Life.

Kingpin refuses to accept the reality of his loss while still being aware that he caused his family’s death. In his refusal, he attempts to rip space and time apart, not caring about the consequences of ripping them from another world. He wants a redo, however, Fisk does not ultimately learn from their deaths, he continues on his path of crime using their demise as justification rather than a cause for change. Fisk is blinded by a simple goal of having his wife and child back, yet does not consider whether they would want to be with him knowing the crimes he has committed.

Miguel does the inverse, he places himself into a new world to live out a happier version of his life - one that does not ultimately belong in. He ends up causing the destruction of that world, paying the ultimate price for his selfishness. He takes this lesson to heart with the additive that all Spider-man must suffer. Miguel never conceived the idea that he could create his own happiness in his universe. He learns from his trauma but does not see a way to work past it.

*pulls down presentation screen*

yes, both Miguel O’Hara and the Spot are antagonists to Miles

how-ever,

Miguel is an antagonist and a hero while the Spot is an antagonist and villain

not just because of the “protect trans kids” thing in her room btw. there’s a few other moments like that as well. apparently the dad has a trans badge, i didn’t even see that part and i still caught the subtext.

but also, that shot you probably saw on twitter, where the trans colors are everywhere and the trans flag colors overlays in her hair?

yeah that’s deliberate. i was skeptical but i’m convinced now. there’s no other shot like that in the movie. there’s no other time her hair is overlaid in an multicolored gradient like that. this movie plays with color a lot, but in every other shot, her hair looks normal and is just one color (plus the tips). this was very obviously deliberate as a shot to STAND OUT and display those colors. the dialogue in the moment is about her feeling like she has to hide who she is.

yet he PULLS GUN ON HER when he finds out she’s spider women

Like, Miguel YOU're the one who purposefully messed up with the multiverse by stealing your counterpart's identity and burrowing yourself in his world with his family. Miles, who just happened to be a victim of Kingpin, Doc Ock, and the Spot's messing up with the collider, is NOT responsible for anything bad that happened. The call comes from inside the house lol.

Like, before you watch Avatar, you’ve seen all these memes about Katara and her mom, and based on those memes, you assume it’s one of those lines you have to get used to hearing at least once every episode. But then you watch the show and realize that she only talks about her mom maybe five or six times per season and you also realize she only brings her up when she’s trying to comfort someone or empathize with them because that’s how she processes her grief and that’s one way she connects with people.

Or you hear the infamous line, “then you didn’t love [our mother] the way I did” and you prepare yourself for one of the worst character assassinations ever only to see the scene after nearly three seasons worth of context and realize she was kinda right. She’s been the mother, the nurturer, the comforter. She’s been patient, gentle, and accommodating where everyone else has gotten to be insensible and reckless and childish, and the one moment where she allows herself to feel her grief, suddenly she’s this evil bitch and not, y’know, a 14 year old girl whose been thrusted into adulthood in a way no other character has. A 14 year old girl who should be allowed immaturity and raw emotion and anger instead of the patience and grace she’s been forced to extend to every character without even the smallest amount of gratitude or even consideration in return.

Or you see all of the clips where Katara puts Aang in the “friendzone” and you expect to have this wishy washy back and forth where Aang is putting his feelings out there only to have Katara neither commit nor express any clear reciprocation or rejection. Then you watch and realize that, as cute as the ship is initially, that there’s never a point where Aang returns any comfort or grace to Katara despite her always doing this for him to the point of coddling. That for as much as Aang says he loves her, he never seems to outgrow his perception of her so he can recognize her as someone who feels grief, anger, and pain as much as she expresses love, kindness, and maturity. And instead of having moments where he learns to see her beyond her strength or compassion, you’re instead given moments where Aang forces his feelings onto her, both romantic and non-romantic, and Katara is expected to just…shoulder those feelings the way she shoulders everyone else’s.

Katara is the most misunderstood character in the show. As much as people recognize the complexities of Zuko, Sokka, and Azula, they struggle to do the same for Katara because they see her struggles as somehow lesser, and therefore, less deserving of sympathy. They can handle her so long as she’s being endlessly patient and loving and kind, but the moment her endless love, patience, and kindness runs out, she’s suddenly this annoying bitch who can’t shut up about her mother or reciprocate Aang’s feelings. But Katara’s trauma does matter as much as anyone else’s. No, she wasn’t banished from her kingdom. No, she didn’t lose her entire community, and no, she isn’t the only one who lost her mother. But the difference between her and everyone else whose experienced loss because of the Fire Nation is that she’s never given time to process her trauma. Aang gets to lean on Katara constantly. Toph gets to express her feelings to Katara, and yeah, Sokka also lost their mother, but unlike Katara, he isn’t put in the position of being a substitute for everyone’s parent. He even admits that he sees his sister as a mother. The only characters who ever comfort Katara or allow her to vent is Zuko and her father and that’s, like, three scenes in a show where the other characters are consistently given opportunities to seek out Katara for unconditional support.

The fandom interpretation of Katara has been so bastardized that even those who haven’t watched the show know her for this fanon version and not for who she is. She’s such an interesting character beyond her fandom limitations, though. She’s brave, hot-headed, and hopeful as well as gentle and caring. She wishes to learn waterbending, not only because she wants to fight in the war, but because she wants to continue her culture’s practices because, and people often forget this, she also lost an entire subculture within her already fractured tribe. And she wants to defeat the Fire Nation both because of her deep love and empathy for other people, but also because she wants to avenge her mother. But because some of the fans have reduced Katara to a bitch who constantly whines about her mother and friendzones Aang, you wouldn’t know any of this, and it sucks because she’s the only character whose been dumbed down to such an extent.