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View Full Version : Is Hero Registration Such A New Idea In The MU?


The Confessor
09-07-2006, 04:33 PM
I hope posting this thread is OK, I searched through the forum for similar threads and couldn't see any, so hopefully it's cool?

I was reading the 'Countdown' story arc in Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol.2 #6 - #10) earlier today and was surprised to see that in the third part (#8) there's an interesting reference to the idea of hero registration.

The basic premise of this story is that Dr. Octopus has kidnapped the Palestinian Foreign Minister while he was visiting New York. Doc Ock then threatens to kill his hostage unless Spider-Man walks into Times Square and takes off his mask for the whole world to see. (It's actually a bit more involved than that, but you get the general idea)

Anyway, there's a scene in a television studio where politicians, military officials, and Reed Richards have gathered to discuss the situation and one of the panelists makes the suggestion that if heroes were registered this situation would never have happened. It's also interesting to see Reed Richards showing a somewhat different opinion to the idea of Hero registration than he has in Civil War.

Anyway, this particular scene got me thinking, I wonder if the idea of official Hero Registration has ever come up in any other Marvel comics in years gone by? Is this scene a deliberate piece of foreshadowing (two years before the event) on Marvel's part or just wild coincidence?

Can any one think of any other time before the whole CW thing started when this subject has cropped up in Marvel comics?

Anyway, here's the relevant panels from Spectacular Spider-Man #8...(Dig Reed Richards FF tie! :) )

http://img430.imageshack.us/img430/3962/ssm801uq4.jpg

http://img330.imageshack.us/img330/2091/ssm802fg8.jpg

Joe Acro
09-07-2006, 05:24 PM
Well, Countdown wasn't that great a story (just look at that art:( ), but I'm glad you brought this up. I had almost entirely forgotten that such a discussion took place. Thanks for reminding me.

As for if there were other references previously in Marvel history, I'd say the Mutant Registration Act is the most easily recognizable.

bulbasteve
09-07-2006, 05:35 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registration_Acts_(comics)

Seems it happened A LOT.

Kirk G
09-07-2006, 08:58 PM
WHO keeps writing these comic related definitions for Wikipedia?
This is an AMAZING amount of research! I'm impressed.

mybotisgone
09-07-2006, 11:16 PM
WHO keeps writing these comic related definitions for Wikipedia?
This is an AMAZING amount of research! I'm impressed.
Wikipedia is done by every one or anyone. Here see what it says about itself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia

And for more info. Here's info on S.H.I.E.L.D. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Confessor
09-08-2006, 03:17 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registration_Acts_(comics)

Seems it happened A LOT.


Nice to see that they've mentioned the existance of Superhero Registration in the Astro City book. I was always secretly of the opinion that this was where Marvel got the whole Hero Registration idea from...but it looks as if it's something that Marvel have toyed with long before Astro City existed.


Wikipedia is done by every one or anyone.


...and in my experience that's both it's strength and it's weakness. Not everything in a wikipedia article is necessarily correct...like anything on the internet really.

I've only been involved in editing one wikipedia article and that was about 60s band The Byrds. I was compelled to do so after seeing that the article originally listed John Denver as a one time band member! :eek:

John Denver? Mr. 'Annie's Song'...in the Byrds?!!

I don't think so.