<p> Marvel Comics has an established tradition of addressing relevant real-life issues facing the American public. With the publication of <I>Civil War</I> (2006-2007), a seven-issue crossover storyline spanning the Marvel universe, they focused on contemporary anxieties such as terrorism and threats to privacy and other civil liberties. This collection of new essays explores the <I>Civil War</I> series and its many tie-in titles from the perspectives of history, political science, sociology, psychology, literary criticism, philosophy, law and education.</p><p> The contributors provide a close reading of the series' main theme--the appropriate balance between freedom and security--and discuss how that balance affects citizenship, race, gender and identity construction in 21st-century America.</p>