Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Techno goes about his business in his lab doing many things at the same time wondering about his encounter with Scourge. Scourge had cut one of Techno's arms off and then left. Techno also wonders about his purpose for pretending to be their engineer as the Ogre and if this would be the proper time to reveal Hawkeye's lie to the team. Techno wonders if that's even what he wants thinking about how things have become nuisances instead of challenges. Then his thoughts turn back to Scourge and if that brief confrontation was just planned and Scourge is now trying to figure out a way to defeat him.
Techno then attends to the communication system that has picked up something on Moonstone, that she is attacking Shield at their base on the moon. The Thunderbolts debate what to do but eventually decide go to go help Moonstone also knowing from Ogre's hacking into Shield that the Supreme Intelligence is at the shield base on the moon which is a reason why Moonstone decided to go there. Ogre reveals that the base contains a Jump Ship that can take them to the moon since the T-bird wouldn't be able to.
While at the Shield base on the moon, Moonstone fights her way past all the security to the Supreme Intelligence who calls her the 'Daughter of the Kree'.
In Washington D.C. Andrea Sterman has made her way to the Commission on Super Human Activities. Sterman says a few words about Omega-32 and Mr. Warton the person working there invites her into his office.
In London someone awakes from a five-year coma. The nurse looking over this person makes a phone call telling the person on the other end to tell Mr. Aubrey about it.
Back on the Moon the Supreme Intelligence reveals more information to Moonstone. The Supreme Intelligence explains how Moonstone is one of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
"Thousands of years gone by, while my race was still young, a stone of tremendous power was discovered on Kree-Lar. Our people split the stone in half, unleashing tremendous forces of order and chaos -- thousands died. We dubbed the halves Ke-thai and Vi-sha -- Alpha and Omega -- Life and Death -- And their existence draw the attention of more advanced races. Scientists not out to conquer, but seeking knowledge."
"A diversity of races brought their own artifacts of power with them, seeking a common link to them all. They found that link -- the different artifacts were geological survivors of the big band -- remnants of the previous universe...and when linked together would be able to advance the traits of all things living in this universe. The Hellfire Helix was the conduit for other-dimensional energies -- funnelled through the Alpha and Omega stones -- into an array of smaller gems brought by the visitors -- which manifested facets of the elements, the spirits, entropy, and creation, as well as the fundamental forces of the universe -- earth, air, water, fire, life, death anima, gravity --"
Karla's moonstone wasn't supposed to be absorbed into the body and it was the parent of the battery that powered the engine. From that eight chosen were reborn, their bodies remade so they would keep the peace among their races, as they were the guardians of the galaxy. The one haunting Moonstone's dreams was called Ajes'ha one of the guardians of the galaxy and had the force of gravity.
Moonstone isn't a reincarnation of one of the guardians nor being transformed by her moonstone its only because Moonstone asked to hear the whispers in her mind that she's been hearing the things she has been.
The Thunderbolts arrive at the Shield base and Mach-2 heads in first gaining entrance by an airlock. Mach-2 finds Moonstone and is blasted by her. The rest of the Thunderbolts follow shortly after. Songbird and Charcoal join Mach-2 in chasing after Moonstone but she gets away. Due to the battle the station has a problem when the room Songbird, Mach-2 and Charcoal are in starts to decompress.
Moonstone continues further into the base hearing the whispers of the Kree woman again, this time about Moonstone killing the king on the world of Kosmos. Hawkeye is the one to track Moonstone and tries to comfort her while getting her to save Mach-2, Charcoal and Songbird from being sucked into space. Moonstone thinks she needs more information about what is happening to her as Captain Marvel arrives on the scene saying he thinks he can help out with what Moonstone needs.
At Mt. Charteris Techno talks things over with Goliath of the Avengers on a view screen about Atlas's condition from their fight with Nefaria. Techno's only doing this because as pretending to be Ogre he can't be seen as being too perfect and solving everything right away.
Techno burps and thinks something's odd as Scourge attacks. Techno says "Systems Dysfunction" as he's crippled and ripped into. Scourge stands triumphant once again.
"Finally figured out how I'd get to say it...P. Norbert Ebersol...Justice is served!"
Comments: Now that the Avengers/Thunderbolts crossover is over things have started to pick up again but the sub plots still continue to be the most interesting part of the title. While I did enjoy the Moonstone portion of the story, Techno, Scourge and the subplots are far more fascinating. Probably has something to do with my interest level in Moonstone and that fact that she just can't compete with the mysterious Techno.
Zircher does good being the fill-in artist but the first few pages had me wondering. The coloured blank backgrounds, poses of Techno/Ogre and the photo shaped panels didn't seem to work well. It wasn't what I was used to and didn't seem as good as what Bagley could have done if he would have been doing this issue. With those few pages aside the differences became less noticeable and I quite enjoyed the art. I'm glad that the fill in artist was of some quality rather then just getting anyone to do Thunderbolts and ruin the art side of the issue. I wouldn't mind seeing Zircher art in the Thunderbolts again in the future.
The issue is labelled with a Maximum Security tag but there's little of it here with just a few references to Ego and such. Which is probably a good thing considering the Thunderbolts just finished their crossover with the Avengers and the subplots and main story need plenty of room to develop and go back to what they were doing before the crossover. Also the Maximum Security crossover issues from other titles have mostly been average or disappointing although the main series that Maximum Security is running in has been quite good. If that Maximum Security tag can pull in a few more readers that think that this issue deals with that and they enjoy how a regular issue of Thunderbolts is that's fine. The Supreme Intelligence as an alien is sort of a tie in but not directly. One other note on the title of the logo is it has the old Justice like Lighting line from the first twelve issues on it. I'm assuming this is was just an error when creating the new logos and that Marvel's most wanted will be back atop the Thunderbolts logo next month.
The Thunderbolts seem to be starting to fall apart of late. Before it was basically just Charcoal getting angry. Now there is Hawkeye not being as confident with his leadership, Moonstone is going crazy from the voices in her head and Songbird is still trying to cope with Abe being black. After all the set backs the team has had with Hawkeye it's good to see that things are finally starting to break down as they should. Things are not as easy for them as they had hoped they would be and with Hawkeye he just seems to have got them into a whole mess of trouble.
Well I knew that Scourge couldn't take down Techno if the battle was going to continue directly from last issue until someone won the fight. I'm glad that Scourge realized he would have to put a little more work into defeating Techno. Seeing Techno in the first few pages is not what I expected to see and Scourge cutting off his arm to examine it and figure out a way to defeat him is great. The ending was certainly shocking with Scourge defeating Techno. I would have thought that there would have been something electrical involved to fry Techno's systems. I doubt that is the end of Techno and that he will still be around putting himself back together and maybe back in action by the time the title hits issue #50. The Thunderbolts will certainly wonder where Ogre went to when they get back to earth if Techno is pile of wires on the floor. On the last page it shows Techno close up and I've never noticed that Techno had things that looked like spiders on his hands before.
The moonstone origins are interesting but isn't that Guardians of the Galaxy name already taken by another team? The whole explanation by the Supreme Intelligence only makes Moonstone seem all the more like some psycho crazy person. If Moonstone has the stone that's the one for gravity she hasn't done much that would indicate it. Her ability to use her current powers is all that has increased. With the powers of gravity her powers would be more similar to Graviton. It's good to see the Supreme Intelligence tell the origin story and talk to Moonstone, as I quickly became a fan of the Supreme Intelligence in the Avengers title.
Its interesting that a time reference of five years is mentioned for the guy that's in a coma as there is problems that can be associated with issue of time in comics. Whether its five years marvel time or our real world time. I don't really have a problem with time and how it warps some things in comics but it will be interesting which five year reference will be used. If its five years marvel time there will certainly be a choice of many more older and obscure characters to use that turn out to be the guy that has awaken from a coma.
Now that Captain Marvel has shown up I hope Mach-2 doesn't get left to rot while Songbird goes crazy for Captain Marvel. Just because its one possible future doesn't mean it's the real future, things can always happen. I already don't like what the previews have said already about Captain Marvel. I'm more interested in the story that's taking place and the sub plots then whether Songbird will be chasing after Captain Marvel even though Songbird and Mach-2 are still together. That's just sad that would have to be selling point and how its being played out but I've always known the previews to be strange on occasion.
Overall this was better than last issue and now Scourge needs to pick a new Thunderbolt to go after. Maybe Scourge will have to take out whoever is in that bio-chamber again if it turns out to who it looks to be. That outline of the figure and views screens on energy characters seem to all point to the conclusion that Jolt is in the bio-chamber.
Thunderbolts and all associated characters are the property of MARVEL COMICS TM&©2003.