foreward for my upcoming fic
> When I first met John Walker in TFATWS I was captivated. But to my dismay I was in a very tiny minority within my fandom (not counting of course white men and white supremacists) I had never understood what people saw in characters like Steve Rogers till I met John. My liking of him boils down to an optimism about humanity and about the potential of the archetype, cishetero patriarchy has forced men, especially men like John to be. I believe someday we might shed the bounds of the social structures that oppress and contain us. But that change has to start from somewhere and champions can’t always be irreproachable.
> For me John presented a strong canon character with room for growth and development. My optimism and belief sourced primarily by his enduring love for his best friend Lemar Hoskins and his partnership with his wife Olivia. I’ve never been one to believe that close connections with non-white people absolves anyone from racism and anti-blackness *however* I do believe characters who didn’t start at that point in the first place… are not as promising. E.g. My preference for Tony Stark (and his assigned bestie James “Rhodey” Rhodes) Daenerys (and her assigned bestie Missandei… to whom she burned an entire city for (god my heart), over someone like Steve Rogers (who only got assigned a black bestie in the modern era… and he put that bestie through **hell** lmao.)
> For me. Characters like John or Tony or Daenerys are captivating, fun and provide optimism for a better world that might someday allow black people to be fully human. My belief is steeped in necro-politic. I am not convinced by any white character that wouldn’t lie, cheat, steal and *kill* for their black counterparts. For me that’s the bar along with an active decision to maintain the relationships and choose these black partners repeatedly.
> Thunderbolts acted as a Monkey’s paw for me. 1. John was suddenly palateable again to fandom. 2. John’s character was utterly decimated by loss and grief as well as divorced entirely from the black characters he once loved. Fortunately I have been creating transformative works since I was 9 and this is something I can rectify, at least for myself.
> Shuri doesn’t know why an American soldier would be carrying around a picture of a Wakandan war dog. (To whom she only recognizes because the recognition for his accolades and the Division’s honor for a life of service following his return to Wakanda had be *extreme*)
> John Walker retains the shield, (A favor from Wakanda’s meddling and a favor to Lemar (aka… Nceba)) but is now under Fontaine and considered to be a very divisive Capt. America. Fontaine and others would of course like to give the shield to someone else but the benefits from allowing John to continue to play dressup are too good.
> Since John retains the shield his life doesn’t fall apart as much and he’s able to keep body and soul together. His relationship with Olivia still deterioates but they are co-parenting ok post divorce.
> The events of Thunderbolts still happen (Fontaine just wants to see something… and besides. John died in the line of duty blah blah) John survives, The Thunderbolts form (with the addition of a newly sanctified Capt. America)
> This of course ignores the last episode of TFATWS and Captain Sam Wilson/That horrible movie called Brave New World.