Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Part of the Fixer's tech pack re-emerges in the form of many guns surrounding Heinrich and his group. The Fixer buys time while the other Thunderbolts awaken. Once Moonstone is wakes up she tries to manipulate Heinrich's group. She eventually convinces Heinrich to let them leave. The Thunderbolts fly away wondering how they got to this world and Dallas/Atlas explains what is going on with them when Fixer questions them. Something is also happening within the Fixer's tech pack.
Meanwhile on the real Earth the V-Battalion talk about John Watkins III. The force that changed him is now gone and he now has complete control of his body. Roger Aubrey brings up concerns that when Baron Helmut Zemo controlled Watkins body he could have learned many things about their organization. Helmut Zemo used the Bio-modem to survive and now since the V-Battalion haven't found any trace of his bio-modem frequency John Watkins III wonders if Helmut Zemo is now dead.
In Pittsburgh, Hawkeye buys things at a local store and blames his shackles on a being part of a reality show. Once outside the chain gang looks to leave as soon as possible as Plant man has been able to use his powers in a non-violent way to get around the blocking power of the shackles. Cottonmouth shows a newspaper about the Thunderbolts battle with Graviton and since the authorities are no longer tied up with that situation they can concentrate on finding them. While on the road a Guardsman from Seagate Penitentiary lands in front of their car. Plant Man suggests a plan and it is left up to Hawkeye to decide what to do.
On another world the Thunderbolts try to blend in wearing clothing of that world to cover up. Their money is literally useless on this world and the city they are in is in bad condition.
Fixer gets a translator running and finds out people were wondering if Jolt was part of the Young Allies. Jolt puts the clues together since she encountered the Young Allies when she was with the Redeemers and concludes that the Thunderbolts are on Counter Earth. Jolt pleads again that this world needs heroes. Abe doesn't want any part of it and just wants to get back home and to see Melissa.
Tapping into German TV, fixer finds out that a satellite is going to be launched later in the week so the Thunderbolts have a chance to leave this world. Counter Earth has been in such bad shape that this is the first launch in two years. Once in the rocket the Thunderbolts could stay in space for six months and wait until the earth is in the same orbital path.
Abe decides that he is going to be on that rocket and leaves the others to decide what to do. Eventually all the Thunderbolts but the Fixer decide to follow Abe to the rocket. The Fixer is distracted by his Tech pack taking on a life of its own as wires come out of his tech pack. A screen is formed and on that screen is the face of Baron Helmut Zemo, he asks if Fixer will be in the rocket. First Helmut wants Fixer to help him get a new body. Helmut Zemo being alive in his tech pack surprises Fixer.
"Zemo?!"
Comments: The Thunderbolts end up on Counter-Earth and meet the Thunderbolts of that world while Hawkeye continues on his journey with the chain gang.
Alternate counterparts can be neat on different world and realities. The thunderbolts still form on Counter Earth and seem remarkably similar. Mach-1, Zemo, Jolt, Moonstone look-alike characters on the team, and ones that have been disposed on Earth, it was nice to see the two teams interact and some of the Thunderbolts falling into their roles. I really like the Fixer and glad he has a role in this book. Whatever incarnation he is in he's been a great character and always brought something to the title. Right after talking with Zemo Moonstone goes to her usual methods of trying to manipulate people. It looks like from this Phantom Eagle, and Makeshift had something going privately within the Counter Earth team of Thunderbolts.
The real Citizen V is now back and I wonder how much he will be like the Zemo influenced Watkins. I'm awaiting the next Citizen V limited series with interest to find out. As for Zemo, and the explanation of how he was in Watkins body, I wonder if that's it? Not the most complex explanation but I guess some of blanks can be filled in by my own mind. The bio-modem has been used again, didn't suspect something like that, but then my memory is rather hazy on just what the complete functions of the Bio-modem are and Zemo could have improved upon it. Exploring the complications of Zemo sharing Watkins body was something good to explore. For a secret organization this poses some problems. I wonder if Zemo does remember everything that he did as Watkins or did that journey to Counter Earth, scramble some of his memory and obscure the important details. If he still knows about the inner workings of their organization he's going to want to sink his teeth into them, cause them a lot of pain and trouble. "What difference does it make if he's finally dead?" Zemo dead? Ha, that's rather naive of Watkins; Zemo has a way of cheating death.
Clint continues the road trip with the chain gang. I laughed at him passing off his shackles as a reality TV show stunt. Whatever excuse works, and I can't think of a better one, and that show seems like something real that would be thought up. I haven't seen a journey much like this before so seeing Clint comprise himself for some greater good for S.H.I.E.L.D. has been quite the story so far. It's been good in the little pieces that have been given each issue.
Dallas/Erik's situation is further explained and something is going on with the Fixer's tech pack but the more interesting stuff is with the Thunderbolts bickering and encountering moral dilemmas like they have again in recent issues. Counter Earth is in bad shape as there is looting and cities are in ruin, Jolt and Dallas want to help, and Jolt even makes a reference to the Thunderbolts original scheme and how it's been twisted around on this world. Fixer and Moonstone seem like themselves on this world and Abe a little cold. Abe had it made though being a villain/hero, then no longer having a life with super heroes, and living a normal one with Melissa. Now he just wants to get home to continue that life. That's not too surprising and since Counter Earth is so messed up could the Thunderbolts save the entire world? If what they tried to accomplish on the real earth is any indication it's not likely that they can. It would take much more than a team to do something like that. So there just going to leave the crummy world for their better one, since besides they have not really been the Thunderbolts for a while, and Dallas doesn't even fit into with them.
Fixer's stuck with Zemo in his tech pack. Looks like the Fixer will be going off on his own for a bit to find Zemo a new body. If the Thunderbolts get on that launch and on their way to Earth without finding out about Zemo, it looks like a great situation for Zemo. A devastated Earth could be much easier to control than a real Earth with Heroes and other obstacles. With that in mind Fixer could stay behind with Zemo and help him if he wanted that kind of work since he seems willing to work with the Heinrich Zemo of Counter Earth earlier in the issue with a comment. Techno was called Zemo's lackey with their scheme to take over the world. Would Fixer want a role like this or something different? What rotten luck for Counter Earth if this comes to pass, first they had Dr. Doom only to get someone like Zemo in another part of the world.
With this saga coming to head in an issue or two at the most, I expect the Thunderbolts to run into the Counter Earth Thunderbolts again. Hopefully see what Melissa is up to on Earth and I wouldn't be all that surprised if she got a new carapace and was doing a little work for SHIELD, helping out at whatever is left of Mt. Charteris. Since the Redeemers program was such a resounding success the first time, with them being basically massacred, I wonder what the status of that program is with the Commission on SuperHuman Activities/SHIELD. Then there's the whole ball of wax with the Thunderbolts pardons, but that's all story fodder for another day.
Thunderbolts and all associated characters are the property of MARVEL COMICS TM&©2003.