So I'm breaking with my plan again because I discovered a book last night I somehow missed on my first read-through that managed to murder my poor heart: What If? Civil War.
Like I said, I have many problems with Civil War. As I've written elsewhere:
"My biggest problem with this event in re: Tony is the lack of consistency. In some issues, he's coldly accepting of the new order -- to the point that he willingly lays traps to snare rebels. In other issues, he's screaming in pain over what he feels he has to do (Frontline #11), sobbing openly over losing friends (Casualties of War, The Confession), or laying around in bed and not showering for days because he's been crippled by his depression and self-doubt (the Iron Man tie-ins). True: these differences could be explained away with the public face/private face contrast that's been central to the character since Tales of Suspense. But -- then I remember those forty years of comics prior to Civil War and think: no, no, it still doesn't work. Is it plausible that Tony would accept the necessity of government oversight to stave off something worse? Yes, of course, if you write it carefully. But would he ever agree to ratchet the enforcement to level eleven the minute the clock strikes midnight? No. No way. That's what's dumb. He'd scramble to negotiate first. And oh by the way, if he overheard SHIELD commandos calling themselves "cape-killers," he'd shut that shit down with extreme prejudice because he fucking loves his friends. That's the Tony I have come to know."
I also hate the either/or thinking that's been encouraged in the fandom surrounding Civil War. As it turns out, the issues in play here are not quite so clear-cut. If superheroes are simply extra-competent good Samaritans, then yes: government oversight is probably overkill. But if they're a quasi-military or police force? Well, there's a reason why the real-world military must answer to a civilian commander-in-chief.
But anyway -- that's a discussion for later. Let us return to the reason for this post. In What If? Civil War, Tony is visited at Steve's grave site by the Stranger, who shows him two alternate resolutions to the recent conflict. In the first, Tony's dead before it even starts; consequently, the enforcement of the SHRA is even more brutal and uncompromising. This confirms for Tony that his choice to back the SHRA was ultimately correct. But wait: not so fast. There is another option:
"You were honest." Oh, ow! When I got to this, I knew I was looking at something special. Because yes: one thing that drives the conflict as it plays out in canon is Tony's stubbornness and pride. (The other thing is Steve's equal and opposite stubbornness -- but I digress.) As I mention above, we see how tortured Tony is about the entire war in his own book -- but never, at any time, does he admit his misgivings in public. Each time he parleys with Steve, he tries to win the argument instead of explaining how he really feels.
But what if he had dropped the facade?
Oh God, oh God, oh God! This hurts me so much -- because I know exactly why it didn't happen in the first place. Asking for help is definitely not one of Tony's strong suits. That's why he ended up drunk and homeless in the Bronze Age. My son.
When Tony guesses - incorrectly, as it turns out - that this version of events ends with his own death, he's totally fine with that. If that doesn't indicate Tony's near-suicidal level of self-loathing in the Civil War aftermath, I'm not sure what does.
That last panel is basically my mood at this point.
"But you can't control a ripple." I'm crying, you guys. The way this sequence taps into Tony's need for mastery and his discomfort with uncertainty is so flawless I am just
I loved this. I loved it so hard. Issues like this are why I'm critical of Civil War but not entirely repulsed by its existence.
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