The real Civil War

The President gets Tony Stark in.

Prez: I just had a visit from a group of mutants. Charles Xavier and some of his crew.

Stark: What about?

Prez: That's not the point. No invitation, no warning. They came, unannounced. Security never knew they were there. Nobody knew they were there. Nobody knew they left. Nothing on video even.

Stark: I can see that they really rankled you.

Prez stops in his tracks

Prez: Rankled? RANKLED? They came to me like they had every right to. They came to me as if I owed it to them to see them. They came to me on their terms. They tried to push me around. And I couldn't do a thing about it.

Stark: You could have SHIELD arrest them.

Prez: Not an option. We would have bodies on our doorstep in ours, dropped off by disgruntled mutants who think we're attacking mutants at random. My word only, no tape, no witnesses. Not good politics.

Stark: Sir, let me be blunt: are you talking about reinstituting Project :WideAwake?

Prez: This isn't about mutants. How many other superhumans could have done the same thing? You could. That's why I need you.

Stark: What for? To prevent this from happening again?

Prez: Every day I wonder if someone in America is going to get killed by the actions of a paranormal. If some mutant or technical wizard or freak will get angry and turn off a bank tellers mind, or convince a corporation that all of its revenue needs to be placed in a Swiss Bank Account. We've become complacent, we're giving up our soveriegnty to superhumans.

Stark: What are you proposing?

Prez: No longer can these people walk outside the law, above it. We need to show them that they are not more important than any other American. We need to act to get them all in line.

Stark: Even me?

Prez: Most importantly you. I'm proposing an Act in Congress tomorrow to force anyone with potentially lethal or criminal abilities to be registered, to be monitored by the government. The public is with us, polls show that clearly.

Stark: I don't see how you can take away the civil liberties of a Reed Richards or Steve Rogers just because they're smart or skilled.

Prez: We keep track of uranium, scientists, poison wastes. If it can harm our public, we do follow-up. The greater the danger posed, the tighter the restrictions. Why should people like Rogers or Richards be any different?

Stark: What exactly are you asking of me?

Prez: To be my point man on this.

Stark: Why not choose Captain America?

Prez: He's already a government man. Having him in charge would weaken our position. We need someone outside the government to lead, someone with credibility, someone they can trust.

Stark: Me?

Prez: Sure you're Iron Man. But you're an alcoholic, an Avenger, an industrialist, a playboy, a regular human. If you argue in favor of limits, a free spirited hero, then those vigilantes who look up to you will follow suit.

Stark: It may not be that easy. You're talking about putting every superpowered individual in the nation under surveillance. For committing no crime.

Prez: Nobody asked Spider-Man to be a vigilante. He could have joined the police and acted within the law. But he chooses to act like a bounty hunter. And don't talk to me about him not being paid to do so. We don't let gunslingers walk the streets like they own them. Why him, or anyone like him?

Stark: You're asking a lot.

Prez: I want every American without powers to be able to sleep knowing that their government is watching out for them. That the unelected Prowler next door won't be running their town tomorrow. That some Spider-Woman won't steal their baby. We fight crime and terrorists every day. I was assaulted by Xavier and can't do a damn thing about it. He could be reading our minds right now and what could we do? We need these people registered, evaluated, and limited. We can't allow them to think that the future belongs to them, as that means everyone else has no future.

Stark: I can't do this alone. I'll need a lot of people on board ASAP. Monitoring and evaluating on this level will require more than just Stark technology, it'll require enforcers, p.r. people, spin doctors, people to lead and be the face of this 'democracy'. It won't be subtle and it can't be, either. If we're to accomplish what you're asking we'll need to move quickly to show people why it's good.

Prez: Who do you need? What?

Stark: I need the Fantastic Four. I need people like Spider-Man on-side before the Act is announced. I....

Prez: We don't want this debated in the superhero community before we debate it in Congress. If you go around telling people what we intent they'll use their imagination and we'll have trouble that we can avoid.

Stark: We'll be subtle, trust me. Stark Industries and SHIELD will cooperate to get the surveillance and tracking coordinated. SHIELD has the ability to run the evaluations already but I doubt they'll be happy about being told to put so much manpower into it. Richards and I can come up with alternatives in case paranormals don't register. Some won't, they'll paint it as a personal freedom issue. They'll find each other. They'll put up a fight. It may get violent.

Prez: That will only prove our point. If they can't act like responsible adults and be licensed, they shouldn't be treated like adults. Keep this quiet. ONLY people you KNOW will be on-side. Believe me, this will be law tomorrow, Congress will push this through and I'll sign it into effect by midnight tomorrow night. There's no stopping this, the people of America are demanding this. Canada already has such an act...

Stark: But it's pretty light-handed, sign up or we'll make you sign up, then go on your way. Giving blood is about as strenuous up there.

Prez: Nevertheless, they have one and we'll have a better one. Get started. I don't want a debate or blood on my hands.

Stark gets the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and a few other assorted heroes to publicly sign up and promote the Act as a good thing. The first few people 'forced' to sign up are friends who decide to play along and some criminals, to show the intention of the Act; Stark convinces the President that mutants need a grace period, the Prez agrees reluctantly. Most mutants don't want to sign up but many do, agreeing with Bishop that this gives them leverage in case someone pushes the Sentinel button later on.

The Prez is right, some people automatically refuse to be licensed like 'dogs and guns', and they do organize, with mutant help. Initially little bad happens but then the New Warriors, who haven't signed, go after Nitro et al and wind up getting killed, plus the 600. The Act immediately gains massive public support. Anyone who doesn't register and get evaluated and licensed will be arrested, just like anyone trying to get on a plane with a gun. Superheroes who refuse to sign on are lead by Bruce Banner, the Young Avengers, and Charles Xavier, who either believe that the Act is a first step in turning them into soldiers, that it's a slippery slope to Sentinels, or that freedom comes first.

Like Marvel's Civil War it gets nasty and the pucblic turns on heroes as vigilantes and power-hungry individuals. Spider-Man does change sides as does the Thing and a handfull of other heroes but they are vastly outnumbered. Some leave the country, some stay to fight. As in Civil War #7 the nonregistering heroes release captured heroes from prison and a big fight ensues, killing the Punisher, She-Hulk, some minor heroes, Sentry, and Jean Grey (who just got resurrected only hours before). When the dust settles Xavier is dead, the Act is alive and well, and most every hero is either registered, out of the country, or on the run. The few on the run include three of the Runaways, Spider-Man (their unofficial mentor, given his time as public enemy #1 in New York when he was younger), the Hulk, Human Torch, and Darkhawk (the unlicensed mutants are still under the grace period). The President is re-elected with a great majority.

The remnants of Alpha Flight have to deal with the hordes coming north. They do their best and allow some heroes to join their ranks (Arachne, Scorpion, and Blizzard do). Once things are under control they go after SHIELD for not giving them intel on Postman Mike. Director Hill says SHIELD should extend America's Act into Canada, so Talisman downs the helicarrier and gives her the bill for AF funerals and survivors' benefits.

Stark and Richards/Sue Storm become great buds. Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Invisible Woman, Falcon, and the Thing are the Avengers. Force Works is restarted with War Machine, Doc Ock, Venom, Green Goblin, Emma Frost, Mystique, Speed Demon, and Spider-Woman as the team to 'put the hammer down', the violence that must be done.

Alpha Flight is made up of Guardian (Adrian Corbo), Talisman, Saquatch, Aurora and Northstar, and Box. Arachne does not stick around long, Blizzard leaves soon after, both go south to join the black-ops Thunderbolts with Songbird, Rage, Atlas, Mach V, and Fixer. Only Scorpion stays with AF.