The plot thickens…

Unlike Jean-Claude Van Doom, I’m looking forward to Civil War. I’m a crossover junkie, and while I think DC’s putting out a better product now, I’ll always be a Marvel Zombie at heart. However, I’ve vowed to not buy any Civil War crossovers I wouldn’t buy if it wasn’t a Civil War crossover. I passed my first test this week by skipping New Avengers: Illuminati. But apparently Marvel really wanted me to read it.

Fantastic Four #536 came out Wednesday, the same day as Illuminati. It was a good story, much improved from J. Michael Stracynski’s earlier FF tales (although it would have been a hell of a lot better if I could casually browse comics sites without being spoiled about the return of Dr. Doom and Thor’s hammer). But right there in the middle was a page drawn by Alex Maleev, presumably taken directly from Illuminati. As I said, I didn’t buy it, so I’m not sure.

In that page, Iron Man brings up the Superhero Registration Act to the other members of the Illuminati (Dr. Strange, Black Bolt, Reed Richards and Namor were shown, but I’m not sure if that’s everyone in the group). There seems to be some dissention about whether it’s a good thing or not. Iron Man proposes that they should all support the act whole-heartedly.

Which is weird, because Iron Man’s alter ego Tony Stark seems to be battling tooth-and-nail over in Amazing Spider-Man against the Superhero Registration Act. Is Tony just putting on a show in Amazing? Or does he think that it’s all right to fight againstthe act, but once it gets signed into law you have to follow it without question? Either way, since his role as Tony Stark is very public and his role as Iron Man is very, very private, we have to assume the opinion he expressed as Iron Man is the one he really believes. Which means that in the Civil War, Iron Man will be on the pro-registration side and Captain America will be on the anti-registration side, with Spider-Man caught in the middle.

Sweet.