infallible

That's not accurate. Police are located in a certain area, and they arrest and interact with the same people all the time. Even so, it really doesn't change anything. A criminal can hold a grudge against a detective that he's only run into once just as easily as a supervillain can hold a grudge against his archenemy. And I agree with you about Supreme Power (or Empire, for a darker take on it). Heroes shouldn't be drafted into military/government service. If they choose to do so (as Cap once did), then that's their business, and their right as individuals. But nobody should be forced to fight by the government, hero or "regular" human. Nobody is making power usage illegal. This isn't like prohibition. Even now, when you can get alcohol almost whenever you want, distilleries still have to be registered with the state. Under your comparison, we're still under prohibition! Folks can use their powers all they like, they just have to register with the government. Just like you can shoot a gun all you like, but you first have to register with the government.

I'll try to quote less. I just want to make sure that it's clear what I'm responding to, and to show that I'm not misrepresenting what I'm responding to... So, to counter, can you address the following unanswered questions from the last couple posts: So, regarding testifying in court: Superheroes have been arresting bad guys, yes, but how often do we see follow up? But if it comes down to the word of the hero versus the bad guy, then the bad guy gets free because the superheroes cannot testify. For big guns like Doc Ock, Goblin, Magneto, etc, you don't need the testimony. But when it's a robbery, arson, or murder, then what happens? Unless there is a huge amount of evidence, then the guy's going to go free. Regarding superhumans having a different standard of responsibility, you said, "Next time you can lift a car over your head I'll answer that one." To me, this says that they should be held to a *higher* standard of responsiblity. As mentioned in this thread, look at people trained in martial arts. This is as close to a real super power as we have, and these guys are required to register. Why? Because they have to have more responsibility than other people. As an atheist, I doubt Thor's godhood. But even so, he's still an individual just like you or me. His supposed deification doesn't change his status on earth. As far as arresting them if they do bad, I'd like to re-iterate your "innocent until proven guilty." You can't prosecute someone with a secret identity. I'm no lawyer, but if I were on the defense, my first question would be, "So, officer, how do you know that this is the same person in the Spider-Man suit that did the crime?" That's a hell of a reasonable doubt. You can't prosecute these guys when they hide their identity. Jessica is hardly being bullied. It's not like SHIELD is threatening to take away her baby or anything, and she certainly doesn't have the stakes of the identity as Spider-Man does. (Hell, Purple Man found her easily enough.) I also know why it became law: because there is no way to hold heroes accountable when they do wrong. I'm also looking at it from the "why" perspective. Now, as far as SHIELD being involved, that's a "because it's the law" thing, since they're a law-enforcement agency. But I think it's pretty clear why this is a law. If you're hands can be lethal weapons, then, yes. In fact, that's the current law. And comparing cutting off your hands to not using your powers is about the biggest leap of logic that I've seen. Cutting off your hands does direct physical damage to you. Not using powers does you no physical damage. I don't know how you can say that Peter had no choice but to be Spider-Man. That just doesn't hold water. As morally compelled as he was, he still had the ability to choose. True, they will. The Civil War is a great time for villains. But that doesn't change the root causes of the law. All the more reason for Cap et al not to be such whiners about this. The laws don't affect their civil liberties, and to claim such is BS. You're right in that everyone, hero and villain, should be accountable for thier actions. But when villains are arrested, their identities are revealed for all to see. Is that some kind of violation of their rights? Everyone knows who Norman Osbourne is. And it is about having access if they do wrong. Not every hero was a former SHIELD agent or associate. I'm sure if SHIELD knew who everyone was, there wouldn't be a need for the law, right? I don't accept it because they made the law up, and the comparison to others (doctors and police) is valid, and I haven't seen a convincing argument why superheroes should be less accountable than doctors and police. You said that "this is new," but it's not new. Registration and licensing has been around since before there was an America. This is a new (and maybe overdue?) application of registration and licensing. It may be obvious to you "as a brick in the face" that it's about controlling them, but I just don't see that. If a hero wants to volunteer for military service, then that's one thing, but it would be a violation of their rights to send them to fight for the government. Yes, I can see that happening, and if it does, then I'd be right along with the opposition in fighting that. But you're saying it like it's guaranteed, and it just isn't. As usual with the "big events" at Marvel, it'll run its course, then everything will go back to the status quo. I'm sure that Cap's side will win this one, especially since Iron Man's camp is being played as the villains in every book I've read (especially in Frontline).

No, it's not about SHIELD; all I said that SHIELD was an all right choice to do it. They're not perfect, and I'm not saying they are. Nor am I saying it's based only on trusting SHIELD. Where did you get that? This is about being able to have a system in place by which to hold heroes accountable. That's all it is. You can't say that you don't see the benefit of that? What about if ole Hulk trashed your house and injured someone you cared about? You're dodging the question. Is it persecution to have doctors be registered? Your argument is that registration is bad because it violates liberties and it's persecution on heroes. It's a logical extension to extend that to other fields. So I'll ask it again: Are you opposed to all registration with the government? Supervillains can attack a doctor that did them wrong just as well as they can a hero. A doctor could be arrested for performing medicine if he weren't licensed. What's your point here? And what about these martial artists that have to register their hands as lethal weapons? The precedent is already set. And I never said that there would be a test. A license is the government saying, "Yes, this person is authorized to do <insert task here>." In a lot of cases, that's because they're trained, but not always. (Though are you saying that some training for new heroes is a bad thing?? I think Speedball could have used some training.) I never said that Cap should be an exception, just as Jessica Jones can't be an exception. So, yeah, Cap needs to register. This is a straw man argument. It's the superhuman registration act. Are you kidding? Cap has powers. He's a super soldier! If you have superhuman powers, and you want to fight baddies, you register. If you're not sure, then ask SHIELD, I'm sure they'd be glad to help you. How is this different from policemen? Criminals can do the same thing to get revenge on the detective that put them away. But it's a risk to do the job, and it's a choice made by the people in the relationship with the hero and by the hero himself. Registration isn't what's putting Spidey's family at risk, Spidey's decision to be a hero did that. I meant to answer last time, but I forgot. Yeah, I'd probably be out there doing something about it. Though I'm not sure I'd be out there as an independant agent. I think being a part of the police or something would make me way more effective. So, to counter, can you address the following unanswered questions from the last couple posts: What about being able to testify in court? You want to fight crime, then you have to go all the way with it. What's the point of arresting these guys if they can get out because you can't testify? Why are superhumans held to a different standard of responsibility than the rest of us? How can you trust heroes to hold themselves accountable? What if they don't? Why is it somehow worse for Jessica Jones to be registered as a hero rather than as a PI?

Lol this made me laugh out loud....I had a mental image of him siting down in a BIG comfy chair and the doorbell going and him sighing and thinking "oh boy not shield again...."! Trouble with him is that you can't have an all you can eat buffet with Galactus in town. (Plus, he keeps calling all the waiters "herald". "Herald, Galactus needs more iced tea." "Herald, there are no more egg rolls on the buffet." Ugh!) Again, I gotta ask... Is it persecution to require doctors to be licensed? Is it persecution to require a license to drive? Or any of the other commonplace licenses that I mentioned? I make a choice to drive, so I'm licensed. A hero makes a choice to use his powers, so he's registered. That's not persecution. It's great to think that heroes can be accountable to themselves, but that really doesn't mean much. How many times have heroes gone bad? I'm not saying that they're irresponsible and that they wantonly destroy and maim, but things can happen. I think it's wrong for them to put Speedball in prison, but I think it's good that someone's watching over things. They need an objective agency watching over them. I think SHIELD is a pretty good agency to do that. I really don't see anyone being persecuted here, especially because it is not unreasonable for these guys to be held responsible for what they do. Speedball shouldn't be in jail, but he should have gone to court. It's fine to say that they can hold themselves responsible, but that just can't hold water in a society of laws. Individuals have to have an objective system upon which to resolve differences. If some non-powered individual hits you with his car, you want a way to address that with him. Why is it different for a super-powered individual? Either way, Peter has the choice. It may not be a savory choice, but he does have the choice. Just like all the rest have a choice. There is no moral obligation for Peter to risk his own well-being for others. If he chooses to do so, then that's good of him, but he's not required to do so. Heroes can be labled as negligent already. Registration doesn't prevent that. Just now, they can be called by name. (Actually, not even that. Names wouldn't be on public record unless the hero does it himself (as Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Fantastic Four have). This act doesn't stop anyone from being a hero, and it's also not just about Spider-Man. But taking your example, let's say that Spidey does do something wrong. What can the authorities do about it? They don't know who he is or anything, so he gets away with it. Is that okay because he has super powers? When you're registered, it's much easier to track you down. You're only in costume for a little while. For the other 20 hours of the day, you have a life to lead. If you're registered, and you do wrong, then you can be found. If the police need to ask you about that robbery you stopped, then you can testify in court. Look at when Spider-Man went before Congress with Tony. Nothing he could say could be on the official record. If you catch that burgler, but the police can't prove it, and you can't testify, then that guy's right back out on the street. With registration, you can be a verified witness in court and do some good. Abuse of the system is a potential problem, but not one that should derail it. With reliable hero input (like Iron Man), then the system can be very secure and safe for the heroes. I don't think anyone wants to be made a puppet for the government.

Yes, it's a fictional world, but if we're going to discuss it, then we have to assume that these characters have free will, and we have to assume that they are capable of making a choice. If these guys don't have free will, then there's no reason to call them heroes or villains because there's no morality to the choices. So, yes, "Peter" didn't have a choice because he doesn't exist. But for any discussion, we have to assume that we're talking about a real world with real people that have real minds. Free will is part of that. Peter chose to become Spider-Man, he chose to marry Mary-Jane, he chose to reveal his identity. So, assuming Peter has free will, he has a choice in the matter. Assuming he doesn't have free will, then there's nothing to discuss. Since the discussion is fun, I'll assume that he has free will. But, it is the law. The law has to objectively apply to everyone. But as to why she's have to register, as I said, she's a superhuman who had previously fought criminals. That puts her under the umbrella of the registration act. The purpose of the law is for those that they don't know about. But it still doesn't answer the question: Jessica had to register when she became a PI. Why doesn't she have to register as a hero? Why shouldn't heroes, who are far more dangerous, also be licensed? Then why don't we want the police to wear masks? Like I said before, the police are subject to the same kind of personal revenge. But their identity needs to be known when they overstep their authority. And I'm not talking about sending the heroes a bill for when they damage stuff. Again, look at the police, no individual policeman has to pay when he trashes someone's car, nor would individual heroes have to pay for that. But they do have to face charges when they beat someone, or kill someone. Heroes are subject to none of that because they cannot be identified. They can beat up or kill whomever they want, and not face any repurcussions (as has happened before). In that case, you deal with that when it happens. No hero should be forced to serve the government; such a thing is just as immoral as the draft. Doctors are a minority, is it discrimination against a minority to require them to be licensed? Of course not. This is nothing like the way ethnic minorities have been discriminated against. Being a superhero is a choice, just as being a doctor is a choice. If you want to accept that power and use it, then accept responsibility for your actions. That simple, just like anyone else. Plus, under registration, no government has control over the heroes. Does the government control the doctors just because the doctors have to be licensed? Do they control you because you have a driver's license? Of course not. I just don't understand how you want licensed doctors, who, at best, can kill a couple people a day, but not heroes, who can kill thousands a day. For consistancy, you have to not want doctors licensed, drivers licensed, hunters licensed, or anyone else. Is that your position? If you're an American citizen superhero, or practicing superheroism in America, then I'd expect you to be registered. Just like any other worker. When you apply for a job, you fill out forms stating that you're legal to work in the country. Same with heroes. If Thor wants to be a superhero in America, or live in America, then he ought to register. And if Galactus wanted to settle down in Boston, then I'd expect him to register, too. Ultimately, like any other registration, it's about accountability. Doctors are accountable if they screw up. I'm accountable if I hit someone with my car. Hunters are accoutnable if they shoot someone. Heroes should be accountable if they do wrong, too. They may have superhuman abilities, but they're sill humans like the rest of us, and they shouldn't be able to wantonly trod over the rest of us whenever they want.

Either way, it's a choice. Nobody forced Peter to become Spider-Man. Sure, he didn't have any choice over his powers, and losing Ben is a big deal, but he still had choice in the matter. If Peter had never put on the suit, there wouldn't be a Spider-Man. I assume you're talking about Jessica Jones, right? If Jess had never been an Avenger and had never been a superheroine, you'd have a point. But Jessica is a superhero, even if retired. She's clearly shown that she's been willing to use her powers in the past, so I don't think that you can avoid registering her. Registration doesn't mean that she has to fight. It just means that the government knows who she is. Was it wrong of them to require her to be registered to be a PI? Where was Cap then? Even SHIELD doesn't know who all these guys are, so as it is now, there's no way for them to hold a hero accountable for when they mess up. I just don't think hiding behind that mask is necessarily a couragous thing. The work they do sure is, and I'm not discounting that, but as I said, it's also couragous to stand up and say, "I messed up, and I need to face the consequences." Everyone that needs to register is a current or former superhero. They've used their powers for vigilantism. If you don't use your powers, then no need to register. (Although in a lot of places, if you own a gun, you're required to register, and that's another case of being on a list because of what you might do.) I don't see this "abuse of power" argument. Look at a doctor. Why should they be required to register? If a person wants to perform medicine, then why should the government get involved? I don't think that Galactus is subject to it, since he's not an American (and isn't really operating within America).

SHIELD is working with the heroes. They're working with the ones that are abiding by the law. And actively trying to stop those who aren't registered. What an abuse of power. SHIELD is a law enforcement agency. It's not the "Superhuman Registration Act...or Not". It's SHIELD's job to get these guys to register. If registration is optional, then what's the point? And if nobody's going to enforce it, then what's the point? Registration is the law, and SHIELD is enforcing the law, as is their job. I'm not sure how you could expect them to do otherwise.

SHIELD is working with the heroes. They're working with the ones that are abiding by the law.

I'm not talking about revenge on the police in general, I'm talking about revenge on a single officer. I don't think it's unreasonable for me not to know the names of several officers in a book about superheroes, but if you look at something like Gotham Central (DC, I know), you know many officers' names, and see revenge being taken out on them personally. Even supervillains will take revenge on a policeman. It happens, and police put their identity on the line because they have to be held accountable. Capes make the choice, as well. Peter didn't have to put on the costume, just as the police don't have to join the force. But if you do choose to use your powers, then you have to be accountable for your actions, just as I have to be accountable whenever I get into my car. To use Spider-Man's own mantra: If you accept the power, you accept the responsiblity for it. That responsibility isn't just for doing good, it's for fessing up when you do wrong. While I don't accept your premise about the paperwork, I'm not going to argue it. But even if I do accept it, it still doesn't negate what I said. Paperwork doesn't stop the police from doing their job, or the military. The job still gets done. SHIELD is a pretty efficient organization. I don't see them letting the world be destroyed because Iron Fist didn't fill out form 7824-B. Registration is accountability. Each of us is accountable for our actions, as we should be. If I lose control of my car and kill someone, I'm accountable for that. If a policeman shoots an innocent by mistake, they're accountable. Are you saying that if a hero misfires his power, and someone dies, that they shouldn't be accountable? Because as it is now, with identities hidden, there is no way to hold them to that standard.

I can't agree with the "if villains know your identity, they'll come after your family." While it's potentially true, it's not a valid argument in htis case. Every policeman that goes out does so with his identity revealed, and pinned to his chest. If a villain wants to take revenge, then they can do that. Why are these vigilantes held to a different standard than our police, even when they are capable of doing far more damage. And it's not just policemen. All the rest of us go into the world with our identity displayed. People have to be held accountable for thier mistakes and when we do something wrong. If a policeman oversteps his authority, you have a valid and legal means of addressing that. When a superhero does it, what can you do? Hope another hero stops him, and that's it. How many times has a good guy turned bad? Looking at the Hulk alone, can you imagine how much damage he's done? Damage to innocents and civilians? It's about time someone shot him into space. The fact is that capes have placed themselves above the rest of us. What happened in Stamford wasn't Speedball's fault, but tragedies like this happen because there is absolutely no external accountability for superheroes. They can't put themselves into a class higher than any other individual, and they need to be accountable for their actions. Registration does not discount their good work, and it doesn't prevent them from doing it. But it does restrict their bad work, which while it is a minority of the time, needs to be addressed. Frankly, I think Cap is being a big whiny baby because his elevated position above the rest of us is being taken away.

Variants are a great place for them to do artist-specific versions of the characters. I think it'd be pretty interesting to see how they convey a particular artist's style with the constraints of the MiniMate form. Of course, there are plenty of valid options even if they don't go that route, especially for Superman. And if they dip in to Elseworlds (which they should), then there are even more. I'd cream my pants if there were a Kingdom Come Batman.

If I'm picking one, then it's Oracle. (Though the whole Birds of Prey team is more than welcome.)

While I'd like a Civil War themed release, will anyone care about it by the time these waves hit? Though if they did it, I think two packs with one character from each side would be good. Hopefully, since we're just getting a "new" Cap and Daredevil, they won't use those, even though they're high-profile on one side of CW. Here's how I'd pair them: Iron Spidey / Dr. Strange Modern Iron Man / Black Bolt She-Hulk / Hercules Thor / Falcon While I think Falcon and Hercules are silly characters and not nearly the popularity of their counterparts, they're actually kind of a big deal in Civil War. The two of them are part of Cap's inner circle. Plus, a lot of the other major characters on Cap's side have been done (Cable, Nick Fury, Cap himself, Luke Cage). Black Bolt and Dr. Strange are less "in the thick of it" than any of the Iron-sided characters, but they've taken a stand, and they're big enough characters to generate sales. I would have included Cloak and Dagger, but they're too perfect of a pair on their own. (Thor and Loki also make a great pair, but he seems to be integral to this arc, and it's about time he gets done, anyway! And I'm not even a fan of the guy...) Plus, I think that we complain a lot about Spidey variants (and rightly so), but the Iron Spidey costume is important enough that, were it made, I don't think there would be many complaints.

Yeah, now that you mention it, I remember those. I got a nice box of space guys that came with some cool accessories. Too bad they don't do that anymore...

That's the only way to get LEGO minifigs outside of a set directly from LEGO. (There are plenty of places on the secondary market for them, though.) They had previously released some 3-packs of figures. They initially did it for Star Wars, but Hasbro shut that down. They then did it for their (thankfully) short-lived NBA line. But for now, the only way to just get minifigs is through that Community Workers set from Shop@Home. For Playmobil, there are lots of ways to get "just people". They have their "Specials" line that is, generally, more detailed people. Those are typically sold at specialty toy stores (rather than mass market like TRU, Target, etc). At Target, you can usually find the "Pals" line. They're usually pretty inexpensive and just various kinds of people. Direct from Playmobil (and sometimes from specialty stores, if the store ordes them), you can get small sets of people. Like three Roman soldiers, three dragon fighters, three Civil War soldiers, etc. This is their "Add On" program. Though keep in mind, LEGO and Playmobil are way bigger and way more established than Art Asylum. It's easy to say, "Why can't they do it?" but it's really harder than that. (Though I'd certainly buy them if they were offered.)

It's a deal. I'd like a Bat-copter Batman sandwiched between two gold Spideys.

With Marvel its defiantely a case of input on both parts. That's cool. I figured that it may have been DST that gets a lot of the input. That's the impression I get from the Q&A sessions. It'd be cool to sit in on those meetings and see how the lists compare and how they decide who to make.

I never saw one of these, and it's the only C3 set I don't own, also the only superhero MiniMate I don't own. I'd really like to have one, but I'm not crying because I don't. All those Batman versions got pretty old really quick. (In fact, "Variant Alley" on my display is super-crowded...) Heh, I'd trade all my other C3 bricks for that MiniMate. :-P (Heck, I'd trade all my C3 bricks for a sandwich.)

I've never read a regular Superman title or owned a Superman trade. I've read some JLA, read the whole death and rebirth stuff from many years ago, but that's as far as it goes. Superman on his own just isn't all that. But I love All Star Superman. It's a fun read every single issue. Even when stupid Jimmy Olsen's the focus. Thumbs up!

Before you guys go nuts, I'd bet that we'll see a Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman in every wave of DC MiniMates, just like we see Spider-Man or Wolverine in every wave of Marvel MiniMates. I see the level of excitement about DC 'Mates to be relatively on par with that of Marvel 'Mates when they were first released. And, really, when you think about it, we've gotten some pretty obscure characters from the Marvel U as well. Firestar? Silver Sable? (Though it's true that the more obscure characters didn't start showing up until recently, and I'm not even sure those two are as obscure as Star Sapphire; at least Firestar was on the old Spidey show!) I don't think that DC will be ousting Marvel from the MiniMate market any time, but it would be nice if Marvel would step up a little. And speaking of licences and such, I assume its the licensor that chooses who goes into a wave, right? Not AA?

I was playing City of Heroes all weekend, and am just learning about this. :-( If there's any left, then I'd love to be added to the list. You guys rock!

A September or October release would be best, since season 3 is starting in October, and that's when the hype will be built.