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The original Thunderbolts
The Thunderbolts are a team of comic book superheroes created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley for Marvel Comics. They premiered in 1997 in Incredible Hulk #449, but it wasn't until the first issue of their own comic that readers found out about the twist which makes them unique. The unique feature of this team is that it is composed almost entirely by former super-villains looking for redemption.
When the The Avengers (Marvel Comics) and the Fantastic Four disappeared from our universe at the conclusion of the limited crossover series Onslaught (1996), the Marvel Universe was missing the protection of these two premier super teams. The Thunderbolts appeared on the scene, ostensibly to "fill the void" left by them. They seemed fairly competent and heroic, and were easily accepted by a frightened public. On the last page of the first issue of their ongoing series,
Another Thunderbolts line-up.
the truth was revealed to the readership. The Thunderbolts were actually a team of villains last known as the Masters of Evil. In new costumes and code names, they hoped to gain the public's trust so they could later betray it for their own profit. As the series continued, and the Thunderbolts went through their paces, acting like heroes, something strange happened. Everyone on the team except for its leader and architect of the plan, the criminal mastermind Baron Zemo (in the hero guise of Citizen V), began to like and appreciate their new heroic role. They saw an opportunity to betray Zemo instead, and become heroes in reality, perhaps finding actual redemption.
Aside from Zemo, the original Thunderbolts were:
1) Atlas—Eric Josten, formerly known as the villain Power Man, The Smuggler, and Goliath. His power was to grow to giant size stems from his going through the same power ionic energy based enhancement process as the superhero Wonder Man and exposure to Pym Particles.
2) Mach-I—Abner Jenkins, formerly known as the super-villain the Beetle.A master mechanic, Abner’s Beetle costume was armored, with metal wings that allowed him to fly, suction cups to stick to surfaces, and augmented strength. As Mach-1, his newer costume allows flight and the use of a variety of weapons. In later years, Jenkins updated his name with each improvement on his original costume, and is most recently known as Mach IV.
3) Meteorite—Karla Sofen, actually the super-villain known as Moonstone, a former psychologist and expert manipulator who tricked the former possessor of a powerful extra-terrestrial gem to reject its influence, and absorb the power into herself as well. The gem gives her a number of powers including flight, intangibility, and to emit concussive energy blasts.
The post-Civil War Thunderbolts.
4) Songbird—Melissa Gold, formerly the super-villain known as Screaming Mimi, who can manipulate sound and create solid wall constructs with the power of her electronically augmented voice.
5) Techno—Paul Ebersol, actually the villainous Fixer, genius level inventor for hire.
When the truth of their plan was exposed, the group helped the now-returned Avengers put a stop to Zemo’s evil plans, and the group, with the help of the Avenger Hawkeye and their first legitimate member, Jolt, to find true redemption as actual heroes.
Since then, the Thunderbolts have disbanded and re-formed, and have had different line-ups, usually consisting of former villains trying to make lives for themselves as heroes.
After the events of the limited series crossover Civil War (Marvel), the The Initiative allowed super-villains a fresh start under the Superhuman Registration Act and employed super-criminals for government law enforcement related missions under the Thunderbolts name. The group included some of the great Marvel villains like the new Venom and Bullseye. Songbird is still part of the team, along with the new Swordsman, Radioactive Man, and Penance, formerly New Warriors member Speedball, the group whose accident in Stamford, New Jersey was responsible for the deaths of hundreds, and the beginning of the Marvel crossover event, Civil War (Marvel Comics). The New Thunderbolts is run by director Norman Osborn, formerly known as the Spider-man hating Green Goblin. Songbird has been demoted from her field leader position, placing the manipulative Moonstone in charge. With Osborn and Sofen in charge, the team has taken on a much more sinister aspect.
To see specific information on the individual Thunderbolts, please click the Thunderbolts category link at the bottom of this article or the individual links within the article. To see other articles that reference the Thunderbolts, please click the What Links Here tool in the toolbox at the bottom of this page.
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