Better Late Than Never: Thunderbolts #1

Thunderbolts (Vol. 1) #1
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciler: Mark Bagley
Inker: Vince Russell
Lettering: Comicraft's Dave 'n' Oscar
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras
Released: Feb. 19, 1997

Recently, I wrote about a time in my life when I wasn't nearly as skittish about spoilers as I am now. During that period, I learned the twist of the original “Thunderbolts” #1, despite not reading an issue of the series until many, many years later. And I never had read the first.

I figured it was time to remedy that situation because, as the old saying goes, “There's no time like the weekend a major motion picture premieres based on that famous comic you haven't read.” Or something like that.

If I somehow had avoided the ending of the first issue and basic premise of Thunderbolts for years, it would have been made pretty clear by both the front and back cover of the “Justice, Like Lightning...” trade I bought at a comic show many years ago. Busiek acknowledged as much in the foreword but shares some insights about how they worked to keep the secret and the near misses that almost sank their efforts. It also helped me understand a little better why these things get spoiled sometimes, although I still appreciate when people at least try to preserve the surprise.

In that spirit, if you haven't seen “Thunderbolts*” yet, be careful online. I'm sure there are already plenty of explanatory articles out there. The responsible ones should keep their titles vague, but the Internet isn't known as a haven of responsible behavior. All I'll say about the movie is I thoroughly enjoyed it.

But if you've managed to keep the original comic from being spoiled all this time and still want to experience it yourself, you should probably jump off here. I will be writing about that iconic twist below.

Thunderbolts may have been one of the most logical launches in comics history: The Avengers and Fantastic Four were gone in the wake of Onslaught. Although their titles were rebooting on a parallel Earth or pocket dimension inside a plastic ball,** there was a void on Earth 616. I wondered why surviving Avengers like Black Widow, Quicksilver and Hercules didn't just reform the team, and even wrote a couple of chapters in a story where they did, which evolved into an idea to bring back the Secret Defenders, which remained in my head like a lot of ideas.

But anyway, it made sense for someone to step up and fill the void. What didn't seem so obvious was that the ones filling said void would be the Masters of Evil.

I've still never read the classic story where the Masters lay siege to Avengers Mansion, and most of my knowledge of them probably comes from Handbooks and Heroclix. But the original Thunderbolts is a concept that's brilliant because it's so straightforward. I sometimes get irritated when villains become heroes by virtue of their popularity, but villains pretending to be heroes as an extension of said villainy? That makes sense. And what happens when villains try to be heroes is fertile storytelling ground.

It's hard to read the story with fresh eyes when you know what's coming, but I can see how this would have been received by readers as a fairly standard introductory first issue. They even fight the Wrecking Crew, which every Marvel hero has to do at some point. That's not to suggest it was dull or unremarkable; this is Kurt Busiek we're talking about, and the man has made magic out of familiar comic tropes for years in “Astro City.”

Each character has a distinct voice that sets them up as interesting people to follow. Citizen V is, allegedly, a noble, upstanding hero, who you could envision coming into conflict with the showboating Techno, the hesitant Songbird and the hotheaded Atlas and M.A.C.H. 1. Meteorite is the clear second-in-command who seems a little manipulative and dismissive of her teammates, and that's before she destroys Techno's butler-bot. If you had read their first appearance in “Incredible Hulk” #449, you would probably wonder why her voice sounded familiar to the Jade Giant. The cover of that first issue promises a “shocking secret.”

But would anybody have seen these villains coming? Zemo is probably A-list, but on the lower level. The others... C-list on a good day. I'd never even heard of Moonstone before this series debuted. But Busiek makes sure the Masters are in readers' minds as a news report opening the issue by reminds us that the Avengers and FF are gone and lists potential threats out there. Again, knowing what happens makes the Masters' inclusion stand out a little, but it feels like a subtle way to get people thinking about them without thinking too much about them.

So, sure, knowing the secret for nearly 30 years undoubtedly changed the way I finally read this, but the quality is there and doesn't rely solely or even primarily on the shock.

But man, it would have been fun to experience.

* - That's not one of my asterisks, but an intentional part of the film's title.

** - No, really.