"Civil War" is a 2006–07 Marvel Comics crossover event. The storyline consists of an eponymous seven-issue limited series, written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, and various tie-in books. The storyline builds upon previous Marvel storylines, particularly "Avengers Disassembled", "House of M", and "Decimation". The series' tagline is "Whose Side Are You On?".
Civil War explores the conflict between freedom and security against a backdrop of real-life events and discussions, such as the U.S. government's increased surveillance of its citizens in response to the 9/11 attacks. The plot revolves around the U.S. government passing a Superhero Registration Act to ostensibly have super-powered individuals act under official regulation, akin to law enforcement. Superheroes opposing the act, led by Captain America, find themselves in conflict with its supporters, led by Iron Man. Spider-Man is caught in the middle, while the X-Men remain neutral for mutantkind's survival. The superheroes supporting the law, including Mister Fantastic and Ms. Marvel, become increasingly authoritarian.
The series polarized critics and fans, but was a commercial success. A sequel, Civil War II, debuted in June 2016. The 2016 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain America: Civil War loosely adapted the storyline.
Publication history
The Superhero Registration Act introduced in Civil War requires any United States resident with superhuman abilities to register with the federal government as a "human weapon of mass destruction". They must also reveal their true identity to authorities, and undergo training. Those who register may work for S.H.I.E.L.D., earning a salary and benefits, like other American civil servants.
Mark Millar, writer for the story, has said:
Delays Marvel announced in August 2006 that some issues of the main Civil War series would be pushed back several months to accommodate artist Steve McNiven. The schedule had issue #4 being released one month late, in September, while issue #5 was released two months later, in November. Furthermore, various tie-in books, including the Civil War: Front Line miniseries, were delayed to avoid spoiling plot developments.
In late November 2006, Marvel announced another delay. Civil War #6, originally scheduled for December 20, was pushed back two weeks and released on January 4. Unlike the previous instance, only The Punisher War Journal #2 was delayed. In a final act of rescheduling, Civil War #7 was pushed back two weeks (from January 17 to January 31), and then pushed back again until February 21.
Behind the scenes After the publication of Civil War #7, Mark Millar described the book to Newsarama as "a story where a guy wrapped in the American flag is in chains as the people swap freedom for security". Millar conceded a "certain amount of political allegory" but said its real focus was on superheroes fighting each other. Contrasting it with The Ultimates, Millar said Civil War was "accidentally political because I just cannot help myself".
Plot The New Warriors (Night Thrasher, Namorita, Speedball, and Microbe) battle a group of villains (Cobalt Man, Speedfreek, Coldheart, and Nitro) in Stamford, Connecticut, while filming a reality television show. The villains are much more powerful than them, but Speedball believes that defeating them will boost the show's ratings. The fight results in Nitro exploding, killing more than 600 people (including school children and every villain, crew member, and New Warrior present, minus Speedball). Numerous other superheroes appear in Stamford to search for survivors, some admonishing the New Warriors for their reckless decision.
Public opinion turns against superhumans, branding even inactive members of the New Warriors as "baby killers". Hindsight, desperate to distance himself from the team, releases the New Warriors' secret identities online, and several of them are attacked. She-Hulk forces Hindsight to shut down the site, and Hindsight is arrested by John Jameson. Angry civilians attack the Human Torch outside a club after he cuts the line and mocks one of his critics.
Guided by Iron Man, Congress passes the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA), 6 U.S.C. § 558,Civil War #1 requiring the registration of all persons with superhuman abilities with the U.S. government, and the enlistment and training of all aspiring superheroes. The law applies to those with naturally occurring superhuman abilities, humans using exotic technology (e.g. Iron Man), or anyone who wants to challenge superhumans.Black Panther Enactment of the federal law leads to revisions of state criminal codes.Flamini, Anthony & Byrd, Ronald; Civil War Battle Damage Report; March 2007; Page 1
Characters within the Marvel Universe superhero community split into two groups. One advocates registration as a responsible obligation, and the other opposes it, arguing the act violates civil liberties and the protection secret identities provide. While arguing with Iron Man about the law, African American hero Luke Cage compares the mandatory registration to slavery. A number of villains also choose a side.
Captain America refuses to join a S.H.I.E.L.D. strike force hunting violators of the act, and is attacked by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "Cape-Killers" before the act is passed. He subsequently becomes a fugitive, and forms an underground resistance movement calling itself the "Secret Avengers". This team includes Hercules, Falcon, Danny Rand (who is acting as Daredevil in Matt Murdock's place),Civil War #2 Luke Cage, and the Young Avengers.New Avengers #22 Iron Man, Reed Richards, Hank Pym (actually a Skrull in disguise), and She-Hulk come down in favor of the act. Spider-Man unmasks at a press conference as a show of support for the act. Doctor Strange wants no part of the act and tells Iron Man and Mister Fantastic to never call on him again (the government subsequently declares Doctor Strange exempt).
The government-backed heroes track down unregistered superhumans and subsequently detain or register them. Captain America's Secret Avengers and Iron Man's Avengers end up fighting in Yancy Street. The Thing, who was only visiting his old neighborhood, gets roped into crowd control. However, when a young member of the Yancy Street Gang is killed in the ensuing violence, he leaves the country for France.
The Secret Avengers, responding to a false emergency, are lured into an ambush by the pro-registration forces. As the battle turns against them, a new weapon is brought into play: Project Lightning, a cyborg clone of Thor. Confronted by Bill Foster, "Thor" sends a bolt of lightning through his chest, killing him. With both sides stunned, Cap orders a retreat. Susan Storm shelters the re-grouping Secret Avengers under an energy shield, allowing their escape.
Foster's death shakes up both sides: Stature and Nighthawk surrender and register, while the Human Torch and Invisible Woman oppose the act. In turn, Pym drafts a sub-group of the Thunderbolts to the SRA's cause.Civil War #4
Spider-Man demands to see the Prison 42 in the Negative Zone.Amazing Spider-Man #535 He concludes he's made a mistake in siding with Stark, and attempts to defect. Iron Man confronts Peter, however, yet after a brief battle, Spider-Man escapes. Against Tony's will, Peter is hunted down and badly beaten by the Jester and Jack O'Lantern of the new Thunderbolts. The Punisher saves Spider-Man by killing the two villains, and carries him to a Secret Avengers safe-house. After recuperating, Spider-Man joins Cap's forces,Civil War #5 and publicly pledges to fight the Registration Act.
The Punisher seeks to join Captain America's forces. He explains Iron Man's decision to employ infamous mass murderers motivated the gun-wielding vigilante to come out of hiding, but also notes superhero registration has caused a huge drop in crime. Captain America reluctantly accepts Punisher's help.
As the Punisher makes his way through the Baxter Building to retrieve plans for the Negative Zone prison, Sue Richards travels to Atlantis to persuade Namor to join the Secret Avengers, although he refuses. Supervillains Goldbug and Plunderer arrive at the Secret Avengers' base to join Captain America's team, but the Punisher immediately kills them, leading Captain America to attack him and kick him out of the group.
While meditating, Doctor Strange speaks with Uatu the Watcher, who asks why Strange does not end the conflict with his immense power. Doctor Strange responds that the Sorcerer Supreme has no business in mankind's internal struggles, but promises to pray for an outcome with minimal bloodshed that will benefit mankind.
As the final battle begins, Cloak teleports the combatants to New York City, where Namor and an Atlantean army arrive to fight alongside the Secret Avengers. The Champions, the Thor clone, and Captain Marvel, meanwhile, reinforce Stark's team. Mister Fantastic saves Invisible Woman from a bullet fired by Taskmaster, and Hercules destroys the Thor clone. The Thing returns to protect the civilians. As Captain America is about to deliver a final blow to Iron Man, policemen, EMTs, and firefighters try to restrain him. Realizing how much damage the fight has already inflicted upon the very people he wishes to protect, Captain America surrenders, and orders his team to stand down.
Aftermath At the end of the storyline, a number of changes to the status quo have occurred, including:
The President of the United States grants general amnesty to all Superhuman Registration Act opponents who turn themselves in or register. Captain America, the act's chief critic, is arrested and subsequently assassinated by a brainwashed Sharon Carter. Spider-Man's identity, Peter Parker, is now public knowledge, causing J. Jonah Jameson to sue. An assassin hired by Wilson Fisk, alias the Kingpin, to kill Spider-Man fails, instead shooting "secondary target" Aunt May and leaving her in critical condition. An enraged Spider-Man dons a cloth version of his black suit and confronts Kingpin in prison, mercilessly beating him within an inch of his life. Spider-Man warns the Kingpin that Fisk will die if May does, and promises the other inmates he will come for them if they try to harm Spider-Man or his family. Tony Stark is appointed director of S.H.I.E.L.D., while Maria Hill is demoted to deputy director. The 50-State Initiative is set up to eventually place a superhero team in every state. The Mighty Avengers assemble as a new team. Some heroes choose to leave the country, rather than submit, leading to the third Omega Flight's formation in Canada. Firestar, conversely, retires, while several heroes still in the U.S. remain underground, including the New Avengers:Civil War #7 Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman (actually the Skrull queen Veranke), Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, Ronin (actually a resurrected Clint Barton), Echo, and Wolverine. Goliath, Typeface, and Stilt-Man are killed during the conflict. Tom Foster continues his uncle's legacy, becoming the new Goliath. Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman are replaced by Black Panther and Storm while Reed and Sue work on their marriage. The Skrull Khn'nr begins impersonating the long-dead Captain Marvel. Speedball's powers and sanity are drastically altered, and he becomes the new Penance, joining the Thunderbolts. A reconstituted version of the New Warriors emerges, bearing little resemblance to the original. Most of the previous Warriors become part of The Initiative Program. Nitro is revealed to have survived the explosion and escapes, but is pursued and later dismembered by Wolverine. He is then captured by Penance, who forces him to experience the pain he inflicted on Stamford.