New Thunderbolts #13-14

[BobMM]

NEW THUNDERBOLTS #13-14 (both December 2005) form a two-issue arc that is told nonsequentially. After a brief scene that occurs near the end of the adventure, the story flashes back to the previous day. This flashback continues throughout #13 and into #14, catching up with the opening scene on the final page. Within the #14 flashbacks are scattered panels from a team briefing that occurs sequentially within the events shown in #13 -- a flashback-within-the-flashback. I'll try to explain it clearly in the plot summaries below.

Writer: Fabien Nicieza; Penciler: Tom Grummett

NEW THUNDERBOLTS #13 - Alternatively THUNDERBOLTS #94

"Ditch"

Appearances:
Photon (Genis-Vell)
Songbird
Joystick
Radioactive Man
Atlas
Speed Demon

MACH IV
Fixer
Dr. Spectrum (the same character who debuted in TB2 12; identity still not revealed)
Red Ronin (deactivated)
Henry Pym (Skrull?)

Luke Cage
Spider-Woman (Skrull?)
Iron Man
Sentry
Captain America
Spider-Man

Brie Larmer
Carol Danvers (in civilian dress)
Dallas Riordan
Henry Peter Gyrich
"Mr. Vice-President" (Dick Cheney)

Notes:

* TB2 12 occurred "six weeks ago."

* Dallas Riordan reports in the recap page memo that MACH IV left the team, Songbird appointed herself leader, and Songgbird fired Blizzard.

* Dallas Riordan reports in a recap page memo that, in the preceeding five weeks, "the group has ... [deterred] threats from the U-Foes, Mister Hyde and AIM."

* MACH IV has completed "six weeks of surgery and rehab" following his stabbing by Swordsman in TB2 10.

* At least two of our characters, Pym and Spider-Woman, may be Skrull replacements at this time.

Summary:

The recap page is formed of two memos. Dallas Riordan reports to Carol Danvers on the Thunderbolts; she summarizes changes to the team's roster and concludes, "This is a team we can work with." Henry Peter Gyrich reports to Riordan on the New Avengers, including: "Their current roster includes outlaws, assassins and psychopaths...This is a team that must be stopped."

We start near the end of the story: "This morning, 2:43 AM", at the Commission on Superhuman Activities building in Washington DC: Dallas Riordan, Henry Peter Gyrich, Carol Danvers and a man identified as "Mr. Vice-President" (at the time of, and drawn to resemble, Dick Cheney) watch a video feed of Spider-Woman in radio communication with Luke Cage. "We got ambushed," says Cage. "We had an intruder in the tower, but I took care of it," replies Spider-Woman.

Flash back to "Yesterday morning, 11:16 AM", Manhattan: The Thunderbolts battle the interim Dr. Spectrum. Spectrum gives the team a run for their money until her power prism simply stops working. Newswoman Brie Larmer asks Songbird about the missing MACH IV and Blizzard. Melissa's answers are more evasive than Riordan's memo. MACH IV, somewhere working on his harness, hears the newscast.

"Yesterday afternoon, 1:47 PM", CSA Headquarters: Gyrich, Danvers and Riordan plot to use the Thunderbolts as a "baseball bat" to "send a message" to the New Avengers.

"Yesterday, 6:34 PM", Thunderbolts HQ: Riordan delivers instructions to Songbird, then visits with Atlas. Joystick chats with Atlas.

"Yesterday evening, 10:21 PM", Manhattan: MACH IV flies solo in his refurbished harness and happens to be near Avengers towers when an emergency distress call lures the A-team out. Iron Man and Sentry fly out of the roof, followed by a quinjet (containing Captain America, Luke Cage and Spider-Man) that destabilizes MACH IV's flight path. MACH IV is caught by the Fixer, who prepares to make MACH IV "an offer [he] can't refuse."

"Yesterday, 10:26 PM", Sandy Hook, New Jersey: The Avengers close in on Red Ronin. Ronin vanishes and the quinjet is suddenly smacked out of the sky by Atlas. Atlas throws Cage out to sea.

"Yesterday evening, 11:42 PM", Avengers Tower: Joystick breaks in to Avengers' Tower, where Spider-Woman awaits.

"This morning, 12:06AM", CSA Headquarters: Danvers meets with the Vice-President and their surprise collaborator, Henry Pym.

---

NEW THUNDERBOLTS #14 - Alternatively THUNDERBOLTS #95

"Made Perfect"

Appearances:
Photon (Genis-Vell)
Atlas
Radioactive Man
Speed Demon
Songbird
Joystick

Sentry
Iron Man
Spider-Man
Captain America
Spider-Woman (Skrull?)
Luke Cage

Carol Danvers
Hank Pym (Skrull?)
Henry Peter Gyrich
Thing

Fixer
MACH IV
Blizzard
Baron Helmut Zemo

Notes:

* This issue continues the flashback begun in TB2 13.

* At numerous times throughout the Avengers/Thunderbolts dust-up, we flash back to Songbird's briefing of the team prior to the fight.

Summary:

The recap page takes the form of a memo from Carol Danvers to "Eagle2" (presumably the Vice-President).

"Yesterday evening, 10:34 PM", Sandy Hook, New Jersey: We come in smack in the middle of the battle that the CSA has forced between the Thunderbolts and the Avengers. Photon pops Sentry into the Microverse. Speed Demon whups up on Spidey. Iron Man falls against R-Man and Atlas. When Cap tries to get his team to switch opponents, Photon pops HIM into the Microverse.

"Last night, 11:53 pm", Avengers Tower: Joystick and Spider-Woman mix it up.

"This morning, 12:01 am", CSA building, Washington DC. Danvers, Pym and Gyrich monitor the fight through miniaturized surveillance microbes planted by Joystick.

"Interlude," Brooklyn: In civvies, Norbert Ebersol and Abe Jenkins find Donnie Gill at the Big Apple Gentlemen's club. As Bert explains, "We need the Blizzard to help us save the world!"

"This morning, 1:14 am". In the Microverse: Photon keeps Sentry busy and pops Cap back to reality just in time for him to get in the way of Iron Man's repulsor blast. The Thunderbolts finish the smackdown and, as Luke Cage finally swims to shore, pass on the CSA's warning that the T-Bolts can take down the A-Team again "any time we're ordered to."

"This morning, 2:32 am", Avengers Tower: Spider-Woman keeps pounding on Joystick, who keeps getting up. Joystick jumps out the window to be collected by the rest of her team...

...which brings us back to the dialogue that started TB2 13. At CSA HQ we find that, just as Joystick doused Avengers Tower with monitors, Pym recently did the same to the Baxter Building and Dallas dosed Thunderbolts HQ. (The Thing is seen on one monitor eating a sandwich.) The CSA did all this in collusion with Baron Zemo, who reminds them that they need his help to save the world!

---

Here's my attempt to put the scenes in sequence. The story starts "this morning, 2:43", so everything after the first 2 panels of TB2 13 through the last page of TB2 14 might be considered a flashback. I have included time stamps when the script provides them.

TB2 13 (1:3 - 5) - Yesterday, 11:16am: Thunderbolts battle Dr. Spectrum. Atlas, Joystick, Brie Larmer, MACH IV, Photon, Radioactive Man, Songbird, Speed Demon.

TB2 13 (6) - Yesterday, 1:47pm: CSA puts its plot in order. Carol Danvers, Henry Gyrich, Dallas Riordan

TB2 13 (7-8) - Yesterday, 6:34pm: Riordan visits Thunderbolts HQ. Atlas, Joystick, Songbird; Riordan

TB2 13 (9:3): Songbird begins briefing her team. Shown: Atlas, Joystick, Photon, Radioactive Man, Songbird; Off panel: Speed Demon

TB2 13 (11:2): Songbird continues her briefing. Shown: Atlas, R-Man, Songbird; Off panel: Joystick, Photon, Speed Demon

TB2 13 (13:4): Songbird continues her briefing. Shown: Photon, R-Man, Songbird; Off panel: Atlas, Joystick, Speed Demon

TB2 14 (5:1): Songbird continues her briefing. Shown: R-Man, Songbird; Off-panel: Atlas, Joystick, Photon, Speed Demon

TB2 14 (6:2): Songbird continues her briefing. Shown: Joystick, Photon, Songbird; Off-panel: Atlas, R-Man, Speed Demon

TB2 13 (19:3): Songbird briefs Joystick on her special task. Off panel: Atlas, Photon, R-Man, Songbird, Speed Demon

TB2 14 (7:3): The Thunderbolts review their assignment. Shown: Atlas, Joystick, Speed Demon, Atlas; Off-panel: Photon, R-Man, Songbird

TB2 13 (9:1-2) - Yesterday, 10:21pm: MACH IV flies over Avengers tower

TB2 13 (9:4-10): MACH IV and Fixer watch the Avengers race to the scene. Shown: Fixer, MACH IV, Iron Man, Sentry; In quinjet: Captain America, Luke Cage, Spider-Man

TB2 13 (11:1) - Yesterday, 10:26pm: The Avengers arrive at Sandy Hook. Shown: Iron Man, Sentry; In quinjet: Cap, Cage, Spidey

TB2 13 (11:3-13:3) - Yesterday, 10:26pm: The Avengers encounter an immobile Red Ronin, which suddenly disappears. Shown: Iron Man, Sentry; in quinjet: Cap, Cage, Spidey, Cage; Red Ronin (immobile); behind the scenes (making Ronin vanish): Photon

TB2 13 (13:5-18): The Avengers are attacked by the Thunderbolts; Atlas throwns Cage far into the ocean (and out of the ongoing fight). Atlas, Photon, R-Man, Songbird, Speed Demon; Cage, Cap, Iron Man, Sentry, Spidey.
TB2 14 (1-4) - Yesterday, 10:34pm: The battle continues. Photon pops Sentry into the Microverse. Atlas, Photon, R-Man, Songbird, Speed Demon; Cage, Cap, Iron Man, Sentry
TB2 14 (5:2-6:1): The battle continues. Shown: Atlas, Cap, Iron Man, R-Man, Songbird; Off panel: Speed Demon, Spidey
TB2 14 (6:3-7:2): The battle continues. Photon returns to pop Cap into the Microverse. Shown: Atlas, Cap, Iron Man, Photon, R-Man, Spidey; Off panel: Songbird, Speed Demon
TB2 14 (7:4): The battle continues. Atlas, Iron Man, R-Man, Songbird, Spidey, Speed Demon

TB2 13 (19:1-2) - Yesterday, 11:42pm: Joystick dangles outside of Avengers Tower
TB2 13 (19:4-20): Joystick breaks into the Tower and encounters Spider-Woman
TB2 14 (8-9:1) - Last night, 11:52pm: Joystick and Spider-Woman mix it up
TB2 14 (9:2-5) - This morning, 12:01am: The CSA start using the monitoring probes secretly distributed by Joystick. Danvers, Gyrich, Pym; monitored voiceover from Spider-Woman
TB2 14 (9:6-10): Joystick and Spider-Woman conclude their fight

TB2 14 (11): Abe and Bert find Donnie at a bar. Blizzard, Fixer, MACH IV
TB2 13 (21) - This morning, 12:06am: Danvers and Hank Pym brief the VP

TB2 14 (12-17) - This morning, 1:14: The battle concludes. Photon brings Cap and Sentry back from the Microverse. Cage swims to shore. Atlas, Photon, R-Man, Songbird, Speed Demon; Cap, Cage, Iron Man, Sentry, Spidey

TB2 14 (18-20:4) - This morning, 2:32am: The Thunderbolts retrieve Joystick from Avengers Tower. Atlas, Joystick, Photon, R-Man, Songbird, Speed Demon; Spider-Woman

TB2 13 (1:1-2) ~ TB2 14 (20:5-21:1): The CSA monitors Avengers Tower and the Baxter Building. Danvers, Pym, Gyrich; On monitors: Spider-Woman, Thing; Monitored voiceover from Cage

TB2 14 (21:2-5): Danvers, Gyrich and Pym complete their meeting with Helmut Zemo