Thunderbolts Appreciation 2021

[Sutekh]

Songbird- Leader. Always thought she would be an Avenger by now
Mach X- Abe has paid his dues and deserves more airplay
Moonstone- She provides manipulation and tension that adds to the dynamics
Beetle- Janice Lincoln. I can already see the tension between her, Abe and Karla
Porcupine- Reformed by Spider-Woman now jilted and kicked out of her book
Grizzly/Rhino- Muscle. Maxwell was hilarious in the pages of Ant-Man. Rhino is a tragic figure.

Honorable mention
Goliath- If there was 8 I would have picked him
Whirlwind- He’ll never reform but you can always try

Love the idea of Abe and Janice working together. And Grizzly is indeed a hoot. I'd go one step further and use someone else from Ant-Man's little ex-cons brigade, Machinesmith, in place of Porcupine. Songbird and Moonstone, being the two moral compasses for the group, pulling them in opposite directions, creates fun tension (and people like Machinesmith and Janice, innately sketchy, along with those more on the fence, like Grizzly and Abe, makes it a bit more dramatic than saddling the team with a bunch of people who more or less agree with Melissa, and leave Karla with no one to play her moral manipulation games upon).

[Dreaded Porcupine]

Love the idea of Abe and Janice working together. And Grizzly is indeed a hoot. I'd go one step further and use someone else from Ant-Man's little ex-cons brigade, Machinesmith, in place of Porcupine. Songbird and Moonstone, being the two moral compasses for the group, pulling them in opposite directions, creates fun tension (and people like Machinesmith and Janice, innately sketchy, along with those more on the fence, like Grizzly and Abe, makes it a bit more dramatic than saddling the team with a bunch of people who more or less agree with Melissa, and leave Karla with no one to play her moral manipulation games upon).

You’re cutting out the Porcupine? I would be fine with that. He got tossed out of Spider-Woman and I’m just trying to find a place for him. Machinesmith and Grizzly were hilarious together. Poor Scott had his hands full with those two. Trying to find an ongoing spot for Janice too. I’d like if Spencer did another Superior Foes of Spider-Man with her team the all lady Sinister Six/Syndicate team but I doubt that will ever happen.

[Chris0013]

Songbird- Leader. Always thought she would be an Avenger by now
Mach X- Abe has paid his dues and deserves more airplay
Moonstone- She provides manipulation and tension that adds to the dynamics
Beetle- Janice Lincoln. I can already see the tension between her, Abe and Karla
Porcupine- Reformed by Spider-Woman now jilted and kicked out of her book
Grizzly/Rhino- Muscle. Maxwell was hilarious in the pages of Ant-Man. Rhino is a tragic figure.

Honorable mention
Goliath- If there was 8 I would have picked him
Whirlwind- He’ll never reform but you can always try

If we are talking about a "do missions for a pardon" type of book....I think Moonstone and Beetle are irredeemable. How many chances was Moonstone given? And she is always in it just to get free and go back to doing what she do. Beetle as well is a criminal through and through. Not as bad as Moonstone...but she is in it to get paid...even if she got her record wiped clean she would go back to being a criminal.

[Dreaded Porcupine]

If we are talking about a "do missions for a pardon" type of book....I think Moonstone and Beetle are irredeemable. How many chances was Moonstone given? And she is always in it just to get free and go back to doing what she do. Beetle as well is a criminal through and through. Not as bad as Moonstone...but she is in it to get paid...even if she got her record wiped clean she would go back to being a criminal.

That’s the beauty of the Thunderbolts. Some will reform and be gung ho about it like Abe and Melissa. Some will be on the fence and could go either way. Some will never reform. This is what makes the dynamics of the Thunderbolts. I picked Moonstone because she was a popular T-Bolt that created a lot of sub plots to the story with her incessant manipulation. Janice has potential to be both. She’s already as her dad called her, a “legal crook”, being an attorney. She really doesn’t need to be a petty thief when she can make a decent living as an attorney. Plus her dad does not want her following in his foot steps. The Thunderbolts have had plenty of members who did not reform.

[Kingkalamari]

https://comic-watch.com/news/sneak-p...mpression=true

Preview for Siege Society, probably the most adjacent Thunderbolts content we will have for the moment.

[Huntsman Spider]

https://comic-watch.com/news/sneak-p...mpression=true

Preview for Siege Society, probably the most adjacent Thunderbolts content we will have for the moment.

Thanks. Should be fun, at least.

[Frontier]

https://comic-watch.com/news/sneak-p...mpression=true

Preview for Siege Society, probably the most adjacent Thunderbolts content we will have for the moment.

Kind of feels a little more Masters of Evil...

[Huntsman Spider]

Kind of feels a little more Masters of Evil...

Considering the Thunderbolts were initially a disguise for the Masters of Evil . . .

[K7P5V]

Considering the Thunderbolts were initially a disguise for the Masters of Evil . . .

And a truly memorable twist it was (IMHO):

[Huntsman Spider]

And a truly memorable twist it was (IMHO):

Yeah. I finally got to read the first Thunderbolts Complete Collection some years back, and it still hit me, even knowing what was going to happen (or had already happened, technically).

[Frontier]

Considering the Thunderbolts were initially a disguise for the Masters of Evil . . .

Can't always leave your roots .

[Sutekh]

Screaming Mimi-to-Songbird was the best reinvention.

Although I'm intrigued by the notion that the writer wanted to use Rita DeMara / Yellowjacket 2 there, and what sort of reinvention she would have gotten (which could have taken her significantly far from 'Yellowjacket 2' as the Mimi-to-Songbird makeover showed). Atlas was already kind of covering the size-changer motif, although, as Giant-Man and the Wasp as Avengers demonstrate, a team can certainly support two size-changers! But to get her away from the 'yellowjacket' theme, perhaps she'd be renamed Hummingbird and have enhanced speedy flight, shrinking and vibratory blasts, maybe an adaptation by Techno of Beetle's combat computer allowing her to appear to react at superhuman speed (computer-enhanced reflexes)?

[Digifiend]

That might have worked, being a Thunderbolt would've definitely meant rebranding her. There is a hero called Hummingbird, but this was more than a decade before Aracely showed up (in Scarlet Spider), so the name wasn't taken yet.

Was Songbird's real name ever mentioned before Thunderbolts? Her name is Melissa Gold, but when she was a villain, was her real first name just assumed to actually be Mimi?

[Huntsman Spider]

Screaming Mimi-to-Songbird was the best reinvention.

Although I'm intrigued by the notion that the writer wanted to use Rita DeMara / Yellowjacket 2 there, and what sort of reinvention she would have gotten (which could have taken her significantly far from 'Yellowjacket 2' as the Mimi-to-Songbird makeover showed). Atlas was already kind of covering the size-changer motif, although, as Giant-Man and the Wasp as Avengers demonstrate, a team can certainly support two size-changers! But to get her away from the 'yellowjacket' theme, perhaps she'd be renamed Hummingbird and have enhanced speedy flight, shrinking and vibratory blasts, maybe an adaptation by Techno of Beetle's combat computer allowing her to appear to react at superhuman speed (computer-enhanced reflexes)?

That would be very cool to see. Shame about her being killed off in The Crossing. Maybe she'll appear in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and give Marvel an excuse to bring her back that way.

[Chris0013]

I like how it is mostly heroes from the mainstream universe...if those are supposed to be John and Scott ans Soviet Agent and Fire Ant. That would mean the Zemo and Sabretooth are the only villians on the team.