James Bond/Raoul Silva
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | James Bond/Raoul Silva |
| Alternative name(s): | 00Silva |
| Gender category: | slash, enemyslash |
| Fandom: | James Bond |
| Canonical?: | dubious flirtation |
| Prevalence: | rare |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | 00Silva Gift Exchange on Ao3 |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
James Bond/Raoul Silva is a pairing from the James Bond fandom which emerged after the film Skyfall was released, due largely to a scene in which Bond villain Raoul Silva, played by Javier Bardem, fondles Bond while making innuendos (such as "First time for everything, yes?"). The scene (known by shippers as "THAT scene") is also notable for Bond's ambiguous comments about his possible sexual experience with men ("What makes you think this is my first time?").
Much of the Bond/Silva fic dynamic is based on the film's depiction of Silva as Bond's "dark mirror". Silva, a former MI-6 agent gone rogue after a perceived betrayal by M, challenges Bond's perception of himself and his loyalties in the film; fic writers also tend to explore these themes, though many are just straight hatesex, dub-con, and/or non-con/rapefic. Also popular are fics in which Bond and Silva (as Tiago Rodriguez) encounter each other and sometimes are in a relationship before Silva goes rogue. Other canon-divergent AUs speculate on Silva surviving at the end of Skyfall; some have him remaining in MI-6 custody, others have him escaping and returning to his criminal/terrorist empire, both allowing them the opportunity for post-Skyfall encounters.
Though Silva's true intentions towards Bond are left ambiguous, most shippers regard him as canonically bisexual. His interest in women is illustrated by his lover, Sévérine, a former child prostitute for whom Silva was her "way out", and whom Bond also seduced after convincing her to bring him to Silva's island base. Many canon-divergent AUs in which Bond either joins or is forced to stay with Silva imply a Bond/Silva/Sévérine OT3.
In the fandom this pairing is also known as 00Silva. As of November 9th, 2014 (two years after the US release of the film) there are 221 stories under the tag ‘James Bond/Raoul Silva’ on Archive Of Our Own. It consistently ranks third in popularity on Ao3, after James Bond/Q and James Bond/M. The pairing has a devoted following; the 00Silva Gift Exchange has been held annually since February 2013, and participation has remained relatively stable. The first exchange produced 16 fics and 7 fan arts; the second, 12 fics and 4 pieces of art; the third, 11 fics and 2 pieces of art.
Crossovers
The 00Silva ship is occasionally featured in crossovers with Hannibal. Hannibal Lecter's actor Mads Mikkelsen previously played Bond villain Le Chiffre in Daniel Craig's first Bond movie, Casino Royale. Hannibal crossovers tend to involve Le Chiffre as an estranged relative of Hannibal, as well as the Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham ship.
See:
- The World on a Platter series by WarriorOmen
00Silva fandom has also skirted the edge of Far Cry 4 fandom due to the similarities between Silva and FC4 villain Pagan Min, first noted when Ubisoft released the first concept art of Pagan Min in June of 2014. Visually, they both have bleach-blond hair and are flamboyant in dress. When the game was released, their similarities only multiplied: both have ties to Hong Kong, a tragic and sympathetic back story, and are equally flamboyant in behavior as they are in dress, tending towards effeminacy.