I thought Marvel forgot about this...

[Adam]

In the "Civil War Files" handbook that just came out there's a preface in the form of a letter from Tony Stark to the president talking about the Registration Act. One of the things he says:

Even Canadian legislators had no problem passing similar legislation, although their version of the Registration Act was eventually held unconstitutional by the supreme Court of Canada.
I assumed that this was pretty much forgotten by Marvel. Nice to see some of the latter-years AF stuff is still remembered.

[RolandT]

Interesting that they did.

[-K-M-]

That was the last story ark in volume.1, for more information view here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registration_Acts_%28comics%29
"A similarly titled "Super-powers Registration Act" is passed by the Canadian government in Alpha Flight #120 (May, 1993). Introduced by a minister of the Canadian government named Robert Hagon, the Super-powers Registration Act is part of a complex plot engineered by the Master, who is using the alias "Joshua Lord".

The terms of the act entail the government employment of all super-powered individuals, including mutants, who are then enlisted in one of the government Department H "Flight" programs such as "Alpha Flight" and "Gamma Flight".

Although the Act was shown to be controversial and the first series ended with the disbandment of the Canadian government's super-teams (the various "Flights") in Alpha Flight (vol. 1) #130 (March 1994), the Canadian SRA is never explicitly repealed or overturned within the comics.

Later Alpha Flight series did not acknowledge the law. As of 2006, rumors began to circulate (encouraged by some Marvel creators such as Mark Millar) that a new Alpha Flight series of some form is in the planning stages.[4]The rumors suggest that the premise of this series would involve American super-heroes fleeing the United States for Canada to escape a newly-enacted U.S. Super-human Registration Act. This suggests that registration is no longer mandatory in the Marvel Universe version of Canada. In July 2006 Civil War editor Tom Brevoort concurred with this sentiment saying "we've seen no evidence of it in ten-plus years of Canadian appearances. So if such legislation did exist, it was evidently repealed at some point." [5]"

[Powersurge]

Yeah, it "evidently" was. If of course the lack of evidence can be taken as evidence.

Either way, it would seem that Canada has always been shown as at least actively recruiting superhumans... from the origins of AF and Department H, it's Beta and Gamma programs, and then of course the infamous Hull House. The Canadian government has always been shown as having a hand in it's superhuman resources, whereas the USA has always been defined more (if not completely) by independent/vigiliante teams and heroes.

So, "evidently"? Or maybe just "conveniently"; so that American heroes could "flee" here.

Ah well, at least the matter wasn't omitted altogether.

[-K-M-]

Yeah, it "evidently" was. If of course the lack of evidence can be taken as evidence.

Either way, it would seem that Canada has always been shown as at least actively recruiting superhumans... from the origins of AF and Department H, it's Beta and Gamma programs, and then of course the infamous Hull House. The Canadian government has always been shown as having a hand in it's superhuman resources, whereas the USA has always been defined more (if not completely) by independent/vigiliante teams and heroes.

So, "evidently"? Or maybe just "conveniently"; so that American heroes could "flee" here.

Ah well, at least the matter wasn't omitted altogether.

Yep even during Zero Tolerance, Department H was shown collecting all it's ex-assets such as Aurora

[kozzi24]

They probably did forget about it until someone read about it online...prob'ly on Alpha Waves!

[Northcott]

It's at moments like this that I wish more American writers who tried to tackle Alpha Flight actually knew something about the nation they're writing about.

We've got a bizarre contrast in our legislation: on the one hand, we're a nation that strongly encourages personal freedom -- so long as that freedom doesn't harm others. We're always examining restrictive gun laws, but an explicitly stated mission of multiculturalism is a core part of our identity, gay marriage is legal and slowly becoming an accepted standard, and there's a debate about the legalization of pot.

Trying to restrict the rights of individuals based on accident and/or birth would cause a national outrage on an epic scale. What would be more likely to happen would be a quiet middle ground that stirs up controversy but little genuine ire: Perhaps a federally and provincially funded education program to allow people with super powers to learn to control them, likely containing "social programming" within it to help turn them into productive, peaceful citizens.

And not some bloody evil power-mongering conspiracy. Our politicians are lucky to get through a season without making fools of themselves. Now, a special military division devoted to super-powered beings? That's much more likely. Program them to be good, productive citizens, and you're bound to get a handful that want to play super-hero. Rather than let them run maverick, offer them a chance to do it with not only legal sanction, but full backing, support, and training. They've already been through a relatively benign system, so why not continue on in that path?

[Le Messor]

Perhaps a federally and provincially funded education program to allow people with super powers to learn to control them, likely containing "social programming" within it to help turn them into productive, peaceful citizens.

... but then the program would be cancelled for funding purposes.
The remainder would likely have to strike out on their own, doing their best to control their powers without the government program.

Then Mantlo would take over, and it'd all go mushroom shaped.

- Le Messor
"An idea is not responsible for the people who believe in it."