Thor and the Superhuman Registration Act

[Essex]

Having just seen some preview pages of the next issue of Thor over at Newsarama.com I thought of an interesting legal loophole to the Superhero Registration Act. Could Thor resist compliance with the act due to the seperation of church and state? After all, because he is a God the U.S. government may not have the right to enforce his compliance.

[psycojester]

If i was Thor that'd be my defense. I'll sign up when Jesus shows up and signs it.

[kpenguin]

Ares signed it, I believe, so the god defense might be out.

[Finn Solomon]

He would have to prove that he was indeed the god that was once worshipped by the Vikings, and not some metahuman bloke.

[kpenguin]

He would have to prove that he was indeed the god that was once worshipped by the Vikings, and not some metahuman bloke.

Asking that might be a bit dangerous...

"What? You deny my divinity?! I am Thor, lord of Asgard, son of Odin, god of thunder!" *smite*

[psycojester]

That problems easy solved, just make sure you send a rubber or other non-conductive material based superhero to discuss it with him.

[Green Bean]

That problems easy solved, just make sure you send a rubber or other non-conductive material based superhero to discuss it with him.

Heh. That gives me the mental image of some poor guy being shanghaied into explaining to Thor exactly what's been going on with the events of Civil War and World War Hulk. "Really, he's an understanding guy. You'll be fine. Now, I'll just go hide, err, wait in this bunker while you tell him."

[GoC]

I'd say gods are exempt because of their ability to smite all the bureaucrats/politicians who disagree.:smallamused:

Smite makes right!:smallbiggrin:

[Kaelaroth]

Hhhmmmm.... The AMAZING THOR.. is sued for several hundred million dollars after he smites a bureaucrat who then survives.

I don't think Godliness is a defence, unless you claimed he wasnt really human in sense. But then he would lose all human rights...

[Gundato]

I'd say gods are exempt because of their ability to smite all the bureaucrats/politicians who disagree.:smallamused:

Smite makes right!:smallbiggrin:
Actually, wasn't that the argument FOR registration? :p

And did anyone else find it funny that, in general, all the super-heavy hitters went Pro-Registration, whereas the more tactical (but physically weaker) heroes were anti?

[StickMan]

I think he would be better off going the diplomatic Immunity route. I'm the ambassador to Earth of Asgard. Works for Storm.

[psycojester]

That would be a really good idea.... if Thor hadn't decided to set up Asgard in Ohio, or is it Utah? i can't remember.

[Tallis]

Oklahoma I think.

It is the Super-human registration act, so he might use that as a defense since he isn't human. As has been pointed out though, Ares is registered and if he proves he's not human he'd lose all his rights.
The ambassador approach seems good except that bringing Asgard into American airspace could be considered an act of war and create a very uncomfortable political situation.
There's also the question of his reaction to the clone of him that's been used as a weapon in the Civil War. I know I wouldn't be too happy and his ego is bigger than mine (though maybe not by much). He might be able to use that as blackmail.
Of course if he still has the Odin-power then the question is moot, because there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it if he doesn't register. Plus he could modify their memories just like Odin did to him.

[T.Titan]

That would be a really good idea.... if Thor hadn't decided to set up Asgard in Ohio, or is it Utah? i can't remember.

Maybe his defense will be "once i remake the US into the land (as opposed to castle/city) of Asgard your laws won't matter"!

[Dalenthas]

I believe that the worst the SHRA provides for to deal with 'foreign' supers is deportation. In Mighty Avengers #1 Iron Man threatened to deport Ares if he didn't join up. So, what, are they gonna send Thor to Asgard? I somehow doubt that'd work. I assume the Thor/IM fight in Thor #3 will resolve this question for all.

[horseboy]

I vote he tells them to fornicate themselves then moves to Sweden.

[kpenguin]

It is the Super-human registration act, so he might use that as a defense since he isn't human.

Non-humans aren't exempt from the act. The ressurected Captain Marvel, for instance, is an alien.

[Xuincherguixe]

Non-humans aren't exempt from the act. The ressurected Captain Marvel, for instance, is an alien.

Which brings up an interesting point, do non humans get human rights?

[GoC]

Hhhmmmm.... The AMAZING THOR.. is sued for several hundred million dollars after he smites a bureaucrat who then survives.

I don't think Godliness is a defence, unless you claimed he wasnt really human in sense. But then he would lose all human rights...

Why on earth would he want human rights?
He's a god! What are they going to do? Sic his fellow superheroes on him?
Most of them would probably refuse to attack him and those that did would find themselves doing zero damage.

Tallis:Yes, he still has the Odin-Force.

[Elliot Kane]

And did anyone else find it funny that, in general, all the super-heavy hitters went Pro-Registration, whereas the more tactical (but physically weaker) heroes were anti?

Anyone with any actual common sense and individuality refused to sign up. I don't find it at all surprising that they would see the beginnings of a totalitarian nightmare, where the... less imaginative, shall we say... could not.

[WitchSlayer]

They might make an exception, like they did for Dr. Strange. Basically anyone who can kick their asses they say "Oh you don't have to register"

[Tallis]

Non-humans aren't exempt from the act. The ressurected Captain Marvel, for instance, is an alien.

Is Captain Marvel registered? He's guarding the prison in the Negative Zone, but did they ever actually say that he's registered? He isn't active in the US anyway, so it may be a moot point.

[Tallis]

They might make an exception, like they did for Dr. Strange. Basically anyone who can kick their asses they say "Oh you don't have to register"

Dr Strange is in hiding. They didn't make an exception, they just couldn't catch him. Same as the rest of the New Avengers, except Spider-Man who registered before he turned against Iron Man.

[Beleriphon]

Dr Strange is in hiding. They didn't make an exception, they just couldn't catch him. Same as the rest of the New Avengers, except Spider-Man who registered before he turned against Iron Man.

Well, I think part of the reason that Dr Strange couldn't be caught is quite frankly that he outweighs most of the Pro-Reg side in terms of power by a pretty wide margin. The guy is the magical protector of Earth's universe, so I'm sure he has better things to do with his time that dink around with Tony and his little Gestapo gang.

As for Thor, I'm waiting to get me some Iron Man beat down action.

[Tallis]

Well, I think part of the reason that Dr Strange couldn't be caught is quite frankly that he outweighs most of the Pro-Reg side in terms of power by a pretty wide margin. The guy is the magical protector of Earth's universe, so I'm sure he has better things to do with his time that dink around with Tony and his little Gestapo gang.

As for Thor, I'm waiting to get me some Iron Man beat down action.

I agree, Strange can ignore the SHRA because of his power. I just think it's inaccurate to say they're making an exception.

[Beleriphon]

I agree, Strange can ignore the SHRA because of his power. I just think it's inaccurate to say they're making an exception.

Still, I'm waiting for Iron Man to get a face full of Mjolnir.

[Rare Pink Leech]

Oklahoma I think.

It is the Super-human registration act, so he might use that as a defense since he isn't human.

Well, super means "greater" or "above", and Thor is certainly greater than or above human. Besides, mutants need to register, as well as other superheroes like the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and Ms Marvel, all of whom aren't technically human anymore (I think; I don't follow comics enough to know whether they are considered human in-universe anymore).

[ravenkith]

Concur: Thor needs to beat the crap out of 616 Tony Stark.

[Logic]

Dr Strange is in hiding. They didn't make an exception, they just couldn't catch him. Same as the rest of the New Avengers, except Spider-Man who registered before he turned against Iron Man.

They did initally say that the government would not pursue Dr. Strange for registration unless he began to help the fugitives. It was because he is the protector of Earth from magical forces.

[gatitcz]

Concur: Thor needs to beat the crap out of 616 Tony Stark.

You would think someone might try to assassinate Stark soon.

Not that it would matter. In the next year, watch Marvel reveal that both Cap and Stark were Skrulls who were working together to start a war between superheroes which would distract them from the coming invasion as well as possibly eliminating the people most capable of stopping said invasion. Whoever's in charge of the superpowered prison inmates will be a Skrull, too (currently Captain Marvel, right?). Three months after that, we're back to status quo. No one even knows Spider-Man's secret identity.

[ravenkith]

Yeah.

Skrulls is the only thing that makes sense, beyond an ultron inspired plot.

[Tomitsu]

I bet old Pete's going to blame it all on a skrull who impersonated him impersonating Spider-man.

I just hope Aunt May'll turn out to be a skrull so they could finally get rid of her.

[GryffonDurime]

Asking Thor to register...I can imagine very few ideas that seem worse than that. I think, as a general rule, if you serve some kind of function for the natural order as Strange and the gods do, you can pretty much ignore any decrees as is your wont...what will they do? Seriously, Strange is probably the single strongest human left on Earth, Thor has frightening godlike power...trying to force either of them to register is a lot like trying to force the Phoenix to go out on a date with you--no matter what the response, the whole situation would be much more trouble than it was worth.

The point of registration for the most part is to gather data on the metahumans; to know who's where and what they're capable of. It's Thor. You know where he is--he's not very discreet. And he's been around for long enough that I hope the government has some vague idea of what he can do.

[Xuincherguixe]

It's an interesting story idea. I imagine there would be few arguments that asking someone who isn't even a citizen of the United States, is thousands of years older than it, and a god and therefore an aspect of the Universe to register is fascist.

It's completely insane. But that's the point.

Like most of the people here I want to see Thor kick Iron Mans butt. But it would wreck the point of his new character. Which is of course "the system".

They should really change his costume. Instead of Yellow and Red it should be painted to look like a 3 piece suit. ("Hello Mr. Anderson")

[GoC]

They should really change his costume. Instead of Yellow and Red it should be painted to look like a 3 piece suit. ("Hello Mr. Anderson")

LOL!
Love it!:smallbiggrin: