Thunderbolts #48

Title: "Revelations! The Beginning of the End…”

Writer: Fabian Nicieza

Penciller: Mark Bagely

Inkers: Greg Adams with Mark McKenna & John Livesay

Colors: Joe Rosas

Editor: Tom Brevoort

Ogre woke up and stepped out of the cryogenic chamber. He looked through the gaping hole in the side of Mt. Charteris. He saw Jolt and another superhuman fighting against an ionically unstable Atlas. He thought about helping Atlas. He wanted to make the noble decision. He had wanted to help the Thunderbolts and feel as though he belonged, but his responsibility to hide the contents of the secret biochamber outweigh his longing for friendship and family. Ogre leaves with the chamber to go hide where no one can find him… or HS-1. No one can know the real reason he stayed there for so long… least of all SHIELD.

GW Bridge and SHIELD agents are going through the levels of the Charteris base. GW Bridge tells the agents to be careful and that they don’t know what kind of traps are lying around. He says that this was the base for such groups as Factor Three, Sons of the Serpent, Hydra, and August Masters. He says that SHIELD had it under control for a while and sealed it off until the Crimson Cowl and the Masters of Evil took control of it. He says that the Thunderbolts took it from them. Bridge says that they heard rumors of activity, but didn’t connect it to the base until Atlas burst out the side of the mountain. The agents ask where the other Thunderbolts are. Bridge says that they have reports of Moonstone on the moon. Bridge sees drag marks on the ground that end when he assumes the thing was lifted into the air. Bridge says that he wants whoever and whatever is hiding, and that they should be considered armed and dangerous until further notice.

Ogre listens to Bridge on the monitor. He says that he isn’t dangerous, but that he is armed. Ogre thinks about the casualties and decides that too many SHIELD agents would die. Ogre opens a tesseract portal. The agents will never find him. He thinks about the Thunderbolts and decides that he doesn’t really want to keep in contact with them either. Ogre walks in with the chamber and the portal closes leaving the room as it was before.

The Thunderbolts are returning from the moon. Hawkeye remarks that it is odd that Ogre isn’t responding. Suddenly, Mt. Chateris comes into view. They see their base destroyed and SHIELD ships all around it. The Thunderbolts realize that they got too comfortable in their headquarters. MACH-2 says that he is reading ion energy everywhere. Songbird asks about Erik, but Abe says that he can’t find him. Abe says that he is picking up Pym Particles and bioelectric energy. Charlie shouts for everyone to look out the port side and says that Jolt is alive. Hawkeye tells everyone to stay calm. He says that they aren’t sure that’s Hallie and that with SHIELD around that they can’t risk getting caught. Charcoal, Songbird, and MACH-2 ignore Hawkeye and flies out of the ship to Hallie. Abe asks if that is really her. He tells her not to be fooled by the new armor and voice. Abe touches Hallie’s electricity and is zapped. Jolt says that she is still getting used to the new body. Charlie asks if she is alive. Jolt says that she thinks so. Songbird asks how. Hallie says that even for them it is hard to believe. Hallie creates an energy bubble and surrounds the three of them and says that this is as close as she can get to a hug right now. Karla asks if they can take the reunion away from there. Jolt says that she is happy to see Karla too. Karla says that she is thrilled that she is alive, but doesn’t want to celebrate in prison.

Bridge says that the Thunderbolts aren’t making a move on the base, and that they are leaving. He asks Director Sharon Carter what they should do. Sharon says that they helped the Avengers against Nefaria and helped with Ego. She asks Bridge what is more important. He says that the base is, and that there is no telling how dangerous the place could be. Bridge says that they can always track their ship’s drive emissions later.

An hour later, Abe tells Hawkeye that was a nice landing. Hawkeye says that they had to shut down their drive systems to get SHIELD off their trail, and that he thinks that he did a good job landing a flying bathtub. Abe says that they aren’t taking off in it again unless Ogre can bring them parts. Hawkeye says that he doesn’t see that happening based on what Jolt told them about Techno impersonating Ogre. Karla says that it is no wonder that Ogre doesn’t respond to them. Charlie asks Jolt if she can turn back into human form. Jolt says that she isn’t sure. Songbird wonders why no one is mentioning Erik and asks herself if it doesn’t hurt them like it does her. Hawkeye tries contacting Ogre again on a different frequency. Ogre asks Hawkeye what he wants. He shouts for them to leave him alone. Hawkeye says that he is sorry about what happened, but that the ship is damaged. Ogre says that he knows, but that he is not in a position, or a disposition, to help. He says that he can’t help them without revealing his hiding place to SHIELD. He tells them not to call him, and that he’ll call them… never. Songbird says that he was their friend. Karla says that they don’t even know them, and asks why he would help now. Hawkeye says that they have to regroup and that they are in big trouble. Jolt asks if Hawkeye is just realizing that. Hawkeye points to a picture of Scourge that Abe pulled off the security cameras. He says that he sort of killed Jolt, but that he probably killed Gayle Rogers and deactivated Techno. Charlie says that losing Techno was no big loss. Karla says that he was since he is the only one with any information on the killer. Songbird shouts that Erik is dead, and that Hallie is alive. She asks if they can take five minutes to figure out if they’re supposed to be happy or sad. Hawkeye says that he would be thrilled if a multiple murderer wasn’t on the loose. Jolt says that he knows that he calls himself Scourge, and that he is targeting the Thunderbolts for assassination. Jolt says that he didn’t seem like a killer, and that he was trying to help Erik keep from hurting people. Hawkeye says that the last Scourge wound up being a covert agency of killers run by a 40’s era super hero called the Angel. He says that they killed only bad guys. Hallie says that they are the bad guys no matter what they do. She says that she didn’t deserve to be shot, and that Erik didn’t deserve what happened to him. Hawkeye says that he doesn’t want to be crude, but that Atlas was made out of ionic energy, and that it is likely that he isn’t really dead and will come back eventually. Jolt asks if he means like Wonder Man did. Hawkeye says that Wonder Man did it twice and Nefaria did too. MACH-2 says that it isn’t like he was on vacation, and that he thinks Erik would want him to go after the killer. He says that because Scourge was saturated with Pym Particles and Ionic fallout that he already has a lock on him.

At the former X-Factor headquarters, Citizen V trains with Beetle and Smuggler. Beetle tells V to hold still, but V tells Beetle that she has to learn to stay one step ahead of the opposition. V tells Smuggler that it was good he anticipated his strike and slipped into a darkforce fold to avoid it, but that he forgot about his imaging scope allowing him to see his darkforce aperture before he appears out of it. V points a gun at Smuggler’s head. Warton tells V that was well done, and V agrees. Warton introduces Valerie Barnhardt. V takes off his mask and says that he is glad to meet Meteorite.

At Andrea Sterman’s apartment, she listens to the news about Atlas and thinks about Scourge. Andrea looks at the “short story” she has written about an author who was approached by a slain woman’s brother. The author found out who did it, but at the request of the brother she kept a lid on it. The author had no book to write, lost her book contract, and wound up living on the streets. Suddenly the doorbell rings. Andrea asks where a superhuman killer to put a bullet in her head is when she needs him. Andrea opens the door and sees Roger Aubrey. She asks if he is there about the rent. Roger introduces himself and says that he is there to save her life. Roger grabs the coat rack and uses it to block an invisible bullet. Andrea asks if he is insane. Roger says that it is quite possible, but then he shows her the invisible bullet and says that if she wishes to survive past sunset that he suggests that she come with him.

At Denver International Airport, a group of people are boarding a non-stop flight to Washington DC. Abe says that the Pym Particles are still all around. He asks Hawkeye if he is sure he wants to do this now. Hawkeye asks what the alternative is. MACH-2 says that he can track him to Washington DC and then catch him at his apartment sitting on the toilet. Hawkeye says that they can’t risk him hurting any passengers. Karla points out that this murders haven’t been random. MACH-2 asks if they should risk the bad publicity after Karla broke into the SHIELD moon base and Atlas stomped all over Burton Canyon. Jolt sneers at Hawkeye and says that spitting on their rep a bit isn’t going to make any difference and asks Hawkeye if that isn’t right. Hawkeye looks confused. He says that sometimes the choices all suck, but that their redemption campaign takes a back seat to preventing innocents from getting hurt. He asks if that is okay.

Hawkeye shoots out the tires of the landing gear. Songbird stops the airplane with a giant pink airbag. Jolt sticks her hand into the plane and cuts the cockpit systems off from the tower. Hawkeye tells Karla to phase in and look, but Charcoal tears the top of the plane open and shouts, “We know you’re here, Scourge!” Scourge thinks to himself that he used up all his Pym Particles and that he can’t access any weapons. He thinks that would make a legitimate programming foil for failing his mission. Charcoal pins Scourge to the floor, but Scourge strikes back with Unicorn’s power horn and sends him hurtling out of the plane. Songbird asks if he is okay. Karla says to let him be hurt and that it would serve him right for his recklessness. Charcoal says that he is sorry to disappoint, but that he is fine. He says that he might pull something laughing at the springs on Scourge’s booties. Scourge takes a shot at Karla with his staff and says that this would have gone much better for him under his original protocol. Scourge’s staff is stripped, but is happy to himself that it is gone. MACH-2 punches Scourge to the ground. Scourge starts to fire, but Songbird puts a bubble around him and causes his blast to ricochet around and hit him. Jolt kicks Scourge in the face and says that he is done. Scourge lies on the ground helmetless as the Bolts surround him. Jolt says that it is time for them to find out who he is. Hawkeye says that they probably won’t even know him, but when he pulls the mask off he sees Captain America underneath. Hawkeye pulls the Cap mask off doubting it, but Steve Rogers face is underneath. “Steve” says that the others don’t know his face, but that he does. Jolt asks if that is what his face really looks like and Hawk admits that it is. Songbird says that if Captain America is working against them, maybe even working for the government, what chance they have for clemency. Jolt starts to laugh. Hawkeye says that this isn’t funny. Hallie says that they never had a chance at redemption, and that Hawkeye has been blowing smoke up their butts. Hawkeye asks what she is saying. Jolt says to tell them all about how he got is squared away with the Commission on Superhuman Activity that they would pardon them if they played it straight. She says that they stayed together because of him. She says that Abe went to jail and that she was killed because of him, and that he was lying all the time. Hawkeye says, “I… I… it’s not like that… I… was tryin’ to… I… I’m sorry…” Jolt says that sorry won’t help now. She says that sorry won’t make her normal again. She says, “Sorry it won’t do anything about… dis!” Jolt reverts to human form. Her speech is slurred, her body partially paralyzed. The Bolts realize that advanced surgical procedures returned Hallie to life and they wonder if it was worth it.

Traitor’s rating: 5.5 out of 10

Review by The Leader

RETURN TO ISSUES PAGE

RETURN TO MAIN PAGE

RETURN TO LEADER'S LAIR