Ostensibly the two main figures of the Civil War are Captain America and Tony Stark the two charismatic heroes who stand on opposite sides of an ideological divide they cannot bridge. Certainly their battles have been central to the story so far; but the real tension and not just in the Spiderman books but for fans has been the relationship between Tony Stark and his protege Peter Parker which has led inevitably to Spidey's switching sides. For the whole course of CW readers have been waiting to see the Stark/Parker confrontation and battle far more than the altercations between Tony and Steve; the moment when (in true comic book tradition,) these two former friends became bitter enemies is (judging from this board at least,) considered the pivotal point of the whole series and what made ASM #535 the most eagerly sought issue of ASM in a long time and what makes the next issue as well sure to be a sellout. Since this dynamic has been so central not just to Spiderman comics, to CW comics, but also quite possibly to the post CW-future of the universe I thought it deserved it's own thread...particularly seeing as how I have a LOT to say about it. So here goes.
Peter's; A Young Jedi Searching for an Obi-Wan
Let's take a look at Peter's background for a minute; he was a scrawny child orphaned at a young age, raised by a doting but over-protective aunt in Queens and his heroic working class uncle who was for all intents and purposes Pete's father. The uncle dies prematurely leaving Peter still just an adolescent without the paternal influence in his life anymore and with a truckload of guilt. Everything he does as to become a superhero he has to do from scratch without any guidance from anyone else; no professor Xavier, no fellow astronauts to consult with, not even any lost recordings of an alien daddy. He has to find his own way all by himself. In the meantime he continues to be a superhero while having trouble paying his bills, keeping his grades up, and of course being blasted by the press. Years later he starts to gain a mentor of sorts in Captain Stacy who sadly also dies prematurely in a way that makes Pete feel guilty. So does Gwen. In fact his whole youth is a string of horrible painful experiences with the only bright spot being his marriage to MJ but generally recieving no kind of support system for his heroism. In fact he's often attacked for it something which might make him leery of further being in the limelight when he can possibly avoid it and is not called upon by responsibility. He has a great head for science; he did design web-shooters when he was only 15; but sadly economic realities and lack of time due to web-slinging don't give him many chances to get to the lab. At some point though, he still doesn't get much praise from the general public he does become friendly with other members of the super-human community including none other than Ironman; here is a hero whose exploits, (unlike Peter are usually based on local threats in New York,) are on a global and even inter-galactic scale and is a leader of one of the most powerful and respected teams in the world. The man behind the armor is a pretty magnetic and impressive presence as well; a billionaire industrialist, shrewd political player, and probably most impressively to Pete one of the most scientific brains on earth. And remarkably this person shows a keen interest and admiration for Peter which must have been a head trip for a boy from Queens to be brought into the superhero elite like this. Moreover this individual helps out in a lot of tangible other ways; he offers Pete and his family a home, he helps Pete out of trouble, he designs a new helpful suit...the list goes on and on. It's all a bit overwhelming but still the guy seems to just be trying to be kind and in the meantime Pete's found someone else willing to be a father to him and whose advice as a more experienced superhero he's more than willing to ask for especially when dealing with some very unexpected and troubling new implications to his abilities. This superhero also has the backing of the federal government behind him as well and seems to always be three steps ahead of everyone else. It's not surprising then that Pete would his judgement and moreover feel quite personally loyal to someone who's been such a good friend to him. But loyalty has limits; Pete was always ambivalent about SHRA but coaxed by Aunt May, (who just wants the rest of the world to appreciate her precious adopted son for all he's done,) and Tony he reasons that he should enforce the law at least until a better solution is found. But Goliath's death at the hands of a clone shocks him; he never dreamed that this would turn bloody Tony told him that he had it under control. As the full implications of SHRA are finally revealed to him he of course switches over to the right side; all the while being angry with himself not simply for being wrong about registration but for misjudging Tony who is now his enemy on an all new personal level. During ASM #535 he and Tony looked like two pit bulls the way they were staring at each other sometimes, and the way he called Tony "dad" at the end makes it clear that to Peter's mind Tony has been the bad paternal figure who has in fact betrayed him. Peter's had plenty of other enemies he's had baggage with before and hated personally; but I don't think he's ever had an opponent his feelings have been quite this..complicated about before.
Tony; A King in Need of a Heir
Just as Tony wouldn't be nearly so dangerous in CW right now if he didn't believe he was in the right, his manipulation and influence over Peter would never have been so effective or so potentially dangerous if Ironman hadn't genuinely liked the guy. People have suggested Peter was naive in accepting Tony's gifts and that Tony was playing him all along; to a certain extent that's true but Peter was right in his assessment that Tony really was trying to be nice to him and even become friends with him. It's worth noting that for all his success in life and all his romantic conquests, Ironman is actually in many ways a far more lonely figure than Spiderman is; he has no family; his "relationships" are more like conquests, and he notably has trouble maintaining close friendships. E.g. Jim Rhodes. His telling Pete that he looks upon him, Aunt May, and M.J as family was manipulation on one level but sincere on another. In fact I think Tony has trouble separating a sincere desire to help from manipulating Peter since to Tony's mind he's only accumulating more into to "help" Peter, and really he might know better than Peter does sometimes what's in Spidey's best interests hence giving Peter the suit he rigs up so that it can also spy on him. Tony in many ways has all the trappings of royalty in the superhero community, (and even diehard Ironman fans will admit he certainly acts like it,) but building an empire isn't much fun without someone by your side to perhaps carry on after you. Cap and Mr. Fantastic have developed quite fine on their own without carrying on in Tony's footsteps; various other young Avengers or Runaways simply aren't suitable for the role of protege either...but Peter, significantly younger than Tony, extremely idealistic, a keen scientific mind, and considerable super-powers...Pete's practically made for the role. But of course Tony sees certain "drawbacks" about Pete besides the famous motormouth; Pete's incredibly decent and compassionate which Tony admires to an extent but also finds to be potential liability. (Pete not bringing Hulk back to the Avengers and giving up a potential spot on that prestigious roster simply he felt sorry for Big Green is something Tony would never be able to really understand.) CW Files made it clear that Tony found it frusterating that Pete hasn't tried to seize the prominence or glory of Avengers type heroes despite having the potential to do so; and that leads me to another way Tony tries to do what's "best" for Peter whether Jr. likes it or not; the more I think about it the more I think Tony's insistence on Peter unmasking wasn't just about sending a message to other heroes; after all they could have gotten almost as good an effect just by Spiderman in mask giving interviews supporting registration and touting how the government was protecting his identity for the safety of his loved ones. I think Tony wanted it to be impossible for Peter to continue being a high-school teacher and free-lance photographer; he saw unmasking as a way to throw Peter into the spotlight and make mundane life impossible for him thus clearing him to more of a FF or Avengers style hero; and of course drawing him closer to Tony. Just like giving Peter a fancy souped up suit that even has the same friggin' color scheme as Tony's armor; Peter's his new heir and has to start acting like it. (This might have all been unconscious to some extent on Tony's part but I think it was there.) This is one reason for the tension in ASM #535; to Tony Peter's throwing all his attempts to make him the Prince to his grand 50 state initiative in his face; furthermore there's a defensiveness to it as well. If Tony has managed to alienate the person who is most loyal to him, who has sacrificed the most for him with that unmasking, and is furthermore one of the honest and kind-hearted individuals in New York then what does that say about Tony's present course of action? Ergo Tony lashes out at Peter for "forgetting which side he's on," because he doesn't want to go down the path that question might take him.
The Future
It occured to me at some point that when the dust settles over CW there will be plenty of losses all around; Reed has had his family shattered, Cap's a fugitive, and Spiderman's cover is blown. Peter because of all this has effectively had his life as he knew it finished; he can't be a teacher again, he can't be a photographer, and he may have to separate from his loved ones for their own safety. And he will feel betrayed by his "dad." But strangely enough in some ways I think Ironman might be the one I pity more. In a way Tony Stark might end up the biggest loser of all; public sentiment might very well turn against SHRA, if and when anything goes wrong with the cloning program and/or supervillain bloodhound program Tony might well end up being the government's scapegoat, and of course he's alienated at least half the super-human community already and is well on his way to alienating the other half. And of course Tony will have lost Peter's friendship and given my previous analysis that might just hurt the worst of all. Moreover, Tony really did think he was trying to do good and when the enormity of his crimes sinks in I think he is going to be beset by a lot of loneliness and regret; and despite the fact he's brought it all on himself, god help me I can't help but pity him a little bit.
Peter's; A Young Jedi Searching for an Obi-Wan
Let's take a look at Peter's background for a minute; he was a scrawny child orphaned at a young age, raised by a doting but over-protective aunt in Queens and his heroic working class uncle who was for all intents and purposes Pete's father. The uncle dies prematurely leaving Peter still just an adolescent without the paternal influence in his life anymore and with a truckload of guilt. Everything he does as to become a superhero he has to do from scratch without any guidance from anyone else; no professor Xavier, no fellow astronauts to consult with, not even any lost recordings of an alien daddy. He has to find his own way all by himself. In the meantime he continues to be a superhero while having trouble paying his bills, keeping his grades up, and of course being blasted by the press. Years later he starts to gain a mentor of sorts in Captain Stacy who sadly also dies prematurely in a way that makes Pete feel guilty. So does Gwen. In fact his whole youth is a string of horrible painful experiences with the only bright spot being his marriage to MJ but generally recieving no kind of support system for his heroism. In fact he's often attacked for it something which might make him leery of further being in the limelight when he can possibly avoid it and is not called upon by responsibility. He has a great head for science; he did design web-shooters when he was only 15; but sadly economic realities and lack of time due to web-slinging don't give him many chances to get to the lab. At some point though, he still doesn't get much praise from the general public he does become friendly with other members of the super-human community including none other than Ironman; here is a hero whose exploits, (unlike Peter are usually based on local threats in New York,) are on a global and even inter-galactic scale and is a leader of one of the most powerful and respected teams in the world. The man behind the armor is a pretty magnetic and impressive presence as well; a billionaire industrialist, shrewd political player, and probably most impressively to Pete one of the most scientific brains on earth. And remarkably this person shows a keen interest and admiration for Peter which must have been a head trip for a boy from Queens to be brought into the superhero elite like this. Moreover this individual helps out in a lot of tangible other ways; he offers Pete and his family a home, he helps Pete out of trouble, he designs a new helpful suit...the list goes on and on. It's all a bit overwhelming but still the guy seems to just be trying to be kind and in the meantime Pete's found someone else willing to be a father to him and whose advice as a more experienced superhero he's more than willing to ask for especially when dealing with some very unexpected and troubling new implications to his abilities. This superhero also has the backing of the federal government behind him as well and seems to always be three steps ahead of everyone else. It's not surprising then that Pete would his judgement and moreover feel quite personally loyal to someone who's been such a good friend to him. But loyalty has limits; Pete was always ambivalent about SHRA but coaxed by Aunt May, (who just wants the rest of the world to appreciate her precious adopted son for all he's done,) and Tony he reasons that he should enforce the law at least until a better solution is found. But Goliath's death at the hands of a clone shocks him; he never dreamed that this would turn bloody Tony told him that he had it under control. As the full implications of SHRA are finally revealed to him he of course switches over to the right side; all the while being angry with himself not simply for being wrong about registration but for misjudging Tony who is now his enemy on an all new personal level. During ASM #535 he and Tony looked like two pit bulls the way they were staring at each other sometimes, and the way he called Tony "dad" at the end makes it clear that to Peter's mind Tony has been the bad paternal figure who has in fact betrayed him. Peter's had plenty of other enemies he's had baggage with before and hated personally; but I don't think he's ever had an opponent his feelings have been quite this..complicated about before.
Tony; A King in Need of a Heir
Just as Tony wouldn't be nearly so dangerous in CW right now if he didn't believe he was in the right, his manipulation and influence over Peter would never have been so effective or so potentially dangerous if Ironman hadn't genuinely liked the guy. People have suggested Peter was naive in accepting Tony's gifts and that Tony was playing him all along; to a certain extent that's true but Peter was right in his assessment that Tony really was trying to be nice to him and even become friends with him. It's worth noting that for all his success in life and all his romantic conquests, Ironman is actually in many ways a far more lonely figure than Spiderman is; he has no family; his "relationships" are more like conquests, and he notably has trouble maintaining close friendships. E.g. Jim Rhodes. His telling Pete that he looks upon him, Aunt May, and M.J as family was manipulation on one level but sincere on another. In fact I think Tony has trouble separating a sincere desire to help from manipulating Peter since to Tony's mind he's only accumulating more into to "help" Peter, and really he might know better than Peter does sometimes what's in Spidey's best interests hence giving Peter the suit he rigs up so that it can also spy on him. Tony in many ways has all the trappings of royalty in the superhero community, (and even diehard Ironman fans will admit he certainly acts like it,) but building an empire isn't much fun without someone by your side to perhaps carry on after you. Cap and Mr. Fantastic have developed quite fine on their own without carrying on in Tony's footsteps; various other young Avengers or Runaways simply aren't suitable for the role of protege either...but Peter, significantly younger than Tony, extremely idealistic, a keen scientific mind, and considerable super-powers...Pete's practically made for the role. But of course Tony sees certain "drawbacks" about Pete besides the famous motormouth; Pete's incredibly decent and compassionate which Tony admires to an extent but also finds to be potential liability. (Pete not bringing Hulk back to the Avengers and giving up a potential spot on that prestigious roster simply he felt sorry for Big Green is something Tony would never be able to really understand.) CW Files made it clear that Tony found it frusterating that Pete hasn't tried to seize the prominence or glory of Avengers type heroes despite having the potential to do so; and that leads me to another way Tony tries to do what's "best" for Peter whether Jr. likes it or not; the more I think about it the more I think Tony's insistence on Peter unmasking wasn't just about sending a message to other heroes; after all they could have gotten almost as good an effect just by Spiderman in mask giving interviews supporting registration and touting how the government was protecting his identity for the safety of his loved ones. I think Tony wanted it to be impossible for Peter to continue being a high-school teacher and free-lance photographer; he saw unmasking as a way to throw Peter into the spotlight and make mundane life impossible for him thus clearing him to more of a FF or Avengers style hero; and of course drawing him closer to Tony. Just like giving Peter a fancy souped up suit that even has the same friggin' color scheme as Tony's armor; Peter's his new heir and has to start acting like it. (This might have all been unconscious to some extent on Tony's part but I think it was there.) This is one reason for the tension in ASM #535; to Tony Peter's throwing all his attempts to make him the Prince to his grand 50 state initiative in his face; furthermore there's a defensiveness to it as well. If Tony has managed to alienate the person who is most loyal to him, who has sacrificed the most for him with that unmasking, and is furthermore one of the honest and kind-hearted individuals in New York then what does that say about Tony's present course of action? Ergo Tony lashes out at Peter for "forgetting which side he's on," because he doesn't want to go down the path that question might take him.
The Future
It occured to me at some point that when the dust settles over CW there will be plenty of losses all around; Reed has had his family shattered, Cap's a fugitive, and Spiderman's cover is blown. Peter because of all this has effectively had his life as he knew it finished; he can't be a teacher again, he can't be a photographer, and he may have to separate from his loved ones for their own safety. And he will feel betrayed by his "dad." But strangely enough in some ways I think Ironman might be the one I pity more. In a way Tony Stark might end up the biggest loser of all; public sentiment might very well turn against SHRA, if and when anything goes wrong with the cloning program and/or supervillain bloodhound program Tony might well end up being the government's scapegoat, and of course he's alienated at least half the super-human community already and is well on his way to alienating the other half. And of course Tony will have lost Peter's friendship and given my previous analysis that might just hurt the worst of all. Moreover, Tony really did think he was trying to do good and when the enormity of his crimes sinks in I think he is going to be beset by a lot of loneliness and regret; and despite the fact he's brought it all on himself, god help me I can't help but pity him a little bit.
... but really is that any worse than hiring a team of the most ruthless, treacherous bounty hunters in the galaxy [read: SUPERVILLAINS] to hunt down the resistance?
