Thunderbolts #68
Thunderbolts #68
Title: "Becoming Villains 2:
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Penciller: Chris Batista
Inker: Rich Perrotta
Colors: Hi-Fi Design
Editors: Tom Brevoort/Lis
Phantom Eagle is kissing Moonstone while they both fly in the sunset. He asks how they can have the same powers and asks if there were two gemstones. Karla tells him not to worry about it and that isn’t what they are doing there. She says that all that matters is that they should be together. Karla controls her costume and causes it to disappear. He asks Karla if she can show him how to do that. Karla says that she is dying to. His costume disappears and he says that is control. Karla says that the gems make them superior. Suddenly Lloyd Bloch wakes up. He is nude and covered with blood. A dead woman lies on the ground before him. He shouts the question, “What have I done?” He shouts that he is sorry and flies away.
Zemo visits the murder site. He says that six weeks of peace was a bonus. Karla asks if he thinks that rape and murder were to be expected. Zemo says that it is human nature. Dallas says that “Mr. Sunshine” is right and that with two hundred thousand people jammed into the city that it was bound to happen sooner or later. Zemo says that as nice as it is to have the detective agree with him that he still finds it unacceptable behavior. He tells Karla and Dallas to find out whoever did it. Karla asks if it is that simple to him. Zemo says that if she wants to continue this conversation that he suggests that they do it elsewhere as he looks at the peacekeepers.
At Thunderbolts headquarters, Zemo tells Moonstone that they do not discuss policy in front of peacekeepers or civilians. Karla says that it was her rule, but that they can’t “gloss over the underlying motives behind this murder!” She says that they are overcrowded, rationing food, and that they don’t have enough work. Zemo says that he understands. He says that a single murder can lead to widespread anarchy, however, and that order and discipline must be maintained in times of unrest. He says that in order to control the hearts and minds of the planet that their city must be a paradise. Karla notes the use of the word ‘control’. Zemo says that she knows what he meant. Moonstone says that of course she does. Zemo says that she still doesn’t trust him. Karla asks if she should. Zemo replies, “Probably not. Find the murderer, please.” After they both leave, Lloyd Bloch phases through the nearby wall.
Fixer is adjusting his work schedule. He says that Dallas is investigating the murder and so Atlas is off the work schedule until further notice. He says that bridge stanchion checks in the US are rescheduled for June nineteen. He says that MACH-3 and Jolt are checking on a radiation haze in Paris that is similar to the one that was in Tokyo. He starts to say that Moonstone was doing something, but Moonstone phases into the room and says that what she is doing is looking for Dallas. He tells her that Dallas is still at the scene of the crime.
As Karla flies overhead the people cheer and
wave to her. Karla descends to the crime scene and says that it
is hard to get used to the adulation. Dallas says that she is
inconspicuous in her form, but that Erik hears plenty of cheers
in their ionic form. Karla says that she would like to talk to
Erik sometime about how he views their shared state. Dallas says
that she is sure Karla would. Karla asks what Dallas has learned.
Dallas says that her name was Amanda Kidman. She was an
Australian psychiatrist that was working in Tokyo. Dallas points
out a hair and says that the root of the hair is blonde, but that
Amanda’s roots weren’t. Karla asks how she was killed.
Dallas says that is what is interesting. She says that her head
was caved in against the wall and then she spun to the ground.
Karla asks about the abdominal wounds. Dallas says that it was
from human hands. Dallas says, “And some hair we found by
the wall was from the back of her skull. With no blood on it.
Pre-trauma.” Karla realizes what that means. Dallas confirms
that means that she wasn’t pushed into the wall, but that
she was pulled. Karla wonders how someone could stand inside a
wall. Karla tells Dallas to keep digging and that she has to talk
to Fixer. Phantom Eagle watches Moonstone go. 
He starts to
swoop in on Dallas when Dallas turns into Atlas and says that he
is the Phantom Eagle guy that they fought in Germany. Bloch asks
how she did that. Atlas says that redheads are always full of
surprises. Atlas charges Phantom Eagle, but Bloch phases and
Atlas passes right through. Phantom Eagle flees by phasing into
the wall. Atlas smashes through the wall, but Bloch was already
gone.
Zemo says that Bloch was too fast. Atlas says that at least they know who did it now. Karla says that the “why” is self-evident. She says that Lloyd wants her. Fixer says that Karla’s ego is working overtime. Zemo says not to discount the obvious. He says that Bloch might be crazy, but that he isn’t stupid. Karla says, “Thank you, Helmut. I think. I’m his mirror image. His victim was a substitute for me. He wants me, but he’s afraid to come after me.” Atlas says that he thought the guy was supposed to be a decent dope like him. Karla says that maybe he just wanted her to think that. She says maybe history repeats itself. Fixer says, “As if you’d get taken. Unless that’s what you wanted to think!” He asks if she is feeling guilty for stealing the other Lloyd Bloch’s moonstone and was hoping to do right by this one. Karla glares at Fixer and he says, “Or maybe not. Either way. Whatever. This will scramble his powers for twenty seconds… like I did to you in Colorado.” He hands her a device. Zemo says that she can’t use it as it will cancel her powers as well. Karla says that she has to draw him out.
On the streets of Attilan, Lloyd Bloch walks down the street. All the people are talking about the Thunderbolts. Atlas flies overhead and everyone turns to look. Lloyd notices someone that looks like Karla. He goes to grab her shoulder, but she turns and activates the device negating their powers. The people recognize Karla. She asks Lloyd why. He says that he couldn’t stop himself. She asks if this is what he wanted. Karla kisses him. With one second left in the twenty seconds of negated powers, Karla rips the moonstone out of Lloyd and puts it into her own chest.
In a new
costume, Moonstone tells the others that Lloyd is no longer a
threat. Fixer asks how. Karla says that she knows that her powers
were more in control than his. She says that she needed twenty
seconds, but that Lloyd needed thirty. Atlas says that she
absorbed a second moonstone and that is a lot of power. Moonstone
says that it is and asks if anyone has a problem with that. No
one answers and Karla responds, “Good” and flies off.
Fixer tells Karla that Bloch is in a cell now and that he ran some tests on him. Fixer says that Karla actually did him a favor and that she did a favor for their Earth’s Bloch as well. He says that if she hadn’t taken the moonstone off of him that he would have been dead by now. He says that the power was frying the synapses in his brain. He says that his mind was phasing in and out literally. Moonstone asks if the murder wasn’t his fault. Fixer says that he knew what he was doing, but that it was like a multiple personality thing.
Karla walks into the cells. She tells Lloyd that he world doesn’t need prisoners. She says that it needs workers and help. She says that he can stay and get help, be productive, but that now at least the choice is his. She leaves.
In what is left of Tokyo, a ball of black energy turns white. A voice says, “Father? Mother? I’m back…” A hand reaches out of the energy ball.
Traitor’s rating: 7.5 out of 10
Wow. What a great story. The Moonstone/Lloyd Bloch angle was played out very well. Moonstone with twice the power is a scary thing. I’m looking forward to the next installment of the “Becoming Villains” storyline. Batista does another fine job with the storytelling. There are parts where his worked looked pretty good, but others where it looks pretty bad. 3 out of 5 for art.