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Thunderbolts #107

Aug 2006
Fabian Nicieza, Tom Grummett

Thunderbolts #107 cover

Story Name:

Power full


Synopsis

Thunderbolts #107 synopsis by Rob Johnson
Rating: 4 stars
Last issue the Thunderbolts fought the Squadron Sinister over the Wellspring of Power in a German castle. Eventually their bosses Baron Zemo and the cosmic elder Grandmaster clashed for possession of the Power, and Zemo used his Moonstones to get rid of GM. But Thunderbolt Joystick was secretly working for GM, and she used her staff to disperse the Power worldwide.

The Wellspring is a source of superhuman abilities (which partly explains the number of supercharacters on Earth). Joystick's action has empowered people all over the globe. The army of supervillains that Zemo built for Iron Man and the Registration forces (since their agreement in #103) is sent out to try to keep control. Their actions are being coordinated by the telepathic Overmind (this is the 1st we know of him being co-opted). Later we learn that the world's greatest telepaths (Cable, Dr Strange, Prof X and for some reason Cyclops(?)) have teamed up with Overmind to control panic and stop most people from finding out they have powers.

Dr Octopus is leading a squad in Chicago comprised of Boomerang, Eel, Porcupine, Quicksand, Unicorn, Whirlwind and X-Ray. Bloodstrike, Pretty Persuasions, Smiling Tiger, Texas Twister and a Lava Man(?) are in Los Angeles. Dallas sees Ironclad, Mongoose, Red Ronin and the 3 Beetles, While Tokyo has to make do with Batroc, Bushmaster, King Cobra, Tatterdemalion, Zaran and the Blacklash/Whiplash duo. Sydney gets Aqueduct, Killer Shrike, Ox, Slyde and possibly Snake Marston.

Back in Germany Joystick has unconscious Zemo and most of the Thunderbolts held prisoner by the Wellspring, but Swordsman is on the loose. She tracks him down and shatters the adamantiun-sheathed blade of his sword with her Wellspring-powered staff. (She claims that the miraculous properties of adamantium come from the Wellspring.) Andreas Strucker gets away, but runs into a newly-powered crowd. He replaces his blade with a spare(?) and grips the hilt wrapped in the skin of his dead sister, the touch of which enables their combined mutant ability to emit a force blast.

Joyspring returns to her captives and explains Grandmaster's plan to the ones who are awake (Atlas and Songbird). She worked for GM because he promised her endless thrills out in the universe. He intended to control the Wellspring power, letting people have it at a price. And Janice believes that GM isn't dead (the Elders are very difficult to kill), and the Wellspring is even now using the Moonstones to bring him back.

Overmind mentally contacts Songbird, and we get his interpretation of GM's plot. The Elder expected this chaos, and he intended to step in later and offer to calm everything down in exchange for world domination.

We also see that the Registration (represented by Iron Man and Mr Fantastic) and Resistance (represented by Captain America) forces have both joined the efforts of Zemo's army (as they promised in #104-105). We continue to concentrate on Doc Ock's team as their leader flounders in indecision.

Overmind brings Swordsman into his mental conversation with Songbird. Andreas suggests they help bring Grandmaster back. Melissa figures they'll need Zemo's help, 'cos he's the only 1 who knows where he sent the Elder. Overmind doesn't want to wake Zemo, so he suggests he directs Songbird's hypnotic sub-sonic pitch into Zemo's brain to get him to subconsciously do what they want.

They begin. But Overmind has to take his mind of his other tasks to do it. Bloodstrike and Smiling Tiger start attacking their comrades. (Texas Twister comments that they got their powers from the Wellspring in the 1st place.) The Sydney and Dallas teams are overwhelmed, and Manhattan is awash with supercharacters (when wasn't it?!).

At home crippled Speed Demon wishes for his running power back, and gets hit by lightning (or some such flashy energy).  The situation makes strange bedfellows as Resisters Captain America and Daredevil (actually Iron Fist) team up with pro-Registration Yellowjacket (actually a Skrull). Iron Man and Mr Fantastic are on more familiar ground with Wonder Man. And Swordsman uses his sword to draw as much of the Wellspring energy down on himself as possible.

Feedback from that makes Joystick drop her staff. She hears Songbird and Zemo mumbling the same words and realises something is going on, and leaps to strangle Melissa Gold. But she is interrupted by Swordsman sparking with power. Picking up her staff they begin a duel.

Melissa meets her lover Helmut Zemo inside his mind - they are both naked. She tries to persuade him to restore Grandmaster to save the world. But Moonstone/Karla Sofen (equally naked) also pops up (from her coma?) to tell him to take the power for himself and rule the world - he should retrieve Grandmaster but then destroy him completely.

Back in the world Otto Octavius has finally made up his mind, and tells his team to flee - every man for himself. Swordsman breaks Joystick's staff in 2. Overmind tells Songbird it's all falling apart - it's all up to her. Zemo wakes. And Grandmaster returns through the Wellspring conduit.


 

Review / Commentaries


Thunderbolts #107 Review by (September 20, 2014)
This storyline wasn't published under the Civil War banner, and doesn't specifically mention the War, but the Official Index has it within CW#5. And Zemo made a deal in #104-105 with both sides that they would each help in this crisis that he foresaw in his visions. Thunderbolts Blizzard, Fixer, Mach-IV, Radioactive Man and Smuggler remain unconscious throughout this issue. Overmind was a villain 1st encountered in Fantastic Four #113-116. He contains the minds of his whole planet. He resurfaced in Defenders #111-115 which ended with him merging with some telepaths who'd lost their bodies and becoming a good guy. He hung around with the Defenders for a while, had his own story in Marvel Comics Presents #40, then became bad again in Quasar #13-16. He popped up in FF: Foes, and now he's here. Several of the villains in Zemo's army Fabian Nicieza brought with him from New Warriors. Of particular interest are Bloodstrike and Smiling Tiger whose fathers were both members of the Folding Circle. As such they got their powers from the Well of All Things in Cambodia, which the New Warriors destroyed. Presumably that was a conduit to the Wellspring of Power as mentioned last issue. Hence Texas Twister's comment here. Karla Sofen/Moonstone was put in a coma at the end of the Avengers/Thunderbolts: Best Intentions limited series when the Avengers took her 2 Moonstones away. But Zemo got hold of them and has learned to master them.


> Thunderbolts comic book info and issue index

Elektra
Thunderbolts #107 cover

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Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Main/1st Story Full Credits

Tom Grummett
Gary Erskine
J. Brown
Tom Grummett (Cover Penciler)
Gary Erskine (Cover Inker)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Albert Deschesne.
Editor: Molly Lazer.

Characters

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Atlas
Atlas

(Erik Stephen Josten)
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo

(Helmut Zemo)
Batroc the Leaper
Batroc the Leaper

(Georges Batroc)
Boomerang
Boomerang

(Frederick Myers)
Captain America
Captain America

(Steven Rogers)
Cyclops
Cyclops

(Scott Summers)
Daredevil
Daredevil

(Matt Murdock)
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus

(Otto Octavius)
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange

(Stephen Strange)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Anthony Stark)
Mr. Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic

(Reed Richards)
Over-Mind
Over-Mind

(Grom)
Songbird
Songbird

(Melissa Joan Gold)
Whirlwind
Whirlwind

(David Cannon)
Wonder Man
Wonder Man

(Simon Williams)
Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket

(Hank Pym)
Grandmaster
Grandmaster

(En Dwi Gast)
Plus: Quicksand, Speed Demon, Squadron Sinister, Swordsman (Andreas von Strucker), Zaran (Maximillian Zaran), Joystick.

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