Thunderbolts #38
Targeted for Death
Hawkeye (Cline Barton) decides to mountain climb near the Thunderbolts’ headquarters on Mount Charteris to clear his head. He has had a lot on his mind since taking over leadership of this team of reforming criminals. At first, he thought it would be a snap, but suddenly things have been going south on him pretty quick. It started with theri failed attempt to capture the Hulk, the unsolved murder of his teammate Jolt, how Abe Jenkins (Mach-2) was forced by the Commission on Superhuman Activities to do their dirty work. The Thunderbolts had to break the law in order to catch the CSA and allow him to be free, but he also had to take on a new identity as an African-American man to do so. Most recently, Hawkeye went on a quest into Hell to free what he thought was the tormented spirit of his late wife, Mockingbird (Bobbie Morse). However, in the end he actually help restore the life of Patsy Walker, the late wife of Daemon Hellstrom in order to prevent a war in Hell. The whole thing has had him out of sorts and he wonders if it has anything to do with the feelings he has for his teammate Moonstone (Karla Sofen).[1]
That’s when Karla — using her phasing powers — pops out of the rock face and kisses him on the lips. This causes Clint to lose his grip and he almost falls to his death. Luckily, he is able to grab onto his rope line and break his fall. She explains that she has prepared a picnic for the both of them, and she event brought along two of Hawkeye’s favorites: beer and pretzels.
What they don’t know is that they are being secretly observed by Techno, who has been posing as the Thunderbolts’ technician the Ogre for months.[2] He doesn’t know why he has taken to spying on them, since he has convinced himself that he doesn’t have human emotions anymore.[3] He has to change back into his disguise when Atlas (Erik Josten) comes in looking to talk to the Ogre for advice. He is still processing the death of Jolt and wonders how he can cope with the loss. Ogre points to Hawkeye and Mach-2 (Abe Jenkins) who have found solice from Moonstone and Songbird (Melissa Gold). Erik doesn’t think he has that option. He almost tells Ogre about how Man-Killer has been laying low as a bar tender in town.[4] But instead he talks about his messed up relationship with their former liaison to the New York City Mayor’s Office, Dallas Riordan. He’s still trying to wrap his head around the recent revelation that she was the Crimson Cowl, leader of the latest incarnation of the Masters of Evil. He’s also wondering who those commandos were that sprung her from jail and how she will mess up their lives in the future.[5]
What he doesn’t know is that Dallas has just returned to the United States. On the run from the V-Battallion, she rents a car at the Denver International Airport and heads for Burton Canyon.[6] Little does she know that a spy has been tailing her and reports back to her former masters.
While in South America, the man responsible for killing Jolt has hired a guide to lead him through the jungles. He is looking for the hideout of Baron Zemo. The guide assures him that Zemo had left the area after his base of operations were destroyed by Captain America and Citizen V.[7] However, the assassin knows better and is able to find the cloaked hideout after a bit of searching.
Meanwhile, back at the picnic, Hawkeye tries to make sense of a string of recent murders and it all seems to revolve around the theft of Omega 32. The conspiracy has claimed the lives of not only Jolt, but reporter Gayle Rogers — who has mostly been covering the Thunderbolts — as well as her informant at Roxxon, who was seemingly murdered by her boss but it turned out to be an impostor. He wonders what the connection could be and wonders what the CSA is trying to cover up.[8] Somehow the team is connected to it and the first thing they need to do is found out why Jolt was killed. For a moment, Karla considers saying they should flee and save their own asses, but she then thinks of the Kree warrior woman she has been seeing in her dreams, the apparent cause of her newfound altruism.[9] Instead of saying something self-serving she finds herself suggesting they start looking for answers. She suggests that Clint go down to the police station and use his Avengers membership to get access to stuff the Thunderbolts can’t. That’s when their discussion is interrupted by Citizen V, who flies in on her V-Wing. She tells Clint and Karla that she needs help from the Thunderbolts.
In town, Charlie Burlingam (aka Charcoal) is heading in class when he runs into Cole, a member of the school football team. When he almost calls Charlie a racial slur he suddenly changes his attitude and runs off because something scared him. Charlie thinks it is him, but in reality, it is someone who is standing behind him.[10]
Elsewhere, Abe and Melissa are out on the town shopping. Mel is a little uncomfortable about Abe’s new appearance but assures him she’ll get used to it. That’s when they pass by an electronics shop that is selling a new TC-2 processor that “Ogre” said he needed to boost the telemetry processing in Abe’s Mach-2 armor. When he goes inside to ask the owner for one, he gets a sideways glance and is told it is quite expensive. Assuming the man was saying this to Abe because he assumes that because he’s black he can’t afford it, Jenkins gets mad and storms out of the shop without buying anything. When Melissa goes after him to see what’s wrong, he tells her about how he was treated in the shop and also brings up how she has been distant with him ever since his face was changed. Melissa admits that it has been hard adjusting to this new change but the two agree to work it out for the sake of their relationship. That’s when they see Charcoal flying across the sky and suspect there might be trouble back at base.
They’d be correct as the V-Battallion has arrived in a massive floating battle fortress to take in Citizen V. Although the Thunderbolts aren’t entirely sure if they want to get into this fight, they being defending Citizen V. Hawkeye eventually radios to “Ogre” and asks him to find some way to weed out the army against them. However, something in the V-Battaltion fortress is scrambling all of their systems. Techno is particularly concerned because it may claim the life of the individual he’s has contained in stasis chamber 3.[11][12] Eventually, the Thunderbolts repel the invasion force, prompting the V-Battallion’s Penance Council to appear before them via holographic projection.[13] They tell the Thunderbolts that they will be left in peace if they hand over Citizen V.
When Atlas suggests that they do just that, since Citizen V is nobody to them, she replies by saying they owe her. That’s when Citizen V removes her mask, revealing to them that she is actually Dallas Riordan!
Meanwhile, back in South America, the assassin has activated a cloaking device in order to sneak into Baron Zemo’s hideout. He makes his way into a trophy room where Zemo keeps his Nazi memorabilia. He then pulls out a staff that can fire energy beams and uses it to trash the place to alert Zemo of his presence. When the Baron shows up, sword drawn, the intruder drops his cloaking field. Wearing a uniform resembling that of that of a samurai warrior complete with an Oni mask. However, this suit is also decked out with various devices commonly used by super-villains. The intruder introduces himself as Zemo’s killer and calls himself Scourge!
Recurring Characters
Thunderbolts (Hawkeye, Moonstone, Atlas, Songbird, Mach-2, Charcoal, “Ogre”), V-Battalion (Citizen V, Roger Aubrey, Iron Cross, Nuklo, Betty Barstow, Isadora Martinez, all unidentified except Citizen V) Scourge, Baron Zemo
Continuity Notes
Just one big exposition dump at the start of the issue, why not? So here are things you have to know off the top:
Clint recently took over leadership of the team in Thunderbolts #21. He likens it to when he ran the western branch of the Avengers, which he did from West Coast Avengers #1 through volume 2 issue #45 of that series.
The Thunderbolt’s failed attempt at capturing the Hulk and Jolt’s apparent murder both happened in Thunderbolts #34. However, Jolt wasn’t entirely dead managed to survive and will be restored to full health in issue #46.
When Hawkeye became leader of the team, he convinced Jenkins to surrender himself to the authorities and do time for a murder he committed (Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #3) as seen in Thunderbolts #23. He was tapped by the CSA to try and help them bust Justin Hammer in Thunderbolts #26 but posing as a new Beetle. The Thunderbolts helped him get out from under the CSA’s thumb last issue. Abe will maintain his African-American appearance until Avengers/Thunderbolts #1.
At the time of this story, Hawkeye believes that Mockingbird is dead, as she was seemingly killed in Avengers West Coast #100. In reality, this was a Skrull spy who was part of a planned invasion of Earth, as will be explained in Secret Invasion #8 and New Avengers: The Reunion #2.
Recently, Clint ventured into Hell on a mission to rescue the soul of someone posing as his wife, however this was all a grand manipulation to get him to revive Patsy Walker. See Avengers (vol. 3) #10-11 and Thunderbolts Annual 2000.
Hawkeye has started a romance with Moonstone back in Thunderbolts #29.
Techno has been posing as the Ogre since Thunderbolts #32. He will maintain this charade until issue #46.
The real Techno had his neck snapped back in Thunderbolts #6. His mind was downloaded into a robotic body in the following issue. However, this is not the real Techno, just a copy of his mind as we’ll see in Thunderbolts #49.
Man-Killer managed to escape when the Thunderbolts took out her teammates in the Masters of Evil in Thunderbolts #25. Erik discovered that she was working the bar in town in issue #27.
Dallas became Thunderbolts liaison back in issue #2, when they were still plotting to take over the world. After this scheme was exposed in Thunderbolts #10-12, Riordan found herself out of a job. In issue #25, it appeared she was the Crimson Cowl, and she was busted out of prison in issue #27. As will be clarified this and the next two issues, she has actually been the new Citizen V and the real Crimson Cowl framed her.
As Citizen V, Dallas was assigned to assassinate Henry Gyrich in Thunderbolts #35 and has been on the run ever since. Her target and the reason for the assassination order (that Gyrich had been compromised by Hydra) won’t be revealed until issue #50.
Captain America and Citizen V destroyed Zemo’s original South American hideout, however he had a spare nearby that could be cloaked from detection. See Captain America Annual 1998. As for the identity of this assassin? Well….
Jolt’s killer also murdered Gayle Rogers and her information in Thunderbolts #36 and 37. While we learn that he is the current Scourge of the Underworld, we don’t know the why behind him. As we’ll learn in Thunderbolts #49-50, he is really Jack Monroe — aka Nomad — who was being forced to eliminate the Thunderbolts as part of a grander scheme to wipe out every superhuman on Earth. His murder weapon is Omega 32, which is a process that temporarily solidifies air.
What Karla is experiencing is the memories and personality of AJes’ha a Kree warrior who wielded her Moon Stone centuries earlier. These visions started in Thunderbolts #28. This will all be revealed to her in issue #45.
What Charlie doesn’t realize is that he is being shadowed by the Secret Empire (aka the Elite, aka the Loyalist Forces of America) who are trying to get him back into the fold, as will be revealed in Thunderbolts #53.
We’ll discover that this is Jolt, and that Techno has been working on restoring her to life, as seen in issue #46.
On “Ogre’s” computer screens in this scene are various heroes and villains who channel and manipulate various elemental forces or types of energy. This is cryptic clue as to how Techno is going to revive Jolt. Those displayed here include:
Havok (Alex Summers), best known for his association with the X-Men. First seen in X-Men #54.
X-Ray (James Darnell) of the villanous U-Foes. First seen in Incredible Hulk #254.
Monica Rambeau in her original Captain Marvel costume. At the time of this story she is going by the name Photon. First seen in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16.
Spider-Man’s foe Electro (Max Dillon), who was first seen in Amazing Spider-Man #9.
Living Lightning (Miguel Santos) a former member of the late Avengers West Coast. First seen in Avengers West Coast #63.
The energy monster known as Zzzax, whom has regularly fought the Hulk. First seen in Incredible Hulk #166.
Johnny Storm the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch, first seen in Fantastic Four #1.
The Chinese villain known as Radioactive Man (Chen Lu) first seen in Journey into Mystery #93.
The Japanese mutant known as Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida) first seen in X-Men #64.
Carol Danvers in her Binary form, which was first seen in Uncanny X-Men #164.
The Harold of Galactus known as Nova (Frankie Raye), a role she first took on in Fantastic Four #244.
The space faring hero known as Jack of Hearts (Jonathan Hart) first seen in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22, of all places.
Lastly, the occasional foe of Spider-Man known as Will O’ the Wisp (aka Jackson Arvard), who was first seen in Amazing Spider-Man #167.
The Penance Council is unidentified here. However, their identities will be revealed in Thunderbolts #40. They are:
Roger Aubrey, who was the wartime hero known as the Destroyer, technically he is first seen in Invaders #14, but this has since retroactively been applied to All-Winners Comics #8.
Betty Barlow, former wartime hero known as the Silver Scorpion. First seen in Daring Mystery Comics #7.
Robert Frank, Jr., aka Nuklo, the son of the Whizzer and Miss America. First seen in Giant-Size Avengers #1.
Helmut Gruler, the reformed Nazi known as Iron Cross. First appearance: Invaders #35
and Isadora Martinez who has no alter-ego. This is her first appearance.
How Could Members of the V-Battalion Still be Alive in the Present?
If you’ve read enough of my index, you’ll know that of the recurring issue with characters from World War II still being alive in the Modern Age. For those late to the party the thing is this: Due to the Sliding Timescale, the Modern Age slowly moves further and further away from World War II. Without going into the math, at it’s simplest terms is that the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe remains relative to the present day IRL. As I write this (July, 2023) World War II was over 80 years ago. Veterans in that conflict (if they are still alive) are between 90 and 100 years old and dying fast.
At the time that this comic was published, many of the V-Battalion’s are depicted as being in the ballpark of 70 years of age. Which would have been believable at the time this was published in the year 2000.
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise to you that an outside explanation needs to be used to explain how someone who was alive to see World War II as it happend to be alive and running an operation as complex an operation as the V-Battallion.
Later issues of the Thunderbolts as well as the Citizen V and the V-Battalion and the Citizen V and the V-Battaltion: Everlasting limited series reveal that the V-Battalion have access to alien technologies. That on top of their associations with characters that have managed to prolong their lives through artificial means, it’s not impossible to believe that they had access to technology that slowed the aging process of its the eldest members of the Penance Council.
