Everyone always wants to talk about Hook or Pan. Everyone always wants to debate which one is good and which is evil - who we’re supposed to follow and who we aren’t. The Peter Pan mythos has pretty much shrunk down to nothing but Hook and Pan (Hook, SyFy’s Neverland, Pan, OUAT, etc). Occasionally Tinkerbell factors in (Hook, Disney’s Tinkerbell, OUAT, etc). There’s one character, however, that always gets sidelined - which is puzzling since they are the main character of both the play and the book. That character is, of course, Wendy Darling.

Peter Pan is Wendy’s coming of age story. Wendy who decides to run away from home. Wendy who realizes that she must grow up - and that there’s no shame in that. Wendy who sees Peter as deficient and sees Hook as empty and decides that, no, she doesn’t want to be a part of that. Wendy gets the adventure she’s always wanted and she turns away because she realizes that it’s lacking. She’s the only one who truly sees the hollowness of being young forever. Barrie even says “You need not be sorry for her. She was one of the kind that likes to grow up. In the end she grew up of her own free will a day quicker than other girls.”

People always debate on who the hero is. When they learn that Peter could be horrid they assume it has to be Hook. Of course, the answer is that neither of them are the hero. Wendy is the hero of the story. You’re not supposed to be like Peter, who kept every good and bad aspects of being a child and can’t tell right from wrong. You’re not supposed to be Hook, either. He let go of everything childish and loving about him and became bitter and evil. They’re both the extreme ends of the scale. You’re supposed to fall in the middle, to hold onto the things about childhood that make it beautiful - the wonder, the imagination, the innocence - while still growing up and learning morality and responsibility. You’re not supposed to be Hook. You’re not supposed to be Peter Pan.

You’re supposed to be Wendy Darling. 

In Peter Pan, Hook says this line:

And Maria Tartar made this footnote on it in The Annotated Peter Pan :

I thought this was really cute.♡

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

JASON ISAACS as CAPTAIN JAMES HOOK in PETER PAN (2003) 

#oh gawwwwd he’s so fucking hot in this   #baby i’ll help you murder that flying child if you want

[ gif is: six gifs of actor jason isaacs as captain james hook from the 2003 movie ‘peter pan’. he has pale skin, long curly brown hair, a brown curled mustache, and a pointed goatee. in the gifs showing him shirtless, he has brown chest hair and a tattoo on his right bicep. his right hand is missing. each gif is from a different scene, but in each one he looks varying levels of disheveled / end id ]

[ID: a black, grey and white, digital drawing of Peter Darling aka Peter Pan, a pair of scissors in his hand. Next to him is text from the book "Peter Darling" by Austin Chant, against white background:

"This was the face which had haunted him all his life, the one he had looked in the eye on the day he left the Darling house for the last time. The hair, messy and short, enthusiastically curling without the weight of his old braid to drag it down. The stubborn chin. The clean, sharp, sullen eyes full of everything he had never been allowed to be. (...)" /end ID].

The first Lost Boy

oh shiiiiit you right

OOOOOOHHHHHHH I LOVE THIS

huh I wonder what this art is for oH FUCK

HOW COME THERE’S NO STORY ABOUT THIS YET

Bruh, this is canon? In the original, Peter was the only one who never aged. He murdered the lost boys when they got too close to adulthood. Hook’s whole crew is likely escaped lost boys. That’s why they hate Peter.

see, now, this is a villain disney movie that could possibly be done right.

I think it might be based on this very good, creepy book which will change the way you look at this story forever…

Love this post but I want to add that, though “he kills them” is a very popular theory, in the original novel - J.M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy - it’s simply stated that Peter “thins out” the Lost Boys when they grow up, but gives no elaboration to how. People simply assume he kills them because the same paragraph mentions Lost Boys being killed on the island (y’know, the island with murderous mermaids and pirates and other very not-safe-for-children things.)

Though the second Peter Pan play (based off Barrie’s original) says the Lost Boys are banished when they grow up. It seems there are many theories as to what happens to the Lost Boys, but Barrie himself wanted to keep it either secret, or up for interpretation. 

So yeah…I know no one asked but I just wanted say that, because “Peter Pan murders the Lost Boys” is a theory I’ve seen thrown around a lot without correction. It’s an interesting take, and certainly one I can see Peter doing, but it’s not canon.

‘And they were roommates’? more like 'And they were stuck in a cave’ am I right? *wink* *wink* 

Peter Darling of Peter pan retelling infamacy will be back in print on June 1st!!!

[Image ID: Screenshot of a tweet by S. A. Chant that reads, "Exciting book news, y'all!

Peter Darling will be back in print as of June 1st. Coffee Boy will be back in print on June 30th, and will be available in print for the first time." The tweet is punctuated with a sparkle emoji. /End ID]

this book is everything

Was anyone going to tell me that Peter Darling finally got a reprint and it back available for sale and has an audio book as of June 2021 or was I going to have to find that out myself by randomly thinking about it again and this time choosing to Google it to see if the author was active on Twitter again yet.

For those not familiar, Peter Darling is a book retelling of Peter Pan where Peter is a trans man who was 'Wendy' and is achillean (m/m, gay of bi/pan it's not stated in the book whether he is exclusively attracted to men) and oh so is Hook. The author is also trans.

Here's the official summary:

I can never recommend this book enough. I cry every time I read it and I've read it maybe more than any other book. As a trans man myself I find a huge amount of comfort in it and for once a book about a trans man with a happy ending!

This is actually amazing

I found a few sources:

This is an excerpt from Jack Zipes’ introduction essay in the 2004 edition of Peter Pan: Peter and Wendy and Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens Paperback by J. M. Barrie. Penguin Classics. ISBN 9780142437933

Note: I don’t actually have access to a copy of this book, so I don’t know if Jack Zipes cites a source for this information. I found this excerpt quoted in the article “On this day: Peter Pan” by Gerelyn Hollingsworth for the National Catholic Reporter.

I also found this interview with Nina Boucicault:

The Strand Magazine, volume 65, pg. 33, January to June, 1923. (archive dot org)

One of the facts I love about the original production of Peter Pan is that the author, J.M. Barrie, wanted there to be children in the audience from the start. Normally, an opening night was the creme de la creme, the wealthiest and most well-to-do of London theater-lovers, the critics, those who came more to see and be seen than for the plays, it was just a very snooty scene. Children at a West End first night? Unthinkable.

But Barrie held firm, and he was just respected enough for the management to back him, so he was given some comp tickets for children -except not in a block. There wasn't just a section for children. The tickets Barrie got for the children were scattered all over the audience.

And then, to make sure these weren't blasé, bored children who had already seen many plays, Barrie went even further.

He arranged for the free seats to go to children from a local orphanage.

So here were all these well-off toffs, the gents in white tie, the women in their evening gowns with their pearls and long gloves, opera glasses very much in evidence, furs, top hats...and in between them, adorable little cute kids from the orphanage.

That's the audience that clapped their hearts out for Tinker Bell. That's the mix of people J.M. Barrie arranged to put his work before, because he felt that everyone should get to feel childish wonder, even if it'd been some time since they'd been the age for it.

There was also a truly splendid bit involving a children's hospital, a secret gift, a valuable bequest and copyright law after that, but this is already so heartwarming I suspect I shan't be believed. Look it up, though. It's well worth having a happy cry.

Lovely story. Also, I might be crushing on this lady right now.

HOOK, dir. Steven Spielberg (1991)

TOP 10 DISNEY VILLAINS (as voted by our followers)

#10 Captain Hook (Peter Pan)

Why, you blithering blockhead!

A Mermaid’s Heart (Captain Hook x Reader)

No smut, lots of fluff. This story was requested by an anon. Hope you like it! I really enjoyed writing this. Hook has been one of my favorite characters since I was little. :)

The night was unusually calm as the moon glistened over the waters of Mermaid Lagoon, where you sat relaxing on a rock happily enjoying the peace and quiet. There were no signs of Peter Pan or any of the lost boys around. They often visited you and your sisters, which they seemed to enjoy. You on the other hand did not. You were not overly fond of the boisterous Peter Pan, always bragging about his adventures around Neverland, especially about the day he cut off Captain Hook’s hand. That story was always popular. While your sisters feared the notorious Captain Hook, you were curious. The more Pan talked about him, the more curious you became.

You thought back to the first time you saw Hook a few days ago. Your curiosity had gotten the better of you, so you decided to venture over to Pegleg Point in the hopes of catching a glimpse of him…little did you know you’d get more than that.

You never saw him before and wanted to know what was so intimidating about him. As you swam closer, you saw his ship and were surprised at the enormity of it.

You settled on a nearby rock by the beach, carefully watching from a safe distance. You saw many crewmen on the deck, mostly just lounging around drinking and doing their best to stay occupied. You scanned up and down the ship for someone who resembled the descriptions you heard. Sometimes they varied depending who it was from. Pan’s chosen words were that he was old and ugly. Others said he was very scrawny and tall, like a skeleton.

You waited for what seemed like an eternity, and just as you were about to give up and go home, you saw him. A man with long black hair that went just below his shoulders, wearing a long red coat, and a sword hanging from his waist immerged from the cabins and onto the deck. What gave his identity away most of all was the hook he had for a hand. Quite the contrary, you thought he was actually quite handsome. Nothing at all like what the others described. You had expected someone way older, but this man was only 35 at the most. Pan clearly exaggerated, as he probably did with most of his stories. Hook had an air of sophistication about him that made him all the more intriguing. You watched him intently as he walked up to the helm and stood there proudly, looking out over the waters surrounding his ship.

You couldn’t take your eyes off him. You watched him for several more minutes, before deciding to head home not wanting your family to worry. You had wandered off many times before, but never to any place like Pegleg Point and you usually had a companion. This time you were all on your own and you enjoyed every second of it. You loved the feeling of independence.

Before you could make it very far however, you heard canon fire in the distance. You popped your head back up to the surface and saw smoke emanating from Hook’s ship. You looked closer and saw a green silhouette zooming in and out between the masts. You rolled your eyes. It was Pan. Who apparently decided today was a good day to pester poor Captain Hook. You could hear lots of shouting and swearing coming from the crew and even Hook himself, nearly drowning out Peter Pan’s mischievous laughter.

“Fire!” You heard the Captain shout and then another blast, but instead of hitting the boy, it hit one of the spars sending shards of wood flying in all directions. You watched in shock as it toppled over onto the deck. Pan acted like this was all some kind of game!

“Pan!” You hear Hook yell out. “I’ll get you if it’s the last thing I do!”

“You’ll never get me!” Peter teased, flying in circles around the Captain. Hook pulled out his sword and swung violently at him, but Pan was faster than him and darted out of the way, snatching Hook’s hat from off his head as he went, and placing it atop his own, mocking him. From the corner of your eye you saw something swim past you. It was large and green, and an odd ticking noise was emanating from it. Pan also seemed to notice it, promptly calling out, “Hey Hook! Your friend Mr. Crocodile is here to see you!” Hook stopped and looked behind him, his eyes widening in terror. “Oh no!” He shrieked, recoiling and dropping his sword.

“Aww, look! He missed you.” Pan taunted, pointing to the crocodile who was happily wagging its tail, giving it a dog like appearance. Hook backed away closing his eyes, and blocking his ears not wanting to hear the clock ticking. “Cap’n! Look out!” A man called out, but it was too late. Hook tripped over a barrel of gunpowder and fell backwards over the railing. You had to do something. You swam over there as fast as you could, trying to reach Hook before the croc did.

You could hear crewmen desperately shouting from above for their Captain. When you reached him, you found him slowly sinking to the bottom, unconscious. You scooped him up in your arms and quickly pulled him up to the surface being careful not to let go. “Cap’n!” A man gasped from the deck. You looked up and saw a man with white sideburns and a red hat. “Is he ok?!” He asked you. But you didn’t have time to answer, the crocodile was headed your way and it was licking its chomps. Holding the Captain close, you swam off towards the shore, hoping that you were faster than the beast that was chasing you.

You were so close now, you could feel the water getting shallower, but the croc was gaining on you. You could hear the ticking getting louder, and louder. You looked behind you just in time to see it open its jaws. You leapt out of the way, pulling Hook with you, just as its jaws shut with a deafening snap. With one last kick, you reached the shore, carefully placing Hook down on the soft, warm sand. But you still weren’t safe. Determined to ward off this creature, you turn around and face it glaring down into its yellow eyes. While you weren’t as powerful as your mother, you could still do some magic. You focused all your strength on the water around you and lifted your hand up directing the motion towards the crocodile. Suddenly, a huge wave swept over it sending it flying backwards away from you and Hook. You sighed in relief as you watched the crocodile swim away.

Behind you, you heard coughing. You turned around and saw Hook, sitting up coughing up some water. You stared at him, wondering whether you should see if he’s alright or if you should leave. Surely, someone was going to come and get him. “W-who are you?” He asked, before you could decide. You hadn’t planned on this. All you wanted was a look… “I’m Y/N.” You replied in a soft voice. He smiles.

“What a pretty name.” Hook says.

You blushed and looked away. “Thank you.”

“No, my dear, thank you.”

“For what?” You looked back over, curiously.

“Saving me.”

“Oh! Well, it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t just let that crocodile get you.” You saide, shocked. Wouldn’t anyone else have done that? Helping or saving someone just seemed natural to you. He shivered at the thought of the crocodile.

“I saw what you did. That was amazing!” He said, referring to the wave you made. To you that was nothing, especially compared to your mother. She would have obliterated that old croc.

“Thank you. Hopefully he won’t bother you for a while. Wish I could do something about Peter Pan.” You replied.

“Me too.”

“Why does he bother you like that?” You asked. He just shrugs and doesn’t say anything. For now, you supposed, that would remain a mystery. Perhaps, he didn’t trust you enough yet.

“Oh, forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself.” He says, getting up and brushing himself off as best he could. He didn’t really need to introduce himself, but you humored him anyway. Bowing down he said, “I’m Captain James Hook.”  

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain.” And indeed, it was a pleasure. You could only hope he felt the same.

“What brings a beautiful mermaid such as yourself, all the way over here? Mermaids don’t really visit this area.” Hook asked, curiously. He called you beautiful. You heart was beating so fast you thought it would beat out of your chest.

“Uh…I was just curious to see what was beyond Mermaid Lagoon.” You quickly lie. He raised his eyebrow, unsure whether he believed you or not.  Not sure what to say, you awkwardly looked over your shoulder just in time see a rowboat coming your way with a few pirates onboard. You had to get out of there and fast.

“I should go.” You said, diving into the water.

“Wait! When can I see you again?!” Hook called out, running after you.

“Soon, I promise!” And with that, you dove under the water and swam away. When you looked back at the beach once you swam far enough away, you saw Hook climb into the rowboat with the assistance of the man in the red hat you saw earlier. Once you were sure he was fine you went home. You only went back there once after that, but unfortunately Hook was nowhere to be seen. Disappointed, you hadn’t been back there since.

As you lay there staring up into the stars, deep in thought and close to sleep, you hear a voice call out to you in the night, making you jump.

“Hello, Y/N! What are you doing up at this hour?” You open your eyes and look up, and see Dione, your eldest sister swimming towards you.

“Just enjoying the peace and quiet.” You reply, settling back down.

“I see.” She says. “I thought maybe you went to Pegleg Point again?” Your eyes widened for a moment. How did she know?

“I haven’t been to Pegleg Point.” You calmly answer as best as you can.

“Don’t lie to me. I’ve been watching you.” Dione said, swimming over to you. “What I want to know is, why?” She asks. You say nothing and lie there in silence. “Has someone struck your fancy?” You blush and look away, so your sister doesn’t see. “Who is it?” She insists.

“Just because you’re the eldest doesn’t mean you have to know everything.” You snap.

“I’m just concerned. They’re pirates.” She says, a genuine hint of concern in her voice.

You sigh, giving in. “Yes…”

“Who?” She asks, curiously.

“Captain Hook.” You respond. She gasps, horrified. “You stay away from him!”

“Why?”

“Because he’s the most dangerous pirate of them all. You know that.”

“I don’t think he’s as bad as everyone says he is.” You argue.

“Y/N, please, stay away from him…If you don’t, I’ll tell mother.” Dione says, seriously.

“Do what you have to do, but I’m not going to live in fear like the rest of you.” You say.

She sighs. “I just care about you. You’re my sister.”

“I know. I understand. It’s late. Go to bed, Dione. I’ll be along in a few minutes. I just want to enjoy the night a little while longer.” You say, taking a deep breath. Dione hesitates for a moment before wishing you goodnight and disappearing below the lagoon.

You sigh and lay back down, feeling disheartened. Now you’d never get a chance to see Hook again. If only you could convince your sister that she was wrong about him.

Suddenly, you heard something move in the water behind you. You turn around but see nothing. “Probably just a fish…” You mumble, shrugging it off. Just as you were about to leave, and join your sister, someone called out your name. Realizing who the voice belonged to your heart skipped a beat. You turned back around and saw Hook in a rowboat coming towards you. You smile for a brief moment at the sight of him. You hadn’t expected to see him here and were afraid of what would happen if you were caught.

“What are you doing here?” You whisper as he pulls up next to you.

“I had to see you again. I knew this is where you’d be.” Hook answers.

“You shouldn’t be here!” You say in a hushed tone, looking around to make sure no one was watching.

“Why not?”

“If my sister or my mother saw you, we’d both be in trouble.”

“Why? Is it because I’m a pirate?” He asks you. You fall silent.

“I’m sorry…” You wanted to cry. You were from two different worlds. It wouldn’t have worked out anyway, you told yourself.

“Y/N?”

You looked up at him, into his deep blue eyes, and found yourself entranced in them. “I’m not afraid. We’ll find a way.” He assures you, his voice sounding very serious and sincere.  

“I wish it didn’t have to be like this. I’d rather be with you on your ship.” You confess.

You both fall silent for a moment, looking up into the stars, as they shined down on the two of you. “There’s a legend that the stars are the ancestors of the fairies.” You tell him.

“I didn’t know that.”

“Not many people do although I’m sure they all have their own legends about them.”

“What about your people?” Hook asks turning to you.

“We study them the same as humans. There is one legend of a man in Neverland who taught the merpeople of all his astronomical knowledge and fell in love with a mermaid.” You explain.

“What happened to him?” The pirate asks, eager to learn more.

“The mermaid he fell in love with was a powerful queen, her powers were far greater than mine. She turned him into a merman, and they married.” You finish.

“Interesting! Is that it?”

“There’s some other legends…but I don’t think I have time to tell you them all.” You say, looking around.

“Then perhaps tomorrow night? I’d like to hear more.” He asks. You bite you lip, unsure. After taking a minute to contemplate you happily agree. “But not here…and not at Pegleg Point.”

“What about Skull Rock?” He asks.

“That place is kind of spooky.” You say with a shiver.

“I’ve been there. It’s really not that bad. Also, we’ll be alone.” He points out, with a mischievous smile. No one would suspect anything if you went there. “Okay!”

“Excellent! I’ll see you there tomorrow night, same time.” He leans towards you and scoops up your hand, pressing his lips against it. You could have sworn your heart stopped.

“Till we meet again, Y/N.”

“I can’t wait.” You say, hoping you’re not blushing as much as you think you are. You watched him as he sails away disappearing into the distance.

When you arrive home, you go straight to your room and lie on your bed. As you lay there, your thoughts are filled with your time spent with Hook. You couldn’t stop thinking about how you felt when he kissed your hand. Nobody ever did that. You just couldn’t wait to see him again. You didn’t care whether anyone approved, nobody was going to stop you from seeing him. Slowly, you fell asleep thinking of the pirate that didn’t just steal treasure, but your heart as well.

Me 🙋🏻‍♂️ I'm interested in part 2😁

Aww, this was lovely!!! Hook was my favorite character in Peter Pan too (probably because of his luxurious black hair😂😂)!!

The two are adorable!!! And the legends she tells him are beautiful (and promising - maybe Hook could become a merman😉). The two worlds comment reminded me so much of Romeo and Juliet😄 and the kiss at the end was a d o r a b l e!!!! 💕💕💕