#hero coding

Loki only mind controlled Clint, Slevig and another Shield agent. All of other people where Shield’s enemies who were gathered by Clint and joined them voluntarily.

The number of people Loki mind controlled while he was under the influence of mind stone: 

3

Population of Westview that Wanda mind controlled and refused to let them go even when she realizeed what she had done:

I don’t think I’m the right person to answer this anon because I’m not a writer. I can only share my experience as a reader/viewer. I’m tagging some mutuals to see if they want to chime in: @iamanartichoke @geehollow @juliabohemian @nikkoliferous @mastreworld @worstloki @philosopherking1887

The first thing to consider is what type of villain you’re writing. Are they beasts, pure evil, sympathetic, redeemable? Because the main issue of hero/villain coding is double standards and it only applies to situations where your villain has a human like psyche and characteristics. For example are the demons beast like, who can’t be reasoned with? Are they just pure evil who only want to do evil stuff for the sake of it? Or do they have different personalities and motivations? In this case, it’s important to know what makes them a villain? What are their motivations and actions? Maybe they have a good reason for what they’re doing, or their motivation is understandable, but they chose the wrong way to reach their goal.

When portraying characters it’s important to assign the roles to them based on their actions. Your hero has to earn the title by doing heroic stuff. When your hero is flawed and if they make mistakes it’s important not to gloss over those mistakes. If they do the same action as the villain, don’t treat the situation with double standards based on their assigned roles. If your hero is redeemed for a wrong action by doing sth heroic, the same rule should apply to the villain too. You can read my “Spot the Hypocrisy” series for examples in MCU.

Don’t define the villainy based on whether your villain dislikes or disagrees with your hero. The most recent example of this is Hayward. Hayward was a villain because he lied about what Wanda did and tried to kill her and her children and frame her for the things she hadn’t done. He wasn’t a villain for listing and pointing out everything Wanda actually had done. But the show framed his villainy around that. When he was talking about Wanda’ past, that’s where the hero-coded characters got uncomfortable and tried to gloss over Wanda’s actions. Another example is TR. The morality and the actions of characters are judged by whether they agree with the hero or want to help him, while they have good reasons for their choices and the fact that they don’t owe the hero their help. 

Don’t treat the hero’s point of view and actions as the right side just because they are the hero. Their point of view must have acceptable reasoning. Their actions must be the right and correct ones objectively. Same goes for villains. Their point of view and actions must actually be wrong and not be deemed wrong because they’re in opposition to the hero.

Again same wavelength here! :D I want to show all of this to Marvel to make them realize what their stupid hero vs villain coding can cause.

A hero must do heroic actions. They aren’t automatically good and right because they are labeled a hero.

Exactly! First of all hero/villain coding results in prejudice and black and white thinking. Actions are not judged objectively. They’re judged based on which group has done it.

Moreover, hero/villain coding by characteristics results in bigotry/oppression/marginalization of people. You usually see in movies/books that villain aren’t conform to the society’s idea of beauty or socializing. Even sometimes neutral personality traits are considered villainous. Villains can be coded queer or hyper sexual. Whole cultures and languages can be used for villain coding. All of this is harmful.