Back to GatefoldIssue #12 by Mike Exner III
THE TRIAD RESOLUTION Part 3: "All Shiny, Like New" |
Previously in Thunderbolts: The entire team assembled to fight the monstrous beast known as Pagan. After a minor skirmish, Pagan retreated, and the Thunderbolts scrambled to follow. Pagan led the T-Bolts to the Triune Understanding and fought him along with Triathlon and Lord Templar. The Thunderbolts held their own until the mysterious Jonathan Tremont turned the tide in the Triune's favor… and revealed himself as the villainous Proctor.
Atlas opened his eyes and immediately snapped them shut. His head was throbbing like a jackhammer. The last thing he remembered was masses of dirt and debris flying into his field of vision as Pagan burst from the ground and knocked him clear across the valley the Thunderbolts had been fighting him in.*
[* That punishing shot occurred last issue - David]
"The guy got me again," said Atlas and shook his head weakly. "Some powerhouse of the team I turned out to be."
"Don't feel too bad, big fella. We all got our tails handed to us," said a voice to his right and Atlas turned his vision towards it. Atlas' eyes widened at what he saw. All of the Thunderbolts were restrained in what looked like bubbles made of glass. She-Hulk was staring at him from her own bubble. She looked beaten… drained.
"Are you all right, Shulkie?" said Atlas as he got to his feet and pressed a hand to his own transparent prison. It didn't look like it would be too tough to break. Atlas tried to concentrate on utilizing his ability to grow but then paused when nothing happened.
"I'm fine, Atlas. Just a little tired. Proctor took a lot out of me," said She-Hulk as she watched Atlas finger the clear bubble that held him.
"Proctor?" Atlas said. "Who the hell is that? And why can't I use my powers?" and then paused as a door to his left slipped open and a man entered. Atlas watched as he crossed the room and stood in front of the captured Thunderbolts. He was clothed all in black with a long flowing cloak of black and red draped over his shoulders. His eyes flashed with a crimson hue and his hair hung down past his shoulders and was the color of a raven's wing.
"Greetings, Atlas… She-Hulk. As you have probably guessed by now, Josten… I am Proctor," said the man and then crossed to a display panel with multiple keypads sprouting from it. "The reason you can not utilize your special gifts is because of the unique nature of the stasis bubbles I am holding you in."
"So turn them off then, will you? I need to stretch my legs and kick your butt to the moon," said Atlas as he banged on the glass chamber.
"Amusing, Atlas. But I'm afraid your imprisonment is an unfortunate necessity," said Proctor as he typed commands into the keypad in front of him.
"And why is that?" said another voice and She-Hulk and Atlas turned to see Moonstone had awoken. Songbird and Mach-1 were also beginning to stir.
"You are all beginning to stir… excellent. I was hoping you would all recover before your deaths. I find it much more satisfying when an enemy is aware of their impending demise," said Proctor and then pressed a button on the keyboard.
"How are you doing this, Proctor? How are you even here? You're supposed to be dead!" said She-Hulk and Proctor began to laugh.
"Wait… wait just one second here. What the hell are you guys talking about?" said Abe and She-Hulk looked in his direction.
"Proctor is Dane Whitman from an alternate Earth, Abe. The Avenger known as the Black Knight," said She-Hulk and Proctor narrowed his eyes. "At one point he married the Sersi of that world and became her Gann Josin. Some sort of symbiotic bond that mutated him into the form you see now. But the Sersi of that world left Proctor and it drove him mad. He killed her and destroyed his world in the process. Then for years he traveled from world to world killing the Eternal on every world he visited. And every world was destroyed in his wake. He recruited followers from the ravaged worlds… followers he called Gatherers. And then finally he traveled to this world… after learning that it was the prime reality. But Sersi killed him with the ebony blade. It claimed his soul. He should be dead."
Proctor began to laugh again. "Your grasp of my story is impressive, Jennifer. And I was dead, for a time. For a single moment I was not of this or any other Earth. When the wench known as Sersi slipped the ebony blade into my heart… I passed from this realm. But then an amazing thing happened. The Watcher from my Earth… the one I used to travel from world to world, un-did everything that happened. The buildings I destroyed were restored. The famous Avenger's mansion was restored in its traditional architectural design. The bridge that Sersi destroyed in her fit of madness was restored as well."*
[*It all took place in Marvel's Avengers Volume One: #375 - David]
"My god," said She-Hulk and Proctor nodded.
"Yes…" Proctor said. "Even a being of infinite power and wisdom can make mistakes, She-Hulk. The rebuilding of the Avenger mansion in its old design is proof enough of that. The Watcher was old and dying. So when the Watcher undid all the damage that had occurred… the Watcher restored everything. Including me."
"When I awoke," Proctor said. "I surmised what had happened. But without the Watcher to take me to alternate worlds… I was unable to recruit any more Gatherers for my cause."
"Gatherers?" said Mach-1 as he struggled to re-rout power to his armor.
"Yes, Abe Jenkins. As She-Hulk said… I traveled from world to world and recruited followers. But for a member of an alternate world to remain sane upon this prime Earth, the counterpart from the prime reality had to be gathered onto the alternate version."
"Killed… you mean," said She-Hulk with venom in her voice. Proctor simply smiled.
"In any case… with my ability to recruit Gatherers rotting somewhere off in space, I went to a safe house where I had kept two of my Gatherers in stasis. You've met them both. Pagan and Lord Templar," said Proctor as he continued to manipulate the keypad in front of him. "They were both powerful heroes on their world. You might be familiar with their counterparts… Bruce Banner and Stephen Strange."
"You've got to be kidding me," said Atlas. "At least now I don't feel so bad about having my butt handed to me on a silver platter."
"But the Hulk and Doctor Strange are both alive and kicking in this reality," said Moonstone from her stasis bubble. "How is it possible for these Gatherers to stay sane? Or you for that matter, Proctor? The Black Knight is very much alive."
"Both excellent questions, Moonstone," said Proctor as the machinery inside the complex began to hum and shiver around the T-Bolts. "But once I realized that Lord Templar was the counterpart to the Sorcerer Supreme… I ordered the powerful mage to devise a way to keep us stable until we could grow strong enough to destroy the Avengers and hunt down the true Doctor Strange and Hulk."
"You plan on taking out the Avengers, Doctor Strange and the Hulk with those yahoos?" said Atlas and Proctor raised his head. "Proctor… buddy… amigo… I love you and all. But you have got to be crazy."
"Silence, fool," said Proctor and his eyes flashed with crimson. A line of energy burst forth from his eyes and struck Atlas in the chest through the stasis bubble. Atlas collapsed to his knees. "My plans will not be mocked, Atlas. The devices that are holding you will drain you of your power and add it to my own. When that happens… the insanity that pulls at my mind will no longer matter. And as for my Gatherers… I have strengthened our numbers with recruits from this world."
"What are you talking about, Proctor," said She-Hulk. "What recruits?"
"Triathlon has made a fine recruit. The Olympic sprinter turned superhero by me when I learned of the potential he had within him," Proctor said. "Manipulating his mind was simple enough. As was the manipulation I used to bring your Jolt and Charcoal into the fold."
"No. I don't believe it," said Songbird and Proctor looked in her direction.
"I'm afraid it is true, my dear Melissa. And when the two youths return from their patrol of the grounds… they will show you themselves."
# # # # # # # # # #
Miguel Santos peered out from the bushes he had awoken in and tried to remember how he had gotten there. He stepped from the bushes and stretched his muscles. His head was killing him and he reached up to feel the back of his skull. A large knot had formed on his head and felt swollen and raw.
The last thing he remembered was fighting a monster with Moonstone in the mountains. A huge rock had cracked off his head and knocked him unconscious. But there was nothing but the barren ground of a dry field surrounding him now. He definitely wasn't in the mountains anymore.
"What the hell is going on?" said Miguel to himself as he stepped into the clearing. He focused his energies and changed into his Living Lightning form. Miguel took to the air and traveled in a high arc over the region.
He spotted the Triune Understanding complex and the two people walking around it almost immediately. Living Lightning slipped low to the ground at the speed of light and changed back to Miguel. He darted behind a bush and watched Jolt and Charcoal as they continued to patrol the grounds.
"Something wrong with this picture," said Miguel as he watched the two heroes file into the doors of the Triune complex. Miguel changed back into his Living Lightning form and shot into the air again. Whatever was going on… it was almost positive that the Triune Understanding was responsible for the disappearance of Charcoal and Jolt. Where the rest of the Thunderbolts were, Miguel didn't know. But he had a feeling that if he followed Hallie and Charlie… he'd find out soon enough.
# # # # # # # # # #
"I don't know what it is you expect to accomplish by doing this, Gyrich," Ogre said as he struggled against the restraints pinning him to his lab chair. "The Thunderbolts have reformed. They are very much heroes now."
"Don't make me laugh, fat boy," Gyrich said. "I don't care if those bastards are out feeding the homeless. They've committed crimes and they're going to pay for them. You think fighting a couple super-villains earns you a free pass in this world? I've got news for you. It doesn't amount to squat."
"I'm not saying the Thunderbolts haven't sinned in the past," Ogre said. "But they're genuinely doing good now. You have to acknowledge that."
"I don't have to acknowledge a damn thing," Gyrich said. "To be perfectly honest with you, Ogre. I think the Thunderbolts have done more harm than good since they were conceived. The property damage on the West Coast alone will attest to that."
Ogre frowned and glared at Gyrich. "If it wasn't for the Thunderbolts… the property damage would be a lot worse. And you know it, Gyrich. I can see it in your eyes. You know what you're doing is wrong and you're just afraid to admit it."
Gyrich sneered and then placed a hand on Ogre's shoulder. "If I were you, Ogre… I'd keep my mouth shut from now on. I'm not afraid of anything. Especially not those super-powered freaks you call friends. When the Thunderbolts return my transport ship will be waiting for them. Guardsmen will pour out of the belly of the ship like the blessed animals of Noah's Arc. The Thunderbolts will be overrun… overwhelmed. And there is nothing… nothing that you can do about it."
A muffled chuckle came from above. "You boys and your ego trips."
Gyrich and Ogre both blinked. They looked up to the ceiling and their mouths fell open.
A figure sat perched on the myriad of pipes and cable twisting throughout the air in Ogre's lab. Her dark purple cape hung loosely from her shoulders and her white facemask shined with a dull light. Both men recognized her immediately.
"I remember when I was a little girl and my older brothers played the exact same game you two are playing now. Cowboys and Indians, I believe it was called. Just a pathetic testosterone fest, if you ask me. I was never allowed to play," Citizen V said. "What do you say, guys? Have I finally earned my right to play with the men-folk?"
"Guards!" Gyrich spluttered and made a dash for the door. Citizen V dropped down and kicked Gyrich squarely in the small of his back. Gyrich stumbled as the door to Ogre's lab opened and two CSA Guardsmen lumbered in.
"I guess I'll take that as a yes," Citizen V said and smirked beneath her mask. "Thank god you boys are here. The guy with the red hair is trespassing, disturbing the peace… and I think he has some kind of fetish for tying up small old men."
"Stop her, you idiots," Gyrich said. "And make it hurt."
"You know just the right buttons to push, baby," Citizen V said as she leapt into the air over the twin energy blasts fired by the first Guardsman. "If I didn't know any better… I'd say you were flirting with me."
"Keep dreaming, you freak," Gyrich snarled and then pushed at the back of the second Guardsman. "What are you waiting for? Get in there and take her out!"
"I hate it when a man gets too anxious, Gyrich," Citizen V said as she unsheathed her sword. "You know what that translates into, don't you?"
"Shut her up! Kill her for all I care… just shut her up!" Gyrich said as the Guardsmen lunged for the woman clad in purple. Citizen V whipped her cutlass in a shallow arc and cut through the armor of the first Guardsman.
"As I was saying… It translates into a lack of stamina in the sack. A propensity to fire off a little soon," Citizen V said as the armor of the first Guardsman rained a sea of sparks onto the floor. The Guardsman fell to the ground as the second leveled his palms at Citizen V. "You wouldn't happen to have a problem with that. Would you, Gyrich?"
The Guardsman's energy blasters opened and he fired. Citizen V angled her sword and the blast ricocheted back to the source. The Guardsman was blown back into the wall and fell unconscious.
"See? Firing off too soon is never a good thing," Citizen V said as she walked towards Gyrich. "Now don't you wish you had thought out this assault a little better? You come here with six Guardsmen because you can travel faster and take that fancy tracking unit with you… then you go and send four of them to rendezvous with the same ship full of soldiers you left behind. Not to bright, Petey."
Gyrich spit at the mask of Citizen V. "Go to hell."
"Sure thing, Pete… sure thing." Citizen V said as she rubbed the spittle off of her mask with the sleeve of her outfit. "Just a couple things I've got to take care of first. Sleep well, ok?"
Citizen V brought the hilt of her sword down onto Gyrich's head and knocked the man cold.
"That transport ship will be here soon," Citizen V said as she crossed the room towards Ogre. She whipped out her sword and cut through the restraints that bound him. "If we're going to get out of here alive… we'd better get moving."
Ogre narrowed his eyes. "I can't say that I trust you, miss V. Why are you doing this? You've battled the Thunderbolts in the past and I don't see any reason why you'd come to their aid now."
"Trust me or don't, Ogre," Citizen V said as she began to move towards the door to Ogre's lab. "I'm not sticking around here in the hopes that the T-Bolts beat the CSA back in time to save our bacon. Bye."
Ogre watched as Citizen V left out of the open door to his lab. He looked at the downed Guardsmen… then to Gyrich.
"Oh, the hell with it," Ogre said and then moved to follow Citizen V. He paused for just a moment at the slumped form of Henry Peter Gyrich and smiled.
"Fat boy, indeed," Ogre said and then gave Gyrich a swift kick in the ribs. "Citizen V! Wait for me!"
# # # # # # # # # #
"Mach-1… if I could have a word with you," Proctor said as he peered intently at the screen in front of him. "Could I ask what you're doing with a government-issued tracking device placed in your armor?"
"What?" Moonstone said as Mach-1 lifted his head from his knees. "What is he talking about, Abe?"
"I have no freaking idea," Mach-1 said. "The CSA gave me the armor. The tracking device must have come built-in."
"A tracking device fitted onto your own armor that you didn't notice?" Moonstone said. "I find that a bit hard to believe, Abe."
"Wait a second, Karla," Atlas said. "I'm sure there's a rational explanation. This is Abe. It's not like he's some traitor or something. He's one of us."
"Well, traitor or not. I can't have the Commission on Superhuman Activities knocking down my door," Proctor said. "Please hold still for just a moment, Abe."
"What are you going to do to him, Proctor?" Songbird said.
"Think of it like running your shiny new Mercedes-Benz through the car wash," Proctor said as he pressed a series of keys on his pad. Mach-1 went stiff and began to shudder violently. "In just a few minutes Mach-1 will be as good as new."
As abruptly as the process had begun, it ended. Abe Jenkins collapsed to the ground and waves of heat rose from his armor.
"You almost boiled me alive, you maniac!" Mach-1 said as he struggled to his feet.
"Stop overreacting, Jenkins," Proctor said. "The tracking device was far less durable than your stunning armor. If I had tampered with it in any other way, your armor would have self-destructed. Heating it to the point of meltdown was the only way to destroy it without ending your miserable little life."
"Still the scientist, eh, Proctor? Still as brilliant as Dane in so many ways," She-Hulk muttered from her circular prison. "If only you could use that keen intellect towards benefiting mankind instead of your own pointless vendettas."
"I would hardly call being ran through by my own sword by a woman who once called me husband a pointless vendetta, She-Hulk," Proctor said. "There is a very thin line between love and hate. I crossed that line a long time ago. I will not be satisfied until Sersi lies dead at my feet with the Black Knight by her side."
"Easier said than done," Atlas said. "You haven't even taken care of us yet."
"Oh, real nice, Erik" Moonstone said. "Remind the big bad guy that we're all still alive and kicking so he can activate whatever insane scheme he has to take care of us."
Proctor frowned. "You fools are even more volatile than the Avengers when I manipulated them into believing Sersi was a murderess. If it wasn't for the potential of your younger members, this mission would hardly be worth the annoyance you heroes are causing me."
"Where are Jolt and Charcoal, Proctor?" Moonstone said. "You told us that you had converted them into Gatherers. So where are they? If they're so loyal to you then show us."
"As you wish, Moonstone," Proctor said as he pressed another button on the control panel before him. "Allow me to introduce you to the newest incarnation of the Gatherers."
A huge panel slid away from the wall and all of the Thunderbolts turned their heads to watch as five figures draped in shadow stepped into the light.
"No… it can't be," Songbird said.
Proctor smiled and stepped away from the control panel. "But it is, Songbird. It most assuredly is."
The Thunderbolts watched as Jolt led the way for the five figures entering the room. Lord Templar and Triathlon followed close behind the young girl and Charcoal and Pagan brought up the rear.
"The spark of the Thunderbolts and the burning man both belong to me."
# # # # # # # # # #
Baron Zemo and Techno both watched the scarred mass of Mount Charteris intently as Citizen V and Ogre lifted into the air on Citizen V's hovering V-Wing.
"It appears I was correct in assuming that Citizen V would be triumphant, Techno," Zemo said. "That fool Gyrich left his flank embarrassingly open and the woman capitalized easily."
"Yeah, you're always right on cue, boss," Techno said as he crafted a set of binoculars from his mechanized body and placed them in front of the Baron's line of sight. "You are definitely the man!"
"Silence, Techno. Your prattle grows increasingly bothersome to me," the Baron said as he pushed the binoculars away from his face. "Stop wasting time and form your remarkable body into some sort of transportation device."
"We're going to follow the old guy and the babe?" Techno said and Zemo glared at him.
"The Thunderbolts will not return to their headquarters now that Gyrich and the Commission know where it is," Zemo said. "The old one will no doubt contact his team and make arrangements for them to rendezvous with him. If we follow the woman and her companion, we will find the Thunderbolts. It is that simple."
"And when we find them…?" Techno said and Baron Zemo smiled beneath his mask.
"The Thunderbolts have dishonored the name of my family, Techno. The name of Zemo," the Baron said. "When we find them… my vengeance shall hold no bounds."
# # # # # # # # # #
"The preparations are made, Thunderbolts," Proctor said as he moved to his control panel once more. "I have enjoyed the time we've spent together. When I take my revenge on the Avengers, I'll be sure to mention the aid you've given me today. Each of your unique energy signatures will increase my power exponentially. There will no longer be a mental frailty limiting my control of the Gatherers. And there will be no physical opposition worthy enough to face me. Not Sersi, not Iron Man, not even Thor will be able to touch my strength… my power."
"Just so you know," Atlas said as he threw his body against the spherical container surrounding him. "You really suck."
"Appropriate last words for one of your limited intelligence, Atlas," Proctor said and then pressed a button on the control panel. A great shuddering sounded throughout the entire complex and a blinding flash of energy struck each captured Thunderbolt from multiple ports in their capsules.
Proctor watched with the simple interest of a scientist as each Thunderbolt cried out in agonized pain. His red-rimmed eyes flicked to a viewing screen and Proctor smiled. The energy was growing dramatically, even more than he had expected. The ionic energy of Atlas, the cosmic energy of Moonstone, the harmonic energy of Songbird, the gamma irradiated energy of She-Hulk, the raw power of Mach-1's armor. It truly was an amazing wealth of power that the Thunderbolts possessed. It was almost a shame to think of individuals with such a diverse range of energy committing their lives to lesser beings. But soon that power would belong to Proctor. Nothing would stand in his way after absorbing the veritable cornucopia of energy signatures that would soon be available to him.
Suddenly there was the crackle of intense electrical energy as a fierce, glowing line of lightning shot into the control panel directly in front of Proctor. The entire system erupted in an explosion that sent Proctor hurtling across the room.
Proctor slammed into the far wall of the complex and was only able to watch as a spike of energy fed back through the spherical capsules the T-Bolts were captured within and ruptured the containers. The energy drain immediately ceased and the Thunderbolts dropped to the ground.
"Oh, hell," Proctor said. "I just knew something like this was going to happen."
"I'll tell you what else is going to happen, amigo," Living Lightning said as he flashed down to the ground and stood menacingly over the fallen villain. "The Thunderbolts are about to take you down!"
"The young dashing hero to the rescue, I presume?" Proctor said. "Don't look now… but you're about to be punched in the back of the head by a fist as hard as diamonds."
"What…?" Miguel said, but got out nothing more as Charcoal crashed into the young hero from behind. Living Lightning crashed into the same wall Proctor had struck moments before and slumped to the ground unconscious once again.
"Excellent job, Charles," Proctor said as he got to his feet. "There's hope for you yet."
"Charlie. No," Songbird said as she took to the air. A blur of motion caught her vision and Melissa Gold gazed down just in time to see Triathlon jump into the air and slam his foot into Songbird's chest. All the air rushed out of Songbird and she plummeted to the ground in a heap.
"You shouldn't have done that," Mach-1 said. "When she gets up all them fancy moves of yours aren't going to amount to much."
"They do just fine for me, Abe," Jolt said as she landed on the Thunderbolt from above.
"Hallie?" Abe said. "Stop this, girl. You're stronger than Proctor. I know it."
"Shut up and fight," Jolt said as she gripped Mach-1's helmet with her hands and sent electricity buzzing through his armor.
"Sorry, babe," Mach-1 said with a smile, "insulated."
"Get off of him, Jolt," Moonstone said as she fired at Pagan full force and then sank into the ground. Pagan pounced on the spot Karla had been and clawed at the ground.
"Look up, Bruce," She-Hulk said and then connected hard with a right fist to Pagan's jaw. The monster flew through the air and rammed into the spherical containers that had held the T-Bolts.
"Templar, destroy these fools," Proctor roared and then Moonstone rose from the ground below his feet.
"It sounds like you're losing it a little bit there, Proctor," Moonstone said with a snide grin. "I hope all this fighting isn't doing any harm to your flimsy grip on sanity."
"Silence, woman," Proctor said. "I am Proctor. I can destroy you all."
"Whatever," Moonstone said and then fired concussive blasts of heat into Proctor's face. The villain was rocked back but did not fall. Moonstone gaped in shock as smoke rose from the flesh of Proctor's face. The villain was unscathed… and his eyes seethed with insane rage.
"Die!" Proctor shouted and twin beams of red energy erupted from his eyes. Moonstone went intangible just in time and the shots passed through her, slamming into the slowly recovering Pagan.
"Nice shot, Proctor," Atlas said as he traded punches with Charcoal and tried to keep him away from the rest of the Thunderbolts. "Whose side are you on anyway?"
"Shut up! All of you!" Proctor screeched. "I am the master of this domain. Soon I will be master of the world!"
"And you're as nutty as a fruitcake on Christmas morning," Mach-1 said as he dodged a shot of electricity from Jolt and peppered the ground with rubber bullets aimed for Lord Templar.
"Proctor! You must calm yourself," Lord Templar said as he approached Proctor. "The strain of this battle is too great. Allow me to meld with you and I will temper your mind."
Lord Templar rushed forward and the Thunderbolts were powerless to stop him as he fused with Proctor.
"No!" Proctor screamed and then Lord Templar was screaming alongside him as a crimson energy field began to tear the sorcerer's body apart. "I don't need to be tempered. I don't need anything. I don't need you, Templar!"
"My god," Mach-1 said as Jolt and the rest of the combatants turned toward the tremendous outpouring of power. "He's killing him."
"We've got to stop him!" Jolt said and then turned to Mach-1. "C'mon, Abe. Don't just stand there. Help me!"
Mach-1 blinked as he looked into Jolt's eyes. They were clear and focused. "Jolt? Is it really you?"
"Of course it's me!" Jolt said with a frown on her face. "Who else would it be? Now c'mon. We've got to…"
"No, Jolt. Hold back," Moonstone said as she hovered over to where the rest of the T-Bolts stood. "Proctor is losing his grip on reality. Both you and Charlie have broken free of his control. Even Triathlon has stopped fighting."
"But…" Jolt began but then was silenced as an inhuman roar sounded throughout the complex. The Thunderbolts all turned in the direction of Pagan as he shambled to his feet.
"Proctor!" Pagan roared. "You manipulated me into doing your bidding. You put me through tortures and spells designed to change me into even more of a monster than I was before. I'll kill you for what you've done to me!"
"Bruce! Don't!" She-Hulk shouted as Pagan leapt to his feet and collided with Proctor head on. The two combatants exchanged blows as the dissipating energy that was all that was left of Lord Templar faded away.
"I have destroyed the Sorcerer Supreme, behemoth!" Proctor said. "What makes you think a buffoon like you has any hope against me?"
"Because I'm the Hulk, you bastard," Pagan said as he lifted Proctor into a great bear hug. "And Hulk is the strongest there is!"
The Thunderbolts watched as Pagan leapt into the air again and carried both men into the energy matrix Proctor had planned to use to transfer the powers of the Thunderbolts into himself. Pagan reached for one of the electrical nodes jutting from the matrix and crushed it in his mighty grip.
"Don't, you fool," Proctor said as Pagan shuddered from the overload of energy suffusing his being. "The matrix is unstable. You'll kill us both!"
"That's the idea, jerkwad," Pagan said. "I don't want to live in a world that isn't my own. And you… you just don't deserve to live."
"Bruce!" She-Hulk called and Pagan turned.
"Get… out of here," Pagan said as blood spilled from his eyes and nostrils. "This p-place is going to blow and… you don't want to be around… when it happens. I'm s-sorry, Jennifer. Say hi to the big green when you see him. G-give him one… for me."
"She-Hulk, we've got to get the hell out of here," Moonstone said as she and the other Thunderbolts began to scramble for the door. But She-Hulk simply stood where she was, motionless.
"Atlas," Moonstone said. "Grab your girlfriend and Triathlon and move! I don't want to stick around for the fireworks."
"You said it, boss lady," Atlas said and grabbed both Triathlon and She-Hulk in his massive grip. Atlas turned for the exit to the complex and began to take long strides after his fleeing comrades. Explosions rocked the lab and She-Hulk watched as Pagan gripped Proctor in a deadly embrace… until there was too much smoke for her eyes to see anymore.
# # # # # # # # # #
"Well, Triathlon," Moonstone said as the Thunderbolts flew over Arizona on their way back home. "I see no need for the authorities to hear about anything you partook of with Proctor as long as you see no need for them to know we had anything to do with the destruction of the Triune Understanding complex."
"I still can't believe it was all just a hoax concocted by some power-mad goon from an alternate dimension," Triathlon said. "I mean, is it just me, or does this seem way too Twilight Zone for everybody?"
"Believe it, pal," Mach-1 said as he arced over to the sonic platform Triathlon was riding on. "I'm getting news reports from all over the country about followers of the Triune Understanding snapping out of it as if from some sort of dream."
"Or mind-control," Atlas said and grimaced.
Living Lightning arched an eyebrow. "You ok, big guy? You don't look so hot."
"Tell your boy, the briquette," Atlas said with a grin. "He's the one with the scalding fists the size of boulders."
"I was being mind-controlled, Atlas," Charcoal said. "But if you keep calling me briquette…"
"Enough you two… all of you," Moonstone said. "Triathlon, I'm sorry for your loss. All of us have found ourselves thrust into this situation for one reason or another. We'd be glad to have you enter the fold if you were willing."
"Karla?" Mach-1 said. "Is that you?"
"Shut up, Abe." Moonstone said. "Triathlon is a competent fighter without a home. My offer is nothing more than an opportunity for him to earn redemption. We all deserve it in one form or another."
Moonstone looked to Triathlon. "What do you say, Delroy?"
"It's a nice offer, Moonstone," Triathlon said. "But I think any redeeming I do is going to be on my own terms. I appreciate it, but you can all let me off right here. I've got to do things on my own for a change. No steroids… no fancy cults dressed up to be something they're not. Just me."
"I hear that, man," Atlas said as Songbird surrounded Triathlon in a pink sphere of solid sound. "Good luck."
"Thanks… all of you," Triathlon said as he began to descend. "If you ever need help from a guy with three times the potential and skill of any other guy… let me know."
"Well, I suppose that takes care of that," Moonstone said. "We've got our team back together and everything is running smoothly for a change."
"Not everything, Moonie," a voice said from above and the T-Bolts looked into the air to see Citizen V hovering on her V-Wing with sword drawn.
"Thunderbolts! Scatter," Moonstone ordered. "Don't give her a chance to attack."
"Wait, T-Bolts," another voice called out from below and the Thunderbolts looked down at the hovering form of Ogre. A jetpack was strapped loosely around his back and it sputtered and coughed out a stream of exhaust.
"Ogre, my man," Mach-1 said. "It looks like that thing might die any minute. Get up here before you run out of gas."
Ogre lifted higher into the air and landed on the sonic platform holding the T-Bolts. Citizen V also lowered her V-Wing as She-Hulk and Moonstone eyed her warily.
"Still no trust from the Thunderbolts after all I've done?" Citizen V said. "I would think rescuing your engineer and finding you a new place of residence free from the watching eyes of the CSA would be an endeavor worthy of a little grace."
"What are you babbling about?" Songbird said and Ogre cleared his throat.
"Gyrich invaded the mountain while you were gone, Thunderbolts," Ogre said. "He had some way of tracking you down."
"All taken care of, Ogre," Mach-1 said with a smile. But he noticed the way Karla's eyes fell on him suspiciously.
"Whatever the case may be," Ogre continued, "Citizen V rescued me from Gyrich's clutches. If it weren't for her intervention, who knows what Gyrich might have done."
"Well, as grateful as we are to Citizen V," Moonstone said. "I think we can take it from here."
"No. You can't," Citizen V said and the T-Bolts turned to look at her again. "The CSA know where you live. They're hunting you down like dogs. You need a base. I have one. Ogre scouted it out himself. I'm willing to give it to you free of charge. All I ask in return is the chance to join your team. You offered it to that fine gentleman just moments before. Surely you have room on the roster."
"Look, Citizen V," She-Hulk said. "I don't know who you think you are, but…"
"Done," Moonstone said and She-Hulk turned in her direction and looked at her incredulously. "She's right, She-Hulk. We need a base. She has one. The V-Battalion is out of commission and she has no one to turn us into now."
"What about the CSA?" Mach-1 said. "Or have you conveniently forgotten about them, Karla? This could be a set-up."
"If it is, Abe. We'll take care of that situation when and if it arises," Moonstone said and then looked to Citizen V. "We need your resources, Citizen V. But if your acceptance into this team places any of the members in the crosshairs of the CSA… you'll find yourself in my crosshairs. I promise you that."
"Understood," Citizen V said and Moonstone smiled.
"Good," Moonstone said. "Then tell us where this base of yours is. Because I've got a feeling the Thunderbolts are about to embark on a whole new era. And I'm hoping to start it off in style."
"Amen to that," Atlas said and leaned back onto the pink chariot Songbird formed around her teammates. Citizen V muttered directions to Songbird and she turned the chariot westward… where it flew into the brilliance of the setting sun and was lost from sight.
# # # # # # # # # #
Next Issue: A new era begins. Put on some clean underwear. The Thunderbolts are still pursued by the CSA and Baron Zemo. Citizen V is once more a member of the Thunderbolts. The T-Bolts have a spanking new pad. Expect the unexpected. That's what Justice… like Lightning is all about. You never know where it might strike next.
# # # # # # # # # #
Lightning Strikes
So here we are at the end of my final issue of Thunderbolts. It has been one hell of a pleasure delivering these issues to Marvel 2000 and I hope it has been just as much fun for all of you reading out there. I've left the Thunderbolts as well off as I can… who knows what another writer will bring to the table next. I've still got some stories to tell with these characters. Maybe some day I'll return to ride the lightning once again. Until then, thanks for sticking with me, and hopefully I'll see you all again when the Thunderbolts are ready for me.Now how about one final letter to grace our pages before we ride off into the sunset like our faithful heroes? This lone, solitary letter comes from Russ Anderson. Russ writes such excellent fanfic tales as Scarlet Spider and Fallen Angels here at M2K. One day I'm sure he'll tell me the secret to his amazing storytelling skill so I can exploit it. Until then, just read this letter and wonder at his talent for making me look good.
Whoo-eee. Mike sure can spin a plot twist, can't he?
See? Making me look good already. Told you.
This issue, which was already really well-scripted, ends on a note that should have anyone familiar with the last ten years or so of Avengers scratching their heads in bafflement. I've known this revelation was coming up for a while, but I have no idea how or why the villain who finally makes his presence felt at issue's end is still among the living. Quite a shocker.
Well, you know now, Russ. I don't know if it was the most rational or brilliant reason in all of fanfic comicdom for bringing a baddie back from the realm of super-villain limbo, but hey, it worked, right? Hopefully the ending of my run was just as satisfying for you as the end of issue #11.
I mentioned the scripting already, but let me elaborate: This was probably the most well-scripted issue Mike's done on this title to date. All of the characters had their own voices, and there was enough good dialogue to keep me glued to the screen throughout. Occasionally this title seems to fall into the trap of its own convoluted history... meaning sometimes it's necessary for the writer (whether that be Mike or the previous 2) to spend an overbearing amount of time on recap and explanation. Mike dodged that bullet this issue, and just gave us a whole lot of carefully-orchestrated action and some wild surprises to cap them off with.
I've been working to improve my dialogue and I think a team book helps with that more than anything else I've ever written. So many characters to write with… and so little space to accomplish it in. It's a wonder I don't just wig out and start typing jibberish. I mean, I'm a talented guy, but even I have limshergpopbefuddle.
The Scorpion interlude was a surprise, as we haven't heard from Gargan in a while. I really hope this subplot is going somewhere though. In short, I liked it. The only thing I'm really worried about is how Mike's going to tie all this stuff up in one more issue...
I cheated. No mention of the Scorpion in this issue. I think I wrapped up everything else pretty well though, right? I promise that the Scorpion will appear again in another title I write for this site. I've invested too much in Mac to let it all go down the crapper now. Thanks for the letter, Russ. It is you who are most definitely, THE MAN!
Atlas opened his eyes and immediately snapped them shut. His head was throbbing like a jackhammer. The last thing he remembered was masses of dirt and debris flying into his field of vision as Pagan burst from the ground and knocked him clear across the valley the Thunderbolts had been fighting him in.*
[* That punishing shot occurred last issue - David]
"The guy got me again," said Atlas and shook his head weakly. "Some powerhouse of the team I turned out to be."
"Don't feel too bad, big fella. We all got our tails handed to us," said a voice to his right and Atlas turned his vision towards it. Atlas' eyes widened at what he saw. All of the Thunderbolts were restrained in what looked like bubbles made of glass. She-Hulk was staring at him from her own bubble. She looked beaten… drained.
"Are you all right, Shulkie?" said Atlas as he got to his feet and pressed a hand to his own transparent prison. It didn't look like it would be too tough to break. Atlas tried to concentrate on utilizing his ability to grow but then paused when nothing happened.
"I'm fine, Atlas. Just a little tired. Proctor took a lot out of me," said She-Hulk as she watched Atlas finger the clear bubble that held him.
"Proctor?" Atlas said. "Who the hell is that? And why can't I use my powers?" and then paused as a door to his left slipped open and a man entered. Atlas watched as he crossed the room and stood in front of the captured Thunderbolts. He was clothed all in black with a long flowing cloak of black and red draped over his shoulders. His eyes flashed with a crimson hue and his hair hung down past his shoulders and was the color of a raven's wing.
"Greetings, Atlas… She-Hulk. As you have probably guessed by now, Josten… I am Proctor," said the man and then crossed to a display panel with multiple keypads sprouting from it. "The reason you can not utilize your special gifts is because of the unique nature of the stasis bubbles I am holding you in."
"So turn them off then, will you? I need to stretch my legs and kick your butt to the moon," said Atlas as he banged on the glass chamber.
"Amusing, Atlas. But I'm afraid your imprisonment is an unfortunate necessity," said Proctor as he typed commands into the keypad in front of him.
"And why is that?" said another voice and She-Hulk and Atlas turned to see Moonstone had awoken. Songbird and Mach-1 were also beginning to stir.
"You are all beginning to stir… excellent. I was hoping you would all recover before your deaths. I find it much more satisfying when an enemy is aware of their impending demise," said Proctor and then pressed a button on the keyboard.
"How are you doing this, Proctor? How are you even here? You're supposed to be dead!" said She-Hulk and Proctor began to laugh.
"Wait… wait just one second here. What the hell are you guys talking about?" said Abe and She-Hulk looked in his direction.
"Proctor is Dane Whitman from an alternate Earth, Abe. The Avenger known as the Black Knight," said She-Hulk and Proctor narrowed his eyes. "At one point he married the Sersi of that world and became her Gann Josin. Some sort of symbiotic bond that mutated him into the form you see now. But the Sersi of that world left Proctor and it drove him mad. He killed her and destroyed his world in the process. Then for years he traveled from world to world killing the Eternal on every world he visited. And every world was destroyed in his wake. He recruited followers from the ravaged worlds… followers he called Gatherers. And then finally he traveled to this world… after learning that it was the prime reality. But Sersi killed him with the ebony blade. It claimed his soul. He should be dead."
Proctor began to laugh again. "Your grasp of my story is impressive, Jennifer. And I was dead, for a time. For a single moment I was not of this or any other Earth. When the wench known as Sersi slipped the ebony blade into my heart… I passed from this realm. But then an amazing thing happened. The Watcher from my Earth… the one I used to travel from world to world, un-did everything that happened. The buildings I destroyed were restored. The famous Avenger's mansion was restored in its traditional architectural design. The bridge that Sersi destroyed in her fit of madness was restored as well."*
[*It all took place in Marvel's Avengers Volume One: #375 - David]
"My god," said She-Hulk and Proctor nodded.
"Yes…" Proctor said. "Even a being of infinite power and wisdom can make mistakes, She-Hulk. The rebuilding of the Avenger mansion in its old design is proof enough of that. The Watcher was old and dying. So when the Watcher undid all the damage that had occurred… the Watcher restored everything. Including me."
"When I awoke," Proctor said. "I surmised what had happened. But without the Watcher to take me to alternate worlds… I was unable to recruit any more Gatherers for my cause."
"Gatherers?" said Mach-1 as he struggled to re-rout power to his armor.
"Yes, Abe Jenkins. As She-Hulk said… I traveled from world to world and recruited followers. But for a member of an alternate world to remain sane upon this prime Earth, the counterpart from the prime reality had to be gathered onto the alternate version."
"Killed… you mean," said She-Hulk with venom in her voice. Proctor simply smiled.
"In any case… with my ability to recruit Gatherers rotting somewhere off in space, I went to a safe house where I had kept two of my Gatherers in stasis. You've met them both. Pagan and Lord Templar," said Proctor as he continued to manipulate the keypad in front of him. "They were both powerful heroes on their world. You might be familiar with their counterparts… Bruce Banner and Stephen Strange."
"You've got to be kidding me," said Atlas. "At least now I don't feel so bad about having my butt handed to me on a silver platter."
"But the Hulk and Doctor Strange are both alive and kicking in this reality," said Moonstone from her stasis bubble. "How is it possible for these Gatherers to stay sane? Or you for that matter, Proctor? The Black Knight is very much alive."
"Both excellent questions, Moonstone," said Proctor as the machinery inside the complex began to hum and shiver around the T-Bolts. "But once I realized that Lord Templar was the counterpart to the Sorcerer Supreme… I ordered the powerful mage to devise a way to keep us stable until we could grow strong enough to destroy the Avengers and hunt down the true Doctor Strange and Hulk."
"You plan on taking out the Avengers, Doctor Strange and the Hulk with those yahoos?" said Atlas and Proctor raised his head. "Proctor… buddy… amigo… I love you and all. But you have got to be crazy."
"Silence, fool," said Proctor and his eyes flashed with crimson. A line of energy burst forth from his eyes and struck Atlas in the chest through the stasis bubble. Atlas collapsed to his knees. "My plans will not be mocked, Atlas. The devices that are holding you will drain you of your power and add it to my own. When that happens… the insanity that pulls at my mind will no longer matter. And as for my Gatherers… I have strengthened our numbers with recruits from this world."
"What are you talking about, Proctor," said She-Hulk. "What recruits?"
"Triathlon has made a fine recruit. The Olympic sprinter turned superhero by me when I learned of the potential he had within him," Proctor said. "Manipulating his mind was simple enough. As was the manipulation I used to bring your Jolt and Charcoal into the fold."
"No. I don't believe it," said Songbird and Proctor looked in her direction.
"I'm afraid it is true, my dear Melissa. And when the two youths return from their patrol of the grounds… they will show you themselves."
# # # # # # # # # #
Miguel Santos peered out from the bushes he had awoken in and tried to remember how he had gotten there. He stepped from the bushes and stretched his muscles. His head was killing him and he reached up to feel the back of his skull. A large knot had formed on his head and felt swollen and raw.
The last thing he remembered was fighting a monster with Moonstone in the mountains. A huge rock had cracked off his head and knocked him unconscious. But there was nothing but the barren ground of a dry field surrounding him now. He definitely wasn't in the mountains anymore.
"What the hell is going on?" said Miguel to himself as he stepped into the clearing. He focused his energies and changed into his Living Lightning form. Miguel took to the air and traveled in a high arc over the region.
He spotted the Triune Understanding complex and the two people walking around it almost immediately. Living Lightning slipped low to the ground at the speed of light and changed back to Miguel. He darted behind a bush and watched Jolt and Charcoal as they continued to patrol the grounds.
"Something wrong with this picture," said Miguel as he watched the two heroes file into the doors of the Triune complex. Miguel changed back into his Living Lightning form and shot into the air again. Whatever was going on… it was almost positive that the Triune Understanding was responsible for the disappearance of Charcoal and Jolt. Where the rest of the Thunderbolts were, Miguel didn't know. But he had a feeling that if he followed Hallie and Charlie… he'd find out soon enough.
# # # # # # # # # #
"I don't know what it is you expect to accomplish by doing this, Gyrich," Ogre said as he struggled against the restraints pinning him to his lab chair. "The Thunderbolts have reformed. They are very much heroes now."
"Don't make me laugh, fat boy," Gyrich said. "I don't care if those bastards are out feeding the homeless. They've committed crimes and they're going to pay for them. You think fighting a couple super-villains earns you a free pass in this world? I've got news for you. It doesn't amount to squat."
"I'm not saying the Thunderbolts haven't sinned in the past," Ogre said. "But they're genuinely doing good now. You have to acknowledge that."
"I don't have to acknowledge a damn thing," Gyrich said. "To be perfectly honest with you, Ogre. I think the Thunderbolts have done more harm than good since they were conceived. The property damage on the West Coast alone will attest to that."
Ogre frowned and glared at Gyrich. "If it wasn't for the Thunderbolts… the property damage would be a lot worse. And you know it, Gyrich. I can see it in your eyes. You know what you're doing is wrong and you're just afraid to admit it."
Gyrich sneered and then placed a hand on Ogre's shoulder. "If I were you, Ogre… I'd keep my mouth shut from now on. I'm not afraid of anything. Especially not those super-powered freaks you call friends. When the Thunderbolts return my transport ship will be waiting for them. Guardsmen will pour out of the belly of the ship like the blessed animals of Noah's Arc. The Thunderbolts will be overrun… overwhelmed. And there is nothing… nothing that you can do about it."
A muffled chuckle came from above. "You boys and your ego trips."
Gyrich and Ogre both blinked. They looked up to the ceiling and their mouths fell open.
A figure sat perched on the myriad of pipes and cable twisting throughout the air in Ogre's lab. Her dark purple cape hung loosely from her shoulders and her white facemask shined with a dull light. Both men recognized her immediately.
"I remember when I was a little girl and my older brothers played the exact same game you two are playing now. Cowboys and Indians, I believe it was called. Just a pathetic testosterone fest, if you ask me. I was never allowed to play," Citizen V said. "What do you say, guys? Have I finally earned my right to play with the men-folk?"
"Guards!" Gyrich spluttered and made a dash for the door. Citizen V dropped down and kicked Gyrich squarely in the small of his back. Gyrich stumbled as the door to Ogre's lab opened and two CSA Guardsmen lumbered in.
"I guess I'll take that as a yes," Citizen V said and smirked beneath her mask. "Thank god you boys are here. The guy with the red hair is trespassing, disturbing the peace… and I think he has some kind of fetish for tying up small old men."
"Stop her, you idiots," Gyrich said. "And make it hurt."
"You know just the right buttons to push, baby," Citizen V said as she leapt into the air over the twin energy blasts fired by the first Guardsman. "If I didn't know any better… I'd say you were flirting with me."
"Keep dreaming, you freak," Gyrich snarled and then pushed at the back of the second Guardsman. "What are you waiting for? Get in there and take her out!"
"I hate it when a man gets too anxious, Gyrich," Citizen V said as she unsheathed her sword. "You know what that translates into, don't you?"
"Shut her up! Kill her for all I care… just shut her up!" Gyrich said as the Guardsmen lunged for the woman clad in purple. Citizen V whipped her cutlass in a shallow arc and cut through the armor of the first Guardsman.
"As I was saying… It translates into a lack of stamina in the sack. A propensity to fire off a little soon," Citizen V said as the armor of the first Guardsman rained a sea of sparks onto the floor. The Guardsman fell to the ground as the second leveled his palms at Citizen V. "You wouldn't happen to have a problem with that. Would you, Gyrich?"
The Guardsman's energy blasters opened and he fired. Citizen V angled her sword and the blast ricocheted back to the source. The Guardsman was blown back into the wall and fell unconscious.
"See? Firing off too soon is never a good thing," Citizen V said as she walked towards Gyrich. "Now don't you wish you had thought out this assault a little better? You come here with six Guardsmen because you can travel faster and take that fancy tracking unit with you… then you go and send four of them to rendezvous with the same ship full of soldiers you left behind. Not to bright, Petey."
Gyrich spit at the mask of Citizen V. "Go to hell."
"Sure thing, Pete… sure thing." Citizen V said as she rubbed the spittle off of her mask with the sleeve of her outfit. "Just a couple things I've got to take care of first. Sleep well, ok?"
Citizen V brought the hilt of her sword down onto Gyrich's head and knocked the man cold.
"That transport ship will be here soon," Citizen V said as she crossed the room towards Ogre. She whipped out her sword and cut through the restraints that bound him. "If we're going to get out of here alive… we'd better get moving."
Ogre narrowed his eyes. "I can't say that I trust you, miss V. Why are you doing this? You've battled the Thunderbolts in the past and I don't see any reason why you'd come to their aid now."
"Trust me or don't, Ogre," Citizen V said as she began to move towards the door to Ogre's lab. "I'm not sticking around here in the hopes that the T-Bolts beat the CSA back in time to save our bacon. Bye."
Ogre watched as Citizen V left out of the open door to his lab. He looked at the downed Guardsmen… then to Gyrich.
"Oh, the hell with it," Ogre said and then moved to follow Citizen V. He paused for just a moment at the slumped form of Henry Peter Gyrich and smiled.
"Fat boy, indeed," Ogre said and then gave Gyrich a swift kick in the ribs. "Citizen V! Wait for me!"
# # # # # # # # # #
"Mach-1… if I could have a word with you," Proctor said as he peered intently at the screen in front of him. "Could I ask what you're doing with a government-issued tracking device placed in your armor?"
"What?" Moonstone said as Mach-1 lifted his head from his knees. "What is he talking about, Abe?"
"I have no freaking idea," Mach-1 said. "The CSA gave me the armor. The tracking device must have come built-in."
"A tracking device fitted onto your own armor that you didn't notice?" Moonstone said. "I find that a bit hard to believe, Abe."
"Wait a second, Karla," Atlas said. "I'm sure there's a rational explanation. This is Abe. It's not like he's some traitor or something. He's one of us."
"Well, traitor or not. I can't have the Commission on Superhuman Activities knocking down my door," Proctor said. "Please hold still for just a moment, Abe."
"What are you going to do to him, Proctor?" Songbird said.
"Think of it like running your shiny new Mercedes-Benz through the car wash," Proctor said as he pressed a series of keys on his pad. Mach-1 went stiff and began to shudder violently. "In just a few minutes Mach-1 will be as good as new."
As abruptly as the process had begun, it ended. Abe Jenkins collapsed to the ground and waves of heat rose from his armor.
"You almost boiled me alive, you maniac!" Mach-1 said as he struggled to his feet.
"Stop overreacting, Jenkins," Proctor said. "The tracking device was far less durable than your stunning armor. If I had tampered with it in any other way, your armor would have self-destructed. Heating it to the point of meltdown was the only way to destroy it without ending your miserable little life."
"Still the scientist, eh, Proctor? Still as brilliant as Dane in so many ways," She-Hulk muttered from her circular prison. "If only you could use that keen intellect towards benefiting mankind instead of your own pointless vendettas."
"I would hardly call being ran through by my own sword by a woman who once called me husband a pointless vendetta, She-Hulk," Proctor said. "There is a very thin line between love and hate. I crossed that line a long time ago. I will not be satisfied until Sersi lies dead at my feet with the Black Knight by her side."
"Easier said than done," Atlas said. "You haven't even taken care of us yet."
"Oh, real nice, Erik" Moonstone said. "Remind the big bad guy that we're all still alive and kicking so he can activate whatever insane scheme he has to take care of us."
Proctor frowned. "You fools are even more volatile than the Avengers when I manipulated them into believing Sersi was a murderess. If it wasn't for the potential of your younger members, this mission would hardly be worth the annoyance you heroes are causing me."
"Where are Jolt and Charcoal, Proctor?" Moonstone said. "You told us that you had converted them into Gatherers. So where are they? If they're so loyal to you then show us."
"As you wish, Moonstone," Proctor said as he pressed another button on the control panel before him. "Allow me to introduce you to the newest incarnation of the Gatherers."
A huge panel slid away from the wall and all of the Thunderbolts turned their heads to watch as five figures draped in shadow stepped into the light.
"No… it can't be," Songbird said.
Proctor smiled and stepped away from the control panel. "But it is, Songbird. It most assuredly is."
The Thunderbolts watched as Jolt led the way for the five figures entering the room. Lord Templar and Triathlon followed close behind the young girl and Charcoal and Pagan brought up the rear.
"The spark of the Thunderbolts and the burning man both belong to me."
# # # # # # # # # #
Baron Zemo and Techno both watched the scarred mass of Mount Charteris intently as Citizen V and Ogre lifted into the air on Citizen V's hovering V-Wing.
"It appears I was correct in assuming that Citizen V would be triumphant, Techno," Zemo said. "That fool Gyrich left his flank embarrassingly open and the woman capitalized easily."
"Yeah, you're always right on cue, boss," Techno said as he crafted a set of binoculars from his mechanized body and placed them in front of the Baron's line of sight. "You are definitely the man!"
"Silence, Techno. Your prattle grows increasingly bothersome to me," the Baron said as he pushed the binoculars away from his face. "Stop wasting time and form your remarkable body into some sort of transportation device."
"We're going to follow the old guy and the babe?" Techno said and Zemo glared at him.
"The Thunderbolts will not return to their headquarters now that Gyrich and the Commission know where it is," Zemo said. "The old one will no doubt contact his team and make arrangements for them to rendezvous with him. If we follow the woman and her companion, we will find the Thunderbolts. It is that simple."
"And when we find them…?" Techno said and Baron Zemo smiled beneath his mask.
"The Thunderbolts have dishonored the name of my family, Techno. The name of Zemo," the Baron said. "When we find them… my vengeance shall hold no bounds."
# # # # # # # # # #
"The preparations are made, Thunderbolts," Proctor said as he moved to his control panel once more. "I have enjoyed the time we've spent together. When I take my revenge on the Avengers, I'll be sure to mention the aid you've given me today. Each of your unique energy signatures will increase my power exponentially. There will no longer be a mental frailty limiting my control of the Gatherers. And there will be no physical opposition worthy enough to face me. Not Sersi, not Iron Man, not even Thor will be able to touch my strength… my power."
"Just so you know," Atlas said as he threw his body against the spherical container surrounding him. "You really suck."
"Appropriate last words for one of your limited intelligence, Atlas," Proctor said and then pressed a button on the control panel. A great shuddering sounded throughout the entire complex and a blinding flash of energy struck each captured Thunderbolt from multiple ports in their capsules.
Proctor watched with the simple interest of a scientist as each Thunderbolt cried out in agonized pain. His red-rimmed eyes flicked to a viewing screen and Proctor smiled. The energy was growing dramatically, even more than he had expected. The ionic energy of Atlas, the cosmic energy of Moonstone, the harmonic energy of Songbird, the gamma irradiated energy of She-Hulk, the raw power of Mach-1's armor. It truly was an amazing wealth of power that the Thunderbolts possessed. It was almost a shame to think of individuals with such a diverse range of energy committing their lives to lesser beings. But soon that power would belong to Proctor. Nothing would stand in his way after absorbing the veritable cornucopia of energy signatures that would soon be available to him.
Suddenly there was the crackle of intense electrical energy as a fierce, glowing line of lightning shot into the control panel directly in front of Proctor. The entire system erupted in an explosion that sent Proctor hurtling across the room.
Proctor slammed into the far wall of the complex and was only able to watch as a spike of energy fed back through the spherical capsules the T-Bolts were captured within and ruptured the containers. The energy drain immediately ceased and the Thunderbolts dropped to the ground.
"Oh, hell," Proctor said. "I just knew something like this was going to happen."
"I'll tell you what else is going to happen, amigo," Living Lightning said as he flashed down to the ground and stood menacingly over the fallen villain. "The Thunderbolts are about to take you down!"
"The young dashing hero to the rescue, I presume?" Proctor said. "Don't look now… but you're about to be punched in the back of the head by a fist as hard as diamonds."
"What…?" Miguel said, but got out nothing more as Charcoal crashed into the young hero from behind. Living Lightning crashed into the same wall Proctor had struck moments before and slumped to the ground unconscious once again.
"Excellent job, Charles," Proctor said as he got to his feet. "There's hope for you yet."
"Charlie. No," Songbird said as she took to the air. A blur of motion caught her vision and Melissa Gold gazed down just in time to see Triathlon jump into the air and slam his foot into Songbird's chest. All the air rushed out of Songbird and she plummeted to the ground in a heap.
"You shouldn't have done that," Mach-1 said. "When she gets up all them fancy moves of yours aren't going to amount to much."
"They do just fine for me, Abe," Jolt said as she landed on the Thunderbolt from above.
"Hallie?" Abe said. "Stop this, girl. You're stronger than Proctor. I know it."
"Shut up and fight," Jolt said as she gripped Mach-1's helmet with her hands and sent electricity buzzing through his armor.
"Sorry, babe," Mach-1 said with a smile, "insulated."
"Get off of him, Jolt," Moonstone said as she fired at Pagan full force and then sank into the ground. Pagan pounced on the spot Karla had been and clawed at the ground.
"Look up, Bruce," She-Hulk said and then connected hard with a right fist to Pagan's jaw. The monster flew through the air and rammed into the spherical containers that had held the T-Bolts.
"Templar, destroy these fools," Proctor roared and then Moonstone rose from the ground below his feet.
"It sounds like you're losing it a little bit there, Proctor," Moonstone said with a snide grin. "I hope all this fighting isn't doing any harm to your flimsy grip on sanity."
"Silence, woman," Proctor said. "I am Proctor. I can destroy you all."
"Whatever," Moonstone said and then fired concussive blasts of heat into Proctor's face. The villain was rocked back but did not fall. Moonstone gaped in shock as smoke rose from the flesh of Proctor's face. The villain was unscathed… and his eyes seethed with insane rage.
"Die!" Proctor shouted and twin beams of red energy erupted from his eyes. Moonstone went intangible just in time and the shots passed through her, slamming into the slowly recovering Pagan.
"Nice shot, Proctor," Atlas said as he traded punches with Charcoal and tried to keep him away from the rest of the Thunderbolts. "Whose side are you on anyway?"
"Shut up! All of you!" Proctor screeched. "I am the master of this domain. Soon I will be master of the world!"
"And you're as nutty as a fruitcake on Christmas morning," Mach-1 said as he dodged a shot of electricity from Jolt and peppered the ground with rubber bullets aimed for Lord Templar.
"Proctor! You must calm yourself," Lord Templar said as he approached Proctor. "The strain of this battle is too great. Allow me to meld with you and I will temper your mind."
Lord Templar rushed forward and the Thunderbolts were powerless to stop him as he fused with Proctor.
"No!" Proctor screamed and then Lord Templar was screaming alongside him as a crimson energy field began to tear the sorcerer's body apart. "I don't need to be tempered. I don't need anything. I don't need you, Templar!"
"My god," Mach-1 said as Jolt and the rest of the combatants turned toward the tremendous outpouring of power. "He's killing him."
"We've got to stop him!" Jolt said and then turned to Mach-1. "C'mon, Abe. Don't just stand there. Help me!"
Mach-1 blinked as he looked into Jolt's eyes. They were clear and focused. "Jolt? Is it really you?"
"Of course it's me!" Jolt said with a frown on her face. "Who else would it be? Now c'mon. We've got to…"
"No, Jolt. Hold back," Moonstone said as she hovered over to where the rest of the T-Bolts stood. "Proctor is losing his grip on reality. Both you and Charlie have broken free of his control. Even Triathlon has stopped fighting."
"But…" Jolt began but then was silenced as an inhuman roar sounded throughout the complex. The Thunderbolts all turned in the direction of Pagan as he shambled to his feet.
"Proctor!" Pagan roared. "You manipulated me into doing your bidding. You put me through tortures and spells designed to change me into even more of a monster than I was before. I'll kill you for what you've done to me!"
"Bruce! Don't!" She-Hulk shouted as Pagan leapt to his feet and collided with Proctor head on. The two combatants exchanged blows as the dissipating energy that was all that was left of Lord Templar faded away.
"I have destroyed the Sorcerer Supreme, behemoth!" Proctor said. "What makes you think a buffoon like you has any hope against me?"
"Because I'm the Hulk, you bastard," Pagan said as he lifted Proctor into a great bear hug. "And Hulk is the strongest there is!"
The Thunderbolts watched as Pagan leapt into the air again and carried both men into the energy matrix Proctor had planned to use to transfer the powers of the Thunderbolts into himself. Pagan reached for one of the electrical nodes jutting from the matrix and crushed it in his mighty grip.
"Don't, you fool," Proctor said as Pagan shuddered from the overload of energy suffusing his being. "The matrix is unstable. You'll kill us both!"
"That's the idea, jerkwad," Pagan said. "I don't want to live in a world that isn't my own. And you… you just don't deserve to live."
"Bruce!" She-Hulk called and Pagan turned.
"Get… out of here," Pagan said as blood spilled from his eyes and nostrils. "This p-place is going to blow and… you don't want to be around… when it happens. I'm s-sorry, Jennifer. Say hi to the big green when you see him. G-give him one… for me."
"She-Hulk, we've got to get the hell out of here," Moonstone said as she and the other Thunderbolts began to scramble for the door. But She-Hulk simply stood where she was, motionless.
"Atlas," Moonstone said. "Grab your girlfriend and Triathlon and move! I don't want to stick around for the fireworks."
"You said it, boss lady," Atlas said and grabbed both Triathlon and She-Hulk in his massive grip. Atlas turned for the exit to the complex and began to take long strides after his fleeing comrades. Explosions rocked the lab and She-Hulk watched as Pagan gripped Proctor in a deadly embrace… until there was too much smoke for her eyes to see anymore.
# # # # # # # # # #
"Well, Triathlon," Moonstone said as the Thunderbolts flew over Arizona on their way back home. "I see no need for the authorities to hear about anything you partook of with Proctor as long as you see no need for them to know we had anything to do with the destruction of the Triune Understanding complex."
"I still can't believe it was all just a hoax concocted by some power-mad goon from an alternate dimension," Triathlon said. "I mean, is it just me, or does this seem way too Twilight Zone for everybody?"
"Believe it, pal," Mach-1 said as he arced over to the sonic platform Triathlon was riding on. "I'm getting news reports from all over the country about followers of the Triune Understanding snapping out of it as if from some sort of dream."
"Or mind-control," Atlas said and grimaced.
Living Lightning arched an eyebrow. "You ok, big guy? You don't look so hot."
"Tell your boy, the briquette," Atlas said with a grin. "He's the one with the scalding fists the size of boulders."
"I was being mind-controlled, Atlas," Charcoal said. "But if you keep calling me briquette…"
"Enough you two… all of you," Moonstone said. "Triathlon, I'm sorry for your loss. All of us have found ourselves thrust into this situation for one reason or another. We'd be glad to have you enter the fold if you were willing."
"Karla?" Mach-1 said. "Is that you?"
"Shut up, Abe." Moonstone said. "Triathlon is a competent fighter without a home. My offer is nothing more than an opportunity for him to earn redemption. We all deserve it in one form or another."
Moonstone looked to Triathlon. "What do you say, Delroy?"
"It's a nice offer, Moonstone," Triathlon said. "But I think any redeeming I do is going to be on my own terms. I appreciate it, but you can all let me off right here. I've got to do things on my own for a change. No steroids… no fancy cults dressed up to be something they're not. Just me."
"I hear that, man," Atlas said as Songbird surrounded Triathlon in a pink sphere of solid sound. "Good luck."
"Thanks… all of you," Triathlon said as he began to descend. "If you ever need help from a guy with three times the potential and skill of any other guy… let me know."
"Well, I suppose that takes care of that," Moonstone said. "We've got our team back together and everything is running smoothly for a change."
"Not everything, Moonie," a voice said from above and the T-Bolts looked into the air to see Citizen V hovering on her V-Wing with sword drawn.
"Thunderbolts! Scatter," Moonstone ordered. "Don't give her a chance to attack."
"Wait, T-Bolts," another voice called out from below and the Thunderbolts looked down at the hovering form of Ogre. A jetpack was strapped loosely around his back and it sputtered and coughed out a stream of exhaust.
"Ogre, my man," Mach-1 said. "It looks like that thing might die any minute. Get up here before you run out of gas."
Ogre lifted higher into the air and landed on the sonic platform holding the T-Bolts. Citizen V also lowered her V-Wing as She-Hulk and Moonstone eyed her warily.
"Still no trust from the Thunderbolts after all I've done?" Citizen V said. "I would think rescuing your engineer and finding you a new place of residence free from the watching eyes of the CSA would be an endeavor worthy of a little grace."
"What are you babbling about?" Songbird said and Ogre cleared his throat.
"Gyrich invaded the mountain while you were gone, Thunderbolts," Ogre said. "He had some way of tracking you down."
"All taken care of, Ogre," Mach-1 said with a smile. But he noticed the way Karla's eyes fell on him suspiciously.
"Whatever the case may be," Ogre continued, "Citizen V rescued me from Gyrich's clutches. If it weren't for her intervention, who knows what Gyrich might have done."
"Well, as grateful as we are to Citizen V," Moonstone said. "I think we can take it from here."
"No. You can't," Citizen V said and the T-Bolts turned to look at her again. "The CSA know where you live. They're hunting you down like dogs. You need a base. I have one. Ogre scouted it out himself. I'm willing to give it to you free of charge. All I ask in return is the chance to join your team. You offered it to that fine gentleman just moments before. Surely you have room on the roster."
"Look, Citizen V," She-Hulk said. "I don't know who you think you are, but…"
"Done," Moonstone said and She-Hulk turned in her direction and looked at her incredulously. "She's right, She-Hulk. We need a base. She has one. The V-Battalion is out of commission and she has no one to turn us into now."
"What about the CSA?" Mach-1 said. "Or have you conveniently forgotten about them, Karla? This could be a set-up."
"If it is, Abe. We'll take care of that situation when and if it arises," Moonstone said and then looked to Citizen V. "We need your resources, Citizen V. But if your acceptance into this team places any of the members in the crosshairs of the CSA… you'll find yourself in my crosshairs. I promise you that."
"Understood," Citizen V said and Moonstone smiled.
"Good," Moonstone said. "Then tell us where this base of yours is. Because I've got a feeling the Thunderbolts are about to embark on a whole new era. And I'm hoping to start it off in style."
"Amen to that," Atlas said and leaned back onto the pink chariot Songbird formed around her teammates. Citizen V muttered directions to Songbird and she turned the chariot westward… where it flew into the brilliance of the setting sun and was lost from sight.
# # # # # # # # # #
Next Issue: A new era begins. Put on some clean underwear. The Thunderbolts are still pursued by the CSA and Baron Zemo. Citizen V is once more a member of the Thunderbolts. The T-Bolts have a spanking new pad. Expect the unexpected. That's what Justice… like Lightning is all about. You never know where it might strike next.
# # # # # # # # # #
Lightning Strikes
So here we are at the end of my final issue of Thunderbolts. It has been one hell of a pleasure delivering these issues to Marvel 2000 and I hope it has been just as much fun for all of you reading out there. I've left the Thunderbolts as well off as I can… who knows what another writer will bring to the table next. I've still got some stories to tell with these characters. Maybe some day I'll return to ride the lightning once again. Until then, thanks for sticking with me, and hopefully I'll see you all again when the Thunderbolts are ready for me.Now how about one final letter to grace our pages before we ride off into the sunset like our faithful heroes? This lone, solitary letter comes from Russ Anderson. Russ writes such excellent fanfic tales as Scarlet Spider and Fallen Angels here at M2K. One day I'm sure he'll tell me the secret to his amazing storytelling skill so I can exploit it. Until then, just read this letter and wonder at his talent for making me look good.
Whoo-eee. Mike sure can spin a plot twist, can't he?
See? Making me look good already. Told you.
This issue, which was already really well-scripted, ends on a note that should have anyone familiar with the last ten years or so of Avengers scratching their heads in bafflement. I've known this revelation was coming up for a while, but I have no idea how or why the villain who finally makes his presence felt at issue's end is still among the living. Quite a shocker.
Well, you know now, Russ. I don't know if it was the most rational or brilliant reason in all of fanfic comicdom for bringing a baddie back from the realm of super-villain limbo, but hey, it worked, right? Hopefully the ending of my run was just as satisfying for you as the end of issue #11.
I mentioned the scripting already, but let me elaborate: This was probably the most well-scripted issue Mike's done on this title to date. All of the characters had their own voices, and there was enough good dialogue to keep me glued to the screen throughout. Occasionally this title seems to fall into the trap of its own convoluted history... meaning sometimes it's necessary for the writer (whether that be Mike or the previous 2) to spend an overbearing amount of time on recap and explanation. Mike dodged that bullet this issue, and just gave us a whole lot of carefully-orchestrated action and some wild surprises to cap them off with.
I've been working to improve my dialogue and I think a team book helps with that more than anything else I've ever written. So many characters to write with… and so little space to accomplish it in. It's a wonder I don't just wig out and start typing jibberish. I mean, I'm a talented guy, but even I have limshergpopbefuddle.
The Scorpion interlude was a surprise, as we haven't heard from Gargan in a while. I really hope this subplot is going somewhere though. In short, I liked it. The only thing I'm really worried about is how Mike's going to tie all this stuff up in one more issue...
I cheated. No mention of the Scorpion in this issue. I think I wrapped up everything else pretty well though, right? I promise that the Scorpion will appear again in another title I write for this site. I've invested too much in Mac to let it all go down the crapper now. Thanks for the letter, Russ. It is you who are most definitely, THE MAN!