Someone brought this video to my attention earlier today. It’s awesome. Every second of it is awesome. All of it is a work of art. The costumes created by these fans, the special effects, the cinematography, the raw hardcore fan devotion they all exude.

Now as awesome as this video is, there’s a bigger reason why I decided to take the time to post this on my Tumblr and not just privately savor the moment: Axis #7.

Axis #7’s forced retcon that Wanda and Pietro suddenly aren’t Magneto’s kids anymore wasn’t just awful, it was a betrayal. I’ve been looking around at social media and various online fan forums, and I’ve seen all the strong, visceral reactions people have to the huge knife Disney and Marvel stuck in everyone’s backs.

I’m not a hardcore Marvel fan by any means. I don’t have decades of experience with the comics. I hardly know a thing about them outside of my favorite character. If you asked me for nitty gritty details about the Marvel universe, 9 times out of 10 I wouldn’t be able to tell you a thing about it. But I do know two things: what it feels like to be betrayed by a company you trusted, and how Disney and Marvel regard online fan activity. Since I started keeping my eye on Marvel, I’ve seen them repeatedly dismiss online complaints from fans as worthless, as irrelevant, as something that doesn’t need to be considered. There’s an overwhelming attitude that by and large, what the fans say and think doesn’t matter because the executives and editors are the people calling the shots.

Why am I posting this? Because this video is proof that any sentiment they may have in that vein is wrong. This video shows just how awesome and powerful the fans really are. Marvel wouldn’t be here without its fans. Marvel would not have found its way into popular culture without its fans. Disney would not have bought Marvel if the fans had not made the Marvel universe into a hot property. No matter what the suits at Disney or Marvel think, they are nothing without the fans.

So if you feel powerless and hurt because of Axis #7, or One More Day, or any other story turn that feels like a betrayal of everything you love, remember: they are nothing without you. And in the end, no matter what Disney and Marvel try to make you think, you ultimately decide what to support, not them. The things you love about Marvel cannot die as long as you keep them alive. They can’t stop you from doing cosplays, or writing fanfiction, or drawing fanart. All they can do is give you a product and hope you give them money for it.