Marvel’s Iron Man was absolutely right about superhero oversight in Civil War – but only about one superhero in particular. Tony Stark is one of the most volatile heroes in the Marvel Universe, and his penchant for acting as his own worst enemy has only increased with time. Now, Invincible Iron Man #2 reveals precisely why Stark was right in the Civil War conflict – and what ordinary citizens really think of him.
2006’s Civil War event changed the Marvel Universe forever, and even lead to the deaths of multiple heroes. Following a devastating attack on a school after a superhero team failed to defeat an explosive villain, the United States government championed the Superhuman Registration Act: a document forcing all superheroes to register their secret identities with the government, submit themselves for mandatory training, and place themselves under government oversight. Iron Man supported the idea, but Captain America did not; superheroes took sides and a series of battles ended with the tragic death of Captain America and the eventual adoption of the registration laws.
In Invincible Iron Man #2, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Juan Frigeri, Iron Man allows Riri Williams to see his new home: a spartan and sparse basement with practically no furniture or even a bed (Stark sleeps in a hammock). Meanwhile, the news of Stark’s latest conundrum (passing out on the street after drinking at a bar) makes the round in the media. One citizen puts it bluntly: “You know, when I see a dude who controls a nuclear-powered suit of armor lying wasted on the street, I kind of miss the Registration Act.”
Iron Man Was Right About Civil War – With A Catch
The entire purpose of the Registration Act was to prevent superheroes with minimal training or experience fighting in public and making bad situations worse; this describes Tony Stark to a T. Iron Man often poses as much of a danger to his allies as he does to his enemies; in the recent Hulk vs Thor: Banner of War storyline, for example, Tony launched into space – unauthorized – with a giant Celestial armor, but failed to impact the fight in any way and almost got himself killed. More recently, the Judgment Day event officially began when Tony decided to awaken the Progenitor Celestial – who immediately decided to judge humanity and nearly destroyed the Earth in the process.
Thus, Iron Man was always right during Civil War, but no hero needed more oversight than himself. Even now, Tony Stark manages to take two steps forward and one step back in his stories. Iron Man is slowly changing, but with an emphasis on slowly, and for the people of the Marvel Universe, it might not be enough; perhaps Stark requires a Superman Registration Act devoted entirely to him.
