Abhiroop Das
Disney+’s six-episode miniseries ‘Ironheart‘ follows two characters, Riri Williams and Parker Robbins, each on their individual pursuits of greatness. While the two have different end goals in life, their paths ultimately intersect. What starts out as a partnership with mutual benefits quickly derails into a bitter rivalry, with both parties sharpening their knives in preparation for their next confrontation. Meanwhile, a mysterious entity lurks in the background, weighing both of their potentials, before choosing. While Riri’s story introduces the possibility of hope, Parker finds himself alone and helpless, prompting a desperate course of action that makes its way into the post-credit scene of the final episode of the season, adding one final cliffhanger to a narrative that delves into more questions than answers. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Parker is Set to Venture into the Darker Realms of Magic
In the post-credit scene, Parker roams the streets of Chicago before entering Stanton’s Sweets Reads and More, a candy shop run by Madeline, a friend of Riri’s mother and former Master of the Mystic Arts. However, it is not her that he makes contact with, it’s her daughter, Zelma, a new friend of Riri’s who previously helped infuse her suit with dark magic extracted from Dormammu. Still bearing the scars from using the Hood, Parker asks for some “heavy-duty magic,” a request that the young witch doesn’t seem to grasp, till he equates his requirements to level of Sorcerer Supreme, AKA Doctor Strange, suggesting her to get someone more experiened to show him the back of the shop. When Zelma appears to be interested, he playfully asks her to indulge him, with the scene then ending on a cliffhanger.
While the scene itself is short, it is jam-packed with details, references, and easter eggs, several of which are of a blink-and-you-miss variety. The billboard in front of Stanton’s shop hosts an advertisement from TNNL, a company that Parker’s crew targets in Episode 2 of the show. By hacking into their system and disrupting their transportation networks, the heist leader gains enough leverage to negotiate an anonymous ownership deal with their CEO, Sheila Zarate. It is likely that Parker has complete control over the company, as their billboard lists them as a subsidiary of ArtWork Technology, a company previously owned by his father, Arthur Robbins, which he now controls after enacting a similar deal. Furthermore, their ad campaign’s tagline suggests a shift to green development, indicating that these corporations run according to Parker’s values.
However, despite reaching the heights of material possession, Parker still feels empty, as he now realizes that becoming “greasy rich,” as he puts it, was never his true motivation. The power of the Hood seems to be the key to his yearning, as it provides him with an inimitable supernatural power that pushes him forward. With the Hood now out of his grasp, he seems to have lost his connection to Mephisto and thus seeks magical powers of a similar level. His actions are also driven by guilt, as he feels personally responsible for the death of his cousin John, especially after Parker fails to avenge him. Therefore, despite having first-hand experience of the nefariousness of supernatural beings, he seemingly decides to give his ambitions another go.
Stanton’s Might Become the New Desperitos For Parker
The back of Stanton’s that Parker mentions isn’t exactly at the back. Instead, it’s a parallel plane of reality called the Western Cortex of Neverish that Madeline summons through her abilities. The plane more so resembles a magical inventory, and likely serves as the witches’ primary center of research and activity. While Parker is unlikely to find anything of significant power within the Western Cortex, given Madeline’s frightened reaction at the mere hint of dark dimensional magic in the torn piece of his Hood, the setting might serve as a gateway into the deeper exploration of magical realms. Parker adds members to his crew often through sheer charisma, a facet of his that is evident in the way he talks to Zelma. Given her tendency to deal in dark magic that her mother strictly forbids, she might end up being the primary enabler of his pursuits.
While the show remains ambiguous about Riri’s final decision on her deal with Mephisto, the fact remains that she is his newest fixation. The supernatural being goes as far as to describe her potential, in his own metric, to outshine any other in the last one thousand years. Thus, Riri’s enmity with Parker gains an additional dimension, as she also becomes his primary obstacle in regaining Mephisto’s attention. It is also possible that Parker is pursuing a different being entirely, one that would bring, with great power, their own set of conditions and consequences. Parker seems determined to dip his feet back in the world of the mystic arts, intending to use magic to discover his deepest desires. Nonetheless, the season ends on a curious note, with the former heist leader seemingly planning something big, heading on a collision course with Riri.
Read More: Ironheart Ending Explained: Is Riri Dreaming of Natalie’s Return?
