What’s Covered?
The Amazing Spider-Man # 529 - 531, Fantastic Four # 536 - 537, New Avengers: Illuminati # 1
Synopsis
Amazing Spider-Man # 529 - 531: Mr. Parker goes to Washington
Tony Stark gifts Spider-Man a high-tech Iron Spider suit, packed with upgrades, and warns Peter of tough times ahead, asking for his loyalty. Peter agrees, sealing it with a blood oath, and accompanies Tony to Washington, D.C., to discuss the controversial Superhuman Registration Act, which would force superheroes to reveal their identities. While Tony aims to negotiate against this stipulation, Peter’s unexpected remarks during a government hearing set their efforts back. The situation escalates when the Titanium Man attempts to assassinate Tony, but Spider-Man saves him in a heroic display. However, the shocking revelation that Tony secretly hired the Titanium Man to manipulate public opinion leaves Peter questioning his mentor’s integrity, setting the stage for growing tension between the two heroes.
Fantastic Four # 536 - 537: Doom & Thor
Doctor Doom launches a relentless attack in an attempt to claim Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, which reappeared on Earth following Ragnarok. Having been trapped in Hell for six months, Doom managed to escape and tracked the hammer’s descent from Asgard. Despite his determination and cunning, Doom is ultimately unable to lift Mjolnir and is forced to leave empty-handed, his ambition thwarted.
New Avengers: Illuminati # 1
The Illuminati, a secret coalition of Marvel’s most influential heroes—Iron Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Professor X, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt, and Namor—come together to discuss uniting all superheroes under one coordinated group. Iron Man argues that such a coalition could help prevent future crises, but the idea sparks fierce debate. Namor expresses distrust in making their decisions public, while Black Panther warns that grouping all heroes together could lead to widespread hatred, especially for mutants. Black Panther delivers a scathing critique of their motives, pointing out that they have arrogantly decided they alone are fit to make world-changing decisions, questioning what will happen when disagreements arise. Despite his warnings and decision to walk away, the others move forward, unanimously agreeing to work together and even allowing Professor X to read their minds to maintain honesty.
The group’s conversations grow heated as they confront pressing issues. Maria Hill’s critique of Spider-Man’s refusal to kill the Green Goblin sparks Iron Man’s suggestion that they deal with Hulk, leading to a clash between Iron Man and Namor, as Tony proposes sending Hulk to another planet while Namor refuses to condone it. The absence of Professor X, following the events of House of M, looms over the group. Finally, Iron Man introduces the Superhuman Registration Act, arguing that signing it willingly could avert a Civil War among heroes. While Reed Richards supports the idea, Doctor Strange and Namor vehemently oppose it, foreshadowing the ideological rifts that threaten to tear the superhero community apart.
My Connections and Creators
Even though I'm 18 years behind schedule, this was my first time reading through Civil War. I have to say, even though this runs counter to a lot of fan feedback, it might be the best comic event I've ever ready. In my opinion, it's incredible and an amazing use of all the various titles. I haven't been limiting myself to the core comics either, but every side story as well, and not a single one has been a waste of time!
It's obvious that this story was fueled by the political conversations of the time. After 9/11 the U.S. Gov was asking people to give up their civil liberties in exchange for safety. I think it's pretty expertly done, however I don't see how Tony Stark's character could ever truly recover from this. He took things incredibly too far and I doubt he'll be able to lead similarly to how he has in the past.
I also went back and watched the Civil War movie to compare the two and it gave me a much greater appreciation for the movie. At the time I thought it was a cop out that they had Baron Zemo behind the entire thing, pitting heroes against each other. However after reading the comics, I realized that this was needed to stop the story from killing Robert Downey Jr.'s likability as Iron Man.
The Illuminati issue is crazy. I'm so interested in this idea that I may need to read more than just X-Men for a while to see how they go on behind the scenes. I hadn't read any Black Panther until Wild Kingdom when he married Storm, so between those stories and the Illuminati arc here, I see how much of a Boy Scout he is. I was 0% shocked that Professor Xavier was willing to go along with all this back room politicking. I didn't know much about Namor either, other than catching enough references that he's a dick. So to see that he has a moral backbone was pretty informative to me.
Overall, this is just the setup so I'll hold my comments until we get further along.