A Civil War Debrief : How we got here, where are we now and where to next
Written by Adam A. Donaldson
Tuesday, 15 April 2008 04:28
Iron Man (whose formal secret identity is that of billionaire industrialist Tony Stark), enthusiastically supports Registration and sees it as the natural evolution of the role of superheroes. However, those opposed to the Act find a powerful voice in Captain America – Steve Rogers, the Star-Spangled Avenger and National icon. Cap refused to be part of a taskforce charged with arresting unregistered heroes and was philosophically opposed to superheroes being used as a strong arm force of the government, where, presumably, said heroes could be used to enforce a political agenda. After weeks of intense fighting, the final battle culminated in Cap’s forces, often referred to as the Secret Avengers, launching an attack on the superhero prison in the void of a dimension called the Negative Zone. When the fighting moved back to New York causing massive destruction, Captain America surrendered and ordered his troops to lay down arms, effectively succeeding victory to the Pro-Registration side. With the end of the War, the 50-State Initiative was launched, a program to ensure that every state has its own superhero team, trained and authorized by the federal government. |
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Iron Man
The Stand – Pro…all the way. Iron Man led the government forces and along with Mr. Fantastic and Hank Pym (Yellow Jacket), he was one of the architects of the brave new world post-Civil War.
The Results – Iron Man may have won the war, but what did it cost him? A lot of friendships for one thing, especially amongst nearly all his former teammates in the New Avengers that now openly defy him. Worse than that, at the end of Frontline it was revealed that he helped orchestrate events to his advantage, including the attack on the Atlantian delegation that nearly sparked a war between the US and Atlantis. Apparently the whole thing was part of Stark’s gamble to bring the heroes on side for Registration against a common foe.
The Future – Iron Man is the character perhaps most altered at his core by the events of Civil War and to many that change has not been for the better. Stark has shown to be manipulative and backstabbing to the point where even some his former friends and fellow heroes call him “Judas”. At the same time though, the character has amazing potential; he’s the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. now and is still an active part of the Mighty Avengers and a leader in the new Initiative. Already, Stark’s been shown to know more than he’s letting on (Mighty Avengers #1), but will the full extent of Stark’s actions behind the scenes become known? And how will his supporters react when they find out? Plus, there’s a big, green menace heading Stark’s way, but more on that later.
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Captain America
The Result – Cap’s position gained momentum after the death of Goliath, an Anti-Registration hero named Bill Foster, they quite nearly got the upper hand over Iron Man’s forces. But the destruction wrought in the final battle in Midtown Manhattan saw Cap being accosted by a group of first responders as he stood triumphantly over Iron Man. In this moment, Cap realized that he might win the war but lose the argument. He removed his mask and shield and surrendered to the authorities, thus ending the war. As we all know by now, Cap was shot to death on the steps of the New York City courthouse a little while later. The Future – Or was he? The lingering question remains: is Captain America really dead? The end of Captain America #25 shows a dead body, but Ms. Marvel says to Spider-Woman in Civil War: The Initiative that Cap was clinging to life while being worked on in top secret on “the Raft”. Who’s to be believed? I’m not sure, but it’s highly unlikely that Steve Rogers will be gone for long. |
Fantastic Four
The Stand - Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) was one of the key architects of the Pro-side’s response, up to and including the creation of the homicidal, cybernetic Thor clone. Of course this fact did not go over well with his wife the Invisible Woman (Sue Richards), who was waffling on Registration from the outset when the death of Goliath at the hands of “Clor” pushed her to join Cap’s Secret Avengers. The Thing (Ben Grimm), meanwhile, became a conscientious objector to the war when his beloved Yancy Street became a war zone in a battle between both sides. He left for France and fought alongside the heroes of that country for a few issues. The Human Torch (Johnny Storm) for his part was just trying to keep things together as best he could, joining his sister in the Secret Avengers but trying to work for reconciliation within the team.
The Result – With the President granting amnesty for all combatants, Sue and Johnny return to the FF in issue 543. This issue also saw Reed and Sue decide to take leave from the team so that they can work on their marriage, leaving Johnny and Ben two new teammates: The Black Panther and Storm; the monarchs of Wakanda.
The Future – Replacing, however temporary, members of the original FF has always been a risky proposition tried and tried again by a number of writers over the years; although I believe this to be the first time the central couple’s been replaced together. And interestingly, it was a smart call for the editors to replace one married couple with another, but it remains to be seen how long this new Four will be together before Reed and Sue return. Especially in light of the fact that the Black Panther has his own solo adventures in another book entirely.
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Spider-Man
The Stand – For several months, Peter Parker had been fostering a close friendship with Stark as they were teammates on the New Avengers. Stark, it seemed, had become a bit of a mentor figure for Peter, so when Stark came out in favour of Registration and made his double identity public, he invited Peter to do the same. After talking it over with his wife Mary Jane and his Aunt May, Peter revealed to the world that he was Spider-Man at the end of the second issue of Civil War, and when the war began he fought alongside the Pro-Registration forces—for a while.
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The Result – After the death of Goliath, Spidey fled from Avengers Tower with his family and joined Cap’s Secret Avengers believing that the tactics used by Stark to quell the opposition, including the creation of “Clor”, were unconscionable. With his identity known, and considered a criminal by the government, the Parkers went into hiding. A jailed Kingpin meanwhile ordered a hit on Peter, but when the assassin tracks him down following the final battle of the War, it’s Aunt May that is mortally wounded. While May’s life hangs in the balance, her fate uncertain, Spider-Man returns to his black costume and continues crime-fighting, despite remaining at large for his refusal to be part of the government force. Spider-Man is also a member of the “criminal” Avengers led by Luke Cage, a group of heroes who’ve banded together to continue Cap’s struggle against Registration. The Future – Returning to the black costume was a smart bit of cross-promotion on the part of Marvel since it’s a plot point that figures so heavily in the upcoming third Spider-Man movie. If Aunt May dies from her injuries, it would actually be the second time the character has been killed off. And as for Peter’s identity being known to the public…the fact of the matter is, such major alterations to the character are usually rejected over time by fandom at large (remember the Clone Wars?), so it remains to be seen if these radical changes will stick to the Wall-Crawler like so much spider-fluid. |
The Punisher
The Stand – After helping Daredevil Matt Murdock escape from prison, The Punisher, AKA: Frank Castle, relaunched his one man war on crime. He rescued Spider-Man from two of the government controlled villains (Jester and Jack O’Lantern) hunting him, and joined up with Cap’s Secret Avengers, a move opposed by many inside the group because of Castle’s rep as a cold-blooded killer who just happened to kill criminals. Regardless of the concerns, Castle was instrumental in planning the raid on Fantastic Four headquarters, The Baxter Building, in order to get the plans for Mr. Fantastic’s superhero prison in the Negative Zone. The Punisher was forcibly removed from the Secret Avengers when he killed the villains Plunderer and Goldbug when they had come to join the rebellion.
The Result – It was later revealed that it wasn’t Registration that Castle was opposed to, but the government’s use of criminals as agents. Punisher was last seen picking up Captain America’s discarded mask at the end of Civil War #7.
The Future: There will soon be a new, more heavily armed Captain America prowling the streets. Has Castle taken up the mantle or is this just a red herring?
Runaways/Young Avengers
The Stand – Both teams of young heroes immediately spurned Registration. The Runaways, based in Los Angeles, were easily isolated from much of the Civil War, but the Young Avengers meanwhile were immediately targeted for arrest by S.H.I.E.L.D. and were saved by Captain America and his team. The Young Avengers went to the Runaways with an offer to join them under Cap in the Secret Avengers, to which the latter group politely declined. But the initial unity of the Young Avengers fractured after the death Goliath, when Stature switched sides and Wiccan was captured. Hulkling also played prominently as an integral part of Cap’s assault on the hero prison in the Negative Zone.
The Result – It’s not yet known how or if the Young Avengers reconciled in the aftermath of Cap’s surrender and we may not know details for a while as Young Avengers writer/creator Allan Heinberg is a notoriously busy TV writer. Meanwhile in Brian K. Vaughan’s last issue of Runaways, the team returns to their hideout to find Iron Man and a bunch of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents waiting for them. It’s known that when Joss Whedon picks up the series in April, the team comes to New York and will interact more with the greater Marvel Universe.
The Future – We haven’t heard the last from either team, and Whedon coming aboard Runaways will only further up the profile of this cult favourite.
Thunderbolts
The Stand – Originally started as a scheme by Baron Zemo and the Masters of Evil as plot for world domination, The Thunderbolts were always, essentially, a superhero team made up of super-villains. During the Civil War, the team was offered the chance to hunt down their former fellow villains on behalf of the US government. This time, the team was beefed up with some much more high profile baddies like Venom, Bullseye, Lady Deathstrike, Taskmaster, Swordsman, Radioactive Man and original Thunderbolts Moonstone and Songbird, all working under former Green Goblin Norman Osborn.
The Result – During the final battle of the war both Deathstrike and Taskmaster proved particularly vicious and were sent back to the Negative Zone prison. A side story in Civil War: Frontline saw Norman Osborn lose composure and attack a visiting Atlantian delegation. Despite these “setbacks”, the Thunderbolts were tasked with the protection of Colorado as part of Stark’s 50-State Initiative. Enjoying surprisingly positive press and the full support that being a government super team allows, the Thunderbolts program is considered a success despite their Gestapo tactics; including a near fatal beating of one un-Registered hero and paralyzing another hero, Jack Flag.
The Future – This is the most contentious part of the crossover for some, the Pro-Registration side’s open and accepted use of well known and prolific criminals and killers to arrest and detain actual heroes. At the same time, the changes in this book constitute some of the most interesting in the Marvel books. On the one hand we get a pointed commentary about modern spin on media coverage being used as a blanket for morally questionable government action in the name of security; on the other hand we get an appropriate companion to the all-star stacked New Avengers team.
Speedball
The Stand – Robbie Baldwin was one of the New Warriors and was on the scene in Stamford when Nitro used his powers to kill 600. Speedball survived the explosion, protected by his super-powers, sparing his life but leaving his powers exhausted. Upon the discovery of his unconscious body, Baldwin was arrested and detained, then sent to the Negative Zone prison after his refusal to Register and confess to wrongdoing in Stamford.
The Result – Baldwin is invited to give testimony before Congress, but the distraught father of one of the children that died in Stamford attempted to assassinate him outside the Capitol. While being taken to the hospital, it’s discovered that Baldwin’s powers are evolving, his kinetic abilities now activate but to a greater degree of power when he feels pain. After thwarting a prison escape, Baldwin decides that he will Register. He has a suit of armour made with 612 internal spikes that dig into his skin; the spikes represent all the men, women and children that died in Stamford. Baldwin takes the name Penance and joins the new Thunderbolts.
The Future – Speedball was always one of the more ridiculous heroes in the Marvel pantheon and this development gives him some interesting dimension, especially the way it was handled by Paul Jenkins in Frontline. Do the Thunderbolts know who’s underneath Penance’s mask? Would they care? Intriguing questions to be pondered as that series continues on in the “Faith in Monsters” storyline.
The X-Men
The Stand – Knowing too well the dangers of Registering your identity as a super-power with the government, combined with the “Decimation” of mutantkind following House of M, the X-Men remained neutral for a large part of Civil War. Most active in the conflict were Bishop who openly supported Iron Man and Registration, Cable who briefly fought with the Secret Avengers, and Wolverine who wasn’t entirely invested either way, but was nonetheless one of the few to pursue the real villain of the Stamford tragedy: the criminal Nitro.
The Result – The X-Men were already in a tenuous relationship with the government as it was before Civil War, as they worked to keep the remaining mutant population under control following House of M. Much of the team’s concerns have been off world lately, as both Astonishing and Uncanny X-Men books have chronicled the adventures of two different teams in space. Wolverine’s continued association with the rebel Avengers will undoubtedly become a sore spot at some point.
The Future – Look for the X-Men to be pretty much left to their own devices as they have their own stuff to deal with.
The Illuminati
The Stand – The Illuminati is a powerful group made up of Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Namor, Professor Charles Xavier, Black Bolt and Mr. Fantastic. After the Kree-Skrull War, the six agreed to meet regularly to trade information and affect conditions behind the scene in the Marvel Universe. The group broke up in the wake of Iron Man’s support for the Superhero Registration Act. The Result – Only Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic were active during the War; Xavier remained neutral with the X-Men, Doctor Strange also remained neutral and decided to meditate in solitude until the end of the war, Black Bolt retired to his kingdom on the Moon in the wake of the growing cold war between Earth and the Inhumans (as chronicled in Son of M and Silent War) and Namor pursued vengeance for his cousin and New Warrior Namorita before fighting with Captain America in the final battle. The Future – The current Illuminati miniseries chronicles the time between the group’s formation and disbandment, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t new developments. The Illuminati will be discovered in the fifth and final issue of the series and the machinations of the Illuminati will come back to haunt them in this year’s World War Hulk crossover. |
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The Hulk
The Stand – The Hulk was not involved in the Civil War, but he is no less tied to it. Before the War, the Hulk was lured to a malfunctioning satellite by the Illuminati, but it was really a trick to get him onboard a concealed spaceship which launched him into the deepest reaches of space.
The Result – On a far-off world the Hulk battled for survival and as a gladiator he led a group of slaves in revolt and became the ruler of the world. For once in his life, the Hulk seemed to be at peace, finally finding somewhere he fit in.
The Future – Do the words “World War Hulk” ring a bell? In this summer’s crossover event, the Hulk will pursue vengeance against the Illuminati, and anyone who stands in his way to getting to them.
Alpha/Omega Flight
The Stand – In the pages of New Avengers, Canada’s super team Alpha Flight was killed by an entity called the Collective, the sentient remains of the power removed from nearly every mutant from the planet. The sole survivor of the team, apparently, is Sasquatch.
The Result – In Civil War: The Initiative, we see The Collective (AKA: Michael Pointer) being interrogated by Mr. Fantastic and Sasquatch. Sasquatch tells Pointer he can make up for the damage the Collective has wrought by becoming part of the new Canadian superteam Omega Flight. Aside from Pointer and Sasquatch, the new members include US Agent, Arachne (formally Spider-Woman II), Talisman, and Beta Ray Bill.
The Future – The last attempt at an ongoing Alpha Flight book lasted 12 issues before cancellation. Plus there are patriotic issues with the new team: US Agent on Canada’s super team? Please.
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