An army of slimy water monsters
pours out of Lake Michigan, terrorizing the human beachgoers. The Thunderbolts
on the scene (Songbird, an unarmored Mach-V, Moonstone, Ghost) try to hold them
back until the National Guard can arrive. Songbird creates a huge wall of sound
to confine the monsters to the lake while Moonstone flies over and fires energy
bolts at them. But the creepy creatures can fly and they soar over the wall and
into Chicago in the hundreds. And then Thunderbolts Tower arrives, teleported
there by Satana. Fixer dispatches the Beta Team (Boomerang, Troll, Shocker,
Centurius) but Calvin Zabo is reluctant to drink the potion that turns him into
Mister Hyde…so Fixer forces a larger than usual dose down his throat.
The heroes battle the monsters in
the city streets, Man-Thing himself joining in. Satana flies through the air,
breathing fire on the enemy, laughing all the while. A bigger-than-usual Mister
Hyde and a savage Troll tear into enemies while Shocker panics and flees the
battlefield. Satana and Moonstone note that Man-Thing is absorbing the monsters
which Satana indicates is preparatory to his dormant period and they plan to
use that against the enemy. Elsewhere, Centurius decides that the chaos
provides the right moment to escape, informing Hyde and Boomerang but they are
unable to find Shocker….
Abe Jenkins returns to the Tower to
don an older armor…and then he discovers Fixer communicating with Baron Zemo;
Abe confronts his pal who calmly tells him Zemo is not involved, the water
monsters are from Sin stealing Zemo’s tech. Abe still thinks something is wrong
and plans to revisit the matter later….
Ghost informs Songbird that according
to his calculations the Thunderbolts cannot win this battle. And then they
notice the creatures are fading out. It is a giant-size Man-Thing, absorbing
each monster’s life force and growing larger. Then Manny bursts into flames and
Satana removes the bulb of his future incarnation and, with Moonstone, rushes
back to the Tower for water and discover some of their teammates in conference.
Fixer, Centurius, Hyde, and Boomerang are planning to leave the team, having
disabled their nanites; Fixer invites the two women to join them….
Songbird, Mach-V, Ghost, and Troll
head for the Tower only to see it vanish before their eyes, leaving the burning
Man-Thing in the center of Chicago….