- "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."
- ―Thaddeus Ross to the Avengers[src]
The Sokovia Accords are a set of internationally ratified legal documents that provide regulation and frame-working for the military/law enforcement deployment of enhanced individuals, particularly the Avengers and Inhumans operating under specific government agencies. The document was established by the United Nations and ratified by the governments of 117 states, notably Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sokovia, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Wakanda.
Thaddeus Ross describes the Accords as a "middle point" between the Avengers' desire to secure world peace and the world governments' concerns over the destructive repercussions of their interference.
History
Approaching Captain America
Thaddeus Ross talks with the Avengers
- "If we sign this, we surrender the right to choose."
- ―Captain America to Iron Man[src]
The events in Sokovia and Lagos caused the international community to demand greater accountability and oversight for the Avengers due to the collateral damage resulting in civilian deaths and heavy financial costs during their operations. Thaddeus Ross, now serving as U.S. Secretary of State, approached Captain America to present him with the Sokovia Accords, explaining that there is a disagreement between whether the Avengers should be considered heroes or vigilantes.
He considered them dangers, viewing them as a group of U.S.-based superhumans conducting global operations unilaterally without any government oversight, and explained that the "unlimited" power with which they have operated could no longer be tolerated by the international community. He presented archive footage from New York, Washington D.C., Sokovia and Lagos, all showing destruction and civilians fleeing for their lives to justify governmental oversight for the Avengers, telling them that they have to retire if they did not comply, before leaving to allow them to discuss it among themselves.[1]
Impact on S.H.I.E.L.D.
General Glenn Talbot discusses the Accords
- "I'm here because the President sent me. The Sokovia Accords are the law of the land now and he's concerned you might have some undocumented "assets" working for you."
- ―Glenn Talbot to Phil Coulson[src]
Since the end of the HYDRA Uprising the US intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D. officially didn't exist anymore. However, it continued to secretly operate as the black ops division of President Matthew Ellis's administration. When the Accords were ratified by the US Government, the President sent Brigadier General Glenn Talbot to speak with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director Phil Coulson about registering all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "undocumented enhanced assets", mainly the Inhuman operatives, because that was required by the Accords. Talbot and Coulson had a discussion about the rightfulness of the Accords themselves, compared to the Index of Superhumans once used by S.H.I.E.L.D. and eventually regretted. [2] However, Talbot revealed to the President the location of the Playground. Under the leadership of a new director, Jeffrey Mace, S.H.I.E.L.D. accepted the Accords, therefore becoming legal again.[3]
Effectivity
According to a newspaper clipping several months after the defeat of Hive, Quake's vigilantism made some people question the effectivity of the Accords in actual implementation of the measures.[4]
The Watchdogs, with the help of Senator Rota Nadeer, got the list from the Accords of several Inhumans around the world and their locations. They caused blackouts in major cities around the world, and one of the Watchdogs presented himself as an Inhuman to the world in order to incite anti-Inhuman bigotry, claiming that more blackouts would occur if the registration of Inhumans did not stop. Other Watchdogs members used the blackout in order to kill 17 registered Inhumans.[5]
Regulations
- "How does this registration thing work? You put us on a list then what?"
"Well, we collect fingerprints, DNA samples. We run a power analysis to categorise your threat level which is also used to determine health risks."
"Fine, I'll register, sign me up." - ―Lincoln Campbell and Glenn Talbot[src]
The currently known regulations established by the Sokovia Accords include:
- The Avengers will no longer be a private organization, and will now be operating under the supervision of the United Nations.
- The Avengers and any other enhanced individual will no longer have authorization to cross international boundaries at any time they wish.
- Enhanced individuals must be given clearance by a nation's government or an United Nation subcommittee before taking any action in that country, either on their own or as a part of the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D..
- Any enhanced individual who does not sign the Accords must not participate in any Avengers incursions, nor take part in any national or global conflict that they otherwise would have.
- If any enhanced individual takes any unauthorized action, or obstructs the actions of those who are acting in accordance with the Accords, they will be arrested.[1]
Key Players
Supporters
- International Community
- Matthew Ellis[2], president of United States of America
- Thaddeus Ross, U.S. Secretary of State
- T'Chaka, former king of Wakanda
- Brigadier General Glenn Talbot[2], head of the ATCU
- Everett Ross
- Team Iron Man
- Tony Stark (Iron Man), ex-Avenger (signed the Accords)
- Vision, ex-Avenger (signed the Accords)
- James Rhodes (War Machine), ex-Avenger (signed the Accords)
- Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), ex-Avenger (signed the Accords)
- T'Challa (Black Panther), king of Wakanda
- S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Jeffrey Mace[3], Inhuman and the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Phil Coulson[3], former director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Elena Rodriguez[3], Inhuman and former member of the Secret Warriors (signed the Accords)
- Lincoln Campbell[2], Inhuman and former member of the Secret Warriors
- Other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents
- Watchdogs
- More than 17 Inhumans
Opponents
- Team Captain America
- Steve Rogers (Captain America), former leader of the Avengers
- Sam Wilson (Falcon), ex-Avenger
- Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier)
- Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch), ex-Avenger
- Clint Barton (Hawkeye), ex-Avenger
- Scott Lang (Ant-Man)
- Sharon Carter, CIA agent, ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent
- Daisy Johnson (Quake) [2], Inhuman, ex-S.H.E.L.D. agent and former leader of the Secret Warriors
- Robbie Reyes (Ghost Rider), vigilante in Los Angeles who is hiding his abilities
Appearances
| Appearances for Sokovia Accords |
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In chronological order:
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Gallery
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Trivia
- The Sokovia Accords are a version of the Superhuman Registration Act from the Civil War comic series. The Act is a piece of United States legislation that required all superhumans to reveal their secret identities and disclose their powers for regulation.
- The newspaper clipping regarding Quake erroneously refers to the Sokovia Accords as the "Sokovian Accords".[4]
