I don’t think it’s exactly a spoiler to say that Bucky will probably have a significant presence in Captain America 2, given that the subhead name of that film is The Winter Soldier. So I thought I would take a minute to talk about how Bucky has interacted with the Captain America narrative since the forties. Partly because the comics tell a significantly different story from the film, which affects the balance of power between the two men, but also because it’s kind of hilarious.
There are significant spoilers for the Winter Soldier comic book arc behind the jump, so if you want to go in as unspoiled as possible by comics, you know what to do.
historymiss: It’s like Who Do You Think You Are for Natasha copperbadge: Which is now a fic I want to write copperbadge: Natasha goes on the show because it’s the best of a bad lot of PR options. Also she DID say she wanted to find herself copperbadge: MCU-wise, if Nicholas had a couple of kids on the wrong side of the blanket, she could be a granddaughter or great-granddaughter, I suppose archwrites: how would anyone get the red room data to find out, though copperbadge: Well you wouldn’t need it necessarily. You could just DNA test her against the remains of the princesses. Em: Putin makes her renounce any intention of making Russia a monarchy again and taking the throne copperbadge: Ahahaha like Putin could. He just begs her not to invade. Em: true but still. He tries to make it *look* like he’s controlling it, and Nat lets him because she can’t be bothered. copperbadge: Well, she checks with Tony, and apparently it’d be bad for the economy if she sets herself up as Tsarina. Plus James would make a terrible Tsar. copperbadge: And Steve’s right out. And Sam doesn’t want to. Em: LOL copperbadge: Clint DOES want to be Tsar but…no. Levynite: dear gods no
In the 2011 Captain America movie, Steve Rogers’ first mission after getting his supersoldier powers is to go on a propaganda tour.
Rather than saving kittens from trees or battling supervillains (or fighting the Nazis, which is what he actually signed up to do), Steve ends up as a USO performer, touring with a team of chorus girls.
Each night, they perform a song called “Star Spangled Man,” during which Captain America punches a Hitler lookalike on the nose and implores the audience to buy war bonds. The whole thing is a perfect parody of 1940s sepia-toned Norman Rockwell patriotism, and Captain America—or rather Steve Rogers, behind the mask—grows to hate it. He wanted to do his duty back when he was an undernourished, asthmatic artist, but now he’s a muscle-bound Adonis, it turns out his main job is to sell comics and appear in propaganda movies.
Captain America: The First Avenger follows a pretty typical superhero storyline: an underdog character gains superpowers, battles adversity while trying to do the right thing, suffers a loss, and finally defeats the bad guy. Of course, the movie ends with Cap crashing his plane into the ocean and waking up in 21st-century New York , but the lack of a happy ending is the only major departure from the traditional superhero narrative.
The interesting part is how Captain America’s fandom chooses to interpret him not just as a character, but as a symbol.
“Star Spangled Man” is a perfect example. In the movie, it’s a cheesy musical number that’s used to illustrate Steve Rogers’ growing frustration with being a “performing monkey” rather than a real soldier, but fans remixed it to have a more nuanced meaning. Ryan Sanura recorded a haunting acoustic cover of the song, inspired by a fanfic by author and Marvel fan Sam Starbuck, in which Steve Rogers comes across a modern-day interpretation of the song. “It’s not an anthem to raise money for a war or get enlistment numbers up,” Steve realizes. “It’s a cry out for help. Who’ll rise and fall, give their all for America?” In the 21st century, the answer is no longer clear.
An article on Steve Rogers as Marvel’s most politically engaged superhero, written pre-CA:TWS; it’s fascinating to consider those of the article’s predictions which came true in the movie (and the aspects of the movie which the article didn’t manage to predict), the speculations on the fandom’s interactions with and influence on the source material, and the description of the fandom’s ongoing mission to redeem Marvel’s villains.
I was also happy to see a reference to copperbadge, whose works in the Captain America fandom I’ve come to greatly appreciate (and whose original fiction novel Trace I enjoyed reading recently – go check it out, guys, it’s free!).
Oh, and do yourselves a favour – don’t forget to check out the music tracks embedded in the article for ultimate feels.
I thought I had reblogged this but according to my drafts NOT SO MUCH. D:
Oh, hey look, it’s a fandom-positive article about how fans and their transformative works can expand and enhance themes in a canon and give them broader, greater meaning to their audience. Also namedrops Sam, so it’s pretty much awesome.
I am a person of limited means. This does not mean I am immune from the occasional ridiculous purchase. One thing I love is novelty tins, the kind that fudge or biscuits come in. Most recently, I bought a brand of ground coffee not my own purely because it came in a gorgeous black tin with irises on it, and I knew I could refill it with my preferred organic beans at a later time, which I have done. Two Christmases ago, during the post-holiday season, I bought a tin of awful biscuits purely because the tin they came in looked like a stack of books.
I have a problem, I know, but I also a) am a crafting person and b) have mice in my kitchen, so tins get used in my house, rather than stuck on a shelf and forgotten.
Novelty tins and such come in early in Australia, because we don’t really celebrate Halloween at all, and Thanksgiving is not an Australian holiday. So, Christmas merch turns up in mid-September. My birthday was the 15th, and, sure enough, in town three days later, I spot the first cheap and nasty Santa crap outside a kitchenware store.
So it wasn’t a massive surprise that while shopping with my partner in our regular supermarket, I saw this, and immediately gasped. “It’s hideous. I need it.”
Because copperbadge regularly documents hideous merchandise, we took an immediate photograph for posterity. My partner was quick to point out how unnaturally close they’re all standing to each other to fit on the tin. Maybe they’re not wearing pants, it was eventually decided, since Steve’s O-face suggests he might be on the receiving end of some Hulk-lovin’. We discussed this conversationally standing next to the milk fridge, at normal vocal volume. Since entering our thirties, we’re officially in the no-fucks-to-give zone of caring who might overhear.
Because it’s only $5, it ends up in our trolley with our already-over-budget weekly shop.
“What will you put in it?” my partner asks, demanding answers, some kind of vague justification for buying it.
“Buttons or something,” I say. It won’t be buttons. I don’t know what it’ll be, but I’ll find a thing to go in it.
I’d noticed when I picked it up how light it was. Not light enough to be empty, but certainly light enough that I didn’t even bother trying to claim I just wanted the sweets. I was buying the terrible tin.
Later that evening, my partner opened it, and this is what was inside.
Eight tiny offbrand sweets, of the kind you tend to buy from a $2 shop by the kilo. (Yes, I know that’s six, we ate two.) Eight sweets, in the whole $5 tin.
So, I have yet to find something to put inside it, but I own my first fandom tin, and maybe it’s silly of me, but I think the fact that it’s driven me to out-loud laughter twice and made my partner make buttsex jokes in a rural supermarket, means it’s money well spent.
If you could be in any Broadway musical, what would it be and what role would you play?
#men who admit they love musical theater are the men that one should never let go of #marry me #I’m NYC bound if he ever does Broadway #one of the best interviews #Chris Evans talks to fans #Chris Evans
knitting in the dark 