Thunderbolts vol. 2 #5

Title: “In Call to Battle?”

Writer: Fabian Nicieza

Co-Plotter: Kurt Busiek

Penciller: Tom Grummett

Inker: Gary Erskine

Colors: Chris Sotomayor

Editor: Tom Brevoort

Abe Jenkins helps out as he watches Warbird fight against the Fathom Five. He thinks to himself that it is a bad time for him to be grounded. He thinks about Songbird in the hospital, and that he knows that he can’t trust the rest of his team… even Atlas. Warbird hits Sea Leopard and Bloodtide with photonic blasts. She tells Abe to call his team. Abe says that he will as soon as he gets these people to safety. He asks Carol if she is okay. Carol says that she liked the Brooklyn Bridge and so she is pretty not okay. She hits Llyron. Abe grabs for his cell phone, but it is soaked. He wonders if this ever happens to Captain America and asks the people if anyone has a cell phone he could use.

Atlas and Melissa find out about the fight on her hospital room television. Mel whispers that they have to go help. Erik tells her that her voice is shot from keeping the UN building up. Mel says that she has to do something. Erik tells her to call HQ and make sure they are scrambling. He says that he is going to go now. Atlas leaps out the window and grows until he hits the ground. Mel watches Atlas walk off. Some people scatter and others cheer. Atlas walks over them all as if they were ants. She wonders why she feels so distrustful of him and makes the call to headquarters.

Radioactive Man picks up the phone and says that he is the only one there. He says that he will leave now to help, but that he has no means of transportation. He asks Melissa what a “cab” is. He says that he thinks the others went out.

At the Big Apple Gentleman’s Club, Sanders tells Gill that he isn’t watching what’s on TV. Gill says that he really thinks he needs to see this. Sanders says that he really thinks he needs to see the stripper. Janice tells Gill that the pole is supposed to be up the stripper’s butt and not his. Gill says that Fathom Five is attacking again. He asks if they shouldn’t go and help. Sanders asks if he really wants to go risk his neck against a bunch of fish-smelling psychos. He stuffs a single into the stripper’s garter. Janice calls him cheap. She asks Gill what the payoff is for them to go and fight. Gill quietly says that maybe it’s just the right thing to do. The television says that with the Avengers disbanded and the Fantastic Four unavailable they have to ask where the Thunderbolts are. Sanders says that drinking like fishes is better than drowning with fishes.

Warbird flies around Bloodtide’s hard water spout right into Manowar’s clutches. Warbird says that she hasn’t felt this way since a prank in the Air Force with a pool full of spaghetti. Manowar tells her to be humorous and disrespectful. He says that it is to be expected of an airling. He asks if her anecdote involves twenty thousand volts of electricity. Manowar zaps Warbird and drops her unconscious into the water. Abe watches her drop and wonders if Fathom Five will let him call a time out.  Atlas storms in. He says that he will handle them and asks where everybody is. Abe says that they are coming. Erik asks if Abe is sure. Abe lies and says that he is. He doesn’t want Erik to see his concern. Abe watches Atlas knowing that his mental state is precarious and wonders what they would do if Atlas became a threat. Atlas goes one on one with the giant dragon. Abe dives into the water to save Warbird and wonders if Zemo ever got ulcers too. Sea Leopard and Llyron hit Atlas in the back of the knees and knocks him over into the water. Abe asks Carol if she is okay. Carol asks when his team is going to get there. Abe says that he doesn’t know and wishes that he could do more. Carol gives Abe a number and some codes to dial into her phone. Abe asks what it is about, but Carol falls unconscious again. Atlas breaks out of the water holding the dragon.

CSA storage gets a call from Abe. He gives them the priority code. The two men rush off and program the Beetle armor they have there to reach the source of the call on its own.

Radioactive Man tries to hail a taxi, but no one stops for him. A police car pulls over. The cops pull their guns out. One says that his father saw him fight Thor once and for Radioactive Man to put his hands up. Radioactive Man says that he is with the Thunderbolts now. He says that Manhattan is under attack. He says that he wants to help stop it, and that they are going to drive him there or he will render them sterile.

The police car races along.

The television says that Atlas has torn apart one of the sea monsters with his bare hands. Gill says that Abe is on TV, without armor, but still trying to help people. Sanders says that Abe is such a mensch. Sanders says that he is going to the bathroom. Gill keeps trying to appeal to Joystick, but Sanders calls him a moron as he walks away. Speed Demon races out of the strip club.

Erik asks Llyron what he is hoping to accomplish with this. Llyron throws a car at Atlas’s head and says that he doesn’t know what it is like to see your home treated like a toilet, your food poisoned, honor stained, living in fear, and waiting for someone else to judge you and determine your fate… someone that is weaker than you… filled with arrogance and disrespect. Atlas snatches Llyron out of the air and says that he has no idea who he is talking to. Abe watches and says that Atlas is going to pop Llyron like a grape, but that Bloodtide is attacking civilians. He grabs an exposed electrical wire and touches it to the water electrifying Bloodtide. Suddenly Abe is hit from behind by Sea Leopard holding a long metal piece. Sea Leopard tells Jenkins that he presided over an age when his kind would beg him for boons… when it only rained at their beckoning. Instantly, Speed Demon grabs the long metal piece and wraps it around and around Sea Leopard. He asks if any of them can fight without making a speech. Sea Leopard drops to the ground wrapped up and Abe sits there confused.

Sanders returns to the strip club. He tells Gill to cheer up and that the next round is on him. Gill says again that he really thinks they should help. Sanders tells Gill that no one is stopping him.

Atlas punches his fist into one of the sea monster’s chest. Dragonrider shouts for him to stop and calls Atlas a savage. Atlas says that Dragonrider is the one attacking innocent people. He asks if they really think they are going to be able to get rid of humans. He asks what happens next. He shouts that they can’t live on land. Abe thinks to himself that Erik is losing it, but that he is also kicking butt. Suddenly a green streak goes by Llyron and lands next to Abe. Abe looks at the Beetle armor and says that Carol must really trust him or she must be really desperate. Llyron grabs Abe and says that he knew he was one of them, and that he could smell the arrogance on him. Llyron tosses Abe to the ground. He says that he is a self-styled hero, and that what he really is, is an oppressor. Abe says that this is going to suck so much more for Llyron when he realizes that it is the super-villains that are taking him down. Radioactive Man hits Llyron. Abe tells Radioactive Man that he doesn’t have to fight them. He says that he has only to dehydrate them with a radiation pulse. Chen Lu says that would be too simple. He says that he wants to make him suffer for what happened to the people of Beijing. Abe says that at least he showed and that beggars can’t be choosers. He turns to his Beetle armor and says that it goes for it as well.

Sanders, Gill, and Janice stand watching the television.

Atlas hits the sea monster and asks Abe how it feels to be back in the armor. Abe says that it is like trading in a Corvette for a minivan. Beetle zaps the monster Atlas is fighting. He says that Fathom Five is basically down. He tells Atlas to look for more casualties from the bridge collapse. Erik says okay, but wants to be on the record as saying that he always thought that Beetle armor was dorky. Beetle says that this comes from a guy that used to call himself ‘Smuggler’. Abe flies by Radioactive Man. He says that he is burning him alive. He says that he is beaten and to let him go. Chen Lu says to let him burn. Abe aims one gauntlet right at Chen Lu’s head and tells him to stand down. He says that Llyron gets taken into custody and to let the courts deal with it. He says that he knows he attacked his country, but that this has to be about justice and not vengeance. He says please and Chen Lu puts Llyron down. Abe thanks him and Chen Lu says that he is welcome. Suddenly an explosion rocks the Seaport area.

At the Cape May county coroner’s office, a hand starts to rise out of a cocoon like shape.

The television says that something large is rising out of the East River as Songbird puts her costume back on.

Gill starts to tell them again that they should go, but then Sanders is just gone. Gill turns to Joystick and asks if this means they are going. Janice says that it does. She says that he wanted to go earlier, but that she asked him to wait until she was half loaded to make it interesting.

Beetle looks up into the sky and realizes that Fathom Five was a distraction just like the Wrecking Crew. Chen Lu asks if the Atlanteans are doing this. Beetle says that it is worse. A dozen enormous carriers appear over Manhattan. A chorus of Hail Hydra is shouted in unison.

Aboard one of the ships, Strucker tells them to prepare to die.

Traitor’s rating: 9 out of 10

Review and pictures by the Leader

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