Civil War

 Looking for fair, unbiased coverage of the Civil War? Look no further than that beacon of journalistic integrity, the Daily Bugle, as they bring to you the Daily Bugle Civil War Newspaper Special.

Heroes are battling heroes and the Daily Bugle is your only source for the in-depth coverage and exclusives you have come to expect from the metropolitan area's best paper. Plus, this edition also features a very special editorial by the heart and soul of the Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson.

Peter Parker, former Daily Bugle photographer, has been revealed to be the wall-crawling menace Spider-Man. Pick up this special edition for JJJ's response to unwittingly employing one of New York's most dangerous vigilantes.

Overview

Experience CIVIL WAR and it’s major tie-ins from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, FRONT LINE and more in chronological order! The landscape of the Marvel Universe is changing, and it's time to choose: Whose side are you on?

Peter Parker makes the most important decision of his life. As the sides square off for the looming Civil War, he’ll have to live with it. Now the big question is, what will this decision cost him? This issue reprints CIVIL WAR #2 and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #532 AND 533.

Overview

Experience CIVIL WAR and its major tie-ins from CIVIL WAR: FRONT LINE in chronological order! The landscape of the Marvel Universe is changing, and it's time to choose: Whose side are you on? In “Embedded”: There’s a truth buried deep in the heart of every war, and reporters Sally Floyd and Ben Urich will be there, uncovering that truth in the midst of the biggest conflagration in the Marvel Universe! And in “The Accused”: The lone survivor of the team that caused the Stamford tragedy has been found. But living through one of the worst superhuman disasters in history may be the worst thing that could happen, as this vilified hero is placed under arrest for the deaths of an entire town. Unfortunately, the trouble’s just beginning. Collecting CIVIL WAR: FRONT LINE (Embedded/Accused) #2-4.

Overview

The super-heroes split as the CIVIL WAR heats up! Registration has become law, household names have gone rogue and a Marvel legend makes a decision that will change a life forever. Featuring the NEW AVENGERS, the FANTASTIC FOUR, the YOUNG AVENGERS and pretty much everybody else! 
And, no fooling, true believer... this issue features one of the most shocking climaxes in Marvel Comics history. Miss THIS one and you might just regret it for the rest of your life!

Issue Summary

Dank, dark lair: 

Lights fall upon the battered and broken figures of the Vulture and the Grim Reaper, both chained together to a metal column. The beaten and bloody villain Vulture tells the S.H.I.E.L.D. troops before him that the lunatic broke his nose. Aren’t these S.H.I.E.L.D. idiots before him supposed to be hunting him down?

The sergeant of the S.H.I.E.L.D., Unit Five, is contacted by the Hellicarrier and asked if he has found more bad guys. The sergeant confirms and adds that, downstairs, the Trapster is chained to the sink in the men’s room. How many criminals do Vulture and Grim Reaper take him up to? Eight of nine?

S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier – Six miles above New York City:
Director Maria Hill, sitting in her command center as she receives some coffee, tells the sergeant that it brings him to fifteen. As she looks at footage and bio-data on the villains, she explains that he has capture fifteen super-criminals in seventy-two hours. However, the numbers do not add up. There is no way that Captain America took down all these criminals, as it is physically impossible.

“Meaning?” asks the puzzled sergeant. Meaning, states Hill, that this is their nightmare scenario. She doesn’t think he is alone anymore.

Some Time Later:
It takes little time for the nation’s largest newspapers to spread the news. The Registration Act has passed! The president promises action against Captain America! Captain America goes into hiding! Millionaire Tony Stark backs the Super Hero Reform!

At a press conference, Miriam Sharpe, mother of one of the Stamford school children victims, Damien, tells the reporters that she is disappointed in Captain America’s choice in the registration matter, but she couldn’t be happier about Iron Man joining her cause. However, there are still seven days before the Act is law, so Captain America has time to change his mind.

New York City:
A massive Doom Bot lies in ruins on the streets of New York, surrounded by cheering citizens of the city who applaud their heroes. Yellowjacket, Mr. Fantastic, She-Hulk, Iron Man and Doc Samson stand over the fallen monstrosity. Iron Man helps Ms. Marvel out of the wreckage and asks his teammates if they hear that. That applause is the sound of people trusting super heroes again. She-Hulk turns to Iron Man, asking if they will technically be super-heroes after the Registration Act. Won’t they just be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents when they are on the federal payroll?

No, says Iron Man. They are super heroes. They fight super criminals and save lives. The only thing that changes is that the kids, amateurs, and sociopaths are being weeded out of their ranks. The feline Tigra, leaps upon the Doom Bot to speak to Iron Man, and critically asks him what category Captain America falls into. The others look at Iron Man, who tells Tigra that Captain America is wrong this time. She needs to trust him on that.

Baxter Building:
Night falls over New York City. In the Baxter Building, the Thing spends time with his godchildren, Franklin and Valeria Richards.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the building, Reed Richards takes long strides as he busily walks back to his work. His wife, Sue, approaches him and asks him how his project is coming along. Ecstatic, Reed tells Sue that it is a dream. Tony’s big plan for the super hero community is the most exciting thing he has ever worked on. He wasn’t kidding when he said he would revolutionize the super hero community. He hasn’t’ been this excited since the time he first saw a black hole.

As Reed goes back to his work, Sue tells him that she would be excited too if the plan didn’t mean jail time for half their Christmas card list. Agreed, says Reed, not even looking back up. However, the renegade heroes leave them no choice if they refuse to register. If Sue needs to see the social implications the renegades will cause to ease her mind, she should look at the boards to his right.

Sue walks over to the boards where Reed has done many calculations. Confused, at what she is looking at, Sue asks her husband what he means. Reed explains that it is the exponential curve the number of super-beings is following and the apocalypse that will follow if unlicensed activity isn’t brought under control. Tony’ secret plan is amazing for them all. She should just hear what Tony and Hank Pym are talking about. They are like concept machines. He has never seen people that super-charged.

Sue notices a C.D. on Reed’s desk, with the number 42 written on it, and asks what it means. Reed grabs Sue’s wrist as she tries to pick up the disk, telling her that it is classified information.

Oh, right, says Sue, a bit put off by her husband’s secretiveness.

She then changes the subject and supposes she should head off to the hospital anyway. Reed, who is already back at his work, barely gives thought to Sue’s excuse, and simply tells her to give Johnny all his love. Sue then walks away into the shadows, feeling the coldness.

Daily Bugle: BR> Robbie looks at J. Jonah Jameson and tells him that he just received word that Tony Stark is having a huge press conference tomorrow morning. Ben Urich is in, but Peter Parker is out of town. Who should they send in Parker’s place?

Jameson doesn’t reply, so Robertson questioningly calls his name. Jonah apologizes, as he is miles away. He is just thinking about how tonight, at midnight, everything the Bugle has campaigned will officially be law. There will be no more masks or secret identities. The clowns work for S.H.I.E.L.D. or they go to jail. Robbie asks Jameson if he thinks all the heroes will really sign up. As Jameson looks out his window to see Spider-Man swing by, he replies no, he doesn’t think so. Just the smart ones.

Tony Stark’s Penthouse – 11:40 PM:
Tony Stark and Happy Hogan sit anxiously awaiting midnight. Happy tells Tony that there are only twenty more minutes to go. He heard from S.H.I.E.L.D. that they are looking at thirty-eight signatures already. Isn’t that what he predicted? Pretty much, says the worried Tony. Is there any word from Captain America? Only that he is putting together his own team, replies Happy. He will see this fight to the finish.

Tony throws his head back and stares at the ceiling, hoping to God that they are doing the right thing.

Midnight:
The lights blazing at Time Square suddenly shift as a new message appears on the famous giant screens. The Registration Act is law!

24 Hours Later:
The Young Avenger known as Patriot leaps across rooftops as he tries to evade his attackers. Spotlights shine down on him from war choppers as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents begin to the hunt for renegade heroes. Patriot runs as fast as he can, but the toll of the chase begins to wear his body.

Aboard the chopper, the agent reports to base, stating that an unregistered minor tried to foil a bank robbery in costume. He then identifies the vigilante as Patriot from the Young Avengers. He is currently in pursuit. The agent, Fox-Trot Four, is then given permission by Air Command to use tranquilizers and minimum force. The choppers waste no time in attacking Patriot with projectiles intending to stun the hero.

However, Patriot is unaffected by the attack! Aboard the chopper, the pilot is annoyed to find the target is bullet proof. His colleague then complains about how the info-base was supposed to be updated by people.

Reaching the end of nearby rooftops, Patriot finds that the next closest building is not only too high, but too far away! However, this distance problem is no problem for him, as thanks to his powers he leaps off the rooftop and easily traverses the distance in a single leap. He then crashes through the glass frame of the building across from him.

Inside the building, Patriot tells his teammates in the Young Avengers that they have to get out right now. S.H.I.E.L.D. caught him breaking up a mugging and now they are after him. It seems like these guys are not messing around. However, before Patriot can make a move, the chopper shoots in a canister that dispenses green gas everywhere. Oh boy, says Patriot.

The entire floor of the building then explodes.

Inside the chopper, one agent asks the other if he is sure the kid was indestructible. He’ll be fine, replies the other. Besides, he is more worried about the office block. Command said property damage was to be kept to a minimum or its head-rolling time.

Soon, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents round up and detain Hulkling, Kate Bishop, Stature, Wiccan, Patriot and Vision of the Young Avengers. As they are marched onto an armored truck, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tell them to look at all the damage done. This is what happens when they try to act like some bad vigilante like Captain America.

Elsewhere:
Daredevil, or perhaps a man dressed like Daredevil, watches the video of the Young Avengers being detained. He asks Luke Cage if they should get a group together to free the kids. Cage, however, tells his companion that Captain America and Falcon are already undercover on the scene. Cocky Wilson even told him to get the coffee ready.

New York City:
The armored truck, escorted by the NYPD, drives away. As a blonde man with glasses drives, his companion tells him that this is what is he talking about. These kids are what…sixteen or seventeen? They are out in public laughing in regular people’s faces while wearing pantyhose. It isn’t like they are banning them. No one is stopping them. Heck, they are even offering to pay these vigilantes. However, these freaks don’t get a buzz off of being legit. They like the feeling of being in a mask. That is how they get off. They will need one cold shower when they see the pen the Registration side is building for them. Has the other man heard of that place? Number Forty-Two?

Frank in Supplies told him that they aren’t even allowed to look at the blueprints without special goggles. The agent’s companion, annoyed, speaks up and says that he should tell him something. He talks too much!

The undercover Captain America then knocks the other man out of the speeding vehicle!

The man crashes into the road, causing the police cruisers to swerve out of the way and flip over and crash themselves!

In the back of the truck, another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent reveals himself as an undercover Falcon, who breaks Wiccan free and tells him that he needs him to use one of his teleportation spells now. Yes, says a nervous Wiccan.

Outside, S.H.I.E.L.D. calls all units in the area of the George Washington Bridge and tells them that they suspect a hijacking of a S.H.I.E.L.D. bus. A roadblock is quickly set up as cruisers stop on the bridge and a helicopter drops a barricade.

Cap calls back to Falcon that cops are already blocking the road. Annoyed, Falcon tells Wiccan to hurry up with the “freakin’ spell.” Wiccan concentrates hardly as he chants that he wants to be somewhere else.

Outside, S.H.I.E.L.D. realizes that the hijackers will kill themselves. They order the cops to fall back, but to keep up the barricade. Suddenly, magical energies manifest around the armored bus as Wiccan’s powers kick in. Right as the bus is about to crash into the barricade and officers; it vanishes, leaving behind only residual energy.

Elsewhere:
In a secret complex, somewhere, the bus rematerializes and comes to a screeching halt. The sudden stop throws all its occupants around. The Young Avengers regroup as the back of the truck opens and they step out. Oh, my God, says Stature as she looks around. Where are they? P> Congratulations, children, says the enigmatic Cable, you just joined the Resistance. Daredevil helps the Young Avengers out as they look around the massive complex to see Goliath, Hercules, Cloak, Luke Cage, Night Nurse and Dr. Jane Foster!

As Captain America frees Stature, she asks him what this place is. Cap explains that it is a S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house, number twenty-three. It is one of twenty-eight such safe houses and only known to a thirty-third degree S.H.I.E.L.D. officer. How many thirty-third degree officers are there, asks Hulking as Daredevil unlocks his bindings.

Just Nick Fury, replies Captain America. Daredevil explains that Fury is underground now and can only be contacted via scrambler-phone. However, he said they could use this place for as long as they need. He is already working on their new secret identifications.

Why do they need new identifications, asks Patriot. Cable smiles and tells the naïve hero that their old ones are compromised. They are going to need somewhere to hide when they aren’t kicking butt and taking names. Captain America takes off his glasses and tells the heroes that they are living here for the duration of the crisis. Iron Man’s crew is planning something huge and they have to fight back from here.

Suddenly, Dagger calls from a nearby computer screen, which shows an image of Tony Stark’s press conference, and tells everyone that they should see this.

Washington, D.C.:
Tony Stark stands before a large group of reporters and tells them that he does not have to introduce Miriam Sharpe. She, if they recall, lost her son in the Stamford tragedy, which kick-started his passion for the federal employment of all super-heroes.

Xavier Institute:
Cyclops, Emma Frost, Beast, and Colossus of the X-Men watch the news conference eagerly; just as Wolverine comes in, wishing to know what the fuss is about.

Washington, D.C.:
Tony Stark then motions to his left as Spider-Man, in his regular red and blue uniform, swings into stage. Tony is sure Spider-Man needs no introduction.

New York City:
Sue Richards sits at the bed of the battered Johnny Storm. She watches the television and mutters that she hopes Tony knows what he is doing.

Washington, D.C.:
Spider-Man takes the podium and tells the reporters that, as they know, he has guarded his secret identity well over the years. It was only after a long talk with his wife and his family that he decided to take the following step. The Registration Act gives heroes a choice. They can follow Captain America’s trend with heroes completely unchecked, or they can go legitimate and earn back a part of the public’s trust.

Elsewhere:
Wasp, Thing, She-Hulk, and Yellowjacket watch the conference from their headquarters, as Aunt May and Mary Jane watch from Avengers Tower. At the Daily Bugle, Miss Grant tries speaking to Jameson as he watches the conference, but he stops her and tells her that if she even thinks about asking him what he wants for breakfast, she is fired.

Washington, D.C.:
Spider-Man tells the reporters that he doesn’t wear a mask because he is ashamed of what he does. He is proud of who he is and right now he is going to prove it.

“My name is Peter Parker, and I’ve been Spider-Man sine I was fifteen years old,” says Spider-Man, as he takes off his mask and reveals his face to the entire world.

Daily Bugle:
Miss Grant, Robbie, and several other Bugle employees rush to Jameson’s side as he collapses behind his desk.

Washington, D.C.:
“Any questions?” says the smiling Peter as he faces the world, mask in hand. 

Overview

A conflict has been brewing in the Marvel Universe for over a year, threatening to pit friend against friend, brother against brother--and all it will take is a single misstep to cost thousands their lives and ignite the fuse! As the war claims its first victims, no one is safe as teams, friendships, and families begin to fall apart. Civil War, a Marvel Comics event in seven parts, stars Spider-Man, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the entirety of the Marvel pantheon! Civil War – the cross-over that rewrites the rules - begins here in this double-sized first issue! 

Control Room, WTNH-Channel 8:  
While observing the New Warriors on his television screens in a studio, a producer asks Speedball how many villains they are dealing with. Responding via camera, Speedball at first believes that he’s seeing three villains. However, on that moment, Coldheart comes out of her hiding place emptying the trash. That marks four villains in total, and they are all on the FBI’s most wanted list.

The producer confirms that Cobalt Man, Coldheart, Speedfreek and Nitro all broke out of Ryker’s prison three months ago, and all of them have records that go as long as a person’s arm. He mentions that Coldheart fought Spider-Man a couple of times, and Speedfreek –surprisingly enough – almost took down the Hulk! Speedball, however, finds that hard to believe.

Nearby, Microbe starts to sweat, fearing that these villains might be out of their league. He thinks they shouldn’t go into their house. Speedball reminds Microbe about the strong ratings this show will get. This could be the best episode of the entire second season! He reminds Microbe that, for six months now, they have been driving around the Midwest looking for goofballs like these villains to fight, and the best thing they’ve managed to find so far was a bum with a spray can and a wooden leg. This could be the episode that really puts the New Warriors on the map. If they manage to beat these villains, Speedball believes that people are going to stop whining about Nova leaving their team so he could go back into outer space.

When Namorita wants to hear about the plan, Speedball smiles it is for Namorita to spend five more minutes in the makeup chair or else people will see that big, ugly zit on her chin. While Namorita does that, Night Trasher keeps watching the house with his binoculars. Suddenly, he spots that they have been spotted by Coldheart, who quickly runs into her house and warns her comrades about the danger, and to get into their suits. Fast behind, the New Warriors all quickly jump through the house’s window and start the battle.

Speedball quickly takes on Nitro, and jokes about the rather lousy way the villain dresses as he punches the guy in the face. A cameraman warns Speedball he didn’t get his joke on tape well, and asks if he can say it again. Speedball does, and kicks Nitro into his face.

While she’s facing Night Thrasher and Namorita, Coldheart mentions she recognizes them. She has seen the New Warrior’s reality show, and she refuses to be taken in by losers like them. Namorita punches Coldheart into her face, and Night Thrasher kicks her. Microbe manages to get his bacterial beasties to rust Cobalt Man out, and he tells the others that somebody should really take care of Nitro, as he’s an old enemy of Captain Marvel.

Meanwhile Namorita quickly takes to the air, and sees that Nitro was trying to escape. However, she dives at him and pushes Nitro face first into a school bus, which is parked at the side of an elementary school, filled with children. She orders Nitro to get back up onto his feet, and not to try and use some of his stupid explosions, because that’s only going to make her hit him harder. Seemingly subdued, Nitro recognizes Namorita, because she is the cousin of the Sub-Mariner. He sarcastically smiles, and mentions that they aren’t the losers the New Warriors are used to battling. No, they are playing with the big boys now.

As he speaks, Nitro’s eyes start to glow, followed by an immense explosion, which encompasses the whole city block and everything inside it!

Sometime later…
In the rubble of the neighborhood, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men and other heroes help the firemen clear search for survivors and recover the bodies of the dead. In the middle of the devastation, Iron Man informs Cap that he heard the police got a lead on Nitro, and that the word on the street is that the villain sneaked out of town in the back of a pickup truck. A grim Cap doesn’t think it matters. He mourns about all these children that died in the explosion. The FEMA Chief told him that there could be eight or nine hundred casualties. And they all died because of some stupid reality show.

Iron Man thinks that the New Warriors should have called in their help, and that Speedball should have realized these villains were out of their league. The whole country saw the tape where Speedball said they were trying to improve the show’s ratings.

A fireman calls out to Marvel Girl and Cyclops to come over, because they need some help. Their motion detectors are picking up something twenty feet down below a lot of big rocks, but they don’t have any diggers around. Rachel is ready for it, and the firemen quickly realize they better move out of the way. She telekinetically lifts up tons of rubble, and the firemen find a surviving family, who hid in their cellar. The firemen report to their teammates that they’ve found six more survivors over by the school’s north side, and they need blankets and a defibrillator to take care of the survivors’ wounds.

As the family is led out, Wolverine looks at the Sentinels, which are standing motionless, simply surveying the X-Men. The family’s youngest child, a little boy sees the towering Sentinels and gets scared. However, his mother tells her son not to be scared, because the Sentinels are only their to keep an eye out on the X-Men. They’re the good guys. Still eying the Sentinel, Wolverine angrily shouts at the pilots that they are still following them around, even though they volunteered to help out on this federal emergency. The pilot inside the Sentinel smirks that they are just doing their jobs.

Goliath doesn’t think that this time it’s just mutants the Sentinels are watching. He tells Ms. Marvel that this is the straw that broke the camel’s back, mark his words. Carol isn’t sure about that, but Goliath is confident he’s speaking the truth. After Philly getting bombed, the Hulk trashing Las Vegas… Wolverine saying he was gonna kill the president – this is the start of the witch hunts. He truly believes that people will start coming after them with torches and pitchforks. Carol replies that maybe this time the people might be right. Still sifting through the rubble, Goliath doesn’t know how anyone can justify this.

In the following days…
Appearing on Larry King Live, She-Hulk explains to Larry that a ban on super-heroes is impossible, seeing that over a thousand super-villains live in the world of today. But she does think it’s reasonable when the heroes get the proper training and get required to wear a badge.

At a memorial service for the casualties of Stamford, a priest states that he hopes they can ask the Lord for mercy. Not for the children who perished, but for the super-people whose carelessness caused this tragedy. After the service, as Tony Stark exits the church, a woman calls out his name. To everyone’s surprise, when he turns to her, she spits into his face, calling him a filthy piece of crap. A body guards tries to push the woman back, telling her they’re going to ask her to leave. In tears, she shouts that she won’t be dragged away from her own son’s funeral, and she believes it’s Stark who should be dragged away.

Tony understands that the woman is upset, but defends that the carelessness of the New Warriors had nothing to do with him. The woman disagrees with that. She reminds Stark that he’s the one financing the Avengers, and that he’s been telling kids for years now that they can live outside the law if they’re wearing tights. She shouts that cops have to train and wear badges, and she believes Stark finds that to be too boring. She believes that, with him being a billionaire and having a badass attitude, he can have himself some super-powers and start up a private super-gang.

The guard calls for someone to get the woman out of there. However, she takes off on her own, crying that Stark began this mess with his dirty billions, and that the blood of her dead Damien is on his hands now. In the watching crowd, Jameson smilingly holds his arms around his photographer, Peter Parker, hoping aloud that he’s getting all this.

On another news show, a man claims that he doesn’t want to speak ill of the dead, but says that Speedball was a boy who, by all accounts, couldn’t even name the current president of the United States. He believes that, even though these super-powers may be awesome, they should be tested before they are allowed to act openly in the community.

A night later, things start to turn ugly…
Johnny Storm lands in the city at a nightclub, to meet up with his beautiful date. He apologizes for being late, claiming that he had to stop along the way because he had to rescue some kids out of a burning orphanage. The girl smiles, not knowing if Johnny is telling the truth or trying to get her not to be mad at him for being late. Johnny jokes back that he’s telling the truth, if she swaps “orphans” with “babes” and “burning orphanage” with “signing autographs.”

They walk to the front of the club’s line together and Johnny greets the bouncer, his old friend Chico, and asks the guy how it’s going. Chico informs Johnny that Paris and Lindsay are waiting for him upstairs, and that all the other girls couldn’t believe him when he told them Johnny would be stopping by.

The other people notice how Johnny cut into the line, while they have to wait to get in. When they begin to complain, Johnny smiles to the people that the next time they save the planet from an attacking Galactus, they can borrow his free pass. The people wonder what Johnny is going to do the next time he blows up a school, or when he goes off to kill some kids. Johnny can’t believe his ears. An angry man thinks Johnny has some nerve swaggering around town the way he does, after what happened. If he were him, the man says, he would have been ashamed to come out.

Johnny angrily defends that he’s got nothing to do with Speedball or the New Warriors. Those guys were C-list super-heroes to begin with, tops. Growing even angrier, the crowd start calling names at Johnny, and his date wants to get out of here. Suddenly, someone smashes a bottle on Johnny’s head, and he collapses, unconscious! The crowd begins to riot, and literally starts beating Johnny up!

Not much later, the event is reported on the news channels. One reporter claims that more attacks on several super-heroes have taken place. In related news, the president has been put under pressure and people from Stamford want to know what his proposals are for super-hero reform.

Later, at the Baxter Building…
As the sun sets, a group of heroes have gathered at the Fantastic Four’s headquarters. Dr. Strange asks Reed what they are saying: will he be forced to become a federal employee or face a warrant for his arrest? Reed replies that, actually, Strange is one of the few post-humans the government is hoping to seek a compromise with.

Nearby, speaking to Cage, the Wasp asks about pension plans and annual vacation times. It’s ridiculous. What are they trying to do? Turn them info civil servants? Cage rather believes that the government is looking to close them down. Listening in, Iron Man defends that the government might be just trying to make them more legitimate. He wonders why shouldn’t they be better trained and publicly accountable? Joining in, Patriot recalls that somebody told him they should go on strike if they mess with heroes like this. He proposes the question to the others, wondering if anyone else thinks a strike is a good solution. Reed honestly doesn’t think that someone could seriously advocate a super-hero strike.

Having enough, Cyclops wants to know what the general consensus is. Tony explains that, for as far as he is concerned, Stamford was their wake up call. He thinks that this is what alcoholics refer to as a moment of clarity. He thinks that becoming public employees makes perfect sense if it helps people to sleep a little easier.

Falcon can’t believe he’s hearing this. He defends that the masks are a tradition. They can’t just let people turn them into super-cops. Yellowjacket thinks that they are lucky that people have tolerated them for as long as they have. Why should they be allowed to hide behind masks? Chiming in, Wolverine explains to Hank that they should wear masks because the world isn’t so nice outside his ivory tower. The Thing agrees with Logan, thinking that Johnny wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital last night if idiots like Hank weren’t trying to give them a bad name.

Having been hanging upside down and out of sight, Spider-Man makes his presence known, much to the surprise of the Black Cat. To Ben’s statement, he asks “who knows?” However, he does think that, if people are trying to force everybody to work for Uncle Sam, a whole lot of people might just hang up their tights. To this, Sue replies that she doesn’t think that having a secret identity is such a big thing. After all, the Fantastic Four have been public since the very beginning, and that has never been a serious concern to them. Spider-Man rejoins that won’t – not until they day he comes home and finds his wife impaled on an octopus arm and the woman who raised him begging for her life. Nighthawk wonders if anyone else thinks they are just being paranoid here. After all, he adds, this is all just speculation at the moment. Daredevil, standing at the back of the room, disagrees with that statement. He believes that this has been building up for quite some time, and that Stamford was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. This is the end of the way they do business. He can smell it in the air.

The SHIELD Helicarrier, six miles above New York…
Captain America meets up with Commander Hill, who is flanked by two SHIELD officers. Hill explains to Cap that she’s been told that twenty-three friends of Cap’s are meeting at the Baxter Building right now, discussing how the super-people should respond to the president’s big solution. Maria wants to know from Cap if he thinks his friends are going to go for it.

When Cap replies that he doesn’t think that’s for him to judge, Hill replies that she doesn’t want to hear about any of that nonsense. She knows that she and Cap are never going to be as tight as Cap was with Nick Fury, but she is currently still the acting head of SHIELD. She demands that Cap at least respects her badge, if he doesn’t want to respect her.

Cap believes that this plan will split the heroes in the middle, and that the president is going to make the heroes get into a war with themselves. One of the flanking agents wants to know what’s wrong with the super-heroes, and how anyone can argue with super-heroes being properly trained and paid for a living. The second agent asks Cap how many heroes will rebel against this. Cap believes a lot. When Hill wants to know if there will be any majors, Cap says he expects a few people, but mostly heroes who work close to the streets, like Daredevil and Luke Cage.

To this, Hill states, more than asking, that there will be no one he can’t handle. Taken aback at the implication of her question, Cap begs her pardon. He heard, she replies.

Continuing, she explains that the proposal goes to vote into a two weeks’ time and could be law in as little as a month. But they can’t go in half-cooked. She reveals that they are already developing an anti-superhuman response unit at SHIELD, but they need to make sure that the Avengers are on their side and that Cap is leading the group.

Cap tells Hill that she can forget about that. She is asking him to arrest people who risk their lives for America every day of the week. Hill defends that she’s only asking Cap to obey the will of the American people. Cap shouts at Hill not to play politics with him. He believes that super-heroes need to stay above that stuff or Washington starts telling them who the super-villains are. Maria thought that super-villains were people who wear masks and don’t obey the law.

On that moment, lots of SHIELD agents step compartments in the walls. They aim their rifles at Cap and cock their weapons. Cap wants to know if this is the hit squad Hill has been training to take down the heroes. Hill defends that nobody wants a war. The people are just sick of living in the Wild West. Cap defends that masked heroes have been part of this country for as long as anyone can remember. Hill jokes that one can also say that about smallpox, and tells Cap not to act like an idiot. Nobody is saying that he can’t do his job. It’s just time that Cap became legitimate like they are.

Cap orders the soldiers to lower their weapons, but Hill orders them to stand their ground. Captain America is not in command there. Cap orders the soldiers his request again, or else he won’t be responsible for what happens next. To this, Hill warns her men to keep the tranquilizers ready. Cap replies that this is insane. Completely insane! Cap then damns Hill to hell for this, but she then returns the sentiment, damning Cap to hell for making her do it…

By the time Hill gives the order for the tranquilizers, Cap has already launched himself at the soldiers. Grabbing one agent, Cap uses him as a human shield, before going on the offensive. He propels his shield at one soldier, knocking him out, even as he delivers a blow to another’s mid-section. The shield then ricochets and slices through two rifle barrels, while Cap delivers an open-fist blow to another’s face. The Avenger even has time to deliver an elbow to another soldier before the shield ricochets against another and returns to his hand. One of the SHIELD officers attempt to rally the rest of the troops, but Cap simply plows through the soldiers and jumps through the helcarrier’s window and into the open sky below.

Calling on her radio, Hill orders all units to stop Captain America. Soldiers all over the helicarrier open fire with live rounds, but Cap – even in freefall – easily deflects them with his shield.

An approaching jet fighter, designated War-Hawk One by the radio tower, is given clearance to land. The pilot “Roger”s base-command and then asks about the situation with ground crew. Before he can get an answer, Captain America land on the fighter’s cockpit and anchors himself with his shield, which he uses to break through the canopy. When the pilot swears aloud at this, Cap instructs him to just keep flying – and to watch that potty mouth!

Rather than descending into the hangar bay, the pilot continues through for the exit. The ground crew calls for the exit door to be closed but there’s no time, and the jet clears the exit, with Captain America riding it like a surfboard into the night sky.

Watching Cap escape, Hill calls him an idiot. They’re trying to save lives.

Meanwhile, at the Baxter Building…
Interrupting their discussion, Spider-Woman asks if she’s the only one who can see a big, dome-headed guy staring at everybody. Dr. Strange introduces Jessica to the Watcher, and explains to her that he only appears to record moments of great change and enormous upheaval. Uatu’s presence there now, Strange concludes, doesn’t bode well.

Washington, DC…
An angry mob protests against the super-heroes in front of the White House, and demand justice for Damien, one of the boys who got killed in the explosion. One news pundit tells the other analysts that the fact that the Congress has responded so swiftly just proves what an effective political operator Miriam Sharpe has become. She and the other Stamford reformist have really tapped into America’s quiet discomfort with superhuman misbehavior there. Meanwhile, at the gate of the White House, Miriam Sharpe, mother of Damien, hold a framed picture of her boy, as she stares within.

Inside the White House Cabinet Room, one Cabinet official tells the others of how Captain America landed the jet he stole in a football field - before taking the pilot for a hamburger and fries. He thinks that’s just like Captain America; making sure a two-billion dollar warplane doesn’t get damaged, no matter the danger he is in.

Speaking sarcastically, the president tells his Cabinet secretary that he’s glad he thinks it’s funny. Because he got the impression that the registration plan was controversial enough. He also believes that Cap going underground means that every super-hero who disagrees with their proposal now has a figurehead.

In response, Iron Man replies that this means the other heroes should find a leader of their own. When the president wants to know what Stark is proposing, Stark replies that he can continue pushing his registration just like he planned it. Flanked by Mister Fantastic and Yellowjacket, Iron Man assures the president that he can leave Captain America them. 

“CIVIL WAR” Tie-in!

“VENDETTA”

The smackdown of the century is here: Wolverine vs. Nitro - The Human Bomb! But what dark secret does Nitro hold that threatens to shake up everything? And who are the three mysterious strangers tracking Wolverine? Everything you think you know is wrong.

Wolvie's fight with Nitro is interrupted by a trio of super-powered agents who turn out to be Atlanteans working for Namor.

The Sub-Mariner's people are looking to kill Nitro in order to avenge the death of Namorita in Stamford.

CIVIL WAR TIE-IN!

“VENDETTA”

Featuring the return of the cult favorite, DAMAGE CONTROL! But have they gone from cleaning up disasters to causing them? And what is their connection to the Stamford disaster? To find out, Wolverine will take no prisoners. Part 5 (of 6)

New York City: ‘Easy sis, I got you!’ exclaims Johnny Storm a.k.a. the Human Torch, formerly of the Fantastic Four as he swoops down in a burst of flames and grabs his sister, Susan Storm-Richards a.k.a. the powerful Invisible Woman, also formerly of the Fantastic Four, rescuing her from a group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents. One of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents radios to another squad, informing them that the Invisible Woman is being aided by the Human Torch. The agents take flight as they are ordered to stay in pursuit. But in the air, Johnny tells Sue to make them invisible, so she does.

In the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Director, Maria Hill, remarks that, it has to be said - flooding the streets with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents has made an enormous impact on criminal activity, and adds that if their agents keep this up, there might not be any need for those New Thunderbolts. An officer announces to the agents following the renegade former Fantastic Four members that Hill wants a sit-rep on them, and asks the agents if they have nailed them yet. One of the agents replies that they need another two minutes, and announces that they are switching to infra-red.

Meanwhile, at Stark Tower, long-time friend and colleague of Tony Stark, Happy Hogan meets with Kyle Richmond a.k.a. Nighthawk of the Defenders and Cassie Lang a.k.a. Stature of the Young Avengers, who until recently were allied with Captain America’s Secret Avengers team, and tells them how grateful he is that they are joining the Pro-Registration side. Happy adds that he knows it couldn’t have been easy for them, walking away from Captain America just like that.

The handsome Nighthawk tells Happy that it was probably the toughest decision he has ever had to make. Happy assures Nighthawk that he knows what he means. ‘Your head says “Tony Stark” but you heart wants things just the way they’ve always been’. Kyle tells Happy that, unfortunately, they are living in a different world now, and he supposes that it took Goliath to make him realize that.

Happy turns to Cassie and asks her if she is ready to just walk away from her teammates in the Young Avengers, pointing out that this is a big step she is taking here. Cassie remarks that people want heroes to be properly trained now, and points out that it is not the nineteen-forties anymore. ‘All I want is to do my job to the best of my abilities’. Happy tells Cassie that is great, before informing them that he will get them downstairs in a second or two for background checks, but that Tony Stark had said he wanted to welcome them both personally. ‘It’s not like the big guy to keep people waiting…’ Happy remarks looking at his watch.

Upstairs in Stark Towers, Tony “Iron Man” Stark, one of the front-runners for the Pro-Registration of super beings tells his teammate from the Avengers Peter “Spider-Man” Parker that he is acting like a lunatic, and suggests they sit down and discuss this like grown ups. Spider-Man replies by telling Tony that there is nothing to discuss. ‘I’m leaving the Avengers!’ Peter explains to Tony that he doesn’t have a problem working for S.H.I.E.L.D., but as for locking heroes in the Negative Zone, the Thor-clone killing Bill Foster, that he does have a problem with. ‘You’re in over your head!’ Peter exclaims.

Iron Man asks Spider-Man what he is talking about, pointing out that “Thor” acted like a police officer would have. ‘Don’t forget that Bill Foster was a friend of mine!’ Tony remarks, asking Peter if he really thinks they are going to let something like that happen again. He then asks Spider-Man what he thinks they should do with the unregistered super-beings - ‘Lock them up with regular prisoners?’ He assures Peter that this is only a temporary measure, but if they lock them up in Rykers, then they will be out in five minutes.

Tony tells Peter that he has to appreciate that there are forces within the government and S.H.I.E.L.D. who like nothing more than to outlaw all super humans. ’Get out of my way!’ is all Spider-Man replies, to which Tony tells him not to be a fool, and asks him if he really thinks he can just go back to his old life now that everyone knows who he really is. ‘This isn’t just about you anymore! What about May? What about Mary Jane?’ Tony asks, referring to Peter’s beloved aunt and wife. Peter responds by smashing Tony through the next wall

, then declaring that his aunt and Mary Jane are as far away as possible. Tony tells Peter that he is disappointed in him, and fires a repulsor beam at him. Peter easily dodges thanks to his enhanced agility, and replies ‘Not as disappointed as I am in myself!’ as he leaps towards a window, ready to smash his way through it - except that he just smashes against it, and falls to the ground. ‘Avengers Headquarters. Reinforced glass’ Iron Man remarks. At that moment, several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents rush into the room, telling Stark to stand back, that they have Spider-Man, and being firing dozens of bullets at him - except the bullets shatter the glass, and Peter forces himself out the high-rise window, ‘Stop! Hold your fire!’ Iron Man orders the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, except it’s too late. ‘Dammit!’ he exclaims angrily.

From the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Maria Hill radios in to Tony, telling him that she just got word Spider-Man has gone rogue, and orders Tony to remain in the area and wait for back up, as she is pulling every agent on the ground. Tony tells Maria to wait, that he just needs to talk to Spider-Man, but he can barely get the words out as Maria snaps back ‘Request denied, Star! Over and out!’

The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. then radios to the Thunderbolts division, declaring that she wants fourteen operatives activated on a sixty minute trial. She remarks that she knows they were saving them for the final battle, but that the situation is critical. A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent stands in the Thunderbolts division, where waiting ready to go are fourteen of the Thunderbolts Army - Songbird, Atlas, Radioactive Man, Joystick, Venom, Bullseye, Lady Deathstrike, Taskmaster, Jack O-Lantern, Jester, Ox, Vector, Ironclad and X-Ray, the latter three being members of the U-Foes also.

‘I knew we couldn’t trust that guy!’ Maria snaps, referring to Spider-Man, who at that very moment is running through a sewer. An officer reports that they have Spider-Man’s location, between Third and Fourth Street, adding that word from the street says only minimum force will be required.

Suddenly, a little toy skates along the water in front of Peter. ‘What the -?’ Peter exclaims before the toy blows up, sending him crashing back in the sewer. The Jester stands over Spider-Man, asking him how it feels to be on the wrong side of the law and for the Jester to be wearing a sheriff’s badge? Jack O’Lantern flies over Spider-Man on a flight-device, as he tosses some gas down towards Spider-Man, and exclaims ‘Man. You gotta see who we’re hanging out with now, Petey. Jester and me, we’re finally on the A-List!’

‘Oh, baby! This is just too awesome for words!’ Jester shouts as he tosses a yo-yo at Peter, which explodes as it smacks into Peter’s chest. ‘You want fries with that, honey?’ Jester asks he smashes Peter to the side of the sewer. Jack O’Lantern bares down over Spider-Man, grabbing him by the neck the third-rate villain exclaims that this seemed like such a bum deal at first, working for S.H.I.E.L.D., forced to do what they say. ‘But when word from the top says “kick the crap outta Spider-Man” Well, what can we do? We’re only obeying orders, right?’

Jack O’Lantern forces Peter up against the wall of the sewer as Pete, badly wounded, replies that he just wanted to do the right thing, before asking the villains if they know his girlfriend died of a broken neck. The villains ignore Pete’s comment, and Jack O’Lantern suggests they have some fun with him while he is still stoned from the gas-bomb. But someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. radios to the villains, telling them that if they lay a finger on Spider-Man they will get five thousand volts. ‘You really think we’re gonna let you freaks run around without a leash?’ the agents asks, before telling them that S.H.I.E.L.D. support is on its way, so they just need to cuff Spider-Man and sit tight.

‘Spoilsport’ mumbles Jester, when suddenly, two bullets are fired, one smashes Jack O’Lantern’s pumpkin-head open, and the other hits Jester in the side of his head. ‘What the Hell? we’ve lost visual!’ the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents remark. Spider-Man cowers, thinking he is in trouble, until he realizes that he knows this mysterious rescuer. ‘I know you, skull-face guy…I know you from way back, don’t I?’

Meanwhile, on the 32nd Street, S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles race past an alley, where a woman and a man, both with black hair, are standing The woman asks her companion if he thinks they saw them. ‘Even if they did, what’s there to see? We’re not the Human Torch and the Invisible Woman anymore - we’re Mr and Mrs Landau and we’re out for a midnight stroll!’ Johnny replies to Susan.

Approaching a door, Susan remarks that she is still annoyed that Fury couldn’t find them any brother and sister identities. ‘Pretending we’re a couple is the creepiest thing I’ve ever done!’ Johnny asks Susan how she thinks he feels. ‘You look like my last date’s grandmother!’ before remarking that their disguises let them get out there to help people, which is what is important.

The heroic siblings enter a large meeting room, where Captain America and his “Secret Avengers” are all sitting. Black Mamba, currently of Bad Girls Inc and formerly of the Serpent Society, goes to the door and tells everyone to take it easy, as it is Johnny and Sue back from a mission. Luke Cage asks the Storms’ if they heard what happened to Cloak and Dagger. ‘No. What happened?’ Johnny asks. Captain America informs them that Tandy and Tyrone got busted over atQueens, which means their Baxter Building raid needs to be revised, as he was counting on Cloak for his teleportation abilities.

The badly injured Cap slams a fist down on the table, ‘Damn S.H.I.E.L.D. units!’ he exclaims, remarking that they have lost a man for every one they have gained over these past few days. Hulkling of the Young Avengers suggests that he could raid the Fantastic Four’s files, shape-shifting into one of their staff and waltzing through security with no problems. Cap informs Hulkling that he has a bigger job for him in Arizona, before announcing that the Invisible Woman already has an equally pressing assignment.

The usually quiet Bonita Juarez, better known as the uber-powerful Firebird asks Captain America what could be bigger than stealing the plans for the Negative Zone Prison? ‘We get in there and free our people, and this starts looking like a fair fight again!’ the former Avenger exclaims. ‘Why the Hell does he call it Number Forty-Two anyway?’ Rachel Leighton a.k.a. Diamondback asks. ‘Knowing Tony Stark it will have something to do with his mother’ Sue replies.

Suddenly, the door opens, and Frank Castle a.k.a. the Punisher stands there, holding a bloody Spider-Man, the anti-hero shouts ‘Get me a medic! NOW!’ Sam Wilson a.k.a. the Falcon is shocked to see the Punisher, while Captain America calls out to Dr. Jane Foster and Linda “Night Nurse” Carter. Punisher carries Spider-Man over to the med-room, and Jane asks what happened to him. Punisher replies that Spider-Man has multiple fractures and has sustained serious blood loss thanks to Tony Stark and his buddies, adding that Peter seems to have ingested some kind of hallucinogen at the same time.

Several of the other heroes enter the med-lab also, and Ultra Girl exclaims ‘Iron Man? I thought Spidey was so far up his butt you couldn’t see his feet anymore’. ‘Yeah, well, he’s on our side now!’ Punisher exclaims, to which the Falcon asks the Punisher what he means by that. ‘Since when were you on this team?’. ‘Since the other guys started enlisting known thieves and multiple killers!’ Castle replies. Monica Rambeau a.k.a. Pulsar of Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. and formerly the Avenger known as Photon asks if she is the only one laughing her guts out at the irony of this.

Punisher asks who they think has been running around in a ski mask these past few weeks, covering their backs. ‘Way I see it, you people need all the help you can get!’ the Human Torch asks why they don’t just call up Hannibal Lecter and ask if he is available too. ‘Because Hannibal Lecter hasn’t got the black ops training to get you into the Baxter Building!’ the Punisher replies. Dr. Walter Newell a.k.a. Stingray, a former member of the Avengers exclaims ‘Please tell me we aren’t so far gone that we’re signing up the Punisher!’

Luke Cage tells Cap that this is his call, and asks if they hand Punisher over to the cops or do they hear out what he has to say. Cap just tells Cage to be quiet, as he is thinking. In an adjacent room though, Greer Grant Nelson a.k.a. Tigra sits in the shadows, listening to her former friends and teammates, while she records their conversations for the Pro-Registration team!

Meanwhile, in Hell’s Kitchen, Danny Rand a.k.a. the new Daredevil is led away by several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and Reed Richards a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, and Jennifer Walters a.k.a. the She-Hulk, a renowned lawyer, and former member of the Fantastic Four stand as the former Iron Fist is led away. Reed remarks that this is horrible. ‘The public’s behind us, the government’s behind us. Crime is at an all-time low. Why are our own people the only ones causing problems?’ Reed asks.

Regretfully, Mr. Fantastic remarks that sometimes he wishes they’d never got involved. ‘Do you ever stop to think how much easier things would be if we hadn’t spliced Thor’s DNA with Hank Pym’s cyber-tech?’ he asks. ‘If we didn’t have this big final battle planned with all those Thunderbolts lunatics? Hank wouldn’t be doped up on anti-depressants and my darling Sue would never have left’.

‘Maybe not’ Jennifer tells Reed, before pointing out that that public opinion would have forced S.H.I.E.L.D. to bring down every super hero in America. ‘People were sick of sixteen year old kids blowing up buildings, Reed. You guys gave us all a future!’ Jennifer tells her friend, trying to comfort him.

Meanwhile, in Ryker’s Island Penitentiary, flanked by agents, Tony Stark leads Daredevil to the dimensional portal to take him to Number Forty-Two. Stark tells Rand that he has to understand why they are doing this. ‘We don’t take any pleasure in hunting down our friends!’ Tony assures him. Tony explains that they are backing these reforms because the only other option is a complete ban on all super heroes, and nobody wants that to happen.

The group walk through the gateway and enter the Negative Zone as Tony explains that their big idea is to have fifty super teams spread over all fifty states, each one licensed and accountable to the taxpayer. ‘It’s the next step in super human evolution: a federal force from coast to coast!’ Tony reveals to Rand that he has been working on this for months, creating new super heroes and revamping anyone who wants to join. He assures Daredevil that he would be at the top of their list if he was interested, and could even have his own team.

Motioning around to the sprawling Number Forty-Two complex, Tony remarks ‘Nobody wants to put you in jail’, before asking Daredevil if they can talk. One of the agents tells Stark that Daredevil has barely said a word since they brought him in, but that they did find this silver dollar under his tongue. ’He said he’s been saving it for you’ another agent reveals as he hands the dollar to Stark, who replies ’A silver dollar? I don’t understand’.

‘Guess that’s thirty-one pieces of silver you’ve got now, huh?’ Daredevil remarks sternly before being led away, leaving a perplexed Stark behind. ‘Sleep well, Judas’ Daredevil calls back. 

Civil War tie-in issue featuring the New Warriors

CIVIL WAR TIE-IN!

Ms. Marvel and WONDER MAN team-up to track down a pair of rogue heroes -- one of them is an ex-Avenger! Meanwhile, guest star ARANA not only begins training with Ms. Marvel, but must also reveal her double life to her father!

Overview

CIVIL WAR TIE-IN!

“THE WAR AT HOME”

With Civil War in full-throttle mode, Spider-Man follows his conscience... and fast becomes a lightning rod for controversy. Unmasked and vunerable, this is Spider-Man as you've NEVER seen him!

As soon as Iron Man overhears that Peter will no longer support the Registration Act, he attacks him and a battle ensues. Now on the run, Peter, Mary Jane, and Aunt May must find a new place to live. Spider-Man decides to publicly announce his opposition to the Act and goes on live television. Iron Man decides that Spider-Man needs to be brought down.

The comic starts with Iron-Man giving an after-battle pep talk to his Pro Super-human Registration Act (SHRA) SHIELD operatives. He has no qualms calling the fight bloody, as it was, but he reminds everyone it was necessary to sustain the roll of Super-humans in society.

Tony Stark draws his speech to a close, but he tells everyone they will be transporting the captive Super-humans to a more suitable holding zone, and that they would obviously get some interference from the rebels. Tony draws Spider-Man aside, noting he's been very quiet, and asks why. A conflicted Peter Parker brushes off the question, saying talking won't transport the prisoners, and the two get going.

As Spider-Man crouches ready to pounce on top of one of the convoys, he draws in the crowd, half protesting, half supporting. He tunes the frequency of his new suit, picking up both Police and Fire CB radio. Iron Man then remarks that Spider-Man is very useful for his ability to know danger before it has presented itself (via his Spider-Sense). Spider-Man draws in, as he realizes that his new suit that Iron Man made for him must observe him and his powers, as Peter never revealed his Spider-Sense.

Peter Parker's train of thought is interrupted, as he starts to sense a vague danger ahead of them, and underground. Tony takes immediate action, moving the convoy onto a backup route. The secondary route is blocked by protesters, so now the convoy is speeding down a third route. As the convoy is barreling down Yancy street (an adamant anti-SHRA neighborhood), Parker's Spider-Sense acts up, and a white noise seems to appear as minor dangers (people throwing rocks, tomatoes, etc) sets in. But out of the white noise, comes a very pronounced danger -- missiles.

The missiles are destroyed, but the anti-SHRA rebel heroes spring forth, ambushing the convoy. A huge battle ensues, and Spider-Man is picked by Captain America. The fight is intense, Spider-Man steadily losing ground, until he webs down Captain America's shield, only to be immediately bludgeoned. Spider-Man draws back, putting some distance between the two. His webs are ineffective, the Captain easily avoiding them. Spider-Man dives in, letting his new suit's extra pincer arms come out, and they successfully slash at Captain America's face. The two wait, a silence takes over, but it is soon devastated by a distant boom, where the main battle is taking place.

Spider-Man looks back, to see Captain America gone. Dumbfounded, he just stands for a while, before a few teenagers run over, and try to peel away Spider-Man's web to get to Captain America's shield. Spider-Man scares them away, then webs the shield to a wall, a few stories up, saying that nobody should touch that shield, nobody but the Captain.

Mary Jane and Aunt May are still in the sights of the sniper. It appears that they are the secondary targets. Peter calls MJ as he is about to go off on what may be the final battle.

The world watches as heroes fight against heroes. Even in Ryker's Island prison, Wilson Fisk listens and keeps in touch with his sniper. His orders are, if Spider-Man survives, he is to be killed when he returns to the motel. If he dies in battle, then he wants MJ and Aunt May killed.

The battle is over. Now is time to pick up the pieces. Peter returns to the motel. The sniper is alerted. Peter's spider-senses begin to go off but he cannot pinpoint the danger. As the trigger is pulled, he grabs Mary Jane and dives for the floor. Unfortunately, there is a victim to the gunshot...

Agent 13 is in the office of the S.H.I.E.L.D. psychiatrist in New York,for a psych evaluation. We see, through flashback from Agent 13, the recent events from "Civil War" that have led to Captain America going 'underground". Sharon(Agent 13) tries to talk Steve (Cap) into turning himself in. They talk after a ..serious.. romantic interlude, and during this talk, we see that Sharon has led the strike team meant to capture Cap, to a different location, thus NOT betraying Steve. Close with the S.H.I.E.L.D. psychiatrist meeting the Red Skull in a cemetary!!! We find that the good Dr. is in fact one of Cap's old enemies...Dr. Faustus...in deep disguise !!! The plot thickens....

Overview

CIVIL WAR Tie-in!

As CIVIL WAR rages through the Marvel Universe, an unlikely group of heroes have gathered together to hunt down and capture criminals who refuse to sign the Registration Act. In response to the overwhelming number of masked fugitives on the loose, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing use their bail bonds skills, underworld connections and government funding to lead an all-new Heroes for Hire into battle. Action, adventure, crime, beautiful women and Kung Fu chaos come together in this explosive new series from writers Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Billy Tucci! Featuring BLACK CAT, SHFANG CHI—THE MASTER OF KUNG FU, PALADIN, MISTY KNIGHT, COLLEEN WING and THE ALL-NEW TARANTULA.

Overview

CIVIL WAR Tie-In!

FOUND! The HFH have tracked down CAPTAIN AMERICA and LUKE CAGE in a S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house, only to be betrayed by one of their own! MISTY KNIGHT, BLACK CAT and the rest of the gang are forced to rethink their position in the CIVIL WAR. Meanwhile, in response to the Registration Act, super-villains have found a way to gain an edge...reinventing themselves on the genetic level with transplanted Skrull organs!

Civil War tie-in.

"New Avengers Disassembled"(Part 2 of 5)

Named the "Single Issue of the Year" by Wizard magazine in 2006.

Iron Man and Ms. Marvel appear at Luke Cage and Jessica Jones' household to inform them that if they don't sign the Superhuman Registration Act they will become fugitives at midnight. After a significant argument in which Cage compares the act to slavery, Ms. Marvel and Iron Man are eventually convinced to leave.
Cage convinces Jessica to flee with their newborn child to Toronto, Canada, where there is no registration act.

Not long following her departure, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents show at Cage's house to apprehend him for disobeying the mandate for all super humans to register. Cage manages to fight his way to the street, where others in the neighborhood begin throwing debris at the soldiers. Cage is hit from the blast of one of the agents' weapons, but is saved when Captain America, The Falcon, and Iron Fist (dressed as the Daredevil while Matt Murdock is imprisoned) show up to help him escape. The issue ends with Jessica Jones in Canada hearing a news report that Cage has escaped with the aid of Captain America and the others.

Civil War tie-in

"New Avengers Disassembled"(Part 5 of 5)

Iron Man faces an unexpected foe.

Overview

Hey there, Marvel Universe. He’s back...with a vengeance. Taking no prisoners. Literally. With Civil War in full throttle mode, Frank Castle is feeling the heat. His safe houses have been raided, his munitions seized, and he’s square in the crosshairs of a Marvel Universe big gun who always gets his man. Until now, this wasn’t Frank’s war. But when Spandex-clad baddies start carrying badges...well, lets’ just say that’s something the Punisher can’t abide.

Franks armory runs low.  Hes down to a LAW and a .38 with two rounds. just enough to deal with Fulvio Morsella, until apparently reformed villian Stiltman sets the same man in his sights.Castle easily defeats Stiltman by blowing his "legs" off with the LAW, and then finishing both him and Morsella of with his remaining two rounds.With a SHIELD squad on his ass Castle flees into the underground and uses the darkness to get the upper hand on his pursuers, and picks up their weapons.He begins to follow the Tinkerer  for info on whos armored Stiltman,, who gives him information who gives him that information on Stuart Clarke, a former Tony Stark employee turned self made weapons manufacturer. Castle confronts Clarke, and he is attacked by Clarkes Little robot army, but Clarke and Castle decide to get to the root of whats really going on, with Tony Stark and the circulation of potentially destructive weapons and technology, and those same items finding their way into the hands of criminals like Stilt man.Clarke gives Frank a gizmo that will enable him  to track down SuperHeros and Supervillians alike. After a few weeks of city combing, Clarkes tracker starts beeping, and Frank follows it into the sewers. He discover Spiderman being assaulted by Jack O Lantern and Jester. He kills both villians and brings Parkers broken body to Captain Americas hideout.

Civil War tie in

The Punisher. Captain America. Uneasy allies in even the best of times, now two fugitives fighting a common enemy in CIVIL WAR. Every war is won or lost based on one decisive battle-- this might be the endgame for CIVIL WAR. A clash that's been building for thirty years comes to a ferocious head as The Punisher and Captain America finally collide, and the reverberations will be felt for months to come. Cap made a deal with the devil -- what happens when the devil comes to collect?

Continuing from Civil War, after Frank kills two former villains seeking to join Cap's side, Captain America begins to pound on Frank. Frank insists that Cap knew exactly what he was getting with him. He refuses to fight back. Flashbacks are shown from when Frank was training in the Marines and Cap paid the troops a visit. Frank refused to hit Cap then also.

With the Punisher refusing to fight back, Cap just walks away. The others let him leave on his own.

Bridge continues to talk to Stu Clarke. He gives him a warning that the Punisher will be coming for him. When Bridge leaves, he orders his men to take Clarke out. Prepared, Clarke manages to blast his way out through the window.

Using a tracking device, Clarke manages to find Frank and brings him to an old S.H.I.E.L.D. armory. Using the newfound weapons, the Punisher has a run in with the Rhino. Using a new kind of gun and the "Satan Claw" power glove, he soon knocks the Rhino senseless. The Punisher then tells the Rhino to tell everybody that he's back.

This book reprints the following issues:
Civil War Files #1
Civil War: Battle Damage Report #1
Daily Bugle Civil War Newspaper Special Oneshot
Marvel Spotlight Civil War: Aftermath #1
Marvel Spotlight: Mark Millar/Steve McNiven #1

216 pages
Overview
The legislation has been passed. The battle lines have been drawn. The opening shots have been fired. Now, as the controversial Super Human Registration Act continues to divide America’s super human community, go behind the lines of the Marvel Comics event starring Spider-Man, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the entirety of the Marvel pantheon! Featuring in-depth S.H.I.E.L.D. dossiers on the nation’s most prominent super humans; behind-the-scenes coverage with CIVIL WAR planners Mark Millar and Steve McNiven; news, gossip, and opinions from the Daily Bugle, the very newspaper the citizens of the Marvel Universe read to keep informed; and more! Plus: a final analysis of CIVIL WAR, in addition to a complete checklist of all the upcoming CW collections! Collecting CIVIL WAR FILES, CIVIL WAR: BATTLE DAMAGE REPORT, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: MARK MILLAR/STEVE MCNIVEN, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: CIVIL WAR AFTERMATH and DAILY BUGLE: CIVIL WAR SPECIAL EDITION.

Overview

Embedded within the heart of the battle between super hero registrants and resistors you

will learn the real story behind both sides of the Civil War! In any conflict there are those

who want to keep the facts hidden, but on the Front Lines the truth will be told.

In “The Accused”: The New Warriors survivor goes on trial! Their life was spared from the Stamford Disaster. Will justice be so kind?

Overview

“Embedded” - Civil War has ignited across the Marvel Universe! Embedded reporters Sally Floyd and Ben Urich are driven into the heart of battle—a battle in which a hero will fall. Their investigations will take Sally into the heart of Captain America’s resistance, while Urich is about to get reacquainted with a certain green friend...

“The Accussed” - Despised by a nation, the lone survivor of the New Warriors’ team is behind bars. Without family, without a friend in the world and without a reason to go one, will this hero make a deal, or take a stand?

“Correspondence” - Juxtaposing stories of war throughout time with the Marvel Civil War, “Correspondence” adapts tales from World War I and more!

Overview

In “Embedded”: Hot on the trail of a revelation that could explode the rift between the pro-registration and anti-registration heroes and forever change the nature of the Registration Act, the Daily Bugle’s Ben Urich and Sally Floyd have the story. Can they bring the power to the people?

In “The Accused”: His powers are gone, he’s been held culpable for the worst super-human disaster in history, and every super-villain in prison is looking to take a piece of Speedball. Will he make it out alive, and with hundreds of deaths on his conscious, does he want to? Also featuring true tales of war time in Civil War “Correspondence!"

Ben and Sally come to a shocking discovery.
While Penance is born of pain

“Midnight Sun: Part One: The Woodwork” Moon Knight enters Civil War!

Three months back on the job, and they’re already coming out of the woodwork. The bad guys you expect. The gangsters and the hoods with old axes to grind. They all come with the territory. But the heroes--them you don’t expect. Popping up to give you the eyeball and make sure you’re toeing the line. Their line. Spider-Man and his wisecracks...Frank Castle, the angel of death himself, telling you he’ll be keeping an eye on you...even the fugitive Captain America, with a word to say about crashing aircraft into the sides of buildings in New York City. And now, this other thing. Someone is out there. Someone hitting the old haunts, scenes of the old crimes. Leaving messages. Leaving bodies. Someone who knows you. Someone who crushes steel and pulls off limbs. All to get your attention. Someone out of your league!

Spider-Man makes a brief crossover appearance from the Civil War story arc. Marc Spectre (Moon Knight) seaks out the help of old mercenary friends. He has been baddly beaten from a previous fight, and the bruises on his face are actually startling. It appears that Spectre wants to get his helicopter flying again. He enlists the help of Jean-Paul his French ex-mercenary buddy.

Overview

“MIDNIGHT SUN: PART 3: FOR THE OCCASION”

THE SECOND ARC OF THIS RED-HOT SERIES

He’s through baiting you, taunting you. He’s ready to throw down. A ghost from your past with an intimate knowledge of your moves. And when he’s through with you, you’re really gonna need to pray to your God. To Khonshu. Because this guy, he wants your “A Game” in round two. He wants the whole Moon Knight experience. The truncheon. The blades. The ‘copter. The whole nine yards. Question is, are you prepared to bring it? Guest-Starring the Punisher!

Marc is working out with the help of Frenchie's boyfriend. He questions Marc about his past as Moon Knight. He asks him what powers did he have. After being hounding with questions, Marc finally answers him. He tells him that he used to have enhanced powers depending on how full the moon was but now he doesn't have those abilities. After he tells Marc that he believes in what he does, that evil must be punished, Marc finally comes to terms with needing help. Just as he's asked if it was true that he hooked up with Tigra, Midnight bust through the wall.

Midnight appears to have gone through some changes. Marc throws a weight at him, which Midnight simply breaks in half. He tells Marc that he's disappointed. He's been killing and dismembering people all for Moon Knight and Marc hasn't done anything about it. The fight goes on. Marc keeps hitting Midnight with all he's got yet it doesn't seem to phase him. As he pins Marc down, he tells him how he has to hold back his strength when dealing with him. He says how easily he could punch a hole in his chest. He starts pulling out some of Marc's teeth and mentions that he may have to pay Marlene a visit. He wants Moon Knight's full attention. He wants him to go after him full force. He wants to be Moon Knight's new archenemy.

Later, Marc calls Marlene. She knows it's him but he doesn't say anything. She tells him to stop calling and to grow up. In the Moon copter, Moon Knight prepares to look for trouble with one of Gina's kids piloting. He sees the Punisher going up against someone and decides to drop out of the copter.

Overview

Enough is enough! The tension between the X-Men, the 198, and the O*N*E has finally reached a breaking point. As the Marvel Universe is ripped apart by the Civil War, the X-Men also find themselves crumbling from the inside out. Will they fold-up and admit defeat, or will the X-Men finally start to fight back? Find out here!

Spoilers

Beast and Kitty Pride are watching a debate on television about the current situation of mutants, when a riot breaks out in the 198 camp outside the mansion.

Shatterstar and Domino of X-Force have started a riot as cover for a breakout attempt of the 198. The ONE(Office of National Security) arrives with the piloted Sentinels to regain control of the situation. The ONE squad is being led by Colonel Reyes(the brother of X-Men Ceceila Reyes), along with the X-Men's Bishop attempt to stop the escape. Caliban is able to use his psychic powers on Bishop, enabling the 198 to flee. When the other X-Men arrive on the scene, Domino tells Cyclops and the others that 'to stop them they would have to kill them' and Scott lets them go. After Emma helps Bishop regain his bearings, he gets in Cyclops face about letting the 198 leave, upset he leaves the mansion.

Overview

It's X-Man vs. X-Man! But who fired the first shot and why? Bishop and the X-Men battle for the 198, but will Cyclops be able to contain the power yearning to burst from his body?

Overview

Experience CIVIL WAR and its major tie-ins in chronological order! In CIVIL WAR #4, our heroes experience a death! A funeral! A betrayal! And a team is reborn as the war takes a deadly turn! And in FANTASTIC FOUR, things get worse for Marvel’s First Family. The team as we know it is finished, torn apart by the strife of CIVIL WAR! What will happen to the fragmented family and will some other foursome rise to take their place? Collecting CIVIL WAR #4 and FANTASTIC FOUR #541-542.

Experience CIVIL WAR and its major tie-ins from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. The landscape of the Marvel Universe is changing, and it's time to choose: Whose side are you on? In CIVIL WAR #5, get ready for villains, villains, villains! Sides change and chaos reigns as the evildoers of the Marvel Universe make their presence felt in a new and shocking way! But when the underworld gets involved, can the Punisher be far behind? And in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #535-536, Peter Parker contemplates a move that will mean new friends and new foes. In a conflict of this magnitude, there is no middle ground – Spider-Man’s move will cast him as either George Washington...or Benedict Arnold.

Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #535-536 and CIVIL WAR #5.

Overview

Overview:

DEADPOOL vs. the RENEGADE HEROES! Can the government’s newest Superhuman Marshall buff his badge and kick some butt? And what’s CABLE up to? Well, with two countries to run, he wouldn’t have any interest whatsoever in using this whole Superhuman Registration Act for his own advantage, would he...? No, not our Cable... that would just be so... insidious... Part 2 (of 3).

Featuring a complete look at the major Marvel events of the last five years, as narrated by Watcher, this is your chance to catch up on everything! Is it all connected? What’s next? These answers and more arrive in Marvel: Your Universe!

Plus, Marvel: Your Universe contains preview material from the new Marvel Handbook hardcovers along with never-before-seen handbook material!

And did we mention that this 32 page must-read comic is absolutely free? That’s right True Believers, Marvel: Your Universe is your guide to comics’ most popular universe and absolutely free!

(Los Angeles, California)
In a letter written by Chris Powell (Darkhawk), he recounts how when he was younger, people always told him he reminded them a lot of his father. But, since his family had had their share of problems while Chris was growing up, there were times when Chris disliked being compared to him. Chris' father had been a police officer, who'd always seen the worst in people and believed that the bad always maintained an upper hand over the good. He had sacrificed a lot to try and even that balance over the years, even at the expense of Chris's family's happiness. Because of this, Chris was resentful of his father. But, as Chris got older, he realized exactly why his father did what he did. He had hoped to tip the scales so that the good side would have a brighter future, and once Chris stumbled across the Darkhawk amulet, he found himself following in his father's footsteps. But, he's had to stop... for his own safety.

The Darkhawk amulet had given him all kinds of different powers and different armors over the years, but the more he's used it the greater a mystery it has become. Chris used to believe that the amulet only affected him on a physical level, but more and more these days, it's psychological. And not in a good way. The less he uses it... the better. Chris worries about all the trouble knocking at their door. Mickey (Turbo) is always stressed and seems constantly pissed at him. Julie (Lightspeed) has been lying about who and what she is. No one ever trusted Mattie (Spider-Woman III) and Johnny (Ricochet) seems like he doesn't even care anymore. Out of all of Excelsior, Chris strongly dislikes Phil (Green Goblin), because he knows Phil still carries a torch for Mickey. He's starting to become the most unhinged... but what can you expect from a former Green Goblin?

Chris has seen his real family pulled apart once before. He doesn't like seeing his 'family' here suffering through the same thing, so it's up to him to fight to keep them together... just like his father would.

(The apartment of Mickey Musashi)
As Chris recovers from the blow he received with the flower vase, he remembers how he learned most of what he knows about life from his dad. He had helped open Chris's eyes to the way the world really works. As a cop with too many years under his belt, he had believed that the good guys were the underdogs. "If only our side had an edge," is what he used to say. As Chris gets up, he is stunned to see that his Darkhawk amulet is gone from his chest and horrified to see that Phil, or the Green Goblin, is under the guise of Darkhawk. Right now, Chris could sure as hell use an edge.

Hollow, frightened, attacks Phil who promptly knocks her out, laughing the maniacal laugh of a Green Goblin. The Goblin grabs Mickey before she attempts to escape using a grappling hook. Darkly, he asks Mickey if this is what she had always secretly wanted - both loves of her life (Darkhawk and "Phil") put into one being. He asks her for a kiss, but this is when Chris gets up with a baseball bat in his hands. The Green Goblin laughs again. Chris, the knight without his shining armor. The Goblin taunts Chris; a baseball bat against the Darkhawk armor? That blow must have knocked him senseless. Chris, enraged, attacks the Goblin with the bat and roars about how he knows what his amulet is capable of. Chris touches the glowing amulet on the Goblin's chest, and within seconds, he becomes Darkhawk as well.

Darkhawk immediately throws the Green Goblin out through Mickey's roof. Julie, carrying Namie, flies overhead just in time to see the Green Goblin blasted into the air. Thinking the Goblin is Darkhawk, Julie attempts to help him. The Goblin, however, snaps and rams the both of them into a nearby pool. It is at this point where the real Darkhawk flies out through Mickey's roof and mutters about how he should have known Phil was crazy. The Goblin, in a fit of rage, screams about how he's nothing like the other Goblins. Darkhawk finally realizes that it was Phil who wasn't really listening at their meetings. He shouldn't deny his problem - he should open his eyes and accept it. And with that, both Darkhawk and the Green Goblin begin battling... in a fight that takes them through the streets of Los Angeles.

Julie and Namie, sopping wet, climb out of the pool and rush up to Mickey's apartment, finding her on the floor with Hollow standing over her. As Julie helps Mickey, Namie, stunned, freezes when she recognizes Hollow. Hollow instantly rushes over to Namie and hugs her, prompting Julie to wonder why she isn't surprised that they both know each other - both Namie and Hollow were Fujikawa escapees. Namie apologizes for Hollow's behavior, but Mickey cuts her off by saying Hollow attempted to protect her from that psycho. Mickey quickly recounts the events of what happened with Darkhawk and the Green Goblin. Julie wonders how two Darkhawks is even possible, leading Mickey to wonder how Chris's amulet works. Darkhawk had a couple of different armors over the years... and they always just assumed it was Chris inside. And it hits Julie: what if it wasn't Chris inside? That could explain his freak-outs...

Before she goes on, Johnny and Mattie both arrive. Mattie instantly understands that a couple guests 'in costume' have shown up. Mickey, sour, confirms it. She walks to her bedroom, and tells Julie, Namie, Hollow, Johnny and Mattie that she is tired of sitting on the sidelines. What good has it done her? She's been lied to, betrayed, and almost killed. Enough is enough! As she takes out a box from under her bed, she realizes that maybe the Goblin was right... maybe she is scared. But, there's nothing like a little fear to remind her what her responsibilities in life are. So to hell with their rules for the time being! As of now... the gloves are back on! And with that, Mickey puts on her Turbo gloves!

Darkhawk and the Green Goblin continue their battle, but are suddenly blasted away from one another. As it turns out, the rest of Excelsior has arrived: Turbo, Spider-Woman, Namie, Hollow, Lightspeed and Ricochet rush to Darkhawk's side, with Turbo proud of her costume. She blasts the Green Goblin off his feet while battling him at the same time. The Goblin attempts to escape, but Spider-Woman uses her many legs to pin him down. Ricochet blasts several of his discs at the Goblin while Hollow claws at him. Lightspeed then rams him into the ground, the same way he rammed her into the pool. Finally, one of Ricochet's discs hits the Goblin in his armored eyes. The Goblin screams his lungs out, but Namie tells him that blindness should be the least of his worries. The red laser-like dagger appears at the band on her wrist. Using it, she picks the Darkhawk amulet off the Goblin's chest. The Darkhawk armor disappears from the Green Goblin's skin, leaving him in a fit of despair.

Hollow attacks the possessed Phil, but Darkhawk tells her to stop. Instead, he attacks the Goblin... man-to-man. Turning off the Darkhawk armor, Chris holds the Goblin around the throat. Turbo tells Chris to stop. Instead, she attacks the Goblin, woman-to-man. She punches the Goblin to the ground, where he lands right beside the Darkhawk amulet. Turbo snatches it from him and hands it to Chris, telling him that he was right. Their powers, no matter where they got them from, are part of who they all are. It's time she started accepting that. Chris, taking his amulet back, thanks her.

The Goblin, still on the ground, laughs his wild laugh. He tells Turbo that he knew she had it in her; she just needed a little help bringing her demons back out. He knew she wasn't ready to give up her costume. He tells her that there is still hope for them. Turbo, disgusted, tells him that the only hope she has is that he get help with all his romantic delusions. And, once she makes sure he's taken care of, the costume is going back into the closet. The Goblin grins, telling her that Miss Fujikawa is going to be disappointed. Turbo, confused, asks him what he means by that. The Goblin reveals that he also cut a deal with Miss Fujikawa, and Miss Fujikawa was more than happy to tell him all about their little arrangement - about how she was planning on selling out Excelsior! Turbo roars at him to shut up, but Spider-Woman, taking off her mask, urges the Goblin to continue talking. If someone is bargaining with their lives, they'd all want to know about it. "Personalizing our problem is the first step in confronting it," Mattie quotes. Turbo snarls about how it's none of Mattie's business.

Mattie tells Turbo to let her be the judge of that. The Goblin maliciously taunts Turbo, who gives him a hard, solid smack across the face. Hollow rushes in and protects the Goblin. Someone always has to get hurt when the truth comes out. Turbo, angry, asks the Goblin how Hollow can defend him even after all this. Getting up, the Goblin tells her that maybe Hollow knows who her true friends really are. Or, maybe her memories are finally coming back. Lightspeed prompts the Goblin to reveal what Miss Fujikawa had said to him. Laughing, the Goblin informs her that for now, it's his secret. She, of all people, can respect that. Ricochet is disgusted with Phil's betrayal; he's like the Goblin calling the frog green... if that makes any sense. The Green Goblin moves away from them, and tells them it's his time to make his exit. Darkhawk tells him that he isn't going anywhere after all he's done. The Goblin, laughing, tells him there is no evidence to prove he did anything. He assures Excelsior that Hollow will be going back into good hands, where she will be cared for. Finally, the Goblin tells Excelsior that to hold up her end of the deal, Miss Fujikawa is letting them keep the Red Ronin in exchange for Hollow. Turbo, confused, wonders what Miss Fujikawa expects them to do with a giant robot. The Green Goblin corrects her and reveals that he never meant that Red Ronin. It was decommissioned years ago. Miss Fujikawa had left them the new model, the UJ1-DX... Namie!

Excelsior is shocked. The Green Goblin tells them that Namie is another lost soul who has no idea of what she truly is. Because of this, she's going to fit perfectly with Mickey's group. If they can ever pull themselves back together and get back on the wagon! And with that, laughing maniacally, the Green Goblin and Hollow leave Excelsior for good. After a short silence, Mattie admits that Phil was right. She herself is sour about how she almost bought into the whole 'doing more good by not using their powers' crock they're selling. Mattie tells Excelsior to count her out from now on. They've been trying so hard to stay out of costume and put their pasts behind them... some of them seem to have forgotten what it means to be a hero in the first place. Finally, she tells Ricochet that she can't believe she actually slept with him. And with that, Mattie also leaves the group as well, leaving a confused Excelsior behind. Namie, still shocked about what she is, sits by herself on the ground. Johnny awkwardly turns away from Julie, while Mickey desperately stares at Chris, wondering's what's next.

(The apartment of Johnny Gallo - one week later)
One week later, Excelsior meets in Johnny's apartment. Namie, in different clothes, sits with her head down. Julie has her arms crossed, Mickey sits sternly, but Chris stares at two empty chairs... chairs that should have been filled with Phil Urich and Mattie Franklin. Johnny apologizes for putting the chairs there... he had hoped the other two would come. Wishful thinking, he guesses. Julie bitterly makes a dark remark about how she knows what Johnny was wishing for (Mattie). Mickey then thanks everyone for arriving, especially given what happened the week before. She does feel it's important that they talk about what they're feeling out in the open, now more than ever. Mickey asks if Julie would like to open up to anything; Julie turns her head and says she's still confused about a lot of things. She then asks Chris about the whole double-Darkhawk situation. He says that there are a few things he needs to figure out himself. She asks Namie if she's had any luck with her memories, but Namie bluntly tells her that all her circuits are still busy. Mickey finally asks Johnny, but he tells her he pleads the fifth. Mickey stands up, and tells the group she'll start, as she clearly has the most explaining... and apologizing... to do. Mickey stands up, and introduces herself as a former teenage superhero. Everyone says hi.

But Chris Powell thinks... when your eyes are opened to the way the world really works, people usually find that they don't like what they see. Especially what they see in themselves. There will always be questions they want answered (Namie), and mysteries they want solved (Phil and Mattie). They have to accept the fact that some secrets will remain hidden (Johnny) and certain truths will remain untold (Julie). But even when trust is shattered and the pain of guilt is almost too much to bear, they have to remember that there's always hope. And no matter how badly things have fallen apart around them, that hope will slowly put the pieces back together again.

The end... for now.

Notes:
At the time these synopses were written, not much has been seen of Excelsior. They next appeared in a story called 'Secret Santa' in Marvel Holiday Special 2007 and then in War of Kings: Darkhawk #1. Darkhawk left Excelsior, registered himself as a super hero and became the Head of Security at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. He hooked up with Excelsior again in War of Kings: Darkhawk #1.

The cover is an homage to the John Hughes movie, Sixteen Candles.

(Los Angeles, California)
Johnny Gallo (Ricochet) recounts what happened previously in an email to a dead friend (a former member of the Slingers, Eddie). For most of the email, he mentions how he, Spider-Woman and Darkhawk fought Nekra and a couple of MGH dealers, and how the three of them are hiding the fact that they used their powers from the rest of Excelsior. He feels guilty for lying to the group. He mentions that writing letters to a dead friend may be therapeutic, but it doesn't give him the advice he needs. Johnny ends the e-mail by saying he misses him.

(Los Angeles, California - night)
Johnny is in his apartment - images of Los Angeles, the City of Angels fly through his mind. Southland, Hollywood, the Hills. Forget dreams, Los Angeles is the city of fantasy. It's not about "What's Now!" It's about "What's Next?" Johnny feels LA is the place where people come to live the lives of their idols: "The Young and the Senseless". LA is a culture that breeds a certain mentality ... it's about discovering what's hot and finding it faster than anyone else. It's a way of life even reflected in the names of the movies they make: Heat. Speed. Boiling Point. And for someone like Johnny Gallo, a young, single guy who's all about being one step ahead of the game ... it's perfect. Slamming down upon his Guitar Hero guitar, Johnny roars "Thank you, Los Angeles!!" Fast and furious - that's how he rolls!

Or at least ... that's how he used to roll.

(Johnny's apartment, later)
Johnny, in his shirt and underwear, stands around his bare apartment and sighs, slowly lowering the guitar. Nowadays, things are a little different for him. Johnny is a mutant, who has decided not to use his powers anymore. He's got superhuman agility with amazing reflexes, and a handy-dandy "danger sense" that's suppose to warn him of ... danger. He picks up a flat, gold disc inscribed with an "R" - one of his Ricochet discs. He picks up his Ricochet costume, but slowly lowers it, after remembering how he was a teenage superhero, and how he and Excelsior had abandoned their powers after realizing how much problems came with their powers. While surfing the internet, he clicks upon a news story online - about Nekra. Apparently, Nekra was transferred to S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. Authorities are still searching for the heroes who stopped her. Johnny reads on, all the while thinking of what type of help he could be doing, if only he hadn't abandoned his power. He thinks about how they justify their actions by telling themselves that they sometimes need to put the costumes back on for the Greator Good. But, bitterly, he realizes the truth: sometimes, their inner demons get the better of them. Sometimes, their powers become an addiction. That's why they attend the meetings, and say what they think they want to hear ... just to make it easier to look at themselves in the mirror when the masks come off. He looks at the back of the Ricochet disk, and sees his solemn reflection staring back. He decides to attend these meetings, for the right reasons ...

(Molly's Irish Pub - the next morning)
Johnny sits with Mattie (Spider-Woman) and Chris (Darkhawk). Chris asks him what's so important that can't wait until after the meeting. Before Johnny answers, Mattie points out Johnny has a crush on the cute readhead owner of the pub. Chris laughs at this, although Johnny remains solemn. Johnny tells the other two he plans to tell the rest of Excelsior about how he, Mattie and Chris stopped Nekra. Predictably, the other two are outraged, though Johnny feels he wants to bring them into the loop. Chris, however, says they did promise Mattie they'd give her time to dig deeper into the MGH operations. Johnny counteracts by saying they shouldn't wait; they have information, and they should act upon it. Mattie, however points out it is criminal information.

Johnny becomes agitated, and explains that since the three of them stopped Nekra and the MGH operations, they're probably closing up their operations to relocate. Johnny wonders if what they read in their lab was true; not only are they paying top dollar to doners for DNA to make this drug, but they may also be holding others hostage and taking it by force. Chris feels the whole operation may be a trap to lure heroes in, but Mattie begs Johnny not to tell - she wants him to lay off for a couple more days while she researches ways to stop the dealers. Johnny finally gives in, and sarcastically apologizes - he says he mistook her for someone who cared. Rolling his eyes at her, he remarks sardonically that she even had him fooled with that MGH 'sob story' of hers.

Mattie snaps. Holding Johnny angrily by his shirt, she growls about how he wakes up feeling self-righteous and how he feels he has the right to judge her. While Chris holds Mattie back from a shocked Johnny, she continues with her tirade, saying that Johnny isn't fooling anyone. She knows exactly what this is all about. She says she knows the only reason Johnny really wants to tell the group about how they stopped big, bad Nekra is because he thinks Julie will be impressed enough to jump into bed with him. Backing off, she tells Johnny if he wants to really tell the group, fine; but at least when he does it, he does it because he believes in it - not because he's looking for a little action. She then storms out the pub. Chris gives Johnny an odd look, and asks if what Mattie said was actually true. Johnny doesn't answer the question, but asks Chris about what he thinks. Chris suggests they continue to keep the secret to themselves, and give Mattie the time she needs. But, even after Chris leaves, Johnny stares at his reflection in the Ricochet disc, wondering if it's really a good deed.

(The Holy Trinity Church - later that evening)
Excelsior sit around in a circle, silently. Chris, Mattie and Johnny are awkwardly staring off in different directions. Phil (Green Goblin) notices, and remarks about how "talkative" they are. Standing up, Phil decides to talk about Nekra and the 'mystery heroes' that stopped her. Chris, Mattie and Johnny's heads snap up, immediatley thinking that Phil has figured it out, but it turns out he hasn't. Given the situation in New York for the past few months (the Civil War) it makes sense that heroes and villains have moved to Los Angeles. While this is also a concern, it can be an opportunity as well - not only is this an opportunity to test Excelsior's main mission, but to also help other young heroes join them in putting their powered pasts behind them. They've accepted a pledge and made a promise that helped their transition into a more normal life. Phil ponders about how there may be others who want to get out of the superhero game, and start afresh. That's why he wants them to join their "family". Phil then turns to Johnny and reminds him that this week, it's his turn to talk about his past. Johnny gets up, and re-introduces himself. Instead of talking about his past, he wants to talk about something along the lines of what Phil said. Johnny says he has a confession to make; Mattie and Chris, are tense, hoping that Johnny won't expose them.

Johnny reveals that he hates his life. He apologizes for saying it, but he feels that he doesn't think he's cut out for a so-called 'normal life.' He thought that was what he wanted, but now he's not sure. Does hiding who he is makes himself a better person? Johnny slowly informs the group that he never told them the real reason why he came out to LA.

(flashback)
Sighing, he reveals that back in New York, he got a friend of his killed. Memories immediately start running through his mind. Back when he used to run with the Slingers, his best friend was Eddie McDonough, who went by the name Hornet. He was the one who made him his throwing Ricochet discs. Even after the Slingers broke up, Eddie and Johnny still used to hang out, in and out of costume. As time went on though, both started to put their masks on for different reasons. Eddie loved being a hero. He felt it was their responsibility to continue in the work they started as the Slingers. Fighting crime, taking down bad guys, protecting the innocent ... Eddie was Hornet for the right reasons. Johnny, on the other hand, would fight crime and feel good knocking out a thug's teeth ... to save the damsel in distress. He loved the spotlight; his name on the news, the fame, and other benefits (him sleeping with the girls he saved). But after he started to lose some of the fame, he felt there was no point in putting the costume back on.

Eddie had done his best to try and motivate Johnny into going back into saving lives - Hornet and Ricochet, slinging again. He never took him up on the offer. Then one night, Eddie called Johnny and practically begged him for his help. He'd gotten wind of something big that would put both of them back on the map. Johnny, however, laughed and told him they'd be better off burning the map. He wished him luck and hung up, not knowing that would be the last thing he ever said to him. Eddie died a few hours later. He got killed going up against a threat he knew he couldn't handle (Wolverine)... but that was Eddie. He lived to protect the innocent. He died because Johnny turned his back on him.

(present)
Johnny lifts the Ricochet throwing disc Eddie had given him, and whispers his apology. The rest of Excelsior stare at the floor in silence. Johnny tells them he wanted to get away from the guilt and start fresh, and put his past behind him. When he hooked up with Excelsior, he couldn't believe his luck - he found other people whose lives were screwed up by their powers just as much as his was. And when they did put their costumes on (when Excelsior stopped Ultron) he felt happy. He thought he was doing Eddie proud. Johnny reveals that he loathes the fact they are hiding in a basement, denying who they are - he feels it is their responsibility to make the world a better place. Angry, he storms out the room. Although Mickey (Turbo) wants to stop him, Julie (Lightspeed) prevents her, reminding her that she jumped of a roof last week. Sometimes, you've got to fall a little on your own before you can pick yourself back up.

(Johnny's apartment - later that night)
Johnny sits in his dark apartment, morose. He stares around the room, where his Ricochet discs and outfits are lying upon the ground. Looking at the computer screen, he remembers about Nekra and the MGH dealer's operation. Finally, he makes his decision. Donning the outfit, he decides to go and stop them. He decides he does need some help, so he calls Mattie who rejects his call because she is still annoyed with him. He calls Chris, who also rejects the call because he is on a date ... with Mickey. As Chris picks up Mickey from her home, she asks if he's heard from Johnny. Chris looks down at the call he just rejected, and says he hasn't heard from him. He feels Johnny needs some time to himself.

Elsewhere, however, Ricochet stands outside the MGH dealer's new base of operations and realizes he's alone. Bitterly, he realizes this is how Hornet felt when he rejected him. Sneaking into the grounds, he secretly gloats about how Chris was wrong about it being a trap. But upon sneaking into the silent lab, he feels Chris may have been right. Johnny walks around the lab, and notices experimental pods all lined up with unconcious women in the water. Horrified, he stares as a pod with a scratches on it, but someone from behind him calls "I knew you'd come ... partner!"

Ricochet turns around and sees a woman carrying swords. The enraged lady attacks Ricochet in revenge, but a confused Ricochet attempts to defend himself. He tells her she must have mistaken him for someone else, but she reveals she came to LA after hearing he lived here. Ricochet finally gets it; she is Delilah, the crazy assassin that teamed up with ... the first Ricochet. He tells her he is the second Ricochet to wear this costume, a new an improved one - like Ricochet 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Delilah doesn't believe him, and Ricochet knows she only hears what she wants to hear. Taking out a Ricochet disc, he realizes that being a super hero is a lot like living in LA - it's not about "What's Now!", but about "What's Next?" It's about anticipating your opponent's moves before they even make them, and that's how your always one step ahead of the game. Ricochet throws the disc, and it crashes through the pod with the scratches. Delilah, confused, doesn't notice Ricochet behind her - he promptly knocks her out. At the same time, stepping out of the crashed experimental pod is the frightening mutant formerly known as Penence, of Generation X, now known as Hollow. Hollow flexes her long claws, glaring at Ricochet. Shocked, Ricochet steps back and realizes that their way of life can be reflected in the names of certain movies as well. Like Psycho. In Cold Blood. And even Death Wish.

Notes:

Since all covers are a parody of a John Hughes film, this cover parodies Ferris Bueller's Day Off, with Ricochet taking over from Matthew Broderick.

Young and the Restless are referenced Guitar Hero. The films Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, Heat, Speed, Boiling Point, Psycho, In Cold Blood and Death Wish.

Hornet's death happened when a possessed Wolverine went on a rampage in Wolverine (3rd series) #23, part of the "Enemy of the State" storyline.

The issue opens with Julie and Johnny in a diner discussing Julie's vast knowledge of burgers from around the world. Johnny asks if Julie's ever bothered by the fact that she doesn't know everything that these alien powers have done to her.

Julie looks away, lies, and changes the topic of coversation to Phil and his new "friend." Johnny responds with a comment that amounts to "friend" being far too generous a title for someone who stabbed Julie, but Julie says she understands that Hollow was just scared and lashed out. Johnny suggests they just call S.H.I.E.L.D. because of all the new laws, but Julie expresses her concern that then they'd just be moving Hollow from one lab to another. She reassures Johnny that Mattie and Mickey are looking into it, as the two of them get into his car.

Johnny replies that he doesn't trust Mattie, but Julie once again steps in to defend someone from Johnny's skepticism. She turns the topic of conversation to what she sees as a sexual relationship developing between Chris and Mickey. Johnny is skeptical, once again, saying he knows his friend and that Chris would never go out with such a "goody-goody." Julie's skeptical of this, stating that Mickey is totally hot and that Julie herself would totally--but she stops herself there, quickly turning the topic of conversation over to how they need to get to the studio for her audition and her nervousness over it. Johnny wants to know what the rest of Julie's original thought toward Mickey is, but instead expresses his skepticism that a girl who's taken on nearly every bad guy on the planet would be so nervous about one little audition. "Super villains are easy," the former Power Pack "Lightspeed" Julie Power retorts.

Still, Johnny agrees to help her pursue her acting career and reassures her that her dream to be a big star is definitely no secret, so that the two of them should go make her dream a reality. The two of them arrive at Marvel Studios.

Meanwhile, Phil washes the dishes in his apartment, wondering about Hollow and her secrets as he glances at her sleeping, curled up form laying on his floor by the TV and couch. Though it's been a few weeks since she started staying with him, she's only ever said that one word, "Like," which she said when they met for the first time. Phil imagines the kiss the two shared at their first encounter to be something much more romantic than it had been, a smile on his face.

He's concerned about all the secrets she's keeping and that concern quickly turns to anguish and fear as he sees an image of the Green Goblin and Hollow, ready to kiss him, in the reflection of one of the plates he's washing. He cries out, "NOO!" and knocks the dishes off the counter violently away from himself. Hollow, startled awake by Phil's outburst, comforts him as best she can when she sees that he is in emotional pain.

Back at Marvel Studios, Julie angrily leaves an audition with the big Hollywood director who's casting for a movie called "Civil War," Johnny in toe. The director told her to get acting lessons, which causes her to launch into an angry tirade in the hallway to Johnny about how that director wouldn't know acting if he had an Oscar shoved up his--but Julie's interrupted by a man who's very impressed with her blunt honesty about Hollywood. Turns out, it's Mark Lowell, one of Johnny's favorite directors.

Mr. Lowell laments the fact that CGI films are becoming more popular, since he's an old-fashioned action flick director who needs to pay all sorts of costs regarding special training and stuntmen. Julie decides she can help this director out, "outting" herself and Johnny as an ex-superheroes. The director agrees to give them jobs as stuntmen, which Julie is totally thrilled about. He does, however, ask them if they are registered with the government regarding their superpowers and status as heroes. Julie hesitates, then says "yup."

Johnny pulls her aside for a moment, asking her if she really thinks this is a good idea. "Sure, I mean why not?" Julie replies, a little miffed. Johnny reminds her how the rest of the group reacted badly to her using her power of flight a few weeks back, but it doesn't deter Julie, who replies that the true purpose of the group is to put their costumed pasts behind them and that's exactly what she's doing by getting this job. Julie turns and shakes the hand of her new boss, while Johnny reluctantly agrees to go along with it.

Meanwhile, at the Griffith Park Obeservatory, Chris begs Mickey to give him another chance, skeptically questioning her on just how many times he has to apologize for becoming Darkhawk again and whether it was really so bad that he did, since he did it for "the right reasons" like busting up a MGH facility. Mickey retorts with a snide question of whether Chris thinks his "good intentions" justifies him using his powers despite their pledge not to anymore.

Chris, as carefully as possible, calls her out on this bit of b.s., reminding her that she was the one who convinced all of them, a few months ago, to put on their costumes and go after "those runaways." Mickey angrily reveals that her real problem is with the fact that Chris and Mattie were doing it together, alone, as opposed to when they went after The Runaways and it was a group trip.

Chris realizes that Mickey is jealous of Chris spending time with Mattie, even though they were just "on patrol" as Chris says, and Mickey admits that it's part of the reason why she's so upset. Chris gets angry that Mickey doesn't trust him enough, but Mickey reassures him that she does trust him, it's just that Mattie rubs her the wrong way, in general.

Chris questions why Mickey doesn't get jealous of the other girl, Julie, and Mickey quickly makes up an excuse about Julie's career obviously being her top priority. Chris tells Mickey that he couldn't care less what Julie's into, because he's into Mickey, not Julie, and the two of them kiss. Afterward, Chris makes a joke about there hopefully being some time it's okay to put costumes on, like, possibly, in the privacy of their own homes. Mickey sees where Chris is going with this and suggests the bedroom. Chris agrees, saying he'd like to see her in spandex.

Back at Marvel Studios: Cult favorite Mark Lowell's latest action flick is being filmed, with Julie Power as the stuntwoman for the actress playing Black Cat and Johnny Gallo as the stuntman for the actor playing Iron Fist. The two engage in an action sequence which ends with Julie falling to her apparent doom -- which is, of course, just a bit of acting on her part, as she saves herself at the last moment with a rainbow cushion.

The director and a cameraman are very pleased with all the money they'll be saving by using ex-superheroes, with Mr. Lowell sleazily adding that there'll be some "fringe benefits" with his latest "discovery" as Julie is lauded by the film crew for her performance. Mr. Lowell ups the compliment ante by saying that she and Johnny are going to be big stars in this town.

This causes the Julie, the eternal dumb blond as far as Johnny knows, to instantly fly off, shouting "Woo hoo!" and claiming she just HAS to go tell her family all about her fame and success. Johnny, meanwhile, is left behind to make excuses to a stunned Mr. Lowell and Mattie, whom he calls and tells her he has to cancel their lunch meeting due to Julie's antics.

Sitting outside at a table with an umbrella hanging over it, with her laptop in front of her, Mattie is polite enough to Johnny while she's on the phone with him, but calls him an idiot in frustration after she gets off the phone with him. She's looking at a web article whose headline reads "Costumed Casualty After Manhattan Massacre: Murdered Hero Was ESU Student."

Elsewhere, flying through the skyscrapers of Hollywood in the Black Cat suit, Julie enthusiastically tells her sister Katie about her success, who in turn quickly picks up on the fact that Julie's using her powers because she can hardly hear her over all the wind. Julie lies, claiming she's just driving with the window down, and lands near the Hollywood sign. After a short conversation, Katie expresses her concern that Julie is letting her whole "dumb blond" act go to her head. She reminds Julie that Julie is her older sister and that she used to be the smart, responsible one; Katie further wonders when Julie will start acting that part again.

Later on, Julie is changing back into regular clothes in a trailer when there's a knock at the door. It's Mark Lowell, Mr. Director, wanting to collect on some of those "fringe benefits" before and stating how he has the power. Julie decides to show him who really has the power in the trailer and blasts him with a rainbow beam, sending him hurdling out of the trailer. Director Lowell shouts at her that there are laws now to protect people from superpowered freaks like her and suggests he might call the police. Julie replies that he should go ahead and call the police, so that they can explain the laws protecting minors like her from predators like him. Mr. Lowell is shocked to discover that Julie is underage, saying that he assumed--but Julie cuts him off there, saying that he assumed the persona she put on was the real her. Hard to believe it took a dirtbag director like him to realize it, she further states, but she realizes now that it's time to drop the act.

She returns to the roof she jumped off of a few weeks ago, remembering what she said about being tired of living a lie and wanting to be free. That's still true, but she decides that maybe this time it's time to take a step back and keep her feet on the ground, to see what it's really like living without lies. She turns away and walks over the roof towards the exit, the wind blowing through her hair.

Later on, at one of the group's regular meetings at Holy Trinity Church, she confesses to the group that she hasn't been honest with them about who she is. She says that she's had to lie about her powers since she was ten, along with the rest of her siblings, and passes around a photograph of herself with Katie, Alex, and Jack Power as little kids. She confesses that maybe she's gotten too used to lying and that it's too easy to lie to herself. She asks them for a new beginning and reintroduces herself once again as Julie Power.

The others welcome her into the group, ready to give her another chance, but the moment is interrupted by a familiar female voice. She is happy with how they list their meetings online because it's easier for her to find and kill them... and with that Nekra bursts into the room!

Collects The Loners 2007 six-issue miniseries, with concept art extras provided by Loners' penciler Karl Moline.

An addiction to spandex is hard to kick. In this miniseries, the support group formerly known as Excelsior attempts to deal with their demons and steer clear of a dangerous MGH (Mutant Growth Hormone) ring that has shady connections to the seedy Fujikawa Industries, run by Fuyumi Fujikawa.

Character Appearances note: some characters appear only briefly, in flashbacks, and/or photographs.

Special Thanks to John Hughes

Overview

Clothes make the man. At least that's what Tony Stark seems to think. Transformed by his experiences during "The Other" saga, Peter Parker stands poised for the next chapter of his life. And to mark the occasion, Tony has got a very special present: a new Spider-Man costume that's certain to raise eyebrows!                  

The Road to Civil War

*heat vision

*rocket boosters

*carbon filters around mouth to keep out toxins

*microwave GPS comunication system

*titanium chest plate