Writer: Fabian Nicieza
At the Downslope sports bar in Burton Canyon Colorado, Erik Josten wallows in misery as he thinks about Dallas Riordan and the V-battalion. He speaks only vaguely to Man-killer as to protect his identity that Man-killer already knows. The entrance to the sports bar is destroyed as Atlas recognizes the face of the who did it.
Elsewhere the Crimson Cowl has found Dallas Riordan in her Citizen V uniform ready to engage the Cowl in combat. The Cowl speaks about how she didn't rescue Dallas in Burton Canyon; Dallas was just another pawn.
Dallas thinks back on her life and that maybe she has been manipulated her whole life. Recalling how her father pushed her to physical perfection but never revealing why. Dallas knew it had something to do with her grandfather who had died mysteriously and was a former cop who had stayed in Europe after serving in World War II.
Dallas attacks the Crimson Cowl with two pipes and gets thrown back by the Crimson Cowl's cape. Then the Crimson Cowl tells of how Dallas is overmatched and how she was defeated for interfering with the Cowl's plans before. Dallas was captured in Thunderbolts #24 and the Crimson Cowl's cloak was used to teleport Dallas out of her Citizen V uniform and into a non-functioning replica of the cloak to cover the Crimson Cowl's escape.
While Dallas is all tangled up in the cowl she uses something she has since she has prepared for the battle to generate an electromagnetic pulse which scrambles the cloak's circuitry for twenty minutes.
Back at Downslope bar Atlas is attacked by an enraged Wonder Man. Man-killer tells Erik to protect the bar and do what he does, as he is surprised that Man-killer knows he's Atlas. Atlas increases his size only to get knocked through the wall of the bar to the outdoors by Wonder Man. As Atlas battles with Wonder Man, Atlas asks Man-killer for help knowing who she really is as well.
At Mt. Charteris Ogre talks with Hawkeye and Abe to try to scan for the energy signature that emits from Moonstone's gem. Meanwhile Scourge is in the lower levels of the mountain base where Ogre has his biochambers. Scourge analyses the chambers and finds out that if he takes down Ogre who is his next target then whoever is in the chamber will die too since they are linked to Ogre. While above Ogre's link to the Burton Canyon Police has flagged an item for him to check on that is Atlas' battle with Wonder Man.
Outside the Downslope bar Man-killer refuses to help Atlas as Wonder Man continues to try to defeat Atlas. Man-killer says she was just laying low and that Atlas doesn't know about those kinds of things anymore like he used to when he was a criminal and he blew her cover at the bar. Atlas thought Man-killer might want to redeem herself but she's not interested in that and even laughs about becoming romantically involved with him and says she has the name Man-killer for a reason.
Meanwhile at the Crimson Cowl's base of operations Citizen V continues pursuing the Crimson Cowl who is more skilled than she expected. As the Crimson Cowl makes comments Dallas recalls how her father pushed her to excel and how she either possibly became a cop for her dad in some plan she didn't know about or because she believed in justice and law. After Dallas was fired by the mayor, Roger Aubrey offered Dallas a position in the V-battalion and the mantle of Citizen V. Dallas accepted but wonders if it was to live up to her father's expectations. Her father also had refused to take the place of her grandfather but never knew why.
The Crimson Cowl eventually breaks free from Dallas and runs for a flying vehicle to escape with.
At the Burton Canyon High School Wonder Man's battle with Atlas has been brought to the school grounds. Charcoal hears the battle from inside the school and his friends that know his identity tell him that they will cover for him. Charcoal joins the battle outside to help Atlas.
Citizen V's battle with the Crimson Cowl continues elsewhere with the Crimson Cowl trying to get aboard the flying vehicle to escape. Dallas tackles the Crimson Cowl and as they fight they reach the railing that is at the edge of the platform that holds the vehicle. The Crimson Cowl tries to throw Dallas over the railing but Dallas holds onto the Crimson Cowl's cloak. To escape the Crimson Cowl removes her mask that connects with her cape and with cape loose Dallas falls off the platform into the water below. Dallas last word she speaks before hitting the water is 'Erik'.
Charcoal engages Wonder Man in battle at the Burton Canyon High school only to get shattered into pieces. Wonder Man flies off with Atlas putting his hand inside Atlas as if he's made out of ironic energy. The Thunderbolts arrive too late to only see Wonder Man flying away with Atlas.
"I can't see Atlas doin' anythin' to justify wondy kickin' his butt in -- so this is a problem that's gonna require making a little call to the Avengers!"
Comments: A few things that have been developing for quite some time are resolved in this issue which is nice to see as the Thunderbolts/Avengers crossover begins.
I had expected Man-killer to help out Atlas at least in this issue and retain the role or the barkeeper at the Downslope Sports bar. So I'm glad in one way that Man-killer didn't turn the way I expected since that a lot of villains that show up in this title shouldn't be trying to redeem themselves and actually like being who they are. In another way I'm not so glad that this sub plot has run its course even though it played out so well. After this I was hoping on seeing Man-killer in the bar some more and maybe help out Atlas or the Thunderbolts on occasion. I didn't want her to join the Thunderbolts but still be in the title now everything appears to be in jeopardy. Will Man-killer stay in Burton Canyon? With part of the bar being destroyed there doesn't seem to be much hope there. The bar could be repaired quickly I suppose but I don't know if Man-killer would want to be around having her cover blown and in the meantime she has to find another job. If she does continue as a barkeeper there will certainly be some tension there in the future and the question of if Atlas would tell the team about her since he knows she's only there until her next crime. One thing still to be touched on though was what Techno saw when he looked at her. Techno seemed to see something in Man-killer with his different sort of vision so maybe Man-killer will be around in some form for awhile still.
Dallas back story is told and its nothing unexpected but its nice to have some history filled in and see how she got to be Citizen V. Along with her past the Crimson Cowl also reveals what happened back in Thunderbolts #24 as it ties up something else that was lying around and is basically what was thought to have happened.
The fight between Dallas and the Crimson Cowl was a high point for this issue but then any fight drawn by Bagley is usually done real well just like the Wonder Man and Atlas battle. More scenes with the Scourge was good as Scourge examines the biochambers and almost seems upset that he would have to kill three others in the chambers to get rid of Techno. Scourge has already killed an innocent girl so that shouldn't bother him unless he wants to play in the stuff in the chambers himself or maybe leave them to his boss.
A small scene with Charcoal helps to develop him further in school with his friends that I had really forgotten about which looks good.
With a few things being tied up there wasn't many new things added this issue and some characters that appeared last issue failed to appear in this one so I hope to see them in a few panels next issue even thought there is a crossover going on. I look forward to the Black Widow showing up next issue and a journey to Castle Zemo, any mention of Zemo is good.
Thunderbolts and all associated characters are the property of MARVEL COMICS TM&©2003.