Marvel’s Civil War showed the moral limits of war, and in the one-shot titled War Crimes, the limits of Captain America and Iron Man were tested.
If there’s anything audiences could learn from Marvel Civil war event is that even good men love Iron Man and Captain America are capable of collapsing if it means winning a war. One of the darkest lows either man has gone to during this story arc came during an oft-forgotten Frank Tieri and Staz Johnson one-shot called Civil War: War Crimes. In it, Tony Stark has the audacity to make a deal with the devil himself in the form of Wilson Fisk.
During the latter’s prison term, Iron Man agrees to forgive the Kingpin if he gives him information on where to find Captain America’s team. They tremble on it and the deal is done. Except, when it’s time for Fisk to pay his end of the bargain in exchange for his freedom, the safe haven Kingpin directs Iron Man and his strike force to is actually a warehouse full of villains the heroes are forced to fight.
There are two reasons why Kingpin would so easily ruin a chance for an early release. On the one hand, it’s simply a payback as Kingpin recalls a time when his warehouse was attacked by Iron Man’s allies. Kingpin and Iron Man are enemies after all, even though Fisk and Stark generally operate in different circles. The bigger answer, however, is much simpler; Captain America asked first.
Due to Iron Man’s often morally gray nature, it’s not too shocking to see him so willing to shake hands with someone like Kingpin. However, seeing the often morally righteous Captain America throw away his morals for the benefit of his own business highlights the high stakes of not just Marvel’s Civil War, but warfare in general. There is no place in a war for good or bad people. There are only soldiers.
Since Captain America was born into a war with a soldier’s mentality, that’s how he was able to win that particular chess battle against Tony Stark. Hercules actually articulates it best at the end of the comic. In his own words when justifying his deal with Fisk, Hercules says Cap, “recognizes that sometimes in wartime difficult decisions must be made to achieve your goal. And should that cost you a piece of your soul? so be it.” Sacrifices have to be made in wars and sometimes it is his moral compass that is sacrificed. War requires scars that will never heal. Captain America paid this price against Iron Man during Marvel’s prolific Civil war and he has never been the same since.
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