Faith in Monsters, Part 6

The Thunderbolts — Moonstone (Karla Sofen), Songbird (Melissa Gold), Radioactive Man (Chen Lu), Swordsman (Andreas Von Strucker), Venom (Mac Gargan), and Penance (Robbie Baldwin) — have been dispatched to Phoenix, Arizona to capture Steel Spider (Ollie Osnik). Upon their arrival, Moonstone is injured and the rest of the team also happen to run into two more unregistered heroes, American Eagle (Jason Strongbow) and Sepulchre (Jillian Woods).[1]

As the Thunderbolts surround them, Sepulchre uses her Darkforce powers to plunge the surrounding era in pitch black. Songbird uses this opportunity to work against the way Norman Osborn is running the team. She uses uses her sonic powers to covertly communicate with her loyal teammate, the Radioactive Man, and instructs him to keep everyone busy while she deals with Bullseye, who has been deployed on the scene. Chen then unleashes a powerful radioactive burst that stuns Venom, Penance, and Steel Spider.

Meanwhile, Bullseye is dropped off on a nearby rooftop with his military handlers. He is itching to get into the field and kill American Eagle, as he has been ordered, but the soldiers tell him to wait until they activate his cloaking shield. That’s when Songbird reaches him with her sonic powers. She tricks him into thinking the nanochain that keeps him obedient has been disabled and he can now do as he pleases. Accepting this as unquestionable fact, Bullseye kills his two handlers and leaps off the rooftop without the usual cloaking device that would hide his involvement with the Thunderbolts.

Back at the scene of the battle, Steel Spider continues to hold his own against his attackers. Meanwhile, American Eagle and Sepulchre decide that they should make a run for it while the Thunderbolts are distracted. That’s when Songbird approaches them and tries to convince them not to run. However, when Steel Spider begins using a taser against Radioactive Man, his screams temporarily distract Melissa. When she turns to look, she watches in horror as Venom rips one of Steel Spider’s arms off with his teeth. This leaves her open to attack from Sepulchre, who uses her Darkforce to slam Mel into the ground. This allows the two unregistered heroes to finally flee the scene. As Radioactive Man uses his powers to cauterize Steel Spider’s wounds, Songbird recovers. They both notice Penance has taken off his helmet and has begun smashing his head against a brick wall. When Melissa asks what’s wrong with him, Chen says that he is a broken person trying to operate in a world that he was not made for.[2]

In a nearby alleyway, American Eagle is about to leave on his motorcycle when he runs into Bullseye. He tells the assassin he’ll give him one free shot before cleaning his clock. Taking the bait, Bullseye lunges at his target only to be struck into a nearby wall. By this time, Swordsman has extricated himself from a TV he was stuck in when he was thrown through an apartment earlier in the battle. Going to the nearest window, he spots Bullseye’s handlers and reports back to Moonstone that they are dead. Horrified, Karla sends orders to activate Bullseye’s nanochain. This hits him just as he is about to attack American Eagle again. The sudden jolt causes him to stop dead in his tracks long enough for Strongbow to hit him with a strong enough blow to snap his neck.

As American Eagle makes his get away, Sepulchre comes smashing in through the window of the local Roxxon office landing right into the middle of her interview. She tells her recruiters that she’ll take the job right away as long as they get her out of the country immediately. When asked if she doesn’t want to bring anything with her, Jillian says there is nothing here she wants.[3]

Later, back at Thunderbolts Mountain, Norman Osborn gets a status update on Bullseye from his doctors. The prognosis is not good as his neck was snapped just as his body was being jolted by the nanochain. Not only has this left the assassin completely paralyzed, it has also fried the speech centers of his brain. They’re uncertain if they’ll be able to undo all the damage, leaving Bullseye effectively a prisoner in his own body.[4]

Recurring Characters

Thunderbolts (Norman Osborn, Songbird, Moonstone, Radioactive Man, Swordsman, Venom, Penance, Bullseye), Steel Spider, American Eagle, Sepulchre

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place after the passage of the SHRA, in Civil War #1. It requires all superhumans to register with the government or be considered outlaws. The Thunderbolts have been charged with apprehending those opposing registration since Thunderbolts #110. This law will remain in place until Siege #4. Moonstone was hurt last issue.

2. Penance used to be the hero known as Speedball. He and his teammates the New Warriors were responsible for the Stamford Disaster that led to the passage of the Super Human Registration Act (SHRA). The lone survivor of the disaster, Robbie was used as a scapegoat and dragged through the legal system. Abandoned by everyone and his powers only working when he causes himself pain, Robbie reinvented himself as the masochistic Penance. His suit has spikes on the inside to cause him agony whenever he moves as penance for what he did. See Civil War: Front Line #1-10 for all the details.

3. So what becomes of the three heroes the Thunderbolts were after? Well, as of this writing (November, 2023)….

   • Steel Spider has gotten a brief mention in Heroic Age: Heroes #1, his case was reviewed by Steve Rogers. He considered releasing Osnik from prison and putting him in a behind-the-scenes role. However, he has yet to be seen again.

   • American Eagle will appear again in the digital exclusive American Eagle one-shot.

   • Sepulchre will eventually return to the United States, appearing in New Avengers (vol. 2) #7 as a prospective nanny for Luke Cage and Jessica Jones’ daughter Dani.

4. The haunted look on Bullseye’s face is because being paralyzed is a far of his, as we learned in Thunderbolts #110. This stems from the time that Daredevil broke his back and then tormented him as he laid powerless in his hospital bed, as seen in Daredevil #181 and 191 respectively. He escaped that fate when his broken spine was repaired with Adamantium in Daredevil #198. Bullseye will ultimately be given surgery that will fully heal him in Thunderbolts #121.

The Initiative Reading Order

Civil War: The Initiative #1, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Thunderbolts #112, 113, 114, 115, Omega Flight #1-5, Moon Knight (vol. 3) #13, Captain America (vol. 5) #26, 27, 28, 29, 30, New Avengers #27, 28, 29, 30, 31, New Warriors (vol. 4) #1-8, Black Panther (vol. 4) #27, 28, 29, 30, Iron Man: Agent of SHIELD #15, 16, 17, 18, Avengers: The Initiative #1, 2, 3, Fantastic Four #547, 548, 549, 550, Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #6-11, Mighty Avengers #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Sub-Mariner (vol. 2) #1-6, The Order (vol. 2) 1-4, Penance: Relentless #1, 2, 3, 4, 5