Thunderbolts #20
Thunderbolts #20
Title: "Turning Point"
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Jon Holdredge
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
It is late evening in Fort Worth, Texas as the Thunderbolts hover in the air, independently or on Songbird’s sound platform. Moonstone asks if everyone is ready. Earlier that night, the Masters of Evil had given the Thunderbolt’s an ultimatum regarding the Crimson Cowl’s earlier offer to join the Masters of Evil. The Bolts got upset. Moonstone says that it is one thing to make an offer, but now they’re trying to push them around and they are going to find that the Thunderbolts push back. The team descends on the Western Currency Facility. Moonstone is thinking about how Atlas and MACH-1 both showed initiative recently. Moonstone says that she wants this team under her thumb. She thinks about how she covered a bit when she suggested what everyone wanted to do anyway about fighting back against the Masters of Evil. Atlas is thinking about how he has to be strong and the backbone of the team. Jolt thinks that this might not be such a good thing after all. She was happy at first, but now she realizes that they are fighting out of revenge instead of justice. MACH-1 is hoping that his armor is going to hold up and is worrying about Songbird’s attitude. Songbird is reveling in that attitude and wants revenge on the Masters for stealing their victory.
The team flies through the hallways and
spots all the unconscious guards along the way. Inside the
Masters of Evil are stealing all the money. Crimson Cowl says
that they also need to destroy the records to make it harder to
track the money. Cowl also says to take the plates and inks to
sell to counterfeiters. Suddenly the Thunderbolts are there.
Moonstone says that Man-Killer mentioned stealing
“newly-minted” cash, and since they figured they
wouldn’t bother with coins that only left here and in
Washington. Moonstone says that it looks like they guessed right.
Cowl says that they did and that it is good to know that
they’ve made their decision even if it is a foolish one.
Cowl tells the Masters to grab what they have and they will
teleport out and go tell the Thunderbolts’ enemies where to
find them. Man-Killer wants to fight, but Cowl says that there is
no profit in that. Jolt leaps out of the shadows onto Cowl. 
Jolt fries
Cowl’s teleportation circuits in her outfit. Cowl says that
she rescinds her earlier commands and tells the Masters to kill
the Thunderbolts. The fighting begins.
Cyclone bounces off Atlas’ chest. Atlas says that Cyclone can’t hurt him that way. Cyclone reminds Atlas that he can’t even hit him. Atlas asks what happens when he hits him with something that is too big for Cyclone to dodge. Atlas pulls part of the roof down on top of Cyclone. Outside a cloaked figure in the shadows watches. MACH-1 chases and shoots at Flying Tiger. Jolt is barely dodging Cowl’s tail. Cowl is about to get Jolt, but Moonstone flies away from Tiger Shark and blasts Cowl from behind. Moonstone tells Jolt that she is being too timid. Moonstone tells Jolt to let her anger out and let it fuel her. Moonstone smiles as Jolt charges forward angry. She thinks how she’ll be able to lead her anywhere soon. Tiger Shark leaps into Atlas’ face with a punch. Man-Killer tells Songbird that she doesn’t want to fight her. Man-Killer only wants to fight men. Songbird says that is too bad because you don’t get to pick your opponents. Songbird blasts Man-Killer through a wall. Klaw grabs Songbird from behind. Klaw says that he warned her about using his stolen technology, and that now he is going to drain her power and life force. Songbird says that if they have the same equipment that it is simply a matter of wills. Songbird blasts Klaw clean off her. MACH-1 notices her brutal behavior. Songbird says that Klaw tried to drain away her sonic energy, but Klaw’s entire body is made up of solid sound energy. Songbird wants to see what she can do to Klaw.
Moonstone takes notice of the fact that the Bolt are winning the fight. Moonstone figures that if she can just give a few commands to wrap it up that she will get the credit as the leader. Moonstone tells all the Thunderbolts to form behind her. Songbird is distracted by Moonstone’s command and Klaw blasts her for it. Cowl tells Klaw that the Bolts are all together and orders him to fire on them. Klaw says that he is sick of Cowl’s condescension, that he is nobody’s lackey, and that his power is his own. Klaw lets loose with a huge blast and knocks all the Thunderbolts unconscious. Klaw tells Cowl to take note of just who achieved this victory.
MACH-1 is the last Thunderbolt to wake up in his own personal sound cocoon. Cowl says that she just wanted the Bolts to be awake so that they could realize the error of their decision. Cowl says that they are going to be dead, and that the Masters are still going to be rich. Cowl orders Klaw to slowly extrude spike from the inside of the cocoons to let them feel the measure of their mistake. Klaw starts to say that he doesn’t care for Cowl’s tone, but that he agrees with the sentiment when Klaw is suddenly blasted in the face. Dreadknight flies out of the shadows on an atomic steed. Dreadknight says that the Bolts are under his protection. Cowl is flustered for a second but orders the Masters to kill them all. Suddenly, from the outside, the authorities tell everyone inside to freeze. Atlas says that they forgot to mention that they called the police before they came. Cowl repeats that there is no profit in fighting. She asks Klaw to get them out of there. Klaw tells Cowl to think on how many times she has called on his power today. The Masters rocket off. Dreadknight suggests that they get out of there before the police enter.
Gayle Rogers is on the news talking about the Masters attacking the Western Currency Facility, and that the Bolts were involved. Gayle has a guest Dr. Dennis Schoolcraft, author of the bestseller Shadows: The Dark Side of the Marvels. Gayle asks Dr. Schoolcraft if it is possible that the Thunderbolts are really reforming. Schoolcraft says that it isn’t possible. He says that there are few and far between examples of villain reforming. He points out that the Thunderbolts are all career criminals with long histories of crime-for-profit. He says that people can be sure that they are up to something.
Moonstone blasts back at the police helicopters. She says that this wasn’t supposed to happen. Songbird says that this was Moonstone’s plan, and points out that she was doing fine until Moonstone distracted her. Jolt is riding on the back of Dreadknight’s atomic steed. Jolt asks him what his story is. Dreadknight says that he was a Latverian scientist, but that when he rebelled Doom fused a mask onto his face. He says that he never wanted a life of crime, but that he didn’t have much choice because of his appearance. He says that he heard about the Thunderbolts trying to redeem themselves and thought he would see if he could join. Jolt says that she had read that Dreadknight had a black winged horse. She asks why he has an atomic steed. Dreadknight says that Black Knight took his horse so he thought it appropriate to take Black Knight’s old form of transportation. Jolt thinks to herself that Dreadknight sounds sincere enough, and then she thinks about how he did save their bacon back there.
In Central America, Baron Zemo and Techno are making their way through the tropical jungle. Techno picks up a report about the Thunderbolts and Masters and puts it on for Zemo. Zemo tells Techno to turn it off. Zemo says that the Thunderbolts, the new Masters, and the new Citizen V all pop up. He says that it seems like he can’t even lift his hand without creating new enemies. He says that it is ironic that he renounced his vendetta against Captain America, and his one opposition is replaced by many. Zemo says that they will all feel his wrath. Techno says that sounds find, but that he joined up with Zemo for challenges and they all seem gone. Zemo says that he understands and that he has no hold on him, but that he asks Techno to remain with him for now and that there will soon be many challenges for them. He says that there will be a chance to visit calamity on their enemies and those in power.
Dreadknight stays upstairs listening as the Thunderbolts talk about whether to let him join and other matters. Abe Jenkins says that they can talk about Dreadknight later, but that he thinks they need to address the problem that they need an effective leader, and that Moonstone isn’t cutting it. He says that they need to pick someone else. Moonstone says that she sees Abe is nominating himself. Abe says that he doesn’t want to do it since he once led the Sinister Syndicate and didn’t like it. Abe suggests Erik lead. Erik says that he has never been a leader. Erik suggests Jolt since she is the one with a moral center. Abe says that she just doesn’t have the experience yet. Songbird says that she doesn’t want to do it. Moonstone says that the bottle spins back to her. Abe says that Karla is the best choice they have, but that for her intelligence and vision that she is sloppy and short sighted. Abe says that he will take the lead if he is the only alternative to Karla. Suddenly, Dreadknight’s helmet flies across the room. Jolt says that it was supposed to be fused to Dreadknight’s face as she turns to see who Dreadknight is. Hawkeye stands at the bottom of the stairs. He apologizes for tricking them, but that he didn’t think that they would listen to him otherwise. Hawkeye suggests that they talk.
Traitor’s rating: 9 out of 10
Perfect score for Bagely. Bagely’s month to month work on Thunderbolts may just be the best consistent work in comics at the time. The story is also fantastic. The Bolts aren’t returning to bad, but they’re not doing so great at being good either. They have no focus or leadership. So what to do? Enter Hawkeye. Solid movement to the book and movement that works and feels right. Thunderbolts is always an excellent read. I also love that Hawkeye posed as Dreadknight. Dreadknight? Who the heck would believe that Dreadknight would ever appear in another Marvel book? Well he didn’t, but it was still cool.