Marvel Civil War Concludes
// February 25th, 2007 // My Stuff
Civil War concluded this week after 116 issues of lead-in and direct tie-ins. This has been a monumentally large event in the Marvel Universe. Many have criticized it for it’s delays or for it’s political allegory. I however think this was one of the most brilliantly engaging comic series ever. Even more significant will be the impact it will have for years to come.
From here on will be spoiler filled.
The series concludes with a huge fight amongst the two sides. The resistance is winning, Captain America is about to take out Iron Man when a group of civilians (firefighters, EMS, police) tackle him. As he looks around him, he realizes how much the fight has cost the people they should be fighting to protect. To prevent more bloodshed, he orders his team to stop fighting and surrenders.
Anyone who fought is offered a pardon. Some take the opportunity to register. A few leave for Canada to form a new Omega Flight. Others decide to remain underground as the new lineup for the New Avengers.
Here is a list of the major milestones from the series:
- Nitro kills 600 people and all of the New Warriors except Robbie Baldwin (Speedball) in Stamford, CT
- Superhuman Registration Act is enacted
- Spider-Man’s identity revealed as Peter Parker
- “Thor” returns, he’s actually a clone/cyborg creation
- Goliath/Bill Foster is killed
- The Thunderbolts get a new roster (including Green Goblin, Bullseye, Venom, and Penance)
- Negative Zone Prison is created
- Robbie Baldwin (Speedball) becomes Penance
- Reed Richards (Mr Fantastic) and Sue Storm (Invisible Woman) separate temporarily, their marriage rocked
- Captain Marvel returns, from the past
- Captain America surrenders and goes to prison
- Tony Stark (Iron Man) is appointed director of S.H.I.E.L.D, Maria Hill is demoted
- The 50-state Initiative begins; placing a sanctioned super-hero team in every state
- May Parker is shot; (Peter Parker’s aunt)
- Spider-Man ditches the Iron Spidey Suit, returns to the Red and Blue as he switches sides. At the conclusion he regresses further into the Black Suit
- New Avengers get a new roster (Sentry, Iron Man, Captain America leave. Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, and a new Ronin join)
- Mighty Avengers are formed
The next big thing to watch in the Civil War aftermath will be following The Initiative. There are around 63 issues in this crossover event. It will primarily highlight how the Initiative is being created, run, and what these new superhero teams will have to face. I am looking forward to this continuation.
2012 
[...] people predicted either Iron Man (Tony Stark) or Captain America (Steve Rogers) would die in the final throws of Civil War. When the concluding issue #7 came and went with Cap’ surrendering and becoming imprisoned, I [...]
[...] pleasantly surprised by how they are playing out this change in the books. First of all, in the wake of Civil War, Aunt May was shot by a sniper hired by the Kingpin. All evidence indicates this bullet will be [...]
Thats not Penance…That’s Lady Death Strike.