I try to avoid saying this again, but now I feel compelled: Please remember characters and ships often won't be interchangeable with the big screen or alternate versions. 616 Shuri and Riri shouldn't be classified as a romantic ship or 616 Riri embedded in mature posts.
"Shuriri" (Princess Shuri and Riri Williams) in the main comics (Earth-616) is platonic. The original version of Ironheart is 15-year-old Riri Williams. This has been said in even Wakanda Forever material and on Marvel's page.
616 Shuri is an adult well in her 20s and meant to read at least in her early 20s.
Since 2022-2023, shippers tried to circulate it has been "canon" or more "food" in 616, citing their moniker in Ironheart Volume 1.
When, goodness no. Ironically, Shuri and Riri disliked the name "shuriri." 😂
When using comic Riri images in your ship boards and smut headers... You can imagine the juxtaposition comicbook readers or Riri fans feel seeing it in the tags.
Note: Riri is a child protégé. Her comic ages are 12 to 15.
Her peers are Miles Morales, Ms Marvel, Viv Vision... All of which are clearly young teens in school.
Shuri, on the other hand, was always a young adult. She even mentors younger generation heroes, like Ironheart and Moon Girl.
Shuri's youngest ages were 18 MCU-wise (now in her 20s) or 20 comics-wise (later resting in her 20s with a mind much older since Black Panther volume 6).
Letitia Wright's BP1 interview and Black Panther 1 and 2 scripts confirming Shuri's MCU age:
616 Shuri is an adult figure. Even when she was called a "child" back then in much older volumes (where she was younger compared to now), she was in the same sentence confirmed 20:
Another aspect I find uncomfortable is how shippers (or fans in general) disregard the part where 616 Riri deals with trauma to the point of therapy and is on a healing journey. She only just recently feeling able to have friendships (and only friendships).
This is a big plot point in Ironheart volume 1, but overlooked for shipping or aesthetics...
Look, I get it. Some fans saw Riri and Shuri on the big screen, fell in love with the characters, and read their interactions with romantic lens. Although that wasn't Ryan Coogler's intention, alright.
People ship relating, chemistry-having characters with or without the canon's checkmark. It happens all the time. It's whatever. Atleast unlike the comics, MCU Riri is 19 (taking away half of the sting).
However:
The comics are not the MCU.
Characters have a story and life prior to the films or shipping based on the films.
Please respect and be conscious of that. Especially when sharing fan spaces with comic readers.
Summary: Hobie is missing, the crew copes the way they always do. Riri finds comfort in the meantime.
a/n: this is a mixture of spider-punk arms race and atsv. (so they’ve been at it for about three years so they’re 19/ early twenties) This is after the end of atsv when hobie doesn’t return. Cw: questioning about eating habits and mentions of general food scarcity, slightly suggestive language, and i give riri a random non canon middle name bc i have free will, vauge fish science idk
Prompts: silver + gold: unread messages. Burning the midnight oil from [this post] , credit @builtinacavewithaboxofprompts
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TRIMETHYLAMINE. A stench like no other.
Ignoring the throb of her finger, she yanked at the tin lid. Peeling metal from metal, sour fish and oil hitting her nose. Nostrils flaring, burning, from the smell, from that shaking anger. She needed to neutralize the smell. The issue. The problem. Avoid porous surfaces, so it does not linger. The feelings cannot stay. She takes her rage and bottles it tight beneath the rubble of her heart, leaving behind no tears. Only ash, drying her tongue to the roof of her throat.
Then we neutralize the smell all together. Apply an acid, that was what her Mama always recommended. She doesn’t have any consumable acids at the moment, they’ve been bunkering in the abandoned metro tunnels. Always moving, avoiding detection, collecting strays as they did in their desperate attempt to keep their people safe. There wasn’t time to think of hope, of peace, of dreams, you could only move. We could only keep moving, even if their leader was long gone.
Hobie’s disappearance hit them hard. He was gone longer then promised. They could only assume the worse, but it could not make them falter. They could not let their efforts disappear with him. So instead they fight, they run, they tend to wounds and listen to music so loud it makes their ears bleeds. And when they can, they ate.
Today, the canned fish was their spoils. It reeked. She peels the lid off and knocks it back in one, slimy go. The boost of energy pulling her from the obscure, depressed pits of her mind enough to refocus on the work ahead of her.
She picked up that hand held blow torch, sparking it. Letting the flame travel across the surface of the tin, the remaining pool of oil inside lighting up into a blaze.
A makeshift oil lamp to keep her company.
It was the only company she needed.
Contrarian as ever, her watch goes off. She tries not to look at it. It reminds her of him. It goes off again. It wasn’t the beeper function she’d programmed to keep their group informed and alert. No, it was a crisp tone. Emanating from the singular kimoyo bead fixed to the frayed leather on the inside of her wrist.
She ignored it as well. She knew she shouldn’t. She should answer her, but…It was one thing to know her best friend was gone. It hurt. It hurt bad. It was another thing entirely to know that her girlfriend could see that hurting. Could sense it even in her guarded words and stilted replies.
It wasn’t invisible under her gaze. She was visible. Exposed in a way she couldn’t handle right now. The bead went off one last time. The soft vibration warm against the sensitive skin of her wrist. She works through the night, feeling its weight as she did. Not yet ready, but she couldn’t help but wonder what that unread message said.
Was Shuri scolding her for being distant? Were they were simply blue-prints that needed to be reviewed. Jargon and treaties to consider. Towards the end of the night, early morning, another thought comes to her as her fingers were slick with oil, thigh stinging from when she almost dropped an engine. What if she needed her? What if she was hurting too? This is what finally moved her. She wiped her hands quickly on her pants, flipping her wrist. Finger pads brushing over the smooth surface of the bead with a gentleness that came about naturally when it came to her partner.
SHURI: I’m here.
That’s all the message said. She lingers on the shape of the words, imagining how her lips would imprint it against her temple and cheeks. She misses her, she always does. But now that ache in her chest hit harder than before.
RIOT: I know.
SHURI: Do you?
This gave her pause. Riri knew her well. She knew how she asked questions within questions, but this was remarkably straight forward. Does she know she’s there for her? Always. They know this now. She’s ironed out most of her lingering bad habits. She knows not to push her away for long. That once she licks her wounds and assesses the damage, she’ll be ready to talk, but this felt…like she asking a different question.
Prickling, she couldn’t help but rise to her feet. Still scrutinizing the message as she crossed the train-car. Her lab was positioned in the conductor's car, while the rest of the crew was shacked up in the tunnels and remaining traincars. Oil slicked tunnels, shadows dancing against the walls, the voices of the crew echoing. The honeycomb, concrete structures wrapping about them, busted tile, concrete, and ripped up rail underneath.
People were already working. They probably never stopped. Stopping only long enough to rest, not long enough to be fully rested. She nods to some as she passed, heading towards the main bonfire further down, the strings of her heart pulling, hoping, even if she knew she couldn’t afford the disappointment.
That’s when she hears her--sees her. Green headwrap wrapping her hair high, making her neck longer. She stood above the rest so naturally. That laugh, quiet, unassuming. Riri’s boots were moving, not needing anymore confirmation. Pushing past the others as her focus narrowed on the lithe figure tucked away by the crates, a drink in hand. She jumps without thinking, without greeting, uncaring of who they were speaking to or what conversation she interrupted.
Shuri turns to her and catches her without batting an eye, arms wrapping around her securely, drink spilling as she squeezes her tight, briefly picking her feet off the ground.
“You’re here,” Riri rasped, dumbstruck that she was really in her arms. Her voice close to their skin, ”When did you get here?”
Short nails brushed the out-grown shaved sides. Soothing strokes that left trails of fluttering heat behind, “Late last night,” Shuri said, pulling back to see her face better. Her smile stretches wider, she likes what she sees. Those wandering hands dusting the curve of Riri’s cheekbones to the now healed, gold angel bite piercings before finding the heart tattoo right on the underside of her chin, “You seemed busy, so I did not want to bother you,” she explained, with a twinkle in her eye. She knew Riri had misunderstood the message and had played along with it regardless.
Riri grumbled at that, “Next time bother me,” she ordered with a petulant frown.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Shuri said amicably, thumb having wandered back to those piercings. Tracing her lips with growing interest. Even though they’ve healed, they were plumper then before, as if the swelling never went down, “Any other requests?” she murmured, the question half genuine, although the suggestive nature of it was also there. Dangling, waiting to be taken or rejected depending on her mood.
Raising her arms, she hooked them around their neck, pulling her down, closer, “Kiss me,” Riri asked, shamelessly, lips finding theirs soon after. Bitter beer and smokey fish on her tongue, her tongue greedy as ever as she bullied her back against the crates to get her fill. Gripping her hips, digging rough indents into that slender waist. All those carefully tucked away feelings flooding her, frustration pouring and pouring into Shuri while they took it all.
They returned her enthusiasm with a biting smile against her lips and a low, indulgent chuckle that left her boneless, “You look tired,” Shuri notes, words almost breaking her trance.
Eyes half lidded and breathless, Riri looked at her crooked, “Are we doing this now?”
“We can do it anytime you want,” Shuri said, evenly, catching her off guard with that visual long enough for them to add, “Did you get enough to eat? I know how you get when the rations get spread thin.”
“I dunno what you mean,” Riri said, evasively.
“Love,” Shuri’s face creased, a hard edge to her voice.
“I had plenty--”
“Riri. Serenity. Williams.”
“Damn, you hit me with the government?” Riri said with a half chuckle, but seeing their persistent concern, she sighed. Leaning into their hands, pressing a kiss into their palms, “I’mma a big girl and ate all my rations,” she promised, “Don’t worry about me.”
“I’ll always worry about you,” Shuri muttered, taking her chin firm and pulling her in for another kiss, rougher than before.
ENCORE! YOU WANTED MORE! In a world without NORMAN OSBORN, SPIDER-PUNK REIGNS! This ain’t no victory lap though—as HOBIE BROWN and team try to rebuild society, JUSTIN HAMMER & DOCTOR OTTO OCTAVIUS have other plans…like introducing the world to the SPIDER-SLAYING SENTINELS! Cody Ziglar (MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN) & Justin Mason (SPIDER-MAN 2099: DARK GENESIS) reunite to bring the Brooklyn boy back with the whole crew you know and love! Grab your boots, your instruments, your amps and LET’S GO!
Written by: Cody Ziglar
Art by: Justin Mason
Cover by: Takashi Okazaki
Page Count: 40 Pages
Release Date: February 28, 2024
In honor of Across The Spider-Verse releasing last week & a new wave of Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk fans, here are some of @justinmasonart early designs (plus our 6-page mega spread from the final issue) for our Spider-Punk mini series that came out last April.
Some characters changed pretty significantly from their first drafts (Mz Marvel & Daredevil), whiles others only had minor tweaks (Kraven & Riot Heart). Regardless, the amount of emails I sent to Justin that just said “this is sick!!!!” Is a lil embarrassing but what can ya do, just part of the creative process.
Art by Justin Mason
Color by Jim Charalampidis
And check out the Official Spider-Punk Playlist if you’re looking for a nice intro to punk or a glimpse into what I was listening to while writing the book.
