Civil War II

Captain Marvel vs. Iron Man (Civil War II)

From: Civil War II #8

Captain America (Sam Wilson) vs. U.S. Agent (Sam Wilson, Captain America #13, 2016 ~ Civil War II)

The character John Walker was first introduced as the super villain Super-Patriot in Captain America #323. Mark Gruenwald created Walker to counter the general message in Captain America of patriotism being invariably good, describing him as someone who embodied patriotism in a way that Captain America didn’t—a patriotic villain.

After a return appearance in Captain America #327, Gruenwald reintroduced him as the new Captain America in issue #333. Though Gruenwald said he would not have done this if it had not been a logical development from the preceding storylines, he also openly acknowledged that the motivating reason for replacing Steve Rogers as Captain America was to boost sales:

John Walker’s installation as Captain America indeed provided a major boost to the series’s sales and he remained the main character of Captain America for issues 333 through 350, during which his character generally becomes more heroic. In Captain America #354 he is given another name and costume change, this time as U.S. Agent using a discarded costume of Steve Rogers (the original Captain America), a black outfit with a different alignment of the stars and stripes to differentiate it from Steve Rogers’ suit.

Like some West Coast Avengers teammates who had their own series (such as Iron Man, or Hawkeye in Solo Avengers), the character U.S. Agent was popular enough to earn his own limited series in 1993. The mini-series was used to finish off a long-standing Marvel Universe plot thread involving the Scourge of the Underworld.

Backstory:

John Walker was born in the fictional town of Custer’s Grove, Georgia. He grew up idolizing his older brother, Mike, a helicopter pilot who died in the Vietnam War. John wanted to honor his brother’s memory by enlisting in the military, becoming a soldier himself.

After John received an honorable discharge from the United States Army, he was told by a friend about the Power Broker, a mysterious individual who gave people superhuman abilities. Walker and his friend received treatments that granted him superhuman abilities…

From:

Sam Wilson – Captain America #13 (2016)

Writer: Nick Spencer

Artist: Daniel Acuna

Letters: VC’s Joe Caramagna

Hawkeye Kills Bruce Banner (Civil War II)

From: Civil War #3 (2016)

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: David Marquez

Colorist: Justin Ponsor

War Machine, Captain Marvel, She-Hulk and Black Panther vs. Thanos (Civil War II)

From: Civil War II (Free Comic Book Day, May 2007)

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Jim Cheung

Colorist: Justin Ponsor

The Terrigen Mists cover The Ohio State University. (Civil War II)

Title: Civil War #0 (2016)

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Olivier Coipel

Colorist: Justin Ponsor

What are the Terrigen Mists?

The Terrigen Mist is a natural mutagen, arising as a vapor from the Terrigen Crystals, which are able to alter Inhuman biology. The Mists were discovered by the Inhuman geneticist Randac approximately 25,000 years ago. He immersed himself in the Mists and gained mental powers comparable to the Eternals. Sometimes the mutated subjects gain superhuman abilities; Medusa, Black Bolt, and Kamala Khan are three examples of this.

However, in the past, uncontrolled exposure to the Mists (due in part to Randac wishing for all the Inhumans to undergo Terrigen treatment or Terrigenesis) mutated the majority of the Inhuman population into hideously deformed monsters. After centuries of eugenics and birth control, the Inhumans managed to mitigate the genetic damage and cultivated a more responsible use of the Terrigen Mists. The practice they developed was to let only genetically perfect specimens undergo the random mutations provoked by the Mists.

Their theory was that genetic screening could avoid the risk of hideous and animal mutations in an individual. However, there are examples throughout the Inhumans’ canon where an exposed Inhuman became a devolved, sometimes mindless, evolutionarily inferior throw-back. The term Alpha Primitives was coined for these unfortunate outcasts of Inhuman society, who would for centuries become the breeding stock of a slave race. Resentment at this caste system sometimes bubbles up, and the Alpha Primitives have tried to overthrow their rulers in multiple storylines, often as a result of manipulation by a third party.

War Machine is offered the position of Secretary of Defense. (Civil War II)

From: Civil War II #0 (2016)

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Olivier Coipel

Colorist: Justin Ponsor

Civil War II is an upcoming comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that is scheduled to debut in June 2016. It is the sequel to 2006’s “Civil War” and consists of an eight issue eponymous core limited series, by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artists Olivier Coipel, David Marquez and Justin Ponsor, and a number of tie-in books.

Functioning as an allegory about the nature of determinism versus free will, the story sees opposing factions of superheroes led by Captain Marvel and Iron Man come into conflict when a new super powered person emerges with the ability to predict the future.

Plot: In New York City, defense attorney She-Hulk loses an entrapment case against Jonathan Powers. Elsewhere, War

Machine is offered the position of Secretary of Defense by the President of the United States, and Captain Marvel, struggling with the pressures of her duties, is analyzed by Doc Samson. Meanwhile, Ulysses and Michelle, students at Ohio State University, are exposed to the Terrigen Mist. When Ulysses emerges he has a vision of a dystopian future

At the Triskelion, Medusa and Crystal introduce Ulysses to Captain Marvel, War Machine, and Black Panther. There, Ulysses has a premonition that the villain Thanos is coming. The heroes take Thanos down by surprise when he arrives at his destination, but She-Hulk and War Machine are severely injured during the fight.

Key Players:

Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers): Cosmically powered super hero. Leader of Alpha Flight. Earth’s first line of defense against extraterrestrial attack.