Thunderbolts #8
Thunderbolts #8
Title: “Songbird: Alone!”
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Co-Plotters: Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Vince Russell
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Outside the Elements of Doom’s citadel the Elements are fight Spider-Man, Heroes for Hire, New Warriors, and a compilation of other heroes. Megan McLaren is doing a news broadcasts reporting that after the Elements of Doom sunk a freighter, attacked Madison Square Garden, and attacked a plane, that the heroes have united against them. She says that people are wondering what has become of the Thunderbolts since they were dragged inside the Element’s citadel.
Back at Four Freedoms Plaza, Citizen V says that his team is still alive, and that he must have all the intelligence he can get. He says that he must have the Avengers files. Dallas Riordan says that if it were up to her that they would have them, but the files are in SHIELD custody and so she says that it is up to GW Bridge. Bridge says that he hates the idea of releasing the files to unknowns, but that Washington wants a replacement for the Avengers and that they seem to like the Thunderbolts a lot. He says that he will transfer the files to the Thunderbolts, but warns him not to get their hopes up as their cryptographers have been trying for weeks to crack the code. Citizen V says to leave that to him.
Atlas tries to call out to Meteorite, but she is unconscious again. Jolt says that it can’t end this way. Atlas says that is just how it works sometimes. The Elements of Doom below them tell them to be silent. Cadmium asks Iron if the shackles are secure this time. He says that they are, but that they need not worry about Techno anymore. He notes that there are two empty sets of shackles and asks if there was another Thunderbolt. Iron replies that Songbird is loose, but that she isn’t much of a threat.
Songbird is still in the ventilation shaft trying to contact Techno when Silver and Gold start wrapping themselves around her. They say that if she struggles that they will kill her the way Iron killed Techno. They start to wrap around Songbird completely. Finally Songbird freaks and screams a giant bubble around herself. Songbird then creates giant sound hammers and pounds Silver and Gold.
Cadmium throws Techno’s dead body onto a heap so that they can break it down to its elemental components at a later time. After the Elements leave, Techno’s Tech pac activates and starts to move to Fixer’s dead body.
Songbird decides that she has to do the job that she was sent to do and get to the professor. Inside the room Europium is telling the professor that he must start construction on the machine that will turn all humans into Elements under their control. Suddenly the door opens. Europium asks Beryllium why the door has been opened, but Beryllium falls over and into pieces. Songbird pounds Europium. The professor asks if Songbird has come to arrest him. Songbird says that she has come to get his help in destroying the Elements. The professor asks if he helps them if she can be granted amnesty. Songbird says that he gets to live in a world not ruled by Elements. He asks her what the plan is. Songbird says that they have to do it themselves. She says that she was supposed to be able to reach her teammate Techno, but he is dead. Suddenly the screen in the room comes on and a face similar to Techno’s appears. He says that he uploaded his consciousness into the citadel right before Iron broke his neck.
Jolt is filling in MACH-1, who has just
woken up. MACH-1 asks how they could leave Songbird out there all
alone. Jolt says that she thinks Songbird is fine. Suddenly a
voice confirms that Songbird is fine. 
Techno’s
new robotic body walks forth. He says that he should die more
often because of the priceless looks on everyone’s face. He
says that this body has so many possibilities. Techno starts
freeing the Thunderbolts. Techno says that Songbird is with the
professor and that they have just found a solution to their
problem. Techno creates a screen showing them Songbird and the
professor. The professor says that the key to defeating them is
in their brains. He says that he had to design a crystalline
matrix as their brains, but that they are unstable. Meteorite
wakes up and blasts her shackles. Jolt asks if she is okay.
Meteorite says that she isn’t okay, that she is angry.
Minutes later the Thunderbolts begin collecting the recipe for victory. Jolt and MACH-1 blast Hafnium. Jolt collects a quarter kilo of hafnium.
Atlas and Meteorite are walking. Atlas says that it is kind of weird collecting what they need from the ones they are trying to defeat. Meteorite says to think of it as one stop shopping. Atlas says that as long as he doesn’t have to think about Techno’s new body. Meteorite says that Techno seems happy with it. Atlas says that he has always been like that. Atlas pounds through the door and tells Cesium to get front and center. Meteorite spots Cesium and blasts him. They grab some of him and head off to their next stop.
Songbird and the professor are collecting some of Silver and Gold. They start to come back to life, but Songbird screams them down again.
Outside the heroes come face to face with the radioactive Elements. Spider-Man says that he doesn’t know what to do now, but that they have to keep them out of the city. White Tiger and Daredevil sense something happening in the citadel. Suddenly the citadel shakes apart. The Thunderbolts come racing out as Meteorite carries the professor. Techno tells Songbird that he wants a barrier around the Elements. The Elements ask what the Thunderbolts have done with the others. Techno says that they did the same thing that they are about to do to them. Techno blasts them with a destabilization ray that dissolves their brains. Atlas throws some lead onto the melted Elements and the heat helps melt the lead to block the radiation.
Citizen V is outside and congratulates his team and is glad that they could use the information he gave them. Atlas plays along. The Thunderbolts hang out and talk with the other heroes. Atlas is talking with Rage and Swordsman. Megan McLaren is sending in the report that the Thunderbolts have saved the day. Citizen V says that they were able to do so because they were given the Avengers files. McLaren asks about Techno’s new look, but Citizen V says that his team is exhausted and need medical attention.
That night at Four Freedoms Plaza, Citizen V is talking with the Thunderbolts except Jolt. He says that he is extremely displeased with how they disobeyed him. Meteorite says that she okayed it and will take the heat. Citizen V says that he is sure she will as long as it ingratiates her with the others. Citizen V takes off his faceplate. He says that if any of them disobey him again that there won’t be enough of them left to fill a cat-food can. He says that on the other hand they achieved a very public victory at the cost of a great personal sacrifice, and in the end they gained the files they wanted. Citizen V says that Techno made the greatest sacrifice. Techno says that it wasn’t really a sacrifice, and that it will allow him to crack the Avengers security every quicker. Zemo says that then they will be able to get rid of this annoying ruse. Songbird asks, “So quickly, Baron?” Zemo says, “Of course, Songbird. What did you think we would play at being heroes forever?
Traitor’s rating: 6 out of 10
Again it might just be my personal bias against the Elements of Doom, but this story bothered me. Important things like the birth of the Techno robot and the gaining of the Avengers files was cool though. The art again is fine, but there isn’t all that much to see in my opinion.