leeleetaw

Latest Posts by leeleetaw

sam wilson’s greatest superhero attribute is actually just being able to understand, accept, and empathize with people wherever they’re at. like that’s it. that’s the superpower.

Things Sam Wilson has done for Bucky Barnes that somehow still makes him less of a “family” member than people who knew him for 5 minutes but helped carry his unconscious form out of the door in a losing battle:

1) I guess this is the biggest one. Went to the raft for him and then subsequently became a war criminal. I mean he could have just decided to retire because he wasn’t going to sign the accords, but instead he sacrificed himself so that Steve and Bucky could go to Siberia, and had absolutely no idea if he was ever going to get out of that floating jail cell, ever.

2) abandoned his mission when Bucky got trapped under the container truck to fly under it and rescue him. Which, btw is risky as hell and a ton of things could have gone wrong, and Sam does not have the super soldier serum to protect his delicate body parts.

3) “you get used to it”; “what about Bucky?”; “you good?”; “the president cleared him for that.”; “he didn’t mean it like that.”

4) let him hang around after his bitch ass threw the shield down on the ground after the fight with Walker, and then he stomped off to deal with zemo instead of apologizing like an adult for being so unpleasant. Let him sleep on his couch with his sister and two young boys around, which led to Bucky finally apologizing for his behavior. Man has the patience of a saint.

5) invited him to the cookout.

But you know what, naw, you’re all right, Sam never did ANYTHING for Bucky. They’re barely even co-workers, let alone friends. His first family is totally the thunderbolts.

Edit: let’s not forget the wakandans too! I mean whatever, they just protected him from the US government and spent resources to rid him of hydra programming and gave him a highly-advanced weapon made of the most expensive and powerful material in the world to use as an arm. But did you see how Walker used his shield to defend Bucky from Bob?!

once the word gets out that sam and bucky’s had a fallout, everyone will come out of the woodwork to try to woo sam. when he’s not saving the world, he’ll be busy going on dates and every other day there’ll be new headlines and gossip threads about his new potential love interest.

good for him

Oh btw y'all look at what I got, he's so cute.

if i hear one more person compare the man who literally refused to leave any man behind to die when he was in the army, saved the universe several times, jumped on a grenade to make sure that no one around him would die, and apologized to the billionaire who repeatedly tried to kill him–

to the man who told two of cap’s closest friends to ‘stay out of his way’, killed an unarmed man who hadn’t even killed his friend, and stole a bottle of the superserum–

i will not hesitate to slap someone.

no, no, no, nooooo, just saw anthony’s newest post on ig and in the comment section people are seriously asking about the sambucky divorce 💀

Fave tweets about Sam Wilson.

besides the disrespect towards sam and his position as captain america, another thing that is bothering me about this new avengers bullshit is that i really don't get WHY people are so excited about this, especially if you are an avengers fan.

to me, if you are truly an avengers fan, you shouldn't be supporting those people using the team's name. you can't call yourself an avengers fan and call sam petty or childish or a bully (?) for wanting to protect the name and the legacy of HIS team. for wanting to protect the legacy of his two late best friends, who led that team for years. for wanting to protect everything that avengers really (or should) represent.

i don't care about the thunderbolts. if it was up to me, half of them could die and they surely wouldn't be missed here. if they want to help save the world or whatever now, that's their business. go for it. like i said, I don't give a fuck. i don't care if this is the result of a PR stunt pulled by that valentina bitch. using the avengers' name and expect no complaints about it, it's not just >insane< but pretentious as fuck!!!!!

who the hell they think they are is the real question here. i don't give a shit if they have the "government's support" (to me, this fact alone just proves why they shouldn't be calling themselves the new avengers - and apparently they don't know anything about the previous team either. yelena saying "but we were chosen by the government" ??????? girl, you talk about your sister's legacy, but your same sister was on the run for 2 years because she was a criminal under this same government's eyes. (the same goes to you, bucky!!!!!) you two actually met when she was hiding (in the black widow movie???)

so, i will ask again: who they think they are?

(from what is shown in the post-credits scene, they're suffering backlash from the public and i think it's pretty appropriate. a totally expected and normal reaction to have, at least to me. it's the only believable thing about all this shit)

anyway, this excitement is really bothering me and marvel is (obviously) endorsing it. but i guess that for people who not too long ago are extremely mad about the possibility of sam (or carol, for that matter) being the new leader of the avengers team, those stupid newbies showing up and calling themselves the new avengers is pretty convenient, isn't it?

call me petty, call me childish, whatever. but as a sam wilson's fan and an avengers fan, i think i have the right to be mad about how this whole thing is being handled, just as you have the right to be satisfied with it.

and honestly, to whoever wrote and approved that awesome idea, fuck you.

I keep seeing ppl come into the sam wilson tag and say abt the pcs, "oh they were just having a silly little argument!!!" "it's not that serious at all!!" "oh it's just all a joke hehehehe" 😒😒😒 and so yall gotta ans me this:

Is it funny to you when alexei calls sam a 'dumb, litigious man'?

Is it funny to you that yelena insists that they are the avengers cos the govt formed them (literally the stupidest reason) and says that sam wilson is just supposed to understand that?? even though SAM is THE leader of the avengers??

Is it funny to you that they already established in cabnw that sam is forming an avengers team yet marvel slaps the 'new avengers' name onto this team and showcases them first, without showing the actual new avengers team formed by sam at all?

Is it funny to you when sam wilson finally gets mentioned in a non cap related proj and he's made to be the butt of a joke?

Is it funny to you that marvel deliberately framed the scene in such a way to make it seem as if sam is being unreasonable and undermine his role as cap? so much so that the white man stans are already having the worst takes known to man on how sam is being "petty" ??

And if it's such a silly little argument, how come it's been going on for 14 months??

If any of this is funny or it's just not a serious thing at all to you, well newsflash you dont like sam wilson at all (even if you claim to do so) so stop coming into the sam wilson tag, goodbye

And mind you im just talking abt that 1 pcs, im not even mentioning all the other mistreatment sam wilson has faced and continues to face.

Like i get it story line wise anything can happen, they can completely forget about this plot point in doomsday, or maybe reveal that bucky and sam were working tgt to take down valentina and this was all part of their plan. That still wont take away anything from the fact that marvel time and time again chooses to disrespect and sideline sam wilson. It literally would have cost marvel nothing to mention sam in a uplifting and respectful way, but they go OUT of their way to do this kind of hateful shit to sam...smh

“sam wilson is dumb litigious man”

In today post....

Due to the disproportionate hatred towards Sam Wilson (my beloved) and Anthony Mackie (my beloved as well 🤗), I'm sharing with you the following films in which he has worked (not all of them oc), either as a leading character or a supporting character. Enjoy...

Part 1

A very tired Captain America,,,, after the latest events i'm sure he's exhausted

More MCU fans need to understand that the extent of anti-black racism that exists around Sam Wilson as a character colors every scene he’s in, every way he’s talked about, how he’s perceived by fans, and how he is used by the media company as a character.

There is no way for fans of Sam Wilson to view these sleights as innocent or contextual - for example, Lexi being an ignorant buffoon in general — because the severity of the hate this character faces means there are people who cannot read that Lexi is intended to be a buffoon. They will actually look at that scene and go oh Lexi is right, Sam is a bad character and this reinforces the beliefs that I already had. They can’t look at the context that the Thunderbolts are not intended to be taken seriously as the New Avengers because the point is that Sam is the only one who has real legitimacy- they will look at the movie and go, John Walker really IS the better Captain America and Sam Wilson is trash. And when you combine it Sam constantly being put in the background despite being Captain America, it reinforces that Sam is not as important as Steve Rogers, that his position is tenuous, that he isn’t the backbone of the MCU now. These strategies end up with real harm to the presentation of Black characters in the MCU. And Sam fans are rightfully pissed off that this keeps happening because we see the social media posts trashing Sam. It’s a real phenomena, not just ship wars or fannish defense.

Steve Rogers would be extremely disappointed in Bucky Barnes for not supporting Sam Wilson in building his new Avengers team and instead being an annoyance and deterrence to him by fighting him for the Avengers name AND for willingly being in a team with John Walker called the New Avengers that is run by the CIA

there i said it lol this is to all the ppl out there who keep saying steve would be part of 'team bucky' or some nonsense...idk which steve yall talking about but it aint steve rogers

If you disagree with this post pls block me thanks

And also idc that we dk what happens next, i can only react to what we know now

Okay so i just noticed i really love drawing Anthony Mackie's tooth gap. Anw just gonna leave this chibi sketch here 💤💤💤

Finally, an article criticizing Bucky's writing in Thunderbolts and saying that what he did to Sam was inexcusable. www.ign.com/articles/doesnt-matter-if-its-thunderbolts-or-new-avengers-wtf-is-the-mcu-doing-with-bucky-barnes. It makes good points

Hi, anon! Thanks for sharing this with me :) I didn’t agree with all of it, especially the slights against BNW, but their overarching point was correct!

“To then have Bucky completely betray Sam”

Oh, they ain’t neva lied. Read the whole article. Like I said, they didn’t get everything right, but they were right about the main thing: Bucky betrayed Sam, and it doesn’t make any sense.

Instead of praising Thunderbolts*, Bucky stans, and anyone with common sense, should really be upset. They should be angry. They’re ruining Bucky and his only friendship. They’re making the character look bad, like a bad person and a terrible friend.

Bucky is the problem, and everyone needs to admit it instead of trying to shift the blame to Sam.

Sam Wilson: The American Redeemer

Why Sam Wilson is the only choice for the mantel

"No super serum, no blond hair, or blue eyes. The only power I have is that I believe we can do better" --Sam Wilson,

I think one of the main things that separates Sam Wilson's tenure as Captain America from Steve Rogers's is how they functioned within the role and what they were expected to do.

During World War II, Steve Rogers was expected to protect the country from foreign dangers. He was the American protector. Keeping citizens safe from international (and interdimensional) threats. Steve protected American against "The Other" (Nazis, foreign terrorists, aliens, etc).

But Sam Wilson is someone who is tasked with protecting the country from itself. Sam stands firm against America's worst impulses (its inability to emphasize, its lust for power and status, its refusal to deal with its own history, etc,) and guides this country towards its better angels.

Sam Wilson origins in Marvel Comics

Sam Wilson was created as a result of the Civil Rights Movement back in the 1960's. It's no accident that he was created to be the partner for a superhero that represented America, and its values. The first African American superhero paired with a man who represented everything this country believed about itself. Sam Wilson was created as a kind of redemption for America, or at least, the beginnings of redemption. African Americans in this country have fought side by side with white Americans in every war and every conflict. From the American Revolution to World War II and beyond. And yet Black Americans were never allowed to take part in the American dream, whether through unjust laws, or the denial of economic growth, Black people have always been shunned from the country they helped defend. Sam Wilson's creation and inclusion was a (small) way to make up for that lack justice. And even through his friendship with Sam, Steve Rogers gained a new perspective on the American identity. Sam brought America's failings into light and gave it the opportunity to correct itself.

From the very creation of the character, Sam was an opportunity for America to rid herself of her sins.

Sam Wilson in the Winter Soldier

Its notable that the first interaction we get with Sam in the MCU is as a counselor for veterans. America is notorious for touting to "Love its soldiers" but always ignoring its veterans. Many men and women who go off to fight in wars often times come back home to a country that is less willing to put the time and effort into understanding and helping the heal. You can see this with the lack of funding for Veterans Affairs offices, the housing crises that a lot of returning veterans face, the lack of adequate mental and physical healthcare that veterans are afforded. Veterans are an underserved community in a country that claims to love its military. There is a hypocrisy in this.

Yet, Sam took on the work of helping veterans heal.

The History of Isaiah Bradley.

It's no secret that America is a country that was built off of antiblack racism. I could cite multiple books, articles, documentaries, and studies that prove this. However, the narrative of Isaiah Bradley not only showcases America's antiblack racism, but the removal of Bradley's story showcases America's refusal to acknowledge its own faults. There have always been efforts in this country to remove Black history (and the histories of other marginalized groups of people). Sam Wilson, when he found out about Isaiah, not only had to reconcile with this country's racism, but he also had to reevaluate how he viewed the country as a whole. Bradley was not only court martialed and jailed, but he was experimented on and his story was scrubbed away.

The United States has always had a habit of rewriting its own history to maintain a certain image. Whether it be one of liberty and equality, or one of militaristic might and pride. America loves the image of the strong soldier, going off into the world but hates the image of the war torn veteran who still hears gun shots at night. Sam, during his conversation with Bucky in Maryland, had to reconcile America's image of itself (a bright beautiful country that welcomes all) with the reality he had just been exposed to (a Black man who did the exact same thing that Steve Rogers had done back in the 40's and was punished for it).

America's treatment of Isaiah was a sin against veterans and a sin against Black Americans, and Sam bringing Isaiah's story into the light was a reckoning that helped to redeem the country's past actions. Actions that America has no one to blame for but itself.

Karli and the Flag Smashers.

Sam's handling of Flag Smashers in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was controversial, but the one thing he was correct about was the usage of simple labels to justify inhumane treatment of others. The United States has always been a country that others its enemies to justify violence of disenfranchisement. Black slaves in the US were called animals. Post 9/11 Muslims (and really, anyone from the middle east) were called "terrorists", Latino immigrants were/are dehumanized and called criminals to justify ICE raids and the breaking of families. During the 90's, America created the "Super Predator" narrative that painted a target on Black men and accelerated the militarization of police officers.

The government's reactions to Karli and the Flag Smashers represents the same line of thinking. Take a group of people and label them as something that is easy to hate/vilify and then take them out. We can argue that Karli's actions were extreme, and we can argue that Karli's actions were violent but we also have to understand were these feelings came from. Empathy and understanding has always been something America has refused to engage with. It's easy to say that Black people don't work hard and are poor when you refuse to acknowledge how America has burned Black neighborhoods and undermined Black education. America has always worked to eliminate the symptom rather than treating the disease.

And Sam, through his speech about Karli and the Flag Smashers, reminds America of its own failings. And again, this isn't some conspiracy that was created by HYDRA or a Nazi organization. This wasn't some evil plan, it was simply The United States turning its back on its own ideals. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the country.

But Sam's handling of Karli is a reminder to the country as a whole that we must choose to be better. And note how his speech isn't just for the senators, it's for the American people too. Notice how Isaiah Bradley and his grandson are watching, notice how the crowd of people are listening, notice how Torres is watching from his computer feed.

Sam is offering every American a shot at redemption.

Ross and the War with Japan

"Diplomacy must be hard for you, a man in a country to used to taking what he wants by force."

-Prime Minister Ozaki

In Captain America Brave New World, President Ross is facing an international crises with Japan over the adamantium that is found in the middle of the ocean. Originally, the world leaders, lead by President Ross, wanted to share the new resource evenly, however as negotiations breakdown between America and Japan, Ross's first instinct is to lead the country to war over the adamantium.

American Imperialism is no secret, in fact, everyone in the world is aware of America's dedication to consuming resources. In many instances (ones highlighted by Sam himself) America has a lack of understanding of how the world works, and how to decenter itself for the good of its allies. President Ross even says as the international conflict reaches a head,

"If any country is going to control adamantium, it's going to be us." --President Ross

Ross leans right back into American imperialism, and its perceived entitlement to resources. You can even draw parallels with Erik Killmonger's usage of Wakanda's vibranium and how Erik (an American man) uses American imperialism in the same way. To take whatever he wants by force. Damn the consequences.

Ross was not thinking about how the impending conflict could harm American citizens, or harm other people in the world. Ross's only concern was with the securing of international power.

But Ross's actions speak to a broader pattern of behavior that Sam has seen throughout his tenure in the MCU. The tendency for Americans to fall into simple definitions that justify a lack of empathy. When diplomacy with Japan fell through, Ross pivoted to conflict without further introspection. When Isaiah Bradley's existence threatened the ideals of American equality, America hid their shame away without needing to reflect on its own mistakes. When Karli and the Flag Smashers became a threat, America became incentivized to neutralize that threat without understanding reasons behind the Flag Smashers in the first place.

America is a country that prioritizes action over introspection, and violence over understanding. If not for the intervention of Sam Wilson, America would have fallen to its worst impulse and dove into a war that didn't need to be had.

"The fight you're taking on ain't going to be easy, Sam." --Isaiah Bradley

Perhaps this is where Steve's fight and Sam's fight differ. Steve was a warrior when America needed one. He was a man who fought whatever threat came to our shores. It was easy to root for Steve because Americans could understand that the "bad guy" was some foreigner.

But Sam's fight is with America's soul itself.

Sam isn't fighting to "save the country", he's fighting to redeem it. He's fighting to make this country live up to its ideals. And how exactly do you redeem a country that sends it soldiers off to war, but shuns them when they return? How do you redeem a country who's first instincts are to dehumanize and disregard anyone who doesn't fit the idea of America? How do you redeem a country that refuses to learn from its own mistakes, and instead works to shift the blame to someone/something else?

Bucky has said that Sam gives people something to aspire towards. But aspiring towards something takes work. It takes introspection. It takes being brave enough to look at one's own mistakes and being humble enough to do admit wrong doing, and then being strong enough to make it right.

In every instance in the MCU Sam Wilson gives this country a chance to be its better self. Most critics of Sam in TFATWS and BNW is his tendency for political messaging over character. Critics say that Sam is more interested in giving lectures over being a 3-dimensional character and to that I disagree. Even in isolated narratives (such as BNW), Sam is still faced with the conundrum of holding this country accountable to itself. And the narrative seems repetitive because each time America refuses to live up to itself. If Sam Wilson's story arc seems repetitive it is because the country he represents refuses to grow. It is not Sam's failing as a character, but America's failing as a nation. Sam Wilson lives James Baldwin's words:

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually"

Patriotism without introspection is simply stagnation. Love without growth is simply indulgence, and Sam Wilson reminds us of that everyday.

Sam Wilson may not be the Captain that this country wants, but it is certainly the captain this country needs.

But whether or not America deserves a redeemer like Sam Wilson, is a question that many are too afraid to ask.

Thunderbolts spoilers

"I don't know why people think they did Sam dirty with this. Lmao. People in universe don't see this team as a real team, because it wasn't assembled by Sam. Literal outrage for nothing and not understanding what was literally in the damn movie. "

What are we not gonna do is act af if there's no pushback in real life against Sam being Captain America and leading the Avengers. That Mcu stans aren't weird when it comes to Sam.

Tantrums were and are still being thrown because Steve gave Sam the shield and not Bucky. Articles were written about it. You had interviewers asking why Sam and not Bucky. They don't care about how Sam is more qualified and Steve and Bucky both want him to have that mantle or how he's popular in-universe.

Sam was villainized through tfaws by fans for not babying Bucky and not babying Walker. They see these white men who didn't treat Sam well and yet write essays about how they're poor little meow meows and Sam is not worthy being Cap because he was supposedly mean to them.

Sam has never being given a fair share by fans and the media. There's constantly articles about Chris coming back. He's always judged on a higher standard. Because if Sam was the one leading a government sanctioned team or talk fondly about his time in the military you'd get essays slagging him and his movie off.

Marvel has been sidelining Sam even after he became Cap. They barely promoted him as such in the past 4 years and now they aren't letting him form his team first .

Cause now, after Bucky and Walker those racist fans now have the Thunderbolts they can use against Sam. People are already saying that they prefer them to Sam's team before we ever get to see it.

Since Thunderbolts came out there's been posts on Twitter and TikTok hating on Sam, one with 8k likes calling him a loser. Calling him petty. Asking how Sam can do this to "Bucky and Natasha's sister." Saying Bucky or Walker should be Cap. How * are the real Avengers.

That's why people are upset.

Sam’s anger is justified

Imagine you having to prove yourself for so long, to the government, to your country, that you are worthy and aren’t defined by the color of your skin only for a group of people who were and had hurt you and beat you up in the past were so easily accepted and are running under the same government that deems you unworthy of being Captain America and one of them is your best friend who is now abiding under the same system you sought out to go against because of how unfair and unjust it is

If you think so otherwise, you’re letting your racism show

You can love a character and still admit when they’re wrong. I love Sam but I acknowledge his flaws (he has none) and I can hold him accountable for his wrongdoings (he’s never done anything wrong in his life) and call him out on his actions (which are always right).

defending sam wilson isnt enough i need a gun

ain't no way

I don't know how you can be a Bucky stan and approve of that pcs in Thunderbolts*.

I love Bucky and that scene gutted me.

How are we supposed to believe that:

The Bucky who spent what seems like his entire career in Congress trying to put together the evidence to bring down Valentina would then turn around and work for her? For 14 months?! After what she tried to do to Wakanda?! After he makes a point of telling Mel early in the film that he never had a choice who he worked for but she does? This is the choice we're supposed to believe he would make?

The Bucky who dropped everything to go to Sam when Joaquín was injured in Brave New World, who told Sam that him being Captain America gave people something to aspire to, who knew that Ross had charged Sam with rebuilding the Avengers, wouldn't be at Sam's side as he built that team?

The Bucky who is canonically best friends with Sam (at minimum), who can comfortably tell him he loves him, would allow him to be spoken of the way they talked about him in that pcs? That he would just stand by and allow them to suggest that Sam's the one at fault, that Sam's the one being unreasonable, that Sam should recognize that the Thunderbolts are the legitimate Avengers because the government (?? is Valentina the government now) said so?

This isn't Bucky. This isn't where he's at in his arc by Brave New World. I'm so upset that this is the direction the writers took him (and if it was the Russos who shot this scene, what this means for how they're going to treat the character in Doomsday).

I am also absolutely gutted about how they treated Sam in that pcs, but I haven't seen any positive takes from Sam fans - the consensus (I think) is that that scene was horrible and it's going to have so many repercussions outside the MCU. I am seeing posts from Bucky fans cheering about Bucky's new 'found family' or suggesting that people upset about the pcs are exaggerating and...that is not how I feel right now.

posting this cause Ik backlash against sam wilson is gonna get so much worse in this next year but steve rogers never gave the shield to bucky in comics either. that was tonys and buckys idea. sam has always been his first and only choice to pass the mantle to. and everyone racist who supports john walker or says "bucky shouldve gotten the shield" but has never touched a damned comic in their lives can die mad about it.

Sam Wilson, the man you are...

Timeline cleanse

I’ve just seen someone claim that the reason Cap flopped with an opening weekend of $88.4 million, but Thunderbolts didn’t with it’s $76 million one is because “everyone was looking forward to Cap” and “he’s a more beloved character” and I swear to fuck.

If the only time you can say something nice about Sam is to diminish his wins, then just go back to talking shit.

Cap vs Red Hulk, part 12

Tonight, President Ross embraced the theme of togetherness in his acceptance speech, but his past tells a different story, especially when it comes to working with heroes like Captain America.

As two of our nation's most important leaders, some question if they can overcome their at times tumultuous history to face the challenges of the future.

...

Here you go, Cap ... Put your money away. It's on the house.

Okay okay, I was done with gif sets but I've circled back to this one (where it all began lol) because LISTEN to what the news readers say!

"Heroes like Captain America" Sam is recognised as Cap and considered a true hero.

"As two of our nation's most important leaders" ‼️‼️

Sam is considered one of America's leaders and one of the MOST IMPORTANT.

And those three people he walks past all raise their glasses and call him Cap. 🥹🥹

Sam Wilson is a goddamn national treasure. He is beloved.