Crazy Like Lightning….Thunderbolts

Can a trainwreck be entertaining and fun?  Yes it can!!!  I present to you, Thunderbolts, a team headed by a psycho and filled with other psychos.

Let’s start with a little back story on the team.  Originally, the team consisted of villians posing as heroes in order to further their nefarious plans.  Then they decided the hero bit wasn’t so bad and became a group of reformed villians.

Fast forward to the Civil War mega event.  A schism exists between superheroes that agree to register with the government and those that won’t.  The government decides to create a team to hunt down unregistered heroes.  Now who could you get to do such a questionable job?  Enter the new Thunderbolts.  Now instead of villians looking for redemption.  You have a team of villians working for the government on the promise of money and a one way ticket to anywhere outside of the United States.

Who are these villians?

• Songbird – member of the original team.  She has sonic powers and is one of only two members who are not insane.  She acts like the heart of the team.
• Radioactive man – also an original member.  He is radioactive and is just hoping to get back to his homeland of China. He is the other non-crazy member.
• Moonstone – last of the originals.  While not traditionally crazy, highly manipulative and a master of psychology.

At this point you may be asking, “Where’s the crazy?  Why should I read this book at all?  Not so trainwreck-like.”  Well you’d be right if this was all there was to it.  So let’s bring on the crazy:

• Venom – not Eddie Brock, but Mac Gargan (orginally, the Scorpion).  Regardless of who is wearing the symbiote, Venom is a bloodthirsty monster.  Mostly uncontrollable and likes to eat people.
• Swordsman – has powers but can only use them when touching his twin sister.  The problem being that his sister is dead so he wields a sword whose hilt is wrapped in the skin of his dead sister.  Oh yeah and he was promised a clone of his sister in lieu of payment.  Plus it’s inferred that he and his sister are closer than most siblings (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).
• Penance – was the mutant who was part of the team that started the whole civil war.  Blames himself for all of it.  The only way he can access his powers is when he is in physical pain.
• Bullseye – all around homicidal maniac.  Can kill anyone with anything and enjoys doing it.

And the cherry on this crazy sundae, their leader is Norman Osborne, aka the Green Goblin.  Supposedly cured of his sickness, he is put in control of the team.

The first two arcs of this team were phenomenal train wrecks.  You have one of the most dysfunctional teams ever taking on c- and d-list heroes.  The team does get the job done but they tended to leave the places they visited a little worse for wear…and Venom was always trying to eat innocent bystanders.  Every issue the team would fall a little more apart.  In truth, one of the main reasons I continued to read it was to see just how bad it could get.  I was never disappointed.

Now a disclaimer, currently, the Thunderbolts are made up of a different group of characters and their mission is slightly altered.  I much prefer the crazy team.

The first two arcs by Warren Ellis are collected in 2 volumes: Faith in Monsters and Caged Angels.  I highly recommend them if you enjoy a good trainwreck.

4/5 - Nearly classic!