Synopsis
Avengers/Thunderbolts #2 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
This issue's thoughts voiceover is by Tony Stark who lets us know that the Avengers have tried and failed to stop Cobalt Man's rampage through nuclear power plants twice already (1st time last issue). Now they have their 3rd chance in New Ulm, Montana. He reminds us that CM is 'playing the part' of a reluctant villain desperate to use the radiation to keep his plasma self cohesive within his armour. But Tony also cryptically says the Avengers have been playing their part as well in *his* plan. Whatever Tony's plan is it's based on distrust of the Thunderbolts, so I don't think the T-Bolts ex-leader Hawkeye is in on it.
Captain America directs the operation. Hawkeye puts fires out with foam arrows. Iron Man and Vision hit the foe, but careful not to crack his armour. Yellowjacket discovers a fluctuation in the aged reactor core (scheduled for decommissioning soon) which Stark confirms from within his armour. Scarlet Witch and Wasp aren't doing anything, and Clint Barton can't understand why the team can't solve this problem. CM knocks IM down and blames the Avengers for interfering.
In Thunderbolts HQ Stormfront-1 in the North Sea Moonstone is listening to news reports about the pending disaster while reviewing her Project: Liberator journal. She's noted that Fixer says they need a nuclear engineer. They've spent months winning the world's trust and admiration, but they need to get Liberator working before that trust wanes.
Fixer himself is test-running the Liberator on Vantage. It is supposed to absorb transnormal energies like nuclear, cosmic, gamma, and he's seeing what it does to her ionic energy. Whatever, it's painful to Dallas Riordan, and her lover Atlas and friend Songbird come running at her cries. Dallas has reverted to being paralysed, but Baron Zemo assures them it's only temporary, and indeed Vantage is recovering. But giant-size Erik Josten has already nearly crushed Norbert Ebersol.
Moonstone joins them and Helmut Zemo stalks off telling Karla Sofen to make the others understand how important this is. Karla says he's right about needing to get things done faster, but she's worried about him cracking under the pressure - she thinks Helmut is already slipping back into his old autocratic ways. She too leaves after urging them to tell her if they see him doing anything suspicious. But the others trust Moonstone less than they do Zemo. The last 'Bolt Blackheath has arrived and agrees. The ex-Plantman is only going along with the plan because draining the dangerous energies from the world will be good for the Green. But he wonders what someone might do with all that energy once they've stolen it.
Moonstone goes to Zemo who (probably correctly) accuses her of sowing discontent as part of a power bid. But she ignores that and points out that they need a nuclear engineer and Cobalt Man *is* 1. Recruiting conflicted bad guys is their bag, and showing up the Avengers wouldn't hurt either. Helmut orders the team to scramble ...
... and Moonstone teleports (or gravitic shifts) them to Minnesota. Songbird encases the radioactive villain in hard sound. Atlas holds up a weakened ceiling. Cap and Zemo face off. Iron Man just stands around while Fixer relays his plan to Yellowjacket who admits it might work. Cobalt Man begs the Avengers to let the T-Bolts try. Steve Rogers and Helmut Zemo are still trying to outstare each other, so Hawkeye tells his old team to go for it. Fixer uses a device (a portable Liberator?) to absorb CM's energy and Moonstone opens a wormhole to send it somewhere. Now Songbird creates a sound-shell around her team and Cobalt Man. The Avengers try to stop them but Moonstone 'ports them all away. YJ reports that the core is now stable. Tony Stark's thoughtover comments that the T-Bolts worked well as a team, like the Avengers *used* to.
In TB HQ Fixer adds a coolant system to CM's armour to prevent his radiation surges, which will do until they can find a permanent solution to his problem. In return he agrees to help them save the world. Tony's thoughtover wonders if the team of ex-villains might actually be on the up-and-up.
Back at Avengers Mansion Hawkeye is simultaneously practising agility and archery when Edwin Jarvis brings him some refreshments. Clint asks Jarv if he thinks it was wise for him to have left the T-Bolts to pursue their own path (in their #75). After some reticence Edwin says that he can't forgive or trust any of the Masters Of Evil who nearly killed him (in the Avengers Under Siege arc in #270-277 - *some* of the current T-Bolts were involved there). Hawk asks Hank Pym if he knows where Iron Man is. YJ says no but makes a feeble excuse to fly off. Clint knows he's lying and follows a shifty eye-movement to the mechanical depot where he finds IM's remote-control armour recharging.
In TB HQ Cobalt Man is asking Atlas, Songbird and Vantage whether they trust Zemo. They avoid answering but Moonstone pops up and suggests there are no easy answers, such as to the question as to whether CM himself is hero or villain. She suggests that they just consider what they can do for each other (and adds a hint of flirtation to sweeten the deal). Alone in his new quarters the newbie removes his helmet and contacts the Avengers to let them know he's 'in'. He's really Tony Stark and his thoughtover tells us his plan's working but he's no longer sure whether it should continue.