Thunderbolts #23

[arbre_rieur]

However, once the symbiote's in control, it turns out it would rather escape into the ventilation shafts than stand its ground and fight. The team splits up to hunt it down.





Thus, Ross calls a group meeting:







With everyone playing their part in Ross's plan, the Thunderbolts successfully subdue the symbiote.





I wonder how much editorial mandate has a hand in this story? Venom's departures feels quite abrupt.

Comments

[starwolf_oakley]

"I saw it take over Spider-Man. He was obviously Spider-Man, not Dr. Octopus in Spider-Man's body or anything like that."

[obsidianwolf]

Plot induced stupidity on that level takes a while to fade.

[crinos]

I love that Deadpool's mission was "Kidnap Ryan Reynolds".


"Why didn't I have a mouth in the movie? I MEAN SERIOUSLY? That's like having Cyclops without a massive stick up his ass."
.

[shadowpsykie]

Oh god i really wanted to see them do that... then we have deadpool falling in love with Ryan Reynalds and Thor gets jealous. they Deadpool is lilke "guys guys, there is pleantly of deadpool for both of you" then in walks Hercules with beer dressed as a plumber saying "I heard you need a clogged pipe" and... jesus what just happened... i think i blacked out....

[crinos]

*Leans in* Go on....

[lieut_kettch]

Loki and The Cuckoos at it again, I see.

Also, Loki and The Cuckoos would be an awesome band name.

[shadowpsykie]

THEY'RE COMING OUT NOW WITHOUT MY BIDDING! WHAT HAVE I UNLEASHED, !?!?

[freezer]

"You wanted to be sure that if you left, if the thing took over, that someone out there could stop it. Could stop you."

Because all the other times and ways the Symbiote was stopped don't count?

[silverhammerman]

It seems to have been the subject of some serious power creep over the past few years. I'm pretty sure it Hulked out and trounced Carnage during the "Minimum Carnage" crossover a while back, whereas previous Carnage had always been the stronger of the two.

Maybe making it more monstrous and powerful is an attempt to make Flash more than just Spidey but with guns?

[arilou_skiff]

Well, it has always had the kind of corruption/infection angle to it (well, at least for a pretty long time) so there's that. It's a bit more of a threat than just something to beat the tar out of.

[demonprawn]

"I wonder how much editorial mandate has a hand in this story? Venom's departures feels quite abrupt."

Venom is joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, so it could be editorially mandated.

I'm just glad he isn't in limbo and is still Flash. I really like Agent Venom.

[arilou_skiff]

Oddly enough, me too. It's one of those things you'd think would never work, and that a couple of decades on, when the status quo is back people are going to go "REALLY!?" over.

Hard to explain the difference between this and Cap-Wolf and Angel-Punisher and all y'know?

[crinos]

Well, Cap Wolf is just stupid. And Angel Punisher just totally goes against the grain of Punisher's character.

But Flash Thompson, reluctant host to the Venom Symbiote, kicking ass and taking names for America? That is a rock solid concept.

[cainofdreaming]

Hey, Cap Wolf was comedy gold. Unintentional comedy gold, but still.

[insolent_one]

On the one hand, Deadpool's plan was hilarious with his Wile E. Coyote inspired death trap complete with a mock Spider-Man dummy, but on the other hand... I would actually liked to have seen Deadpool bring forth a brilliant plan out of nowhere, but the hilariously silly plan works too.
Also, Leader's mistake was pretty funny, but he could easily have remedied the situation if he'd simply lit the magnesium. It burns fast but bright, so it should've actually done some damage then.

[q99]

Yes, but I wouldn't want to be near a flour particle explosion standing where he is, let alone a magnesium one!

[halloweenjack]

Yeah, that's where I thought they were going with that.

[arilou_skiff]

Me too.

[dustbunny105]

I would actually liked to have seen Deadpool bring forth a brilliant plan out of nowhere

Yeah, same. I guess Deadpool used up his chance at a legitimate, successful strategy out of nowhere with the pizza thing.

[burkeonthesly]

And the feather. That was two missions in a row his screwing around ended up being plot-critical useful.

[dustbunny105]

Huh, I forgot about the feather. I wonder if this was a deliberate subversion of the Rule of Three?

Though I was under the impression that he knows, somewhere in the far reaches of his mind, that going to the pizza parlor is (at least potentially) plot-critical. From that angle, I wouldn't put it on the same level as just happening to grab a feather off the right angel and I wouldn't put his silly, failed but deliberate plan in this issue on quite the same level as either.

[burkeonthesly]

I figured his plan with the feather was just to get a feather off of any angel, meaning he'd have to be someplace with angels and a door back to Mephisto, meaning the angels could follow him back. Not that most of him was thinking that, but there does seem to be a tiny bit of very clever sanity back-seat-driving Wade in this series, some of the time. I read the bit with the feather healing Frank as an unanticipated bonus.

[dustbunny105]

... Wow, y'know, I dunno how I forgot that his grabbing that feather brings an army of angels into Hell. His grabbing the ideal feather must have overruled its place in my memory.

Remembering that, I suppose the feather and the pizza place really might coexist on the same level of "dicking around, but with purpose."

[pteppic]

There's a similar line in the Deadpool game. Whole sections where Deadpool appears to be "dicking around" but it keeps turning out to be part of a pretty legen-waitforit-dary grand plan.

This Deadpool feels rather like game Deadpool. Which is fine by me.

[michaelhealy]

The last two arcs had Deadpool's wacky plans pan out (leaving the group to go get pizza at a pizzeria that happened to be owned by the targets Castle wanted killed and accidentally leading a horde of Angels into Hell shortly after giving it back to Mephisto).

[halloweenjack]

General question: I've got the third TPB on order. Is any of Way and Dillon's run worth reading?

[thatnickguy]

Having read the first volume myself, I don't think so. But opinions might vary.

[dustbunny105]

On the one hand, I'm amused that Deadpool sees Flash's request as an opportunity to enact his ridiculous plan.

On the other hand, I'm just a little disappointed that Deadpool's willingness to grant the request has nothing to do with sympathizing with Flash's desire to control the symbiote/avoid being a killer. But then I haven't kept up with Deadpool in years and have no idea how relevant struggling with murderous tendencies is to his character anymore.

[q99]

-On the other hand, I'm just a little disappointed that Deadpool's willingness to grant the request has nothing to do with sympathizing with Flash's desire to control the symbiote/avoid being a killer.-

Just because he doesn't say it is, doesn't mean that's not his reason :)

[dustbunny105]

Fair enough!

[spacebetween]

Usually I'm not a fan of Deadpool, but in here, he is actually a character I don't mind

[michaelhealy]

Since he's not the main star we are spared constant fourth wall breaking and conversations with himself.