Thunderbolts #15
Thunderbolts #15
Title: “Wanted: Dead or Alive”
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
GW Bridge says that he wants to get this straight. He says that six felons and a teenage girl pull off the biggest scam ever and nearly take over the world, but they are thwarted by the Avengers and Fantastic Four only to disappear completely. Another agent says that only five of them teleported away, but that the other two escaped another way. He adds that the five who teleported away helped stop the world-conquering plan. Bridge says that he knows that he was just being ironic. A form stands in the doorway and asks if there has been any word yet. Bridge asks if the kid doesn’t trust him. The figure says that he and his team have a score to settle with the Thunderbolts.
Moonstone and MACH-1 are flying along and trying to blast some dinner. MACH-1 isn’t doing so well so Moonstone shows him how it is done and fries a rabbit. MACH-1 notes the ease with which Moonstone kills. Moonstone says that MACH-1 is afraid to step on an ant, and says that she is going to get a few more for dinner. A man named Archie Tanner is out hunting and he spots light bursts and burn marks on the ground.
Later by the fire MACH-1 admits that as cute
as the rabbits were they smell even better, and he is thrilled
with the fact that they aren’t lizards. Abe says that he was
impressed with how Melissa skinned and dressed them. Songbird
says that when you live on your own you learn to deal with a lot
of things. Moonstone says that she and Jolt have been talking and
they think that they should stay together as a team. Atlas says
that he figured Jolt would have wanted them to turn themselves
in. Jolt says that Moonstone convinced her that was wrong. She
says that there is no point in them sitting in a cell when they
are already reformed and they could be out helping people.
Moonstone says that she and Jolt agree that they should act as
heroes for real. MACH-1 and Songbird say that they are in. Atlas
sits silent. MACH-1 says that maybe they should change their
names and start over. Moonstone says that everyone would see
through them in a minute after the way they burned them. Atlas
sits thinking about how he doesn’t belong there and how he
failed everyone in his life. 
Moonstone says
that she and Jolt also agree that they shouldn’t do anything
illegal, but that to do anything they are going to need new
identities. Moonstone says that they can do this but not legally.
She asks Jolt if they should do it or if they give up before they
start. Jolt guesses that they should do it.
The next day Abe Jenkins digs up some money that he buried a ways back as the Beetle. They take fake ID photos and Moonstone goes to the seedier side of town to get the deed done. Three days later they all have new identities. Jolt seems somewhat unnerved at how easy it was. Atlas realizes that this is the first time that she has seen them doing what they really do. He thinks that she thinks that she knows them, but that she really doesn’t. Moonstone says that it is nothing they are proud of and that from now on they will keep it legal, or as legal as possible. Moonstone says that they can’t keep living off Abe’s stash so they have to get jobs.
Jolt gets a job as a cashier at a fast food
restaurant. Atlas is working in a warehouse moving boxes.
Songbird gets a job waitressing at the Kozy Kot. Abe gets a job
washing dishes. Moonstone is the only one unable to land a job.
She can’t bring herself to accept a menial position. On her
way out from what she is sure is another rejection she hears one
of the guys in the other room talking about her legs and her
attitude. 
Karla says that
if he is so interested in the new applicants that he should go in
where he will be able to hear better. She grabs the guy and
smashes him through the wall.
The next day after everyone else has gone to work or on a job interview, Erik Josten sits and calls the mayor’s office. When he asks for Dallas Riordan the guy says that he must have been off the planet not to know that Dallas has been fired. He says that the grand jury is trying to decide if they should indict her or not. He asks Atlas if there is any business that he can help him with. Erik says that it was just a personal call, but decides not to leave a message. Erik thinks to himself what he has done to Dallas.
Warbeck enters the room where Dallas Riordan awaits her fate. He tells her that the grand jury has decided not to indict her, as there is no evidence that she was linked to the Thunderbolts’ crimes. Dallas says that of course there wasn’t any evidence. She says that she didn’t even know about them until the mayor decided to make them city mascots. She says that the only reason she is being fired is because the mayor has to be able to say that he was “sadly, sadly misled”. She says that her public service career is over, but that she doesn’t care so much about that as the fact that she really thought Atlas liked her. Dallas says that she has to get out of the city and start the rest of her life.
In Mexico, Baron Zemo finds Techno making a
clone and orders Techno to explain himself. Techno says that
Moonstone pointed out a psychological drawback to having a
mechanical body so he thought he would make a new body for
himself. Zemo asks why it is a clone of him. Techno says that he
didn’t want to be Norbert Ebersol again, he had some of
Zemo’s cells, and that since Zemo isn’t using a
perfectly good face that he thought he might as well use it. Zemo
looks for a moment at his unblemished face in the tube. He draws
his gun and blows the body away. 
He says that
his body is his own. He tells Techno to stop wasting time on
frivolities when there is work to be done. He says that he has
discovered something on the dimensional scanner that could aid
them in getting revenge against the Thunderbolts. As they walk a
shadowed figure watches them from the castle window.
The next morning Jolt runs out with a letter from Atlas. The letter says that they would be better off without him. Karla says that Atlas has always been a runner, and that now with the pressure on them he has run from them. Karla listens and hears what sounds like trash collecting, but is taking too long. She looks out the window and immediately transforms into her Moonstone costume. She tells the others to get dressed and that they have a fight on their hands.
Outside SHIELD has surrounded the building. GW Bridge tells the Thunderbolts to come out, and says that he wants the men to react to the slightest movement. One of the Mandroids says that they have all the exits covered. Moonstone phases through the ground and hits the Mandroid. She says that she is touched that they brought them out for them. Songbird, MACH-1, and Jolt burst through the wall while the others are distracted. Jolt reminds everyone not to hurt SHIELD, and that they are only doing their job. Songbird lays right into the SHIELD guys like she is enjoying the fight. MACH-1 takes note and thinks how little she seems like Songbird and how much she seems like Screaming Mimi.
Moonstone is listening to Jolt complain about how dumb it is for SHIELD to be fighting them. She says that all they need is a chance to prove themselves, but that nobody is going to let them. Moonstone thinks of a way to turn this to her advantage. Moonstone lets herself be punched into a van. She says that with Atlas gone Jolt is going to have to do more than dodge and be a cheerleader. Jolt freaks at the idea of being nothing but a cheerleader. Jolt starts pounding the SHIELD guys. Jolt says that she doesn’t see anything to cheer about, and wonders if this is how it is always going to be. Moonstone smiles and tells Jolt to keep getting angry and to blame everyone but herself. Moonstone thinks that she will come along nicely.
MACH-1 sees a way out, but before Moonstone goes she pastes the Mandroid that hit her. Songbird doesn’t want to take the way out, but Moonstone says that they are all going. The Thunderbolts notice that SHIELD didn’t even chase them, but rather that they seemed to be “herding” them into this direction. The team wonders why, but then they come face to face with the team that they disgraced with their “heinous acts”- The Lightning Rods! MACH-1 asks, “Who?’
Traitor’s rating: 9 out of 10
Both the writing and artwork are right up there near perfection. The transition from the end of the first story line to this point feels completely natural as if there were no other way to go with it. Each character works perfectly in unison with the others while staying true to their character. And the theme of the book seems to come shining through. Bagely really shines in this issue. His “alter ego” art seems to be even better than his costumed artwork because his facial expressions are so well done, but the costumed stuff is so well done in action. Great book all around.