Thunderbolts #40
Thunderbolts #40
Title: "V for Vexation!”
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colors: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Thirty-seven seconds later, Dallas Riordan arrives, completely naked, in a blinding flash into a completely darkened room. The crimson cowl seemingly stands on its own behind her. She wonders where she is and where her uniform is. She wonders what is happening to the Thunderbolts.
Hawkeye, Atlas, Songbird, Moonstone, Charcoal, and MACH-2 stand before the entire V-Battalion. There is an enormous ship in the center with a number of jet flier and personal gliders armed by V-Battalion personnel. There are five floating images of people’s head. One of them asks what they have done with Citizen V. Hawkeye tells her that this is as much a surprise to them as it is to them. Another tells Hawkeye that they have respect for Hawkeye’s work as an Avenger. He says that is why they have tolerated Citizen V’s past refusals to apprehend the Thunderbolts. He says that they have no reason to fight and that they will leave without further hostilities. Atlas shouts that it isn’t that simple. He says that Dallas could be in trouble. Moonstone tells him that the V-Battalion isn’t the enemy and that they are a law enforcement agency. She wonders to herself why she said it. Hawkeye tells Atlas that Moonstone is right. He says that he knows how Atlas feels about Dallas, but that this isn’t the way. Atlas says that they just went to Hell and back trying to help his dead wife. He says that he blew his first chance with Dallas. He says that she could have and would have been the best thing that ever happened to him. He shouts that he isn’t going to lose her again. Atlas smashes the ground with both fists. One of the floating heads says that Atlas has started an avalanche. Another orders the evacuation of all injured personnel. Eamonn asks what about the Thunderbolts. One of the heads tells him that the Thunderbolts can fend for themselves. MACH-2 asks Songbird if she is okay. Songbird says that she created a sound bubble around herself. Moonstone says that she turned intangible as the rockslide started. She adds that Charcoal protected Hawkeye. She radios to him that the V-Battalion is getting away. Hawkeye and Charcoal emerge. He tells them to let the V-Battalion go and to round up the team. Moonstone says that following them would have been futile anyway. MACH-2 says that they disappeared into space faster than even he could go. Hawkeye says that once again they are left with more questions that answers. MACH-2 says that first among them is where Atlas went.
At the Commission on Superhuman Activities in Washington DC, Henry Gyrich is informed that unidentified ship just went off the radar. Henry asks if they know where it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. He is told that it was somewhere over Northern Europe. Henry thanks Miss Kern. As she is leaving, Peter Warton asks Gyrich if he has a minute. Henry says that he does barely. He says that as if watching the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and seventy-seven mutant teams with an X in them weren’t enough that now he has a European superhuman group to deal with. Peter says that he was just “crossing all the T’s” and discovered that their hard drive has been purged of several documents. He says that whoever did it used Gyrich’s access codes to get into the system. Gyrich asks if they were in the science section regarding Alpha-32. He says that those were obsolete information regarding a failed experiment. He says that he asked for those files to be purged. Warton says that he thought as much and that he was just double-checking. Gyrich smiles as Warton leaves.
Somewhere over Symkaria, the V-Battalion ship flies. A voice says to tell Masada that the Vanguard is coming in for docking. Roger Aubrey, Elizabeth Barstow, Robert Frank, Jr., Helmut Gruler, Isadora Martinez, Darren Mitchell, Fred Davis, and Ameiko Sabuki stand on the deck. Roger tells them to reconvene at 0800 and that he wants a full damage report. He says that he wants everything and everyone accounted for.
Elsewhere on the ship, Atlas dons a V-Battalion costume next to an unconscious operative. He accidentally steps on his comm-link. He says that is just great and that he didn’t get the chance to let the team know where they landed. He calls himself an idiot, but then says that he is starting to bore even himself with all his whining. He says that while he is there that he may as well try to find out anything that will help him track down Dallas. He says that maybe he will be able to contact the others with some of them hi-tech gear around him. He picks up some equipment and blends in with the other operatives. Josten drops the equipment in shock when he sees the Masada castle and wonders how the town around the castle could have remained hidden for so long.
At Mt. Charteris, the team is gathered around Ogre. Charcoal tells Ogre that between this and what he did to Abe’s face that he is going to lose his rep as an engineering genius. Techno thinks to himself that he is a snot-nosed punk, but what he says is that he can only work with what he has available. He says that since Atlas’ comm.-link was severed before he could isolate his signal that the best he can tell them is that he was somewhere near the Symkarian-Latverian border. Moonstone says that would make sense since the V-Battalion began as Nazi hunters and that Symkaria has always zealously pursued war criminals. Charcoal asks how many Nazis are really running around now. He asks how they are supposed to just walk into Symkaria and asks if they aren’t a little paranoid as a country. Abe says that they are, but that Erik still needs their help. Songbird asks if Abe knows how to find Erik in Symkaria. Abe says that he doesn’t, but that he knows someone who would know how.
Hours later in
New York City, Abe is in the clutches of the Sandman. Sandman
asks him who he is. Abe says that he can’t tell him that,
but that the two of them have worked together before. He adds
that the people that he works for now need him for a job. Sandman
asks what he pay is. Abe says that part stinks, but that the
sightseeing will be worth it. Abe asks how Flint Marko would
“like an all-expenses paid chance to play tour guide in
Symkaria?” Sandman smiles and says that he is listening.
At Mt. Charteris, Hawkeye, Songbird, and Moonstone are training. Moonstone asks if Hawkeye has changed his mind yet. Hawkeye says that he hasn’t. He says that he realizes that using revenge as bait to get Sandman to help them is a big risk, but that he has confidence that they can keep him in line. Songbird says that he doesn’t understand what Sandman’s problem with Symkaria is. Hawkeye says that for a while Sandman was sort of an original Thunderbolt. He says that he was redeeming himself first with the Avengers and then as part of Silver Sable’s Wild Pack. He says that Silver Sable works out of Symkaria. Hawkeye says that they don’t know if Sandman was sincere or not, but that word is getting around that Wizard mucked around with Sandman’s head, and that he is back to being a full-fledged bad guy again. Hawkeye says that he seems to have a mad on for anyone that he used to work for when he was a good guy. Moonstone says that she still doesn’t think that they need him. She says that being seen with him could damage their chances of being accepted. Hawkeye says that he sees her point, but that it is either help Atlas now or deal with the repercussions of what Erik does on his own while mucking around in the middle of a law enforcement agency that probably has ties to every spy group in the world. Karla says that she sees his point. Melissa says that she is just upset that Abe volunteered for this. She asks what happens if Sandman finds out who he is. She says that he just got out of jail and that he shouldn’t be taking chances like this. Karla says that she is surprised she cares. Melissa asks what that is supposed to mean. Karla says that she has been rather distant since the change to Abe’s features. She says that it isn’t that surprising considering Melissa’s uneducated upbringing. Songbird says, “Oh, the Queen of Mood Swings talks! Bad girl/good girl, killer/saint, hate Hawkeye/love Hawkeye… maybe I do have a problem with Abe being black… but at least I’m aware of it and I’m trying to do something about it! You’ve just been a mess for months, Karla, and you’ve ignored it!” Songbird flies off. Moonstone says, “I haven’t been ignoring my problems.” Hawkeye says that of course she hasn’t. Moonstone says, “I’ve been obscuring them under a veil of indifference.” Hawkeye says that is it exactly. Ogre interrupts and says that Abe just called in that he has successfully infiltrated Symkarian air-space. Hawkeye tells Ogre to prep the T-Bird to follow Abe’s course. Ogre says that it is already done. Hawkeye asks if Ogre wants to come. Ogre declines and says that Hawkeye knows how he is about going outside. Hawkeye says that for his own health that Ogre should get out more. They sign off.
Ogre reverts back into Techno’s robot body. He says that Hawkeye doesn’t realize that since he really isn’t Ogre, but Techno, that he can create an alternate body for himself and that he is already outside. Techno, in a body that looks very much like Norbert Ebersol, walks towards the Down Slope bar. He says that he will pay a visit to Erik’s favorite bar and favorite bartender. Techno walks in and orders a Stout on tap. Man-Killer looks over and says that she could use better company than “sad-sack Buchanan”. Suddenly she sees Techno and realizes that he looks like Techno before he became a robot. She wonders if it is him and if he realizes who she is. Techno makes himself at home. A horned shadow hovers over “Sad-sack Buchanan”.
In Symkaria, MACH-2 says that it feels good to cut loose and that he hasn’t gotten much of a chance to do so since he got the MACH-2 armor. He says that though Sandman never met the V-Battalion that he heard rumors that they were about six hundred kilometers to the Latverian border. MACH-2 decides to “kick in the afterburners and see how long it takes me to cover the distance…” A short time later, MACH-2 arrives and says that wasn’t bad at all. He says that the armor automatically registers radar and spits out countermeasures to scramble the system. MACH-2 begins scanning for a base above or below ground but comes up with nothing. He says that they have to be there. He spots the castle and wonders where the carrier would be hiding. MACH-2 takes out his “secret weapon”. He opens a canister releasing Sandman. MACH-2 says that he thinks this is it, but that he isn’t sure. Sandman says to keep flying and he will run into them.
Inside the carrier, two operatives “see” MACH-2. One says that they are getting a signal the same as their cloaking field alongside the perimeter. He says that it is like spotting a chameleon climbing up a tree.
Sandman tells MACH-2 to watch as he spreads himself out over the surface of the invisible ship. MACH-2 says that everyone will see it after he releases two E-M pulse grenades. The grenades explode and the ship is suddenly visible.
Inside, Erik says that must be the T-Bolts. He wonders why they had to get there so quickly and that he barely had time to find out anything. Atlas grows to giant size.
Outside, MACH-2 acts as a human target while Sandman infiltrates the ship. Sandman says that he could do this nice and quiet, but that it wouldn’t be as much fun. Sandman spots Atlas and says that it looks like he was beaten to the punch. Atlas says that he doesn’t want to hurt anyone and that he just wants to know about Dallas. Sandman thinks to himself that Atlas is a wimp. Roger Aubrey says that they are under attack from within and without. Helmut says that they have no one to blame but themselves. Roger says that he knows and that is why for the first time in years the Penance Council is going to suit up.
MACH-2 is getting surrounded when a pink boxing glove rescues him. Songbird and the other Bolts arrive. Songbird asks what if they evened up the odds. Moonstone says that it is five of them against five hundred of them. She says that the odds are now in their favor. Hawkeye says that they didn’t used to be this cocky until he arrived. The V-Battalion is ordered to stand down. Suddenly Moonstone clutches her stomach and throws up. Charcoal says to remind him never to eat Hawkeye’s chili. The Penance Council emerges and says that though the V-Battalion started this fight unwisely that they are prepared to finish it. Moonstone says that she can’t fight them because they aren’t evil. She says that their motives are pure.
Elsewhere, Dallas wants to know if anyone is listening. She says that if they are trying to get the V-Battalion and the Thunderbolts to fight that it won’t work. Suddenly the cowl beings to “tik” A voice asks if she is naïve enough to believe that. She says that is what their kind always does. Suddenly the Crimson Cowl is inside her cowl. She says that she doesn’t expect them to annihilate one another, but that they will leave both organizations susceptible to her wrath.
Traitor’s rating: 7 out of 10
Well to be honest I’ve never been much of a fan of the Penance Council, and to be quite frank Silver Sable has always given me a headache… Symkaria is now included in that. I did enjoy Techno messing with Man-Killer and the evil Sandman’s inclusion. Mark does another nice job (he does excel at drawing them nekkid ladies), but the subject somewhat diminished my enjoyment of it. 4 out of 5 for the art.
Review and pictures by The Leader