The narrative begins with the New Warriors broadcasting themselves ambushing a safehouse of criminals. Nitro explodes in the scuffle killing 600 people

The government opts to have superheroes register to keep tabs on how many heroes there actually are and to officially regulate heroes 

23 heroes meet in the Baxter Building to discuss this idea. Cap meets with Maria Hill and refuses to arrest Avengers who protect the people and don't want to register

Cap becomes a fugitive from S.H.I.E.L.D. 

The Resistance has 23 safehouses for anti-reg heroes all known only to Nick Fury

Spiderman reveals his true identity to the public after which J. Jonah Jameson is completely shocked and even faints

Emma Frost (as leader of the X-men) refuses to register the X-men but agrees not to join Cap’s side 

Pro-reg set a trap for anti-reg heroes and a battle ensues

Thor arrives who is actually a clone and kills Goliath) Bill Foster

Pro-reg heroes employ the Thunderbolts to work for them. A team originally put together by Helmut Zemo hence a team of criminals

Captured heroes on anti-reg side are put in a prison in the Negative Zone 

Spiderman switches sides

Spiderman is ambushed by Jack O’ Lantern and the Jester, two villains of the Thunderbolts, and is critically wounded. Punisher saves Spiderman and kills them both

Punisher joins the anti-reg team while a panel shows Tigra calling pro-reg

Punisher infiltrates the Baxter Building to study and find the plans of the Negative Zone

Punisher is kicked out from anti-reg due to the way he operates 

Uatu tells Dr. Strange he can end it all with a simple incantation yet he refuses to intervene because he believes there is no absolute right or wrong

Black Panther and Storm join anti-reg

Anti-reg team infiltrate Ryker’s Island penitentiary as that is where the portal to the Negative Zone is 

Another battle ensues

Namor joins anti-reg

After realizing that they were fighting just for the sake of fighting, Cap surrenders to pro-reg and the fighting stops. Tony Stark becomes head of S.H.I.E.L.D. after Maria Hill and implements the Fifty-State Initiative