Like a blogging Ghostbuster, I tend not to cross the streams.
While I’m proud of my professional life as editor of a legal trade magazine, aside from a few nods to working in news, I try not to mention work here or blog there. But a story I edited this week — and the impending cinematic thunderkick of “Avengers: Infinity War” dropping today — is too good to pass up.
Reporter David Thomas talked to lawyers to ask how much deep legal muck a real-life superhero would be in.
Among the things Dave learned:
- Police could use illegally obtained evidence from Spider-Man but not from Captain America.
- Iron Man breaks export control law every time he leaves the country.
- Dormammu’s best recourse against Doctor Strange is in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
- You could sue both Diamondbackand Luke Cage for trashing your van.
- Loki’s scepter is likely a UN-protected item of cultural significance.
- Like a superheroic Lethal Weapon 2, Black Panther has diplomatic immunity.
- I am Groot.
- Good Samaritan laws don’t protect crimefighters.
- Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents is a real thing in the real world.
- Captain Barrington Township isn’t.
So read the story, ogle the amazing Kirby-esque art by Alexis Ziritt and I’ll be back Monday with — if weather cooperates — a look at a mass grave for Cubs fans. Excelsior!
