Writer: Fabian Nicieza
A news program shows a clip of Abe Jenkins telling the press that he's reforming the Thunderbolts to give others the chance he was given.
Now as Mach-IV he flies to Empire State University. He lands and meets Melissa who is now a student. Melissa has also been fighting crime as Songbird whenever she felt the need. Abe makes an offer for her to join the team, especially with the Avengers being disassembled.
Songbird makes her way over to the Thunderbolts new headquarters by the Brooklyn Navy Yard. She is attacked by the security system on the roof but quickly subdues it. Erik congratulates her as he watches on from a doorway. Melissa goes to see him and finds out that Erik asked to be with the team again, without his powers he's only a grease monkey now instead of their muscle as Atlas. Erik and his girlfriend Dallas have also drifted apart since she's now with Homeland security. Abe found some investors for the team when he was in prison.
While walking through the new headquarters Erik and Melissa walk by Mach-IV and Blizzard training against each other. Melissa gives Blizzard a hard time and admits to Erik that she doesn't know if she wants to be part of team. Abe and Erik try to convince her. So that others on the team know that they can actually succeed if Abe and Melissa are both on the team.
An alarm goes off in the headquarters as scanners pick up a 9-1-1 call of interest to them. Songbird asks if the police sanctioned them for link to 9-1-1 dispatch and Abe says that's not exactly correct.
Mach-IV heads out on his own while Erik pilots the new T-bird with Blizzard and Songbird to Lower Manhattan. Once they arrive they find out that a group named Fathom Five is attacking and destroying the area. They wonder if Atlantis is attacking the surface world again, while calling up information on a few of their members, Dragon Rider, Llyron, and Sea Leopard.
Mach-IV goes to battle Fathom Five as they make the T-bird plummet to the surface. Songbird and Blizzard join the battle as Blizzard wonders if he should just run away during all the uproar, all he has is an inherited freon suit. They continue fighting until Captain Marvel shows up to lend a hand. Mach-IV suggests a plan by raising the temperature in the area to dehydrate their enemies that would cause them to retreat. Captain Marvel thinks it's a good plan but also notices news helicopters in the air and doesn't want to enemy to get away.
Captain Marvel goes about putting the plan into action and as the enemy retreats he grabs one of them hoping to put one of them in front of the cameras and make a bigger debut for the Thunderbolts. Erik having got out of the crashed T-bird doesn't agree with Captain Marvel, reiterating Mach-IV's plan. Eventually Erik becomes angry yelling that Captain Marvel isn't even part of the team. Erik grows to a giant size and crushes Captain Marvel into the pavement repeatedly while the last of the enemy escapes.
Songbird and Mach-IV are recovering from the battle and discuss if they should go after them. Mach-IV says that should find out if they doing that on their own or in the name of Atlantis. Mach-IV also placed a tracer on one of them. The police arrive on the scene as Songbird and Mach-IV wonder where Erik and Captain Marvel went.
Through a communication-link Erik says he is helping Captain Marvel with one of the Atlanteans and that he's going to try go salvage parts of the T-bird and that he doesn't need any help. Atlas thought he had lost his powers but doesn't question it as he throws Captain Marvel into the river. A figure stands in the darkness watching him.
At the Thunderbolts headquarters later Melissa isn't happy that with Erik's story of what happened to Captain Marvel. Erik wonders if Melissa is just staying with the team for now because of Captain Marvel but she denies it. Abe ponders if Captain Marvel was kidnapped and that they need a new ship so he is going to visit his Financial backer.
Abe arrives at Merovech Investment Group and discusses things with his financial backer. They are not impressed as they think the Thunderbolts debut could have gone better. Abe says they were undermanned so they did well. Their financial backer still isn't happy; he doesn't want them to be mediocre. He wants and needs great things from them.
"You will do better -- or I will reveal to the world - that Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker owns you body and soul!"
Thunderbolts and all associated characters are the property of MARVEL COMICS TM&©2004.