History Main / SuperRegistrationAct

* The Moore Act in the "[[DarkAge Iron Age]]" setting of ''MutantsAndMasterminds'' made superheroes illegal in Freedom City. Named after Mayor Franklin Moore (who, in turn, was named after AlanMoore, creator of the Keene Act in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'').

->'''[[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]]:''' What would be the point of registering? Pretty much everybody knows our identities. Maybe not [[ComicBook/BlackPanther T'Challa]], but ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} knows. And if we did work for SHIELD, what then? We'd save the world, and then punch a time card? What if I saved someone crossing the street out of my armor? Does every GoodSamaritan have to register?
->'''Maria Hill:''' Don't give me that. [[AnalogyBackfire Good Samaritans don't save little old ladies wearing nuclear-powered battle suits]].
->'''Tony Stark:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint It's not nuclear.]]
->'''Maria Hill:''' I need Franchise/TheAvengers as an example. More and more superheroes are popping up. The Franchise/FantasticFour are public, but others like Franchise/SpiderMan and the Franchise/{{X-Men}} aren't. There has to be accountability. There are laws, and it's my job to enforce them.

-->--[[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope "Registration today, gas chambers tomorrow".]]\\

* The film ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' inverts the situation: After a series of successful lawsuits against {{Super Hero}}es leads to a wave of anti-hero sentiment, the government relocates them a la the Witness Protection Program and helps them lead normal lives. Note that the agency keeping track of the supers also existed in what seems to have been a regulatory/support role before these events, and none of the supers seemed to mind it.
** It's implied in the DVD extras that at least some members of the agency think the heroes have gotten a bad rap, and hope they can return to active service someday.
** It's not all positive -- supers in the program are expected to refrain from heroics (hence the ski masks worn by Mr. Incredible and Frozone when they rescue people from a burning building), and those caught using their powers must relocate and assume a new civilian identity.
*** Again, like the Witness Protection Program, that requires them to keep the low profile.
** It also made it easier for the BigBad to keep track of surviving heroes.

->'''[[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]]:''' What would be the point of registering? Pretty much everybody knows our identities. Maybe not [[BlackPanther T'Challa]], but ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} knows. And if we did work for SHIELD, what then? We'd save the world, and then punch a time card? What if I saved someone crossing the street out of my armor? Does every GoodSamaritan have to register?

* ''Webcomic/{{Onepunchman}}'' features the Heroes Organisation and their National Superhero Registry, which takes in and sponsors superheroes, tests them on their capability as a hero, and assigns them ranks and classes based on their abilities. Unlike most cases, operating as an unregistered hero isn't technically illegal, but it isn't very good for PR (the protagonist only signed up because [[DudeWheresMyRespect he wasn't getting any recognition for his deeds]].)

* Used in the ''Manga/SoulEater'' universe, and practically the plot of its prequel, ''Manga/SoulEaterNot''. Weapons must attend the DWMA until they are deemed capable of controlling their abilities, in an effort to stem the FantasticRacism that used to run rampant. This law is the reason why Soul, who came from a wealthy family, ever joined the DWMA in the first place. Meisters, on the other hand, are not required to train there, since they're not by definition anything but regular people who learn how to use weapons. Even the weapons are not required to ''fight'' anyone as most of the cast of ''Soul Eater'' do; only the NOT class (which teaches weapons to control their own powers) is mandatory, while the ones who fight evil for [[BigGood Lord Death]] and try to become Death Scythes volunteered to enter the EAT class.

* Used in the ''Manga/SoulEater'' universe, and practically the plot of its prequel, ''Manga/SoulEaterNot''. Weapons must attend the DWMA until they are deemed capable of controlling their abilities, in an effort to stem the FantasticRacism that used to run rampant. This law is the reason why Soul, who came from a wealthy family, ever joined the DWMA in the first place. Meisters, on the other hand, are not required to train there, since they're not by definition anything but regular people who learn how to use weapons. Even the weapons are not required to ''fight'' anyone as most of the cast of ''Soul Eater'' do; the only the NOT class (which teaches weapons to control their own powers) is mandatory, while the ones who fight evil for [[BigGood Lord Death]] and try to become Death Scythes volunteered to enter the EAT class.

* Used in the ''SoulEater'' universe, and practically the plot of its prequel, ''SoulEaterNot''. Weapons must attend the DWMA until they are deemed capable of controlling their abilities, in an effort to stem the FantasticRacism that used to run rampant. This law is the reason why Soul, a former wealthy human child, ever joined the DWMA in the first place. Meisters, on the other hand, are not required to train there, since they're not by definition anything but regular people who learn how to use weapons.

** By "dangerous", he means that rogue psykers tend to unwittingly summon or even create monstrous [[CosmicHorror Cosmic Horrors]] known as daemons wherever they go, as well as [[SuperPowerMeltdown other]] [[NegativeSpaceWedgie horrible]] [[SuperpoweredEvilSide things]]. A single rogue psyker can cause soul-eating daemons to overrun an ''entire planet'', forcing the Inquisition to come and deliver an EarthShatteringKaboom to the unfortunate world.

* Used in the ''SoulEater'' universe, and practically the plot of its prequel, ''SoulEaterNot''. Weapons must attend the DWMA until they are deemed capable of controlling their abilities, in an effort to stem the FantasticRacism that used to run rampant. This law is the reason why Soul, a former wealthy human child, ever joined the DWMA in the first place. Meisters, on the other hand, are not required to train there.

** Pre-Crisis, several heroes were granted exemptions (due to their "special status" or "special relations with law enforcement") from Congress' demands, and allowed to continue to operate: {{Superman}}, {{Batman}} (and Robin), and WonderWoman. In reality, of course, these characters were among the few superheroes continuously published through the 1950s (while the rest of their JSA cohorts weren't), a time when superheroes weren't as popular as other genres (Westerns, horror, etc.).

* White Wolf's ''Aberrant'' had a rather underhanded variety. While there is no official law requiring Novas to register, their powers tend to be hard to control without specialized training and medical care. Both are available only from Project Utopia, so most of them end up there, policing their "unenlightened" brethren. In the process they're also [[spoiler:'''''unknowingly sterilized'''''. It should be no surprise that the setting concludes with every Nova on Earth discovering this fact and going on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge that pretty much [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt wrecks the entire world]] - after which the authorities destroy all records of their crimes and claim that [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity all Novas inevitably go insane]], and systematically kill them from that point on.]]

!!Examples:

* The Ministry of Magic in the ''HarryPotter'' universe, which regulates the wizarding world in the UK, forces Animagi (wizards with the rare skill of being able to transform into a specific animal) to register with the government or face prison time. Over the course of the series, we get the impression that the law is more honored in the breach than the observance, though.

!Examples:

!!Examples:

[[folder:Film]]

* The ''GenerationX'' made-for-TV film deals with a harsh mutant registration act. Any mutant who doesn't register before their powers first flare up is imprisoned and considered a terrorist threat. Considering that most powers in the film are [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway small-scale]], [[CoconutSuperpowers low-budget]] and don't cause nearly as much property damage as you see in comic book panels, the knee-jerk reaction falls partly into AdaptationExplanationExtrication.
* As expected, the film version of ''Film/{{X-Men}}'' features a sub-plot in which a senator tries to get a mutant registration act. It fails but the threat of such an act hangs over the characters' heads for the rest of the series.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* The ''{{Champions}} 5th Edition'' TabletopGames has a Superhuman Registration Act in its game universe BackStory. It uses it in an uncommonly sensible fashion -- widespread public protests were unable to get it formally repealed, but it's now a law that the government virtually never tries to enforce, let alone use as an excuse for metahuman conscription. Several of the most prominent superhero teams of the Champions Universe have officially registered and sanctioned themselves, but many superheroes have chosen not to, with little official interference in their lives. It still remains on the books, but it's normally used only as the legal authority to demand (and record, and distribute) the true identity of any metahuman already being arrested on another criminal charge. However, the lives of registered metahumans are made easier in several ways as compared to unregistered ones -- they can testify in court without having to reveal their secret identities publically (as those identities have already been revealed to the government and are thus available to the court, if not the public), they are offered opportunities for basic law enforcement training and certification as deputies, etc. They do need to follow certain guidelines - not killing opponens unless completely unavoidable, trying to avoid colateral damage and such, however.

* Taken to extremes in ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms''. The nation of Cormyr requires all adventurers to register with the government, not just mages and clerics.

* A program similar to the above Babylon 5 example exists in ''{{Starcraft}}'', where any telepath born within Confederate space must be taken to the Confederate training centers, where they're turned into the Ghosts ([[SuperSoldier psychic commandos]]). One of the most famous being Sarah Kerrigan.
** This program was continued by the Dominion.
* In the third ''MegaManStarForce'' game, it becomes impossible to [[TransformationSequence EM Wave Change]] without first joining up with the Satella Police and getting a "Transcode." As Geo demonstrates in the beginning of the game, trying to Wave Change without a Transcode locks up the Hunter-VG and makes it impossible to use.
* Suprisingly even a kids online game, {{Poptropica}}, has this in effect on Super Power Island.

** Another big problem with ''CivilWar'', that again varied between writers, was the pro-reg side being led by people who actually had means to make normal law enforcement and military agencies less than near-helpless against metahuman criminals and de-facto private armies (never mind the diverse array of alien, extradimensional and time-travelling conquerors threatening the Earth), means not requiring dangerous experiments on people or production of notoriously difficult to control robots, [[ReedRichardsIsUseless but pointedly refused to do so]].

* The CiemWebcomicSeries has in its expanded universe a Judge Belliah of the [[AcceptablePoliticalTargets 9th Circuit Court of Appeals]], who [[http://dozerfleetwiki2.wiki-site.com/index.php/Timeline_of_events_in_Comprehensive_Gerosha#Gerosha_Abolition tries to start one]] via judicial activism. And [[TheWarOnStraw political mobs]]. In the end, all he succeeds at doing is winning over [[EvenEvilHasStandards two supervillains]] to join LaResistance in freeing an EmotionEater RealityWarper powerful enough to save all of them; and gets said EmotionEater RealityWarper [[BannedInChina banned in Belgium]].

->'''[[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]]:''' What would be the point of registering? Pretty much everybody knows our identities. Maybe not [[BlackPanther T'Challa]], but {{SHIELD}} knows. And if we did work for SHIELD, what then? We'd save the world, and then punch a time card? What if I saved someone crossing the street out of my armor? Does every GoodSamaritan have to register?

Actually ''implementing'' such a system is of course a tricky proposition, given the fact your targets can do things like erase your memories or blow up tanks by pointing at them, and depends on whether you're registering [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual super humans]] or [[SuperHero super heroes]]. In RealLife identification of a super abusing their powers could result in forfeiture of their property, termination of their employment and general suspension of their normal relationships and interactions if they are branded as a wanted felon without any need to apprehend or imprison the suspect. Of course in fictional worlds where villains don't have a good work-life balance options include:

** The Minutemen also faced the House Un-American Activities Committee. They came up with a compromise to the request to identify themselves to the committee: Each member was to reveal their identity to ''one'' member of the Committee. That member was to put their name into the enormous stack of names they wanted the FBI to do a background check on without any flags reading 'this person is <Superhero name>'. Then they would speak to the committee as a whole in their costumed persona. As a result, the heroes were investigated in their true identities, while limiting the number of people who knew who they really were. The only member of the Minutemen to not accept this compromise, Hooded Justice, resigned.

* In ''AstroCity'''s "Confessions" arc, the government of the titular city starts a registration act. It does not go well. [[spoiler:It turns out the Mayor was an alien shape shifter who was trying to destroy Earth's best defenses. This was found out when The Confessor, a Catholic Superhero Vampire, shot him to death with a stake gun.]]

* In the short-lived, live-action sitcom version of ''TheTick'', superheroes are required to have a hero license to operate within the City. However, the application process for such is simple and requires no background check, so the Tick easily makes up a false name to be listed as his secret identity. Furthermore, the consequences for not having a license are nonexistent.
* ''{{The 4400}}'' in one ep mentioned that a politician crafted a law forcing all 4400's to register their powers with the guv'ment.

-->--''[[WesternAnimation/AvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]]'', "Alone Against AIM"