#in my mind this is who mcu shuri grows up to be

[delicatebarness]

bring him home | chapter two

Summary: Reader needs to find her new purpose now that everyone is gone.

Warning: MCU Spoilers. Avengers: Endgame + Captain America: Civil War. Violence. Grief. Mentions of Depression. Swearing.

Word Count: 1307

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

A/N: I just finished rewatching The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and it has got me wanting to make a sequel series to this one.

Tags: @crazyforbarnes | @whiminiferous | @armystay89 | @bucky-just-needs-love

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED OR PUBLISHED TO ANY THIRD PARTY SITE OR APP. IF ANYONE SEES MY WORK ANYWHERE BUT HERE, IT HAS BEEN REPOSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.

6 Months.

It had been the longest time since knowing your family and friends that you had gone without seeing them. Since Vision was ‘born’ you hadn't gone without getting to see him for no longer than 3 days at a time. Peter, maybe 5 days. Wanda, you saw her every day until she went on the run. Even then, it was still once a month. Steve, Natasha, and Sam. Every 6 weeks you got to catch up with them. And, Bucky. Every other weekend you were spending time in Wakanda.

Wakanda. You haven’t forgotten about your friends there too. T’Challa and Shuri were welcoming, generous, and understanding. They did everything they could to help Bucky and they did, they helped him. Freed him. They allowed him their resources, time, and trust. Keeping your secrets hidden and helping with excuses to visit. You could never repay them. The country now stood without their heirs and their protector. You knew you had to go back and repay your debt by aiding however the people would let you. But, for now, your people needed you too.

~

You spent hours going over everyone who was reported missing, in the last 6 months, with Natasha and Steve. Making notes, who they are, age, where they’re from, and when the last time they were seen. None of you knew what you could do other than make a note and hope they came back soon and didn’t disappear.

“He meant half didn’t he,” you mumbled as you paused your counting. “stupid, purple, PRICK!” Steve and Natasha turned to look at you, it was infrequent that they heard you say anything negative about anyone. Fair enough, you could have said worst and they wouldn’t have blamed you if you did but it took them by surprise.

“You okay, kid?” Nat asked from the other side of the room. You hummed in response as you wiped a stray tear off your cheek. They both picked up on this.

“He loved you, you know,” You looked up at Steve sitting at the desk. “I spent years watching him with girls growing up and he never looked at them the way he did you.” He smiled down at you, you let yourself send him a small smile. You knew this already, Bucky’s love ran deep and he had shown this many times, it was just nice to hear it after so long.

Airport.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Retreating your helmet and lowering your repulsors, you give a small smile to Bucky. He looks into your eyes, realizing who you are and what he has done to you.

“Why?” He asked while subconsciously bringing a hand up to rub his neck. “I hurt you.” You shook your head and tried to get closer to him, yet with every step you took forward, he took back.

“Please,” your eyes pleaded with his, you just wanted to help him. You believed Steve, his friend was framed. You barely took a side, it was chosen for you. In all their minds, you’re still a kid. So, when it came to the politics of this job, they made the decisions for you. This time, you didn’t feel like the right one was made. “I know you’re already in pain and I -“

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” Bucky spat at you, you watched as his face contoured into anger then instant regret. You could see he didn’t want to speak to you in that tone, he just didn’t know how to respond calmly. You were a threat to him. Trying to arrest him for something he did not do. All he knew was, you fought against his side.

“I’ve heard the stories,” you started, he let his head fall, ‘Here we go’ he thought. “You seem like a great friend, loyal, protective.” Lifting his head again to look deep into your eyes now, he tried to find some sort of malice in them. Nothing. “I don’t believe you’re what they say you are.” A smile. Bucky smiled! You smiled back at him, letting out a small giggle. “You fought for us, this country, thank you for that.” You both stood there, staring at each other, blushing.

“Y/N, please,” Steve yelled out as he was approaching you both, looking between you and Bucky, he panted. “You’ve got to under-“

“Go, do what you need to do,” your eyes never left Bucky’s. “I’ll try to,” Pausing to think of how to distract ‘your side’ “I’ll do something.” You smiled, and Bucky nodded. Steve carried on looking between you both, confused. He patted Bucky’s shoulder and gestured towards the Jet.

“Thank you.” Bucky mouthed as Steve pushed him away, Steve turned back and gave you his approval nod which still after 7 years, made you feel accomplished. The symbol of righteousness approved of your choice. You smiled at the two of them, putting your helmet back up over your face and blasting off towards the fights.

Support Group.

You spent a lot of time researching the stages of grief. You thought you had skipped the first two stages and went straight to ‘Bargaining’. There was no ‘Denial’ in what happened. The silence in your life reminded you every second that they were gone. That, and the fact everyone disappearing like that replays in your mind every day. You couldn’t avoid it if you tried. ‘Anger’ was the second stage, which you believe you skipped again. The only thing about everything you ever got angry about was the way they left, they just disappeared. Why? Why couldn’t you have been given time after losing to Thanos to say goodbye to them?

‘Bargaining’ you firmly believed this was where you were at. Trying to find meaning, and help others. That was your stage. You wanted to be able to talk about your loss while being there for the others who have lost. Give them someone to rely on.

You had hacked into many different medical files while doing this research and found out that depression had increased massively since The Snap. The fourth stage. This was the sign you’d been looking for. A way to help people. You continued to gather information and resources to come up with a plan.

~

“I want to create a safe space,” you sighed as you continued to show your dad a slideshow of your ‘business’ plan. It wasn’t a business, you didn’t care about money, and you wouldn’t be taking any money for this. This would be Stark-funded in its entirety. “A place people like us, who have lost, anything, due to my failure -“

“Our failure.” Your dad interjected, yet motioned for you to carry on. Clearing your throat, you did.

“Somewhere they can talk, grieve, connect. Anything they need while knowing they aren’t alone and they’re safe.” You pulled up a slide including a graph with the depression increase in just 6 months. Your dad nodded.

“Are you asking me to fund this?” He had his face resting in his hand as he looked out at the printouts you had given him previously. You confirmed back to him that you were indeed asking for his help. You didn’t trust what government was left to set this up respectfully. “Alright,” he got up, his figure finally returning to the way he looked before The Mad Titan appeared. Pulling out his wallet, he handed you his Stark Industries company card. “Use mine its got a higher spending limit than yours,” he winked. “Buy what you need and I’ll talk to Pep about-” he waved his hand in front of the holographic display. “All of this.”

After giving your dad a tight hug, you took the card, gathered your things and went venue scouting. It didn’t take long to find the perfect spot for your first group. 

Midtown High School.

[chadwickswidowspeak]

Ordered Doomwar off Amazon for like four dollars and I am shook..

the material…💥💥

[samwontshare]

(Sorry if you've answered this question before) What do you hope to learn about or see of Sam in Cap 4. Personally, I want to learn more about his childhood and parents. Just generally getting a feel for why he is the way he is. More Riley wouldn't hurt either. Thanks!

Hi Nonny!

No apologies, I appreciate the interest! :3 I am RIGHT there with you! I try to keep an open mind to new projects because they’re rarely what I expect but things I would be interested in seeing in Cap 4 are:

-Sam mentoring Joaquin and this actually being really triggering for Sam because of what happened to Riley. I can see Sam becoming OVERprotective of Joaquin to the point it stifles his growth and creates friction between them. I’d love to see Sam dealing with some of his trauma on screen. BUT if folx want to skip the angst, then just a lot of fun banter and shit talking as Sam helps Joaquin lvl up his flying skills. :) I want to see their first mission together!

-I’d like to see Sam reveal more about his parents and family via Joaquin - like going to meet Joaquin’s padres y abuelitos and Sam’s so touched by this family it makes him long for his parents and grandparents. I’d love to see Sam open up to Joaquin about them, because we know in the comics his parental relationships were driving forces for his character. Joaquin mentioned how hard living through the Blip was, too, and I’d like to see what it was like for him and his family during this time.

-Shuri chewing Sam out for being so reckless with her designs :) Sam and Shuri would be fun to see together on screen.

-A love interest (would also accept canon ace/aro but that won’t happen it’s Disney). Sam deserves love. It could be Monica. It could be Misty. It could be Bucky (again unlikely bc yknow). He’s a leading man let him have the trope.

-Parallels to CATWS - I don’t mean rehashing Steve’s story but throwbacks to Sam’s intro movie. Being really intentional in showing how Sam is his own man and not living in Steve’s shadow. I want them to show how they’re different but both effective. I also wouldn’t mind some Riley angst. Did someone appear claiming Riley is still alive? Or claiming to be Riley? BUT if slightly less angst, flashbacks to Riley or learning literally anything about why he was so important to Sam. I would LOVE to see a flashback of Sam after Riley’s death questioning everything, leaving the service, downplaying his feelings to others. I want them to show us some of the emotion we know Sam is guarding and a flashback may be an effective contrast to how collected Sam fronts for everyone.

-People complained about Sam’s 10 min opening scene flying around being a badass but it’s one of my favorite scenes in TFATWS. I want more of Sam’s unique fighting style and general badassery.

-The new Cap Quartet doing things together :) Saving the world like it’s nbd.

-Telepathic bird powers! Like something happens in the movie that lets Sam talk to birds! Come on let him do it! I want to see him command a murder of crows against his enemies. No one can see their escape because a hundred corvids rolled up. It would be so funny to have Sam gossiping about people with birds. Can you imagine how Sarah would put this to use? “Oh Sam can you have a conversation with those gulls about the deck of my boat? 🙄”

-More Sarah and Sam sibling shenanigans. The MCU is actually good about writing siblings.

-A villain who pushes Sam to grow. I’m not sure what I would like this to be but we sort of saw this with Karli. I’d have to think more on this one. I think we’ve seen Sam struggle with self-doubt - I think we’re going to see Sam continue that struggle as Cap. Did he make the right choice? Is he up to this task when the world is so relentless? What kind of struggle would make Sam 1) question if he can be the hero he wants to be and 2) prove to himself that he’s doing exactly what he needs to. This may involve confronting the past, the parts of himself he hides. A villain that can project illusions or call spirits etc might accomplish this but maybe I’m missing the mark. This could also be a good way for us to learn more about Sam’s past.

-Set Sam up as the new leader of the Avengers! :)

What did I miss?

[popwasabi]

“Who are you?” The scene that defines Chadwick Boseman’s legacy

Yesterday, the world lost a bright and promising, burgeoning talent in Chadwick Boseman.

I had wondered privately for a while if something was wrong with him, as others had as well online, as he appeared increasingly sicker with each interview he gave over the last two years. I thought maybe I had been looking too much into it, not wanting to jump to conclusions about who he was but now gravely we all know why.

The much too young star of films such as “42,” “Marshall,” and of course, “Black Panther” had been fighting a largely private battle with colon cancer for four years.

It was devastating hearing this news yesterday, the man who undeniably left behind a legacy of playing prominent black heroes, both historical and fictional, passed away just as he was starting to truly hit it big. When you begin to realize the man was dealing with cancer as he performed physically demanding roles in the MCU you begin to see the character and determination of a man unwilling to quit in the face of true adversity.

But he clearly wasn’t just doing it for himself when he continued making and promoting NINE more movies despite his diagnosis, afterall no one would’ve blamed the guy for taking it easy these past four years. He’s had many scenes that define his legacy over his all too short career but I feel it can really be summed up in one particular moment from by far his most famous film; “Black Panther.”

Those who know me or have read my work know that I have a fairly cynical relationship with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While I would not say most of them are “bad” per se, I would say a ton of them are largely interchangeable action comedies with pretty straightforward messages about good vs evil for general audiences. They are largely popcorn escapism and though there is nothing technically wrong with that, I was starved for an MCU film that was sincere about its story finally and had something real to say.

Enter “Black Panther” in early 2018.

“Black Panther” was everything I had long been waiting for in the MCU; a film with a real sense of vision and theme, a killer soundtrack, great supporting characters, a complicated and nuanced villain, and a story that didn’t feel the need to add a joke after every single scene like more typical MCU movies. The tip of that spear of course was Chadwick, who had already proved to be a great Black Panther in one of the few other sincere Marvel flicks “Civil War.” His natural charisma, physicality, and dramatic presence in this role made him a huge standout in frankly the best ensemble cast of any superhero movie ever.

The scene that truly sums up not just the mark “Black Panther” left on Hollywood but Chadwick’s own legacy comes at the very end though (the first of three, of course. It’s an MCU movie, afterall).

T’Challa has defeated his usurper cousin Erik Killmonger, his rule restored in Wakanda but clearly a changed man from the story’s beginning as he reckons with the complicated legacy of his father. He travels to Oakland, the birthplace of Killmonger, with his sister Shuri who he explains the crime committed by their father in this place and how it set off the events of the story. He turns to Shuri, tells her that he has decided to help this afflicted community by creating a Wakandan outreach center for the youth to give them a new hope in life. As he says this he decloaks their ship nearby, surprising the youth already in the area who are immediately in awe of it. One of the kids turns to T’Challa, smiling, a sense of inspiration and intrigue brewing inside, and asks “Who are you?” to which the young King simply smiles, then the credits roll.

It’s a simple scene but it truly speaks to the impact left behind by Chadwick and the importance of representation. 

“Black Panther” is hardly the first starring vehicle for a black man, it’s not even the first black super hero movie but what it made it different is it was the first blockbuster to truly lean unapologetically into its African identity to focus on the inspiration of a story centered around that culture. It showed Hollywood that an action blockbuster not just centered on a black star but centered on African culture had vast widespread appeal.

White kids will never have a shortage of white superheroes to grow up with on the big screen; a diverse palette of Supermans, Spider-mans, Captain Americas, and shit we’re even getting our sixth new Batman actor since 1989 soon. But Chadwick gave black kids their first real Superman of their own. 

In the years since this came out, I have seen the influence, at times, firsthand among the youth. I work part-time as a kids martial arts instructor and each Halloween party we’ve held I’ve seen a few more T’Challas among the costumes represented. When I ask kids, black, white, or Asian, what their favorite superhero is, it always warms my heart to see a kid light up when they say “BLACK PANTHER!”

(Seriously, cute AF)

This goes beyond just my anecdotal observations of course; the film grossed a billion dollars, and there are countless videos online of kids yelling “Wakanda forever!” at the top of their lungs while rocking a Black Panther suit or reciting one of the movie’s memorable lines. It’s beautiful because it speaks to that last scene’s key message; inspiration.

Growing up myself, as a half Asian American, there weren’t a ton of role models who looked like me to take inspiration from. I didn’t really understand how much this could affect me until I finally did start seeing people like myself occupy positions of influence. I didn’t start caring for baseball until I saw a slugger named Hideki Matsui smash a couple dingers in a Yankees’ uniform in the early 2000s. I didn’t care much for martial arts, outside my very early youth, until I witnessed a half Japanese Brazilian named Lyoto Machida KO Thiago Silva at UFC 94 in 2009. I didn’t care much for soccer until a striker named Keisuke Honda played out of his mind in the early rounds of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Sometimes you gotta see something happen in order to believe and be inspired by it and it’s easier to visualize it when you see someone who looks like you do it. That’s what representation means and why it’s important.

It’s easy for white America to dismiss the need for representation in media when theirs is so saturated in the culture everyday. Cries of “wHaT aBoUt wHiTe HiStORy mOnTH?!” delivered unironically while their history is proudly given front seat consideration in all forms of media, film, and influence every day. This is why it drives me so crazy when a white person tells me “representation isn’t important” because apparently, they “don’t need it.”

Well motherfucker, of course you don’t need it. You fucking got yours already!

(What every non-white person wants to say when confronted with this tired, out of touch argument...)

“Black Panther” delivered a superhero that not only black children could be proud of and love but someone they could draw inspiration from. Kids are going to want to become film directors cause of this movie, actors, stuntmen, martial artists, scientists, engineers, and so many other different things that the world of Wakanda proudly showcases and it’s all thanks to Chadwick’s leading man performance that made it possible.

Some jokes I’ve heard frequently on the internet is that Chadwick was on somewhat of a quest to play every major black role in story-telling history, what with performances as Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, James Brown, and of course Black Panther. But I think his 2018 speech at his Alma Mater of Howard really explains why he kept looking to play these major positive black roles.

(I encourage you to listen to the whole thing but the part that’s important here begins at 21:55)

Hollywood likes to pigeon hole certain demographics of people (aka non-white) to play stereotypical roles forever until they are proven to be lucrative in different ways (Qualified Immunity of film-making if you will…). Black people largely could mostly play thugs and drug dealers, Latinx can only be gang bosses and poor servants and gardeners, Asians are either kung fu masters or some other offensive perpetual foreigner. And in worst cases no role at all, instead whitewashed for general audiences (aka white folk). 

Chadwick took a stand that the color of his skin did not define who Hollywood narrowly believed he could perform as and set out to play characters and people who could inspire a new generation of African Americans and show the rest of the country that they were more than a stereotype.

When that young kid in that final scene asks, “Who are you?” and T’Challa smiles its because he knows he’s already changing hearts and minds for the future, just as Chadwick did playing this truly inspirational role.

“Black Panther” is not a perfect movie. I could discuss the ways it could’ve been better and even, less problematic in parts on a different day, but the legacy it leaves behind is one that’s undeniably positive and Chadwick was able to make that a reality. Perhaps he understood that if the world knew his diagnosis it would blunt the impact of “Black Panther’s” release, that if little kids and African Americans alike knew their superhero was already dying it would mar the film’s positivity and influence. I can’t speak for the dead obviously, and in no way am I saying one should just push through a cancer diagnosis and keep it secret, but I can see Chadwick understanding what it would mean for the audience if they just believed for as long as possible that they would have their king of Wakanda forever.

As Robert Downey Jr. said on social media last night “He leveled the playing field while fighting for his life.”

Though I will never know him personally, by most measures Chadwick seemed to be exactly the kind of hero he showed up to be on the big screen and his legacy will ultimately be that of one who looked to inspire others, particularly the next generation until his final breath. If that doesn’t make him a hero, I don’t know what does.

Rest in power, King. Wakanda Forever…

(Via BossLogic)

[mobiuspurpose]

Im just really bored so im just gonna answer all of this wonderful marvel ask game made my @natasharomanovf 🖤🤍❤️

MARVEL ASK GAME

Sam Wilson: Favourite film?

Captain America: Civil War! I can rewatch this over and over again and not get tired of it!

Bucky Barnes: Favourite character?

Oooh! This is a hard one. I have so many D: but right now I would risk anything for Mobius’ Happiness!! So MOBIUS M. MOBIUS!

Wanda Maximoff: Favourite pairing/ship?

Hee hee.. Stucky! Sambucky! Scarlet Vision! Pepperony! And Lokius!❤️‍🔥 (im not ashamed)

Vision: TFATWS or WV?

NOOO! I LOVE BOTH!! But since WandaVision is what pulled me in to MCU even more I would pick WANDAVISION! Plus the WandaVision Soundtrack is still stuck in my head! Plssss… wandavision wawandavision~

Monica Rambeau: What future marvel project are you most excited for?

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness!

Darcy Lewis: Best fight scene?

Theres soo many!! Oh god, but I think, everything that happens in Avengers Age of Ultron!! End Game and InfinityWars is super cool too!!

Natasha Romanoff: Favourite character ark?

Bucky 😌 i lov him

T’Challa: Who is the most powerful in the MCU?

WANDA! Change my mind!

Steve Rogers: If you could change anything in the MCU what would it be?

Tony Stark surviving Endgame and seeing Morgan grow :(

Tony Stark: Team Cap or Team Iron Man?

TEAM IRON MAN!

Thor: Least favourite film/character?

Im sorry yall gonna hate me for this but Guardians of the Galaxy is at my bottom list..

Peter Parker: Favourite villain?

LOKI. LOKI. LOKI.

Shuri: What character would you like to see a spin-off film/show for?

More Steve, Bucky and Sam pls! This would be so chaotic and pls add Zemo too!

Loki: Favourite quote?

“What is grief if not love perservering?”

This quote yall broke my heart into pieces!

Bruce Banner: If you were in the MCU what superpower would you want?

I want to try one of Iron Mans suits. :)

Dr. Strange: Favourite movie moment?

Theres too many to mention but I would say those parts that involved goofiness of their characters.

Maria Rambeau: A character you changed your opinion on?

Steve Rogers! I used to hate him when he left Bucky but I finally understands later at the end..

Carol Danvers: Favourite marvel blogs?

Ooh all the gifmakers marvel blogs out there! I love you all!!

Gamora: Something you love about the fandom?

Very hilarious! Very creative! The amount of jokes and fanfics here in this fandom is so filled up up to the brim!!

Rocket Raccoon: Something you dislike about the fandom?

The comic scholars and complainers.. like let people enjoy what they can take.. and be thankful for whatever content.. I can go on and elaborate this more but not now..

Valkyrie: Do you have any fan casts?

Hmm not at this moment i cant think of anyone..

Nick Fury: Favourite headcanons?

Oooh hmm theres so many!!!

Scott Lang: Any question you want to ask!

This is supposed to be for asks but I answered them all by myself since im super bored!! 🤣 This was so fun!

If anyone knows more marvel asks like this pls tag me to it! Id love to do another one of this!! Thanks!

[youngbugandtonystank]

You're every fandom's dream! Your blog is like paradise. I know you don't ship spideychelle and parkner *i wish u did* but can you give us a list of your OTPs and NOTPs? and explain why you like them? and why not?

Hi♥ 

Thank you, sweetheart

Do you mind if I add BROTPs?

OTP’s:

Peterliz: I just love how they are their own personalities and still can like each other in the adorable way they do? Liz is exactly like Laura described her, a girl not motivated by the boy but willing to fall for him. I think it’s neat and fresh (Laura said Liz isn't your typical surface-level Mary Jane. You know, the damsel in distress (war flashbacks to Kirsten Dunst’s MJ). She’s actually super smart, she’s a valedictorian, she does the academic decathlon, she’s on every committee. She’s the most driven, Type A person in school, but she’s also kind) and Peter can identify with this as well, given that the boy can potentially be the smartest person in the room if he wants to. Peter thinks highly of her (She’s the best. She’s awesome. I just... I really want to tell her, but it’s kind of weird, you know? “Hey, I’m... I’m Spider-Man”) and cares about her achievements (Wow, you really... This is really important to you) and Liz knows him (you don’t need to study. You’re, like, the smartest guy I’ve ever met) and knows something’s going on with him but respects that (’I want to be mad, but I’m more worried’ ‘You’re terrible at keeping secrets’) And I think some people misinterpret Liz’s actions with Peter because they desperately want her to be the mean popular girl and that’s not it. Reading the novel, I think some people would get the insight behind Liz’s actions. She likes Peter a LOT but he’s always blowing people off because of his alter-ego Spider-Man. There’s a part where Liz mentions how Peter is always busy and she always gets disappointed about it. This hurts them both because Liz wishes Peter could give himself a rest and stop carrying the world on his shoulders and Peter wishes he could be normal and be with her. It’s the angst, this is what drives me lmao 

Fosterson: They’re going to be forever in my heart. The most unproblematic ship ever. It’s adorable how much they push each other to be better. Thor pushes Jane to do things she’s never done before and she pushes him to consider things he’s never done before. It’s a balance. I love that about ships, when they help each other grow.

AntWasp: The most supportive loving partners ever. I LOVE THEM.

Taser Tricks: Yeah, I know. They’ve never met but I ship them lmao. I think that if they finally interact in Love & Thunder, we’ll see if they match or not. Darcy’s bubbly personality could potentially contrast with Loki’s aloof one. It’s an interesting dynamic. This ship’s been around for years, I can’t believe we’re finally going to see them interact and with Waititi’s writing. Chef kiss.

Interwebs: I’m sorry but how come almost no one ships these two? ‘As long as you’re safe’ OMG like, how? They would be the softest boyfriends ever. Peter cares so so so much about Ned. Like, after May and Tony, comes Ned for Peter. Ned is his pillar and the person who grounds Peter. His biggest supporter. THEY'RE NEAT.

PalmerStrange: He changed and she walked away exactly because of this. Because Strange needed to be his own person first, and then he can go after her. She’s successful in her own harmony, is not scared to call him on his bs, she can see right through him. He listens to her, he respects her, and sees a partner on equal grounds. They’re fresh out of the oven. 

Ironstrange: Man, I’m sorry. It’s the chemistry for me lmao. They’re not my biggest OTP but I’m definitely up for them.

Carolmaria: Wives raising their adorable daughter♥ ‘Higher, further, faster, baby’ ‘you were the most powerful person I knew’

NOTP’s:

ScarletVision: I just don’t like them lol I respect the shippers but I don’t like the ship. I think Wanda needed more time to figure out her powers, her own identity. And Vision too. They both needed time and got caught up in everything else. 

Staron: This one doesn’t need an explanation. In this house we love and respect Sharon Carter. 

Brucenat: I’m sorry but lmao. I don’t think they have chemistry, and again, nothing against the shippers, but I kinda don’t like it when they give Natasha a different love interest in every movie. It’s like they tease a ship with a different avenger only because she’s the only woman in the group. I don’t dig it. 

Parkner: Nothing against them but I see them as Tony’s kids and it’s kinda weird for me to ship them if they’re like siblings and stuff. Apart from the fact that I can only picture Harley as a little kid, I don’t know why. Maybe because I see a lot of Tony in Peter, I feel like their dynamic would be like Tony & Harley in IM3. Harley asking thousands of questions while Peter ignores them just like Ned’s questions about spiders in HOCO lmao. They could be like brothers.

Spideychelle: Nothing against their shippers but I just don’t like them. I feel like this was rushed for fanservice, and I don’t see any chemistry between them. I think they would’ve been amazing bffs tho. Also, the fact that many only ship them because of tomdaya makes me uncomfortable. Don’t ship real-life people.

Look, I can respect the ships in the comics where Peter is an adult, it’s an alternate universe, that’s a different Peter Parker; a complete opposite but MCU Peter is a minor and I’m watching yall. You people ship Peter with everything that moves.

Anything with MCU!Steve on it.

BROTP’s:

Maria & Nick: Partners in crime? Biggest brotp ever. She’s always going to cover his back. He’s always going to protect her from everything. She’s the one person he trusts the most in the world, you can see that.  

Sciencebros 2.0: SHURI AND PETER WOULD BE BEST FRIENDS♥

Tony & Darcy: There was a time, waaay before Peter, where people used to see Darcy as Tony’s daughter in the fanon world. I was one of them lmao. I think they could be a fantastic brotp now. 

Rhodey & Pepper: Basically every member of the ironfam lmao

Happy & Peter, Peter & Rhodey, Rhodey & Happy, etc.

[shy-violet-soul]

Love in a time of COVID-19

Summary: Bucky won’t let anything get in the way of showing you he loves you & making you smile. Characters: Bucky Barnes x you; Steve Rogers; mentions of Clint Barton, Tony Stark, & Natasha Romanoff Ratings/Warnings: Character has Rheumatoid Arthritis, mentions of symptoms & treatments. Social-distanced-fluff of the highest concentration. Clint being weird & Bucky being goofball-y awesome. A/N: I saw the photo that inspired this on IG, and laughed so hard I just about cried. The marvelous OP graciously gave me permission to include it in my fic. You’ll find it at the bottom of the work. I thought we could all use some fluff in our lives these days!

I also have a friend with Rheumatoid Arthritis who is finding this time to be exceptionally difficult. Please support those in your circle who need some extra love right now.

Thank you @pinknerdpanda​ for beta-ing once again! All the social-distanced-hugs to you!

This work is a piece of fiction inspired by characters created by the MCU. Please do not copy/print elsewhere without my written permission

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He was convinced. People’d lost their damn minds.

Bucky had survived warzone trenches in Europe. Had lived through the Great Depression. And had never seen the level of human stupidity he’d witnessed the first few days of March 2020. It’s an airborne illness - why the hell were people buying 96 rolls of toilet paper at a whack? What were they gonna do, wrap it around their mouths and breathe through it?

The Avengers Tower was going through its own issues. Stark vowed to spend his self-isolation inside one of his suits; a good idea in theory until he realized he still had to pee. Steve kept expounding on the virtues of using the time to catch up on reports. Natasha spent her time snorting at the treasure trove of new social media memes while Clint thumbed his nose at the whole thing by licking every door knob he passed. Bucky was washing his hands more just because of that. Gross.

Yes, they were pretty well hooked up to do the shelter in place, social distance, whatever the hell they were calling this thing. Bucky couldn’t fault Tony (well, probably mostly Pepper) for the very streamlined system in place that kept the Tower stocked with all manner of essentials. And, the Stark Foundation was busily getting help where it needed to go while Bruce videoconferenced with Dr. Cho and Shuri on treatments and vaccines. They were good to go for the foreseeable future.

His only real worry was you.

Your rheumatoid arthritis made this whole thing much more dicey, and - if he was being honest - a frick ton scarier. The illness suppressed your immune system, which meant you had to be more proactive on a normal day with handwashing, etc. Throw in a virus with no vaccine and no treatment? ‘Proactive’ took on a whole new definition. Sanitizing surfaces and extra cleanliness efforts were easy to step up. But he knew how much you hated being cooped inside. It didn’t help that the humidity had climbed up into the 70-ish percent region. The heavy air, coupled with the bite of winter chill still hanging on to the calendar, had your already tender joints pitching all kinds of a fit.

Right now, you were curled up in your favorite spot - a well padded window seat overlooking Central Park. Bucky had switched on the fancy fake fireplace for you, had wrapped you in blankets and propped you with pillows. The light pouring in haloed a bright shine to your hair, which normally would have a smile on his face. But your wan face pulled a grimace from him instead. Your shoulders rose and fell with a sigh, and Bucky would have cheerly scrubbed every surface of the whole damn Tower to get you out and about and smiling again.

A knock on the door spun him on his heel, and Bucky stalked to the door. Everyone knew the protocol - no visitors allowed!

“What.” Not a question, but a cold, terse demand. Steve drew a deep breath as he measured the look being leveled at him. He’d faced firing tanks with less caution. His friend’s frown was fierce versus his blank murder stare. Bucky was mad but not in an assassinating mood. 

“Buck, I’m not gonna stay. I just wanted to stop in and say hi.”

“I’ll tell her you said so.” The door swung closed in his face. Steve rolled his eyes, throwing his arms up in disgust.

“C’mon, man.”

“No.” Exasperated, Steve couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his mouth. You and Bucky were a match made in heaven. Eidetic brain with the memory of an elephant, you were hands down one of the best analysts he’d had the privilege of working with. You chased after clues relentlessly, bulldogged in your tenacity. Straight up bullheaded in your obstinacy, though. 

If anyone could out-stubborn you, it was Bucky. Lord knows, he had enough experience chasing after a certain runt who couldn’t stay out of back alley brawls. Steve knew that, in odd moments, it still struck his friend that he didn’t need his help in the same ways. When Bucky’s muscle memory had him moving before his brain caught up if Steve coughed or sneezed. He could practically see the wheels turning as Bucky struggled to stitch together broken memories with current moments. A natural protector, Bucky needed someone to nurture. To cajole and wheedle and, if necessary, out-stubborn. You fit the bill to a tee.

“I don’t have coronavirus, Bucky!”

The door snatched back open. “Oh, yeah? And how do you know that?”

“I can’t get sick. Serum, remember?”

Bucky glared at him through squinted eyes before stepping back into the apartment.

“Carrier,” he hissed, slamming the door again.

“Was that Steve?”  Fatigue even hung heavy in your voice, the faintest gravel in the back of your throat threading a husk into your words. Bucky winced with you when you shifted in your seat, struggling painfully to stand.

“Yeah. Now I’m gonna have to wipe off the door knob again,” he groused as he briskly rubbed sanitizer over his hands. “Clint’s such a dumb ass.”

You snorted softly as you padded towards him. “I know. Who licks door knobs to prove a point?”

Taking in your stiff posture, Bucky leaned in close and pressed a kiss to your forehead. 

“Why’d you get up? What do you need? I’ll get it,” he murmured into your hair. Your sigh huffed softly against his chest as you gratefully leaned against him, glancing at the clock in the kitchen.

“I should probably take another dose of ibuprofen,” the words mumbled up, uncertain. The illness had dragged up new challenges - too many doses of the NSAID was ripping up your stomach. Steroids helped, too, but you couldn’t take too many rounds too close together, and you’d already taken one prescription a month ago when the wet winter had your shoulders and wrists feeling like they were grinding straight through to your bone marrow. Pepper and your doctor were trying to get a DMARD approved through insurance, but with all this new virus ‘fit hitting the shan’, the insurance company backlog was sky high. That left you with balancing growing joint discomfort against growing stomach unhappiness. Thank God for ice packs and Tony’s ridiculously over-the-top whirlpool baths.

Bucky held in his own sigh as he pondered your situation. “Let me make you some of that chamomile tea and some toast to go with it.”

He didn’t think it possible, but your shoulders sagged even more. “I’m really not hungry, Buck.”

Threading his fingers through your hair, he gently rubbed the back of your head the way you liked.

“I’ll make it with that raspberry rutabaga jam on it. You want that?”

The catch in your throat grew to a fist-sized lump fit to choke you. The throbbing in your shoulders and arms radiated in time with your heartbeat up into your brain. Your knees felt weird - rubbery, tender, like you weren’t sure they’d support you. You missed your job, you missed your friends, you missed outside. As much as you adored Bucky, you were lonely for the other pieces of your life. The misery in your heart swelled to mammoth proportions, and you couldn’t choke back the sob that broke from you.

“I want -”

Bucky’s gut pinched so hard it hurt when you started crying. “What, love? What do you want? Anything, I’ll get it for you.”

Crying just made everything hurt more, and you swallowed hard to shove down the tears, anxiety, and stress. You glanced up, seeing the stress that pulled tight lines into Bucky’s face. You tried to offer him a smile and knew you failed pathetically.

“Rhubarb, hun. It’s raspberry rhubarb jam.”

Bucky saw you trying, knew you were trying to make him feel better, and wanted to cry himself. He’d do anything to bring back your smile.

“Rutabaga, rhubarb, whatever. You go sit, I’ll bring it out to you with the ibuprofen.”

You shook your head as you stepped away from his urging embrace. “No, I need to move around a little.” Neither of you spoke as you moved to the kitchen, content in the quiet puttering as Bucky filled the kettle and popped bread in the toaster. Out of habit, he went to wash his hands when an idea hit him.

Staring blankly out the window, your thoughts drifted to your ‘to be read’ pile as you tried to decide between starting a new book from your oft-ignored stack or comfort yourself with a lovely reread. You were so lost in your musings, you didn’t track on the activity behind you.

“Babe, can you grab the butter and jam? I’m washing my hands.”

You turned around to step to the fridge, stopped in your tracks at the sight before you, and burst out laughing. 

Bucky had taken off his metal arm and put it in the dishwasher.

Hilarity pealed from you in waves, folding you over as you leaned against the counter. You tried to catch your breath and glanced up at Bucky. The proud-as-punch smile on his face set you off again, laughing so hard your shoulders twinged at you.

When a snort broke into your snickers, Bucky couldn’t help but laugh with you. Giddiness swirled with relief at your delight, and he felt prouder in that moment that he did receiving his U.S. Army Expert Marksmanship medal in ‘42. He knew he couldn’t carry your burden for you, but in this moment, he’d lightened it a bit. Moving in close, he gathered you to his chest with his other arm, relishing the feel of your giggles against him. You gasped for breath as you wiped the tears from eyes, then reached up to cup his face in your hands, smiling fondly into his twinkling gaze.

“I love you, you giant goofball. Thank you for taking such good care of me.” 

Bucky leaned down and kissed the tip of your nose.

“Gotta take care of my best girl.” Giving you the gentlest of squeezes, he then urged you back to your cozy nest. “Go sit. I’ll bring it all out in a few.”

Still grinning, you headed for your phone. “First, I gotta get my phone. This is going on Twitter!”

[always-winter-baby]

feel free to add anything i missed, endgame haters.

This is a Wordpress post that I never posted about a Facebook post that I made last fall (2019) about how godawful Endgame was.

-------- I know I've been gone for a while and when I was here, I was writing about films I had watched. (Maybe I should start that.)

However, I am a HUGE fan of Marvel and their cinematic universe. I have the movies, the comics, the clothing, and far too much memorabilia to be considered a "casual" fan at this point. I've been reading comics for about twelve years and I started dedicating myself to the MCU around the end of Phase One.

That being said, it means everyone comes to me with their Marvel questions and everyone comes to me to see what I thought of each new film. And I don't give simple, "It was good. I really liked it," answers. I make complete strangers regret their own questions sometimes because I dive into the deep end immediately describing how they really pulled off the Mysterio "mind-bending" stuff fantastically, but how the story hinged really hard on Tony Stark when Peter in the comics stands on his own and Peter in the MCU should be able to as well.

I can give you speeches on the reason why Natasha's backstory would have been better established in The Winter Soldier than Age of Ultron or and how killing off Pietro in his first film did a disservice to Wanda's character, etc, etc. In the words of a person I passed by at work the other day, "I can talk the ears off a snake."

That's not the point of this post. That was just establishing that I am very dedicated and I Care deeply about these characters and this world.

That being said, when someone on Facebook not too long ago asked me to share my opinions on Avengers: Endgame, I asked him if he was really prepared for the novel I was going to spill on why I think that Endgame was a poorly written and directed film. He said his was. But his lack of any response to my novel was proof that he clearly was not.

However, for anyone else wondering, I copied that little book of a response and I'm posting it here. It's a little scrambled up (it was a facebook post so these things happen, okay?). I think it will still get the point across as to why I tell people that if I pulled the good parts of Endgame, I could make a really great thirty minute Avengers movie.

The post went as follows:

-Thor’s characterization was a three hour long fat joke. Thor had the most character growth out of anyone in Infinity War. His part was fantastic. Then they turned around and made everything about it completely idiotic. Thor has lived over a thousand years. He’s lost battles and lost countless, countless people before. Infinity War wasn’t the first time he made a mistake in battle that cost someone their life. He lost his entire family and almost all of friends and none of that turned him into lazy, sloppy, unshowered, fat Thor. I refuse to believe this time would magically break him. Character annihilation.

Banner has hated the Hulk for the entirety of Hulk’s existence. He’s talked about how exposed and vulnerable it makes him feel. He’s always been a quiet, shy, reclusive, and work-focused kind of guy. Now magically, he’s happy being Hulk 24/7, dabs, and takes selfies with kids? He’s hanging out in public as Hulk and drawing attention to himself? Sorry. Refuse to believe it. I know Professor Hulk is from the comics. It seems stupid and forced there too. I’m not of the opinion that just because something is found in comics that it’s necessarily a good thing. I’ve read plenty of bad comics as I’m sure any decent comic reader has.

-Tony isn’t awful. I actually think he’s done pretty well. No complaints.

-However, Pepper is awful. And it makes sense now that they’ve released the info that Gwyneth Paltrow just made up a lot of her own lines. She doesn’t know the character despite having played her for a decade. Pepper is always super cautious and she is constantly on Tony’s case about his heroic ventures, etc. Therefore, I find it incredibly hard to believe that she let him go without a fight after he “solved time travel.” I also find it absolutely impossible that she sits beside him as he’s dying and is peaceful enough to just tell Tony that he’s okay and he should rest. Per her character for the last decade, she should have been frantic. Of course it wouldn’t have been as sad and poetic an ending, but it would have been much more believable for the character.

-Clint. Meh. I can live with Clint, I think. I don’t love it or hate it. I am glad they reestablished his closeness with Natasha after AoU tried to erase it.

-Natasha. I actually like Natasha’s character in this one. Same as Tony, I think they wrote her without compromising her. Good for them. Even though I hate that they killed her off, I think that the final scene where she fights Clint is SO WELL DONE. (Except her father wasn’t named Ivan. Not even in the MCU. But whatever. Maybe Markus and McFeely know absolutely nothing about Russian names despite giving Natasha’s full name in CA:TWS. I’ll chalk it up to ignorance. Whatever.) HOWEVER, despite liking Natasha’s character and death scene, the death should not have happened. I don’t know if you’re a comic reader, but if you are, you know that the trip happens where you see the bad guy or a random person or whatever do a Bad Thing. Then later in the comic, when the Bad Thing comes into play again and there seems like absolutely no hope, the hero pulls out One Last Magic Trick. The hero manages to do what the previous person could not. And they Save the Day because they are the hero. And the hero is the one designed to give readers hope that we can overcome all odds, etc. It is literally the entire point of superhero stories to tell the stories that “realistic” books never could. We’ll come back to my complaint with Natasha’s death in a moment.

-Scott, Rhodey, Rocket, Carol were all fine. No complaints. But Okoye.

They made it out in promo that Okoye was going to have a much more significant part. She was barely in the thing. And I think it was a very missed opportunity. We saw T’Challa turn to dust. And we were told Shuri did (although, I would have paid much bigger money to see her alive and operating as The Black Panther. She’s assumed that mantle in the comics before so definitely not out of the realm of possibility.) I wanted them to show us what Wakanda would look like with half its population dusted and its ruler gone. Does M’Baku rule? What do Okoye and the Dora Milaje look like now without their King and who do they protect/defend? They had a great opportunity to show us how the world was faring after five years post-Snap, especially a place like Wakanda that rarely suffers any devastations due to their tech. Now without that protection, how are they handling the aftermath? Enormous missed opportunity.

-Steve. On my god. Where do I even start? Going into Endgame, Steve Rogers had the BEST story arc of anyone in the MCU. But here is where Marvel really shot themselves in the foot. They let the opinions of fans after Civil War severely alter their original plans for this film. (That’s a fact that’s been admitted by former Marvel employees. I didn’t make that up.). After Civil War came out, there were two strong opinions being voiced. 1) Fans who didn’t know the comics didn’t understand Sharon being there and didn’t like her quickly becoming Steve’s love interest. 2) Fans saw the always-present and ever-growing bond between Steve and Bucky and got bolder about their campaign that Steve and Bucky were a couple. Doesn’t matter if you’re for that or not. The fact of the matter is that the idea of them as a couple has A BIG FOLLOWING. I don’t think people were really pushing to see it become a real thing on screen or anything, but the execs at Marvel suddenly did this thing where they all quickly shouted “NO HOMO” really loudly and promptly dropped Bucky from as many scenes as possible. They admitted to creating distance between Steve and Bucky for this reason. And because Steve and Sharon didn’t get the reaction they wanted, they had Steve go back and get back with Peggy.

But let’s recap here and see if any of that makes sense for Steve Rogers.

—He and Bucky were “inseparable on both playground and battlefield.”

—He literally broke the law and went behind enemy lines against orders just in case he had even the slightest chance of finding and saving Bucky from a Hydra base. He didn’t even know if Bucky was still alive.

—He added Bucky to his elite team and they fought side by side until Bucky’s “death.” When Bucky “died,” Steve went from saying, “I don’t want to kill anyone. I don’t like bullies” to saying, “I’m not going to stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured.”

—Years later, when he realized Bucky was still alive, he literally stopped mid-fight and dropped all defenses. Later in the same film (on the helicarrier), he refuses to even fight Bucky. He drops his shield and was going to very willingly let Bucky kill him rather than fight him.

— When the Accords become a thing, Steve defied his own friends and 117 countries to get Bucky to safety. And then continues defying them with Bucky at his side because he is determined that Bucky deserves due process and a lawyer and help, not imprisonment.

— He helps Bucky get somewhere safe to hide and recover and visits him there. (Russos said they even discussed showing that Steve and Bucky were in regular contact between CW and IW.)

—He fights the Battle of Wakanda with Bucky and then gets to see him disintegrate right in front of him. It’s built up to be a very big moment. Bucky collapses into nothingness and Steve sits there touching Bucky’s dust remnants and with tears in his eyes. “Oh, God.”

—Then, magically comes Endgame and Steve is in a support group for people lost in the Snap and he’s grieving over PEGGY??? HE NEVER EVEN WENT ON A DATE WITH PEGGY. NOT ONE DATE. He kissed her ONE TIME very briefly 75+ years ago! HOW CAN HE BE SO SURE THEY WERE SOULMATES?! This is just awful writing.

— Then when everyone is brought back through the portals, Steve doesn’t even look for Bucky to make sure he’s there. They fight far away from one another. They never acknowledge the other one. These men have literally looked at each other before thinking that would be the last face they ever saw and then at the Battle to End All Things, they don’t even glance around to see if the other is present.

— Steve literally barely says goodbye to Bucky. He fought and was willing to die for the man, but now he is in such a rush to get back to that one girl he kissed that one time that he forsakes the people he should care about. (Sebastian Stan says he questioned this to the Russos and was actually told to just imagine Steve and Bucky must have talked it over offscreen and Sebastian tried to fight it, but was shot down.)

— Steve jumps in a time machine and goes back to live with his supposed soulmate thus creating an alternate timeline.

I have a real problem with this. A man who has been selfless his entire life chose to go and be selfish for 75+ years instead of helping anyone. This man lives to fight injustices and we are supposed to forget that? In order to believe that he went back to a woman he didn’t know that well and who already had a husband/children. CA:TWS showed that she had lived a happy life. She told him she only regretted that he didn’t get to live his. She didn’t regret them not getting to spend theirs together. And he didn’t seem to either. He was actively moving forward with his life. Thus the reason for Sharon.

Anyway, his entire story arc which is based around him being partners with Bucky and him being selfless got absolutely destroyed when he went back in the time machine and just ran away from everything he had built.

Which seems more likely? That everything in the three Cap films and IW was wrong about his character? Or that Endgame just slapped a big “No Homo” sticker on the script and did whatever they could possibly do to make sure fans could not say that Steve and Bucky were a thing?

Furthermore, I have no problem with Sam becoming the next Cap. I have a big problem with them doing it if the reason was to further the sever the ties between Steve and Bucky.

-And the Russos said that Bucky couldn’t be Cap because his mind had been compromised and that he couldn’t be trusted with a weapon. Which means that Bucky’s whole recovery story was what? A lie? They established that Bucky was really a great guy and not a terrible terrorist. And they said Shuri fixed his mind. And we still can’t trust the guy with the shield?

So either Shuri failed dramatically even though we saw her talent and progress with him in Black Panther and IW, Bucky is now magically “too broken,” or the writers and directors are stupid.  Your call, I guess.

They literally foreshadowed Bucky!Cap in all three Cap films. Bucky handles the shield in ALL THREE FILMS. But now he can’t be trusted with a weapon? Now he’s dangerous? He literally fought the battle of Wakanda with knives and an assault rifle. The shield is a DEFENSE weapon. So this excuse is the flimsiest argument ever and says horrible things about putting trust/faith in people after they’ve been victims and recovered from trauma. Gross.

-At least they FINALLY got Scarlet Witch right. I’ve been waiting to see my favorite Avenger done right for years. No complaints here except it took them long enough.

-Let’s not even discuss how their time travel ideas and theories are a MESS. Plot holes everywhere. (Steve would have created a new time line by going back. Did he just magically put the aether back in Jane? Did he have to kick Red Skull’s ass again on Vormir because I can’t imagine he would just stand by idly. This stuff would take me too long to even add onto here.)

-But back to Natasha. If it’s a “soul for a soul,” then when Steve returned the soul stone, he should have gotten Natasha back. Apparently a lot of fans saw this plot hole because they asked the Russos about it and the response they seriously got was something to the idea of, “No, you can’t do that. It doesn’t work that way.” Which WHY NOT? (Apparently because of poor writing.)

-Also not bitter (yeah right) that Tony got this big deal send off and everyone forgot about Natasha half an hour after she died. Shouldn’t the big send off at the end have been for both of them?!?! Would that have been SO hard?!

-Should I even discuss the fact that for some stupid reason Steve goes back in time and the serum stops working? Why does he age? Thor establishes in AoU that he doesn’t think Steve is mortal. And Peggy says in CA:TFA that Steve’s cells regenerate at four times the rate of average human cells. So he should still be fairly young even if he went back to the 40s. He shouldn’t start to age like a regular human just because he time traveled. He didn’t travel back to before he got the serum. I literally said, “No,” angrily the second they showed the back of Steve when he was sitting on that bench at the end. The other people in the theater turned to look at me and I was already pissed as hell and the movie wasn’t even over yet.

-Nebula having to kill her last self just seemed sloppy and cliche. I wasn’t impressed. That character had been through hell.  She is the one who really turns the tides in in the Infinity Saga comics so for her to get such poor treatment in the film?  SHE should have been the one to kill Thanos.  I know what Thor said, but Nebula literally has a lifetime of torture to make up for and she would have gotten some small consolation in avenging the death of her sister. GUH.  THIS MAKES ME SO ANGRY.  SHE DESERVED THIS.

-So we really just backtracked and retconned Gamora’s whole story like that, huh?  I’m sure James Gunn is thrilled. (I’m joking. I’d be annoyed to high heavens if I were him.) Gunn had literally written this character’s story arc and progression and the Russos and Markus/McFeely took over and then literally wrote the story equivalent of “and then they all died” with Gamora’s story.  Such a jerk move and I sincerely hope Gunn finds a way to make GotG Vol 3 work out really well despite this.

I’m sure there’s more I’m unhappy with, but you get my point. I had high hopes for this film and they did not deliver.

It’s been months and I am still so immensely disappointed in Endgame. I expected the people who had written such great films in the past to deliver with another great film and they did not.

It wasn’t a completely awful film though. I thought they did a really good job with Doctor Strange and Wanda (finally!). And I loved Steve lifting Mjölnir! Carol’s short hair made me hot and bothered.  So the film had a few perks. 

I have friends who liked the film until I started pointing out its flaws. Sorry, not sorry. I'm glad Marvel broke box office records, but I'm not going to lie to anyone and say it was with a great film.

They are ----- And look, I never posted it on my blog because the rant ends there mid sentence and was never completed, but I think it’s safe to say I’m not happy.  That great cinematic masterpiece is a mockery of good character arcs. Anyone is welcome to try, but I’m unlikely to change my mind.

ETA: Since writing this, I have found multiple things about Tony’s character that upset me too.

[marvellous-fangirl]

The Children of the MCU

So I recently got my Marvel Encyclopaedia (which is long overdue) and I’m loving reading about all of the Young Avengers and I just love finding out more about the kids of the MCU. I would love a Young Avengers team up but not yet. I’d want to see them coming into their own before the team up, which is why I haven’t really enjoyed watching most of the Marvel TV series because I prefer watching them beforehand and developing a relationship with the individual characters as opposed to just the team as a unit. 

Peter Parker So I know that Peter is already an Avenger, but he’s a teenager and one of the oldest of this group and I don’t mind if he’s not in the team, but if he were a mentor to some of them then I’m content.

Shuri Udaku I love Shuri with all my heart and she would be a great mentor too. Maybe someone in the background who helps them with technology, but she is so strong she deserves a movie of her own.

Monica Rambeau She would be the oldest of this group and probably wouldn’t be the right age to join them, but I was reading up on her and honestly I love her more and more as I find out more about her. She was known as Lieutenant Trouble and in the comics she groups up to become Spectrum and is just a general badass.

Harley He would be a lot older now, but even if he just makes a cameo in the background, like in Endgame, I would really appreciate that.

Cassie Lang Cassie is one of the more adorable members of the youngsters. In the comics, she grows to become Stature, and after Scott dies, she joins the Young Avengers. She has the same powers as her father and I would love to see her take up her father’s powers.

Lila Barton I really enjoyed seeing Lila as a minor character in the short snippets of Endgame that she was featured in and I saw another post about her taking up the mantle of Hawkeye, like Kate Bishop. Clint actually calls his daughter Hawkeye during the opening scene of Endgame, and I don’t think Clint has ever actually been called Hawkeye in the MCU. I would love to see her develop into the next Hawkeye if/when Clint leaves the franchise.

Morgan Stark And finally, we have Morgan. She has so much potential and I can’t wait to see her grow up and fill any role she is given, whether it’s the next Iron Man or something else.

[randommarveler]

My Long List of Thoughts About Endgame Cuz IDK Who To Talk To

I’m happy about:

WE GOT THE FUCKING HUG WITH PETER & TONY I’M SCREAMINGGIGNGINGIGN

How they implemented the old movies really well

The jealous look Steve gave Pepper like omg Stony stans unite.

Joe Russo having a cameo as gay omg.

Lil Doctor Strange’s hand being all shaky like benedict really went all out with the nerve damage

How Nebula was a huge part of it and not a minor character

“I…am…Iron Man” LIKE FUCK YEAH YOU ARE. Just Tony alone holding all the infinity stones STRONGEST AVENGER RIGHT HERE THAT’S WHY THOR WASN’T ALLOWED TO DO IT.

I think when Steve had Thor’s hammer was when the entire audience was cheering and fuck yeah, it doesn’t look normal I’m not used to it but fuck yeah.

How emotional and impacted everyone was but the dusting. Like Nat was still crying after 5 years. Wait, does this mean everything is like set in 2023? Or at least around that time?

That bit where all the females were basically together protecting baby Peter

Quill’s really bad singing omg.

Morgan. That’s it. That lil bean has stolen my heart. The moment I saw the little chair I was crying (ok I was crying the whole time, not an exaggeration, I got emotional a lot during the beginning dusting, Nebula + Tony playing, E V E R Y T H I NG) I can’t wait to see her grow up x 3000. How dare they take tony away from her. If I wasn’t crying in a scene, I would probably start crying in it even if it wasn’t sad because omg Tony got his baby Morgan. “Mom told me to go save you”

Pepper fucking Potts. I saw the lake and knew that Tony was there (Gwyneth lowkey spoilt that) and like her in that suit was everything.

Tony’s death. I’m actually, in a sad way, happy that’s how he died. I wish he could’ve grown old like Steve but for the way he got killed, I’m happy. He saved the universe. He saved so many people

America’s Ass.

The montage of them trying to figure out how to get the stones.

“On your left” Sam was done so well for the movie. He got like a solid 7 minutes but it was really good. How he was the one to let the whole audience & Steve know that they were back, was everything. I sobbed some more (I was crying the whole time ok? Leave me alone) when I saw the lil case with the shield.

Putting in Peggy, Howard, Frigga, Jane & 2012!Avengers was so emotional and hilarious

Valkyrie was great and amazing

Loki being featured made me really happy

The smirk on Steve’s after he got the sceptre. I can’t believe he said “Hail Hydra” that literally was so much.

The amount Carol was shown. It wasn’t “OMG SHE’S THE HERO AND WILL KILL THANOS OUR QUEEENNN” like, she showed up when necessary. When it worked. Also, she was helping out another planet so it makes sense.

Steve & Peggy finally getting that dance. Like I saw the car, heard the music and cried. Because I knew that was the dance they wanted.

How little Bucky was in it. It did piss me off because he didn’t have enough scenes with Steve, but at least we get a show right?

The whole Howard exchange.

Wanda being a total badass I can’t.

Tom Holland’s performance and part of Endgame was utterly amazing. The instant kill mode was great. How he reacted to Tony dying. Like omg this time it was roles reversed except Tony was gone for good.

The funeral was perfect? The lake, the people there. The flowers. Proof that Tony Stark Has  A Heart.

I’m pissed at:

I FUCKING KNEW THEY WERE LYING ABOUT THAT SCENE. ANTHONY’S FACE SAID IT ALL. THEY DID HAVE THAT FUCKING SCENE YOU LIAR.

Thor was basically a joke for being fat. I know that it’s just a shock that he doesn’t have rock solid abs now, but it’s sort of being rude to people with that figure (honestly, it made me feel worse about myself, because everyone would laugh about it). I get that he’s depressed and he has every reason to be fat but like using it as a joke all the time was a lot.

They only used some lines or bits for fan nostalgia or other things. It seemed forced (some bits more than others)

“You used the stones two days ago” ok but when? Like literally Tony was in space for more than 20 days, the maths doesn’t add up.

We barely saw Bruce, just Hulk-Bruce, which is disturbing

The beginning song with the opening credits

I couldn’t actually tell that it was Stan Lee and that was his cameo

When talking about time travel stuff, DOCTOR WHO wasn’t even mentioned?

Killing Tony, Steve & Natasha.

Carol’s haircut…honestly no. I wished the sides were cut a bit more so it’s more like the comics.

Shuri coming with the outfit she didn’t even have in Infinity War pissed me off because everyone had the same thing from when they were dusted.

Cassie being older. Like, I’m not ok with that? She kinda looks 15 instead of like 13 though.

All of that…is canon. Like Tony is actually dead. Steve actually is old and gonna die soon. Gamora, Nat & Vision aren’t there.

That beginning was so quick. With Thanos being killed so quickly. Just I was shooketh.

Thanos can actually cook? Like woah. Didn’t see that coming.

The film was…a lot. You could easily cut out a lot of scenes that weren’t even necessary? I’m sad, happy & pissed at the film. There was so much that was probably there because Steve & Tony were going to DIE. Like steve holding thor’s hammer, check. Tony having a kid, check.

No end credit. Like why the fuck wasn’t there one? The cinema people told us to clear out because there wasn’t one. I wanted to stay but wasn’t allowed to.

How unrealistic was that ending dance though? Steve would’ve stepped on Peggy’s toes omg.

How convenient it was to be able to time travel with the quantum realm and that shit.

What the fuck did Loki even do with the space stone? Where is that sneaky boi now?

Where does the MCU go now? You can’t top that.

I’m sad about:

Everything, this whole film

The cheeseburger bit

There’s so much more but my mind has only remembered these details. 

[brolinjosh]

endgame review

i’ve waited 24 hours for my endgame feels to sink in. spoilers and strong opinions are under the cut.

first i need to start with the parts that i loved and that made the movie stand out and be memorable and parts that i immensely enjoyed:

- tony and nebula’s friendship and nebula’s arc later. she finally stopped being self destructive, lost the desire to please thanos and stood up for herself. she made a strong bond with gamora and even in the past, that bond stood out and it was beautiful. she got more screen time and stopped being just a weapon. got to play games, got to be appreciated for more than a good warrior. joked with people and made good friendships.

- tony telling steve off. tony stan here, but unbiased opinion is that him and steve had a falling out. steve stayed on earth and tony ended up stranded on an alien planet and nearly died. he is a non powered man and only had his armor and got stabbed by thanos and he has never felt more alone than when oxygen was slowly running out on him and nebula. he should have argued and called him out on them sticking together, and he had every right to do so.

- whole time travel thing. it was nostalgic, i am really glad they connected this, as last movie, to the previous ones. thor getting his moment with frigga, tony commenting on shape of steve’s ass, loki disappearing with tesseract, little things like that. they gave movie depth and not just thanos aftermath. 

- steve had some show stopping scenes. telling himself he could do this all day and being tired of himself bc he knows how big of a pain in the ass he can be in the battle?? hell yes thank you. steve wielding mjolnir?? legit had me cheering, wig snatched. 

- i genuinely liked thor’s arc. he lost everyone he had ever cared about, it was normal for him to be depressed and angry and that he had given up. i am glad rocket snapped him out of it because it gave rocket depth and we saw how deeply he connected to all of them and decided not to be an asshole and be kinder to people that surround him. it showed another part of them being a family and how even characters we never thought would love each other this way, ended up with an unbreakable bond that is more than just a team work.

- more screen time for underappreciated amazing characters, james rhodes, scott lang, clint barton. more of their interactions and showing how funny and smart they are??? they had my heart.

- i LOVED professor hulk. mark ruffalo finally got more screen time and it showed how smart bruce really is and that he is not just some likable guy who is intelligent, but not as much as other scientists (like scenes with shuri in infinity war that i loved because of shuri, but in past movies they downplayed his intellect a bit). i loved how he was more confident and at peace with himself.

- thanos!!! thanos remained a formidable villain and his arc was still the best villain arc in mcu. he is not easy to take on , he is a threat and he gave movie and everything that happened a meaning.

- best mcu scene to this day - strange opening portals and people passing through, ready to slay enemies. all united, all fighting together, all boosting and helping each other out in this final battle that we waited for 10 years??? literally killed every other movie battle ever. they have outdone themselves.

- peter seeing tony and talking about soul stone world, not realizing that everything was done for him and out of love for this amazing boy?? beautiful.

- TONY FUCKING STARK WIELDING INFINITY GAUNTLET. YES. had me yell at the screen, it was showstopping. my favorite scene ever in movie history. mere mortal taking on the fate of the world and killing every bad creature and smiting thanos himself. CONTENT I LIVE FOR.

- valkyrie a king??? hell yes, she deserved it. no one more than her. 

now, things that ruined the movie for me and that i do not think i will easily accept or forgive:

- i understand that in the end, since natasha and clint went to vormir, in the end had me desiring that she would be the one to give up, since he has a family. but it’s not supposed to be that way. natasha seemed out of character the whole time. she was way more emotional, i partially understand because she lost everything and it has affected her more than anything ever. but it was bad writing. woman dying for shock value and to effect men??? why. she just started expressing herself and letting know people she loves them and really connected and bonded with them and have her go like that? as a sacrifice? uncalled for.

- pepper’s arc bugged me the whole time. woman who was there from the beginning to call tony out on his shit, also was a woman who stopped him from doing reckless things. she was always the one who kept arguing with him, literally in every movie, over his desire to save the world and to protect them. he told her he found a way to bring everyone back, but one word from her (something she was terrific at), and he would ditch it and stay with their family. and this is the first time she encouraged him to do something so reckless and it was poor overshadowing of his death and insanely out of character for her. she knew how it would end and she kept saving him from himself, because he was always terrified of losing her and in a way that stopped him from doing what he did years ago. they had a family and in the end . her showing up in an armor had me in tears, because that’s my gal, but also that is incredibly reckless and like she didn’t think things through in 2-3 scenes she had in the movie?? 

- i’m in it for tony. naturally i am upset. but not because he died, but because of HOW he died. naturally gauntlet took a toil on him. his body was combusting. it was devastating. what killed me was that pepper, love of his life, approached him and seemed like she had kind of a bad day. asked for his vitals and when told he is dying, she shed a tear and told him that he could rest. it blew my mind that she did not crumble in front of him, no “ i love you” nothing that would be her last words to him that showed him that he meant the world. he knew that, but would have been nice to have something like that. ALSO, him not being able to speak??? BEYOND OUTRAGED. no actual goodbyes, no him saying anything to the avengers, just lying like he had a stroke. the best character with the most complicated arc in the entire marvel universe and did something unimaginable and to have him just fall and not say goodbye or how he feels, or is he afraid of dying or what is happening to him??? “ i am iron man” is a great line for taking on thanos, but as last words while he is alive, unsatisfying and writing for shock value. peter crying, hugging him, apologizing , that was beautiful. everyone who he had just given his life for just standing aside, looking at him, shedding one tear???? steve? STEVE ROGERS???? JAMES RHODES??? no goodbyes between best friends, no them being wrecked and having breakdowns??? really?

- steve’s ending. it was the most out of character thing russos have ever done. they became famous for taking on characters in their own ways, but steve, person who had such strong relationships with tony, bucky and sam, leaving bucky and sam for a selfish cause of going back in time to a woman who already had a fulfilling life and found a way to live without him?? who had a husband and family? who was accomplished and her heartbreak over losing steve gave her depth and she got out stronger than ever. and he just went back and her whole history and family was erased for it, because he loved her and they shared one kiss a lifetime ago? steve going back to do this and not free bucky from hydra or help his best friend out, a man who he started civil war over and fought government for, steve leaving bucky and sam, people who have been with him through thick and thin, going back to indulge himself, thinking he cannot be happy in present, not thinking about two people who have to now live on without him? bucky who never got a decent time with him after ca:tfa, who’s life has been nothing but a shitstorm, now having to live without his best friend and only person that felt like a home? insanity. steve rogers, the most self-sacrificial, stubborn little shit, who gave enemies hell for people he cared about, leaving people behind? never. 

in conclusion, for me movie did nothing but upset me, because i have invested 10 years into this, countless hours of writing meta and giffing scenes that went unnoticed, loving these characters, pouring my heart and soul and time into this, and for them to kill off people for shock value, natasha and tony, to have them fuck up steve’s arc beyond words, to end relationships or to make them meaningless.... they did pay an omage to previous movies, but not characters  and how they were previously portrayed. tony, man who started mcu, should not die for us to be miserable bastards after spending so much time in this universe, he should have gotten to live a happy life with the family he had just started. 

in the end, if anyone had to die, for me it was supposed to be both steve and tony, in a battle, bloody with glorious goodbyes, their last battle, showing each other how they would lay their lives so the other one lives, sacrificing for each other, but have both biggest characters die gloriously, not one like he had a stroke and second one grow old and selfish, abandoning his friends and family.

in the end, i did not like the movie. first marvel movie to this day that i didn’t like, because it was first that erased so many good things. 

[quxntumvandyne]

MCU characters as high schoolers

this is a long one my friends but worth itttt

tony stark: the awkward smart kid who’s parents are rich but refuses to look rich (initially), SUPER cocky, president of the computer science club, loves nothing more than to make witty jokes and piss of teachers, neighbors (maybe more) with pepper potts, friends w/ clint, rhodey and bruce

steve rogers: classic American boy, best freshman to senior year change, understands no pop culture references ever, acts way older than he is and captain of the baseball team, best friends with bucky, sam, thor and t’challa

thor odinson: MOST SPIRITED, aggravating twin brother, LGBT icon, anyone in their right mind is attracted to him, has this strange obsession with rabbits, puts everyone before himself, single as a pringle, friends w/ rocket, groot, steve, strange, quill and drax (popular man)

bruce banner: the nerdiest nerd their ever was, hot in the dad way, shorty, has serious anger issues, talks to his inventions/computers more than people, quiet but super loud and full of fun ideas around close friends, friends w/ tony, clint and vision (sorta dating natasha; it’s complicated)

clint barton: nobody knows much about him, keeps to himself, always has his headphones in everywhere he goes, way too good at archery and golf, was in the same foster home growing up as natasha, doesn't own any other color than black, friends w/ tony, bruce, natasha, vision and t’challa

natasha romanoff: lesbian icon, everyone assumes she’s “one of the guys” but really holds her own in a special way, basically clint’s sister from another mister, has a complicated relationship with bruce banner, everyone is terrified of her but she’s really just a cinnamon roll at heart, besties with wanda, okoye, & steve, sam and shuri

james “rhodey” rhodes: track and field KING, a true cinnamon roll, wants to go into the military, loves nothing more than to do stupid shit with and make fun of tony “stank”, goody two shoes at school, friends w/ tony (obvi), sam, and pepper, and nebula

james “bucky” barnes: GAY ICON, been friends with steve rogers since birth but they’re together as fuck, an expert in history and math, lost his left arm in a car accident as a young boy, is closed off unless he’s with friends which are sam, rocket & t’challa and shuri

sam wilson: steve’s right-hand man, puts his whole heart into anything and everything, always has his friends backs, can be found with his friends or at home with his mama and younger siblings and friends with bucky, steve & natasha

loki odinson:  troublemaker (but not in a funny way), loves to make a scene with everyone watching, basically needs all attention at all times. total asexual, the oddball of the odinson family, and secretly an amazing piano player; frienemies with strange and scott lang

stephen strange: cocky smart boy who recently was in a bad accident, which put his life on the line; he came back still cocky, but more grateful for life, dreams of being a doctor, not much of a flirter but wouldn’t mind being in a relationship, “friends” with loki, tony and thor

peter quill: the boy who dresses like he lives in the ’80s, lives with his crazy uncle, acts tough but cares a lot about others, plays football and baseball and favorite subject is lunch, friends with drax, rocket, groot, thor and m’baku

gamora: the mysterious bad girl of the class, just transferred to shield high with her stepsister nebula, nobody messes with her, has good instincts and amazing at a plethora of sports, friends with nat, okoye, wanda and nebula

drax: the innocent big teddy bear how can’t always control what comes out of his mouth but usually means well, is kinda like a puppy and friends with quill, rocket, groot, and thor

nebula: the freakishly intense smartmouth who always sits at the back of the classroom and has a fake eye (nobody knows why) doesn't have many friends other than rhodey, rocket and kinda gamora? they’re working on it

rocket: really short guy (kinda hairy but won’t talk about it) who’s friends with an enormous basketball player, always tinkering in class and makes gadgets that he calls bombs but nobody knows if he is serious, friends with quill, drax, groot, nebula and thor

groot: a monumental dork of a human, everyone loves him, super sweet and always willing to help people but can be vicious when it comes to sports or anything competitive, will always stand up for the little guy and is friends with rocket, thor, quill, and drax

t’challa: school president of shield high and captain of the debate team, very serious guy but can get down at parties, grew up with okoye, has a younger sister who is a freshman genius, plays on the football team and his father is mayor of the city, friends with okoye, m’baku, steve and clint

okoye: best friends with t’challa, is very big into sports and wants to go to the olympics, loves coffee, can be very serious but loves to make fun of t’challa every chance she gets and is friends with t’challa, shuri, m’baku, wanda, natasha and gamora

shuri: genius kid!!! and the queen of meme referencing, she is quite the goofball and loves to mess with her big brother, has recently become close with bucky and loves children, is friends with bucky, okoye, m’baku, wanda and natasha

m’baku: grew up not getting along with t’challa but became best friends through okoye, is the life of the party and is a vegetarian, loves to honor his ancestors and feels very close with his family, friends with okoye, t’challa, shuri and quill

wanda maximoff: new girl from a small country in europe who’s twin brother died in an accident, quiet but fiesty and has quite the sense of humor, very passionate about women’s rights and equality and besties with wanda, natasha, shuri, okoye, gamora and vision

vision: british boy who is always the voice of reason in the group and can make a mean paprikash, just generally liked by everyone and is very innocent but very knowledgable, friends with wanda and clint barton

scott lang: a huge dork who always gets himself into trouble whether he’s trying or not, his best friend luis and him are always attached at the hip and finds himself connecting with wildlife and nature more than with people sometimes but is always the life of the party

pepper potts: sweet little angel who really keeps to herself but finds herself falling for the big hotshot of the school and he falls for her right back, she’s secretly a force to be reckoned with and is really allergic to strawberries

carol danvers: can come off as really serious but can also be a goofball, wants to go into the air force after high school and loves 90′s clothes and music, her best friend monica and her do everything together and has a huge crush on valkyrie 

(and i didn’t include peter parker because he’s already in high school? and the rest are adults? don’t come for me) btw somebody draw this for me i would cryyyy and i’ve been working on this for months in my drafts because i keeping forgetting its here but i finished!!!!!!!!!!

[thestarsintheknight]

Fixable Moments in Endgame [Endgame Spoilers, duh]

WHY I PERSONALLY THINK SOME CHARACTER ARCS WERE DONE DIRTY, PUT UNDER THE CUT AND IF THAT DOESN’T WORK I PUT TWO OF MY DOG PICTURES SO YOU CAN SCROLL REALLY FAST.

Just so you know, and this is at the end of the post as well. I still really enjoyed Endgame for what it was and for what we got. I just have a few problems I’m pretty vocal about too. But I’m trying to not let that effect me as much.

LAST WARNING, ENDGAME SPOILERS AHEAD

Okay so hopefully those pictures of my dogs will allow you to calm and relax. If you’ve seen my last post, I was really upset with just how Tony died. 

I first came out of Endgame like, okay that was pretty okay closure, sure. Steve’s happy and Tony can finally rest and everyone’s alive and Natasha could be at peace with herself because of well, her ledger.

Then I kept thinking. No. They didn’t deserve this end.

Nat’s death was the only death done well. The only one. But I have more about the soul stone later on. 

Steve didn’t really die, and I knew he was gonna not be Captain America but I was curious as to how. I also really wanted Sam to wield that shield because even if Shuri cleaned Bucky of his whole Hydra-ness in his brain, I really do think Sam deserved that shield. So good on you Russos. Because in TWS, it’s said that Sam’s just like Steve, just slower. Steve is the embodiment of Captain America, if that’s the case then that means so is Sam. 

But why in the world did Steve decide to go back in time and be with Peggy? It was pretty closely put there in the show, Agent Carter, and in general that Peggy ended up with Daniel Sousa. Or just someone who wasn’t Steve. Why did Steve have a thing with Sharon in CW then? What was the point of her character? Sharon was badass, but like come on Russos!!! Steve is not one to see something going south and look the other way. That was very well established in CW, directed by the Russos. Yet he goes back in time, sticks with Peggy knows the things he knows about everything (like the Cold War, BUCKY) and you’re telling me he decided to have a domestic life? No!!! IF he even decided to stay back there, he would not sit still. He would have done something. Plus, you can’t say that when Sharon was born and Steve became her uncle that’s a little fucking weird. What the hell was Steve’s ending Russos? Steve’s arc was throughout his trilogy and later Avengers movies was finding his place in the modern world and finding Bucky. He did so much to get Bucky back only to leave him?! Come on, he knows how it feels to be alone in a different time why would he do that to Bucky? Someone who he fought for and said “Till the end of the line” but he broke that promise. Steve’s at the end of his line already by the end of Endgame. So what’s left of that promise? Nothing, it was dusted. 

So yeah, I’m upset about Steve’s ending. An entirely better way could have just been that maybe he’s the one that dies (I would have been upset probably, but it would be very him) instead of Tony. Because Steve has always been the one to sacrifice himself. That would be his arc, seeing the situation going so fucking south that he’s like “Whatever it takes!!” And he gets that gauntlet and snaps. Or maybe he loses his super soldier serum and that’s how he survives but gives the shield to Sam instead. I haven’t really thought of this one so you can add on.

Tony, god Tony’s ending fucking hurt. Tony’s death, his funeral, all of it. It was unfair. All he wanted was a domestic life but the Russos gave that to Steve even though Steve’s character would not want that domestic life? Tony could have been rested not by death but with his little girl, his wife, Peter who he finally got back, knowing that his friendship with Steve is better now. And could grow better if the two were still alive. That was Tony’s deserved arc, fighting the fight to end the fight so he could GO HOME and be with his FAMILY. That’s what should have happened. That’s what he deserved. Go ahead and tell me otherwise. I know it’s shorter of an explanation than Steve’s but that’s mostly because people know Tony better and I think people can agree with me on this more. Pepper didn’t deserve to see Tony die, Peter too, and his best fucking friend Rhodey. They knew he fought this fight to end it so he could spend some time and just retire to be with his family. 

Ways to fix this: Not kill Tony. Have someone else wield the gauntlet. Steve perhaps? Or maybe even Thor. 

Edit [4/29/19]: I am now a little more accepting of Tony’s death but I’m just tired that it has to be through death to have the future Avengers come in. I’m tired that there always has to be angst and whatnot(which I talk about towards the end of this meta) to make things realistic. Realistic =/= sadness and negativity and all of that shit. Happy endings can be realistic. But I’ll always be sad. Here’s a good meta that explains something very well regarding his death: (link) by @van-dyne. 

I would have actually been fine if Tony died if he didn’t have his little girl. (Find Tinymintywolf’s side twitter, not her art twitter, for an explanation on this). But then they introduced Morgan and whoop there it is, he has a family what he’s been wanting for so long. 

Thor is an Asgardian and we’re all aware of how much his mental health was hit. Yet he was reduced to a fucking joke. Like wow hahahaha so funny—not. I feel like, Thor wouldn’t need a redemption arc. But I know in his mind, he’d feel like he should because he blames himself, right? If he were to wield the gauntlet instead, it would make himself feel better about himself, better about being the king his people needed while still being an Avenger. Thor also shouldn’t have left his people. So let’s say he does wield the gauntlet. He goes back to his people and he finally feels worthy to lead. So that’s what he does, he finally gets back to being the king that his character arc had developed for him in his own trilogy, and being an Avenger. That should have happened.

It just makes sense because each movie was mostly about him building his way up to become the king he was supposed to be. Those few lines he exchanged with Valkyrie along the lines of “maybe I shouldn’t be the person I’m supposed to be but rather the person I [need/want] to be” ??? I can’t remember. I just thought that was lowkey like, wot. But for further emphasis, the first movie was about how he wasn’t worthy to hold the hammer or even be king. The second one was figuring out how to be a good man and a king. The third was trying to figure if he was the one to actually be king, and at the end of Ragnarok, he is. 

If Thor weren’t to wield it, then maybe Hulk. What if Bruce just lost Hulk. Then it’s just Bruce and he could be himself. Like the whole Professor Hulk thing was pretty interesting and I didn’t have a problem with it. This is just a little thought that I didn’t really think much on so you can add on to this too.

Now we get to Nat. Nat and Clint’s little fight with each other was very much in character. I don’t really like MCU Clint, I think the whole farmhouse scene could have still been done with one minor change, Laura’s not his wife, it’s his sister or his sister-in-law because he has a brother, Barry!!! Then all those kids are like his nieces/nephews. Anyways, that was the only death that was done that I feel sad but I feel so much closure on, Tony’s, Steve’s, and even Thor’s endings gave “closure” not the right one for each character, as explained before. I’m just upset that there wasn’t a funeral scene for her, or more grieving. Or just, something. 

Then here’s a little idea, not sure if it could work but if Steve was going to go return the soul stone at Vormir, the way the rules work at that mountain is “A soul for a soul” right? Then by giving up the soul stone, can’t he bring back Nat? And if that’s the case then Clint should be the one returning the soul stone. So maybe the reason why when Bruce said (and I got this from a different tumblr post, I forgot who so let me know so I can give credit) he couldn’t bring Nat back was because they already gave the soul stone back (because time travel is whack) and Nat is already back. 

There’s so much more that I’m probably forgetting, I may update or just reblog more. If you guys want to talk or vent, please feel free! I don’t bite! And I’m open to other ideas and just how you think it should have ended. 

Here’s a disclaimer as well: This is not something against the actors and actresses, they all did so well. I think it’s in part a bit of Russos and the writers and anyone else who develops this story. I’m also not saying this because I’m sad Tony’s dead and Steve is no longer Captain America. I would have been fine with Steve not being Captain America anymore if done right.

Also, why does everything always have to be so dark? So edgy? Angsty? It’s fictional so can’t we just... Have that sort of happiness? I’ve watched the MCU for hope, happiness, and you know a good ending. It’s not what I got though. I love the characters, all of them. I like little pellets of angst here and there. But just, why? I’m not sure if I can keep watching the MCU. I still might but I might also just disregard bits and pieces of Endgame.

I just think that the moment you bring in time travel it screws things up. Because essentially it brings in the whole multiverse and if we’re trying the make the MCU one singular timeline, then, uh, hello? Also the entire thing with five years passed but everyone comes back from the moment they disappeared, WOT. Okay, I’m done.

[Minor edit in this Paragraph, 4/29]Overall, I still enjoyed Endgame. A lot. There were so many good moments and a lot of moments where the characters were just them. I loved it a lot and I’m trying to overlook a few things here and there because what I’ve said shouldn’t ruin the movie. I still really enjoyed it a lot. It was good because this was the movie we’ve been waiting for. A nod to the fans, the actors, everyone who created this universe. It was just something that was amazing. @suitofhumour had a really strong point in their post (link) that I’m alluding to here and I don’t want to take credit for it so please, give it a read. Some things don’t sit right with me and I’m so fucking heartbroken over Tony okay, and I’m mad about Steve and Thor. But, yeah. 

[Edit 5/5/19] I GOT ANOTHER THING. If what the former Sorcerer Supreme had said that if one stone got removed from their timeline, there’s nothing that can keep the flow of time, reality, whatever, in check and would ultimately destroy their timeline. Which is why Steve had to go back in time to give it all back seconds after removing it. By that logic, can’t you say that if you were to destroy the stones, then wouldn’t it mean there are no more stones to keep all of the flow of whatever in check? So since the OG timeline no longer has the stones because their Thanos destroyed it, then what? 

Here’s another picture of my dog to calm you down. If needed.

[witchcraftforabuck]

Needed Interactions

People I want to see Wanda interact with more than her battery operated boyfriend: 

The Avenger she was obsessed with and joined Hydra to kill, the guy whose hero backstory is specifically what happened to families such as hers?  

In “Civil War” their main beef with each other was over him “locking her in her room.” All the serious shit, they somehow buried the hatched about between movies... and we never saw it. 

Did she ever feel bad about triggering his PTSD to cause all that destruction, and try using her powers to help fix his mental problems after switching sides? (And maybe make another boo-boo, this time by accident?) Did Tony ever use his money and influence to help her, to try and make up for the mis-sold weapons? Do they ever relate their guilt complexes to each other or talk about PTSD? Is Tony pissed for what she did to Bruce? Did Tony give her the money to buy that new red Goth outfit? Did they two of them ever get mistaken for a sugar daddy and his young Russian mail-bride and be comically grossed out? These are things I need to know!

The Avengers’ first former villainess who was brainwashed from childhood to work for an evil organization and is from a former Soviet country

There’s a fan theory that Nat helped Wanda gradually erase her accent over the course of the movies. Did Nat also help Wanda with the guilt and all that? Or teach Wanda how to live/blend in normal society? Is the fact that they were both “saved” so to speak by Hawkeye anything worth bringing up, MCU? Like, are they both super protective of Hawkeye, or is Wanda semi-jealous of Nat due to teen/unsocialized-young-adult hormones? 

Basically, Nat should be Wanda’s big sister in the whole redemption arc thing. And everything else.

The other Hydra lab-rat who committed atrocities for them... but didn’t volunteer.... and was specifically a victim of mind control... and whose main condition that needs (needed) fixing was mind-related? 

Look, I worship Shuri, but having her fix Buck’s brain and provide the new arm was such a cop-out. Tony should’ve made the new arm, for obvious reasons, and Wanda should’ve cured Bucky’s Hydra programing, or at least helped with it. (Maybe a combination of her mind-powers and Tony’s BARF tech) That is of course, after having to earn his trust. Bucky, if/when he learned her history, would likely despise her for a while, since she “volunteered” for the Hydra labs, and specialized in mind-control. In fact, did Bucky and Wanda perhaps already meet, back at Hydra? Was Wanda, or previous agents given similar powers, used in Bucky’s Winer Soldier programing? 

Speaking of mind-control victims who might despise Wanda...

The other guy whose severe mental problems she deliberately triggered, with the intention of harming civilian life

Damn this would be heated. (Not in that way. Ewe. Age diff, yuck. I’m talking platonic relationships here.) Bruce should hate her trillions of times worse than Tony or Bucky would combined... but Bruce is such a cinnamon roll, you can bet he’d be one of the first to forgive her--or at least pretend to, even if he was still feeling daily rage and struggling to keep the Other Guy quiet whenever she’s in the room. 

Frankly, Bruce should have the role that Hawkeye does in Wanda’s life. He shouldv’e been the one to give her that pep talk, make her switch sides, and become her big brother. Even if he still privately--or openly--hated her while doing so. 

The other traumatized orphan girl who saw her parents die in an explosion, and joined “Shield” but (probably) really Hydra, killed for them, and seek “revenge” on a snarky scientist for a flimsy connection to her situation? 

As Nat should be Wanda’s big sister in this area, Wanda should be Ava’s. The fact that both are perfect matches for Bucky just adds fuel to the fire. 

The toned-down, more innocent version of Wanda

The one who was born with her mental powers, who was a timid pawn to the villain she served rather than an eager volunteer, and who hasn’t a negative bone in her body. If Mantis and Wanda were to “read” each other, what would that do to each of them? 

Would Wanda’s self esteem go to the gutter, at seeing someone with such a similar background who turned out so much more pure? Would she be scared for how naiive Mantis is? Would Mantis then stun her by having some wisdom Wanda never expected her to, and then remind Wanda she’s actually centuries older than her? (I have no idea how old Mantis is, but given how old Ego was, it’s possible.) Could Mantis help Wanda control her powers? 

Two more! Wow. 

Let’s just start a club for ladies who were indoctrinated to work for villains growing up and are now pissed about it. 

“I’ve never read the mind of a tree before. Or an opossum.” 

Every single Avenger plus Dr. Strange has to meet these two, if only for one brief exchange. You can’t toss a talking raccoon and tree into the MCU and not show us what everyone’s reactions to them would be. 

Could Wanda’s magic dig up Groot’s memories of his past life, from the first movie? Can her energy-balls make Groot grow or sprout leaves or whatnot? Rocket obviously would hate her, because he hates anyone who probes under his angry “armor” so to speak. And she’d certainly make some remark about how she and Pietro used to eat trash-pandas like him for dinner when times were slightly tougher than usual in Sokovia, with all the starvation and whatnot. 

Also, didn’t Wanda’s brother have a problem with impulsive stealing, much like Rocket? 

Another sorcerer villain-turned-good(?), who originally went bad because he was an orphan with a sob story, and whose magic specifically specializes in manipulation 

“The universe wronged us! The Avengers wronged us. And each of us alone is more powerful than most of them combined. Together, our magic would be unstoppable. Rule by my side, as my queen. Just Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave!” 

Duh.

So, you’re on the run from most every world government, because your magic was out of control, and maybe you’re sick of the Avengers defining your life in some way or another. If only there was some secret getaway that would teach you how to control your magic and more, with a guy who disdained the Avengers and wouldn’t mind at all stealing one of their young upstarts? 

When Wanda learns magic from Dr. Strange, she has glowing discs like he does, but hers are red. 

Loki may also be learning alongside her (possibly against his will, as a rehabilitation order by King Thor). Wanda would obviously be the star student and Loki would be the little bitch. 

The Mind Stone 

If you’re gonna make this her main relationship, at least give us some more about what it’s like for a telepath to be in love with the Mind Stone... and the fact that the guy she loves only exists because of her crimes. Frell, this could actually be an interesting ship. Why isn’t it? 

[sleepynegress]

The Interesting Phenomenon of Shuri’s Popularity in White Fandom

Browsing the Shuri tag on tumblr is the most fascinating thing for me, because  I have watched virtually all of the black female characters I love either be ignored or despised. So, watching the rare rise of a character like Shuri and seeing how fandom interacts and imagines a black girl it actually deems “lovable”? 

 ...It is as fascinating as it is revealing.  The righteous anger at even the smallest hints that she could experience love or desire.  I even read a post from someone who claimed to be triggered at the possibility that Shuri could be crass or cuss. Checking that tag provides a nice little window into how society interrogates and limits a young black girl even when deemed acceptable/beloved as originally presented in-character.  ...And it’s nothing new. Some background on where my head on this is... Back in the 1980′s there were two popular young black characters on TV whose popularity among white audiences and the qualities they zeroed in on, remind me a lot of how white fandom tends to package it’s “love and protection” of Shuri.  Those characters are Arnold and Webster on the TV shows Different Strokes and Webster.

In those shows, the black characters’ main traits were sassiness, cleverness, cuteness, and quippiness.  They had catchphrases that white audiences loved, they were intelligent and often they put white characters in their place or taught them something, but in the end, they were ultimately under the care and control of white families and certain boundaries were never crossed. 

It always safe.

This “safety” was embodied by the neutering of the breadth and depth of emotion and experiences these characters got to have on their shows. Everything was limited to a child-like context.  It was a method of whiteness protecting itself from these characters, but framed as protecting these black kids (sound familiar?).  It’s a stellar example of the often passive-aggressive “polite” racism of whiteness, a common thread made so by their need to avoid getting that racist label; to keep that veneer of benevolence, even from acknowledgement within their own selves.  It was such an important factor in these characters’ popularity, whether subconsciously or with that intent, that two actors with dwarfism portrayed these characters.  Thus, these characters never aged. They were forever dolls under the subordinate care of whiteness.  Limited to funny quips, sweet hugs, a forever cute exterior, and safe sass. These shows never had to deal with the full complexities wrapped up in inevitable growth and maturity.  There was no puberty, no real anger nor desire, just faux anger, canned audience laughter reactions, and childlike crushes. “What you talkin’ bout, Willis?” was the “WHAT ARE THOSE?!” of that day and age. In a nutshell, they never had to deal with these characters’ growth into full  experiences humanity has to offer. So, I’m saying that the condition of white fandom’s rare love and embrace of a black girl is to not be fully human.   So many posts and comments about Shuri reflect a strange preemptive insistence that anything that strains beyond a child-like view of her somehow diminishes her.   When it actuality that child-like view just provides a safe context for them to envision her. Shuri is most popularly seen as a giddy, clever teen, who smiles a lot and roasts her brother. ...But she’s more than that.  She’s next in line for the throne and thus has been trained to rule the most advanced country on the planet(!). She is responsible for the design of the entire technological infrastructure of Wakanda. Do not mistake a fun-loving personality or being a typical sibling for a lack of maturity or responsibility, when the situation calls for it. Mind you, all of this was demonstrated in Black Panther.  She guided Ross to shoot down weapons carriers (with people inside, driving them) while on the battlefield herself, fighting for her life. She had enough presence of mind to take the other suit for her own use, since she believed her brother dead. I do believe this character being portrayed by actress who is small-framed, styled semi-androgynously out-of-character, and dark-skinned, are qualities that I believe make it easier for fandom to keep her “safe” in their eyes. ...Keep her childlike and emotionally neutered.  Since all of these qualities in the same person, have been rare to non-existent representation-wise in mainstream pop culture up to now. The conditions for their love, which will turn sour on a dime (I’m already seeing signs of that in the tag) is that she remains that meme they fell in love with. Remain the wide-eyed innocent doll they perceive with jokey/assist/~*friend*~ interactions with the rest of the MCU.  They want to see her talk to Tony, Bruce, and Peter, but don’t be too mean or too smart!  ~*They are equals. :))))*~ 

This passive-aggressive preciousness with which especially white female fandom handles Shuri, the insistent eye-twitchy flinch of her being “A CHILD!” is not “love”, it’s protecting themselves from the emotional distance they would feel, if she were a woman.

I can predict how fandom’s “love” will shift as the character of Shuri evolves and grows over time, given Wanda who also started as a teen in her first appearance in the MCU, and it won’t be pretty. ...But I hope that with some active self-interrogation, perhaps more people will question the real place their so-called protective limits come from.

[nixie-deangel]

My Secret Hiding Place.

Relationship: James “Bucky” Barnes x Natasha Romanov.

Fandom/Word Count: Avengers, MCU; 938.

This was written for @teryiantimelord10. 

Summary: Natasha snags a glass of champagne from a passing tray, pretending to take a sip as her eyes scan the room. As she moves about the populated room, her gaze’s flickers from person to person, categorizing any potential threat or ally as her eyes bounce from person to person, only skipping over those of her team. .

This was written for the @fuckyeahbuckynatasha​, Secret Santa 2018.

Natasha snags a glass of champagne from a passing tray. She pretends to take a sip as her eyes scan the room, taking in the exits and routes she’d need to take for a quick escape if need be. Moving slowly, she dances her way around the populated room and lets her gaze’s flickers from person to person, categorizing any potential threat or ally as her eyes bounce from person to person, only skipping over those of her team. After all, reading them would be pointless, since she’d already placed them into the correct boxes in her mind long ago.

Slipping into a corner, she tucks out of the way, but keeping all exits in her line of sight, Natasha takes a real slip from her glass. Leaning back, her lips twitch up into a small, but fond smirk, as she watches the heated –but amiable— squabble between Tony and Steve, both tucked away from the main party on the other side of the room.

She watches them for a moment longer before sweeping her gaze to where Vision and Wanda are curled up, laughing and talking to Hope, Scott, Sam and Rhodey by the bar, then to where Bruce, Betty, Thor and the few Asgardian’s who’d agreed to attend the New Year Party were speaking and intermingling with a few scientists and military personnel.

She watches as Brunnhilde and Okoye talk technique near them, while keeping an eye on Shuri, Peter, Ned and MJ. The teens look more like their conspiring to cause mischievous as they snicker and sneak looks to where T’Challa and Nakia sneak soft looks while speaking with Carol –who herself can’t stop eyeing Rhodey every few seconds— and Natasha can’t help but smile at that. She sweeps over a bickering Strange and Loki, notes the danger in letting them that close and unsupervised when she spies Heimdall quietly watching from the corner opposite to her own, when she shivers slightly, a tingle crawling up her spine, the only warning she gets when someone suddenly appears right next to her.

“Enjoying yourself here in the corner?”

Natasha hums, moving her eyes off to where Laura and Clint were laughing and joking with Happy and May to glance at James before sliding her gaze away again. “As anyone can be with the last few years we’ve had.” She watches as Rhodey and Pepper flit about, talking with Military Brass and investors, respectively.

She listens as James shifts, shuffling half a step closer to her and leans back against the wall to her left. “Brooding or ensuring all’s right?”

“If I was brooding, James, you wouldn’t be talking with me,” she murmurs before taking another sip, letting them slip into a comfortable silence for a few more moments. “I like knowing they’re there; knowing and seeing their here, their happy.” She feels, more than sees, James nod in understanding before once again, a silence settles over them.

.

Natasha barely keeps herself from jumping when after a while James speaks up, “Wanna get out of here?”

Turning slightly, she tilts her head and raises her brow at him in question.

Waving his flesh hand around, “Out of here. Somewhere,” he trails off, shrugging before moving to lift his arms and crosses them over his chest before almost immediately dropping his arms and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Somewhere more quiet. Less crowded."

Blinking slowly, Natasha lets her lips curve up into a warm, pleased smile and nods firmly. Swallowing what’s left of her drink, they straighten up and move silently, slipping through the crows. They easily avoids getting trapped in conversations with teammates and strangers alike as they move out of the open area and down the hall to slip into the open and waiting elevator.

“The teams floor please, FRIDAY,” James murmurs as the doors close silently as soon as they’re both in.

“Of course, Sargent Barnes.”

“Plan in mind?” Natasha questions, voice quiet and raspy as she moves to lean back against the wall. "Or are we flying blind?"

Smirking slightly, James moves to mirror her against the opposite wall. “Figured we could get outta the monkey clothes for starters.” He nods down to his neatly pressed slacks and button down and then tilts his chin to her elegant, deep emerald green evening gown.

Chuckling softly, she nods. Even all these years having to wear clothes like this, Natasha never did grow fond of having to be stuck in them. She would always prefer her outfits to have better mobility if she could. “And then?”

“Nice night,” he adds. His face goes soft and open as he gave her a small smile. “Maybe go for a drive?”

Tilting her head, she studies him until the elevator dings quietly and the doors open. Straightening up, she nods twice, “Then I should go grab something better to wear for an evening drive.” She watches as James nods in response as he slinks off. "Meet in the garage in twenty?"

"Make it ten."

They share a leering grin before striding off towards their respective rooms to change into far more comfortable clothing.

.

They have nearly a five minute debate —mostly them sending one another pointed looks and faces, rather than exchanging any true words— before they decide to swipe Tony’s new Audi for their evening drive.

“Steve would say we’re burrowing,” Natasha snarks while putting her feet up on the dash.

“He’d also complain about your feet on the dash,” James adds, with a flash of a smirk, before going back to watching the road as he drives them down the dirt road, away from the compound.