The 75th Anniversary Marvel Games
War… Terrible war. Heroes, villains, and innocent citizens. This was the story that swept our land. Teams of heroes filled the franchise that drew them, animated them, and gave them life. Plot twists, with brother turning on brother, friends turning on friends, conspiracy and betrayal, until our entire Marvel Universe came to be intertwined. And then came the movies. Hard to make, critically judged. But our heroes rose from the dismissive "nerd" title to create a new fandom. But popularity has a cost. Critiqued, as a franchise, we swore we would never know such disdain again. And so it was decreed each year, Marvel would offer up from its greatest a few choice heroes to fight to victory in a pageant of bravery, heroism, and skill. The victorious heroes, swarmed with fans, would serve to continue in Marvel's future endeavors in movie-making. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future.
Hearts raced… palms sweated… feet pounded on the asphalt… fingers squeezed triggers… And countless heroes fought for their place in the upcoming years of Marvel's limited list of movies to make.
Faces appeared out of the haze of smoke… The Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, The Fantastic Four, Blade, The Punisher, and Daredevil.
Cheers erupted from the gigantic crowd as the images on the screen faded to black. Then the black moved slightly…. And flickering images flashed by: fists, explosions, and various heroes in capes and suits. The bold white letters appeared, spelling the single word.
Marvel.
The crowd went wild, screaming, shouting, stomping, and clapping.
"And now here's your host… Erik Selvig!" a voice announced enthusiastically. The crowd cheered more as a man walked onto the stage.
Erik Selvig strode onto the stage, smiling broadly and waving at the crowd as he held the microphone. The crowd continued cheering and hollering… but they were slightly confused. The host was not wearing pants.
"Hello, everyone! Ah, that was the highlights from the last Marvel games!" he said happily into the microphone. "Our winners had their movies made, and some were more successful than others, but all were victorious! And now, we gather again to decide who of our heroes shall continue to have their privilege of Marvel making more movies starring them!"
There was applause and everyone plastered on their smiles, unsure if the host even knew he wasn't wearing pants…
"So… we'll be having our usual intervie—" Selvig broke off as a young woman walked onto the stage, looking awkward. She was holding a pair of pants, and she walked briskly over to Erik, her head bowed uncomfortably.
"Darcy? I'm in the middle of…" Selvig started to say confusedly.
"Um… pants, Erik," Darcy muttered embarrassedly, her voice audible through the host's microphone as she drew nearer.
"Oh, no, I don't need those. I think better without them," Selvig waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, we'll be having our usual interviews with the contenders of this year's Marvel Games!"
Everyone cheered, now amused by the fact that Darcy was simply standing uncertainly with a pair of Dr. Selvig's jeans.
"As we all know, this will be a very special year!" Erik said excitedly. "This year is the seventy-fifth anniversary of Marvel! So for the Seventy-fifth Anniversary Marvel Games, we will be having our very own Quarter Quell! Teams of heroes will be once again put into an arena, where they will be fighting to continue their movies, and some newcomers will be fighting for the chance to have their own movie!"
More cheers. Darcy walked off the stage for a moment, and returned a few seconds later, now holding her own microphone.
"And, lucky you guys, I guess I'm going to be co-hosting!" Darcy said half-heartedly. "Since, you know… Erik's having some… ah… mm… distracting habits and stuff ever since the last Avengers movie came out," she said, her voice dying away slightly as she tried to think of a way to describe Selvig's tendencies with decency. "So, yeah, co-host," she said, forcing a smile as she cleared her throat.
Smattered applause and half-hearted whoops.
"So, everyone, let's have a talk with the great Tony Stark, who will be appearing in our Marvel Games!" Selvig exclaimed, throwing up his arms excitedly.
Everyone burst into wild excitement as Tony Stark stepped onto the stage, veritably strutting as he struck poses, blew kisses, and flashed charming grins. He was wearing a tuxedo, with a red-and-gold patterned tie. He did a little bow as he reached the center of the stage before he sat down, grinning at the screaming fans' reaction to seeing him.
"So, Tony Stark," Erik smiled, leaning forward dramatically to look at the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. "You've been quite busy since our last Marvel Games, haven't you?"
Stark smirked. "I sure have. Let's see, last games, it was still in question whether the Avengers were a no-go or full-steam-ahead. Since that victory, I've been in three of my own movies, plus The Avengers movie. And, of course, honorable mentions of me in the other Avengers-related movies."
"That's right," Selvig nodded impressively as there were some cheers and whistles from the crowd. "You've been through a lot, haven't you? Going to Afghanistan, gaining your arc reactor, becoming Iron Man… you've nearly died several times, gained a girlfriend, and now, in your most recent movie, you even removed your arc reactor. What's that like, and what does that mean for you in upcoming movies, if, in fact, you pull through this Marvel Games?"
Tony scoffed theatrically. "Please, if? Of course I'm going to pull through. What that all means for my future works, though, is hard to tell. Things like this are just unpredictable sometimes, Erik."
Erik's face slackened, and his eyes glazed over momentarily. "Yeah… you know what's not unpredictable? The Convergence. That's predictable to the minute. It happens every five thousand years, you know, and… here, I'll explain." He dove for the floor and yanked Tony's shiny dress shoe off. "Here, when the planets align, matter is flowing from world to world, because the lines between them become blurred—"
"Okeydokey, Erik, this is why I'm co-hosting," Darcy said nervously, gently tapping on Selvig's shoulder. "Ahem… the Marvel Games? Tony Stark? You should probably give him his shoe back… we already know about the Convergence…"
Erik blinked. "Oh, yes…" he cleared his throat and sat back in his chair, handing the shoe back to a bemused-looking Tony Stark. "So, Mr. Stark… tell us. You're going to be competing for your own movies, as well as the Avengers movies. What's your strategy?"
Tony slipped his shoe back on. "Well, Erik, I don't have any particular strategy except to win, both for my team and for myself."
Whoops, claps, and hollers from the crowd.
Erik laughed a little. "Ah, yes, good idea. But tell us; don't you need some kind of plan of attack to win both your team and yourself a place in Marvel's upcoming movies to make?"
Tony grinned. "I have a plan. Attack."
Fans screamed from the crowd happily at the line, and a few rushed the stage as the buzzer went off, signaling that the interview was over.
Tony stood and waved to the crowd, blowing kisses and winking and flashing grins again as he left the stage. He sighed heavily as he was out of the sight of the crowd, backstage once more with the rest of his team.
"Up next, Wolverine, competing for both his own continued movies, and X-Men movies!" Erik Selvig's voice announced.
The Avengers glanced up at the screen, but looked away again quickly as Selvig started another rant about the Convergence.
"Okay, Stark, you did well enough," Director Fury, who was acting as the Avengers mentor, gave the billionaire a piercing look. "But maybe a little too much arrogance?"
Clint scoffed. "Director, Stark is the definition of arrogance. That's what people love him for. So the more arrogance he shows, the higher he's going to be rated and the more sponsors will love him."
"But the unclearness of the plan?" Fury looked less sure. "Sponsors don't go for a man without a plan."
"We've still got all our interviews," Natasha Romanoff put in. "We can make up for it."
"It's not exactly our problem if Stark himself doesn't get sponsors," Captain America added. "So long as the Avengers as a whole get sponsors, and the team continues."
Bruce shot the captain a look. "You can't just think about the team, Captain. It's important for a hero to have his own movies."
"Stark's already had three of his own movies," Clint shrugged. "He'll be fine."
"Now…" Fury glanced up at the screen above them, showing that Erik had gotten ahold of himself and was now interviewing Wolverine, from the X-Men. "Let's focus. What do you know about the X-Men, Avengers?"
"They're like… mutant freaks," Stark shrugged disinterestedly.
Fury looked around his team seriously. "They go to a special academy where they train for years. Called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Then they come to Marvel Games to attempt to get into their own movies… By that point, they're pretty lethal. They could provide a problem for us. Their last couple movies were pretty popular, and some of the members are pretty big with fans. We're going to have to be careful with them, okay?"
There was sudden cheering as the buzzer signaling the interview with Wolverine was over. They all glanced up at the screen and saw the mutant unsheathe his claws and cross them above his head. The crowd went wild at the display.
The Avengers scowled. Stark nudged Thor with his elbow and tapped Captain America's foot with his own. "You guys… take off your shirts at the end of the interview. We'll have sponsors lining up around the block. That'll show the X-Men and Mr. Fancy-Claws."
Everyone just frowned disapprovingly at Stark.
"Alright, Black Widow and Hawk Eye are up next," Fury clapped his hands together sharply and ushered the two onto the stage.
The crowd screamed as the pair of assassins walked onto the stage, giving the crowd tight smiles and wicked looks, keeping in the character of deadly assassins for the sponsors.
The two sat on the small couch side by side, looking at the host and co-host expectantly. Darcy was trying to coax Selvig into putting his pants on, but he just brushed her off and smiled eagerly at the Black Widow and Hawk Eye.
"So, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton," he grinned. "The only two Avengers to not have their own movies yet. You'll be relying heavily on the other members of your team to pull through to continue appearing in movies, won't you?"
Clint and Natasha exchanged looks.
"Well, I think that we will have a better chance of continuing if both the Avengers and some of the individuals on the team continue with making movies," Clint said slowly. "But theoretically, the Black Widow and I could do well enough in the Marvel Games that we get a movie to ourselves."
Excited murmurs from the crowd at the prospect.
"Of course, that's all dependent on how the Avengers as a whole do," Natasha added. "We'll only be competing for individual movies if the whole team continues."
Erik nodded with a smile. "And as for the team moving on as a whole… what are you looking to do?"
"Well, it's all about teamwork," Clint said with a smile. "It's about assembling ourselves. And the idea of our movie not continuing is definitely a push, which we usually need. So I think we'll be pretty well motivated, and that's half the battle sometimes."
"So how about you give us a little recap on your pasts?" Dr. Selvig asked. "For those of our viewers who may not have seen the movies you've been in?"
Clint smiled. "Of course. I've been working for SHIELD for some time, and I first got my spot in a movie during Thor, after the last Marvel Games decided that the Avengers would be making its own movie. Unfortunately, I didn't do well enough in the last games to get my own movie, but I was able to get into the Avengers movie."
"And I was first in Iron Man 2," Natasha smiled. "Like Hawk Eye, I didn't manage to secure my own movie, but since the Avengers as a team won, I was able to show up in the Avengers. Since then, I've also participated in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which gained me a little more popularity, and I think it ups my chances in this Marvel Games."
"Now, you're reminding us that you didn't do too well as individuals in the last games," Erik said ominously. "Do you think your lack of powers makes you simply a team player, and not so much for shining on your own?"
"Absolutely not," Natasha and Clint said at the same time, alarm in their eyes. If rumors like that started getting around, then the individuals wouldn't get any sponsors, and they wouldn't have a chance after the Avengers secured a place. The assassins would be on their own, which was a daunting prospect.
Natasha cleared her throat. "I mean, we're both team players. But it's versatility that makes a hero, and I, for one, have that trait."
"I do, too," Clint added.
The buzzer went off, signaling the end of the interview, and the two stood, forcing smiles and waving to the curious crowd.
They made it back to the other Avengers and sighed shakily.
Fury frowned. "That got a little… uncomfortable."
They nodded miserably.
Interviews continued, including the members of the Fantastic Four, who were fighting to continue their team as a whole, Ant-Man, a newcomer who was fighting for his own movie, but no one thought he had a chance, Spider-Man, who wished to continue his own movies and maybe join a team (but things weren't looking good for him), and others.
Captain America did brilliantly in his interview, explaining the importance of a hero both having individual movies and having a team. Bruce did well, too, acting as basically a spokesperson for the team: he wasn't really all that interested in having his own movies continue, but was determined to help the Avengers continue. Thor was the next.
Whistles, shouts, and clapping greeted the god as he stepped out onto the stage, beaming and waving Mjolnir over his head, which elicited even more reaction. He let out his trademark booming laugh before sitting down, looking concernedly at Dr. Selvig.
"Thor, my good friend!" Erik grinned happily.
"Hello, Dr. Selvig, it's good to see you," the blonde god smiled broadly.
"So… you'll be competing for the Avengers and yourself?"
Thor nodded. "Yes, I will."
"I think we all know, but could you remind those of us who don't know how you got to where you are now?"
"He walked, Erik," Darcy muttered.
The crowd laughed raucously and Erik frowned.
"Thor?" he prodded.
"Of course, Erik. In the last Marvel Games, the Avengers banded together to compete for our spot as a team, and then once that was secured, we competed for which of us would get individual movies. I was one of the lucky ones to win that privilege. So I made two of my own movies, and was also in the Avengers," Thor supplied.
"Right… and your brother's continuation in movies also rests with you. How does it feel to have such responsibility?" Erik asked.
Thor blinked. "Loki's continuation in movies…?"
"Yes. Since Loki is your main villain, his continuation depends on your movies continuing," Erik smiled.
Thor smiled wryly. "Yes… well… the situation with my brother is a difficult one. He must both fight against me and yet depend on me at the same time. It makes things in the Marvel Games more… interesting, for sure."
Selvig smiled. "Of course. For those who don't know, villains depend on their heroes to continue in their movies, yet they must also act as obstacles for the heroes, trying to take them down and deter their heroes from victory. So Loki will be in the games, in the arena, appearing to cause havoc for the heroes."
The crowd shifted in excitement, and there were a few fangirl screams and a few scattered, "We love you, Loki!"
Thor frowned slightly, but forced a smile. "Yes… I have not spoken to my brother on the subject, but I am sure he wishes me to succeed in my series continuing, so that he may also participate.""
"So long as he doesn't get smashed by the Hulk again," Erik laughed with a wink, and the crowd joined in.
There was a little more banter about the possibility of the Avengers continuing and if Thor was hoping for any of his teammates to continue (which Thor, of course, responded that he wished all his teammates the best of luck in winning their individual movies), and then the buzzer signaling the end of the interview went off.
Thor exited the stage, leaving Erik and Darcy standing alone on the stage as everyone clapped.
"And now…" Selvig grinned. "We shall hear a word from Stan Lee!"
Abundant cheers from the crowd as Stan Lee himself appeared on the screen above the stage.
"Welcome, heroes. We welcome you. We wish you a happy Marvel Games… and may Marvel's heroes grow ever braver," he said with a small smile.
Everyone burst into applause at the motto.
May Marvel's heroes grow ever braver. It was the mantra that depicted the meaning behind the Marvel Games. Out with the unsuccessful heroes, and in with the ones who would be popular and victorious. That was how they remembered the past. That was how they safeguarded their future.
And who knew what would happen in this year's Marvel Games? That was the glory… no one knew. But everyone was quite eager to find out. Who would continue? Whose series would be vanquished? The Avengers? The X-Men? Spider-Man? The Fantastic 4? Unknown teams, soon to become the public's favorite fandoms? Or perhaps teams and individuals people thought would be in the limelight for years to come would be pushed back to make way for the ones who had merely been in the shadows before. All would be decided in the arena of the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Marvel Games.
May Marvel's heroes grow ever braver.
Note from LoquaciousQuibbler: This, my friends, is what I call boredom and insanity in a glorious mix of imagination… My mother and I were watching television and saw a commercial for a tribute to Marvel, since this year is its seventy-fifth anniversary. My mother, the wonderful nut that she is, made a joke about the Quarter Quell for the seventy-fifth anniversary. What followed was a long discussion about what would happen in such a Quarter Quell. What followed that was this short story. Merely fun, a random idea of how Marvel decides which heroes to make movies for. With Stan Lee as President Snow, Erik Selvig as Caesar Flickerman, Nick Fury as the mentor (the Avengers version of Haymitch, kind of…). And the X-Men being the Careers just works… perfectly. :P
Lol. So, yes. Please review this and tell me your thoughts on my mother's and my insanity.