[This is the part where I babble about the character and how they were created; aka the section for things I can't figure out where to put otherwise. May include bits of backstory, and related OCs info. Character Rant pages will not be neat or organized. This section will be frequently added to.]
---------- ROSIE RANTS
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I should start this off with the biggest piece of info that has to do with Rosie and her creation.
- So, I'm not a fan of Tony Stark. Now I know the majority of MCU fans like him. Sometimes he's alright and doesn't bother me that much, but for the most part I dislike him. I actually used to like him when I was younger, but then I grew up and started noticing the unlikable side of Iron Man. I don't feel like I have to explain myself, but I'll give a few quick reasons; he was perfectly fine with war profiteering until it personally affected him, he's a hypocrite, womanizer, and general all around jerk. I mean, Stan Lee literally created Iron Man because "[He] thought it would be fun to take the kind of character that nobody would like, none of [the] readers would like, and shove him down their throats and make them like him." He was specifically designed to not be a good person. I think he was in the wrong in Civil War, he also technically, legally kidnapped Peter in that. Plus threatened and manipulated him.
((Oh and sidenote on that, Tony really ticked me off in Homecoming. Like he misleads Peter, he's vague and dismissive, making Peter desperate for his approval. He's just a really terrible father figure for Peter; which is worrying because it's clear that's what he's trying to be, and Peter obviously looks up to him. His 'parenting' is borderline dangerous, like his "tough love" put Peter in serious danger in the last act. Also, Tony is then planning on making him an Avenger, which would make him a LITERAL child soldier, and have him involved in much more dangerous missions, plus take him away from his friends and family!! Who does that?!? Not to mention Tony's the catalyst for the Vulture turning to crime. I could fill up an essay on this topic, honestly.))
So when I first wanted to create an OC for Spider-Man's portion of the MCU, the most common OC type I saw was "the daughter/son of Tony Stark." And Tony was always viewed in a positive light in these. So I thought, "what if I put a twist in that formula?"
What if everything wasn't all sunshine and happiness between Tony and his kid. What if they didn't really live with him, if the parents weren't together, if he was distant and visited on his terms. If he loved her but wasn't the best dad. If the daughter loved him as a father, not as a person. I mean imagine your dad's a careless distant billionaire asshole, former playboy, former war profiteer, and a superhero. You probably won't have the best relationship with him, at least not without changing Tony's character. And what if this daughter noticed him seemingly attempting to be more of a father figure to some kid he hardly knows, than to her, his own daughter. What kind of tension would that cause? Not just between her and Tony, but maybe even her and Peter? I don't know, I just thought it'd be interesting to see the Stark!Daughter trope without glorifying Tony Stark himself.
- So, another reason Rosie is the kind of character she is, is because I thought it'd be interesting to see a cheerleader character who isn't a stereotype. Similar to how, in the MCU Flash isn't a dumb jock bully, he's a different type of bully, a more 3-dimensional person, a smart rich jerk, a part of Peter's social circle he can't escape.
I thought, just because you like cheerleading and summersaults and gymnastics, it doesn't mean you can't also like 'nerdy' things or be good at school, or that you have to be mean. It's just a hobby, a school activity. I grew up with somebody who is now a professional cheerleader for an NFL football team, and she wasn't mean or dumb. Also, you can't be the daughter of a "genius billionaire" and a doctor and not be just a little smart.
But with making her a cheerleader, I also had to understand why she then wasn't considered 'popular'. Why her friend circle wasn't just cheerleaders or jocks, without then turning the other cheerleaders into blatant stereotypes. And that's because, well, kids are kids. Even if she wasn't bullied, she still wasn't able to make many friends. Just because someone doesn't outwardly express it, doesn't mean a lot people don't still have internal hang ups on people with mental illness. Plus, it's just difficult to connect with an Autistic person. Also, just because you're in a club with someone doesn't mean you have to be their friend. So yeah, she may consider a cheerleader or two to be her friend (Gina), but the rest are just acquaintances in her eyes. It was just easier for her to bond with other oddballs, like Ned & Peter, Michelle, and to an extent the other decathlon kids.
- I guess I should also mention that technically Rosie's love interest is Peter. I say technically because I don't really focus on that too much when working on Rosie. It's more of a friend first, romance second kind of thing. And unless done right, I probably couldn't see them really officially getting romantically involved until they're adults, or at least older or out of high school. A different possible love interest I've also considered is Michelle. Or polyamorous Rosie/Peter/Michelle. But no love triangle. I hate love triangles.
(I also think Peter/Michelle is SUPER cute and hope they get together in the movies. Peter/Liz was cute too but it would've never lasted considering she'd be in college and he'd still be in high school. It'd be weird if it did last.)
- Not directly related to Rosie, but I personally head-canon both Peter and Michelle as Autistic. It's a wide spectrum and they both fit, especially Michelle. (With her it's like looking into a mirror. I mean Autistic characteristics wise, we physically look nothing alike.) But anyway, if I was to ever actually write a story for these kids, they would be written explicitly as Autistic. In fact it's tied to one of my main ideas as to how Rosie and Peter know each other.
- Aunt May and Gabrielle connected through one of those Autism parent support groups; likewise, Rosie and Peter attended one of those Autistic social programs/groups together when they were a little younger.
- Rosie isn't really a superhero. Yet. In my hypothetical story, she probably only even barely starts to dip her toe into hero work by the end of Homecoming; and even then the push was probably the safety of Peter. Her opinion is that, while superhero-ing is a noble thing, she doesn't really think of it as her thing, at least not now. Her argument is that she's still just a kid and shouldn't have to put her life on the line yet. Also, she doesn't like the idea of willingly endangering herself. She probably still has left over trauma from her experiences in the Iron Man movies (particularly #3).
- She got her powers through the Extremis virus fusing with her then-dormant Inhuman genes (through her mother's side). The upside is that it's permanently stabilized and she doesn't have to worry about combusting. The downside is it's unremovable, and she's a hormonal teenage girl with powers of heat and explosions and a loose grasp on how to properly control them.
