In Marvel Comics' fictional Marvel Universe, the Registration Acts - the Mutant Registration Act (or MRA) and Super-human Registration Act (SRA or sometimes SHRA) - are legislative bills which, when passed into law, enforce the mandatory registration of super-powered individuals with the government. Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Entertainment, Inc. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bold textJAMES CHECKLEY Legislation (or statutory law) is law which has been promulgated (or enacted) by a legislature or other governing body. ... Licensure refers to the granting of a license (in the US, whilst, elsewhere the term registration is used), usually to work in a particular profession. ... A superpower is a state with the ability to influence events or project power on a wide scale. ...

As their names suggest the Mutant Registration Act and the Super-human Registration Act deal with the registration of mutants and of super-humans respectively. Numerous versions of each bill have been proposed at different times and in different jurisdictions in the Marvel Universe. The idea of a mutant is a common trope in comic books and science fiction. ... A superhuman is an entity with intelligence or abilities exceeding normal human standards. ...

The concept has most extensively explored in comic books, though a version of them has featured in both the original X-Men animated series and the X-Men films . A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... The X-Men Animated Series debuted in the 1992-1993 season on the Fox Network. ... X-Men is a United States action movie, first released in Australia on 13 July 2000. ...

The first mention of the broad concept was in Uncanny X-Men #141 (January, 1981). The term "Registration Act" was first used in Uncanny X-Men #181 (May, 1984). The Uncanny X-Men is a Marvel Comics series featuring an eponymous group of mutant superheroes, published from 1963 to present day. ...

A newly-passed into law Super-human Registration Act is a major plot point in Marvel's 2006 crossover limited series Civil War. A plot point is a significant or overt action or moment within a plot that creates obstacles, raises the stakes, articulates theme, or complicates things for a protagonist trying to reach an ... A fictional crossover occurs when otherwise separated fictional characters, stories, settings, universes, or media meet and interact with each other. ... The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... It has been suggested that Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways be merged into this article or section. ...

The issue that the government might seek to regulate the activities of super-heroes has also been explored in other comics, such as those featuring the Justice Society of America, in Watchmen, in Astro City and in Powers, as well as in films such as The Return Of Captain Invincible (1983) and The Incredibles (2004) and in the role-playing game Brave New World (1999) and the MMORPG City of Heroes. A superhero is a fictional character who is noted for feats of courage and nobility and who usually has a colorful name and costume and abilities beyond those of normal human beings. ... The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. ... Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. ... Astro City, vol. ... Ad for Powers Vol. ... The Return Of Captain Invincible (also known as Legend in Leotards) is a 1983 comedy and fantasy film starring Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee. ... It has been suggested that Operation Kronos be merged into this article or section. ... A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create narratives. ... Brave New World is a role playing game originally released by Pinnacle Entertainment Group in 1999, but sold to Alderac Entertainment Group in 2000. ... Players interacting in Ultima Online. ... City of Heroes (CoH) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing computer game based on the superhero comic book genre, developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCSoft. ...

The Registration Acts as a concept

Publication history

The idea that super-powered individuals might need to be "registered" by the government was first raised in specific relation to mutants. In Uncanny X-Men #141, (written by Chris Claremont and John Byrne) the concept is briefly suggested. In that issue the term "Registration Act" is not used, but one character (Moira MacTaggert) brings up the notion of "registration". In reference to a politician whom she suspects of anti-mutant bigotry she says: Chris Claremont (born November 30, 1950 in London, England, United Kingdom) is a comic book writer, best known for his 16-year (1976-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industrys most successful properties. ... John Byrne. ... Dr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert (sometimes spelled MacTaggart, McTaggart, or McTaggert) is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. ... A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles or identities differing from his or her own. ...

"Registration today, gas chambers tomorrow".

The same issue features mention of the "Mutant Control Act", however it is left unclear exactly what that legislation involves and whether some form of registration is a part of it.

The term "Mutant Registration Act" was first fully used in Uncanny X-Men #181, by writer Chris Claremont. As the MRA (as it became known) was passed into law in the Marvel Universe it became widely used as a subplot, plot device or background element across Marvel's entire line of titles, especially those featuring mutants (such as Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor and New Mutants) during the late-1980s. A subplot is a series of connected actions within a work of narrative that function separately from the main plot. ... A plot device is a person or an object introduced to a story to affect or advance the plot. ... For other uses of this term see X Factor X-Factor is a Marvel comic book series, published from 1985 until 1998. ... New Mutants is the name of two comic book series, published by Marvel Comics. ...

In the early 1990s Chris Claremont left the X-titles and the topic of the MRA began to appear much more rarely in stories. It was still occasionally mentioned, though usually in the past tense, suggesting that it was repealed at some point (though this was never clearly shown) or that it simply ceased to be actively enforced.

However, in an interview regarding the Civil War: X-Men limited series its writer David Hine suggested that it is still law in the Marvel Universe, stating that in the series the idea of bringing "the Mutant Registration Act in line with the SRA" will be discussed. [1] David Hine is an English comic book writer. ...

The idea of an equivalent piece of legislation for non-mutant super-powered individuals - a Super-human Registration Act - was first raised in comics that were published during the "Acts of Vengeance" crossover in 1990. The issue was most fully explored in Fantastic Four #335-336 by writer Walter Simonson. In the course of the story the issue was apparently resolved with the proposed Act being shelved. Category: Possible copyright violations ... The Fantastic Four is Marvel Comics flagship superhero team, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuting in The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. ... Walter or, usually, Walt Simonson is a comic book writer and artist. ...

The concept was then revived in 1993 in Alpha Flight (vol. 1) #120 (May, 1993) by writer Simon Furman. In that issue a "Super-powers Registration Act" becomes law in Canada and went on to be a major plot point in the remainder of the series. However later Alpha Flight series did not make use of the concept. Alpha Flight is a Marvel Comics superhero team, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. ... Simon Furman is the writer of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel Comics UK, Marvel US, and Dreamwave. ...

In 2006 the concept was again revived by writer Mark Millar as the main plot point in Marvel's 2006 Civil War crossover. In preparation for that storyline a new version of the Super-human Registration Act has been widely mentioned across various Marvel titles, with the issue being most widely discussed and explored in Amazing Spider-Man #529 - 531 (April - June, 2006) by writer J. Michael Straczynski. Mark Millar (born December 24, 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer born in Coatbridge. ... The Amazing Spider-Man is the title of both a comic book published by Marvel Comics and a daily newspaper comic strip. ... J. Michael Straczynski Joseph Michael Straczynski (born July 17, 1954) is an award-winning American writer/producer of television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. ...

Issues, allegories and metaphors

The issue has generally been portrayed in broad terms as being a debate between the rights of the individual (to freedom of action and expression etc.) on one side versus the rights of society at large (to safety from danger or harm) on the other. Does the super-powered individual (mutant or otherwise) have an absolute right to their abilities or does society have a right to constrain or at least monitor them and their expression of those abilities?

Debate on the topic of the registration of super-heroes or mutants as presented in Marvel Comics has generally tended to be slanted in favor of the anti-registration argument, due to the fact that the protagonists of the comics are the powered individuals - the people whose freedoms might be compromised by any such law. The protagonist or main character is the central figure of a story. ...

As such the issue has most often been explored in a civil rights context, with the various Acts portrayed as persecutory measures seeking to legislate against a minority group whose minority status is basically innate - an obvious parallel with the struggle of many minority groups against prejudice. Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... A minority or subordinate group is a sociological group that does not constitute a politically dominant plurality of the total population of a given society. ... For with(out) prejudice in law, see Prejudice (law). ...

This was especially been the case in the X-Men stories of Chris Claremont, in which the "Act" pertains to mutants (the MRA). The plight of mutants has traditionally been used as an allegory for the struggles of real world minorities such as African Americans and in Claremont's (and other contemporary comic writers in the 1980s) stories the passing of the Mutant Registration Act is generally treated as a negative development, a harbinger of a more repressive climate for mutants, foreshadowing the possible post-apocalyptian future first shown in the "Days of Future Past" storyline. The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ... Cover to Uncanny X-Men #141. ...

When the topic of the original Super-human Registration Act is debated in Fantastic Four #335-336 the issue is explored in a national security context, with the utility of such a law being challenged. In the comics the Fantastic Four argue that super-heroes are already a hugely benevolent force for society and such an act would be unnecessary and possibly counter-productive. Security measures taken to protect the Houses of Parliament in London, England. ...

When the issue of an SRA was raised again in Amazing Spider-Man #529 - 531 the prospect of a new SRA is explored once more from a security perspective, with reference being made to the fact that individual super-powered individuals often wield abilities which have massively destructive potential for use, making some mechanism to regulate their activities necessary. As such comparisons and allusions are made to real world issues such as gun control and arms control. The term gun politics refers to the various public policy debates surrounding the freedom or restriction (gun rights versus gun control) of private ownership and usage of firearms, and to what extent such policy influences crime and the balance of power between the individual and the state. ... Arms control is a broad term alluding to a range of political concepts and aims. ...

The writer of Civil War, Mark Millar, has stated that that storyline will explore the "civil rights" implications of the SHR as previous stories have done, but will also explore the other side of the argument in more depth, in particular how Marvel super-heroes are, absent a SRA, illegal vigilantes, lacking proper legal authority or oversight.[2] A vigilante is someone who takes enforcement of law or moral code into his or her own hands. ...

Terms of the Registration Acts

The terms of the various Registration Acts (previous to the 2006 Super-Human Registration Act) have been vaguely and inconsistently portrayed in the comic books.

One aspect of the Acts which has been consistently depicted is their requirement that super-powered individuals surrender their real names to the authorities. For a lot of characters this would obviously entail the loss of their secret identities. For other uses of this term, please see Secret identity (disambiguation). ...

However, it has been unclear in depictions of the Acts (previous to the 2006 SRA) exactly what, outside of the loss of anonymity, "registration" entails - whether it is enacted to enable the government to monitor all powered individuals or whether it is drafted to facilitate the government's licensing and/or employment of individuals who are actively using their powers.

It has also been unclear whether the terms of the Acts compel all individuals with mutant or superhuman abilities to register with the government or whether only those individuals who wish to use those abilities actively need register. Further unclear is whether registration means that powered individuals are required to simply report their details to the government or whether registration entails an approval process where the powered individual must fulfill some requirements or meet some criteria before they are allowed to fully use their abilities.

The provisions of the 2006 version of the Super-human Registration Act Act have been more specifically outlined. In a June 2006 interview [3] Civil War editor Tom Brevoort confirmed that registrants to the act have to reveal their identities to the government (but not the public) and they have to undergo some basic testing and/or training and satisfy certain (as yet unspecified) standards before they gain legal authorisation to continue to use their abilities to fight crime. Government employment is not mandatory, though it is available to those who wish to take it. Tom Brevoort has worked in the comics industry as an editor. ...

What happens to those individuals who fail to gain authorisation to continue their activities (whether they can legally use their abilities at all, for instance) and the penalties for those who refuse to register is expected to be revealed in future issues of Civil War.

Fictional history of the Registration Acts

Mutant Control Act

The first direct mention of a piece of legislation specifically aimed at super-humans in the Marvel Universe comes in Uncanny X-Men #141 (January, 1981) in which the "Mutant Control Act", a law from the future, is mentioned.

In the course of the story, the first part of the two-part "Days of Future Past" storyline, Kate Pryde psychically travels back in time from a dystopian future to the present and possesses the body of her younger self, X-Men member Kitty Pryde. On revealing herself to Kitty's team-mates she recounts to them the series of events which led to her dark future, in the hopes that the X-Men might be able to prevent those events from coming to pass. Shadowcat (Katherine Kitty Pryde) is a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

One of those pivotal events was the passing of a "Mutant Control Act" by the government of the United States. When the Supreme Court found the law unconstitutional the government responded by reactivating their robot Sentinel program so that they might police the mutant race. The Sentinels interpreted their mandate in such a way that they decided to forcibly take over the government of the country and instituted a harsh regime where mutants were severely persecuted. ... The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the judicial branch of the United States federal government. ... The Sentinels are a type of fictional robot in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

The reference to the Mutant Control Act is brief and it is unclear exactly what its provisions would entail, though it would appear that registration forms at least one part of it.

In the course of the story the X-Men are successful in preventing one of the pivotal events which Pryde had described to them (the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly) from occurring, though the story's end is intentionally ambiguous as to whether Pryde's dystopian future was fully avoided. Although no Mutant Control Act has been introduced in the comics, the Mutant Registration Act may be its equivalent and the events of "Days of Future Past" continue to be alluded to in X-Men comics as a possible future. The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... Robert Kelly is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. ...

Mutant Registration Act

Registration as a concept is first mentioned in Uncanny X-Men #141 where Moira MacTaggert suggests that Robert Kelly has decided the registration of mutants by the government is a necessity.

Her suggestion eventually turns out to be accurate, and in the Uncanny X-Men #181 (May, 1984) the first mention of a Mutant Registration Act is made when Kelly is seen discussing his introduction of the bill with a senatorial colleague. By #183 (July, 1984) the Act is mentioned as passed legislation, and in #188 Nighcrawler remarks that it appears to have become accepted as law, suggesting that, unlike the Mutant Control Act in the "Days of Future Past" timeline, it would not be repealed by the Supreme Court. It has been suggested that Ultimate Nightcrawler be merged into this article or section. ...

The passage of the MRA did not have an immediate impact on the plots of any Marvel series, but the legislation continued to be referenced intermittedly in various titles. In at least one instance, (X-Factor #1; February, 1986) the Act is referred to as a "possible new law", an apparent contradiction with its previous depiction as passed legislation. In that story the prospect of the MRA is one of things which motivates Jean Grey and Cyclops to form X-Factor. It has been suggested that Ultimate Marvel Girl be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ultimate Cyclops be merged into this article or section. ...

The legislation becomes a plot point later when government agent Val Cooper and the mutant terrorist Mystique form Freedom Force a government sanctioned superhero team (mostly comprising former members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) in Uncanny X-Men #199 (November, 1985). Freedom Force went on to make many appearances where they sought to enforce the MRA by arresting unregistered mutants such as members of the X-Men (e.g. Uncanny X-Men #206; June, 1986), X-Factor (e.g. X-Factor #30; July, 1988) and the New Mutants (e.g. New Mutants #86; February, 1990). They also appeared enforcing the MRA in non-X-Men related titles such as Daredevil #269 (August, 1989). Valerie Val Cooper is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... Mystique (Raven Darkholme) is a Marvel Comics character associated with the X-Men franchise. ... Freedom Force was a supervillain team in Marvel Comics universe. ... The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and briefly as the Brotherhood, is a Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. ...

Captain America V (John Walker, later known as U.S. Agent) and Battle Star, who were, like Freedom Force, officially sanctioned, also briefly enforce the Act by capturing the unregistered mutant Meteorite for the government in Captain America (vol. 2) #343 (July, 1988). U.S. Agent (John Walker, formerly the Super-Patriot and the fifth Captain America) is a fictional character, who is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins, formerly the fourth Bucky) is a fictional character, who is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Lifter (formerly Meteorite, real name: Ned Lathrop) is a fictional mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

During this period of active enforcement of the MRA, the only mutants who are shown publicly protesting the Act were those who were not aligned with the X-Men or its affiliated teams. For example, in X-Factor #33 the Alliance of Evil demonstrates against the MRA in Manhattan and after fighting X-Factor are arrested by Freedom Force and in Captain America #368 (March, 1990) a mutant group called the Resistants are shown protesting the Act in Washington D.C.. Indeed far from publicly agitating against the act, one X-team (X-Factor, in its original form) actually pretend in public to be supporters of the MRA who are actively enforcing it, though in actuality they act to subvert it. The Alliance of Evil is a villain group composed of young and reckless mutants with a radical way of going about things. ... The Resistants, also known as Mutant Force are a fictional supervillain group in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

With Freedom Force (the characters most involved in the enforcement of the Act) no longer existing (they disband following a disastrous mission in Iraq in X-Factor Annual #6; 1991) and Chris Claremont (the writer who developed the MRA as a sub-plot) no longer writing X-Men stories after 1992, the Mutant Registration Act stopped appearing prominently in Marvel Universe stories.

The fact that the disappearance of the Mutant Registration Act as a background element coincides roughly with the government's abandonment of their proposed companion Super-human Registration Act may indicate that following the latter's failure the government lost confidence the MRA and stopped enforcing it. A possible contributing factor to this is the fact that (as is first pointed out in Fantastic Four #335) it proves extremely difficult for authorities to distinguish between mutants and other forms of super-humans. However the current legal status of the MRA in the Marvel Universe has not yet been clearly shown and it is unclear whether the Act is still in effect or if it has been repealed or modified.

With the enactment of a new version of the Super-human Registration Act in stories published in 2006, the status of the Mutant Registration Act is expected to be addressed in the upcoming Civil War: X-Men limited series.

1990 Super-human Registration Act

A variation on the concept of the Mutant Registration Act the Super-human Registration Act concept is originally proposed in comic books published circa the "Acts of Vengeance" storyline, such as Punisher (vol. 2) #29 and Avengers (vol. 1) #313 (both January, 1990). A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... It has been suggested that Punisher: MAX be merged into this article or section. ...

During that period, in Fantastic Four #335 and 336 (February & March, 1990) the Fantastic Four go to Congress where a committee is investigating whether a SRA, similar in its provisions to the already in effect Mutant Registration Act, is required for Super-heroes (the MRA only covers individuals who have their powers inherently at birth, not those who acquire their abilities artificially in later life). The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

In his testimony and in evidence he presents to Congress, Reed Richards argues that a Super-human registration Act is unnecessary as Super-humans have been largely effective and trustworthy in their actions and government regulation would only stifle their ability to protect the world. He argues that those individuals who were likely to act irresponsibly with their powers are likely to be super-villains and thus would not be candidates for registration anyway. Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the Fantastic Four. ...

As the topic is debated he and his teammates are continually attacked by random super-villains whom they easily subdue, though it is unclear if this helps or hinders his arguments. In his final point concerning the lack of any workable definition of super-human Richards demonstrates a device that scans a human for physical and mental capabilities and compares those to the national average, marking 'significant outliers' as "super-human". The device identifies several regular humans, including some committee members, as "super-human" according to those criteria. The proposed legislation is abandoned and registration of super-humans in the United States is not recommended by the commitee. The Green Goblin, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man. ...

1993 Canadian Super-powers Registration Act

However a similairly titled Super-Powers Registration Act is later passed by the Canadian government in Alpha Flight #120 (May, 1993). Introduced by a minister of the Canadian government called Robert Hagon, the Super-powers Registration Act is part of a complex plot engineered by the Master using the alias "Joshua Lord". The Master of the World (often simply referred to as The Master) is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. ...

The terms of the act entail the government employment of all super-powered individuals, including mutants, who are then enlisted in one of the government Department H "Flight" programs such as "Alpha Flight" and "Gamma Flight".

Although the Act was shown to be controversial and the series ended with the disbandment of the Canadian government's super-teams (the various "Flights") in Alpha Flight (vol. 1) #130 (March 1994), the Canadian SRA is never explicitly repealed or overturned in the comics.

Later Alpha Flight series did not acknowledge the law. In 2006, rumors began to circulate (encouraged by some Marvel creators such as Mark Millar) that a new Alpha Flight series of some form is in the planning stages [4]. The rumors suggest that the premise of this series would involve American super-heroes fleeing the United States for Canada to escape a newly enacted U.S. Super-human Registration Act. This suggests that registration is no longer mandatory in the Marvel Universe version of Canada.

2006 Super-human Registration Act

Interest in the concept of the act was revived in various Marvel comic books in 2006. In Amazing Spider-Man #529-531 (April-June 2006), following the events of "Decimation" and the sudden dramatic fall in the Mutant population, the U.S. government again considers a Super-human Registration Act and Spider-Man and Iron Man travel to Washington D.C. to discuss the issue. In those issues Iron Man is shown to be initially opposed to the idea, while Spider-Man is unsure of his opinion. It has been suggested that Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways be merged into this article or section. ... Decimation event logo, as shown on the covers of tie-in comics Decimation is the name of the late 2005 Marvel Comics crossover spinning out of the House of M miniseries, focusing on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witchs reality-warping abilities stripping nearly all of the mutant population... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Iron Man (Anthony Edward Tony Stark) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

In The New Avengers Special: the Illuminati (May, 2006), Iron Man attempts to persuade his Illuminati colleagues to support the SRA, in order to diffuse it. Iron Man predicts that some super-human or group of super-humans will eventually make a mistake that will cost hundreds of lives (he specifically mentions the Young Avengers and the Runaways as candidates for causing such a catastrophe). After such an event, he went on to predict, the government would inevitably rush to make an example of someone, or everyone, in the super-human community by passing legislation that would be even more restrictive or persecutory towards them then the proposed SRA. By supporting the Act before it is passed, he suggests, he and his fellow Illuminati might be able to help avert such possible future tragedies and also, by becoming a part of the process, help moderate the legislation so that it would have the minimum possible negative effect on the super-human community. The Avengers are a superhero team, consisting of many of Marvel Comics most popular heroes. ... It has been suggested that New Avengers: Illuminati be merged into this article or section. ... Young Avengers is a comic book published by Marvel Comics. ... Runaways is an ongoing comic book series, created and written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Adrian Alphona (except a few issues illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa), and published monthly by Marvel Comics. ...

In the same issue the first part of Iron Man's prediction are shown to be accurate when a conflict between the New Warriors and a group of super-villains ends with a massive explosion which kills hundreds of children attending a nearby school. As depicted in the Civil War crossover and series, the public outcry that follows this event leads the government (with the support of Iron Man and other Illuminati such as Reed Richards) to quickly enact the SRA. The New Warriors are a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of teenaged and young adult heroes. ...

This leads to a major schism and conflict among the super-heroes, with one side (led by Captain America) opposed to the SRA resisting registration and the other side (led by Iron Man) supporting registration and trying to enforce the new law. The word schism (IPA: or ), from the Greek σχισμα, schisma (from σχιζω, schizo, to split), means a division or a split, usually in an organization. ...

Alternate universe Registration Acts

Exiles #12

In Exiles #12 a parallel world is shown, similar to the "Days of Future Past" timeline, in which the passing of a Mutant Registration Act led to the Sentinels taking over the world and herding mutants, Super-humans and eventually even humans into concentration camps. The Exiles are a group of fictional comic book superheroes created by writer Judd Winick and artist Mike McKone. ... It has been suggested that Internment be merged into this article or section. ...

The "Age of Apocalypse" version of Sabretooth, who at that point was a member of the Exiles, stays on this planet in order to raise the infant David Richards (the son of the Rachel Summers and Franklin Richards of that reality). The Age of Apocalypse was a comic book storyline. ... Sabretooth (Victor Creed) is a Marvel Comics character, an arch-enemy of the X-Men’s Wolverine. ... Rachel Summers, also called Rachel Grey, is a Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. ... Franklin Richards is a fictional character in Marvel Comics universe. ...

Marvel Knights: 2099

In the possible future shown in the Marvel Knights: 2099 series of one-shots published in November 2004, a Mutant Registration Act is in effect which mandates that Mutants undergo a process which robs them of their abilities. Marvel 2099 is a Marvel Comics imprint, begun in 1993, that explores one possible future of the Marvel Universe. ...

The Marvel Knights: Mutant 2099 one-shot explained that after the passage of this act the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four opposed the government's enforcement of it and were eventually defeated in a major battle that was fought in front of the Baxter Building. This led all the remaining super-heroes to go underground. Mutant is a new character in the Marvel Knights 2099 universe created by Robert Kirkman. ... The Baxter Building is a fictitious Manhattan 35-story office building whose five upper floors house the Fantastic Fours headquarters in the Marvel Universe. ...

The 1992 X-Men animated series

The first episode of the 1992 X-Men Animated Series (Night of The Sentinels (part 1); original airdate: 31st October 1992) mentions that some form of registration is in effect already. The X-Men Animated Series debuted in the 1992-1993 season on the Fox Network. ...

In the episode Jubilee's parents worry that they may have to "register her with The Mutant Control Agency" after she manifests her powers for the first time. The government's persecution of Mutants is a consistent theme throughout the 5 season series. Jubilee (full name Jubilation Lee) is a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. ...

The X-Men movies

In the first X-Men movie the events of the movie are precipitated when Senator Robert Kelly introduces a Mutant Registration Act to the Senate. X-Men is an action movie, first released in Australia on 13 July 2000. ...

It is the prospect of this proposed legislation that motivates Magneto in his schemes in the film, as he sees it as persecutory towards mutants. He is eventually successful in replacing Kelly with Mystique who impersonates the Senator and removes the Act from consideration. Magneto (real name unknown, alias Erik Magnus Lehnsherr) is a Marvel Comics character, known as the main adversary of the X-Men. ...

In the second movie, X2, the Mutant Registration Act is briefly mentioned when Storm speculates that Nightcrawler's attack on the White House might lead the government to reintroduce the legislation. X2 is an action movie, first released in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2003, and in the United States on May 2, 2003. ... Storm (Ororo Munroe) is a Marvel Comics superhero, a prominent member of the X-Men. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States of America. ...

Non-Marvel equivalents

In many other super-hero universes the government has intervened to regulate or control the activities of super-heroes. Some examples of this include:

DC Universe

In DC Comics' DC Universe the Justice Society of America chose to disband in 1951 rather than appear in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, which demanded that they unmask themselves. This was first shown in a back-up story in Adventure Comics (vol. 1) #466 ("The Defeat of the Justice Society!"; December, 1979) by writer Paul Levitz and subsequently further explored in the America vs. The Justice Society 4 issue limited series (January -April 1985) by writers Roy and Dann Thomas. DC Comics (originally called Detective Comics, Inc. ... The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared setting where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. ... The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. ... HUAC hearings House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC or HCUA) (1938-1975) was an investigating committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... Adventure Comics was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983. ... Paul Levitz (1956 - ) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. ... America vs. ... Roy Thomas (born November 22, 1940, Missouri, United States) is a comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lees first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. ... Dann Thomas is a wife of Roy Thomas and has at times worked with him. ...

There also is also a piece of legislation called the "Keene Act" (an apparent reference to Watchmen, see below) in the DC Universe. First mentioned in Suicide Squad (vol. 1) #1, (May, 1987) in a story written by John Ostrander, the "Act" is referred to as a piece of legislation from 1961 which gives prisons greater leeway in imprisoning super-humans than ordinary prisoners. Suicide Squad is a name for a variety of organizations created for and owned by DC Comics. ... John Ostrander is an American writer of comics. ...

It was more fully explored in Secret Origins (vol. 3) #14 (May, 1987), again written by Ostrander, where it is revealed that the Act was passed in 1961 and it reaffirmed the right (that had been cast into doubt by HUAC in 1951) of super-heroes to operate with secret identities. That story also reveals that the later "Ingersoll Amendment" (a reference to comics writer Bob Ingersoll) to the Keene Act, which delineates governmental authority over superhuman activity in times of crisis, was passed into law in 1972. Brian Bollands cover to the 1989 Secret Origins collection. ... For other uses of this term, please see Secret identity (disambiguation). ... Robert Bob Ingersoll is an American lawyer and writer. ...

The Return Of Captain Invincible

In the 1983 comedy film The Return Of Captain Invincible starring Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee, Captain Invincible (Arkin) is a super-hero who was forced into retirement in the 1950s following the government's persecution of him. The Return Of Captain Invincible (also known as Legend in Leotards) is a 1983 comedy and fantasy film starring Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee. ... Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor. ... Christopher Lee portrays Count Dooku in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE (born May 27, 1922 in Belgravia, London) is a legendary and prolific English actor known for his versatility, his professional longevity, and his distinctive basso delivery. ...

In a similar scenario as that faced by the Justice Society, Captain Invincible faced a McCarthy-ish congressional investigation which accused him of being a communist (because of his red cape) and charged him for violating U.S. airspace by flying without a proper license. Sen. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ...

As the title suggests a crisis forces Captain Invincible out of retirement in the (at the movies release contemporary) 1980s which leads to him redeeming his reputation.

Watchmen

In Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons´ 12 issue Watchmen series (September 1986 - October, 1987) extensive reference is made to a law called the "Keene Act". Alan Moore Alan Moore (born November 18, 1953, in Northampton, England) is a British writer most famous for his work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels, Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. ... Screenshot of Beneath a Steel Sky, backgrounds courtesy of Dave Gibbons. ... Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. ...

The series reveals that the actions of super-heroes or "costumed vigilantes" in the world of Watchmen caused a New York police strike in 1977, this led to rioting in the streets (shown in Watchmen #2; October, 1986) and the passing of the "Keene Act" which outlaws non-government affiliated vigilantes (mentioned in #4; December, 1986).

The passing of the act led to the retirement of most of the heroes of the world and the series depicts them coming out of retirement to hunt the murderer of the Comedian. The Comedian is a fictional character in the comic book series Watchmen (by Alan Moore, published by DC Comics). ...

Astro City

In writer Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol. 2 #6-9 (February - May, 1996) the registration of super-humans is mandated by the city's Mayor Stevenson.[5] In those comic book issues, a super-human serial killer is thought to be active in the city and the Mayor proposes that registration will help apprehend the killer. Kurt Busiek (born September 16, 1960) is a comic book writer. ... Astro City, vol. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ...

Stevenson brings in federal E.A.G.L.E. agents to enforce the new requirement, which is opposed by many active super-heroes. The prominent hero Winged Victory makes outspoken statements opposing registration and several super-humans flout the law and illegally continue their activities without registration. Winged Victory is a fictional character in the comic book series Astro City. ...

In Astro City #8 the Mayor is revealed as an alien infiltrator whose actions are part of a planned extraterrestrial invasion. The mayor's policy discredited, Astro City´s super-human population unite to defeat the invasion in Astro City #9. In popular fiction and conspiracy theories, life forms, especially intelligent life forms, that are of extraterrestrial origin, i. ...

Registration is abandoned at the storyline's conclusion and has not been mentioned again in the series. The issues involved were later collected in the trade paperback Astro City: Confession (ISBN 1563895501). A trade paperback can refer to any book that is bound with a heavy paper cover that is generally cheaper than the hardcover but more expensive than the regular paperback version. ...

Brave New World

In the Brave New World superhero role-playing game originally released by Pinnacle Entertainment Group in 1999 the setting of a dystopian alternate timeline includes a fascist United States government which passed the "Delta Registration Act" after a group of super-villains attempted to assassinate President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Brave New World is a role playing game originally released by Pinnacle Entertainment Group in 1999, but sold to Alderac Entertainment Group in 2000. ... A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create narratives. ... Great White Games is a publisher of role-playing games owned and operated by Shane Lacey Hensley. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ...

In the game the law requires that anybody with super-human abilities must register themselves to the United States Government. Its restrictive provisions include requirements that registrants surrender certain civil rights and notify the police of their whereabouts regularly. The law also mandates that super-powered individuals register within 7 days of first manifesting their abilities, with the penalty for failing to do so being an automatic sentence of life imprisonment without the possiblity of parole. The Act also legislates for the mandatory military conscription of individual super-powered individuals at any time should their abilities be judged necessary by the government. In the world of the game most other nations have similar laws, though they are far less draconian in their restrictions and enforcement.

Powers

In Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's Powers series super-heroes are outlawed following a massive killing spree that is carried out by the worlds' most trusted super-hero Super Shock in Powers (vol. 1) #30 (March, 2003). Brian Michael Bendis. ... Michael Avon Oeming is a comic book artist. ... Ad for Powers Vol. ...

This leads all the worlds' heroes to retire and attempt to live normal lives, though after Powers (vol. 2) #6 (November, 2004) some begin to re-emerge.

The Incredibles

In the world depicted in the 2004 Pixar Animation Studios animated feature film The Incredibles super-heroes are shown in flashback as originally having been required to register with the National Supers Agency (or "NSA") in order to fight crime legally. Pixars logo and mascot Luxo, Jr. ... Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... It has been suggested that Operation Kronos be merged into this article or section. ...

However, following the Sansweet v. Incredible court case (in which super-heroes were found to be legally liable for the personal injury claims of people who were injured during the course of their activities) most Super-Heroes were forced into retirement due to the potentially massive legal liabilities they faced. In the movie it is explained that to assist the Super-heroes in their retirement the United States government set up a "Superhero Relocation Program" (similar in many ways to the non-fictional Witness Protection Program) which granted heroes amnesty from legal claims provided they permanently retire from hero work and live anonymously. In the United States, the Witness Protection Program (also known as WITSEC) is established by the Witness Protection Act, which in turn sets out the manner in which the U.S. Attorney General may provide for the relocation and protection of a witness or potential witness of the federal government...

By the end of the film, Mr. Incredible and his family have returned to their roles as super-heroes and the program appears to have been nullified. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into The Incredibles. ...

Sources

• The Annotated JSA checklist: Timeline 1950
• The Astro City homepage
• Comic Book Resources
• Doug Atkinson's The Annotated Watchmen
• The Grand Comic Book Database
• Newsarama
• Rich Johnston´s Lying In The Gutters Column
• Uncanny X-Men Net