—Citizen VYou have done well, my Thunderbolts -- or perhaps I should use your other code-names. Fixer. Beetle. Screaming Mimi. Goliath. And Moonstone. In time, my friends -- the world will discover what a viper it has clasped to its breast. But by then it will be too late -- far too late!
Appearing in "Justice... Like Lightning!"
Featured Characters:
- Thunderbolts (Real Identity Revealed)
Supporting Characters:
- WJBP-TV
- Megan McLaren (First appearance)
- Kenny (First appearance)
- Hallie Takahama (First appearance)
- Dallas Riordan (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Rat Pack (First appearance)
- Number One (First appearance)
- Number Fourteen (First appearance)
- Several unidentified members
- Wrecking Crew
Other Characters:
- Avengers (Vision or hallucination)
- Thor (Odinson) (Vision or hallucination)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Vision or hallucination)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Vision or hallucination)
- Giant-Man (Hank Pym) (Mentioned)
- Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) (Mentioned)
- Fantastic Four (Vision or hallucination)
- Human Torch (Johnny Storm) (Vision or hallucination)
- Thing (Ben Grimm) (Vision or hallucination)
- Invisible Woman (Susan Richards) (Vision or hallucination)
- Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) (Vision or hallucination)
- Onslaught (Mentioned)
- Hallie Takahama's parents (Mentioned)
- Lava Men (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Blastaar (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Frightful Four (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Wizard (Bentley Wittman) (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Hydro-Man (Morris Bench) (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Titania (Mary PacPherran) (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Klaw (Ulysses Klaw) (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Masters of Evil (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Mister Hyde (Calvin Zabo) (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara) (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Tiger Shark (Todd Arliss) (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Blackout (Marcus Daniels) (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Absorbing Man (Crusher Creel) (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- wiki:Thomas Randolph (Mentioned)
- Sandy (First appearance)
- Barb (First appearance)
- Other unidentified civillians
- The Mayor of New York City (Voice only)
- Donna (First appearance)
- Eduardo (First appearance)
- ⏴ Spider-Man (Peter Parker) ⏵
- New Warriors
- Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)
Races and Species:
- Asgardians (Vision or hallucination)
- Humans
- Sentinels (Destroyed)
- Lava Men (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Baluurians (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- Atlantean-Human Hybrids
Locations:
Items:
- Iron Man Armor Model YT1 (Vision or hallucination)
- Captain America's Uniform (Vision or hallucination)
- Captain America's Shield (Vision or hallucination)
- Fantastic Four Uniforms (Vision or hallucination)
- Songbird's Sonic Carapace
- Mobile Armored Cyber-Harness
- Moonstone
- Thunderball's Ball and Chain
- Techno's Tech-Pac
- Bulldozer's Armor
Vehicles:
- V-Wing (First appearance)
Synopsis for "Justice... Like Lightning!"
After the devastating Onslaught crisis, New York City is left in ruins, and the absence of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four leaves the city vulnerable. Amid the destruction, a young girl named Hallie Takahama is abducted by a masked man.
With no heroes to stand in their way, crime groups like the Rat Pack begin to prey on the city unchallenged. But their spree is interrupted by the arrival of a new superhero team, the Thunderbolts, led by Citizen V. The team — Citizen V, Atlas, Mach-1, Meteorite, Songbird, and Techno — takes down the Rat Pack, despite the criminals’ military training. Although the Rat Pack manages to escape, the Thunderbolts leave a strong impression, and Dallas Riordan from the mayor’s office is pleased about the arrival of the new heroes.
Back at their run-down headquarters, tensions arise among the team. Techno grumbles about their poor accommodations, while Meteorite notices a budding connection between Mach-1 and Songbird after their teamwork in the fight. Atlas voices frustration to Meteorite about Techno’s disregard for Citizen V’s orders during the battle.
Soon after, the Thunderbolts face the press. Citizen V insists they’re not trying to replace the Avengers, but that they’re here to protect the city under the motto “Justice, like Lightning!” When news comes in of the Rat Pack’s return, the Thunderbolts rush to confront them, only to find themselves ambushed by the Wrecking Crew at the Statue of Liberty. A fierce battle unfolds, but the Thunderbolts emerge victorious and even repair the statue’s damage. Dallas Riordan personally thanks the team, particularly catching Atlas’s attention.
Afterwards, the media quickly embraces the Thunderbolts, and established heroes like Spider-Man and the New Warriors commend them as well. However, the public is unaware of the truth: under the mask of Citizen V is none other than Baron Helmut Zemo, and the Thunderbolts are actually the Masters of Evil in disguise—Beetle, Fixer, Goliath, Moonstone, and Screaming Mimi.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in the trades Thunderbolts Classic Vol. 1 and Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning.