“Discover the shocking secret behind Marvel’s newest champions!” Those were the words on the cover of 1997’s Thunderbolts #1, which assembled the heroes who debuted in the pages of Incredible Hulk #449 months earlier: Citizen V, Songbird, M.A.C.H.-1, Meteorite, Techno, and Atlas. In the first issue of their own series from writer Kurt Busiek and artist Mark Bagley, readers learned that these new heroes who rose to replace the Avengers and the Fantastic Four — who were thought dead during the Onslaught event but were reborn in another universe — weren’t heroes at all.
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Publicly, the T-Bolts embraced as heroes were Citizen V, grandson of the original Citizen V, a golden age vigilante who fought fascism during World War II; powerhouse giant Atlas; an expert engineer and tech genius, Techno; the sonic-screaming Songbird; the super-strong Meteorite; and the fighter jet-like M.A.C.H.-1 (Mobile Armored Cyber Harness).
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It wasn’t until the final page of Thunderbolts #1 that the “heroes” unmasked in private and were revealed to be the Masters of Evil, villains who fought the Avengers: Citizen V (Baron Zemo), Atlas (Goliath), Techno (Fixer), Songbird (Screaming Mimi), Meteorite (Moonstone), and M.A.C.H.-1 (the Beetle).
Although some of the villains would ultimately reform and become the heroes they had pretended to be, villainous versions of the team have served the likes of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, and Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. Other iterations have fought for good as a team led by Avengers Hawkeye, Luke Cage, and Bucky Barnes, who is currently leading a new version of the Thunderbolts in Thunderbolts: Doomstrike.
In the five-issue series tying into Marvel’s One World Under Doom event, Bucky — the former Winter Soldier, now called the Revolution — had been working with Contessa Valentina de Fontaine to depose Doctor Doom, the Emperor of the World.
In a homage to the original Thunderbolts #1, February’s Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1 revealed Val to be the new Citizen V, leader of Doom’s Fulgur Victoris.
To take on Doom’s regime, Bucky recruited Songbird (Melissa Gold), U.S. Agent (John Walker) and Destroyer (Captain America’s former flame, Sharon Carter), who headed to Wakanda to cut off Doom’s import of vibranium. In this week’s Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #3, Bucky’s Thunderbolts joined forces with Wakanda’s Midnight Angels to protect the Great Mound, the country’s largest vibranium mine, from being claimed by the Latverian tyrant.
Justice, Like Lightning…
Citizen V (Contessa Valentina de Fontaine, replacing Baron Zemo), MACH-Doom (a just resurrected Abner Jenkins, the original Beetle and MACH), Atlas (Erik Josten), Fixer (Paul Norbert Ebersol), and Moonstone (Karla Sofen) appeared, with Val telling the Thunderbolts to “take back the name.” (It was Doom himself who killed Zemo, the 13th Baron Zemo and original leader of the Thunderbolts, back in One World Under Doom #1.)
Bucky led the charge against his former teammates, but their rebellion had a weak spot: Mel’s love for Abner, whose soul had been placed into the MACH-Doombot by Sorcerer Supreme Doom’s magic. Bucky’s Thunderbolts were overwhelmed by the giant-sized Atlas, the Fixer liquefied Bucky’s metal arm, and the Midnight Angel Aneka was killed in action.
Val then had Fixer activate their contingency plan: MACH-Doom’s annihilation package, turning the Doombot into a bomb. To prevent Val’s Thunderbolts from turning the Great Mound into a vibranium mega-bomb, Bucky surrendered. The issue ended with Bucky as the prisoner of Doom, who told the super soldier, “Your revolution is at an end. But rejoice … for your salvation is at hand.”
Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #3 (of 5)
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE! Bucky, Songbird, Sharon Carter and the Midnight Angels launch a daring plan to target Doctor Doom’s supply of vibranium. But standing in their way are – THE THUNDERBOLTS?! It’s THUNDERBOLTS VS. THUNDERBOLTS – ‘NUFF SAID!
Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #4 (of 5)
A DINNER WITH DOOM! After DOCTOR DOOM’s team of original Thunderbolts clashed with Bucky’s team of new Thunderbolts, Bucky was captured! How will Doom punish the man spearheading the rebellion against him? With a lavish dinner, of course. And the dessert is deadly…
On sale: May 14
Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #5 (of 5)
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE!
On sale: May 21
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Vel and Kleya looking at each other in Andor.
