Gabriel Ertsgaard
Marvel Marathon
“I don’t understand WandaVision,” my 63-year-old mother complains, “Who are these characters? What’s going on?” I explain that she needs to watch several Marvel Cinematic Universe movies for context: Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame. She insists that we watch all three when we escape to the Oregon coast for our two-person writers’ retreat. I hadn’t planned to spend my vacation watching 9+ hours from a franchise I’m slightly burnt out on, but I’m a dutiful son.
As we watch, I fill in bits of backstory and explain who certain characters are. My mother has trouble distinguishing Ant-Man from Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch from Black Widow, and Captain America from Thor. (The hair and beard changes don’t help.) She grumbles about plot holes and unconvincing motives, then reminds herself, “Right, it’s a comic book story. Don’t overthink it.” Shocked when Thanos wipes out half of all life, she demands we start the next movie immediately. An hour later, as the “time heist” begins, my mother’s ready for bed. She can sleep; there’s a plan to set things right. The next morning, she cries at Tony Stark’s funeral.
drawing my gaze from green-gray breakers soap bubbles
About the Author
Gabriel Ertsgaard is copy editor for Drifting Sands and interviews editor for the Peace Chronicle. A former English lecturer, he earned his Doctor of Letters from Drew University with a dissertation on environmental themes in a medieval legend. His poetry, criticism, and short fiction have appeared in numerous publications.