Post by ozbot on Nov 20, 2006 21:39:04 GMT -5
This was written a couple of months ago (or whenever it was just as Civil War 4 came out). But this didn't seem to be so out-of-date.
*****
Originally, I “sided” with Iron Man. It was more for the idea behind the Registration than in what I would foresee as the execution. Now that I’ve seen the execution, how could any sane individual truly say that the Pro-Reg side has any validity? Well, I’m not here to debate THAT, as the actions of Iron Man are nothing short of morally reprehensible. But if/when the Registration DOES become the status quo of the Marvel Universe, here’s why the intent behind the Pro-Reg side could still be considered okay:
1) Remember how Spider-Man was always hunted and feared, while other heroes like the FF and Avengers were embraced? The Registration legitimizes this conflict. Registered heroes could enjoy all kinds of public favor, both from the general public and the government/police/courts. Even an un-registered Captain America would be looked on as a wild card. Some would consider him a legitimate hero, while others would question his self-righteous motives.
2) Some of my favorite teams were the Avengers, Alpha Flight, the
People’s Protectorate (ex-Soviet Super Soldiers), Mystique’s freedom
Force, China Force, Silver Sable, etc. Many a time spent role-playing
with Marvel characters was in forming teams along these lines,
officially-sanctioned and tied somehow to the government/law
enforcement. It offered not only countless opportunities for adventure,
but all kinds of conflict was built in: team vs. other team, team vs.
its members, team vs. its government, etc. It also offered countless
opportunities for team-ups, for characters who wouldn’t normally be
interacting to interact. (this is more of a meta-context reason, as I
address it as a storytelling issue)
3) Registering could help protect heroes’ trademark looks. If a villain
or another individual copies a hero’s costume or m.o., as often happens,
then there could be a way to identify the hero because he’s been
registered. The villain’s more culpable because he impersonated a
licensed “officer.”
4) In a similar way, registered heroes should enjoy other legal
protections. Individuals couldn’t sue the registered Fantastic Four, for
example, if their battle with the forces of evil kept them from getting
to work on time. Also, the registered Avengers/Maria Stark Foundation
wouldn’t be personally responsible (read: have to foot the bill) for any
disaster relief any longer.
5) Registered heroes could be akin to U.S. marshals or licensed private
detectives, giving them legal authority in some law enforcement.
Ideally, people with powers who do not wish to use them for
crime-fighting wouldn’t have to be registered. (I know that currently
the law could technically conscript anyone, including retired hero and
mother Jessica Jones. This is a mistake, IMO, especially since it isn’t
really this issue that is being argued here.) Unregistered heroes could
only “web-up” the perpetrators and hope the evidence of their crime is
enough to convict them.
6) Is registered crime-fighting a public service? If so, there should be
some kind of stipend or other monetary compensation. A great way to tell
stories that deal with workaday characters. Oh, and tell the public
that—chances are, if they have to pay more taxes to support their
heroes, then a whole lot less people would be clamoring in support of
this law!
7) See above-- minors shouldn’t be forced to register. Again, you
wouldn’t consider minors as US marshals or private detectives, so
registered crime-fighting would be just as much of a job. Instead,
however, this is where training would come in. An ROP or intern-like
program could be established. In its way, it’s like registering to be a
sidekick.
8) The next step is to not require crime-fighting as the only goal for
registering. Why not have registered heroes be able to offer their
services in any legitimate way? In She-Hulk, we already have speedsters
hired as message deliverers and shape-changers as process servers. Other
heroes could use their talents for mundane tasks. Strongmen are needed
for construction work (and fliers for the hi-rise stuff), etc. And let’s
not forget about the UCWF.
9) I can see registered heroes becoming celebrities quite quickly. With
registered heroes in the public eye, public demand for certain heroes
would be more apt to happen. The way the Marvel universe treated the FF
and the Avengers of old (“Avengers Day,” anyone) would become more
common. Perhaps corporations and the government would engage in a kind
of “arms race” to woo especially popular or effective heroes to their side.
10) If the above is true, then it would actually go a ways to address
“mutant rights.” As long as the government registers mutants, it is in
effect supporting them, legitimizing them. People would soon accept
mutants as legitimate, registered heroes, and the origin of how they got
that way becomes marginalized.
So, I tried to create my TOP 10 reasons of why the Pro-Reg side makes sense, at least in theory. I have yet to see any of these possibilities offered up as logical ideas within the Marvel Universe itself. And, as much as I like these “ends,” I also have yet to see any “means” that are justified.
*****
Originally, I “sided” with Iron Man. It was more for the idea behind the Registration than in what I would foresee as the execution. Now that I’ve seen the execution, how could any sane individual truly say that the Pro-Reg side has any validity? Well, I’m not here to debate THAT, as the actions of Iron Man are nothing short of morally reprehensible. But if/when the Registration DOES become the status quo of the Marvel Universe, here’s why the intent behind the Pro-Reg side could still be considered okay:
1) Remember how Spider-Man was always hunted and feared, while other heroes like the FF and Avengers were embraced? The Registration legitimizes this conflict. Registered heroes could enjoy all kinds of public favor, both from the general public and the government/police/courts. Even an un-registered Captain America would be looked on as a wild card. Some would consider him a legitimate hero, while others would question his self-righteous motives.
2) Some of my favorite teams were the Avengers, Alpha Flight, the
People’s Protectorate (ex-Soviet Super Soldiers), Mystique’s freedom
Force, China Force, Silver Sable, etc. Many a time spent role-playing
with Marvel characters was in forming teams along these lines,
officially-sanctioned and tied somehow to the government/law
enforcement. It offered not only countless opportunities for adventure,
but all kinds of conflict was built in: team vs. other team, team vs.
its members, team vs. its government, etc. It also offered countless
opportunities for team-ups, for characters who wouldn’t normally be
interacting to interact. (this is more of a meta-context reason, as I
address it as a storytelling issue)
3) Registering could help protect heroes’ trademark looks. If a villain
or another individual copies a hero’s costume or m.o., as often happens,
then there could be a way to identify the hero because he’s been
registered. The villain’s more culpable because he impersonated a
licensed “officer.”
4) In a similar way, registered heroes should enjoy other legal
protections. Individuals couldn’t sue the registered Fantastic Four, for
example, if their battle with the forces of evil kept them from getting
to work on time. Also, the registered Avengers/Maria Stark Foundation
wouldn’t be personally responsible (read: have to foot the bill) for any
disaster relief any longer.
5) Registered heroes could be akin to U.S. marshals or licensed private
detectives, giving them legal authority in some law enforcement.
Ideally, people with powers who do not wish to use them for
crime-fighting wouldn’t have to be registered. (I know that currently
the law could technically conscript anyone, including retired hero and
mother Jessica Jones. This is a mistake, IMO, especially since it isn’t
really this issue that is being argued here.) Unregistered heroes could
only “web-up” the perpetrators and hope the evidence of their crime is
enough to convict them.
6) Is registered crime-fighting a public service? If so, there should be
some kind of stipend or other monetary compensation. A great way to tell
stories that deal with workaday characters. Oh, and tell the public
that—chances are, if they have to pay more taxes to support their
heroes, then a whole lot less people would be clamoring in support of
this law!
7) See above-- minors shouldn’t be forced to register. Again, you
wouldn’t consider minors as US marshals or private detectives, so
registered crime-fighting would be just as much of a job. Instead,
however, this is where training would come in. An ROP or intern-like
program could be established. In its way, it’s like registering to be a
sidekick.
8) The next step is to not require crime-fighting as the only goal for
registering. Why not have registered heroes be able to offer their
services in any legitimate way? In She-Hulk, we already have speedsters
hired as message deliverers and shape-changers as process servers. Other
heroes could use their talents for mundane tasks. Strongmen are needed
for construction work (and fliers for the hi-rise stuff), etc. And let’s
not forget about the UCWF.
9) I can see registered heroes becoming celebrities quite quickly. With
registered heroes in the public eye, public demand for certain heroes
would be more apt to happen. The way the Marvel universe treated the FF
and the Avengers of old (“Avengers Day,” anyone) would become more
common. Perhaps corporations and the government would engage in a kind
of “arms race” to woo especially popular or effective heroes to their side.
10) If the above is true, then it would actually go a ways to address
“mutant rights.” As long as the government registers mutants, it is in
effect supporting them, legitimizing them. People would soon accept
mutants as legitimate, registered heroes, and the origin of how they got
that way becomes marginalized.
So, I tried to create my TOP 10 reasons of why the Pro-Reg side makes sense, at least in theory. I have yet to see any of these possibilities offered up as logical ideas within the Marvel Universe itself. And, as much as I like these “ends,” I also have yet to see any “means” that are justified.