How does the Initiative affect SHE-HULK's supporting cast?

[Dermie]

We know that Shulkie has registered and has been recruited into SHIELD...but what about the various other heroes and superhumans in the SHE-HULK supporting cast?

John Jameson/Starlord was apparently registered when he got taken to the hospital with his gun shot wound...but it doesn't really affect him much right now, since he is off Earth. When/if he returns, then it might become an issue.

Southpaw is registered by default, since she already has a criminal record as a supervillain. And since she was already a wanted fugitive, the Registration doesn't change her status at all.

How about Two-Gun Kid? As an Avenger, he is officially a "superhero", but he doesn't have any superhuman powers, and his weapons aren't even special devices, like Hawkeye's trick arrows or Cap's shield, etc. Does the Registration Act apply to him at all?

Then there are the firm's various superhuman employees. Awesome Andy. Ditto, the shapeshifter. Whiz Kid and the other speedster mail carriers. Mr Bobo, the hyper-evolved ape secretary. And who knows what other superhuman employees the firm may have.
Since they all work for the law firm with Jen, I would assume all of them have registered. Since none of them are "superheroes", and already use their abilities in a different capacity, are they required to participate in the Initiative training program? Can they be drafted into the Superhuman Armed Forces? Or are they granted a "pass" to continue using their powers in their current employment?

And what about Danger Man, aka Dan Jermain, from vol.1 #2? How has the Registration affected him? It would be interesting to see him making a cameo in AVENGERS: INITIATIVE at some point.

[tom daylight]

Well, Danger Man didn't want to be a hero, so he probably doesn't need to register.

[Dingo]

Well given that MVP was recruited, and Cloud 9 was 'caught in the act' then maybe all the Camp Hammond residents are either recruits or people that tried to act superhuman without registration.

Perhaps if you turn up and sign up and promise not to use your powers you don't need to train. Or maybe you just do a quick course or something.

[Sam Johnson]

I think it's that if you don't want to act as a hero you just have to register then complete a basic training course. But with the ways the Initiative is warping the truth, who knows?

[Dingo]

I think it's that if you don't want to act as a hero you just have to register then complete a basic training course. But with the ways the Initiative is warping the truth, who knows?

I thought about that as a possibility, but it doesn't seem to fit Cloud 9 who only seems interested in flying, not being a 'hero' per se.

[Miss Kitty Fantastico]

Flying's probably a no-no regardless of what you want to do it for - I mean, even in the real world you can't just strap a lawn chair to a bunch of balloons and go for a ride without the FAA slapping you with a fine. Cloud 9, bless her heart, is apparently going along with a somewhat naive outlook on the whole thing, but I don't think she's proof that a 'power' automatically requires registration and Initiative service. She just wants to fly, sure, but I think the choice she had was: be an Initiative hero and fly, or be a civilian and walk, and she chose the former.

Two-Gun's a registered hero already, they said as much when he apprehended Ruby Thursday; likely the restrictions and qualifications were a bit relaxed during the conflict, as Tony's side would've been happy with anyone who wasn't an utter screw-up to boost their numbers against Cap's Secret Avengers, but with Two-Gun's history I don't imagine that he had to do anything beyond a refresher course/exam to qualify for full registration once the war was over and they started being more thorough. I can't say whether his 'powers' required him to register, but he wears a mask, and he volunteered to place himself under superhuman law when he got his guns via them.

GLK&H probably has the necessary pull to keep things operating the way they like - their armoured defendant-hunter guys must fall under the registration laws, and I'd wager they're still working at the firm same as before. Two-Gun's probably covered in the same arrangement. Same for the mail room speedsters, and Ditto, and the rest - I imagine they've either done a qualification course, or signed some kind of deal restricting the terms under which they can use their powers, so they're entitled to zip around the building with packages, or whatever it is they do, but not tackle supervillains the way a fully registered hero would. A hero walking in off the street might not have that option, but GLK&H no doubt could lean on some people in high places to get deals for their staff.

I suppose if the situation became dire, the Initiative could potentially draft anyone under such a 'semi-registration' agreement - but they're probably politically savvy enough to know that they don't want to piss off the most powerful law firm in the superhuman business unless they really need the extra troops. They did it with She-Hulk, but she's a heavy-hitter, very high-powered - not really comparable to the mail room kids.

Andy's an exception, seeing as he's AWOL - presumably he fell under the same deal GLK&H presumably had for the rest of their super-powered staff, but now that he's out on his own, he may be a desirable recruit for the Initiative. He is potentially a powerhouse, after all, and if he's not technically with GLK&H, the Initiative can't be accused of directly antagonising them if they pursue Andy (assuming he does something that qualifies as 'superhero' that they can use to rope him in).

[wessner]

The SHRA and the Initiative are separate things. The former affects all superhumans within the USA. The latter affects only those who volunteer for or are recruited for active hero duty.

I think MKF sums the situation for GLK&H's staff pretty well. It's reasonable to assume that the SHRA has some way of dealing with exceptions and deferments. After all, the intention was never to turn every superhuman into a hero. GLK&H would certainly know to work the legal aspects to their staff's advantage.

Of course, one of the narrative advantages of both the SHRA and the Initiative is that different individuals within the MU will have their own views. What one hero, villain, police officer or civilian thinks is legal may turn out to be very different from what the courts will eventually decide. Just the sort of fodder for future Shulkie stories. :)

[Dermie]

Well, Danger Man didn't want to be a hero, so he probably doesn't need to register.

Except it isn't the "superhero" registration act, it is the Superhuman Registration Act. My understanding is that anyone with super powers is expected to register, regardless of whether or not they intend to use their powers.

It's reasonable to assume that the SHRA has some way of dealing with exceptions and deferments. After all, the intention was never to turn every superhuman into a hero.

I would tend to agree...but then She-Hulk was specifically told that registering wouldn't turn them into SHIELD agents, and then the next thing she knows she's being drafted into SHIELD. So it looks like there may be a bit of flexibility between the stated intentions of the SHRA and the realities of how it is applied.

Andy's an exception, seeing as he's AWOL - presumably he fell under the same deal GLK&H presumably had for the rest of their super-powered staff, but now that he's out on his own, he may be a desirable recruit for the Initiative. He is potentially a powerhouse, after all, and if he's not technically with GLK&H, the Initiative can't be accused of directly antagonising them if they pursue Andy (assuming he does something that qualifies as 'superhero' that they can use to rope him in).

Yeah, Andy running around AWOL could get him into trouble, especially in the mindset he was in last we saw him. Considering that he started out as a villain (or a villain's walking weapon, more accurately), people may think that he's fallen back into old habits if he has abandoned his job and is running around on his own.

[Dingo]

Yeah, Andy running around AWOL could get him into trouble, especially in the mindset he was in last we saw him. Considering that he started out as a villain (or a villain's walking weapon, more accurately), people may think that he's fallen back into old habits if he has abandoned his job and is running around on his own.

Well, he has strong connections to a law firm, and it is a superhuman registration act.

Andy isn't even close to being human (or superhuman for that matter).

I'd say that there is enough of a loophole there to get him out of it.

[Dermie]

Well, he has strong connections to a law firm, and it is a superhuman registration act.

Andy isn't even close to being human (or superhuman for that matter).

I'd say that there is enough of a loophole there to get him out of it.

I doubt that loophole would protect him. Regardless of his origins, he has superhuman powers, and that is enough for the act to apply to him. And given his history as a bad guy, he's not likely to be cut much slack if he steps out of line.

[Dingo]

I doubt that loophole would protect him. Regardless of his origins, he has superhuman powers, and that is enough for the act to apply to him. And given his history as a bad guy, he's not likely to be cut much slack if he steps out of line.

I don't think it would protect him indefinately, but it might be enough to say "technically the act doesn't apply to him, but he is now willing to comply in any event.

Then of course they would ammend the act.

[wessner]

Many fans have bemoaned that since we don't have the actual wording of the Act, we can't know how to apply it in all situations. Which I think is intentional. As long as the details remain cloudy, there's more room for different writers to play with the application of the SHRA to individual circumstances. Sure this creates the appearance of contradictions in the "meaning" of the Act. But no more so than we see with new legislation in the real world.

Having said all that, I would be surprised in the definition of "superhuman" in the Act didn't also include robots, aliens, uplifted species and super intelligent shades of the colour blue. ;)

[Dermie]

Having said all that, I would be surprised in the definition of "superhuman" in the Act didn't also include robots, aliens, uplifted species and super intelligent shades of the colour blue. ;)

Exactly. The Avengers roster (pre-registration) had included many non-humans, including an android, two robots, a handful of mutants, a couple of gods, some aliens, some Eternals, an Atlantean and even a bio-duplicate. I think it is safe to assume that the SHRA would have been written with those variations in mind.

[tom daylight]

Except it isn't the "superhero" registration act, it is the Superhuman Registration Act. My understanding is that anyone with super powers is expected to register, regardless of whether or not they intend to use their powers.

If you don't use your powers, my understanding is that you don't have to sign up. Hence Firestar quitting in Civil War Front Line #3

[Dingo]

If you don't use your powers, my understanding is that you don't have to sign up. Hence Firestar quitting in Civil War Front Line #3

I don't think that is right. If you don't use your powers you are less likely to get caught, but every superhuman must register.