you tell I like this series? I do.), the Dark Knight Returns, and, of course, The Killing Joke.

4. Superman

               Honestly, I thought Supes would be higher on my list. He’s the first superhero and still, to me at least, one of the best. I realize most folks find him to be too powerful to be relatable, and there’s no small amount of validity to that point. But the best part of this character isn’t his ability to punch planets out of orbit or “leap tall buildings” or any of that. It’s his... well, his character. That middle-America farmer’s son upbringing, with its sense of right and wrong that has so seldom failed him, is what makes Superman more than just the Last Son of Krypton. To borrow from Kingdom Come, it’s the “man” more than the “super” that makes him special. It’s what makes him a symbol of virtue and excellence, a standard to which we can aspire. It’s Clark Kent, rather than Kal-El, that I want to be like. Some good reading includes the aforementioned Kingdom Come, The Superman/Batman Supergirl arc (this is actually a good Batman read, as well) and, you guessed it, Justice.

3. Hellboy

               Sadly, this is the only non-Big-Two character on my list. For now. I’m just starting to branch out so future lists might have more.

               Anyway, Hellboy makes the list because he isn’t what you’d expect him to be. The son of a major league demon and destined to bring about the apocalypse, he should be an earth-shattering villain. But he’s a hero because of his upbringing by a paranormal expert. Nurture triumphing over Nature. The monster as the hero. Also, he’s just a fun character and his stories are good stuff. Of particular note, mainly because this is what I’ve read, is the recent Hellboy and the BPRD 1950s series.

2. Rocket Raccoon

               If you’ve read this far, this pick really shouldn’t surprise you. Sometimes, we want heroes to inspire us to be better people.  Sometimes, we just want a raccoon with a big flarkkin’ gun. Rocket’s recent string of short series, both solo and with Groot, are just fun reading.

1. Hulk

               This was the one pick I didn’t need to think about; Hulk was at Number One from the start. The concept of a super smart guy who turns into a raging monster when he loses his cool resonates with me on an intensely personal level. While he has had quite a few strange turns in his comics history, the big guy really came into his own during the Planet Hulk series, where he was shot into space by his best “friends” to a planet full of enemies and dangers that only the Hulk could survive. His development from monster to gladiator to fugitive to king, and then to vengeful conqueror in the following World War Hulk, is one of my favorite arcs in all of comics. Whether big and kind of dumb or big and super smart or somewhere in between like in the stories I’ve mentioned, Hulk is my Number One comic character of all time. At least until the next time.

                So, that’s my list. But what’s a list like this without some honorable mentions?

Honorable Mentions:

12. Rorschach

               This is the obligatory Watchmen pick. While I don’t like the story, I appreciate the historical impact it’s had on the comics industry. Rorschach is the only character that I can call anything close to a “good guy” despite his extreme homicidal tendencies. His refusal to go along with the alien invasion story covering Ozymandias’s murder of millions of people “so billions might live”, his refusal to accept the lesser evil, shows an integrity that is perhaps outdated but no less laudable for being outdated.

13. Renee Montoya/the Question

               The first woman on this list and it’s neither Wonder Woman nor fan-favorite Kitty Pryde. Renee Montoya is, to me, a more interesting character than either, mostly because she’s very flawed. She’s rough around the edges; she drinks to excess; she has doubts about her abilities and her value as a detective. I gather most of this info from her run in DC’s 52 series, which is a great read on its own.

16. Lex Luthor

               This guy.

               This guy right here.

               He’s the stereotypical “evil businessman” and yet he is so much more. A legit genius who inevitably uses that genius to fight petty grudges rather than help humanity reach claims potential like he claims to care about. Kingdom Come, Justice, you know the drill.

19. Iron Man

               Some characters combine seriously cool abilities with personalities that are seriously hard to like. Iron Man is cool; Tony Stark is just an egomaniacal jerk. It’s also worth noting that Tony often has to use Iron Man (and the Avengers) to fix problems of his own making. He’s a great character, but he’s not a good one.

25. Deadpool

               Because Wade was going to kill me if I didn’t put him somewhere on this list.

               Seriously. He’s standing right next to me while I’m writing this.

              Help me.

30. Death of the Endless

               I’ve honestly only read one issue featuring Death, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, #8. But that one issue is probably my favorite single comic issue ever. It’s stark, poignant, and beautiful. My list had 29 characters and I immediately thought of her for Number Thirty, but I’m sure she’ll move higher if I ever read any more of her stories.

               Well, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed this strange trip through my comic book preferences. For real, to all who’ve gotten this far, I’d love to read your Top Ten. I find the reasons why different people like different characters fascinating.

              Till next time, cheers, y’all!

[tilltheendwilliwrite]

Canadian Girl

Chapter Six

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC  | Word Count: 2701 Warnings: Fluff, Mild Violence, Stereotyping of Canadians (I'm allowed, I am one)

Three days later when the quinjet landed, Kennedy was skating on the pond. She was alone. Matt and Jesse had gone inside when her mood had proven foul.

Everyone had been home when she’d made her impromptu arrival three days ago, appearing on the doorstep with nothing but the clothes on her back.

The family all lived together, still, in the mansion of a farmhouse, her grandfather had built. It was so damn big one could go the whole day without seeing another soul if they wanted to. Or, as they had been when she'd arrived, they could all be together in the living room, watching the game.

It had been nothing to go back to her apartment, scoop up her passport, and catch a cab to the airport. She’d been home and crying on her mother’s shoulder within hours, soothed by her dad’s tight embrace, and comforted by her brothers. All who now wanted to kick one super soldier’s ass. Which, really wouldn’t go well for any of them. The family rallied around her and had been making plans to have a big family dinner so everyone could have a visit with her before she went back to New York.

If she went back to New York.

Hockey stick in hand, she’d been putting pucks into the net with vicious accuracy. Hard slap and score. Each one perfect when he arrived. So what if the last one may have missed by a good foot to, maybe, careen off the windshield of the quinjet right where Captain America’s head happened to be. Not like it would go through or anything. But his glare was easy to see behind the glass. It gave her a deep sense of satisfaction.

When he exited the jet shield first, she had to fight not to snicker.

Straightening up, she skated backwards away from the snow bank and the bench with her boots to stand in the middle of the pond, watching as he walked cautiously towards her through the snow, carrying his shield at his side. “Rogers.”

“Am I going to need this, Kennedy?” he asked, tapping the red and blue shield.

“Out of pucks at the moment, but I do have a mean cross-check,” she stated, shifting the grip on her hockey stick.

“I’ll take my chances.” Placing the shield down by her boots, he tucked his hands into his pockets. “Cold up here.”

She snorted and skated in a circle. “It’s minus ten. Celsius. You haven’t seen cold yet. Winter’s just getting started. What do you want, Rogers?”

“You.”

She kicked up her speed, aware his eyes were glued to her as she glided over the ice. Making a hard turn, she skated right for him, turned sideways and dug in, spraying ice all up his front.

Wiping the slush from his face, he nodded slowly. “Alright, I deserved that.”

Without a second thought, she cross-checked him hard in the chest, sending him over backwards into the snowbank.

“But not that!” he barked.

Leaning on her stick, she just stared down at him and shook her head. “Just had to be Captain freaking America.” Holding out her hand, Kennedy motioned him to his feet.

His hand closed around her heavy glove, and she helped heave him back up.

“What are you made of? Lead?”

“Just a whole lot of muscle, doll,” he said, dusting the snow from his backside.

She found herself face-to-face with him thanks to the blades of her skates. His blue eyes were so vivid, so clear. They said so much without him needing to say anything.

“Look, Kennedy, can we talk?”

Tilting her head, Kennedy ignored the question. “Can you skate, Rogers?” She could see the frustration on his face, but pulled away, heading for the bin on the other end of the bench, spearing the end of her stick into the snowbank as she went by. “Size eleven?”

“Yeah.” His tone was decidedly unhappy.

Throwing the lid up, she leaned over the bin, digging for the skates with the blue laces. Those were Danny's. They should fit Steven fine. When they proved elusive, her cousin had not been out to play a game for a while, apparently, she leaned all the way over and let her feet lift from the ice.

“Ha! There you are,” she crowed and disappeared headfirst into the bin.

His hands were suddenly on her hips, but she was in no danger of going over.

“Kennedy, I really think–”

Her feet hit the ground, and she slapped the skates to his chest. “Skates on, Rogers. Then we’ll talk.”

Kennedy pushed past him out onto the ice, keeping warm as he took a hard look at the skates before taking his boots off and jamming his feet into them. They were going to be cold, really cold, and she smiled a little, feeling vindictive.

The ice gave her the freedom to move without the ability to escape. She wanted to talk but didn’t want to be stationary while she did it.

He wobbled when he stood, hands shooting out to keep his balance. He looked a little stiff, and she skated closer.  

“You okay there, Cap?” she asked. “You could have said no when I asked if you could skate.” Chucking her gloves towards her boots, she held out her hands for him to take.

His were warm and callused. Strong. A real masculine pair of hands.

They reminded her of her dad’s hands. A working man’s hands.

“I can skate. It’s just been a really long time.” He said softly. “And these ain’t exactly what I used when I was a kid. Plus they’re really cold, doc.”

Skating backwards, she snickered as she gave his hands a tug. “One foot at a time, Captain.”

She pushed off, and he followed, his face clearing of the pout he was sporting when he realized it wasn’t as hard as he’d thought. Saying nothing, she led him around the pond, helping him find his rhythm.

His eyes drifted up to her toque, the same one he’d stolen from her head before, tracing down to take in the jeans which covered her legs, and the puffy, sky blue coat keeping her torso warm.

“I preferred it when you called me Steven,” he said. “I went to your place in the city. Your neighbour said you went home. To your parent’s ranch. In Canada.”

It sounded so much like a pouting child’s accusation, Kennedy gave a small smile. “Annie never could keep a secret. Did she shriek when she saw you?”

“Nearly broke my eardrums,” Steve said. “She’s a huge fan.” He eyed her carefully as he asked, “How can you have a neighbour like her and not know who I was?”

“You do remember that I’m Canadian, right? I hate to break it to you, but you’re not our super soldier. As for my neighbour, I never paid attention to who or what Annie babbled on about. We really only know each other in passing, take care of each other's plants when away kind of thing. And, in the last few years,” she flicked her fingers at the wide open sky and the mountains which rose around them. “Why would I watch TV or read a newspaper when I had this to play in. Plus, there was school and all that entailed. Work and research and my job. Weekends were spent with the family or working the ranch and, yeah, I may have been aware of everything that was happening in the world but…” she looked out at the mountains. “It seemed very far removed.” Until it wasn’t.

“And once you got to New York?” he asked quietly. “You were working on the serum, my serum. How could you not know who I was?”

“Steven, I needed your blood and your DNA. I didn’t need to know what your face looked like. I’ve seen pictures of you as Cap, the suit and the mask, but… it really wasn’t important to me. I was focused on figuring out the serum. Spent three years with my face in a notebook or my eyes behind a microscope. Heck, I nearly walked into you six times never realizing it was the same person until you said something.”

“Three times,” he muttered.

“Excuse me?”

“It was three times. The other three I may have… set up.”

She stopped in the middle of the pond. “You set yourself up to get walked into by me? Why?”

His eyes darted away, and red darkened his face.

“Steven?”

“Because… I saw you around the Tower and thought you were one beautiful dame. But you were always head down in a book, never noticed the men that drooled at your heels. I couldn’t seem to find an opportunity to just talk to you. Then you nearly walked into me a couple times and I... found an opening. Took a little conniving, but it worked.”

He looked so darn bashful and shy, and he was giving her the puppy eyes again. It hurt her heart to look at him.

Letting go of his hands, she turned and skated away. Halting only to tilt her face to the sun on the far side of the pond, she sighed, listening to the approaching scrape of skate blades.

“I get it, what you did. I understand wanting to remain a little anonymous after everything you’ve gone through. How it must be nice to have someone just talk to you without all the hero worship.” Her mother had been the one to take his side, make her see things from his point of view; to her father’s consternation. “I did my research these last few days.” And worked through a host of her own insecurities. “Captain Steven Grant Rogers, the first Avenger. You really are everywhere online. Guess I should have paid more attention to Annie when she rambled on about the blue-eyed, blond beefcake who wandered Stark Tower.” She laughed a self-deprecating sound. “I have an IQ that could rival the likes of Iron Man himself, but I couldn’t figure out the man I’d grown so fond of was a damn Avenger.”

“Does that make a difference? The Avenger part?” he asked nervously.

“Yes and no.” Sighing, she turned to face him. “I know that you’re no different than you were four weeks ago just because I know who you are now. You’re still the same man, but I don’t like guns, Steven. I really don’t like guns. I know if I were to start a relationship with you, someday, someone would eventually shoot at me.”

“Kennedy, I can’t promise that will never happen.  Any relationship an Avenger has could, eventually, be used against them, putting their loved ones in danger. But I would do everything I could to see you protected.”

“I know you would. I know that.” She started skating again, needing to move, closing her hands over her arms. They were cold now with the lack of his body heat. “There are… things… I haven’t told you about me. Things that may make you change your mind about that.”

“Kennedy.”

He snagged her sleeve and pulled her hard into his body, nearly taking them both to the ice. Once he seemed certain they weren’t going to go crashing to the ground, he wrapped her tight in his arms. “I don’t care about things. I care about you. And just to make one thing perfectly clear, you, doll, are damn gorgeous. To me, you are the epitome of female beauty.”

She stared at him with her mouth open for a full five seconds before reacting. “Shut up, Rogers!” she gasped, punching him in the shoulder. “You’re so full of it!”

His entire countenance darkened, and she found herself face-to-face with what had to be his Captain America persona. “You forget, doll, this is not my era. I didn’t grow up with the skewed view portrayed in the media of stick thin women or ones who are overly fit. Sure Nat’s nice looking, but she’s not you, Kennedy.”

He dragged down the zipper on her coat, hands diving inside, squeezing her waist. “Women in my era were soft, curved, and feminine.”

His hands wandered her hips, and he skimmed them up her ribcage to rub his thumbs over the edge of her breasts. “You have nothing to be insecure about. Your body is… perfect,” he stated, eyes appreciative and honesty radiating in the words.

“Holy crap,” she moaned when his arm went behind her, the other hand sliding up to cup her cheek. “Steven…”

“Can I kiss you, Kennedy?”

She was surprised he’d asked, having kissed her without doing so the first time. One look at his face, however, had her remembering the way he was always such a gentleman. Holding doors, pulling out chairs. Perhaps that first kiss had been a deviation of the norm for him. Either way, she didn’t care.

He was so close that even through his coat, one much thinner than her own, she could feel the excess heat which poured from his body.

It warmed her as she clasped her hand to the back of his neck. “You’d better, Cap.” If it was the last time she got the chance, she was going to take it with gusto.

His mouth closed over hers and Kennedy moaned. He possessed her mouth, licked at it, and slipped his tongue between her lips when hers parted on a breathy sigh.

The sinuous twine of his tongue kicked all the way to Kennedy’s core, sending heat rippling through her. A shockwave of sensation shook her to the bones. It definitely wasn't the sweet, soft kiss of last time.

Sinking his fingers into her hair, he knocked her hat free, dragging her head back to suck on the skin beneath her ear, directly against her tattoo. The feather which floated in dark ink on her flesh was licked and kissed, causing her breath to catch and release on a soft moan.

“Will you be my girl, Kennedy?”

“Maybe,” she breathed out. “But… Steven, I have to tell you something. It might make you change your mind.”

His mouth was working the sensitive skin of her throat.

She shuddered, hardly able to think when he did that.

“Okay.” He lifted his head reluctantly. “Tell me this horrible secret, Kennedy.”

“I…” The words stuck in her throat, and she bit her lip. “Let’s get these skates off first.”

He didn’t let go. For a moment she was afraid he was going to keep her there until she told him, but eventually, after a deep search of her eyes, he released her, and they skated back to the bench.

Flopping down, Kennedy was quick out of her skates, Steve not far behind. She wiggled her toes before shoving her feet into her cold boots. “Ugh, I’m going to feel that tomorrow.”

“How long you been out here?” Steve asked.

“Couple hours. Taking shots at the net makes for good frustration release.” She may not like exercise, but hockey just didn’t count as exercise. Hockey was hockey. She threw both pairs of skates and her gloves back in the bin.

“Remind me to tell Fury that when he growls about the chip in the quinjet’s windshield.”

Snickering, Kennedy did her jacket back up. Her toque was still in the middle of the pond, sending her sliding across the ice in her boots to retrieve it. “You also deserved that.”

Shaking his head, Steve stomped on his shield and had it slide up his arm. “I’ll make sure he knows.”

Before she could reply, the whistling sound that filled the air made her frown. It was an odd sound, not something she’d ever heard on the ranch before. When Steve plowed into her, taking her to the ground, sending them sliding over the ice and down behind his shield, she was even more confused.

Until the bullets bounced off the vibranium.

“Shit! Kennedy! You alright?” he hollered over the pinging sound of metal-on-metal.

It was completely unreal. Un-freaking-believable! “Damn it, Steven! Not even five minutes after you kiss me, and someone is shooting at us!”

It was almost comical. Almost.

Next Chapter

[keire-ke]

I liked Steve and Peggy interactions well enough watching CATFA but I wasn't in the fandom then and treated them as a done deal, what with him being frozen and stuff. And I kinda feel like they expanded this relationship in later movies based on fans positive reactions? (For example their body language in that dream scene in AoU is way more intimate than any real interactions). They had one kiss! And like an unspoken understanding that there is sth between them to built on later.

(Cont. ) I could actually buy Steve (or anyone in his situation) blowing his almost-romance out of proportion but she moved on and had a family - hopefully a happy one! Sorry for rambling, it's just kinda annoying to me in the light of Sharon and the way they used her in CACW. Either you lost the love of your life or you are picking up her nice at the funeral, can't have both.

I would generally consider the Cap movies and Avengers movies separately (YMMV where CACW falls) when it comes to Steve’s character. The scene with Peggy in AoU makes very little sense from beginning to end, starting with the fact that Steve is an awkward turtle around women he is attracted to, Peggy included, but then Joss Whedon doesn’t seem to get Steve in general, and just rolls with the macho hero soldier stereotype, and ending with “at no point was Peggy Steve’s home and/or reward for winning the war”.

That said, Peggy was very important to Steve’s development into Captain America, and pivotal in his growth in general. Peggy was the first person who explicitly supported his heroic tendencies, the first woman who noticed him as a man. Peggy understood him and his need to prove himself (there’s I think a deleted scene before the serum that is essentially Peggy saying she knows what it’s like). Peggy was a stunning woman who noticed his potential and shared his worldview, and Steve was absolutely in love with her for that alone. 

It’s also important to remember that Steve is also a complete drama-llama. This guy designed his own uniform to look as his country flag. And is there anything more dramatic than losing the love of your life to the passage of time that passed you by? That said I saw very little evidence in the movies that Steve is blowing the romance out of proportion. Yes, he quips he had a date, and then seems devastated when Peggy stops remembering him, and is visibly shaken by her death, but not one of these things seems to be out of proportion. The quip is just a quip, and it was likely something he was thinking about as he froze, plus it was his very first date, there is no denying Peggy was important to him, so of course watching her health deteriorate and fail would cause him pain. Add to that her being his only link to the past, and frankly love or no love, anyone would be devastated.

So - whether Steve and Peggy were literally the love of each other’s lives is inconclusive, in that Steve is a thirty-year-old man in canon, and we haven’t seen enough of Peggy’s relationships to judge (also depends on how you define being the love of someone’s life), but it’s safe to say that Peggy was Steve’s most meaningful relationship at the time of his death (what with Bucky being dead).

I’m politely ignoring the treatment of Sharon by CACW. It was weird, I suspect they had to meet a het quota, and threw them both under the bus.

[hermanwatts]

Sensor Sweep: Firefly, Lou Antonelli, Nintendo 1985, Robot Anime

T.V. (Medium.com): Every generation has their white whale of a concluded series. Baby boomers got hooked on Star Trek and made a big noise about it until they got movies, spinoff shows, more movies, more spinoff shows… Generation X kept the love of Star Wars alive until they got novels, video games, comics and, err, prequels. Milennials got Firefly. And three years later, Serenity, a movie that, while excellent, reminded us that the story worked better on TV.  And then nothing.

Author Interview (Liberty Island): It was four months of Hell for the Sad Puppy finalists– from the announcement of the ballot in April until the WorldCon in August – and essentially a left-wing lynch mob. In the end, the whole fiasco can be considered useful because it made the secret manipulators come out of the closet. Larry Correia has been completely vindicated.

Fiction (Paperback Warrior):  “East of Desolation” was Jack Higgins’ (real name: Henry Patterson) 22nd novel, published in 1968 by Berkley and then reprinted dozens of times using different cover art. The book arrived seven years prior to Higgins becoming a mega-bestseller and household name with his 1975 novel “The Eagle Has Landed”. While booming sales never supported the material, the 1960s produced some of Higgins’ finest literary work, evident with this ice-capped adventure starring brush pilot Joe Martin.

Westerns (Mostly Old Books): A taut and violent short western that finds young Jess Remsberg, consumed with avenging the rape and murder of his wife, scouting for an Army wagon train that finds itself outnumbered in a brutal cat-and-mouse battle with a band of merciless Apaches. The tension remains high as the brilliant Apache warlord Chata matches wits step for step with young and ambitious Army Lieutenant McAllister who is close friends with Jess.

Book Review (Pulp Fiction Reviews): New Pulp writer Derrick Ferguson is best known for his action packed adventures, be they the exploits of Dillon, Fortune McCall or Sebastian Red. All of these should already be on your reading list. But back in 1914, Ferguson wrote this truly amazing novella, “The Madness of Frankenstein” that is his homage to the great Hammer horror flicks of the 60s and 70s. Having finally picked up a copy, we were eager open its pages and discover what special grisly treats Mr. Ferguson had whipped up for his unsuspecting readers.

Cinema (Scifi Movie Page): Disney+ has officially arrived, with all the force and weight that Uncle Walt’s 600 lb. entertainment gorilla can muster. The Mouse plays for keeps, and the buzz around event releases like The Mandalorian and the various MCU projects immediately put their streaming service in the top tier alongside Netflix and Amazon.

But Disney’s strengths go beyond their acquisition (and undeniably strong shepherding) of hot IPs such as Marvel and Star Wars. Their library stretches back over 80 years, and a large amount of it is available for streaming.

D&D (Walker’s Retreat): You know you’ve got something worth watching when you get a comment like this: “Yes. Monotheism is the missing link that D&D needs for a medieval authentic feeling in your game. I use it. In addition it does one of two things. It either keeps SJWs away from your game, or it attracts them because they want to break your game or be an antichurch outsider. In those cases they always end up quitting because they don’t get what they want.”

Gaming (RMWC Reviews): The Nintendo Entertainment System represented a sea change in what video game consoles could do and how they were received at home. Released in 1985 in North America, the NES came out at a time when the American market was still reeling from the great industry crash of 1983. Compared to the Atari 2600 which was the previous home console of choice, the NES had better graphics, sound, processing power, and yes, gimmicks. The 1985 launch was actually limited to New York City for the holiday season, and was then expanded in 1986 when it was clear to be a success.

Anime (Wasteland and Sky): As anyone who knows anime knows, there are two kinds of mecha series. First there were the originals, the super robots, then there were those created with Mobile Suit Gundam, the real robots. The former were pulp heroes that went on adventures to stop the villains while the latter were based on soldiers fighting in wars. Different approaches and aims allowed for very different legacies.

Book Review (Matthew Constantine): The second book in The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, The Black Cauldron is somewhat more complex and more interesting than The Book of Three.  Having already been introduced to many of the characters, we don’t need to go through that again and can instead jump right into the action.  Taran and friends are tasked with finding and destroying the Black Cauldron aka the Crochan, the magic item used to create near invincible Cauldron Born, undead warriors.

Tolkien (BBC): A pub made famous as a meeting place for fantasy authors CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien is to be made into a hotel. The Eagle and Child in St Giles’, Oxford, has a plaque inside commemorating the writers’ get-togethers. Known as The Inklings, they would regularly meet up with other academics at the Grade II listed pub. The application was approved by Oxford City Council’s west area planning committee on Tuesday.

D&D/Cinema (Tenkar’s Tavern): Comicbook.com shared an article about the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie (due Summer of 2021) – Thanks to Luke Gygax for sharing the article on Facebook. The upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie will feature at least one character with ties to the Forgotten Realms and will focus on a quest for an iconic magical object. ComicBook.com can exclusively report that the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie currently in development by Paramount will focus on a group of adventurers looking for the Eye of Vecna, a powerful artifact that dates back to the earliest days of the game.

Pulp Hero (Black Gate): I have to confess that writing The Spider is a completely different experience for me than writing the Wild Adventures of Doc Savage, Tarzan, John Carter, or any of the other classic pulp heroes I’ve been privileged to bring back to life in new novels. With these other pulp heroes, it’s largely a matter of concocting a logical plot and having the heroes go through their customary pieces, although I seem to have quickly become an accidental king of crossovers since I’ve managed to convince the various license holders to permit me to have a few of them collide, such as Doc Savage and The Shadow, Tarzan of the Apes and King Kong.

Review (Porpor Books Blog): Men of Violence: All Review Special’ ($5.99, 93 pp) features reviews (limited to 250 words for an individual book and 500 words for a series) of over 100 paperbacks and comics published from 1953 to the present day, that fall (more or less) into the genre of ‘Men’s Adventure’ fiction. Needless to say, we live in an era in which men rarely read for pleasure, the genre of Men’s Adventure is regarded as affront to a Woke society, and any adolescent who brings a copy of Torture Love Cage (Jack Savage, 1959) to school probably will be expelled, and obliged to receive Counseling before being readmitted.

Book Review (Rough Edges): Almost a year ago, I read the first book in the Casca series by Barry Sadler and really enjoyed it. I didn’t mean for so much time to go by before I got back to the series, but that’s the way it happened. I’ve finally read the second book, GOD OF DEATH, which picks up the story of Casca Rufio Longinus, former Roman soldier who was present at the Crucifixion and was cursed with immortality because of it. Wounds or illness that would kill a normal man can’t claim him, and he’s doomed to wander the world, always making his way as a mercenary soldier.

Novel Excerpt (DMR Books): Wulfhere and Eanhere and their army of bears crept down the valley silently. From a cliff they could see Penda’s men as they sat in a little grove eating their midday meal. Eanhere took half the bears and crept round to the other side of the grove while Wulfhere waited on this side with the rest. Wulfhere crept quietly closer till only a small knoll stood between the Mercians and himself, and he could hear their loud talk and laughter. “Ha, we will root this bear out of his den, and he will go the way of his people!” one said as he emptied his horn of mead.

Art (Karavansara): Turns out this is a Robert Maguire cover for a novel called The Deadly Lady of Madagascar, bt Frank G. Slaughter (nice name for someone writing about deadly ladies) that I will try and find somehow. If I can’t write it, I can certainly read it.

Alt. History (Enter Stage Right): Alternative history (popularly called “alternate history”) is sometimes termed “uchronia” or counterfactual history. It is important to remember that alternative history pertains to events that are in the past at the time when the narrative is being written. So, for example, the 1920s projections of Hugo Gernsback about the 1980s cannot be properly termed as being alternative history – even though his vision of the world of the 1980s is much different from what has actually occurred.

D&D (Sacnoth’s Scriptorium): So, I just got a comment on my post back in September on the new film documenting Arnesom’s role in the creation of D&D. Since the comment seems to come from the filmmaker himself, thought I’d feature it here so as to give the filmmakers a better chance to have their say. Here’s their comment.

Gaming Magazines (Silver Key): Later issues of White Dwarf introduced readers to Thrud the Barbarian. The loinclothed barbarian stereotype born in the pages of sword-and-sorcery (Brak, Thongor, Kothar and their ilk) was by then quite pervasive, and strip author Carl Critchlow had fun with a character that was literally all muscle and no brain—a tiny head upon a massive, muscular body. Issue #50 (February 1984) has Thrud invoking “the sacred jockstrap of Robert E. Howard” before hacking his way through a horde of castle defenders, whom he (mistakenly) believes are holding a princess captive in the tower.

Science Fiction (Tellers of Weird Tales): I’m going back farther now into the past, into spring when, in a week when I was sick, I read The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis. Things To Come (1936) was still fresh in my mind when I read these books. That freshness may have influenced my thoughts on Out of the Silent Planet (1938), Perelandra (1943), and That Hideous Strength (1945). I shouldn’t spend too much time on this, but I’m sure I will. There is a lot in The Space Trilogy and it’s hard to move past some of these things without commenting on them and applying them to issues current in this blog and in our world of today.

Weird Tales (Dark Worlds Quarterly): Seabury Grandin Quinn would begin his writing career in The Thrill Book, an early Weird Tales precursor devoted to strange and off-trail fiction. Street & Smith, the future publisher of The Phantom and Doc Savage, ran The Thrill Book for sixteen issues, from March 1 to October 15, 1919. The magazine would publish Francis Stevens’ The Heads of Cerberus, one of the first science fiction novels about parallel worlds.

Sensor Sweep: Firefly, Lou Antonelli, Nintendo 1985, Robot Anime published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/