In 2006 and 2007, Marvel Comics' event of choice was Civil War. It was a mess, with Tony Stark being a dick and Captain America trying to punch out legislation because the tactical genius who embodies American democracy couldn't think of a better way to overturn a law he didn't like. Like most events, a few unmissed characters died, important characters have since had their mean behavior explained away (extremis), and no one really talks much about it anymore.
We were promised an even-handed version of post-9/11 America, and got...well, a comic book treatise on post-9/11 America, with all of the subtlety that implies. We got a few words from 40-something white guys on how important standing up for freedom is, even when it's really, really hard and Captain America gave his dumbest speech since I started reading comics:
In the end, Captain America gave up because the people (five "the people," technically) were against him and jesus, he didn't want his principled, uncompromising struggle to actually hurt anyone, especially anyone that wasn't Tony Stark's smug, bastard face.
We were promised an even-handed version of post-9/11 America, and got...well, a comic book treatise on post-9/11 America, with all of the subtlety that implies. We got a few words from 40-something white guys on how important standing up for freedom is, even when it's really, really hard and Captain America gave his dumbest speech since I started reading comics:
"Do not check yourself; wreck yourself."
In the end, Captain America gave up because the people (five "the people," technically) were against him and jesus, he didn't want his principled, uncompromising struggle to actually hurt anyone, especially anyone that wasn't Tony Stark's smug, bastard face.
