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creatureofmystry · 4 years

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MLB x DC Universe Headcannons

I just love the idea of MLB and DC (expecially Batfam cuz Mari is such a Wayne) being in the same universe and crossing over. So one night, I just had an idea overload of different ways the Marinette would know the batfam/be a part of the DC universe. And if any of my shitty ideas somehow inspire or prompt you, then please be my guest. 😊 _

1) “Ladybugs of Past and Present”

Hippolyta, Wonder Woman’s mother, was once a previous holder of the ladybug miraculous. When Fu activated the miraculous and put them in circulation, Hippolyta could feel its magic waking back up. Knowing there must a reason for it to be out, she sent a message to her daughter. Diana searched, finding Marinette and Adrien as the present holders of the ladybug and cat miraculous. She vouched and brought them into the Young Justice program while they also made their own team, Project: Zodiac (or something like that).

[Sometime when Diana takes Marinette to meet Hippolyta]

“Great Hera, Tikki, you have not aged a day” -Hippolyta, cause she does know how to make joke.

“And I would say the same to you” -Tikki

“Mother, you can make a laugh?” -Wonder Woman, honestly a bit confused cause her mom have never not been serious before.

And Marinette is just speechless cause she’s starstruck meeting Wonder Woman’s mom AND a previous Ladybug holder.

2) “Rockstar Niece”

Jagged Stone is Marinette’s Sweet Uncle J. During the summers, Jagged Stone would take Mari with him on tour. HIs summer tours are throughout America, so Mari gets to sightsee the country. Jagged’s first tour that he gets to take Mari on (5-ish), he’s also booked for the annual (for whatever reason) Wayne Summer Gala. When Marinette meets the Waynes, they are so enamoured (Dick and Tim couldn’t help it) that they tell Jagged he’s always invited as a guest, Mari of course being added to the permanent guest list too. About 6 years later, Mari is practically adopted, spending the first half of her summers with Jagged, going to the Wayne Gala, then spending the rest of her summer with the Waynes. Overtime, she figured out the secrets of the family and was there to welcome Jason back from the dead (when that happens). Anyways, now 11(-ish?) Mari meets Damian and the two become good friends… after an… impressionable first meeting.

“Tch, let me guess, you’re another one of father’s adopted strays” -Dami

“YOU MUST BE DAMIAN!!! DICK TOLD ME ABOUT YOU!!” -Marinette, who just ignores what he said for a hug.

“hiiiiiiiiissssssss” -Dami, touchy with touch

“...” sprays water in his face since he decided to act like a cat.

“I say, Master Bruce, the children are getting along quite well” -Alfred

3) “Pen Pals”

Jon Kent and Marinette Dupain-Cheng are part of an international pen-pal program, starting when they were very young (maybe like 4 or 5-ish, super super young) where they told each other everything (Jon can’t just say that his older bro is a clone made from Superman and Lex Luthor’s DNA, or that his dad is Superman, or that his best friend is Robin, but yea. Lois and Clark probably proofread his stuff until he’s like 9) with pictures and everything. When they’re old enough to get phones & stuff, they call, text and vid-chat along with their letters (love without blood). When Mari is maybe 9-11 (somewhere around there) she starts flying over during the summers to hangout with Jon (and his friends and big brother). While there, she meets Kon, Bat fam, and Clark (some who she already knew, some who she didn’t) & lightly hints that she knows who all they are once she figures it out (it didn’t take her long to do so).

Now whenever she visits and is at Wayne Manor (Jon likes to have sleepovers practically every weekend) while they’re on patrol, Mari subtly messes with their minds (super subtle, they’re the world’s best detectives after all) until they finally look through the cams and see Mari giving them one of those smiles (those shit-grinning cause it’s just so hilarious how it’s gone on for so long) & and a playful wink.

[5 seconds later]

“Mari!” “Pixie-pop!” “Angel!” “Teacup!”

“Seriously, am I the only one with a normal nickname for her?” -Tim

“Ms. Marinette would like to inform you that ‘it took you long enough’” -Alfred (who so knows that the girl has been playing them since the third night she stayed at the Wayne’s)

“Where are my adoption papers?” -Bruce (who is seriously adopting any talented black-haired child)

4) “Mari and Mar’i”

When Mar’i is young, Dick and Kori take her with them to see Paris (btw, this would be during the winter). They’re strolling along through a park and lose track of Mar’i who finds Marinette (9-10 ish). Marinette comforts and distracts Mar’i while noticing the young(er) girl is Tameranian (her hair is very warm and she’s wearing significantly less layers than should be worn for a human of that age during the winter, plus that sun-kissed skin tone. She’s seen Kori in her fashion magazines (and, from time to time, on the news as an ambassador) so she easily make the connections). Dick and Kori finally spot Mar’i with Mari who introduces herself to them. Mar’i asks if she can see her “Auntinette” again and Marinette just goes “if your parents are okay with it.” Dick and Kori are totally cool with it (not many are willing to watch her and have the time to do it) so they ask Marinette if she can babysit Mar’i whenever (with good pay of course) if she’s up to it (cause she’s still pretty young). Marinette can’t say no to Mar’i’s babydoll eyes (and she’s so much easier compared to Manon, who’s only 2 rn), so of course, she says yes.

Now Marinette is Mar’is official babysitter and sees Mar’i often whenever her parents drop her off (using zeta tubes to quickly get to Paris and back). Marinette gets treated like an honorary Wayne (cause she’s the most responsible) and gets invited to their family stuff (w/ travel pay taken care of, of course). It doesn’t take her long to realize the fact that she babysits Bruce Wayne’s & BATMAN’S granddaughter, but of course, being the responsible one she is, keeps the secret… while also playing with them via Mar’i.

[One Day]

After Marinette leaves for her plane…

“Uncle Dami!”

“Yes, Spawn?”

“Auntinette said to tell you after she left that Robin’s sut needs a major upgrade & that you look like a traffic light… whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

[Another Day]

“Uncle Jay!”

“What’s up kid?’

“Auntinette said that to let you know that Red Hood doesn’t make any sense ‘cause Red Hood wears a helmet. Not a hood.”

[The next time]

“Uncle Tim!”

Yawn. “yea?”

“Auntie told me to give you this” (pulls out super caffeinated coffee) “and that Red Robin’s cowl is a menace to all things fashion”

[Again…]

“Daddy!”

“Yes, Starshine?”

“Auntienette said she’s proud of Nightwing’s costume ‘cause it’s one of the only in the batfam that isn’t an astro-city to the fashion society.”

5) “Marinette, the one who’s always getting chosen”

Before Mari became (becomes(?)) LB, she comes across a different powerful piece of jewelry, from a different order of guardians where her will of mind is not only her shield from being akumatized, but it is also what drives her powers. That’s right, Mari walks past a flea market and activates a GL ring. The guardians pick up on this activity and send Hal (it is his sector) to check it out. Hal finds the ring with Mari but it still needs the light of a GL to charge and fully work.

[During the explanation]

“Look, kid-”

“Marinette.”

“Look, kid, I just need to know why you have that ring.”

“You think I know? I was just walking through the market and all of a sudden, this possessed ring, if that’s even what this is, started following me, then zipped in front of my face til i held my hand up so it can put itself on my finger.”

“Kid-”

“It’s MARINETTE. Get it wrong one more time and you’ll see why I don’t need a possessed piece of alien jewelry.” -Marinette, making sure you get her name right. “Besides, if I stole it, I would remember. I’m a klepto” -Marinette, probably holding his ring too at this point.

Hal obviously doesn’t want the wrath of the Dupain-Chengs (just the kid Marinette scares him enough), so he tells the guardians that JL will take care of most of Mari’s training (once they get her a lamp for her ring, of course) & has her take part in training at Mt. Justice with the Young Justice team and special training with the Bats. Mari does all this under the guise of an international student exchange program for Mari to stay with the Waynes (not yet knowing that it’s the bat fam) and attends G.A. Mari doesn’t do much, but it takes her 24-36 hours to know who EVERYONE is.

[the next week after settling in]

“Hey, Mars,” -Dick, in his Nightwing gear

“Hey, Di-is the GREATEST SHOW!” -Mari, changing the subject(… not really)

“How long did it take you?”

“Not as long as the Kryptonians…” -Mari, going off into a tangent (still trying to change the subject”

[When Marinette meets Tikki]

Back in Paris:

“Sooo… I’m getting powerful jewelry that gives me powers and a suit, needs to be recharged, and comes from some Order of the Guardians? What’s the difference between you and my ring?” -Marinette, who at this point is very confused as to why she keeps getting picked on for this kind of stuff.

“One’s alien, one’s magic” -Tikki, hoping Mari will end it there & lowkey hates that the GL Corp. got to her first.

“They’re both non-human made energy sources” -Mari, cause once you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it all before.

“You can’t heal the Akuma without the miraculous, and there are more than just rings. Yours are earrings, there are hair clips, bracelets, necklaces and more” -Tikki, after having a minute to think

“Fine, only because you said they’re the only way to heal the, what was it again, akuma?”

6) “Their Unofficial Official Barista”

Part of Tim’s job as Co-CEO, is to make sure all the branches are running smoothly, sometimes that means he has to fly abroad to manually check in. Tim goes to Paris to check on the W.E. Paris branch. He goes to a nearby Patisserie (Tom and Sabine’s) to see a young Marinette (somewhere from 8-11) drawing in her sketchbook at the counter. She explains that her parents are at a catering event, but she’s there to man the little bakery. Tim asks for a super caffeinated coffee and Marinette makes it with ease, claiming it was on the house with how bad he looks (and how much sleep the man clearly needs). Tim begs for her knowledge and asks if she can teach his butler. Mari’s willing to show him the next time he comes, so he gets the whole fam to go (viz tubes so they don’t waste time) maybe a week later. Everyone gets their own drink (plus a free pastries) and Marinette teaches Alfred her coffee, but it’s just not the same so Tim, using the tubes, goes to get coffee from the girl whenever he can.

Mari is horrible at getting up on time (the life of an insomniac, never getting to sleep even if you want and then barely waking up on time) that she is up super early, makes Tim his coffee (plus a croissant) and tries to go back to sleep (making her inevitably late). Tim would walk up to the pick-up counter where his cup and to-go bag is while Marinette runs out of the house to get to school. Eventually, the rest of the Batfam (as well as the Laegue, TT, and YJ) frequent the place, slowly becoming (Dami too) Mari hides it, but she knew all the batfam the first day they came and she showed Alfred how to make the coffee. When the others start making more regular appearances, she learns the identities of YJ team, WW, GLs, and others. Obviously when LB and CN appear as heroes with HM as their villain, they immediately reach out to help. Because 1. Batfam clearly notices that it’s Mari and they sure as heck won’t let her deal with that by herself, and 2. The JL is worrying too much about their favorite barista (even though she’s not really one), especially with the Gigantitan scare. So, of course LB & CN (can’t make him bad everytime) get inducted into YJ.

[After Ladybug finishes defeating Gigantitan and detransforms]

“Bean! Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” -Tim, being an even more protective older brother than Dick, which shouldn’t be possible

“Yes, I promise. I’m fine” -Marinette, who just accepts the fact that she’s adopted an older brother (and his famliy)

“Tube over, we’ll have Alfred make sure” -Dick, already pulling out the medical supplies for Alfred.

“I-”

“You shouldn’t worry your brothers like that, Marinette. Now come over so Alfred can clear you,” -Bruce, who just happens to overhear the conversation

“I’m sorry, Miss Marinette, they are very adamant that you’re in pitch perfect health before going out again,” -Alfred, who’s not actually sorry

“Fine” -Marinette, accepting her fate of her adopted, protective family.

7) “Thicker Than the Blood We’ve Shed”

Why is Marinette so freakishly strong? Because she was trained to be. Before she could even talk, Mari was taught to be an assassin. She and Damian were frenemies, both competing for top spot as best in the League (of Assassins). They often spared together and became rivals who pushed each other (which sounds great in that context if you forget about the fact that they’re killing people and turning it into a competition). When Damian’s care is turned over to Batsy, Mari also comes along for the ride. She implements herself into Dami’s classes at G.A. & watches him from afar. (Damian, not being an idiot, of course knows all this and knows that it’s probably for Mari to give a report to Talia.) When he becomes Robin, Mari obviously knows, but waits to see if anything drastic would happen (his care was given to the Batfam, they had already expected this to happen.) She then heard word of the bounty Talia put on Damian’s head. Marinette knew there wouldn’t be much she could do to help, but she ave Dami a warning about the upcoming situation before fleeing the country.

From there she got to France, changed her name (it wasn’t originally Marinette, it was Shénqí, chinese for miraculous/magical (or something else if you want)), was adopted by Tom & Sabine, and left her time in the League in the past. When she received Tikki, she didn’t want to be a hero because she didn’t think she deserved it after her up-bringing. Eventually, she did become LB (being a trained assassin does help with lucky charms, considering she was taught how to kill with basically every and anything), and life was good for her. Then Rossi came.

[Gotham field trip]

While at Wayne Tower…

“How idiotic are they?” -Damian, who after reuniting with his long-lost sister-from-a-different-mister (yes, Marinette was able to convince him to say it once), can’t understand the stupidity she has to deal with.

“Are you Robin?” -Mari, who is too tired, so just goes straight into the analogy

“Yes.” -Obvious and simply is.

“Exactly” -Mari, who can’t even put a limit to the amount of thought the one brain cell the class shares doesn’t use. I mean please, the so-called “reporter” believed that the first cosplayer she saw was the actual LB when they don’t even have the same hair! And let’s not forget the origins arc, where LB’s first citizen save was Chloe.

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omegasmileyface · 3 years

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IN THE ORIGINAL ASTRO BOY IT WASN'T ABOUT HIM BEING EXCEPTIONAL i mean he Was, just in that he was a robot hanging out with humans, and he was one of (one of!! not The) the strongest robots (discounting the pluto plot . i think tenma was on something when he way like "easy. yes. a million we can do that") and he had the whole 7 power set thing, due to ministry dedication, but that wasn't what made him special. what made him special was his bravery and dedication to peace (except when he was throwing shit at ppl but you know. paradox of tolerance) and problem solving skills and origin (expectations, the circus, etc). NOT TO MENTION that it wasn't even about him being special. in most of the stories the theme wasn't "Im Not Like Other Robots" the theme was, overwhelmingly, helping robots in general be respected.

and then the 2003 series used this idea of kokoro, working off the morals of peace and stuff like that to create a situation in which the conflict comes from the increasing similarity of ai to human brains. it created this divide between robots in general, who were intelligent but not perfectly, and the main characters with kokoro, who essentially had human brains but like electronic. but while it does cause a bit of an ideological divide (the idea that robots like Robita or Buddy are not as human as say atom or atlas) it also makes sure to insist that at least some of those morals apply to robots without kokoro, and it sort of represents a necessary time period-- its like if the original manga took place like 30 years ago when the modern Electronic Brain was just being perfected, and it wasn't commonly implemented. we still need to talk about how artificial life is treated while its imperfect or not all of it is perfect.

BUT THEN the 2009 movie took kokoro and ran with it. they turned it into the concept of the Blue Core and while it's usually acknowledged mainly as a power source, it's also implied that it contributes to how humanlike he is (for example the way his skin pales when it's removed... idk). regardless, it sets him apart from other robots, since he has this unique and powerful power source. AND while his brain works noticeably differently, he does still have all the memories of being human, so experientially he's closer to a human than a robot. honestly, sometimes he's portrayed as a halfway point between the 2 species (as opposed to the earlier series, where hes considered more of a full-robot ambassador for robots and humans (thus, ambassador atom)) so this is all to say-- in 2009 astro isn't a representative for robots, hes just himself. the 2009 movie isn't a story about robots, it's a story about astro boy specifically

which like would be fine except that the growth characters face in how they treat astro (acceptance, respect, just generally not torturing for entertainment or using as a weapon or a replacement) doesn't carry over to other characters? theres a slight implication (set up by the cartoon at the beginning and established by Orrin being treated with more respect at the end) that robots are not going to be considered disputable slaves, but (a) they dont outright address it or show it and (b) the RRF (robot communism... 🥺) is considered an unreasonable laughingstock to the end, which says a lot

I don't really have a point here except i guess that (tldr:) the astro boy series as a whole started off as (much like asimov's I, Robot) an analysis on how humanity is going to have to deal with the rise of artificial life. but as the series goes on, it strays further away from that Message and becomes more of a story for the sake of a story (or instead picks up a metaphor-- i could talk about 09 as an autistic metaphor 👀) and especially the 2009 movie... that's just a superhero movie, not a lesson about AI

#rwab #rrab #...yeah #not to crossover but tbh ive read danny phantom fanfictions that were like what's shown in 2009 #you know 2009 is a step away from being 'well idk about robots but we'll treat you ok bc you're basically a human ^^'#and writers love to make that same analysis with ghosts (+point out how that 'misses the point' so yeah. it misses the point in ab as well)#mooom roxys talking about robot rights again!!

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redvanillabee · 4 years

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Reintegrating AC/AOS into MCU: A Production Analysis

Whether or not you like the Marvel Studios as a company, you’ve got to admit that they are very, very good at taking any potentially profitable plotline and run with it. And since there’s been a lot of talk and speculation about the reintegration of Agents of SHIELD into the main MCU, I have decided to try to game that out from a business/production perspective.

Background: Business Incentive

The MCU has branched into TV shows before, through the format of licensing their characters out to other platforms and studios. The first examples that come to mind, of course, are Agent Carter and Agents of SHIELD. However, I believe that both Marvel and Disney want to stop that particular business model of licensing out.

If you look at the journey to the launch of Disney+, you can see a general trend of taking all their licenses and characters back under their control, without sharing with other companies. If you look at the Wiki timeline, for instance, Disney let their distribution agreement with Netflix end in 2019, just prior to the launch of D+. Since the announcement of D+, Marvel has also not renewed the licenses of several of their Netflix and Hulu shows. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, Runaways, and Cloak and Dagger all ended in 2018-2019. There is a clear move to stop licensing out, and save them for potential revivals on D+.

Agent Carter ended all the way back in 2016, so Disney/Marvel didn’t really need to end any licenses to reintegrate that story back into the MCU under Marvel Studios. As for Agents of SHIELD, I believe that the license is set to expire after S7 anyway, so I believe the business decision there is just to let it run out and end naturally.

Agent Carter, Agents of SHIELD, and the MCU

Even if there’s a business decision, to make the transition palatable to the audience who are watching the story, they will need to lay the narrative groundwork. And that groundwork has already been laid.

I think it would be accurate to say that both shows have basically shot off from the MCU, to the extent where they had very little to do with the films. Agent Carter shot off into a whole SSR world that had very little to do with the films. As for AOS, after the tie-in to Ultron at the end of Season 2, MCU only gets an Easter egg here and there.

I am inclined to believe that these are deliberate rules set out in the agreement between the Marvel Studios and ABC. Perhaps there are limitations on what they can borrow from the films and what not. That said, I think at the end of MCU Phase 3, there is a clear move to slowly reintegrate at least Agent Carter back into the MCU. With Edwin Jarvis and Peggy’s reappearance in Endgame, and AOS grabbing Sousa in S7, Agent Carter has effectively been absorbed in this reintegration process. Now there is only one element left.

Next stop, AOS.

SWORD and SHIELD: Production Clash

We need to remember that during the production of WandaVision, there is no indication that Agents of SHIELD would end on...this kind of note. WandaVision began production in fall 2019, around the same time when AOS S7 was being produced. There were no indication that the finale would be this well received. There were no indication that the audience would want astro ambassadors/SWORD. Heck, even the AOS writers didn’t know if Daisy and Sousa were gonna work until halfway into the season’s production.

I have previously discussed that Marvel is priming the audience for a return of an overarching organisation/authority like SHIELD in Phase 1, and I stand by that analysis. Given what Marvel seems to be aiming at (reintegration of all characters under Marvel Studios), I believe that at least the high level execs would have been in contact with the production teams of WV and AOS, to see if it is possible to use SHIELD/SWORD/any other authorities as a window for the SHIELD agents to come home. Is there an overarching organisation in WV? Can AOS end on a note that can lead into a new organisation, or a new branch of SHIELD?

With that, the two stories need to meet halfway. The AOS team is pulling threads as the production goes along, and managed to end on the Astro Ambassadors. Meanwhile, the WV team is preparing for a...narrative dock, that can join to AOS.

That narrative dock is SWORD. Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division, an authority, dealing with super-powered individuals (cough Quake cough), has canonical ties to SHIELD in the comics.

Monica, Darcy, Jimmy, Daisy, Sousa, Kora

And so, here we are. Pretty much everyone who has seen AOS S7 and WV can tell you how easy it would to fit the Astro Ambassadors in with SWORD. How we can easily bring the six characters listed above together. And I believe that is deliberate! From my perspective, it is not them creating a pseudo-AOS on the grave of the show. The ways in which we see how easily it would be to slot AOS characters into WV are deliberately written there, so that if AOS ends on a high note, they can bring the Astro Ambassadors in if they so choose.

Does that mean they definitely would bring Daisy and Sousa and Kora in? Heck, I don’t know. But here’s one thing I think is important to bear in mind: the MCU didn’t happen by chance. The Marvel Studios may not be the most meticulous storytellers out there, but they know how to take advantage of storylines that work and that the audience love. Remember, they licensed a whole Coulson show because the fandom was relentlessly refusing to acknowledge his death.

And from a business perspective, if that means they can lure AOS viewers to get a D+ account to watch more Phase 4 stuff, why not?

#i say things #mcu spec #wandavision #agents of shield #this is the kinds of shower thoughts i have so uh fun brain #i will admit that i tend not to get too salty about production companies #they can do whatever they want

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asingularbee · 3 years

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thank you for the tag bestie !! @limbogoth

why did you choose your url? very odd reasoning for what is otherwise a normal url, but idk bees strike me as gender neutral in their vibes? ik theyre painfully gendered irl to survive, dont worry lol. and then the singular is a weird mashup of like me studying latin at the time i came up with it, and me living my life like that brain in A Wrinkle In Time??? yh i deeped it idk why

any sideblogs? yes, three currently working ones!! my jatp one is @oldsmobile-hotdogs , my kpop one is @fallincarat and my måneskin one is @searching-for-redemption . im also trying to get a six idiots one ( @they-smells-burnins ) off the ground but ill be honest im not sure how?

how long have you been on tumblr? last i checked, i joined sometime in 2015, probably shortly after seventeen debuted if my memories of what i used to post are anything to go by, and then i dipped after nipplegate (for numerous reasons, some nipple-related, some not) and then got back on here during lockdown 1? i wanna say? like april 2020? maybe?

do you have a queue tag? no lol, much to the chagrin of my moots sometimes

why did you start your blog? genuinely think it was for kpopblr. huh.

why did you choose your header? cuz my old one was jelly babies even though i cant remember enjoying a jelly baby so i thought it was about time i replaced it with a candy i actually liked

why did you choose your icon? its a picrew of me, and of all the ones ive tried it supplies like 11 more gallons gender euphoria than any others

what's your post with the most notes? powerpuff girls cw reboot bingo board 😔😔 (its clear as day on my top posts if you wanna see it)

how many followers do you have? 127 on this blog (why youre all here is beyond me but-)

how many people do you follow? hoo boy 336 different blogs (tbf quite a few of them are inactive and ive kept them for sentimental value)

have you ever made a shitpost? yeah but they vary in shitposty-ness iygm

how often do you use tumblr? too often 😃 its reached fridge status

did you have a fight/argument with a blog once? are we counting that spammy ghosts anon? if so yeah, tho there wasnt much [any] back and forth

how do you feel about "you need to reblog this" posts? they dont know my life, i remember when they used to circulate on instagram lgbtq+ help pages adminned by 12 teenagers (of which i was one, shout out pandragons 🤪) also sometimes theyre out of date or just plain wrong? anyway thats more to do with news values than tumblr. rest assured any reblog bait found on my blog is abt like cats being cute

do you like tag games? very much so! sometimes i dont feel up to them, but when i do i like getting on my little soapbox and sharing predetermined fun facts abt myself

which one of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous? uhhh i cant narrow it down to one, off the top of my head @willexxmercer @owenmercers @flynns-eyeliner-my-beloved @plangentia @the-astro-ambassadors

do you have a crush on a mutual? no

no pressure tags: everyone already tagged and then also @lyxchen @k-padfoot39 @hvliophilia @anna-of-cleves

#tag game

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yelena-bellova · 4 years

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Congrats on 900 followers <3 , 7 and 16 for the prompts for daisy/sousa thank youuuu

Whatever Comes After Forever

Plot: A look into Daisy and Daniel’s life after the finale

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: None!

A/N: I got carried away with the domestic Dousy, whoops lol

————

7: “You really were my first and last.”

16: “Will you love me like this forever?”

————

The Astro Ambassadors were currently as far from Earth as they could be.

It was important that they establish good relations with other planets, that was kind of the whole point of their mission. They’d finished up a meeting with the leader of the world they were on, Daisy couldn’t pronounce the name, and he’d told them to go enjoy themselves. Kora had taken some of the rest of their team and headed into town, Daisy was trying her hardest not to worry about her sister. It was a strange adjustment, but with each day they were building a stronger relationship.

“She’s fine, Daisy.”  She turned and looked down to Daniel, eyes closed and relaxed on the blanket they’d brought to the hill. His hand was absentmindedly stroking her back as she sat, where they’d positioned themselves provided a perfect view of the city below. But the view next to her was far more attractive.

“Do we have some psychic-link I’m not aware of or something?” she asked as she laid down next to him, his arm wrapping around her shoulders and drawing her in closer.

“No,” Daniel replied, “I just know you.”  Daisy smiled, admiring the sunset glow that lit up his side profile. After all they’d been through, after a year together, she was still just as crazy about him as she’d been when they began dating. He’d adjusted so quickly to space, he was still in awe of the fact that they were actually there. She’d sneak a glance at him sometimes when they were in the cockpit, his eyes wide and his jaw slackened as he stared out into the cosmos. It was adorable.

Daniel turned his head and opened one eye to her, “You know, it’s rude to stare.”  “Can’t help it,” she smirked.

He smiled softly and wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him. She snuggled into him, her face resting in the crook of his neck and her hand pressed to his firm chest. Daisy had died and gone to Heaven, she was sure of it. There was no way that she could possibly be this lucky.

“I love you,” Daisy said with a kiss to his cheek.

“I love you too,” Daniel replied, squeezing her tightly and pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead.

“Will you love me like this forever?” she asked after a few moments of silence.

“I’ll love you forever and in whatever comes after forever,” he whispered.

Yep, she’d definitely died and gone to Heaven.

————

After they’d returned from their long mission in space, they both decided to take a long break. Kora continued training at SHIELD and under Daisy’s watchful eye, she was flourishing.

Daniel and Daisy decided to take the next step in their relationship and get an apartment together. They’d technically been living together on Zephyr 3 for months, but this felt much more official. They found a place close enough to SHIELD for work but far enough away that they could begin building a life of their own. They’d painted the walls, adorned them with pictures of their adventures in space, and assembled all their furniture. They were flat on their back exhausted.

“I don’t think I can move,” Daisy groaned, she was laid out on their loveseat, her clothes stained with dried blue paint.

Daniel chuckled from their L shaped couch, “The mighty Quake defeated by some bookshelves.”  Daisy craned her neck to glare at him and pointed a finger, “It should be illegal to have that many different types of screws for one piece of furniture.”  Daniel laughed again before slipping back into humming a song on the radio. It was one of the few expensive purchases he’d made, he’d sprung for one that looked like one he’d had in the fifties. It also had a port to plug in your phone which, surprisingly, he used frequently. The Spotify playlist he’d made of all his old favorites was still playing from the kitchen table. Daisy heard him get up but didn’t open her eyes until she sensed him standing over her,

“Dance with me.”  She looked up at him, the sight of his warm eyes and outstretched hand too perfect to turn down. She took his palm and let him pull her to her feet before moving his hands to her waist. Locking hers around his neck, they began to sway slowly to Frank Sinatra’s voice. Daisy tucked her head under Daniel’s chin and relaxed into his body. This was another moment that she felt was too good to be true. Dancing in the apartment she shared with the love of her life with no threats, no danger…Just them.

“Will you love me like this forever?” she asked, looking up to lock eyes with him.

Daniel sighed, admiring his girlfriend in all her glory with her messy bun and paint streaked face. He brought a hand up to cup her cheek, “I’ll love you forever and in whatever comes after forever.”

He leaned down to slide his lips over hers softly, they kept swaying in each other’s arms long after the music had stopped.

—————

“You look gorgeous!”  “Daisy, that dress! Daniel’s going to be all over you as soon as he sees you!”

Daisy giggled at her friends as she took a look at herself in the full length mirror. Even she had to admit, she looked stunning in her sweetheart neckline, strapless, lacy wedding dress.

“Auntie Daisy looks like a princess!” Alya exclaimed, tugging at her mother’s arm.

“Doesn’t she?” Jemma replied, spinning her daughter with one hand while her other rested on her very visible bump.

A knock at the door prompted the women to turn to their attention, May came through.

“It’s about that time,” she announced, “You ready?”  Daisy took a deep breath, “Definitely.”

Yo-Yo, Kira, Jemma and little Alya filed out of the room one by one, all wishing Daisy good luck before taking their places. Daisy waited anxiously for her cue to come, she wasn’t having second thoughts about Daniel, not at all. But just as she’d felt when they got their apartment, it all seemed to good to be true.

Another knock, this time she knew exactly who it was.

“Come in!”

The door opened and revealed Coulson, clothed in a much dressier suit than usual. As soon as he laid eyes on Daisy, tears sprung to his eyes at the sight of her.  “Wow…” he whispered, his voice compromised with emotion.

 She rushed across the small dressing room into his arms, needing reassurance that everything was going to be okay.  “Coulson, I’m scared.”  “Why?” he asked, “What’s wrong?”  Daisy shook her head, pressed into his shoulder, “I just feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing in my life has ever gone as well as Daniel and I have but what if we go through with this and-and something happens and it ends?”

“Daisy, Daisy,” Coulson soothed as he wrapped her in his arms, “Shh..”  Once her breathing had calmed and she’d stopped rambling, Coulson pulled back to meet her worried eyes,

“There’s no one more deserving of a happy ending than you,” he said confidently, “And it’s waiting for you at the end of that aisle. You have to trust in the fact that you and Daniel are strong enough to make it through whatever lies in your future.”  Daisy hadn’t realized there were tears in her eyes till one dripped down her cheek. Coulson was quick to pull a handkerchief out of his pocket and dab at her face.

“Now,” he began with a smile, “I think they’re waiting on us out there.”  Daisy laughed as she collected herself, locating her bouquet and adjusting her dress.

 “Okay, let’s do this,” she said with a genuine smile as she took Coulson’s arm.

They left the dressing room and walked the short distance outside, they could hear the violinist that was playing as the bridal party made their way down the aisle. Soon enough, the song switched to the one Daisy had selected as her bridal march. Coulson looked to her for assurance that she was ready, she exhaled slowly and nodded. They began their walk out towards the aisle, all eyes in their small wedding party turning to her but she was only focused on one pair.

Daniel.

He waited at the end dressed in a very dapper black suit, his hand coming up to his cheek to brush a tear away at the sight of his beautiful fiancé. Suddenly, all of Daisy’s racing thoughts calmed and she couldn’t get to the aisle fast enough. Coulson was right, she had earned her happy ending. Daniel and her could make it through whatever came their way, they’d certainly made it through a lot already.

Once they reached the floral archway, Daisy handed her bouquet to Jemma and Coulson switched positions to stand between Daniel and her. To be honest, neither Daisy nor Daniel could remember a thing he was saying. They were too engrossed in each other until they heard the word ‘vows’ spoken.

Daisy volunteered to go first as Jemma handed her the small folded piece of paper,

“Daniel,” she started, “I never in a million years thought I would end up here. Let alone with someone standing across from me who I had to the travel to find,”  A quiet chorus of chuckles rang out.

“But here we are and here I am saying that I would have crossed a million galaxies, traveled to any decade and taken any risk needed if I knew that it was you waiting at the end of all of it. I love you more than anything in this world and whatever may come, good or bad, I know that I can face it with you by my side.”  Daniel swiped at his eyes again as Daisy handed the paper back to Jemma while he took his from Mack,

“Daisy, I shouldn’t be here. But because of you and the team, I’m standing here ready to begin my new life with you. The new life you gave me. You are my first and my last, my beginning and my ending, you’re my superhero. I promise to always pick you up, to always support you in whatever insane ideas you have and to be there in whatever way you need me, till my last breath,” he took Daisy’s trembling hand, “I will love you in this forever and in whatever comes after forever.”  Tears freely streamed down Daisy’s face as he finished, giving her all the reassurance she needed that they’d be okay. They exchanged their rings, said ‘I do’ and then Coulson proudly told Daniel that he could kiss his bride. He took Daisy into his arms and dipped her as they sealed their marriage in the sweetest of kisses.

This, Daisy thought, this is what forever feels like.

————

They’d retired from field work once they’d found out Daisy was pregnant, two years after their wedding. She’d given birth to twins, they’d named them Phillip Daniel Sousa and Mackenzie Anne Sousa. While completely overwhelmed trying to handle two babies, they were happier than they’d ever been. Daisy doubted her abilities as a mother at first since she’d never had a stable family herself. Daniel refused to let her believe she was anything but the best mom in the world.

After Phillip and Mackenzie’s first birthday, Daniel and Daisy agreed that it was time to move out of the city. Their relocated to upstate New York, buying a small house perfect for their family. Their status in SHIELD changed once more as they became consultants rather than full time agents. Neither of them wanted to give up their work totally, but they put their family first before anything else.

Their children grew up hearing stories of their father’s adventures in the fifties and their mother’s daring tales of traveling through space. When they were ten, they both discovered their Inhuman abilities. Daisy trained them to master their abilities flawlessly, she couldn’t have been prouder of her children. When they were older, Phillip became a SHIELD agent while Mackenzie went to SWORD, she was much more interested in space than her brother.

Decades later, Daniel and Daisy sat on the front porch of their home watching the sunset. Their hair had greyed, their skin had wrinkled and they’d lived through more life than most had. Their love had not only survived, it had flourished and grown stronger. They’d kept their vows to each other each and every day, through thick and thin.

Daisy peeked over at her husband, admiring the sunlight on his face just as she had that day on the planet she still couldn’t pronounce the name of. He caught her and turned to face her, his arm wrapped around her waist tightened as he pulled her closer to him.

“You really were my first and last,” he remarked with a smile.

“And I still would’ve travelled to any galaxy to get to you,” she replied, tracing the still sharp jawline.

Daniel leaned forward and kissed Daisy’s temple, “Happy Anniversary, Quake.”  She wrapped her arm around his middle, “Same to you, Danny Boy.”  ————

900 Followers Celebration

#agents of shield #aos #daisy johnson #daniel sousa #dousy #timequake #daisous #daisousa #dousy fanfiction #timequake fanfiction #daniel sousa fanfiction #daisy johnson fanfiction

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the-silvr-speedster · 4 years

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The Totally Crazy Adventures of the Astro Ambassadors

Fandom: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Relationships: Daisy Johnson / Daniel Sousa, Daisy Johnson & Kora, Kora & Daniel Sousa

After they return from their six-month mission in space, Daisy, Daniel and Kora want just a bit of peace and quiet before they are shipped off on another space adventure. But Mack has other plans for them since they are needed for one more short mission. However, things might not go according to plan and without the extraction team, they have to rely on a teleporting device they've never used before.

Chapter 1: Just One More Adventure

Read on AO3 or here ↓

I teased last week that I am working on something and now I deliver. It took me longer then anticipated, the story started to write itself so it was taking different turns than those I originally planned, and I was unfortunatelly most productive only from midnight until 4 a.m. Anyway, here is my new multichapter fic. I hope you like it. Updates should come every week on Wednesday. Hopefully.

I am sorry for any mistakes. I don’t have a beta.

So, the story begins in October 2020 (oh, how much I would love to live in their corona-free universe), about four months after the one year jump in the last episode.

It will totally make my day better if you leave kudos, comments or reblog this. I need positive motivation.

Happy reading!

“I like this,” Daisy mumbled contently, twirling a reddish maple leaf in her fingers absentmindedly. She was sprawled on a blanket with her head placed on Daniel’s lap, watching the rustling leaves of the maple tree above her.

It was a nice day in early October. Warm enough for a picnic at their favorite spot in a park yet a bit chilly with the fresh autumn breeze but that was nothing a warm blanket and hot cocoa couldn’t solve.

Daniel stopped reading a book and looked down at her with a smile. “What in particular?”

“Uh, I don’t know,” Daisy said unsure, meeting his eyes. “This? Right now, right here. Us. The peace and quiet,” she paused before looking at him again. Seeing his amused expression, she added: “Hey, don’t look at me like that. I can appreciate peace and quiet.”

“Uh-huh. Right. But only for so long before you barge into another storm…or cause it,” Daniel laughed at her mock offended pout.

Daisy playfully smacked him on the arm. “That’s not true and you know it. I don’t cause problems anymore. I am the commander of Zephyr-3.”

“Hmm…Termans would disagree,” Daniel chuckled.

“Hey!” She gasped. “That was on Kora, not me!”

“If you say so,” Daniel shrugged and picked the book up again, a teasing grin spreading on his face. “Quake.”

Daisy groaned. If she ever thought that he’s gonna drop the whole Quake thing after some time, she had never been more wrong. Not when most of the universe out there knows her as Quake.

“Don’t push your luck Danny-boy.”

“Or what? You quake me?” He asked her with a raised eyebrow and a glint in his eyes.

“Definitely not. It’s not a punishment when you actually want it,” she winked at him teasingly. “No, you will sleep on a couch.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t do that.”

“Yes, I would,” Daisy stuck her tongue out and then yelped when Daniel proceeded to tickle her. “You…really…wanna…find…out,” she managed to get out in between giggles.

When he finally stopped his attack, she took a moment to catch her breath, watching his smug expression. “You are a dork,” she said with a huge grin.

“I love you, too,” he told her, a tender smile playing on his lips.

She sat up and cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand. Daniel leaned into her touch and placed his hand on top of hers, the engagement ring on her finger lightly pressing against his palm. He moved her hand to his lips and placed a small kiss on her fingers, his eyes never leaving hers. Well, forget the cocoa, this warmed Daisy up much more. She closed the distance between them bringing their lips together in a short but sweet kiss.

“I love you,” she whispered like it was a secret kept just between the two of them. Their faces lingered close to each other for a while longer, just to enjoy their little bubble. Daisy then changed her position and leaned against Daniel’s side. He snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her even closer and placed a kiss on her temple before grabbing the forgotten book again.

Daisy let out a content sigh. “This is what I meant. I like being out there, exploring the universe with you and Kora and our team but…I love this, too. I missed it for those six months we were away. Just the two of us enjoying some time together without other people and…mission updates and…looming threats…” She looked up at him and let out a soft laugh. “I’m rambling now, aren’t I?”

“I like listening to your rambling,” he said and kissed her temple again. “And I know what you mean. I feel the same way. I like our adventures but I love our time together. Just the two of us. But hey, we have a couple of months before the next mission is scheduled. So, we are okay.”

“Yeah. We have a wedding to attend to,” Daisy grinned at him.

“Uh-huh.” Daniel looked at her with a small smile. “That wouldn’t be very nice if we didn’t show up there now, would it?”

“It definitely wouldn’t. We are too important,” she laughed lightly and put her head on his shoulder.

Daniel shifted his focus to the book again but before he resumed the reading, a memory crossed his mind and he let out a chuckle.

“What?” Daisy asked curiously.

“You know, the first time we came here to have a picnic you said ‘How very square of you’ and how sappy and tooth-rottingly sweet we sound and look. Sitting here under the tree, me reading to you, you laying on a blanket with your head in my lap always trying to hide that big smile of yours…and failing,” he laughed and shook his head. “And now…”

“And now I say I like it,” she mumbled into his shoulder and cringed as she said it. “I think I just…I guess I blame you for that,” she told him lightly.

“Me?” he asked jokingly, turning his head to look at her but Daisy kept staring at her fingers, playing with the engagement ring on her left hand.

“Yeah. I’ve never thought I would like something like this before I met you. An ordinary life. Well, as ordinary as one can get while still working for S.H.I.E.L.D.,” she chuckled softly. “And even before joining S.H.I.E.L.D….I’ve never thought I could have this. I just couldn’t see it for myself, growing up the way I did. And later I’ve thought I…I don’t deserve this.”

“Daisy- “

“So yeah. Uh…I still think we are overly sweet sometimes but…” she looked up and met Daniel’s warm brown eyes, “I like it. I always did. I’ve just never thought I could be this person. And I have you to thank for that. You showed me that I can be this person…that I deserve a little normalcy in my life.” She lowered her gaze again, her hands picking at his shirt this time. “That I deserve to be loved and to love.”

“Of course, you deserve it. You deserve the best things in the universe,” Daniel put the book down and ran his hand through her hair before cupping her cheek and guiding her face to look up at him again. There were unshed tears shining in her beautiful eyes. She tried to blink them away offering him a watery smile. But then with a little shake of her head, she switched back to her joking self.

“Gah! Even now I sound so corny! I don’t even recognize myself sometimes. Kora says you are rubbing off on me. Making me a dorky square like yourself,” she smirked and poked him in the chest. “She says it’s annoying. But you know what? I don’t care.”

Daniel gave her his best lopsided grin. “Because you love this dorky square?”

“Yep. Exactly,” Daisy flashed him the biggest smile. “And…I like to annoy my little sister.”

They were suddenly interrupted by the ringing of Daisy’s phone. She sighed as her hand dived into the back pocket of her jeans, fishing it out. She cursed silently as she saw the caller ID flashing across the screen. There go peace and quiet.

“We were pushing our luck earlier. It’s Mack,” she informed Daniel with a sad smile, knowing that whatever it is, it will involve getting back to work, even if it’s Sunday.

“Hey Director, what’s up?” she asked him lightly.

“Hey Tremors,” Mack started with a tired sigh. The man just keeps working too much. “Listen, I know that it’s a weekend and you’ve just got back from space few days ago but I need you to come in. Both of you, assuming Sousa is there with you.”

“What’s going on? You sound tired,” Daisy remarked worriedly.

“I’ll disclose the details when you get here. Come as soon as you can,” he replied.

“Okay. Uh, we can be there in…thirty?” She said, uncertain, meeting Daniel’s eyes for confirmation. He nodded.

“Great. See you then.”

“See ya.” Daisy kept her eyes on Daniel and shrugged as the call ended.

“So, I guess we won’t finish the chapter today,” he commented, book in hand.

“I guess not.”

⁂

When the duo arrived at Triskelion some twenty minutes later, they bumped into Kora in the lobby. She looked a little disheveled, annoyed expression plastered on her face.

“I guess Mack called you guys, too. On Sunday of all days,” she mumbled with a hoarse voice.

“Were you…sleeping?” Daisy asked her, raising her eyebrows.

“And? It’s Sunday. We came back from space four days ago. I have a lot of sleep to catch up on. And I can finally sleep in a normal bed,” she defended herself fiercely.

“Ooookay. Let’s go find Mack and get this over with so we can all go home and relax…or whatever,” Daisy offered and started to walk towards the elevators.

When they reached Director’s office, Mack opened the door before they even had the time to knock. He quickly ushered them inside and closed the door behind them.

“What- “ Daisy started but Mack cut her off.

“Sagittarians contacted HQ earlier today. They want to meet up and discuss a potential alliance.”

“You really don’t beat around the bush, do you?” Daniel remarked and Mack just shrugged.

“Are you kidding me?” Daisy spoke up a little too loudly, clearly frustrated. “We stopped on Berhert less than two weeks ago on our way home and they refused to talk to us. What changed?”

“They didn’t care to elaborate on that. But they want to meet up today,” Mack informed the three agents.

“Yeah, that’s funny. Since it will take us almost two days to get there. It’s three jumps away and the jump drive needs to charge in between the jumps…so…not today,” Kora explained as she plopped into a chair with a heavy sigh.

“They know that. That’s why they are sending someone to get you,” Mack stated, his hand scratching his beard in thought. “Apparently, they have some kind of advanced tech for interstellar travel without the need to use a spaceship.”

“Well, they are known for their impressive technology. That much we gathered about them by visiting other planets. We didn’t see much ourselves since they didn’t give us the permission to land,” Daisy grumbled still frustrated after the last encounter with the aliens.

“But isn’t it just a different version of our jump drive?” Daniel asked, leaning against Mack’s table. “Like the one we have on the Zephyrs but it moves just people around the galaxy?”

“No. These jump drives…we didn’t invent them,” Mack tried to clarify. “We got one from a crashed Confederacy ship and recreated more, thanks to Deke. So, yeah, he basically stole the technology. The original one could teleport even people themselves without the need of a spaceship. But it was always a one-way trip unless there was another jump drive on the other side.”

“Meaning?” Daniel gave him a confused look.

“Meaning that whatever tech Sagittarians possess, they are probably teleported with the device in hand,” Daisy explained to him and then turned to face Mack. “But Deke redesigned the original jump drive to be wearable. Remember? He used it to get to the temple.”

“And failed to get back to the Lighthouse,” Mack remarked. “Look, whatever they have, we’ll see soon enough. But I have to say, having a device like that in S.H.I.E.L.D. would be very useful. You guys wouldn’t have to spend so much time drifting in between planets and could spend more time at home.”

“Sleeping in a normal bed,” Kora added dreamily.

Daisy raised an eyebrow at her and sighed. She had to admit that it would be a much more comfortable way for visiting planets.

“So, what are our orders Director?” she asked.

“Suit up. They’ll come to get you in two hours,” he paused, thinking. “If they will be willing to trade one of those devices, we have to come up with a suitable counteroffer.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” Daniel shrugged. “Considering how they refused to talk to us only to change their mind so suddenly. I don’t really trust them.”

“We’ll do our best and see how that goes,” Daisy fixed everyone with a determined gaze. “Let’s suit up.”

“Just one more adventure for the Astro Ambassadors before a few months break,” Daniel muttered pushing himself off the table.

Kora groaned and Daisy shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips as she led the way out of Mack’s office so they could get ready for their new mission.

⁂

Two hours later they were all gathered in the HQ’s hangar waiting for the Sagittarians to show up. Wearing her Quake suit, Daisy was shuffling her feet nervously, standing between Mack and Daniel. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. There was just something unsettling about the way the Sagittarians changed their mind so fast. She doesn’t know much about them but what she does know is that they are a monarchy led by a princess called Daydra who may or may not have some dispute with her uncle who is the head of their military. The last thing Daisy wanted was to get mixed up in family affairs and instead of a new ally make a new enemy. Daniel, being as observant as ever, took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She offered him a grateful smile in return.

Suddenly they were startled by a bright blue light in front of them. They shut their eyes to block the light and when they opened them again two tall grey-skinned aliens stood before them. One was a male and the other was a female, both looking like warriors. The woman had long black hair woven into a braid and her dark grey eyes were studying the humans in front of her cautiously yet with a drop of curiosity. Slightly taller than her, the man had an impressive white mustache and was bald with-

“Is that…a fin on his head?” Kora whispered in Daisy’s ear from behind.

“I…think so?” Daisy whispered back.

“Greetings Terrans. My name is Brodin,” the guy with the fin spoke. “I am a Captain of the Royal Guard and I and my second-in-command, Adlynn, were tasked to bring you to our planet Berhert for the scheduled meeting with Princess Daydra, our fearless leader.”

The group of humans shared a look between each other before Mack spoke up.

“I am Alphonso MacKenzie, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Welcome to Earth. I believe we spoke to each other when you contacted us this morning.”

“That is correct. I see you assembled the small team you wanted to send as emissaries since you will not be attending personally,” Brodin commented, pointing his hand towards Daisy, Daniel and Kora.

“Yes. They are some of our best agents,” Mack looked at the trio standing by his side with a proud smile. “Leaders of the special team tasked with space exploration and acquiring new allies…and assessing the threats from outer space.”

“That has been a wise decision on your part. There are many threats out there,” Adlynn spoke for the first time.

“Yes. We had enough bad luck to cross paths with some of them,” Mack remarked with a sigh. “So, anyway, this is Agent Daisy Johnson,” he put his big hand on Daisy’s shoulder. “She is in command of Zephyr-3 and its space exploring team.”

Daisy smiled at the two aliens and gave them a nod.

“Next to her,” Mack continued, “is Agent Daniel Sousa. He is her second-in-command or a first officer on Zephyr-3.”

“Nice to meet you.” Daniel, as polite as ever, offered them a hand to shake but Daisy could hear an edge to his voice, which was missing its usual warm friendliness.

“Likewise,” Brodin replied with a neutral voice and shook Daniel’s hand as did Adlynn.

Daisy sighed in relief because she could still vividly remember the time when Daniel offered a handshake on a planet where it was considered inappropriate due to rules of no physical contact in public. She had to quake a guard off of him and then explain in length that they didn’t know it was forbidden since on Earth it’s a gesture of friendship. They barely evaded the prison and were immediately exiled from the planet, never to return back. It was impossible to learn the etiquette rules of all the planets before they visited them.

“And finally, this is Agent Kora Johnson. She is one of our best pilots and a valued member of this team,” Mack pointed to Kora who in the meantime moved to stand on Daniel’s other side.

“We came to your planet like ten days ago and you refused to let us land,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Kora!” Daisy hissed warningly while Daniel tensed beside her and Mack ran his hand down his face with a sigh.

“What? It’s the truth. We came as emissaries too and they refused to talk to us. Now they are suddenly willing to,” Kora voiced her concerns.

“We are deeply sorry for that. There was…a misunderstanding on our end that had nothing to do with you,” Adlynn explained with a sad smile.

That seemed to calm Kora down a little but it sparked some suspicions in Daisy’s head. But this was nor time or place to be voicing them.

“It’s okay,” Mack assured them.

“If these are your most trusted agents who can speak on your behalf at the meeting with Princess Daydra, it is my duty now to bring them to our planet safely,” Brodin announced.

“Yes, they have all my trust,” Mack nodded and put his hand encouragingly on Daisy’s shoulder. “Agents, good luck,” Mack added, looking from Daisy to Daniel and Kora who both nodded at him.

“Thank you, Director.” Daisy squeezed his arm in response.

“Thank you, sir,” Daniel said at the same time.

“Let’s go then,” Brodin suggested and held a spherical device, slightly smaller than a soccer ball, in front of him. “Please stand in a circle as close to the device as possible.”

“If I may ask,” Mack spoke up again, “what is that thing?”

“It’s an interstellar and interdimensional teleportation device,” Brodin explained. “It allows us to travel anywhere in the universe or even between the universes. Although I am not sure how much you Terrans know about the Multiverse.”

“It’s the same as multiple timelines, right?” Daisy asked, unsure.

“Yes, but it’s more than just that,” Brodin muttered, looking down at the device he was holding.

“Then, yes…uh, we know something about it,” Daisy looked at Daniel and Kora with an amused grin on her face.

“I am pleasantly surprised. Many races out there have never heard of it,” Adlynn commented, excitement visible in her eyes. “You are much more advanced than we thought.”

“Not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult,” Daniel whispered into Daisy’s ear and she tried hard not to smile.

“Yeah,” Mack sighed, scratching the back of his neck nervously, “you could say we discovered a lot in the past ten years or so.”

“Maybe your friends will share some of those discoveries with us. I would like to hear all about them. They are usually accompanied by interesting stories,” Adlynn couldn’t hide her excitement anymore.

“Sure,” Daisy said, “but you know, these things go both ways. We share if you do too.”

“This will be a very interesting meeting, I can tell,” Adlynn smiled while Brodin shook his head with a sigh.

“That’s why we should be going, Adlynn,” he noted dryly and held the device in the middle of their small circle.

“Of course, Captain,” Adlynn tried to compose herself and warned the trio of humans: “Get ready.”

Daisy grasped both Daniel’s and Kora’s hands in each of hers. The last thing she wanted was to lose one of them in the vacuum of space or whatever. She didn’t know how that device worked.

Suddenly they were all enveloped by the blue light emitting from the device in the middle. Somehow, in some way, it reminded her of Gordon’s powers.

Next Chapter →

I wrote this and the next chapter as one big chapter but decided to split them up...it was too long and I know some people prefer shorter chapters. This is the calm before the storm.

Both planets mentioned here exist in the MCU (Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2) but the Sagittarians were not mentioned so I took them out of the comics (I've never read any of them). Princess Daydra and her uncle exist in the comics the rest is made up.

So that's it then. Thanks for reading. Stay safe and see you all next week!

#the totally crazy adventures of the astro ambassadors #daisy/daniel #daisy johnson x daniel sousa #daisy x sousa #daisy & kora #daisy johnson & kora #dousy #dousy fic #astro ambassadors #fanfiction #my fanfiction #mine #agents of shield #daisy johnson #daniel sousa #kora

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daisylincs · 4 years

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Welcome to Danny Boy & Quake, the part of my 100 Followers Celebration where I'm going to actively celebrate Agents of SHIELD's ending - specifically, Daisy's ending. Because as pretty much everybody who follows me knows, Daisy is my favourite character in all the world - and I can't think of anyone who deserves this happiness more than she does.

So in this series, I'm going to be exploring Daisy and Daniel's life and adventures post-canon - everything from starting their new relationship properly, to becoming Astro Ambassadors together, to their dynamics with Kora and the rest of the team.

Like I explained here, in this series, I'm just going to give you guys the framework - all the specifics are for you to fill in. So if there's anything you'd like to see for these two, well, you've just come to the perfect place!

To prompt me for this series, start your ask with the words "Danny Boy & Quake prompt" so that I know what you're talking about. As for the prompts themselves, I'll be accepting them in these three kinds:

1. Dialogue Prompts. You send in a line of dialogue that you want to see in a fic, with this emoji - 😁 - attached to show me which prompt type you chose.

Example prompt: "Man, we really need to work on your vocabulary."

2. Setting Prompts. You describe a specific setting that you'd like me to explore, with the 😍 emoji to show me which prompt type you wanted.

Example prompt: Daniel and Daisy watching ET together.

3. Dynamic Prompts. The least shippy of all three - you send in one of the two main characters (Daniel or Daisy) plus another character that you would like to see them bond/have a BroTP moment with. There will still be some background Sousy in fics like this, but it will be mainly focused on the friendship you pick.

I'm going to be very loose with prompts like this, so feel free to be as specific or as unspecific as you like. The emoji to go along with this prompt type is the 🤗.

Example prompt: Daisy & Alya bond when Fitzsimmons are out on a date night and Daisy is babysitting (pre-Sousy going to space.)

So to draw it all together, an example prompt would look something like this:

😍 Danny Boy & Quake prompt: Daisy introduces Daniel to social media.

Does all of that make sense? I hope it does, and I really hope that you guys have some prompts for me! I know I've got a ton of other projects at the moment, but my goodness, this just looks so fun! I really can't wait...

I hope that you guys like this idea, too - because after all, this is for you. I can't really describe how special an experience it's been to see the numbers of my followers tick up every day, so I just wanted to say it again: thank you. With all my heart, thank you!!

Update: prompts are now closed. Thank you very much to everyone who sent something in, I got a some really great ones, and gosh, I am so excited for this!!

#danny boy & quake #100 followers celebration #prompt me!#sousy #sousy fic #dousy #dousy fic

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ryder616 · 4 years

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In the better timeline where AoS has several spin-offs and one of them is the Astro Ambassadors (I will never, ever tire of writing this name btw 😂), the Zephyr 3 should absolutely have a Chronicom crewmate.

The kick-off mission is helping the Chronicoms resettle on a new planet, since in the main timeline Chronica II is still kaboom and Earth isn’t changing tenants for a while longer. Terah (means “Wanderer” and works as a non-gendered name so casting could look for all genders) is the Chronicoms/Z3 liason and after the first mission is done decides/asks to accompany the humans in their further travels to learn more about this newfound empathy and feelings they’ve been given.

The Zephyr 3 will need someone with knowledge of the galaxy at large. Daisy’s the only one who has any experience travelling through space and meeting new species but that could never compare to a Chronicom who’s likely been alive for thousands of years.

What’s a space show without a non-human character providing commentary on the human condition?

We had very little interaction between Daisy and the Chronicoms. I mean, she beat them up and blown them up plenty but, other than keeping Enoch company in his death scene, she’s only ever truly interacted non-violently with Noah. Remember how she commandeered his computer and stole his clothes five minutes after meeting him? That was a hoot. I want more.

AoS’ ending featured a clear passing the torch from Coulson to Daisy (“There are people out there who are lost, people who show promise. If you don't find them, who will?” -- “How’s your new recruit?”). Kora can’t be her only mentee. Let’s add a Chronicom. For starters.

The Chronicoms were the main hostile faction in S6+S7 but we still know precious little about them and their society. Lots to explore and build.

The bad Chronicoms were kinda boring but the good Chronicoms - Enoch and Noah - were both memorable characters. No reason why it wouldn’t work for the third time.

#agents of s.h.i.e.l.d.#agents of shield #the astro ambassadors #daisy johnson #chronicoms #headcanons #terah the astro ambassador chronicom #now excuse me while i fetch my private quantum bridge #and travel to the better timeline #where the astro ambassadors show is a go #most wanted is airing its fifth season #ghost rider is shooting its second #and fascists aren't in power anywhere #random aos #my headcanons

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agl03 · 3 years

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Why aren't you supporting the Renew Agents of Shield movement that is going on. It started on Twitter and I saw Elizabeth was asked about it in an interview.

Hi Anon,

I'm not on Twitter, like at all. I'm old and it scares me. I have friends who are kind enough to let me know if there is news on there though. I was filled in Renew AOS thing a few weeks ago.

To be very honest, it doesn't need to be renewed. They ended on their own terms...good terms....not awful plot twist terms....nearly everyone alive terms...and I for one want that left alone. It is so rare for a show to end like that, all one needs to do is look at what could have been the first finale in Season 5. I would have been utterly heartbroken if that had been where it really ended. Thankfully they got another chance and made it very right.

As for the "be acknowledged by the MCU" thing I'm not sure what that is really about. AOS has very visibly tied into the MCU in Season 1 with Coulson/Tahiti, the fall, the 'helicarrier out of mothballs' from Season 2, and Gravibot mentioning Thanos in Season 5. And it was in breaking the loop that AOS forged itself a new timeline within the MCU and those/multi verses have been made canon here with things like Loki, No Way Home, and I can only assume in Multi Verse of Madness. I very much love how the writers used multiverses and multiple timelines before it was a thing in the MCU and it allowed them to keep going despite things like the Snap.

That isn't to say I wouldn't love to see the Characters again one day, but I'm also very guarded of the ending we got. I'm personally not willing to sacrifice things like Fitzsimmons in Perthshire, Astro Ambassadors, Sousa, Flint, May at the Academy, and exploring the world Coulson for the sake of a few moments on screen. I'm be totally down with another timelines variation of them popping in but am also aware that could come at a cost. You only need to look at the Framework Arc to see how changes to backstory can massively impact things and they wouldn't be the characters we had known.

I've also been around long enough to know that a reboot of a show, even with some or all of the original cast doesn't usually go well. And I don't think there is any way they would be able to get the full cast back. Again, not saying we won't see some sort of cameo at some point in the many years of the MCU to come. Multiverses are in play so everything is on the table.

This is all my personal opinion on the matter. Those who are pushing for it are free to do so on the platform of their choice. Just as it is my decision if I want to sit this particular argument out.

#agents of shield

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lisalowefanclub · 4 years

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Multiplicity and what identification and representation means to Us

Madeline: I don’t remember there being many cool, attractive, and overall desirable but not fetishized (bye yellow fever) representations of Asian people in mainstream media while I was growing up in the early 2000s. The Asian media I did consume was introduced to me by my dad, so you can imagine the kind of outdated and endearingly weird characters I was exposed to as a kid. Think blind Japanese swordsman Zatoichi or humanoid child robot Astro Boy, both of which originated in Japan around the 60s. As for celebrities, I occasionally heard people talking about Lucy Liu or Jackie Chan, but only as defined by their stereotypical Asian-ness. My point is that this kind of cultural consumption fell into one of two categories: that of obscurity, which suggests that cultural objects are created by Asians for Asians (bringing to mind labels like “Weeb” for Western people who love anime), or that of hypervisibility grounded in stereotypical exoticism. You’d be hard pressed to find a film that passes the Asian Bechdel test.I didn’t discover K-pop until coming to college when I became curious about who my white friends were fawning over all the time. Since then, it’s been really neat to see how K-pop has become popularized as one of the many facets of America’s mainstream music and celebrity culture, especially when artists write and perform songs in Korean despite the majority of their audience lacking Korean language fluency. This suggests that something about the music is able to transcend language barriers and connect people despite their differences. Today it’s not uncommon to see Korean artists topping Billboard’s hot 100 hits, being interviewed on SNL, winning American music awards, gracing the cover of Teen Vogue, or being selected as the next brand ambassador for Western makeup brands like M.A.C. If you were to ask your average high school or college student if they know Blackpink, BTS, or EXO, they would probably be familiar with one of the groups whether or not they identify as Asian.What does this mean, then, for young Asian-Americans to grow up during a time when Asian celebrities are thought to be just as desirable as people like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, or Michael B. Jordan? What does it mean to see an Asian person named “Sexiest International Man Alive”, beating out long-time favorite European celebs? What does it mean for popularity to exist outside of the realm of the racialized minority and for it to build connections across minority cultures? Of course, fame can be toxic and horrible-- it is, at times superficial, materialistic, gendered, fetishized, and absolutely hyper-sexualized-- but I for one think it’s pretty damn cool to see people who look like me featured in mainstream American culture.I’ve found that throughout the semester, my understanding of Asian presence in America (American citizen or otherwise) has been deeply shaped by our discussions of identity politics and marginalization, another class I’m taking on intergenerational trauma, and my own identity as a Laotian-American woman. Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the similarities between American proxy wars in Korea (The Forgotten War) and Laos (The Secret War), both of which involved US bombing of citizens in the name of halting communism. Taking this class has challenged me to reconceptualize how we make sense of mass atrocity in relation to a pan-Asian identity, especially when contending with how trauma and violence can act as a mechanism for cultural production, and I look forward to exploring this more in my thesis.

Cyndi: K-pop is always just the beginning. Enough in and of itself, any interest in the genre at all reinvigorates the consumer to become more engaged with the world in which it exists. Two years ago, I got into a big, but in hindsight pretty silly, argument with my mom when I started going to a Korean hair salon (because of my K-pop delulus / Jennie prints) instead of seeing Maggie, our Vietnamese hairdresser who I can usually only see twice a year on our bi-annual visits to California to visit extended family. My mom told me the Koreans don’t need our money, they are already richer than we will ever be. Who are ‘the Koreans’? Who is ‘we’?? Is every person of Korean descent doing better than every person of Vietnamese descent in America? And #why is my mom being A Hater? Surely, sharing our identity as ‘perpetual guests’ in America should create some sort of solidarity, or at least, allow for transitory economic collaboration??? I give my money to white people all the time: to McDonald’s (Cookie Totes), to Target, to Swarthmore College.

K-pop cannot be the end. As much as I enjoy the music, the show, and the celebrities, I also know in my heart that the current international interest in K-pop will not last. As an almost perfect and perplexing exemplification of modern global capitalism, the industry will over-expand and thus wear itself out. I always see the subtle disappointment on my language teachers’ faces when they ask me how I came to take interest in Korean, and I have to answer ‘K-pop’, because that is the truth; that is not where I am at now, but it will always be how I began. It has become clear to me that this disappointment is not just a generational difference. Maybe these old people are jealous of pop stars like how I also have to question whether I am secure in myself when I see a 14 year old accomplishing things I as a 21 year old could never accomplish in my long life. I am coming to understand that part of their reaction comes from the fact that there is a fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation, that pop culture is ephemeral, but they have lived their lives as entirely theirs. Casual or even consuming interest for the parts of culture that are bright, and clean, and easy cannot ever stand in for true racial empathy, though it is where many of us start. Identity in K-pop is merely another marketing technique, but to the community of fans and lovers, it is something that is real, lived, and embodied. I find that looking at K-pop always brings forth my most salient identities in terms of gender, race, and sexuality. As much as female group members express affection and jokingly portray romantic interest toward one another, would it ever be accepted if these jokes were no longer jokes, but lived realities? Even if the K-pop industry itself did not seek to produce fan communities of this magnitude, these communities that have been founded in response to it are here to stay. Lowe argues that “to the extent that Asian American culture dynamically expands to include both internal critical dialogues about difference and the interrogation of dominant interpellations” it can “be a site in which horizontal affiliations with other groups can be imagined and realized” (71). A recent striking example is Thai fans’ demand to hear from Lisa on the protests -- a primarily youth-led movement against the government monarchy--going on in Thailand. Although she is, of course, censored and silenced on this topic, the expectation is still there; fans are holding their idols to a standard of political responsibility.

Jimmy: I haven’t really paid much attention to K-pop until working on this project. Sure, my cousins would do anything to go see BTS perform in person, but I didn’t care so much. Or maybe, I was just not saturated with the cultural zeitgeist. Whereas they live in the center of a cosmopolitan city which imports and exports, my hometown hums white noise. Increasingly, though, K-pop has entered into my life and the wider American cultural space. Now, K-pop tops the charts and is featured on late-night talk shows. Whether or not you are a devout follower, you have probably encountered K-pop in some form. It was not until I went to Swarthmore that I have “become” Asian American. Back home, my friends are primarily either white or Vietnamese-American. And even though I did recognize that I had an “Asian” racial identity mapped onto me, I did not consider it to be based on any politics. After engaging with and working within Organizing to Redefine “Asian” Activism (ORAA) on campus, as well as taking this course, I have a better grasp of what it means to rally around an Asian American identity. It is a way to organize and resist. Reflecting on my political evolution, I feel comforted and alienated by the cultural weight of K-pop in America. It is amazing to see the gravity of cultural production shift away from the West. And to have global celebrities from Asia is great. Yet, K-pop is limited as a platform for Asian Americans to create identity. What are the consequences when mainstream ideas about contemporary “Asian” culture are still perpetually foreign from America? Is Asian American community just built around transnational cultural objects like K-pop and bubble tea? Does the economic and cultural capital of K-pop held by its idols obscure or erase the heterogeneity and multiplicity of Asian Americans?

Jason: The first time I heard K-Pop was when Gangnam Style came on during a middle school social event when everyone is standing in their social circles doing their best not to be awkward when teacher chaperones are constantly staring at the back of your head seeing if any wrongdoing would occur. At that time, I could never imagine the K-Pop revolution that would occur within the American music industry. Anytime I turn on the radio it is only a matter of time until a BTS song will start being blasted from the speakers. It is crazy to think that K-Pop has become so widespread within American popular culture that mainstream radio stations in Massachusetts are so willing to play K-Pop, even the billboards of 104.1 “Boston’s Best Variety” are plastered with BTS, because they know that is what their audience wants. Eight years ago, during that middle school social Gangnam Style was more about being able to do the dance that accompanied the song rather than the song itself. This has completely changed as more and more people are finding themselves becoming devout supporters of K-Pop. This class and project have continuously been pushing me out of my comfort zone by engaging in literature that I would never have read and discussions that I would never have imagined participating in. I have even listened to more K-Pop over the past couple of weeks than I had ever before in my life. I was impressed by myself when a song by BLACKPINK came on and the radio host said here’s some new music that I knew that the song was from their first album that came out around a month ago. I am grateful that I have been pushed out of my comfort zone and “forced (by having to actually do the homework)” to engage in the material of the class. Who knows how long this K-Pop fascination will last in American popular culture, but I am glad that I could be a part of it rather than letting it pass me by and staying within my comfortable music sphere of country, pop, and British rap.

#multiplicity #cyndi #jason #jimmy #madeline

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davidmann95 · 7 years

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What would be your DC Starter pack?

I’ve put together equivalent lists for Superman and Batman in the past (and in deference to that I’m leaving them off this list; take Superman: Birthright/All-Star Superman and Batman: Zero Year as what I’d put on here), but this is obviously an entirely different ballgame. DC is BIG, with all manner of different corners and subgenres to it - getting into it as a whole is a pretty substantial undertaking even for those who’re already fans of a handful of given characters. But as before, here’s a set of springboards - 15 this time instead of 10 given the scope of the undertaking - for getting a sense of how DC as a whole works, and what aspects of it you might want to pursue further, almost all of which should be available on Comixology or at a local comic book shop. Two caveats up front though:

* I’m sticking to titles that can claim at least some sort of tangential, secondhand connection to the ‘main’ universe, if even by the absolute slimmest of threads, so I’m not including the likes of Astro City, Transmetropolitan, Preacher, Ex Machina, etc., even though they’ve all been published by DC and absolutely deserve your attention.

* Since this is for prospective new readers, I’m with a singular exception sticking with comics from the mid-1980s or later.

1. The World’s Greatest Superheroes

What it’s about: A group of six oversized all-ages comics by Paul Dini (critically involved with many of the DC family of cartoons, especially the beloved shared universe of shows extending from Batman: The Animated Series to Justice League Unlimited) and Alex Ross; four stories focusing on Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Captain Marvel handling ‘real world’ issues, the Justice League trying to stop a very different kind of global threat than their usual supervillains, and a set of origins for most members of the classic Justice League of America.

Why you should read it: If you’re in the market for a one-stop shop of “what’s the deal with DC Comics?”, then this is as good as you’re gonna get. A set of introductory stories with their biggest icons by proven crowdpleasers, along with a set of storybook-esque explanations for a bunch of their other biggest heroes (at least among the ‘classic’ crowd) to boot.

Further recommendations if you liked it: This is more a “getting your feet wet” example than a direct gateway to other material (especially since most of the all-ages titles I’d suggest following up on this I mentioned in those Superman and Batman starter packs), but it’s notable that Captain Marvel plays such a prominent role in here given how scaled-back his presence has become over the years. He’s terrific when handled properly, and past his original 1940s comics, I’d recommend Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil, The Multiversity: Thunderworld (while that’s part of a larger series this issue works perfectly well standalone), and Convergence: Shazam! (ditto).

2. DC: The New Frontier

What: In the 1950s the age of heroes seems to have come to an end - most of the Justice Society of America retired following congressional inquiries, Superman and Wonder Woman have grudgingly aligned directly with the United States government so that they can continue operating somewhat unobstructed, and the Bat-Man has gone underground, while human champions such as the Challengers of the Unknown, the Blackhawks, Task Force X, and the Losers now carry the day. But with the dawning of a new era, the first stirrings of a new generation of extraordinary individuals, and the creeping emergence of a new threat, all of America’s heroes must unite to defend and shephard in its future if it is to have any future at all.

Why: A radically different origin for the Justice League set against the backdrop of McCarthy’s America and the beginnings of the space race, it’s largely considered to be the late Darwyn Cooke’s masterpiece, and one that perhaps more than any other story demonstrates the breadth and potential the larger universe offers. It’s a rugged, heartfelt, soaring story of our strive to reach farther and better ourselves in the face of a world that would fight back against that impulse, and one that draws on every corner of the world it’s set in to show old and new fans alike how it comes together as more than the sum of its parts when handled right.

Recommendations: Two of the three main heroes presented here - Flash, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern - have quite a stock of classic adventures of their own, which I made some recommendations from here and here (on top of those I’d recommend Tim Seeley’s tenure on Green Lanterns, which just began last week with issue #33). For the beginnings of the “superheroes dealing with Relevant Social Issues” strain of comics that this delves into, there’s the classic Green Lantern/Green Arrow run, which has aged awkwardly but was a seminal moment for DC, and established Green Arrow as he’s known today (who I understand has been doing well in his current Rebirth title under Ben Percy, if you want to pursue him further). And for large-scale DC sagas drawing from across the scope the universe and interrogating the place of superheroes within it, I have to mention Kingdom Come, Mark Waid and Alex Ross’s end-of-days vision for the latter-day Justice League and their world that proved one of the company’s most enduringly popular and influential books.

3. Wonder Woman: Year One

What: When pilot Steve Trevor crash-lands on the hidden island of Themyscira - a mythical paradise where immortal warrior women live in peace and prosperity under the protection of the Greek gods themselves - Diana, daughter of queen Hippolyta, volunteers to escort him back to Man’s World and serve as their ambassador knowing that she may never return. Finding her place in a strange new culture, discovering the depths of her power, and detecting the hand of the gods in mortal affairs, these are the first steps towards a girl fashioned from clay becoming Wonder Woman.

Why: You know who Superman and Batman are, so you should get a decent grasp on the other member of the ‘trinity’ that props up the rest of the universe too, and this is as fine a place to begin with Wonder Woman as it gets thanks to Greg Rucka’s fantastic handle on the character and Nicola Scott’s absolutely gorgeous, iconic artwork. It tells you everything you need to know and shows you everything you expect to see, and it does the best job of it that anyone yet has.

Recommendations: For another take on Diana’s early days and adventures I can’t recommend enough The Legend of Wonder Woman, a recent all-ages take on her origin set in World War II that brings more depth to Paradise Island itself than I’ve seen elsewhere and serves as an at least equally fine introduction; I chose Year One since it’s both contemporary and the current ‘official’ origin. The rest of Greg Rucka’s run here is fine, but a lot of it is essentially cleaning up the larger mythology since Wonder Woman’s background and world had undergone some major revisions in prior years; his original run is what I’d recommend, essentially him handling her as a political drama. Aside from those two, Gail Simone’s run on the character is I believe easily the most universally-beloved modern take on her, and what I’ve read absolutely lives up to that. I do also have to mention her original 1940s adventures, which were bizarrely playful and politically unusual in a way that little else with her has been since. Steve Orlando’s work with her, while segmented, is also among her best.

4. History of the DC Universe

What: A recording by the woman Harbinger, one of the only survivors of a cosmic crisis that shredded and reassembled reality to recall the full extent of what was lost, detailing the ‘new’ history of humanity from the dawn of civilization to the end of time.

Why: I don’t want to make too many concessions with this list to what’s ‘important’ over what’s good, and large chunks of this are long since out of date anyway. But in terms of getting a sense of the world as a whole, having a basic outline of what’s a big deal and what happened when certainly helps.

Recommendations: If you want more that can give you a sense of the history of the larger world, I’d recommend Flash of Two Worlds! as the introduction of the multiverse, Crisis on Infinite Earths as the (temporary) dissolution of that multiverse and a truly major event that’s still being referred back to, The Multiversity Guidebook which - in spite of some connections back to the main story that’ll only make so much sense without reading the rest of it - outlines the history and current cosmological setup of that multiverse (though even that’s since been upheaved with the official reintroduction of an infinite multiverse around the ‘core’ 52 universes, even if it hasn’t been taking center stage), and DC Rebirth, which sets up and foreshadows most of the big stories happening right now. I’d also suggest trying Supreme: Blue Rose, a pseudo-sequel to Alan Moore’s classic run on Supreme (a book that under his direction was essentially one long riff on DC Comics and Superman in particular) which takes a much heavier and stranger look at a new version of that world from a ground-level perspective, telling the story of what it feels like to live in a universe constantly subject to reboots and revisions in the way DC is.

5. JLA

What: The return to an iconic Justice League lineup under Grant Morrison after years of second and third-stringers, this run pits them against some of the wildest, weirdest, and most definitely BIGGEST threats of their considerable careers, from a new Injustice Gang and Solaris the Tyrant Sun to renegade angels and warring higher-dimensional colors.

Why: The template for 21st century Big Action Superhero Comics, defined by excellent characterization and incredible setpieces, it’s the premiere example DC’s big guns working together alongside allies from across the universe against the worst the universe has to throw out them. A lot of what defines modern DC’s approach to how these characters are supposed to work together and what constitutes a threat to their entire universe traces directly back to here.

Recommendations: In the immediate aftermath of Grant Morrison’s run, Kingdom Come writer (and already part-time fill-in writer on the book) Mark Waid took over with existing artist Howard Porter and The Authority big gun Bryan Hitch, in a run that’s similarly worth your time and in many ways just as influential for its first story, Tower of Babel; you can and probably should collect both runs across JLA Deluxe Edition Volumes 1-6. Speaking of The Authority, both Warren Ellis/Bryan Hitch and Mark Millar/Frank Quitely’s original runs on the team represent the refinement of the widescreen formula JLA pioneered to a brutal science, and Steve Orlando’s handling of series breakout star Midnighter in his own title set in the DCU proper - along with the followup mini Midnighter and Apollo - pushed it even further. Orlando’s gone on to write JLA himself, starring an eclectic lineup led by Batman trying to hang in there against the kind of cosmic horrors the classic model fought back against, and that’s definitely worth your time, as are numerous arcs of JLA Classified (particularly Morrison’s opening that acted as a prequel to his book Seven Soldiers of Victory, Warren Ellis and Jackson Guice’s New Maps of Hell, and Gail Simone and Jose Luis Garcia Lopez’s The Hypothetical Woman). Meanwhile, Christopher Priest and Pete Woods took the Authority’s influence on the team in an entirely different direction with a brief, clever, politically-flavored run. On top of those, I’d suggest Aztek, a short-lived series by Morrison and Millar around the same time as the original JLA that ultimately figured into it, and Geoff Johns and Mike McKone’s Teen Titans, which mixes the broad strokes of the approach with the requisite teen soap opera and yields probably the best take on that group outside the mid-2000s cartoon. Most substantially however is Scott Snyder’s extended Justice League run (with a number of recurring partners, primarily cowriter James Tynion and main artist Jorge Jimenez) spinning out of his Dark Knights: Metal event comic with Greg Capullo, a gleefully sincere supercharged jolt of color to the DCU that takes the best of Morrison’s approach and runs in a completely different direction with it.

6. Tom Strong

What: Born at the turn of the 20th century on the island of Attabar Teru to a pair of scientists and raised in a gravity chamber, the stories’ titular hero was freed in an earthquake that killed his parents and raised by the natives - journeying at 21 to Millennium City to learn of the legacy his parents left for him, he found himself a “science-hero” to the beleaguered metropolis. Now at the dawn of the 21st century, kept in his prime by the mythical goloka root alongside his wife Dhaula, they, their daughter Tesla, steam-powered servant Pneuman, and talking gorilla Solomon still use their wits and skills to defend their home in Millennium, and unknown realms far beyond.

Why: With the recent announcement of the Strong families’ integration into the DCU in some fashion it’s likely these comics are going to be reprinted, and that’s a darn good thing - as far as I’m concerned, they’re the platonic ideal of classic-flavored superhero books. Fun, funny, adventurous and warm-hearted, while it wasn’t intended as part of DC it represents its arguable baseline tone and approach as well as any comic ever has; if this ends up doing it for you, it’s likely to be a gateway to plenty more.

Recommendations: If Tom Strong does it for you, then that’s really a sign that you might be up for older DC titles in general; I made suggestions in that regard for Superman and Batman in their respective starter packs, but I’m also especially inclined to mention the likes of Metamorpho and Legion of Superheroes, alongside other titles you can pick up in DC’s inexpensive black-and-white Showcase Presents reprints (a list of which you can read here). For something more modern with a similar tone, I’d suggest Mark Waid’s 12-issue run on The Brave and the Bold with George Perez and Jerry Ordway, and for more period-piece style heroics with heart, try the currently ongoing DC Bombshells (currently running as Bombshells United).

7. Solo

What: A 12-issue anthology, each stars a beloved artist with whichever collaborators they wish doing whatever they please, the only restriction being that at least one story must involve some permutation of some version of a DC character.

Why: I recommended Tom Strong as representative of the baseline for how DC Comics generally aspires to work; this represents the farthest possible afield territory from said baseline. Treating DC’s biggest names as broad iconographic tools to be shaped and reshaped at a given creators’ whim for the sake of their stories, this is DC as indie comics, and it’s a valuable perspective.

Recommendations: Along with Batman: Black and White, DC’s other big project in this vein was Wednesday Comics, a 12-part set of 15 running stories presented one massive page at a time in the oversized format of Sunday newspaper comics; some of them indisputably stink, but for every one of them there’s at least one fun title and one borderline-masterpiece, and nearly all of them are at least interesting. Another title significantly varying in style and content was Tomorrow Stories, from America’s Best Comics along with Tom Strong and operating in a completely different mode with each story, whether the Eisner-flavored Greyshirt or the Kurtzman-esque shenanigans of First American. And if Solo’s anarchic spirit and artistic variety appeal, I’d also have to give a shout-out to World’s Funnest, where a feud between goofball super-imps Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite reaches multiversally catastrophic proportions.

8. Watchmen

What: Set in a 1985 that has significantly diverged from our own - first in the 1930s and 40s with the emergence of costumed crimefighters inspired by comic book heroes, and much more radically in the 1960s with the creation of the world’s one superhuman, the near-omnipotent Doctor Manhattan, who has spent the last two decades changing the technological landscape and securing American interests even as his mind grows more and more detached from any human perspective - Edward Blake is murdered. An investigation by the unhinged vigilante Rorschach uncovers that Blake was the Comedian, one of the only ‘superheroes’ to join with the government rather than be driven into retirement or forced to operate outside the law, and the detective becomes convinced that this is sign of a larger plot against the former costumed community. As the terrible secrets of the one-time crimefighters are unearthed, the question becomes not whether Rorschach is correct or as demented as his one-time comrades believe, but if it matters in the face of a Cold War escalated by Manhattan’s presence into the very real possibility of a nuclear apocalypse.

Why: Reading superhero comics at this point means reckoning with Watchmenone way or another: realistically speaking, if you’re reading this you’ve probably either already read it, already intend to get around to it, or have actively chosen not to. As a meticulous artistic construction it’s the standard by which all other modern comics are measured; as an interrogation of the genre its influence is for better or worse incalculable across the breadth of popular culture as a whole. Even minus the upcoming efforts to somehow merge these characters into the larger structure, there is no comprehensively understanding DC Comics in 2017 or beyond without reading Watchmen.

Recommendations: The most obvious suggestion - if also by far the most questionable one - is the upcoming Doomsday Clock, the thoroughly unexpected sequel where Doctor Manhattan and likely other figures from this world are revealed as having interacted and tampered with the ‘main’ DC universe, leading to some form of confrontation between Manhattan and Superman and their radically different cosmic viewpoints and representations of the moral nature of the superhero. As far as the structure and ambitions of the comic itself go, you’d likely be better served looking into the likes of Omega Men by Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda (another grimly political and acclaimed superhero comic operating on the unifying structure of the nine-panel grid), Top 10 by Moore and Gene Ha (another ABC title, this one a police procedural in a city where everyone in a superhero, it’s another 12-issue attempt by Moore at showing how superheroes would ‘really’ be using many of the same artistic tricks, but on an altogether wilder and more overtly optimistic wavelength), Miracleman (not a DC title but a book by Moore based on DC characters, and his other seminal superhero ‘deconstruction’ alongside Watchmen of the 1980s), and The Multiversity: Pax Americana (another standalone Multiversity issue, this one stars the Charlton Comics characters that inspired Watchmen’s leads and pushes its concerns and structural tricks even further in a time-bending overview of one man’s life and death that attempts to deconstruct superhero deconstructions themselves). And while not published by DC, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt was once one of theirs and the inspiration for Ozymandias, and Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard’s 5-issue series with him is easily one of the best, most fascinating responses to Watchmen of all time.

9. Planetary

EDIT: This list was written prior to allegations made against Warren Ellis. It’s your money, but while I’d still recommend checking the book out of the library - the quality of the work isn’t going to change now that it’s out there in the universe - if you’re looking to pad your bookshelf I might recommend Al Ewing’s El Sombra trilogy in its place.

What: Elijah Snow has spent over a century bearing witness to the world’s hidden wonders and horrors, and now that he’s been recruited by the mysterious Planetary organization he has a chance to make use of that experience. Alongside the invincibly powerful Jakita Wagner and the eccentric technopath The Drummer, they are “mystery archaeologists”, investigating beneath the grim, ‘realistic’ superhero surface of the Wildstorm universe to uncover the buried, wondrous mysteries hiding in its corners, from Kaiju graveyards to lost underground city-ships from beyond the cosmic fields we know. As well as hunting the greatest mystery of all: the force that has conspired to keep these miracles a secret.

Why: Essential to an appreciation of a superhero universe is a well-developed sense of wonder: Planetary built itself on distilling artifacts of 19th and 20th century pop culture (typically by proxy) down to their most essential ideas and iconic values as mysteries to be unveiled, whether 1920s pulp heroes, Godzilla, Sherlock Holmes, 80s and 90s Vertigo comics, James Bond, John Woo revenge flicks, or any of a dozen others, so as to best allow them to be appreciated in that regard. It’s a celebration and reinvigoration of the base genre components that have made up American comics for lifetimes, an articulation of an approach that merges the intimate and grungy with the cosmically fantastic, and a masterwork of one-shot comics storytelling.

Recommendations: The immediate things that come to mind are, well, other Wildstorm comics by Warren Ellis, specifically his original run on Stormwatch where he turned a generic edgy ‘realistic’ superhero black-ops book into a bizarre political sci-fi adventure series with a bloody black wounded heart that later became the far more popular The Authority, and his fascinating relaunch of the universe line in The Wild Storm and assorted titles under the imprint of the same name; I also have to recommend by reputation Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Wildstorm crime comic Sleeper. Also, there’s Wildcats 3.0, which similarly converts a formerly achingly 90s title into a corporate drama as a gaggle of superhumans deal with the obstacles in attempting to provide a boundless energy source.

10. JLA/Avengers

What: When the manipulative Grandmaster and the amoral cosmic seeker Krona decide to settle their titanic dispute via proxy, the greatest superheroes of two worlds find themselves pitted against one another in a conflict that leaves each of their realities’ at stake.

Why: There’s little better way to understand something than through contrast, and that at its core what JLA/Avengers is about: enmeshed within a fantastically written and drawn fanpleasing crossover adventure, easily the best of its kind, is a story on just what it is that separates the worlds of Marvel and its distinguished competition on a basic conceptual level, and how they overcome those barriers just once in the face of an unthinkable threat. Above any other comic, this defines what it is that separates DC superheroes from the rest.

Recommendations: For another exercise in contrast, Jonathan Hickman’s massive Avengers saga critically involves a crossover of its own with DC, at least in spirit, with the volume New Avengers: Perfect World. As the Illuminati (a gathering of many of the Marvel universe’s top minds alongside preeminent experts and political leaders) attempt to rout the threat of the Incursions, destructive collisions between parallel universes that can seemingly only be averted with the prior annihilation of one universes’ Earth, they discover another reality home to a far more morally forthright group of heroes known as the Great Society whose powers match their convictions, and who thus far have saved their world without compromise. But when the Society and the Illuminati find themselves in opposition, will their ideals win out? And if not, what is to become of the Illuminati when they make a choice no man can live with?

11. Jack Kirby’s Fourth World

What: On numerous fronts across the cosmos, a secret war rages - with Jimmy Olsen and Superman investigating the Wild Area alongside the Newsboy Legion, with a group of bizarre teenagers landing on Earth, with a mysterious young man taking up the mantle of the fallen world’s greatest escape artist Mister Miracle, and with the mighty space god Orion arriving on our planet with a mission of direst import. For when the Old Gods died their world was torn asunder into the warring planets of New Genesis and Apokolips, and as the ultimate tyrant Darkseid seeks the utter domination offered by the Anti-Life Equation, the New Gods’ gaze turns to the Earth…

Why: The king of comics’ Jack Kirby’s unfinished masterpiece, the Fourth World Saga - soon to be recollected in a single titanic omnibus as several of the concepts make it into the upcoming Justice League - spans from the slums of Metropolis to universe-shattering wars in epochs long since past. It’s a treatise on youth and free will that’s perhaps the most purely ambitious DC publication of all time in its attempt to create a new myth for our times, and one of the only superhero stories to truly deserve the title of epic in the classical sense. I’ve only had a chance to read a fraction of it myself as of yet, but from that fraction it’s clear it not only has the combined brains and energy of nearly any dozen modern comics, but was and remains one of the most powerful testaments to the potential of the genre ever put to paper. And Superman and Jimmy Olsen fight a planet of horror movie monsters in it so evil it grew devil horns, so you really have no excuse not to take the plunge.

Recommendations: The King contributed plenty of concepts to DC such as the Challengers of the Unknown, the Boy Commandos, and an incarnation of Sandman; most promising if you’re sucked into his Fourth World material would be his other 1970s DC books, The Demon (where the immortal Jason Blood’s spirit is caught in an eternal tug-of-war with the dread Etrigan), OMAC (where Buddy Blank is forcibly conscripted to become the One Man Army Corps and stop the threats of tomorrow from becoming wars that would end the world, by way of punching like seven dudes at once), and Kamandi (where the last boy on Earth struggles to survive a post-apocalyptic wasteland where mutated anthropomorphic animals have long since come to reign supreme). The Fourth World itself has been followed up by numerous creators, usually weakly as they attempt to warp the characters to fit more traditional superheroic archetypes; some exceptions that fit with the King’s vision and ambition include several works by Grant Morrison mentioned above and below, (by what I’ve heard of its reputation) Walter Simonson’s Orion, and the current Mister Miracle by Tom King and Mitch Gerads.

12. Books of Magic

What: Twelve-year-old Timothy Hunter is met by the ‘trenchcoat brigade’ of the Phantom Stranger, Mister E, Doctor Occult, and John Constantine, with an unbelievable prophecy: that he has the potential to become the greatest sorcerer of all time. Taken on a tour over twelve issues of the magical side of the DC universe, Tim will ultimately have to decide whether to turn away from his potential destiny and live a normal life, or accept it knowing the horror of the price that always comes with magic.

Why: A small, self-contained story by the pretty dang beloved Neil Gaiman starring an archetype that many should find themselves familiar with (while Hunter preceded him by a few years and both Gaiman and Rowling have denied any inspiration, many have noted his undeniable similarities to Harry Potter), it’s not exactly the meatiest story, but it serves perfectly for its intended purpose as an introduction to the magical side of the DC universe. If you enjoy this - even if you don’t but could imagine the same tone, aesthetics, and general approach yielding interesting results under a different premise or creators - it may well open the doors to an entirely new set of fantastic comics for you.

Recommendations: Books of Magic is a single branch on a mighty tree of magical DCU books inspired by and connected to one another, appropriately beginning with Alan Moore’s transformative run on Swamp Thing, which itself introduced John Constantine who would go on to a great deal of acclaim in his own title Hellblazer. Swamp Thing in turn beget the titanically popular and influential Sandman, which had its own phenomenal spinoff title in the form of Lucifer. Books of Magic continued as well under different creators, and while only now tangentially connected to DC via Tom Strong, Moore and JH Williams III’s book Promethea is brilliant and very much of the same breed.

13. Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold

What: In the years leading up to their deaths (and subsequent resurrections, though they weren’t in effect at the time this story was written), Barry Allen and Hal Jordan were friends through thick and thin. Here, from their early days in the JLA to their twilights, these are six stories showing how that friendship changed and endured over the course of their careers.

Why: Two big things come with big superhero universes: histories, and the relationships that come with them. Both can go wrong, whether in the form of purely continuity-driven comics or soap opera titles driven entirely by the old faithful, but when creators handle them properly they’re an essential part of the magic of the shared world, and few comics are better examples of how to do it right than this.

Recommendations: For starters, this mini is itself a sequel of sorts to JLA: Year One, an origin for the team that while no longer their official history is regardless an excellent character-driven Justice League story. For the culmination of preexisting history being used as a tool for great storytelling, you’re in the market for Starman, extrapolating a D-list superhero lineage into a century-spanning family odyssey (and if you enjoy it, you’ll want to check out James Robinson’s book Golden Age, showing the retirement of the Justice Society in what many consider their definitive story). And Brave and the Bold is in many ways the final gasp of an era of phenomenal 80s and 90s character-driven DC titles, including (both from personal experience and shining reputation) the likes of Hitman, Hourman, Justice League International, John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad, and Chase.

14. Seven Soldiers of Victory

What: A set of seven interconnected miniseries plus bookends, this is the story of seven minor superheroes forced to band together and punch far, far above their weight in the face of a cosmic apocalypse that only they by prophecy can stop. And the catch on top of it? None of them know they’re on a team. Or even meet each other.

Why: Seven Soldiers is a tour-de-force in just about every regard, but even beyond its incredible quality, it just as importantly serves to teach the final, most important lesson of all when it comes to the DCU: there are times it gets buck wild. Superhero worlds are crazy as hell, and to a certain extent you’re going to have to not just accept that on the journey to loving them, but embrace them. And nothing’s going to help you learn that better than a crimefighting newspaper mascot unwittingly working alongside the likes of Frankenstein and the god of escape artists to save the world from evil fairies.

Recommendations: Past the 1970s and truly weird superhero stuff falling out of fashion, Grant Morrison’s the master of this kind of bonkers material - alongside material by him I’ve mentioned before and in the final recommendation, I particularly have to bring up Final Crisis, the event-comic sequel to Seven Soldiers and his JLA that brings his incredible, bizarre vision of the DCU onto the largest scale possible. That itself spins out into the incredible Multiversity, and the aforementioned Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo DC event book (overseen to some extent by Morrison) Dark Nights: Metal; if you want to check out the latter I’d suggest Return of Bruce Wayne, another Morrison-written Final Crisis spinoff that ends up planting some very important seeds even outside the context of his larger Batman run.

15. Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery

What: Gifted with the superpower of being able to do anything by flexing his muscles and posing dramatically (with the incredible mental discipline of muscle mystery!), Flex Mentallo was brought to life by a the dying wish of young boy Wally Sage into the real world - albeit a ‘real world’ far stranger than any we might know - but faced with apocalyptic cynicism and a seeming message from an old ally in his fictional days, Flex finds himself on an odyssey to find where all the superheroes have gone and how to save the world the way they used to. Meanwhile, punk rocker Wally Sage is ODing in an alley and babbling away on a suicide hotline about the comics he loved as a child…most of all his own creation, Flex Mentallo.

Why: Grant Morrison’s ultimate statement on superheroes and the potential they hold in our own lives, Flex Mentallo is perhaps the most important comic of all on this list, because while the rest of the recommendations illustrate aspects of the history or genre possibilities or characters that will make you fall in love with the world of DC, Flex is the definitive text on Why This Superhero Comics Shit Actually Matters.

Recommendations: Well, most of Morrison’s other DC work, which I’ve suggested plenty of above alongside his Superman and Batman material in their respective starter packs; the big two I haven’t brought up are his run on Doom Patrol, the headtrip freako comic that introduced Flex in the first place, and Animal Man, his first DC book and alongside Flex his most foundational. If you enjoy Flex you might also be the market for more of DC’s odder Vertigo output meshing the superheroic with the supernatural and horrific; much of its best material was under the Books of Magic entry, and it’s not a field I’m that acquainted with, but I’d also recommend the volumes of Doom Patrol, Shade the Changing Girl, and Eternity Girl under DC’s Young Animal imprint, which carried on the tradition once Vertigo mostly switched to creator-owned work prior to its shutdown.

#DC Comics #Wildstorm #America's Best Comics #Vertigo #Young Animal #Opinion

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redvanillabee · 4 years

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MCU Phase 4: S.W.O.R.D and the Collapse of the Multiverse

I’ve been seeing a lot of theories about Phase 4 floating around, and with the finale of Agents of SHIELD, I reckon I’d collate all the theories here, as well as add in a few of my own theories, and get a feel of what Phase 4 might hold for us.

WARNING: contains slight Agents of SHIELD S7 spoilers.

1. Leaving Endgame: unresolved issues

The infinity Saga (Phases 1-3) ended with Avengers: Endgame. Regardless of how you feel about the narrative, the film wraps up the story based around Thanos’ encroachment on earth. So that should leave no loose threads, right? No world-bending problems left to resolve?

WRONG.

Avengers: Endgame actually left a lot of paradoxes and loopholes. There are objects remove and added into different points of time, characters killing their past selves, etc.

These problems with their Time Heist can’t just be left there, unattended. These paradoxes also can’t be brushed aside simply with a “new timeline” theory. As we learnt in Agents of SHIELD Seasons 5&7, while time can indeed be changed, there will still be paradoxes, which will result in anything from confusion to deaths and destruction.

Are the Marvel execs that stupid? That they would painstakingly explain the logistics of time travel to the audience in the film, then blatantly break all their own rules? Even mass-market films aren’t that stupid. Especially not ones by a studio that is known for planting Easter eggs and somehow planned a whole 10-year, 22-film franchise.

Rather, I believe this is a pantomime moment. Remember, the Thanos storyline--the Infinity Saga--may be over, but the MCU is far from it. I believe they are leaving behind these gaping holes in the spacetime continuum, luring the audience to point at the screen and shout out the inconsistencies, to name the problems themselves. So let us peel back the story, and identify those time-travel and inter-dimensional problems ourselves.

2. Far From Home is our primer for Phase 4

Here’s the funny thing: Far From Home is classified as the last film of Phase 3, with Black Widow as the first film of Phase 4. But narratively, it seems odd to class FFH as part of Phase 3, stringing it with the rest of the infinity Saga. Apart from the plot thread with Tony Stark, what does FFH have to do with the main premise of the Infinity Saga?

This awkward position of FFH might make sense if we view it not just as part of Phase 3, but as that transition instalment between Phases 3 and 4. On the one hand, FFH continues its legacy from the Infinity Saga, by physically having Peter inherit something from Stark, arguably the lead star of the Infinity Saga. At the same time, FFH melds that with a whole new element that will bring us forward: the idea of dealing with threats from not just different points in time, but different realities altogether. Even though Mysterio isn’t really from another dimension, Pandora’s Box is now open. This idea has officially been introduced into the MCU, and as we will find out later, there are heavy suggestions of the MCU going in the direction of inter-dimensional threats.

FFH also bridges the past by reintroducing to us the idea of an overarching organisation governing or monitoring the actions of the superheroes. As mentioned above, MCU superheroes have been freelance superheroes since Apr 2014, with the fall of SHIELD in Winter Soldier. However, with FFH, we see a return of... well, some kind of SHIELD, with the intervention of Fury and Hill. Granted, this is not really SHIELD. Fury and Hill, as we find out in FFH, are impersonated by Skrulls. Regardless, an authoritative organisation has been reestablished in the MCU. The return of ““SHIELD”“ also gives FFH the feel of Iron Man 2/ The Avengers (2012), harkening back to the early days of the Infinity Saga, which I would say is rather appropriate for opening a whole new arc. And, as I will explore below, we might be seeing more of SHIELD in MCU’s future.

(Incidentally, is Peter Parker supposed to know that, for what it’s worth, Nick Fury is supposed to be “dead”?)

FFH is not the first time MCU has played with alternate dimensions, of course. The Ancient One has introduced the idea of borrowing powers from alternate dimensions going as far back as Doctor Strange (2016). But during that film, they have left it at a tease. However, it seems that we might finally be meeting alternate versions of our known reality.

3. Black Widow: Taskmaster is a little too familiar

While we still haven’t seen the Black Widow standalone (damn you coronavirus), based on what we know from trailers, BW will likely follow FFH’s angle of bridging elements of the past (e.g. a secret organisation with Fury at the helm) while introducing elements from the future (alternate dimensions), But this time, Mama Spider is going to kick it up a notch.

Firstly, it seems that BW might be introducing a nemesis to the SHIELD-equivalent in Phase 4. In the Infinity Saga, the main villain--at least when SHIELD was a thing--was HYDRA. With the fall of SHIELD, the last of the HYDRA bases are also wiped out of the MCU at the start of Age of Ultron.

(If you go with Agents of SHIELD, Thanos is very very vaguely connected to HYDRA, what with him being known to/ part of(?) the Confederacy, who are working with HYDRA).

So what will be the main villain in Phase 4? BW trailers focus very heavily on reconnecting with the past, which reminds me of how FFH calls back to Fury being in charge of the big picture. But in BW, it seems that a reconnection is also made with shady characters. There is a lot of discussion about Natasha’s Red Room past, of other Black Widow graduates. There are grey areas, and the focus on reconnecting to the Red Room reminds me of the “the other Winter Soldiers” arc from CACW, as well as the Dottie Underwood arc in Agent Carter season 1. Will the Red Room be our new HYDRA? Or... are they just a smokescreen?

Because there’s the Taskmaster, and they are very strange indeed. We know nothing about the Taskmaster--their motives, their affiliations, their goals--but they already strikes an eerie chord with the audience. They seem to be an amalgamation of so many notable heroes in the MCU. Why would a villain just... happen to be a combination of so many MCU heroes? Or could the Taskmaster be paving the way to how the Madness of Multiverse “may reportedly feature alternate-reality versions of known MCU characters”?

First Mysterio, and now the Taskmaster. The threat in Phase 4 is gaining steam, and is gearing up to be a force that can only be defeated if the superheroes are once again brought together. The Avengers was initially designed by SHIELD, but were brought together by Loki’s invasion (and Coulson’s death). But where are they now? Who will take up the mantle of the fallen? Who will be there to unite the forces needed?

4. SHIELD, TVA, and SWORD

For those who only watch the films of the MCU (like myself until recently), SHIELD has not been a legal organisation since April 2014, and has been completely out of the picture in the MCU since April 2015. However, the organisation has actually been hard at work behind the scenes since.

The actual events in Agents of SHIELD, being so separated from the MCU, are not strictly relevant to the discussion and prediction of Phase 4. What we need to know is that: following a series of events that turned them legitimate, then illegitimate, then legitimate again, SHIELD should be a legitimate organisation again by the time of FFH.

(Side note:

There is some debate as to whether Agents of SHIELD is still taking place in the same timeline as the MCU. I personally like to think yes, AOS is still taking place in the same timeline as the MCU. Some have argued that the Snappening never happened in AOS, and when Daisy stopped Talbot from destroying Earth at the end of Season 5, that launched AOS into a branching timeline. However, I would argue that they are in the same timeline because Daisy stopped Talbot. Based on the words of the alien Confederacy, it does not seem that the Snappening and Talbot are two inter-dependent events. If Talbot had cracked the Earth in half, it wouldn’t matter what the outcome of Infinity War was, because, well, there’d be no Earth. There’d be no Endgame. So in my opinion, Agents of SHIELD, as it closes in 2020, is in the same timeline as the MCU, at which point the Avengers would have been moping about losing half of Earth’s population. As for the fact that none of the AOS team got dusted... the OG6 Avengers also didn’t get dusted, and the AOS team was small. I think we can let that slide.)

(Besides, if timelines really are going to be fucked up, as we will see below, then it really doesn’t matter if AOS and the Infinity Saga are in the same timeline. They can just cross over into each others’.)

But SHIELD’s reach, after all, is limited. Even Fury did not have a handle on Carol Danvers as she spent 23 years (1995-2018) just roaming the Universe as a space vigilante. With the jurisdiction of the MCU heroes now extending beyond time, space, and dimensions, we will need authorities in space. Maybe some kind of... ambassadors from earth.

In the Agents of SHIELD series finale, Marvel threw us a bone. As the team part ways after their final mission together, Daisy, Sousa (yes that Sousa from that Agent Carter), and Kora take to space, as some kind of SHIELD representative. The showrunners teased the audience by having Sousa describe their little unit as the “Astro Ambassadors”, but the audience immediately know what to ask for: SWORD. SWORD, according the MCU Wikia, stands for Sentient World Observation and Response Department, and is a “subdivision of SHIELD”. In fact, I believe we will be seeing more of SWORD in Phase 4. And with the release of the latest WandaVision trailer, we know that SWORD with Monica Rambeau as one of its agents is definitely going to be a thing.

Even if, EVEN IF, SHIELD and SWORD aren’t going to be a thing in Phase 4, we still have another authority that will be very interested in all these alternate dimension business going on around Earthlings. In what little we know of the Loki standalone TV show, it seems the Time Variance Authority will be part of it. Time, space, dimensions, these will all be threatened in Phase 4.

5. Steve Rogers and Corrupted Timeline Theory

By this point, if we are keeping score, we know space and time in the MCU is fucked up. Timelines are messed up, left in paradoxes, and people are just travelling everywhere and anywhere they fancy. Loki. Natasha. Astro Ambassadors.

And then there’s Steve Rogers.

Since the end of Endgame, a theory has been gaining steam that the actual Steve Rogers is stuck in the Quantum Realm, and whoever/whatever Old Steve is, it is a corrupted version of him. Please click through and take a look at the brief post about how Steve may be trapped in the time stream. It is an excellent analysis on how Steve could be a central indicator to all these time/space/dimensional tomfoolery.

6. What to expect

Here’s what I think is going to happen:

Following the primer that is Far From Home, Black Widow will continue to push the idea of interdimensional threats a notch further. Things that should be resolved, things from the past, are coming back to haunt us. Things start to get uncanny. The Taskmaster’s powers are too familiar. It’s all a little eerie.

Meanwhile in Marvel TV land, things go from “still earthly” to downright insane. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, in all likelihood, will be the most earth-based of the Marvel TV shows, kind of like how the Cap trilogy is the most earth-based, with the least amount of sci-fi invention compared with the Iron Man trilogy and Thor saga. However, since Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are the two people closest to Steve, one literally inheriting his mantle, it might be in this show that we see more signs of reality being corrupted through iterations of Steve.

WandaVision is a result of both anomaly!Steve, as well as the many timeline problems left in Endgame. In WandaVision, Wanda and Vision find themselves flung through so many alternate realities. The anomalies in spacetime catches the attention of the authorities, in this case, Monica Rambeau and SWORD. We officially have our overarching authority for Phase 4.

The madness in time and space goes even further when Loki, now armed with the Space Stone and somehow looking like his Thor 1 (2011) self again, just... Loki-s it all up. Making jumps. Causing chaos through human history. General Loki shenanigans. The disturbance that this causes alerts an authority higher than SWORD: the Time Variance Authority.

This is also an excellent time to reintegrate the Marvel TV Universe back into the MCU, after having them split off from the MCU in 2013 and 2015. There is a very special cameo in Endgame, an Easter egg reserved only for those who have watched the Marvel TV spin-offs. “James D’Arcy’s cameo as Edwin Jarvis in Avengers: Endgame marks the first time a Marvel Cinematic Universe character introduced in a television production has crossed over into the films.“ Of course, there is no promise that just because they have brought Jarvis from Agent Carter over to Endgame, that they will bring others into the MCU in a similar fashion. But with Marvel Studios/Disney+ branching officially into making their own TV shows (instead of collaborating with ABC/Netflix), we can expect more crossings between the TV shows and the films. With the door now open with Edwin Jarvis, characters from AOS can rather easily be integrated into Phase 4 shows. And, if Daniel Sousa, a character that was last seen in 2016, can somehow be brought forward in a miraculous time escapade, there is no reason why other Agent Carter elements can’t be.

Time, space, dimension, reality, are now all fucked up beyond recognition. The hints of alternate reality characters? They are now coming in full-swing. There will be “alternate-reality versions of known MCU characters“. Marvel’s What If? cartoon ties into this as basically some kind of MCU fever dream: what if skinny Steve had an Iron Man suit? What if Peggy Carter was Captain America? It’s all out of the window by this point.

Captain Marvel 2, being likely set between earth and space, can easily fit into this whole development. Arguably, same for Thor: Love and Thunder. The events in space can rather easily tie into all these inter-dimensional madness. (And if Marvel Studios stop being a coward, they will let Carol Danvers date Dr. Thor).

Fun fact: SWORD was apparently mentioned as early as a deleted scene from Thor (2011).

With the world on the brink of universal collapse, we finally enter Doctor Strange: Madness of Multiverse. In the first Doctor Strange film, we’ve only seen one alternate dimension: Dark Dimension (Dormammu). In the Madness of Multiverse? Get ready for the Actinaria Dimension. The Grass Jelly Dimension. The Flowering Incense Dimension. The Mandelibus Dimension. Btw I’m not making these dimensions up. They are all introduced in the Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary.

Endgame may have ended Thanos’ arc, but it is only the beginning for a whole new chapter of the MCU. Years ago... probably around the time of CACW, I read a meta that discussed how Marvel might be taking the MCU in the direction of a “collapse of the multiverse”. That was predicted to happen in Infinity War/Endgame. While the Universe did not implode in Endgame, the world also doesn’t... necessarily settle into peace at the end of Endgame. To borrow what a friend of mine said,

Aren’t the other timelines just as doomed as the OG timeline where the Thanos snapped ... and the stones [are] gone in the end?

Like if we assume that they came up with the same idea for every other fucked timeline, then we would just end up with even more alternate timelines, and even more fucked timelines

and it becomes endless

Is this why it’s called Infinity War lmao

As we learnt in Agents of SHIELD Season 7, if a timeline is mucked up, actions must be taken to help it settle, if not restore it to its original form, otherwise there will be grim consequences. Between the milieu of timelines created by the Avengers and the Agents of SHIELD, I think Doctor Strange has his work cut out for him in Madness of Multiverse.

Madness indeed.

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