Thunderbolts #25

[iamrman]

Looks like the Crimson Cowl is a firm believer in quantity over quality. (Like I am one to talk!)

I love me some deep cuts, but Shatterfist?!

Comments

[scorntx]

Ordinarily, with a group this random, it'd be pretty easy to assume the writer just chose the members for their Big Villainous Blob on a whim (with no regards to fiddly things like motivation, backstory, what they might've been like before... *stops to mutter something about Brian Bendis*).
But with Busiek, he probably did know, even if he just picked them by flipping through a handbook.

Which is why we've got that scene of Bison, Constrictor and Quicksand.
The tragic fate of C-list villains. Forever doomed to just eventually become part of the Villainous Blob.
(Although last I checked, Constrictor got it slightly better back in Avengers: The Initiative. Only cost him his arms, but he got a happy ending.)


Speaking of things not done by chance, noticing a lot of Cowl's Masters are the same people Hank Pym went and recruited back in Avengers, Inc.
Hm.
(ooooh, because Ultron was the first Crimson Cowl! ... is that supposed to be irony?)

Big twenty-fifth issue milestone! Lot going on in this one.
Even Karla starting to develop trace amounts of a conscience. Which I'm sure will in no way eventually result in a screaming breakdown...
Just making Blackwing at least 30% more Batman-y than before.

[thehood]

That scene between Bison, Quicksand and Constrictor also shows that Busiek did his homework with each character.

[zachbeacon]

Narrative thought in the lineup:

Obviously, the base is people who were on the team in Thunderbolts Year One but …

[Crimson Cowl identity spoilers]

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In reality I assume they are just characters Busiek and Bagley like (including several they created).

Its interesting that a lot of these characters eventually become Thunderbolts or followed a similar path (Constrictor)

[mazway_75]

This is why I love Busiek, his deep cuts on Marvel lore are great. "Why bother creating a new villain when there's scores of bad guys long underused?" And it works here.

[zachbeacon]

So many deep cut baddies (including Icemaster, a Hostess Fruit Pie villain…honestly, I think I would have preferred Chairman).

I think this might be Scorcher’s first modern appearance after his Untold Tales of Spider-Man introduction.

[zachbeacon]

This is the point where I can no longer take people who underestimate Moonstone seriously. The Zemo fight was just the two of them. This was in a room full of 30 people and there’s no way *picks name at random* Supercharger isn’t a massive gossip.

Hard to believe M’Baku went on to become one of the best things about the Black Panther movie because I can’t take this guy seriously here.

Not sure why Jolt is so smug about Joystick going commando; Jolt’s wearing her gross costume.

(I totally get why Joystick holds a grudge later, though)

Wait, why does the teleporting villain need an escape pod? Is it just to rub it in that she got away?

[skjam]

It has some of her control center in it that she can use to rebuild.