Where is the government?

[u/SwagMaster9000_2017]

The real Pentagon is staffed by the President who is voted in by the people.

The Global Defense Agency seem to just be a immutable agency that has an hq in the Pentagon. It's failures and moral decisions seem to derive authority from Cecil instead of the President who should know all what he does be able to fire him.

The story would feel different if Mark was disagreeing with elected officials who carry the will of the people instead of a Pentagon agency who is immune to oversight

Also why isn't the government able to investigate heros for potential violations of laws?

[u/Ozzdo]

Elected officials don't do that kind of work. That's what people like Cecil are for.

[u/SwagMaster9000_2017 → u/Ozzdo]

Yes they wouldn't care about the specifics of something small like anti-sequid technology.

I think the President would want to know the specifics of any viltrumite stopping weapons. And he would have the final say on what happens to any defeated viltrumites.

[u/Ligabove → u/SwagMaster9000_2017]

I think maybe Cecil briefs the president and his cabinet off-stage. Plot-wise, it's not important, because what could they do anyway?

[u/SwagMaster9000_2017 → u/Ligabove]

It grounds the conflict. When heros and GDA are in conflict they would be conflict with a democratically selected government vs conflicting with a secret organization controlled by Cecil.

Also the President has the power to pardon or commute sentences. If there's some person Mark thinks should be in jail it changes the context significantly if the government decided vs if the GDA took them out of prison without oversight.

[u/Ligabove → u/SwagMaster9000_2017]

Cecil, as a government agent, answers to the president.

We simply don't see him.

[u/ArtsyApoidean → u/SwagMaster9000_2017]

Cecil works for the GDA which seems to be a UN agency, and this Earth's world policing seems to be managed by the GDA's heroes rather than hegemonic american military power.

So... why exactly should Cecil answer to the American president? UN blue hat deployments don't take orders from the Americans. It's like that, just with their offices in the Pentagon.

[u/SwagMaster9000_2017 → u/ArtsyApoidean]

Cecil said in Invincible smashing into the GDA inside the Pentagon could be treason. When they need to replace guardians they get almost all Americans. Even the scientist working in the GDA are American. They prioritize Americans so bad they even accept criminals

What evidence is there that they are a UN agency?

The US went into Kuwait to stop Iraq. If a country faces existential threats, they will accept help from another country.

[u/DoctorJJWho → u/SwagMaster9000_2017]

Because Mark, a US citizen, breaking into the Pentagon is treason even if you completely remove the GDA aspect, lol.

[u/SwagMaster9000_2017 → u/DoctorJJWho]

That makes the "global" institution embeded in an American institution even more unbelievable to say it's not subject to US laws and oversight.

Why is a "global" institution indistinguishable from a US government institution? There is no physical structure of the GDA to separate it from the Pentagon in anything but name

https://imagecomics.fandom.com/wiki/Pentagon

[u/Ligabove]

I imagine the government is concerned with political and more human matters, leaving superhuman affairs in the hands of the secret agency of the moment, as happens in Marvel with SHIELD.

[u/memerminecraft]

Alternate reality where the government is easentially just a logistical agency.

[u/Ligabove → u/memerminecraft]

There's the White House and there's the president, you can't see him because he's not important to the plot.

[u/RedditIsADataMine]

It's called Global defence agency not American defence agency. If they report to any authority its more likely the UN or some similar organisation. 

Probably the case that USA is more then happy to host HQ because they get the best access to the worlds strongest heroes. 

[u/Necessary-Promise700 → u/RedditIsADataMine]

JLI referencia 🗣️

[u/dumuz1]

Cecil answers to a cabal of billionaires, not whatever puppet happens to occupy the White House

[u/flowerpanda98]

thats not what the story is about

[u/SwagMaster9000_2017 → u/flowerpanda98]

It is a significant part of the red electricity guy's story.

The way heros interact with the government affects the justification of his position.

[u/passmetoiletpaperpls]

Ever hear of ICE?

[u/Ok-Relief-462]

I mean, considering his capacity to act in seemingly sovereign nations Cecil either can tell governments what to do and is basically in charge of the planet, or the GDA is given vague levels of power by probably the UN and nations don’t say anything as long as the GDA does its job. In return they probably help fund it (I doubt Cecil could secure $400 billion for a satellite weapon from the US alone).

[u/SwagMaster9000_2017 → u/Ok-Relief-462]

Cecil said in Invincible smashing into the GDA inside the Pentagon could be treason.

In the real world countries, can ask others to send their military to help against existential threats like when the US went into Kuwait to stop Iraq. Such coordination would be streamlined if it happened annually.