Thunderbolts #71

Title: "Becoming Heroes 4: For the Common Good”

Writer: Fabian Nicieza 

Penciller: Manuel Garcia

Inker: Al Vey

Colors: Hi-Fi Design

Editors: Tom Brevoort & Andrew Lis

Dum Dum Dugan tells Songbird that there are no “buts” about it, and that if they don’t hand over Plantman that the agents of SHIELD are going to take them down. Songbird, Man-Killer, Skein, Cyclone, and Harrier are surrounded on all sides by SHIELD agents. Man-Killer says that Blackheath is dead and to let Dugan take him. Songbird says that it isn’t as simple as that and that Dugan knows it. Songbird says that SHIELD’s scientists were able to copy the botanical poison in our bodies and Blackheath’s ability to activate it or neutralize it. She says that it would put every infected villain back to square one. Skein says that except now that SHIELD will hold the gun to their head instead of Cowl. Dugan says that Cowl is down as is all her cronies. He says that this has been a SHIELD operation from the get go and that Songbird and Hawkeye both knew it. He tells them to back down and that they will stick to their deal. Harrier asks what deal. Dugan says that they don’t know about the deal. Songbird says that they betrayed Cowl and joined them because it served their best interests. Songbird starts thinking about it, but Dugan tells her to just drop it. Cyclone says that none of this works very well for them. He says that Hawkeye and Songbird go free, but the rest of them go to jail. Harrier says that SHIELD can kill them anytime they want to. Dugan says, “Think of what a great incentive that’ll be to keep your kind on the straight an’ narrow.” Songbird says, “Your kind’…? Our kind just did the job your people couldn’t do! This all sucks… I… damn…” Songbird erects a sonic wall. Man-Killer smashes through the wall. Songbird tells someone to grab Blackheath, but the others refuse and simply run away. Dugan tells Songbird that is some team she has there. He says that they are the kind you need in a foxhole and worth losing her pardon over. Songbird says that she would give the pardon up just to stop Dugan from hanging it over her head. Dugan says that they aren’t worth it. Songbird says that she was one of them, and that they deserve a break. Dugan tells Skul to take the team and bring back whomever they can. Dugan points out to Songbird that her hard air is stopping the air and moisture from getting to Plantman, and that she is killing him.

Harrier and Cyclone are flying away. Harrier says that maybe they should go back to help her. Cyclone asks, “And risk getting caught?” Harrier says that she risked her butt for them. Cyclone says that it is a nice butt, but that he doesn’t want to get caught. He tells Harrier to go back and play hero if he wants, but that he isn’t. Harrier stays with Cyclone. Suddenly, two arrows shoot into the air. Electric cages surround Cyclone and Harrier. Hawkeye walks over to where Cyclone and Harrier fell. Harrier tells Hawkeye that Machinesmith made him drop him. Hawkeye says that he is sure. He looks over and sees Man-Killer suspended by her clothes from a tree. Hawkeye asks Skein what she is doing. Skein says that she wanted to go back and help Songbird. She says that Man-Killer said no and so she is changing her mind. Hawkeye asks if they are running from Cowl. Skein says that Hawkeye has some catching up to do.

Songbird drops the barrier and asks Dugan if he is happy. She asks how he is still alive. Dugan says that his grandma had a plant that she thought was dead and left it outside. He says that she forgot to throw it out for two weeks, and then the thing started to grow sprouts. Songbird wonders where he is getting the water.

In another room, Hydroman is shriveling up.

Dugan says that if Plantman is alive that its all the more important that SHIELD take him in. Songbird says that his name is Blackheath now, and that Plantman was his old name. Dugan says, “Leopards and their spots”. Songbird just glares at Dugan. He says, “Uhm… present company excepted, of course…” Songbird says that maybe Dugan is right, but that she would rather be wrong taking a chance on them because them changing is better than fighting them all until they’re dead. Dugan says that what this was all about. He says that Plantman is a way of controlling the bad guys so they have no choice but to give up. Songbird repeats that his name is Blackheath.

Hawkeye says that he is all caught up now, but that they made the wrong choice. He says that he will give them a chance to make it up. Cyclone asks if it is by fighting SHIELD. Man-Killer says that running away still makes more sense. Hawkeye says, “No…” and shot hits the tree near him, “…and here’s the reason why!” Hawkeye fires some arrows and drops Skul. Hawkeye says that he is one of SHIELD’s elite. He asks how many there are. Skeins figures out that there were five, but that they beat one, and that Skul was another. Hawkeye says that he has a group that doesn’t want to fight and can’t keep track of the count of the enemy. He says that if one of them finds you to run toward them. He says that their only chance is to fight tight. Skein says that she is a lover and not a fighter. Hawkeye tells her to kiss them until they drop then, but not to get caught.

One of the SHIELD agents stands before the bound Cyclone and Harrier. He says that it looks like they got left behind. Cyclone is about to tell him what he can kiss, but Man-Killer says that there is no need for harsh language when brute force works better. She hits the SHIELD agent with a pulled back branch of a tree. The agent goes down and Man-Killer says that she guesses that there is something to be said for staying behind and kicking butt. Cyclone tells Man-Killer to free them so they can escape. Man-Killer says to call her Amazon. Cyclone says that they’ve lost another to the other side. Amazon says that she was born on that side. Cyclone says that isn’t what he meant.

Hawkeye encounters M-80. He tells her that she has read his files and that she knows that she can’t beat him. She says that she can try. Hawkeye says that she gets an “A” for effort, but an F for everything else. Hawkeye traps M-80’s hands with goop. She says that he is the only one worth anything and that they will catch the others. Hawkeye says that they will see.

Skein is grabbed by Silicon’s liquid metal mesh. Skein wraps Silicon up in his own clothes and is entangled. Skein licks Silicon’s cheek and says that his liquid metal has potential. Amazon pushes over two trees. She sees Skein on the ground making out with Silicon. She hits Silicon in the back of the head, knocking him out, and says that is an interesting approach. Skein says that she was just following their leader’s orders.

Hawkeye returns and finds Cyclone and Harrier free from their restraints. He aims an arrow at each of them and asks them what it is going to be.

Ten minutes later, the group returns to Cowl’s hideout. Hawkeye says that it has been quiet for ten minutes and asks Harrier if his system has cleared up from his E-M pulse arrow yet. Harrier says that he is sensor-blind. Hawkeye says that they have no idea about what traps Cowl has set up or what backup SHIELD has. He says that they go in, grab Sam and Melissa, and bug out. Hawkeye thanks them for making the right choice.

Songbird tells Dugan that his team isn’t coming back, and that it is up to them to decide this. She says that Dugan isn’t going to like it, and Dugan says that he probably won’t. Suddenly a wave of water bursts through the doors. Hydroman shouts, “He is killing me! I can’t stop him!” Hydroman douses Blackheath. Songbird says that this must be where Blackheath was getting the water. Songbird shields Blackheath, and Blackheath gets up. He shouts at Dugan, “You were going to use me? After I sacrificed myself to save so much meat?” Songbird says that she knows that it sucks, but that he was just doing his job. She asks if he was expecting a medal. She says that they don’t do this for money or attention. She says that they do it because they have to and tells Blackheath not to prove Dugan right about them. Blackheath says that she has no idea how much the meat has harmed this planet. Hawkeye and the team arrives. He tells Blackheath to tell him about it after they leave and that maybe they can do something about it together. Blackheath says that he wants to believe Hawkeye that he can change things and things about himself. Hawkeye tells him to give it a try, and that if it doesn’t work out that he can kill every human on the planet. Blackheath says that is fair enough. Dugan tells Hawkeye to wait. Hawkeye says that they are leaving and that he hopes SHIELD has more important things to do that chase down the good guys. A voice says, “So then, how would all of you ‘good guys’ like to help save the world?” Hawkeye asks what it is now.

Traitor’s rating: 5.5 out of 10

Review by the Leader

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