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reeds_rivalHank Pym is troubled, yes. The man's a tangled mess of inferiority complexes and self-sabotage that has nearly destroyed Hank's scientific, personal, and heroic life on more occasions that I care to remember. He created Ultron, his Skrull impostor had a hand in creating the evil cyborg Thor, and Pym played a hand in more than a few moments of moral or outright stupidity, up to and including the incident where he hit his wife. (Which, by the way, was not the intent of the writer at the time.)
However, even though he is my favorite Avenger, I am not Hank Pym, and though this is all part of Pym's past that I make reference to if it comes up, I am not that character. I know I said that twice now, but I really didn't appreciate a comment I received from an anonymous ass equating my desire to play him as me wanting to be him.
If you actually tried studying this character, the fact that he continues to try and better himself, even when he falls to his lowest points, is what I find interesting about him. He's not your average heroic personality. He's deeply flawed and knows it, but still tries more often than not to work on this. His inventions are amongst and surpass the greatest scientific minds in his universe, but people can't move beyond his flaws. It's something he can't move past. He tries. He fails. But he gets back up and tries again with his lesson learned. People spit on him fairly often in comics, but he tries to brush it off, but the man is too sensitive. He hurts, but tries to put on a good face for those around him. He tries to show people that he's working on his shortcomings, but the shit keeps being piled on him until it's too much for him to bear. And when he finally breaks? All he gets is a "no surprise there" and the cold shoulder from people he thought he could depend on.
The only person who wasn't like that, really, was his ex-wife, someone he was trying to rekindle a relationship with when he was abducted by the Skrulls. When he finally escaped with the other hostages, his wife had died, and he was left with nothing but with the knowledge that he'd never gotten to fix the mistake that ended the relationship with the love of his life, more hatred from people he counted as friends with no explanation why they were acting like this to him, and the knowledge that his face was the spokesmen for one of the most morally damaging coups in history.
Since then he's made a turnaround, becoming considered the greatest scientific mind on Earth by the being comprised of all matter in the universe, leader of the most trusted group of Avengers after the events of the Secret Invasion, and getting the chance to help kids who may have become criminals otherwise by opening a school for them.
My reason for playing Hank is that he's perhaps the most tragic character in the Marvel Universe, but has the biggest heart and most open mind of many heroes I've read about despite his slips and falls. He's an interesting character study and versatile character that you rarely get from a medium such as this.
However, even though he is my favorite Avenger, I am not Hank Pym, and though this is all part of Pym's past that I make reference to if it comes up, I am not that character. I know I said that twice now, but I really didn't appreciate a comment I received from an anonymous ass equating my desire to play him as me wanting to be him.
If you actually tried studying this character, the fact that he continues to try and better himself, even when he falls to his lowest points, is what I find interesting about him. He's not your average heroic personality. He's deeply flawed and knows it, but still tries more often than not to work on this. His inventions are amongst and surpass the greatest scientific minds in his universe, but people can't move beyond his flaws. It's something he can't move past. He tries. He fails. But he gets back up and tries again with his lesson learned. People spit on him fairly often in comics, but he tries to brush it off, but the man is too sensitive. He hurts, but tries to put on a good face for those around him. He tries to show people that he's working on his shortcomings, but the shit keeps being piled on him until it's too much for him to bear. And when he finally breaks? All he gets is a "no surprise there" and the cold shoulder from people he thought he could depend on.
The only person who wasn't like that, really, was his ex-wife, someone he was trying to rekindle a relationship with when he was abducted by the Skrulls. When he finally escaped with the other hostages, his wife had died, and he was left with nothing but with the knowledge that he'd never gotten to fix the mistake that ended the relationship with the love of his life, more hatred from people he counted as friends with no explanation why they were acting like this to him, and the knowledge that his face was the spokesmen for one of the most morally damaging coups in history.
Since then he's made a turnaround, becoming considered the greatest scientific mind on Earth by the being comprised of all matter in the universe, leader of the most trusted group of Avengers after the events of the Secret Invasion, and getting the chance to help kids who may have become criminals otherwise by opening a school for them.
My reason for playing Hank is that he's perhaps the most tragic character in the Marvel Universe, but has the biggest heart and most open mind of many heroes I've read about despite his slips and falls. He's an interesting character study and versatile character that you rarely get from a medium such as this.
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Date: 2012-05-30 09:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-30 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-30 11:37 pm (UTC)Ignore the stupidity and keep on having fun.
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Date: 2012-05-30 03:10 pm (UTC)I play pretty much exclusively asshole characters, so I'm baffled by people who equate muses with muns.
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Date: 2012-05-30 11:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-30 09:07 pm (UTC)But, that being said, you kind of just explained all of the reasons Hank is such a great character. I mean, shit, even TV Tropes knows he's the prime example of a character who will never live it down. (And they make a great point here: Ultimates has added to the Pym-hate. I, personally, know so many people who are only familiar with this interpretation of Hank and automatically assume he's a wife-beater all around.)
I've seen you around a bit, and personally: I think you're doing great. Try to ignore the anons and just keep doing what you're doing. One thing I learned very early on (especially because I play an OC who can easily be considered a Mary Sue) is that you just can't give anyone a chance to be anonymous. I go out of my way to avoid anon memes, secret comms, etc.
TL;DR I'll play my characters however I damn well please and we should all do the same.
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Date: 2012-05-30 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 12:33 am (UTC)But, you are entirely right about the misogynistic comments. It was the way the world was back then and most of the men were written like that. Hell, even the girls were written with attitude in mind. (One of my favorite examples being Mary Jane Watson, who, upon discovering that Peter Parker was Spider-Man decided to go out DANCING! And that was a freaking retcon issue.)
Jan's certainly guilty of some ridiculous behavior, but that's often over looked because, apparently, someone at Marvel decided they liked her enough to allow her some redemption. The way he's treated by his peers constantly amaze me, especially considering the fact that Jan, herself, has forgiven him.
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Date: 2012-05-31 03:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 03:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 03:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 03:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-13 04:22 am (UTC)It is ridiculous that comic writers make him an asshole because he slapped his wife just once. I read that the writer only wanted Hank to shove Janet away because he was agitated but the artist mistook it as slapping. =/
My bf likes Hank Pym as well and he says he's being redeemed in Avengers Academy so that is an improvement, I guess?
As for the anon comment, pfff ignore that guy. I'm RPing a pony and that doesn't mean I want to be a miniature horse for real. =P