#make gambit badass again

[mormegils]

korrasami and longing

please walk with me here, i wanna make a point.

i recently rewatched tlok, and remember someone pointed this out years ago after the finale dropped but i don't remember who was it, or where it was posted. i can't find it so i assume it's gone by now, and i wanted to give my own thoughts.

SO. we all know the 3 years korra and asami spent away from each other between book 3 and 4 is very important to their story. in reunion, asami tells korra she's been talking to her father again and is thinking about forgiving him. korra is concerned that hiroshi might wanna hurt her again, and asami goes off:

obviously korra was just worried and had no ill intentions, but asami's reaction is understandable. personally, i would at least feel a little bothered if someone who disappeared for years and refused to keep in touch after a while wanted to judge what i was doing with my life all of a sudden.

especially after having offered to give up everything to go with and support her in any way possible, and everything i got was a quick decline and a big ass ghosting after a couple of letters...

anyway. then we have this scene in kuvira's gambit:

i've watched some reactions on youtube and most people didn't GET it. it's not a surprise since it's a trend in avatar fandom to misunderstand korra's character a lot (and the writers fumbled a little bit with korrasamis development in b4 imo).

this is not a badass korra™ scene or something out of place, it's actually simple: korra knows how it feels to be distant from the ones you love and not being able to do much about it, because it happened to her. korra's body recovered relatively fast and she could've came back sooner but, as toph told her in the swamp, korra was unconsciously sabotaging herself so she wouldn't be susceptible to getting hurt again. still, it felt so horrible to be separated from someone she cared about that she --knowing that bataar jr had love and devotion for kuvira-- used it a fucking threat to get him to talk!

and we reach THE korrasami scene, where they finally get some time alone after the battle and things have cooled down a bit, and the first thing korra does is apologize:

this is one of the few times since coming back that korra actively shows regret from what happened. it's the only time she apologizes for it, and it's to asami.

asami's answer is heartbreaking, but it is what it is. she could've lost both korra AND her dad, the people she cared for the most, but she still has korra. she's here. and that's what matters now.

#to whoever wants to read it i guess #*runs away* #it's sad that korrasami didn't get as much development as they deserved #but I'll always find it cool that they have lots of parallels with the other couples of the show #i had to make collages to put all the needed screenshots sorry #this is terrible but whatever #korrasami #tlok #the legend of korra #korra #asami sato

[worldseer]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Oh lord, top ten of ALL media I loved? Fuckin' hell. Alright, just to cheat, I'm choosing to do this in no particular order and sticking to one media because I frankly do not have the capacity to process top favorites all at once. TOP TEN OF MARVEL COMICS/MCU IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier - Heavily relate to his issues, I've been told I look like him, and overall I love his character. Been obsessed with his character for years now, and I want nothing more than for him to be happy.

Moon Knight/Mark Spector/Steven Grant/Jake Lockley - Steven Grant is heavily relatable to me, and Moon Knight in general has always been interesting to me. I learned about the character before the show itself, and even his design itself draws me in. I'm a sucker when his cape makes the crescent shape too.

Ghost Rider - Nonspecific simply because all the Ghost Riders I know are badasses. If I had to be a hero/have the powers of any Marvel character, I'm choosing this one. Love the idea of the character, and wish it gets a good adaptation for film/tv show soon

Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner - Gender Envy. Also heavily relate to him because of similar issues. Consistently struggle if I want to be him or be with him.

Gambit/Remy LeBeau - I love a sarcastic man with a bit of fruitiness, and a smug ass face. Also his powers are interesting as well, and he's frankly a genius for using playing cards as his usual weapon (mass produced and several on hand).

Spider-Man - Also nonspecific, since I grew up on watching Spider-Man cartoons so I love Peter Parker, but also after ATSV I've gained an interest in Miguel O'Hara as well. Peter in the comics always has my heart however, some of the lines he has in them are iconic as hell.

Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto - He's a villain I can't ever hate, and probably has the second power I'd choose if I had to choose a power from a Marvel character. I too would cause mass destruction if it meant that me and people like me would stop fucking yknow- being killed and persecuted. And bro is (usually) old as fuck as he does this, still kicking ass.

Matt Murdock/Daredevil - Once again, relate due to similar issues. Also what's more funny than a sarcastic lawyer going out to beat the shit out of criminals every night? Plus it's a bit unfair that he looks hot beat up. . . iykyk.

Wade Wilson/Deadpool - Self explanatory.

Loki Laufeyson - Similar thing to Bucky and Kurt: obsessed with character for years and a part of me wants to be them. Might have kickstarted my discovery into being nonbinary honestly now that I think about it. . .

#matt murdock #daredevil #loki laufeyson #wade wilson #deadpool #erik lehnsherr #magneto #spiderman #spiderman 2099 #peter parker #miguel ohara #gambit #remy lebeau #nightcrawler #kurt wagner #bucky barnes #winter soldier #moon knight #mark spector #steven grant #jake lockley #ghost rider #robbie reyes #johnny blaze #marvel fans #marvel #mcu #marvel mcu

[skye-huntress]

The Witch from Mercury Finale Reaction

Episode 24: “May All Blessings Find Their Way to You, I’m Wishing It”

Title is a reference to the season 1 OP, I see.

They’re planning to fire, again? The more this drags out, the harder it will be to cover up.

I see Guel is riding shotgun with Felsi. That said, that definitely would not be very safe during a real firefight.

Is Suletta reaching her limits, now of all times? Well, it does seem to early for that so she’ll probably be fine.

Aaaaand, I just watched the rest at once without taking notes, so prepare for everything to be out of order and me forgetting things

Let’s see, Suletta and Aerial were brought in, and Suletta did eventually wake up on her own. She hadn’t quite reached her limits yet but she was definitely in the red.

Although they successfully shut down Quiet Zero, everyone else got themselves captured in the meantime. Martin, did you even do anything?!

You got to admit, that was a pretty good line from Miorine, and dead on. Taking hostages is unnecessary, Suletta will show up on her own anyway.

If I’m not mistaken, Suletta has previously chastised herself for being too greedy, but now she’s owning it. Girl knows what she wants and she’s going to make it happen.

We’ve been waiting, for this entire series, for this very moment, when Suletta stands up to her mother and openly defies her.

This is the point where shit gets a little weird. I did not much care for Number 4 and certainly wasn’t expecting his return, especially now of all times. Apparently everyone who has used the Gundams exists in the datastorm, not just Eri. Which means they were the ones who interfered last episode, and it explains how Eri knew who it was without anyone else appearing to be around.

This is the point where weird turns into awesome. We’ve seen Aerial go from red to blue to white, and now we have the Calibarn go full rainbow.

Threaten her all you won’t, Miorine doesn’t give a fuck.

So this is Miorine’s Plan B. Dissolving the Benerit Group, selling the assets to Earth like Shaddiq planned, and exposing his criminal ties to the Space Assembly League.

There is something so satisfying about seeing the Peil CEOs realise they’ve lost everything and the cherry on top being Elan quitting on them and taking a better offer. I suppose he never really did anything wrong, and he probably wasn’t to keen on having several other people walking around with his face.

The desperate, last ditch gambit of a man who is unwilling to admit he has already lost. This never works and usually is the point where hero starts to flex and show how much more badass they actually are.

Now she’s controlling other Gundams now and using them to amplify the power of the datastorm. Since everything runs on Permit, even Doomsday weapons, that’s all Suletta needs.

I see dead people.

No. 5 gets to see Norea one last time.

Meanwhile Prospera has one last talk with all the people she needs to hear from most, the family she lost and the family she still has left.

And now everything is turning into space dust for some reason. To be fair, both Quiet Zero and Gundams are very dangerous and would only ever be used for one thing, so it’s probably for the best. That said, one of them is Suletta’s current ride, so it is a bit inconvenient for her.

I didn’t know those keychains had any sort of practical function.

The silence was a bit eerie while it lasted but I wasn’t too worried. This scene was clearly a callback to their first meeting, complete with a headbutt.

Three years later…. Nika was released from prison. What a way to kick off this epilogue. Nice haircut.

Petra is better and working for Gund-Arm Inc. and her dumbass boyfriend didn’t get killed.

Guel is working with two of the sassiest people in space. Pray for him. Or not.

Seems Shaddiq took the fall in order to expose the SAL, and Miorine, the girlboss that she is, stole his harem.

The matching keychains that Miorine apparently brings around everywhere are now her sisters-in-law. Figure that one out.

Judging from the conversation, despite going through physical therapy to regain the use of her body, Suletta has already built her school on Mercury, and plans to build another on Earth. Impressive. She also seems to be settling down on Earth with her new wife, her mother and her keychain sisters. Good for her. She moved forward and gained a lot more than two.

All around, happy ending. Almost no one of importance died, and if they did, they apparently ascended to a higher form of existence, or something like that.

More importantly, we the gays win again. Sure, we didn’t get a kiss, but it’s not like there’s any ambiguity here.

#the witch from mercury #g witch #g witch spoilers

[animalight]

For Humanity

Eris had invited him here to the ritual site to help inscribe the Opaque Cards, but instead Drifter now leaned against her worktable practicing his coin tricks, musing about Savathûn’s pre-recorded messages. It would do no good to speculate on them, but his incessant rambling helps her focus, so she lets him be.

Drifter stops, deep in thought. He looks at Eris in her new Hive form, covered in chitin armor like a Knight. Eris can feel his eyes on her but doesn't look up. She can guess what’s on his mind.

“Speak your thoughts, Germaine.”

“Oh, nothin’,” Drifter smiles, looking back at his coin. “Just thinkin’ about dinner.”

Eris shakes her head, “I know you wish to ask. You are not as hard to read as you think.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Drifter says, scratching his head a little sheepishly. “Got a new look, I dig it. Kinda badass, if you ask me.”

“It is not one I intend to keep, Rat. I only do what is necessary for our survival.” Eris replies. She pauses and stares into the murky, swirling fluid in the ritual bowl in front of her. Her old self looks back from the reflection, glowing Hive eyes, but still human. No, she hasn’t been human for a long time, she thinks.

Drifter interrupts her thoughts, “Makes no difference to me.” He flips the coin in the air. As it twirls, it flips between a blank and a Hive insignia. Drifter catches it in a fist. “You’re still the same witch up in that chitin head you got, right?” he asks as he reveals the coin. It now has Eris’s insignia on it.

Eris gives an unimpressed sigh. A common trick he displays for all his Gambit contestants… And, well, she isn’t sure how long that will remain true. Whispers from the Deep scratch at her thoughts for as long as she retains this Hive form.

“Of course.” she replies, hunching further over the cards. There’s nothing left to work on, and he’s still here.

Drifter pauses, then looks away again to fiddle with the coin, making it disappear in his hand. He grabs one of the cards Eris had finished inscribing to inspect, putting on a serious face.

“Damn good work, Moondust,” Drifter says as he begins flipping the card through his fingers. “Hey, maybe once you’re all done, we could play a little game of cards. Take your mind off the Hive.”

“They are not toys, Rat,” Eris looks up at him finally and snatches the card away. “They are tools for the Guardian.”

Drifter’s gaze softens and a hint of a smirk forms on his face. “That’s alright, I brought my own deck.”

Eris relaxes a little and concedes. “Very well.”

Drifter grins.

#writing is not my forte #be gentle pls :( #destiny 2 #destiny 2 fanfic

[charmed-and-alarmed]

EPISODE 5: Scooby and the Gang meet Dracula the Straw Hats versus Dracule aka 'new trauma boy has entered the chat'

my episode 4 coverage

Luffy's childhood pirate flag was better than the one he made last episode

Also it's so weird to show Luffy and Garp together when Luffy is young bc we just saw him free range childhood-ing at that bar. Where was Garp then??

Koby saving Helmeppo = the start of a beautiful friendship

"youre his first mate" now that I know that was never confirmed in canon, this line is 1000% funnier

Ok does Luffy know how navigation works? That scene with Garp implies he might have had some training, but I wouldn't put it past him to only have food-motivated navigational skills

Sanji's introduction is as good as Zoro's. The added bonus of them having tuned down his horrific flirting to something far more palatable is just *chef's kiss*

Everyone teasing Nami about Sanji's flirting (well, Luffy laughs along but clearly has no idea what's going on) is iconic

Mihawk. Dracule Mihawk. Is it a complete waste to have Don Krieg there as canon fodder? Absolutely. But you cannot deny how fucking badass Mihawk is. Note that he refers to Don Krieg's gun thing as a "final gambit" implies that everyone in this world thinks in terms of finishing moves.

"little eggplant" is such an adorable nickname for Sanji. Zeff & Sanji's relationship is so dysfunctional - I want to love it, but they're just so fucked up, I can't judge

Poor Koby, learning that the world is full of hypocrites. Soft boy. Helmeppo just wants to pat his head and hide him from the mean mean world

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I love Sanji's accent. I like that it separates him from everyone around him, but doesn't go the stereotypical 'chefs are French' route

I'm sad we don't get real Gin. He was a very cool, very complicated. Both me and Sanji are sad about his loss

Also Zoro clearly spews bullshit about Nami so she'll contradict him, revealing more than she would have told him otherwise. Like Nami, you are being played. Zoro isn't even particularly good at it, you're just not at your best right now

Zoro's "I had one friend" - dude, you and Kuina were friends for less than 24hrs.

Between Garp and Luffy, it's clear who got all the cunning in the family. Also Garp's "I want the freedom to handle things how I like" is suuuuuch a douchebag line. Suuuch scum. I take back everything I've said about liking Garp, he is clearly just a 'doesnt play by the rules' cop from a TV drama.

I like that Zoro meets Mihawk super early on in the story. Like, we need to see him be totally wrecked. Zoro needs to experience being totally unprepared for what it's going to really take to achieve his goal. Poor Zoro is here thinking "it's too soon. I didn't think I would meet him so soon" and we get to see he has the potential for greatness, but is clearly still at the beginning of his journey. Did you really think you'd be the greatest swordsman before you hit 20?

Also Zoro's "you said it yourself, you don't have any friends" to Nami is such a dick move? But also a well deserved 'fuck you' to Nami for trying to play aloof rather than accepting the vulnerability that comes with actual friendship. I get why she's conflicted and upset, but I can't help but disagree with her attitude in this part of the series. Like I love her, but she's just enough of a hypocrite to piss me off

Of course Mihawk likes the hat, Luffy. His weird friend/rival/ex-husband had a hat just like that

I love sword fights a lot, but the one between Mihawk and Zoro is painful to watch. It's the fight with Kuina again, and one again Zoro refuses to see that he doesn't have to be the best right now

However I love how Mihawk looks at Zoro though - like a prey animal surveying a particularly interesting bug.

Aaaand when it comes down to it, Luffy never even considered the possibility that Zoro would lose. And Zoro sounds like such a child for once when he makes his vow. Gah. What an ending

Immediately to the next episode

#opla #opla spoilers

[stitchlingbelle]

Watching Avatar, Part 5

Welcome, me, to season 2! Earth stuff, here we come.

"The Avatar State": And we are immediately making things Complicated in the Earth Kingdom(s), with this asshole General. If we and the Gaang were thinking that being in the Earth Kingdoms would be all allies and smooth sailing, we are now disabused of the notion. Interesting catch about the Avatar state, especially since it doesn't seem like Aang can choose not to enter it-- it's going to be all about not creating a situation where he needs it. I call Foreshadowing. (Would killing the Avatar forever also kill bending?) (Also, has there ever been an Evil Avatar? How were they defeated? I have questions.) Meanwhile, we meet Azula and wow this girl is EVIL. Way to level the Fire Nation threat wayyyy up. Both more competent and more cruel than her brother-- plus incredibly smart and manipulative. Just strolling up and telling Zuko to come home? Sadistic, shows a deep understanding of him, minimum effort, almost worked.

"The Cave of Two Lovers": Light, fun episode with a killer WHAM ending. I feel like Zuko is going to having serious trouble adjusting to life in the Earth Kingdoms. (Iroh's a sweetheart and everyone's glad he's here.)

"Return to Omashu": Loved the epidemic trick, and it's very inline with Sokka's last save-an-entire-population gambit-- if you can't win by force, remove the people from harm, instead. Oh lord, Azula has backup now, even if I don't quite get their whole thing just yet. King Bumi remains a boss, can't wait to see what he does when he decides it's Go Time.

"The Swamp": Not my favorite, it was a little slow. Glad to see some of the continuing emotional threads reinforced, interested to see who Mystery Girl is. Zuko becomes Batman again, but for the wrong reasons. (Did he ever have good reasons? Do we ever find out why he started being the Blue Spirit in the first place?)

"Avatar Day": When this episode started I expected to hate it but it was actually pretty good. Loved the humor of Avatar Kyoshi turning up just to be like, yup, I killed him. (And that whole flashback was a badass and chilling reminder of how much power the Avatar can wield. Seriously, she tore the peninsula apart and created an ISLAND?) Also a great example of the principles of nonviolence on the show-- she could have slaughtered everyone threatening her home, instead she just... removed the problem. Meanwhile, Zuko you suck, how dare you break Iroh's heart like this?

#avatar: the last airbender

[mouseratz]

list of marvel characters I like from mouse known DC guy:

-70s red sonja (badass with a sword who fights monsters and shit and kills people but girl style. also kinda gay theres also an argument for asexuality either way she's cool)

-venom (he's a gay monster thing. whatever. I understand his hater vibe. I don't really like all his little buddies or like the extra symbiotes I just want fucked up goop guy adventures. you know. btw though I fully believe the other symbiotes hate him because he's gay he's the only gay one that's what happened there. )

list of marvel characters I do not like:

-wolverine (dead brother trauma)

-gambit (dead brother trauma)

-really the whole cartoon xmen cast because of dead brother trauma.

-captain america. he's like if he was just the uncomfortable nationalism & militarization of superman distilled into a guy. AND he's not even cute or silly about it.

-iron man. steel is the same idea but cooler. sorry. why do I care about a billionaire. he's not Batman. I hope he dies and if he's already dead kill him again worse this time.

neutral:

- Deadpool (movies are funny. I don't want to read any comics though because I fear they're very Harley Quinn-esque; they're entertaining movies but I don't find them compelling.)

- spiderman (peter is a loser through and through and when the story adopts this idea I can tolerate him; when it doesn't I want to see him get hit by a car repeatedly. I literally want him to die and it would make me happy to see him miserable I am a hater when it comes to most peters. miles is cool as he is but I'm not the hugest fan of multiverse stuff in general so I'm like. well that lore is just overwhelming and I'm one molecule big so who even care. I don't wanna see all that mess comics wise. I'll still probably see the second movie eventually & I liked his first one but it didn't surprise me.)

I'm interested in you:

-dazzler is so pussy slay camp cunt queen (like that joker post) like I trust and believe in her I know she's technically xmen but I will make an exception because her energy is so immaculate

[missaudreystiara]

Can you assign your top 5 (or 6) Snowpiercer characters their chess piece personality?

For reference:

King = Regal, Collected, Content to delegate and stay away from the action (possibly Cowardly)

Queen = Powerful, Proactive, Protective (possibly Frightfully Arrogant and Unyielding)

Bishop = Sly, Cunning, Thinks outside the box (possibly Corrupt)

Rook = Steadfast, Steady, Determined (possibly Single-minded to the point of madness)

Knight = Violent, Confrontational, Resilient/Can overcome life's obstacles (possibly Sadistic)

Pawn = Loyal, Confident, Self-Sacrificing (possibly Weak)

The Snowpiercer x Queens Gambit crossover we never knew we needed 🤩😂

I’ve had to put quite a bit of thought into this because I’m not sure I can assign the pieces to my favourites BUT I think I can assign them to characters generally with a pretty decent fit!

King - this has Wilford all over it 😂 especially Wilford on Big Alice, sitting up in his quarters in luxury eating his eggs and drinking his whiskey while he’s killed off half his train and the other half is freezing and starving - very old school royalty behaviour. I also think that, even when he’s being completely deranged and chaotic he is some how always quite collected? And he’s clearly willing to send others in to do his dirty work (Alex to make the choice about whether to bring SP to a halt and kill everyone on board. Alex again to try and kill Layton, Audrey to fix Kevin, the Headwoods to alter icy Bob and Josie, the Jackboots to take out Boki etc)… I think this is a pretty good fit 😂

Queen - I don’t think she’s arrogant (mostly because I just think she’s right most of the time… and is it arrogance if you’re correct?) but I get Melanie from this totally. She’s a powerful badass bitch with a one track mind… well, perhaps split between keeping Snowpiercer going and as many passengers alive for as long as possible, and her gf Ruth 😂 depending on who you ask 👀 (you know who you are 👀)

Bishop - this is giving me Pike vibes! I’m gonna miss that chaotic king next season!

Rook - in a way I think this could work for Mel as well, but think it suits Layton more especially after season 3, particularly the “single minded to the point of madness” comment. I think he has consistently been that classic leader who relentlessly fought for what he wanted, got it, and then didn’t have a bloody clue what to do next 😂

Knight - I had the hardest time placing this one! Because I’m not really sure that any of them fits this piece in it’s entirety! I guess the character that keeps coming to mind is Commander Gray … not a very exciting choice but I feel like he lived quite a hard life (though maybe not undeservedly?) and he’s certainly violent, confrontational, and sadistic! He seems to enjoy punishing/attacking the tailies much more than other jackboots 🥲

Pawn - I want to head this up by saying that I don’t see her as weak AT ALL but this is so Ruth otherwise! Loyal ✅ confident ✅ self-sacrificing ✅✅✅ her characters grows SO much throughout the seasons - who could predict from the start of season one that she’d heading up the Wilford resistance and risking her life for it?? I think she always had these qualities but they have definitely intensified as it’s progressed!

And as for my true fave, my Queen of the night car, I truly believe she could be any of these pieces defending on what bloody mood she’s in 🥲 love that bitch but the writing of her character is all over the shop!

Thanks for the ask (and sorry for such a long ramble of an answer!) 🖤🤩

#thanks for the ask #ask box #ask me #Snowpiercer ask #snowpiercer #snowpiercer tv #snowpiercertnt #melanie cavill #mr Wilford #pike #andre Layton #Ruth Wardell #miss audrey

[noxrose]

"I am Demona‼️" 🖤✨🦇☀️🦇✨🖤 Here's another awesome picture @datacable75 took of my Demona's Human form cosplay from Gargoyles at Dragoncon 2021. Along with some pictures of my gorgeous Neca Demona figure 😍 thanks again @jasonmbray for that awesome birthday gift 😊 🖤💖📸💖🖤 I felt like such a badass in this cosplay and can't wait to bring it back to Dragoncon‼️Hopefully I'll find a reason to wear it again before that 😜 🖤🦇🖤 Demona has been one of my favorite characters since I was a very little girl‼️ 🖤🦇🖤 She's one of the best villains ever‼️ ⚔️💀🔫 Gargoyles has stayed one of my all time favorite shows ever‼️ Check out Gargoyles if you haven't seen it. It holds up so well‼️ 🖤✨🦇☀️🦇✨🖤 Demona's Neca figure is so detailed‼️It really is a lovely figure 💖 I don't have many figures. I have Demona, Gambit, Quinlan Vos and Villie/Vilmarh Grahrk. I wish they would make a Khaleen Hentz figure too‼️ 🖤🦇💀🦇🖤 #demona #demonacosplay #demonagargoyles #gargoyles #disneygargoyles #gargoylestvshow #gargoylesanimatedseries #gargoylesseries #gargoyleslover #gargoylescartoon #gargoylesdisney #disneyvillains #disneyvillaincosplay #disneyvillainscosplay #dragoncon2021 #hardyivypark #dragonconcosplay #dragonconcosplayers #disneycosplay #disneycosplays #disneycostumes #cartooncosplay #disneycostume #disneycosplayers #disneycosplayer #90scosplay #gargoylescosplay #gargoylesdemona #necagargoyles https://www.instagram.com/p/ClC8PR9D0ur/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#demona #demonacosplay #demonagargoyles #gargoyles #disneygargoyles #gargoylestvshow #gargoylesanimatedseries #gargoylesseries #gargoyleslover #gargoylescartoon #gargoylesdisney #disneyvillains #disneyvillaincosplay #disneyvillainscosplay #dragoncon2021 #hardyivypark #dragonconcosplay #dragonconcosplayers #disneycosplay #disneycosplays #disneycostumes #cartooncosplay #disneycostume #disneycosplayers #disneycosplayer #90scosplay #gargoylescosplay #gargoylesdemona #necagargoyles

[emmym1]

My thoughts on... All-New Wolverine 2015 (#13-18) "Enemy Of The State II"

As I have arrived at the third arc of this run i'm very happy to see them keep all of Laura's history in mind while actively using it as a foundation for new stories. It was really fun to see all the little callbacks to her previous runs in this arc and how in a lot of ways this arc is a very big full circle moment for her!

I really love how this arc deals with the final pieces of Laura's past that still haunt and control her. It was so cool to see it tie into her older runs so well. Madripoor, Kimura, Gambit, etc… Was super cool to see all of those elements of her 2010 run come back. The opening issue to this arc was so crazy, Laura killing off an entire town was so brutal to see. It was kind of sad to see her completely return to her fight or flight reaction when it comes to being confronted with the trigger scent. Like her planning on leaving Gabby behind even after promising to never leave her earlier in the run in what was a really emotional moment. It truly shows how much trauma and fear the trigger scent instills into her. It was really sweet to see her bring along Gabby regardless though (also extremely funny how the pelican statue travelled with them wherever they went). It was nice to see Madripoor back and all the references to the 2010 X-23 run. I was so hyped when Gambit showed up, it was so cool to see them reunite again! I loved how they finally dealt with the trigger scent and the way Laura overcame it. Jean going into her mind and having a conversation with her mind in the place it goes whenever she gets taken over by the trigger scent is absolutely one of the best moments of this series. Jean's dialogue being the opposite of what Kimura said to her while the Pinocchio symbolism is being told in the background was so good and extremely well executed. I am so happy they remembered the symbolism in that story and how it was utilized in her first ever mini series. And it's such an amazing full circle moment that said pinocchio story is one of the pieces that makes her overcome the final bit of control the facility ever instilled into her. It's super sweet that in retrospect Sarah telling Laura that story had the exact effect she wanted to and more. The entire sequence is genuinely so well written and one of the absolute highlights of this run. It was also so cool to all of her friends team up with her to fight against Kimura, it once again shows how far she has come as a person. I really loved their entire plan. Iron Laura was super cool! Her final fight with Kimura was also just amazing, her finally overcoming her abuser in such a badass way and really showing who she truly is while no longer being affraid of Kimura was such a marvelous moment. I was so happy for her to see that she no longer has to live in fear for her, and that she finally overcame her biggest enemy and source of fear. Her reuniting with Deborah and Megan had me so emotional. I am so so happy she got to reunite with them and that they didn't forgot about them. It was the perfect way to end this arc. I just love that in the end she was able to be reunited with them, no longer having to fear anyone. Their goodbye in X-23: Target X (2006) was such a heartbreaking moment so it's super emotional to see them finally be reunited again after such a long time.

The reveal that Bellona was actually behind the murders in the town was really surprising. And it actually works really well with how Laura's mindset is towards the trigger scent. She feels like she is in a locked room when in reality the door has always been open. Like from the moment she knew they were dropping the trigger scent she incapacitated herself making sure no one would get hurt. She's so much stronger and smarter than she thinks honestly.

I will say, I'm really missing Laura's internal monologue in this. I think especially in this arc it would've added a lot of depth to everything she experiences. But that just a small criticism, I am absolutely loving each page of this run! This run was so amazing in all aspects and it's such an important moment in Laura's history I feel. She goes through a lot of personal development in this and I absolutely loved her overcoming the trigger scent and Kimura, absolute highlights of this run so far! I'm super excited to see where the story goes from here now that the trigger scent and Kimura are gone.

#comics #marvel #earth 616 #marvel comics #laura kinney #x 23 #all new wolverine #wolverine

[guy0hats]

Alright, time to get a bit ranty.

I think Gambit needs more awesome and badass moments. Now I don’t mean him fending off hoards of duplicates of himself and Rogue, like from the comic Rogue and Gambit 4&5 (2018), I’m more talking about feats and fucking awesome moments.

The one I like most was in the Jim Lee era(of course it is) and it’s the infamous finish to the Gambit vs Gladiator fight, in Uncanny X-men #276.

When I saw this moment I literally fanboyed all over my fucking screen it was unbelievable that the fact that Gambit beat fucking Gladiator in a 1v1 fight.

Admittedly, he lost the next fight vs Gladiator but that moment was fucking awesome to behold!

I believe that the community has a lot more examples to give of badass Gambit moments, but I think we need more!

His run as the horseman of Death was kinda lackluster, however it was very cool and ballsy of gambit to do, and just seeing him getting his ass beat—fucking twice by the way— by the x-men was not really fun to see. Yeah, bad guys have to lose, but as a total gambit fan I didn’t get their reasoning of not letting him have 1 victory as he can literally kill any creature that breaths by filling their lungs with toxic gas. Fuck, he threatened Apocalypse by doing so!

There’s reason for why he didn’t do it, however. It’s cause gambit is still within Death’s subconscious, and he won’t harm the x-men. But they missed a totally cool chance to make him seem actually invincible and a threat to be reckoned with if they let him win!

This whole rant is kinda useless, but I think that with Rogue’s plentiful moments of total fucking badassery, I think her husband is getting less of those cool and breathtaking moments.

In my opinion he’s often written kind of poorly, keyword often: Kelly Thompson always wrote him great, and that his Excalibur’s performance is just: Grumpy. And that’s not Gambit, cause gambit’s smart enough to know that punching Apocalypse is a bad fucking idea, regardless of how much kinetic energy is in the mix.

Excalibur’s gambit isn’t what I think the Ragin’ Cajun really is, but this is not a rant about Excalibur. I think that he should have more cool, badass moments to give him not only the title of ‘Rogue’s Husband’ and ‘owner of big dick’ but also ‘Certified Badass’, amongst other titles.

I really want to see Remy’s awesome powers come through with this next run of Excalibur, and for him to have more personality other than ‘Loving Rogue’ and ‘Grumpy’.

I just want him to be as cool as he is in my head, you know? Pardon the rant, it’s over now.

#remy lebeau #gambit #badass #make gambit badass again

[annalebeaus]

Favourite Rogue/Gambit Fanfics (Day 4) - Part 1

These ones are set in 616 universe only. It was getting long so I'm going to make a part 2 with other medias of Rogue and Gambit.

52 Pickup - Written by Ludi, au. This one is one of my favourite Romy fics. Everything about it is just perfect, if you love Rogue and Gambit this fic should be a "must read"!! Also Rogue is super badass in this one so if you love strong female leads, you know what to do.

Coming Home - Written by Ludi. Rogue & Gambit (2018) was amazing and that scene after they go for a swim is one of the best moments, this one fills you in on what happened between their talk on the pool and the pillow talk scene.

Day One of Forever - Written by Ludi. I think at this point it is obvious how obsessed I am with Ludi's writing but this one was just too soft and cute to not mention. I also love fics written in Remy's pov more because I actually prefer Rogue over him and seeing her from his eyes is so... yeah

Moving In - Written by Ludi (again). Just.. go and read it, you won't regret it.

In Between - Written by Spasticatt. This one is a little more humorous than others which is one of the reasons why I love it so much. The author managed to capture the dynamic between Rogue and Gambit perfectly. It is also one of the fewer fics set in Rogue's Avengers era so that's a big plus from me.

As I Lay - Written by SassC HiJinx. Everything about it is perfection, it is a must read. Angst with happy ending!!

Mistakes - Written by CodeAliasWave. Let me start with I love how this author writes smut scenes. I also love that this one is set during Gambit (2012) which makes it unique because seriously there should be more fics written in 2010's Rogue and Gambit.

Not A Thing To Worry About - Written by Jehilew. It is so obvious this author knows and understands the characters they write very well which makes their stories shine through. ALSO THE SECOND CHAPTER!!

Thank God For Meddlesome Mothers - Written by Jehilew. It is a happy fic that starts and ends with them doing you know what. What else do you need?

After Midnight - Written by Neurotic Temptress, au. They are singers in this one!

Skintight - Written by AppleJ. Set after they get back from Paraiso. I love this author's writing and this was a really good fic to read.

Basically every single fic from EightyTwo - Their series is unmatched for me, I love every single thing about them. They are happy fics that include just enough angst. I reread them so many times please do the same, I'm still hoping the author will continue to share more one day..

Honorary mention to DayenuRose because I didn't know which one to pick.... So I'm just giving out their user.

#rogue/gambitweek2022 #rogue #gambit #anna marie lebeau #remy lebeau #romy #roguegambit #xmen #marvel

[readinginthereadyroom]

it’s the queen’s gambit job (lev 4x10) and they are sitting around a table in mcrory’s eating takeout. running down the con.

and nate’s last minute addition of salt to parker’s equipment wasn’t plan b. no, it was plan m.

which is the plan hardison usually dies in. that is if he hasn’t already died in plans c, f, or m thru q. which hardison is VERY concerned about. after all that’s like 27% of the time. it’s a little too close to home.

eliot and parker don’t die in any plans, tho eliot could be permanently disfigured and blinded in one.

nate DOES NOT ANSWER for sophie.

so they are bickering and being found family (and seriously hoping this is just nate messing with them) and parker proposes a toast. to a glass eye.

and I am gonna headcanon that this becomes a kinda inside code. maybe not plan m, but bad. tho the level of bad is never discussed. after all it’s just a joke. right?

so it’s years later and parker’s the mastermind. she regularly assures hardison that there is no plan m. it’s not even in her alphabet. eliot teases her that her plans span different languages. hardison mutters about binary code and quadratic equations. there’s no m in cuniform, right?

and most the time their cons go off without a hitch. parker’s good like that. the best. her plans are like ballets spun between rotating laser beams. both planned to the smallest movement and completely on the fly. set to violin symphanies, country ballads, and christmas carols.

but sometimes the cons go wrong. eliot gets injured. hardison can’t hack the code. she gets trapped inside a building. and sometimes the cons go wrong bad. sometimes it gets bloody.

that’s when they say it. the first time was eliot. he’d been fighting with the mark’s security goons when the gunshot had rung out over the comms. followed by a grunt of pain and the sound of a body hitting the floor. then a terrible silence. parker hates that she knows what it means.

she flips around in the air duct. barely manages to keep her voice low. the cons over. I’m coming to you eliot. the only sound on the comms is the clack of hardison’s lightspeed typing. a buzzing static. do you hear me eliot? I’m coming to get you.

eliot? hardison’s voice sounds so small. that’s when parker remembers that they’d hacked the cctv footage. hardison had seen the whole thing. I-- he-- hardison stutters before rushing out he’s been shot. it’s bad. you got to get to him parker and you got to get to him. now. 

eliot’s gruff drawl interrupts them. I think this might be a glass eye scenario, sweethearts.

hardison’s typing never falters, but his breath hitches over the comms and his voice is strangled—like he swallowed his soda wrong—when he tells eliot to shut up, I am trying to save your ass. you already look mean enough without any damn glass eye.

it’s classic hardison. talking right over all his internal fears. trying to manifest his words into being. eliot’s huff of laughter tho. it’s strained but it’s also the most beautiful thing she’s ever heard.  

parker’s still in the air vent. she’s moving as fast as she can without rattling the ducts. she whispers into her comms. you should have hardison make it bionic. put a laser in it. and after dealing with a tricky corner dip, also it should be green.

more pained laughter, followed by a groan. my eyes are blue, parker. then hardison’s, guess we’ll just have to save you then. keep you from going all 6 million dollar-terminator-borg on us. keep your baby blues blue. parker smiles. she knows her boys. knew they always focus better when they are bickering.

and in the end it’s okay. parker gets to eliot with the first aid kit and patches him up. hardison hijacks them an elevator and they get out safely. eliot’s glass eye is evaded.

the next time it’s hardison. he’s snatched from lucille 5—right out from under their noses. they can hear his squawk of surprise over the comms. the shuffle of bodies and the distinct sounds of fists hitting flesh.

eliot growls deep and menacingly. parker can hear him instantly switch gears—from grifting the mark to protecting the team. his heavy footfalls are followed by offended protestations as he knocks people out of his way. the con is blown but parker doesn’t care.

because there’s snow fizzing in one ear and a polite automated error message in the other telling her all she needs to know. hardison’s gone. taken.

it’s an excruciating 28 hrs later when a text message from an unknown number chimes thru on parker’s backup burner phone. it’s only two words: glass eye.

parker sidles right up to eliot. bumps their shoulders together and shows him the message. it’s hardison. we can track his location if we move quick.

good. eliot’s voice drops from it’s usual honeyed whiskey to bloody gravel. it always does when he’s in hitter mode. tell me where he is. I swear if they’ve hurt him I’ll rip their lungs out. parker nods, hardison’s spare laptop already open on her lap. I’ll help.

hardison’s in bad shape when they find him. but not as bad as his captors once eliot’s thru with them. they’re on the highway speeding toward a hospital when hardison finally opens his eyes. parker can see him smile up at eliot in the rearview mirror before he glances up at her.

it’s my peoples. knew you’d come get me. eliot uses a corner of his bandana to wipe the blood away from hardison’s face. course we did, alec. can’t have you getting any glass eyes. wouldn’t suit you. eliot leans down and stage whispers in his ear, his voice warm and smooth again, you’re not nearly badass enough.

hardison sputters in outrage and parker lets out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. drops the hard line of her shoulders. lets up on the gas. if her boys are bickering then she knows everything is going to be okay.

hardison will be okay. they will be okay. no glass eyes today.

and eventually it’s parker’s turn. it’s not even a proper job—she’s scaling an elevator shaft for recon when a support gives way. and it’s silly. she’s fallen 3 floors and her leg is definitely broken. and she can hear eliot’s voice in her ear saying it was a very distinctive crunch but all she can think is that this is her glass eye.

she must’ve said that out loud because hardison is babbling on about scars and lasers and talking about numbers. seven and nine what? she vaguely thinks it might be some sort of new concussion protocol tho she can’t quite focus enough to make it make sense.

something warm and wet is pooling under her cheek, blocking her vision. oh and that’s it, isn’t it? hardison’s still muttering under his breath and eliot is grunting her name over the comms. c’mon parker you gotta talk to me! I’m coming to get you dammit but you gotta talk. to. me.

can I have a snowglobe in my glass eye? hardison sputters before stuttering—woman I swear you will be the death of me. and she thinks he sounds a little bit relieved. but it doesn’t stop his voice from warbling when he asks, you okay mama?

parker lifts her face out of the tacky puddle it’s in, starts to nod and then immediately throws up. she can’t focus. eliot’s don’t move parker, you have a concussion is followed by a sympathy gag from hardison.

her head is throbbing and her leg feels like it’s on fire. but she can hear her boys breathing over the comms. can hear them cajole her to talk more. they’re coming to get her.

but they’re not bickering. and that feels wrong. that feels wrong bad.

and then there’s a metal scraping sound as the elevator doors above her are pried open. light floods the shaft and parker blinks into it. I can see you she whispers. and she can. they are silhouetted in a rectangle of light above her.

and then they are setting up ropes and climbing down toward her. just like she taught them. and it’s kinda beautiful. even if it’s plan m and a glass eye. I think I broke the pretzels.

when she wakes up it’s two weeks later and she’s hooked up to a hospital bed. her left leg is in a cast and her arms are covered in bruises and rope burn. there’s a bandage blocking half her vision.

but then she sees eliot. he’s asleep in a chair next to the bed, his hand wrapped gently around hers and his head resting on hardison’s shoulder. he looks exhausted. his hair is frizzy and he hasn’t shaved. hardison doesn’t look much better. his mouth is open and he’s half snoring. his clothes are dark and rumpled.

she smiles. she’s always enjoyed catching her boys like this—soft and quiet and together. it’s the next best thing to hearing them bicker.

that’s when she sees it. a sparkle of light, almost like a diamond, on the medical cart between them. nestled in a padded velvet box is a glass eye.

#okay so I unintentionally ended up writing some ot3 whump #please please do not come at me #yes I wrote in tiny details that make it seem like parker will actually need a glass eye #but they are also red herrings #because it is very much in grim humor character for hardison and eliot #to get parker a get well soon glass eye #so read it how you will #eliot spencer #alec hardison #parker leverage #leverage meta fic #leverage #leverage ot3 #cw injury #also just fyi I updated the eliot part of this metafic #it needed more

[fireemblems24]

Azure Moon: Chapter 17

I'm an emotional wreck right now.

If you're looking for a coherent review of events - this isn't it. I'm going to need to cry in a corner for a bit first.

Pre Battle:

Oh, right. Now Gilbert and Rodrigue are talking about fog. Did they just forget to make this Fog or War or something? Not that I'm complaining.

Oh, boy, Duscur talk. Poor Rodrigue. He lost a best friend and two sons that day 😭I still hope Felix forgives him. I really don't think Rodrigue did anything wrong.

So I had to look up who Lady Patricia was again, and please, dear God, no. Please tell me Dimitri's step-mother didn't arrange that.

The writers are like - how much trauma can we shove into one character: all of it. Oh, wait, oh wait, let's have his step-mother arrange his brutal death too! Oh, great idea. 😑

HOLY SHIT - DIMITRI ALMOST DIED AT DUSCUR. HE DIDN'T TELL ME THAT. OMG. All this time.

So he spent the whole time talking about how everyone else got hurt and didn't even mention he ALMOST DIED 😭😭😭😭. This character makes my heart hurt.

So are we gonna see Patricia again? Is she part of that evil mage group?? God I hope not.

Oh, no, the messenger to the Alliance got killed. That explains how the game is going to be like - no two lords for you! - even when it makes more sense to team up in AM. Did this happen in VW too? That would explain why Dimitri didn't want to join Claude tbh.

Sounds like a pretty brutal death too. 100% picked it was the Empire. Dimitri's all about it lol.

Oh, "Maiden" Fleche is back.

Good God this feels 100x more epic on AM than VW. I'm honestly starting to feel sorry for Claude. He got done dirty compared to the other two.

And now it's Ferdinand's birthday. Now is not the time, bro.

I'm betting it's the same cut scene? I get to see Dimitri say "Kill every last one of them again" lol.

Edelgard be like - last time we were classmates fighting, this time I'm here to kill all of you and take over your lands.

Battle:

Alright - the battle. Thankfully I have Bernie recruited so no more fires for her, poor thing.

Lysithea and Ignatz are on here though. I'm assuming Claude retreats? Probably not the other two. But I'm trying to stick to the "kill everyone" (or I guess I should say "Kill every last one of them!" lol).

Gotta have Dimitri fight Claude and Edelgard to get that sweet-sweet dialogue.

Dimitri's just going to solo the alliance troops. Batallion Wrath/Vantage/Retribution is one hell of a drug. Just gotta watch out for gambits, but only really worried about Claude tbh.

Claude's range is too big, which is why Dimitri's taking that route. Thematically I'd love to watch him just solo all the Empire troops, but I can't risk Claude flying around if I want that unique battle dialogue.

LAMO - Byleth crit Hubert. Though, interesting note. In VW, Dedue insists he can still fight when he's defeated, and Dimitri tells him to get off the battlefield and live (rudely). Hubert says he needs to retreat, and Edelgard says nothing about his injuries.

Oh, shit, Petra too. Didn't see her there.

And now Leonie and Hilda too. Does Hilda retreat like Hubert and Dedue?

So Leonie, Lysithea, and Ignatz are dead. Hilda, Petra, and Hubert retreated. Hubert really likes to show up, get his ass handed to him, and then retreat. Who do you end up doing this to more, Hubert or the Death Knight?

Guys, I think Dimitri might have an issue with Edelgard. If you let them fight each other in VW, does he say the same thing?

OMG Edelgard philosophizing about death after Dimitri's like - pick a way to die. For some reason this is amusing.

And then he crits. Dimitri likes doing that.

Oh, shocking, she retreats too.

OMG Dimitri was MVP (shocking, I know), but it's so amusing to see "Dimitri's motivation is maxed out" right after criting Edelgard.

Post Battle:

So Dimitri goes to chase after Edelgard, which kills him in VW.

Man he sounds so enraged - like a setback after the progress. And yelling at Rodrigue 😭

Oh, shit, what is Fleche doing here.

Man, this is so much more intense than VW.

Oh shit - Fleche stabbed Dimitri. OMG. Saw that coming. Rodrgue's so worried.

Oh shit. Oh God. Rodrigue just died saving Dimitri, didn't he? Dimitri wasn't even going to fight back, was he?

OMG 😭😭😭😭😭😭

He's really dying guys. Why.

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

WHY DID HE DIE THOUGH?

"Live for what you believe in. Your life is your own."

If I ever hear anyone shit-talk Rodrigue, I'm going to have words.

Oh, shit Felix. Felix never made up with his father.

Nevermind, I want VW back. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

(Oh, wait, nevermind, Dimitri just died in VW. I take that back)

Chris Hackey though. (I get the feeling he really liked Dimitri. How could you not, though?)

Oh shit guys, I'm getting watery-eyed.

Rodrigue just fucking died saving Dimitri.

Yo - Lambert is hot though. WHY DO ALL THAT HOT OLDER GUYS DIE? Please someone look out for Seteth.

Oh, shit Lambert should've listened to Rodrigue.

Rodrigue is so loyal and good. Fuck any haters.

On a side note - Byleth pretty badass taking Fleche out.

Ok - here comes the Byleth part.

Dimitri's "I haven't slept in a week" look is gone.

Oh, shit, where is he going? He's going to leave, isn't he?

C'mon, Byleth, don't let him leave. 😭😭😭

Dimitri thinks he'd just too far gone 😭😭😭😭😭😭

There's Survivor's Guilt, and then there's Dimitri, holy shit.

OMG his little voice wavers asking the professor for answers. Dimitri's going to be the end of me.

Also - Chris Hackney is a gem. Like, all the VAs are pretty good with a few exceptions, but Dimitri demands more range than most of them, and he sells all of it. It's what Dimitri deserves though.

I picked "You must forgive yourself," because holy hell 😭😭😭

He really just thinks he has no value, doesn't he. 😭😭😭

"As the sole survivor of that day, do I . . . Do I have the right to live for myself?" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

And Byleth just reaches out her hand again 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

"Your hands are so warm . . . have they always ben" 😭😭😭

Shit, man, I don't like Byleth much, but this is good shit. Maybe I like Byleth a little.

Next Chapter title is "The King's Triumphant Return" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Hell yeah, we're going to free the Kingdom!

Does this mean I get Dimitri's supports now?

Oh, boy, Dimitri's here. And Dedue's worried about his wounds. OFC he is.

He sounds so normal now.

Dimitri's apologizing. Is it weird to feel proud of a character? Because I feel proud of a character.

"I wish to do the right thing from now on." 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

OMG, Dimitri, this route is an emotional ride.

Hell yeah, let's go kick the Empire out of the Kingdom!

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

He's finally going to start living for himself, I'm just feel like a proud mom.

OMG FELIX CALLED HIM DIMITRI. WHY IS THIS ROUTE LIKE THIS?😭😭😭

I love all the Blue Lions so much. They're all precious.

#fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #azure moon #fe16 #fe3h #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #rodrigue achille fraldarius #Between those two I'm going to die

[mcustorm]

In Defense of a Black Cyclops

In case my username didn’t make it clear, the single most anticipated visual project for me is the MCU’s interpretation of the X-Men, which hasn’t even been announced yet [officially]. And ladies and gents, I have found your Cyclops:

Good ol’ Alfred Enoch, who we all know from Harry Potter and How to Get Away With Murder. If you’re not familiar with HTGAWM, know that his character goes from the de facto leader of the ragtag (murderers) and most cherished protege of Viola Davis’ Professor X to taking more of a grimdark turn after his girlfriend’s death. Sound at least somewhat familiar?

Enoch also embodies the physicality of the character well, seeing as to how he’s “slim”, 6′4(!!), black, and notoriously lanky. Wait, one of these isn’t like the others.

In general I hate fancasting. Everyone generally picks from the same pool of about 30 actors (Peeps, neither Taron nor Daniel is a good Wolverine choice. Argue with your mother!), and most all of it is based on physicality, except when it absolutely should be (like say, choosing a ~5′10 dark-skinned black woman for Storm).

And I think there’s some malarkey afoot. I think there needs to be some serious consideration on part of fancasters and actual casting agents alike to rethink race when it comes to the [white] X-Men, especially since they’re the X-Men of all teams. So I’ll make the case for a black Cyclops: 

1. There is no quota on Black X-Men: There’s a bug in your ear that’s been whispering lies to you for years, it says something to the effect of “We need a black person on the team for diversity. How bout Storm?” And you’ve gotten complacent. Storm does not have to be the only black person on your X-Men roster.

2. The X-Men represent diversity: Iceman is gay, Cyclops and Prof. X are disabled (sorta), there are plenty of women, oh and everybody except Storm is white. Of the A-List X-Men, there is only *one* POC character. I’d argue that an MCU X-Men needs to champion diversity like never before.

3. The X-Men represent minority struggle while being mostly white: There’s a cognitive dissonance in the metaphor that has always been there, and for the most part, nobody cares. To appeal to the white readers of the 60′s, the X-Men were all initially white. That way, the message of the mutants could be related to the audience with a familiar face. We don’t need to approach the problem that way in 202?

4. Just because that’s the way it’s always been, doesn’t mean that’s the way it should be: The first line of defense. Sorry, that will never be a good justification for literally any idea. It’s time for some more critical thinking.

5. We don’t all want to be Bishop: So say you’re white and you have a kid who for his birthday having a costume party. You’ve bought some X-Men costumes and you want each kid to pick one. 9 white kids and one black kid show up to your house. As the kids deliberate who gets what costume, be it Cyke or Wolvie or whatever, you yell at everybody to “STOP!”, point to the one black kid and tell him “You’re gonna be Bishop. That’s it, end of story!” 

We don’t all want to be Bishop. The black child could have the best Cyclops interpretation within him, but you’ll never know if you don’t let him try. And that’s no different from the Black actors of Hollywood. There’s no reason why all of the black talent should *have* to compete for the role of Bishop or Storm, which I’ve discussed, while Joe Schmo can walk up and audition for literally anybody he wants.          

Jharrel Jerome is 23 and has an Emmy to his name. He needs to be in the MCU in some capacity, period. Stephan James is another. How bout Damson Idris. Ashton Sanders. But no, no, let’s fancast Dacre Montgomery or Ansel or Joe Keery again as [Human Torch, Wolverine, Iceman, Angel, I’ve literally seen it all.]

6. Nobody wants to see the B-team if it comes down to it. The next line of defense from your racebending naysayers after “That’s the way it’s always been!” is “Well, what about Psylocke, Bishop, Forge and Jubilee?” who are otherwise known as B-tier X-Men. The problem is, we’ve got limited time and limited spots.

So since the X-Men is all about wonky metaphors that make half sense, let me give you another: Let’s say somebody approaches you and says “Hey buddy, I got two free concert tickets for ya! You can either see Michael Jackson Sings the Blues, or you can go see Justin Timberlake. Free of charge!”

Now, are you used to MJ singing the blues? No! Do you have a problem with going to see Justin Timberlake? No, he’s fine on a Wednesday! He had that one little diddy we liked that one time. We’d love to see him eventually! But are you gonna say, “fuck that, I’m going to see MJ Sings the Blues” regardless? Hell yes, because that’s still Michael Jackson. He’s gonna give the same amazing performance he always does, it’s just gonna be the blues. And speaking of blues...

7. Black is not Blue, Brown is not Blue: Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard this one: “I don’t care if you’re black, white, purple, or green, I’m going to treat you all the same!” I will not say all have this intention, but some fancasters have noticed that the racial diversity is kinda low within the A-List X-Men, so they oh-so-generously give the following roles to a black or brown person: Iceman, Nightcrawler, Beast. 

Notice the pattern? It’s a microaggression, and it’s bullshit. What these fancasters are implicitly telling you is that, yes the actors will be black or brown, but when the action starts we can ignore that. They’ll be blue by then. In other words, you in fact do care if they’re purple or green. Nobody will cry foul if Dev Patel gets to play Nightcrawler (because that’s a common one I see), but should Anna Diop be Starfire or Michael B. Jordan be Human Torch, I bet there’d be backlash. Oh wait. If that’s you, please stop acting like you actually value diversity. You don’t want to see black or brown skin, period. Unless of course, it’s Storm (refer to point #1).

But wait, there’s more! When brown characters get whitewashed in these movies, it’s crickets! So eventually it’s revealed implicitly that proclaimers of point #4 only care about it one way.

8. Professor X should not be black if you’re not willing to change anyone else: The next line of defense is that some people say the professor should be black, if anybody HAS to be racebent. Something something MLK Jr., Civil Rights or some shit. Number one, I’m not reducing Professor X to being a magical negro for 9 white people (and Storm!) who for all intents and purposes get to have all the action. Number 2, the Professor X/MLK/Magneto/Malcolm X comparison is an oversimplifying disservice to ALL FOUR of those people. I hate that line whenever I see it, please watch a documentary my friends. 

9. The Candidates for Racebending: For me, the A-List X-Men are Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Angel, Beast, Wolverine, Storm, Gambit, Rogue, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Kitty Pryde. Now, who should be exempt from the racebending? Storm, she’s our designated minority. Gambit, he’s Cajun and they’re white (generally speaking, that’s a fun bit of research). Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler, because their nationality/ethnicity was the whole point of the Giant-Size premise in the first place. Angel, because his character embodies a privileged white male. Beast and Iceman, I don’t care one way or another (Point #7).

That leaves Cyclops, Rogue, Jean Grey, and Kitty Pryde. Now Jean Grey is a redhead, and we all know that every time a redhead is racebent people sharpen their pitchforks (Mary Jane, Wally West, Iris West), so I will cede the ground on Jean if only so that my ginger friends can get their rep. Kitty Pryde is Jewish, but Jews of color exist. Rogue is from the South. And Cyclops is, well, just Cyclops. That makes those three characters good options for more diversity. But allow me to make the case for Cyclops, specifically.

10. It’s not just diversity for diversity’s sake: If you had to pick who the main character of the X-Men is supposed to be, most would say Cyclops. And so in a series that highlights racial discrimination in society, it makes sense that our main character be black. While changing Cyclops’ skin color should not change who he is as a character, it *should* recontextualize it. Now, as an eventual increasingly radical leader of the X-Men, Cyclops would evoke real life figures such as Colin Kaepernick or, shall I say, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Not that most X-Men fans and writers truly think about what it means to be black anyways. Storm’s minority status is almost always put through the lens of her being a mutant and not her being a black woman. In other words, you can’t argue that making a character black will fundamentally change his or her character when you haven’t even analyzed the racial context of the black character(s) you already have. Another concept that the MCU X-Men should tackle: intersectionality.

11. Representation matters: I have to say it: Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther hit different. And now he is tragically gone. At the end of the day, the MCU moving forward is down its most prominent black male superhero. Which has implications beyond just the movies themselves.

The women are in good hands. Shuri, Okoye, and Nakia are badasses in Wakanda, Valkyrie is ruling Asgard, Storm is almost assuredly on the way, RiRi Williams has already been cast, and Monica Rambeau is here and she’s not even at her most glorious yet. That doesn’t even include variable Δ, or the number of characters who can and will be racebent. And I’ll note again that to me, Gamora doesn’t count, because she’s green (#7 really pisses me off because it’s so blatant. I hate it). Of course from a behind the camera perspective we love black women getting work.

The men are a completely different story. Imma just go out and say it, I can’t stand Falcon and War Machine [in the MCU] because they’re not characters, they’re just two of a slew of MCU minority sidekicks who have essentially been at the beck and call of Captain America and Iron Man, respectively. You cannot tell Falcon’s story without mentioning Cap. The reverse is not true. There’s a whole essay that could be and have been written on “Minorities in the MCU, pre-Black Panther”. Remember, there’s a reason BP made so much noise in the first place.

So excluding those two we have, let’s see, M’Baku, Blade, and Fury who aren’t exactly the most superheroic superheroes, Eli Bradley is proooobably coming, I doubt Miles Morales is coming (because he’s just Peter Parker in the MCU), Luke Cage(?) Bishop(??), Sunspot(???), Blue Marvel(????). Not only are they not A-List, I would not put money on any of them being in the MCU any time soon.

Cyclops is thee Captain America of the X-Men. He’s the frontman. He’s the poster boy. He’s the “boy scout”, which in other words means he’s the hero, if there has to be one. It would mean a lot right now, and specifically *right now*, if he were to be black. The MCU needs it. It NEEDS it.

12. The X-Men is the Summers Story: I’ll even make the case that if just one character needs to racebent, then it should be Cyclops, because that of course implies that other related characters need to be black because half of the X-Men universe is in fact a part of the Summers family. 

So now Cable is black. Corsair is black. Havok is black. And one of the most central stories in the X-Men mythos, the Summers family drama, is now a black family drama set in space or the future or where the fuck ever. The concept is boundary pushing. When white families have drama in the media, it gets to be Game of Thrones or Star Wars, while when black families have drama in the media, it has to be black people arguing in a kitchen or living room about their various earthly traumas (I’m @’ing you, Mr. Perry). I mean, that’s all fine and good often times, but I want my black family drama in space, dammit.

And again, this is the X-Men, the series that’s all about *minorities* and their struggle, so again, why not?

Oh, and I’ll even throw out a Havok fancast for you: How bout Jharrel Jerome?

#cyclops #scott summers #the mutants #monica rambeau #X-men #xmen #marvel #MCU #fancast #jharrel would actually be a better sunspot #but you get the point #my man would have OPTIONS

[popanalysis99]

Darlene Alderson: Analysis

Darlene Alderson is the deuteragonist of the series Mr. Robot. She is the younger sister of the protagonist Elliot Alderson and a fellow hacker in fsociety. In the beginning of the series, she remains much of a mystery but later we get to know a lot about her, especially her importance in the series, especially in Elliot’s life. (Spoilers and Trigger Warning)

Early Life

Darlene was born in 1990. When she was 4, she remembered watching a news report about E Corp being cleared in the Washington Township trial and seeing the lawyer Susan Jacobs become delighted about that news. Unbeknownst to her, Elliot was being sexually abused by her father Edward and Elliot tried to protect her from being his next victim. And when Edward died, her mother Magda began to physically and emotionally abuse her and Elliot, but Darlene got the brunt of it the most. She even adopted a kitten once named Moonpie and built a secret house for her. Her mother found out and forced her to drown it in the lake but Darlene ran away with it instead and gave it away to a woman.

At the age of 5, she was kidnapped by a woman during a family trip to an amusement park. Over there she was treated very nicely and like a princess and it made her feel special. Until the police came in and rescued her. Both her and Elliot’s favourite movie was The Careful Massacre of the Bourgeoisie, which they would often watch with their childhood friend Angela.

How we meet Darlene

Darlene is introduced as a typical rule breaker MPDG who takes a sudden interest on the resident broken bird Elliot, who is constantly freaked out by her advances at first. She is a fellow hacker working on a hack against E Corp. She slowly becomes Elliot’s sidekick and best friend. She helps Elliot restart the hack with the help of the Dark Army one month after the death of Shayla and as they both celebrate, Elliot accidentally kisses her and it is revealed that Darlene is actually his sister, which then leads to a reveal that Mr. Robot is actually Elliot’s split personality.

Taking control of fsociety

After Elliot ends up in prison for hacking into Lenny Shannon and taking Flipper, Darlene ends up taking control of fsociety and picks up from where he left off. She has taken over Susan Jacobs’ house as the base of operations. We even see her having multiple breakdowns, showing that despite having a brave facade, she hasn’t really gotten all of this figured out. She even makes a rousing speech to the members, which would also foreshadow her own position in the future episodes: “We are in a war, and we are on the losing side of it. We are on our knees with guns to our heads, and they are picking us off one by one.”

She even tries to make decisions for the good of the team and is shown to be extremely determined in taking down E Corp. From prison, Elliot helps her out and she recruits Angela to use her position in E Corp to hack the FBI and find out who killed Romero. Fsociety later uncovers the operation Project Berenstain and exposes the FBI for it. But things get out of control when Susan returns and Darlene kills her out of spite for what she did, causing Trenton and Mobley to go on the run.

Then it gets worse when the members get into an accident and get caught and arrested, with one of them escaping and taken to the hospital by Darlene and Cisco, and then as Dom finds them at a diner, A Dark Army shooter kills Cisco, which drastically changes Darlene. After Darlene tries to escape from answering Dom, Dom takes her to the board where she reveals the FBI knows everything. With no other choice, Darlene decides to give in and become a mole.

From badass leader to Dark Army’s prey

So how did this badass hunter become the docile hunted?

Darlene ends up becoming more paranoid for her life, believing the Dark Army is now after her. And side by side she even tries to help Elliot stop Stage 2. She even finds out about Angela gaslighting Elliot for helping the Dark Army, but in vain and realises that she has truly gone mad. She and Elliot then team up to undo the 5/9 hack and in the process tries to sleep with Dom to get the credentials but develops feelings for her in the process. And when she gets kidnapped by the Dark Army along with Elliot and Dom, this is when she becomes their constant prey/butt-monkey. 

In Season 4, Darlene seemed to get worser and weaker after Angela’s death when she became a jaded washout who took in drugs and alcohol to deal with her death, a complete opposite of what we used to see her as, with Elliot having to handle things on his own now. She later tries to get a hold of herself slowly as she tries to help Elliot with taking down the Deus Group and Whiterose, but Elliot constantly pushes her away, but he still lets her help him because he cares for her and is grateful for her.

“Not Acceptable” and “Request Timeout” is when her status as the Dark Army’s “personal butt-monkey” comes into play. First Dom tries to blow her brains off and then knocks her out, then Janice tries to blow her brains off but then Darlene wipes her phone, then she gets tied up with Dom and is about to be tortured with some tools before getting forced to watch Dom get stabbed by Janice. Wait. This doesn’t end there. Then she hears Janice’s tale about how she is so happy to be evil, then Janice makes her cry into giving up Elliot’s location, makes her cry again into thinking Dom’s family will be killed before Dom pulls a gambit and kills Janice and her men. Phew.

Breaking Out

When Elliot suffers from a mental breakdown thanks to the PTSD caused by Vera’s psychological abuse in 4x07. Darlene breaks out of her “butt-monkey” mould and decides to take matters into her own hands and steps up. She makes a new fsociety video doxxing the Deus Group and commits the biggest hack in the history with the help of Elliot and steals all of the money from the accounts of all the members, including Whiterose.

Elliot even acknowledges this when he tells her to complete the last phase of the hack: redistribution of the wealth as the hack is her win, not his. She is elated to celebrate her win with Dom and this is the first time we’ve seen her actually happy in a long time. She then tries to run away with Dom from the Dark Army, but when Dom decides to stay, Darlene becomes vulnerable and explains how she can’t handle on her own, before they part ways.

When Darlene tries to leave for Budapest by herself, she ends up having another panic attack. When a woman asks her if she is okay, Darlene decides not to go to Budapest after all and that she can handle herself.

Being a key to Elliot’s reality

It is revealed at the end of the series that the Elliot we’ve been seeing throughout the series is actually another alter known as the Mastermind and that the real Elliot is trapped in an alternate word he created for him. And the reason why Darlene isn’t in it is because she is said to be his only link to reality. Though it does kinda fall into the “women are the dependant caregivers” trope, it does give a really meaningful and hopeful ending to the series. It means that Elliot and Darlene have only each other and love each other and can heal together after going through so much for past one year. We’ve seen Darlene as a lot of things throughout the series, The MPDG, The Fsociety Leader, The Dark Army’s Butt Monkey and finally the key to Elliot’s reality. And we applaud her for being the heart of the series.

#mr. robot #mr robot #character analysis #darlene alderson #analysis #hero analysis #essay