Thunderbolts #103-105

Here's where you report issue analyses of any issue in any universe or timeline.

Moderators: Col_Fury, michel, Arthur, Somebody, StrayLamb

Locked
BobMM
Hero
Hero
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri May 28, 2004 10:52 am
Location: Dallas, Texas
Contact:

Thunderbolts #103-105

Post by BobMM »

THUNDERBOLTS #103-105 form the three-part tie-in with Civil War. After I finish my analysis through #108, I will post my opinion on the sequence of Thunderbolts crossovers into other Civil War titles.

Writer: Fabien Nicieza; Penciler: Tom Grummett

THUNDERBOLTS #103 (August 2006)

"Taking Civil Liberties"

Appearances -
Atlas
Joystick
Swordsman
Songbird
Smuggler
Blizzard
Helmut Zemo
MACH IV
Fixer
Radioactive Man

Iron Man
Mr. Fantastic
Yellowjacket (Skrull?)

Beetle (Classic armor) "Joaquim"
Beetle (New armor) female
Beetle (Tank armor) male

Henry Gyrich
Dallas Riordan

Spider-Man (on TV)
interviewer of Spider-Man (voiceover from TV)
Guardsmen

Blob
Vector
Mimic
Smiling Tiger
Klaw
Scarecrow
Pretty Persuasions
X-Ray
Boomerang
Zaran
Batroc
Quicksand
Wrecker
Thunderball
Bulldozer
Piledriver
other, unidentified super-villains

Notes -
* According to the recap page, the explosion at Stamford occurred "two weeks ago." The Superhuman Registration Act has been passed. Captain America is in hiding, leading "a group of renegade heroes."

* Swordsman appears in a new helmet.

* Blizzard wears a "new and improved freon suit."

* Dallas tells MACH IV that "three college kids broke into a CSA holding facility in New Jersey and boosted" three sets of old Beetle armor.

Summary -

Denver, Colorado: On a television screen in the background, Spider-Man publicly unmasks. Atlas, Swordsman, Joystick, Smuggler, Blizzard and Songbird tackle Quicksand. As they round up their prisoner, the Thunderbolts consider what the Registration Act will mean to the team.

Washington, DC: Soldiers in modified Guardsmen armor patrol the Department of Homeland Security where Dallas and Gyrich wait for a visitor. Zemo, MACH IV, Fixer and Radioactive Man arrive through one of Zemo's space portals. Inside, Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic and Yellowjacket are waiting. Iron Man requests that, while the Avengers and company deal with the unregistered heroes, the Thunderbolts are to round up and detain unregistered villains.

"Eight hours later", Rutgers College Campus, New Brunswick, New Jersey: Fixer, MACH IV, Songbird, Atlas, Joystick, Blizzard, Fixer, Radioactive Man and Smuggler capture the three Beetles and send them to "the detainment quadrant."

Back in the folding castle, Zemo toasts the success of his team: Radioactive Man, Songbird, Fixer, Atlas, MACH IV, Blizzard and Joystick are present. While the rest of the team eats, Zemo and Songbird wander off. Zemo ports the two of them to the detention quadrant, where the captured villains are held unconscious and force-fed dreams of "what it means to be a Thunderbolt and why they should want to join us." Zemo notes that they started apprehending criminals "three weeks ago", and looks over the detainment racks which include Quicksand, the Beetles, and numerous other villains listed above.

===

THUNDERBOLTS #104 (December 2006)

"Taking Civil Liberties" or "Homeland Insecurity"
(The interior repeats the "Civil Liberties" title from #103. Per Nicienza, this was an editorial error and the intent was to use the title "Homeland Insecurity," which appears on the cover of the second printing.)

Appearances -
Helmut Zemo
Radioactive Man
Songbird
Smuggler
Atlas
MACH IV
Fixer
Joystick
Blizzard
Swordsman

Quicksand
Mongoose
Beetle (classic armor) Joaquim
Beetle (new armor)
Beetle (tank)
Porcupine
Eel
Ox
King Cobra
Unicorn
Snake Marston
Bushmaster
Rattler
Blacklash (new, male)
Whiplash (new, female)
X-Ray
Vector (seen on monitor only, but present off-panel later)
Ironclad
Vapor
Smiling Tiger
Batroc
Dr. Octopus
Tatterdemallion
Ajaxis
Pretty Persuasions
Boomerang
Vermin
Whirwind
Killer Shrike
Smiling Tiger
unidentified man in green costume who looks like Scorpion but, according to editorial and continuity, is not

Captain America
Hercules
Falcon
Daredevil (off panel)
Yellowjacket (Skrull?)
Mr. Fantastic

Hyperion (image only)
Speed Demon (image only)
Dr. Spectrum (image only)

Dallas Riordan
Henry Gyrich
Joint Chiefs of Staff

Notes -

* X-Ray and Vector of the U-Foes appear in Zemo's detainment quadant at the end of #103, but are seen fighting alongside the rest of the U-Foes at the beginning of #104. Some rationalization is necessary.

* Swordsman refers to "our new" Blacklash (male) and Whiplash (female). He says "Why the two of you decided to assume the identity of a dead villain is beyond me."

Summary -

CSA Theatre of Operations: Dallas and Gyrich make a presentation of "Operation: Justice Like Lightning" to "the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the entirely of our intelligence community." Monitors show:
- Thunderbolts Team A, San Fransisco: MACH IV and the three Beetles vs. Eel and Porcupine
- Thunderbolts Team B, Portland: Fixer, Blizzard, Joystick and Quicksand vs. the U-Foes (Vector, X-Ray, Ironclad and Vapor)
- Team C, Philadelphia: Songbird, Atlas and Smuggler vs. Mongoose
- Radioactive Man works with Mr. Fantastic and Yellowjacket on setting up the interspatial prison
- Swordsman trains with two unidentified character (One could be Ox; could the other be Ajaxis?)

Zemo ports into the warehouse where the interspatial prison is being assembled. Radioactive Man, Yellowjacket and Mr. Fantastic are present. After reviewing the progress of the construction, Zemo returns to his folding castle where Songbird, Smuggler and Atlas wait with their prisoner, Mongoose. Zemo coerces Mongoose into joing the team and sends him off the Swordsman for basic training.

Zemo reviews the situation with Melissa, using the moonstones to generate images of Supreme Power (Hyperion, Speed Demon, Dr. Spectrum) and the Grandmaster. MACH IV and the Beetles return with Porcupine and Eel under wraps. Finally, Fixer, Joystick, Blizzard and Quicksand show up with the U-Foes (Vector is not visible, but can be assumed to be present off panel).

Training Ground Quadrant, desert flats, New Mexico: Swordsman trains with Ox, King Cobra and Unicorn. Snake Marston, Bushmaster and Rattler look on. Blacklash and Whiplash start to take on Swordsman, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Zemo and a squad of Thunderbolts (Fixer, Blizzard, Smuggler, Songbird, Radioactive Man, Quicksand, Atlas, MACH IV, Joystick). Zemo reviews the large group of recruits. (Visible: Batroc, Dr. Octopus, Tatterdemalion, the U-Foes, Ajaxis, Pretty Persuasions, the three Beetles, Boomerang, Vermin, Porcupine, Eel, Whirwind, Killer Shrike, Smiling Tiger and an unidentified, obscured male in green who looks like Scorpion but isn't).

Manhattan, night: Zemo arrives in an alleyway to meet with Captain America, Falcon and Hercules. (#105 reveals that Daredevil is present off-panel.)

===

THUNDERBOLTS #105 (October 2006)

"Swimming With Sharks"

Appearances -
Helmut Zemo
Songbird
MACH IV
Fixer
Joystick
Radioactive Man

Captain America
Daredevil
Hercules
Falcon
Redwing
Iron Maiden
Nighthawk
Speed Demon
Dr. Spectrum (Alice Nugent)
Hyperion
Grandmaster
Mr. Fantastic
Yellowjacket (Skrull)

Dallas Riordan

Notes -

* Dr. Spectrum notes that Nighthawk is working as a "mole with the 'renegade [anti-registration] heroes.'"

Summary -

Picking up where #104 left off, Zemo encounters Daredevil, Hercules, Falcon and Captain America in a Manhattan alleyway. The heroes attack and Zemo uses the moonstones to shunt everyone but Cap to New Jersey. Zemo shows Cap an image of the moment [from A/TB 6] when Zemo's face was scarred protecting Cap from Moonstone. Then he removes his mask to reveal that he is still scarred (which contradicts the handsome face he has been showing Songbird for months).

Elsewhere in Manhattan: Melissa and Dallas meet to discuss Songbird's future with the Fifty States Initiative.

Bellington, Washington: Fixer, MACH IV and Joystick corrall Iron Maiden.

Manhattan, Alice Nugent's apartment: Nighthawk arrives to meet Dr. Spectrum, Hyperion, Speed Demon (who has two broken legs) and Grandmaster. They again discuss how important it is to find the Wellspring of Power before Zemo does.

Baxter Building: Radioactive Man continues to help Mr. Fantastic and Yellowjacket with the development of their interspatial prison. He compares their activities to that of the repressive Chinese government.

Zemo and Cap continue reminiscing. Zemo recalls the death of Bucky, the siege of Avengers Mansion, and Zemo's apparent death at the hands of Scourge/Nomad. Zemo finally makes his pitch: On the assumption that Cap will eventually be captured by pro-Registration forces, Zemo gives him a key that will allow him to escape from the interspatial prison facility. In return, Zemo explains, "the time will come-- during the height of this civil war -- when Earth's heroes will have to put aside their differences for the briefest of moments -- and allow me to save this world." To prove his good faith, Zemo restores Cap's trunk of memorabilia, which was destroyed by Zemo during the siege of Avengers Mansion.

Zemo returns to his personal quarters in the folding castle. He transforms back to his unscarred face to meet with Songbird, reveals that he knows about her planned betrayal, and that he will allow it. "My whole life...has been based on superiority," he explains. "And I will finally be able to prove that true...by living forever!"
Locked