Thunderbolts #57
Thunderbolts #57
Title: "Storm Clouds Gathering”
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciller: Patrick Zircher
Inker: Al Vey
Colors: HI-FI
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Moonstone decided to side with Graviton as opposed to being killed by him. Fixer followed suit though he isn’t sure it was the right choice. Fixer can’t help wonder why Graviton wants to take over the world.
Elsewhere, pretty much every Marvel superhero hangs upside down suspended in air. Hulk, She-Hulk, Samson. Thor, the Fantastic Four, Namor and the other Defenders, Wonder Man and the other Avengers, Daredevil, Black Panther, X-Men, X-Force, Ghost Rider, and the Marvel Knights all hang upside down helpless.
M’Reel tells Graviton that his preferred cities are now safe from the terraforming. M’Reel says that the transformation can begin. Fixer asks Karla, “Terraforming?” Karla thinks back to the sand sculpture that Graviton made with his face on it and says that she thought it was just an affectation. A giant stream of rocks begin flying into the air. Moonstone had fueled Graviton’s ego and helped him master his own insecurities, but as she watches mountains shift Karla thinks that Graviton has grown beyond her ability to manipulate. Fixer is looking through a specific lens and notices an energy aura around M’Reel.
Burton Canyon lies in ruins once again. On a destroyed building a young boy falls out of his mother’s arms. Citizen V swoops in and catches the boy. On the ground, the boy starts hugging and thanking him. Zemo is very flustered by the outpouring of emotion. The boy looks up and shouts as he sees his mother about to fall. Zemo starts to say that he doesn’t have time for this, but then he falls silent. In a minute, Citizen V flies away as the boy and his mother hug safe on the ground. Zemo is forced to wonder how much of his actions are affected by the fact that he inhabits the body of John Watkins III. Zemo thinks that he should be headed to one of his many safehouses. He should ride out the storm, bide his time, and then strike down Graviton, but instead Citizen V flies down to Melissa Gold and Abe Jenkins. He says that he needs their help to take out Graviton. Songbird asks what happened to the Redeemers… to Charlie and Hallie. Citizen V says that they were taken out, and that there was nothing that he could do. Melissa turns to Abe’s arms and says that it isn’t fair. Abe asks, that even if they had their equipment, what could they do? Melissa looks at him angry with tears in her eyes and says, “Whatever it takes! That bastard killed our friends, Abe! We can’t let him get away with it!” Citizen V asks Jenkins if his freedom would mean anything ruled by Graviton. Abe says that the Avengers or Fantastic Four can stop him. Citizen V says that they are trapped a mile above the ground. Abe asks why Citizen V doesn’t call in the V-Battalion. Zemo says that he can’t access them yet, and that they are beyond the Earth’s atmosphere right now.
Out in space, Roger Aubrey is not enjoying sitting on the sidelines. He asks when they can get back into the “soup”. Someone answers that it is going to be at least ten hours. Roger asks about John, but the man replies that he can’t raise him right now.
Back in Burton Canyon, Abe says that Citizen V won’t be able to contact them unless he finds a tight enough band frequency to cut through the static caused by Graviton’s actions. Citizen V points a sword at Abe’s neck and says that he is going to help him or die. Songbird tells them both to knock it off. Abe says that he isn’t afraid to die. He says that he is afraid that he is going to lose his last chance at living a normal life. Citizen V says that they should be asking themselves if they were meant to live a normal life. Abe curses Watkins and tells him to give him the frequency codes to contact the V-Battalion. He says that they can reach them over the satellite relay from the Burton Canyon police department.
Abe Jenkins tells his sergeant that he was Beetle, MACH-1, and MACH-2, but that right now he is just trying to stop a psycho from destroying the planet. Abe tells him that he is going to have to decide if he is going to help him or not. Sergeant Paul Widdows thinks about how he has come to know Jenkins and asks Abe what he has to do. Moments later, Citizen gets through to the V-Batallion. Citizen V tells them to use the coordinates that he is providing them to activate T-Bolts Protocols M-3 and SB-2. Elizabeth asks if they are the only hope they have. Roger says, “Beggars and choosers, Betty.” He says to load the contents into the escape pod.
From Damocles Base, Kang watches Graviton. He says, “What an audacious gambit! Give the fool his moment of glory. The chaos he sows will work to the benefit of Kang the Conqueror!”
In Manhattan, Jarvis asks Dallas Riordan if she is okay. Dallas is glowing with ionic power and floats up out of her wheelchair. Dallas asks if she is in Avengers mansion. Jarvis says that she is and that Graviton has taken the Avengers. Jarvis says that her voice doesn’t sound like Dallas Riordan’s. Atlas says, “That’s because… I’m not her!”
In West Virginia, the transport van that was transporting Hawkeye, Plant-Man, Cottonmouth, and Headlok lies tipped over from the earthquake. The door is kicked off and the cons get out. Hawkeye says that the driver is dead and the guards are unconscious. Plant-Man starts to hold his head. He says that the world “is crying!” He says, “The green is being savaged!” Headlok says that Plant-Man is linked to the vegetative substance of the planet, and that whatever caused the earthquake is affecting him. Hawkeye tells Headlok that he is more coherent than usual. Mentallo says that Headlok isn’t home right now. Mentallo says that he said Clint was going to help him escape, but that he never meant his body. Hawkeye says that they have to get away from this van. Cottonmouth says that it is every man for himself. He starts to run. Hawkeye tries to warn him about the security manacles that doesn’t allow them to get to far away from each other, but Cottonmouth goes too far and they are all shocked to the ground.
Citizen V, Melissa, and Abe hurry to the drop off location. Melissa wonders what if Graviton sees it coming down. Abe says that they will have to distract him, but Citizen V says that it is “them” actually because Moonstone and Fixer are with him. Abe says that makes sense as Graviton would see it she practically volunteered for the job, and Ebersol is sucking up to survive. Citizen V wonders if they could use this to their advantage. Abe wonders how they would contact them. Suddenly, a group of SHIELD agents, that were stationed at Mt. Chateris when Humus Sapien attacked, call out to them. Citizen V tells Radek that he was thrown from the fight, and that by the time he got back all the Redeemers were killed. Radek says that they deserved better. Radek says that they can’t allow criminals to break the terms of their pardons. Abe says that they are just a couple of civilians that were out on a hike. Radek says that they just picked a bad day for a hike. He tells them to go. Citizen V says that in some “twit’s version” that might be construed as an official sanction. Abe asks how they are going to distract Graviton. Zemo says that they aren’t, but that Fixer is about to be made an offer he can’t refuse.
Citizen V speaks to Fixer through his earpiece. Fixer asks Citizen V why he should help. Citizen V says that Graviton has to be stopped. Fixer asks for a better reason. Citizen V says that he can deactivate the government codes that bind Fixer to his tech-pack. Fixer asks what V needs. When Fixer hears that he needs a distraction he decides to kill two birds with one stone. Fixer fires two wires onto M’Reel. M’Reel us shocked and reels in pain. Moonstone snaps, “I didn’t do anything!” Graviton replies, “Why would you have? Is he alive?”
The V-Battalion’s package lands on the ground. Citizen V opens the capsule and inside is new armor for Songbird, and a MACH-3 suit for Abe. A voice comes from behind them and says, “Add one more, Mel, and we’re the Fantastic Four!”
M’Reel says that it felt as though something attacked him. He tells Graviton not to delay his reclamation any longer. Graviton returns to his work. Moonstone flies to Fixer. She says, “What are you doing? Do you want to get us both killed?” Fixer says, “Some subtlety you #$%&ing idiot?!” Moonstone asks why he hurt M’Reel. Fixer says that it is better to ask how he hurt M’Reel. Karla get a smirk on her face. Fixer smiles. Fixer shows Karla his lens and says that she is looking at M’Reel’s biosignature. He says that it seems to be linked to Graviton’s, and that the more power “gravy-train” uses the more M’Reel seems to be channeling it. Moonstone asks to where. Fixer says that he can’t tell yet, but that he thinks that hitching their wagon to Graviton is the wrong move not only because he is nuts but because something even fishier is going on with M’Reel. Fixer says that Citizen V has contacted him, and he is sending help. Moonstone freaks and says that she has been working Graviton for weeks now and they are going to screw it up. Fixer says that this is not a smart move. Fixer reminds Karla about the time that she asked Zemo why he would want to rule the world, and that it would be too much work. Moonstone has her fist pulled back, but she is thinking and hesitating, Citizen V tells Fixer to do it now. A wire comes off Fixer and zaps Moonstone.
Graviton turns
to see what is wrong with Karla. A female ionic form passes
through Graviton. Two missiles come from the right and blast
Graviton, Graviton is tossed by the concussive force into a
gigantic ruby Sosa. Sosa wallops Graviton with his bat.
M’Reel watches as Graviton flies through the air. Citizen V
flies in behind graviton and stabs him all the way through his
stomach with his sword. V says that Graviton shouldn’t be
surprised by the swiftness of the attack. After all,
“Justice, like lightning” is the rallying cry of the
Thunderbolts. Citizen V raises his sword into the air. Atlas, in
Dallas Riordan’s form, MACH-3, and Songbird stands behind
him.
Traitor’s rating: 9 out of 10
Great story and superior art. The only part of the story that I don’t care for is the heroic bents that Zemo and Fixer experience in this issue. Another snafu that you might want to watch for an explanation for later is how Fixer knew that Karla asked Zemo why he would want to take over the world since he was the Techno robot at the time. The final page is great artwork as is the double page spread with all the Marvel heroes. There just isn’t enough action in the book itself… look for that next issue.