u/Complete-Leg-4347

Something I've realized over the years is that many of the people in Harry's inner circle can be described as outsiders or outcasts in some way. Harry himself definitely fits this trope and doesn't revel in his fame and reputation. This is largely the opposite of his father's personality and the general vibe of the Marauders; whenever someone tries to ingratiate themselves with him in hopes of sharing is limelight, he gets very uncomfortable.

Let's examine and discuss Harry's "gang":

• Ron Weasley; youngest son of a prominent wizarding family with a chip on his shoulder and not a ton of self-confidence to start out with.
• Hermione Granger; muggleborn entering the wizarding world with lots of theoretical knowledge but almost as little exposure to the actual culture as Harry.
• Neville Longbottom; pureblood but long thought to be a squib and really struggles to accomplish many basic things, even after a bunch of training.
• Ginny Weasley; the youngest child and only girl in her family, and starts her school experience - through no fault of her own - in a way that almost no one else could fully comprehend.
• Luna Lovegood; a textbook "weird girl" who may not care what anyone else thinks but who's physical and social isolation can wear down on her spirit sometimes.
• Rubeus Hagrid; a literal half-giant who has trouble blending in just about anywhere, a metaphorical exile from the wizarding world, and with extreme hobbies/interests.
• Remus Lupin; werewolf with deep sense of compassion but never fully belonging to society due to his condition, even doubting his own worthiness as a person.

I'll add more as they occur to me.

A veritable buffet for our favorite history geek.

I'm going to propose an arguably controversial theory about Captain Marvel. While that's hardly radical at this stage, it's something that's been weighing on my mind, and I'm curious if I'm oversimplifying or if there's merit to my assessment.

Among the many arguments about her character - which I may or may not agree with - is the complaint that she was too powerful and confident right out of the gate. It's true that her abilities were a cut above most other introduced heroes at that stage, and I suppose there is merit to the argument than most other characters built up both their abilities and personalities over the course of multiple films, thus appearing to give them a more rounded sense of development.

While there was hope at the time that Carol Danvers would go through a similar journey and become more multifaceted, I think two major factors prevented that. The first was the film being released on the eve of the COVID-19 breakout, which upendended the entire film industry - not just Marvel - and that was largely understandable. Yet I can't help imagining a more insidious factor; that the backlash against the character was so great that the studio was reluctant to give her much more focused attention. Ever since, she has only made brief appearances - sometimes basically cameos - in other stories and there seems to be no plans to allow her any more significant time in the spotlight to grow as a character (unless I'm severely out of date on upcoming projects).

The combination of these two factors has, in my view, essentially crippled any real opportunity for Carol Danvers to go on the kind of developmental journeys that other characters had gone on before her. Is this take completely off-base, or does it make sense to anyone else? For all of our sanities, please keep responses relevant to these points as much as possible. Thank you.

I'm going to propose an arguably controversial theory about Captain Marvel. While that's hardly radical at this stage, it's something that's been weighing on my mind, and I'm curious if I'm oversimplifying or if there's merit to my assessment.

Among the many arguments about her character - which I may or may not agree with - is the complaint that she was too powerful and confident right out of the gate. It's true that her abilities were a cut above most other introduced heroes at that stage, and I suppose there is merit to the argument than most other characters built up both their abilities and personalities over the course of multiple films, thus appearing to give them a more rounded sense of development.

While there was hope at the time that Carol Danvers would go through a similar journey and become more multifaceted, I think two major factors prevented that. The first was the film being released on the eve of the COVID-19 breakout, which upendended the entire film industry - not just Marvel - and that was largely understandable. Yet I can't help imagining a more insidious factor; that the backlash against the character was so great that the studio was reluctant to give her much more focused attention. Ever since, she has only made brief appearances - sometimes basically cameos - in other stories and there seems to be no plans to allow her any more significant time in the spotlight to grow as a character (unless I'm severely out of date on upcoming projects).

The combination of these two factors has, in my view, essentially crippled any real opportunity for Carol Danvers to go on the kind of developmental journeys that other characters had gone on before her. Is this take completely off-base, or does it make sense to anyone else? For all of our sanities, please keep responses relevant to these points as much as possible. Thank you.

To mark this momentous milestone for the United States, we invite you on a journey through pivotal moments in American history—from Revolution and expansion through the World Wars, Civil Rights, pop culture, and other notable trivia.

With one question for each decade of history, test your knowledge of landmark events, iconic speeches, transformative laws, and the people and places that shaped the country. All are welcome to participate, and don't forget to spread the word to your friends!

Blue has always been consistent in his preferences, and I would love to see a collaboration between OSP and this treasure trove of online education.

While Cinco de Mayo DOES NOT mark Mexican independence, it has become a symbol in its own right, and chances are that Mexico’s history and culture is far more diverse than many realize. Dive into some of the country's lesser-known bits of trivia, don't forget to spread the word!