Thunderbolts #23
Public Relations or Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200
In order to show the world that they are reforming, the Thunderbolts have agreed to turn Mach-1 over to the authorities to serve time for a murder.[1] Hawkeye, the Thunderbolts’ new leader, has set up a press conference so Mach-1 can turn himself over to the authorities without incident.
The rest of the team watches the event on television from their hideout. They have mixed feelings about turning one of their own in. Songbird is particularly concerned about Abner because the two had a relationship.[2] Atlas reassures everyone that this was the right move to make. Moonstone can only sit back and recognize that the team is now starting to act like a family and wonders if this was something that Hawkeye intentionally made happen or if it happened organically.
The Thunderbolts aren’t the only ones watching the news. Elsewhere at a luxurious apartment, members of the Jury are watching the proceedings. They have been hired to track down and apprehend the Thunderbolts and the news of Mach-1’s arrest brings cheers because their job has just become that much easier. Their new leader, US Agent, then enters the room and scolds them for thinking this is going to be easy. Now that the Thunderbolts are being led by his old friend Hawkeye, they are going to have a challenge ahead of them no matter how many fugitives they are facing.
Back at the press conference, Hawkeye does an interview with reporter Gayle Rogers who has been covering the news about the Thunderbolts and secretly helping boost the narrative that the team is reforming. Clint uses this opportunity to tell the world exactly that. However, not everyone shares his views. Another reporter is interviewing businessman Edwin Cord who views the Thunderbolts as a menace to society that needs to be shut down and he vows to do whatever it takes to see that happen. After his saber rattling, Cord then notices that most people stopped listening to him to get autographs from Hawkeye. What nobody notices is a young Black teen as he drops a pebble into Hawkeye’s quiver.
Also watching the news are the new Masters of Evil. They are unhappy with this recent development. The Crimson Cowl also sees that Thunderbolts as a threat and decides to put them under observation.[3]
Later, Hawkeye returns to the Thunderbolts brand new hideout, a rented cabin, where the relocated after Hercules trashed their last one.[4] Upon his arrival he calls out the team and tells them that they should run some training drills. Little do they know that they are being observed by two individuals. The first is the new Citizen V, who watches from the trees, their presence obscured thanks to a personal cloaking device. Also nearby is Cyclone who has come to spy on the team by the Masters of Evil.
Before the Thunderbolts can get started, the young man from earlier arrives. He introduces himself as Charlie Burlingame. He explains that he has followed Hawkeye from the press conference in Denver. When they ask how he did so, Charlie transforms into Charcoal, the rock and fire based being they fought when liberating a town from the Loyalist Forces.[5] Thinking this is an attack, the Thunderbolts fight back, still riding high after their recent clash with the Avengers.[6] Charcoal tries to explain that he actually came to join the Thunderbolts. After a short brawl, Hawkeye gets everyone to stop by firing a sonic arrow. He decides to give Charcoal a chance to prove himself since the Thunderbolts are all about redemption.
As they are welcoming Charcoal onto the team, they are suddenly ambushed by US Agent and the Jury.[7] The Jury — armed with high tech weapons and armor — start piling onto the Thunderbolts while US Agent and Hawkeye square off one-on-one.[8] As it turns out, they have been hired by Edwin Cord to bring the Thunderbolts in. Hawkeye is impressed with US Agent’s brand new shield which can be operated by remote control.[9] Ignored up to this point, Charcoal gets fed up with being left out and joins the fight, turning things in the Thunderbolts favor. Needing to shut things down quickly, Hawkeye notices that the Jury all have external energy packs on the back of their suits of armor and orders his team to target those. Although they manage to incapacitate the Jury, the Thunderbolts’ rented cabin is demolished in the process. With his men down and out, US Agent has no choice but to let the Thunderbolts go, but vows that he and his team won't stop until the Thunderbolts are brought to justice.
Soon, the Thunderbolts’ retreat becomes national news, convincing the Crimson Cowl that the would-be heroes will be too busy being on the run to interfere with her current plans.[10] That’s when Klaw suggests that she change it to NTN. On that channel, Gayle Rogers is doing another interview with Hawkeye and the Thunderbolts. In this one, Hawkeye promises to show the public that the Thunderbolts are heroes by shutting down the Masters of Evil once and for all!
Recurring Characters
Thunderbolts (Hawkeye, Moonstone, Songbird, Mach-1, Atlas, Jolt, Charcoal), Citizen V, Masters of Evil (Crimson Cowl, Cyclone, Klaw, Man-Killer, Tiger Shark), US Agent, the Jury (Sentry, Bomblast, Ramshot, Wysper, Firearm), Gayle Rogers
Continuity Notes
Hawkeye convinced the team to let him become their leader over the course of Thunderbolts #20-22, but Mach-1 had to turn himself in. As the Beetle, Abner Jenkins murdered a doctor in Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #3, a crime he had not yet served time for.
Songbird says prison is probably worse than the torture Jolt experienced when she was experimented upon by Arnim Zola. See Thunderbolts #1-4. I’d argue prison is actually a cake walk compared to genetic experimentation.
The new Masters of Evil have had animosity towards the Thunderbolts since issue #3. More recently, Crimson Cowl offered the T-Bolts a chance to join her team in Thunderbolts #18. When the Masters interfered with a mission the following issue, Moonstone led her team to foil the Masters plot to rob the Western Currency Facility in Texas in Thunderbolts #20.
Hercules went after the Thunderbolts in issue #22. He wanted revenge against members of the team that were part of a group of Masters of Evil that savagely beat him years earlier, see Avengers #273-278.
The Thunderbolts previously fought Charcoal in issue #19.
The Avengers fought the Thunderbolts in Avengers (vol. 3) #12 as they believed that the T-Bolts were somehow brainwashing Hawkeye.
A footnote here reminds readers that US Agent had been previously seen in the pages of Captain America, Avengers West Coast, and Force Works, while the Jury were seen in various Spider-Man and Venom books. The breakdown is as follows:
John Walker got his start as the Super-Patriot an adversary of Captain America who believed that Steve Rogers was an old relic, as seen in Captain America #323. He spent a stint as Captain America himself from Captain America #333-350. He later became US Agent in Captain America #354 (he also legally changed his name to Jack Daniels, hence why Hawkeye calls him Jack here), joined the AWC in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #44 and was a member almost consistently until the group was disbanded in Avengers West Coast #102. He was a founding member of Force Works until the team broke up, see Force Works #1-22.
The Jury started off hunting down Venom for murdering guards at the Vault and expended to fighting other symbiotes as well. See Venom: Lethal Protector #2-3, Amazing Spider-Man #383-385, Spider-Man: The Arachnis Project #1-6, Venom: Sinner Takes All #1-4, and Venom: The Hunted #1-3.
Hawkeye mockingly asks US Agent if he rigged any battles lately. He is referring to the time when John operated as the Super-Patriot. At the time he staged fights with some of his friends who posed as a group of rowdy vigilantes called the Bold Urban Commandos from Captain America #323-333.
US Agent states that he stole the idea for his new shield from a design Captain America used to have, saying it is fair game since Steve Rogers is now copying his John’s old photonic shield. About the shields:
Not long after Steve Rogers was revived in the Modern Age in Avengers #4, Tony Stark outfitted his shield with a number of high tech gimmicks to help him in battle starting in Avengers #6. However, these devices threw off Cap’s aim and he had them removed in Tales of Suspense #62.
During John Walker’s time as Captain America, he wielded the one once used by Steve Rogers. During this period, Steve Rogers obtained a shield made of Vibranium in Captain America #342. When Rogers took back his original costume and shield, John adopted his temporary costume and Vibranium shield as US Agent. John later threw this shield into New York Bay in Avengers West Coast #102.
When John joined up with Force Works, Iron Man out fitted him with gauntlets that could created photonic shields. He wielded these weapons until Force Works disbanded.
More recently, Steve Rogers was given a photonic shield during a brief period he was once again stripped of his identity and exiled from America, as seen in Captain America #450-452.
At the time of this story, Captain America lost his trademark shield in the ocean in Captain America (vol. 3) #2. He would start using a photonic shield again in issue #9 of that series. He will recover and go back to using his trademark shield in Captain America (vol. 3) #22.
Currently, the Crimson Cowl is doing the old “weather-dominator-for-world-ransom” routine. See Thunderbolts #25.
Topical References
The Jury states here that they are being paid a million dollars each to take down the Thunderbolts. Adjusting for inflation that would be about 1.7 million in 2022 money.
