Thunderbolts (2006 series) #159

The Thunderbolts are trying to stop the mass breakout of super baddies from the Raft. Songbird and Moonstone shoot down some flying bad guys while Fixer tries to repair the one-way force field. Mach-V and Troll are picking up baddies trying to swim away. B-Team (Mister Hyde, Shocker, Centurius, Boomerang) are clearing rubble, searching for survivors. A shiny baddie flies out only to be conked by a boomerang. Hyde steps over various injured and tears down a wall revealing the prison medics, with multiple wounded. Songbird arrives and orders the wounded transported to the safe zone established by Fixer near the women’s section. The B-Team continues to dig through rubble and a reptilian inmate known as Big Roy bursts out; Shocker is unable to stop him so Hyde breaks his neck and tells the others to say they found him dead. They find the medical ward buried so Shocker and Centurius combine powers to uncover it. Centurius plugs into the system and uncovers the micro-codes for the nanites used to control them. There’s a debate over whether they should use the device to free them from their nanites and escape but Centurius reminds them that if they should escape they would have the lead Thunderbolts and possibly the Avengers on their trail. So he suggests cutting their power while making it seem they are still working and they can seek a better opportunity to escape at some later date. They bring the medical lab to the safe zone while enjoying the feel of being “heroes.”

Group Therapy

Synopsis

By Peter Silvestro
Rating:

In the sealed off women’s ward of the Raft, Indali seizes power over the inmates but Moonstone arrives to take command, giving orders to follow her out. But Moonstone didn’t know about Indali’s power: she can cancel out the superpowers of anyone in her vicinity. She removes Karla’s powers and has Poundcakes (“Name’s Marian”) subdue her, forcing the heroine to lead them to Man-Thing who can teleport them anywhere. They encounter a band of escaping male inmates and a brawl breaks out. Indali loses control over Moonstone and Poundcakes, who resents being called that name, clobbers Indali. Moonstone takes down the dangerous ones and Marian cooperates with Moonstone and they lead the others to freedom.

Characters
Good (or All)

 

Moonstone
(Karla Sofen)

Plus: Poundcakes (Marian Pouncy).

The Ghost and Mr. Walker

Synopsis

By Peter Silvestro
Rating:

Warden John Walker is in his quarters when the hammer falls and he is hurled to the floor. He crawls his way back to his wheelchair then encounters Ghost, sent by Songbird to bring him out. But Walker insists on going to the one working security hub. He has Ghost report and discovers that Ghost delayed the Thunderbolts response to give his criminal friends a chance to escape. They encounter a guard trapped under a heavy piece of machinery and Walker tries to movie it but has no luck. Ghost finds a pair of brother inmates, Stain and Crate, and asks for their help. They refuse but show a few minutes later, having run into some guards. Together they all move the weight from the guard. Walker, Ghost, and the two inmates continue through the damaged complex, Walker insisting on getting everything back into working order. Stain seizes Walker by the neck, demanding the drug supply; Walker frees himself and moves on to the next crisis. They reach the section where inmates who can turn to gas are held, a failsafe cutting off their oxygen if the place is attacked. Walker disables the failsafe, allowing the inmates to breathe. They curse Walker, though, thinking it was some sort of torture or experiment. Walker moves on to the next crisis….

Characters: Ghost, John Walker,  

Characters
Good (or All)

 

Ghost

Plus: John Walker.

Double Cross

Synopsis

By Peter Silvestro
Rating:

Crossbones is in the exercise room when he is trapped by Mo’ Money, Axe, and Snap. ‘Bones is seriously hated in the prison because of a) his association with the Thunderbolts and b) his association with the Red Skull. He brawls with the baddies until a fellow inmate, Man Mountain Mario, intervenes to help him. And then the hammer falls and everything goes crazy. Trapped under rubble, Crossbones tells them all their only chance to escape is to work together. As they dig their way out, Mario tells ‘Bones he would like to be a Thunderbolt and also that there is a place they can go to hide out at his aunt’s house in New Brunswick. Then they make to through to daylight….

Hours later, Warden John Walker and Mach-V are supervising excavations of buried sections of the Raft. They find the corpses of Mo’ Money, Axe, and Snap, killed by Crossbones once they were no longer useful. Then they find Crossbones’ body—but a look at the face reveals Man Mountain Mario, who lasted only a little bit longer….

Then Crossbones, masked again, arrives at Mario’s aunt’s house…..

Characters: Crossbones, John Walker, Mach-V

Characters
Good (or All)

 

Crossbones
(Brock Rumlow)

Plus: John Walker, Mach-V.