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mcuvsdceu2023 · 1 year

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With Great Power: Stan Lee

Have you ever wondered how much of Marvel's success comes from Stan Lee's influence? A Great Power is a documentary that talks about Stan Lee and his early career in comics.

This documentary starts with multiple cut scenes of Lee smiling and waving at fans, accepting a National Medal of Honor and signing different comics and badges that people brought to his meet and greets. A part of the cut scenes shows different actors who had met Lee and read his comics. They all had many positive things to say about them. After this is done, the documentary shifts to a brief description of Lee's childhood. He tells the viewers about the apartment that his family lived in during the Great Depression and how his father could barely find a job. He also tells the viewers that he was constantly working throughout his childhood and that he got into the comics business by accident because he had seen a job advertisement in a newspaper and applied.

The two people who were working there at the time were Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who were the “editor and writer and illustrator” respectively. During this time, comics needed a two-page filler for their final publishing, and so Lee was given his first assignment. For his two-page filler, he started writing the Captain America comics which became a huge success in America. After a while Kirby and Simon disappeared from Timely Comics, and Lee was left to run the company by himself, so he became the writer, illustrator, and editor.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which pulled America into World War II, Lee had Captain America and his other Marvel heroes fight in the war. In many of his comics, Captain America can be seen fighting villains of Nazi and Japanese origins. Captain America was constantly seen beating these “Nazi Villains” and aiding the American soldiers in the war. These comics boosted morale among the American citizens scared for their army heroes who were overseas. Michael Uslan, a comic book historian, makes the statement, " we were living our folklore, and we were winning the war through our superheroes and our heroes overseas," solidifying the idea that American citizens in America were using these comics to help them push through the struggles that the war put them through.

Stan Lee also created a club known as the Merry Marvel Marching Society or MMMS. Lee created this club to create an air of excitement around his comic book crew. Lee would make recordings of the group while they were working in the office almost like our everyday podcasts now. He would introduce himself to the MMMS then he would make jokes with his crew. In the video, Lee talks to Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko whilst they were working in the office. Towards the end of this recording, Lee says "out the window again! I'm starting to think he is Spider-Man," speaking about Steve Ditko.

Due to a psychiatrist, Fredric Werthem, Lee's comic company went bankrupt and Lee had to let all of his employees go because they couldn't sell comics. Werthem conducted research on juvenile delinquents from the time and all of them said to him that at some point in their life they had read a comic book. So Werthem determined that comic books must be the leading cause for youth delinquency, and would tell parents that it wasn't their fault their children were misbehaving but actually the comics fault. Parents were eager to accept this as truth and so they stopped buying comics and burned the ones they had already owned, making it very hard for Lee to sell comics.

By 1960 Lee was ready to quit the comic book business and try for something else, as comics weren't making enough money and he was being mocked by other people for his choice of work. Lee told his wife that he was going to quit comic book writing, she told him that he could quit after he wrote one last comic the way he wanted to write it. In 1961 Marvel released the fantastic four and it became a huge success throughout the country. The fantastic four opened up the world of Marvel Comics which has now become one of the greatest movie franchises ever made.

This documentary doesn't talk about the MCU films, however, I do believe that it can answer my question from above. Stan Lee had a great deal of influence when the first Iron Man movie was created. In fact, Lee was given the 2008 National Medal of Honor for his work in the comic book world. Millions of people were reading his Marvel comics and these comics were changing their lives. Actors who appeared in the documentary talked about Lee's work and how it changed the world of comics.

Lee changed the world of comics through the humanity that he gave his characters. Starting with the Fantastic Four Lee focused more on the "human behind the mask than the mask itself." These characters showed humanity in many different ways. The characters in the Fantastic Four comics showed empathy and despair, along with humility and dejection. I believe that this is the reason why the MCU is so successful. It's not just because of the flashy superheroes or the crazy supervillains. Marvel comics and the MCU had characters who openly expressed emotions and struggled through trauma and injury.

I believe that Stan Lee's influence from his days as a comic writer also plays a great deal in the MCUs success. Lee's work to create an inviting atmosphere for his readers and his recreation of the comic world created a fan base that continued to expand with every new comic that he released. Lee's influence also allowed the creation of the Marvel movies, if the comic books hadn't been such a success the movies would have never been made. Without those books the MCU would not exist. The MCU alongside Marvel Comics would've been a distant memory for Lee and a dream that would've stayed a dream.

Though "With Great Power" answered many questions I had about Stan Lee and his comic book success it also brought up more. Were the fans going to watch the films because Stan Lee was in them? Why did Lee decide to make the comics into movies? Finally, How much influence did Stan Lee have over the production of the Marvel Movies?

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nerdgirlriot · 4 months

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Echo Random Thoughts

spoilers! so be warned...

wrt my previous post, i did enjoy Maya returning home and the main conflict within her is which side does she want to call family? the community that raised her or the man who gave her a purpose?

also it's telling how Fisk didn't want to bother actually learning ASL while Maya's family all learned ASL in order to communicate with her. Fisk just threw money at some programmers

speaking of Fisk, the show blatantly called back to his childhood in an abusive home and how that shaped him, so is everything in the netflix shows canon or just what gets rehashed in the new MCU?

after the magical realism of Reservation Dogs, I find it interesting that Echo also puts characters' connections to their ancestors on full display

but i wonder how much this plays into the "magical Native American" trope. Like...yes Maya "cures" Fisk, or seems to? She straight up gave him like 25 years of therapy in 25 seconds. is that...good? idk...

It does look like Marvel/Disney sought the advice and help of the Choctaw nation, but how much of the production crew were Indigenous? The writers? The directors? Like...there's a real sense of authenticity that Reservation Dogs has that I think Echo often lacks. Is it just me? Am I just spoiled because Rez Dogs was just so damn good?

same with the Deaf representation. I do appreciate that they eased up on Maya being able to magically lip-read, but how authentic were her experiences?

Or maybe it's just all Marvel-ized and super hero-y and I have to remember that this is the same universe where Wanda made an entire town re-enact sitcoms and Loki is God

I do love how the legacy of Maya's family allows her to connect to them as they "echo" through her. We have a title/codename!

also I want Kamala to come to Maya in full Nick Fury mode. Put her in Young Avengers too dammit.

Can you fucking imagine Yelena and Maya and Kamala and Kate on the same team????

also i loved Matt's smol cameo but I loled at the fact that it was just a teeny cameo and poor Charlie Cox won't be putting that cowl back on for some time (or at least until the new DD show gets its fucking shit together)

#these things i think #merry marvel marching society #michelle watches:#echo #spoilers #echo spoilers

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pat1dee · 4 years

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Merry Marvel Marching Society poster

by Marie Severin

#Merry Marvel marching society #marie severin #dr strange #captain anerica #namor the sub mariner #iron man #the human torch #nick fury #the thing #the incredible hulk #spider man #thor of asgard

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resurrectionsadamwarlock · 3 years

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MMMS 2021- Acts of Vengeance

The Marvel Super Heroes Podcast Episode 107- Iron Man in “Acts of Vengeance”

Face Front, True Believers! In an unintentional prequel/sequel to our early episode covering Iron Man #247 and Incredible Hulk #361, Illegal Machine and Diabolu Frank tackle the Armored Avenger (and The Mandarin’s) role in a 1989 crossover event as part of a 2021 podcast x-over! We touch on elements from Iron Man #242-252, with an emphasis on his battles with Dr. Doom, the Wrecker, and Chemistro at the end of the legendary David Michelinie/Bob Layton run! Don’t stop here, as there are dozens more shows covering this epic! Excelsior!

Note: We like our language NSFW salty, and there be spoilers HERE…

#Other Podcasts #Rolled Spine Podcasts #The Marvel Super Heroes Podcast #Acts of Vengeance #AoV #Merry Marvel MARCHing Society #MMMS #MMMS 2021 #Marvel #Marvel Comics #Comic Books #Crossover #Iron Man #Doctor Doom

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mightykombat · 7 years

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If they don't have this as the credits theme to MVC Infinite, we riot

#marvel vs capcom infinite #merry marvel marching society

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namorthesubmariner · 6 years

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The MCU Musical you’ve always wanted! Coming no time soon to a theater near you. Now you can enjoy great Broadway hits like:

‘I don’t even own purple pants, how do I keep waking up in them?’

A duet sung by Bruce Banner and The Hulk

‘Who am I? I’m Iron Man! But also a genius, billionare, playboy, philanthropist.’

A tap dance number sung by Tony Stark

‘Well the world went to hell again and I just want to crawl back into the Ice for a nap.'

A ballad sung by Steve Rogers

‘There is trouble going on! I just know somehow it’s Loki’s fault!’

A rock n roll number sung by Thor which is followed by a Thor and Loki duet of

‘He is not my brother! He’s adopted!”

And finally in the grand finale: Namor singing the famous sea shanty:

‘You surface idiots have fucked up again! I’m so tired of your shit. Just leave me and my ocean alone.'

#add your own song!#lmao #i love musicals #marvel #mcu #steve rogers #captain america #tony stark #iron man #namor #namor the submariner #thor #loki #hulk #bruce banner #musical #songs #merry marching marvel society

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cubesquareddigital · 3 years

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The Art of the Marvel Logos

Something a little bit different for you. Anyone who knows me (even a little) will know about my life-long love of Marvel (the superheroes, not the powered milk). From reading the comics as a child to the TV shows of the 70s and 80s (I’m looking at you Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk) to the modern day movies that have dominated cinemas for the last 10 years or so, I’m, a life-long member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society.

Whilst the movies, under the stewardship of producer Kevin Fiege, are the epitome of the modern Marvel universe (let’s gloss over the ones that came before or from other studios) and I love them all dearly (maybe not equally, but dearly), there’s an aspect of them that often gets overlooked and that’s the graphic design that went into their logo’s.

Here I want to take a look at some of my favourite logos from the MCU and what I think is so great about them from a design point-of-view. It gives me a chance to geek out a little, tell you what I love about them (the logo, not the film) and hopefully you will come across some details you haven’t seen before that will make you appreciate the design work that goes into something people gloss over. There aren’t many sequels in the list (just adding a ‘2’ to it doesn’t make it any better) but there are a couple of notable inclusions.

Bear in mind this is just my list (in chronological order of release) and my own preferences, so it isn’t meant to be anything other than my own musings! I’ve also tried to track down the person / agency who designed the logo to give them the credit. Apologies if the details are wrong or missing. Once Marvel was bought up by Disney, I imagine they were all designed ‘in-house’ from that point. I haven’t included any of the Marvel TV shows or the Netflix ones either. Not that there’s anything wrong with them (the Luke Cage one is great), but I just preferred to concentrate on the movies within the MCU.

So, let’s start with the movie that kick-started the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with ….

1 - IRon Man (Released 2008)

It’s easy to forget that Iron Man was the first movie that was released by the then independent film studio Marvel had created. Marvel Studios, before it was bought up by Disney, was a newcomer to the world of cinema, and with the more widely-recognised of their characters owned by other studios (X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, etc.), they had to go with what was deemed to be their ‘B’ List characters.

Fast-forward to today and it’s hard to think of Iron Man being anything other than the cornerstone of the MCU, but back in 2008, releasing a movie, their first movie at that, based on a lesser known character was a huge risk. We needn’t have worried.

The Iron Man logo, at least the one accompanied the movie (the logo was slightly different when the initial teaser was released) was created by designer Fede Ponce. As the studios first film, it had to convey not just the title of the film, but a confidence in both themselves and the film itself.

I think what I love the most about the logo is how it manages to combine the aesthetics of the original comic book logo whilst giving it a modern twist. The metallic (he IS Iron Man after all), photo-realistic texture, works perfectly, uniting the past and the present together in a relatively simple design.

Ponce, after reading the script, described the movie as being one of redemption, and he’s right. Tony Stark goes from being the money-focussed weapons dealer and businessman who cares for little except himself but, (SPOILER ALERT) after being captured and coming to see how his weapons are being abused, becomes the eponymous hero we all now know and love.

This redemption is reflected in the logo too, literally. Thanks to the metallic textures and use of sunlight reflecting and breaking through from the bottom of the text, it signifies this rebirth for Tony Stark at the dawn on a new era.

2 - The Avengers (released 2012)

Here in the UK, we had to contend with it being called ‘Marvel’s Avenger’s Assemble’ because of perceived complication with an earlier movie based on an old TV series called The Avengers. Eugh! For the sake of this, let’s just pretend it was called what everyone else was calling in.

Without their ‘heavy hitters’ to call upon, The Avengers brought together Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Thor in a movie that would change what a superhero movie looked like forever, not to mention the culmination of the first real cinematic universe that continues to grow to this day.

The logo for Marvel’s first ‘team-up’ movie is probably the one that most closely resembles the original comic book logo, but that’s not a criticism. If it’s not broke, etc. It’s more of a dynamic refresh, rather than a full reboot of the original comic book design, with the classic Avengers ‘A’ leading the charge.

Within Marvel, this design cue was known as the ‘Big A’, not least because its larger type and the arrow thrusting forward. It was designed way back in the 1970s by designer and Marvel letterer (what a great job title) Gaspar Saladino. Gaspar, who also worked a lot for rival DC Comics, worked most of his life in the comic book industry. This piece of artistry from Saladino debuted in the Avenger’s comic in 1972.

The logo for the movie built on Saladino’s work by placing the ‘Big A’ inside a ring to give it more dynamism. Even the word ‘The’ was italicised to further portray forward momentum, something the studio was also experiencing following the success of Phase 1 movies they had released to great critical and audience response.

As with the Iron Man logo mentioned above, this also features an embossed metallic texture to signify their strength. The sharp edges and corners on the ‘G’ and the tie of the ‘Es’ (notice how the middle of the ‘E’ differs from the top and bottom) also help to define this.

As of writing, we’re now four Avenger’s movies deep and the logo hasn’t really changed that much over the course of those films, other than the addition of a subtitle. A sure sign that they were onto a winner as far back as the 1970s.

3 - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

This might seem like a strange addition to the list; a fairly plain logo for a movie based on a team most people won’t have even heard of at the time, but there’s actually a lot going on here. Allow me to explain.

This was another logo that was redesigned following it’s initial announcement in 2012 (thankfully),like the Avengers, the Guardians was going to be another Marvel team-up movie, but one for a group of ‘heroes’ (or maybe space pirates) based on a relatively recent comic book run (from 2008).

Whilst the name had been around in the comics since 1969, this was (mostly) based on the modern iteration by writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.

The movie and its characters were out of left-field for a studio that had, until now, played safe with its choices (albeit limited by rights issues). Guardians of the Galaxy most certainly didn’t. That meant most people, even those relatively familiar with Marvel, didn’t know what to expect, which is why the logo utilises the fundamental style of the logos that came before it, albeit with some fun subtle twists. The metallic texture isn’t as polished and ‘new’ as Iron Man or the Avengers logos were; it’s worn, almost beaten down and looks a little tatty, just the like the team themselves.

Also look at how ‘of the’ is positioned. It’s clunky and off-kilter, placed far left of centre, just like the team in the movie. It also beautifully symbolises the relationships within the team of Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot and Drax. We might not have known what to expect when it was announced, but we so fell in love with them when we saw the movie.

4 - Doctor Strange (2016)

Doctor Strange was the movie that took the MCU into the realms of magic, alternative dimensions and the seeded the multiverse. In design terms, it was also the movie that moved away from the metallic, block capitals that were starting to look a bit ‘samey’, but not eschewed it completely.

Doctor Strange isn’t just the character name, it’s literally the name of the protagonist. He IS Dr. Stephen Strange, a gifted surgeon who, following an accident, leaves him incapable of practising. As he searches the world for a remedy, he comes across The Ancient One who opens his eyes to a whole new world of magic, mysticism and martial arts (in the comics at least).

Dr. Strange isn’t your typical muscle-bound hero like we’ve been used to seeing, and the logo reflects this. The narrow, elegant font (it’s called 'Baker Signet if you’re interested) helps the logo stand out from those that came before, just as the hero does. It’s still reflective, but it’s also reflecting itself thanks to the ridged letters, just as the character reflects on himself to find his place in this new world he finds himself.

5 - Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

For me at least, when I think of Marvel, I think of Spider-Man. Together with the Fantastic Four, he was my ‘go-to’ character when I first starting reading the comics as a child. I think part of the appeal of any superhero character is that, when you see them, you can see yourself being them. OK, even at that young age I knew I couldn’t BE Spider-Man, but I COULD be Peter Parker quite easily.

I loved the comics, I even loved the TV show in the 70s with Nicholas Hammond and I also loved the Tobey Maguire iteration. They were all great, but for me at least still lacking a certain ‘something’; that one factor that would illicit those beloved memories of childhood.

When it was announced that Spider-Man was going to be part of the MCU, I was giddy with excitement. When I first saw Spider-Man: Homecoming in the cinema, it was, I think, the first time that the character I loved as kid in those comic books was truly brought to life on the screen. I loved the film and I loved the logo for it.

Spider-Man’s introduction brought with it a new youthful energy into the MCU. Peter Parker wasn’t a middle-aged white guy with muscles on his muscles, he was a teenager struggling to balance life, school and everything that the teenage years brings with it. He brought that sense of wonder and fun with his wide-eyed, some-would-say naive outlook on the world and the logo illustrates that brilliantly.

Logo’s that came before certainly tipped their hat to their comic counterparts, but were still very much ‘movie’ logos. This one, I think, was the first to fully embrace its comic book roots and not be ashamed of it. The youth of the character is reflected in the curved title and the graffiti-esque uses of the Spider-Man symbol forming the ‘o’ of Homecoming further establishes its younger aesthetic. You could see this logo grace any comic book, now or then. Welcome home Spider-Man.

6 - Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

After the much derided Thor : The Dark World (which isn’t actually as bad as people lead you to believe), the Thor franchise took at much needed twist with the recruitment of the brilliant Taika Waititi to direct the third movie. The logo for Thor: Ragnarok wasn’t excluded from this shake-up, but Taika’s influence is clear. The logo, when the film was first announced, was a much more sombre affair and owed much to the two films that came before it.

Ragnarok didn’t take it self too seriously. It was equally full of ironic wit, self-parody and production design that harkened back to the days of Jack Kirby’s colourful artwork from the comics. The logo epitomises all of this.

It was also part of the continuation of Marvel movie logos that veered away from the typical examples that came before it around this time. This, together with the afore-mentioned Spider-Man: Homecoming and even the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel when announced, all were much more playful in tone and styling.

It might look like a hodge-lodge of retro elements, from its 80s typeset to the jumble of video game colours. In many ways, as a logo, it really shouldn’t work, but it does. It perfectly represents Thor’s latest outing as something different from the masculine, all-too-serious muscle-fests we’d seen before.

7 - Black Panther (2018)

Not content with the first female-led movie coming over the hill (see below), Black Panther was the first Marvel movie with an almost entirely black cast. It proved to be a commercial and critical success and became the first Marvel movie to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar at the Academy Awards. Many other MCU films had been nominated for the technical categories before this, but not one of the ‘big’ awards. It didn’t win, but it was (and is) still one hell of an achievement for a ‘comic book movie’.

The character of T’Challa was first introduced to the MCU in Captain America: Civil War. For his own solo movie, we got to look at the fictional nation of Wakanda, a mysterious but technologically advance kingdom, hidden from the rest of the world. Black Panther is a logo fit for a king, it’s both regal and dynamic, just like it should be.

You might think it’s asking a lot for a logo to reflect all of these things, but I think this one manages it. The sleek lines matched with the precision of the lettering display the spirit of technological advances Wakanda is known for. The uses of blue and gold, within the 3D letters, ooze majestic splendour. In addition, with the first and last letters of Panther larger than the rest and the elongated point of the ‘N’ gives a static logo a real sense of purpose and movement.

8 - Captain Marvel (2019)

With 2019’s Captain Marvel, we got our first female-led superhero movie. I mean technically it was 2019, but the film itself was set in the 1990s. making full use of the de-ageing technology on Nick Fury, not to mention the logo itself. It’s a nostalgic love letter to the period of Blockbuster video shops and painful computer loading times.

As you would expect for a movie set 20+ years ago, the logo is reminiscent of the the movies of that era. The red and gold colours with the retro (for now, futuristic for then) lettering places the movie in our mind perfectly. Imagine any Schwarzenegger or Stallone film of that time using that same font. Little fact for you; the font is actually called “CaptainMarvel” and was designed by FontStudio LAB.

What I really like about it though is the space between the words. Normally this would be just negative space, but here they have added a glow, an explosion perhaps or a callback to her uniform, but either way it tells us that this is still a superhero movie, with all the crash bang boom you’d expect from it. It’s just subtle enough to let you make your own mind up.

9 - Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame marked the culmination of 20+ movies spanning 10+ years in what came to be known as the Infinity Saga. The movie has to hit so many targets but it managed it (just) and the world seemed to agree, making it the highest grossing movie in history. For a movie so jam-packed with heroes, the logo has an almost wistful feel to it which, if you’ve seen the movie, you will understand.

Marvel kept with the classic Avenger’s logo, but by using a more mature colour palette and the aged look of the texture signifies the passage of time (which, again, if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll get) and gives a more sombre feel. Of course, that’s only half the story. The ‘Endgame’ subtitle is also more muted, especially compared to the previous sequels Age of Ultron and Infinity War. You get just a faint hint of a sunset at the top of the lettering. The kern is also wider, more separated, signalling that the heroes we know are closing the curtain on their adventures and finding their own way from now on. Bittersweet maybe, but we love it 3000.

10 - Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

At the time of writing, we’re still waiting to see this movie (I don’t think it’s even been finished filming yet!) but we know it’s coming with Taika Waititi back at the helm of Thor’s 4th solo movie. Fresh (well relatively speaking) from the success of Thor: Ragnarok and its fantastic logo, we have another retro-tastic entry for Thor: Love and Thunder. It’s also too much logo for one film; its over-the-top uses of bold colours tells us what we can expect from the movie. It’s going to be BIG!

Like many of the latter logos, it’s fun, it’s colourful and reminds me a lot of the Marvel cartoons from the 1980s and 90s in its pomp and splendour. I can't wait to see it when it’s released (if movies ever get released ever again - curse you COVID19)

We hope you’ve enjoyed this little jaunt through the MCU with our graphic design glasses on. This obviously isn’t all of the logo’s or all of the movies so if there are any that I haven’t included that you like, let us know in the comments below. Remind us in 10 years and we’ll do it again. Nuff said.

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malecsecretsanta · 3 years

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Merry Christmas, outerspacebabe7!

For @outerspacebabe7. Happy holidays, I had already started writing the fic before we could find each other to get answers to questions, but I steered this fic in ways that it would still fit a lot of your preffered tropes. I hope you like it and thank you for inspiring me to write this fic. <3

Read On AO3

*****

I’ll make War for you

The smell of blood is rancid. It coats the palate of his mouth and tongue and it goes down his throat. Most of it is already dried on his upper lip but it doesn’t mean the bleeding has stopped. Shadowhunters were meant to withstand torture, poisoning, cuts and bruises. But no training prepared you to withstand the horrors your own people could inflict upon your body.

Because society dictated no secrets were to be held, once you were starting to have secrets, you would become fallen. The more you held on, the more you were a traitor to the state and its rules of control, supremacy and leadership.

Alec holds secrets, more than one, and all were sealed away in his mind. A bastion of discipline and conviction. A soldier of purpose and strength. He stands fearless. His body aches, his breathing tears away through the silence of the dungeon. The walls are pristine white where the light never dims. Showing off how grotesque the masquerade of Nephilims ‘spotless’ ideals could be.

The blood on the walls could never be washed away no matter how hard they scrubbed.

He suppresses his hiccups of panic as he sees the menacing stele hovers over the agony rune on his solar plexus. He has to calm down, he has to breathe, he has to take a hold of himself. There is a silent prayer on his lips for them to stop. But his begging always makes the matter worse.

“Give me names, Lightwood.” The inquisitor, a nameless face, looks at him. Their fingers tap a regular rhythm on their arm. Alec has been down here long enough to know what comes next.

“Never,” it takes effort but he’s strong enough to muster the strength. He spits the blood of his broken nose on the floor.

Agony makes his whole body jerk and the feeling of invisible needles wiggles its way under his skin. His vision whites out, a groan, a scream of anger passes his lips. They were going to have hell to pay, every single last one of them.

Magnus breathes in. It took him too long to find the weak spot in the wall. The fighting is happening up front. Warlocks, werewolves and Seelies fighting shadowhunters one by one. Arrogant Nephilims, they never suspect to be attacked from the back, thinking their defenses are strong enough.

He draws the sigil on the wall with his left hand, keeping his other one free in case shadowhunters do decide to check up on the wards on this side of the mountain. Angelic magic is powerful, but the blood of a prince of hell is stronger. He takes a step back, waiting for Meliorn to give him affirmation of position. He plays with the cork on the potion’s vial to keep his focus.

It doesn’t take long before there is a magical vibration in his communicator. He concentrates his power to tune into the frequency.

“The way is clear, your majesty.” Meliorn’s voice sounds strong and pleased. Which meant the assault on the southern gate had gone marvelously.

“Very well, keep the distraction going, I will locate Alexander’s cell by myself, have the others concentrate on liberating the other prisoners.” Things were going according to plan.

“Yes, sir.” There is the chime of the spell on the communicator dimming.

He breathes in.

He throws the uncorked vial to the sigil. The wall pulsates before it thickens. The explosion goes all the way through. The air gushes out. It’s fresh and cold. For the very first time in weeks Magnus feels he can breathe again. The mountain rumbles and the ground shakes. Once the High warlock is certain it wouldn’t collapse on itself. Shadowhunters weren’t stupid. They wouldn’t venture blindly in a freshly created passage way. He moves his hand as he invokes the fires that will help him through the tunnel..

There was a time where he would have chosen a more peaceful solution. But the time for compromised had died out when Aldertree had come in power. Destroyed everything what the institute should have stood for. Nephilims turned into mindless husks and downworlders changed and experimented on.

Magnus hadn’t stood for it, Alec hadn’t stood for it. The uprising had been inevitable. Magnus, being a prince of hell, took his place as monarch and downworlders marched for war. Many allied, many perished, sacrifices were made.

The High warlock mutters an incantation. The air is soaked out of the passage way. He walks forward as a protective bubble keeps himself safe from suffocation and dizziness. There is mountain dust around him everywhere and his steps sound hollow.

He could smell the stench of sulfur and ozone, the two scents associated with angelic magic, as he comes closer to the light. The fires around him dissipate. He approaches. There are runes allover the opening. Locking runes, repelling runes, banishing runes. Everything to keep any downworlders at bay.

Well thought, well planned out, but not enough to make him waver. They didn’t think of covering up the entire wall. Magnus clenches his fist and the magic impulse blasts the tunnel wide open, crumbling the wall to ash and dust. The runes fades.

Magnus steps into the light, there are bodies, some dead, some just knocked out from his suffocation spell. He closes his eyes as he whispers another incantation. He inhales and his vision goes gray, a wisp light appears, ready to guide him toward Alexander.

It doesn’t take long as he fights some leftover guards in every corridor. He’s swift enough to not let anything end in pain. He’s angry and rage builds up. Usually he’s more in tune with his feelings of revenge, more in control. But the longer he seeks out the right way. The more he doesn’t hold back. the more he approaches where Alexander is been held prisoner.

Magnus doesn’t need a map, or a history lesson to know where he is going. There are the cells for simple prisoners, the ones for living out your sentence while you await final judgment, then there are the cells for downworlders or especially strong criminals. But Alexander isn’t there.

Anger keeps on simmering underneath his skin. He knows when he enters the inquisitorial wing. It’s cleaner, more sophisticated, the hypocrisy drips from the ceiling up to the beautiful immaculate tiles bellow. It is smeared with the invisible blood of mostly innocent people who were on the wrong side of the law in the eyes of the clave.

Magnus comes to an intersection and the wisp vibrates before taking off to the left. All the way to the end of the corridor. There are people in the other rooms ready for ambush. With a snap of fingers he makes sure they stay locked. He walks through and the sudden bang of people and weapons clanking against the now sealed doors. There is cursing and Magnus cannot keep himself from having a side smile adorning his face; The smell of ozone permeates the air but any rune would be useless against his magic. They can struggle all they like, they won’t be getting out.

He smiles as he waves his hand. The door obliterated against the opposite wall. He steps inside and blocks the first knife that’s out there to get him. He keeps a energy shield up as another shadowhunter tries to slit his throat. He feints a fall and turns on himself as he deviates an attack. There is a pained scream as Magnus deflected the shadowhunter’s attack to stab his colleague. He moves away. There is fire in his hands.

They burned with an invisible fire before they bleed on the floor. There are screams of anguish and Magnus silences them.

Alec is smiling, he’s battered and bruised, there is dried blood and the tension in his muscles is taut and strong. Magnus feels his whole heart flutter with the feeling of finally have found back his love. It feels like things will be alright again.

“The sight of you being shackled to a wall will never fail to make me feel weak on my knees, Alexander.” Magnus says as he steps forward. He steps over charred and broken bodies.

“Liar.” Alec has trouble looking up and his nose looks like it had been repeatedly beaten and badly mended again. He can only see through one eye and with a gentle caress of magic Magnus tries to settle Alec’s pain. There is relief in his face and Magnus feels himself smiling back.

“Who says I wouldn’t fall to my knees at the sight of you ?” he quips as he scans Alec’s body for more serious or even deadly injuries.

“You submit to no-one, Magnus Bane.” Alec’s voice sounds raspy through the grin on his lips, he isn’t broken, because Alexander doesn’t break. But the tone is heavy enough to transpire the unfathomable fatigue he is probably feeling. Magnus takes a step closer, he lets his hand ghost over Alec’s shackled hands.

“That is true, but I’m rarely myself when I’m around you, my love. I would let the whole world burn if it means I get us to be safe.” The next sentence is a whisper. “As I recall, I’ve submitted to you before and will do it again, Alexander, My Alexander��” He lets the name linger between them. And Magnus feels himself lose his breath.

“Kiss me.”

Kissing Alec is like the heavens breaking open to finally let peace reign over the turmoil inside of you, it’s unique, ravaging, calming, it’s thunder and rain. It’s the tearing down of the pain and it restores order in your mind, Magnus’ mind. From the movement of lips to careful touches and a slip of tongue, it’s the little things. Even if Magnus avoids to go too hard, too passionate. It is heated and careful. And it reminds them on how much this is all they need, all what they would ever need. Sex isn’t part of it, never part of it. And Magnus’ kiss is soft and strong and welcoming. It grounds them and makes them feel alive in ways no other thing ever would.

Magnus cups Alec’s cheek before breaking the kiss. He’s out of breath, so is Alec. Alec winces before he relaxes when Magnus’ soothing magic overflows most of his face to heal his broken nose; when the last dregs of magic fade Magnus kisses Alec’s forehead.

“Let me unshackle you.”

He tries to keep Alec up but Magnus doesn’t expect him to walk, he had been held on his tiptoes for days. The fact that Alec is even remotely on his feet feels like a miracle. Alec buries his face in Magnus’ hair, finding comfort in the smell of sandalwood, reminding him of home, their home;

“Do you need a Stele ?” Magnus feels Alec mutter a yes and a whine. Magnus conjures a portal as he summons a stele to his pockets.

“Mission accomplished,” his final order resonates as a booming voice over the whole settlement.

Soon they will be home.

Alexander will be safe.

And the next attack could be coordinated.

The end

#outerspacebabe7 #malecsanta20 #*fic20 #*gifts20

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