Something about WPNZ that I don't see talked about much is the fact that he is such an EXCELLENT definition of an abuser. He highlights an important fact about abusers that is glossed over a lot in media that portrays them:
Abusers oftentimes genuinely love and care about their victims.
WPNZ sincerely loved (and loves) Karen. He cared for her in the only ways that made sense to him, based around the environment that he was forced to grow up and adapt in. He was all about tough love, and avoidant attachment. More than that, though, he constantly felt the need to be in control.
He ALWAYS had a deep sincere respect for her, and he might've treated her right a lot of the time. They might have coordinated well for many years, might have grown close and been best friends, but that's the trap that a lot of abusers pull their victims into. WPNZ has anger issues, but he can be emotionally mature and have a level head on his shoulders. He can be a good pillar of support. He can be a great partner.
But he's volatile, he's pushy, he belittles you in order to GET that feeling of control that he's always looking for. He plays mind games, twists facts, does everything in his power to KEEP you in this false sense of security that he creates. WPNZ is just as much of an actor and manipulator as Puzzles is!
Throughout all of this, though, WPNZ always had good intentions in his OWN twisted way. From HIS perspective, he did everything in the relationship right. All of the fault fell onto Karen. He physically wasn't able to see the harm he was causing until he had it literally beaten into him.
WPNZ is a great example of how abusers can seem like the best, most important people to you ever, while perpetuating the cycle that they've created. And, oftentimes, abusers won't even REALIZE they made the cycle in the first place. It's a repeated normalized pattern of behavior that they don't ever think to unpack or have combatted. There IS a lot of awareness when it comes to their methods of manipulation, but there are always internal justifications behind what they do.
And the ESPECIALLY amazing part of all of this is: WPNZ might have learned from his past behavior and is working on being more openly caring to Puzzles and Toomp, but he isn't ever going to be a good person, despite it! WPNZ will always have a few of these abusive harmful traits! In some way, he always WILL be perpetuating this abuse!
As will Puzzles. Which is why Gunshow is such an interesting ship. They are "healthy" in their own way, and they can manage to handle one another and help to make the other better people. But they also very much so are unhealthy. Their relationship is just as turbulent as it is stable. They're both broken people trying to do better, but still falling into those same pitfalls all the while.
And they like it that way. The toxicity is a vital part of their dynamic, platonic or romantic.
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