Avengers recs (Loki-centric)
Uh oh, I've been Loki'd. Thanks to the one-two punch of astolat and Tom Hiddleston. Joss Whedon might have had a little to do with it, too. :-)
I'm having fun watching the explosion of the Avengers fandom (which The Fabulist calls a Fandom Global Event). It'll be interesting to see how it plays out, given that there is relatively little source material in the movie-based portion of the fandom and long gaps between the movies. Great fun however long it lasts, though.
In the Loki portion of the fandom, I'm particularly enjoying the way many writers have gone back to source texts, like the Poetic Edda, to deepen and expand the universe of their stories. Such a cool blend of pure fun and spectacle on the one hand and rather challenging background material on the other - just the sort of thing that fandom pulls out of its hat that makes you say "wow."
Some fic recs:
(alpha by author, spoilers for Avengers 2012, Thor 2011, and the Captain America & Iron Man movies)
Shatter by Aria
(Loki/Thor)
What if Loki rather than Thor had been banished to earth in the Thor movieverse? Intense, psychologically believable tale of Loki's adaptation and, secondarily, Thor's quest to get him back. Long and plotty, with richly drawn supporting characters.
Athelas by astolat
(Loki/Thor)
Thor is taken captive and held under harrowing circumstances until Loki comes to the rescue. Too bad the Avengers equate rescue by Loki with leaving the frying pan for the fire. Magnificent, plotty story that strides through genres from hurt/comfort, to adventure, to palace intrigue, to superherodom and conquers each in its turn. The portrayal of Thor and Loki within Asgard society is the most compelling and insightful I've seen.
Hug Therapy by astolat
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: "I am hugging you," Thor explained. "That you may know I love you, despite your madness." Thor's angst over the rift with his brother leads the Avengers to refer him to a therapist. I adored the clash of cultural assumptions between the therapist and Thor. Lovely, hot and moving reunion with Loki, too.
Learning to Fly by astolat
(Loki & Thor, gen)
Post-Avengers movie, Loki is imprisoned in a tower in Asgard, and he pines. Stunning Loki pov that grips you by the throat. This story made me cry while reading and stayed with me for a long time afterward. Hopeful ending.
The Moral of the Story by astolat
(Loki/Thor)
Thor recounts his and Loki's parts in "The Lay of Thrym" to the assembled Avengers, with deliciously salacious additions that seem to have been missed in the transcription in the Codex Regius. Hilarious capture of the reactions of the listening team and amazing Thor pov and voice. Astolat catches the archaic rhythms of Thor's speech without ever slowing the narrative momentum, and she conveys the modesty, good humor, and very real humanity of the character in a way I haven't seen done anywhere else.
Better Than Ice Cream by astolat
(Loki/Thor)
Dom in the board throne room, sub in the bedroom. Hot and poignant. Astolat gets right to the point in this brief fic, so it's one that does require familiarity with movie canon characterization to have an impact. I read it once before seeing Thor and once afterward, and the difference was like spring and rocket summer.
And All the Towers Came Down by entangled_now (libraryofsol)
(Loki/Thor)
Just post-Avengers movie, Thor rescues Loki from imprisonment, and they finally have a conversation. Strong, layered characterization.
Unforeseen Side Effects by Fickle Obsessions
(Loki/Thor, Steve/Tony)
Tony theorizes that Loki's rabid instability might be improved by a blast in the face of psychotropic drugs. Unfortunate that Thor is in the kill zone, too. Funny and hot! (Needs a proofreading for missing or mistaken words.)
Unbridled by griseldajane
(Loki/Thor)
When Thor goes into berserker mode on the battlefield, Loki is the only one who can bring him back. Lovely interactions between the brothers and a gentle, bittersweet tone.
Who Only Stand and Wait by gwyn_r
(Loki & Pepper, gen)
While the Avengers are out battling evil, Loki and Pepper keep vigil and bond with movies and traded secrets. Gorgeous capture of a transitional moment in an imagined Avengers future. Expertly captured voices and physical mannerisms and thoughtful supporting details make this fic glow with life.
Under Ether by Lunik
(Darcy/Loki)
Author's summary: Loki is captured by SHIELD and deemed not fit to be left alone while on painkillers and in handcuffs. Now he's Darcy's problem. Fun, sweet-tart story with sassy dialogue and enjoyable characterizations.
Caught in the Middle by moosewingz
(Steve, Loki/Thor)
In the quieter future after the Chitauri battle, Steve's profound disorientation pushes to the fore and threatens to overwhelm him. Steve finds an echo of his sense of loss in both Thor and Loki - like him, beings out of place and time, and each desolated by the loss of the other. Steve resolves to help heal them, and himself, by reuniting the sundered brothers. This long, satisfying story takes the time to show the full arc of character development for the three. It kept me engaged along the way with mature and believable characterizations, a lovely capture of the daily life of the Avengers, and a light, one might even say respectful, touch with the angst.
Halo by paxlux
(Loki/Tony)
Loki throws Tony out of a window. It's the start of a beautiful relationship. Intense, lyrical writing, with great Tony pov. The author does a marvelous job of capturing Tony's inner voice and psychology and offers creative and believable character development for both Tony and Loki. A long, satisfying story that takes its time to simmer and build.
Fight or Flyte by theorytale
(Loki & Tony, gen)
The insults Loki trades with Tony Stark at their various battles have come to mean a lot to him. Clever and funny, this story should win some kind of award for the title alone. Great use of references from the Poetic Edda, particularly "The Flyting of Loki," used in the bawdy spirit of the original and mixed hilariously with pop cultural allusions.
The Saga of Hug Fortress by theorytale
(Loki & Tony, slashy gen, WIP)
When Loki has a meltdown during a battle with the Avengers, Tony realizes that something more than mere villainy is at play in Loki's psyche. Intense, psychological story about transference and second chances. This is a WIP that I very much hope gets continued, though the 85-pages that are here are satisfying in themselves.
Other fun stuff:
Story of a Five Year Old Avenger, Meeting The Avengers
Article about a child in NYC who carried his Captain America shield everywhere and happened to stumble into the Avengers shoot in Central Park. One of my favorite pieces of "the making of the Avengers" trivia of all time.
Superheroes movies like Avengers Assemble should not be scorned
Op-Ed piece by Tom Hiddleston in the Guardian
Gorgeous Loki artwork by uglybusiness
Amazing Avengers and Thor (and multifandom) icons by appleindecay in candiicon
Great recs/rec lists by others:
Marvel recs by green_grrl
Avengers Recs Masterlist (Loki-centric) by rebeccaann08
Fresh Picked Recs - Avengers by blue_meridian
Avengers rec list by amanuensis1
Avengers and Thor recs by amothea
Thor/Loki recs masterlist by bea_recs
Darcy Lewis-centric recs (the grad student assistant in Thor) by halfamoon
Links to interviews with the Avengers' actors, including some fun ones with Tom Hiddleston paired with Robert Downey, Jr collected by l_jade
Have I missed some fabulous Loki fics? Please rec away in the comments!
I'm having fun watching the explosion of the Avengers fandom (which The Fabulist calls a Fandom Global Event). It'll be interesting to see how it plays out, given that there is relatively little source material in the movie-based portion of the fandom and long gaps between the movies. Great fun however long it lasts, though.
In the Loki portion of the fandom, I'm particularly enjoying the way many writers have gone back to source texts, like the Poetic Edda, to deepen and expand the universe of their stories. Such a cool blend of pure fun and spectacle on the one hand and rather challenging background material on the other - just the sort of thing that fandom pulls out of its hat that makes you say "wow."
Some fic recs:
(alpha by author, spoilers for Avengers 2012, Thor 2011, and the Captain America & Iron Man movies)
Shatter by Aria
(Loki/Thor)
What if Loki rather than Thor had been banished to earth in the Thor movieverse? Intense, psychologically believable tale of Loki's adaptation and, secondarily, Thor's quest to get him back. Long and plotty, with richly drawn supporting characters.
Athelas by astolat
(Loki/Thor)
Thor is taken captive and held under harrowing circumstances until Loki comes to the rescue. Too bad the Avengers equate rescue by Loki with leaving the frying pan for the fire. Magnificent, plotty story that strides through genres from hurt/comfort, to adventure, to palace intrigue, to superherodom and conquers each in its turn. The portrayal of Thor and Loki within Asgard society is the most compelling and insightful I've seen.
Hug Therapy by astolat
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: "I am hugging you," Thor explained. "That you may know I love you, despite your madness." Thor's angst over the rift with his brother leads the Avengers to refer him to a therapist. I adored the clash of cultural assumptions between the therapist and Thor. Lovely, hot and moving reunion with Loki, too.
Learning to Fly by astolat
(Loki & Thor, gen)
Post-Avengers movie, Loki is imprisoned in a tower in Asgard, and he pines. Stunning Loki pov that grips you by the throat. This story made me cry while reading and stayed with me for a long time afterward. Hopeful ending.
The Moral of the Story by astolat
(Loki/Thor)
Thor recounts his and Loki's parts in "The Lay of Thrym" to the assembled Avengers, with deliciously salacious additions that seem to have been missed in the transcription in the Codex Regius. Hilarious capture of the reactions of the listening team and amazing Thor pov and voice. Astolat catches the archaic rhythms of Thor's speech without ever slowing the narrative momentum, and she conveys the modesty, good humor, and very real humanity of the character in a way I haven't seen done anywhere else.
Better Than Ice Cream by astolat
(Loki/Thor)
Dom in the board throne room, sub in the bedroom. Hot and poignant. Astolat gets right to the point in this brief fic, so it's one that does require familiarity with movie canon characterization to have an impact. I read it once before seeing Thor and once afterward, and the difference was like spring and rocket summer.
And All the Towers Came Down by entangled_now (libraryofsol)
(Loki/Thor)
Just post-Avengers movie, Thor rescues Loki from imprisonment, and they finally have a conversation. Strong, layered characterization.
Unforeseen Side Effects by Fickle Obsessions
(Loki/Thor, Steve/Tony)
Tony theorizes that Loki's rabid instability might be improved by a blast in the face of psychotropic drugs. Unfortunate that Thor is in the kill zone, too. Funny and hot! (Needs a proofreading for missing or mistaken words.)
Unbridled by griseldajane
(Loki/Thor)
When Thor goes into berserker mode on the battlefield, Loki is the only one who can bring him back. Lovely interactions between the brothers and a gentle, bittersweet tone.
Who Only Stand and Wait by gwyn_r
(Loki & Pepper, gen)
While the Avengers are out battling evil, Loki and Pepper keep vigil and bond with movies and traded secrets. Gorgeous capture of a transitional moment in an imagined Avengers future. Expertly captured voices and physical mannerisms and thoughtful supporting details make this fic glow with life.
Under Ether by Lunik
(Darcy/Loki)
Author's summary: Loki is captured by SHIELD and deemed not fit to be left alone while on painkillers and in handcuffs. Now he's Darcy's problem. Fun, sweet-tart story with sassy dialogue and enjoyable characterizations.
Caught in the Middle by moosewingz
(Steve, Loki/Thor)
In the quieter future after the Chitauri battle, Steve's profound disorientation pushes to the fore and threatens to overwhelm him. Steve finds an echo of his sense of loss in both Thor and Loki - like him, beings out of place and time, and each desolated by the loss of the other. Steve resolves to help heal them, and himself, by reuniting the sundered brothers. This long, satisfying story takes the time to show the full arc of character development for the three. It kept me engaged along the way with mature and believable characterizations, a lovely capture of the daily life of the Avengers, and a light, one might even say respectful, touch with the angst.
Halo by paxlux
(Loki/Tony)
Loki throws Tony out of a window. It's the start of a beautiful relationship. Intense, lyrical writing, with great Tony pov. The author does a marvelous job of capturing Tony's inner voice and psychology and offers creative and believable character development for both Tony and Loki. A long, satisfying story that takes its time to simmer and build.
Fight or Flyte by theorytale
(Loki & Tony, gen)
The insults Loki trades with Tony Stark at their various battles have come to mean a lot to him. Clever and funny, this story should win some kind of award for the title alone. Great use of references from the Poetic Edda, particularly "The Flyting of Loki," used in the bawdy spirit of the original and mixed hilariously with pop cultural allusions.
The Saga of Hug Fortress by theorytale
(Loki & Tony, slashy gen, WIP)
When Loki has a meltdown during a battle with the Avengers, Tony realizes that something more than mere villainy is at play in Loki's psyche. Intense, psychological story about transference and second chances. This is a WIP that I very much hope gets continued, though the 85-pages that are here are satisfying in themselves.
Other fun stuff:
Story of a Five Year Old Avenger, Meeting The Avengers
Article about a child in NYC who carried his Captain America shield everywhere and happened to stumble into the Avengers shoot in Central Park. One of my favorite pieces of "the making of the Avengers" trivia of all time.
Superheroes movies like Avengers Assemble should not be scorned
Op-Ed piece by Tom Hiddleston in the Guardian
Gorgeous Loki artwork by uglybusiness
Amazing Avengers and Thor (and multifandom) icons by appleindecay in candiicon
Great recs/rec lists by others:
Marvel recs by green_grrl
Avengers Recs Masterlist (Loki-centric) by rebeccaann08
Fresh Picked Recs - Avengers by blue_meridian
Avengers rec list by amanuensis1
Avengers and Thor recs by amothea
Thor/Loki recs masterlist by bea_recs
Darcy Lewis-centric recs (the grad student assistant in Thor) by halfamoon
Links to interviews with the Avengers' actors, including some fun ones with Tom Hiddleston paired with Robert Downey, Jr collected by l_jade
Have I missed some fabulous Loki fics? Please rec away in the comments!