Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (X-Men: First Class)
Pairing: Erik/Charles
Length: 5k
Author on LJ: seperis
Author Website: AO3 page
Why this must be read:

I will read anything that seperis writes. She uses subtle dark undertones, honest character development, and a lovely gift for language to set her work apart. This story is AU, but only in that there was a different outcome at the beach. What I love most about seperis' work is that she will often leave many things unsaid in a story, leaving the reader to interpret what actually happened how they will. I also love when people explore how ridiculous Charles' powers are. I mean Eric is scary in a "I will hunt you down and torture you" kind of way, but Charles' mind, if he was anything less than he is, is truly terrifying. Seperis shows a Charles that is afraid of himself, and what will happen to the mutants and people he is trying to protect if he stops using Cerebro, as well as a wonderful protective Erik. Go and read, definitely one of the best in this fandom.

Say Your Fault

I'm jainamac and I'll be doing the Comic recs this month. I'll mostly be focusing on X-Men: First Class because it seriously just would not get out of my head after I saw the movie. Anytime you have James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender looking like they're completely in love with each other...idek it's just like very good crack. Anyway, hope you enjoy the fics I've got lined up!

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (X-Men: First Class)
Pairing: Erik/Charles
Length: 20k
Author on LJ: zarah5
Author Website: Fic on AO3 and on her LJ
Why this must be read:
This is the story that I wanted to happen. It goes AU during/after the beach scene and the way the story develops is just fantastic. Erik and Charles form an uneasy truce and start to meet - and everyone but Charles realizes that they're actually dates. It resolves all of the issues that had me wondering at the end of the movie. Go and read, it's funny, angsty and just the perfect fix-it fic.

Time to Grow

One of the chief joys of being a comics fan, I think, is that there's constantly something new on the horizon, and if something happens that you don't like, you only have to wait a little while for a retcon or a reboot. The unpleasant corollary, of course, is that sometimes it's something you do like that falls victim to the retcon/reboot. And of course, the whole thing can seem impenetrable and inaccessible to new fans.

My advice then to new fans: don't try to get entirely caught up, just dive in and start reading the fic! If there's a character you don't know who seems vaguely important, look them up on Wikipedia. That's what it's there for! (Jimmy Wales may disagree.) That's what I did, and it was enough to convert me from DC to Marvel in the real world as well as the fandom one.

( The single biggest change in Marvel waters this year, I think it would be hard to argue, has been the popularity of the new movies, and thus the increased exposure of characters who were not necessarily well known, or well-fanned, outside comics circles. )

( Fandom Overviews here at Crack Van )

(  Pairing Specific Introductions at Ship Manifesto )

The Cap/Iron Man Slashy Moments List (Illustrations from Forty Years of Comics)

(  Livejournal Communities )

(  Big Bangs )

( Kink Memes )

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically X-MEN: FIRST CLASS)
Pairing: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Length: 117,000 words
Author on LJ: nekosmuse
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: None.

Why this must be read: A wonderful AU where Erik's already the scary champion of mutantkind and Charles is already in a wheelchair. In the manner of OTPs everywhere, despite being diametrically opposed they meet and fall in love at pretty much first sight anyway. It's a slightly longer (and pleasingly respectful) journey to work out how to get from there to a happy ending though, given they go in with their eyes open, and every minute is worth the ride.

Tessellation

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically X-MEN: FIRST CLASS)
Pairing: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Length: 35,000 words
Author on LJ: zamwessell
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: None.

Why this must be read: One to take to your bunk. This is hot like fire, but there's a theme and a message in there too -- a happy combination of porn and plot. It starts with some gloriously vigorous and enjoyable sex, starkly contrasted with Charles' hilarious internal monologue about what a good boy he is, and how good boys don't. The tension in him gets ratchetted up in every subsequent scene, and Erik is wickedly unsympathetic and just devilishly irresistable, damn it. Poor Charles and his "ideas you get from reading too much Kipling" never stood a chance.

Good Boys

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically THOR)
Pairing: Loki/Thor
Length: 34,000 words
Author on LJ: astolat
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: Author Chose Not to Warn. [Minor consent issues, but the sex is equitable and enjoyable for both.]

Why this must be read: Another set of fascinating 'aliens' -- using that word at its most literal -- though this time we know and will ever know next to nothing about them -- threaten to overrun our heroes' home. All the honour and bravery and goodness in the world cannot defeat them, so perhaps it's time to try a little lying, cheating, backstabbing street smarts. Can Thor trust Loki to save Asgard? Or is it all some diabolical trick? Well. It's Loki, so trickery is a given, but the pleasure of the journey is watching Thor learn to trust and maybe even admire him. It's a lot of fun watching the rug get constantly pulled out from under him, but there's also just enough horror and despair to make the feeling of being under siege real.

Chaos War

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically THOR)
Pairing: Thor/Loki
Length: 14,000 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: Author Chose Not to Warn. [Violence. Gore. Consent Issues.]

Why this must be read: An absolute rollicking see-saw/rollercoaster/whirligig/every damn unsettling ride in the amusement park, dialled up to eleven. Equal parts black comedy and tragedy, this story melds myth, comic and movie canons with a touch of psychological profiling to give us a not remotely flattering peek into the culture of Asgard and the princes it produced. Neither Thor nor Loki come off as particularly laudable or particularly sane -- a refreshing change from the rafts of fic that take one part or the other -- but in the best OTP tradition they do come off as made for each other, and world-shatteringly aware of it.

Looks like a Nail

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically AVENGERS/CAPTAIN AMERICA/IRON MAN)
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Length: 29,000 words
Author on LJ: tsukinofaerii (author prefers DW)
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: None. Woohoo.

Why this must be read: How far would you go to forget the worst thing that ever happened to you? If you're Tony Stark, the answer is pretty damn far. Comics Spoiler: Steve Rogers died in Civil War. Comics Spoiler: He got Better. No Spoiler at All: Tony would rather forget the whole thing ever happened. And after that whole other comics thing where he injected himself with an experimental nano-virus that turned his brain into a hard drive, he has the technology.

Per Expectations

I love both these vids so much, and they're in each case the absolute last word on the pairing (imho, natch) so I just couldn't decide between them. In the spirit, I hope, of the Friday Night Drive-In, I offer you a double feature.

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (THOR)
Pairing: Thor/Loki
Music: Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
Length: 2:20
Vidder's Website: LJ Master List

Set Fire to the Rain
Remaster

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (X-MEN/X-MEN: FIRST CLASS)
Pairing: Erik/Charles
Music: Rolling in the Deep by Adele
Length: 4:03
Vidder's Website: LJ Tag

Rolling in the Deep

Why these Vids kick ass: Dear God, they both make me want to weep every time. The sheer palpable sense of frustration and disappointment and anger and brokenheartedness that explodes out of each of them never lessens, though I've had them on near repeat on my laptop and in the new blu-ray player -- why yes, Mr Salesman, I do have a disc to try out -- for weeks. I've always had a penchant for Rift fandoms, and these two vids say pretty much everything there is to say about the Bridge and Beach Divorces. On a technical level, they're both just cut so brilliantly, with tight POVs and razor sharp transitions... Perfection.

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically AVENGERS/CAPTAIN AMERICA/IRON MAN)
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Length: 170,000 words (yes, you read that right)
Author on LJ: seanchai and elspethdixon
Author Website: Fic Index

Warning: None. Woohoo.

Why this must be read: Again, one of the first fics I ever read in this fandom and one I re-read when I'm feeling nostalgic. Aliens have taken New York; interesting, well-realised aliens who are hideous and cruel and occasionally sympathetic, and complicated in their motivations... Steve and Tony are physically separated for the vast bulk of the story, and yet they're in each other's hearts and minds constantly, until the reader is as desperate for the reunion as they are. The supporting characters are great too, and as an introduction to Hawkeye especially, who I didn't know from Adam at the time, it was a great primer.

When the Lights go on Again

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically AVENGERS/CAPTAIN AMERICA/IRON MAN)
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Length: 4,000 words
Author on LJ: muccamukk (author prefers DW)
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: None. Woohoo.

Why this must be read: One of the first fics I ever read in this fandom and still one of my favourites, this fic skillfully weaves together vignettes from many different points in comics and film canon that deal with the various physical scars Tony Stark carries related to his damaged heart, while also commenting on the mental and emotional scars that fragile organ also bears. All rolled in with some scorchingly hot sex with Steve Rogers that again touches on those hidden depths. It's just a wonderful piece all over.

That One Man, Scorned and Covered with Scars

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically THOR)
Pairing: Thor/Loki
Length: 18,000 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: Violence. A touch of gore. Mythology-style mpreg.

Why this must be read: A glorious tapestry of movie, comic and myth canons, this fic takes everything that makes Loki Loki and dials it up to eleven. It manages to make him sympathetic without making him a woobie, and without stripping him of his mischief and his sheer glee in getting the better of others, especially Thor. That said, Thor himself, while no match for Loki in a battle of wits, is no lummox either, and it's a delight to see them both so true to themselves and yet finding common ground as well.

Red Ruin, and the Breaking Up of Laws

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically X-MEN 1 and 2)
Pairing: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Length: 5,000 words
Author on LJ: cousinshelley
Author Website: The Silver Stake

Warning: None. (I knew I'd get there if I tried.)

Why this must be read: The latter half of 2011 has been awash in the flood of Erik/Charles born of XM:FC, but in fact there was a quietly thriving fandom long before that. This is a glorious example of the fic written after X-Men 1 and 2, showcasing an older, wiser, sadder but just as much in love Magneto and Professor X. It feels less fraught, I think, in large part due to the different causation of Charles' paralysis and the subsequent split, and yet at the same time is just as deeply steeped in emotion. Erik, especially, has a whole different raft of regrets, and the fact he chose to leave Charles here almost feels sadder for being the product of a cooler head.

Stalemate

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically X-MEN: FIRST CLASS)
Pairing: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Length: 35,000 words
Author on LJ: manic_intent
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: The author gives none, but in the interests of full disclosure, there's dub-con involving an incubus, though his main "victim" is very willing. (Incidental others are referred to briefly.)

Why this must be read: This is just the kind of AU I love -- change one thing and see what happens. In this case, Charles is a centuries old incubus passing as a mutant passing as human. Yes, you read that right. Erik's backstory remains unchanged, and when they cross paths he falls even harder than he did in canon. If that's possible. There's some wonderful world building here -- the author says she used Azazel's comics background as a primer, and it's beautifully done, giving just enough information about a supernatural conflict ages past that left the two of them the last of their kind. The sex is scorching, the characters sympathetic, and the story gripping.

The Geometry of Chance

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically NEW AVENGERS/CAPTAIN AMERICA/IRON MAN)
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Length: 35,000 words
Author on LJ: valtyr (author prefers DW)
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: Wow, that's two warnings for consent issues I have to give in two days. Unintentional, I promise. This time it's dub con thanks to pheromones and such but both parties are/would be willing, so if that's cool with you you're good. There's also a brief, unsuccessful, attempt at a sexual assault also under the influence of said pheromones.

Why this must be read: Valtyr's one of my very favourite, and if I may say so, the very best, authors in the fandom, and her work has been recced here a couple of times. This story is hands down my favourite of them all. It's set in the New Avengers period, ie after the original flavour team had split up, and Cap and Tony put the band back together, with some new members. I'd never heard of Luke Cage (Power Man) and Jessica Jones (Jewel), and had heard of but didn't know Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman) so this was a glorious introduction to them. Spider-Man and Wolverine round out the team. Via a plot device I shall leave unspoiled, the team's powers and abilities get shuffled and randomly reallocated between them, and shenanigans break out. It's intriguing, amusing, and ultimately moving watching them cope in varying degrees, and Steve and Tony as Spider-Man and Spider-Woman respectively are hot like fire.

Conjugate

Hi, I'm arysteia and I'm driving the van for Comics Fandom this month. I'm usually bi-textual, but the DCNu Reboot has led to a tragic parting of the ways, so I'm going to be concentrating on Marvel. I'm aiming to include great fics from both Comics and Movies canons, and a variety of pairings. Sorry for the late start -- life -- so without further ado...

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically AVENGERS/THOR)
Pairing: Loki/Thor
Length: 20,000 words
Author on LJ: astolat
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: Astolat does give a warning, but I want to clarify/add to it. There's a set-up involving torture (including rape) but you can quite literally skip over the first four paragraphs and avoid it. It is briefly mentioned again but without details being given (they aren't really given the first time either), so decide for yourself if that's okay for you. If you're completely unfamiliar with the canon then be warned also: Thor and Loki were raised as brothers, though they are not, in fact, related.

Why this must be read: One of the things that really elevated Thor for me above the level of "Hulk Smash!" was the mock-Shakespearean interplay between Thor and his family, most especially Loki. Like all OTP fangirls, I console myself for the inevitable rift with the thought that even if they face off as enemies in the next film, they're both immortal and there's plenty of time for them to eventually reconcile. This fic creates an eminently plausible scenario for that reconciliation, one that starts with the time-honoured trope of the villain deciding that no-one gets to mess with his hero but him, and then takes it somewhere unique and delightful, while at the same time exploring Loki's Jotun heritage in a way that feels respectful rather than prurient. Plus there are cameos by Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. And possibly dinosaurs.

Athelas

OK, here is my 12th and final recommendation for my month recommending Marvel, coming in a few hours under the deadline! Sadly, I didn't get to recommend any stories with She-Hulk (who is the one in my icon, natch) or Spider-Man (I have a Spider-Man tattoo, ha) and looking back most of the recs are skewed towards the X-Men and my obvious favorite, Deadpool, but there you go. I hope you enjoyed reading all these as much as I did!

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (Deadpool & Cable style)
Pairing: Deadpool (Wade Wilson)/Cable (Nathan Christopher Charles Askani'son Dayspring Summers)
Length: comicbook length (in this case that means 26 pages of comics)
Author on LJ: asreal01
Author Website: asreal01 on deviantART, asreal01 on LJ
Why this must be read:
What better way to end the month of Marvelous October than with crack candy? Beautiful, delicious candy in the form of a fan-created comic fusion of Deadpool & Cable with The Little Mermaid? Yes. Life is too short to miss this.

The Little Merpool
Or, to simplify reading, click here for Page One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-one, Twenty-two, Twenty-three, Twenty-four, Twenty-five, Twenty-six

Fandom: X-MEN (Marvel comicsverse, Earth-616/Astounding X-Men continuity)
Pairing: none
Length: 6,321 words
Author on LJ:
Author Website: (or a link to where more of their fic is archived)
Why this must be read:
Author's Summary: Hank McCoy has two problems -- everyone knows, and yet everyone doesn't. You see, once upon a time in continuity, Professor McCoy (aka - Beast) publicly outed himself as gay. In the comics, it was a publicity stunt. This story explores the ramifications if it wasn't... and if Hank had a secondary mutation where he put off "pet-me" pheremones. This is a gorgeous story about transformation, both of self and of expectations, and how friendship can be unwavering even in the face of the unexpected. Highly recommended!

Chemistry, Romance, and the Alchemy Thereof by neotoma

Fandom: FANDOM... ok, well, mostly MARVEL COMICS (specifically, Cable & Deadpool), but also FANDOM (also, this is kinda a crossover, but also really not, so I"m not really cheating)
Pairing: none
Length: 10,407 words
Author on LJ: hradzka
Author Website: David Hines on AO3
Why this must be read:
Raise your hand if you love Yuletide! It's been a fanfic tradtion for, what, a decade now? Well, this story was written in 2009 for Yuletide and it's about a story being written in 2009 for Yuletide... yeah. Deadpool is in it. Thus, the 4th Wall is not only broken, but OBLITERATED and then scattered beyond the fringes of the nastiest corners of the internet.

Deadpool and Cable make their way through the Yuletide archive, visiting a (rather infamous) story from each year in search of a perfect Christmas. It is not only meta, it's nostalgic meta and the end is very touching. This is on my HIGHLY recommended list for anyone, even people who are not really fans of Cable and Deadpool.

The Cable & Deadpool Yuletide Special by David Hines

Fandom: X-MEN & ALPHA FLIGHT (Ultimate Universe - aka multiverse Earth-1610 version)
Pairing: Scott "Cyclops" Summers/Jean-Paul "Northstar" Beaubier (mentions of Jean "Marvel Girl" Grey/Ororo "Storm" Munroe and Bobby "Iceman" Drake/Hank "Beast" McCoy)
Length: 28,959 words
Author on LJ: 3jane
Author Website: Jane St Clair on AO3
Why this must be read:
Let me preface this by saying that I am NOT a fan of the Ultimateverse. It takes a special sort of story to make me enjoy Earth-1610, and this is that. A Dangerous Man is the last story extant in the Handbasket series which mainly focuses on Bobby/Hank, but this is a story about Scott and his issues. Let me take this opportunity to warn for implied sexual abuse, but don't let that put you off... Jane St Clair has crafted an excellent story about Jean-Paul carefully pealing back Scott's layers of hurt and protection and about Scott making the effort to overcome his fear and to make a friend. Also, hot sex.

Handbasket Detour: A Dangerous Man by Jane St Clair

Fandom: MARVEL MOVIEVERSE (including Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and Avengers)
Pairing: none
Length: 10,776 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read:
Normally, I try not to recommend kinkmeme fills, because they can be hard to read in that format, and normally I don't recommend anonymously-authored fics, because I like giving credit for greatness where it is due. With this rec, I'm breaking both rules, but this story is totally worth it.

Loki accidentally calls Steve Rogers (aka - Captain America) by mistake while mortally injured (he was trying to reach his brother). Much to Steve's confusion, he keeps calling. This story is hilarious, has wonderful characterization of everyone, but particularly Captain America, and is sweetly poignant in depicting the love/hate relationship of feuding siblings. The author-anon does a great job of subtly implying feelings and motivations. I really enjoyed this one.

Telephone by anonymous

(PS: Please let me know if this story has been posted in complete form by the author elsewhere, and I'll edit this rec.)

Fandom: X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (Marvel movieverse AU)
Pairing: Charles Xavier/Erik Lehnsherr
Length: 3,600 words
Author on LJ: pocky_slash
Author Website: pocky_slash on AO3
Why this must be read:
Sometimes, you just need fluff. And this is excellent fluff indeed, the kind you want to hug and snuggle with. Charles works in a daycare with baby mutants and Erik is his tolerant boyfriend. So cute. This story is my favorite in a broader series of stories called the Daycare universe, and I'd recommend all of them.

( story excerpt here )


melted ice cream and macaroni art by pocky_slash

(Also, check out the excellent stories of brilligspoons, who also writes in the Daycare verse!)

Fandom: X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (Marvel movieverse fusion of First Class and the other X-Men movies)
Pairing: Charles Xavier/Erik Lehnsherr
Length: 19,606 words
Author on LJ: acetamide
Author Website: acetamide on AO3
Why this must be read:
Because X-Men: First Class was incredibly TRAGIC when Charles and Erik broke up on the beach, ok? Because they are Meant To Be Together (TM). Because Magneto's way didn't work, but then neither did Professor X's. This story is set mainly within the continuity of the first X-Men movie. Charles and Erik wake up without decades of memory. For them, it's the night before the Cuban Missile Crisis stand-off and they have no memory of what happened in between, or how they got to a time where Erik is locked within a metal-null cage and Charles is locked into a wheelchair in a house full of mutant students. This story deftly weaves the cannons of both movie franchises and plots from the comics to form a story about having a second chance to get things right. Good stuff here, highly recommended!

never too late to be who you might have been by acetamide

Fandom: X-MEN (early 90's cartoon universe continuity)
Pairing: Bobby Drake (Iceman)/Kevin Sydney (Morph)
Length: 7,052 words
Author on LJ: poilass
Author Website: Poi Lass on comicfic.net
Why this must be read:
I have to admit, this is a nostalgia rec for me. The X-Men Animated Series was what got me into fandom back in 1992. The very first fanfic that I wrote back in middle school involved Bobby Drake and was based on this iteration of the character and the un(frozen) archive holds many stories I cherish from this time in my life. Poi Lass has rightly been recced here before, too, but not this one. Morph was a favorite character of mine, along with Iceman, so of course this story that has Morph romantically pursuing Iceman in as over-the-top ways as possible is lovely for me. This is funny, but it also has deeper undercurrents as Bobby struggles with possibly feeling attracted to another man and Sydney makes everything harder by showing him every face but his own.

Changing Faces by Poi Lass

Fandom: THOR (Marvel movieverse)
Pairing: Loki/Thor
Length: 6,289 words
Author on LJ: astolat
Author Website: astolat on AO3
Why this must be read:
Loki is the Lie-Smith for a reason, and what he forges is exquisitely crafted. This story goes AU from the moment that Loki finds out about his true heritage in the movie and does it in a way that leaves the reader breathless with all that is unsaid. This is a deliciously twisted story written by a master writer that I HIGHLY recommend.

( Have a taste of the story... )

Balancing by astolat

Fandom: X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (Marvel movieverse fusion with Marvel comicsverse, AU)
Pairing: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Length: 29,702 words
Author on LJ: waldorph
Author Website: waldorph on AO3
Why this must be read:
This story is a gritty take on X-men: First Class set in an Alternate Universe (or What if? universe, Marvel-style) modern day. The details of this story are gorgeous and the characterization is amazing. Erik Lehnsherr and Emma Frost (along with several other characters from the movie and from the comics) are part of Division X, the government response team that deals with mutant issues. Erik moves into a new home that is haunted by a "ghost" named Charles and we watch as a huge conspiracy unfolds from there. The plot of this story is amazing and the characters are recognizable from both the movie and the comics, but still somehow work in this AU. You seriously need to read this story.

Linger by waldorph

Fandom: DEADPOOL & CABLE (Marvel Comics)
Pairing: Deadpool/Cable
Length: 1,637 words
Author on LJ: somanyopentabs
Author Website: somanyopentabs on AO3
Why this must be read:
It was a real trial for me in deciding which one of this author's stories I should recommend here but I decided on this awesome Cable/Deadpool story rather than the Loki-is-cursed-by-Dr. Strange-to-be-a-Disney-Princess because I absolutely adore the way this author writes Deadpool's internal monologue. Seriously, it reads like something from the comics (well, the comics are slightly more implicit rather than explicit about how Deadpool feels about Cable, but there you go). This is a gorgeous, quick read that shows the relationship between the two in a more sweet light than usual but somehow keeps the hurting, cynical nature of Deadpool intact. I highly recommend it (and then really, go read this author's other work).

Leaping Logic in a Single Bound by somanyopentabs

Hello, I'm cloudtrader and I'll be reccing comics on Crack Van for the month of October! I'm a long-time reader of DC Comics and have recced them here in the past, but this time I'll be going for mostly Marvel Comics seeing as how we've had a huge injection of vigour into the fandom with all the Marvel movies that have come out recently. I hope you enjoy the reccage! :D

Fandom: THOR (movie!verse Marvel)
Pairing: Darcy Lewis/Clint Barton (background Thor Odinsson/Jane Foster, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark)
Length: 4,654 words
Author on LJ: sutlers, but the author is inactive on LJ and can more readily be found on DreamWidth
Author Website: sutlers on AO3
Why this must be read:
This story is laugh-out-loud funny, but not at all farcical. Darcy is an ordinary girl who finds herself as a member of SHIELD, and yet most of her problems involve her strangely god-obsessed friend Jane trying to set her up on a date. I love how this author portrays the cynical, wise-cracking Darcy of the movie in such a fun and yet spot-on manner. The author really has a gift for subtext and showing feelings and characterization rather than telling.

Just Temporary, Ma'am by sutlers

Vidder:  ItsJustSomeRandomGuy
Musical artist: I think he wrote it himself
Pairing:  None
Vidder on LJ: none known.
Vidder's website:  http://www.itsjustsomerandomfansite.com/
Why this vid kicks ass:

When Batman and Iron Man get together to discuss sequels, Iron Man reveals a unique way to respond to his critics and explain the bigger
picture for his company's (as well as other company's) film slate.  (Marvel/DC/Mac/PC Parody/Review )

This guy has done a ton of vids, spoofing the Marvel and DC movieverses using the Mac/PC commercial format.  They're good vids, but far and away the best one is this one, which turns into a musical of Iron Man explaining the Marvel movie strategy to Batman, while Superman tries to defend the DC movies.  It's hilarious, partly because it's so true.  The more you know about comic book movies the funnier it is, but my parents who know almost nothing about comic book movies still enjoyed it.

Hi, I'm a Marvel... and I'm a DC: The Musical

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS, Captain Britain and MI-13
Pairing: Gen
Length: 4227 words
Author on LJ: dhobikikutti, dhobikikutti
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read:

I've never read Captain Britain and MI-13, and yet through the miracle of Yuletide I've fallen in love with one of the characters from it, Dr. Faiza Hussain, aka Excalibur. She is kind of awesome.  This is not the story that made me fall in love with her, but this is another great story about her.  I've chosen to rec it because it is also a great meta about identity, about leading a double life, about family, and all kinds of other things having to do with being a superhero.  Faiza is a new superhero, just recently joined up with the British superhero team and the journalists and papparazi want to know all about her.

This story is funny, it's serious, it's got a message without being A Very Special Story, and all the characters and relationships are so incredibly real and three-dimensional even in the short scenes we have for each.  Even if you've never heard of MI-13 or Excalibur or Dr. Faiza Hussain, go and read.  You won't regret it.

( snippet of fic )
The Completely Authorised, Un-sensationalised, Fact-Checked, Permissioned Biography of Dr. Faiza ‘Excalibur’ Hussain