#the Avengers get involved in a civil war IN SPACE

[winterironrox]

Thoughts On Skrull Rhodey

Forewarning, I do not like Skrhodey so if you don’t want to read someone complaining about them scroll past.

At first, I didn’t think Rhodey being a Skrull was bad. He’s the only Avenger in the show so it made sense to me that they went with that. However, that was before G’iah said Rhodey had been held hostage for a long time, he was in a hospital gown, and Feige and the show’s director specified that Rhodey has been a Skrull since Civil War.

We know that that is not possible. The main reason we know this is because we see him bleed many times after Civil War. His blood is red and there is no phasing when he gets hurt. Feige and those involved could create all kinds of excuses for him being a Skrull since Civil War. She’s a really good actor, she needed to be under the radar so she pretended to be paralyzed, she actually did care about Tony so that was her saying goodbye. But the only thing they could say for the visual evidence is “oh the blood was purple and she did phase. you just didn’t notice in the heat of the moment,” or a funny reason could be that it was all makeup not real blood.

Why did they decide to make Rhodey a Skrull since Civil War? Going by the braces and what makes sense to us we would accept him being a Skrull since Falcon and The Winter Soldier. That connects. They took him when he went to the doctors for a check up. Right? He would probably need to do that after being in a world ending battle. There you go, Marvel. End of discussion. You’re all set. But no they had to go with something that is completely illogical.

I will say the only positive about Rhodey being a Skrull is the trans imagery which is probably how they got Don to agree to it since he is a big trans ally.

My mind has been reeling for days and I think I figured out a way to make this work.

What I’m about to say is probably reaching and lends itself more to fanfic so get ready.

I think Rhodey being a Skrull since Civil War could work since that was before the Radical Skrulls turned on Nick Fury so everyone was more friendly and if they had a squishy scientist on hand. A biologist or geneticist or what have you who had access to people’s DNA and could have possibly made a formula or serum that made a Skrull’s phase longer lasting. Someone like Dr. Helen Cho or a Skrull scientist.

Helen or some other genius scientist could have developed a substance that needed to be injected or ingested every couple days or once a week that made it where if a Skrull was hurt they kept their shift and when their blood is exposed to oxygen it turned red. Or this substance possibly just made the Skrull’s shift semipermanent. So as long as they kept taking the formula they were basically the person they were impersonating in every physical way. Which would explain why she was still paralyzed and why her blood was red.

But when this scientist discovered the Radical Skrull’s intention to turn on Fury they took their creation and fled. Which would explain why she could then walk “normally” and why her blood went back to purple. (So sorry. I can’t remember her name.)

Now this is when the fanfic side of my brain took over.

I’ve heard rumors that RDJ is coming back for Amor Wars and my mind latched onto that since I still try to ignore his death everyday.

I think that when Carol found Nebula and Tony floating in space they could have done a switcheroonie. Going with the idea that Tony was so devastated by losing Peter that he couldn’t return to Earth and therefore he gave into surrender. The recording he left Pepper -don’t hate me Pepperoni stans- included another where he explained the switch so Pepper would know that the Tony coming home wasn’t him.

After finding out, Pepper was rightfully furious but over time she fell in love with Skrull Tony since the only Tony who wouldn’t want to be Iron Man is a fake Tony. Morgan could still be Real Tony’s daughter-or not- but he doesn’t know about her and she was raised by Skrull Tony. The scene where Tony looks at the photo of him and Peter which makes him decide to invent time travel could still work in this scenario. Skrull Tony sees that photo and sees the child that Tony Stark could not return to Earth without. The boy who’s death crushed a man so monumentally that he agreed to let someone else take his place. He sees the man whose grief allowed him to find happiness in the life he abandoned next to the boy who would have had a pseudo little sister if things had played out differently, and of course decides to try and fix what happened.

I honestly haven’t thought about when Steve was skrulled. I just know he was a Skrull when he went back to be with Peggy. Unless MCU writers know absolutely nothing about the man after all these years of writing him they will make it canon.

Steve is obviously a Skrull because no matter how much he could have been missing Peggy, the woman who had a full and happy life without him and who made him promise that he would work to be happy in this new age, he would not be able to keep still for the next 5-6 decades. Steven Grant Fucking Rogers has never been and could never be the twiddle his thumbs do nothing type of person. I mean Hydra is right there. They are coming to his step-grandson’s graduation party. He is not just going to ask them how they take their stake. No absolutely not.

Steve has one guaranteed location, time, and place where Bucky Barnes is going to be at and alone. December 16, 1991. Steve might not go to save Howard or Maria but he would definitely be there to abduct the Winter Soldier and get his Bucky back. In order for a time traveling Steve Rogers to not do anything about the future it has to be a fake one. Skrull Steve probably wouldn’t care about all the things that have and will transpire or doesn’t know about them because he doesn’t have access to Steve’s brain. Also, it’s plausible that the Skrulls wanted to be close to Peggy Carter because of Shield and Hydra. They could have done it a different way but who’s to say that time travel Steve ended up with Peggy in the end.

So yeah I don’t know when Steve was replaced by a Skrull, I just know he was before the last time travel escapade. I do know however that it would be an absolutely cute comic moment for Tony and Steve to wake up together wherever they are being held and have to figure out what the hell happened, how long it’s been, and exactly how the hell their world went to shit.

If Tony and Rhodey were both Skrulls during Endgame that would mean the goodbye between them was for a relationship and people we didn’t even know. The female Skrull impersonating Rhodey could have been saying goodbye to her sister, brother, parent, friend, anyone and we didn’t know it. Tony being a Skrull would also explain why no one used the soul or time stone to save him when he was dying, js.

What are these decisions Marvel? These aren’t comics. You can’t just try something out and then undo it. Think everything out. Please, I’m begging you.

Also, another thing I think would be funny is when Real Tony figures out Skrull Tony invented time travel. He would be so annoyed. “I figured out time travel drunk off my ass at 27. I knew it wasn’t a good idea then and it’s not a good idea now. It’s such a delicate situation. So much could go to shit,” or something like that.

[night-gay]

Into the Anthill pt 39 - Requiem For A Wasp

Hank’s back from skrull captivity and here’s the highlights of what he missed:

Tony started a Civil war in the superhero community

They launched Hulk into space and he came back PISSED

Janet van Dyne, Steve Rogers, and Bill Foster died

Skrull invaded Earth by replacing important people

The skrull version of him got Tigra pregnant

Bearing all of that in mind, Hank takes on a new superhero identity (The Wasp) and begins to date Jocasta (an A.I. based on Janet’s mind). He’s sure got a funny way of moving on with his life.

Mighty Avengers vol 1 #15

While teaching at Oxford Hank became romantically involved with a student (secretly the skrull Criti Noll). Jan was too busy partying and drinking to notice, so he ended up spending quite a bit of time with Criti because she’d taken an interest in his life and asked lots of questions. When the topic of conversation shifted to the skrulls she revealed herself to be one and knocked him out. While Hank was unconscious on the floor, Janet came home and encountered Criti in her student disguise. Furious that he’d cheated on her, she stormed off without confronting him. With Hank now in skrull captivity, Criti was given Hank’s identity, powers, and appearance to take his place as a double-agent among Earth’s superheroes.

Secret Invasion vol 1 #8

With his dying breath, Criti triggered a reaction he’d added into Wasp to turn her into a walking chemical bomb when she went giant sized. Her death led to a relentless offensive from Earth’s heroes and villains which culminated in the death of Veranke the skrull empress as well as the defeat of the invading armada. Among the ships in orbit Iron Man was able to find everyone they had replaced and held prisoner. As they reunited with their friends and family, Hank asked where Janet was.

Mighty Avengers vol 1 #20

Struck by the news that not just Janet, but also Bill Foster and Steve Rogers had died in his absence, Hank asked Carol to fill him in on what else he’d missed. At first she was hesitant, but he insisted. She then recapped the events of House of M, the Superhuman Civil War, Captain America’s death, World War Hulk, and the Secret Invasion. With all of these tragedies  in mind, Hank took to the stage at Janet’s funeral and blamed Tony for her death as well as Captain America’s. Thor calmed him somewhat before escorting him out to mourn with him privately. The look on Tony’s face when they left suggested that he agreed. 

Avengers: The Initiative vol 1 #20

Hoping to make sense of his feelings, Hank had dinner with Jocasta to get Janet’s perspective on what he’d missed and what to do next. Because her mind was created from a copy of Jan’s she was able to give him some semblance of closure.  He had an idea for a project that would require her help after this, so the two of them agreed to move him out of The Initiative’s base. Tigra, who had been dating Hank’s skrull impostor, confided in Hellcat that she was pregnant and there’s no way it was the real Hank’s.

Secret Invasion: Requiem vol 1 #1

Jocasta and Hank visited Jan’s estate to set her affairs in order. When Jocasta found him in the lab watching footage of her death on loop to study how it had happened she worried that it wasn’t safe for someone with his history to fixate on it. He told her about how he came to love her and how he’d only hit her once, but that would always be one time too many. After treating himself to make sure his Pym particles could never be weaponized against him like hers were, he revealed his new costume and identity. To live up to the standards of the greatest hero he’d ever known he took on the mantle of The Wasp.

[toasttheinkling]

Remember when i said i was gonna write

Anyways stupid af fic here

you dont get context Wait ok civil war spoilers ig its marvel + Oc

2016 - Liz

“Five years ago, I had a heart attack- Dropped right in the middle of my bat swing,” The secretary began, nobody was quite sure why he was there but it couldn't be good.

“Turns out it was the best round of my life because, after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something forty years in the army never taught me. Perspective.” Liz wished she could tap her claws on the wall without revealing herself- the sound would be calming- but she settled for tapping on her thumb. 

“The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt- you have, fought for us, protected us, risked your lives, But while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the word vigilantes.” “And what word would you use Mr. Secretary?” Natasha asked blandly.

“How about ‘Dangerous’. What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose, and who frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind.” It wasn't a question, But the fact that he followed it up with a clip of the invasion of New York was what led Liz to scoff from her perch- drawing accidental attention to herself.  

There was really no point trying to hide now that everyone was looking at her- or more accurately the shadows she hid herself in. So she let the shadows dissipate. “You know Mr. Secretary, you have quite the audacity to talk about civilian casualties.” All eyes were on her, an odd experience after not being perceived for years- But a surprisingly welcome one, even if she had never meant to reveal herself. 

 The Avengers clearly recognized her, how could they not? Coral hair pulled up into a long braid, Wings held closely behind her back to not take up space, the piercings on her wolf-like ears reflecting the light- she was hard to miss if she wasn't using magic to hide herself, and even harder to mistake for someone else. But she didn't stop her impromptu speech. “And to follow it up with a clip of New York like the government wasn't actively sending a nuke to wipe out more than everyone there. A nuke that someone-” She gestured to the table where the Avengers sat. “-Had to take through a wormhole to stop a shit ton of civilian casualties? Was a nuke the better option Mr. Secretary?” 

She took another step forward, only to be greeted by a shield flying at her face that she quickly stopped, they noticed her magic looked different, not a marbled teal and red as it had been but now a solid purple, with a few hologram-like eyes around to match. “Good to see you too Steve.” She said as she dropped the magic on his shield, letting it fall into her hand. “Or more accurately, good to have you actually see me but-” She shrugged, her wings exaggerating the movement.

The Secretary just stared at her, frozen- likely scared, he was only human after all, and a genetic anomaly of a murderer had just showed up out of the shadows. “Oh, don't let me stop your little self-righteous speech, this must mean a lot to you- to talk down to those infinitely more powerful than you and feel like you have some control- so go on, I want to hear what you have to say. Or else I wouldn't be here would I?”

She saw an unoccupied chair and dragged it to herself with telekinesis, the purple glow like a hand as it was dragged over, taking a seat in an objectively incorrect way but she wasn't going to cramp her wings up any more. He continued showing footage of events the Avengers had been involved in, and while there was destruction it would have been much worse had they not been there.

“Ok, that's enough,” Steve said, and the secretary… secretary Ross? She wasn't sure she remembered that much- but he nodded.

 “For the last four years, you’ve operated with unlimited power- and no supervision-” Liz almost said that they did have supervision by the watchers because they supervise everyone but she wasn't sure she was supposed to talk about that yet, so she kept quiet. Whatever he was on about was sure to be stupid and she didn't want to interrupt him again to talk about the all-seeing gods that she just happened to be one of apparently. 

 “-That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate.” Liz had to roll her eyes at that, it was dumb- not like anyone was looking at her, this idiot had so kindly taken the spotlight from her that she hadn't even meant to have, even if that meant giving up her whole dramatic ‘Yup I'm back from my mom's house which is also the void and she’s also a god.’ entrance- whatever.

“-But I think we have a solution,” He said as he was handed a huge fucking booklet by who she assumed to be a bodyguard. “The Sokovia accords.” That was indeed what it said on the front. “Approved by one hundred and seventeen countries, It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization.” He said as he walked around, notably avoiding looking at Liz while she gave him a manic-looking smile when he grew close. “Instead,” He continued “You will operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel- Only when and if that panel deems it necessary.” Liz shook her head, it wasn't her place to say anything- Not that that had ever stopped her- but man was that stupid.

“The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place,” Steve said. “I feel we’ve done that.” 

“Tell me captain do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?” Liz raised her hand excitedly “I do!” They ignored her, dumb honestly but whatever. “If I misplaced a couple of megaton nukes you can bet there'd be consequences. 

“Hey why don't you talk when your ‘megaton nukes’ are also people, people who mind you can just-” She flicked her hand up and made a ‘Woosh’ noise “-Off earth. And no, maybe they don’t know where they are- Probably because they are both on different planets right now! So those gigaton nukes are off having their own life in the damn cosmos!” She didn't know why she was defending the Avengers, but her mom told her to play nice and this was about as nice as they were gonna get.

 They all stared at her sudden outburst, checking for signs that she might become unstable, but her eye was still blue (The one that was supposed to be that is) and there wasn't a single black feather on her wings. Her wings would be the first to change when she lost control- any time they had fought her in the past her wings would be almost black, and though they hadn't seen it- when her other eye went red all hell broke lose, but she seemed to be fine.  

She just shook her head, “Go on whatever- I’m sure anything I have to say won't sway your weirdly righteous mortal governments, but I sure can beat the hell out of you later.”

“What do you mean ‘Mortal governments’? You seem as mortal as the rest of them.” Not-JARVIS said, turning to look at her. She tilted her hands to imitate scales balancing- “Eh? Kinda… It's a long story I would rather share without government officials present- shorter story: I am not sure about my mortality exactly but I’m certainly not human… or at least fully- But I am in fact of divine origin- Not that any of this matters right now and honestly I would prefer we ignore it considering I'm not sure if I'm even allowed to talk about it.” 

“No, no please elaborate what the fuck are you talking about.” Nat turned to look at Liz, who now had a lot of eyes around her- looking at her and not the others for once.

“Yeah no, they are not happy with what I’ve already said.” She turned to the mass of eyes on her right to address them- “Hey- you can’t tell me I’m a god and send me back and expect me not to develop a god complex… is it still a god complex if you are a god?” She turned to the table to ask, sadly nobody was willing to answer her question. “What are you gonna do put me in void-time-out for another four years? I’m sure they’ve seen much weirder shit guys- interdimensional gods are nothing for the avengers.” The eyes- somehow- seemed subdued by this answer and closed and disappeared.

The secretary was clearly disturbed and shook his head- “We meet in Vienna in three days, I expect you all to be there. I don’t want to spend any more time around…” he trailed off but Liz knew he was talking about her and took it in stride, giving him that same manic smile, never looking away from his eyes. He all but scurried out, she couldn’t blame him, when a known murder comes back from being presumed dead even more powerful than before claiming to be a god you leave. She took great pride in his fear.

“And if we come to a decision you don’t like?” Natasha asked before he could leave.

“Then you retire.”

[gandalfthemorallygrey]

Let's Talk About Sorcerer Nat

I didn't mean for Sorcerer Nat to become a thing. I really didn't. My original plan for the Greyhoundverse was a fairly straightforward (if very long), Lokicentric series about how the MCU would change if post-Loki Loki were there. But then, for Harbors of My Own (which is referred to almost exclusively in my notes by its acronym, HOMO), I needed to figure out how to make Natasha Romanoff truly crack, emotionally speaking. And after a lot of dead ends and struggle, I settled on that way being placing her in a different universe where I could make as much go catastrophically wrong as I needed to get the desired reaction without compromising my plot. A happy ending for all.

But then I had to go and get the sorcerers involved.

My reasons for deciding to make Nat a budding sorcerer--and in fact to add a whole additional fic to my plan to accommodate the new storyline--are multifaceted and involve resolving a miniscule plot hole in THE LAST FIC OF THE SERIES but I only want to talk about one specifically here: I thought she would make an interesting parallel to Dr. Strange.

The whole first Dr. Strange movie is about the eponymous doctor learning how to fit new and absurd principles into his rigid worldview; how he struggles with it, and ultimately uses it to save the world. Dr. Strange learned magic like the element earth. He is stubborn and insistent that he is right no matter the circumstances. He refuses to budge on his perceived inability to do something until literally deposited on top of Mount Everest and told to figure it out. So once he becomes a master, a lot of his defining moments in the MCU still revolve around that: he lets himself get killed by Dormammu over and over again until he out-wills the godlike being; he resists Ebony Maw's torture until he can be rescued, even though he doesn't know at the time that there will be any; he channels all that willpower and stubbornness into holding back millions of tons of water as a battle rages around him. Stephen Strange is at his core unmoveable.

Natasha, on the other hand, proves time and again in canon that she would learn magic like the element water. Almost her entire time in canon is just the story of Dr. Strange repeated over and over. Natasha, an unenhanced human woman, is continuously confronted with situations and enemies that challenge her entire perceived reality: aliens, her own organization but the secret evil version, people from her past she thought long dead, more aliens, space travel, time travel--do you see the pattern? Some of her teammates are used to things like that (Thor). Others can cope using their impressive intellect to rationalize the situation (Tony, Bruce). Some can pack enough of a punch that they don't necessarily need to adapt as much to each new problem (Steve, although his dogged sticking to his own brand and some plot armor also play in). Natasha has none of that. And she reacts to each situation very differently. In Avengers, she uses Chitauri weapons and the Scepter. In CA: TWS, she uses a lot of her spy skills instead of provoking straight-up fights. She switches sides in Civil War and makes jokes about travelling through time. Whereas Strange succeeds by brute forcing a single path, Nat shifts and adapts to what she sees as the best way to win. She's amazingly versatile and fluid and will try another angle if the first one doesn't work. She's following the path of least resistance. And in my fic all about Nat becoming a sorcerer (coming ???) I really want to study that, and later down the line, I want to juxtapose her with Strange more clearly so the differences can be seen.

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #259: DUTY OVER ALL!

September, 1985

On the side of... THE SKRULLS!

That cover text is accurate but its more like ‘on the side of some Skrulls against other Skrulls and also Nebula is a jerk.’

I do like that power squat from that boss looking Skrull though.

Is it the most comfortable thing to do? No. Will he topple over immediately if there’s any space turbulence? Definitely. But is it presenting a powerful statement to the Avengers? Also definitely.

Hm. The Gruenwald Squadron Supreme series starts this month of September, 1985. In another world, maybe I’m a Squadron Supreme liveblogger. I’d be done by this point if I were.

Anyway.

Last times on Avengers: when Vision tried to take over the world, he got Captain Marvel out of the way by sending her to check on Thanos’ abandoned ship, Sanctuary II. A harmless errand that would take her several hours and keep her out of communication in transit.

Obviously, the one day Captain Marvel is sent on a wild goose chase to Sanctuary II is when some mercenaries working for Nebula come to retrieve the ship for her and Monica Marvel winds up kidnapped to another galaxy and forced to pretend she wants to work for Nebula.

Nebula sends her on a suicide mission to reconnoiter a Skrull space base and to make sure its a suicide mission, Nebula shoots an anti-matter torpedo at the base while Monica is in it. Rude.

This time on Avengers:

I guess Monica is completely, really dead forever.

Except Nebula isn’t some fool who goes ‘we never found the bodies so they’re totally dead forever.’ This character who I’ve only just met in context of the Avengers but know from the movies is a smart cookie.

One anti-matter torpedo wasn’t enough to totally obliterate the armada here so some of them probably escaped.

Levan suggested that maybe Captain Marvel escaped too and Nebula tells him ‘if your horniness gets in my way so help me i’ll do you a murder you sad sack’ with a little ‘but what have you done for me lately’ by asking him if he’s of further use to her now that he and Gunthar have helped retrieve Sanctuary II as former Thanos minions.

Levan: “Nebula, let me assure you that you have all my support... my undying support... in this galaxy or any other!”

Gunthar: “I concur, Commander. Only a fool would do otherwise.”

Nebula: “Indeed.”

And then since there’s no kill like overkill, Nebula decides to blow up the planetoid so if there were any survivors that managed to flee, they have nothing to return to.

Yeah, Sanctuary II can blow up planetoids.

All it needs to do is carve a tunnel from the surface to the core with a big ol’ coherent energy beam, drop another anti-matter torpedo, and BAM no more Skrull base.

Its hard to tell how much time passes in comic panels but I’d estimate that took less than five minutes.

Eat shit, Freeza.

While asking for trouble from dragon ball fans is all well and good, over on Earth and one week later, Firelord has trouble of his own.

Firelord: “To think that my cosmic flame would be put to so mundane a task -- as waste disposal!”

When Hercules castigated Firelord for tantruming around, he castigated him all the way into community service.

Damn, I already thought Hercules was awesome, Marvel. You spoil me.

Burning toxic waste isn’t an easy fix because then you just get noxious fumes and noxious byproducts but Firelord’s fire is from the power cosmic so he burned it hot enough to break down any noxious substances.

All that’s left is some slag that Hercules crushes into a ball to dispose of.

A very impressed guy: “Mr. Firelord, that was utterly fantastic! Why, you’ve saved the state millions of dollars in toxic waste clean-up!”

Hercules: “You see, Firelord? You are well on your way -- to making restitution for all the damages you caused in the city! Just a few more such tasks, and your debt shall be repaid in full! In the future, you must take more care in your behavior amongst mortals! I know ‘tis not easy. Why, in my youth, I myself was known to act a bit rashly on occasion!”

To repeat myself, Hercules rocks.

Also, I’m just going to assume that something like this happens off-panel every time heroes cause property damage. Either Tony Stark sighs and pays it off or heroes work off the damages using their powers.

Meanwhile, over at Avengers Mansion, Captain America finds She-Hulk and Wyatt Wingfoot leaving to go on a double date with the Mr. and Mrs. Fantastic.

Apparently the Fantastic Four moved into Avengers Mansion because the Baxter Building was destroyed in Fantastic Four #279 byyy -wiki- Kristoff Vernard launching it into space and blowing it up. Rude kid.

Nice of the Avengers to put them up. Although, they do have plenty of room.

In a funny bit, Wyatt Wingfoot eyes Cap, figures him to be roughly the same size as himself, and wonders where he buys shirts.

Inside the mansion, Cap gets his mail from Jarvis which includes “the usual requests for autographs, some charity solicitations, and a half-dozen pleas for you to endorse certain political parties.”

Cap is a popular guy.

He also receives a bill for some airfare he charged to his Avengers’ card because the airline became aware that the government is reconsidering the Avengers’ privileges and they’d rather the money now before it gets tied up in that whole thing.

Cap also asks Jarvis about Captain Marvel since she’s been missing two weeks now. There’s no news and its not good news because the Sanctuary II that she was checking on has gone missing too.

Captain Steve America heads to find Wasp and finds that in her spare time, she’s been making Black Knight cooler.

ATOMIC STEED.

What a deep cut. I can’t believe Beast just shoved that into storage and forgot about it.

Black Knight could go and ask for his horse back from Valkyrie but she needs the iconography more than he does. Plus, an atomic steed requires less shoveling.

Now, an atomic steed is all well and good because Black Knight has that sort of mix between super advanced technology and weirdo throwback traditions and magic.

I just don’t know if I’ll be as into it when he trades his super cursed sword for a lightsaber and stops shaving. Sure, he’ll be wearing a jacket over armor and that’s good fun but part of Black Knight’s charm, like Hawkeye, is kicking people’s butts with medieval weaponry.

Its apparently also what made Hawkman and Hawkgirl so popular when they were first introduced. That they’d just grab random weapons off a museum wall and go hit people with them.

Unfortunately, Black Knight can’t just tool around on an atomic steed all day.

The message Monica was trying to send from the Skrull base finally gets through the jamming delay and sets off a priority alarm. Or Starfox does when he gets the message. Six of one...

Captain Monica barely manages any message beyond telling the Avengers the Sanctuary II was stolen by alien mercenaries and that she’s at a Skrull base in the Andromeda Galaxy when an anti-matter torpedo rudely cuts off the message.

Wasp: “Starfox, do you have enough to locate that carrier wave’s point of origin?”

Starfox: “Yes... does this mean what I hope it does?”

Wasp: “I should say so! There’s an Avenger to be accounted for!”

Captain America: “One way or another we’re going to find her!”

Yeah! Bring back Captain Marvel!

She’s needed on the set of Marvels!

Anyway.

The Avengers take their special space capable Quinjet out into space with special guest Firelord because even though he’s paid off all the damages, he wants to pay back Hercules by helping him out on this adventure. Pluuuus, the Andromeda Galaxy is where Firelord is from and he hasn’t seen his home since he became a herald.

I can’t believe Firelord is asking the Avengers to swing by on their way back.

I assume. Galaxies are big. What are the odds they’ll just happen to pass by his homeworld?

The special space capable Avengers Quinjet may be able to go out into space but that doesn’t mean it can go to another galaxy. In a timely fashion anyway.

But it really just needs to get them to their actual intergalactic ride.

Starfox: “Behold... the swiftest starship produced by the science of my homeworld of Titan -- sent Earthward by my doting father Mentor.”

Wonder how that conversation went, considering Mentor’s annoyance when Starfox borrowed the computer to look for the best places to hang out.

I sincerely doubt that doting.

“Meanwhile, on one of the many Skrull colony worlds in the Andromeda Galaxy...”

Governor Gorth!

He’s the Skrull governor of planet A Skrull Colony World.

Name your locations if its going to be important, geez.

Anyway, Governor Gorth is informed that Commander Nebula is here to see him so Gorth gets his business face on. And his business bod.

Because Skrulls are shapeshifters he can just shapeshift himself to look more imposing and buff.

Which probably makes a super mushroom noise.

Nebula isn’t impressed by his buff bod or buff attitude. When he insists that she call him Emperor Gorth, she has Levan shoot the buff out of his sails.

Gorth: “See here, you promised to make me emperor! It’s only fair that I look imperial!”

Nebula: “Save the shape-shifting for your underlings, Skrull -- it doesn’t impress me! You’re nothing without my backing!”

Gorth: “A-all right! It’s true!”

Skrulls tend to get more consistently drawn with human proportions these days. Which is weird scrawny bobblehead goblin Skrull erasure maybe. I dunno. They just used to look more alien, in a way.

Although, the way comics be, its very likely that they were leaning into racist imagery. I know the shapeshifting reptilian alien thing does.

Anyway, now that Nebula has shown her employer who is boss, she takes him out onto the balcony to show him the Sanctuary II, a weapon to surpass Metal Gear that will make this backwater colony world the new Skrull throneworld.

Hundreds of parsecs away, which are after all a unit of distance and not time, the ship Starfox borrowed from daddy arrives through subspace to the system where that Skrull base was.

Black Knight: “I still can hardly believe this... until now, I’d thought of sub-space as nothing more than an abstract concept!”

Starfox: “I’d always considered it a convenient intergalactic shortcut, myself!”

Starfox: ‘oh you and your primitive earth science’

They don’t find the base (because Nebula blew it up) but they do find an angry Skrull armada that demands they shut down their engines and surrender.

Starfox gets nettled by this suggestion and wants to tell the Skrulls where they can stick it but Cap(tain America) suggests that they play along since its apparently rare for Skrulls to make requests without shooting first.

Really?

Huh. Not great, the Skrulls.

Starfox space radios that he’ll comply and Captain Marvel pops out of the space radio, jubilant that they got her message.

Out-of-touch Black Knight strikes again, this time with the thought “They sure make Captains a darned sight prettier than they used to!”

Wait, I don’t even know if he knew Captain Marvel. Oh well.

Monica tells them that she has a lot to tell them but it’d be better to hear it from the Skrulls, over in the armada.

So Starfox’s dad’s ship docks with the Skrull command saucer and Captain Monica Marvel takes the Avengers and their plus one Firelord to meet General Zedrao, leader of the Skrull armada.

His officers are uneasy about this because: 1) Avengers on board, 2) a former herald of Galactus!

But he tells them to hush.

General Zedrao: “Your presence has caused great controversy among my staff, Avengers. They wanted me to destroy your ship outright... and they had good reason. You and all who ally themselves with you have been branded enemies of the Skrull Empire. But we must now put old animosities aside... a great threat looms before us!”

Assuming correctly that the Avengers aren’t up to date on space politics, General Zedrao decides to summarize the whole situation to them.

Very kind of him.

So, the problems all started when Galactus at the Skrull homeworld several months ago.

With the head basically chopped off the empire, the whole thing descends into chaos and rebellion. Apparently every single planetary governor stood up and declared themselves the obvious new leader and raised armies to attack any other fool who said the same thing.

General Zedrao: “The weaker worlds fell immediately. Alliances were forged and broken on an hourly basis. In a few days, more Skrulls died at Skrull hands than had perished in the death-throes of Throneworld.”

I’d say this goes to show that a clear line of succession is necessary but having the entire capital of the empire get destroyed in one day is kind of an unprecedented situation.

Rome wouldn’t have fared well if Rome blew up. Not that Rome had a clear line of succession a lot of the time either.

Funny thing is that there actually is a Skrull princess who survived the disaster. But its Veranke and she’s both stupid and a religious zealot and nobody was gonna come running to her as their first choice.

She had some wild ideas about Earth being the promised new homeworld of the Skrulls and her tilting at windmills wiped out a significant fraction of the very little power the Skrulls had left after the Galactus incident and several other disasters.

So, yeah, Veranke doesn’t exist yet and even if she did nobody would rally behind her until things got desperate.

Anyway, during this chaos, a mercenary army made of outcasts from a thousand worlds was organized by Nebula.

Her army conquered every world it set its sights on uuuuuntil it ran into Zedrao’s base.

Zedrao is a pretty cool dude, actually. Even though he has a whole ass armada and an impregnable base, he refused to participate in all of this civil warring. He just holed up in his base, presumably to wait until it blew over and there was a new government.

Try as she might, Nebula couldn’t best the base’s defenses and left, presumably shaking her fist and saying NEXT TIME GADGET NEXT TIIIIME.

But she did come back to throw Monica to her death against the base but whooops Monica broke a hole in the defenses and fried most of the armada’s communications gear and overall just made a mess.

Which was when Nebula lobbed an anti-matter torpedo at the base.

When the torpedo was spotted, the Skrulls tried to evacuate but there Just Wasn’t Enough Time.

So Captain Marvel flew out into space, turned human so she could go pew pew with her energy blasts to redirect the torpedo into one of the orbital generators, and managed to turn back to light in time to nyoom from the explosion.

Afterward, she and General Zedrao talked and decided the best thing to do was to sacrifice the base to convince Nebula the attack worked.

Even though it hadn’t hit on target, the matter/anti-matter explosion still released a bunch of radiation which damaged the armada and it wouldn’t have been a good idea to tangle with the Sanctuary II.

So the armada blew up its own base and then escaped into sub-space.

Its been regrouping and repairing over the week it took the Avengers to get Monica’s message and now its in fighting shape again.

And thaaaaats the story.

Firelord is the first to react, saying that ain’t no way he joining forces with “vermin” like the Skrulls. And also saying that Monica Marvel must be addled by her week among them to suggest it.

Hercules: “Choose your words with care when you speak to an Avenger, Firelord!”

Hercules didn’t ask to be this guy’s babysitter but that’s how things shook out.

Monica agrees that that Skrulls might be unappealing (right in the same room with a bunch of Skrulls, wow rude) but that Nebula must be stopped.

Which Starfox with goofy face agrees because Nebula has the Sanctuary II which Thanos built to rival an entire armada.

Where was he getting his resources? Oh. Right. Pillaging.

But Black Knight tries to ask the real question here.

Black Knight: “Excuse me, but there’s an important question that needs to be answered! Should we really get involved in this? After all, we’re supposed to be the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes... we can’t start policing the whole blasted universe!”

I mean, he’s got a point.

Interfering in space politics is a thorny prospect.

Although nobody here knows about the Illuminati because it hasn’t been written yet, the Illuminati going up to space and trying to intimidate the Skrulls into not attacking again really bit Earth in the ass several several years down the line.

But if the Avengers interfere in this Skrull civil war, are they going to get involved in every big space political mess?

Yes. Yes they will. Or the X-Men. Or the Guardians of the Galaxy, generally featuring several people from Earth or derived from people from Earth.

So this is very much a bad precedent.

On the other hand as Captain Marvel suggests, Nebula is likely to come after the Milky Way after she conquers Andromeda. Zedrao even points out that a big chunk of her mercenary army are from planets in the Milky Way so Nebula is going to look that way sooner or later.

Black Knight: “The old domino theory... if we don’t stop the first one from falling, they all will, huh?”

Captain America: “That’s not always true, Dane, but this time it may be!”

Hahah, I mean. That’s how that line of thought gets you.

It’s funny that Dane, who has been missing for several years, still manages to be disdainful of domino theory.

Anyway, Cap points out that ultimately, its Wasp’s decision since she is the chairwoman.

And she decides that yes, they need to stop Nebula.

Meanwhile, over on the Sanctuary II, Nebula is giving Governor Emperor-Aspirant Gorth the grand tour.

But the grand tour is interrupted by Levan calling on the tv phone to tell Nebula that deep probes have detected the Skrull armada.

In a surprisingly governor-like move, Gorth insists that Nebula lure the armada away from Planet Untitled to spare it the ravages of war but Nebula still has no patience for Gorth acting like just because he’s her employer, he’s her boss and this time shoots him dead, not just deflated.

Nebula: “Prepare a propaganda statement, Levan, saying that Emperor Gorth died in battle with the enemy. Then have all stations made battle-ready! And make certain that everyone knows... we will take no prisoners!”

You are a mean one, Miss Nebula.

And you’re missing out on some shenanigans!

You’re above a planet of the Skrulls! Grab one that you can bully into line and have them pretend to be Gorth! Shapeshifting! Use it!

Follow @essential-avengers​ because I said pretty please. And like and reblog but only if you choose to.

[protect-anthony-edward-stark]

Tony Stark's thoughts described in the MCU books (part 1)

- Pepper

Tony always knew something was going to happen, during 6 years he has been preparing everything to protect everyone. When Thanos arrives he doesn't know what to do and chooses to get on Maw's ship to keep the danger away from Earth and the people he loves, ready to go into space and face his biggest fear. Pepper calls him and begs him not to get on the ship and to go home. We see Tony, who just wanted to stay with her and have a family, already on the ship, distraught and destroyed not knowing what to say.

In the "Infinity War novelization" we learn that at this very moment he's under a lot of stress. He hears in Pepper's voice that she's terrified and thinks about the worry he had felt a few seconds earlier for Peter when he saw him on that same ship. And it breaks his heart that Pepper is feeling the same thing right now.

- Tony and Peter during IW

We already know that Tony loves Peter and is afraid for him. He has always looked after him and done everything to protect him.

In the "Infinity War novelization" we see exactly what Tony is thinking throughout the journey. He's terrified for Peter.

Seeing him on the ship: "If Tony didn't act quickly, Peter Parker would die. And it would be all his fault."

Seeing him aboard the ship after doing everything to save him from it: "Peter was on this spaceship and that was that. So, he now had to save Strange and then get Peter Parker back on Earth safe and sound."

Seeing the Guardians threatening him: "But how ever much bravado Tony seemed to have, the dread of exactly this moment was laced in his words. He was terrified."

- Tony and Jimmy

Tony is so caring and has the biggest heart. He just always wants everyone to be safe and can't stand it when someone dies or gets hurt in front of his eyes. He always thinks he should have saved them, that's why he spends nights blaming himself for everything. That's why he always makes sure that people don't get hurt during or after the Avengers fights. That's why when he fights he never leaves anyone behind and always finds a way to save everyone.

And this from the very beginning. We already know that Tony was shocked to see innocent people killed at the very beginning of Iron Man 1. And in the "Iron Man novelization" we see especially the horror that Tony saw and experienced with the death of the soldiers and especially Jimmy and how it impacted him. He even noted the watch he was wearing. He care about every single person around him.

- Tony in India

In Homecoming we can see that Tony has been to India and that while he was there he was still watching over Peter, ready to intervene and save him if something happens to him.

In the "Homecoming junior novelization" we know exactly why he went there. He needed to get away from it all and refocus after what happened in Civil War. He lost the family and unity that the team had (and blames himself even though he was the one who fought so hard to keep everyone together). One of his best friend in whom he trusted lied to him and they all betrayed him, he has suffered so much and just.. needed a break.

He deserves so much more support, love, sincere people and serenity in his life.

- His biggest fear

At the end of Infinity War Tony's biggest fear, everything he's been trying to prevent for all these years, comes true. Tony who has always just wanted to keep everyone safe is totally destroyed by this moment. In the "Infinity War novelization" we know exactly what he's thinking.

When he sees Peter disappear: "No, Tony thought. Please, no. Not him. Tony rushed to Peter. "You're all right," Tony assured him, just like he'd done before. Look at me, kid. I'm calm. You're going to be okay, he thought. I'm right here. I'm right here. Just look at me. Tony grasped Peter's shoulder, his eyes locked on his as, with a tiny whisper, Peter turned to dust. "I'm sorry." Tony slammed his hand through where Peter once was. His hand now full of nothing but as hes. Tony willed it to be false. Willed the boy back. Willed another chance to save him. To be there for him. To protect him. To love him."

Here Tony is, alone with Nebula, his biggest fear has become reality and there was nothing he could do about it. The boy he sees as a son died in his arms. And he's stuck here not knowing if his loved ones, his friends, if the love of his life, has survived. "Pepper. Had Pepper survived? How much had he truly lost?"

It's horrible. We see him cry at this moment. Because, it's too much. As RDJ himself said, this event traumatized him to the point that he will never be the same anymore.

- I am Iron Man

At the end of Iron Man during the press conference and despite what the shield had asked him, Tony decides to reveal his identity. It's because he's proud to be Iron Man, to do something that helps the world. But that's not all.

We learn in the "Iron Man novelization" that his revelation is also to to people. He saw what happened with the secrets and lies with his company and decided to put an end to it. He doesn't want any more secrets that will lead to deaths. That's why he didn't keep his identity secret

"He thinks about how lying and deceit from others has brought him to this pass. He has sworn to put an end to that sort of thing".

Tony always takes care of everything and eveyone. To think that some people think it's out of arrogance.. He's always so misjudged and deserves so much better.

- The suit

In "Infinity War: the Hero's Journey", Tony spends time in the lab with Happy. And he describes him what it's like to wear the armor. He implies the emotional weight of all the suffering involved in being Iron Man.

"Happy smiled, then struggled to pull off the gauntlets. They didn't budge. Tony laughed and scooted his stool next to Happy. "Thanks," Happy said. "Don't mention it," Tony replied. "They were heavier than I thought they'd be," Happy said. Tony thought for a moment. "Yeah, they are," he said. His tone turned a touch graver than it had been a moment prior. "The whole suit's heavier than I thought it would be.."

In his life he's always only receiving pain, suffering and horrible traumas. Losses, ptsd, nightmares, insomnia, anxiety attacks, blames, betrayals, physical and psycological pain, health problems, he lost Peter, he got stabbed, he got stuck in space without food or water, he sacrificed everything for everyone even if nobody is there for him..

So few people realize how much he suffer..

Buy the Iron Man novelization

---

#BringBackTonyStarktolife (petition)

[bistevethor]

Steve Rogers Fanfiction Recommendations

Happy birthday, Steve!

I know that there are some (a lot?) of steve fans who sometimes struggle to find fics focused on him, so I am here now putting a list of Steve fics. I was going to fics that I haven't seen recommended a lot and most of the ones on this post have less than 200 kudos only, but I end up putting everything (it's probably easier to put my bookmarks as public but well...). It's a massive list (over 100 fics?), so it's will be separated into several posts/reblogs.

Not all of them are from Steve's POV or even have him as the main 'main' character, but rest assured he played an important role and is featured heavily. Lots of these are friendship-focused but I categorized them. The shippy ones are mostly samsteve, thundershield, and some rare pairings because I don't venture to other ships a lot and when I did it's to the rare ones instead lol. Hopefully, any of you can find some gems from this list and these are as enjoyable or as good as I remembered. I'll continue to update it, hopefully, every time I find new ones.

Fics are under read more.

General

The Rocket's Red Glare

Steve was born on the Fourth of July (no joke), so a party is in order! Unfortunately, PTSD decides to rear its ugly head. Fortunately, Steve's got an entire team at his back to help him through it. And screaming goats.

an entry in the scrapbook of absurdity

In which Steve turns into a baby and bites people.

Baby Steve Adventures

Captain America gets hit by a spell during a battle. The rest of the Avengers look after him.

Do You Remember Being Happy? ('Cause I Sure Don't)

"Dragr," Thor called them. "Demons" Clint had said. "Thieves" is what Steve labels them as. AKA, the one where Steve is captured by creatures that feed off of happy memories, and the team is left to pick up the pieces. Post-Avengers.

In Search of (Bucky, Family, Home)

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson

A week following the events of CATWS, Steve recruits Natasha and Sam to help find Bucky.

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Do we need to recap again? You were shot three times, beaten near to death by an enhanced super soldier with a metal arm and then almost drowned. Yeah, your ass is going to need a few more days of healing time.”

The Truth When Captains Meet

Steve Rogers wakes up on an alien’s space ship being carried bridal style by Carol Danvers. As far as first meetings go, it’s memorable.

Irish Coffee

Pairings: Jessica Jones & Steve Rogers

Jessica runs into an incognito Cap at a cafe. They form an unlikely friendship of sorts.

The Lifetimes of Steve Rogers (Series)

What happens when Steve Rogers steps onto the quantum platform to return the Stones? Where does he go? What challenges does he find? Who does he meet? How many lifetimes can one man have?

Fifty-Two Pickup

Less than a week after the fall of the Triskelion, Steve Rogers is released from the hospital. Although his physical wounds are almost fully healed, other injuries need a bit more time, and some help from friends.

little kids get big so fast

Steve ends up having to take care of the deaged Defenders.

Grampa Steve's Bedtime Stories

If Mommy was away for work, then Morgan’s Grampa Steve came over to stay with her. He���d tuck her in, let her give Mommy a kiss on video chat, then hand her the picture of Daddy for his kiss. Once Daddy’s picture was back on the bookshelf, Grampa Steve would turn off the bedside lamp so that Miss Friday could cover the ceiling with stars, and ask Morgan what story she wanted to hear.

“Captain Steve, Grampa! Tell me Captain Steve!”

Grampa Steve sometimes read to her from books and other times watched a movie with her, but her favorite by far was when he told her Captain Steve’s Adventures Through the Multiverse.

On Camping Trips

Sam is more Hermione than Natasha is, and Steve doesn't want to be Harry.

Powerful

Steve loses the advantages of the super-soldier serum. This is not a tragedy.

His Dream

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

As if on cue, Steve cut him off with a loud sneeze.

"Yeah. Like that." Sam nodded. "And please sneeze into your elbow next time, dude. You could've just started an epidemic."

"Sorry. Allergies." Steve excused, and Sam raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know it's allergies?" Sam asked, and Steve sighed, putting the ingredients together and solving the mystery of what the gas had actually done.

The answer wasn't ideal. "It feels like the seasonal allergies I had before. Before the serum- and I haven't had them since the serum."

Realization clicked in Sam's head.

"The gas de-serumed you."

Steve swallowed and nodded reluctantly.

OR: Steve gets temporarily de-serumed, with his height and stature staying the same but his immune system being as bad as it was before, and has to stay in the hospital to prevent a severe allergic reaction or illness. Sam stays with him the whole time, making sure he's not alone.

A Strange Encounter

Things have gone awry and Strange is injured. With no other options, he's called for assistance from Captain America and his team.

even if we're apart, i'll always be with you

Steve finds a dirty toy bear at an abandoned gas station, on the way back from a school trip. He brings him home.

As Long as You’re Not Tired Yet of Talking

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

When Steve Rogers tells her, “Don’t be a stranger,” as they’re all going their own ways after New York, it makes her want to laugh.

Draw/Breath

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

Natasha like knowing what makes people tick. She likes knowing things, about her teammates and her coworkers and herself. Oddly enough, sometimes other people like knowing her too.

AKA: Natasha wants to know why Steve isn’t drawing anymore, and takes the long way round to get her answer. Because why not.

With Magic We Do Fly

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers

In Civil War we see Wanda fling Steve into the air with her magic. They must have practiced that, right?

Que Wanda throwing Steve against a wall. Many times.

Just Like We Practiced

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers

Steve had said, in the movie when he asked Wanda to lift him into the building, "Just like we practiced." But just how did they come up with the idea of her lifting people with her powers, and putting them up somewhere like an escalator? Perhaps it was because Wanda accidentally sent a certain tall, blond Avenger face-first into the floor once and he decided he would help her learn to utilize this as a confidence building exercise. Natasha keeps an eye, Thor and Sam help build the training grounds, and Wanda has found her new home. Takes place between AGE OF ULTRON and CIVIL WAR.

Black and White but Red and Blue

They're watching black and white film reels, but Steve sees them in colour.

"My shield may be black and white but it was red and blue. Just like the blue sky under which red blood was spilled. Like Bucky's blue eyes and Peggy's red lips..."

The Road Warriors

Characters: Sam Wilson (Marvel), Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff

It wasn't pretty, but somehow the four of them managed to make it through two years on the run.

We'll Fix It

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

Steve has a hard time after his battle with The Winter Soldier and isn't sure what to do with himself. After not seeing him for a week, Natasha finally shows up to his apartment unannounced to figure out how they can get back to work. There is some crying involved.

From Here On Out

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

The Accords, the search for Bucky, the fight at the airport ... In a world where nothing will ever be the same, sometimes the road to rebuilding trust and friendship is a little rockier than it should be.

AKA, the story of Steve & Natasha and how they got to where they are.

Set post-Civil War but pre-Infinity War.

I have this breath and I hold it tight

Parings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Vision

Steve finally goes to Wanda’s tiny room and taps on the doorframe, although it’s hardly necessary, with the slightly warped floorboards creaking under his feet. “Hey,” he says. “Got a minute?”

Wanda's been a little withdrawn since Steve broke everyone out of the Raft. She's had a lot to think about.

to you.

Pairings: Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff & Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff & Tony Stark

It's Wanda's birthday today. She's not sure how to feel.

New Love

Pairings: Diana (Wonder Woman) & Steve Rogers

Near the end of World War II, Diana Prince finds herself attempting to reconnect to her long-gone, beloved Steve Trevor. However, she comes across Steve Rogers instead.

Sharing Life (And Canned Green Beans)

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

It’s Thanksgiving, and Steve is hiding in the second living room on the 8th floor of the penthouse apartments with a can of green beans.

I'm Fine

Steve slowly began to realize that the problem with being a national icon, a hero, and a role model, is that somehow, he became more than human. He become a symbol, not a person. So when he becomes increasingly unhappy, deeply depressed, and utterly adrift in a world where he doesn't belong, the loneliness and isolation are unbearable. How could anyone believe that an iconic hero like himself was really just an ordinary kid from Brooklyn, dying inside because everything he'd gained still wasn't enough to replace everything he'd lost? How could he possibly bring himself to bleed on the ones he loves? So he tells himself the same lie over and over, hoping one day, he'll believe it.

dogpile

"My dog ate my mission report" An injured Steve remembers something he has to do. Unabashed Steve and dogs fluff. "Didn't peg you for a pet guy." "Allergies."

Alone In This World (Together)

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson

“We’re fugitives,” Steve said finally. “It might never get better.”

“The world’s always going to need saving," Sam replied. "We’re still Avengers. No one can take that away from us.” Then, like they hadn't been having an entire conversation before, “So when do we leave?”

“Once night falls.”

Do we have any idea where she is?”

“No.” Steve took a sip of his coffee. “But I know where she’ll be.”

it gets the worst at night

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

Here's how it goes: Natasha sometimes shares a bed with Steve. It's not what it sounds like.

(In which there are Colombian drug lords, awkward boners, cuddly super-soldiers and the Avengers are all giant dorks.)

Shelter

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

Sam and Steve, right after the fall of SHIELD.

Princely Bickering

Pairings: Jane Foster/Thor, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Jane Foster, Steve Rogers & Thor

Steve allows Sam to lean up and inspect his head for bruises and blood. He then checks out Steve’s eyes. ‘Do you know where you are?’ Steve rolls his eyes. ‘Don’t be an ass, Cap, apparently you can break.’ ‘London, England, chasing apparently useless Hydra intel despite having about five hundred international arrest warrants out for us because we’re just that stupid,’ says Steve. Sam pats him - gently - on the shoulder. Life on the run isn't easy, especially not after an injury. Fortunately Steve still has a few allies left.

And The Seconds Tick Down

AU of Civil War. How the world ended in twenty steps when Steve died.

"Grant" and "Francis" Go Shopping

Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers

Steve and Clint both have holiday shopping to do for their family of choice, so they make a day trip to an outlet mall, have a few heart to hearts, use some coupons, buy a bunch of presents, and eventually get through their shopping lists.

A Tune Without Words

Pairings: Jane Foster/Thor, Steve Rogers & Thor, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

As he and Sam prepare to begin searching for Bucky, Steve gets various offers of help—some more unexpected than others.

Purpose

Tony Stark wins the fight in Siberia completely by accident.

Steve Rogers does not resist his arrest as he is taken to the Raft.

Sam Wilson, T'Challa, and Pepper Potts pick up the pieces.

Full of Wounds and Still Standing on my Feet

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Wanda Maximoff

The five times Steve looked out for Wanda, and one time Wanda decided someone needed to look out for Steve.

Three Awakenings

The first three times that Steve Rogers woke up during his first twenty-four hours in the twenty-first century.

Making Your Own Future

Characters: Steve Rogers, Diana Prince, Steve Trevor Five times -- plus one -- that Diana Prince and Steve Rogers encountered one another.

Better Living Through Pizza

Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers

Steve takes some time off from soldiering and Avengering to get his head on straight, and Clint is assigned to keep an eye on him, because apparently SHIELD believes in the blind leading the blind. Steve really needs a hobby, since modern television shows baffle him, but Clint keeps bringing him DVDs and pizza.

Five Times Clint Barton Spoke with Steve Rogers about Growing Old and the One Time He Didn't.

Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers

When Steve Rogers reappeared from the past as an old man, there was a lot of catching up to do. Clint Barton made sure nobody got left behind.

Hammer's Totally Heavy-Handed and Incompetent Revenge

"So, at the end of IM2, Justin Hammer swears revenge on Pepper. He waits until Tony and Rhodey are halfway across the world to launch his attack.

Unfortunately for him, thanks to SHIELD, Iron Man and War Machine aren't the only superheroes in Pepper's rolladex. Steve thinks Pepper's just swell and doesn't take too kindly to somebody trying to hurt her."

Cue badass!Steve and competent!Pepper

Fan Mail

Steve starts getting his fan mail and receives an invitation to the prom. Written for a prompt at the Avengers kink meme. It was a great prompt, and so much fun to write and get feedback for!

Prom. Steve 'Grandpa Iceberg' Rogers at a 21st-century high school prom. "This isn't happening. This whole conversation is just an elaborate practical joke. Bruce really just has orders for widgets or something."

Bruce waved the printouts at him. "Fraid not. I don't really do practical jokes. Messing with other people's moods just seems. I don't know. Karmically unwise."

Mascot

Steve runs. People see Steve run. Steve gets adopted by the neighbourhood he runs through every week day morning. He finds this confusing. Tony finds it amusing.

Locks Not Replaced

Tony angsts back at Avengers' HQ, Ross is a bully and Steve makes sure he doesn't get away with it. In other words, there is much regret, a bit on the philosophy of locks, adventure and far too many Robin Hood metaphors.

woof

For a prompt on the avengers kinkmeme: "...something different happens when Steve gets Dr Erskine's serum plus the Vita ray treatment... Steve does get taller and stronger, but when the first full moon hits, he turns into a big friendly looking dog. Yes, he's a weredog, not a werewolf."

Mission: Baby

Pairings: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

The Asset finds himself in charge of the care of a small baby, but somehow he knows—he has to protect the baby from all harm, whatever the cost.

14 Tracks

Pairings: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Avengers Team 14 tracks from Steve's iPod and how they got on there.

Life Will Rattle Your Bones

Pairings: Erik Lehnsherr & Steve Rogers

Captain America and the Howling Commandos find Schmidt sooner than they thought... wait, what do you mean this is a *different* Schmidt?

In war-torn Germany, the paths of Steve Rogers and Erik Lehnsherr cross, part, and cross again.

come build me up

Pairings: Sharon Carter & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

“Do you ever feel like -- like you joined up because you wanted to do good. You wanted to do the right thing but somewhere along the way, you just lost the whole fucking plot.”

“All of the time.”

Or: the one where Captain America and Agent 13 give long distance friendship a whirl.

Down in the Worn Out Place Again

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Wanda Maximoff

“You don't look a day over 85, Captain,” Wanda says.

Natasha smiles, just barely, and nudges Steve with her elbow. “She makes jokes now.”

(Post AoU, stories about friendship.)

Satellites

Characters: Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Nick Fury Pairings: Natasha Romanov & Steve Rogers, Minor Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Minor Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov

In the immediate aftermath of SHIELD's collapse and Steve's plunge into the Potomac, Natasha considers her place in the world. Also the fact that Steve is depressing.

Timeless Classics

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Avengers Team Five An undetermined number of times (six, apparently) Steve unexpectedly got the reference (sort of), and one time everyone discovered something new together.

you just wait and see

Pairings: Rocket Raccoon & Steve Rogers

“Thor said you’re the captain.” Rogers says, his voice distant, sad smile growing into a sadder grin. “Tough job.”

The Small Hours

Pairings: Steve Rogers & T'Challa, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

"I'm not getting him back, am I." The words were flatly delivered – not a question so much as fatigued resignation. "We will do everything we can to help him," T'Challa quietly replied, but he wouldn't lie, not about this. Not to a fellow warrior he respected on and off the field of battle. "The possibility does exist, however, that the triggers are permanent."

The Man We All Remember From the Newsreels

Still getting used to the twenty-first century, Steve comforts himself with memories of long-gone friends. But Howard Stark, the man Steve remembers, is nothing like the man he sees in the newsreels.

we're all choir boys at best

Characters: Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm

You are totally getting laid tonight. "Please stop talking." You hijacked my brain first, this is totally not my fault.

Epistaxis

Steve doesn't worry the first time he gets a bloody nose that won't quit. But when it happens a second, third, fourth... He, and his teammates, start to get concerned.

You Close Your Eyes and the Glory Fades

His body isn’t his own, he knows that, knew before the procedure that everything would change. That was the easiest thing to wrap his head around, actually, the physical changes. He’s used to his body betraying him, so this is just another thing to learn his way around. But the colors of everything, even the sliver of blue sky he could see, craning his head at the tiny window, look different.

Looking For Answers (From The Great Beyond)

After the Battle of New York is over, and Loki and the tesseract are returned to Asgard, Steve takes a road trip across the country, and tries to figure out what he wants to do next.

Mourning the Future

Steve's ties to the past and the future are pretty tenuous, and the serum ensures he lives in an eternal present state of ever-youthful vigour. When an old war buddy gets handed his last marching orders, Steve has to wonder if everyone will eventually leave.

Riviera Life

Sam and Steve have been traversing Europe looking for Bucky. Not everyone is convinced it isn’t an open invitation road trip.

Voluntary Bros.

Characters: Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm

"Dude, you could be twins, they tested you before they defrosted you to see if you were a clone or something, or if he was a clone," Clint said.

"I want to talk to him, I think. I mean, a girl threw her latte at me last week for not calling her back and this dude felt me up at an art gallery yesterday," Steve said.

Two Brooklynites and One Big Apple

Pairings: Miles Morales & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

“You did good out there today,” Captain America said, brushing a layer of detritus from his unfathomably broad shoulder. “I’ll see you around.”

“Not if I see you first,” replied Miles, fingergunning with one hand as he sent a web rope fwipping off into the distance with the other, catapulting himself away at tremendous speed.

... in which two superheroes battle with bad guys, embark on community art lessons, and a friendship forms along the way.

Battle Fatigue

Steve thought he was doing okay. Things weren't going great, but they were fine, manageable even, and then suddenly they weren't.

We Become New Yorkers (or: Five Times Steve Rogers Looked For Home, and One Time Home Found Him)

New York is a million cities at the same time. This is how Steve found his.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

In which Steve and Peter learn that the best way to get through a bad situation is together. And to avoid collapsing buildings. And that concussions are terrible, terrible things.

Leviticus 25

"You want to save Bucky Barnes? You are going to have to put your own house in order first because he is going to need a rock to cling to. You are not ready to be that rock for him. You owe it to him -- and more importantly, you owe it to yourself -- to figure things out, figure out how you can be happy in this time and place, whether or not Barnes is with you."

Strike

Sometimes the road to recovery involves bowling. Conveniently, so does the one to the Grand Canyon.

Conversation in Wakanda

“I have been told that you had the privilege to share a training session with some of our Dora Milaje,” T’Challa says. “May I ask how it went?”

“Well,” the Captain huffs. “There’s no polite way to say it: I had my ass handed to me. Repeatedly.”

He sounds and looks utterly delighted.

Contact Light

Everyone thought computers would be the thing that really blew Steve's mind about the 21st century. They were wrong. When he finds out that he missed the moon landing, it's the start of an ongoing obsession with space that maybe involves Neil deGrasse Tyson, Twitter, and Star Trek marathons.

Twenty-Two

“This is Lucky,” Clint said when a dog got between him and Natasha. Lucky’s vest was bright, like desert mornings and night explosions.

“Does he help?” Natasha asked.

Clint pressed his hands flat on the counter behind him. “He saved my life.”

Natasha looked at Steve, her expression fierce. Steve resisted the urge to yank down his sleeves. Instead, he dug his nails into the puckered skin on his forearms.

AKA An AU in which Steve is a veteran just trying to survive (or not).

Gray

Peter doesn't expect Steve to show up at his house one night when he gets home from school. He also doesn't expect to have a long conversation with him, and choose to be on his side instead.

We're Happy, Free, Confused, and Lonely at the Same Time.

"Tony isn't sure, but he *thinks* Steve Rogers is going to try and argue with him about not being a kid, while wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and plaid pyjama pants watching a Disney movie. Tony really hopes that is the case. The Captain America voice looses all affect when wrapped up in that blanket and Tony can't wait to inform him as such." - The one where Tony realises that Captain America and Steve Rogers are not the same person, and Steve is so much younger then he thought.

This Isn't A Love Song, This Isn't A Fable

Steve's not OK with people's perception of Captain America, no matter what he says or how much he pretends otherwise. It's like no one in this time period realizes that there's more to him than a spangly outfit. And yes, he's including the Avengers in that. ... or, the one where everything's all right, until it's not.

it's safe here in our new world

Post TWS. In which Natasha and Steve go shopping, have Thursday night movie nights, and learn that Natasha loves to platonically kiss Steve. Which is good, because Steve loves being platonically kissed by Natasha.

Shadowboxing

Pairings: Matt Murdock & Steve Rogers

It doesn’t matter how many times you fall – what matters most is how many times you get back up. Steve Rogers knew this lesson far too well and it was one Matt Murdock had endured all his life. With both men at their lowest, could a chance friendship bring each of them to their feet again?

Everybody Eats When They Come to My House

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

“You’ll ruin your dinner,” Sam says, gesturing with Steve with his spatula.

i fear for the calendar; its days are numbered

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

Before she goes off the grid, Natasha gives Steve her phone number. He’s honored that he’s the only one to be trusted with it, but quickly learns that she spends most of her free time texting him Dad jokes.

Status Quo Ante

Pairings: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

A tale in which Sam suspects he should be used to this by now, for values of 'this' that involve certain folks he hangs out with and situations he finds himself in, Team Cap becomes Team Ex-Cap becomes TBD, and nobody but Clint really wants to know what happened to Scott Lang's GI Joes. (Sam Wilson from the final scene to the mid-credits scene.)

The Glass Parade

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov

Steve thinks that he’s seen Natasha be at least three different people in the short time he’s known her, and he isn’t sure which one is real.

In which the most confusing part of the future is how much Steve has in common with Natasha, and the fact that she seems dead-set on being his friend.

Still Life

Steve Rogers and a very modern form of art therapy. (The one where Steve draws himself out of despair and into some notoriety when his cartoons hit the internet, but he's still not allowed to look at Tumblr without an okay from Pepper.)

Selective Service

The serum's given Steve a lot, but it hasn't taken anything away from him. Not even the things he never wanted in the first place.

I'm a Hustler, Baby

Steve Rogers has a talent for pool--and for making others believe he's terrible at it.

The Healing Properties of Felt-Tip Pens

Rapid healing has worked wonders on Steve Rogers' body, but occasionally it really screws with his head. In the aftermath of torture, Bruce Banner helps Steve to reconcile mind and body.

If I Die Before I Wake

It's his job, as their leader, to endure the sadistic focus of their captor, and that is the one thought that carries Steve through.

Even Gods Do

Captain America doesn't have a good relationship with sleep anymore. Also, he's not a toy.

Under My Skin

Written for a prompt on avengerkink: I want to see something where, for whatever reason, Steve's accelerated healing turns out to be a bad thing. Something where the faster healing is making things worse. I would prefer something other than the standard, super-healing allows for more torture without death. “He's lucky – to have the serum, to have you all.” Tony wasn't sure about that first part. When one faced death and destruction every day on the job, there were many advantages to having a healing factor...and a great many disadvantages as well.

A Glossary of the 21st Century

Pairings: pre-Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov

Steve's sick of not understanding what's going on, and the team are not all that helpful, so he starts keeping an illustrated notebook for further research. With the help of wiki, google and Logan he starts to settle in and find his place in the twenty-first century.

Blanket Gift Policy

“You didn’t,” Bucky said, with no real hope of being contradicted. Clint shrugged helplessly and passed him the large, soft bundle wrapped in shiny purple foil.

“Sorry.” Tony covered his eyes with one hand.

“I’m getting a migraine.”

“So,” Bruce said wearily, “counting Clint, me, Bucky, Tony, and Sam, that brings it up to five.”

“Excuse you, mine’s not a blanket,” Sam said. “Mine’s a slanket. Big difference.”

Bucky resisted the urge to throw the whole heap of parcels at Sam’s head. “Because it has sleeves? It’s still a blanket, Wilson. They’re all blankets. Even Thor’s direct-from-Asgard raven gift delivery was a cloak, which just means it’s a blanket with a strap. We all got Steve a goddamn blanket.”

One Tin Soldier

Written for a prompt at avengerkink: Because really, under any other circumstances, why would they follow him when he's some guy who's younger than the rest of them (time as a Capsicle aside), who goes around wearing that spangly outfit, who's not even used to the modern world? Why Steve Rogers, rather than a Norse god or the CEO of Stark Industries or anyone else?

“Love is for children,” she'd said, but respect knew no such bounds. The five times the Avengers accepted Steve as their leader, and the one time they followed without question.

and if there's life we'll see it

Steve is instantly taken with this idea of having the picture of the person calling you flash on your screen when they ring your cell.

Secure Your Own Oxygen Mask (Before Assisting Others)

Steve keeps going, because they need him. Being Captain America - having the serum - is a responsibility and a privilege he takes seriously, and he won't waste it by sitting around resting in the middle of a crisis. But then the work is over, and the original victims of the crisis aren't the only ones needing looking after.

Way of the Eagle

Clint introduces Steve to kung-fu movies. Things escalate quickly.

Walking Wounded

In the aftermath of the battle against the Chitauri, Steve's doing just fine. Until he's not. Fortunately, Thor is a perfect mother-hen, Tony makes decent back-up, JARVIS is a genius, and Soap Operas are life-changing. (Or, Post-Shawarma Feels.)

[midethefangirl]

This is the worse take ever and I’ll give myself some time to break it down.

Number 1, the Accords were never read out loud for the audience to read out loud and all we know about them is the fact that 117 countries came together to write the Sokovia Accords. This lets us know that these countries saw the destruction in countries like Sokovia and Lagos and said to themselves “hey, maybe we don’t want these guys doing it, maybe we can do it ourselves”. So, forgive me if we don’t know exactly how the Accords work. But if we wanna go by the Accords written in the Wiki which I wrote up on, then, be my guest.

“But Thaddeus Ross…” I believe this would be an ad hominem and an appeal to hypocrisy fallacy. I admit that Thad Ross is a hypocritical dick who has issues with super powered human beings, however, let us not forget that even hypocrites are right when they say the Avengers need to be kept in check. In addition, not a lot of people know who he is except if they watched the Incredible Hulk (like me but I heard that movie is hated for some reason. Perhaps, I should watch the movie one of these days).

“But Tony broke the Accords in Infinity War” no, he didn’t. At all. Unless outer space is some country on planet Earth, no, he didn’t break any accords. In fact, none of the accords was broken in Infinity War at all. The accords are about sovereignty of nations, not the entire universe.

“What if an mf starts bombing buildings in front of the Avengers” since that is within the USA, they can actually get to work without approval after all, the accords only forbid the Avengers from going into other countries without permission from the country they are going to. For someone who claims that “team iron man mfs don’t know how the accords work”, they surely don’t know how it works either.

“Tony was locking up kids in the mansion so that means the Accords were bad” (the OP commented this in response to someone addressing the fact that Tony was working with lawyers to amend the accords): You mean Wanda? Wanda was not a kid as of Civil War, even WandaVision established her year of birth as 1986, that would make her at most two years younger than Natasha Romanoff. In addition, can we stop infantilizing white (washed) women? While Tony was wrong to not have properly communicated with Wanda about placing her under arrest, it doesn’t erase the fact she accidentally killed people in Nigeria. Some people, like Zemo, would have been starting a witch hunt for her. Also, if Wanda was a kid, why the hell didn’t any of the team cap fans who (rightfully) called out Tony Stark for recruiting Peter call out Steve for bringing in a “kid”? Or y’all just hate Tony and you are using Peter as a tool to hate him? In addition, the fact that Steve brought a team member who wasn’t properly trained in her powers into a mission field?! That doesn’t sound like good leadership at all.

I also want to add that no one on team iron man acts as if the accords are perfect. Even in-universe, Tony was working with lawyers to suggest amendments to the Accords. I have also mention in the linked post (as well as many posts on Civil War) how some parts of the Accords were either unnecessary or involved a human rights violation (arrest without trial). It doesn’t really help that I am seeing that video in light of recent events because I’m mad that I saw this on my fyp during a time like this (screw TikTok algorithms, the video was made about a week before but I saw it on Wednesday).

[bigfan-fanfic]

Peters bf being Tony’s son who’s actually a better person than his father( not too flirty or too arrogant)

Personally, I think Tony's treatment of Peter is super messed up and that really he should be as far away from the Stark family as possible. But honestly, with Peter's personality, he'd be easily dominated (and not in the fun way) by someone with Tony's personality and it would be toxic and unhealthy, so someone less arrogant and more willing to support would be a better match.

Tbh, with Tony being how he is, I think he'd end up being an unintentionally bad father. Even with how smart he is, he'd end up falling into the trap of wanting to be so unlike his father that he ends up going too far the other way. His dad never really wanted to let Tony into his life and share and bond with him, so Tony would end up being the kind of dad that tries to be more of a friend to his son. And with Tony being a narcissist and the way his personality is, he's going to have a hard time with a child who isn't a genius or at least, not mechanically inclined. He'd really try to push his kid into following the family business because he genuinely thinks it's the best way to bond instead of letting his kid become their own person and trying to take an interest in what THEY want.

Like that'd be a pretty interesting arc for him as opposed to the "asshole guy learns to be... slightly less of an asshole" arc he has. Him as a playboy and with hints of self-loathing in Iron Man as they mention his son who Tony has been not a big part of his life because he wants his space to party. Iron Man 2 can involve some reconnection between them and foreshadowing that Tony really doesn't know his son very well at all. And then starting to really overcompensate after his near-death experience in Avengers and becoming a helicopter dad/pushing his son to help in the lab and be part of his life this way. Then in Age of Ultron we can also get some interesting play as Tony legitimately doesn't understand why his son keeps pulling away from him and at the same time keeps pushing his son away while trying to make Ultron so that his son can be protected. Maybe Tony's son gets kidnapped by Ultron which has the double whammy of giving them both more PTSD, driving Tony's son away from him and also giving Tony more of a reason to sympathize with the grieving mother in Civil War and signing the Accords as a moment of despair because he's feeling like him being Iron Man has also ruined his life and his son's life. And then general angst because of Tony trying to be a father figure for Peter and that causing tension with his son, and all that that entails

[angstsfordays]

Beautiful Pain (1)

Chapter One- A post-Blip world

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Enhanced!Reader

Summary: Post-Blip, you started to feel lost when most of the Avengers team are gone. Coping with your loss, you still find hope in the connection with your remaining friends. However, it is not easy as everyone is trying to figure their lives after the Blip.

Having a long history with Bucky ever since you both saved each other from Hydra, you were still glad you had Bucky after all this time. However, as you try to give Bucky space to find himself after being pardoned for his past, you start to wonder if you should ever cross the line of friendship before it’s too late.

That thought might have to be put on hold though, when you, Sam and Bucky find yourselves having to deal with threats that continue to rise in a post-blip world.

Chapter synopsis: Post-Blip, you find yourself more alone than ever as old friends are forever gone. You and Bucky struggle with finding life's purpose while trying to move on.

Warnings: Angst. A lot of guilt and self-blaming. Spoiler for ep 1 if you haven't seen it!

Word count: 2.4k

Notes: Here's the first chapter of the series! Check out the prologue if you have not done so! It gives you an insight into the OC's background and history with Bucky before TFATWS.

Hope you enjoy this read!

Opening up a tag list for the first time since I have gotten a request! Message or comment to let me know!

Leave a like, reblog or comment to let me know what you think! 🥰

Previous: Prologue | Next: Chapter Two |

-------------------------//---------------------------

Present-day

Bucky felt his heart stopped for a moment when he realised what he was about to do to the terrified man from his dreams. Before he could imagine the next scene, his eyes flew wide open and he immediately sat up.

Assessing his surroundings to see that the television was still on, he realised he was home and have woken up from a nightmare. Even though Hydra’s brainwashing has been removed, the memories from his dark past continued to plague him.

The summer blanket you got for him pooled around his waist, his right hand reached out to give it a soft squeeze. The soft texture of the fabric comforted him emotionally as he sat on the cold hard floor. As he regained steady breathing, he looked around to see that it was still the early hours of the night.

He reached out for his flip phone- the one you couldn’t believe he insisted to buy over a regular smartphone. Pressing the buttons, he went to his inbox to see an unread message from you. Bucky contemplated opening it but decided to continue when he decided he wanted to hear from you.

Ever since the blip occurred, the days and weeks seemed to be a blur. Sooner than he realised, six months had just passed like that.

When Steve decided to go back to the past for good, all three of you including Sam were at a sudden loss. Bucky was disappointed but not surprised at Steve’s decision. Sam wanted the best for Steve and showed his support.

However, you were the most affected out of the group. He knew that despite putting a brave front, you were struggling with the loss of your friends in a short span of time. After all, you had spent a good amount of time with the Avengers and had a developed a close relationship with most of the team.

Bucky remembered how you immediately slumped to the floor when you heard the news about Natasha. You were at a loss of words before you started to break down when Steve went to comfort you. You always regarded Natasha as an older sister so her death hit you hard.

He recalled how you held back your tears at Tony’s funeral as you did not want to further bring down the atmosphere when Pepper and Morgan were there. He remembered how Tony was like an annoying but endearing older brother.

When Steve was disappeared from his spot, you didn’t think much of it thinking he would return in a matter of seconds after returning the stones. However, when all three of you looked to see an ageing Steve, you were the first to run up to him. Despite the astonishing expression that painted your face, you reached out to hold Steve’s hands to check if he was real.

Steve’s decision to pass Sam the shield was no surprise to Bucky. Even though Bucky found Sam irritating at times, Bucky knew he was a good man.

While you chose to accept Steve’s choice, it started to sink into your mind that the people once closest to you were gone or getting further. Bucky remembered how you were reluctant to let Steve walk away and Steve let you hold onto him longer.

You and Bucky decided to not let each other be alone that night. You two figured that at least you had each other and you wanted to cherish that.

-------------------—---//----------------------------

Moving forward, Sam had decided to find work with the U.S air force. Sam checked in on Bucky from time to time but Bucky contemplated to respond. After being pardoned for his past, Bucky found himself compensated but he still felt like a prisoner.

He was required to attend court-mandated therapy sessions to make sure he was doing well. You know that it was just a way for the government to have him under surveillance and in check.

He might be the oldest prisoner of war but he was still a super soldier and one with a vibranium arm. Bucky knew he was still deemed as dangerous in their eyes.

When you and Bucky discussed how to move forward, he confided that he wanted to make amends and you showed your support. When he asked about you, you seemed hesitant and a little lost for an answer.

The Avengers are gone. There was no more S.H.I.E.L.D.

Who were you now? What are you fighting for? What is going to be your purpose moving forward? These were all the questions swimming in your head.

You were reluctant to tell Bucky yet but a government official had paid you a visit while you were waiting for Bucky to finish his therapy session.

You were offered a position in a task force to maintain global security in light of a post-blip world. Given your abilities, you were viewed as an invaluable asset. However, you knew better than to take their words for it.

Revealing your hesitance, the official took a harder approach and laid out the truth. You were viewed as a potential threat if you were to not co-operate with the government. You are an unsupervised enhanced individual that is roaming freely. They do not want to allow that in the event that you were to do anything out of your own jurisdiction.

It was the Sokovia Accords all over again, you thought. The official added that you no longer had the Avengers team to fall back on. His words only added to the ache in your heart as you were reminded of your lost friends.

Additionally, he let off that Wanda had been involved in an event that caused the government to review their management of enhanced individuals in the country. Wanda was out of their reach but you were still around. They knew that you have been sticking by Bucky and thus decided to come for you.

Remembering Steve's words from the times of the civil war between the Avengers, you were not able to let yourself trust any words that the official said.

You didn’t want to let yourself be controlled especially by the government whom you knew had hidden agendas that they would not reveal to you. Their words of praises of how you would be a great addition made you felt like you would be nothing more than a tool in their master plans.

“What if I refuse?” You spoke to the official. The official's eyes hardened and his jaw clenched.

“Then Ms L/N, we will have to view you as a threat to national and global security.” You scoffed at his words when you stared dead into his eyes.

“You forgot that I was one of the many to help fight Thanos and brought the world back. This is how you decided to treat me after giving my service to this country? To this world?” You shot back in distaste.

You turned your back on the guy and walked off without giving him a chance to answer.

--------------------------//--------------------------

Hey Buck, I managed to find Wanda and decided to accompany her for a bit. She needs someone now.

I will let you know when I am back.

Don’t miss me too much ok! ;)

Bucky couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face at your last sentence. He missed you but he knew that you had things to attend to. He understood how much you valued your remaining friends. Wanda, being one of them.

-----------------—-----//---------------------———

Bucky sighed when he realised that he was not going to get away easy with today’s therapy session. Dr Raynor was really trying to push his buttons and even took out her darn notebook again.

That ticked Bucky off the most and he reluctantly gave in. He began to share about how he crossed another name on his list of amends. Dr Raynor then gave her opinion about how even making amends wasn’t able to help with his nightmares.

Bucky continued to deny that he had any at all but he knew Dr Raynor was not convinced. Glimpsing down briefly with an unconvinced look, Dr Raynor looked back up to Bucky.

“Look. One day, you’re gonna have to open up and understand that some people really do want to help you and that they can be trusted.”

“I trust people.” Not all but maybe just one. Only one person came to his immediate thought.

“Yeah, give me your phone.” Dr Raynor put aside her notebook before reaching over to take Bucky’s phone from him. As she searched up his contact list, she remarked that there wasn’t even ten numbers in it.

“Oh, and you’ve been ignoring the texts from Sam. Look, you gotta nurture friendships.” She spoke before noting that she was the only person Bucky called all week and how sad it was.

Dr Raynor was going to continue before she stopped herself. She opened up the chat with your name and read your last message to Bucky.

“What about Y/N?”

“What about her?” Bucky retorted.

“Seems like she’s someone you are close to?” Dr Raynor tried to imply something.

“She’s a friend,” Bucky answered firmly. Dr Raynor gave Bucky a glance before probing further. “I’ve seen her around before when she accompanied you at the beginning of your session. She seems nice.”

“She is,” Bucky answered curtly once more before deciding to shoot back, knowing his therapist was trying to probe more than he was willing to share. “What are you insinuating, doc?”

“Nothing. I am glad you at least have one friend. But you need to make more connections with other people.” Dr Raynor tried explaining. Bucky drifted off in his thoughts for a moment, thinking about how he didn’t need more people. He was fine with just you but he didn’t want to let on more than he wanted to.

He didn’t feel the need to explain about his relationship with you when you knew you two were solid. Bucky sighed internally when his therapist asked him what he wanted. Bucky thought of the calm and peace he had in Wakanda, his mind replaying the moments of you and him living a carefree life on the farm.

When he was told that he was finally free, he questioned “to do what?”. Was he ever truly free? The memories from his past, the long list of amends he had in his notebook. Could he ever truly be free from the guilt that constantly plagues him?

As Bucky made his way back to his apartment, he spotted his neighbour, Yori arguing with another neighbour, Unique over the trash. He reassured that he could take care of Yori to this Unique fellow before catching up with the grumbling old man in the alley.

Bucky convinced him that he would give a treat at their usual sushi place and that managed to pacify Yori’s mood.

-------------—-----——//---------------------——

When they were at Izzy’s, Yori mentioned how no one made it past 90 years in the obituary of the newspaper. The familiar waitress came up to the two and remarked if they were feeling adventurous since they did not order the usual.

Giving him a slight smirk, Yori suggested that Bucky should ask her out. Bucky immediately shook his head and gave Yori a bewildered look like he was crazy.

“Why not? Are you seeing that pretty friend of yours that always come to visit?” Bucky knew Yori was referring to you and immediately tried to refute the notion.

“Y/N’s just a friend.”

“Could have convinced me otherwise. You two seem really close.” Yori scoffed at Bucky’s statement.

“Such a pity. If I were 50 years younger, I would have made a move already.” Bucky chuckled at how Yori, despite being a grumpy senior most of the times, actually tried to make a witty joke. He silently agreed that you were indeed a catch and how it was crazy you have not been with anyone.

Well then again, you have always been with him all this while. Of course, as a friend, Bucky tried to convince himself that there was no way he would have a shot with you. You were too good for him and you definitely deserved someone better.

Even though he tried to convince himself, Bucky does not know what to do if you had managed to find someone and will eventually leave him to be on his own. He shook himself out of his inner thoughts and before he knew it, Yori spoke to the waitress.

“He would like to take you out on a date.” Bucky’s eyes shot wide open when he realised what Yori had actually done. Bucky tried to apologise on behalf of Yori for his bizarre behaviour but the waitress did not seem to mind. In fact, she was game and agreed.

After she went off to attend to other customers, Bucky shook his head and couldn’t believe Yori actually became his wingman. Yori then suddenly went silent for a moment. Bucky was nervous before hearing how Yori spoke of his beloved son who had passed away due to an incident.

Bucky listened intently with the guilt gnawing in his gut, his heart heavy with all of the weight of the world.

------———------------//------------------------—

Bucky convinced himself to go on the date with Leah. He decided to give himself the chance to make more connections as Dr Raynor had advised. The date was going well in fact. Leah seemed like a great gal but Bucky felt himself holding back.

There were just too many secrets he was holding in. What would she think if she knew who he really was? Would she even want to be in the same room as him then?

While he tried the whole online dating thing (much to your masked disappointment and amusement), he was not convinced if he could really make a romantic connection with anyone. Who was he kidding? Could he ever?

When the topic of conversation turned to Yori, the overwhelming sensation started to descend onto Bucky’s consciousness. Before he could stop, he immediately tapped out. Giving a pathetic excuse, Bucky rushed back to Yori’s apartment and had the urge to tell him the truth.

However, when he saw the altar that Yori had dedicated to his son, Bucky withdrew himself. He did not want to lose a friend in Yori even though he was dying to say the truth.

Bucky pretended to come up with an excuse to a confused Yori by paying his half of lunch before stalking off. When Bucky returned to his place, he opened up his notebook and stared at Yori’s name.

What was he to do?

A ring on his phone averted his intense thoughts and he reached for his phone.

Hey Buck, I am done on my side.

Would be back soon!

Can’t wait to see you again, missed you!

Bucky clutched his phone tighter and brought it close to his heart. He started counting down the hours till he could welcome you back in his arms.

-------------———----//------------------------——

[gogglor]

Cap-Ironman RecWeek: What-If Wednesday

Time for another installment of @cap-ironman rec week! Today’s theme: AU’s.

I know AU’s in different settings are half the reason most people read fanfics, but they’re not really my thing on the whole. AU’s where different choices are made, or different events transpire? Absolutely. Coffee shops? Not my cup of... you know.

So, here’s my AU recommendations for mostly “turn left” scenarios. This time with an under-the-cut break so I don’t take over everyone’s timelines (sorry about that last post). Also with some summaries truncated for length.

Alone Like This

Author: GotTheSilver

Word Count: 7,452

Summary: Steve, post waking up, runs away from SHIELD, and Tony's the one who tracks him down.

Why You Should Read It:

First off, GotTheSilver’s been consistently and regularly putting out solid Stony since 2012 and not only are they not stopping, they’re only getting better. This writer doesn’t get nearly the fanfare I’d expect in Stony circles for someone who puts out this much good stuff, and here’s hoping this post can be a part of changing that.

While I am always a sucker for enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, there’s something to be said for stories where Steve and Tony hit it off right away. And watching these two very different people look at each other and see the same sense of being lost, then finding each other again is... excuse me, there’s something in my eye, ignore me.

Second Chance Lives

Author: raeldaza

Word Count: 43,872

Summary: Tony's gonna die of palladium poisoning anyway, why not join a pointless expedition to recover Captain America’s body? And after, well, why not dedicate his last few months to making sure an American hero settles into his new life? What else is he going to do, get drunk at parties?

Why You Should Read It:

This writer doesn’t write a lot for the MCU but when they do, dang.

“Tony is the one helping Steve acclimate to the new century before Avengers 2012″ is a whole genre of Stony fanfics that scratch an itch I didn’t even know I had before I started reading fanfiction, and this is one of the best ones out there. It’s got it all - Steve poorly coping with his PTSD, Tony poorly coping with his immanent mortality, some breathtakingly poor communication between the two most emotionally stunted men in the MCU, and a cat named Roomba. What’s not to love?

Should You Choose to Accept It

Author: elwenyere (look, you’re gonna be seeing a lot of them this week, sorry-not-sorry)

Word Count: 27,106

Summary: After a terrorist attack and a field operation gone wrong, the Avengers realize that Nick Fury's secrets are just the start of a much bigger mystery. Steve and Tony try to keep some things from each other as well, but that can't possibly affect the mission — right? Mission Fic + Getting Together (or Mission: Getting Together) that mashes up elements from Iron Man 3, CA: Winter Soldier, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season one, and Mission Impossible 3.

Why You Should Read It:

You can see my post yesterday for singing El’s praises, but what I really liked about this fic was how how damn creative it is. The CAWS/IM3/AOS mashup is everything I wished the actual MCU gave us and more, with well-developed characters and an exciting story to put them in. And because it’s El, you know the banter’s gonna be on point, the way the characters care for each other is gonna be emotionally constipated but touching, and the pacing’s gonna be exciting enough to draw you in and keep you there. Also, this fic doesn’t have nearly enough kudos so please go read it and fix that or I’m gonna have to try to hack AO3 and that’ll just be embarrassing for all parties involved.

What Happens In Vegas

Author: sabremc

Word Count: 161,951

Summary: “What the hell, Tony?” Rhodey demanded brusquely.  Tony winced and drew the phone away from his ear.  “You’ve got cops and Feds all over the hotel.  I’m watching you perp walk out of the police station on repeat on CNN.  They’re saying you tried to bribe Stern?  Fox News has you selling weapons on the black market, and God that picture they’re using is the one from Bali in ’09.   You look like shit.  They wheeled Stern out and put him in an ambulance, by the way.  Got some paparazzi swearing you decked the guy.  Now they’ve got ‘copters following it like he’s OJ.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, Sourpatch, I’ve got it covered.   Uh, though, I should probably tell you that, purely in the interests of national security and the greater good, I kind of had to fake marry that stripper-gram  you sent.  Thanks for that, by the way,” Tony added quickly.

Why You Should Read It:

If you’re deep enough into Stony to see posts like this on Tumblr, you probably know sabre’s what we in the business call a “big name author.” They’re prolific, they’re popular, and most importantly, they write words good (technical term). Seriously, sabre just keeps cranking out high quality stuff over and over again, raising the bar for the rest of us like a jerk (not really. I’m not bitter they write stuff so good I wish I’d thought of it first. Not at all.)

I never read stripper!Steve or stripper!Tony as a rule, but this came so widely recommended that I broke that rule and boy am I glad that I did. This is also the only fic on this list that’s a true-AU, with Steve being a non-powered vet from Afghanistan who left his army career to help Bucky and is stripping in Vegas to raise money for a prosthetic arm. He’s booked to do a private show for Tony, shenanigans ensue, and now they’re fake-married. This fic’s got some top-of-the-line banter and character development, but I particularly love it for its rich setting. Sabre paints a Vegas not just with strip clubs and blackjack tables, but KISS-themed minigolf, romantic dinners on the Eiffel tower, gaudy hotel lobbies, and making out on giant ferris wheels. It’s such a richly developed playground for the characters to play on, and through it, Steve manages to find a life for himself he’d given up on, and Tony finds multiple ways to show his kindness and depth of feeling for Steve. I know the word count’s long for this one but trust me, you’ve gotta read this fic.

Wait & Sea

Author: Lenalena

Word Count: 53,244

Summary: In which Tony and Steve get sent on an undercover mission aboard a cruise ship to make contact with Hydra. In this AU the military has kept the discovery and defrosting of Captain America a secret, so Steve and Tony have never met before. Yet they are to pose as newlyweds....

Why You Should Read It:

This one’s old and popular enough to be considered one of the “classic” Stony fics, and for good reason. Lenalena doesn’t write too often and not as much as they used to, but the fics they have up there are an absolute delight.

This is another fic that I skipped a bunch of times for being outside my comfort zone, but when I finally read it I saw why everyone’s so wild about it. In this story, Steve’s defrosted a bit earlier and not revealed as Captain America. He and Tony are sent undercover to sniff out Hydra shenanigans on a cruise and, because it’s fanfiction, they’ve got to pretend to be a married couple while onboard. There’s tons to love about this fic, but the things that bring me back to reading it over and over is first, Tony’s kindness and the way he’s attuned to Steve’s feelings, which... God, just inject “kind, observant Tony” straight into my veins, please and thank you. This is also another really rich setting for a story, and Lena knows how to fold the the hokeyness of the cruise into the seriousness of the mission and the depth of feelings Steve and Tony are finding for each other in a really beautiful, layered way. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it’s steamy, it’s gripping... why are you still reading this here? Go check it out for yourself!

Ashes to Ashes

Author: dirigibleplumbing

Word Count: 51,582

Summary: After regrouping following some surprise time travel, the world's heroes and sorcerers come up with a plan to protect the Mind and Time Stones by taking them into space in opposite directions. The result involves a lot more time loops than Steve would like, but at least they're getting a second chance to stop Thanos. (As well as a third, and a fourth...) And if Steve takes the opportunity to try to reconcile with Tony, too—well, they have the time, and Steve's going to make the most of it.

Why You Should Read It:

Dirigibleplumbing’s another name in Stony fanfics that does not get nearly as much fanfare as they deserve. They’re consistently a really creative voice in Stony fanfics and I always look forward to their stories showing me something new. Go read all their fics, I need more people to geek out with me over them.

I tend to limit myself on Steve-and-Tony-mend-things-after-Civil-War fics not because they’re not good, but because they’re so heavy, and also the Sokovia Accords have five hundred layers of crap in them that no good fic could possibly hash out well. This one, though? When you add in the Infinity War/End Game fixit? Poetry. Art. Music to my ears. DP wrote a really engaging, twisty story where it’s hard to predict what’s coming next, in spite of it literally being a pseudo-Groundhog day scenario. The characterizations are great, the story is engaging, and the feelings are big and sad and eventually happy. Go read it, you’ll love it.

I have tons of other recs for this category but this seems like a good place to stop for today. Tomorrow’s Alternative Media Thursday, and I’ve got some real gems I’ve been saving for that day (aaaaand possibly a self-rec or two ;)

[cloud-etudes]

Marvel Movies ranked by if there are trains in them

Iron Man- 0/10. No trains. 

The Incredible Hulk- 1/10. No trains, but a verbal reference to the subway.

Iron Man 2- -100/10. No trains, negative 100 points for a cameo by train-hater Elon Musk

Thor- 0/10. No trains in space :(

Captain America: The First Avenger- 7/10. Cool train heist scene, and monorails go by at the World’s Fair

The Avengers- 3/10. A freight train goes by at the beginning. Cap tells the police to get people into the subway, giving hope for more train content that goes unfulfilled. The only scene of Cap riding the subway was deleted.

Iron Man 3- 0/10. No trains.

Thor: The Dark World- 10/10 THOR RIDES THE TRAIN

Captain America: The Winter Soldier- 0/10. No trains.

Guardians of the Galaxy- 0/10. Still no trains in space :(

Avengers: Age of Ultron- 6/10. Okay action scene involving stopping a train. 

Ant-Man- 9/10. Fight scene involving Thomas the Tank Engine!!!!

Captain America: Civil War- 1/10. Cap and Sharon meet next to high-speed rail tracks but no trains go by. 

Doctor Strange- 6/10. Subways go flying by in the mirror dimension!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2- 0/10. Still no trains in space :(

Spiderman: Homecoming- 10/10! Peter “Numtot” Parker rides on the train several times and also crashes a car for good measure

Thor: Ragnarok: 0/10. Someone better get some trains in space real soon 

Black Panther: 7/10. Cool Wakandan tram goes down the street, and the finale involves a vibranium train!

Avengers: Infinity War: 6/10. Cap emerges from behind a moving train!!

Ant-Man and the Wasp: 0/10. No trains.

Captain Marvel: 11/10 THERE ARE TRAINS IN SPACE!!! TRAINS IN SPACE!!! THERE ARE FINALLY TRAINS IN SPACE!!!! also she rides a train on earth too!!! Carol Danvers: queen of public transportation and my heart

Avengers: Endgame: 0/10. No trains.

[cblgblog]

Sorry I’m advance but one of my other favorite accounts just reblogged a Tony scene and people are talking about Civil War and how it made them Stan Tony, and how when they watch that movie they hate team cap👀 Then someone was all about how he was sleep deprived and how much pressure he was under and couldn’t understand how people didn’t like Tony because. Someone literally said that when someone says they don’t like Tony in Civil War they say “did you watch the same movie as me.” I’m baffled. Oddly enough someone else said, “he just wants to help everyone.” Sorry for the rant but I think people forget about what the accords are and what it would mean for people. Side note, I hope you’re having a great day/night 😀

No sorry needed!

I feel you man, I do. Honestly, I’ve unfollowed people based on similar posts when I was in especially Done moods, so.

Look on the one hand, the movie would’ve been a narrative failure if everyone was in favor of one side or the other, right? The whole point of the damn thing—besides giving the Mouse overlords more money—was to spark discussion, debate. Which, yeah, we’ll call that the tame description for what actually happened. But just, the thing was meant to split the fanbase so in that regard…winning? Thanks, I guess?

Film is also very obviously subjective, different strokes for different folks, so yeah, ten people can watch a movie and none of them are gonna see the exact same film. Let’s try to remember that this is, in theory anyway, a good thing. I just read a professional film review yesterday where I had the same reaction. What film were you watching, dude? Incidentally his reviewing partner said the same thing.

So honestly, no, they weren’t watching the same film as you or I or anyone else, because everyone brings their own biases and experiences and knowledge and interests into a thing, and that’s always going to flavor how it’s viewed. Again, let’s try to remember that this is good. In theory. Heavy on the theory.

That out of the way? Let’s get into Tony specifically so his uber stans can find this and scream at me on anon as though I just shot RDJ with a nuke.

Oh yeah, he was stressed. Oh, he was sleep deprived. Yeah, I’ve heard that. And that it’s Pepper’s fault, if she hadn’t left the poor baby, if she was there to rein him in, he’d be fine dammit, leave the baby alone!

Here’s the thing. You know who gets a pass on their shit behavior when they’re upset or tired? Actual babies. Actual babies and toddlers, and children, up to a point. Because they actually cannot always help themselves. Their bodies and brains are different, they have not learned better.

When you’re a 50-year-old man who’s supposedly the world’s bestest superhero, who wants, wants to be in charge of protecting the whole world? You need a little more self-control than that. The sleep deprived excuse works if you snap at someone before you’ve had your coffee, not for this. Roseanne Barr didn’t get to blame Ambien for her racism, Tony doesn’t get to handwave CW away because oops, I was tired.

Really? You’re a superhero, dude. Most of your teammates are tired too, that’s part of the gig. If you crash and burn this badly without your afternoon nap, fucking hang up the armor and go back to your billionaire playboy lifestyle.

Speaking of that, sure, right. It’s Pepper’s fault because she left him. Put aside the argument on whether that was justified or not (cough, it was and she should’ve stayed away even though they are adorable together). It’s not Pepper’s job to keep Tony sane. It’s not any partner’s job to do that for anyone. If she wants out, she has a right to that, without Tony going off the rails and blaming it on her. Seriously, he says part of the reason he backed the Accords was to “split the difference” with Pepper.

Dude. You were an asshole and you lost your girl. You destroyed all your suits, turned an emotional and mental corner in IM 3…and then relapsed 4 minutes later I guess because Whedon. Either way, Tony admits himself that he does not want to stop. So instead of doing that, or finding another partner who can accept that, you back an unjust international law that pits you against your team, your supposed friends? Go to therapy, have a pint of ice cream, cry into your pillow, send her more of those strawberries you sent her in IM 2 that she’s allergic to. You don’t go trying to change international law in ways that could ultimately affect millions of people because your girl left you.

Honestly—and thank God they didn’t do this but—the only way the Pepper excuse works in excusing his behavior in any way is if she’d died. Or been severely injured like Happy in IM 3. Still wouldn’t be okay, but, like Quill messing up their chance to stop Thanos because Gamora died, it would’ve been more understandable. Understandable, not excusable, and the way the MCU treats their women as manpain fodder, we’re probably legit lucky we didn’t get this.

As for him wanting to help everyone. He does in fact want that, I think. The problem is that his need to feel like he’s doing that is stronger than his rational mind, or his want to actually help in a constructive way.

Tony is too smart. He’s dumb as hell in many instances, mostly involving people and relationships, but he’s also too smart, and he’s been told for too long that he’s smart, and he’s bought into it. Ultron. Suit of armor around the world, protects the world, no more alien threats. It’s a simple concept on paper that fails in execution. So there are people with dangerous powers. Okay, we’ll make a set of laws to keep them from being dangerous, problem solved. But again, it isn’t.

Tony is not used to problems he cannot solve. He’s a genius, right? He can fix anything. He should be able to fix anything. That’s how he feels. But not everything is zeros and ones and circuits, things that can be fixed mechanically like his armors can. The people he wants to protect are not built that way. But he needs to feel like he’s doing something, because he’s terrified of what happens to the world if he doesn’t. So he creates these simple solutions to complex problems. The suit of armor, the Accords. They sound good in theory, but the problems they’re trying to solve are bigger than they are. And Tony, way back in IM 1, he sat back for years, clueless that his weapons were being used for bad things. He says it to Cap in CW. When he found out what his weapons were being used for, he went in and stopped it. Whether or not he should’ve known that already is a separate issue here. The point here is that when he found out, too late or not, he went in and did something about it.

Tony needs to do something about it. Again, go back to Cap in AoU, Tony’s nightmare sequence. Steve asks Tony why he didn’t save them. Tony’s ultimate nightmare is that he sits back and does nothing, and his inaction causes everyone to die. Which is where you get Ultron. Something he came up with because of what he saw in space in Avengers 1, then doubled down on in AoU. It’s where you get the Accords. Oops, he caused someone to die, he killed Charles Spencer. Must do something about that right now so it doesn’t happen again, and he won’t have to feel this guilt. He should be collaborating with others to come up with solutions (no Bruce in AoU doesn’t count because Bruce was dumb there), or at the very least, taking more time to think through the repercussions of the things he puts out there. But he doesn’t, because he’s got his savior complex that tells him that he alone can and must fix this, and because he’s too dumb to realize how not-smart he is in certain areas.

“We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I’m game.”

Isn’t that what he says in CW, or something very close to it? Whatever form that takes. That’s the issue, right there, whatever form that takes. Realistically, yes, there should be laws regarding people with powers, the same way there are special laws pertaining to people who carry guns, or people who are licensed to fly planes. You have a thing/can do a thing that not everyone else does, so there are regulations pertaining to that thing. Laws change with the times, they always have. Some new technology comes up, eventually there will be laws that regulate it. As there should be, honestly. The issue with the Accords, Steve’s issue with the Accords, was not the basic idea. He says as much. He says that it could work, but there would have to be safeguards. Safeguards that are not in the Accords that Tony wants him to sign.

It's not a matter of oh, fuck the law, there should be no law governing these people, they’re above it. The problem is that the law as it’s presented here is unjust. There’s what, a month between Lagos and Ross coming by to tell them about the Accords? A month is not enough time to properly analyze such a big issue, Especially when you’re reacting out of fear, which is what happened with Lagos. People died because of an Enhanced person, an Avenger, in this case. Lawmakers don’t want that to happen again, they especially don’t want the political shit storm that comes with it. Damn, we look like we were asleep at the switch here, not having anything to throw at this problem earlier. Quick, let’s throw together this thing so no one can say we’re not addressing the problem.

Patriot Act of 2001, anyone? 9/11 happened, the public were rightfully terrified, the US said oh man, these are unprecedented circumstances, we’ve never had this before. Don’t worry though, we’re on this, we’re protecting you. The reality being that that bill simply gave the government too much power, most of it being used against people who were not actually threats, and it’s debatable, to say the very least, whether or not that law helped more than it hurt.

No law is perfect. No law ever will be. It’s not possible. We still have to strive for perfection though, have to aim there so that the laws we get are as close to fair as possible. Tony’s a big deal. If not for his “whatever form that takes” attitude, he might’ve been able to use his influence to pressure lawmakers into coming up with a fairer bill. Hey, I’m me, the public loves me, I will endorse this bill publicly and work on getting the rest of the team to sign, but you need to change this and this and this first, or no deal. Instead, he took the easy way out, the quickest, easiest way for him to feel like he’s atoned for his sins without actually doing anything. Whatever form that takes.

Tony’s not wrong because he backs the creation of a law that addresses these things. He’s wrong because he says himself that he does not care what that law does, specifically, so long as it exists. He’s wrong because he violates said law upteen times during the movie, while preaching to team Cap about what assholes they are for not backing it. He’s wrong because he cares more about feeling as though he’s tackled a problem than he does about taking the time to make sure that the thing he’s proposing is actually a good idea. He’s wrong because of what he does with Bucky, though that’s honestly a separate issue, for the purposes of this discussion.

Anyway, that was longer than I ever wanted it to be. Damn. Next time you see a comment about CW being the reason people stan Tony, just remember there are other people out there who stopped stanning Tony because of that movie. Everyone’s entitled to see a piece of media however they see it, and although the Tony stans are often the loudest, there are plenty of like-minded people out there who share your take on events. Block who you need to, unfollow who you need to, blacklist what you need to, and don’t let them get you down.

Hang in there, and have an awesome day :)

[twh-news]

MCU’s Loki: 10 Major Events That Led To The Disney+ Series

By Screenrant

10/10 Odin's Discovery Of Loki's Abandonment

None of Loki’s activities in the MCU would have been possible had he not been discovered by Odin on Jotunheim. Although the son of King Laufey, Loki was abandoned to die for being small and weak for a Frost Giant.

This gave Odin the idea of taking Loki in as his son to one day place him as the King of Jotunheim once he came of age. It was the combination of Laufey’s abandonment and Odin’s plans for Loki that ultimately shaped out his days as a Prince of Asgard.

9/10: Thor Being Insulted By The Frost Giants

Interestingly, the Avengers wouldn’t have formed had Thor not been called a “princess” by a Frost Giant on Jotunheim. That’s because this is what caused him to attack the Frost Giants, leading to the war between Jotunheim and Asgard.

Loki himself wouldn’t have discovered his true nature as a Frost Giant had it not been for his part within the skirmish on Jotunheim since he found this out after he was unaffected by a Frost Giant’s attack. This led to him eventually attacking Earth in The Avengers and setting up the titular team’s formation.

8/10 Odin's Banishment Of Thor

Loki hadn’t planned on getting Thor banished from Asgard when he let the Frost Giants, in as his intention had been to simply expose Thor as a weak successor to Odin. The All-Father ultimately banished his firstborn to Earth, placing Loki as his successor.

This then caused Loki to become deluded with the idea of becoming king, as he confessed he had never actually wanted the throne until he had it. But once he did, Loki sought to permanently banish Thor to Earth.

7/10 Loki Forcing Odin To Fall Into Slumber

In retrospect, it’s more than likely that Loki’s contempt for Odin could have been resolved had the latter not fallen into Odinsleep. Due to this, Loki wasn’t able to fully hear Odin’s side of the story of his adoption and ended up making his own assumptions that Odin didn’t really love him.

This event caused Loki to think that he needed to prove himself as a worthy son, following which he devised the plan to trick Laufey into Asgard as a way to kill him in hopes of impressing Odin with the death of his sworn enemy.

6/10 Odin's Rejection Of Loki

Loki went off the rails in his plan to prove himself to Odin as he decided to commit genocide against Jotunheim. This got him into conflict with Thor, resulting in both brothers precariously placed at the edge of the Bifrost Bridge.

Odin was revived by this and managed to get ahold of the duo but also rejected Loki’s claims that he had done it for Odin’s approval. Faced with the reality that his father didn’t acknowledge what he had done for him, Loki decided to let himself fall into space, where he ended up meeting Thanos.

5/10 The Destruction Of The Bifrost

The Battle of New York would never have escalated the way it did had the Asgardians become involved. However, this wasn’t possible due to the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge in Thor, meaning that the most advanced civilization of the Nine Realms was cut off from access to Earth.

Its destruction came down to Loki’s use of the Bifrost Bridge as a way to obliterate Jotunheim. To prevent this from happening, Thor opted to demolish the bridge itself, thus foiling Loki’s plan and stranding the Asgardians to their own realm.

4/10 Loki's Stealing Of The Tesseract

The status of the Tesseract is one of the long-standing questions the Loki series should answer, with the Tesseract being the cause of the original Loki’s demise. It was supposed to have been destroyed on Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok but Loki couldn’t stop himself from nabbing it before evacuation.

Ultimately, Loki sealed his own doom through this move as Thanos became aware of the Tesseract’s location and traced it to the Asgardians in space. It was by extracting the Space Stone from the Tesseract that Thanos eventually completed the Snap and set the Avengers’ Time Heist in motion.

3/10 All Of Loki's Betrayals

Although full details are scarce, what’s known so far about the Loki series is that the Time Variance Authority has placed the titular character under Mobius M. Mobius due to his many betrayals across the years. All Loki's sins have come back to haunt him since the TVA considers him dispensable as a result.

Had it not been for Loki’s habit of stabbing people in the back, he wouldn’t have been friendless and alone, which ultimately contributed to his insecurities. Not to mention that reforming from his traitorous ways is the main theme of the Loki series.

2/10 Loki's Death At The Hands Of Thanos

Despite whatever happened between the two, Thor and Loki considered each other brothers, and Loki died in his attempt to protect Thor. In Avengers: Infinity War, Loki made a last-ditch effort to kill Thanos by stabbing him with a hidden blade, only to be killed himself as a result.

Thor was consumed by vengeance at the death of his brother and chose not to kill Thanos in Wakanda straight away, opting to pierce his chest in order to gloat in his face that he would make him suffer for killing Loki. This allowed Thanos to complete the Snap, which set the Time Heist in motion, ultimately leading to the alternate Loki’s escape after the Battle of New York. In essence, the death of the original Loki ensured the survival of the alternate one.

1/10 Hulk Taking The Stairs

In-universe, the only way the Disney+ series has been possible is due to the Hulk being denied from taking the elevator in Avengers: Endgame.  After the Battle of New York, the Hulk was forced to take stairs,  eventually bursting through the lobby that caused the time-traveling  Tony to drop the Tesseract.

This fell before Loki, who took this as his opportunity to escape, thus  altering the timeline since he was supposed to be taken to Asgard. It’s  this fracture of the timeline that got Loki on the radar of the Time  Variance Authority and this time-variant Loki is the focus of the  titular Disney+ show.

[dontcallmecarrie]

Ohhh I’d love to see the Doom POV!!! Justin X Doom has my vote

Loki would be cute too, much drama with the avengers

Honestly? This snippet mostly summed up my take on Victor von Doom in this AU, and I'm not sure how in-character he is considering my main reference base for him is the 2005-7 movies and a handful of comic book panels.

Apologies for any inaccuracies, I'm playing very fast and loose with how I would have made him fit in the MCU. Plus this AU's turning out a lot, lot fluffier than I'd originally expected, too, considering the original premise was supposed to just be 'SI-OC as a villain protagonist, let's see where it goes!' and not much else.

.

Okay, so if we're talking about potential crushes, then it's obviously very one-sided at first [because Justin's brand of obliviousness has him younger-sibling-zoning anyone remotely his age for the longest time].

After all, these two met in boarding school, and were only physically reunited years later but if we're exploring how this ship would work, here's how I think it'd go:

Victor von Doom didn't think much of his study buddy, at first.

Because at first, he just wanted a quiet place to read, and most other children his age were rowdy and kept trying to get him to play with them, or tried to pick childish fights over nothing, and he had no patience for anything of the sort because he was here, at boarding school instead of with his family, and he'd heard the whispers of growing tensions and he knew they'd sent him away for his own safety but that didn't mean he had to like it.

So he mostly kept his nose in a book, and focused on his studies, and just generally tried not to think too much about what was going on in his home country.

If that meant he was a bit more snappish than the average child, he didn't particularly find it in him to care. Sure, this place was lauded as where the social elites sent their spawn to network from an early age, so what?

...as such, he didn't expect to make any friends.

But he did, starting from the moment they wordlessly agreed to share the alcove because there weren't many other quiet places to study for the upcoming exams.

From there, what Victor would have expected to be a one-off turns into a strange sort of routine as they meet up week after week from then on, giving each other a brisk nod as they pull out their books and set to work.

It's...surprisingly nice, having someone to study with. Victor's not certain how old his companion is, but he's quiet and hardworking and generally less draining to be around than most children their age.

Their first conversation is several months after they've first met, when Victor didn't notice he'd forgotten to grab a pencil for his worksheets and his...schoolmate[?] lends him a spare.

From then on out, their friendship is something gradual, something comfortable. Victor's companion respects boundaries in ways he hasn't really seen outside of his family— is sensitive enough to his moods that he knows when to change the subject, and when Victor's struggling to articulate his feelings and just needs time to do so.

...it's one of, if not the thing Victor misses most, when he gets pulled out of boarding school.

Because after that, things only go downhill from there.

.

Latveria's civil war was... bloody, let's just leave it at that.

Brutal, with a laundry list of factions and alliances that were forged and broken from one breath to another and Victor hadn't set out to be the leader of his faction— but it wasn't like he had any other choice.

He was one of the last surviving members of his family, if there was any hope that his country would be anything other than a fragmented mess then he had to step up.

Even if that meant a teenager was the face of one of the most eminent factions of this damn war, someone nobody really took seriously, and if Victor hadn't had years of seeing his oldest friend's charisma at work then he honestly has no clue how he would've managed to get as far as he had.

And then things escalated even more, and Victor honestly hadn't expected to live to see the end of the fighting, let alone what came after.

One of his advisors was the one to suggest making one last attempt at buying their weapons through a vaguely legitimate source; nobody with any sense was selling to their region, but the black market favored some of their biggest rivals and things were getting desperate enough that Victor signed off on it.

It was a long shot, and they all knew it.

...as such, that first shipment of Hammer Industries weapons took them all by surprise.

.

Victor had never set out to become the new leader of Latveria.

But here he was now, loved and feared and reviled around the world and he doesn't know where to go from here, but... the fact that he's alive to even be able to think about a future after the war was an incredible boon as it was.

Now that he is where he is, he can afford to think about more than just surviving from one day to another, and apart from working on rebuilding Latveria, he's also got some personal projects going on.

Such as finding out who came through at the eleventh hour, because now that he has the time and space to look a gift unicorn in the mouth he's realizing just how many laws must have been broken for those first few shipments to have gotten there.

The paper trail is a dead end, but once Victor starts poking around it should be so, very easy for him to get answers.

After all, Victor was a warlord-now-technically-dictator with access to black-ops personnel and honest-to-goodness death squads, getting intel on what he wanted should not be this hard. Sure, Hammer Industries had good information security, but... apparently, Hammer Senior wasn't the type to get involved in this sort of mess, which meant Victor had no idea who was responsible and he wanted answers—

In the end, one picture is all it takes.

Actually— when he'd first seen the picture, Victor had been in the middle of a meeting with some of his most trusted advisors and generals.

...suffice it is to say, nothing productive got achieved after he recognized the face of the heir of Hammer Industries, once he realized he'd never actually gotten his childhood friend's full name.

The less said about his reaction to the picture, the better, too: Victor's advisors had seen him at his best and at his worst, why they'd freaked out so much was anyone's guess.

So what if he'd kept it, after the meeting was over? Those looks were uncalled for!

.

Victor owes Justin more than he can name— so when there's a ghost of a chance to reconnect, he takes it.

.

Regrets were had.

Everyone at the UN summit looked at him, and he gritted his teeth as he faced off against seasoned politicians twice and thrice his age and he knew what they were expecting, knew they called him a dictator where his country called him a hero and neither of them wanted him here but Latveria had to re-enter the international sphere somehow so they were stuck with him.

Until Zemo got his act together and finished that international relations course, at least. Oh, and got out of the habit of shooting his problems, that too.

Victor had managed to get them diplomatic immunity, but that'd be a hard sell.

...it's funny. Latveria's civil war was over, but... he found himself at odds as to where to go from here.

.

It's funny, how the more things change, the more they really, really don't.

Victor had been a quiet and antisocial bastard back in boarding school, surviving a civil war hadn't exactly done much for his temperament either.

Or his social skills, for that matter.

And just like always, Justin's mere presence was weaponized sunshine.

...Victor never stood a chance.

[sofijaeger]

i came across @marvelslag take on this trend and thought it was beyond cool! soooo here’s what i’d look like through the mcu!

this is a combination of myself and my oc, which has a very complex (and not completely thought out story yet). if anyone has any questions i’d be happy to go into further detail:)

captain america: the first avenger

- this is actually oc’s grandmother!

- (maria) works alongside future creators of shield before assisting the CCDR in world war two.

- befriends steve very well from her interest in combat and begins self-teaching herself from what she views in training. (will also factor into use of oc’s family power later).

- is introduced to bucky, and engages in many flirtatious banters with him during operation plannings.

- after his tragic “death” maria makes the wise decision to continue the family bloodline, revealing the origins of their secrets down to the next generation (oc’s mother).

the avengers:

- powers pre-discovered and currently under control of loki and the space stone held in the teaseract.

- a very monotoned and almost desperate villain fighting against the avengers.

- as the avengers and (hydra) contain the stone, oc falls out of its control, for no one is in direct possession of it.

- she’s re-introduced to the avengers as a young woman struggling to come to terms with her origins.

- power: “shooting stars” as teased by tony stark

- oc acts as a representative for the space stone for unknown reasons at this point in time.

age of ultron:

- regular member of the avengers

- retracts glowing beam powers from her hands into whips, now uses the weapons to fight alongside the heros

- more on the quiet side as she’s yet to discover how to use her powers

- begins to have premonitions about random people, occasionally experiencing some that involve herself

the winter soldier/ civil war/infinity war:

- meets the winter soldier and instantly remembers who he used to be

- grandmother’s memories start flooding into her head, and later develops the memories of anyone she wraps her whips around

- it’s discovered the “shooting stars” that emit from her palms actually trigger a persons hippocampus, allowing her to view their past, present and futures from the touch of her weapons.

- as bucky returns to his former self, oc aids him with past memories to calm his trauma. this begins a great friendship between the two

- sides with captain america in civil war

- bucky constantly pressures steve about getting to know oc more since she resembles the grandmother he once knew

- may or may not have tricked bucky into believing maria time traveled 👀

- disappears in the blip, but rather than crumbling to a pile of dust oc is returned to the location of the space stone, transforming into a servant under thanos’ control once more.

endgame: (including epilogue)

- is not present in the endgame movie until end

- assists thanos in the final battle, and is held down by the avengers until the infinity gauntlet is in possession of iron man

- once snapped, oc is considered an anti-hero for fighting along the antagonists, even if under possession unwillingly.

- she immediately reverts back to her families power origins in the hippocampus of the galaxy, discovering she works as an extraterrestrial who views and controls every beings memories.

(picture on the right shows her after iron man’s snap, already gone from earth and working alongside the watcher.

tfatws:

- appears only in the epilogue, temporarily healed from the galaxies demands.

- sam leads bucky to the other side of the dock, distracting him with questions of what else he plans to do once he finishes making amends with the winter soldier’s unintentional suspects.

- bucky is distraught, caught even more off guard by the return of oc appearing before him. she’s gracing a gentle smile, and is more than ready to spend the next chapter of her life with him.