Civil War (comics) - Publication History

Publication History

The premise of Civil War involves the introduction of a Superhuman Registration Act in the United States. Similar acts have been used as literary devices in Uncanny X-Men, DC: The New Frontier, Powers, and Astro City, though never on a scale such as this; permanently altering an entire pantheon of established pop culture icons. Mark Millar, writer for the story, has said:

The act requires any person in the United States with superhuman abilities to register with the federal government as a "human weapon of mass destruction," reveal their true identity to the authorities, and undergo proper training. Those who sign also have the option of working for S.H.I.E.L.D., earning a salary and benefits such as those earned by other American civil servants. Characters within the superhuman community in the Marvel Universe split into two groups: one advocating the registration as a responsible obligation, and the other opposing the law on the grounds that it violates civil liberties and the protection that secret identities provide. A number of villains have also chosen to take sides, some choosing to side with the registration, others against it. Luke Cage (previously the second Power Man), an African American, compared registration to slavery, and did so to Iron Man's face. Others compared the act to the norms under which the police and soldiers operate.

The genesis for this idea sprang from conversations between Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis, and Bryan Hitch. Within the story, the adoption of sides by characters builds into the titular "civil war." Although 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."

Mark Millar described the event as "a story where a guy wrapped in the American flag is in chains as the people swap freedom for security," agreeing that a "certain amount of political allegory" was present, but that the real focus of the book was on superheroes fighting each other. Contrasting it with the Ultimates, Millar stated that Civil War was "accidentally political because I just cannot help myself."

Millar was also questioned about the perception that, despite Marvel's initial marketing, the two sides were not being presented equally, in that the Pro-Registration group was portrayed as amoral and unsympathetic, while the Anti-Registration group acted irrationally and often escalated the conflict without provocation. He responded by explaining that "it's pretty much Tony's side that gets the better rep all the way through" in the main Civil War book, but that "the tie-in books demonized them a little." Tom Brevoort wrote extensively about the production of Civil War and, some time after the series was over, posted Millar's initial pitch document.