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haileygarciasunshine · 5 years ago

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Howling Commandos

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 2,143

Warning: Violence, swearing

Summary: The reader is enlisted in the army along side her best friend, Peggy Carter. Her life changes when she meets seven men.

Part One!

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

“Y/N!” Peggy exclaimed rushing over to you, before pulling you into a hug, “I see the serum serves you well!”

Giggling you responded, “Yes it does! I’m glad to be here with you and Colonel Philips.”

“Me too!” She said excitedly, “He doesn’t know what a mistake that was.”

Peggy began walking down the dirt path, as you walked beside her. There wasn’t a lot of female agents, let alone any females in the base. Both you and Peggy were in charge of training the project rebirth candidates.

You and Peggy often ate meals together when it was time.

“Look it’s her royal highness and her royal pain in the ass.” One of the recruits from your area mocked.

“Ignore them.” Peggy reasured.

“Yeah. Listen to the queen.” He continued to mock as he walked by.

Once the man sat down, you stood up making your way over to the table. Catching the eyes of a few men, they gazed at you in silence.

Clearing your throat you stood at the head of the table holding your wrist behind your back. Once you got the attention of everyone at the table, you looked around you.

“Can I have everyone’s attention.” You boomed. Sudden silence falling upon the cafeteria. “Private ... I didn’t catch your last name.”

“Connor.” His voice barely above a whisper.

“Come stand by me.” You motioned for him to join you. “Private Connor here doesn’t think woman should be respected.”

“She’s going to embarrass herself.” One of your fellow supervisors attempted.

“No. She’s standing up for herself and any other woman supervisor to come.” Colonel Philips supported.

Fully turning towards Private Connor, you took an intimidating step forward. “As punishment I believe you should go apologize to agent Carter and clean the bathrooms with a tooth brush.”

Silence.

“You can’t do that!” Private Connor yelled.

“She can and she did.” Colonel Philips said from his table.

“As you were.” Lingering his table made fun of him as you left.

Walking back to your table you packed up your dinner waste before throwing it away.

“I’ll see you ladies and gents tomorrow. Have a good night.” You said with a wink.

The night fall air was brisk and chilly. Wrapping your arms around your waist you attempted to keep your shivers at bay. The sounds of footsteps coming from behind you was enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Picking up your pace, you attempted to rush back to your shared quarters.

“Agent Y/L/N?” It was private Connor.

Halting your steps you noticed he had his friends surround you, under the lamp post.

“Did you really think you a female, could get away with embarrassing me?” He taunted.

Rolling your eyes, you attempted to show no fear even though it coursed through your veins.

“Hey! Leave her alone!” A husky voice sounded.

“What’re you gonna do about it Barnes?” He snapped.

His reply was out of earshot sounding like a deep rumble. Whatever he had said, was enough to make the men leave you alone but not before a few of them hit their shoulder against yours.

Turning around you were met with an attractive young man who was several feet taller than you with a built chest.

“Agent Y/L/N, I’m Sergeant Barnes.”

Without giving you a chance to respond, he had already shrugged off his jacket and placed it around your shoulders.

“Thanks.” You muttered.

“Don’t mention it.” He replied with a soft smile, turning to walk back in the direction he had come.

“Sergeant Barnes.” You started, catching his wrist in your hand. Looking down at your shoes you hesitated, “Would...Would you mind walking with me back to my quarters?”

Silence fell between you.

Over come with embarrassment you retracted your hand before mumbling “Sorry.” followed by a “Forget it.”

Turning around you began walking in the direction of your quarters.

“I...I would be honored to agent Y/L/N.” He finally said breaking out of his shock.

“Y/N.” You said smiling at him. “Call me Y/N.”

“James.” He responded, “But my friends call me Bucky.”

“Nice to meet you James.” You greeted.

Silence fell enveloped you both. However this time it was a comfortable silence.

“Are you up for a late night stroll Y/N?”

Both you and Bucky had lost track of time as you both walked laps upon laps around the base.

Walking you back to the steps of your quarters, you stood facing each other continuing your conversation.

“There you are!” Peggy exclaimed, yanking the door open causing you and sergeant Barnes to jump away from each other. “It’s way past curfew! Off you go now.”

Looking at Peggy, your jaw practically hit the floor as you had widened eyes. Turning to Bucky you shot him a sympathetic look.

“I...I should go.” You whispered in sorrow.

He nodded his head, not taking his eyes off an enraged Peggy.

Making it up the final steps to your shared quarters, he finally broke his silence. “Would...Would you like to go on a date sometime?” He questioned full of hope.

Turning around, you smiled at him. “Good night, Sergeant Barnes.”

“Good night, Y/N.”

Once you were inside your shared quarters, Peggy turned to you giggling like a schoolgirl.

“Tell me everything!” She exclaimed giddily. “How was it? Did he kiss you? Did he hold your hand?”

Rolling your eyes, you told her about your late night stroll.

It had been two weeks since your last encounter with Sergeant Barnes. Walking down the dirt path you were looking over the files on your clip board as you made your way to Peggy.

“Y/N!” Bucky yelled from behind you. Halting your steps you turned around, as a chest hadn’t anticipated your quick stop. You went crashing to the ground with Sergeant Barnes on top of you. Looking up at him, his chocolate eyes had small golden flakes in them due to the bright outdoors. His nose was touching yours. The sudden close proximity caused heat to rise in your chest.

“Uh..Sorry.” He apologized quickly getting off of you. Extending his hand he helped you off of the ground.

“It’s alright Sergeant Barnes.” Accepting his hand, you were off of the ground. Dusting off your army green pencil skirt, in the process.

“I have to go.” You quickly said retracting your hand from his. “Peggy really needs these.”

“Isn’t she standing right there?” He questioned tilting his head slightly. Following his gaze, you were met with a Peggy sending you a sly smirk.

“Yes she is.” You let out in a breathy tone.

Walking over to you, she took the files from your hands. “Thank you Agent Y/L/N.”

“As you were.” Peggy said with a smirk.

“Would you-“

“I should-“

You both had said something at the same time.

A light pink color danced along buckys cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck.

“What were you about to say?” He questioned.

Looking down at your shoes, you lightly moved the dirt around with your shoe, “I should get going.”

“Oh.” Hurt evident in his voice. “Right.”

“What were you going to say?” This time you tilted your head to the side slightly.

“Oh. It was nothing.”

“Surely it wasn’t nothing Sergeant Barnes.” Giving him your best doe eyed expression.

Letting out a sigh he caved, “I was wondering if...” he fidgeted with his hands, “if you’d want to go on a date...tonight...with me.”

Placing a hand on his bicep you stood on your tip toes, placing your soft lips against his cheek. Before pulling back you whispered in his ear, “I’d love to. 6 o’clock sharp. Don’t be late.”

Continuing on your journey down the path, you could hear a sudden group of cheers and whistles. Looking over your shoulder slightly, you could see Bucky grinning from ear to ear as his friends whooped and hollered, clapping him on the shoulder.

Placing your finished novel on your nightstand, you sighed looking at the clock. 9:00pm. Bucky hadn’t shown up for your date nor had he attempted to contact you. There was a knock on the door, you couldn’t help the soft smile that spread across your face, as the butterflies began to erupt in your stomach.

“Don’t wait you for me!” You exclaimed to Peggy. Opening the door, your smile faltered.

“Good evening, Agent Y/L/N, Agent Carter.” Private Connor greeted. “I have something I think you both should see.”

Following Private Connor, he led you both down a dimly lit dirt path.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this.” Peggy Whispered.

You shrugged in response.

“Here we are ladies.” He came to a halt just under a lamp post.

“Here we are where?” You questioned, as your heart began to race.

“See for yourselves.” He has turned sideways gesturing to in front of him. Moving forward, curiosity had gotten the better of you.

“What’re you doing, Y/N.” Peggy hissed.

Rolling your eyes your head was still facing her as you responded, “I want to see what he’s talking about.” A gasp fell from your lips as you watched the scene before you.

Peggy quickly moved beside you, gasping slightly.

Bucky was cozy with a tall blond, before he had shoved his tongue down her throat.

Tears had made their way into your eyes, threatening to fall from the sight before you. Without another word, you ran down the dirt path you had taken before. Ignoring Peggy’s pleas, you raced back to your quarters.

The next day, you had woken bright and early making sure to plan out your day, with the best possible options of avoiding Bucky. It wasn’t until dinner that your plan hit a snag.

Leaving the cafeteria, you began walking around the base as per usual. The sound of someone jogging towards you filled the otherwise silent air.

“Y/N!” Bucky said with a smile beside you.

Frowning you didn’t acknowledge him, as you continued walking. Grabbing your elbow, you stopped you from walking.

“Hey, look at me.” He said softly.

“Don’t you have a girlfriend you need to get back to Sergeant.” You snapped, yanking your elbow from his grasp quickly detouring to your quarters.

Bucky frowned in confusion as he stood motionless.

“We saw you.” Peggy said from behind him. “The other night with the blond. Y/N won’t admit it, but she likes you.” Stepping forward she continued, “The other night when Private Connor, brought us to the trail...”

“What? What do you mean?” He questioned frantically.

Frowning Peggy looked at him confused, “Private Connor had retrieved us from our quarters bringing us to a trial...”

“Agent Carter I was set up... Private Connor threatened Y/N’s life, saying if I didn’t do what he said....” his voice trailed off.

“I believe you Sergeant Barnes. But I’m not the one you need to convince of that you’re innocent.”

The next day you tried to go about your day with as minimal interaction with Bucky as possible.

“Y/N!” He yelled as you passed his training area.

You didn’t acknowledge his voice nor his presence.

“Y/N, wait. Let me explain.”

Stopping you turned to face him, “Explain what Sergeant?”

“I...I can explain what happened that night.” He stuttered.

“I’m not interested.” You snapped, “I know all about your track record back home, Sergeant.”

He frowned with a saddened expression.

“I think we’re done here Sergeant.”

Days had gone by since you had spoken to him much less seen him. Peggy had been going on and on about a one of her recruits that she was training. His name was Steve. She didn’t want to let him in, afraid of getting hurt.

Finishing your work, you heard a deep voice say, “Barnes. B-A-R-”

“I know how to spell.”

Later that night, you went up to Steve.

“I want in.” You stated earning a confused look from him. “I want to go with you in saving your friend.”

“Y/N! You can’t go....” Colonel Phillips said, “You’re needed here and that’s an order.”

Not long after, there was a commotion in the center of the camp. There was a large group of men walking in. Recognizing the faces, they were all the missing soldiers that Colonel Phillips had presumed dead.

Walking beside Peggy, she was talking to Steve.

“Y/N.” A familiar voice sounded.

Turning your gaze towards the voice, you threw your arms around him pulling him in for a hug, catching him by surprise. Wrapping his arms around your waist, he buried his face in the crook of your neck.

“I'm sorry.” He whispered.

“I’m sorry too.” You replied pulling away slightly. Looking into his chocolate eyes, your gaze fell to hips lips, before flicking back up to his eyes. Leaning down he lightly pressed his lips to yours. One hand tangled into his hair, holding him to you while the other, gripped onto his bicep.

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doomonfilm · 4 years ago

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Ranking : Marvel Cinematic Universe - The Infinity Saga (2008 - 2019)

Outside of the Star Wars or James Bond franchises (or maybe even the longstanding BBC series Dr. Who), I am hard pressed to think of a bigger, more intricately connected set of films than those created by Kevin Feige for his Marvel Cinematic Universe (better known as the MCU to most people). With the help of numerous established and upcoming stars, a vast range of directors, and a rich history of characters and events the studio could play fast and loose with, Marvel Studios spent roughly a decade transforming “comic book” films from gimmicks into legitimized artistic storytelling, forcing many studios to attempt and emulate the success of a connected “cinematic universe” without laying the groundwork needed to do so.

With WandaVision in motion on Disney+, and the release future of Black Widow still up in the air, the trajectory in which the MCU will move forward is still a mystery, but these properties firmly close the door on the initial three phases of Marvel Studios releases, collectively known as The Infinity Saga due to their connection to Thanos and the six Infinity Stones. Individually, many of these pieces had impact, but as a whole, the overarching story that they tell is an epic feat yet to be matched.

But enough preamble, I know what everybody came here for. So, based solely on my opinion and nothing else, here is The Infinity Saga, as presented by Marvel Studios, ranked from least to most favorite...

23. The Incredible Hulk (2008) It’s a shame that my favorite Marvel character seems to be a conundrum when it comes to giving him a solo movie. With a decent slice of these characters, it’s about casting the “normal” version of the character, and in the case of this film, as great of an actor as Edward Norton is, I am not sure if he can play enough self-sabotaging behaviors to believably provide us with a Bruce Banner that audiences can connect with. As a result, The Incredible Hulk left us with an isolated protagonist (literally and figuratively) forced to carry audiences between long stretches absent of Hulk in his green glory.

22. Thor (2011) For a time, it seemed as if Thor was going to be the realm of the MCU where gravitas resided. The Shakespearean approach to mythic heroes adapted by Marvel was fresh at the time, as Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and S.H.I.E.L.D. were around, but certainly more relatable. Bringing Thor, Odin, Loki and a host of other legendary Asgardians into the fold broadened the world, but with the entire picture of this stretch now laid out in front of us, it is clear that Chris Hemsworth had not yet found his voice as Thor. We knew he would have to earn his worthiness and his title as King of Asgard, but I doubt anyone anticipated Thor would become one of the consistently funniest aspects of the MCU... sadly, that was not yet developed in his first film, and as a result, his introduction falls to the lower realms of the list.

21. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

20. Ant-Man (2015) It was not my intention to lump the Ant-Man movies together, but in all honestly, they do work best in that capacity. The events of both movies, for the most part, seem to satellite around the bigger nucleus narrative, and up until Avengers : Endgame, and appearance made by Ant-Man in the other films was cursory or meant to “balance the scales” (as in the case of Captain America : Civil War). Don’t get me wrong... Paul Rudd is a fabulous addition to the MCU family, and listening to Michael Peña tell stories never gets old, but when it comes down to the big picture, Ant-Man and his two films are not the largest puzzle pieces on the table.

19. Captain Marvel (2019) The possibilities for an epic film were all there... Krees and Skrulls would finally get a chance at the spotlight, we were being teased going back in time without realizing how it would play into the resolution of our Infinity Saga storyline, and the final moments of the film made us question everything we’d been presented with up until that point. Sadly, however, Carol Danvers turned out to be an extremely overpowered and dangerously self-unaware character, resulting in a lack of stakes or emotional connection ever really being established. While Captain Marvel does have fun elements to it, much of the work that managed to stick was undone by her forced and underwhelming appearance in Avengers : Endgame. Of all the properties in the MCU, this one seems to have the most whispers and rumors surrounding it in regards to its production and future within the MCU moving forward, but I will be curious to see how time treats this film.

18. Iron Man 3 (2013) Up through Phase Two of The Infinity Saga, Tony Stark was always positioned as the loner of the group. With that in mind, it does seem a bit strange to me that his final solo film, and the first solo film after Marvel’s The Avengers, would find Tony back in isolation mode so vigorously. In all fairness, War Machine is there (during his brief stint as The Patriot), and Pepper Potts is given the most room to play out of all three films, but as interesting as the antagonist structure for the film is, the convoluted nature of having at least three tiers of villainy almost begs the inclusion of at least one more Avenger. Ultimately, the film does move Tony closer to the rest of the camp, but it’s odd that more Avengers weren’t involved in the actual film.

17. Captain America : The First Avenger (2011) Of all the characters fans were presented with in the MCU, it’s hard to argue against the fact that Captain America received the most rewarding arc of any character in The Infinity Saga. Every journey needs a starting point, and simply because it was the origin story, Captain America : The First Avenger was never destined to be the best of the MCU. Visually, the MCU was still figuring a few things out, so some of the scrawny Cap scenes look awkward, but by the time this film is all said and done, all of the honor, character and heart needed to propel Cap forward was present and accounted for.

16. Thor : The Dark World (2013)

15. Iron Man 2 (2010) Maybe it’s a recencey bias thing, but I really enjoyed Thor : The Dark World and Iron Man 2. Up until deciding to make this list, I’d not seen either of these films, and it was largely due to the negative reactions I’d heard from most fans and critics. Thor : The Dark World gave us brief glimpses of where the Thor character was headed, it was a great look for Jane Foster (who is seemingly on her way back into the mix), it opened up some mystic doors that we will likely be exploring moving forward in the MCU, and due to these mystic elements, we may have seen the beginnings of S.W.O.R.D., who is already making its presence felt in Phase Four. As for Iron Man 2, we are given the polar opposite Tony Stark from his introductory movie, and due to his seemingly unstoppable mission to erase himself, War Machine is given autonomy, and the beginnings of the Iron Legion are built. Perhaps its a bit of a revisionist lens as well, hence these two being grouped together, but time seems to have been very kind to these two films, despite their flaws.

14. Spider-Man : Far From Home (2019) Avengers : Endgame would have been a perfect place to close the door on The Infinity Saga, but that monumental task was appointed to Spider-Man : Far From Home. Perhaps it was that implied burden that made the film feel a bit buried under the weight of expectations. There are certainly calls to a post-Tony Stark snap present throughout the film, but Mysterio’s plan runs seemingly independent of any previous events shown. The mid and post-credit scenes certainly tease big things for the future, but even before COVID-19 flipped the script on the industry, it was uncertain where things where headed as the new phase unrolled. This film was enjoyable, but almost feels like a stand-alone trapped on a bridge between two worlds of narrative.

13. Iron Man (2008) The one that started it all. I’ve never been the biggest Iron Man fan, but I can certainly respect the large risk that Kevin Feige took by kickstarting his empire with a character seemingly caught between fame and obscurity. Tony Stark has enough Bruce Wayne in him to make him an intriguing character, but Iron Man and Batman could not be more different from one another, which immediately gave the MCU a fresh feel in light of them using a Silver Age character. The pool of household name talent was limited, as Sony was sitting on Spider-Man, the X-men and the Fantastic Four in 2008, but ultimately, Iron Man was a roll of the dice that paid off in a major way.

12. Spider-Man : Homecoming (2017) Spider-Man is such an iconic character that it is sometimes hard to believe that he was not always involved in The Infinity Saga. Tobey Maguire was the definitive Spider-Man to many fans, and Andrew Garfield was starting to build a cult following, but after a bit of legal ping-pong, Captain America : Civil War went from being an anticipated mess to possibly a shadow of its comic book counterpart when Spider-Man appeared in the trailer. Tom Holland brought a pitch-perfect voice and sensibility to the character, and Spider-Man : Homecoming drove those feelings home (no pun intended). It wasn’t like Spider-Man needed a boost in tandem with his entry into the MCU, but his introductory movie did most everything right (including assuming we were WELL AWARE of his often repeated origin story).

11. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Out of everyone that the MCU has introduced to the masses, it is safe to say that I knew the least about the Guardians of the Galaxy... in fact, my closest tie to knowledge of their existence came in the form of Howard the Duck, who shares that section of the Marvel comic universe with them. Marvel Studios had already made me enjoy films about Thor and Iron Man, two characters I did not consider myself a fan of prior to their films, so I went out on a limb in hopes that Marvel could sell me on characters I had zero connection to. Guardians of the Galaxy did provide another set of colors in the Marvel spectrum, and it helped open the door to Marvel’s space-centered stories, but it wasn’t until the sequel that I went back and really found an appreciation for Guardians of the Galaxy, which I will expound later. That being said, Guardians of the Galaxy is another Marvel film that has been benefited by time and revisitation.

10. Marvel's The Avengers (2012) The main pieces had found their way to the board by the time Captain America : The First Avenger was released, and it only seemed like a matter of time before the big players would cross paths. Rather than build to a mass collaboration via smaller duos and groupings, Marvel went all in to close Phase One by locking in The Avengers as the collective stars of The Infinity Saga. Loki found new agency as their protagonist, but he was really just a smokescreen for the big bad of the entire saga, Thanos. The entire run of 23 movies can be summed up or represented by the iconic shot that rotates around our heroes when they stand shoulder to shoulder for the first time, staring up at their enemy emerging from the sky. There was no turning back at this point, and this is largely due to the wonderful execution of one of the MCU’s key films.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) I’m really not sure why Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t connect for me initially, but after watching Vol. 2, I felt a deeper understanding of Peter Quill, the relationship between Gamora and Nebula, and I came to love Groot and Drax even more (who didn’t immediately love Rocket Racoon?). Kurt Russell was the evolved mirror to Chris Pratt that I didn’t know I needed, and the soundtrack contained more songs that spoke directly to me than the first film. Some of the set pieces were downright beautiful in this film, I lowkey became a big fan of Mantis, and Yondu’s story culmination may have been the first time the MCU brought a tear to my eye. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 may deceptively be the most emotionally powerful of all the MCU films, short of Avengers : Infinity War, and for that, it must be respected, considering it all came from a little known band of upstarts.

8. Captain America : Civil War (2016) While Marvel’s The Avengers may be the first true “event” film in the MCU, the first major “event” attempted in terms of historic Marvel stories was the infamous Civil War run. A weird mix of anticipation and fear existed in the time preceding the film’s release, as a number of key players from the comic book storyline were either not available to the MCU or had not yet been introduced into the MCU. Speculation between who would be emerging, omitted and adjusted flew back and forth, but in the end, we were not only presented with a riveting triangle of emotion between Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Bucky, but Spider-Man and Black Panther stepped into the spotlight (with a little dose of Ant-Man thrown in for good measure). Had the MCU waited for a different phase, there’s no telling how many heroes and villains could have ultimately been involved, but considering what they had at the time, the MCU definitely exceeded expectations and created their own iconic version of a Marvel narrative hallmark.

7. Black Panther (2018) Outside of the final two Avenger’s, there wasn’t a more anticipated or well-received release (to my knowledge) than Black Panther. After bursting onto the scene in Captain America : Civil War, it seemed everyone was ready for more of King T'Challa, Black Panther and Wakanda. Chadwick Boseman became even more of a fan favorite than he already was, and Black Panther became the first MCU film to be nominated for Best Picture at the 2019 Academy Awards. Marvel presented Wakanda, and Africa in turn, with the utmost cultural, historical and social respect, and short of a slightly underwhelming finale in terms of visual effects, it was hard to hang a complaint on Black Panther. If the MCU had to pick a single film that they were most proud of, I would not be surprised if this was the one that was chosen.

6. Doctor Strange (2016) As a fan of science fiction, mysticism and overall weirdness, I was incredibly hype for the announcement and release of Doctor Strange. Of all the active characters in the MCU at the time, Doctor Strange was the most obscure that I was already familiar with, and his introductory film did not disappoint. The visual representation of the mystic arts was brilliant, casting Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One was a stroke of genius (despite many that voiced reservation to the choice), and the introduction of different dimensions and realms to the MCU hinted at the future that was to come. With Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness coming in sooner than later, it is almost certain that I will be revisiting this film, and I hope that as time goes by, it finds a bigger audience with a deeper appreciation for it.

5. Thor : Ragnarok (2017) If I think about it hard enough, I can probably find a character that will contradict this statement, but I’m hard pressed to think of a character than took a bigger personality jump between individual films than Thor did between The Dark World and Ragnarok. We got shades of a new Thor in The Dark World, and he was really starting to come out of his shell in Avengers : Age of Ultron, but I’m not sure if anyone expected for Taika Waititi to not only turn Thor into possibly the most loveable Avenger, but make his third film a psychedelic masterpiece of fun. Thor and Loki have never had better chemistry, Cate Blanchett was surprisingly well cast as Hela, and most everyone’s favorite MCU iteration of the Hulk came to life (not to mention a brief nod to Beta Ray Bill being present for keen viewers). It may not be the best film in the MCU, but Thor : Ragnarok is almost certainly the one viewers gravitate towards if they make a quick selection.

4. Avengers : Endgame (2019) How do you end a story arc that spans more than 20 films? Well, for starters, you bring every character to the table, collect every expectation that fans have for them, and then kick all of those expectations to the side and forge a completely wild, new and unexpected path. For a large portion of Endgame’s runtime, it is tonally and stylistically different than any other Avengers film, but near the end, when the rubber hits the road, Thanos and his legions of followers take part in one of the most epically satisfying stands against our heroes already present, only for the world of the MCU to open up and rain the most enjoyable and acceptable fan service ever to be captured to film, including the most iconic Captain America moment of all time.

3. Avengers : Age of Ultron (2015) For a long while, this film stood as my clear-cut favorite in the MCU. I didn’t even know I was a Vision fan until he emerged from his chamber, and the introduction of Scarlet Witch has brought me nothing but joy. David Spader brought some of the best antagonist personality in his powerful portrayal of Ultron, and the party scene provided one of my favorite non-action sequences in all of the MCU. The interactions between the Avengers had the best balance of all their collaborative films during Age of Ultron, and Scarlet Witch took each of our heroes to the darkest corners of their mind. Perhaps people had other ideas in mind when they learned that Tony and Bruce’s murderbot was due for a screen appearance, but for my money’s worth, Age of Ultron was the first Avengers film that blew my mind, and still stands as my personal favorite of the Avengers movies.

2. Avengers : Infinity War (2018) Easily the most epic of all the MCU films, Infinity War set the stage for a truly iconic struggle between the Earth’s mightiest heroes and the seemingly unstoppable Thanos that had been promised over many, many films, and in the opening rounds, Infinity War delivered. For all of the combinations of characters we’d been provided, we’d yet to see Tony interact with Doctor Strange or Star-Lord, and each of those meetings yielded hilarious results. The stakes had never been higher prior to Infinity War, and the costs had not been greater up to this point. I personally remember people in theaters being nearly moved to tears when their favorite heroes (especially Spider-Man) began turning into dust, like they were watching Schindler’s List. If the MCU collectively raised the bar for comic book movies, then Infinity War raised the bar for the MCU.

1. Captain America : The Winter Soldier (2014) The MCU has more than a handful of classic films under their belt, but Captain America : The Winter Soldier is probably the sole film of the MCU that feels like a proper action/adventure suspense-thriller, like it was penned by John Grisham. The connection between Bucky and Cap is kinetic in its swings between impending hope and tragedy, and the level of combat and action in the film is second to none. This was the film where the Cap that the masses know and love stepped into his own as a hero and a leader. Of all the directors that Marvel Studios has tapped, the Russo Brothers seem to have the secrets unlocked to make a great MCU film, and Captain America : The Winter Soldier is the pound for pound best they’ve offered yet.

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