| Batroc the Leaper |  There is a man inside Venom?!  |
| Taskmaster | They’re Symbiotes. Venom came to Earth disguised as Spider-Man’s old costume but now he lives on some bro named Eddie. |
| Batroc the Leaper | Venom is the Spider-Man’s laundry? |
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Thunderbolts (Reforms)
- Taskmaster (Tony Masters) (Rejoins Team)
- Mister Fear (Larry Cranston) (Joins)
- Star (Ripley Ryan) (Joins)
- Batroc the Leaper (Georges Batroc) (Rejoins Team)
- Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich) (Leaves)
- Ampere (Leaves) (First appearance; dies)
- Snakehead (First appearance; dies)
Supporting Characters:
- Mayor Wilson Fisk (Main story and flashforward)
Antagonists:
- Symbiote Hive
- Knull (Mentioned)
- Unnamed symbiote dragon (Death)
- Numerous unnamed symbiotes
Other Characters:
- God (Invoked)
- Alexander Hamilton (Photo)
- Incendiary (First appearance; dies)
- Kingpin's Henchmen
- Thunderbolts (Mentioned)
- Citizen V (Baron Helmut Zemo) (Mentioned)
- Nazis (Mentioned)
- Smaug (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Mentioned)
- Defenders
- Spider-Man (Peter Parker) (Mentioned)
- Venom symbiote (Mentioned)
- Venom (Eddie Brock) (Mentioned)
- Norman Osborn
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Symbiotes
- Hippopotamuses (Mentioned)
Locations:
Items:
- Taskmaster's Sword and Shield
- Mister Fear's Suit
- Ampere's Suit
- Star's Suit
- Reality Stone (Behind the scenes)
- Rhino Armor
- Fear Gas
Synopsis for 1st story
At a press conference, Mayor Wilson Fisk announces that he assembled a Thunderbolts team and sent them on a top-secret mission to save the world from Knull's onslaught. Announcing that the Thunderbolts gave their lives to carry out their mission, Fisk claims their sacrifice will mark the turning point in the war and that they will be forever remembered as heroes.
Several days prior, Fisk sneers that the group of villains he assembled - Taskmaster, Mister Fear, Star, Batroc the Leaper, Ampere, Snakehead, Incendiary, and Rhino - are worthless scumbags who deserve to be forgotten and would be unmourned if they died. As Taskmaster and Mister Fear bicker over which of them started wearing skull-masks first, Fisk snaps that he's talking before informing them that he has good news: the Earth is under attack by an alien god called Knull, who seems fully capable of casually wiping out all life. As Star asks how that constitutes good news, Fisk states it's good news because now they have a chance to pay back the debt they owe him for having operated in his city without his permission, which doubles as an opportunity for them to become rich and famous heroes. Star asks what the alternative is, and Fisk retorts that the alternative is rotting in prison until Knull shows up and kills them - telling them not to make him regret going to the Bar with No Name to personally recruit them. Incendiary immediately opts out, saying that serving time is preferable to going up against a horde of symbiotes. Fisk says he appreciates Incendiary's candor, noting he selected each member of the team based on feedback from his experts but that he can't force them to participate. As Incendiary is escorted out by a pair of guards, Fisk asks where he was before being interrupted and Batroc remarks he was saying something about making them rich. Ampere interrupts to say he's going to opt out too, but he's interrupted by a loud gunshot, Fisk stating with blatant insincerity that Incendiary just attempted to escape custody before wryly asking Ampere what he was just saying. Ampere nervously replies that he's in, as do the remaining members sitting around the table. Rhino asks how they're supposed to stop an alien invasion, Fisk replying that he has no idea but he knows someone who might and that their mission is to locate and speak to him. As Fisk distributes contracts for them to sign, Taskmaster reacts with dismay at the target of their mission, asking if Fisk is joking. Mister Fear asks who Star is, and after a brief introduction Fisk states she's the team's heavy hitter. When Mister Fear asks what Fisk needs the rest of them for, Fisk retorts that they're there to protect Star until she can get a kill-shot on Knull. Cutting the Q&A session short, Fisk states he has one last requirement for them: no masks. Ampere, Mister Fear, and Taskmaster immediately refuse, but Fisk snaps that they represent him and therefore have to act the part. Taskmaster asks what their hero team name is, and is incredulous when Fisk informs them they're the Thunderbolts. As Fisk states the name carries a proud legacy, Taskmaster reminds him it was started as a scam by a former Nazi in a bid at world domination; Fisk irritably stating they're using the name because he bought the copyright to it.
As the newly minted Thunderbolts patrol the deserted streets between skyscrapers encrusted with living abyss, Mister Fear sarcastically states they need a new name to represent their totally-sincere heel-face turns and unwavering embodiment of all things good. Snakehead notes that Mister Fear's right about needing a new name since thunderbolts aren't even a real thing, but before she can finish her sentence she's unceremoniously bitten in half by a symbiote dragon - which narrowly misses Mister Fear when he bends down to pick up a dropped coin. As the symbiote dragon swallows Snakehead's upper half, Taskmaster orders the Thunderbolts to fan out and surround it. Flying into the air, Star ineffectually fires energy blasts at its wings, the symbiote dragon lashing out with its tail and striking Taskmaster. As Star calls for someone to distract it so she can aim a blast at its head, Mister Fear condescendingly fires a blast of his fear toxin into the symbiote dragon's face. As it reels back, Star explodes its head with an energy beam before asking if anyone is questioning her membership now. Abruptly swooning, she drops out of the sky into Batroc's arms; Ampere stating that now that he knows what they're up against he's decided to quit. Taskmaster states they need everyone's powers to pull it off, but Ampere retorts that if Fisk is welcome to execute him provided the world doesn't end. Mister Fear gleefully impales Ampere from behind, Taskmaster berating him until he explains that they can take Ampere's electrical vambraces and use them themselves. Begrudgingly acquiescing, Taskmaster says he won't tolerate any more desertions... only for Rhino to tap him on the head and say he's leaving too. Realizing there's nothing he can do to stop him, Taskmaster lets him go - Star calling him out on doing so after saying they need everyone to succeed. Giving Ampere's vambraces to Batroc and Taskmaster, Mister Fear quips they can't be hard to figure out since Ampere could use them. As they walk away, Star asks how they intend to get to their destination when it's across the river, Taskmaster retorting they'll commandeer a boat. Mister Fear asks if they should dispose of Snakehead and Ampere's corpses, Taskmaster replying that someone will handle it for them; no-one noticing the symbiote-dragon's body oozing tendrils towards Ampere's corpse.
As they progress through the city, Star asks Taskmaster if they know the man Fisk has sent them to meet up with. Taskmaster replies that he does, but before he can elaborate much further Mister Fear smashes the window of a nearby jewelry store and grabs a necklace. Taskmaster demands to know what he's doing, and Mister Fear snidely remarks that he's "commandeering" it to sell on the black market. Taskmaster snaps at him to drop the necklace, but their argument is interrupted by Star - who hears the sounds of combat nearby. Peering around a corner, the Thunderbolts see the Defenders bantering while fighting a horde of humanoid monsters with spiked pauldrons, red spirals on their faces, and red dragon emblems on their chests and backs. Star asks if they shouldn't help considering they're all on the same side, but Mister Fear refuses - sneering that Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist would just turn on them and throw them in jail. Taskmaster agrees, and when Star calls him out on it he tells her the Defenders have their own mission, and he won't jeopardize the Thunderbolts' mission for them. As Star protests that the Defenders could help them, Mister Fear sneers at her to just let it go; Taskmaster alerting them to the presence of one of the monsters perched on a nearby wall. As Batroc posits that it will leave them alone if they leave it alone, the monster leaps from its perch and pounces on Mister Fear. Electrifying his sword, Taskmaster decapitates it; Batroc shocked to see there is a man inside it. Taskmaster responds that it's the same sort of creature as the Venom symbiote, Batroc incredulous to learn there is a man inside Venom and that the symbiote was once bonded to Spider-Man. Picking up the severed head, Mister Fear states that the symbiote's host was Ampere - gleefully declaring he got to kill the same man twice in one day and disregarding Taskmaster grousing that he killed Ampere the second time. Scowling, Taskmaster tells the remaining members not to let any of the black goop get on them, noting they're two blocks away from the pier and need to get going before they draw any attention to themselves... before correcting himself as he and the other members see a horde of symbiote minions charging towards them. Batroc volunteers to fend off the horde, electrifying his legs to make his kicks more effective against them. Picking the first boat they see, Taskmaster works to hotwire it while Mister Fear cuts the hawser rope. As the boat moves away from the dock, Star scans the shore for Batroc and volunteers to go after him, Mister Fear rebuking her. Pursued by a horde of symbiote minions, Batroc races to the end of the pier and leaps just in time to avoid being pounced on, sticking the landing only to be held at swordpoint by Taskmaster, gunpoint by Mister Fear, and Star charging an energy blast. As he sardonically quips about "American hospitality", Taskmaster asks if any of the symbiote matter got on him, Batroc assuring him it hadn't before making an innuendo. Star worries that the symbiote minions might be able to swim, Taskmaster replying that even if they can they'll be at their destination in a minute.
Arriving at the Ravencroft Institute, Star wonders if anyone is there before Taskmaster replies that Fisk wouldn't let anyone evacuate. Mister Fear quips that he never thought he'd ever go to Ravencroft - earning disbelieving stares from the others until he awkwardly clarifies that he meant of his own volition. As Mister Fear asks how they'll find their target, Taskmaster angrily retorts he has no idea before the door opens and the Thunderbolts find themselves looking at Norman Osborn. As Star remarks that she thought he'd be scarier given his reputation as the Green Goblin, Mister Fear glumly states that if Osborn is the man they were sent to rescue they're all dead.
Solicit Synopsis
KINGPIN’S KILLERS VERSUS AN ARMY OF UNKILLABLE DRAGONS!
An army of evil space dragons have come to attack Earth and are starting with New York. MAYOR FISK has a plan for that. Assembling a group of killers, mercenaries, and just generally pretty horrible people like TASKMASTER, RHINO, STAR, MR. FEAR, and BATROC THE LEAPER, Mayor Fisk tasks them with saving the city or die trying…or die right then and there. The fate of the entire world may rest in the hands of the absolute worst people in the Marvel Universe. What could go wrong?Trivia
- The plot of this issue is a reference to the DCEU's Suicide Squad movie.
See Also
- 10 image(s) from King in Black: Thunderbolts Vol 1 1
- 2 reprint(s) of King in Black: Thunderbolts Vol 1 1
