Thunderbolts #31
Thunderbolts #31
Title: "A More Perfect Union”
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
In Cimarron County near Oklahoma, the Thunderbolts are gathered in plain clothes. Many groups of two and three people are coming from all over to a rally. Jolt says that she didn’t think there would be so many. Hawkeye says that there is a lot of dissatisfaction in the rural areas of the country. Hawkeye checks with Songbird who has encased all their equipment inside a sound container inside a bag. She says that she should be able to call the cylinder to them when they need it. Hawkeye says that all they have to do now is work on Moonstone’s clothes. He says that he asked everyone to dress down so they could pass as poor and disadvantaged. He says that she looks more like the Avon lady. Karla says that this is dressing down for her, but mentally changes her clothes into jeans, a purple jacket, and an “I’m with stupid” t-shirt. Jolt notices the lights going on and says that it looks like they are about to begin.
At the rally the Bolts listen to the man on the stage. He says that he is there to tell them a hard truth. He says that democracy no longer works if it ever really did. He tells them to think about their neighbors and asks if they would trust them to run the country. He says that they vote for people, but that those people only look out for themselves. The man says that there is another way, and that is why he has come to them today. The man says that they need smart people who know how to run things. He says that is what the people he joined up with gave him, and that he is what he is there to give them. An honest day’s work, three squares a day, and leaders who will fight for them. Leaders who will take the burden off their shoulders and do the thinking for them. The people start talking amongst themselves that it would be nice to have someone smart in charge. Erik whispers that this is scary. Karla says that it should be scary. She says that they are selling the idea of slavery, or at least feudalism, and these people are eating it up with a spoon. Hawkeye says that they are packaging it right. One of the locals hears Hawkeye and says that it sounds like he doesn’t like what the man is saying. The man says that he just realized that he has never seen him around before and that they don’t like strangers. Hawkeye says that he is a stranger because they foreclosed on his home, got downsized out of his job, and has been living out of his car for months. Hawkeye hits the guy and starts a big fight. Karla says that Hawkeye gives good “yokel”. Hallie says that at least they don’t think he is a spy anymore.
A week ago, Songbird charges into the combat training room to find Moonstone sitting naked on top of Hawkeye. Songbird asks them what they are doing. Karla says that Songbird is old enough to know about the birds and bees. Hawkeye tells Karla to ease up, and that she is quite a sight like that. A short while later, the entire team meets together. Hawkeye tells them all that Charcoal has been kidnapped, but promises that they will get him back. Jolt asks Hawkeye if that is lipstick on his cheek. Hawkeye wipes his cheek and says, “maybe”. Hawkeye goes on that Charlie told them that he and his dad were recruited at an anti-government rally, and that if they are still around that they are probably still doing that. Hawkeye says that he, Atlas, and Songbird are best suited to go undercover as small town locals.
Back at the rally, the Imperial Forces break up the fight and tell them to save their energy for their new jobs. Clint says that is dine with him, and that hard work never scared him. The guards tell them to form two lines: one for men and one for women. Before they split up into the lines Karla tells Clint that was nice work and kisses him for luck. In line, Erik tells Clint that it might not be any of his business, but that he says that Clint probably shouldn’t trust Karla too far. Clint says that maybe he can’t trust her, but that she sure can kiss. Erik thinks to himself that he is one to talk about trust seeing as how he hasn’t told anyone what he knows about Man-Killer. In the women’s line, Melissa asks Karla if her new plan is to use sex to get Hawkeye under her thumb. Karla asks Melissa if that is what is really bothering her, or if it is the fact that when she tried to seduce Hawkeye that it didn’t work. Melissa tries to object, but stumbles over her words in frustration. Karla thinks to herself that she was looking for a way to control Hawkeye, but that for some reason she finds that she really likes him.
In the examination room, the guards look over Songbird and Moonstone while on the other side of the wall they are secretly being bio-scanned. Their data is sent to the main headquarters where they are discovered to be “suffused with some kind of unidentifiable energy” and “an Asian teenager with superhuman levels of bio-electricity”. They look over at the men’s examinations and discover Erik Josten’s ionically charged body. The technician then reports his finding to the man in charge, William Taurey. Taurey tells them to tag the subjects along with anyone else that is traveling with them. He says to let them through and that they will deal with them at Cornwallis Base. Vickers asks Taurey if anything is wrong. Taurey says that it is nothing that cannot be handled, and that Vickers should worry about his own responsibilities getting the arms flowing to the insurgents that they are backing. Taurey then tells Cholmondely that he wants the two men that link them to the state house bombing eliminated before they think about talking. He tells Gloucester that he needs full intelligence on the capabilities of the Brute Squad in twenty minutes. Gloucester asks if they have been discovered by superhumans, but Taurey cuts him off and says that will be all. He dismisses them and says that they have their orders. Taurey thinks back to the last time that he had to deal with superheroes fighting against Captain America and the Falcon. Taurey thinks about the humiliation of having been arrested like a common criminal and the fortune that he spent making sure that his inferiors made his time in prison as short as possible. Taurey just waited for another chance, and this time they would keep it quiet.
After the examination, the “qualified select” are boarded onto a ship. Erik says that he doesn’t think that anyone was rejected. Clint tells Erik that he doesn’t think that they are supposed to have noticed that. Hawkeye asks Songbird if anyone saw her retrieving the duffel bag. Songbird says that she doesn’t thinks so. The ship takes off and no one notices that Citizen V is hitching a ride on top of the ship. Citizen V had been looking for the Crimson Cowl, but that trying to trace those recruiting has lead her there. Citizen V says out loud that she knows that it isn’t what they were looking for, but that something is wrong here and that she is going to find out what it is. She tells Eamonn to keep the tracker going.
The ship lands in Cornwallis Base. A man tells them to break up into their groups depending on their ratings as red, blue, or green. One man tells the man that he is has a blue rating, but that his wife got a green. He says that they were told that they would be able to stay together. He is told that it is just necessary procedure, and that since they agreed to let the leaders do the thinking that they start doing that now. He says that they will be reunited at the proper time. Karla says that she notices that those being separated from the others all look sick or old. Hawkeye starts to come up with a plan, but he is interrupted as the five of them are singled out by Cheer Chadwick and two guards. She tells them to come with her. The man sorting out the recruits tells Ms. Chadwick that these five have not been processed yet. Cheer Chadwick swats the man in the face with her riding crop. She says that he dares to talk back to her and asks if he knows who she is. She says that her father is Dr. Hesperus. She says that she is one of the elite, and that she takes what she wants. Hawkeye whispers that this is the face of the bold new society.
Cheer, the guards, and the Bolts walk into the building. She says that she can’t believe that man had the nerve to question her, but that a week in the labor crews will remind him of his place. She says that is one of the good things about their society is that they take refuse like them and give them productive lives. Cheer takes them on a little tour through the Indoctrination Chamber where people are taught to be obedient and loyal. She takes them through the trooper training ground where men are trained to kill for the elite. She takes them through the underclass living quarters where all the beds are lined up next to each other. She says that it isn’t what the elite enjoy, but that it has everything that a servant needs. She takes them to one of the genetics labs where recruits are scanned for things that might help them be more useful to the new society. Hawkeye says that there is something familiar about this. Cheer takes them next to one of her favorite parts to Cornwallis Base. She says that when she is bored that she comes down and watches for hours. She says that these are the Labor Zombies. She says that they are genetic experiments gone wrong, and that all they are good for now is digging tunnels and breaking rocks. Hawkeye asks how they do this to people as experiments. Cheer says that you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. She says that it is their own fault that their DNA wasn’t stronger, but that even still they don’t have as many mess ups as they used to since they brought in a specialist. Cheer says that he isn’t there anymore, but that he did wonders for the genetics program. Jolt seethes as she thinks about Arnim Zola.
Clint brings up Charcoal and says that he
saw him in action once. Clint says that he saw Charcoal in
action, and that was one of the reasons that he wanted to join
up. He also brings up that Charcoal escaped. Cheer says that he
escaped for a while, but that he has been brought back for
discipline. She tells them to follow her, and that they should
get a kick out of seeing him. Charcoal’s body is in
fragments as he screams within a tube. Cheer says that the sonic
barrage keeps shattering him. She says that she suspects that he
is learning his lesson because he hasn’t stopped screaming
for a week. Hawkeye has seen enough. He says that the
Thunderbolts are taking this place down. Cheer asks them if they
really thought that she was that gullible. She says that she
showed them everything that they wanted to see and took him right
to their friend, but that she is one of the elite and she was
just leading them right where she wanted them. 
Cheer is
surrounded by the eight members of the Brute Force. Cheer orders
them to “subdue them”.
As she climbs through the access ducts, Citizen V radios that whoever these people are that they are fanatical about security. She says that there are scanning devices everywhere, and that she is running out of neutralizing devices. Citizen V looks through a grating and spots the old and sickly people from Oklahoma. The people are confused and keep saying that they were told that they would be with their loved ones. Citizen V recognizes Dr. Hesperus Chadwick from his reflection. She knows him as a brilliant cardiovascular surgeon that invented artificial valves and new surgical procedures. Chadwick says that all of the people will be reunited with their loved ones in the after life. Chadwick pushes a button. Citizen V can feel some of the vibration outside the room in the ducts as she watches the people drop over dead one by one. After the vibrations stop a few of them still survive. A door opens and one of the troopers guns down the survivors. Chadwick informs Taurey that they are now up to 84% success rating. Taurey says that it is an improvement, but that if they are going to set these “Shreiquencers” off in Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Los Angles, and more to kill off the powers that be that they will need to be perfect. Chadwick says that they are learning each time, and that soon they will have the effect that he wants. A cold feeling goes up Citizen V’s spine.
The Bolts battle the Brute Force. Fieldstone
flies at Songbird. Hawkeye tells the Bolts that they are
outnumbered and to try and free Charcoal as soon as possible even
if they have to take a hit to do it. Hoopsnake goes after
Hawkeye. Jolt punches Scarum through Charcoal’s prison
freeing him. Jolt says that she doesn’t think that Charcoal
is going to be ready to fight since he was tortured for an entire
week. Charcoal tells Jolt to watch out as Fizgig is flying at her
head. Charcoal creates a spike to smack Fizgig away.
Charcoal’s body starts reforming and he asks Jolt if she is
okay. Ingot tells Hoopsnake to come help him against Atlas, but
Hoopsnake is all tied up by one of Hawkeye’s arrows.
Hoopsnake calls for Loblolly and a green amorphous shape comes
and swoops Hawkeye up. Hoarfrost starts encasing Moonstone in a
covering of ice as Watchfire continues fighting Songbird.
Moonstone was about to phase through, but instead she charges
Hoarfrost into Watchfire. Loblolly is about to swoop in on
Hawkeye again, but she smacks into Songbird’s shield.
Hawkeye tells the Bolts to keep it up, but suddenly the entire
team is struck down by an energy cannon that comes out of the
ceiling. 
Taurey and
Chadwick stand with Cheer. Taurey tells Cheer that she did a
great job with them, but Cheer says that of course she did
because they are only rabble. Suddenly Hawkeye recalls why this
seems familiar. He says that Captain America filed a report with
the Avengers about the Royalist Forces of America. Taurey says
that they used to be that, and that while they are still going to
fix the mistake made during the American Revolution that they are
no longer interested in ruling one country. Taurey says that the
Secret Empire will not rest until they have conquered the entire
world.
Traitor’s rating: 8.5 out of 10
This is one of Busiek’s strong points where he takes little known characters and brings them into the forefront while simultaneously making them interesting. Great introduction in this issue. The fun of the Moonstone/Hawkeye relationship begins as everyone doubts Moonstone’s motivations. Bagely continues to shine in this issue. Not much else to say about this great issue, but good job and keep them coming.