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grandhotelabyss · 1 year

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Advice/hard truths for writers?

The best piece of practical advice I know is a classic from Hemingway (qtd. here):

The most important thing I’ve learned about writing is never write too much at a time… Never pump yourself dry. Leave a little for the next day. The main thing is to know when to stop. Don’t wait till you’ve written yourself out. When you’re still going good and you come to an interesting place and you know what’s going to happen next, that’s the time to stop. Then leave it alone and don’t think about it; let your subconscious mind do the work.

Also, especially if you're young, you should read more than you write. If you're serious about writing, you'll want to write more than you read when you get old; you need, then, to lay the important books as your foundation early. I like this passage from Samuel R. Delany's "Some Advice for the Intermediate and Advanced Creative Writing Student" (collected in both Shorter Views and About Writing):

You need to read Balzac, Stendhal, Flaubert, and Zola; you need to read Austen, Thackeray, the Brontes, Dickens, George Eliot, and Hardy; you need to read Hawthorne, Melville, James, Woolf, Joyce, and Faulkner; you need to read Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Turgenev, Goncherov, Gogol, Bely, Khlebnikov, and Flaubert; you need to read Stephen Crane, Mark Twain, Edward Dahlberg, John Steinbeck, Jean Rhys, Glenway Wescott, John O'Hara, James Gould Cozzens, Angus Wilson, Patrick White, Alexander Trocchi, Iris Murdoch, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Anthony Powell, Vladimir Nabokov; you need to read Nella Larsen, Knut Hamsun, Edwin Demby, Saul Bellow, Lawrence Durrell, John Updike, John Barth, Philip Roth, Coleman Dowell, William Gaddis, William Gass, Marguerite Young, Thomas Pynchon, Paul West, Bertha Harris, Melvin Dixon, Daryll Pinckney, Darryl Ponicsan, and John Keene, Jr.; you need to read Thomas M. Disch, Joanna Russ, Richard Powers, Carroll Maso, Edmund White, Jayne Ann Phillips, Robert Gluck, and Julian Barnes—you need to read them and a whole lot more; you need to read them not so that you will know what they have written about, but so that you can begin to absorb some of the more ambitious models for what the novel can be.

Note: I haven't read every single writer on that list; there are even three I've literally never heard of; I can think of others I'd recommend in place of some he's cited; but still, his general point—that you need to read the major and minor classics—is correct.

The best piece of general advice I know, and not only about writing, comes from Dr. Johnson, The Rambler #63:

The traveller that resolutely follows a rough and winding path, will sooner reach the end of his journey, than he that is always changing his direction, and wastes the hours of day-light in looking for smoother ground and shorter passages.

I've known too many young writers over the years who sabotaged themselves by overthinking and therefore never finishing or sharing their projects; this stems, I assume, from a lack of self-trust or, more grandly, trust in the universe (the Muses, God, etc.). But what professors always tell Ph.D. students about dissertations is also true of novels, stories, poems, plays, comic books, screenplays, etc: There are only two kinds of dissertations—finished and unfinished. Relatedly, this is the age of online—an age when 20th-century institutions are collapsing, and 21st-century ones have not yet been invented. Unless you have serious connections in New York or Iowa, publish your work yourself and don't bother with the gatekeepers.

Other than the above, I find most writing advice useless because over-generalized or else stemming from arbitrary culture-specific or field-specific biases, e.g., Orwell's extremely English and extremely journalistic strictures, not necessarily germane to the non-English or non-journalistic writer. "Don't use adverbs," they always say. Why the hell shouldn't I? It's absurd. "Show, don't tell," they insist. Fine for the aforementioned Orwell and Hemingway, but irrelevant to Edith Wharton and Thomas Mann. Freytag's Pyramid? Spare me. Every new book is a leap in the dark. Your project may be singular; you may need to make your own map as your traverse the unexplored territory.

Hard truths? There's one. I know it's a hard truth because I hesitate even to type it. It will insult our faith in egalitarianism and the rewards of earnest labor. And yet, I suspect the hard truth is this: ineffables like inspiration and genius count for a lot. If they didn't, if application were all it took, then everybody would write works of genius all day long. But even the greatest geniuses usually only got the gift of one or two all-time great work. This doesn't have to be a counsel of despair, though: you can always try to place yourself wherever you think lightning is likeliest to strike. That's what I do, anyway. Good luck!

#creative writing #literature

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your-darling-gaze · 2 months

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Cocks gun...exhales.....heart beating loudly...

Comms on my wrist beeping the text...

SURVEILLANCE BLINDSPOT APPROACHING IN : 5...4....3...2....1.....

Jumps over compound, enters a deserted hallway....hides into a wall wedge....heavy breathing...looks around to notice the HYDRA stature...

Shivers....looks at comms....whispers...

'Open up the tek-way entrance 17.... credentials 1943....'

Silences breathing and crawls towards the door with a beeping cred-lock...

VOICE ACTIVATION REQUIRED.

Fumbles through vest pockets....clicks on a snip-recorder...

Audio: 'Cut off one head, two more shall take it's place...'

The door slides open...revealing an empty hallway to various laboratories...

Enters the hallway.... careful of the surveillance blindspot....looks around the various door labels...

'Lab 043....Lab 043......'

.... Doesn't find a lab that matches the label, hurriedly begins to wander hallway, forgetting about surveillance....

Feels a cold gun barrel suddenly held against my neck...flinches...turns around and shoots without a thought.....

The person lands dead with a soft thud...gunshot echoing in the empty hallway...looks at the bloody, fallen body...

Dr. Anton Trojak. Agent 47.

Shivers at the sight...shoots him again...and again.

Crawls backwards...swallows...wipes blood on my face....sits against the wall... overwhelmed at the sight....heart thudding hard from anxiety...

Presses back to the wall...shivers...whispers....

'Please be alive, Bucky....'

Feels a latch clicking, pressing a little too hard behind...

MOTION SENSING ALERTED :

WELCOME Dr. Zola

The Wall slides off, machinery sounds emerging....crawls back into the opened room...looks at the very many monitors....a familiar view..

Exhales, quite disturbed..looks around for anything useful...notices a screen....

SYSTEM LOGGED ON: 21.07.24

SERVER UNDER VIOLATION AND ACTIVITY : soldat.barnes043.ver

Immediately lurches towards the screen...looking for the other Records...

'System running...no...system stats...no....Recovery and Log out.'

Begins the logging-off process...

'Uh....credentials....I....uh....'

Enters: 1943

ACCESS DENIED.

Enters: 0043'

ACCESS DENIED.

Thinking for a moment...something....some detail anybody would miss...something Zola would always hold on to....ah.

Enters: 1612091

ACCESS GRANTED:

DEACTIVATION AND LOG OUT PROCESS IN PROGRESS...

'Come on, come on, come on....'

Meter beeping as it processes...looks around to check for any surveillance...notices the closed door....

SUCCESSFULLY LOGGED OUT. ALL PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL ACCESS TO VIOLATED ACCOUNTS TERMINATED. ORDERS ISSUED FOR DISCLOSURE OF VIOLATION SUBJECTS.

SUBJECTS OUT OF VIOLATION: Asta R. B

James Buchanan Barnes

'I didn't....close it on my way in....did I...?'

Goes towards it...puts in the same credentials...

EXIT FAILED. TWO TRIES LEFT.

Begins to get confused...

'They had another code to go...out...?'

Decides to call in over comms to the Bucky from my universe....

'Bucky....I need you to come on the line....Bucky are you in...?'

Comms only giving out static....

'Shit.'

Tries again, another time....'Cyanide.'

EXIT FAILED. ONE TRY LEFT.

Sighs....

'This has to work...'

The last time...'0044'...

EXIT FAILED: LOCKING IN REQUIRED MEASURES.

SENT FOR INTRUDER ACTIVITY.

Heart beat quickens as the doorframe locks tight...an odor of phosphine filling the room...blinks...backs away from the door....Shoots away at the cred-lock....the gas having an effect on the eyes, irritating them....Shoots out the generator plug, powering out the circuits in the room....notices the disabled lockings of the jarred windows....

'There's no other way....'

Shoots at the window frame, hoping to disable the latchings...the glass breaking and gunshots echoing the empty lab....dashes into the hard pane in hopes of breaking it off....does once, twice, a few more times, shoulder slowly starting to bleed out...the odor becoming hard to adjust to....

With one hard hit of the head, hits my head through the hard glass...jumping out into the cold air...stumbles further out and away....vision blurring as I run into the night...comms beeping as I try to give out my positioning signal....losing balance as I fall unconscious in the middle of nowhere...

___________________________________________

( @that-punk-from-brooklyn @soldier-bucky-barnes @official-buckybarnes @tony-starkinator @iwasmadetobeasoldier @official-arnimzola @asta-barnes-rogers )

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saturngalore · 4 months

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CHANTELLE: ROCK ANGEL 🎸🖤

a fat dark y2k + semi bratz inspired lookbook featuring nykhor chantelle diang <3

everyday: fishnet top | jennifer skirt | mei buckle boots

formal: heartthrob dress

athletic: zola bantu knots (it’s really ea base game but get my hair instead 🤩) | 90s tank top | cargos | chunky uni sneakers

sleepwear: cascade hair | gia t-shirt

party: parissa hair | mimi top | wave jeans | dr. martens blaire sandals (simfinds)

swimwear: bria braids | tara bikini

hot weather: paloma passion twists | jennie ice cream top | kate shorts | supernova shoes

cold weather: appa jacket | seqoia skirt | bonnie boots

a special thanks to these creators: @sleepingsims @jellymoo @fukkiemon @simgirlz @kimoanasims <3

#ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #black simblr #black simmer #ts4 edit #ts4 lookbook #🪐#🪐 lookbook #nykhor chantelle diang #chantelle diang #i actually finished this lookbook early 2023 but i just never posted it 😭💔#i really liked doing this and hope y’all enjoy! 🫶🏾

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loz-3 · 25 days

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An Unwilling Operative - Part Three

Pairing: Loki x female reader Word Count: 2,937 Warnings: strong language, forced confinement, violence, forced sedation

Tags in the comments!

Part Two

“Ooh, big scary Mr. Eyepatch… am I supposed to be frightened?”

It was over two hours into a rather rigorous interrogation session and honestly, you were getting bored with the questions: 'Why did you do it?', 'How long have you been with Hydra?', 'What did you hope to accomplish?'. You grinned up at the very angry Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He exuded his name perfectly, "Last chance, Y/N. Tell me why?"

"No. And fuck you."

Without another word, he turned and stalked out of the room, leaving the door open. If you weren't chained to the desk by your ankles and wrists, you would attempt to make a run for it. You rattled at the bonds anyways, ducking under the tabletop to pull at the floor mount. As you struggled, a pair a boots came into view, stopping in front of you. You jerked your head up, smacking it off the underside of the table, "Fuck!" A hand extended towards you, offering assistance but you shrugged away from it, sitting upright on your own.

Loki's face was etched with worry and something more, but you spoke first, "Ahh… it's you. What the fuck do you want?" You scratched at the bump still visible on your neck.

"Y/N… wait, what is that?" He rounded the table, hands restrained your head, turning it to the side for a better look. You thrashed, trying to free yourself from his grip but he was much stronger. Looking up at the camera above you, he made a motion and a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist quickly entered. They took a swab of the old injection site, as well as a picture for reference before leaving. Loki released you and stepped away from your gnashing teeth.

"Well, fuck you too then!" You strained towards him, fingernails digging into your palms, "I didn't ask for this!" A single tear ran down your face, a crack in your aggressive façade.

"Did not ask for what?" He hesitantly stepped forward, daring to come within range of your limited reach.

You shook your head, more tears followed the first, "I just want to be myself again…"

He closed the distance and took your face between his hands, "We will fix you." His eyes were level with yours, watching the panic reflecting out shift back to pure hate. Too slowly, he let go and pulled back, catching your forehead as you slammed it into his nose.

"I don't need to be fixed." The blood on your face was his. You tasted a droplet as it dribbled down your cheek, "It's no wonder those ice giants didn't want you, you're too soft." He had strode to the door, pinching his nose to stem the bleed. He didn't answer you, only listened as you continued to spew hateful words. When you finally ended your tirade, his posture was defeated, the hope in his expression hardened to dull grey stone. Stepping out, he hit the button that sealed the door behind him.

Nick Fury was waiting. "Good catch on her neck, she'd been injected with something. Brain scan's next." Loki nodded, dried blood decorated his face and hand from your violent headbutt. Fury continued, "She seemed to come out of it briefly before…that happened. Might be a 'Dr. Zola'-type of situation."

Loki nodded again, turning away from the Director. He swallowed hard, forcing the rising bile in his stomach back down. This wasn't you, not by a long shot, but nothing you had thrown at him was untrue.

Several days pass. The S.H.I.E.L.D. science team have been working around the clock to de-program you. After their last attempt, they had been able to pull your true self up through the anger and aggression. From the testing and research, they determined that your mind corruption was not as extreme as the winter soldier program, so hopefully you could recover quickly. You asked after Loki, of course, as you could vividly remember all the terrible things you had done to him. He had not been seen much around the compound since you nearly broke his nose.

"Could someone get him a message for me? Please?" You pleaded with your handler, "I know he won't want to speak to me but… I have to apologize." They had initially refused, but finally had opted to send out the request. Not that you expected him to come, so it was quite the shock when the familiar sound of his footfalls drifted into your room.

He stood straight, arms crossed across his chest, eyes cold. He didn't speak, just waited, half turned towards the door. "Loki…" his name slipped past your lips, causing a shudder to run down his spine, "I.. I'm so sorry." His jaw stiffened, chin slightly rocking back, his lips were locked in a thin line. "If I could take back everything I said…and did to you…" A sob broke through as you continued to speak, "…please, whatever I have to do…I'll do it, as long as it takes…I…"

"No." His answer was short, the sharp edges of each letter bit into your heart. "There is no forgiveness here." His expression was impassive as he turned his back on you and left the room.

Your tears ran freely down your face as the realization set in. You had lost him, utterly and completely. You laid back on the flat cot, rolling into the fetal position and whispered to the empty space, "…I love you."

Time passed, memories faded. You'd been back at work for a few months now, diligently keeping your head down. They had moved you into the agent quarters as it was best for you and S.H.I.E.L.D. if you were unable to be re-triggered. As no data had been breached during your little defection, there were no legal consequences. and you have been making good progress in therapy, having been promised that you would soon be permitted to leave the compound and gain a bit of freedom back. Not back-to-your-apartment freedom, but some independence at least.

Staff at the compound, even many main team members, were very happy you were back to mostly normal. Try as you might, you just couldn't shake the sorrow that had taken root in your chest. You understood, of course, why things were like they were. While the mind control was behind the major personality change, it was still you. You had said all those things to him, you had drove him away, you had destroyed that blossoming relationship. Initially you wanted to be angry with him for throwing your apology aside, but you couldn't. So you carried on, pushing everything down the best you could, but it had been getting more and more difficult to face a reality without him in it. He didn't even pick up his own tech anymore, instead opting to send the interoffice courier.

"Hello? You ok in there?" A sharp knock on the grate over your window caught your attention. The black widow's face peered around the bars, "It's after six, shouldn't you be closed?"

"Oh.. yeah, sorry, Nat." You gave your head a shake, clearing the cobwebs, and shot her a pathetic attempt at a smile. She frowned as you shuttered the tech room and stepped out into the hallway.

Her hands were on her hips, "What's wrong?" Ever since you had taken up residence in the compound, she had become the closest friend you had. True, you weren't a spy or a super hero, but you were kind and she liked not having to deal with the meatheads on the team all the time. There was also no hiding anything from her.

You tried again to smile, almost resorting to using your fingers to force your lips to upturn, but the tears slid free from the effort. "It's nothing…really.. I'm just tired." Turning in place, you gave her a little wave and headed off towards the elevator, punching in the floor for your living space. She followed silently, making sure you'd made it inside your room before spinning away and storming off.

The doors of the lounge slammed open as Nat entered, causing everyone inside to look up. Glaring around and not finding who she needed, she huffed a single name, "Loki." Five hands swiftly pointed to the balcony, where she could now see the Asgardian brothers. Loki was sitting in the corner chair, head in his hands and looking miserable, while Thor was sprawled across the love seat with his feet overhanging at one end. With a sigh, she approached the glass door slowly, pausing to listen a moment.

"I do not understand why you cannot speak with her…"

"Speak with her regarding what, exactly?"

"Tell her how you feel!"

"It is better she heals with a clean break…"

"Brother, she…"

"Do not speak of her to me again."

As Nat watched, Loki's head sunk deeper into his palms. She raised a hand to knock, but decided to slide the door instead. She stepped out, closing it behind her. Both Asgardian's looked up at her, Thor in relief. "Lady Widow, PLEASE help me!"

"That's what I plan on doing." Thor shifted on the couch, patting the tight spot he had created for Nat to join them. She shook her head at him, smirking down at the cushion. "You're an idiot, Loki."

His eyes narrowed, "And pray tell, how am I the idiot when my brother is sat right here?"

"…Hey!"

Nat carried on, "Get off your ass and go see her." Loki shook his head, his eyes trailed down to the floor. Nat rolled hers, "Not a request…Look, she's just as miserable as you are. It doesn't take much to see you need her too."

He ran his hands through his dark curls, head still hanging low, "She would not want me. I was…harsh… at our last meeting."

Scowling, she pulled her phone from a pocket, tapping in a series of numbers to pull up the camera feed from the tech room. After a moment of scrolling, she found the image she wanted. It was of you, seconds before closing up today: eyes void of life, dark circles lingered across your cheekbones, hair bundled in a rat's nest of a bun. She held the device under Loki's face, "Look at her."

His eyes flicked to the screen, finally taking in your image. He swiftly stood, free hand balling into a fist, "…stop being a coward.." he muttered to himself. Turning to Nat, he handed back her phone, thanking her for 'making him to see'.

"Anytime. залупа…"

"I can understand Russian."

She snickered, "I know. Now go!" With a little shove, he went.

The door of your compound apartment clicked closed. You didn't bother to turn the lock. Nor did you turn on the light, choosing instead to shuffle through the dim to the bathroom. Flicking on the switch for the fluorescent vanity bulb, you gazed at your reflection. Maybe a rinse would perk you up a bit. Your hair was in dire need of help.

One short, very hot shower later and you were clean, skin pink from the torrent of nearly scalding water. At least the water pressure here was better than the place you had outside the compound. A quick dry and you found yourself on the little couch in your main area, hair wound in damp braids. With the television off, the room was still dark aside from the slight glow emanating from the open bathroom.

A quiet knock sounded from outside. You glanced up, unsure where the noise had come from. Surely it wasn't your door, there was no-one who would need or want anything from you. The knock came again, a little louder. Confusion knitted your brow as you shifted, getting up off the couch and approaching the door. You scanned the peep hole but only being able to see a dark fabric clouding the light. You grabbed the handle and pulled the door inwards, stopping when you saw who stood in the doorway, "Oh."

You couldn't look at his face, but you stepped back and opened the door to allow him entrance. He took the opportunity and stepped inside, eyes intently seeking your downcast ones. The door closed silently behind him.

"It is good to see you." Loki's hands twitched, as if he wanted to reach for you.

You gave him the same pitiful smile you had given Nat, "… I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am…" You couldn't even speak his name.

"No…Y/N, it is me who should be apologetic. I have been too cowardly to admit that I forgave you once it was discovered you were not yourself…" You brought up your face, mustering everything within you to look at him. There were tears in his eyes, his hands clenched at his sides. "Please…let us start anew. I cannot fathom another day without your smile."

"..but.."

He shook his head, "Hush, we will not speak of that time again." He slowly, gently stepped forward, wrapping his arms around you as you stood in shock. Your surprise didn't last long, however, and you swiftly returned the embrace.

It doesn't take long for your friendship to pick up where it had left off, several months prior. Since you were living in the compound now, it was much easier to see him after working hours. "As soon as you have your freedom from this building, we will go and celebrate." Loki promised, as he leaned against the countertop in the cafeteria, "I am sure you are weary of this.. slop."

"It's not so bad, at least I don't have to cook it myself." You giggled, then sighed as you grabbed the last sandwich off the rack. It was fairly flat, as if it had been squished under a heavy object, "But either way, we'll know this afternoon. What did you have in mind?"

He brought up a finger and waggled it at you, "Ah ah, that is not for you to know yet."

You rolled your eyes at him with a grin, nudging him aside so you could grab a drink from the cooler. The hand holding the tray brushed against his, "Oh.." You moved to pull away from the contact, but he caught your forearm in his hand, keeping you in place.

Leaning in, he whispered into your ear, causing you to shiver slightly, "Later…" He released your arm, pushing off the counter.

"Later? Wha…" He pressed a finger to his lips in a silent shush, then turned and strode from the room. Thank the gods there was no-one else in the cafeteria at the time, you didn't want to explain the sudden flush of colour on your face nor the goosebumps that rose along your skin.

Your afternoon came and went, as did your therapy session. The results were good: you were still to call the compound home, but you were permitted to leave the premises at will. The clock on the wall finally ticked to six, so you slid the window closed and locked up for the night. Upon stepping outside your office, you noticed a bag had been hung on the outer doorknob. "What the heck is this?" you wondered aloud as you lifted it off the door and peered inside. There was a bundle at the bottom, wrapped in tissue paper, and a card on top. You could immediately read Nat's scrawling script.

I heard about your liberation! Congrats! Wear this Front lobby, eight o'clock Don't be late ♡ Nat

You chortled, stuffing the note back inside the bag. 'I'll open this upstairs.' you thought, not wanting to make a mess of her lovely wrapping. Once in your room, you carefully unwrapped the package in the bag. It was a mid-length dress made of fine silk. You gasped as you held it to the light. Every movement reflected the rich colour, mimicking moonlight across a calm pond. You smirked. Leave it to Nat to pick something in his colours: the verdant green was a perfect match to Loki's shade.

An hour later, you were dressed and ready to go. Surprisingly, you weren't nervous. Before the incident, the butterflies in your stomach would have been at full flight by now, but they didn't seem to be home. You chalked it up to a lingering side affect. With one last glance in the mirror, you headed down to the entrance to the building. The area was mostly empty, aside from the night watchman, who seemed very uninterested in your approach and a lone figure standing close to the doors facing outwards. You drifted over to him and ran your fingertips across his back as you circled around, "Hi.."

"Hi" He spun, his smirk turning to a wide grin at the sight of you in green, "My my, what desolate cupboard did you find this in?" His eyes twinkled with amusement.

You returned his grin, "I got it from Nat, so it could be from anywhere… Grandma's closet, NYC trash bin, Russian gulag.."

"No-one in a gulag could look this ravishing." He reached out, hands set on your hips, and pulled you tight. You weren't used to being this close, but he'd get no complaints from you on the matter. Heat blossomed in your chest, granting you the confidence to link your hands behind his neck as you pulled him down to meet your lips.

When you drew apart, you were both breathless. "We're not going out, are we?"

"Mm.. no."

Notes: I ran short of time to write the spicy bits, so there will be a part four after the weekend, I promise!

залупа - dickhead

Part Four

#loki #fanfic #loki fanfic #loki x f!reader #loki x reader #loki imagine #fanfiction #loki fanfiction #loki x you #loki x y/n #loki smut #loki angst

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racefortheironthrone · 8 months

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Do you have any thoughts on the character of the Hate-Monger? I presume that him being Hitler in a KKK costume is linking the bigotry of Nazis to those who opposed civil rights?

Yeah, the Hate-Monger is not a particularly subtle symbol; Jack Kirby had Something To Say about racial hatred in all its forms, and as a "premature anti-fascist" (and WWII vet) himself, clearly shared in the view advanced by the advocates of the Double V campaign that Jim Crow was American fascism full stop.

The Hate-Monger (fyi, the original Hate-Monger is technically a clone/memory upload of Adolf Hitler created by Arnim Zola in yet another example of how HYDRA is 100% Nazi) is also an example of Jack Kirby's continual interest in the theme of hatred and mass hysteria and how demogogues can manipulate the masses.

We see this theme returned to again and again in Jack Kirby's Fourth World, with Dr. Bedlam's Paranoid Pill from Mister Miracle #3, or (as @elanabrooklyn has pointed out) Glorious Godfrey in The Forever People #3.

#marvel #marvel meta #jack kirby #fantastic four #hate-monger #fourth world #glorious godfrey #dc #dc meta

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agentxthirteen · 10 months

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Sharon-A-Day, Day 690 (11/21/23)

Captain America: Reborn 4. On sale 11/4/09. "Reborn Part 4"

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Penciller: Bryan Hitch

Inker: Jackson Guice

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Colorist: Paul Mounts

Editor: Tom Brevoort

Sharon's given herself up to save Steve, but...

#sharon carter #agent 13 #steve rogers #captain america #captain america reborn #ed brubaker #bryan hitch #jackson guice #joe caramagna #paul mounts #tom brevoort #sinthea schmidt #red skull #johann schmidt #dr doom #arnim zola #crossbones #brock rumlow

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darkangel1791 · 4 months

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Random Thoughts on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier:

I have no knowledge of what the comics say, or what any of the writers may have said to clarify anything in interviews or what have you. This is based solely on the movies as they played in the theatres, and the series as broadcast on Disney+.

The Super Soldier Serum

Red Skull stole some serum from Dr. Erskine before it was perfected. And I don't know how he injected it. Nor was he the kind of person Dr. Erskine would have chosen. And he had a terrible side effect.

Steve was given the serum that was as good as Dr. Erskine could make it. He had probably done exhaustive experiments, and he was just waiting for the right person. Dr. Erskine chose him because he was a good man who didn't want to kill anyone, he just didn't like bullies. Howard Stark designed the optimal way to administer it. He had the best result.

Bucky could only have been given a version of the serum that had been distilled from Red Skull's blood. We don't know what kind of experiments Zola did on him after he was captured after the battle of Azzano. But he certainly did something if it helped him to survive the fall from the train, and the loss of his arm. So he was given a version of an imperfect serum, administered in some way, along with whatever else had been done to his body, and then his identity was removed. But, as of TFATWS. It doesn't seem to have had any adverse affects, physically or emotionally. Though he's been through such trauma, it would be difficult to tell if the serum had any affect on it. However, Bucky was a good guy, before his identity was removed, so now that he has come back to himself, it makes sense that the serum wouldn't react badly with his actual personality. He seems to continue to have a good result.

The other people in the winter soldier program were given the serum as Howard Stark had recreated it. I don't know what he had to begin that formula, but it must have been untested. Maybe he was handing it over to the Pentagon to be tested? Zola may have fooled around with it as well. Bucky said that they were erratic. And one of them turned on the Hydra guy and tried to kill him. They had a poor result.

Isaiah was given a form of the serum, I don't know what it would have been distilled from, or how it was administered. They were told it was for tetanus, so it wasn't administered with Stark's technology. But it killed many of the other guys. Isaiah though, I think, had the best personality, morals, and ethics for the serum. He seems to continue to have a good result.

Nagel distilled the serum from samples of Isaiah's blood. He said he found semi-stable traces of the serum in the blood. We don't know if that says anything about the serum in Isaiah's blood. It could be a result of how it was stored, especially during the time after it was stolen before it got to Nagel. Then he worked on it so that it would not make noticeable physical changes. So it was all kinds of messed up. It isn't really shown if it has enhanced and negative or positive traits that Karli and the Flag Smashers may have already had. But from what we know, it seems to have had a good result.

John Walker took one of those vials of serum. It had not been kept in optimal conditions, that may have affected it. He was already very angry, dishearted, and embarrassed from everything that had already happened before he took it. So it didn't change him physically, but he obviously has some after effects. We can see him having odd twitches. And his anger was there before the serum, but it seems as if now, once he gets angry, it gets turbo boosted. He doesn't seem to be able to make good decisions in the heat of battle, the way Lemar said he did, or the way that would earn you three medals of honor. I would say it had a less than optimal result.

So when they say super soldier serum, they aren't talking about the exact serum that was given to Steve. Not all iterations of the serum are the same. So every person given it will not react the same way.

#random thoughts on the falcon and the winter soldier #tfatws #super soldier serum #red skull #dr. erskine #steve rogers #bucky barnes #karli morgenthau #flagsmashers #isaiah bradley #john walker

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