Thunderbolts #34
Thunderbolts #34
Title: "Making Your Mark”
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Hawkeye has his bow and arrow drawn and aimed. He is about to make an impossible shot. If he misses the shot a good a good man dies, but if he makes the shot a monster lives. Hawkeye thinks about the fact that it is his fault that it all got to this point.
Earlier that day, Gayle Rogers is doing her report about the Thunderbolts. As she reviews how the Thunderbolts arrived on the scene she also goes into their past criminal identities and their real names. When she says that Atlas was Goliath and Erik Josten, Man-Killer is watching at the sports bar. She wonders if Erik could be her Erik that comes in to see her. Gayle goes on to say that the group made a very public first impression by tackling the incredible Hulk. As Gayle goes on talk about Jolt, Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man are watching the show. Wanda says that everytime she sees this program she wonders if Hawkeye knows what he is doing. Wonder Man says that he knows that Hawkeye doesn’t know, but that he gives him credit for sticking with it. Gayle goes on to talk about Hawkeye’s leadership, MACH-1’s public surrender, and the new female Citizen V. She talks about the Bolts defeating the new Masters of Evil, Graviton, and the Secret Empire.
In Isolation, New Mexico at Tommy’s Diner, they are watching Gayle Roger’s reports. She asks the question if villains can truly reform. One of the patrons says to tell him one “real, no questions asked hero”. The cook says Captain America. The patron says to name another. The cook replies Captain America again. Gayle Rogers is now talking to Hawkeye about the Thunderbolts’ next plan to continue to redeem themselves. Hawkeye says that the last time they talked that he said they were taking down the Masters of Evil, but that this time he is going for even bigger game… the Hulk. Bruce Banner sits in Tommy’s Diner watching the report. The people in the diner are all pretty impressed with Hawkeye’s proclamation. Bruce says that it is no wonder after the plane crash even if he isn’t responsible. The cook says that it is about time someone had the “stones” to go after the Hulk. Clay Brickford walks into the diner. Bruce recognizes him right away from his past, but Clay doesn’t see Bruce. One of the guys in the diner asks how it is going at the site. Clay says that Roxxon broke ground just like they promised and that residents of Isolation get first shot at the jobs. The guy says that he hopes there are some jobs left after the Hulk shows up. Clay freaks and storms out saying that the Hulk isn’t going to wreck his life again. The guy tries to tell him that he was just joking, but Clay is long gone.
Back at Mount Charteris, Atlas is holding Hawkeye upside down in the air by his chest. Erik asks Hawkeye why he said they would go after the Hulk like they don’t have enough to worry about. Songbird brings up that they need to investigate the new Beetle and find out if it is Abe. Hawkeye says that he checked at Seagate, and that they said that Abe was still there even if he hasn’t talked to her in a week. Charcoal says that he doesn’t know what they’re all complaining about. He says that they just did a half-hour show and didn’t even mention him. Jolt says that she thinks that it would be kinda cool fighting the Hulk. Atlas says that they are talking about the Hulk. He looks to Karla for backup since she fought him before, but Karla says that she thinks that it is a boast worth backing up. She says that with high risks come high rewards. Hawkeye says that they need to jump-start the redemption idea in people’s heads. Jolt and Charcoal are both ready to go, but Hawkeye says that they are not going because they need to get to school. Moonstone asks if anyone has a plan yet. Hawkeye says that right now their resident mechanic is installing a gamma detector in the T-bird.
Techno installs the gamma detector quiet and happy to have technological challenges. Techno thinks that no one has to know that it was him or why he is doing this because he himself isn’t sure.
Hawkeye tells Jolt and Charcoal to give their teacher an apple and maybe they will let them watch the live coverage of the Bolts taking down the Hulk.
At school, Hallie asks Charlie how he can be so cool about this. Charlie says that after all the weirdness that he has been through with his dad and the Secret Empire that he appreciates the normal stuff like school. Charlie says that he thought that Hallie has talked to Karla about her problem. Hallie says that this isn’t about that, but before she can explain another classmate comes over and Jolt is forced to drop it.
As they fly along in the T-bird, Hawkeye finishes telling Atlas, Moonstone, and Songbird about his plan. Moonstone says that it is simple and has a high possibility for success. Songbird just says that it sounds good. Atlas bets Hawkeye five dollars that “Plan A” doesn’t work. Everyone laughs. Hawkeye thinks about the fact that the Bolts are becoming his friends, and in the case of Moonstone even more. He wonders how close he should let himself get. Atlas thinks about how he will do as he is told, but wonders if he is doing it out of loyalty or guilt for hiding Man-Killer from the others. Moonstone wonders why she backed Hawkeye’s plan. Even she doesn’t know if she is doing it to manipulate him or to impress him. Songbird wishes that if this is a suicide run that her man could be by her side. She worries about Abe.
At Roxxon Energy Research outside Denver
Colorado, Samuel Higgins presides over the final stages of a very
delicate experiment. Higgins asks how late they will be. The man
answers ‘two days’. Higgins says that if his bonus gets
flushed that he is taking theirs down with him. Suddenly the wall
is torn apart. Higgins says to himself that their quarterly
budget has just been blown. 
The new giant
Beetle armor stands there. The Roxxon defenses blast Beetle, but
“wings composed of molecule-thin gravitonic spatial
distortions cut through the facilities mechanical defenses”.
Beetle spots what he wants. Higgins says, “No… not
that… worked too hard to climb back up the ladder after that
Hudson fiasco…” Higgins wants to know who the attacker
is and why he wants the Omega-32. Beetle says that to tell his
bosses that he was the one that walked through their defenses
like they weren’t even there. Beetle flies off with the
Omega-32.
At Burton Canyon High School, Hallie storms out of the school. She bumps into Mick and causes him to drop his lunch. Mick starts to call Hallie a “slanty” something, but he is cut off when Charlie apologizes for Hallie. Charlie offers to help, but Mick says, “Help? I don’t need any help from a…” Charlie interrupts, “Fellow student who was trying to be nice?” Mick says to forget it and storms off. The students that found the Thunderbolts at the cabin, Angie, JB, and Danny, tell Charlie that Mick is one of the 89ers, and that he should steer clear of him. Angie suggests getting a mocha-frost after school and talking to Hallie. Charlie wonders if Hallie was just faking it with Karla to get everyone off her back.
Back in Isolation, New Mexico, when Roxxon chose the town to be the site of their new Geothermal Exploration Facility there was no hope, but now there is prosperity. For Clay Brickford, who the town chose to spearhead bringing Roxxon to Isolation because of his mining experience, it meant a new chance after so many failed jobs. Clay is arguing with the mayor about whether they should suspend construction. He says that it is only until they are sure that the Hulk isn’t in town. Clay says that it is happening all over again. The mayor asks what Clay means. Clay explains that when he used to work the mines in West Virginia that he lost his job because of a monster that he and his family had taken in. He says that the monster was sweet and innocent and that they called him Lincoln. Clay explains that Lincoln turned out to be a radioactive missing link. He says that they didn’t know that until Bruce Banner came to town. Clay says that the Hulk and Lincoln went at it. During the fight the entire mine collapsed and the town was ruined. Clay says that they had to turn Lincoln over to the authorities and that his family slowly started moving west. Clay says that he can’t let this opportunity pass up for his family again. The mayor assures him that it won’t. He says that this is the same thing as looking for cover if a tornado was coming. He says that they are just being safe instead of sorry. The mayor offers to buy Clay lunch and says that nothing bad will happen to Isolation.
Bruce barely stays long enough to tip his waitress. He wants to get out of town again and make sure that he won’t hurt the Brickfords again. As he turns the corner, Karla says that she hopes that he doesn’t want this to turn into a spectacle. Bruce says that he knows her. Karla says that she won’t say his if he doesn’t say hers. Karla suggests Bruce lets her buy him a cup of coffee. She says that he can have decaf.
Inside the diner again, Bruce says that he isn’t going to let himself be used so that Thunderbolts can get a photo-op. Karla brings up the fact that it would be an enormous favor to the public if they brought him in. She asks if he hasn’t noticed how badly he has been reverting to his “old, ‘Me, Hulk, Me smash’ ways”. Bruce says that he is well aware of it, but that he has learned the bitter truth that controlling himself is the lesser evil of others trying to control him. Bruce gets up to leave and bumps into Clay Brickford as he enters the diner with the mayor. Clay looks at Banner for one second and then punches him in the mouth. Karla transforms into Moonstone and calls Clay a moron. Bruce’s eyes glow green. He says that he is sorry as he hulks out.
Moonstone is punched through the wall of the
diner and into the air. Atlas tells Hawkeye that he owes him five
bucks. Hawkeye offers him double or nothing on “Plan
B”. Atlas says that is a bet that he doesn’t want to
win but okay since he didn’t plan on surviving this anyway. 
Hulk leaps
through the wall.
Hulk is rocketing away. Moonstone keeps telling herself to just let the Hulk go, but as he is passing overhead Moonstone flies up and punches Hulk out of the air. Moonstone says that she should have her head examined. Hulk is rammed into a bulldozer. Hulk gets up and shouts that he wants to know where “Blonde-Girl” is. Songbird swings some sound maces at Hulk. Hulk dodges them, but is set up for a big punch by Atlas. Hulk is driven into the concrete. Atlas looks up and sees a news chopper. He says that was fat, but Hawkeye says that he tipped them off as soon as he found out where the Hulk was. Hawkeye says that he is confidant that they can take Hulk.
Back in Burton County, Hallie asks Charlie says that his intervention is very “90210”. Charlie says that it isn’t like that, but more like her friends just wanting to talk. Hallie looks over at a television set in a store window and sees the Thunderbolts fighting the Hulk. Hulk is punching Atlas in the face. Charlie says, “Wow. I never realized that the Hulk was so… so…” Hallie asks where that coffeehouse is.
Moonstone asks Hawkeye if they have played the part of the underdogs long enough. Hawkeye says to proceed just as they discussed. Atlas says, “I ding he brode my nose!” Hawkeye fires an anaesthetic arrow at Hulk and has it detonate near his head. Songbird waits until Hulk exhales and then traps the gas around Hulk’s head in a sound bubble. She says that the bubble should be fine as long as Hulk doesn’t pound on it. Atlas mumbles something about how that is his job, but because of his broken nose he can’t be understood. Atlas decks Hulk and sends him flying. Hawkeye tells Atlas not to talk because he is making the Hulk sound intelligent. Moonstone’s turn comes and she phases two incendiary arrows inside the sound bubble. Hawkeye waits a few seconds and then detonates the arrows with a remote control. Gayle Rogers explains that while this might not hurt the Hulk that it uses up the remaining oxygen in the bubble. She says that it is a brilliant ploy. Hulk leaps and punches Atlas into Moonstone, and sends both of them hurtling into the new Roxxon building. The entire complex is destroyed.
Clay Brickford drives in his jeep gritting his teeth as he hears the news on the radio. Clay tries to think about his shattered dream and what he intends to do about it.
Desperate the Hulk starts freaking and smashing the ground. The rubble flying up knocks out Songbird. Hawkeye is knocked to the ground. Hawkeye watches Hulk leap away, but Hulk doesn’t get far when he collapses on an overhead bridge and transforms back into Bruce Banner. Clay Brickford drives up in his Jeep just as Bruce is trying to figure out what happened. Bruce starts apologizing to Clay as he gets out of his Jeep, but Clay gets out and is holding rifle. Clay says that he doesn’t want to hear anymore excuses, and that Banner is going to pay with his life.
Hawkeye watches it all, but he is pinned under rubble so he can’t get up. Hawkeye sees a steel pointed arrow on the ground. He struggles and reaches it. Hawkeye draws his bow and arrow despite the fact that both his ribs and wrist seem to be broken. Hawkeye thinks about the fact that if he misses the shot that a good man will die, but that if his makes the shot that a monster will live. Hawkeye looks for the gunman, but he can’t see him behind the Jeep. Hawkeye says that the only way to save Banner is to shoot him.
Clay tells Banner that his kids have been in and out of hospitals for years, and that he had no steady job, no health insurance, and that it was all because of the Hulk and Bruce. Clay says that Bruce has ruined thousands of lives. Bruce doesn’t say anything because he knows that they are all excuses. Bruce says that Clay is absolutely right. Just as Clay shoots his gun, Hawkeye clips Bruce in the shoulder with the arrow. Bruce falls backwards off the bridge and onto a passing truck. Clay shouts as Banner is quickly out of sight.
Moonstone digs Hawkeye out. Hawkeye says that they have to get out of here. Moonstone asks if they should follow the Hulk. Hawkeye says ‘no’. Atlas is holding Songbird and says that it looks like she has a concussion. Moonstone says that Banner isn’t more than a mile away. Hawkeye says, “You’re… we’re outlaws! The cops, the feds, for all we know, Sculley and Mulder, are all heading this way right now! It’s over! We… we failed…”
At the Wide Awake coffeehouse in Burton Canyon, the report comes in that the Thunderbolts have fled the scene after being unable to capture the Hulk. Charlie thinks to himself that it is nice that Hallie is having such a good time that she has barely paid attention to the television.
Outside the coffeehouse, a gunman has his sights on Angie. He moves to Charlie and finally to Jolt. He says, “It’s an easy shot. Line of sight is perfect. Wind drift is minimal. Rifle feels a little awkward, not used to it. Which one do I choose? No choice really. When in doubt… always go for the heart.” A shot is fired.
Traitor’s rating: 9 out of 10
Fabian’s introduction to the Thunderbolts is a good one. Big impact, good handle on the characters, keeping in line with Busiek’s ideas while also taking the book in his own direction. I love the fight between the Thunderbolts and the Hulk. Bagely does a great job in this issue. The action is thick and the style and characterization works very well.