Back to GatefoldIssue #1 by Ben Jolly
|
Mt. Charteris in Colorado, the former base of the Masters of Evil, now home to the ex-'Masters', the superhero team known as the Thunderbolts! Only a few days after their victory over the miss-led super-villain Graviton, the two youngest T-Bolts: Jolt and Charcoal soared towards their base of operations. It was a bright, warm afternoon in the Eastern Rockies.
On a rocky crag across the valley from Charteris, Citizen V watched them through her binoculars. She would need to remove these two from the picture before making her move on the original Thunderbolts and their scum leader, Zemo. She smiled, her thoughts turning to the nasty revenge she had planned for those who had tarnished her grandfather's image. She watched as the Thunderbolts entered the mountain's hangar. Citizen V put down the binoculars and prepared to confront the two, when she heard a very audible humming emanating from the rock behind her.
"Where is everybody?" Asked Jolt, after she and Charcoal had looked around for a while.
"I dunno," replied her teammate. "Probably scouring the mountain for those elves. I'm gonna go grab a snack, 'Kay?"
"Alright. I want to see what's on. Maybe we can still catch the 'It's Amazing Show.' " Strolling into the living quarters of the base, Hallie Takahama turned on the TV. "What the..." she said, staring at the glowing screen. 'Breaking News' flashed across it, and the image showed the other T-Bolts--Moonstone, Songbird, and Atlas - fighting a large, bright yellow, humanoid object. The screen shifted to an anchorwoman reporting: "This is a WBNC live update, as the Thunderbolts struggle with a super-villain who experts confirm to be the 'Living Laser.' The Laser, along with several henchmen, attempted to rob a Tucson, AZ bank this afternoon. We go now to Henry Gyrich, an expert on the superhuman/mutant phenomenon. Mr.Gyrich?"
"Charcoal!" shouted Jolt, "we've gotta get to Tucson, pronto!"
"Huh? Tucson?" Asked the surprised Charcoal.
"C'mon, we'll just zip down there. Some guy called the Living Laser is down fighting everyone!"
They rushed out of the mountain, leaving the TV on.
##########
"Basically, Megan, these so-called 'heroes' are no better than mutants."
"Thank you, Mr. Gyrich. In related news, the superhuman containment facility known as 'the Vault' has been relocated to and reconstructed at an undisclosed location in Nevada. This new penitentiary is completely invulnerable, according to the architects. Nearly 20% of America's super-villain population will be transported there by next Tuesday. This is Megan McLaren, WBNC News, Los Angeles."
##########
Citizen V felt the rock around her vibrate as the humming turned into a roar. Suddenly, an enormous hovercraft appeared from behind her. She watched as it raced towards the departing Thunderbolts. The craft fired a series of laser-bolts at them, knocking both out of the sky. As they fell towards Earth, the gigantic ship moved towards the mountain and fired several missiles into the open hangar. There was a flash of light from deep inside the base, before everything exploded into flames. A huge blast of heat knocked Citizen V off her feet. Then, the hovercraft vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
Great, thought Citizen V. What should I do now?
She considered going after the departing ship in her engine-powered hang-glider. But she knew what had to be done. She picked up the hang-glider, and soared downward in the direction that Jolt and Charcoal had fallen.
##########
Meanwhile, somewhere in Nevada, specifically the top-secret installation known as the Vault, the workers who had stayed on to finish the last few details, celebrated a job well done.
"That was satisfying," said one of them, "I like helping the government put away them bad-guys."
"Yeah," said another. "Damn muties."
"C'mon, buddy, let's go head into town and get us some cool ones." Said the first to the third worker. He was incredibly tall and strong, but he hadn't said more than three words since they started work. He just grunted in response.
"See ya guys later," said the second worker, turning back inside. The two others walked towards an entrance, passing by a broom closet. The taller worker moved swiftly now, coming up behind his coworker. He struck the smaller man hard, on the back of his neck. "Kraaaak!" The man slumped down, and his 'buddy' shoved him into the closet. The larger man turned, and proceeded purposefully down the hall, into the depths of the Vault...
##########
Meanwhile, in Tucson.
"Ha! You call yourselves 'superheroes?' " shouted the Living Laser. "You can't defeat me! Why bother?" He shot off several waves of bright yellow energy at the attacking Thunderbolts: Moonstone, Songbird, and Atlas.
"Hey, Moonstone, I think he's right. Let's just give up and walk away from this one." said Atlas sarcastically. He dodged a bolt of energy, which the Laser was endlessly flinging at them.
"Are you mocking me?!?" Shouted the Laser. "I am power incarnate! I am invincible!" He was now rippling with energy, blowing away everything in sight. His lackeys sped off in an armored car, as mailboxes and fire hydrants were tossed at them by the Living Laser's energy storm.
"Laser, I'm beginning to think you have a 'superiority complex,'" said Moonstone, "Why don't you quit zapping me, and let's talk about this."
"I said, quit mocking me!" Screamed the Laser, glowing ever more brightly with power. Suddenly, a stop sign swung through the Living Laser's head. Behind him stood the Savage She-Hulk.
"What is this? You fools can't possibly hurt me!"
"She-Hulk?" Muttered Moonstone, under her breath, "What are you doing here?"
"I was in the city on business, representing a technician who's suing his employers, the Osborn Corporation." Said Jennifer Walters, dressed in a business suit, "But what are you people doing here? And more importantly, can I trust you?"
"Right now, lady, our biggest concern is stopping the Living Laser," said Atlas, "he's totally out of control." He leaped out of the way as another blast of pink energy flew towards him. "Whatever we're gonna do, we've got to do it fast," he shouted over the crackling sound that filled the air.
The Laser flung a beam towards She-Hulk, but Atlas picked the heroine up, carrying her to safety.
"Uh, thanks, I guess," she muttered.
"I've got an idea," Songbird shouted. She screamed at the Laser, her carapace converting the sound into solid energy. The pink energy enveloped the Laser, stopping him in his tracks.
"What the-" he shouted, his voice muffled by the cube of energy that was surrounding him.
"Good job, Songbird," said Moonstone, "but I think it's too late." She pointed at the growing crowd of cameramen and journalists, looking up at them. The bank's vault was nearly empty; the Laser's lackeys were long gone. "We'd better head back. Jolt and Charcoal will be wondering where we are, and I'm used to Hawkeye handling press conferences."
"I think we'd better get out of here," said Atlas, while dropping the Laser's prison into a Vault armored van, "the press doesn't look too thrilled."
"Hey She-Hulk! You want to come with us?" Asked Songbird, "The media's got it out for your cousin right now, maybe it'd be best if you disappear for a while."
"Sure, I've been thinking about getting back into the superhero business anyway," she said. Besides, she thought, this way I'll be able to see if these guys are on the level.
They rushed into the sky on Songbird's sonic platform, turning Northwest, towards Colorado.
##########
Back at the Vault, the tall worker approached a security checkpoint, where the one guard watched footage of the Laser's capture. He snuck up behind the guard, and quickly grabbed his neck, slamming him into the TV screen. He picked up the dead man's gun and moved into the secure access area.
##########
On the edge of the solar system, a fiery portal appeared, and the former herald of Galactus, Firelord, emerged.
"Are you there yet?" asked a voice in his head.
"No," he replied briskly, "and stay out of my head."
"I grow ever more weary of your insolence," gurgled the voice, "the one I seek is on the planet Earth, and I must have him. You will attack Earth, destroy anything and anyone who gets in your way."
"I'm already in Earth's atmosphere, heading for 'New York'"
"No! You must go to the city called 'Los Angeles.' That is where you will find the one known as Captain Marvel."
##########
In Colorado, Citizen V glided smoothly into a small town, where she had seen a large crowd gathering in front of a hospital. She landed her glider and watched the mob. They were protesting the two T-bolts being at the hospital.
"We don't want no stinkin' muties!" Shouted one of the protestors.
"Yeah," shouted another, "'specially them Thunderbolts!"
Quickly switching to civilian clothes, she strolled up to one of the onlookers and asked what was going on.
"Two of those horrible mutants just fell out of the sky," said the elderly woman, "Those religious people, the Triunes, are trying to save 'em, they already took the other one to a special hospital in Boulder, but one of them is still inside!"
"Triunes?" muttered Citizen V under her breath. The Triune Understanding was a popular theological group, gaining power and followers all over the world. But what would they want with one of the Thunderbolts?
She looked up into the sky and noticed the Thunderbolts returning to their base. Picking up her rocket-powered glider, she soared up, startling the crowds.
No point in revealing myself now, she thought.
##########
Deep in the Vault, the man opened a heavy door, inside the small room were several technicians. He shot at them, knocking all four over the piece of machinery they had been fixing. He walked up to a panel of buttons that opened the cells, and pressed it. Then he took a remote detonator out of his pocket and used it as well. Explosives planted in the walls during construction went off with an almost silent 'boom.' He felt the walls and floor vibrate as he walked away. He smiled knowing that he had blown open the Vault.
On a rocky crag across the valley from Charteris, Citizen V watched them through her binoculars. She would need to remove these two from the picture before making her move on the original Thunderbolts and their scum leader, Zemo. She smiled, her thoughts turning to the nasty revenge she had planned for those who had tarnished her grandfather's image. She watched as the Thunderbolts entered the mountain's hangar. Citizen V put down the binoculars and prepared to confront the two, when she heard a very audible humming emanating from the rock behind her.
"Where is everybody?" Asked Jolt, after she and Charcoal had looked around for a while.
"I dunno," replied her teammate. "Probably scouring the mountain for those elves. I'm gonna go grab a snack, 'Kay?"
"Alright. I want to see what's on. Maybe we can still catch the 'It's Amazing Show.' " Strolling into the living quarters of the base, Hallie Takahama turned on the TV. "What the..." she said, staring at the glowing screen. 'Breaking News' flashed across it, and the image showed the other T-Bolts--Moonstone, Songbird, and Atlas - fighting a large, bright yellow, humanoid object. The screen shifted to an anchorwoman reporting: "This is a WBNC live update, as the Thunderbolts struggle with a super-villain who experts confirm to be the 'Living Laser.' The Laser, along with several henchmen, attempted to rob a Tucson, AZ bank this afternoon. We go now to Henry Gyrich, an expert on the superhuman/mutant phenomenon. Mr.Gyrich?"
"Charcoal!" shouted Jolt, "we've gotta get to Tucson, pronto!"
"Huh? Tucson?" Asked the surprised Charcoal.
"C'mon, we'll just zip down there. Some guy called the Living Laser is down fighting everyone!"
They rushed out of the mountain, leaving the TV on.
##########
"Basically, Megan, these so-called 'heroes' are no better than mutants."
"Thank you, Mr. Gyrich. In related news, the superhuman containment facility known as 'the Vault' has been relocated to and reconstructed at an undisclosed location in Nevada. This new penitentiary is completely invulnerable, according to the architects. Nearly 20% of America's super-villain population will be transported there by next Tuesday. This is Megan McLaren, WBNC News, Los Angeles."
##########
Citizen V felt the rock around her vibrate as the humming turned into a roar. Suddenly, an enormous hovercraft appeared from behind her. She watched as it raced towards the departing Thunderbolts. The craft fired a series of laser-bolts at them, knocking both out of the sky. As they fell towards Earth, the gigantic ship moved towards the mountain and fired several missiles into the open hangar. There was a flash of light from deep inside the base, before everything exploded into flames. A huge blast of heat knocked Citizen V off her feet. Then, the hovercraft vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
Great, thought Citizen V. What should I do now?
She considered going after the departing ship in her engine-powered hang-glider. But she knew what had to be done. She picked up the hang-glider, and soared downward in the direction that Jolt and Charcoal had fallen.
##########
Meanwhile, somewhere in Nevada, specifically the top-secret installation known as the Vault, the workers who had stayed on to finish the last few details, celebrated a job well done.
"That was satisfying," said one of them, "I like helping the government put away them bad-guys."
"Yeah," said another. "Damn muties."
"C'mon, buddy, let's go head into town and get us some cool ones." Said the first to the third worker. He was incredibly tall and strong, but he hadn't said more than three words since they started work. He just grunted in response.
"See ya guys later," said the second worker, turning back inside. The two others walked towards an entrance, passing by a broom closet. The taller worker moved swiftly now, coming up behind his coworker. He struck the smaller man hard, on the back of his neck. "Kraaaak!" The man slumped down, and his 'buddy' shoved him into the closet. The larger man turned, and proceeded purposefully down the hall, into the depths of the Vault...
##########
Meanwhile, in Tucson.
"Ha! You call yourselves 'superheroes?' " shouted the Living Laser. "You can't defeat me! Why bother?" He shot off several waves of bright yellow energy at the attacking Thunderbolts: Moonstone, Songbird, and Atlas.
"Hey, Moonstone, I think he's right. Let's just give up and walk away from this one." said Atlas sarcastically. He dodged a bolt of energy, which the Laser was endlessly flinging at them.
"Are you mocking me?!?" Shouted the Laser. "I am power incarnate! I am invincible!" He was now rippling with energy, blowing away everything in sight. His lackeys sped off in an armored car, as mailboxes and fire hydrants were tossed at them by the Living Laser's energy storm.
"Laser, I'm beginning to think you have a 'superiority complex,'" said Moonstone, "Why don't you quit zapping me, and let's talk about this."
"I said, quit mocking me!" Screamed the Laser, glowing ever more brightly with power. Suddenly, a stop sign swung through the Living Laser's head. Behind him stood the Savage She-Hulk.
"What is this? You fools can't possibly hurt me!"
"She-Hulk?" Muttered Moonstone, under her breath, "What are you doing here?"
"I was in the city on business, representing a technician who's suing his employers, the Osborn Corporation." Said Jennifer Walters, dressed in a business suit, "But what are you people doing here? And more importantly, can I trust you?"
"Right now, lady, our biggest concern is stopping the Living Laser," said Atlas, "he's totally out of control." He leaped out of the way as another blast of pink energy flew towards him. "Whatever we're gonna do, we've got to do it fast," he shouted over the crackling sound that filled the air.
The Laser flung a beam towards She-Hulk, but Atlas picked the heroine up, carrying her to safety.
"Uh, thanks, I guess," she muttered.
"I've got an idea," Songbird shouted. She screamed at the Laser, her carapace converting the sound into solid energy. The pink energy enveloped the Laser, stopping him in his tracks.
"What the-" he shouted, his voice muffled by the cube of energy that was surrounding him.
"Good job, Songbird," said Moonstone, "but I think it's too late." She pointed at the growing crowd of cameramen and journalists, looking up at them. The bank's vault was nearly empty; the Laser's lackeys were long gone. "We'd better head back. Jolt and Charcoal will be wondering where we are, and I'm used to Hawkeye handling press conferences."
"I think we'd better get out of here," said Atlas, while dropping the Laser's prison into a Vault armored van, "the press doesn't look too thrilled."
"Hey She-Hulk! You want to come with us?" Asked Songbird, "The media's got it out for your cousin right now, maybe it'd be best if you disappear for a while."
"Sure, I've been thinking about getting back into the superhero business anyway," she said. Besides, she thought, this way I'll be able to see if these guys are on the level.
They rushed into the sky on Songbird's sonic platform, turning Northwest, towards Colorado.
##########
Back at the Vault, the tall worker approached a security checkpoint, where the one guard watched footage of the Laser's capture. He snuck up behind the guard, and quickly grabbed his neck, slamming him into the TV screen. He picked up the dead man's gun and moved into the secure access area.
##########
On the edge of the solar system, a fiery portal appeared, and the former herald of Galactus, Firelord, emerged.
"Are you there yet?" asked a voice in his head.
"No," he replied briskly, "and stay out of my head."
"I grow ever more weary of your insolence," gurgled the voice, "the one I seek is on the planet Earth, and I must have him. You will attack Earth, destroy anything and anyone who gets in your way."
"I'm already in Earth's atmosphere, heading for 'New York'"
"No! You must go to the city called 'Los Angeles.' That is where you will find the one known as Captain Marvel."
##########
In Colorado, Citizen V glided smoothly into a small town, where she had seen a large crowd gathering in front of a hospital. She landed her glider and watched the mob. They were protesting the two T-bolts being at the hospital.
"We don't want no stinkin' muties!" Shouted one of the protestors.
"Yeah," shouted another, "'specially them Thunderbolts!"
Quickly switching to civilian clothes, she strolled up to one of the onlookers and asked what was going on.
"Two of those horrible mutants just fell out of the sky," said the elderly woman, "Those religious people, the Triunes, are trying to save 'em, they already took the other one to a special hospital in Boulder, but one of them is still inside!"
"Triunes?" muttered Citizen V under her breath. The Triune Understanding was a popular theological group, gaining power and followers all over the world. But what would they want with one of the Thunderbolts?
She looked up into the sky and noticed the Thunderbolts returning to their base. Picking up her rocket-powered glider, she soared up, startling the crowds.
No point in revealing myself now, she thought.
##########
Deep in the Vault, the man opened a heavy door, inside the small room were several technicians. He shot at them, knocking all four over the piece of machinery they had been fixing. He walked up to a panel of buttons that opened the cells, and pressed it. Then he took a remote detonator out of his pocket and used it as well. Explosives planted in the walls during construction went off with an almost silent 'boom.' He felt the walls and floor vibrate as he walked away. He smiled knowing that he had blown open the Vault.