Thunderbolts #10
Thunderbolts #10
Title: “Heroes Reward”
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Vince Russell
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Atlas and the other Thunderbolts are standing inside the mayor’s office. Atlas is telling Jolt about his little sister Lindy. He was seventeen at the time and a bit of a wild child. She wanted to go with him and his friends into Madison, but Erik just told her that she wasn’t tough enough to hang with him and his friends. She wanted to prove that she was tough enough so she followed them into town on her bike. It was thirty miles to Madison, and by nighttime she was swerving all over the road. A car came around a blind corner and hit Lindy. She held on until Erik got to the hospital and then died. Erik says that is when he left home and joined the army. He says that he graduated from kid trouble into real trouble. Jolt says that Erik didn’t have to tell her that. She says that she was just curious because he had mentioned his sister before. Erik says that it okay, and says that Jolt reminds him of Lindy.
MACH-1 says that he doesn’t know how they can be talking about the past with what is about to happen. Techno flies down into the room. Citizen V asks Techno if everything is set. Techno says that it is all going like clockwork. Dallas pops in and says that they will be ready in five minutes.
In the conference room, they are talking about the miraculous light show that occurred and returned the world’s heroes to Earth. The mayor says that today however they are there to honor the heroes that filled the void when the others were gone. He introduces the Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts take the stage. The mayor says that the National Security Council and the United Nations have given the Thunderbolts Paragon-level clearance. He says that they will enjoy the same clearance that the Avengers and Fantastic Four have. The mayor introduces Citizen V. He says thank you and fields a few questions regarding the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. Citizen V says that if the Avengers reform that it will be a great day for the world. He also says that the Fantastic Four can have Four Freedoms Plaza back as soon as they want it. A commotion breaks out in the back of the room. Suddenly GW Bridge and SHIELD burst into the room. Bridge says that they are under arrest for their crimes as the Masters of Evil. Jolt is stunned along with the entire crowd. Zemo turns to Techno and says, “Techno… as we discussed… now!” Techno lets off an electro-magnetic burst. Zemo instructs Atlas to grab MACH-1 as he carries Techno. He says that they will reboot in six minutes. He tells Songbird to provide a shield for them and tells Meteorite to blow a hole in the stage to an access corridor to the basement. Moonstone says that Zemo is awfully prepared for someone who just got blindsided. Jolt stands in disbelief. Atlas looks back through Songbird’s shield at Dallas Riordan, but he leaps down the hole as well. Zemo tells them to meet back at headquarters. Atlas asks where Jolt is. Zemo says not to concern himself with that.
Jolt stands there still in shock. GW Bridge comes up and grabs her by the shoulder. Jolt says that she needs to figure some things out and leaps out the window.
As Moonstone flies away she runs into Hawkeye, who was legally establishing that he wasn’t dead. He asks her if she is going to surrender or if he has to insist. Moonstone says that she doesn’t suppose that Hawkeye might believe that they were really trying to atone for their past. She realizes that he wouldn’t and blasts the building that Hawkeye was standing on. While Hawkeye saves himself Moonstone assumes her civilian clothes on the ground and walks away. She says that it was a sweet set up while it lasted, but that maybe it is time for her to move on. She debates even heading back to headquarters.
Songbird and MACH-1 are standing in an alley hiding as MACH-1’s armor comes back on line. The crowd spots them and starts to rush them. Songbird and MACH-1 fly away. She says that they should have listened to the Black Widow and fought Zemo. MACH-1 says that there wasn’t time.
Jolt walks along telling herself that she should have known. She thinks that they even told her their first names. Jolt is watching a television in a shop window. The mayor is shouting that their clearance is revoked and that the codes are being changed right away. He says that he will be holding accountable those on his staff that led him into trusting the Thunderbolts. Dallas Riordan looks dejected in the back. The television then goes on to show that during the Thunderbolts’ battle with Arnim Zola that Techno called Meteorite “Moonstone”. Jolt still can’t believe that it is true and runs.
The New Warriors, Spider-Man, and various other heroes are trying to get into Four Freedoms Plaza, but the building’s automated defenses are keeping them out. MACH-1 and Songbird just made it in, but it is unknown who else made it back. Atlas stands outside the building trying to think of a way to get into the building. Suddenly Moonstone grabs him from behind and flies straight towards the building. He says that he figured she would have been halfway to Brazil by now. Moonstone says that she did too, but that she has too much invested in this and hopes that something might be salvaged. At the same moment Jolt gets into the building through a sub-basement. She leaps up the elevator shaft.
Inside Techno says that they have fifteen
minutes before the city engineers find a way to shut them down.
The others are trying to figure out who blew their cover. Atlas
says that he would like to get his hands on whoever ruined things
for them. MACH-1 says that he thinks that it was the Black Widow.
Suddenly Zemo comes out dressed in his Zemo outfit. He says that
it was not the Black Widow. He says that he revealed them and
that it feels good to cast off the façade. MACH-1 asks why. Zemo
says that he knew they were all thinking of abandoning the plan.
He says that he has noticed everything that has been going on,
and that he allowed it because it kept them busy and because he
knew he would stop them before they would do anything. 
Atlas gets
right up in Zemo’s face and says that he could have warned
them. He says that they could have been killed or captured. Zemo
says that he did it to illustrate their situation. He says that
they can go back to the public and be ripped to shreds, they can
go back to being independent super villains and see what kind of
reception they get, or they can stay with him. Jolt watches
everything from the vent.
Zemo laughs and says that his father was right. He says that if you control hope that you control everything. Zemo says that is enough congratulating himself and that there is work to be done. The Bolts get into a jet and take off. Zemo says that to discourage pursuit he and Fixer have prepared a little gift for the heroes of New York. Zemo pushes a button and Four Freedoms Plaza explodes. The heroes are stuck controlling the damage and debris.
Zemo watches it all and says that if only it could have been Avengers mansion, but that the explosion served its purpose. Zemo says that now they will go on to be not only the Masters of Evil, but the Masters of the World! Jolt shudders in a storage unit.
Traitor’s rating: 10 out of 10.
Simply fantastic in every regard. One of the greatest things about the Thunderbolts is that there is real change in the book. Most books simply offer the illusion of change, but the book itself stays fairly status quo. The Thunderbolts moves and is exciting.
The story is fantastic and the art is superb. You can’t get much more out of a comic than this.