"Civil War" | |||
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Cover of Civil War 7 (Jan 2007). Art by Steven McNiven.
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Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||
Publication date | July 2006 – January 2007 | ||
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Main character(s) |
Iron Man Captain America Spider-Man Fantastic Four Marvel Universe |
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Creative team | |||
Writer(s) | Mark Millar | ||
Penciller(s) | Steve McNiven | ||
Inker(s) | Dexter Vines | ||
Colorist(s) | Morry Hollowell | ||
Civil War | ISBN |
Civil War is a 2006–2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline consisting of a seven-issue limited series of the same name written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, and various other tie-in books published by Marvel at the time. The storyline builds upon the events that developed in previous Marvel storylines, particularly "Avengers Disassembled", "House of M", and "Decimation". The tagline for the series is, "Whose Side Are You On?"
The plot of the series follows a framework story line in which the U.S. government passes a Superhero Registration Act, ostensibly designed to have super powered individuals act under official regulation, somewhat akin to law enforcement. However, superheroes opposed to the act, led by Captain America, find themselves in conflict with those supporting the act, led by Iron Man, with Spider-Man caught in the middle; the X-Men take a neutral stance. The superheroes in support of the law, such as Iron Man, Dr. Reed Richards, and Ms. Marvel, become increasingly authoritarian. In the aftermath of the war, Captain America surrenders and is imprisoned. The conflict between freedom and security is an underlying theme in the story line, with real-life events and discussions, such as the U.S. government's increased surveillance of its citizens, serving as a backdrop for the events in Civil War. A sequel, Civil War II, debuted in June 2016.
The series received polarized reviews but was a commercial success. The series is the basis for the Marvel Studios film Captain America: Civil War, which likewise features Captain America and Iron Man in opposition to each other.