What makes a rare pair rare?

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

This time I'm going to be specific, and MCU & Marvel (comics). Keep in mind I was quickly made over as a slasher when I joined the internet's version of media fandom. At the time, that meant my 'ships and canon ships wouldn't even pass in the night.

Stony (aka Steve/Tony) is not a rare pair; it's canon in some multiverse realities, and fandom ran with it when MCU was unformed enough raiding comics canon was common. Stucky (Steve/Bucky) is not a rare pair because fandom ran with it. Pepperoni (Pepper/Tony) I wouldn't consider rarepair, it's MCU on and off and on again canon. Phlint (Phil Coulson/Clint Barton aka Shieldhusbands) is not a rare pair, slashers love that.

Is it a rare pair if it has Clint in it? Natasha/Clint, Bobbi/Clint, Penny/Clint, Spider-Woman/Clint (sorry, too many Jessicas) are all comics canon. Okay, arguably Winterhawk (Bucky/Clint) and Frosthawk (Loki/Clint) are rare pairs.

And yes, it does say something about fandom that I'm in the fourth paragraph before I ask if there are non-rarepairs for either Rhodey or Sam Wilson.

earlier related discussion

Comments

[alexseanchai]

Also to my (admittedly limited) knowledge you have mentioned 0 women of color, and also 0 trans/non-binary/genderqueer people unless we make specific reference to never-cis genderbend fics, and furthermore none of the ships you mention are femslash.

I think these are more "general society problems to which media fandom is far from immune" than "media fandom problems", but like, if I had seen Iron Man back when it was the sum total of MCU? Tony/Rhodey is not merely the obvious m/m to ship but (if we rule Stane out bc my various squicks and triggers) the ONLY m/m to ship! AND YET

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Oh, I'm not saying that this is fandom's special challenge. Most of the women (MCU) are in the later waves of movies or small screen and most of the black women are Netflix. Fandom certainly reflects the wider culture.