Snowflake Day 2: "The Honour To Be Yr Obed Srvnt, M.Hill"

[tielan]

Do I write yet another screed on why Maria Hill is awesome?

Or do I just point out that Maria:

1. questions Nick Fury
2. gets into a shootout with Hawkeye and survives
3. walks into a meeting of the Avengers and Tony Stark accepts her input without demanding to know who she is and what she's doing there
4. is a crack shot
5. is a crack driver
6. knows where the bodies Fury is buried alive and faking it,
7. rescues Captain America, the Black Widow, and the Falcon on a day when they're one television crew away from being publically executed, with nothing but a stun wand, a borrowed uniform, a laser cutter, and nerves of adamantium - and does it all while her brain is being squeezed in a too-small helmet
8. knows the backdoors into the Triskelion
9. deals with intruders on her position in between giving a report
10. runs the helicarrier destruction program while Captain America is on the helicarriers in spite of him being a friend
11. smiles as she's interviewed for Stark Industries,
12. works operations co-ordination for the Avengers
13. is teasing friends with the Avengers
14. can get her hands on a weapon in the middle of a Stark Industries party
15. picks slivers of who-knows-what out of her feet while discussing nuclear security
16. has worked for both Stark and Fury with Stark (for all his technology and AIs) being none the wiser

I know, there's no singular thing that Maria can do in the MCU that someone else (usually a white male, or a sexier woman/woman who's at least someone's love interest) can't. But she's the only completely human, non-love-interest female character who can do all that and the kitchen sink. Her expertise and excellence is always shown, never told, and yet somehow completely overlooked in-universe and out of it.

I'm bitterly disappointed that she's never been properly used in the MCU or the Disney+ series. And yes, she was in Spiderman: Far From Home and Secret Invasion, I know, but I'd like something where she's the main character rather than background or support.

Come on, you know Maria Hill: Where The Bodies Are Buried would be a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of both S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers, not to mention World Security. Can you imagine how the Wakandans might view a white woman who's willing to walk one step behind a black man without any loss of her own sense of self or his respect for her? Can you think of all the things she could do (or could have done), the connections she made while at S.H.I.E.L.D, the friendships she developed while working among the Avengers, and what they'd afford her?

So yeah, Maria Hill: the most underappreciated character in the MCU. Sadly so.

Comments

[muccamukk]

Yes! Maria needed her own TV show! She's such a great character, and Colbie's an amazing actor. It could totally have been a thing. Maybe it will upcoming, but I haven't heard any word.

[facethestrange]

FWIW, I'm not even in the fandom and I really enjoyed your list - that's one badass character! :)

[shipperslist]

Maria Hill: Where The Bodies Are Buried

Where can I watch this? I NEED THIS.

But yes. She's awesome. No nonsense, pure professionalism, no fucks left to give.

[tielan]

I doubt it. The character has been killed off or vanished in the comics, and nobody ever paid much attention to her among the cast or crew in the movies or at Disney+, so I'd say the likelihood is nearly nil.

[tielan]

Maria is totally badass and should get more love, but people aren't that interested in her because she's not cool and sassy like Darcy, a direct hero-character, or a love interest like just about every other non-hero woman in the MCU.

If Maria was Mario or Mark, I'm sure there'd be a huge following, but a woman who isn't the self-insert, the hero, or the hero's love interest is...nobody.

[tielan]

I so want a "where the bodies are buried" kind of show about Maria. Heck, I'd take anything more about Maria being amazing behind the scenes, kicking ass, and quietly moving like a shadow in the background while Big Things Happen elsewhere.

I'll always be bitter that she wasn't used better.

[dewline]

Yes. Deeply underappreciated both in comics - due in part to how that version was introduced there - and in the MCU.

[facethestrange]

As a fan of Dawn Summers and Ana Lucia Cortez, among others, I feel you. ♡