Child Of The Storm / Tropes I to P

Tropes from Child of the Storm.

Tropes A To H can be found here and Tropes Q To Z can be found here.

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• I Am Having Soul Pains: Pretty much every person on the planet with even the most rudimentary psi senses starts to have these once Gravemoss gets really heavy on the necromancy. In Chapter 62 it is revealed that Harry Dresden's Death Curse gave Gravemoss a bad case of this despite not causing any significant physical harm, due to the attack being in the form of the necromancer's very antithesis, fire and life.
• I Believe I Can Fly: there's a number of fliers and potential fliers among the cast.
• Idiot Ball: Harry grabs it while attempting to physically carry Ron up several flights of stairs when he has access to telekinesis, a Levitation Charm, and two pony-sized, intelligent wolves, either of whom could carry Ron on their backs.
• I Got Bigger: Harry quotes the trope in question to a surprised Hulk after a temporary Plot-Relevant Age-Up. Outside of that, it is noted that he's already grown considerably from the short, skinny kid he used to be. He's still pretty slim, but he's taller and healthier, largely thanks to a better diet.
  • In the same incident, the narration takes the time to observe this in all the kids, including Diana who, being a pre-teen Wonder Woman has to deal with fairly considerable Breast Expansion, which isn't quite as welcome as the height and muscles that she put on as well.
• I Have Many Names: The Winter Soldier.
  • Huginn and Muninn invoke this in chapter 75.
• Imagination-Based Superpower: The fic has Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, as a Post Humous Character and former SHIELD Agent. His primary job? Act as a counter-measure to freaking Magneto. And by all accounts, including Magneto's own, he was very good at it. By the time of the story, the ring has vanished. It later reappears in the possession of Doctor Strange, who gives it to a teenage Carol Danvers in chapter 75 and conveniently fails to mention that it's a lot more than just an enchanted ring. He takes it back in chapter 78, remarking that it was only ever a loaner, in large part because Carol is a teenager and the ring doesn't usually take teenage wielders for very good reason. However, he notes that in both his opinion and that of the ring, she was an excellent wielder and a strong future candidate.
• Immortality Begins at Twenty: Asgardians. This, along with their Super-Strength allowed them to survive in a world where everything really is trying to kill you.
• Implacable Man: The Winter Soldier. When Tony was younger, his family's security detail was told that if the Soldier came after them, they were to throw themselves in front of him and die as slowly as possible, in hope that the Starks would have enough time to escape.
• Impossibly Cool Weapon: Mjolnir, the Green Lantern Ring and Amoracchius all fall into this category.
  • Baron Zemo's Absurdly Sharp Blade is another.
  • The crowning example, however, is the appearance in chapter 76 of Harry Dresden's soulfire lightsabre. Yes, lightsabre.
• Improbable Aiming Skills: Clint and the Winter Soldier. Which is unsurprising considering that the Winter Soldier is actually Clint's grandfather.
• Incoming Ham: Namor, in chapter 75, bellowing his usual catchphrase from atop a gigantic sea serpent. Strange remarks on it.
• Indy Ploy: When in a practice swordfight with someone who is twice your size and extremely skilled, what do you do? Well, if you're Harry, the answer is to hurl yourself into a death defying leap over their head, land roughly on your feet (breaking an ankle) and then waiting for them to turn straight into your sword.
  • And then there's chapter 34.
  • This is Harry's signature.
• Inertia Is a Cruel Mistress: As Jean-Paul finds out in Chapter 60.
• Info Dump: Mostly averted - remarkably - because Harry is the Audience Surrogate and is learning about all these new things at the same time as the audience. Sometimes crops up in the extensive author's notes, and Thor's Mister Exposition role in Chapter 3 can feel like this for the readers who are already familiar with Harry Potter.
• In Medias Res: Starts this way.
• Internal Reveal: Very fond of these. For instance, the audience knows that Jean Grey is Harry's cousin, Bucky is the Winter Soldier, Tony's father was the White King of the Hellfire Club and his mother was really Sage of the X-Men, both of them working for Charles Xavier, and Lucius Malfoy personally murdered Harry's maternal grandparents. But the characters these facts pertain too don't know them. Yet.
  • Fury knows about Lucius Malfoy's culpability and uses it as a bargaining chip when suborning Narcissa.
  • Everyone finds out about the first two at the end of the fic.
• Instant Expert: Pointedly averted with Harry.
  • Played straight with Sif, in regard to weapons, apparently, thanks to being a War God.
  • Suggested that a lesser degree of this is present in all Asgardians, which, along with their Super-Strength and Immortality Begins at Twenty, allowed them to survive in a world where everything really is trying to kill you.
• Inter Generational Friendship: Too many to count, though a couple of examples are...
  • Harry and Hagrid.
  • Sean Cassidy and Warren Worthington.
• In Vino Veritas: Loki mentions exploiting the Loose Lips variant of this in order to gather information.
• "It" Is Dehumanizing: When Lucius Malfoy is the main focus, the narration describes muggles (and all non-supers) by the pronoun it.
• It Runs in the Family: superheroing, awesomeness and generalised crazy runs in the Asgardian royal family.
  • A tendency towards chaos magic and general awesomeness also runs in Magneto's family.
• It's Not You, It's My Enemies: A non-romantic variant between Wanda and Harry. She couldn't take him in because, frankly, her enemies are largely made up of one breed of Eldritch Abomination or another.
  • And also with Wanda and her daughter, Hermione.
• I Want Grandkids: Frigga plays this straight as an arrow, though in a fairly laidback fashion - in other words, she wants grandchildren to spoil (and adores Harry), but she's not going to nag Thor day in, day out, over it.
• Jesus Taboo: Averted and played straight. Jesus does exist, yes, and he is the son of God, but God is simply a very powerful Skyfather/Elder God. Word of God has it that he may well appear later.
• Jesus Was Way Cool: According to Thor and Loki. They were something of a bad influence on him. Proven as of chapters 15&16.
• Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Snape, and probably Bor, from what we've heard of him.
• Jock Dad, Nerd Son: Technically Thor and Harry, but there's literally zero friction between them on this subject, if only because Harry's more than a bit badass himself.
• Karma Houdini: Averted with Loki. He's The Atoner and seeks to protect what he swore once to destroy - Thor and Earth. He's now Asgard's spymaster and an Avenger, who, along with Clint and Natasha, is willing to do the dirty work behind the scenes. It is also perfectly clear that his actions haunt him and probably always will.
• Kick the Dog: Gravemoss in Chapter 21.
  • Referenced again in chapter 32. He enslaved some Dementors and sent them into a terminal ward for kicks.

• Knight Errant: Implied to be a fairly common thing in Asgard, with generalised adventuring and righting of wrongs.
  • The Lady Knight was this through time and space, though not entirely by choice.
  • The Avengers as a whole sort of serve as these.
  • The Knights of the Cross, as per usual.
• Knight In Shining Armour: Michael Carpenter, Knight of the Cross.
  • Thor has elements of this archetype.
  • Harry is, temper aside (and that temper is usually aroused by injustice), steadily turning into one of these, a Prince Charming classic.
  • Fandral, sort of, though the chastity part went out the window some time in the early Dark Ages.
  • The Lady Knight.
• The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Dresden states that he won't act like this towards Captain America, if they ever meet. He doesn't, but only because there's an Apocalypse How in the making.
  • Then he actually does squee when he meets Wanda. Hilarity Ensues.
• Knight of Cerebus: Lucius Malfoy. Also Gravemoss, though he appears before the Wham Episode. Up until chapter 21, the fic was a moderately serious family fic with some appropriately evil villains. Then he happened.
• Knight Templar Big Brother: Lex to Carol. Deconstructed somewhat.
  Carol: Lex, there's sweet and there's borderline psychotic.
  • Since he'd just cheerfully confirmed that one boy who'd not wanted to take no for answer had been stuffed on a plane to Guantanamo Bay which had only turned around when he swore not to go near Carol ever again, this is in no way an exaggeration.
  • Further deconstructed when Carol points out the downside of this trope - the guy never bothered her again, but his friends and their girlfriends made her life hell, and the reason she didn't say anything about it was because she was honestly worried about what Lex would do next.
• The Lad-ette: Darcy.
  • Carol.
• Lady of Black Magic: Wanda Maximoff.
• Lady of War: Sif. Quite literally.
  • The Lady Knight.
  • Frigga.
• Lampshade Hanging: Happens occasionally.
  • Chapter 40 has Thor note, puzzled, that Snowy Owls bark rather than hoot as Hedwig does, then just shrug and dismiss it.
  • A fairly epic one, again by Thor, in chapter 47, when he irritably notes that the amount of obscure connections in the cast is just utterly ridiculous. This one is actually, in part, explained.
  • Chapter 50 has Tony state that Logan's got his World War II memories back, as in X-Men: Evolution and immediately note how thoroughly arbitrary this is.
• The Lancer: Loki's specific purpose in relation to Thor, as appointed by Odin. He rather enjoys it.
• Large Ham: Tony has his moments.
  • Thor.
  • Namor tops them both.
• Last of His Kind: In the sense of family names, Sirius is the last Black, though the bloodline survives in the female line. After the Battle of the M4, it is revealed that he isn't the last, because Regulus is still alive and going by the name Peter Wisdom. However, since Wisdom has made it pretty clear that That Man Is Dead in respect to his past life, it's a touch dubious.
  • The eventual appearance of Clark Kent marks another - though it is stated that one of his ancestors, Kal-El I, was fostered in Asgard as Odin's brother and since he lived under a yellow sun and vanished (it is speculated that he did so to mourn his people), he might still be alive, albeit pretty ancient.
• Laxative Prank: pulled by Harry and Carol on a pre-Sentinel Bolivar Trask of all people, leading to an embarrassing incident in his limo. This earns him the nickname 'Crapper Trask', apparently. He more than had it coming.
• Law of Inverse Fertility: implied to be what Nick Fury used to manipulate the Flamels into taking the Infinity Formula and working for SHIELD as opposed to fading away after the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed, judging by Fury's response to Dumbledore's surprise that the Flamels are still alive and working for SHIELD. He explicitly notes that it reboots and rejuvenates the body, healing everything. Dumbledore is not pleased.
• The Leader: Steve and Thor are both Type 4's. Thor used to be a Type 3 as well, but he's grown out of it, while Steve has strong elements of Types 1 and 2.
  • Harry's a solid mixture of Type 3 and 4 due to his charisma and Hot-Blooded nature.
  • Lucius Malfoy is a classic Type 1.
  • Carol is a mixture of Type 1 and Type 2.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Fury, when he notes that everyone seems to forget that Logan is Canadian.
• Lemony Narrator: Part of the author's Signature Style and source of much of the humour.
• Lensman Arms Race: Combined with Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke, and it's been going on since Captain America was created. It's implied that some factions see Harry, whose body is going through a natural ascension to Godhood, as the key to the next stage of this.
• Life Isn't Fair: Harry somewhat incredulously says this almost word for word ("Since when life was fair?") at the Battle of London when Carol, wielding the Green Lantern ring, complains that getting zombified skyscraper sized giants on her first day on the job is completely unfair. Carol admits he has a point.
  • Dresden and Wanda mirror the discussion on the other side of the battlefield.
• Light 'em Up: Harry's abilities and inclinations seem to be taking this route, blended with Playing with Fire.
• Light Is Not Good: Gravemoss is a Light Elf, an albino, no less, with the requisite white hair. He's also a sadistic Omnicidal Maniac.
• Lineage Comes from the Father: Played With, as far as Harry is concerned. While, obviously, being the son of Thor is the part everyone notices, his mother was related to the Grey family. As in, Jean Grey, who shares Harry's famous eyes. He learns that they share more than that.
  • Inverted with Carol Danvers. She takes very strongly after her mother's side, being closest to her maternal uncle, Jack O'Neill, and taking after her great-aunt, Peggy Carter.
  • And logically speaking, Lily is an inversion as well, the Grey genes coming from her mother.
  • Also inverted with Hermione Granger who, Thor notes, is beginning to develop a greater resemblance to her mother, Wanda Maximoff, and is noted as being unusually powerful. Her father, John Constantine, is blond and not much more than average, magic wise.
• Like Brother and Sister: Lex Luthor and Carol Danvers, of all people.
  • Jane treats Harry more as a little brother than a stepson as she's not even fifteen years older than him. In the sequel, Harry refers to her as being more like a sort of younger aunt.
• Likes Older Women: Clint, as stated by Natasha. He doesn't deny it. Considering that Wanda Maximoff, who has 15 years on him (and delayed ageing), is among his exes, it would be hard to dispute it with a straight face.
  • Dane Whitman.
• Little Miss Badass: Diana.
• Love Potion: Akin to date rape drugs, as Tony and the rest pointed out. Also a huge Berserk Button to Thor as Lily was once the victim of a Suggestibility Potion, something much like love potions; fortunately, a counter-potion was brewed and slipped into her drink before anything bad could happen.
• Love Redeems: It's implied that this is what allowed the Winter Soldier to escape his brainwashing the first time.
• Loves the Sound of Screaming: Gravemoss.
  • Lucius savours the sound of the Winter Soldier's screams during his rebrainwashing.
  • Dresden remarks on this trope, noting that 'there's a special place in hell for those who enjoy the screams of their fellow creatures.' He then admits, however, that he derives a certain satisfaction from the screams of Gravemoss after lopping the latter's hand off.
• Luke, I Am Your Father: Hawkeye learns that he is the grandson of McGonagall and her fiancé, Bucky Barnes. When Steve meets her again, he's able to figure it out by virtue of the physical similarities between Bucky and Clint. Another indication is that the only other person Steve has ever known that was as good a shot as Hawkeye was Bucky himself.
  • Unbeknownst to all three, however, Bucky is also the Winter Soldier, making this a double doozy.
• Mad Scientist: Tony, occasionally. Usually for Rule of Funny purposes.
  • Jane is of the opinion that this happens to any scientist who works for the Pentagon.
  • The Red Room specialises in these.
  • Arnim Zola.
• The Magic Comes Back: Elements of this - mutants are appearing (off screen, by and large) in greater numbers, ancient monsters are being resurrected by dark magic, a demigod Prince walks the Earth once more, the Sorcerer Supreme is making his presence known, and the most ancient and deadly book of dark magic that has ever and will ever exist, the Darkhold, has been taken from its vault by a nightmare that everyone thought was dead: The Winter Soldier. And to make it all worse, the Darkhold's creator is on the move...
• Magi Babble: Loki.
  • Harry Dresden. While working with SHIELD, he actually stops to 'teach class'.
  • Thor, usually when people are least expecting it. It's very easy to forget that he was a) a powerful wizard as James Potter, b) he's been around for fifteen centuries, c) has Loki for a brother. He's picked up more than a few tricks along the way.
• Magic from Technology: Played straight with the Earth based Bifrost and inverted with the Asgard based Bifrost. As Tony notes, the two are coming at it from different angles.
• Magical Land: Asgard.
• Magical Queer: Jean-Paul, as the Only Sane Man of the group of kids, plays with this. However, it's transparently obvious that he has colossal issues of his own, a life beyond dispensation of sage advice, and in many ways, Harry helps him as much as the other way around. He's also probably the most ruthless of the kids.
• Magic Enhancement: Loki gives most normal humans a bit of this (specifically, durability) when travelling to Asgard, essentially so they won't accidentally be splattered by an overenthusiastic Asgardian. He adds in strength for Harry. Hilarity Ensues.
  • The Genius Loci of the Mountain does this to Harry, Carol, Diana, Uhtred and Jean-Paul, specifically a Plot-Relevant Age-Up, in chapter 59. It's temporary, but spectacular.

• Make Some Noise: Sean, which gives him a whole battery of very scary abilities, including a Compelling Voice (the use of which as part of a Roaring Rampage of Revenge still occasionally gives Nick Fury nightmares) and the ability to hit the resonant frequency of anything, whether it be glass, diamond or even bone. And he's had the best part of fifty years practice....
• Making Love in All the Wrong Places: Thor and Jane, Tony and Pepper. Played for Laughs.
• Malevolent Masked Man: The Winter Soldier ticks every single box of this trope. Ultimately subverted, however. He's a victim of brainwashing, who steadily regains control of his mind and body.
• Mama Bear: Oh so many.
  • Lily Potter, the ultimate one-she Made a deal with the frickin' Phoenix Force to keep her son safe.
  • Natasha, of all people, gets a couple of brief moments towards Harry.
  • Wanda Maximoff gets a good many moments of this towards Harry. She hasn't always been the best godmother to him, but she loves him dearly and is every bit as terrifying as her father when she wants to be. Also towards her daughter, Hermione.
  • Mrs. Weasley, obviously. Strange suggests that even he is disinclined to arouse her wrath.
• The Man Behind the Man: A brief paragraph suggests that Thanos is the man behind Gravemoss (or, rather, behind Chthon, who's behind Gravemoss, making him The Man Behind The Man Behind The Man.
• Manipulative Bastard: Loki.
  • Peter Wisdom is quite possibly the king of this trope. He got Wanda Maximoff out of retirement by telling her that he knew that she had a daughter - Hermione Granger. Then he threatened to tell Hermione. This minimised the danger to an innocent, while simultaneously threatening to do far worse emotional damage.

• Marshmallow Hell: Harry 'suffers' this once or twice from Darcy, who's largely doing it to troll him. This leads to an amusing scene when Harry, who's had a growth spurt, is now too tall for this to happen and is unsure whether he's pleased about this or not. Darcy, of course, picks up on this immediately.
  Yeah, from now on you gotta buy me dinner and ask real nice if you wanna get permission to shove your head in my rack again.
• Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: a non-romantic example in Carol Danvers and Jean-Paul Beaubier. The former is The Lad-ette, a Hot-Blooded tough as nails Action Girl and Passionate Sports Girl with a never say die attitude far more literally than most, as Gravemoss finds out. She is quite literally too stubborn to die and a somewhat spiky personality. The latter is a very Camp Gay Fragile Speedster and a consummate Chivalrous Pervert and even the not remotely interested Harry notes that the only appropriate adjective to describe him is 'beautiful'. However, it also plays with this, revealing that Carol has a softer side in terms of her getting a bit adorkable about flying, playing big sister to a lost Mattie Franklin and a cold Diana, and her issues with her parents, and that Jean-Paul's attitude is largely (but perhaps not entirely) a façade designed to throw people off and when that façade drops, he's genuinely frightening, he's capable of absently pulling a Sherlock Scan on someone he barely knows and that he's a ruthless Combat Pragmatist when the situation requires.
  • Harry and Carol also have something of this dynamic - though while it is not romantic as such, there is a touch of UST - about them, with Harry being the more softly spoken, outwardly emotional and sensitive of the two. He's also rather endearing, a bit bashful and has hints of Children Are Innocent (until after chapter 71, anyway). However, 'outwardly emotional' also means 'is Hot-Blooded, doesn't like injustice and has stopped repressing his temper' and he gets steadily more and more authoritative as time goes by.
• Master Swordsman: Sif and Fandral.
  • Zemo.
  • The occasionally referenced Lady Knight to a truly insane degree.
• Master of Illusion: Loki, naturally.
• Meaningful Background Event: Really, really likes these. A very close reading of the story reveals a lot of juicy hints.
• Medical Monarch: Frigga.
• Mega Crossover: While primarily an HP/Avengers crossover, there are elements of numerous other fandoms sprinkled in.
• Memetic Badass: In-universe, the mysterious 'Lady Knight', who apparently, among other things, taught Sif and Fandral how to wield a sword. In wielding a sword, their only peers in all the Nine Realms are each other. Think about this for a moment. She taught a War God how to swordfight.
  • Agent Coulson, naturally.
  • Wanda Maximoff, to an extent.
• Men Don't Cry: Pointedly averted.
• Mercy Kill: In Chapter 70, the Winter Soldier kills Arthur Weasley via Neck Snap so that he won't be taken prisoner and tortured.
• Messianic Archetype: The story has Harry as a somewhat reluctant and much more mercurial example than most: he's the son of a god, he tends to associate with those that others reject and he even comes back from the dead. He's instinctively nice and kind, protective of those without power and judging on outward appearance is completely alien to him. However, his temper and his hatred for injustice lead to comparisons to Magneto and with good reason, meaning that he borders on being a Dark Messiah at times.
• Military Superhero: Rhodey and Steve.
  • To an extent, Wisdom's Excalibur team.
• Mind over Matter: posited to be the reason that Harry can fly in chapter 60. As of chapter 63 he seems to be able to use it for other things. But not flying. Yet.
  • Chapter 65 has him accidentally levitate after Alexander Pierce purposefully drops a verbal bomb on him to see what would happen.
  • Chapter 70 onwards has him purposefully levitating, stopping bullets and heavy duty telekinesis.
  • Chapters 75 through 78 have him really flexing his psychic muscles, lifting hundreds of tonnes and with his mother's help and Strange's machinations, essentially putting the world back together.
• Minored in Ass-Kicking: Tony and Bruce, naturally.
  • The House of El made a habit of this.
  • T'Challa.
  • Technically, Loki.
• Mood Whiplash: a number of times, but Chapter 60 has a particularly notable case - one moment, Pepper's reprimanding Darcy for fleecing the resort staff at poker, the next, Steve's being strangled by the Winter Soldier.
  • Chapters 68 and 69 are mostly cheerful and light hearted, save for the end. Chapter 70 is the Darkest Hour and includes the deaths of Arthur Weasley, Luna Lovegood and, briefly, Harry.
• Modest Royalty: Harry. Thor, to an extent.
• Mook Horror Show: After about 25 chapters of hints, suggestions and one demonstration (zombie dragons were involved) of exactly how dangerous Warren is, chapter 70 demonstrates it. It has a section from the point of view of a nameless HYDRA paratrooper who, like about twenty of his colleagues, is wearing a derivative of the Falcon suit. All he sees is a flicker of silver as Warren first slices their Quinjet in half, with a number of paratroopers being sucked into the engines, then the rest are picked off one by one, with little to no use of the Gory Discretion Shot, before the half mad Agent finally gets a look at Warren, who then removes his wings, letting him fall to his death. The description is reminiscent of a horror movie based on the Old Testament and definitely at odds with the Warren we've seen before this.
• Morality Chain: Carol is implied to be this to Lex and, along with his other friends, to Harry.
• Morality Chain Beyond the Grave: Luna for Harry, specifically invoked by Thor as an 'x wouldn't want you to do this' example, just prior to a Cooldown Hug.
• Morality Pet: Again, Carol is implied to be this to Lex.
• Motive Rant: Dumbledore gives a rather dark one about how frustrated he is at the Medieval Stasis of the Wizarding World compared to the Muggle one, why he remains as just a Headmaster, explaining how he was and remains more than capable of becoming a Dark Lord far more terrible than Voldemort could ever hope to have been. This is why he remains as just a Headmaster: because one drop of power would be one too many.
  • Harry, of all people, gives one in Chapter 61. After an Armour-Piercing Question from Diana, he realises exactly what he was saying and stops in horror.
• Muggles Do It Better: The author takes pains to point out just how useless Wizards generally when dealing with something outside their frame of reference, noting the Medieval Stasis of the Wizarding World.
  • However, in the interests of fairness, it is pointed out in-universe by Memetic Badass Agent Coulson that wizards are a serious threat to people who don't know what they're dealing with, and more to the point, if the wizard is combat trained and familiar with non-magical technology, they can be extremely dangerous.
  • Dumbledore has spent his life trying to make sure that wizards can catch up, since muggles are surpassing them.
• Multi-Melee Master: Sif.
• Mundane Utility: According to Fury, Steve has, in the past, unaware of the significance of being able to lift it, used Mjolnir as a doorstop
• Must Have Caffeine: Loki has become capable of brewing an excellent cup of coffee, and most Avengers partake in drinking it.
  • Coffee has become quite welcome among Asgardian nobility, so much that Loki jokingly considers the possibility of Nick Fury putting an interdict on coffee trade with Asgard as leverage.
• Mutually Exclusive Magic: Wanded and Wandless Magic among humans initially appear to be this, but it's eventually revealed that actually, it's more like being left or right handed - some people are naturally ambidextrous, and almost everyone can be trained to use the other hand to at least some degree of ability. Zatanna's parents, Giovanni and Sindella Zatara, figured out how to unify the two into a combined form that has the advantages of each.
• My Greatest Failure: There is a reason that Loki does not talk about Hela...
• My Secret Pregnancy: Crops up a couple of times.
  • Wanda had one of these during the first war against Voldemort, panicked, and had the resultant baby adopted with the help of her best friend, Lily Potter. The kicker is that said baby is Hermione Granger. The reasoning behind this was a combination of It's Not You, It's My Enemies for both her and the father John Constantine - considering her Rogues Gallery and his usual enemies, it's generally accepted that any child she tried to raise would probably have died horribly in short order. As for the father, she considered (not without reason) him to be a Glorified Sperm Donor and desired to let her child live a normal life and, of course, to keep said child away from their father, who was partway through his Heel–Face Turn (which, in any case, she was and remains sceptical of).
  • It's repeatedly hinted that Pepper is pregnant. Chapter 68 finally reveals that she's into about her fifth month by then but has only been really sure for about a week and didn't want to bring the topic up earlier.
  • On top of that, Sirius explains that Lily was pregnant with a second child and had been planning to tell James after Halloween, to make it a surprise. He has since kept it secret for James/Thor's sake.
• Mysterious Protector/Mysterious Watcher: Strange fits both of these quite neatly. He's occasionally seen keeping an eye on the heroes, then pops up in chapter 45 to pull a Deus ex Machina, disappears again, then gives a few words of advice in chapter 48 and disappears again, before turning up from chapter 70 onwards to steer the finale.
• Myth Arc: There is one and it is going to be enormous.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Ron mentioned in the second book that Molly Weasley has a cousin who is an accountant. Well, we finally learn his identity. Agent Phil Coulson. As you might have guessed, he isn't actually an accountant.
  • Professor Lupin mentions in one of his classes the existence of animal-themed totems that grand powers to their users, including Wakanda's panther totem and several spider totems.
  • Fury mentions, when thinking of possible successors, that Maria Hill has some trouble distinguishing between heroes and vigilantes. Her canon counterpart, when she became Director of SHIELD, had some trouble with this as well. To put it lightly.
  • Among the people on the possible Young Avengers roster are Ava Ayala and Dick Grayson.
  • Diana is referred to as a "woman of wonder," in a very subtle reference to her canon counterpart. In the same chapter, she uses a lasso.
  • Meanwhile, Dresden refers to Bruce Wayne as "the World's Greatest Detective," while Dresden himself is referred to as a "dark knight."
• Nazi Hunter: It is all but stated that Magneto, as per First Class canon, was, and possibly remains, one of these.
• Near-Villain Victory: It occurs in chapters 74-78. HYDRA actually manages to Take Over the World, rendering Thor comatose, making Loki into an Oracular Head, capturing Steve, Bruce Banner and Tony while Avengers Tower is destroyed, while SHIELD is still crippled from the attacks on chapter 70. Nick Fury even makes a Lampshade Hanging when he's briefing the Shadow Initiative, which was created just in case something like this occurred.
• Nerdgasm: Occasionally inspires these, if the reviews page is anything to go by.
• Never Mess with Granny:
  • Frigga is a kind, lovely Granny Classic and a Medical Monarch. She also used to be a shield maiden of note and is more than capable of having a quiet talk with Hera that leaves the other goddess, older and potentially more powerful than her, significantly subdued.
  • Minerva McGonagall is Clint's grandmother, via Bucky Barnes. She also kicks ungodly amounts of ass.
• N.G.O. Superpower: The Avengers now qualify as one of these.
  • As do HYDRA and SHIELD.
• Nice Guy: Thor and Steve. For the latter, it's getting to the point of a Running Gag.
  • Harry. It's one of his defining characteristics, right up to helping little girls he's only just met find their families, taking a precociously smart girl a couple of years his junior completely seriously, immediately standing up for people he barely knows and offering a servant girl who looked tired a drink, among many other things. He even suggests that he, Carol and Jean-Paul go talk to an injured Johnny Storm, about whom he has only heard bad or, at best, fondly exasperated things (and the latter only from Sue).

• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Oh Loki... in short, when his first love got pregnant, he got scared and tried to hide her and the pregnancy from his parents, fearing their response, when, in fact, they could have helped her and wanted to. She died in childbirth, the child was stillborn and Loki dabbled in necromancy to bring his baby back to life. He half succeeded, but she turned out to be a half dead Psychic Vampire. She was called Hela. The rest is history. Poor Communication Kills.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Twice in chapter 45.
  • First, Gravemoss' depredations under Paris have led to much of the area above his lair being deserted, meaning no civilian casualties when Harry Dresden unleashes his Death Curse.
  • Second, Chthon briefly talks to Dresden, then brushes him off. This pisses him off enough to break out of his terror and pull an attempted Taking You with Me.
• The Nicknamer: Tony, as per usual, dubbing Harry's friends as 'Earth's Mightiest Midgets' and Wanda as 'the Scarlet Godmom'.
  • Carol has a hint of this - she briefly dubs Harry 'Mister Ex Specs'.
  • And the Hulk calls Harry 'Little God'.
• Nightmare Fetishist: Gravemoss.
• No-Nonsense Nemesis: Unlike Malfoy, Von Strucker and Gravemoss, The Winter Soldier does not grandstand. He'll kill you however suits him best, whether it's right up close, or if you're a Physical God, he'll snipe from the best part of a mile away with some Abnormal Ammo.
  • Zemo is, unlike most of his fellow HYDRA members, perfectly sane. Terrifyingly so. Which means that he doesn't mess about.
• Not Distracted by the Sexy: When the gorgeous Betsy Braddock drops her clothes in front of Agent Wisdom (she can't read his mind, has just got out of the shower and wants to get an idea of what he's like), he's completely unfazed.
  Wisdom: Are you expecting me to be impressed?
  • And the second time she does it (mostly to annoy him). In that regard, she succeeds.
    Wisdom: For Heaven's sake, Miss Braddock! Put your clothes on!
• Not Enough to Bury: Spitfire I, after her last fight with the Winter Soldier.
  • However, it is not beyond probability that in fact this was a case of Never Found the Body and she was hurled through time became in-universe Memetic Badass The Lady Knight.
• Nothing Is the Same Anymore: In respect to Harry Potter, Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Dresden Files (the latter is explicitly noted by Dresden himself). The Status Quo has been utterly destroyed.
  • A general theme of the whole story that has been lampshaded by the characters themselves on more than one occasion.
• Not-So-Innocent Whistle: Accounts of Doctor Strange's duel with Grindelwald, which lasted for days, levelled Berlin, and stripped the latter of his demon super-charging, reducing him from Physical God to his normal Person of Mass Destruction levels, leaving him for Dumbledore to face, all culminate with his having 'walked away whistling'. At first, this is believed to simply be a piece of embellishment, to boost Strange's reputation... then it's established that he really did walk away whistling. Considering his personality, this is less than surprising.
  • Wanda lists a number of Strange's - her former teacher - mildly irritating traits; specifically, that he's a fount of 'knowledge, enigmatic and irritating pronouncements, and pop-culture references.' Harry Dresden, her apprentice and boyfriend, who has been justly accused of all three, starts whistling innocently in the background. Wanda notices this and adds, "don't worry, it's charming on you, darling."
• Not Too Dead to Save the Day: Alan Scott, the retired former Green Lantern who'd been killed during the Battle of New York reappears to give the new (temporary) wielder Carol Danvers a quick course on how to use it.
  • And rather more dramatically, Lily Potter, who intervenes in chapter 71 to resurrect Harry and obliterate the HYDRA assault force that was attacking Hogwarts, and is summoned in her office as the White Phoenix of the Crown in chapter 78 to help Harry shake off Chthon's possession and banish him once more.
• Obfuscating Insanity: One interpretation of Tony's antics.
  • And one of Doctor Strange's, who seems to be completely bonkers, but is also a Manipulative Bastard of the highest level. Of course, how much is Strange's insanity is "obfuscating" is up for debate.
• Oblivious to Love: While Loki is somewhat aware of his feelings for Sif, he's denser than a brick because he can't see that Sif is obviously in love with him. Even Thor pre- and post-James Potter picked up on it, and tends to give his brother exasperated looks whenever they don't act upon their UST due to said density. It gets to the point where a letter from Harry in the future contains an irritated exhortation for Loki to open his damn eyes. Fandral eventually resolves it by forcing them to kiss. In the middle of the final battle, no less.
  • Harry Dresden, though he's not quite as bad - Wanda's Smooch of Victory gets it through his head.
• Obviously Evil: The Winter Soldier. Technically a subversion, since he isn't actually evil.
  • Gravemoss.
• Occult Detective: Harry Dresden is briefly employed by SHIELD (and not for the first time, judging by Fury's comments in Chapter 22) for his skills at this.
  • Apparently, Bruce Wayne of all people is shaping up to be one of these.
  • And then there's John Constantine.
• Oh, Crap!: The general reaction to the veidrdraugar.
  • A small one by Amora when she realises that Thor now Would Hit a Girl - due to his past as James where he fought plenty of female Death Eaters.
  • A larger one by Lucius Malfoy when he realises just how depraved Gravemoss is.
  • Loki absolutely lost it when he heard that the Darkhold had been stolen. Considering that the Darkhold is the book that contains the knowledge to create the veidrdraugar, this is highly understandable.
  • Harry Dresden has a couple.
    • First, when Gravemoss appears behind him, Ward, and Sif in the Catacombs of Paris.
    • Second, when he briefly - and accidentally - contacts Chthon through the Sight.
  • The Winter Soldier of all people when the mountain spirit gives Harry and his friends several levels in badassery.
  • Harry's resurrection and being taken over by The Phoenix results in several people having this reaction on both sides. Given the entity involved, their fear is very well founded.
  • Lucius Malfoy when Doctor Strange tells him that every plan he had made fell rightly within Strange's plans.
    Stephen Strange: Indeed, Lucius... you should know better than most that the most incomplete picture is that seen by a piece on the board.
• Oh, My Gods!: A frequent Running Gag is Harry's repeated struggles with trying to figure out who or what, as a demigod, he should swear by (or possibly, swear at).
• Older Than They Look: Pretty much all Asgardians are this. Of humans, examples include Doctor Strange (over 400, doesn't look a day over 40), his former apprentice Wanda Maximoff (45, looks under 30), the First Class of X-Men and Magneto (Charles Xavier, Sean Cassidy, Alex Summers, Hank McCoy all in their 60's/70's and not looking it), Natasha (over 80, looks under 30 thanks to the Russian Infinity Formula), and Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, thanks to the Russian Infinity Formula and Zola's modifications.
• Old Flame: Amora to Thor. She wants to renew it, he regards it as one of the biggest mistakes he ever made. And tells her. To her face.
  • Elizabeth II to Loki. Played for Laughs.
  • Sif to Thor. They're now Amicable Exes, and Thor is a quiet Shipper on Deck for Loki/Sif.
  • Wanda to Clint, apparently. He Likes Older Women.
• Omnicidal Maniac: Gravemoss, natch.
• One Degree of Separation: Seems to going this way with Harry: his maternal grandparents were crack SHIELD Agents (to quote Nick Fury, "The Hawkeye and Black Widow of their day.") who mentored Nick Fury, who was the second candidate to be Harry's godfather after being a sort of big brother to Lily Evans. Doctor Strange was his paediatrician. Wanda Maximoff is his godmother. Jean Grey is his maternal second cousin. Clint turns out to be the grandson of Bucky Barnes and Minerva McGonagall and the first cousin (via adoption) of Clark Kent. Charles Xavier is Tony Stark's godfather. It only gets stronger and stranger from there.
  • And more generally: Coulson knows Harry Dresden and is Molly Weasley's "squib accountant cousin", Thor knew Betsy Braddock's father, Alastor Moody has crossed paths with Erik Lehnsherr enough to know his style, Wanda Maximoff, John Constantine and Doctor Stephen Strange were members of the First Order of the Phoenix, Wanda and John are Hermione's biological parents, Charles Xavier helped teach Wanda who was Stephen's apprentice...
  • A Justified Trope, however, as it is implied that Harry is a 'Nexus Being' like 616!Wanda or something similar, and Odin himself notes that destiny tends to warp in his presence.
    • Chapter 48 explains exactly what happened: Strange had Wanda bless Harry with her reality warping powers to make sure that he would never be alone and always have someone to turn to.
• One-Man Army: The Winter Soldier, natch.
  • All of the Avengers qualify. It's probably why Fury, at the top of his head, can only think of three people who can beat the Winter Soldier at his own game. All three of those people are on the Avengers.
  • Harry and his friends are all becoming this, though are not there yet (temporary age-up notwithstanding). Carol has super-soldier genes which are now active, Jean-Paul is a speedster, Uhtred will be even more of one than most Asgardians thanks to being Sif's protege, Diana is the future Wonder Woman (Super-Strength, Flight, and all), and Harry himself is on track to becoming a Physical God with formidable psychic powers and magic on top of becoming a Flying Brick.
  • As an Omega-class psychic, Jean is also on track to becoming one of these some day, as is a certain Clark Kent.
  • All Asgardians are this trope, though Sif, the Warriors Three, and the Royal Family all stand out as being particular examples.
• One of the Boys: Carol is a classic version of this, being her school's top football (the version that the rest of the world recognises as football) player, a top athlete, with a spiky, abrasive personality. The latter largely comes from the fact that, unlike most examples, she's not indistinguishable from the guys (though she'd probably like to be). Instead, she's an Amazonian Beauty and Younger than She Looks, leading to a lot of unwanted attention.
• Only Sane Man: Lucius was this to the Death Eaters and Voldemort, making repeated reference to his being the one who guided Voldemort (who, though a genius, was not always one for tactical thinking) onto more sensible paths, being the Evil Chancellor.
  • It takes one to know one, apparently, as Lucius recognises Zemo as being HYDRA's (he considers everyone else that works for HYDRA to be crazy. He's probably not wrong). It is implied that Zemo sees the similarities too.
  • Jean-Paul serves as a benevolent example to the other teens, occasionally jointly with Diana.
• Only the Chosen May Wield: Mjolnir, as per usual. Wielded by Thor, as per usual and briefly, by Diana in the final battle.
  • Also, the Green Lantern Ring, which lets Carol wield it in the final battle.
• Open-Minded Parent: Thor.
• Opposites Attract: Why Loki - who does not so much think sideways as in corkscrews - likes the straightforward Sif. It is definitely reciprocated.
• Our Vampires Are Different: Very much so. Remus Lupin uses the Pratchett quote 'as many kinds of vampire as there are kinds of disease', with the corollary that some are fairly harmless. Some, however, are major players, with the four Courts from The Dresden Files mentioned, with an additional fifth Court to include classic Dracula vampires:
  • White Court: The Western Anthrophage. Each House within the Court is a different breed of Emotion Eater. They are, technically speaking, mortal and the most human of all vampires, reproducing sexually (with the resultant offspring being human until mid puberty and they make their first kill). Because of this, they are near impossible to tell apart from humans at a glance. They are also all ridiculously good looking and owing to their relative lack of physical power, prone to manipulation and Chronic Backstabbing Disorder. They were behind the writing of Dracula and, as Harry Dresden suspects, Twilight, which has apparently caused vampire attacks to quadruple since it was published.
  • Red Court: The Mayan Blood Demon. Hairless anthropomorphic bat monsters in a human disguise based in Central and South America, they have the traditional weaknesses but can be killed by good old fashioned violence (lots of it.) Their saliva is also a powerful narcotic. They turn humans halfway, resulting in a Dhampyr until they lose control and make their first kill. Among the most organised and innovative and led by the Red King, who is around 10,000 years old. Also known to occasionally feed on cows, sparking the legend of the Chupacabra.
  • Jade Court: Reclusive Asian Vampires.
  • The Grey Court: Classic Dracula vampires, originating with Varnae, the first vampire, created by a spell from the Darkhold in the last days of Atlantis, 17,000 years ago, who went on to sire a large Court, being on record as having fought Thor, Odin, Vili, Ve and Bor at varying points in history, and was last seen during the Black Plague. Since then, Dracula has taken over as King of the Grey Court. The three day rule applies on turning, with the person turned having, in the meantime, the powers of the vampire but their own mind. One or two part-vampires of this kind exist, Blade and Spitfire II (the latter as a result of a blood transfusion from Blade). They are hinted to be a particular target of Asgardian purges and themselves attempted to wipe out the Clan Akkaba, heirs of Apocalypse. The Clan responded by summoning the Phoenix and attempting to bind Her to their will in Vienna in 1897. Since the Phoenix was none too fond either of vampires or of being controlled, it ended very badly, both for the Clan and the Court, both being almost entirely wiped out. Only Dracula and the girl nominated as host survived, the former because he got out in time and the latter because Albus Dumbledore pleaded for her life.
    • The Black Court: An offshoot of the Grey Court, the result of a necromancer trying to turn a corpse into a Grey Court vampire rather than a living being 8,000 years ago. The result was essentially a living cadaver that steadily decays and withers, one to which the three day rule did not apply. They are essentially experiments gone wrong and they hate to be reminded of it (while just about every other group naturally does so at every opportunity). They also suffered greatly from the publishing of Dracula, since unlike the Grey Court, they're not very good at passing for human.
  • Others are hinted at, such as Selene Gallio, with even Voldemort dabbling in it a little bit, and a mysterious figure known only as 'The Welshman', a vampire from outside the Court system powerful enough to scare off all the others and largely responsible for keeping other vampires out of Britain. He is, apparently, a Friendly Neighbourhood Vampire. Though, as Word of God notes, this is for a given value of friendly - he will keep other vampires out of Britain, he will even keep crime down in his chosen city of Cardiff... but he's not exactly going to be putting on his cape and becoming Super-Vamp, defender of all that is good and true, any time soon.
• Our Zombies Are Different: Very much so. For one thing, they move very, very fast.
• Out-Gambitted: Von Strucker by Fury, effortlessly so.
  • Everyone by Doctor Strange. See the Child of the Storm page for more details.
• Painted-On Pants: While not quite a case, Jean's jeans are definitely tight enough to distract Scott.
• Papa Wolf: THOR
  (in reference to the Enchantress): If she had touched Lily, I would have killed her. If she touches Harry, I will kill her and if Skurge tries to stop me, I'll ram that precious axe of his up his sorely whipped arse.
  • After Hera, who hates demigods, obliquely threatens to kill Harry, he calmly threatens her with incineration, stating that even her husband couldn't protect her from his wrath. When she asks if he's willing to start a cosmic scale war, he has this response.
    If I see you anywhere near my son ever again, I do not care if the resultant war sets the entire cosmos alight: I will strike you down.
  • Loki, who has this attitude himself, then casually adds:
    And we haven't started a war for a couple of years. There is also the fact that, regrettably, I have not managed to catch up with either of the last two people to threaten my nephew. What is it that mortals say? 'Third time's the charm'?
  • Odin to Loki, judging by his rage at what Thanos did to him. It wasn't mind control, but it wasn't exactly pleasant for Loki either. He may have made mistakes, but boy, oh boy, do you not want to hurt his kid.
    • Also, Hela's backstory. Odin did everything he could to help Loki protect his daughter.
  • Odin also informs Strange that if his sons or grandson are hurt by the latter's machinations, he will take it out on his hide.
• Parental Sexuality Squick: Harry towards his father, Thor, not that it stops him snarking about it.
• Parents as People: This occurs a lot. Though Thor and Wanda, Harry's godmother and Hermione's biological mother, are shown to be Good Parents, they're still human. Metaphorically speaking, in Thor's case.
• Parent with New Paramour: Thor is naturally this to Harry. It isn't exactly surprising, considering that a) it's been twelve years, b) he only got his memories of his life as James back relatively recently. It falls into the second category, with Harry and Jane being awkward, if civil, to each other at first, before slowly graduating into a very close relationship after a clearing the air talk, in which they're essentially Like Brother and Sister (Jane is explicitly noted as treating Harry like she does her younger half brother) and they resolutely ignore the implications that this carries for her relationship with Thor.
• Passionate Sports Girl: Carol Danvers is a dedicated football (soccer) player and very good at it, captaining her school team, specifically playing as a box to box midfielder, a position requiring a great deal of energy and skill. The author then elaborates that the specific comparison he was going for was Steven Gerrard of Liverpool FC and more recently, LA Galaxy, owing in part to their shared nickname of 'Captain Marvel' and similar dedication and, of course, Rule of Cool.
• Passive-Aggressive Kombat: Dumbledore, as in canon. He particularly enjoys using it on Fudge.
  • Loki is also pretty good at it.
• Patchwork Story: On a micro level, the author occasionally makes reference to making chapters by stitching disparate scenes together. On a grander scale, elements such as Natasha's history with the Red Room and the Winter Soldier are incorporated, as well as the X-Men, the Fantastic Four (not yet powered) and an as yet unpowered Peter Parker.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: Krieger, in a non-lethal variant. While he gets an eyewatering kick in the balls and a brief but effective beatdown by T'Challa, the racist, sexist pervert kind of deserves it.
• Personality Powers: Harry is the most obvious example: he's particularly skilled with fire, considered to be a prodigy by Loki in that particular department. He is warm, kind and brings light into the dark places, literal and metaphorical. He is also Hot-Blooded, repeatedly indicated to have the potential to become a Dark Messiah on par with, or beyond, Magneto himself and not particularly inclined to think things through when he loses his temper, as chapter 54 and chapter 70 amply demonstrate. He is, thankfully, aware of this to one degree or another, and genuinely worried about it.
• Person of Mass Destruction: Wanda is more than capable of being this. If she doesn't incinerate you with a skyscraper sized pillar of fire, she drops meteors on your head. Even if your name is Nicodemus.
  • Thor, Loki and the Hulk all qualify as this, while Tony is speculated to simply require the right armour to reach this level. Others mentioned include Magneto (who's really closer to Physical God level when he goes full out), and Count Nefaria. Harry, as Thor's son, proves capable of reaching this level as an adult.
  • If Harry Dresden wasn't already this, his use of his Death Curse - he got better - to launch Gravemoss well over five hundred miles from Paris to the North Sea would put him into this range.
  • Harry and Diana are briefly jacked up to this territory at the end of chapter 59. A blast from Harry, one he explicitly intended to be small, vaporised a supercharged werewolf capable of standing up to an Asgardian and basically destroyed a mountain on the other side of the valley. A large blast is visible from space, is mistaken for a nuke by NASA and launches its target ( a reverse-engineered and remote-controlled version of the Destroyer) from the Rockies to a potato field seventy miles east of Moscow. And both the narration and Word of God have hinted that he was only scratching the surface...
    • Even more impressively, said target survives intact, and Diana proves her credentials by ripping it in half with her bare hands.
  • By the end of Book I, both Harrys establish themself as being comfortably in this tier.
• Phosphor-Essence: Harry in chapter 44 and on several occasions thereafter.
• Physical God: Thor. Loki. Asgardians in general.
  • Hulk.
  • The referenced Juggernaut and Count Nefaria.
  • Gravemoss, technically. Like the Enchantress in the comics, he's pretty weak in the higher realms, like Asgard. On Earth, however, he's an incredibly fast killing machine who can rip through concrete with his bare hands.
  • Wanda and Doctor Strange arguably reach this level.
• Piggybacking on Hitler: Johann Schmidt and Klaus Schmidt, the Red Skull and Sebastian Shaw I both did this, one as the leader of HYDRA, the other as part of the Hellfire Club.
  • HYDRA in general.
  • Sinister also did this, creeping out both of the above in the process.
  • Grindelwald, technically, though he and Hitler were more like allies (or more specifically, Hitler was a convenient pawn).
• Platonic Co-Parenting: Thor and Loki to Harry in an interesting brotherly variant — Thor's the nurturing affectionate parent, while Loki is the firmer and more guidance based parent.
• Playing with Fire: Loki and Wanda.
  • Harry is disturbingly good with fire. So much so, in fact, that he astonishes Loki, who refers to him as a prodigy in that particular discipline. When he's aged up, a 'small' fireblast vaporises a werewolf and wipes out a large portion of the mountain on the other side of the valley. A full on blast launches what is essentially a functioning Destroyer all the way to a potato field in Russia. And Word of God has indicated that he was only scratching the surface.
  • Harry Dresden, as usual, takes it up a notch.
    Fury: The funny thing about Harry Dresden is that you can tell where he’s been because it’s always on fire.
• Plot-Relevant Age-Up: An explicitly temporary example in chapter 59/60, which shows us a snapshot of what the young heroes will look like and one day be capable of.
• Pocket Dimension: HYDRA's main base turns out to be in one anchored to the disused Battersea power station.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: Lucius actually becomes less of this as time passes. However, this is less a sign of positive Character Development, more him first deploying exceptionalism (like many real world bigots), then mentally rearranging his prejudices to account for powerful people who happen not to be purebloods, many of whom he is working with. Now, he doesn't do much more than pay lip service to pureblood ideology, instead espousing the classic HYDRA view that the weak should be ruled by the strong.
• Porn Stash: It is mentioned that Lily once forced James to throw out some well loved copies of Playwizard.
• Power Perversion Potential: Betsy mentions that Telepathy is great for this. This is invoked during her one-night stand with Fandral, who, apparently, has no regrets.
• The Prophecy: The famous one that set Voldemort after the Potters is, of course, present and entirely unchanged.
  • Trelawney's second prophecy, on the other hand, is rather different. It is both longer and considerably more ominous.
    A great evil has passed from the world, but other terrors seek to take its place. The traitor has fallen, and from his flesh and bone, the Dark Lord has been reborn. He has returned, greater and more terrible than ever before, and now he seeks the means to become greater and more terrible still. He is only the first. I see others, lurking in the shadows. A room, the walls dripping with blood, and within it, the Ageless Kingmaker, a Thief with a Thousand Faces. A Lord of Blood, seeking to break the seal of the dawn. The King of the Wild, seeking vengeance. The Queen of Darkness, seeking power that was never hers. And beyond them all, something ancient beyond telling awakens. Embers long banked now burn again. Welcomed by fools, the twisted flame spreads unchecked once more, consuming all. But as Twilight falls, Dawn shall rise.The brightest shiner, the Phoenixborn, he who rises from the ash, grows in Winter’s shadow. He is one of three, always three, and a sword of fire waits for his hand. He shall find the lost, rallying them to him. One, a beacon in an ocean of fallen stars, that waits to be lit. Another, a hound in chains, that waits to break free. A third, a memory in a cocoon of frozen time. Together, they shall herald the coming of the Heroic Age. But beware: for power a price must be paid and the scales must be balanced. Victory cannot come without loss and life can only be bought with life. All the while, another approaches. From beyond the stars he comes, he whose name is death. He searches for the Six, the Infinite Six, and he shall not be denied. He must face his opposite, for only then shall he face his equal.
• Protagonist-Centred Morality: Played With. At points, it seems that it's going like this with the semi regular humiliation of Snape and Harry developing significantly snarkier tendencies that vary from Deadpan Snarker to Stepford Snarker and, arguably, Fury's Disproportionate Retribution towards the Dursleys, but each is justified.
  • Snape isn't exactly Mister Pleasant and makes the mistake of antagonising those he shouldn't - Thor (who acknowledges what Snape has done for Harry and thanks him for it, apologises sincerely for the way he treated him as James and grudgingly acknowledges that, for all his faults, Snape is no coward), Huginn and Muninn, Tony and, possibly (she has yet to exact vengeance), Natasha, and their response is reasonably constrained. Second, the publicly humiliating incident is noted by Word of God as possibly being over the top, but equally it is pointed out that Snape has gone out of his way to bully Harry since day one and he kind of has it coming.
  • Harry's snarkier and somewhat anti-authoritian tendencies are presented partly as a sign of his growing confidence (and Tony's influence) and partly as a reaction to the fact that his world has been tipped on its head and thoroughly shaken, so he has no idea which way is up. Not only that, but [his powers first flare up in chapter 31 and then again in chapter 44 and, in subtler forms, semi regularly since then the latter of which is depicted as genuinely unnerving him. Not only that, but he lives with the anti-authoritarian snark patrol that is the Avengers (Steve mostly excepted), one of which is his father, another of which is his uncle, and all of whom he idolises/admires.
    • And, as of Chapter 50, Sean Cassidy laughs at an off the cuff snarky remark Harry makes, then gently reprimands him for the snark by saying, 'careful kiddo, that tongue of yours will run you into trouble with someone who isn't as easygoing as I am'. When Harry not unjustly points out that trouble tends to find him anyway, Sean points out that that should be a reason for him not to seek out more. Harry quite visibly takes this onboard.
  • Chapter 54 features this in full force when Harry puts the entire Ravenclaw Quidditch team in St Mungo's with some creative Deadly Dodging - flying near to Bludger's, then leading them towards the Ravenclaws, with the full connivance of the Weasley twins - after he finds out about how Luna's been treated.
  • Then Chapter 55 flips it on its head, and explores the ramifications of this, how it might do more harm than good (it's positively expected in Asgard, but everyone there has a Healing Factor and Super-Toughness. On Earth, not so much), and really, all Harry was doing was satisfying his anger, with Sean Cassidy, who though he supported it because he knew Luna's mother and is fond of Luna herself, noting that it was "straight from Erik's playbook". The eventual conclusion is that while it isn't too serious, because of magical medicine, and Harry's intentions were good, the long term effects could be problematic, especially if it's part of a trend. The chapter is appropriately titled 'Not Black And White'.
• Pro Human Trans Human: Harry is the most prominent example, though it's frequently pointed out that there's the potential for him to go off the deep end and more than one character worriedly compares him to Magneto.
  • Excepting Thor and Loki, the Avengers all count.
• Powers as Programs: Extremis has the potential to do this, due that the MCU's version being a mixture of Magic Genetics and Bio-Augmentation. According to Zola he can literally program any superpower he desires and when Lucius asks hasn't he created an army of super soldiers, Zola explains that those superpowers are Cast from Hit Points and that, after Operation Overlord, HYDRA is lacking in manpower.
• Power Floats: Harry.
  • Doctor Strange.
• Power Glows: Harry again.
• Power Makes Your Voice Deep: Harry, Carol, Diana and Uhtred in particular.
• Power Trio: Harry is at the head of three of these so far... a trinity of trinities. Possibly Faux Symbolism, possibly not.
  • Harry generally serves as the leader of these trios.
• Poor Communication Kills: Loki, to an extent, a long time ago.
• Power Incontinence: Harry, briefly.
• Power of Love: Lily's protection, is surprisingly, not a straight example like in the books. In this version, her love, however, does play a significant part. It is heavily implied and then actually shown that she tapped into the Phoenix Force, (with a little nudge from Strange) and bargained with it, eventually becoming Her vessel in return for the protection which Harry now has, which actually makes sense considering that the Killing Curse is a Death Ray. After all, what better to oppose death than Life and Fire incarnate?
  • It would also explain why the protection effectively incinerated Quirrell, and also why Fawkes came to help Harry in the Chamber of Secrets.
• Power of the Storm: Thor
  • Storm of the X-Men, though she's only appeared briefly.
• Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Michael Carpenter delivers a beautiful one in chapter 44.
  In the name of Almighty God, step away from that boy.
  • Harry gets in on the act in chapter 60.
    No. No more running.
• Precision F-Strike:
  • Thor's brief written response to Fudge's demands that Sirius be turned over to the Ministry:
    Fudge. Fuck off and die. Thor.
  • Wisdom's one word response to seeing the army of undead and monsters (including several hundred undead dragons) that Gravemoss has unleashed on Britain, all of which are converging on London.
  • The line that indicates that the Winter Soldier has broken free of his brainwashing:
    "Well, fuck the mission then."
  • Arthur Weasley, of all people, delivers one when Lucius Malfoy gives the heads of the Ministry of Magic a Join or Die ultimatum:
    "Go fuck yourself, Lucius."
  • Chapter 71 has two cases of someone using "Oh, fuck" to describe the Oh, Crap! reaction they're having: first, Loki upon realizing that Harry has been possessed by the Phoenix, and then the Winter Soldier, of all people, when finding himself face-to-face with an angry Wolverine.
• Pregnant Badass: Wanda Maximoff. She was pregnant during the first Wizarding War.
  • Lily Potter.
  • Pepper Potts, as it turns out.
• Prince Charming: Thor.
  • Harry, though he tempers it with being a dork.
• Professional Killer: It does not do to forget that Clint and Natasha are both still two of the deadliest assassins the world has ever seen.
  • Loki has something of this vibe about him, even if he's more The Spymaster these days.
  • The Winter Soldier.
  • Jared Kincaid a.k.a. the Hellhound, although he's not appeared as of yet.
  • Daken
• Protectorate: Harry is this to the Avengers, most particularly his father.
  • Harry's friends are this to him, even if he barely knows said friends. Harm them and you'd better kill him or, no matter how long it takes, he will see you burn. When he explains this little point to the Disir, they back down. Admittedly, they need him alive, but still. It's impressive.
    • He has since extended this to those who generally need defending.
• Psychic Block Defense: Several characters have varying levels of this, as a natural result of dealing with a world full of people with psychic powers. Harry learns to construct one from Betsy Braddock.
• Psychic Children: Harry, to an extent.
  • To a rather greater extent, Diana, being an Empath, leading to her being Wise Beyond Their Years.
  • Post Chapter 60, Harry's by far the more powerful.
• Psychic Nosebleed: Diana endures these when her emotion-sensinf is overwhelmed.
• Psychic Powers: Charles Xavier possesses these on a truly vast scale - he's powerful enough to surprise Odin and immediately earn his respect. Admittedly, he was using Cerebro at the time, but considering that Odin wields galaxy busting levels of power, it's impressive.
  • Loki (through Functional Magic).
  • Jean Grey.
  • Professors Dumbledore and Snape (through Legilimency).
  • Diana of Themyscira and Harry to an unknown extent.
  • According to Loki, Thanos has these on what is comfortably interplanetary scale, at the very least.
  • Post Chapter 60, Harry now possesses these - he had them before, but now he can use them on purpose.
• Psychoactive Powers: Harry, unfortunately. The unfortunate part is that Harry's a teenager with a hot temper and more than the usual amount of emotional turbulence, odd bit of psychic counselling by Charles Xavier aside, and those powers... well, they're either Super-Strength or fairly serious Psychic Powers. Or both. His proclivity for inventive pyromania, much like another wizard named Harry - a comparison explicitly noted by Loki - only makes it worse.
• Puny Earthlings: Most species out in the universe, and most of the supernatural creatures on Earth, believe this and are consistently baffled at Asgard's habit of sticking up for humanity and warning everyone else to steer clear - which, since Earth is a magic infested Death World inhabited by a dominant species that seems happiest when killing something (usually each other), most are happy to do. However, the various supernatural creatures are aware of Muggle Power and keep up The Masquerade out of fear, even if they won't admit it, and Asgard takes a Humanity Is Young approach and, believing that Humans Are Special, seek to nurture humanity's potential. It is notable that those aliens exposed to humanity long term, such as a few Kryptonians (most famously, Jor-El), and Captain Mar-Vell, tend to develop similar attitudes. It is also implied that humanity has an unrivalled capacity to produce people with powerful superhuman abilities, from nigh godlike beings to those who are more restricted, but plenty deadly up close, with Loki considering the Winter Soldier, someone who is mostly human, to be the deadliest assassin in the Nine Realms. And that's all leaving aside the interest of the Phoenix...
• Put on a Bus: Sirius, last seen heading off in the direction of Vegas.
  • Around chapter 61, The Bus Came Back and he has had sporadic appearances since.
• The Purge: In Chapter 70, HYDRA launches a worldwide attack on everyone it deems a possible threat to its power, and for the most part succeeds.