Thoughts on an Avengers Trope

[dragonofmemory]

Okay, so there is this sub-trope of the Cap/Ironman fandom world.  It's called Super Family, and usually involves Steve and Tony adopting Peter Parker at various stages of his childhood as an AU.  Don't ask me how this started, but it apparently is a thing I more or less avoid because I'm generally not to keen on kidfic or AUs.  There are some exceptions, but over all the trope isn't my cup of tea. 

But I do have one big question: Why is it always Peter?  Seriously.  I'm pretty sure there's a whole range of Young Avengers people could be choosing from.  I get that he's the most popular Marvel character, but surely he's not the only angsty kid Steve and Tony can adopt. Why not another de-aged Avenger even?  Or, better yet, if we're doing the whole Spidy thing, why not have them adopt MJ or Gwen Stacy (Nothing against Gwen, because I rather liked her character in the new movie, but I think I'll always be a bit more partial to MJ) and then you can have the adorable glaring and protective parenting over their daughter trying to date a super hero the papers consistently have it out for.  It would be rather adorable, actually.

Sorry.  I guess it's just one of those things?  Even tropes I don't always like, I apparently have to pick apart and wonder why more people don't branch out more.  You could be doing interesting things instead of the fics we find a dime a dozen on AO3, people.  And yet you don't.  You make Mem a sad, sad panda.

Of course, that's probably why most people tend to skip over my own fics, so hey.  Going against the grain is cool.  Does that make me some sort of hipster fanfic writer?  Actually, that just made my brain hurt, so I'm not going there. 

In other news, I watched the first bit of Life After People in a class I was subbing for the other day, then went home and watched the rest of it.  It's really kind of fascinating if you have the time to watch it, learning when all the buildings would fall and what the Earth would look like without us.  It made me want to write some sort of dystopiain future or dead advanced civilization, so I started testing a few plots.  While the next Amy-verse (not the next Amy-verse that has been written for months and is still waiting for me to type, but the one after that -_-;;;) is outlined for major bits, I have two major wholes of 'Characters A and B and shenanigans'.  So I think I'll put some of that info to good use for one of those shenanigans bit.  Just because I can.  Plus, I do tend to have a weakness for dead overly-advanced civilizations that I can probably date back to the Pern series. 

It's just fun watching random informational things sometimes, because there's always something new you can learn and use in writing.  No.  I am not getting on TED talks again.  I will not get sucked in again.  I promise.  Maybe.  Damn it, why are they so addicting?  T_T  But regardless of my inability to turn down a good TED talk, you really never know what will end up in a story.  I've researched the molecules for milk before and it was a major plot point of Three-era pseudo-science.  Just because.  Let's not talk about the random sex practices I researched on ancient China for that Ten/Simm fic.  That I ended up not using at all, except for the Doctor's ill advised reading material, but hey.  Who doesn't want to know that the original cock rings were made out of goat's eyelids with the eyelashes still attached.  We won't go into all the flower meanings I had to look up for Weiß fic/roleplay.  XD

So yes.  Learning more = writing better.  Or in the words of one of my favorite t-shirts that I own "Knowledge is power.  Power corrupts.  Study hard, Be evil!"  And now I shall stop rambling and go to bed.  G'night all!

Comments

[narwhale-callin.livejournal.com]

Why is it always Peter?

Weirdly enough, it's not restricted to just Cap/Iron. Peter's always the baby in EVERY Marvel Avengers superfamily pairing I've stumbled into. Like, even the ones that just come outta nowhere, like Hulk/Thor (wtf?). I DON'T UNDERSTAND. WHY IS IT ALWAYS PETER?!

Oh hey, I remember that show. It is rather morbidly interesting.

I do tend to have a weakness for dead overly-advanced civilizations [in fiction]

I don't. *twitches at the memory of reading Alas, Babylon* That book ruined post-apocalypse works for me.

No. I am not getting on TED talks again.

I liked this one recently: http://youtu.be/ueOqYebVhtc

Also I found black gay Cinderella with an interlude of lesbian princesses. Actually rather interesting: http://youtu.be/F9ZA7bn5ujk

[dragonofmemory]

I honestly did not realize adoptable Peter crossed ships. This is slightly more terrifying now. WHY IS IT ALWAYS PETER?! indeed. Like, seriously, I know there are more characters in the Marvel universe. There's a whole set of comics for the Young Avengers. Yet it's always Peter. I've got nothing against Peter Parker and all (his nerdy awkwardness really amuses me, in fact), but sometimes I'd just like something a little different to find while reading fic summaries.

The sad thing is this is not something I'm actually invested in to read. I just get annoyed that every summary is Peter. -_-;;;

Well, not so much post-apocalyptic as finding ancient civs that are fascinating and dead? I am a classics minor, so it probably says something about me...

That is an interesting TED talk. :o

That second video is just kind of disturbing. I applaud the message all the way, but I'm going to do so from a safe distance. ^^;;;

[narwhale-callin.livejournal.com]

Well, not so much post-apocalyptic as finding ancient civs that are fascinating and dead?

Ah, gotcha. I actually like those a lot too. THE INDUS RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION OMG.

Errrbody adopts Peter. THIS IS THE MARVELVERSE, WE ONLY HAVE ONE ORPHAN TO ADOPT. (APPARENTLY.)

[dragonofmemory]

It's a cliché I enjoy, the more feudal civ finding an ancient civ that was more technologically advanced than them and all that fun stuff. Which is what I kept thinking of when I saw that video. XD I blame Pern entirely for that, for introducing me to the concept at such a young age.

T_T But other characters are fun too! Sigh.

[omphaloskepsist.livejournal.com]

I'm with you, Mem. The whole reason Spidey works as a superhero is because of his origin story; his entire angst is based on having a normal life he wants to keep normal vs. the heroics he needs to do. If Steve and Tony raise him, he's a happy, well-adjusted Spiderboy whose parents are superheroes and out. He develops Spidey powers and they stick him in a suit. I'm sure there's a few wibbles on Steve and Tony's parts as he goes out to fight the baddies, but he would have major backup every time and no reason to keep his identity hidden.

Plus, he'd be Tony Stark's kid, so rich as fuck. If he worked an afterschool job it would be for kicks and giggles.

[dragonofmemory]

IT MAKES NO SENSE. That trope has just bothered me for a while. I mean, nothing against people who like it, but why it's always Peter instead of anyone else is beyond me.

I'm going to assume it's just one of those great mysteries of the universe that will either never be explained, or it will drive you mad to know the truth.