Law in a comic book universe must be an absolute, PEACH of a course at University level

[icon_uk]

We've seen some examples of this over the years, from Astro City investigating how exactly you prove someone is dead when this probably isn't the first time they died, to Nightwing being called as an expert witness in the Trial of Deathstroke,

And now it's the Marvel Universe's turn as "Kamala's Law" is put into force...




Whilst, in essence, as an adult, I'd probably support something akin to Kamala's Law to protect kids, the way it's being introduced in universe makes the Superhuman Registration Act look like a minor amendment to parking regulations in terms of subtlety and just sheer BAD LAW.



And it's implementing agent is not exactly doing much to convince me that this is a law which will be applied wisely.





If your almighty new law can be validly challenged by a random CHILD, how long would this even stand up to even the most cursory of court cases in a world where time and space are not even absolutes?

Comments

[chalicother]

Wait...you have to be 21... , but you can sign up for the army at 18? Someone correct me if I am wrong

[zachbeacon]

Yeah, was wondering what the age cutoff was. 18 seems reasonable from a real world POV but 21 is nonsense.

[icon_uk]

21 is also the age you can first be served alcohol in many states though, as I understand it.

[hotfoot]

Just to preface, I am not a lawyer.

The law requires that children (under-18) must have mentors (21 or over) to fight in public.

The assumption under law is that once you turn 18, you are an adult and are responsible for yourself, but you may not yet be ready to be responsible for someone younger than yourself.

Several states have similar laws with regards to Learner's Permits and cars. The minor with the Learner's Permit can drive the vehicle, but only if an adult of a specific age (21 or legal parent or guardian) with a valid Driver's License is in the car with them, often in the passenger seat.

So that part of the law is more or less based on real world law involving minors operating things that can kill or injure people and destroy property. It's not entirely off-base, and works reasonably well.

That said, in a world with time-dilation, literal time-travel, alternate dimensions, clones, literal wish magic, etc., to not have, let's just say, more updated legal definitions of what constitutes an "adult" is a bit of an oversight. That said, time dilation usually works the other way, someone approaching the speed of light slows down their frame of reference from the parties not engaged in near light-speed travel. So he would actually be younger, not older, unless it was something else. It'd be great if, next issue, that came up, with the officer knowing the kid was full of it, but just didn't want the headache.

*laughs in Avengers: The Initiative*

[deh_tommy]

I mean, the last time this kind of thing happened they forcibly conscripted teenagers into essentially being soldiers lest they have their powers forcibly removed, so that’s not too unthinkable.

[dcbanacek]

Does the "mentor" have to be a hero? I can envision an "Uncle Marvel" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Marvel ) situation or just some aspiring heroes hiring a homeless guy to follow them around.

"He's an adult!"

"He's drunk!"

"Nowhere did it say that it has to be a responsible adult as the mentor!"

[cygnia]

Hell or even a human/from Earth?

[icon_uk]

I'm perhaps a little surprised Alex didn't just say, "Oh, will Reed and Sue Richards, or Ben Grimm or even Johnny Storm do... okay, maybe scratch that last one, but even so Fantastic Three out of Four isn't bad"

[reveen]

Honestly, I just assume that the justifications for Kamala's law is a complete fig leaf and it's really about cutting down on the number of superheroes so they have a reason to hire more cops, and therefore give more federal subsidies to the military-industrial companies that make police equipment.

Makes a lot more sense that way.

[thediiem]

Every time the Marvel Universe tries to legislate minors with superpowers, the end result is *always* government-sanctioned child soldiers.

Never forget Cloud 9.

[themajesticmoose]

This is one of the many reasons why I utterly loathe C.R.A.D.L.E and why I am rooting for the heroes who are doing the right thing and breaking "Kamala's Law"

Put simply I'm against any kind of law that exists to give the government this kind of control and I am rooting for the heroes who are fully willing to break this law in this event because the only kind of heroes I ever root for are those who are fully willing to break the law to do what they do.

I don't want superheroes taking orders from the US government for any reason

[zachbeacon]

This raises so many questions RE time travel. Pretty sure that, on paper, Cable is younger than Katie and people like Bishop haven't even been born yet.

Also Multiple Man has a child bride.

[coldfury]

Cable was born in the future, wasn't he? I think the database on his age would just be a giant shrug Emoji.

"Cable? Okay, it says here you're in your late 40s... or a teenager? ???"

[deh_tommy]

Cable is a mutant, so wouldn’t they be exempt from this law? As all mutants everywhere are granted diplomatic immunity regardless of if they live in Krakoa or not.

[owlbrigade1]

Why would anyone even sign up to try an implement this law, they've just painted a target on their back for teen supervillains whilst simultaneously ensuring the heroes would be less than enthusiastic responders to save you? Not saying they'd deliberately let a villain take someone out, but when they have to triage the hero rescues you just know who goes to the bottom of the list below even the villains themselves. Marvel bureaucrats are the dumbest.

[matrix_dragon]

Because this is Marvel, where making problems for superheroes is the government way.

[thanekos]

Uniform McAuthority postures, Smart Glibteen counter-postures, and Ryan North is bringing his.. A-/B+ game to this, apparently.

[super_fly]

Boy that cover really says it all. "Hey, a bunch of kids in tights. Let's advance on them menacingly with our *sturdy batons*."

[coldfury]

I feel like Katie is way too young for how much Julie & Alex have been aged up over the years.

Also, have they reunited with Teen Franklin yet? That's a gold mine waiting to happen.

[capnduckman]

I thought both Alex and Julie were adults now? Huh. Freaking time scales.

[themajesticmoose]

They are by any normal persons defition of the term. They're both over eighteen.

The moronic fascist twat in the above scans and the rest of the C.R.A.D.L.E imbeciles however think that anyone under twenty one is too young to be a superhero, despite the fact eighteen is the legal age one is considered an adult literally everywhere on earth

[icon_uk]

I think Julie got emancipated early when she moved out West when she was with Excelsior, so probably over 18 by now, but under 21?

[tcampbell1000]

I think the argument's fine, it's just who's making it that stretches things. The Power Pack come across as kids... no matter how old they actually are, it's kind of their defining #brand... and no Conveniently Reasonable Agent is going to take sass from a kid in the middle of an arrest. This would be a great time for a Foggy Nelson guest appearance.

[icon_uk]

It's the fact that at least two of them AREN'T kids any longer (except by the US's weird age of majority definitions over some aspects of this stuff) that is sort of the point,

Julie hasn't been written as a kid since the mid 00's at least, so regressing her too much, especially after she's had long term igrlfriends etc would ring even more hollow.

[t209]

https://www.shortpacked.com/comics/2007-06-20-ironman.png (I think Shortpacked had the same comic dealing with this).
Part of me imagined Joe Quesada--and by extension, Marvel editors--as unintentionally making themselves as political satire.
Like making fun of politicians is one thing, but if your comment on not having a law written in-universe because "it's complicated" without any hints of Irony...then I am seeing Marvel being one.
I am wondering why Zeta Gundam did a better job writing Civil War storyline than Marvel despite being a toy commercial (albeit a well-written and tragic commercial)