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Berkay Max ’ : Erdemandi An Allegory of September 11 in an American Civil War Framework

Te September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States caused nationwide hysteria over issues of national security, domestic terrorism, and civil liberties. Te United States government addressed these issues by passing the Act and launching a full-scale war against terrorism and its supporters, while citizens in many parts of the country “erected spontaneous memorials consisting of candles, fags, and posters of missing people.”1 However, the prevailing atmosphere of grief and distress soon gave way to sentiments of nationalism, patriotism, and American heroism.2 tracesWhile this response was refected in many pop-culture products of the time, perhaps no format was better suited to portraying “heroism” than comic books. In fact, the regular storylines of comics like and Spider-Man were temporarily suspended and 9/11 dominated the next few issues. Tese issues discussed the superheroes’ inability to stop the attacks and asked whether superheroes could still protect society in the twenty-frst century. Tis trauma was revisited when

1 Veronike Bragard et al., eds., Portraying 9/11: Essays on Representations in Comics, Literature, Film and Theatre (Jefferson, NC: MacFarland, 2011), 3. 2 Ibid. 213 The UNC-Chapel Hill Journal of History

Marvel Comics produced the multivolume, storyline Civil War over a period of roughly one year between 2006 and 2007. Te Civil War plot, while demonstrating similarities to events that took place around September 11, was crafed as an allegorical treatment of the American Civil War and the terrorist attacks addressing contentious post-9/11 debates over national security and civil liberties. In particular, the series critiqued the American hyper-nationalism of the time by portraying Captain America’s alienation from American patriotic ideology, which had previously been his character’s foundation.

Fiction and Reality: Reactions to Attacks Te explosion that destroyed the World Trade Center killed many people who went to work that morning just as on any other day. In the fctional world of Marvel Comics, it is also an ordinary school day for the children at Stamford Elementary School. In one panel, children are seen playing peacefully in the schoolyard as the villain, , activates his superpower. Te following three panels show a freball killing the children before barreling through the rest of the town. Te next page shows a post- apocalyptic scene of the decimated town strewn with skeletons, wounded bodies, and a scorched American fag lying on the ground, as a superhero search-and-rescue team combs through the debris.3 Tese sorts of images are commonly found in photographs from 9/11.4 Likewise, the fact that the explosion in Stamford killed many innocent people spurs a discussion about imposing broader restrictions on humans with superpowers, just as the 9/11 attacks led to a debate in the real United States about personal freedoms versus national security. Te fate of captured superheroes is also similar to that of the terrorists. Te “War on Terror” compelled the United States to maintain “untouchable and inaccessible” detention facilities.5 Because the infamous prison at Guantanamo Bay naval base that the government used as a

3 , Civil War: A Marvel Comics Event Issue 1 (New York: Marvel Publishing, 2007), 12-13. 4 Mail Foreign Service, “First pictures as the World Trade Centre rises from the ruins of 9/11,” Daily Mail, February 5, 2010. 5 Travis Langley, “Freedom Versus Security: The Basic Human Dilemma from 9/11 to Marvel’s Civil War,” International Journal of Comic Art (Spring 2009): 636. 214 Berkay Max Erdemandi

Superheroes help in search-and-rescue operations after the explosion in Stamford, from Civil War 1. (Image courtesy of Marvel Comics.)

detention camp for hundreds of suspect al-Qaeda or Taliban loyalists is located outside US territory, the prisoners were not subject to the due process that would otherwise be applied within the nation’s borders.6 In the Civil War series, “rebel” Firefighters at Ground Zero. Images like this one provided a model for superheroes are similarly imprisoned Marvel Comics’s Civil War series. in “,” located in an (Photo courtesy of Mail Foreign Service.) alternate dimension. In Te Amazing Spider-Man 535, explains to Spider-Man during a visit to the Negative Zone that the “detention is permanent.”7 Although he already revealed his secret identity to the public in support of the Superhero Registration Act (SRA), Spider-Man changes sides upon seeing fellow superhumans imprisoned together with the supervillains, and denied their basic rights. In a sense, the pro-SRA superheroes see the others as rebels, if not terrorists.

6 Ibid., 428. 7 , The Amazing Spider-Man (New York: Marvel Publishing, 2006), 12. 215 The UNC-Chapel Hill Journal of History

An Allegory of September 11 in an American Civil War Framework Te allegorical narrative of Marvel’s series includes metaphors of post-9/11 unrest, the “War on Terror,” and a changing American identity. Just as the reactions of a scared and angry nation authorized the government to pursue a war on terror, in the the fctional United States government issues legislation authorizing a war against rebellious superheroes, fueled by public fear of superhumans. Civilians are crucial to the shaping of the government’s reaction in both scenarios, because as Frankfurt School theorist Erich Fromm once suggested, people have a contradictory desire for both personal freedom and security.8 In this sense, the series refects both the American Civil War theme of freedom versus and the 9/11 theme of civil liberties versus national security. Feeling vulnerable and frightened by the attacks, the majority of Americans did not object to the government’s increased security measures—which included wire-tapping, e-mail monitoring, stricter airport regulations, and easier access to intelligence on American soil— even though it meant limiting their personal liberties.9 Te PATRIOT Act gave more authority to law enforcement agencies to acquire information about individuals within the United States, made immigration procedures harder, made detaining and deporting immigrants who were suspects of terrorism-related acts easier, and expanded the defnition of terrorism to include domestic terrorism. In a similar fashion, Marvel’s fctional United States government signs the SRA into law, requiring superheroes to register their real identities with the authorities of the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (S.H.I.E.L.D), a government-supervised espionage and law enforcement agency. Te SRA garners both support and opposition in the fctional United States, much like the PATRIOT Act did. United States representative from Ohio, Dennis J. Kucinich, voiced his opposition to the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act on February 8, 2011, exhorting his fellow citizens to “remember our Constitutional experience.” He added, “We didn’t hear ‘give me liberty or give me a wiretap.’ We didn’t hear ‘don’t tread on me, but it’s okay to spy.’ What we heard was a ringing

8 Ibid., 427. 9 Ibid., 428. 216 Berkay Max Erdemandi

declaration about freedom and it was enshrined in a Constitution.”10 Although the implementation of the PATRIOT Act was criticized, events never went as far as they did in the fctional Marvel Universe. In the , the front pages of newspapers announce the passage of the SRA by Congress while simultaneously reporting that Captain America is forming an underground resistance . Te paper also runs pictures of citizens cheering for superheroes who support the act.11 Discussions over the SRA divide the superhero community into two opposing groups, with superheroes who support the SRA employed as government agents to capture the rebels.12 Te superheroes and civilians who support either side participate in the re-creation of American identity centering on the debate over security and personal liberties. In the real United States, pre-9/11 and post-9/11 defnitions of “American-ness” difer in nature. Before the attack, the United States was seen as isolated, untouchable, and so strong that no one would dare attack it. Afer 9/11, Americans realized that it was indeed possible that the country could be the target of terrorist attacks, and the government would be unable to stop it. Te superheroes in Civil War struggle with the same dilemma. Tis makes it difcult for readers to choose sides between Iron Man, who supports broad government regulations to protect civilians, and Captain America, who believes that registering superhero identities will take away their personal freedoms.13 By asking the readers to choose a side, the comics’ creators force readers to question their own values. Te polarization this question created among readers of Marvel’s Civil War was also inevitable in a post-Civil War and post-9/11 nation. Te atmosphere that dominates Marvel’s Civil War creates the feeling that the majority of fctional Americans support the government’s position that superheroes should register their identities in order to make citizens feel more secure. Te famous quote from then-President George W. Bush, “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists,” created a similar

10 “Kucinich Speaks during Debate on PATRIOT Act Reauthorization,” C-SPAN, Feb. 8, 2011. 11 Mark Millar, Civil War: A Marvel Comics Event Issue 2 (New York: Marvel Publishing, 2007), 6. 12 Mark Millar, Civil War: A Marvel Comics Event Issue 3 (New York: Marvel Publishing, 2007), 17-19. 13 Mark Millar, Civil War: A Marvel Comics Event Issue 1 (New York: Marvel Publishing, 2007), 32. 217 The UNC-Chapel Hill Journal of History

atmosphere in the United States.14 Many Americans were convinced that the government was justifed in spying on citizens in exchange for this feeling of security. Lincoln’s presidency was also known for having a “dark side,” as the president suspended the writ of habeas corpus in the frst year of the Civil War in response to riots and militia activity in the border states, giving Lincoln the power to detain “disloyal persons” indefnitely without trial. Lincoln also ignored a Supreme Court justice’s decision overturning , imposed martial law in border areas, and limited freedom of speech and the press. Marvel’s Civil War also plays on the idea that the nation was polarized between slavery and freedom during the Civil War. Te notion of “brother fghting brother” is predominant in the comic book. Abraham Lincoln’s words from his famous 1858 “House Divided” speech summarizes what both superhero teams are trying to achieve, though they have diferent ideals: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.... I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided.”15

Te Death of Captain America Although Captain America repre- sented the best qualities of the country since the comic’s frst publication, the United States of the 1940s and that of 2001 difer greatly.16 When Captain America frst appeared in the World War II-era, the country was a melting pot. As the atmosphere changed from World War II through McCarthyism and the Cold War, the

The assassination of Captain America, from Captain America meta-narrative also Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America. (Image courtesy of Marvel Comics.)

14 “You are either with us or against us,” CNN.com, November 6, 2001. 15 Abraham Lincoln, “A House Divided,” speech given June 17, 1858, accessed via PBS Online Resource Bank. 16 Jason Dittmer, “Captain America’s Empire: Reflections on Identity, Popular Culture, and Post- 9/11 Geopolitics,” Annals of Association of American Geographers 95.3. (2005): 629. 218 Berkay Max Erdemandi

changed, adapting to the new social phenomena.17 Twenty-frst century America has its own distinct social structure and is a world superpower. Inevitably, Captain America had to adapt to the contemporary image of the United States, just as he adapted with the times before. Scholar Brian Swaford claims that Civil War is an open-ended story because the confict remains unresolved and readers are lef with many unanswered questions.18 Swaford may be referring to Captain America’s death, the future of the SRA, and the divided state of the superhero community as “unanswered questions.” But these clifangers conclude the story in a way that reexamines the patriotism that Captain America symbolizes with an implicit nod to 9/11 as well as the American Civil War. In the fnal battle between the two superhero groups, Captain America surrenders while winning. Te illustrations show Iron Man lying on the ground, his armored suit severely damaged, telling Captain America to “fnish it.”19 As Captain America prepares to take the winning shot, he is stopped by fctional American citizens and policemen. Te short dialogue between them and Captain America makes him realize that what he is fghting for runs counter to everything that he previously believed:

Citizen 1: Get the hell away from him. Citizen 2: Hold him ! Hold him down! Captain America: Let me go! Please, I don’t want to hurt you! Citizen 1: Don’t want to hurt us? Are you trying to be funny? The final battle: superheroes face off, from Civil Citizen 2: It’s a little late for War 7. (Image courtesy of Marvel Comics.) that, man!20

17 Ibid., 642. 18 Brian Swafford. “The Death of Captain America: An Open-ended Allegorical Reading of Marvel Comics’ Civil War Storyline,” International Journal of Comic Art 10.2 (2008), 642. 19 Mark Millar, Civil War: A Marvel Comics Event Issue 7 (New York: Marvel Publishing, 2007), 25. 20 Ibid., 26. 219 The UNC-Chapel Hill Journal of History

Signaling his team to stop fghting, Captain America drops his shield, takes of his mask, and surrenders not as Captain America but as Steve Rogers, and he is assassinated on the steps in front of the courthouse in Washington, DC. By surrendering as Steve Rogers, Captain America shows that he is always the protector of American freedom and personal liberties.

Captain America surrenders, from Civil War 7. Rogers chooses to surrender (Image courtesy of Marvel Comics.) because he does not believe in the cause of the war. As the police take him away Rogers mutters, “Tey are not arresting Captain America, they are arresting Steve Rogers. Tat’s a very diferent thing.”21 In the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln fought in part to rid the country of slavery, the explicit antonym of freedom. For Captain America in Marvel’s Civil War, “registering” is no diferent than becoming a slave. Worthy of the titles he has been given in the course of the comic’s publication, “ of Liberty,” “Commie Smasher,” and “Super Soldier,” Captain America does not want to be recorded, regulated, and controlled by the government.22 Accordingly, he fghts for his central principles, freedom and individualism. And like Lincoln, Captain America does not die a natural death, but is assassinated. His death is also a reference to the morphing American identity in the actual United States, symbolizing a change within forced by an outside entity.

Captain America’s Shield vs. Iron Man’s Uni-Beam Te fact that Iron Man and Captain America are chosen as the leading fgures of these two opposing sides is another clear metaphor for a shifing in American identity. As a representation of a new, technologically advanced,

21 Ibid., 29. 22 Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier Nos. 1-4 (New York: Marvel Publishing, 2011); Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty Nos. 1-12 (New York: Marvel Publishing, 2011); Dittmer, 631. 220 Berkay Max Erdemandi

Space Age United States, Iron Man is juxtaposed with the World War II hero and veteran Captain America to play up a new meaning of “American patriotism.” On the cover of the frst issue of Captain America in March 1941, the eponymous hero is depicted punching Hitler. Faced with the attacks on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the United States declared war on the Axis powers. Similarly, Captain America traveled to Europe to fght against the Nazis and protect democracy and freedom. Initially, and created Captain America punches Hitler on the cover of this character to generate a sense of togetherness Captain America 1, published 1941. (Image courtesy as a nation and to support the US army in its fght of Marvel Comics.) against the Nazis.23 Captain America, a deliberately political manifestation and cultural product of World War II nationalism, became a more general symbol of American nationalism over the course of almost seventy years of publication. As an example of what Renan called “the cult of the fag,” Captain America has the ability to embody the nation in a way that traditional symbols such as the bald eagle or the fag cannot.24 Compared to these symbols, Captain America’s moving image and his willingness to die for his country forges a unique personal contact with his readers.25 Captain America and In contrast, Iron Man frst appeared on the Iron Man fight each other in 2007. (Image courtesy scene in 1963. Te alter ego of multimillionaire of Marvel Comics.) businessman Tony Stark is a product of the Space Age, during which the United States’ foreign and domestic policies were highly infuenced by an emphasis on scientifc advancement. Tony Stark invented a high-tech armored suit for himself when he was kidnapped to build a weapon of mass destruction. He later developed this suit and dedicated himself to protect the world as Iron Man. Later, Captain America

23 Dittmer, 624. 24 Ibid., 629. 25 Ibid., 630. 221 The UNC-Chapel Hill Journal of History

and Iron Man worked together in the . According to Jason Dittmer, Captain America’s place in the American geopolitical script is important because the hero has actively participated in the reconstruction of American identity since the comic’s frst publication.26 Arguably the reverse geopolitical relation afer 9/11—America’s loss of its “isolation” from rest of the world and being attacked at home—caused Captain America to question himself and the ideals for which he stood. Because most American superheroes are

The cover of Civil War, fxated on protecting urban areas, the image of depicting the victorious Iron- two planes penetrating the American homeland Man with Captain America’s shield (2007). (Image was as traumatic for Captain America as it was for courtesy of Marvel Comics.) other Americans.27 Te September 11 attacks made Americans recognize something they took for granted: times were a lot diferent than the 1940s, and the enemy lay within the nation’s borders. Te events of 9/11 were Captain America’s opportunity to return to his origins with a clear, but arguably reversed, geopolitical script. September 11 was “a nostalgic return to ‘Te Good War (World War II)’ with its clear categories of good and evil, freedom and fascism.”28 Iron Man, with his high-tech suit, weapons, and unlimited technological opportunities represents post-World War II United States. Captain America, on the other hand, still personifes the , individualism, and traditional American values. Iron Man symbolizes ofense, while Captain America is more defensive. Dittmer argues that Captain America was given a shield, not something brutal, as a symbol of his defensive nature. In Civil War, the diferences in their natures is also evident in their leadership. Iron Man supports the government’s plans to regulate the superhumans and gains its trust and support in return. In the negotiation phase and in the last battle, Iron Man pursues a more aggressive approach than Captain America, who believes that the only way to win this war is to refrain from fghting each

26 Ibid., 629. 27 Nicole Devarrenne, “‘A Language Heroically Commensurate with His Body’: Nationalism, Fascism, and the Language of the Superhero Comic,” International Journal of Comic Art 10.1 (2008): 49. 28 Dittmer, 637. 222 Berkay Max Erdemandi

other, because fghting will only harm civilians and fellow superheroes.29

Conclusion: Te End? Marvel’s Civil War is unique in comparison with other comic series because it not only creates a narrative that is constructed on the civil war theme taken from America’s own history, but it also develops a storyline using the twenty-frst century phenomenon of 9/11. Marvel’s Civil War is a great example of the fact that comic books are not always written for children, but at times can aim to convey more complicated ideas.30 Both the real-time events surrounding 9/11 and the fctional events in Marvel’s Civil War situate the dilemma the nation faces within the debate over the role of freedom and security. Te Civil War Captain America fghts like a and reconstructs American identity in a way that only he can. But as one commentator said, “Captain America’s story arc … has been called right-wing, lef-wing, jingoist, communist, anti-American and fag-waiving.”31 Tis analysis echoes the many conficting ideas about Abraham Lincoln, whose attitudes toward race were more complicated than popularly represented and who curtailed civil liberties in the service of ending slavery and keeping the Union together. In Marvel’s Civil War, Captain America does not take a stance against the government, but rather his protest is a resistance against restrictions on civil liberties and freedom. Even when he challenges pro-SRA superheroes, he is fghting to protect their secret identities and he tries to unite the superhero world. By juxtaposing the American Civil War and September 11, Marvel’s Civil War demonstrates that American identity has been shaped around the meaning of freedom and heroes who have fought for it.

29 Mark Millar, Civil War: A Marvel Comics Event Issue 3 (New York: Marvel Publishing, 2007), 20. 30 Gary Hoppenstand, editorial in The Journal of Popular Culture 39.4 (2006): 522. 31 Dittmer, 628. 223