Agency Is Important To Viktor As A Character, As Someone Who Not Only Rejects The Fragility Of The Organic

Agency is important to Viktor as a character, as someone who not only rejects the fragility of the organic body on the basis of his personal hangups about labor and emotional turbulence, but also in that he is always willing to use his own body as a test subject.

In Arcane, canonically, the judgement cast upon him for being visibly disabled has been an obstacle in his career in a way that doesn't grant him the privilege or funds needed to work on projects geared towards improving the lives of those bearing the brunt of prolonged work in industrial labor. His body is a front that people are unwilling to see past.

In his masking there is of course a sense of hiding his true self in a very literal interpretation, but this mask can be seen as liberatory: He is the one choosing the version of himself people see, and it does not diminish whatever is behind it. In body-modding there is a choice of what to show, what to hide, what to keep and enhance, what to reject.

The hexcore arc has been described as him being used as a flesh puppet, and this is in direct contradiction with Viktor's defining characteristics circling around the concept of control (of one's image, of one's flesh, of one's living circumstances, of one's emotions). I imagine that possession of this sort is body horror to someone like him, the vulnerability of himself as an organic, fallible human a door to this loss.

Where the hexcore uses organic tissue to grow, the inorganic becomes a symbol for reclaiming one's agency. Viktor and Jayce are scientists, engineers - in times of hesitation and grief, they do what they do best. I imagine machinery to be an opposite to the arcane: Metal is reliable and human where the arcane is unpredictable and beyond the confines of humanity as a species.

To bring yourself back to the body you rejected, that rejected you, you must go back to being human, and what's more human than invention, creation, a product of the earth sculpted by human ingenuity?

In our factory, we made hammers. You always save yourself. There is always a choice.

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arcane viktor arcane

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Teru flies through the air, after being launched away by Mob. He yells out "You really are amazing!"

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A speech bubble from off screen reads: "Hey, Mob."

A panel with just text from that person speaking. "Didn't I tell you not to use your powers against other people?"

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First panel shows a hole in the ceiling of the Divine Tree. Light spills from it, which continues behind the rest of the panels in the comic. Reigen hums: "Hmm..."

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Close up shot of Mob, sweating and upset. "Dimple, don't make me fight him."

Reigen raises his hands and waves them, showing surrender. He's smiling nervously. "Whoa, whoa! I didn't come here to fight! I just wanted to talk to you!"

Reigen approaches Mob in a wide angle shot. We see the green landscape of the Divine Tree, with glowing blue mushrooms growing on the disgusting vines and stalks. Reigen says: "Earlier I asked you what you thought about the followers of Psycho Helmet..."

Reigen places a hand on Mob's shoulder. "Do you still think they're bad people?" He asks.

Mob tenses under his touch and looks up at him. "No." Mob replies.

Reigen tilts his head and asks, "Then, if they're not doing any harm... why are you hurting something they care about so much?"

We see a close up of Mob's eyes, glaring at Reigen. His percentage raises to 71%.

Mob shrugs off Reigen's hand, eyes hidden. "You're brainwashed, Master." He says, then turns his back to Reigen. "Please, just leave."

We see Mob's face, eyes hidden still, but mouth showing he is upset. Reigen stands in the background. Reigen says: "Brainwashed?"

Reigen says: "There you go again, falsely accusing people of being something they're not..."

Close up of Reigen's face, obscuring the eyes. The background is dark. Reigen says: "You know how much that hurts me, don't you?"

A close up of Mob's eyes going wide, with three exclamation points above them.

Reigen continues to speak: "You know what I'm talking about. I mean, how could you miss it? I was trending everywhere, getting interviews on TV and in magazines. And then... someone falsely accused me of being something I'm not."

Mob stands still against a dark background. We do not see his face.

Reigen looks off to the side. He says: "I never told you this, but... during that time you weren't with me..."

Close up of Reigen. His eyes are obscured and his mouth is frowning. He says: "I was really lonely."

Mob's percentage raises to 76%.

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Reigen spreads his arms out against a brightly lit background, smiling brightly and eyes shut. His face resembles the faces of the LOL cult. He says: "Now I've finally found people I connect with! Through a common interest!"

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Close up of Reigen's face. He is smiling, but it's strained and his eyes are opened a little bit. His eyes are brimming with tears. "But you're..."

His smile drops and his arms drop. He looks sad, eyes shining with a single tear rolling down his right cheek. "You're trying to take it away from me?" He asks Mob.

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Mob's percentage raises to 87%.

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Mob looks pissed, lips drawn in a fine line. Psycho Helmet descends from the hole, the light from the hole lighting up the area.

Psycho Helmet says: "Well, I can't believe I'm saying it, but Reigen is right, Shigeo. He's become a part of a wonderful new community... all he's missing now..."

Psycho Helmet lands inbetween Mob and Reigen. He points at Mob. "Is you."

Mob glares at Psycho Helmet. Psycho Helmet continues, "All your friends and family are waiting for you, Sh-"

Psycho Helmet is sliced into pieces by Mob's powers. His sliced up body falls apart, green goop spilling. Reigen turns around from behind Psycho Helmet, eyes white. He is angry. He says: "Mob. did you seriously just harm Lord Psycho Helmet?"

END ID.

part 1 of mob vs brainwashed reigen :) man i love making characters face against their controlled/evil loved ones

part 2 here

(IM ANIME ONLY SO NO MANGA SPOILERS!)

(update! I added image descriptions to the images!)

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cheekyb4lls

1 year ago

✸ • *. °

· ☀️ 🌎 ° 🌓 • .°•

🚀 ✯✯ ★ * ° °·

. • °★ •▁▂▃▄▅▆▇▇▆▅▄▃

We miss you

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cheekyb4lls

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Viktor just went from being some guy to my all time favourite Arcane character. Funniest possible direction they could’ve gone with him. Every fuck in his mind body soul was spent and gone when he emerged from that goop. Woke up purple from a near death experience and immediately dumped his situationship, quit his job, fucked off to the undercity wearing nothing but a blanket and then became the second coming of Christ on accident. King of protecting his peace. Imagine being that guy who tried to shank him. Some Russian twink with dick and balls hanging out starts glowing and then magically cleanses the poison from your body. I’d be on my knees worshipping him too man what a fucked up situation. Someone please get him some trousers

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SURPRISE LMAO

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