When the Avengers were gone, the Thunderbolts could have seriously shaken the Marvel Universe if only things went according to plan.
In the midst of “Onslaught,” the Marvel Universe seemed ready for a new age of heroes. Many of Marvel’s biggest names, including the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, were pre-occupied, struggling against a psionic perversion of both Professor X and Magneto.
When the smoke cleared, the only remaining heroes were those without much public trust, such as Spider-Man and the X-Men. Meanwhile, The Fantastic Four and The Avengers were transported to another dimension, believed dead by the rest of the world. With the most beloved Marvel heroes gone, this was the perfect time for new heroes to shine.
And that’s where Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley’s Thunderbolts were born. Appearing as a new group of superheroes, The Thunderbolts were, in reality, a creation of the villainous Baron Zemo. Realizing that his greatest enemy, Captain America, was gone, Zemo shifted his goals towards more ambitious heights.
Zemo assembled a group of villains that included Screaming Mimi, the Fixer, Moonstone, Goliath and the Beetle and disguised them as heroes to earn the public’s trust. Becoming the next Avengers, Zemo’s Thunderbolts would gain access to S.H.I.E.L.D. intel and accumulate immense power for themselves.
The villains were part of Zemo’s Masters of Evil, a group which he initially formed to combat The Avengers. Each member had his/her own personal grudge against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, uniting them all through vengeance. The Masters of Evil came dangerously close to killing the Avengers on several occasions. Specifically, the iconic “Under Siege” storyline showcased how deadly the Masters could be, raiding Avengers Mansion and taking over the heroes’ famous home.
With the right timing and the right team, Zemo’s plan should have worked. At first, it seemed as if the Thunderbolts were gaining a foothold. The team took on threats such as Arnim Zola, the Mad Thinker, a new Masters of Evil, and even the Wrecking Crew, former members of the Masters of Evil. New recruit Jolt helped bolster public trust in the Thunderbolts as well, while Atlas developed a strong relationship with mayoral aide Dallas Riordan. The team also gained access to all of the Avengers’ security files, becoming a legitimate organization.
Of course, there were several missteps in Zemo’s plot. First of all, while Jolt was good for the team’s public image, her good-natured personality greatly influenced the other members of the Thunderbolts. Jolt’s naive innocence slowly led the villains to grow, desiring to become real heroes.