KingVoyeur
05-30-2006, 07:52 AM
Now that Marvel's "Civil War" crossover event has been going for about a month, it's time to take sides. Which side are you on? Beware, SPOILERS ahead!
In case you don't know the basis of the story yet, here's a recap so far.
A group of C-list heroes, the New Warriors, spend their time filming a reality show about being superheroes. In order to boost ratings, they've gone to Stamford, CT, to take on a group of supervillains who are a little out of their league. During the fight, one villain, Nitro, the Human Bomb, detonates his power, creating a massive explosion, killing hundreds of people, including all of the children at a school right next door. All of it is caught on tape.
The public backlash is huge. Regular humans turn against their heroes, in some cases attacking them (Johnny Storm (Human Torch) is attacked by a mob outside a nightclub and hospitalized). In response, the government decides to implement the Superhero Registration Act, requiring all superheroes to unmask and register their names and alter-egoes with the government, basically becoming federal employees. This means that they would have to do what the government tells them to do, fight who they're told to fight.
In support of the act are Iron Man (Tony Stark) and Mr. Fantastic (Dr. Reed Richards), and opposing it are Wolverine and Capt. America (who went rogue after S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to force him to spy on his friends). Some heroes are caught in the middle. like Spider-Man and She-Hulk. As the time when the Act takes effect draws near, teams are broken, friendships dissolve, and it becomes hero against hero to decide the fate of superheroes everywhere.
I'm with Capt. America right now, superheroes shouldn't be forced to unmask themselves and register. Why? Several good reasons.
1) Superheroes protect everyone and need to remain above the political machinations of governments. If they have to register with a particular government, then they have to stick to the government's pritorities, catering to the interests of those in power rather than the populace at large. It's a slippery slope, like Cap said, soon the government will be telling them who the supervillains are.
2) Protection for loved ones. It's the reasons the masks are there in the first place, to protect those whom each hero is close to. If a villain knows who a hero is, then they can use that hero's family and friends as leverage or as targets for revenge.
3) What's the point of unmasking anyways? Why can't the superheroes just register as their codenames? They say that they'll pay the heroes' wages, but a lot of them are already multi-millionaires with succesful companies and legacies, why would that be an incentive? And for those heroes like Peter Parker who don't have the greatest jobs, the threat from villains knowing who they are isn't worth a pension plan.
Have you picked a side?
In case you don't know the basis of the story yet, here's a recap so far.
A group of C-list heroes, the New Warriors, spend their time filming a reality show about being superheroes. In order to boost ratings, they've gone to Stamford, CT, to take on a group of supervillains who are a little out of their league. During the fight, one villain, Nitro, the Human Bomb, detonates his power, creating a massive explosion, killing hundreds of people, including all of the children at a school right next door. All of it is caught on tape.
The public backlash is huge. Regular humans turn against their heroes, in some cases attacking them (Johnny Storm (Human Torch) is attacked by a mob outside a nightclub and hospitalized). In response, the government decides to implement the Superhero Registration Act, requiring all superheroes to unmask and register their names and alter-egoes with the government, basically becoming federal employees. This means that they would have to do what the government tells them to do, fight who they're told to fight.
In support of the act are Iron Man (Tony Stark) and Mr. Fantastic (Dr. Reed Richards), and opposing it are Wolverine and Capt. America (who went rogue after S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to force him to spy on his friends). Some heroes are caught in the middle. like Spider-Man and She-Hulk. As the time when the Act takes effect draws near, teams are broken, friendships dissolve, and it becomes hero against hero to decide the fate of superheroes everywhere.
I'm with Capt. America right now, superheroes shouldn't be forced to unmask themselves and register. Why? Several good reasons.
1) Superheroes protect everyone and need to remain above the political machinations of governments. If they have to register with a particular government, then they have to stick to the government's pritorities, catering to the interests of those in power rather than the populace at large. It's a slippery slope, like Cap said, soon the government will be telling them who the supervillains are.
2) Protection for loved ones. It's the reasons the masks are there in the first place, to protect those whom each hero is close to. If a villain knows who a hero is, then they can use that hero's family and friends as leverage or as targets for revenge.
3) What's the point of unmasking anyways? Why can't the superheroes just register as their codenames? They say that they'll pay the heroes' wages, but a lot of them are already multi-millionaires with succesful companies and legacies, why would that be an incentive? And for those heroes like Peter Parker who don't have the greatest jobs, the threat from villains knowing who they are isn't worth a pension plan.
Have you picked a side?