Long time fan, first time analyst. Let me know if there's anything different that I can do to make future analyses more useful.
The key does not yet have a code for NEW THUNDERBOLTS -- I use NTB here.
The first six issues of NEW THUNDERBOLTS form a story arc that takes place over a few days, sometime after the death of Hawkeye and before the founding of the New Avengers. Starting with page 7 of NTB 2, everything occurs within a few hours.
All six issues are by Fabian Nicieza (writer) and Tom Grummett (pencils).
The publication dates are January - May 2005
Each cover shows an alternate number, continuing the numbering from THUNDERBOLTS volume 1: #82-87.
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NEW THUNDERBOLTS #1: "One Step Forward..." (January 2005)
Appearances:
Thunderbolts -
MACH IV (Abe Jenkins)
Songbird (Melissa Gold)
Atlas (Erik Josten)
Blizzard (Donnie Gill)
Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell)
Fathom Five -
Dragonrider
Llyron
Sea Leopard
Bloodtide
Manowar
Wolfgang von Strucker
Hilary (von Strucker's receptionist at Merovech Investment Group)
Purple Man (shown only in silhouette and unidentified)
unnamed television newswoman
Notes:
* A/TB 6 occurred "two months ago."
* Songbird recalls Hawkeye's death.
* This is the debut of Abe's MACH IV codename and armor.
* Blizzard has been recruited by MACH IV before the story begins.
* Dallas Riordan does not appear, but is mentioned as having accepted the job with Homeland Security that she was offered at the end of A/TB 6. We'll later learn that Atlas' manifestation of his ionic powers robs Dallas of her own Vantage powers and her ability to walk.
* Helmut Zemo will later be revealed to be maneuvering in the background, but I'll need to get to those stories before I can confirm that his actions qualify as behind-the-scenes or off-stage appearances.
Story:
Abe Jenkins is shown on a news broadcast in a taped repeat of his speech from A/TB 6, page 21 ("I guess that means I'm starting up the Thunderbolts again.") An unnamed newswoman tells her audience that "that statement was made two months ago."
Abe debuts his MACH IV armor, flying from Brooklyn to Empire State University to recruit Songbird, who is currently a student.
The next day, Songbird flies to "the address Abe gave her yesterday," Thunderbolts HQ at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There, she meets MACH IV, Erik Josten (who currently has no powers and is working as handyman) and the team's only other recruit, Donnie Gill, the Blizzard. An alarm goes off, warning of trouble near the World Trade Center. Songbird, MACH IV, Blizzard and Erik take off.
At dockside, the Thunderbolts encounter Fathom Five, warriors for At'La'Tique. Computer files identify Dragonrider, Llyron, and Sea Leopard. Two others identify themselves as Bloodtide and Manowar. The T-Bolts have their hands full until the unexpected arrival of Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell), who easily forces Fathom Five to retreat. Genis' insistence that he is part of the team and Songbird's obvious infatuation with him send Erik over the edge. In a rage, he suddenly manifests his ionic powers, growing to Atlas size and pounding Genis into the cement. The only person to witness this is a mysterious silhouetted figure. (Genis' cosmic awareness is blunted by either Purple Man or Zemo. I'll clarify that when I get to the later issue that reveals it.)
"Hours later", Thunderbolts HQ: Songbird is suspicious of Erik's story that Genis went after Fathom Five on his own. Abe notes that he will have to pay a visit to the team's financial backer to replace damaged equipment. A brief time later (lighting suggests that it might be the next morning), Abe goes to the Merovech Investment Group building. He chats with the receptionist, Hilary, then meets his financial backer, Wolfgang von Strucker.
Flashbacks:
Dialogue tells us that Songbird has been heroing on her own. Two single panel images show Melissa taking on the Scorpion (Page 4, panel 2) and Klaw (Page 4, panel 3). They take place between A/TB 6 and this issue, presumably in the order presented, so something like:
A/TB 6
NTB 1 FB1 (Scorpion)
NTB 1 FB2 (Klaw)
NTB 1
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NEW THUNDERBOLTS #2: "The Games People Play"
Appearances:
Thunderbolts -
MACH IV (Abe Jenkins)
Songbird (Melissa Gold)
Atlas (Erik Josten)
Blizzard (Donnie Gill)
Speed Demon (Jim Sanders)
Joystick (Janice Olivia Yanizeski)
Polestar (identified as "the newest Polestar")
Tremolo
Mr. Fantastic
Namor
Wolfgang von Strucker
Purple Man
Swordsman (Andreas von Strucker)
unidentified female newscaster (possibly Brie Larmer)
Brie Larmer (on-the-scene female newscaster)
Chinese delegate to the U.N.
various unidentified delegates to the U.N.
Great Game Referee
Great Game official
Various Great Game officials and sponsors
Notes:
* After the Thunderbolts defeat the Wrecking Crew, a newscaster reports that "the Thunderbolts turned the Wrecking Crew over to Code Blue."
* The woman who provides the opening page narration looks distinctly different from the woman who performed the same function in NTB 1. There does not seem to be any intent on the part of the artist to make them the same person. However, this issue's page 1 newscaster looks very much like Brie Larmer except with different hair color. In this case, I believe that the artist did intend for them to be the same person.
* Fathom Five does not appear, but a newscaster informs us that they have "struck the United States, China and the Persian Gulf over the last several weeks." The China and Persian Gulf events almost certainly occur prior to the New York attack shown in NTB 1.
* Helmut Zemo will later be revealed to be maneuvering in the background, but I'll need to get to those stories before I can confirm that his actions qualify as behind-the-scenes or off-stage appearances.
* MACH IV notes that the U.N. was "just rebuilt after the attack by Kang."
* A U.N. member refers to Reed Richards' "recent escapades in Latveria."
* According to a news report, NTB 1's fight with Fathom Five occurred "two days ago."
* The Wrecking Crew are reported to have done some damage "at the Lincoln Tunnel yesterday."
* The Great Game's sponsor will later be revealed to be von Strucker.
* An unidentified Great Game sponsor gets his own panel (page 20), showing how intrigued he is by the idea of going "through the Thunderbolts" to get to Joystick, but this plot point is never followed up and I don't believe the character is ever identified.
Story:
An unidentified female newscaster provides a recap of issue #1.
On the George Washington Bridge, the Thunderbolts (MACH IV, Atlas, Songbird, Blizzard) battle the Wrecking Crew (the Wrecker, Piledriver, Bulldozer). Speed Demon (James Sanders) suddenly appears on the scene, snatches Wrecker's crowbar and whups up on him with it. (Wrecker mistakenly identifies Sanders by his old codename, Whizzer.) Speed Demon volunteers to join the Thunderbolts.
"Later", Abe goes to the Merovech Investment Group building where he meets with von Strucker. Meanwhile and "elsewhere", The Purple Man (identified here as "Erik Killgrave") watches events related to the Thunderbolts on a bank of TV monitors. Killgrave talks with an unnamed masked man, who will later be identified as the Swordsman (and much later revealed to be Andreas von Strucker).
A short time later, Speed Demon tours Thunderbolts HQ. Erik Josten, Songbird and Blizzard are present. They discuss whether they should be tracking Fathom Five. Abe arrives with a copy of the Daily Bugle touting the headline "Atlantis to Address U.N."
Shortly, on-the-scene newswoman Brie Larmer (for "the Action News Network") reports from outside the U.N. In the General Assembly, Namor speaks to miscellaneous U.N. envoys, explaining that Fathom Five does not represent Atlantis. The Chinese delegate speaks. Reed Richards supports Namor. A representative of the Great Game (referred to only as Referee) reports Richards' presence; a Great Game official responds, setting a value of "five thousand points" on Richards. The Thunderbolts arrive and MACH IV asks for Namor's help in tracking down Fathom Five. Three players of the Great Game break in: Joystick, Polestar, Tremolo. Elsewhere, in the Great Game "Skybox," various players and officials of the Great Game watch the battle on monitors. The Great Game official engages an explosive device on the Gamers' armor. MACH IV offers Joystick safety and membership on the team if she'll help stop the explosion. Joystick releases her gauntlets, allowing Richards to identify the frequency so that MACH IV can block the transmission. But despite their best efforts, the explosion still happens...
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NEW THUNDERBOLTS #3: "Heavy Burdens"
Appearances:
Thunderbolts -
MACH IV (Abe Jenkins)
Songbird (Melissa Gold)
Atlas (Erik Josten)
Blizzard (Donnie Gill)
Speed Demon (Jim Sanders)
Joystick (Janice Olivia Yanizeski)
Radioactive Man (Chen Lu)
Wolfgang von Strucker
Hilary
Commandant Herzog
Swordsman (Andreas von Strucker)
Mr. Fantastic
Namor
Fathom Five -
Manowar
Sea Leopard
Bloodtide
Dragonrider
Llyron
Tamara Rahn
Mistress Nagala (wearing what appears to be the Serpent Crown)
Spider-Man
Code Blue -
Lt. Stone
Mad Dog
unidentified third member: Jock Jackson?
Damage Control (off-panel)
unidentified on-the-scene news woman
* Purple Man does not appear, but Swordsman is in his thrall.
* Helmut Zemo does not appear, but he is manipulating events to some degree.
* Narration tells us of Numara D'Athahr, "an Atlantean poet" who first coined the term "At'La'Tique" in writings "four centuries ago."
* Narration tells us that Fathom Five has been attacking the surface world "for weeks."
* Narration tells us that "after [Fathom Five's] assault on Manhattan, political pressure from the 'airlings' forced Prince Namor to commit Atlantean troops towards flushing out At'La'Tique's hiding place." Namor apparently did this between the attack shown in NTB 1 and his speech to the U.N. in NTB 2.
* Mistress Nagala's monologue provides a quick origin for Bloodtide: "Her body ravaged by the foul pollutants spilled upon us every day, [she] can now control the ebb and flow of all water around her."
* While webbing up the U.N., Spider-Man murmurs that he's "probably gonna need a truckload of Twinkies to replenish [his] web-supply now," suggesting this occurs at a time when his webbing is internal rather than fired from web shooters.
* In tracking down Radioactive Man, MACH IV notes that "the Chinese Ambassador inside [Radioactive Man's] assembly is his handler. We did a job together once." As far as I can tell, that job is undocumented, but it probably occured some time after Radioactive Man and Beetle served together on the Masters of Evil in A 228-230.
* The on-the-scene news woman looks distinctly different from both the newswoman narrator of NTB 1 and Brie Larmer from NTB 2.
* MACH IV's armor blows out during the rescue of the U.N. and will be repaired in an upcoming issue.
* The undersea battle between Fathom Five and Atlantean troops is not narratively linked to other events in the issue; that is, it's possible it is being presented out of sequence.
Story:
Somewhere under the sea: Atlantean Troops are engaged in battle with Fathom Five. Tamara Rahn and Mistress Nagala watch. After defeating the Atlanteans, Llyron tears apart an undersea communications cable.
The crisis at the U.N. that began in NTB 2 continues. At the Merovech Investments building, Wolfgang von Strucker learns from his assistant Hilary that stock prices are dropping, possibly because of "the attack on the U.N." Hydra's Commandant Herzog contacts von Strucker by video communications and confirms that "the third and fourth battalions" are prepared. Outside the window, the masked figure we saw with Purple Man in NTB 2 appears.
Meanwhile, the U.N. is ablaze. Outside, MACH IV is joined by Spider-Man and Code Blue. (Spider-Man calls Abe "Beetle.") Inside, Songbird, Atlas and Namor hold the building together while Mr. Fantastic guides Speed Demon, Blizzard and Joystick into deploying their powers usefully. Joystick tells Richards that her armor is powered by strontium, which means that, in additional to the building coming down around their ears, everyone has now been exposed to radiation poisoning. MACH IV calls von Strucker and asks him to arrange to have Radioactive Man sent to the scene. When a section of building drops towards the crowd, MACH IV stops it, but fries his servo relays. Joystick finds an exit, and everyone is ushered out except for Songbird and Atlas, who are still supporting the structure. A helicopter arrives and Radioactive Man jumps out and absorbs the strontium radiation. Dialogue tells us that Damage Control has arrived and set up "gravimetric jacks" so that Atlas and Songbird can get out. An unnamed newswoman reports that Songbird is off to the hospital and Jenkins has invited R-Man to join the team.
Von Strucker watches the U.N. building from his balcony a few blocks away. The Swordsman steps out of hiding, identifies himself, and runs von Strucker through.
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NEW THUNDERBOLTS #4: "Sword and Claw"
"ENEMY OF THE STATE Tie-In"
Appearances:
Thunderbolts -
MACH IV (Abe Jenkins)
Songbird (Melissa Gold)
Atlas (Erik Josten)
Blizzard (Donnie Gill)
Speed Demon (Jim Sanders)
Joystick (Janice Olivia Yanizeski)
Radioactive Man (Chen Lu)
Genis-Vell
Wolverine
Purple Man
Wolfgang von Strucker
Swordsman (Andreas Strucker)
Warbird (Carol Danvers)
various hordes of Hydra
Whale watchers and whale watching guide
unidentified on-the-scene TV newsman
Llyron
Dragonrider BTS (controlling the sea monster that attacks on page 22)
Notes:
* Purple Man's narration explains Enemy of the State like this: "There is a civil war ripping the Hydra terrorist organization apart. One splinter group -- named the Dawn of the White Light -- kidnapped Wolverine -- and made him their personal assassin ... and sent him after [Wolfgang von Strucker]." He says that "The Gorgon, leader of the White Light, thinks he controls Wolverine."
* Purple Man narrates much of this story, but author Fabien Nicieza posted the following on the Comicboards Thunderbolts Message Board: "ANY captions that were taking place when we cut away to the TBolts SHOULD NOT have been Purple Man captions."
* Abe notes that "[Radioactive Man's] government needs American help finding Fathom Five -- and getting justice for their attack on Beijing." As noted earlier, the attack on Beijing took place prior to NTB 1.
* Helmut Zemo is partly responsible for the photonic cocoon created around Genis-Vell, although his role won't be revealed until TB 100.
* Purple Man narrates that the decision to make his puppet (Andreas Strucker, not yet identified) into the Swordsman "came to [him] in a whisper." That "whisper" will later be revealed to be Helmut Zemo.
* A TV news report tells us that "Damage Control just finished...stabilizing the United Nations building."
* Danvers goes by the codename Warbird, but wears her traditional Ms. Marvel one-piece.
Summary:
Wolverine races through a secret corridor of the Merovech Investments building, tearing through Hydra troops on his way to attack von Strucker. In the penthouse, von Strucker extracts the blade that Swordsman planted in him at the end of NTB 3. von Strucker and Swordsman debate and fight, but Swordsman draws the line at releasing the death spore virus in von Strucker's blood. As Purple Man watches through binoculars from a nearby rooftop, Wolverine suddenly breaks in.
At Thunderbolts HQ, "an hour" after returning from the battle at the U.N., Abe Jenkins is repairing his damaged MACH IV flight harness, while talking with Chen Lu. Sanders, Yanizeski and Gill don civvies to go out for a drink, but Abe stops them, since two of them are wanted by the authorities and Joystick is a target for the Great Game.
Meanwhile, Atlas visits with a convalescing Songbird at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. They discuss the return of Erik's powers. Melissa remains suspicious of Erik's story regarding the disappearing of Genis-Vell.
The tourists aboard a whale watching ship off the coast of Cape May, New Jersey, spot some dolphins -- and then a photonic cocoon with "a man inside" (Genis, of course).
Back at Merovech Investments, the three-way battle between von Strucker, Wolverine and Swordsman continues. While Swordsman rescues Wolverine from a fall, von Strucker escapes by helicopter. Swordsman maneuvers himself to the nearby rooftop where Purple Man (now identified as "Zebediah Killgrave") is waiting. Purple Man forces Swordsman to "clean [his] shoes with his tongue" (at least according to Killgrave's narration).
At T-Bolts HQ, Abe has left to meet his parole officer. Sanders, Yanizeski and Gill decide to go out after all. Chen Lu has no success talking them out of it.
Cedars-Sinai Hospital: Songbird recalls Genis' cosmic awareness and wonders "why didn't [Genis] see it coming". (The reference is unclear: Since Songbird does not yet know that Erik attacked Genis, she wouldn't know what "it" was that Genis should have seen.)
Shortly afterwards, Donnie sits at a bar watching a TV report where the newsperson describes Damage Control's stabilization of the U.N.
At South Street Seaport, Abe meets with his parole officer, Carol Danvers. As they discuss the team's finances, Llyron bursts up through the dock.
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NEW THUNDERBOLTS #5: "Call to Battle?"
Appearances:
Thunderbolts -
MACH IV (Abe Jenkins, appearing as the Beetle)
Songbird (Melissa Gold)
Atlas (Erik Josten)
Blizzard (Donnie Gill)
Speed Demon (Jim Sanders)
Joystick (Janice Olivia Yanizeski)
Radioactive Man (Chen Lu)
Genis-Vell
Fathom Five -
Llyron
Sea Leopard
Bloodtide
Dragonrider
Manowar
Warbird
Wolfgang von Strucker
Pretty Persuasions
"Harry" Harrigan, employee at Commission on Superhuman Activities storage facility
Stew, employee at Commission on Superhuman Activities storage facility
voiceover by an unidentified newscaster
various Hydra goons
Notes:
* TV narration of the Fathom Five attack indicates that "The Avengers [are] disbanded and the Fantastic Four [is] unavailable."
Story:
The action cuts back and forth between various locations in Manhattan and environs.
At the South Street Seaport, Warbird battles Fathom Five. Abe, without his armor, clears the civilians then calls his team. Atlas is at Cedars-Sinai Hospital visiting Songbird, and takes the call. Atlas heads off to help while Songbird calls HQ. At Thunderbolts HQ, Radioactive Man receives Songbird's call and heads out. Meanwhile, at the Big Apple Gentlemen's Club in Brooklyn, Gill, Sanders and Yanizeski watch Pretty Persuasions dance. Donny sees a TV report of Fathom Five attacking, but can't convince the others to leave.
Warbird continues the fight with Fathom Five. Manowar takes Warbird down, but Atlas arrives to carry on the fight. Before losing consciousness, Warbird gives Abe instructions to make a special phone call. Abe dials, and reaches a Commission on Superhuman Activity storage facility where employees "Harry" Harrigan and Stew start programming an old set of Beetle armor to "reach the source of the call on its own."
On a bridge into Manhattan: Radioactive Man is hoofing it into town and is stopped by police officers. He coerces them into giving him a ride. At the men's club, the TV news report continues. Donnie again tries to convince Janice and Jim that they should go help. Jim slips into the men's room, then zips out of the bar as Speed Demon. At the seaport, Atlas tackles Llyron, and Abe is able to take down Bloodtide. Abe is attacked by Sea Leopard, who is abruptly trussed up by Speed Demon. Moments later, Speed Demon is back at the men's club in civvies, appearing to Donnie as if he never left.
Seaport: Atlas continues the fight. The Beetle armor arrives and Abe puts it on. Radioactive Man hits the scene. Chen Lu again references how Fathom Five "made [his] people suffer in Beijing." They kick Fathom Five around but, with victory in their grasp, multiple explosions suddenly rock the seaport area.
County Coroner's Office, Cape May, New Jersey: An employee of the coroner's office watches the news report on TV. The photonic cocoon discovered in NTB 4 lies on a table, and a hand begins to emerge from it.
At the hospital, Songbird sees the news report; she struggles from bed and into her costume.
At the men's club, Sanders, Gill and Yanizeski respond to the same report, finally heading off to help.
At the seaport, dozens of Hydra ships emerge from the river and hover over Manhattan, commanded by Wolfgang von Strucker.
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NEW THUNDERBOLTS #6: "City of Heroes?"
Appearances:
Thunderbolts -
MACH IV (Abe Jenkins, appearing as the Beetle)
Songbird (Melissa Gold)
Atlas (Erik Josten)
Blizzard (Donnie Gill)
Speed Demon (Jim Sanders)
Joystick (Janice Olivia Yanizeski)
Radioactive Man (Chen Lu)
Photon (Genis-Vell)
Warbird
Wolfgang von Strucker
various hordes of Hydra
various unidentified voices heard on radio/TV broadcasts
New Warriors -
Nova
Namorita
Firestar
Justice
Fathom Five -
Llyron
Manowar
Bloodtide
Dragonrider
Swordsman
Spider-Man
Captain America
Power Pack -
Gee
Lightspeed
Mass Master
Energizer
Purple Man
Notes:
* von Strucker's dialogue confirms that he supported the attacks by Fathom Five (NTB 1, NTB 4 and NTB 5) and the Wrecking Crew (NTB 2) and was the unnamed sponsor of the Great Game (NTB 2)
* Sea Leopard does not appear; narration describes that he "[appears] to have escaped"
* Narration gives us this new information about Joystick: "On the first day of her new life, Janice Olivia Yanizeski decided that every day needed to be a challenge. Her previous life had been safe -- and boring -- and she still ended up getting killed."
* Dialogue confirms that von Strucker hired Speed Demon to join the Thunderbolts as a spy (behind the scenes prior to NTB 2).
Story:
The action picks up right where NTB 5 left off: While Atlas watches, The Beetle urges Radioactive Man to use his powers to give the unconscious Warbird "a boost". TV news reports show the New Warriors and Power Pack fighting Hydra ships.
At the coroner's office in Cape May, New Jersey, Genis-Vell gets to his feet. At Cedar-Sinai hospital, Songbird gets ready to leave.
The Beetle and von Strucker (commanding a Hydra warship) debate by radio, and von Strucker lets it be known that he has been financing the team. Warbird awakens and joins the fight. As Speed Demon zips across town from the men's club, he passes Swordsman, Spider-Man and Captain America, each fighting their own squad of Hydra goons. He arrives at the docks along with Joystick, Blizzard and Songbird.
von Strucker begins setting off low-yield nuclear bombs around Manhattan. Warbird flies R-Man into the heart of the first one to absorb the radiation. Beetle discovers that there are 14 more nukes across Manhattan, and gives Speed Demon the job of racing to each location so that Blizzard can freeze them. von Strucker flees in an escape pod. Speed Demon and Blizzard stop all but one of the bombs. The last one explodes, but its force is shunted away by Genis, who now identifies himself as Photon.
Having driven off Fathom Five and Hydra, the Thunderbolts are the toast of New York, with the final toast a glass raised by a purple hand...
New Thunderbolts #1-6
Moderators: Col_Fury, michel, Arthur, Somebody, StrayLamb
Re: New Thunderbolts #1-6
Just a couple of little procedural points for now, since you asked 
A/TB 6
TB2 1 (4:2)-FB (Scorpion)
TB2 1 (4:3)-FB (Klaw)
TB2 1
It'll be TB2 - "New" only gets used in the code if (a) it's part of the team name ala New Warriors/New Mutants or (b) there's an adjectiveless title of the same name running simultaneously.BobMM wrote:The key does not yet have a code for NEW THUNDERBOLTS -- I use NTB here.
If there's two separate FBs in an issue, they get IDed by their page/panel ranges. So this would be:BobMM wrote:Flashbacks:
Dialogue tells us that Songbird has been heroing on her own. Two single panel images show Melissa taking on the Scorpion (Page 4, panel 2) and Klaw (Page 4, panel 3). They take place between A/TB 6 and this issue, presumably in the order presented, so something like:
A/TB 6
NTB 1 FB1 (Scorpion)
NTB 1 FB2 (Klaw)
NTB 1
A/TB 6
TB2 1 (4:2)-FB (Scorpion)
TB2 1 (4:3)-FB (Klaw)
TB2 1