Poll: The Mutant registration act/Superhuman Registration Act

[Zen Toombs]

If People who own cars or firearms have to register themselves the guy with the power to boil you alive with a thought probably should too.

Spot on. Using superpowers is a privilege, not a right.

Spot on. Using your eyes to see is a privilege, not a right.[footnote]/sarcasm[/footnote]

Do remember that for a number of superhumans, their abilities are simply a part of who they are and what they can do - just like walking or seeing or hearing. In many cases, their powers are simply the ability to do those things better than most people.

While I agree that superhumans should be registered, said registration should NOT have the major flaws with most of the presented registration acts. In most editions, the Mutant Registration act is set up for Mutantism[footnote]?[/footnote] and the Superhuman Registration Act in Civil War had a clause for conscription into the armed forces.

 

[launchpadmcqwak]

if i had super powers i wouldnt really care what the govournment did...i wold just fly around

 

[theheroofaction]

Note: this is assuming what we're talking about is similar to the cause of Marvel: Civil War.

If there's somebody who would do something illegal, making it twice as illegal isn't going to help.

We all know how DRM only ever affects the people who bought the thing it's attached to.

It's like that.

 

[Shinsei-J]

Civil War proves that if you reveal you secret identity to the world, your aunt will get shot and the only way to fix it is to make a deal with the devil that will cost you your 25 year marriage in the bargain.

I love you. I laughed so hard for 5mins that I almost through up, congratulations.
Though I do completely disagree with your point.

Sorry about that.

What's wrong with Stormwatch? It should be a viable option in a world where super powered heroes live. I'd rather have an agency policing superheroes and villains then what amounts to political hogwash like registration acts are.

I like the idea of teams run like stormwatch and I feel that there would be a place for teams like stormwatch but if someone has something they can use as a weapon be it organic or technological it has to be known so as to protect people.
As I said before if they use their power to do something ilegal the register can help to identify them and stop any more ilegal activity.
My point is also based in a more political view of this with both education and saftey of both partys being priorities.
From this plan some people may not like it at first but over the course of the next few years with the help of other programs mutants will be fine and be a normal part of society.
The one thing I don't like about my plan is the seperation of mutants and un-mutated people during the first few years of discovering there individual powers and learning to control said powers.
I also don't know what we would do if someone had uncontrollable destructive power but thats what years of planning is for unlike 30mins on the fly.

 

[malestrithe]

I like the idea of teams run like stormwatch and I feel that there would be a place for teams like stormwatch but if someone has something they can use as a weapon be it organic or technological it has to be known so as to protect people.
As I said before if they use their power to do something ilegal the register can help to identify them and stop any more ilegal activity.
My point is also based in a more political view of this with both education and saftey of both partys being priorities.
From this plan some people may not like it at first but over the course of the next few years with the help of other programs mutants will be fine and be a normal part of society.
The one thing I don't like about my plan is the seperation of mutants and un-mutated people during the first few years of discovering there individual powers and learning to control said powers.
I also don't know what we would do if someone had uncontrollable destructive power but thats what years of planning is for unlike 30mins on the fly.

So, a Stormwatch like organization would be phase 2 in your ideal situation. That makes sense.

Without sounding too much like a racist, I like the idea of a Mutant Registration Act more than a SHRA. Here's the thing: with a few exceptions, Marvel Mutants are driven more by personal philosophy than abstract notions of right and wrong. When the conflict was about how to expose themselves to the world, Magneto and Professor X were on opposing sides. When that conflict was resolved, Magneto and Xavier went back to being friendlier towards each other. Now they are on the same side, both being members of Scott Summers' Mutant Messiah cult. The current conflict in the X-men appears to be on how they best survive in the world after M day. Scott Summers wants to lock themselves away. Wolverine wants everyone to be allowed to make their own fate within the world.

I'm more worried about that than secret identities of not mutant heroes.

With the non mutant super powered beings, I don't think a SHRA is necessary. They choose to be good and evil. Spiderman chose to be good. Fantastic Four chose to be good. Green Goblin chose to be evil, so did the Frightful Four. They rarely, if ever, change sides.

 

[Vegosiux]

Considering my superpower would be mind manipulation (Not mind control. Never mind control. Just stuff like making people forget I've been there, for example.), such an act would of course be beneficial to me. *rubs hands in glee* Me? Mutant/Superhuman? No, you must have the wrong one. No problem, officer, you're just doing your job. Yes, have a good day yourself.

'sides, I'd not use my power to gain any significant unfair advantage. I lead a modest lifestyle, and I'd keep doing so...it's just less of a hassle.

 

[imperialwar]

No one should have to register just because they have an ability. I wouldn't support a mutant/superhuman registration act any more than I would support a martial artist registration act, or a chemist/explosive expert registration act. The fact is, that some people will always have abilities that give them the choice of wreaking mass destruction, that doesn't mean that they will, and that definitely doesn't mean they should be treated as though they might.

Most, in fact i would hope ALL, chemical explosive experts have a government approved degree, which means the government knows about them. That's pretty close to a registry when you think about it. If there was an explosion involving the experts specialty close to his home you can bet the police would be knocking on his door pretty quick.
Also the companies the experts work for have permits to use those explosives AND an employment registry of the people qualified and authorized to use them. The permits coming from the government usually.

You'd be surprised. Maybe all chemical explosive "experts" have a government approved degree, but you would be surprised by the number of people with absolutely no background in college chemistry who are capable of making things like thermite, napalm, gunpowder, ect. Probably even C4. Chemistry is actually really simple, and the ingredients for a lot of this stuff are very easy to get. If a homemade bomb went off, I would bet good money that more than half of the people capable of making it wouldn't show up on any government list. Certainly, if a commercial device went off, the list of people with access to it would be very short, but most of this stuff can be made at home very easily.

Right I agree with what you're saying here.
It's scarey to think about.
So then this might turn into genetic markers on the unborn fetus. We have mapped the human gene code ( at least that's what I'm led to believe ). So surely the genetic marker for superpowers would stand out some what.
Then we start creeping into some really creepy territory.

 

[RatRace123]

I've given this issue some thought and I do believe I would support this type of act.
Super Humans have unlimited potential for destruction and the ability to harm and even kill non-supers with relative ease.

If we lived in a hypothetical world where Superheroes existed, I'd want someone to keep an eye on them, and have plans to take any of them down should they go rogue, which some heroes have a tendency to do regularly. Not even getting into the Supervillains.

So, yeah I'd be in favor of registration, if it's done properly then the threat to their secret identities would be a minimal issue if a completely non existent one. And the actual heroes would still be free to do their heroing.