Wikipedia

Civil War (comics)

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 164.107.218.14 (talk) at 19:08, 14 October 2006 (→New titles). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
This article is for the Marvel Comics limited series. For other Civil Wars, see Civil war (disambiguation)

Template:Future comic

Civil War
File:Civilwarbugle.png
Cover art for Daily Bugle Civil War Newspaper, by Mike Mayhew.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
FormatCrossover, including a core limited series
Publication date2006-7
No. of issues7 plus tie-ins
Creative team
Written byMark Millar
Penciller(s)Steve McNiven
Inker(s)Dexter Vines
Colorist(s)Morry Hollowell

Civil War is Marvel Comics' summer 2006 crossover event, with a core limited series of the same name written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven. The work builds upon themes and events established in previous Marvel events, particularly Avengers Disassembled and House of M. Some story elements are the result of the limited series Secret War. The tag line for the series is Whose Side Are You On? [1]

Overview

File:SHRCard.png
An example of a SHR card

The premise of the Civil War storyline is the introduction into the United States of the Marvel Universe of a Super-human Registration Act. Similar acts have been used as plot points in both Watchmen, X-Men and The Incredibles, where they have again been used to place dramatic tension within the work. Millar has noted he hoped to adopt a different approach, stating he "opted instead for making the superhero dilemma something a little different. People thought they were dangerous, but they didn't want a ban. What they wanted was superheroes paid by the federal government like cops and open to the same kind of scrutiny. It was the perfect solution and nobody, as far as I'm aware, has done this before." [2]

Millar has thus presented the act as requiring any character in the United States with superhuman abilities to register with the federal government and receive proper training as law enforcement officials. Those who sign can earn a salary and benefits such as are awarded to other American civil servants. This allows Millar to split characters within the superhuman community in the Marvel Universe into two super-powered factions: one advocating registration as a responsible obligation, and the other opposing the law on the grounds that it violates civil rights and that it would turn all superhumans into government agents, thus hindering or disabling them from fighting menaces coming from the government itself. Millar has noted the genesis for this idea sprang from conversations between himself, Brian Bendis and Bryan Hitch, and further credits Jeph Loeb with creating the tagline Whose Side Are You On?.[2] Within the story this registration and the adoption of sides by characters builds events into the titular civil war. Although it has been suggested that the series can be read as allegorical commentary in the wake of 9/11 and The Patriot Act, writer Mark Millar has noted, "The political allegory is only for those that are politically aware. Kids are going to read it and just see a big superhero fight." [3]

Delays

Marvel announced in August 2006 that the main Civil War book 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 to be released two months later in November. Furthermore, various tie-in books including the Civil War: Front Line mini-series and tie-in issues of other comics will also be delayed several months so as not to spoil any plot twists. [1]

Synopsis

Template:Spoiler

File:CivilWarCover03.jpg
Cover art for Civil War #3, by Steve McNiven.

In Civil War #1, the New Warriors battle a group of villains in Stamford, Connecticut while filming a reality television show. One of the villains, Nitro, explodes, destroying a local school and the surrounding neighborhood and killing all of the New Warriors, except Speedball.

The "Stamford Incident" turns public opinion against superheroes, giving momentum to the Superhuman Registration Act, a government movement to register super-powered beings as members of the government. Angry civilians have attacked a number of superheroes, including Johnny Storm, the Human Torch.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill attempts to recruit Captain America for a strikeforce created to track down and convince superhumans in violation of the act to join. When Captain America refuses, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attack him (notably before the act goes into effect), but he escapes. However, Iron Man supports the act and mobilizes many of the registered superhumans, including Mister Fantastic, Hank Pym, and Spider-Man, who unmasks himself to the world press in Civil War #2, to find and redeem the anti-registration heroes.

Captain America, now a fugitive, forms an underground resistance, seeking out friends as allies. Captain America's team, which the press dubbed "Secret Avengers", includes Cable, Falcon, and Iron Fist (posing as Daredevil). In subsequent issues, they rescue other heroes from S.H.I.E.L.D., such as Luke Cage in New Avengers #22 and the Young Avengers in Civil War #2. Former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, who remains a fugitive, aids the operations of the Secret Avengers.

 
Cover art for Civil War #4, by Steve McNiven.

In Civil War #3, the anti-registration heroes race to a reported emergency at a petrochemical plant, but Cable realizes too late that it is a trap. Unfortunately, Cloak and Wiccan cannot teleport their allies away, because the pro-registration heroes tranquilize them on arrival. Iron Man claims his side doesn't want a fight, but has made a very large show of force and has the Secret Avengers surrounded. Taking advantage of Iron Man's claim that he wants to talk, Captain America hits him with an electronic destabilizer provided by Nick Fury for just such a situation. The battle erupts with Spider-Man keeping Cap occupied until Iron Man recovers and then charges in and viciously beats Captain America. As Hercules attempts to save him, a massive bolt of lightning strikes the anti-registration heroes. Thor then enters the battle.

In Civil War #4, Thor savagely attacks the anti-registration heroes and Iron Man activates a sonic weapon to neutralize the heroes. The enraged Thor kills Goliath with a lightning blast and then attempts to blast the anti-registration heroes in a similar manner. Sue Richards intervenes and deflects the blast with her powers. Cable uses Cloak's power to teleport the Secret Avengers away, leaving many, including Wiccan, behind. Reed Richards shut down the Thor clone with a password. Both sides regroup with numerous heroes changing sides from the traumatic battle. A visibly disturbed Spider-Man asks Yellowjacket if he's sure they've picked the right side. Cable, Stature, and Nighthawk leave while being watched by a shadowy figure in a ski-mask, while Johnny Storm and Sue Richards seek out the anti-registration heroes. However, the majority of support goes towards Captain America, and twenty new recruits join the Secret Avengers. Desperate to replenish their forces in the struggle, Tony and Reed draft the Thunderbolts' supervillain army to their cause.

As of Amazing Spider-Man #535, Spider-Man travels to the Negative Zone prison to see the prisoners first hand, after which he is noticeably disturbed. Although he does not come out publicly against the Superhero Registration Act, he does try to steal Aunt May and MJ out from under Iron Man's "personal protection". At the same time, Sue Richards leaves Reed in Fantastic Four #540, followed quickly by Ben Grimm's departure from America. Wonder Man, who was assigned to track an Atlantean sleeper agent, has discovered a small army of Atlanteans gearing up to enter the war. Moments later, The Green Goblin enters the scene, kills all the Atlanteans, and severely injures Wonder Man with his pumpkin bombs.[4]

Choosing Sides

Confirmed proponents of registration

Super Human Task Force

Registered heroes

Government trainers

Heroes "In Training"

Government enforcers

Major government supporters

Major civilian supporters

  

Confirmed opponents of registration

The Secret Avengers

Un-Registered heroes

Registered opponents

Major civilian opponents

Foreign opponents

Expatriates

Retiring

Apprehended opponents

Apprehended villains

Confirmed neutrals

Although some of these individuals have announced their objection to the Superhuman Registration Act, they have refused to actively support any side.

Deaths

Stamford incident casualties

She-Hulk (2nd series) #8 shows that all four of the New Warriors were thought dead by the public. The three villains involved in the explosion (all but Nitro who caused the explosion) have not been confirmed to be dead or alive. Civil War: Front Line #1 shows Speedball as the survivor of the Stamford incident. The explosion overloaded his kinetic powers, supposedly burning them out, and yet his powers briefly resurfaced in Civil War: Frontline #4 during a prison boxing match. Speedball was informed by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who arrested him that Night Thrasher, Namorita, and Microbe were killed in the explosion. The public has since been informed that Speedball survived the Stamford explosion, and the blame for the incident has been laid squarely at his feet, making the young hero, as his mother stated in Civil War: Front Line #4, the "most hated man in America."

Subsequent casualties

  • Assorted S.H.I.E.L.D. pilots, aircraft technicians, and agents aboard the current Helicarrier One killed by HYDRA assault. Exact death toll as yet undetermined, per New Avengers # 23.
  • At least one HYDRA agent, shot in the head by Maria Hill.

Newsarama's Civil War Room

During the run of Civil War, the comics website Newsarama will be running monthly "Civil War Room" discussions, talking to Civil War editor Tom Brevoort and writer Mark Millar about each issue, the day after it hits the stands. So far, there have been four "Civil War Rooms", each commenting on various issues raised in the comic.

Civil War Tie-In Comics

File:Civilwarfrontline.png
Cover art for Civil War: Front Line #1, by John Watson.

The Civil War storyline will cross over with many of Marvel's comic book titles, and a bi-weekly companion series, Civil War: Front Line is to be published, written by Paul Jenkins who noted he had been given "absolute carte blanche to take on the political landscape as it exists in America and all around the world".[3] The following are comics that will be included in Civil War, but should by no means be regarded as a complete list.

The Road to Civil War (7 issues)

Civil War (85 issues)

Spider-Man Unmasked (12 Issues)

File:Capironfight.png
Cover art for Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War #1 (one-shot). Art by Jim Cheung

Casualties of War (6 Issues)

New titles

Involved but not listed

While not listed as being tied into "Civil War", the 2006 The Eternals relaunch has the Civil War play a fairly present background in the setting with Sprite appearing in pre-registration PSAs, and in issue #3, Iron Man reminding Sersi to register despite the fact that (due to the machinations of Sprite to become human), she cannot recall her time as either an Avenger or an Eternal.

Daredevil #87, New X-Men #28, and She-Hulk #9-10 are indirectly but strongly involved.

The cover of Nextwave #11 features a Civil War parody cover, including a plaid background, the words "Not part of a Marvel Comics event", and Aaron Stack holding up a card reading "Mark Millar licks goats". However, Monica Rambeau and Aaron Stack had a cameo appearance on page 16 of Civil War #4, as part of the Secret Avengers.

The final issue of Robert Kirkman's Marvel Team-Up takes place right before The Road to Civil War, as the issue opens with Peter Parker getting ready to travel to Washington with Iron Man.

Incredible Hulk #100 includes a 12-page backup story dealing with Mr. Fantastic's involvement with the Thor Clone, and the repercussions of the Illuminati having exiled the Hulk into space.

Trade Paperbacks

The Civil War, as with most modern Marvel comic books, will be collected in Trade Paperback, or TPB, format.

  • Civil War Prelude:ISBN 0-7851-1974-4, November 29, 2006: Reprints Amazing Spider-Man 529-531; New Avengers: Illuminati; and Fantastic Four #536-537.
  • Black Panther: The Bride:ISBN 0-7851-2107-2, November 8, 2006: Reprints Black Panther 14-18, the last of which is a tie-in to the Civil War.
  • She-Hulk Volume 4: Laws of Attraction:ISBN 0-7851-2218-4, TBA: Reprints She-Hulk 6-13, with issue 8 of She-Hulk, which is a tie-in to the Civil War.
  • X-Factor: Life and Death Matters:ISBN 0-7851-2146-3, February 7, 2007: Reprints X-Factor 7-12, with issues 8-9 of X-Factor, which are tie-ins to the Civil War.

References

  1. ^ "Civil War" (Press release). Marvel Comics. December 28, 2005.
  2. ^ a b Newsarama interviewer (2006). "Civil War & Peace Of Mind with Mark Millar (Part 2)". Newsarama. Retrieved 2006-08-14. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ a b Gustines, George Gene (February 20, 2006). "The Battle Outside Raging, Superheroes Dive In". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Civil War:Frontline #7
  5. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven (i). "War" Civil War, no. 3, p. 13/6 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  6. ^ a b Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 3/3 (August 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "civilwar2pg3pn3" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 1, p. 33/1 (July 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "civilwar1pg33pn1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 4/3 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  9. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven (i). "War" Civil War, no. 3, p. 22/1 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 20/2 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 1, p. 33/1 (July 2006). Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ Fabian Nicieza (w), Staz Johnson (p), Klaus Janson (i). "The Hero Hunter" Cable & Deadpool, no. 32 (October 2006). Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ Fabian Nicieza (w), Staz Johnson (p), Klaus Janson (i). "The Hero Hunter" Cable & Deadpool, no. 30, p. 8/3 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ a b c d She-Hulk #10
  15. ^ a b c d Civil War Front Line #5
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jimmy_Palmiotti, Justin Gray (w), Billy Tucci (p). Heroes for Hire, no. 1 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 4/1 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven (i). "War" Civil War, no. 3, p. 11-12/3 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ a b c Ms. Marvel #7
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l David Hine (w), Yanick Paquette (p), Serge LaPointe (i). Civil War: X-Men, no. 1 (September 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "civilwarxmen1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  21. ^ Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #2
  22. ^ a b c Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 1, p. 23/1 (July 2006). Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ Brian Michael Bendis (w), Howard Chaykin (a). "New Avengers: Disassembled" New Avengers, no. 21, p. 9/1 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  24. ^ Brian Michael Bendis (w), Lenil Yu (a). "New Avengers: Disassembled" New Avengers, no. 22 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  25. ^ X-Factor v.2 #9
  26. ^ a b c d Paul Jenkins (w), Steve Lieber (a). Civil War: Frontline, no. 1 (August 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "civilwarfrontline1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  27. ^ a b Marc Guggenheim (w), Humberto Ramos (p), Carlos Cuevas (i). "Revenge" Wolverine, no. 43 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  28. ^ a b c Fabian Nicieza (w), Tom Grummett (p), Gary Erskine (i). "Taking Civil Liberties" Thunderbolts, no. 103 (August 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "thunderbolts103" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  29. ^ a b c Fabian Nicieza (w), Tom Grummet (p). "Taking Civil Liberties" Thunderbolts, no. 104 (September 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "thunderbolts104" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 4 (September 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "civilwar4" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i Civil War Files
  32. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 8/1 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  33. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 1, p. 32/2 (July 2006). Marvel Comics.
  34. ^ Eternals #1
  35. ^ a b c d e Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 17/1 (August 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "civilwar2pg17pn1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  36. ^ Brian Michael Bendis (w), Leinil Yu (a). "New Avengers: Disassembled" New Avengers, no. 21, p. 20/4 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  37. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 15/1 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  38. ^ a b Civil War Room #2 Cite error: The named reference "civilwarroom2" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  39. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 17/3 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  40. ^ Daredevil v.2 #87
  41. ^ New Avengers #23
  42. ^ a b c d Peter David (w), Dennis Calero (a). "Trust Issues" X-Factor, no. 9 (September 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "xfactor9" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  43. ^ Brian Michael Bendis (w), Leinil Yu (a). "New Avengers: Disassembled" New Avengers, no. 21, p. 2/4 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  44. ^ Mark Millar (w), Stuart Immonen (p). Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual, no. 2, p. "Civil War Reinforcements" promo insert (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  45. ^ a b c Dan Slott (w), Paul Smith (a). "Civil Union" She-Hulk, no. 8 (July 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "shehulk8" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  46. ^ a b Zeb Wells (w), Stefano Caselli (a). Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways, no. 1 (September 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "civilwaryoungavengersandrunaways" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  47. ^ a b Paul Jenkins (w), Ramon Bachs (p). "Embedded" Civil War: Front Line, no. 3 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  48. ^ Fantastic Four #540
  49. ^ a b Ms. Marvel #6
  50. ^ She Hulk #11
  51. ^ J. Michael Straczynski (w), Ron Garney (p), Bill Reinhold (i). "The War At Home" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 535 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  52. ^ Fantastic Four #538
  53. ^ a b Brian Michael Bendis (w), Alex Maleey (a). New Avengers: The Illuminati, no. 1 (May 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "newavengersilluminati" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  54. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven (i). "War" Civil War, no. 3, p. 3/3 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  55. ^ Brian Michael Bendis (w), Leinil Yu (a). "New Avengers: Disassembled" New Avengers, no. 21, p. 21/4 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  56. ^ a b c See Thing (registered opponents) for full reference Cite error: The named reference "fantasticfour539" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  57. ^ Paul Jenkins (w), Ramon Bachs (p), John Lucas (i). "Embedded" Civil War: Front Line, no. 2 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  58. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 1/1 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  59. ^ a b Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven (i). "War" Civil War, no. 3, p. 3/2 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  60. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 2/1 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  61. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 2, p. 1/1 (August 2006). Marvel Comics.
  62. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven (i). "War" Civil War, no. 3, p. 2/2 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  63. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven (i). "War" Civil War, no. 3, p. 3/3 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  64. ^ See Gladiatrix for full reference
  65. ^ Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven (i). "War" Civil War, no. 3, p. 6/1 (September 2006). Marvel Comics.
  66. ^ Black Panther #18
  67. ^ Marc Guggenheim (w), Humberto Ramos (p), Carlos Cuevas (i). "Vendetta" Wolverine, no. 42 (July 2006). Marvel Comics.
  68. ^ a b c d e f g Mark Millar (w), Steve McNiven (p), Dexter Vines (i). "War" Civil War, no. 1, p. 7/4 (July 2006). Marvel Comics. Cite error: The named reference "civilwar1pg7pn4" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  69. ^ Civil War: Frontline #6
  70. ^ See Wolverine #45
  71. ^ "Tom Brevoort Talks Civil War". Newsarama.com. August 16, 2006. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  72. ^ "Mark Millar talks future Marvel projects". Newsarama.com. August 10, 2006. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  73. ^ "New Joe Fridays: Week 17". Newsarama.com. October 13, 2006. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)

See also

Official Articles

Newsarama Coverage

Comic Book Resources Coverage

Previews

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Civil_War_(comics)&oldid=81444033"