Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Citizen V flies on his V-wing and saves a child and then her mother before continuing closer to the scene where Graviton was instead of leaving. Citizen V wonders just what he is doing when he should be leaving, and Zemo ponders about being in Watkins body. Citizen V finds Abe and Melissa and asks them for help in this crisis. Since the Vanguard is above earth's atmosphere Citizen V can't contact them, Abe uses his job with the Burton Canyon police to help Citizen V establish a link with the V-Battalion. In doing this Abe reveals his identity as Mach-1 and 2 to a couple of people at the police station. Citizen V also gets the V-Battalion to send down packages for Abe and Melissa.
At Avengers Mansion Atlas takes control of Dallas' body and leaves the confines of the wheelchair and heads to Burton Canyon.
Meanwhile Clint finds out that the driver died and the guards are unconscious when their transport van overturned. Plantman is distressed about what's happening to the earth and Clint finds out that Mentallo is within Headlok now. Clint starts issuing orders to the other three criminals that were with him. Cottonmouth decides to leave and in trying to do so their security manacles render them unconscious because they have to stay within a certain distance since they are linked.
Arriving at Mt. Charteris, Melissa, Abe, and Citizen V confront the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. officials. After a short discussion about violating the terms of pardons, and sanctions they go on their way to retrieve their packages.
Citizen V contacts the Fixer and makes him an offer to help them stop Graviton and in return Citizen will provide the Fixer with the government codes that bind his tech-pack.
Fixer distracts Graviton by attacking M'Reel but trying to hide the attack. This gives Citizen V, Abe, and Melissa the time they need for the package to crash to earth. Melissa and Abe get their new songbird and Mach-3 costumes and gear together.
Graviton investigates the attack on M'Reel but doesn't clue in. Moonstone figures it out and confronts Fixer. She wants to know how Fixer hurt M'Reel. Fixer shows her that M'Reel is channelling the power graviton uses somewhere. Fixer also mentions that Citizen V contacted him about attacking M'Reel and Moonstone gets upset about her plans being put in jeopardy. Moonstone is confronted with Fixer's logic and he attacks her on Citizen V's signal.
The Thunderbolts now in position they attack Graviton. Mach-3, Songbird, Atlas, and Citizen V stand ready to fight Graviton as Citizen V says...
"After all 'Justice, like lightning' is the rallying cry of the -- Thunderbolts!"
Comments: This issue was by far my favourite issue since #50. With the Redeemers disposed of the focus is cast on the former Thunderbolts. It's no coincidence that I liked this a lot with the return of the Thunderbolts.
I like the art more with each issue, and particularly that two-page spread with the many heroes. It's fun to take a moment to see who's in the crowd.
Graviton starts to put his grand plan into motion, and this time it doesn't look like he's going to be put down as easy, and it will result in much more destruction. While I would have liked to see some of the other Redeemers survive, the two more interesting characters Fixer and Citizen V are still around and for that I'm glad.
Zemo as Citizen V saves a child and continues his ongoing plotline. It looks like he's being influenced by the Watkins more than he knows. I certainly hope things turn out that way. Although Zemo admitted some things to himself in Thunderbolts #39 during his battle with Scourge, I can't see him taking a long walk down that road to redemption. Zemo is a true villain. In a class like the Red Skull, characters that will never see redemption, they are always going to be this way. Much like I expect Karla to always be somewhat manipulative, like she fell into with Graviton. It would also be really weird to see Zemo walking around as hero under his own free will. Redemption might suit other characters but not him, I like the many masquerades that have been in this title like Zemo is in now rather than the alternative of what he would eventually become.
It's interesting to see the original Thunderbolts confront each other since they have changed so much from their beginnings. While some have only been separated for a short time, it's been a long time since Zemo has interacted with Abe and Melissa. Zemo in his Citizen V disguise acts normal for a second and then crazy like himself the next, "Help me…or die!" That wasn't exactly necessary, Zemo is over doing it a little, and in the end Abe and Melissa would help.
The V-battalion sure keeps watch over the Thunderbolts, even having back up costumes and gear for them to use. Do they have back up stuff for other hero's? Or maybe they thought they might need the Thunderbolts someday to help them so they have the costumes just in case?
Abe's secret comes out to in contacting the V-Battalion too; this could have some far reaching effects, or could be kept in secret. The few officers around could keep the information to themselves but on some level would treat Abe differently. Much like Hawkeye being in jail, the general public doesn't have to particularly know about what is going on with the Thunderbolts.
The interlude with Kang was great, weaving some continuity between titles. If Kang is going about his business like he is in Avengers wherever this falls in the timeline of issues he should be interested in what Graviton is doing. For someone that doesn't read Avengers or doesn't know what's going on in the title it seemed more like a developing subplot for the title, usually things like that are covered in the little boxes or the letters page.
Atlas emerges again, only this time he takes control of Dallas' body. That's something different. It also adds another dual identity to the title, once one is removed along replaces it. Then there is Mentallo in Headlok's body. The title is always swimming in them, makes for plenty of fun.
Besides something unexpected Hawkeye's jailbreak seems to be going reasonably well. Mentallo steals Headlok's body, so I guess that part of the job went well, maybe he will find another body later. If Hawkeye even lets Mentallo get away with anything later, Hawkeye will have his own problems with the law. The security manacles pose a problem, an interesting security feature too but as long as they wake up in time and get them off its not that much of one. It would be interesting to see these four walking around within a small distance of each other if they can't get rid of their manacles, each wanting to go about their own business but having to stick together and not liking it.
The fixer working with Graviton and Moonstone isn't surprising since he's trying to save himself for now. Having the government codes that bind the tech-pack grants him more freedom so he goes along with Thunderbolts at least for now. He could develop a little of that wonder that Techno had about fixing a lot of challenging problems too if he sticks around.
For some reason when I saw M'reel channelling the energy that Graviton was using I thought of Kosmos. Finally find out M'reels there for something rather than just serving the 'master'. M'reel rescued Graviton for a reason and this looks like it. Kosmos, It’s a story that has been closed but sometime in the future Kosmos was supposed to try to invade earth. M'reel could helping them open a portal or something similar to start that invasion or he could every well be doing it for any planet of race. Even Planet Doom, it's not out of the question.
Poor, Poor, Moonstone, all her hard work is going to waste. After not finding a job to have a normal life she gets one with Graviton and resorts to her old tactics only to have all her planning ruined by the other Thunderbolts. Fixer gets to her with a good point, looks like she didn't fully look at this situation and was more ambitious then she usually is, plus she needed something to do after not finding a job. This gambit has developed into something much bigger and beyond her control.
The last page was classic, showing the Thunderbolts back in action; now much changed. I'm glad they are back and the focus is on them but I didn't expect to see them back this fast. To complete the team Zemo as Citizen V again, something that didn't seem probable to happen again after the original masquerade collapsed, but then I didn't expect to see the Redeemers massacred either so this title keeps surprising.
Looking to be a big brawl next issue with the Thunderbolts taking on Graviton, and then whatever M'reel has up his sleeve. Graviton has been built up quite a bit it should be interesting to see where this goes. I'll be looking forward to the character bits as well.
Thunderbolts and all associated characters are the property of MARVEL COMICS TM&©2003.