Posted by
Daniel Crandall on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 12:33:20 AM
Marvel's arena (what they call their "Universe") is undergoing a massive retooling with the Civil War series. A recent addition to the endless stream of titles in Civil War is "
War Crimes", a story that focuses on Marvel's bad guys.
In the beginning of this short chapter, Wilton Fisk, aka Kingpin, seems to take a side in the war between Iron Man and Capt. America. Kingpin uses what connections he has to provide information; aiding the government in its search for those who refuse to register, as required by the "Superhero Registration Act".
While Iron Man tracks down a few minor anti-registration forces, Hammerhead gets out of prison and attempts to set up a crime syndicate that will rival the Kingpin's. Hammerhead's big meeting however is rather rudely interrupted when Iron Man and the Agents of Shield crash through the roof. Unfortunately, Iron Man thought he had finally tracked down Capt. America's main hideout.
In the end Iron Man and the government forces discover that they are being used in just another of the Kingpin's games.
I came away from this feeling that I just received a big dose of moral equivalency. Both sides are using villains in order to win the 'civil war' that rages between Marvel's heroes. No one walks away with clean hands.
However, keeping with Marvel's anti-American tradition, Capt America and those who oppose the government come across as the only ones who agonize over the decision to ally themselves with villains. In "War Crimes" Iron Man is just another cynical businessman doing deals in order to get whatever he wants. Capt America, on the other hand, who doesn't make an appearance until the end is shown as a force for liberty. Two panels, on one of the final pages, pair him with images of the Statue of Liberty. This, together with a minor speech from the character Hercules, about how "noble Perseus", "valiant Achilles" and "Zeus" had to ally themselves with evil in order to fight a greater evil, give a clue as to where our sympathies are supposed to lie in this tale.
Capt America and those fighting the government merely make "hard decisions". Iron Man and those trying to enforce the law are getting "in bed with" the bad guys. What else would the Liberals at Marvel expect from the American government?