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New Avengers Illuminati has us loving to hate Brian Michael Bendis all over again. Actually, I think we should hate JMS and Mark Millar, who probably blackmailed Bendis into including their stupid plot points into this special. The scene that I object to is the one above, where Tony Stark tells the other leaders that they should kowtow to the U.S. government's superhero registration act. Never mind that this really makes no sense to everyone assembled. Reed Richards has no secret identity as Mr. Fantastic. Dr. Strange doesn't wear a mask. Namor and Black Bolt not only are public figures, they are rulers of their own countries, so why would they give a fuck? But I just can't see Tony Stark telling them they have to "roll over" (in Namor's words) to the government. It's completely out of character.
Tony Stark is the dude that went after the government in a big way during the first Armor Wars. He discovered that his technology had been stolen and was being used in armor by various individuals and groups. Three of them worked for the government: the Mandroids (S.H.I.E.L.D.), the Guardsmen, and Stingray. In the scene above, Stark pulls the wool over Nick Fury's eyes long enough to hack into S.H.I.E.L.Ds database to get the lowdown on the Mandroids. Stark's very origin is counter-culture in a way: born out of the Vietnam war, vowing never to allow his technology to be used by a government to kill people.
This is a paradigm shift in the way that Marvel's current crop of writers see this character. I have a feeling they must equate it with big business. Sheesh.
There is one thing I loved about this Illuminati special: Namor. He's wearing my favorite costume that just makes him look regal, and he's so full of piss and vinegar. It makes me year to see a Namor comic written by Bendis. How weird would that be? Nuff said.
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