The New Thunderbolts returns to just being Thunderbolts.
I’m going to paint with a very, very broad brush here because these issues are heavy on exposition and “reveals,” but they’re just not very good.
We learn that the new Swordsman is Andreas Strucker, and his sister Andrea is dead–killed by Helmut Zemo. Zemo also turned Andreas into the new Swordsman because in his mind Swordsman is the first “Thunderbolt”–the first villain to become a hero. (That’s wrong, though. Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver started being good first–I’m pretty sure about that but I haven’t checked becuse this is the internet and people just believe what they want anyway.). The two characters fight but not to the death because … Not really clear to me why.
Sigh.
Due to a super-power misfire by Genis Vell, Songbird travels through time and learns a bunch about Zemo. She’s supposed to be a double-agent working for Zemo but is she? I can’t tell. And frankly don’t care.
Big fights with too many characters happen next.
These issues are very complicated and issue #18 ends with Moonstone killing everyone.
Only of course she doesn’t.
She was under Zemo’s thrall.
They all have to fight–Zemo’s gang vs the Thunderbolts.
After more big fights in #100, it’s Genis Vell who actually dies.
Zemo uses the moonstones to bust him into pieces and scatter him across the dark dimension. He’s been dead before, though. He’ll be back.
He’s buried next to his dad.
It turns out he had to die because his powers were nuts so Zemo isn’t a bad guy after all. (Come ON!!!)
The issue ends with a new lineup that includes Andreas Strucker on the team, in his Swordsman outfit, and also Erik Josten’s sister who is now The Smuggler. She joins so she can hang out with her big bro.
Songbird is on the new team and is apparently in love with Helmut even though he’s a total dick.
This book has gotten so convoluted. It’s harder to read than X-Men and much less rewarding.
English (US) · 