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mysticatto · 3 years

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4 Evenings || 1. Spring

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Setting: Avengers AU set after CA-CW, but not following the Infinity Saga’s storyline (So, no Thanos)

Pairing: Eventual Avenger!Bucky x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Word Count: ca. 2000

Summary: Four evenings describing the stages your and Bucky’s relationship went through.

Chapter Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI! metions of Bucky's past/torture, angst, Tony being a dick, insecure Bucky, a wee bit of fluff

A/N: Here it is! I'm soooooo damn giddy to finally get this story out of my WIPs and system!

Dividers by the amazingly talented @firefly-graphics

Do not copy, translate or steal my fics! (or any fics, for that matter)

Everyone seemed restless on that otherwise calm Saturday morning in the middle of April. Well, everyone except Natasha of course. You couldn’t assess if the former Russian spy was just masking her nervousness or if she indeed didn’t really care that the infamous Winter Soldier was about to step foot into your very own home after being rid of his triggers successfully in Wakanda only days prior.

Sam was sitting on the kitchen island, sipping on his third coffee for the morning, while trying to have a conversation with Clint. Despite the fact they couldn’t really keep it going without changing the topic to the new arrival of the day.

Tony hadn’t been seen in five days, actually since Steve announced Bucky would be joining everyone else in the compound in less than a week. The billionaire still hadn’t been able to come to terms with the fact that Bucky was the one who killed his parents. Who wouldn’t be resentful? You were shocked, too, at the revelation.

Although you now understood he didn’t do it of his own free will; that he didn’t do anything he did under Hydra because he wanted to.

Wanda and Vision weren’t as concerned as the rest of the team; they had yet to meet Bucky. The little stunt at the airport in Germany didn’t help them form an opinion on the soldier. Even though they had heard enough stories, both good and bad, they were still unbiased.

And then there were you. From the moment Steve found out his old best friend was, against all odds, still alive, the blond man didn’t stop talking about him. About growing up together, how Bucky always had his six when the then scrawny Steve Rogers had gotten his ass handed to him by guys twice his size, and about the war.

Although you were excited to finally meet Sergeant James Barnes you couldn’t shake the feeling of not meeting the optimistic young man Cap had told you about. 70 something years of torture and brainwashing surely had changed him.

Aside from that you worried about Steve. He only saw Bucky as the lady’s man he was in the forties, the stubborn smartass he was back then. You feared he might be disappointed to potentially find that Bucky really died falling off the train in World War II.

Your worrying was abruptly stopped by the door to the common area opening with a swoosh, and a happy Captain America entering. Natasha, Clint, Sam and you immediately halted your movements, turning all your attention to the entrance and the two men standing in the threshold. Bucky didn’t seem nearly as stoked to be here as Steve was, given that the brunette was trying to appear as small as possible, not meeting anyone’s eye.

“Buck, these are Nat, Clint, Sam and Y/N. Everybody, this is Bucky. The rest is scattered around the compound, I guess?” The last sentence turned out as a question as Steve fixated his eyes on you.

“Yeah, Tony’s in his lab with Bruce, Vis and Wan are on a walk, I think.”, you shrugged, smiling at the two men still standing at the entrance.

“Why the introductions? I guess we all know each other at least since the airport in Germany.”, Natasha jumped in, smugly grinning. You slapped her upper arm, earning an amused scoff from the red head.

Reminded of the tense fight and everything that happened afterwards in Siberia, Bucky became rigid next to Steve, his gaze shifting to his shoes.

Not even Steve seemed to notice, but you surely did. “Steve, why don’t you show him his quarters? Let him settle in, before going on an introduction spree?”

Steve nodded, smiling and even Bucky's lips pulled up for a split second.

The two men vanished into the hallways and everyone resumed their occupations from before.

Later that day, shortly after dinner, you were making your way back to your room when you overheard Tony screaming. Well, it sure would have been hard not to hear.

“Cap, I don’t want him here! The entire team doesn’t want him here! Can’t you see that? They just tolerate your decision to bring him in.”, Tony said, way louder than necessary for Steve to hear.

“Tony, don’t be like that. I know you’re hurt, but it wasn’t him that killed them. It was Hydra.” Steve tried hard to stay calm and collected, but Tony being Tony didn’t make it easy for the star-spangled man.

“I don’t care, Cap!”

A noise behind you diverted your attention away from the arguing pair only to find Bucky standing behind you, clearly being able to pick up everything Steve and Tony said. Your face fell, when you saw his expression. A mix of sadness, hurt, regret, guilt and anger, all morphed into one. When his gaze met yours, the stoic expression resurfaced only for Tony to end his rant with If it wasn’t for you, I’d kill him!

You flinched at his harsh words. Bucky’s eyes widened and he took off, running in a random direction.

You took one look back to where you supposed Steve and Tony stood before sprinting after the brunette.

“Wait!”, you shouted to no avail, picking up your pace to keep up with the super soldier.

Bucky had no idea where he was going. He didn’t know the way back to his room, or any room for that matter, so he just ran. Your voice rang through his ears every time you told him to stop. But he couldn’t. He didn’t want to hear it. It wasn’t enough that he had to live through everything he did every night in his dreams, no.

Now he had to be confronted during the day in his new ‘home’.

Bucky didn’t feel at home. He thought maybe Steve’s presence could help him regain some memories from before he was captured, but if that meant he had to deal with hostility from everyone he met, he would gladly just forget everything.

The brunette only now noticed he had left the building as he was nearing the small forest east of the site, you still hot on his heels. He knew he could easily outrun you, but something stopped him from going any faster. Close to the edge of the forest he began stumbling and ultimately fell to his knees, his hands clutching to the foliage beneath him in an effort to ground himself.

Out of breath and panting miserably you came to a stop beside him, propping your hands up on your slightly angled knees to catch your breath. “Holy hell. Did you drink jet fuel or somethin’?”, you quipped before noticing his even more distraught state. You let yourself fall to your knees next to him, refraining from touching him, but angling your head in a way you could see his face.

His eyes were frantically shifting from side to side, without focus; his hands clenched into fists and his whole body tensed up.

Everyone had always told you, you had an incredibly calming presence, so now was the perfect time to test their theory. You lay down flat on your back, one hand behind your head, one hand between his fists in his field of view.

“Don’t let Tony get to you. He’s pissed, who wouldn’t be, but he will eventually come to terms with it and realize it wasn’t you, James. It was Hydra.”, you tried, looking up to the slowly changing sky. Hues of pink faded into baby blues with purple mixed in between.

Bucky’s breath still came out in shaky little huffs.

“Why are you doing this?”, he whispered incredulously, noticing that you didn’t seem to leave his side anytime soon. His eyes were still fixated on the ground, but he slowly relaxed the grasp he had on the leaves below him.

He let his butt sink onto his heels, kneeling next to your lying form, contemplating to take off again.

“Steve wants you here, you know. He was so happy when Shuri told him she extracted the triggers and you could come home to him. I don’t really know you, only through all the stories, but I want you here, too. You deserve a normal life after all the shit you went through.”

You tried really hard to negate Tony’s words, but you also knew that most of the team was indeed wary of him living here. Steve had fought like a bear to convince everyone.

Upon your words Bucky screwed his eyes shut. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to believe you; to trust you. You turned your head to face the brunette, when an idea popped into your head.

You sat up, your gaze never leaving Bucky. “James, I’m gonna touch your hand now, okay?”, you whispered in a calm tone. He nodded merely perceptible. You gently clasped his right hand with your left.

His eyes immediately found your joined hands, before looking you directly in the eyes, disbelief written on his features. It was unfathomable for him to be touched under any other circumstances than punishment, torture or medical examinations.

Your smile was soft, when you pulled him up to stand next to you, his knees unsteady and wobbly.

“Come on.”, you coaxed gently, pulling him with you, deeper into the forest before you. “I’m gonna show you my personal, super secret hiding place. No one knows it’s there.”

Your fingers were intertwined by now as you pulled the super soldier through the thicket until you reached a small clearing.

“This doesn’t look like a good hiding place.”, Bucky murmured, biting his tongue instantly after the words escaped his mouth. But you just… laughed. You genuinely laughed, with your hand still holding his tightly. “Yeah, no. That’s not the spot, dummy.”, you snorted, pulling him with you again until the two of you were standing in front of thick tendrils.

You extended your right hand, pushing it through the blanket of tendrils, dragging Bucky with you.

Behind them was a cozy little cave equipped with some throw blankets you had left there after your last visit. You pulled your cell phone out of your pant’s pocket to illuminate the place, to keep the two of you from tripping over your feet. Dragging Bucky even further into the cave you pushed him down onto a small elevation in the stones and pulled one of the blankets around his shoulders.

You sat down next to him, the flashlight lighting up his face as you looked at him.

“I don’t come here often anymore, but you’re welcome to. Whenever you need a timeout just go hide in here. But if you tell anyone about our little secret I’ll unfortunately have to rip out your vocal chords.”, you said, feigning seriousness; his expression was short of fearful before you started giggling, bumping your shoulder into his left arm. “Just kidding.”

He heaved a sigh before he began relaxing next to you.

“Thank you.”, he whispered, shifting his gaze to meet the ground. You just nodded, smiling contently to yourself.

“I think Steve has high expectations now that I’m here.” His voice was low, but you could make out the tremble nonetheless. Your eyes found his face again, concern swarming his features. A barely audible sigh escaped your lips.

“I’m sure he has. But he will have to match your pace in healing. There’s no use for him to push you beyond your boundaries, and I really hope he knows that.”

A sad smile tugged at his lips as his eyes found yours.

“You can do it, y’know. Settle in, get along with the others, who by the way care way less that you live here now than Tony let on. And I’ll keep an overenthusiastic Steve in check. Deal?”

A low chuckle escaped Bucky at your words. He stretched out his right hand and smiled at you. “Deal.”, he said softly. You took his hand and shook it gently, before letting go.

“And for now, relax a little. You must be exhausted after such a long flight with a babbling Steve as company.”, you giggled, leaning back against the wall of the cave, closing your eyes.

“Yeah.”, Bucky smiled.

Next Part

A/N: That's it! The first part of the mini series is officially out and about. What did yall think? Constructive criticism is highly welcomed and encouraged! Please like and reblog if you liked it. ♥

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #avengers fanfiction #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x y/n #marvel fanfiction #bucky barnes reader insert #bucky x y/n #bucky fanfic #james barnes #4 Evenings #4E

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jones-friend · 3 years

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Commander Legends Top 3

I wanted to draft up a top 3 commanders of commander legends now that the dust had settled, but I had a hard time picking between multicolor commanders and mono color partners. So! I’ve decided to pick 3 of each!

In picking my top 3 of each I looked for usefulness as well as new twists on colors. What is interesting but also is solid enough to make a deck for?

Lathiel “closes the loop” for selesnya lifegain. Iridescent Hornbeetle, Pollenbright Wings, Soul Warden, cradle of vitality, archangel of thune, there’s a lot of combinations of lifegain that make Lathiel a perfect conduit for life and power. With lifelinkers you have whats very nearly a kalonian hydra in the command zone.

Ghen fits into the “twist on established colors” category who got a serious boost with Kaldheim. Why? Sagas. Sagas are what motivate you to sac and recur your enchantments and rotate them. Liliana’s Mastery and the like create tokens on etb letting you amass a field through enchantment weaving and sacrifice. Its also worth pointing out Ghen works at instant speed, you can slam curses down in response to relevant plays.

Araumi is one I’ve revisited after Quandrix’s token shenanigans. This commander has proven to to be a wild take on self mill and as a small drop is easy to repeatedly bring out over the course of a game. Encore hits ETB, attack, and death triggers. So much is available to you. Sharding Sphinx comes out and each of the three sphinxes trigger three times for 12 damage and 9 1/1 thopter tokens, and that’s the tame side of Araumi. Imagine three Massacre Wurms etbing for -6/-6 yo your opponents creatures each death triggering a loss of 6 life.

Post commander legends Tevesh Szat continues to pop up in builds. Turns out, being able to make two disposable creatures and altar’s reap on a stick are incredibly good in black relevant decks. Ayara, Korvold, Kydele, you don’t even need to hit ult for Tevesh to be good.

Tormod makes such an intriguing take. Each instance of one or more cards leaving your gy makes a zombie. Reanimation, flashback, recursion, exile, all make a zombie. That means if you recur gravecrawler and get prized amalgam eot you get two 2/2 zombies that gain all the anthems your field provides. As a partner commander you can add up to two more colors of zombie support to make it work.

Krark is one of my favorites because of how you can “trick” the system. Double Vision triggers on cast, so you can always get one copy per cast. The coinflip decides if you get 3 casts or get to cast it again. Eligeth, Vial Smasher, Sakashima, there’s a lot of ways to spin Krark in ways to make either side of the coin work in your favor, and all at two mana.

These are 6 of my own favorites of the set. I’d love to hear what yours are, or if you’ve built decks for any commander legends commanders!

#mtg #edh

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Black Widow Timeline Explained

https://ift.tt/3yH3sEi

This article contains Black Widow spoilers. Read our spoiler-free review here.

Who is Natasha Romanoff? It’s a question Marvel Studios coyly teased for years and then… failed to answer as a full decade and the entire “Infinity Saga” passed us by. Yes, the long overdue Black Widow movie is finally reaching theaters this weekend, but Nat was killed off years ago in the sacred timeline of Marvel Cinematic Universe canon.

Nevertheless, we are happy that the character and Scarlett Johansson received some much deserved closure, and in a film which fills in many of the blindspots in the Black Widow mythos, not least of which includes what she got up to between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

With her narrative being seemingly closed for good, it’s time to unpack the oft-obscured life story of Natasha and consider whether she at last balanced out all that red in her ledger.

1984

The child who would become Natasha Romanoff is born in Stalingrad to a mother who is forced to give her over to the Soviet government. Despite the mother’s best efforts, she is unable to free Nat from the system. (Fury’s Big Week, Black Widow)

1992

After years of indoctrination and training in the Widow program, which is run out of Soviet Col. Dreykov’s Red Room, eight-year-old Natasha is selected alongside three-year-old Yelena to be part of KGB agents Alexi Shostakov and Melina Vostokoff’s cover story. The quartet of sleeper agents move to Ohio, posing as an all-American family while gathering American state secrets. (Black Widow)

1995

Alexi and Melina succeed in obtaining critical information and escape U.S. soil. Eleven-year-old Natasha and six-year-old Yelena, who’ve become increasingly Americanized and attached to the family identities they assumed, are traumatized. (Black Widow)

2002

Natasha completes her Widow training and graduates from the Red Room, which includes a “ceremony” where she is asked to execute a man bound to a chair. She is then sterilized on an operating table. Dreykov believes robbing “widows” of the chance to have children makes them more ruthless killers. (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

2002 – 2007

Natasha is involved in multiple mysterious and apparently bloody Widow operations, which include incidents of murder in São Paulo and a separate “hospital fire” atrocity she is still haunted by. (The Avengers)

2007 – 2008

Clint Barton recruits Natasha into the West’s international SHIELD organization. Part of her defection comes at the price of assassinating Dreykov in Budapest. However, it is merely Dreykov’s young daughter Antonia who feels the fire of Nat’s explosives. (The Avengers, Black Widow)

2009

Natasha has her first run in with the Winter Soldier when she attempts to extract a defecting nuclear engineer out of Iran. A brainwashed Bucky Barnes steals her prize by running her car off a cliff in Ukraine and then shooting a bullet through Nat’s stomach and into her asset—killing him instantly. (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

Around this time, Natasha becomes an unofficial member of Clint Barton’s secret family, who live on an idyllic farmhouse. She’s known there as Auntie Nat. (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

2010

Natasha infiltrates Stark Industries under the alias of Natalie Rushman, working as a legal assistant who moonlights as a model in order to catch Tony Stark’s lascivious eye. (Iron Man 2)

Natalie becomes Tony’s assistant but is actually spying on him for SHIELD, which has come to realize Tony’s arc reactor—which saved his life in Afghanistan—is now poisoning him. Nat eventually reveals she’s a SHIELD agent and helps prevent an assassination attempt on Stark’s life by rival forces. (Iron Man 2)

Movies

The Black Widow Movie You Never Saw

By Don Kaye

Movies

Florence Pugh’s Best Roles: What to Watch After Black Widow

By Kayti Burt

2012

Nat abandons her infiltration of the Russian underworld to recruit Bruce Banner to SHIELD after Loki arrives on Earth, brainwashing Clint Barton and planning world domination. She later successfully interrogates and manipulates the supposed God of Mischief. (The Avengers)

Natasha becomes one of the founding members of the Avengers after saving the world from an alien invasion alongside Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk in the Battle of New York. (The Avengers)

2014

Still working for SHIELD, Natasha infiltrates a pirate-commandeered SHIELD vessel to protect/steal precious SHIELD secrets while Captain America naively thinks they’re there to save hostages. (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

Black Widow goes rogue alongside Cap after an assassination attempt on her mentor, Col. Nick Fury. Fury of course survived and forms an underground operation with Nat and Rogers to root out HYDRA sleeper cells who’ve slowly taken over SHIELD leadership during the past 70 years. (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

After saving the world from HYDRA’s latest attempt at world domination, Natasha publicly reprimands the American government at a baffling Capitol Hill hearing where she is being questioned by Pentagon brass. (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

… MEANWHILE the Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton from circa 2023—nearly a decade older and sadder—time travel to 2014 in order to undo the damage Thanos caused when he snapped half of life in the universe out of existence with the Infinity Stones. They journey to the planet Vormir where they’re told one will have to die in order to obtain the Soul Stone. Black Widow and Hawkeye fight over who will have the right to sacrifice themselves for the other—Natasha wins and falls to her death, thus ending her tragic timeline in the past. (Avengers: Endgame)

2015

Black Widow becomes a full-time Avenger, joining the team as they dismantle the last HYDRA base in Sokovia. They regain Loki’s powerful scepter with an infinity stone inside. (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

Black Widow strikes up an intimate and unrequited connection with Bruce Banner. She is the only Avenger able to talk the Hulk down from his rages. The pair consider running off together, but their burgeoning romance is thwarted by the arrival of Ultron—an artificial intelligence that wants to… destroy the world. (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

Nat and the Avengers prevent Ultron from killing all organic life on Earth—which involved lifting Sokovia’s capital city into the sky and then dropping it like an asteroid—but in the carnage, Banner/Hulk chooses not to pursue a relationship with Nat, disappearing to parts unknown as she accepts her role as a leader of the growing Avengers roster. (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

2016

Black Widow is part of an Avengers operation in Lagos, Nigeria, which goes horribly wrong when in an attempt to stop terrorist Brock Rumlow from stealing a biological weapon, an entire office floor of civilians is killed. (Captain America: Civil War)

Shortly after the Lagos incident, the Sokovia Accords are signed by the UN, requiring Avengers and other superpowered individuals to register themselves under the jurisdiction of the UN Security Council. Natasha at first accepts this as a reasonable path forward. She changes her mind when pro-Accords Avenger Tony Stark comes to blows with the resident skeptic, Steve Rogers, in Berlin. Romanoff helps Rogers escape and then also goes to ground. (Captain America: Civil War)

As a rogue agent, Natasha is invited back to Budapest and reunites with her faux-little sister Yelena, who reveals Dreykov is still alive and now is literally controlling the minds of the other young women he’s trained to be widows via mind-altering drugs. (Black Widow)

Nat and Yelena decide to track Dreykov down and kill him for real, and do so by freeing their “father” Alexi from Siberia and reconnecting with their “mother” Melina, who is still loyal to the Widow program. Melina nonetheless takes her girls to the Red Room, the hidden air fortress where they were trained as children. Yelena kills Dreykov and Natasha frees all the women under Dreykov’s control, including his daughter who did not actually die in Budapest. (Black Widow)

Natasha reconnects with Steve Rogers and helps him free Wanda Maximoff, Scott Lang, Sam Wilson, and Clint Barton from the government’s “the Raft” prison vessel. (Captain America: Civil War, Black Widow)

2018

As Thanos’ alien forces invade Earth, Rogers, Romanoff, and other renegade Avengers come out of hiding to save the universe. Natasha is reunited with Banner, and all of them converge in an epic battle against the armies of Thanos in Wakanda. (Avengers: Infinity War)

After the Avengers fail to stop Thanos from collecting all the Infinity Stones, Nat watches many of her friends turn to dust, along with half the living creatures in existence. (Avengers: Infinity War)

Black Widow and the Avengers track Thanos down to an uninhabited planet, only to discover he’s destroyed the Infinity Stones they planned to use to resurrect the universe. Thor decapitates Thanos in a pyrrhic attempt at revenge. (Avengers: Endgame)

2023

Natasha has become the top leader of the Avengers, organizing their superheroism throughout the cosmos via intergalactic Zoom sessions with Captain Marvel, Rocket, and others. Yet she and Rogers quietly cling to the hope of reversing Thanos’ victory. (Avengers: Endgame)

When Scott Lang returns from the Quantum Realm, revealing he’s inadvertently discovered time travel, Nat and Steve get the original Avengers lineup back together to travel into the past in order to steal the Infinity Stones. Return to the 2014 section to find out how that ended for Black Widow… (Avengers: Endgame)

2024

After Natasha traveled to her destiny in the past, Yelena visits her grave in Ohio… and is recruited for a new kind of team. (Black Widow)

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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empty-dream · 4 years

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Just watched TFATWS ep1

FUCKING FINALLY SAMBUCKY SERIES.

Steve's best friends, who may or may not be friends themselves and who got snapped and then blipped back, now have to deal with the current world as men out of time, just like their mutual best friends Steve.

First thing I woke up to was a message from my friend saying "TFATWS TODAY" and several hours later I got "TFATWS OUT" that's how hyped we were.

It's kind of unreal for me. I only consume MCU, I don't know much about the original comic lore, so it's really something new that I can see Sam and Bucky having their own separate lives. Away from Steve, away from the entire Avengers.

And like every other sentient beings, they have personal issues that they are trying to deal with. And Sam's financial problem is surprisingly day-to-day but also very much real issue. Loaning and banking system always smell fishy for me no matter how much they try to sweet talk about it.

"You don't have income for the last 5 years" "How come you have income if you don't exist?" AJBDILAWJAODNAUL YOU TELL HIM MA'AM. I love Wilsons family dynamic already.

RHODES??!! I always love Rhodes-Sam dynamic ever since Civil War. And seeing it here again is a very warm surprise.

1st Lieutenant Torres is me for the entire first 10 minutes.

So many selfies. Is that supposed to show the advancement of technology or what?

I like the worldbuilding post The Blip. FFH was focused on Peter's life, I have not watched Wandavision god I swear I will find time, so this is the first one for me that really explores the actual aftermath of the Infinity Saga. Sam's family's struggles really highlight the damage caused in family-level scale. Torres tells hints about the damage in larger scale. And finally the end of the episode is where the "we need new hero for new time" speech echoes back.

Bucky, with fresh haircut, doing the maximum effort to skirt the line between criminal and legal to get back at the Hydra executive and ignoring Sam's texts.

Poor Bucky just wanted to rest in Wakanda. Well the nightmares and the past aren't really just gonna go away like that huh.

His date with Leah is so cute lol.

"Half the time I don't even know what I'm looking at [in online dating apps]" Same, Buck. I need me spinoff with nothing but Bucky trying Tinder.

His friendship with Yori is also cute... I thought he was really good at befriending senior citizen cuz (insert Bucky being 100 yo joke here) Until I realized the truth :'(

What the fuck is the last second I have never wanted to punch the ending screen so bad since Far From Home #1 post credit.

Yes I will pop up once a week to become very annoying for the next 5 weeks. And no I will not apologize for that I have been waiting for YEARS.

#the falcon and the winter soldier #tfatws spoilers #marvel #random saying

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nintendocafe · 7 years

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Nintendo - Super Mario Odyssey to be at PAX West

To kick things off before the show starts, Nintendo is bringing back the Nindies@Night event, from 8:30 p.m. to midnight on Aug. 31 at Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle. The event is open to the public and offers a chance for people interested in speaking to developers and checking out unreleased indie games coming to Nintendo Switch. For anyone unable to make it to Nindies@Night at MoPOP, there will be a livestream from the event, including deep dives with developers and a sneak peek at first-ever gameplay. The indie festivities continue in the Nindie Arcade at PAX West, where Nintendo is bringing upcoming indie games to the convention center on the third floor in room 3B. Stop by to play great games and chat with the developers who created them. The Nindie Arcade hours are noon-9 p.m. Friday to Sunday, and noon-6 p.m. on Monday.

On Saturday, Sept. 2, up to 600 fans can attend a live filming of a Nintendo Minute segment that will be focused on the Metroid: Samus Returns game. The episode will be filmed 10-11 a.m. in the Hydra Theatre Leonesa I-III Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Seattle hotel. Kit, Krysta and members from the Nintendo Treehouse will show off new gameplay, reveal new game content and feature fan art. They’ll also have exclusive giveaways of collectable Nintendo Power cover-inspired posters for people in attendance, while supplies last.

Nintendo is also hosting a Pokkén Tournament DX Virtual Academy fan event from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 1 at the Sheraton Hotel in the Willow ballroom (second floor). Visitors will have the chance to play the Pokkén Tournament DX game before its launch on Sept. 22. The event will include a tournament, as well as exhibition matches featuring professional video gamers and members of Nintendo’s Treehouse.

Games like ARMS, Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have demonstrated how the Nintendo Switch console is the home of social competitive fun. At PAX West, attendees will be able to play additional competitive games like Pokkén Tournament DX, Rocket League from Psyonix, NBA 2K18 from 2K Games and FIFA 18 from Electronic Arts.

The Nintendo 3DS family of systems will be on hand at the show, and attendees will be able to play some of the new games headed to the system’s already-huge library. Visitors can check out both Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions and Metroid: Samus Returns.

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goodluckdetective · 7 years

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Iz Explains Stuff So You Don’t Have to: The Nightwing Debacle.

Hey guys! As promised, here’s a write up of what’s currently making waves in the DC/comic fandom today. Given that this subject somewhat related to the Hydra-cap nonsense, I thought it should be something I cover as well, just to sorta give non-comics fans/DC comics readers who might see this and want some context.

1. Who is Nightwing?

You guys know Robin, Batman’s sidekick who they almost always leave out of movies? This is the first (yes there’s more than one, but that’s a topic for another day) and possibly most iconic one to pop-culture. Named Richard “Dick” Grayson, Dick is the son of the flying Grayson’s , two circus acrobats who died due to mob interference during a show (he also has Romani heritage (which the comics often ignore) This will be important later). Bruce took Dick in and the rest is well history.

Dick probably has the most screen time over any Robin in film/tv adaptations, including Teen Titans, Young Justice, The Lego Batman movie, the original Adam West series, and Batman Forever. He’s arguably the best known Robin to non-comic’s readers.

Because time does pass in comics occasionally, Dick grew up and after a series of events that have been retconned so many times it’s not worth getting into, ditched the Robin mantle. He would later take up the title of Nightwing.

2. Why the name Nightwing?

Dick is a HUGE fan of Superman (no really, Superman is pretty much his uncle) and after he ditched the Robin title, Superman and him had a talk where Superman told him of two legendary kryptonian heroes Nightwing and Flamebird. Inspired by the story, Dick would take on the name of the former (the latter name has a much more varied history).

3. Okay, so what’s the big deal besides the Robin thing?

To compress a lot of history into a paragraph, Nightwing is the one DC hero that like almost every other DC hero trusts and likes. Most of the Justice League has known Dick since he was a little kid and trust him implicitly for both his general good nature and reputation of being like, a really fucking good guy. Like a really good guy. A good enough guy that when Batman was told to let his own world die to let a better more “ideal” world survive, he asked if Richard Grayson was in it to make his choice on if it actually was a better world. (Dick was not in this world, which made Batman hard pass on that shit. Really. This is a thing that happened.)

Dick has also led multiple successful superhero teams, worked on the league himself, and donned the Batman title for awhile.

4. Okay, got it. So what’s going on?

Today DC announced a new six issue limited series in an elseworld (which is a world that takes place outside of canon. Think an AU.) This is the summary:

NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER is the story of a future world without “weapons”—where superpowers have been eliminated and outlawed. The man responsible? None other than Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing, now leader of a government task force called the Crusaders who are charged with hunting the remaining Supers. But when events transpire which turn the Crusaders’ aim toward Grayson’s own family, the former Boy Wonder must turn against the very system he helped create, with help from the very people he’s been hunting for years—the last metahumans of the DC Universe.

5. OH NO IS THIS HYDRA CAP ALL OVER AGAIN?

Yes and no. So far, it’s safe to say that this series does echo Hydra Cap in a paragon for good and justice becoming the figurehead of a fascist regime. However, everything else is kind of more murky.

For one, this series is an elseworld, which means unlike Hydra Cap, it doesn’t take place in the regular DC universe. This is not the fate of the Dick Grayson we know and love, nor is it him; it’s a version of him in a different universe. It’s also a limited run, so we got an enddate on this sucker off the bat.

Second, this is more general fascism instead of nazi brand fascism. The first cover echoes other fascist/oppressive regimes but it applies to multiple besides the Nazi party. In the DC universe, metahumans aren’t coded as a minority group (though smaller subsets are, like the Superfamily being coded Jewish), so it’s more sci-fi than an allegory for real life oppression (though if depending on the details of this event, that remains to be seen. The writer took to Twitter to state there is absolutely no genocide here in this book but the first few pages imply otherwise and long story short, I’m not convinced). The group Dick works with is also entirely new and unlike Hydra has no link in history to the Nazi party, making the claim that they’re a general “evil fascist villain” hold water.

Third, unlike Hydra Cap, this book is branded as Dick learning the error of his choices rather than a long saga to try to convince us he has a point. I doubt we’ll see the same extent of “we should feel bad for Dick oppressing all these people” that we see in Hydra cap. However, this also remains to be seen. Long story short, it’s never gonna try to get us to root for the bad guy.

6. So it’s fine?

Now I wouldn’t say that. Making an iconic character a fascist is still something to side eye, and a lot of my above caveats can change if the story itself decides to make those connections (i.e if there are prison camps for example). It’s also important to note, that making a Romani character a fascist, and one under the label of “crusader” is in terrible taste, considering the Romani people’s history with both.

The writer is also someone I don’t have a ton of faith in when it comes to nuance. (though to his credit, he is assuring and validating concerns on twitter rather than laughing us all off as SJWs).

What I’m saying is that it’s gonna be hard to figure out exactly this is going to play out until I see the first issue. I think the storyline and the advertising is something we should be critical of, but a lot still depends on how the book approaches it. This isn’t to say you should “give it a chance” only that we might want to hold off from saying DC is promoting fascism until we see if they’re gonna take this from a “feel bad for Dick angle, not all fascists are bad” or a “Dick fucked up hard” angle. We can just say this storyline is at the very least insensitive given current events and Dick’s ethnic roots.

Plus, Dick turning on Superman is just weird, and the preview pages are not helping my concerns.

So be critical of the concept but be careful not to declare what the narrative is trying to say until we know what the narrative is.

7. And if it does come out to be “feel bad for Dick, not all fascists, narrative supports the fascist regime for just wanting the best for us” angle?

Then go crazy guys. Though even if it does go that way, it still won’t be as Hydra cap. Because at least it’s still only a elseworld. Which is like the worst consolation prize ever.

#nightwing #say no to hydra cap #nazi cw #the spencer saga #nightwing the new order

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hydrasquadd · 2 months

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Truth Arc

Part twelve

Masterpost

Apologies for the broken link for the last part, somehow I just noticed that. It has been fixed now. If you didn't get to read part 11 because of it, it's now properly linked

#shouting again because it keeps happening b #end of the part #not the entire comic #hss #hydra system saga #digital art #artists on tumblr #comic #alters #did system #alter comic #headspace #disassociative identity disorder #codi #truth

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waynekelton · 5 years

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The Best Games like XCOM on Android & iOS

XCOM: Enemy Unknown won multiple game-of-the-year awards in 2012 for its turn-based tactical gameplay centered on a squad of combatants. The expansion, XCOM: Enemy Within, was similarly well received upon its release in 2013 and brought the franchise to the mobile market on both the iOS and Android platforms in 2014. The success of these XCOM games inspired many game developers to try their hand at the genre.

In 2015 we got Deathwatch: Tyranid Invasion, set in the Warhammer 40K universe, and one of my personal favorites Templar Battleforce. We've also Demon's Rise 2 (another Pocket Tactics GOTY recipient) and Invisible, Inc. All of these games feature tactical turn-based action that can be favorably compared to the XCOM games.

Below is collection of great games that evoke that tactical gameplay that XCOM fans know and love. Some we've reviewed, many we haven't. We've put some emphasis on games released in the last couple of years, but also aimed for a good cross-section of options out there. Naturally we can't include every title with gameplay similar to XCOM and would love to see other options called out in the comments below.

Community Suggestions

Deathwatch: Tyranid Invasion

The Banner Saga series

Shieldwall Chronicles

Skulls of the Shogun

Highborn

Xenowar

Developer: Grinning Lizard Platforms: Android Price: $1.99

Xenowar is a brilliant distillation of the razor-sharp tactical challenges of XCOM, though it does sacrifice some scale and endgame satisfaction in favor of presenting a clean-cut intense series of battles. In particular, the GEO mode is a smart compromise between a full-fledged life-consuming, planet-saving, alien-cleansing XCOM campaign and a single strategic arc that a dedicated gamer can accomplish in just a few sittings. It takes a lot of presence of mind to create games like this, which understand what’s great and reiterate it without becoming derivative or redundant in the process. Oh, and it’s open-source to boot.

Strike Team Hydra (Review)

Developer: Wave Light Games Platforms: iOS | Android Price: $7.99, $6.49

Hydra’s best point is how creative and wide its customization options are, both in terms of squad composition and difficulty level. The plotting and theme are boilerplate, but in terms of mechanics, stats and abilities, the game is brimming with possibilities. Psionics and physics add some flair and unusual effects to the classes, and the enemies are weird bio-machine hybrids. All this wouldn’t matter a whit if the game’s buffet of options was paired with anything but an equally rich campaign. Here, Strike Team Hydra delivers again, ratcheting up the scenarios, objectives and enemy types just as generously as it doled out strategic tools. It strikes a great balance between question and answer; risk and reward; problem and solution.

Frozen Synapse

Developer: Mode 7 Platforms: Android Price: $9.99, $4.31

Along with the top-down isometric perspective, Frozen Synapse made one other amazing change to the standard tactical shooter formula. Each side takes turns planning their actions in secrecy, mapping out the steps their units will take, the shots they will fire. Then the game will resolve everyone’s programmed actions creating a ‘simultaneous’ turn that was nonetheless meticulously choreographed by those tacticians. One good idea, perfectly rendered, is enough to make a good game. Frozen Synapse fulfills this crystal-clear ideal.

Templar Battleforce (Review)

Developer: Trese Brothers Platforms: iOS | Android Price: $9.99

Space marines versus xenomorphs, loosely derived from the Ur-horrors of Alien. Templar Battleforce owes some thematic debts to Warhammer and others, but its rapid-fire pacing and generous respect system are wonderful tools for experimentation and strategy. There’s some light characterization and world-building, sure, but in lieu of story one has to respect Templar Battleforce’s varied scenarios and equally creative squads allow divergent thinking. To a man with a hammer, everything is a nail, but to a commander with endlessly variable squads, the mutating threat can be met with an equally sundry...battleforce.

Aliens versus Humans

Developer: Leisurerules Inc. Platforms: iOS | Android Price: $2.99

We'll start with an option that predates Enemy Within on mobile. Aliens versus Humans is an old game. So old that if you buy it for iOS you'll get the warning about it slowing down your device since the developer hasn't updated the game to Apple's standards. That warning is often meaningless and misleading and you should go ahead and ignore it in this case.

Aliens versus Humans is effectively a clone of the very first XCOM game from back in 1994.It features base management, research, manufacturing, and of course tactical combat against alien enemies. The graphics are retro and nothing to get excited about, but the gameplay is solid, combat is challenging, and there's a whole lot of content for a couple bucks. You can bring a huge squad to battle which allows for more options to face threats than games that top out with a team of four or so. It also lets you play the attrition game to grind out victories. So while Aliens versus Humans is over three-years-old at this point, it is well worth considering if you're looking for XCOM-like action.

Alien Star Menace

Developer: The Animal Farm Creations Platforms: Android Price: Free

The first of a couple free options in this article is a little game called Alien Star Menace. Aliens have attacked the starship Paladin and it's up to you to save the day. Alien Star Menace is light-hearted and looks pretty basic at first glance but it actually packs a good tactical punch. You pick a five-person squad from a variety of special units with different pros and cons and take them into missions on different levels of the Paladin.

The mission objectives are things like "Kill Everything" and "Reach the Stairs" and the game rewards smart decisions like making good use of choke points and ranged attackers. Missions are very quick and perfect for bite-sized play sessions on your phone, which is often a big plus for gamers these days. Alien Star Menace is also free-to-play with no IAP. There are ads, which can be annoying, but the frequency is very low and I didn't find them to be overly obtrusive. I'm happy to recommend this one as a free gaming option for XCOM fans.

World of Warriors: Quest

Developer: Mind Candy Ltd. Platforms: iOS | Android Price: Free

World of Warriors: Quest is a light turn-based tactical game where you play as a team of warriors from across the ages—Roman centurions, Viking berserkers, and stealthy ninjas for example. The characters fill your standard RPG roles. The Roman, Brutus, is a tank and taunts enemies with his attacks to keep their attention. Gunnar, the Viking warrior, is a decent balance of damage and survivability. The ninja is named Kuro and he's the glass cannon—big area-of-effect damage but very low health. Those are the starting characters but you encounter more as the game goes on.

You choose three warriors to take on a number of quests that lead you across the Wildlands on a mission to discover what the local bad guys are up to. Each quest has several waves of fights and it can be a challenge to keep your team upright and alive so you don't succumb to attrition. Each warrior has special attacks to make use of and there are also consumables֫ that recover health, enable big attacks, or provide extra movement speed. World of Warriors: Quest is not a particularly deep game, but good for those interested in light squad-based tactics. You also can't beat the price—this one is free with no IAPs or ads.

The Last Warlock

Developer: Sonic Sloth Platforms: iOS | Android Price: $3.99

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The Last Warlock is a turn-based tactical game with a somewhat unique almost-anything-goes approach. You play as a warlock capable of summoning deadly creatures, casting magical spells, and crafting weapons, armour, and other equipment. You embark on a series of quests to find and defeat enemy warlocks, all vying to discover the secrets of the famed last warlock. To defeat these rivals you must first best their monsters, traps, and puzzles before taking them down.

The Last Warlock provides an extraordinary amount of freedom for a tactical game to decide exactly how to do so. You can go straight for your foe or explore a little and take the road less travelled. This provides a great deal of replay value because you can play the same quest multiple times and use a different strategy. Your squad in this game are the creatures you've summoned and you can end up with quite a crew as you grow in power and a quest wears on. The single-player campaign is quite extensive and will provide many hours of play for one premium price. There's also an asynchronous online option for those looking for multiplayer action.

Star Chindy (2016)

Developer: MAST Games Platforms: Android Price: $1.99

Star Chindy mixes in elements of both FTL and XCOM. You warp around the galaxy in your ship, the Star Chindy, in a hunt to take on and take out a big bad alien race that very nearly wiped out earth. You'll maintain and upgrade your ship, and others you pick up along the way, and decide where to go and what risks are worth taking in your travels.

You'll take a squad on various away missions and engage the enemy in turn-based tactical warfare. The missions are a good challenge and get better and better as you train up your squad. The space-based combat is less interesting, however. It plays out in real time, rather than being turn based, and your weapons auto-fire on enemy ships in range. Your job is to frantically maneuver your ships to avoid enemy fire. Luckily the fun of the squad combat more than makes up for this and despite this odd dichotomy, Star Chindy is definitely worth a go for fans of XCOM.

Do you know of any more games that would fit the topic of today's guide? Let us know about them in the comments below!

The Best Games like XCOM on Android & iOS published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

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middleeastnews1 · 6 years

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Technology Of The Future

Although it is not novel to think that Technology of the future advancements have brought about definitive changes in the life of the global village, without doubt, its impact has positive and extraordinary aspects, and a counter-face that is extremely dangerous.

On the other hand, its complexity is such that it could cause catastrophic results, as predicted for decades, hundreds of apocalyptic films, from the War of the Worlds of 1953, and the Matrix saga of 1999-2003 – where humanity was enslaved in a virtual reality – to the extraordinary Mad Max (Fury Road), of 2015, in which an oppressed group fled from the tyrant who governed them.

Each of these films has reflected some kind of terminal crisis, which could well be transferred to all humanity today or perhaps, tomorrow.

The truth is that technological progress is such a complex issue with so many implications that it is impossible not to devote time and attention to it.

Like the Hydra de Lerma of Greek mythology, the one that Hercules faced and had the ability of duplicating its head for each one that was amputated, each new answer or solution brought by the incredible technological evolution also implies two, three or dozens of new questions and new adjustments – since the changes occur at an appalling speed – that affect both the daily life and the forecasts of the medium and long term; that involve infinite costs, social, economic and also individual (psychological, ethical and moral).

The point is that many of those who speculate with this problem in constant movement believe that the serious challenges that the Technology of the future generates will not be solved so easily, despite the efforts of intellectuals and scientists.

Hunger, lack of clean water, lack of fuel, diseases and many environmental problems will have favorable solutions sooner rather than later, and will surely change the priorities and urgent needs that must be resolved in the next 50 years.

But let’s think: how did this Technology of the future happen?

What are we talking about? What were those infinite changes? Perhaps they are not clearly perceived by us who live immersed in their daily life; The truth is that there was a click towards the end of the 20th century, remember the character played by the great Keanu Reeves in The Matrix?. The web that confronts all humans that can become uncontrollable.

The World Wide Web, created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, is the system through which we access texts, images, videos and other multimedia content, using the link provided by the Internet.

Having that clear point and as a reference of the infinite and wonderful advances that the web has given us, and also of the many changes and problems that that same web allows us to glimpse in the future, we should be aware that all this problematic is as young as a teenager, and that his behavior, reaction and evolution, becomes as fickle and uncertain as a young man loaded with hormones.

If the reader agrees with these observations, he will also accept that today the world moves around guides and solutions that did not exist twenty or thirty years ago.

Facebook was created in 2004, Linkedin in 2003, Twitter in 2007.

And Wikipedia itself, in 2001.

All children or descendants of Yahoo (1994), Google (1998) or Baidu, the Chinese simile of Google, born in 1999.

This A very brief summary of the period that brings together thousands of people around these essential weapons to face today, modernity and the future. In addition, all these tools have free or very low cost, in relation to the infinite amount of benefits they provide.

Now, experience tells us that nothing is free in this life and that, in exchange for all that social, labor, educational and informative interrelation, we give information of our own lives in a much more detailed way than we think and of which is available to anyone. Because we talk about our ideology, our tastes, our aspirations, our concerns and our fears, which are captured through our computers, tablets, smartphones, banking operations, credit cards and hundreds of other actions that, interconnected , they trap us like the Big Brother in our own lives.

The question is where to draw the line, how to deal with corporations that have more power than our own states and with what legislation, regulation or agreement, can we avoid computer disasters that harm our own lives and that of millions of people, as has already been proven .

The most notorious case of the irresponsible use of information that cybernauts provide on the web is the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which Facebook was involved and for which Mark Zuckerberg had to respond to the US Congress.

Its negligence generated very serious individual leaks: the social network was used as a platform for the dissemination of false news and misrepresentations that guided its users and managed to influence the US electoral campaign itself.

The central problem is not the described situation nor the consequences that it brings today; In fact, the answers to the problem were unsatisfactory and could even be repeated in a more intelligent format.

The biggest problem of Technology of the future, is the changing evolution of this interconnected knowledge in theworld that prevents us from imagining its evolution and the challenges to come, which can not only be presented in the coming years, but perhaps in months.

Within the very cautious precautions that can or might be adopted to avoid the improper and unauthorized use of our data, there is talk, increasingly, of ethics committees, of self-regulation and of setting controlled scopes on sensitive issues such as the management of public and qualified information, artificial intelligence, genetics and other experiments.

However, it seems that these solutions border on the utopian and the limits of good intentions.

The states, with their legislations and supervisions, always run behind, far behind, of all new development or research, in principle, trying to be able to understand them.

While this happens, businessmen, laboratories, scientists and politicians try to obtain advantages and benefits before the regulators can fulfil their function, that is, regulate, regulate and regulate.

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