Thunderbolts #50

Title: “Redemption?”

Writer: Fabian Nicieza

Penciller: Mark Bagely

Inkers: Al Vey, Greg Adams, Scott Hanna

Colorist: VLM

Editor: Tom Brevoort

Outside the offices of the Commission of Superhuman Activity in Washington DC Citizen V stands with Fixer’s tech pac as it tries to pick the lock. Citizen V asks if this thing will be able to do it, and Fixer says that he even asks is insult enough. The door opens but from within comes the Destructon. Citizen V says that the Commission must have acquired it when they raided Zemo’s hideout. Fixer notes that it is the same time as they found him. Fixer wonders what “Helmy” would think if he saw his father’s work guarding the CSA. Citizen V says that he would probably be amused to see a institute of “good” using his work to guard its own illegal operations, and then he would skewer him for calling him Helmy. The team tries to fight it, but it is Scream sonic pitch that slices the Destructon. Citizen V then cuts its head off and tells Fixer to find the Omega-32 compound. Gyrich appears and says that they won’t get that far. He says that they aren’t going another step. The Redeemers are all frozen in place, their bodies unable to move. Fixer notices that the room is full of nano-probes. Citizen V is the only one who hasn’t breathed them in, but Gyrich says that the nano-probes will work their way through his clothes eventually. Gyrich says that they can’t stop him from saving the human race. Citizen V throws down a smoke bomb and runs. He starts to run away, but Moonstone phases through the wall and pulls Citizen V through the wall to where the Thunderbolts are standing.

Hawkeye asks if the V-Battalion orders the Citizen V’s in bulk. Citizen V says that he is one of a kind. He unmasks and introduces himself as John Watkins III; the real grandson of Citizen V. Charcoal palms Citizen V, presses him up against the wall, and asks how they are supposed to trust him. Citizen V says that Roger Aubrey and the V-Battalion are working with Valerie Cooper of the CSA to uncover the conspiracy. He says that their man on the inside Miles Warton didn’t show to let them in, but they proceeded anyway. Citizen V says that his team. The Redeemers, has been compromised. Citizen V asks how they got in, and Hawkeye says that they are why Warton was late. Citizen V is stunned when he learns that Scourge is with the Thunderbolts, but Hawkeye says that Scourge was being controlled by the nano-probes. Hawkeye says that they need to split up so they can distract Gyrich while the other finds the Omega-32. MACH-2 says Hawkeye should go with Citizen V and Scourge. Hawkeye takes it like he is supposed to keep an eye on the other two, but Jolt explains that it is because they are the three the others trust the least. Gyrich is watching them and deploys the now controlled Redeemers after the Thunderbolts.

Smuggler is about to grab MACH-2, but MACH-2’s peripheral vision allows him to see him coming and he disperses a flare to blind the Redeemers. Jolt attacks Smuggler and Songbird says that it is good to have her back. Moonstone says that she supposes so. Suddenly Moonstone and Songbird are zapped by the Fixer. Songbird recognizes Ebersol’s voice. Charcoal plows into Fixer. Moonstone tells Charcoal to control himself because Fixer could determine the frequency these nano-probes are working on. Meteorite plows into Moonstone with hard air shield around her. MACH-2 asks why they all took their old villain names, but then tries to play it off that he is not Abner Jenkins. MACH-2 grabs Fixer to have a “little chat”. Fixer says that they all know how Gyrich sprung Abner from Seagate. Charcoal says that of course Fixer knows because he was impersonating Ogre. Charcoal’s heat starts to burn the Beetle armor, but when Charcoal hears the muffled screams of pain he increases the heat a little more. Moonstone tells Meteorite that she isn’t distracted by her taking her old name because she always hated it. Songbird tells Meteorite that she is distracted and tells her to phase through the hard air shielding. Songbird says that they can’t hesitate, but then does so herself when she sees something about Scream that disturbs her. Scream reverses Songbird’s sonic and hurts her. Songbird manages to redirect the sonics and shatters MACH-2’s helmet. Fixer notices Abe’s skin color and says that is a heck of a tan. Abe reminds Fixer that he was the one who did it to him, but Fixer doesn’t seem to recall that. MACH-2 realizes that he has no recollection of his robotic life. Fixer says his last memory was that of having his neck broken. Fixer points out that he designed the MACH-1 armor, and asks how long Abe thinks it will take him to figure out the MACH-2 armor. Fixer locks the entire armor. He says that he doesn’t want to kill him, but Gyrich’s nano-probes don’t give him a choice. Jolt guesses that the tech pac is the only thing keeping him alive. She zaps the pac to stop him from killing MACH-2. Smuggler brings out the only darkness on the electric Jolt, the darkness inside her. MACH-2 asks who he is. Smuggler says that he hates them all for bringing Atlas back into the spotlight. He unmasks and reveals that he is Conrad Josten, brother of Erik.

Hawkeye, Scourge, and Citizen V walk along in silence. Scourge tells them that the Omega-32 mapping chamber was just ahead. Hawkeye asks what it is. Scourge says that it is a weapon that acts like a germ. Citizen V warns the others that Gyrich was right and that he no longer has control of his body. Citizen V stabs Hawkeye through the shoulder. Scourge fights Citizen V and V says that he understands now why Scourge can’t be blamed for his crimes. Hawkeye plows into Scourge and tells him to go ahead and take out the mapping chamber while he fights Citizen V. Scourge rushes into the mapping chamber, and Scourge winds up looking up at Henry Gyrich. Gyrich says that it is fitting that Nomad is there. He says that he never cared for the spandex types either. Gyrich says that he has activated the nano-probes within him. He says that he can’t control him anymore because of the way MACH-2 freed him, but he can still use him to perform the first real test of the nano-probes true purpose- to unbind the cohesion of hard air molecules allowing them to be transmitted through an electromagnetic data stream. Gyrich starts to explain why, but an arrow suddenly goes through his hand causing him to drop the remote for the nano-probes. Scourge leaps up to Gyrich and says that Gyrich wants to be able to kill anyone with the touch of a button. Hawkeye notices that this place looks the same as the place the CSA had Beetle break into. Scourge says that they were trying to create Omega-32 first. Gyrich says that Hawkeye was the reason he started this all.

Smuggler’s hand goes into the shadows, but is coming out of Jolt’s mouth. He says that he was the brother that was smart enough to run away when Erik Josten’s crime destroyed his family’s reputation. Smuggler asks how Erik can be forgiven for all the lives he destroyed. Charcoal grabs Smuggler and starts to burn him. Jolt stops him and says that Erik wouldn’t want that. Jolt transforms into her crippled human form and says that they have all suffered from choices they made, but that Conrad can’t deny the good that they are still capable of doing. Fixer says that the only thing more annoying than listening to Jolt moralizing is listening to Jolt moralize through her new speech impediment. Fixer says that Zemo formed this team to gain power, and that she was the one who made it about redemption. He says to look at all the trouble their quest has brought them. MACH-2 says that it was all worth it. Moonstone appears with an unconscious Meteorite. She says that Beetle is out, and that Scream is pure sound masquerading as a sentient being. Moonstone convinced it that fight Gyrich would be better.

Gyrich tells Scourge and Hawkeye that they are already too late to stop him. He says that the satellites with the nano-probes have already launched. Gyrich says that with the push of a button that he will be able to kill the Hulk, Dr. Doom, or the Red Skull. Hawkeye asks what about the Avengers or the Fantastic Four. He says what about the regular people who commit major and minor crimes. He asks if Gyrich gets to decide their fate as well. Gyrich says that it would seem so. Suddenly the Thunderbolts and Fixer arrive. As Gyrich rants Hawkeye asks Moonstone if Gyrich is insane. Moonstone says that Gyrich is pathologically sane. Gyrich stomps on the remote and the molecules that have made their way into the m all causes all of them to reel in pain. MACH-2 blasts open the Omega-32 chamber. Jolt fries every nano-probe in the place. Jolt makes her way to Gyrich and notices that he has the nano-probes within him too.

Jolt says that the nannites within Gyrich were activated like the ones within the Redeemers. Gyrich reveals that the nano-probes were his idea, but that someone forced him to act out his fantasies. Hawkeye says that he doesn’t care and that he is still exposing Gyrich. Valerie Cooper shows up and says that Hawkeye can’t do that without starting the superhuman/human war that Gyrich wanted. Hawkeye says that to buy his silence he wants immunity for the Thunderbolts and Munroe. Gyrich flips and says that is unacceptable. He says that to buy his silence Hawkeye must go to jail for all the minor crimes he committed since leaving the Avengers. MACH-2 refuses. Charcoal and Moonstone tell him to reject the deal too, but Hawkeye cuts the deal. Ass Hawkeye is about to be led away he kisses Moonstone and says, “I love you.” Moonstone replies, “I do too.” Valerie Cooper asks for MACH-2 and Songbird’s equipment, and asks where Jack Monroe went.

The next day at Castle Masada in Symkaria Roger asks John Watkins who was behind the conspiracy. Watkins replies that it was all Gyrich’s idea, but that someone found a way to nudge him. Roger says that they have to find that someone. Roger says that anyone that can get into the government’s most secretive agency is someone they want destroyed or recruited.

At Mt. Charteris GW Bridge talks to the new Redeemers: Jolt, Charcoal, Meteorite, Fixer, Beetle, Smuggler, and Scream. He tells them that until Citizen V returns that they will be lead by Captain America. Ogre continues watching.

Two days later at the CSA building in Cliff’s Edge, Virginia, Valerie Cooper says that all the paperwork for their pardons, including one for Erik Josten, has come through. Valerie Cooper tells them that they are free to leave on the following conditions: no costumes, no powers, no breaking the law. If they break any of those they go back to jail. Abe says that is easy enough for him and Melissa because without their costumes they don’t have any powers. Melissa isn’t so quick to agree but does. Karla Sofen says that is fine for them, but her powers are a part of her. Moonstone says that she can’t even fly out of there. Cooper tells her to do it saving kittens somewhere she can’t see her doing it. She tells them to go, and not to make her regret it. They walk outside and Abe starts to talk, but Karla tells him to spare her. She gets in a car and tells it to take her to the airport. Abe asks Melissa what they are supposed to do now. Melissa says that she doesn’t know.