Thunderbolts #101-102

[BobMM]

THUNDERBOLTS #101 (June 2006)

"Why Ask Why?"
Writer: Fabien Nicieza; Penciler: Dave Ross

Appearances -
Songbird
Radioactive Man
Atlas
Smuggler (Conrad Josten)
Nighthawk
Fixer
MACH IV
Helmut Zemo
Joystick
Swordsman

Moonstone (potential future vision)
Gladiator II (potential future vision)
Captain America (potential future vision)

Man-Killer (note on recap page only)
Blackout (note on recap page only)
Moonstone (note on recap page only)

Notes -

* The story takes place over a brief period of time on a single day.

* Songbird narrates that "After the fight [in TB 100] ... Man-Killer pulled a disappearing act."

* In a flashback to "several months ago", Songbird tells Zemo that Abe has already asked her to join his
new team. This refers to an event prior to TB2 1.

* Conrad explains that "[The CSA] promised [Erik] amnesty if [Conrad] joined the Redeemer program [prior to TB 47]."

* Zemo explains that (despite all previous evidence) Joystick's powers are not mechanically derived. She can, for example, manifest her truncheons without her gauntlets. He says, "Miss Yanizeski is not longer human. She is, for all intents, the living, breathing embodiment of action!"

* Songbird comments that she was checking on the team "while [Zemo] was meeting with Putin."

Summary -

Songbird narrates, starting with the recap page which disposes of Moonstone (still vegetative), Blackout (still dead) and Man-Killer (fled).

The Thunderbolts relax in the "folding castle" that Zemo has assembled using the space warping powers of the moonstones. Songbird and Radioactive Man chat, and Chen Lu asks why Zemo has kept the team together. Songbird lies that she doesn't know, but privately recalls the truth: that she has been in league with Zemo all along.

Elsewhere in the "castle", a Wisconsin farm, Erik comes to grip with Conrad's resurrection. In a lab, Fixer works on MACH IV's harness while Nighthawk questions the wisdom of following Zemo. When Songbird confesses that they only asked Nighthawk to join the team for his money, he quits. Songbird explains to Blizzard that she fired him [after TB2 12] to get him to focus on succeeding rather than failing. In an exercise room, Zemo works out with Joystick. Then, in private, Zemo and Songbird make out. Melissa moves on to visit Swordsman, who is now officially part of the team, and urges him to drink less.

Chen Lu corners Songbird with his knowledge that she has been to Zemo's castle before. Songbird confesses that she has become romantically involved with Zemo to stay close to him -- so that, at the right moment, she can kill him.

Flashbacks -

Zemo, Songbird
"Several months ago": Zemo takes Melissa from her college dorm to show her a fine Manhattan apartment, to be her haven in his folding castle. Zemo claims that he wants to gain Songbird's trust because he has seen potential futures in which she leads the Thunderbolts and together they save the world. Zemo recalls the moment when his face was damaged protecting Captain America [in TB2 6]. It appears that his face has healed.

Zemo shows Songbird visions of potential futures: MACH IV crashes to Earth, the Thunderbolts stand over Smuggler [from TB 100], Helmut Zemo trades blows with Captain America, the Grandmaster manipulates playing pieces of the Thunderbolts and Supreme Power, Moonstone (in her classic costume) battles Gladiator, Swordsman holds Wolfgang von Strucker at bladepoint, Zemo and Melissa lock lips.

After six weeks in Zemo's dominion, Songbird is endangered by a falling roof. Zemo throws her aside, taking the brunt of the blow himself. He tells her, "your life, your destiny, is more important than mine...I know it with my heart" -- and Melissa kisses him.

Finally, Zemo explains that "when they are forced to enact the Guardian Protocols, we will be the only ones capable of saving the entire planet!"

---

THUNDERBOLTS #102 (July 2006)

"Rush"
Writer: Fabien Nicieza; Penciler: Tom Grummett

Appearances -
Joystick
Radioactive Man
Fixer
MACH IV
Helmut Zemo

Henry Gyrich
Dallas Riordan

Nighthawk
Dr. Spectrum (Alice Nugent)
Hyperion
Speed Demon

Notes -

* The story begins with a prologue that occurred "three days ago." The bulk of the story appears to occur in a single day, although there is an opportunity to open a gap if necessary.

* Based on dialogue from Zemo and MACH IV, this story occurs at a point where the Civil War Registration Act is being considered, but has not yet become law.

* Songbird is away, "leading a mission in Russia", which presumably includes the other teammates who do not appear in this story.

Summary -

"Prologue. Three days ago, Manhattan:" Nighthawk visits a penthouse apartment where Supreme Power (Hyperion, Dr. Spectrum, Speed Demon) and the Grandmaster wait. Grandmaster claims that Zemo's actions threaten the planet, and that they must locate the Wellspring of Power before he does.

Tokyo: Joystick watches as Speed Demon battles a squadron of monks with surprising powers. Speed Demon gets the information he needs and runs off. Then Joystick moves in and starts breaking the monks' bones to get the additional details she wants. She uses one of Zemo's folds in space to return to Thunderbolts HQ, where she chats with Radioactive Man and Fixer. Elsewhere in the HQ, Zemo and MACH IV meet with Riordan and Gyrich (who are at CSA HQ, seen through one of Zemo's portals in space).

Fixer is able to use data collected by Joystick to locate Supreme Power. She travels to their penthouse hideaway and overhears their plan to use the Wellspring of Power of "raise an army." When they split up to various points on Earth, she follows Speed Demon to Constantinople, gets to the location before him, and beats up the monks there to gather more information. When Speed Demon arrives, Joystick beats him up, too, revealing that she is faster than he is ... and always has been! She breaks his legs and uses information from the monks to draw his powers away and back into the Wellspring.

Zemo congratulates Joystick on her success...then she secretly meets with the Grandmaster.

Flashbacks -

Joystick
Joystick's mom
Walt Yanizeski: Joystick's dad
unnamed loan shark
unnamed loan shark's stooge

Young Janice Olivia Yanizeski and her mom look on as Olivia's dad, Walt, is beaten up by loan sharks. While playing ball with her dad, Joystick (age 13) discovers a suitcase hidden under a bush in the backyard. When slightly older and playing on her school's basketball team, Joystick deliberately misses the winning shot so that her team will lose and she can collect on a bet. The loans sharks threaten her, and she gives up her dad's secret stash.