Thunderbolts #42
Thunderbolts #42
Title: "Two Ships”
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciller: Mark Bagely
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colors: Joe Rosas
“Keeps an ion things”: Kurt Busiek
Editor: Tom Brevoort
At the Downslope Bar, Erik sits at the bar drinking. “Wilma” asks if drinking himself into oblivion is going to solve his problems. Erik looks up unaware and asks if she said something. Man-Killer tells Erik that he is a nice guy. She says that he is a bit mopey for her tastes, but that he isn’t a jerk. She says that even for him this is a “world’s record for ‘Hound Dog Face’”. Erik says that he just found out some things about a woman he loved… does love still he thinks. Erik tells “Wilma” about it without including the superhero aspects of it. She asks if her former bosses, even though he doesn’t like them, gave him the skinny on her. Man-Killer says that he doesn’t understand why he is down about it. She says that Dallas doesn’t work for the company anymore. Erik thinks about how Roger and Elizabeth told him about how Dallas joined them for the wrong reasons and defected when she wouldn’t follow orders. He thinks about how he saw her kidnapped, or rescued, by the Crimson Cowl’s cloak. He decides that he can’t tell her that. Erik already has a massive headache when the side of the bar is smashed in. Erik feels an odd tingling in his body even though he is in his human form. Erik looks up and says, “You?”
Dallas is dressed in her Citizen V costume. She is holding two pipes in her hands. Dallas tells the Cowl that it is about time she showed up and that she has been waiting long enough. Cowl asks if Dallas has waited to die. Dallas says that Cowl wouldn’t have rescued her just to kill her. Cowl asks if that is what Dallas thinks she did. She says that Dallas was just another pawn for her to move across the board.
Dallas thinks back to how her father trained her to physical perfection. Her father, Jimmy Riordan, never told her why, but that she knew it was because of her grandfather. Her grandfather had stayed in Europe after serving in World War II, but then mysteriously died . Jimmy had promised never to leave Dallas without guidance. He raised her to be strong.
Dallas leaps at Cowl, but Cowl catches her with her prehensile cloak. Cowl says that Dallas should have known how outmatched by the cowl she would be since she had such experience with it. Cowl reminds Dallas how she captured her as Citizen V and then teleported her body out of the Citizen V outfit into the Cowl’s non-functioning replica attire just in time to be unmasked by the Thunderbolts. Cowl says that her need for her has ended. The cloak wraps around Dallas and Cowl says that she chose to die by staying to fight. Dallas pulls out an electromagnetic pulse and zaps Cowl. Dallas says that Cowl is pretty arrogant to think that she wouldn’t be prepared for another confrontation. She says that the pulse will scramble her cloak’s circuits for twenty minutes which is nineteen more minutes than she will need to kick the crud out of her.
Erik dives and tackles Man-Killer as a
section of the bar is about to hit her. Man-Killer asks who that
is. Erik says that it is Wonder Man. Wilma asks why he is after
him. She tells Erik to go get big and beat him up before the bar
is trashed. Erik says, “You know?” Man-Killer says that
she saw him on TV and put two and two together. Erik grows. He
tells Wonder Man that he knows that they have had their problems,
but that he isn’t growing to fight him. He says that he just
wants to make sure that no one gets hurt while they talk. Wonder
Man hits Atlas. 
Atlas hits back
and shouts that he said that he didn’t want to fight him.
Atlas tells Wonder Man to tell him why he is doing this. He says
that he thought the Avengers gave the Thunderbolts a chance. Erik
tells “Wilma” that he needs her help. Man-Killer asks
what he means. Atlas says that just like she knows his secret
that he knows hers. He says that he wasn’t going to turn her
in until he gave her the same chance that he was asking for. He
says that now is the time to choose. He says to help him stop
Wonder Man and turn her life around the way he and the other
Bolts have.
At Mount Charteris, Ogre says that he has tried all the legal means at his disposal, which he admits are limited, but that he hasn’t found anything. Hawkeye says that this is so frustrating. He says that the Avengers or the Fantastic Four would have found her by now. Abe says that they have better equipment and tells Ogre he means no offense. Ogre says that Moonstone’s alien gem emits a unique energy, but that their systems can’t scan for it. Songbird says that if they had put in half the effort into finding Hallie’s killer as they have into finding Moonstone that he would be in jail by now. Hawkeye says that isn’t fair. He says that Moonstone is messed up and that she could be a danger to herself and to others. He says that as ugly as it sounds that Jolt is dead and that finding her killer isn’t going to bring her back to life. Ogre smiles at Hawkeye’s words and thinks of his bio-chambers.
Scourge looks at the bio-chambers. Scourge reports in his files that while he is waiting to get a clear shot at the arrogance that he has discovered a lab that is hidden from the others. He notes that Ogre was there for years before being replaced by Ebersol. He wonders what the Bolts know about what Ogre was doing there. He says that he knows that they don’t know what Techno is doing now. Scourge analyzes the chambers and sees that all three victims (or patients) are alive, but that two are catatonic. He says that one of them is reading almost like pure bioelectrical energy. He sees that what is more is that the chambers are linked to Techno and that if he takes out Techno that the three in the chambers will die as well.
An alarm goes off. Hawkeye asks what that was. Ogre says that it is his link to the Burton Canyon police. He says that his system is designed to red flag certain terms. Hawkeye asks what terms set it off. Ogre says that it looks like they will be postponing their search for Moonstone. He says that the dispatch mentioned Atlas and that he is getting his “butt handed to him.”
Wonder Man hits Atlas again. Wonder Man says that for someone who isn’t putting up a fight that Atlas is taking a long time to go down. Wonder Man hits Atlas again and sends him falling to the ground next to Man-Killer. Wonder Man charges Atlas, but Atlas raises his foot and sends Wonder Man rocketing off it. Atlas says that there are civilians down there, but that maybe the Avengers don’t care about that anymore since everyone is on their case. Atlas turns to Man-Killer and asks if she is okay. She says that she is fine, but that they have destroyed her bar and her cover. Erik apologizes but says that if she will just help him stop Wonder Man that he is sure the Bolts will help. Man-Killer asks if Josten thinks she is going to join his team. She says that he is part of a ridiculous charade. She says that maybe she could be his girlfriend. Man-Killer says that Atlas doesn’t know anything about her. She says that this was all part of lying low. She says that he used to know about such things. She says that her name isn’t even Wilma, but that it is Katrina Luisa Von Horn. Erik says that he thought she might want. Man-Killer asks if he means she wants to redeem herself. She calls him a fool and tells him to look at her. She says that she calls herself “Man-Killer” and asks how he thinks she really feels about him. Before Atlas can respond he is pounded into the ground by Wonder Man. Man-Killer runs and says that she hopes Erik lives. Josten struggles on the ground and says that he has been so stupid. He says that he has been spiraling since he betrayed Dallas.
Dallas chases Cowl and says that Cowl is more skilled than she expected. Cowl says that she relied on herself long before she was dependant on science. She admits that technology has done much for her cause. Cowl asks Dallas what she has left to believe in. Dallas thinks back to how hard her father pushed her and wonders what it was all for. Dallas hits Cowl with a pipe. She sends Cowl falling back. Dallas thinks how her father, the NYPD, and even Captain America and Hawkeye have given her a road map. She wonders why she can’t walk down the road. Cowl grabs a candlestick and throws it at Dallas. She asks if Dallas is doubting herself. Dallas says, “never” though she means “always” and hits the candlestick away with the pipes. Cowl hits Dallas and runs. Dallas runs after her. Dallas thinks back to how Roger Aubrey offered her the position as Citizen V after she was fired from the mayor’s office. She wonders why she took it. She wonders if she did it for her father. He had refused the spot, but she will never know why.
Atlas and Wonder Man crash at Burton Canyon High School. Charlie wonders what that was. His friend tells him to go ahead and change and that he will cover for him. Charlie ducks into a room, changes into Charcoal, and flies out the window. Charcoal sees Wonder Man. Wonder Man asks if he is “one of them, too?” Charcoal says, “Um… Imperial Forces handbook: I refuse to answer… on the grounds that anything I say might be used to incriminate me!”
Cowl is about to get into a plane and sees Dallas still coming for her. Cowl asks if her thirst for vengeance is worth sacrificing her life. Dallas says that it isn’t vengeance anymore. She says that it isn’t laws, or honor, or guilt. She says that there is right and that Cowl is wrong. The two collide into a railing of the high above hangar. Cowl kicks Dallas over the railing. As Dallas is falling she grabs the Cowl’s cloak. Cowl says that this is ironic as Dallas hangs on for her life. Cowl says that in order for Dallas to die that she has to reveal herself. She says that it is a fitting last sight for her. Cowl wishes for Dallas that her next life be kinder than this one was. Dallas falls as the cloak is released. Dallas looks at Cowl. Her last word before she hits bottom is, “Erik…”
Wonder Man says that he guesses that answers
his question. Charcoal asks if this is something that they can
talk out. Wonder Man says that maybe they can, but that they
aren’t going to. Wonder Man hits Charcoal and shatters him.
The approaching MACH-2 catches Charcoal’s head. Charlie asks
if he can put him down so he can reform. 
Wonder
Man’s hand phases into Atlas’ back and he flies off.
Hawkeye says that they aren’t fast enough to catch Wonder
Man, and that MACH-2 couldn’t do much against him alone.
MACH-2 says that he can track him. He asks if he saw the way
Simon’s hand was inside Erik. Songbird says that Erik was
glowing as if he were made of ionic energy like Wonder Man.
Hawkeye says that is because he is. Hawkeye says that he thinks
they are going to need to call the Avengers.
TO BE CONTNUED IN AVENGERS VOL. 3 #32
Traitor’s rating: 9 out of 10
After the drudgery of the last two issues this writing was a breath of fresh air. I always like to see the fighting between Wonder Man and Erik Josten. Reminds me of how cool Erik was when he was Goliath. My only complaint with this writing is that Cowl is unmasked and STILL not revealed. Bagely does an outstanding job with the storytelling and fight sequencing. My only complaint with him is that his Wonder Man looks a little off. 4.5 out of 5 for both writing and art.
Review and pictures by The Leader