Thunderbolts #19
Thunderbolts #19
Title: "Heat and Pressure”
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
The Thunderbolts watch Gayle Rogers’ report on a bank robbery that the Thunderbolts thwarted earlier. Gayle says that the reason the Thunderbolts intervened remains a mystery. Gayle talks to some people on the streets and ask what they think of what the Thunderbolts did. One guy says that it must be a trick, another guesses that the Thunderbolts were working with the robbers and had a falling out. Another man guesses that the Thunderbolts were casing the bank themselves and that they were just upset to find someone had beaten them to it.
Abner Jenkins says that he is beginning to understand how Spider-Man feels. Abe, Melissa, and Erik take the rejection and doubt hard. They mutter to themselves that people aren’t even considering that they did it to be heroes and that people aren’t even grateful. Jolt wants to encourage them and tell them that it is just going to take time, but she knows that they are thinking about the Crimson Cowl’s offer. Abe says that maybe this wasn’t a realistic plan. Melissa says that she never liked it. Jolt freaks out and starts yelling that she is sick of being a cheerleader when they don’t even care if they reform. Karla tries to talk to Hallie, but Hallie tells Karla that she is the worst of them all. Jolt tells them to stay away from her and runs into the other room. Melissa gets angry at Hallie, but Erik reminds her that Hallie is only fifteen years old and that she has been through a lot. Karla offers to go talk to her, but is thinking that it will help her get Jolt under her thumb.
Suddenly there is a knock on the door. They open the door to find three teenagers looking for the Thunderbolts. The kids say that the cabin was abandoned for so long that it became a sort of make out spot for the kids so when the cabin was occupied again they looked around. Melissa chides Abe for his security system, but Abe says that it only works when the door is locked and that they fought Cyclone right outside. The teenagers say that they came to ask the Thunderbolts for help. They say that they are from Burton Canyon and that this morning their town was taken over by some kind of private army and a monster. They called themselves the Imperial Forces and they rounded everyone into town square. The Imperial Forces then told everyone that they were no longer American citizens and their futures are to be decided by their new masters. The teenagers say that they think they are the only ones who escaped. Atlas asks why they didn’t call the police, but the teenagers say that the Imperial Forces took over the phone company and just told the cops that everything was fine. Moonstone says that it would be easier to believe if it was Hydra or AIM. Songbird says that they would have to be morons to believe them. Atlas asks if one would have to be a moron to believe they had gone good for real. The team decides to help and they go get Jolt.
Atlas comes up with a plan on how to get information about what is happening with the town. Erik, Hallie, Melissa all ride as Abe drives a car into town. Melissa says that Karla didn’t care for Erik’s plan much. Abe says that what Karla didn’t like about it is that she didn’t come up with it. Erik asks Hallie if she is feeling better and Hallie says that she is now and thanks Erik for asking. Hallie is thinking about how encouraging it was that the teenagers even considered that the Thunderbolts might help them when it occurs to her that they are driving in a stolen car. Abe says that they are just borrowing it. Abe says that they needed it and will put it back when done. The Bolts drive up to a police stop point. The cop asks them what they are doing there today. The Bolts says that they are just tourists. The cop says that the Thunderbolts are supposedly in the area. He sends the Bolts through, but when they pass he radios ahead that he couldn’t send them away without arousing suspicion.
The Bolts discover that Burton Canyon looks
like a war zone. Suddenly a blast hits the ground in front of
them. Hallie freaks about the car, but Abe stops in time. The
Bolts then look up to see a giant flaming figure coming at them. 
The figure
introduces himself as Charcoal, the Burning Man. The
Thunderbolts, still in civilian clothes surrender peacefully.
They are taken to where the residents of Burton Canyon are being
held. After the guards lock them in the room and go the Bolts
start asking the townspeople what happened. One woman says that
she heard two guards talking about how they were going to run
experiments on them to make them like the Charcoal thing. After
they hear enough Abe signals Karla. The townspeople ask who they
are. Moonstone pops out of the ground with the equipment. One guy
recognizes the outfits as belonging to the Thunderbolts. Abe
remarks how ironic it is that the big bad Thunderbolts are there
to save them. One guy asks how they know that they aren’t
with the Imperial Forces. Songbird says that they don’t have
to trust them. She says that they will do all the hard work and
all they have to do is run like scared rabbits.
Moonstone found the communication center and
the Bolts take it out. The Imperial Forces spot the Thunderbolts
and send Charcoal out after them. Atlas says that he was getting
bored swatting around the guys in yellow, but Charcoal leaps out
the window and decks Atlas in the face. 
Atlas gets back
up, but Karla wants to show her leadership after Erik’s
plan. She flies at Charcoal, but he turns diamond hard and sends
her flying off his chest. Jolt blasts Charcoal and asks who he is
working for, but Charcoal says that they will never know until
the country is theirs. Songbird tries to hammer Charcoal, but she
isn’t effective. Charcoal flies up and MACH-1 gets a plan.
He has Moonstone lure Charcoal up high and then has Songbird trap
his feet in a shield. Moonstone wonders to herself if this is
round robin leader day. Charcoal falls towards the ground and
into a big punch from Atlas. Charcoal gets back up and starts
blasting. Atlas shrinks under the blasts. Atlas tells Moonstone
to hit him while he is focused on him. Moonstone is agitated by
her shaky position as leader but hits Charcoal. Jolt hits next
followed by Songbird. The Imperial Forces see that their muscle
is being handled and order the evacuation.
Jolt spots Atlas who is about to smash Charcoal with the car they “borrowed”. She stops him before he smashes it, but the car is immediately destroyed by a shot. The Bolts look back to spot Man-Killer, Klaw, Tiger Shark, Flying Tiger, and Cyclone floating on Klaw’s sound platform. Man-Killer says that Cowl gave them time to think about the offer, but they don’t get to play hero while they do it. Charcoal slinks away. Man-Killer says that they are going to go do a job stealing some newly minted coins, but that when they get back they want an answer if they are going to join or not.
The Masters fly off, and Jolt thinks to herself that the others are going to join. She says that one win might have convinced them, but now… Suddenly Songbird is yelling that the Masters stole a victory from them. Atlas agrees that they can’t get away with this. Moonstone says that it is one thing for the Masters to make them a proposition, but if they think that they can push the Thunderbolts around that they are going to find that the Thunderbolts push back. Jolt smiles.
Traitor’s rating: 9 out of 10.
The Imperial Forces are pretty lame and though Charcoal was sort of impressive this portion of the story kind of dragged to me. Still it was an above average story as the team is finally finding it’s own identity. Jolt blows up and Atlas reacts. Everyone shows that they are into it.
Bagely does an outstanding job on this issue, and if there was a place for him to do something better I couldn’t spot it.