Who Won Marvel’s Civil War II?

After eight issues Marvel’s Civil War II has finally reached its conclusion, and as the dust settles, fans are left with the question of who came out the victor.

Spoilers for Civil War II #8 incoming, so be forewarned.

Civil War II started out as a disagreement of ideals, but along the way morphed into something altogether different. The Inhuman Ulysses has the ability to see the future in the form of surreal visions that felt as if they were happening in real-time. This skill set came in handy on more than one occasion and saved millions of lives in the process.

It also could be argued that it caused some deaths as well, including those of James Rhodes (War Machine), Bruce Banner, and almost killed Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk). The original conflict was about profiling, and whether it was acceptable in an “end justifies the means” type way. Beast sums this up when talking to Carol at the end of issue #8 when he says “You popped open a dangerous door, Carol. And deep down…maybe very deep down, he knew, and I know, you could be trusted. profiling people…profiling the future…you saved millions of lives with it, but it was who came after you that he was worried about.”

The “he” Beast is referring to is Tony Stark, who is laying in a techno-cocoon by issues end after the big fight with Carol goes awry. Just from that sentence alone, it appears that Captain Marvel won Civil War II in a variety of ways, but Stark’s point was also made in the process.

Carol beat Tony Stark on a physical level, shattering his armor completely. She also won the day from both a PR and government standpoint, as it was Tony who came at her on the steps of the monument, initiating the battle that took place for all to see. In the President’s eyes, she came out smelling like roses, and he basically offered her a “golden ticket”, to which she responds “actually, I have some ideas…about the future.”

While Carol seems to be the overall victor, Stark did manage to make his point about Ulysses view of the future, as during the final fight he showed them visions of possible futures. It also turns out that he was showing possible futures the whole time, something Carol finally understands. While Stark is temporarily off the board, his message was received loud and clear.

While Iron Man won the war of ideals, Captain Marvel won just about everything else.

MORE COMICS: Todd McFarlane Shares How Stan Lee Inspired His Career / What Does That Dark Knight III: The Master Race Twist Mean For The Future Of Frank Miller’s Franchise? / The Most Improved DC Comics Of 2016 / Civil War II: Breaking Down The Final Visions Of Marvel’s Future / 5 Comics You Should Catch Up On Over Winter Break