Thunderbolts #37
Thunderbolts #37
Title: "The Bug Bites Back!”
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
At Seagate Prison, Moonstone is wearing a black body suit covered in circuitry. He reaches through a wall and grabs a guard’s head from behind. She pulls the head backward into the wall and knocks him out. She phases through the wall completely and goes to work on some circuitry. Since the Vault was closed there has been an influx of superhuman prisoners, but there hadn’t been a single breakout. Of course they were never prepared for a break in.
Outside, two figures, one who is Hawkeye, wait in similar black suits with circuitry. Hawkeye gets the signal from Karla and says that the vent tunnel is open now. He asks the other if he is sure that he knows his way around in there. The other says that he is sure. Shortly, the two figures stand inside the prison as two guards talking about sports walk right by them. Their suits are in camouflage mode. One says that sure worked well. Hawkeye says that having him provide the specs on the guards’ visors helped. Moonstone says that she isn’t a medical doctor and not to expect help with their shoulder strains from patting themselves on the back. Hawkeye says that the point is taken and that they still have a job to do. Hawkeye fires an arrow into a security card slot. The lock short circuits and Hawkeye says that they have two minutes before the lock override signal gets picked up by the internal security system. The other figure says that should be enough time. He says that because they had the material prepared in advance that it will a piece of cake overwriting the hard drive’s data logs with new programming. He says that whoever their new tech guy is that he is a keeper. He finishes up and Hawkeye says that the major access artery runs all the way to the mainland.
Atlas stands with an open grate in his hands. He asks them if it worked. Hawkeye says that it is too early to tell. Moonstone pulls off her hood and says that it had better work for the risk they were taking. She says, “The thought of voluntarily walking into a prison? Brrr”. She asks if anyone noticed the humidity in there. The other suited man says that they like to keep their prisoners uncomfortable so they’re always messing around with the temperature. He says that the place is as much a big experiment in social deprivation as it is a prison. Hawkeye pulls his mask off and says that he is still uncomfortable with what they did. The masked figure says that they didn’t leave them much choice. Hawkeye says that doesn’t mean he has to like it. He wonders if they’ve gone over the line.
A few days back, the Thunderbolts look down at the empty Beetle armor on the ground. Even Techno, back at Mount Charteris, was stunned by this.
Henry Gyrich and Valerie Cooper are also stunned. Gyrich says that this is “just wonderful”. Cooper tells him to think. She says that the Commission of Superhuman Activities freed Jenkins from Seagate so he could stop Hammer’s plans. She says that they didn’t expect the Bolts to track him down or this surprise. Gyrich cuts her off and says that Jenkins played them for fools. Cooper says that Jenkins also completed his mission. Gyrich says that he doesn’t think that the scales of justice have been balanced and says that they can’t be trusted. Cooper asks if Gyrich means convicted felons or superhumans in general. Gyrich doesn’t respond, but the burning anger in his eyes says it all.
Charcoal says that sirens are coming. Hawkeye says that they have to clear out, but Songbird asks what about the armor and asks how they are going to find Abe without it. Hawkeye says that they leave the Beetle armor here. He says that the media frenzy will help clear both Abe and them of any wrongdoing. Songbird asks who made the armor, and why Abe hasn’t answered her calls or letters. Hawkeye says that he doesn’t know, but that they are going to find out. Later as they fly away, Charcoal says that maybe Abe did all of this on purpose. Songbird says that this isn’t Abe’s style. She says that he doesn’t play games like that, but that she knows that Abe is somehow trying to make the best out of a bad situation.
Techno watches and says that they are so trusting of each other now. He thinks that they never trusted him that way, but then he realizes that he never gave them any reason to trust him. He says that even now he is not. He wonders what they would do if he simply told them the truth.
As Hawkeye, Songbird, and Charcoal return Ogre is already working on the problem. Ogre says that he has been monitoring the police reports and telemetry readouts from the battle. He says that the police are sending in a heavy crane to move the armor, and that they have already received and temporarily deflected a call from the CSA. He says that as for the telemetry, though Abe was not inside the armor he was definitely controlling the armor. Hawkeye asks Ogre if he is sure. Ogre says, “Unequivocally”. Songbird asks if he could be doing that from Seagate. Hawkeye says that the signal couldn’t reach that far and that means Abe is out there somewhere. Songbird says that she thinks Abe is being controlled by someone. She asks why the CSA jumped all over the Beetle armor. Ogre says that it was very fast as they watch the news that just went national.
Charlie watches the coverage and sees that the television is showing the Wide Awake coffeehouse where Jolt was killed. Charlie explodes and says that they should be looking for Hallie’s killer. Songbird says that they all want to find out, but that Abe is alive now and that he may need their help. She says that they have too many unanswered questions. Charlie says that this is easy to figure out if you just think about the motives and who stands to gain by the Beetle armor trashing Hammer’s labs. He asks why Abe would run the armor by remote control. He says that getting dragged around by the Imperial Forces has taught him a one word answer for why people do the things they do… deniability. Ogre asks if the CSA and Mr. Jenkins were trying to protect themselves. Songbird says that Abe could be trying to protect them.
An incoming call appears on a holographic telephone. Ogre says that he placed photoreceptors into their comm-link inside their costume. He says that they can’t see them, but that they can see them. He says that he has to work a holographic mat pad into the gloves still. Hawkeye says that was a good move. Atlas and Moonstone stand. Atlas is holding an unconscious Blizzard. Hawkeye asks Atlas and Moonstone if they captured all Hammer’s goons. Moonstone says that they only got Speed Demon, Whiplash, and Blizzard. She says that Hydro-Man got away. Moonstone says that they exchanged some interesting information with Blizzard. Hawkeye asks what they exchanged with. Karla says that once they disabled his ice converters that they promised Atlas would only hit him once. Hawkeye asks what Blizzard said. Moonstone says that Blizzard told them about a riot at Seagate Prison that Abe foiled. She says that only the CSA knew about it. Hawkeye asks how Blizzard knew. She says that Hammer told him, and that he has a powerful source keeping tabs inside the prison. Hawkeye reasons that the CSA saw that Abe was one of the good guys and offered to reduce his sentence if he worked against Hammer. Hawkeye says that all of it would be illegal if it didn’t have the federal stamp on it, and so the Commission would want to retrieve the armor as soon as possible to make sure that it wasn’t traced back to them.
In Burton Canyon, Gyrich is arguing with the desk sergeant about whether he can take the Beetle armor. Gyrich says that this is a matter of national security. The desk sergeant says that he may just be a country bumpkin, but that he has seen enough episodes of X-Files and NYPD Blue to know that is hogwash. Val Cooper starts thinking about a Duchovny/Smits sandwich. Gyrich starts to tell her to knock it off when the Beetle armor comes back on-line. Gyrich says “uh oh”. The desk sergeant starts shooting the Beetle armor as it goes and gets its head and then flies away through the roof.
Hours later at Mount Charteris, Hawkeye says that according to Moonstone’s debriefing… Moonstone breaks in and say that she thought they were going to keep that between them. Hawkeye continues that according to Moonstone that Hammer’s contact inside Seagate is Mentallo. He says that Hammer communicates with lots of inmates through him. He wonders what if the CSA found out about it and learned of Hammer’s plans, and so they decided to use Beetle to have him steal the Omega-32 whatever that is. Moonstone says that the CSA knew that Hammer wanted it, but that they couldn’t set anything up legally with a company as secretive as Roxxon. Atlas says that Abe knew that the CSA wouldn’t live up to their end. As Hawkeye is saying that Abe made sure to go public with the results to keep the CSA busy, Ogre breaks in and says that he has a call from someone that he thinks Hawkeye would be interested in talking to. Abe Jenkins appears on the screen. He says that it is time they talked.
After the prison break in, Karla tells the guilty Hawkeye that they did what they had to do. She asks when he started worrying about bending the rules. Hawkeye says that this is outright breaking them. Karla says that the CSA did first. She starts to tell him that he has been second-guessing himself since Jolt, but Atlas says that the session is over and that they have incoming. Charcoal and Songbird arrive. Charcoal says that Songbird was complaining the entire way over that she should have been on the rescue team. The other disguised man removes his hood to reveal that he is Abner Jenkins. Tears roll down Songbird’s cheeks and then they kiss. Atlas welcomes Abe back. Charcoal says to Hawkeye that this isn’t over. Hawkeye says that there are some loose ends to be tied up.
In Paris, Dallas Riordan sits on her bed . She is feeling more alone now than ever. She sits in the exact same position from day into night and back into dawn. She wonders where she can turn to for help now that she is completely alone.
In Central America, “Sr. Davis” is passing through customs. When asked he says that he is there for both business and pleasure. The guard asks what is with the tiny suitcase. “Sr. Davis” says that it is a gift for a friend. He explains that he is a collector and that the case is very rare. The guard gives him back his passport and says that he hopes his friend enjoys his present. “Sr. Davis” says, “I’m sure he’ll be very surprised. But isn’t the real measure of gift… in the act of giving…”
Back at Mount Charteris, Techno is stretched out in an almost snake-like robotic form. He says that the others will be back soon and that he should change back into his “fat form”. Techno is looking for something, but he is disgusted with all the obsolete equipment. He just says that is part of the challenge. Suddenly Techno notices that the power surge isn’t a problem with the equipment, but that it is coming from chamber two. Techno says that this shouldn’t be. He says that chamber two is registering life signs. He tells himself to restrain himself from shouting, “It’s alive!”
Two days later, Gyrich is driving away from the Rocky Mountain CSA field operations center. He is furious that there has been no sign of Jenkins or the Beetle. Since he has no way to keep track of the Thunderbolts he is forced to wait for them to contact him. Gyrich’s tires goes flat. He gets out to see two arrows stuck in it. He starts to draw his gun, but he is hit by an arrow that wraps him up completely. Gyrich’s sunglasses fall off. Hawkeye says that Gyrich sounds like he swallowed a rattlesnake. Gyrich asks Hawkeye where the rest of his “pathetic excuse for a team” He says that they are doing what Gyrich knows how to do so well. He says that it is called deniability. He says that as far as anyone is concerned they don’t know what their crazy leader is doing. Gyrich says, “As if they ever really have! Tell me Barton… are you still lying to your merry band of convicts?” He asks who looks like they swallowed a snake now. He asks Hawkeye if he didn’t think that he could figure out what he had done. He says that after the CSA turned him down to let him lead the Thunderbolts in return for an official pardon that he went and told them that was the deal anyway.
Techno watches from Charteris. He says that this has been such an interesting week.
Gyrich says that he loves the bitter look on Hawkeye’s face. Hawkeye says that it is the same one that Gyrich sees in the mirror everyday. Hawkeye picks up Gyrich’s sunglasses and says that this isn’t about him or the Thunderbolts, but that it is about the crap that the CSA has been pulling. Gyrich asks how he is going to solve the problem. Hawkeye says that officially Abe Jenkins will serve the duration of his sentence, but that he needs to be in protected custody because of the riot he stopped. Hawkeye says that every prisoner knows about it now because of a program that they placed in the prison’s computers. Hawkeye says that being a model prisoner Abe will keep quiet about the CSA’s role in illegally releasing him, arming him, and ordering him to steal and sabotage two international corporations. Hawkeye says that unofficially Abe is never setting foot in prison again. Hawkeye snaps Gyrich’s glasses. Gyrich says that he needs more than clean shoes for this. Hawkeye says that the road is only dirty because Gyrich dumped all over it. Hawkeye says that Abe will turn over all the info he has on Omega-32. He says that Gyrich can then indite Hammer of corporate espionage, and probably get Gyrich a federal probe of Roxxon as well. Gyrich asks if Jenkins lives happily ever after. Hawkeye says that Jenkins put himself in jail and that it was Gyrich that took him out. Gyrich asks if that means that he repaid his debt to society. He asks Hawkeye if he can live with that. Hawkeye says that Gyrich can’t have it both ways. He can’t deny them the chance to redeem themselves and then turn around and use them to do his dirty work while bribing them with redemption. Hawkeye says that he may not like it, but that he can live with it. Hawkeye says that Jenkins has shown himself to be a man of honor and integrity, but that they are waiting for Gyrich to do the same. Gyrich thinks for a second and agrees but tells him to give him back the Beetle armor at least. Hawkeye says that he isn’t getting it back yet, but to trust him. Hawkeye walks away and says that it is doing exactly what it was created to do.
At Crecy Enterprises in Vancouver, Justin Hammer arrives. The Beetle armor is standing there and just keeps repeating, “A gift for Mr. Hammer”. The guards apologize for bringing Mr. Hammer out there, but that the armor landed three hours ago and just keeps repeating the same thing. Hammer says that maybe Jenkins is trying to make amends for destroying his place. The armor recognizes Hammer’s voice imprint and activates itself. Cables shoot of the armor’s fingertips and wrap around Hammer. As the armor takes off, Hammer shouts that he knows Jenkins is working the armor by remote control and that he wants to know where he is being taken.
Seventy minutes later in Colorado, Gyrich is still tied up. He wonders how he is going to write this up as he watches the Beetle armor land. He walks over and sees that the armor has Justin Hammer in custody. Jenkins’ voice comes on the armor and says that he is giving Hammer to Gyrich and then he is washing his hands of the whole lot of them. Hammer says that this will be a waste of time, and that this lawyers will have him out in hours. Gyrich says that may be, but that they are going to be very interesting hours.
Sunrise at Mount
Charteris, Songbird says that if he doesn’t let her see him
soon that she is going to scream. Ogre apologizes and says that
it took longer than he expected. Atlas asks Ogre if he was up all
night modifying a flight suit. Charcoal says that he might lose
his rep as a miracle worker. Ogre says that it was complications
from other aspects of the work. Songbird shouts to let her see
him. Ogre reveals MACH-2. MACH-2 flies into the air. Songbird
says that he looks great. Hawkeye compliments Ogre’s design.
Songbird says that MACH-2 is faster now, but that he isn’t
fast enough to get away from her. MACH-2 asks who was trying.
Ogre says that he is 47% faster than the old suit. Ogre says that
he also improved the reconnaissance, surveillance, and electronic
countermeasures and capabilities. Atlas asks if it can keep a
beer cold. MACH-2 says that there are two in the harness pack.
Atlas says that MACH-2 is kidding, and MACH-2 agrees that he is.
Moonstone asks about the man inside the armor. Atlas says that he
hadn’t thought of that and that they can’t just
introduce MACH-2 without everyone thinking that he is Abe. Ogre
says that at Hawkeye’s request he looked into some
information on dermaplasty. Songbird asks Abe if he has blond
hair now. Abe says Hawkeye suggested a more
“swarthier-look”. Songbird asks if it is Rick
Martin-like. Abe says that it turned out a little swarthier than
that. Abe takes his helmet off and says that Ogre wasn’t
well versed with the specs on the technology. Melissa passes out
when she sees his face. The other Bolts look on stunned as Abe
now has the skin of an African-American man.
Note: Thunderbolts 2000 annual comes after Thunderbolts #37
Traitor’s rating: 8 out of 10
It’s not that this wasn’t an entertaining read, but it was very tedious. The logistics of Abe from prisoner, to CSA operative, to free man, to MACH-2 and all the rationales causing each just seemed to go on forever. The subplots are expanding nicely. In hindsight they seem perfectly logical, but not knowing the endings of the Dallas and “Sr. Davis” storylines it was pretty confusing and much too long until the next clue a month away. I say Dallas and Davis storylines because I think everyone can tell what was happening with the second chamber. Bagely as usual rules. He gets a 4.5 out of 5 because his artwork helped me focus through the dragging storyline.