Thunderbolts #-1
Thunderbolts #-1
Title: “Distant Rumblings!”
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Steve Epting
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Colors: Tom Smith
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Deep in the Amazon Jungle, Heinrich Zemo sits in a chemical bath of Compound X reminiscing about Citizen V with his son Helmut. He says that Citizen V was able to really inspire the troops, and that made him worth killing personally. Heinrich recalls how he drove up on Citizen V. Heinrich asks Helmut if he can feel the Compound X restoring and revitalizing him. He says that it has kept him young for decades and that it will do the same for him. Helmut says that he doesn’t know. He says that it is a lot to take in after the death of his mother and then hearing from Heinrich. Heinrich says that Helmut sounds like one of the sheep that he should be ruling. Heinrich tells him that he is a Zemo, and that Helmut should get used to being one of the fated rulers of the world.
Suddenly Erik Josten runs in. He asks
forgiveness for the interruption, but he has to report that
hundreds of the laborers’s are rebelling. Heinrich tells
Josten to guard his son with his life while he attends to this
problem. Outside the laborers say that if they can just kill the
“masked demon” then they will be free. Heinrich kicks
the laborer in the head and says that he is here, and that he
won’t tolerate any more insubordination. Helmut watches from
above with Josten as Heinrich sections off the laborers into
groups, while separating them from their leaders. 
Josten says
that he is impressed that Helmut can recognize that as a
civilian. Helmut says that military strategy has always been an
interest for him. Helmut asks Josten if his father is always so
severe. Josten only replies that Heinrich is a great man. Helmut
says that he is impressed with Josten’s devotion. He asks
Josten why he is so loyal. Josten says that he had really screwed
his life up, and that joining with Zemo gave his life order.
Josten says that he would gladly take a bullet for Heinrich.
Helmut thinks to himself what it would be like to take what he
wanted simply because he was smarter, stronger, and more driven.
In Chicago, Dr. Leonard Samson is on stage at psychiatrists’ convention giving a speech on professional ethics. Karla Sofen sits in the crowd when Joannie, an old college friend, spots her. Karla suggests skipping out on the lecture to grab some lunch. Joannie asks about her practice. Karla says that it is thrilling. She says that her practice is still new and very small, but that her interaction with her patients is amazing. Karla says that one patient named Angela is suffering from low self-esteem and keeps thinking that her husband is cheating on her. Karla says that with just words she has such a major impact on the woman and has really affected her life. Karla excuses herself for a second to make a phone call. She changes her voice and asks if “Howie” is there and then corrects herself and asks for Howard. She leaves no name or message when he isn’t there. Joannie asks what that was about. Karla explains that her practice is still too small for her to afford losing a patient. Karla continues walking but Joannie stands aghast.
In Wyoming, at her school the other children tease Melissa Gold that her mother is serving time in prison for stealing. Melissa runs home to the trailer park crying. Her father sits slumped into a chair drinking beer. She asks him if they can go away. She says that the children at school are so mean to her since mom left. Her father gets up and hits Melissa across the room. He says that she will never mention that woman again. Melissa sits in her room crying. She writes a letter to her mother that she wishes that her mother had taken her with her when she left. Melissa stops writing and decides that isn’t the way. She tears up the letter. Melissa goes and packs a bag. She decides that she is going to go out and find her mother herself. Melissa is hitchhiking along the road. A car stops and the man asks her what her name is. She replies that her name is Mimi.
Abner Jenkins’ co-workers watch as, once again, Abner walks to his boss’s office with his blueprints. They snicker about the fact that he tries this the first Thursday of every month. They ask him when he is going to give it up. Abner says that he will never be satisfied to be like them. When he first started, seven years ago, at the job the promotions were coming quickly, but the last promotion was to master mechanic and there hadn’t been any others. Abner asks his boss if he can show him his latest plans. His boss tries to explain to him that they have engineers for this kind of thing, and that Abner doesn’t even have a degree. Abner tries to explain that he has ideas about how to make a plane so small that the pilot could wear it. His boss asks who would want a plane that small. He tells Abner that he is their best mechanic, but that there are other mechanics out there and to be happy with what he has before he loses it. As he leaves the others start to tease him, but Abner tells them all to get back to work or he will dock them for loafing. That night he starts to draw up plans for a Beetle suit.
Near the UN building, Robert and Jane Takahama look over their new apartment. Robert is working at the UN building now, and Jane is to be starting classes. They’re feeling great about living in such a nice safe neighborhood. As Jane holds little Hallie she asks her if she likes this new place. Hallie holds out her hands at the lightning bolt from the impending storm.
“Paul” is wrapping a date up. His date is saying that she would come up, but that she has an early morning tomorrow. Norbert Paul Ebersol says that she is just being polite and that she can’t wait to leave. He says that if he were to call her again she would be busy no matter what day it was. She confesses that she finds him boring and leaves. Norbert walks up his stairs and tells her to have an unexceptional life. Once inside his house Norbert manages to crack the radio signal of Hydra. He hears that they are going to make their move tonight. He says that once he gets his battle armor on he is going to make his move also.
In a back alley in the Bowery there are nine Hydra agents fighting with an amnesiac Namor. Namor seems to be handling his own when Fixer drops in from the sky. He tells Namor that they people he is fighting are known as Hydra, and that they learned of a super powered amnesiac and thought that they would add him to their roster. Hydra wants to know who he is and how he knows all these things. Norbert says that he is the Fixer, and that he fixes thing. Suddenly police sirens go off. Unknown to Hydra is that Fixer called the police himself, but Fixer offers to fix their problem. They are a covert operation and can’t be discovered by the police yet they can’t get away from their prey. Fixer blasts Namor with a laser that knocks him through an abandoned building. Hydra turns their guns on Fixer, but Fixer just activates an elevating magnetic wave that takes their guns from them. Fixer says that he isn’t there to attack them he just wants to do some business. He tells them to take him to their leader. Norbert revels in their amazement as he dreams about a life outside of society. Blocks away the amnesiac Namor gets up and staggers away still not remembering his name.
Back in the Amazon, Heinrich has sucessfully squashed the rebellion. All the leaders have been gathered and are on their knees before Heinrich and Helmut. Heinrich walks up the line and identifies each man, and as he does he gives all the details about the man’s life and family. Heinrich says that he was aware of their uprising even before it happened. Heinrich asks Helmut what he would do with them. Helmut says that he would have them flogged to teach them the consequences of rebellion without losing their value as laborers. Heinrich says that he fears that Helmut’s mother didn’t raise him right. Heinrich says that he should tell Helmut the rest of the story about Citizen V. Helmut asks what happened. Heinrich says that he killed him of course. He says that Citizen V wasn’t really going to accomplish all that much in the fight, but that it was what he represented that spelled trouble. Heinrich says that Citizen V represented hope, and so Heinrich went and choked Citizen V to death with his own two hands to illustrate that there was no hope. Heinrich takes out his gun and kills all the leaders of the rebellion. He says that should prevent any more uprisings for a while. Heinrich tells Helmut that laborers are easy to replace. Helmut is somewhat disconcerted, but is also exhilirated by the taste of power he has just witnessed. It’s a feeling he won’t soon forget.
Traitors’ rating: 9 out of 10
Fantastic issue from beginning to end. The spectacular writing actually manages to bring the somwhat average pencils up a notch. The on the spot characterization and ironic scenes were perfectly done. It makes me wish for more “negative” numbered issues.