The Marvel Immersion Experiment

My husband and I LOVE Marvel. Even before we were together, my husband was really into Marvel. I didn't get to develop my secret penchant for geekdom until I started dating him, but it was always there. With the release of Sam Raimi's Spiderman movies, we were hooked into the Marvel universe again. I was learning the lore and backstories and all sorts of things.

See... when I was a kid... my mom told me only losers read comic books and to stay away from them. Only wanting to make my parents happy, I stayed away from the giant bin of comics in our basement that were given to my mom from my older cousin - clearly thinking my brother would like them (because seriously... girls were just not part of that scene back in the day... as much as we want to debate and argue that... it's a rough sell).

As Marvel grew in popularity and finally the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) hatched into existence, we, too, found ourselves pulled into the vortex. I'm not going to get into the whole battle of the fandoms between Marvel and DC. DC has it's merits, but I've found the storytelling and foundational connections much richer in the Marvel Universe, whereas DC continues to go to the same stock characters in every reboot, just attempting to justify the changes that they make. My opinion, not really looking to start a thing.

Again, as I was saying, we were caught in the vortex. So much so that my husband got out his old Marvel (TSR) roleplaying game. He had gotten it out prior when I was working on an "Origin Stories" unit in my seventh grade Literacy class four years ago. We created a character for each student and they had to write an origin story for that character. The sky was the limit for how creative they could be. So I was familiar with the system before he brought it out. But this time... it was my turn to create a character.

From this my secret RPG alter-ego was born: Io Leda from the planet Edhyla - a genetically created being of her planet's species who flees her creator and arrives on Earth, hiding out and trying to fit in.

My god I love her so very much. No, seriously... I have written so much supplemental material on her it is insane! I've been talking to my husband about trying to turn some of our stories into a blog of fanfic, but the jury is still out on that one.

Digressions... I'm sorry. Bottom line... we love Marvel.

When the Infinity Wars trailer dropped, I started seeing .gif posts about watching every MCU movie that would lead you up to the release of Infinity Wars. I liked the sound of that, but then... I thought... maybe I should push it one step further. I like to do that, just to torture myself and then be disappointed when I don't keep up with it. (If you're reading this blog, you know I have a tendency to abandon the wagon when life starts to take up too much of... well... my geek life.)

A while ago, my husband and I were talking about all the ways to watch the movies, especially when we started watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (AoS). Do we spread things out and watch the episodes intermingled with the movies.... do we watch the movies as their own entity.... what about the Netflix series?  My husband decided he wanted to watch the series in Phases, but that also means we don't technically get to watch Phase 3, because we don't own Phase 3, because Phase 3 is like... a million times bigger than Phase 1 and Phase 2! Absurdly so...

I, though, love getting into the hardcore nitty-gritty of things like this. I don't want to phase it and just leave the TV/Series out. Instead, I'd like to just really throw myself into the convoluted world of all the things. But that created it's own conundrum. I read one article that essentially said it broke up the AoS just to give people a break from AoS. Well... that seems incredibly irresponsible.  At the same time, I don't know if I really know where it belongs....

I am in agreement, though, with where to put things like Daredevil and Luke Cage... essentially The Defenders. I know there's a subtle hint here and there about some sort of larger universe connection, but they really are focused on The Hand and not the intergalactic side of it all. I will say, though, haters gonna hate on Iron Fist, but having no preconceived notions I found him to be endearing and NOTHING like all the other "billionaire" superheroes. After his initial phase of mansplaining wore off, I understood him for who he was and it is unique. So I, personally, appreciate his story. Is it my favorite? That's pushing it, but I enjoyed it.

Essentially, I'm not an expert. I've taken several different variations of lists and articles and other and generated one that felt right for me. So fingers crossed that this all goes well.

The Beginning

1. Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter (DVD: IM3) - And then retcon it… hehe.
2. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
3. Marvel's Agent Carter (S1 & 2)
4. Iron Man (2008)
5. Iron Man 2 (2010)
6. Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer (DVD: CA:FA)
7. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
8. Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant (DVD: Thor)
9. Thor (2011)
10. Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
11. Marvel One-Shot: Item 47 (DVD: Avengers)
12. Iron Man 3 (2013)
13. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S1, E1-7)
14. Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King (DVD: T:DW)
15. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
16. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S1, E8-15)
17. Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)
18. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S1, E16-22)
19. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
20. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
21. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S2, E1-19)
22. Marvel's Daredevil (S1)
23. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
24. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S2, E20-22)
25. Ant-Man (2015)
26. Marvel's Jessica Jones (S1)
27. Marvel's Daredevil (S2)
28. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S31-19)
29. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
30. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S3, E20-22)
31. Marvel's Luke Cage (S1)
32. Doctor Strange (2016)
33. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S4)
34. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
35. Marvel's Iron Fist (S1)
36. Marvel's The Defenders (S1)
37. Inhumans (S1)
38. Marvel's The Punisher (S1)
39. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
40. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S5, first half)

NOT YET RELEASED

• Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S5, second half) - I’m sure exactly where this will fit in)
• Black Panther (February, 2018)
• Jessica Jones (S2) (March, 2018)
• Avengers: Infinity War (May, 2018)
• Ant-Man and the Wasp (July, 2018)
• Luke Cage (S2) (2018?)
• Cloak & Dagger (2018?)

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2017 - December 16

Day 16

Director Orson Krennic's Shuttle (ST 149) - Rogue One

Apparently there was an error in my picture and I posted the wrong one. Replacement maybe coming eventually.

Advent Stockings - December 16

My daughter really enjoyed Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky and I saw this cosplay necklace online and knew she had to have it.

Day 16
Laputa Castle in the Sky Necklace

0 Day to Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Apparel Challenge

I bought this shirt a while ago. I thought it was just gorgeous. Then my husband made his Christmas list and this shirt ended up on his list! Immediately bought it and, instead of waiting for Christmas, I gave it to him this morning! 

Now, I planned out my stuff in advance, except for a couple days, but this shirt landed on the perfect day. It, for me, so perfectly represents the ending of The Last Jedi that I knew it was fate to have it planned for today.

And, my husband being the beyond amazing guy that he is, did a twinsie picture with me! Woo!

So for my birthday, I get matching shirts of awesome! My last day of Star Wars Apparel. I made it! It was quite a journey and I have really enjoyed the journey. 

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2017 - December 15

Day 15
Snow blower? Really?

Advent Stockings - December 15

My mom always says to my daughter, "I love you to the moon and back." Well... I love my daughter to the Death Star and back. A way more dangerous mission of love. haha!

Day 15
Lightsaber Death Star Key Chain

1 Day to Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Apparel Challenge

My "1 Day" isn't actually 1 day... it's TODAY! 7PM! 

That's also why this entry is waaaay late! I'm just going to say... it was worth the hype and was really quite amazing. Can't wait to see it again tomorrow. Did I mention tomorrow is also my birthday? Kind of had all these little connections for why I was so excited to do this.

Here are mine and my daughter's outfits for today.

I had the ying and yang of R2D2 and BB-8... the young and the new. I also had my blue lightsaber Lego earrings and my R2D2 earrings. Finally I topped it all off with my homemade hooded poncho! I also wore BB-8 socks, but no one saw those. 

(I know it says DayS... just roll with it yo!)

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2017 - December 14

Day 14
First Order Stormtrooper

Advent Stockings - December 14

Day 14
I found these incredible lip balms on etsy from FireGeekLabs and I had to have the BB8 one. It is all deliciously citrus. My daughter LOVED it!

2 Days to Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Apparel Challenge

I had a professional development day, so I didn't want to go in GEEK BLAZING, because it was my understanding I was going to have to... potentially be the voice of opposition for some things. Turns out I didn't have to be... BUT since I thought I would have to be... I wore my Vader Dolman that I got from HerUniverse.  They don't sell them anymore, but I bought this one and a stormtrooper one (and then some Marvel ones). Anyways! Professional Geeking.

Hmmm.... I hung it over the chair to really get the whole face... so... that's um... not my back, fyi.

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2017 - December 13

Day 13
The Force Awakens First Order Snow Speeder

Advent Stockings - December 13

Day 13
Perler Bead Santa!

3 Days to Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Apparel Challenge

Today couldn't have worked out any better. I preplanned to where my All I want for Christmas is the Millenium Falcon t-shirt. So I put it on and all that, then I went to open my Advent Calendar and it was the Millenium Falcon! I got my wish! Despite crazy stuff happening today, remembering that made me smile and kept me going. The happiness in little things.

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2017 - December 12

Day 12
Um... so... yeah. Pretty obvious!

Advent Stockings - December 12

Not a secret that my daughter loves My Neighbor Totoro. So here is an adorable Catbus Necklace. 

Day 12

Mini Catbus in a Jar

4 Days to Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Apparel Challenge

I kind of themed this out a little bit. I pulled out my Ewok hood with my Endor shirt and tah-dah! I wore the two together in my classroom all day. Took off the hood when I left my classroom area, but it was still pretty fun! Made me super extra happy, which I really needed for a big chunk of today.

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2017 - December 11

Day 11
Luggabeast from The Force Awakens on Jakku

Advent Stockings - December 11

Can't have R2D2 without C3PO!

Day 11

5 Days to Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Apparel Challenge

I really wanted to make this fleece poncho with a hood for when I go to see The Last Jedi. Now... this has been an ongoing design challenge for me. I am not a semestress. I'm not super into doing sewing, yet shockingly I've been doing a great deal of sewing over the last several years. But I felt confident I could do this, because I had made my mom a fleece-knot poncho a few years ago for when she was going through chemo.

This, though, was not the same type of poncho! I was adding a hood and, oh my goodness, it threw me for a loop! I was sit staring at the fabric and the panels I had made, wondering how the heck I'm going to add this hood.

Finally, today, I had a breakthrough. My poncho is pretty much done, except for some fine-tuning and a few extra knots, and I hand-stithed the hood to ensure it would sit right.

Now... is it perfect? HA! I fail at being a perfectionist, but I am so happy to have this extremely warm hooded poncho (I love hoods). And because I'm proud of essentially be done, I chose it as my apparel for today! YAY!!!

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2017 - December 10

Day 10

Unkar's Thug from The Force Awakens. He's all about harassing Rey and Finn on Jakku.

Advent Stockings - December 10

So I just noticed this on the bottom of my daughter's socks. Apparently this particular pair has a special little something on the bottom. 

Day 10

R2D2 socks

6 Days to Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Apparel Challenge

Today I needed to recharge my batteries. My daughter went to celebrate some holiday stuff with her Meemaw. My husband is off spending the day with our friends gaming alllllll day! I am feeling pretty not in a good way, so I stayed home to enjoy the absolute peace and solitude. Shut off my phone.  I am not checking my e-mails or anything. Mostly staying off the computer (had to post these photos) and just.... stayed on the couch with my dogs, warm blankets and... I'm  binge-watching Season 1 of The Crown. Heh.

To stay warm, I'm using an R2D2 fleece knot blanket that a coworker gave me earlier this year. I also dug out my daughter's wookie slippers that are too small on me, but are keeping my tootsies warm at least. Mmmmm... a day off that I haven't had in a very, very, very long time.

Only 6 more days..........

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2017 - December 9

Day 9

Rey's Speeder from Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens

Advent Stockings - December 9

My daughter is with her grandma this weekend doing holiday stuff with her. So she doesn't get to do her stockings until she gets back Sunday night. I still took pictures anyways.

Day 9
3D printed Totoro cookie cutters

7 Days to Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Apparel Challenge

Waaaay back when I was young, I started watching this show called Mystery Science Theater 3000. I was young, but I was intrigued by these little guys at the bottom of a screen making fun of these old movies. 

When I was 16, I met someone who, despite being 1000 miles away, also loved this show. I married that person and we've shared our love of the show since then. Granted, he's a bit more rabid a fan and I'm a more casual fan, but we're fans nonetheless. 

In celebration of my love of the originals and the reboot and Star Wars, I donned my mash-up shirt of Tom Servo R2D2 and Crowe C3PO.