From Thunderbolt to Avenger: Jolt in the MC2

 

Marvel Studios has released its latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry with the Thunderbolts* movie. But the Thunderbolts in the comics have a long and storied history, and the MC2 specifically featured the first Thunderbolt to become an Avenger. So today, let’s finally take a look at the often-overshadowed Jolt in the MC2.

 

But first, the basics! Helen ‘Hallie’ Takahama first appeared in 1997 in the pages of Thunderbolts #1 where we learn she has been living rough since her 15^th birthday, when both her parents were crushed to death during the Onslaught event. Abducted and experimented on by the unseen amoral villain Arnim Zola, Hallie eventually gained superpowers and used them to escape, heading to Four Freedoms Plaza to seek help from the Fantastic Four. Finding instead the Thunderbolts, Hallie joins them in their mission to apprehend her captor and soon after becomes a member of the team unaware of their true motives (Thunderbolts #1-4).

 

Jumping into the MC2 now, Jolt made a surprise cameo in the pages of What If #105 as a member of the new Avengers team alongside Jubilee, Speedball, Thunderstrike, the Vision and *ahem* J2.

 

Hallie Takahama shows up again in A-Next #1, a story set a little earlier than her above cameo, providing readers with the new Avengers team’s origin which involved Kevin Masterson transformation into the new Thunderstrike as a result of the machination of Loki. During this adventure, we learn Jolt is semi-retired with (at least) two school-aged children. As such, Hallie declines the offer to join the team as a full-time member but does mention they can call if they need her.

 

I’ve always imagined the fledgling full-time new Avengers contacted the more established heroes for assistance with setting up the Avengers Compound and perhaps a photo shoot between the pages of A-Next #1 and A-Next #2, which would explain their presence in What If #105 and the Daily Bugle’s front-page photo seen in American Dream #4. Speaking of which, it’s notable that Jolt doesn’t appear in the image, itself a direct reference to the cover of A-Next #1. Though, word of god (tongue no doubt firmly in cheek) says Jolt *is* present, just behind J2!

 

In Spider-Girl #32, we catch a tantalising glimpse of the largely unseen interim Avengers team who attempted to fill the void left after many of the original Avengers perished on their final mission (mentioned in A-Next #7). Jubilee was a member of this line-up alongside Nova, the Steel Spider, Speedball and, of course, Jolt. It’s heartening to learn that members of the X-Men, New Warriors and Thunderbolts all came together in the wake of the tragic loss of many of the Avengers to try and carry on their legacy.

 

Finally, in a nice little story published on the Marvel Unlimited digital comic reading app as Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic #37, Jolt makes it onto the cover of an MC2 comic! In a story set between the panels of A-Next #1 we learn an interesting fact about Hallie Takahama: she can party like an Asgardian!

 

Jolt is a possibly the earliest example of the MC2 including elements from across the decades of Marvel’s published history, even (at the time) very recent additions such as the youngest member of the Thunderbolts, in their stories. It’s a wonderful tradition, and one I hope we see again someday.

 

Until I find out I’m working with a team of disguised super villains posing as heroes, I remain

 

frogoat

 

A-Next Infinity Comic Review

 

It looks like 2023 is a good year for MC2 fans, with Cassie Lang suiting up (still without a codename) in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Aftershock appearing as the first antagonist in Disney’s animated Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur show, and now we have been graced with a brand-new two-part A-Next story in the digital pages (or should I say panels?) of Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic #37-#38. I want to give a quick review of this story.

 

Exclusive to the Marvel Unlimited digital comics subscription service, this two issue A-Next tale was brought to us by MC2 co-creators Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz with inks by the brilliant Brett Breeding, colours by the colossal Chris Sotomayor and loving lettering by Joe Sabino. The first instalment opens in ‘a future…which may or may not be our own’ with J2 telling Bluestreak about the unseen events on Asgard alluded to way back in A-Next #1. First recapping the events of the aforementioned first issue of A-Next, impeccably recreated by Ron Frenz, Bluestreak demands further details of J2 when he mentions a feast and another fight (Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic #37).

 

It is nice to discover that Jolt and Stinger enjoy a good party. Feeling humiliated in front of Loki, Tyrus the Terrible leads a group of trolls in ambushing Thunderstrike and J2 for a rematch. But after a brief battle, the trolls flee when confronted by the assembled soon-to-be Avengers alongside Thor, though still threatening revenge. J2 finishes his recollection, doubting Tyrus is dumb enough to return after two embarrassing defeats. However, a portal opens and a hand emerges within Avengers Compound through the framed picture of those early A-Nexters (Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic #37).

 

The following issue brings us back to the MC2’s present where the previous one left off as we see the Uru Monster named Uroc emerge from the portal alongside a horde of rock trolls led by Tyrus who wields ‘The Orb of Orikal,’an artifact which attracts and absorbs Uru energy. Bluestreak and J2 battle the trolls alone before being joined by Sabreclaw and the rest of the Avengers. Among the rock trolls is Maroc aka ‘Granny,’ the elderly grandmother of Uroc responsible for transporting them to the Avengers Compound (Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic #38).

 

When the Orb is activated, it begins to pull in Thunderstrike until Stinger suggests he overload it with his blasts which causes the artifact to explode and knock down Tyrus. With their leader down, Uroc demands Granny return them to Asgard. Granny Mardoc does so, chastising them all and suggesting they instead focus on mining and crafting rather than seek pointless revenge. Bluestreak tells J2 that he knows ‘how to show a girl a good time’ before kissing him on the cheek (Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic #38).

 

Some genuinely wonderful stuff here. I am probably just a smidge biased but it is delightful seeing Tom and Ron seamlessly slide back into the MC2 and deliver a brand-new story. A few points I found interesting: the Orb (and its namesake Orikal) first appeared way back in Thor #138. Uroc, the Uru Monster makes his MC2 debut after being first introduced by Tom Defalco and Mike Mignola in the pages of Thor #408. Granny Mardoc is also apparently a familial relation of Uroc, and mentions she granted Uroc his Uru form and healed his past injuries. Notably, Uroc here has a new and familiar looking left hand, which references his previous limb being destroyed in Thor #450 by the special police unit Code: Blue and acts as a dual reference to Mignola’s most well-known creation Hellboy who has a ‘Right Hand of Doom’.  

 

In addition to the familiar relation between Uroc and Granny Mardoc, we also learn that Tyrus is the son of Ulik, a mainstay of Thor’s rogues gallery and who showed up in the Avengers Next mini-series working alongside Sylene, the daughter of Loki. It is a nice piece of continuity that father and son troll worked opposite daughter and father Asgardian, respectively. Tyrus also spoke of regaining the good graces of his Lord Loki, perhaps suggesting Loki returned from Limbo or that Tyrus does not know of Loki’s fate. The first time we encountered Tyrus was as an alternate future version opposing the Dargo Ktor in Thor #384, wherein he is apparently missing an eye which is echoed here when the Orb explodes.

Finally, Ron Frenz managed the nigh-impossible task of connecting the Troll dolls of the 80’s to the orange-skinned rock trolls of Marvel by way of Granny Mardoc’s appearance. Thanks to Mr Frenz for clarifying a comment he made on the Make Mine Mayday podcast regarding this. *An additional thanks to Ron Frenz for clarifying and correcting the original version of this post*

 

I was very pleased with this short story, it managed to fill a long-existing gap between panels in A-Next #1 and provided us a glimpse at the Avengers team in the MC2’s present at the same time. Now we’ve gotten essentially A-Next #½, I’m hoping someday we’ll get the inevitable A-Next #1½ story which details events surrounding Jolt, Jubilee and Speedball returning to the Avengers Compound during Peter Parker’s visit in What If #105. Come on, you know you wanna do it, guys! I am guessing Crimson Curse was not a member anymore since she’s…. you know…probably dead again following the 2015 Secret Wars event.

 

Until every gap in the MC2’s storied history is filled, I happily remain

 

frogoat

Lady Sif in the MC2

 

With Thor: Love and Thunder now in theatres I’d be foolish not to make a post or two tangentially related to a character or two from the film. So today, let’s take a very brief look at Lady Sif in the MC2.

 

Lady Sif first appeared in the pages of Marvel Comic’s Journey in Mystery #102 in 1964. As for the MC2, Lady Sif makes her first and only appearance on-panel in Last Planet Standing #2. It’s there that we see Sif assisting with the evacuating of Asgard just prior to its destruction at the hands of Galactus.

As I’ve discussed previously Thena, the daughter of Thor states she is the ‘daughter to the most honored Lord and Lady of Asgard’ and that during the events of Last Hero Standing she was on a quest with her mother and thus not present in Asgard when Earth’s heroes ended up there (Avengers Next #2). Furthermore, during the events of Last Planet Standing, Thena attempted to join her father against Galactus but was commanded by her mother to aid those fleeing the destruction of Asgard (Avengers Next #3).

Naturally, one of the major candidates for Thena's mother was Thor's long-time off-and-on love interest Lady Sif. The strongest evidence for this becomes clearer when the relevant pages and panels from both Last Planet Standing #2 and the flashbacks in Avengers Next #3 are viewed in sequence:

 

So, Sif was given the job of overseeing the evacuation of Asgard's most vulnerable subjects, the same task Thena was entrusted with by her mother. This strongly suggests Sif is Thena's mother, but obviously we don't have any definitive answers.

 

Anyway, sadly that’s all we have for Lady Sif in the MC2. I’d love to see her return, especially paired with Thena on an epic quest.

 

Until I stop thinking about the stories still yet untold in the MC2, I remain

 

frogoat