akirali

Arguably the seeds to this Civil War were sown years ago when the Avengers faced a threat from within, however the opening shots were first fired by The Illuminati. This cabal of six of the most powerful and influential faces in the Marvel Universe met in secret several times to discuss and even to plan the direction of monumental events in their world. Professor Charles Xavier, King Blackagar Boltagon, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (aka Iron Man), Prince Namor, Sorcerer Supreme Dr. Stephen Strange, and Dr. Reed Richards have tried to handle situations such as the increasing frequency and savageness of The Hulk's rampages. Their latest meeting was called by Stark, and he received word that the U.S. Government is looking to pass a law that would call on all costumed heroes to register their identities with the government and become licensed and trained Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate). Stark thinks that they should pre-emptively come out in favor of the law. He firmly believes that leaving vigilantism in the past and working with the government is the best way to defuse any potential conflict. Dr. Richards (a fellow futurist) concurs with this decision and sides with Stark. However Dr. Strange, Black Bolt and Namor all dissent. Professor Xavier is conspicuous by his absence. Due to this fundamental impasse, The Illuminati dissolves.

Following a brutal beating, literally, within an inch of his life, Peter Parker and his family move into Stark Tower. While there, Tony Stark and Peter forge a powerful bond. They are both super heroes and men of science. Perhaps more importantly Peter is a young man without a father figure, and Tony is a man with no children of his own. Tony hires Peter as his personal assistant, in hopes of grooming him as a successor of sorts. Along these lines, Tony also designed a new costume for him. Much more than cloth, the suit has many technological enhancements, similar to the Iron Man armor.


Tony asks Peter for his help and his word that Peter will watch his back no matter what may come. Peter agrees, and Tony tells him about the Super-Human Registration Act and takes him with him to Washington D.C. to try and convince the lawmakers not to pass the act. During a recess in the hearing, one of Iron Man's old foes, Titanium Man, attacks the Senate. Peter quickly changes into his new costume and fights Titanium Man to protect the civilians in the area. Once Spider-Man fights off the villain and the hearing beings again, Tony points out that situations like this are the reason why they need super heroes, and if this law passes, many heroes would be in danger. The Senate is unphased and will continue their deliberation. Before leaving Washington, Iron Man meets with Titanium Man and thanks him for the convincing display and hands over a briefcase full of money.

After returning home from the final Illuminati meeting (see above), Reed Richards and his wife Susan receive a distress call from S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ advising that there is an emergency occurring in Oklahoma and they need the Fantastic Four. An object fell from the sky six months ago and it was unable to be moved. Now a cadre of Doombots was attacking the crash site. With Dr. Doom himself confined to Hell, the team scrambles to the site to help and investigate. After fighting off several of the Doombots, Dr. Doom himself emerges from the shadows and declares himself the rightful owner of the object fallen from the heavens: Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor Odinson.


Doom explains that while in Hell fighting off waves of demons, the "sky" over Hell ripped open and they witnessed Asgardians locked in combat. Doom recognized it for what it was. "...Ragnarok... the death of the Nordic Gods." It was in this battle (that occurred several years ago in our time) Thor, along with all of the other Asgardians died, as was their fate. The battle was so fierce that echoed across all dimensions, leading to the tear in the fabric of Hell itself. Wasting no time, Doom leapt through the tear and after the source of the tear. He saw that it was Mjolnir and tried with all of his might to reach the hammer. He failed in this effort, but succeeded in escaping Hell and returning to Earth. After quickly dispatching the Fantastic Four, Doom tried to lift the hammer, but he was found unworthy. Admitting his failure, he decided he no longer needed the hammer and quickly left. Meanwhile a man is seen buying a one way bus ticket to Oklahoma. The initials on his backpack are "D.B."

A team of young superheroes, the New Warriors, are in Stamford, CT with the crew of their reality TV show. They have tracked down four of the F.B.I.'s most wanted super-powered criminals and plan to take them down on TV to boost their ratings. Unfortunately, in the fracas, one of the criminals, Nitro, uses his explosive powers and ends up destroying several city blocks. Ground zero of the explosion is an elementary school yard. Among the 800-900 casualties are at least 60 children who were having recess at the time of the fight.


While helping with the rescue and clean up efforts, several of the heroes discuss the tragedy and the ramifications of it.

Later, Tony Stark attends the memorial service for the victims of the Stamford Tragedy and is spat on by the mother of one of the dead children. Public sentiment is that the New Warriors acted rashly and this just draws an underline under the growing sentiment that the heroes are just as dangerous as the people they fight. That evening, Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) is out at a club and is beaten down by a group of club goers that scream "baby killer" at him.
Several heroes meet in the Baxter Building trying to decide what to do. There is a noticeable schism between them. Some support the public sentiment that heroes should be trained and held accountable for their actions, and others who feel that their personal freedoms are under attack. In the middle of this growing rift and the increasing rumblings about the Super-Human Registration act,
Daredevil makes the ominous statement "This is the end of the way we do business. You can smell it in the air."

Captain America is summoned by S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander Maria Hill and they discuss the ramifications on the super-powered community if the SHRA is passed. Cmmdr Hill expects Cap to help hunt down any "former" heroes who refuse to go along with registration. Captain America vehemently refuses to turn on men and women who sacrifice their lives for the good of the public. Hill orders the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents in attendance to apprehend Captain America for disobeying a direct order.



Captain America escapes the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and word of his actions has reached the President and his cabinet. Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic and Yellowjacket (Dr. Henry Pym) tell the politicians gathered to focus on the SHRA, they will handle Captain America.

In the wake of the Stamford Tragedy, Spider-Man and Iron Man offer their assistance in the clean-up and rescue efforts. Afterwards, Tony speaks to Peter frankly about the situation and the way their world is going to change. He tells Peter that in the eyes of the public they are all bad guys, and the best way to prove that they are not is to come out in support of the act. But with more than just lip service. He tells Peter that the best thing for him to do would be to publicly unmask. Peter is beside himself. He doesnt know if it is a good idea. He decides to talk it over with Mary Jane and Aunt May. Aunt May tells Peter that she and Mary Jane are very proud of him and want the rest of the world to know how much they love him and how proud they are. Peter is still not sure if unmasking is the right thing to do.

Embedded: Ben Urich, star reporter of the Daily Bugle and his friendly rival Sally Floyd of The Alternative meet over drinks to discus their respective employers' take on the pending SHRA. Ben has been told that he is to vilify the Anti-Registration heroes, no matter what his personal feelings are. Sally has been given carte blanche to focus on the SHRA as an assault on civil liberties. Later that evening, Spider-Man gives Sally an exclusive interview in which he mentions that he has a family that he is afraid of putting in danger if his identity is made public." He also tells her to make sure that she is at Tony Stark's pres conference the next day.

The Accused: A local resident and a police officer in upstate NY investigate a mysterious explosion in a field, and they discover the unconscious body of (apparently) the only survivor of the Stamford Tragedy, the New Warrior Speedball. Doctors discover that his ability to generate a kinetic force field protected him from Nitro's explosion. Unfortunately, the power of the explosion was so great that it short circuited his force field. He is now powerless. Even worse for him, he is advised that he is under arrest.

After the clean up and rescue effort, Wolverine asks why no one is looking for the man that cause the Stamford Tragedy, Nitro. He is told that S.H.I.E.L.D. is looking into it. This isn't good enough for Logan. He ignores Iron Man and follows Nitro's trail across the United States. In California Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. catch up to Logan and offer him back up now that he has discovered where Nitro is holed up. The impromptu strike force of Wolverine and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new Superhuman Restraint Unit attacks the lone cabin in Big Sur where Nitro is hiding. Unfortunately Nitro uses his powers again and incinerates everyone around him, including Wolverine. Nitro speaks on the phone to a mysterious figure in Washington, who makes veiled references to the help that Nitro has been provided and the fact that he has made a mess of things and is on his own. Enough time has passed to allow Wolverine's healing factor to kick in and he's back on his feet and ready for round two with Nitro.

The Vulture and The Grim Reaper are chained to a pipe and complaining about brutality to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who find them. They are just the latest of the 17 super-powered criminals that Captain America and his underground resistance have captured in the last 72 hours. Technically, the SHRA has not been passed into law yet, so al S.H.I.E.L.D. can do is clean up after them, while supporting the heroes that have come out in favor of the SHRA. Among them are Iron Man, Yellowjacket, Mr. Fantastic, She-Hulk, Tigra, and Ms. Marvel; all of whom stop a giant Doombot from attacking NYC with onlookers cheering them. After the battle the talk about their Anti-Registration colleagues. She-Hulk worries that eventually they won't be super heroes anymore. Just S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents on the payroll of the federal government. Iron Man insists that the only thing that will change is that "the kids, the amateurs, and the sociopaths are getting weeded out". Tigra asks him which one of those Captain America is. He has no response.
Meanwhile Reed Richards and Susan Richards get into an argument about Reed's support of the SHRA, even though it criminalizes several of their mutual friends. Sue is also upset that Reed is spending almost all of his time focused on the mysterious "Project 42" and he can't or won't tell her anything about it.
At midnight the SHRA becomes law. 24 hours later Patriot of the Young Avengers is being chased and shot at (with tranquilizers) for attempting to stop a mugging in costume.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents eventually capture Patriot and the rest of the Yong Avengers and plan on transporting them to a holding camp. However, Captain America and Falcon are on the scene undercover as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. They incapacitate the real agents on the scene and the Young Avenger Wiccan teleports them all to the Resistance HQ. Among the other members of the resistance are Cable, Cloak, Dagger, Daredevil, and Hercules. Dagger points out that Tony Stark is having a press conference.
Stark introduces Spider-Man (in his original costume) and he talks about why he 's hidden behind a mask for so long, but after talking to his wife and his family, he has come to a decision. He believes that the SHRA gives the super powered community a choice. To let those with powers run around free with no responsibilities, or to do their best to earn back some of the public trust.


He says that he's not ashamed of what he does, rather he's proud, and he wants to prove it with his next sentence: