Thunderbolts #65
Thunderbolts #65
Title: "becoming heroes 1: Moving Targets”
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciller: Patrick Zircher
Inker: Al Vey with Nelson
Colors: Hi-Fi Design
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Hawkeye aims his arrow at Cyclone. He tells him that no one told Cyclone that he wasn’t being given a choice. Hawkeye lets the arrow fly and Songbird and Plant-Man are stunned. Man-Killer, Cardinal, Gypsy Moth, and Cyclone are even more stunned. Clint thinks about the time that he spent as a villain, an Avenger, leader of the West Coast Avengers, and eventually into the leader of the Thunderbolts.
Three weeks after Songbird saved Hawkeye and captured Cottonmouth and Headlok/Mentallo, Hawkeye, Songbird, and Plantman found themselves in Paris chasing after Cyclone. Cyclone was about to get away the way he had three times before when Hawkeye fired a net arrow into the air. Hawkeye missed and Cyclone asked if it would help if he had the broad side of a barn tattooed on his rear. Songbird traps Cyclone in a bubble of hard sound and tells him to try and break it. Cyclone says that if she insists that he will. Hawkeye bets Plantman ten bucks that Cyclone won’t get away this time. Plantman asks if Hawkeye likes to lose money. Hawkeye says that you have to have faith in his teammates. Songbird starts to strain against Cyclone’s pressure. Hawkeye thinks how they need Cyclone to know what the person that hired Cyclone knew about Justin Hammer’s will and the disc. Cyclone pops out of the sound bubble, but suddenly mold spores start to grow out of his mouth and nose. Cyclone kneels on the ground and Songbird puts him in sound restraints. Hawkeye asks if Cyclone was allergic. Plantman says that he is not. Hawkeye says that Plantman owes him ten bucks and Plantman replies, “Faith in your teammates? Hmph.”
Hawkeye, Songbird, and Plantman force Cyclone to talk. They drive up to one of Justin Hammer’s old houses. Hawkeye says that with Hammer dead that the ride on the gravy train is over. Cyclone says that Hammer’s death was unfortunate, but that there are others who will take his place. Hawkeye says, “Hammer’s will might be a last laugh on all of you.” Cyclone says that his curiosity is piqued. Songbird stands before the gate and asks if they are supposed to ring the bell or something.
The quartet of superhumans tunnel under the
ground. Songbird uses a sound drill and Plantman moves underlying
roots. They break through to the surface. Songbird and Plantman
look up first and Plantman asks why he isn’t surprised.
Songbird says that it is because this is a stunt that Plantman
would have pulled. Plantman points out that was before he
evolved. 
He says that
though it is an oldie that it is still a goodie. They look up to
see Man-Killer, Gypsy Moth, and Cardinal. Hawkeye calls for a
tight formation. Cyclone says that they should separate and that
it is harder to acquire moving targets. Hawkeye asks if he was
trained by Captain America. Gypsy Moth wraps Songbird’s
mouth up with her own costume. Cardinal shoots off two missiles
aimed at Hawkeye, but they go wide right. Plantman notices that
Gypsy Moth is a textile telekinetic. He tells her to avoid Lycra
and that natural fibers can breath or suffocate with his
guidance. Gypsy Moth wraps the rug under Plantman all around him,
and Man-Killer knocks him unconscious with one punch. Man-Killer
scoops up Plantman and says that they should go. Cardinal says
that he wants to make sure that Hawkeye is dead. Cyclone says
that it would be better to let Songbird find the body to teach
her that when she sides with the Thunderbolts that she has picked
the wrong side. The Masters of Evil fly out through the roof.
Hawkeye climbs out from the rubble and asks if Songbird is okay.
Hawkeye says, “It was a trap. Who’dathunk?” He
eases the costume off her mouth and she says, “Tight
formation?” Hawkeye replies, “Whoops. I’m so out
of practice…”
Plantman screams as Machinesmith continues examining his body. He says that Plantman’s body is now forty percent vegetative matter, but that his pain receptors work like a normal human’s. Cardinal asks if Machinesmith knows why they need him yet. Machinesmith says that he will in due time. Plantman tells Machinesmith that, “You’re worse… than meat.” Machinesmith says that to Plantman he supposes he is, but that he has self-acceptance to be liberating as Plantman seems to have. Plantman asks what Machinesmith means. Machinesmith says that Plantman has undergone some radical changes and that he has become more attuned to the planet’s bioverdant field. He says that Plantman is not only needed to activate hammer’s weapon, but that without him the weapon itself would be useless. Hawkeye says that is all that he needed to hear and tells Songbird to take Machinesmith out first. Cyclone realizes that Hawkeye set them up. Hawkeye fires a sonic arrow that causes everyone to grab their ears except Cardinal. Cardinal rams Hawkeye and says, “A sonic pitch arrow won’t work on me, Avenger!” Hawkeye says that he wishes everyone would stop calling him an Avenger. Cyclone laments the destruction of his Chagall painting. Songbird says that he will have to steal another has she wraps a sound chain around Cardinal. Machinesmith reaches out for some type of outlet in the wall. Songbird blocks a chair that Man-Killer threw at her and asks who is on the wrong side now. Machinesmith reaches the outlet, but then collapses to the ground with scorched fingers. Hawkeye tells them that they don’t want to fight him. Man-Killer says that he can’t beat all of them. Hawkeye says that what he meant is that Plantman and the disc are the only thing keeping them alive. Man-Killer says to prove it. Hawkeye says that he cross-referenced data that was in the old Thunderbolts HQ with information found in Hammer’s system. Hawkeye inserts the disc and shows Man-Killer an MRI of her body taken months ago. He tells her that the glowing is something that has been growing in her and in every single villain that Hammer ever hired. He says that they are all walking time bombs and that Crimson Cowl wants to control the trigger. Hawkeye asks if they want to join him or if they want Cowl to own them inside and out. Man-Killer, Gypsy Moth, and Cardinal all agree to join. Cyclone says that he won’t do it. Hawkeye draws an arrow back and says that no one ever said Cyclone had a choice. Hawkeye lets the arrow fly, but it stops right before hitting Cyclone because of Songbird’s sound shield. Cyclone shouts that he will join.
Hawkeye turns and says that they will have to change costumes to keep Cowl guessing a bit. Songbird asks Hawkeye how he knew that she was going to catch the arrow before it hit Cyclone. Hawkeye just looks at her and walks away.
Hawkeye writes a letter to Karla and says that he just knows how it feels to be a villain. He says that they are angry enough to hit the world half of the time and that the other half they just feel useless. Hawkeye says that he has changed, but that he has never forgotten the feeling. He remembers thinking that there had to be a better way. He says that he was lucky enough to find it. He says that some will never find it, but that others already have. Hawkeye writes that any of them can make it, and that he likes to think that Karla realized that when they beat Graviton. He says that he hopes they died believing in themselves. Songbird says that they are ready. Hawkeye throws the letter on the fire and says that even though he couldn’t save their lives hopefully he saved their souls. Hawkeye walks out to meet his new team.
Traitor’s rating: 6 out of 10
Well while I’m enjoying the inclusion of Plantman (as this is easily the coolest he has ever been) I’m not real thrilled with the fact that more villains are going good. My previous relief at Man-Killer’s refusal to play the redemption role has been somewhat negated. I’m guessing that Cowl will reveal her greater plan for the organism inside the villains, but I’m not sure why Hammer would test it on supervillains. His money always controlled them well enough in the past. Writing gets a 2.5 out of 5. Zircher does a decent job with the issue, but it doesn’t seem to have his finished touch on it.