Happy Halloween! With Marvel’s huge announcement revealing the entirety of their Phase 3 line-up, along with the continuing teases of them releasing their covers of previous events next summer, Civil War is at the fore front of everyone’s minds. To bring everyone up to speed we’ll go over the Marvel’s Civil War Cross Over Event In Short:
1) The Civil War divided the superhero community down the middle with the passing of The Superhero Registration Act. Captain America and Iron Man each leading opposing sides.
2) The Superhero Registration Act was not designed to expose anyone’s identity to the public, simply to S.H.I.E.L.D./The Government. It also provides training and supports development of those with powers, but also makes them more accountable for their actions and collateral damage, essentially turning them into a police force.
3) Captain America fought for superhero’s rights to keep their identity secret, as secrecy is essential to maintain normal lives, while Iron Man fought for the Superhero Registration Act believing reasonable for heroes to be held accountable and have proper training and oversight.
4) Spider-Man was caught in the middle as his secret identity is crucial to his, and those he cares for, survival, but his responsibility to fight for the greater good conflicted with him throughout the entire event.
5) Spider-Man initially sided with Iron Man and was convinced to reveal his identity publicly to become the face of The Registration Act and hopefully inspire those against it to follow suit.
6) Revealing his identity did not go well for Spidey. He eventually switched sides and lost Aunt May.
7) The X-Men/Mutants chose to remain neutral as they had their own problems following the events of House of M. The entire Mutant population is nearly extinct, reduced to a mere 198, after Scarlet Witch utters the words “No More Mutants.”
8) Under the Registration Act, Iron Man operated heavily in the grey. One such act was sanctioning The Thunderbolts (a team of villains posing as heroes) to hunt down heroes who wouldn’t register as a form of redemption.
9) Another of Stark’s mighty questionable acts was the creation and deployment of a Thor Clone (at this time Thor had been missing for awhile and presumed dead) to fight against Registration Act defectors. The clone eventually goes a bit crazy in his first deployment and ends up killing Goliath (Bill Foster).
10) Detained Registration Act defectors were imprisoned, indefinitely and without trial, in the Negative Zone in a facility known as “Project 42.”
11) During the final battle, an all out brawl between both sides broke out. After seeing friends and allies fighting to the death and the fear they were all instilling to the public, Captain America, despite having the advantage, surrenders rather than delivering the final blow to Iron Man.
12) The conclusion of the Civil War lead to the 50 State Initiative (Often referred to as “The Initiative”) which aimed to put an Avenger’s team in each state. One of the teams created were “The Mighty Avengers” led by Captain Marvel.
13) Tony Stark (Iron Man) became director of SHIELD while Maria Hill was demoted to deputy status.
14) Many heroes were given amnesty, while others moved to Canada, and the New Avengers (the Avengers team Spider-Man is a part of) went underground.
15) Captain America was jailed and to be trialed, but was killed by Crossbones (Brock Rumlow) and a brain washed Agent Sharon Carter.
Civil War went on to have huge ramifications on the Marvel Universe (Earth-616), but now you know all the important parts. Come back for pt.2 to see the connections and influences it could have on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
