Thunderstrike (1st series) #2

Issue Date: 
November 1993
Story Title: 
Family Matters
Staff: 

Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Al Milgrom (finishing art), Rick Parker (letters), Mike Rockwitz (colors), Ralf Macchio (editor)

Brief Description: 

After he lets the Avengers do a check-up on Bloodaxe’s enchanted axe, Thunderstrike takes off and goes to get his son, Kevin, to visit his parents. Once he arrives there, he finds out that his ex-wife, Marcy, has been hit by her new husband, Bobby, after an argument about Thunderstrike himself. Thunderstrike immediately starts the search for his son. When he is almost hit by a giant beer keg, he decides to find out who throw it – and quickly finds the culprit: the Juggernaut! The Juggernaut is in search for Black Tom’s medical files, which Genetech has. The device they developed to help Tom out doesn’t work, and he’s now in a critical situation. Thunderstrike mistakes that the Juggernaut wants to fight as usual. He confronts the villain, who doesn’t want to fight and just walks away. Eventually, Thunderstrike realizes what’s going on and, hoping that the Juggernaut will now end his rampages, helps the man getting the files he needed. It works and, in return, the Juggernaut pays for the damages he caused. Some time later, Thunderstrike finds Kevin back with his parents, but Bobby is missing. He wonders about it. Suddenly, he notices a big flashlight on a nearby rooftop. He goes to check it out, and finds Lady Sif! Sif has traveled to Earth in search for Thunderstrike, and him alone.

Full Summary: 

Thunderstrike has survived the battle against Bloodaxe, and convinced the police to let him take his enhanced axe to the Avengers for proper analysis. The Black Knight has the hardest time to, since the axe seems to be alien and enhanced. He stops for now, and thinks that it’s best that Thunderstrike keeps the axe in a safe, there at Avengers Mansion. Thunderstrike thanks for the offer, but rather takes it back home to Asgard, once he figures out how to use his magic mace to cross the dimensional barriers.

The Knight asks Thunderstrike if he’s okay, since he looks a little ragged. Thunderstrike admits that, saying that he had little sleep over the past few days. They meet up with Crystal, who walks away together with the Black Knight. Thunderstrike sees them as a cute couple and regrets that Crystal is already married. He looks up to the sky, and notices Sersi, and it looks like she is watching both the Black Knight and Crystal. He wonders what’s up with that.

Those are concerns for later. He flies up, and wants to go pick up his son, Kevin, with his ex-wife so that they can visit his parents. As Thunderstrike leaves, he doesn’t notice a big man is stalking him, who stands on a rooftop under him in the shadows. Thunderstrike lands on the streets, and transforms back into his human form of Eric Masterson. He enters a car rental store, but there’s something wrong with his reservation and they won’t give him a car. Eric gets angry and shouts through the store that he’s in a hurry.

Elsewhere, Eric’s ex-wife, Marcy, is in a heavy argument with her husband, Bobby. He can’t have it that Eric spends time with Kevin and is absolutely against it. They argue some more, and Marcy realizes to herself how much Bobby has changed lately and that he disappears a lot. Bobby gets even angrier, and makes Marcy understand that they’re a family now, the hard way.

Some minutes later, Eric makes it to Marcy’s apartment. Outside, he wonders why he shouted at the clerk like that. That’s not like him. He wonders if the axe might have something to do with it, but finds that a ridiculous thought. He knocks on Marcy’s door, and finds her crying! Hardly being able to talk, Marcy begs Eric to help her. She fears for Kevin’s safety. Bobby took him away from her!

At the same time on Long Island, the Juggernaut contacts Genetech. He makes them remember that, a few months ago, a group of French scientists hired them to work on some kind of wood and flesh interface for Black Tom Cassidy. Cain wants his medical records to find out what’s wrong. Genetech can’t allow that without the proper authorization. They ask Cain’s relationship with the man. Confident, Cain tells Genetech that they’re family!

Elsewhere, Bobby and Kevin are stuck in the traffic. He can’t believe he actually hit Marcy, the woman he loves. But he doesn’t like the fact that she still allows Masterson in their lives, and he also hates it that she spends so much time with her health clubs. Kevin panics a bit, but Bobby tells him to relax, as he would never hurt him since they’re family. Kevin panics again, as he sees the Juggernaut walking on the road!

The Juggernaut, now in full armor, remembers that Black Tom was almost dying, but told him that Genetech probably saved his life by developing some weird grafting technique. But now Tom is hurting again, and the Juggernaut only cares about getting Genetech to help his friend out. He has to get those files, and won’t stop until he has them.

Thunderstrike scouts the city from the air, hoping to find Kevin and Bobby. He recalls how he always disliked Bobby, and hates that he now hit his ex. He wonders if he should talk to his lawyer about putting Steele in jail for his actions. His enchanted mace goes too fast for him, so Thunderstrike decides to land before he passes them over. As he lands, he almost gets hit by a giant beer keg! Who could just throw it away like that, he wonders?

He lands on a roof, and notices the Juggernaut below him. Thunderstrike wonders what his priorities are. He thinks he should get Kevin first, but if he lets the Juggernaut go innocent people might get hurt. Thunderstrike doesn’t even know how he should handle the villain, as even Thor had the biggest trouble in defeating the guy. He needs a new tactic. As Thunderstrike thinks, he doesn’t realize that the axe on his back glows.

The Juggernaut and Thunderstrike confront each other. The Juggernaut doesn’t need this and just wants to walk away, but Thunderstrike is convinced that the villain’s going to cause more trouble than he already has. He tries pushing them away, but the Juggernaut is unmovable, and Thunderstrike drops on the ground. The Juggernaut laughs and walks away from him.

Meanwhile, there’s still someone stalking Thunderstrike, and the figure wonders about helping him out like with Bloodaxe or not.

Rescue workers help Thunderstrike up. He turns around, and recognizes Bobby’s car, and Kevin is still with the man. He has had enough of the stalling, and throws his mace against the Juggernaut but with no effect. Suddenly, a big energy beam gets fired from behind Thunderstrike, right on the Juggernaut himself! Thunderstrike recognizes it’s the same beam that hit Bloodaxe. He looks around to find out the one responsible for it, but his stalker has already unnoticed flown away.

The beam has formed a deep hole in the ground, and the Juggernaut has fallen inside it. He’s really mad now and climbs up, ready for action! Thunderstrike realizes that he’s got no other choice. He takes out the axe and, the second Juggernaut’s almost back up, he hits his powerful villain with it, and manages to get his helmet off. The Juggernaut’s impressed, and suspects the axe to be enchanted or something. He agrees with Thunderstrike’s offer to talk now.

And so, a few hours later, Thunderstrike has convinced Genetech to give Juggernaut the files he needs. Cain even gives the agents some money for the trouble, and a little extra to pay for the damages he caused. Thunderstrike can’t believe it. Juggernaut tells him that he was lucky he’s in a hurry, and that nobody can stop him. They say goodbye and are confident that they’ll meet again one day.

Again a couple of hours later, Eric has returned from the visit with his parents. Kevin was already there, and Bobby was never seen. Eric’s not sure if he should have left Kevin with his mother, but what could he do? And he wonders what’s up with the axe. He’s sure that it was whispering to him while he was fighting the Juggernaut.

Suddenly, he notices a big flashlight from a roof nearby. He transforms back into Thunderstrike, and flies over there to check it out. Astonished, Thunderstrike finds… Lady Sif! She has travelled from Asgard in search of Thunderstrike, and him alone. What?!

Characters Involved: 

Black Knight IV (Dane Whitman), Crystal, Thunderstrike, Sersi (all the Avengers)

Juggernaut

Lady Sif

Marcy Masterson-Steele (Thunderstrike’s ex-wife)

Kevin Masterson (their son)

Bobby Steele (her new husband)

unnamed car renter and other unnamed clients

various unnamed police officers and Genetech agents

Story Notes: 

Thunderstrike fought and won against Bloodaxe in Thunderstrike #1.

Crystal is married to fellow Avenger, Quicksilver, though their relationship isn’t going so well at the moment.

Black Tom’s condition worsened in the Incredible Hulk (2nd series) #404. He was originally hurt in X-Force (1st series) #5.

Juggernaut chronology appears next in the second Deadpool mini-series.

Issue Information: 
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