Captain America Revealed the One Thing Iron Man Got Right During Marvel’s Civil War
Captain America just admitted the one thing Iron Man got right during Civil War — and it could be a good idea for the pair going forward.
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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Captain America/Iron Man #2, now on sale
Iron Man may be a typically well-intentioned hero, but many of his plans have backfired. Even the rest of the hero community has admitted as much during the Devil’s Reign crossover event. But there’s one move the hero made that even his biggest philosophical opposite can admit was a good (if misguided) one.
In Captain America/Iron Man #2 (by Derek Landy, Angel Unzueta, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Joe Caramagna), Steve Rogers reveals there is one aspect of Civil War that he thinks Iron Man got right. If the pair continue to work together, they could even find a way to improve upon the concept going forward.
Captain America and Iron Man have butted heads multiple times over the years, but their most infamous confrontation came as a result of Civil War. The Mark Millar/Steve McNiven series saw the two Avengers lead different factions of heroes against one another over the question of superhero registration. The debate eventually exploded into outright conflict. The fallout saw Captain America’s allies on the run while Rogers himself was shot dead. Meanwhile, Iron Man became one of Marvel’s most powerful figures. With his newfound capabilities, Tony Stark established (among other things) the Fifty-State Initiative. The program created a superhero team for each state in the United States, trained and authorized by the US Government. In theory, it was a massive advancement for the superhero team.
In the modern day, Captain America and Iron Man have reaffirmed their friendship and are even working together directly in Captain America/Iron Man. But as they investigate the apparent corruption of a former Initiative recruit, Captain America admits that he actually likes the idea behind the teams. He’s quick to admit that he still doesn’t like how Iron Man did it — reminding him about the dangers of government control. But Captain America believes the intention to create a massive, national Avengers roster was a good one. The pair have tried to expand the Avengers in the past, with the large roster at the heart of the extended “Avengers World” period an indicator of how successful it could be. Together, perhaps they could have made the Fifty-State Initiative a more long-lasting addition to the universe.
With a global Avengers apparatus, the team turned the Earth into a galactic leader against the Builders in Infinity. The expanded alliance was a major boon for the Avengers, and the Fifty-State Initiative could have been the start to that. Captain America has always endorsed the idea of heroes spanning the country and working together. His recent national tour in The United States of Captain America showcased his commitment to that idea. Captain America also often sees the importance of mentoring a new generation of heroes. Steve Rogers has been portrayed as an important icon and mentor in the past, and the Fifty-States Initiative could have benefited from his leadership. With his help, the program could have theoretically become a benchmark of the Avengers in the Marvel Universe.
In the aftermath of the event cycle Civil War was a part of — leading to the events of Secret Invasion, World War Hulk, Dark Reign, and finally, Siege — many of Stark’s moves were reversed. But even Rogers can see the strength in one idea. The Fifty-State Initiative was a clever way for Marvel to introduce fresh faces, giving them an easy way to interact with other heroes. Unlike something like Avengers Academy, the Fifty-State Initiative treated the heroes as their own heroes and trained entire teams that could help in all kinds of disasters. In effect, it could have been the National Guard of the Avengers instead of an arm of the government. It’d be interesting to see Captain America and Iron Man even revisit the idea in light of the multiversal threats occurring in Avengers.
Brandon Zachary is an Associate Writer with Comic Book Resources and has written for CBR since 2018. He covers breakouts on comics, film, television, video games, and anime. He also conducts industry interviews, is a Rotten Tomatoes certified film critic, and knows SO MUCH about the X-Men. For requests, comments, or to hear his pitch for a third Avatar series that incorporates robots, you can contact him through [email protected].
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