(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - After Earth's heroes left Counter-Earth Franklin, the planet suffered a series of natural disasters that led to global catastrophes. The problems didn't end even after Doctor Doom shifted the world from its pocket dimension to Earth-616's solar system.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Germany remained one of the few nations that managed to maintain a thriving economy. As a result, the European country quickly rose to power and prominence.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Hoping to capitalize on Germany's newfound importance, the World Party launched plans for global dominance, starting with a political alliance with France and the United States. As part of the efforts, Baron Heinrich Zemo was tasked to head up an elite team of super powered operatives.
(Thunderbolts I#60 (fb) - BTS) - Zemo assembled the Thunderbolts: a group of international heroes operating out of Germany, but fighting for all of Earth. With himself as leader and his son Helmut in the Iron Cross combat armor, he recruited France's heroine Chain Lightning and secured the services of the American mercenaries Makeshift, Solarr and Phantom Eagle.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - The Thunderbolts operated together for at least eight months. Zemo assured their allegiance by offering them a comfortable, luxury filled lifestyle.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Baron Zemo spearheaded a World Party approved scheme to assure Germany's world dominance. The country planned to launch a satellite that they claimed would help restore global communications. In reality, it was designed to only allow Germany access to the network, which would give the country unprecedented control over the world economy. All of the Thunderbolts agreed to help Zemo.
(Thunderbolts I#61 (fb) - BTS) - The Thunderbolts used their individual powers and expertise to help construct the rocket.
(Thunderbolts I#60 (fb) - BTS) - Zemo's Thunderbols were sent to the former Soviet Union to locate and secure a prototype fuel injector assembly for the rocket.
(Thunderbolts I#59) - While in Russia, Zemo's team came across the unconscious bodies of the Thunderbolts who had just been transported to Counter-Earth following their fight against Graviton.
(Thunderbolts I#60) -
Zemo immediately assumed the worst, suspecting these unknown mercenaries
were sent to thwart his mission. The Fixer was the first to wake and
bought time for his teammates to recover by trying to talk his way out
of the situation. He also used the weapons in his Tech-Pac to keep the
Thunderbolts at bay. Moonstone managed to sow momentary dissension in
their ranks by suggesting the World Party did not trust the Thunderbolts
enough. Zemo immediately saw through her ruse but he did buy Moonstone's
next lie. He believed these strangers were indeed mercenaries simply
hired to check if his team was doing its duty. Satisfied with that
explanation, Zemo allowed them to leave.(Thunderbolts I#60 - BTS) - Zemo's Thunderbolts retrieved the fuel injector and returned to Germany. When Earth's Thunderbolts learned of Germany's upcoming launch, they decided to hijack the rocket and use it to leave Counter-Earth.
(Thunderbolts I#61) - Zemo's Thunderbolts continued to work on the rocket after returning from the Soviet Union. Iron Cross overheard Solarr and Makeshift openly discussing the true nature of the rocket's payload and brusquely set them straight. All of them were oblivious to the fact Zemo had listening devices planted on each of them, making him well aware of their activities.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Earth's Thunderbolts made it from Russia to Germany hours before the rocket launch.
(Thunderbolts I#62) - Fixer created fake credentials for his teammates so that they could explore the base. Posing as a reporter, Moonstone had an interview with the Phantom Eagle, who took a liking to her. At the same time Iron Cross was working on the launch tower with Abe Jenkins (MACH-3) who believed centenarian Helmut Gruller was inside the armor. Shortly before the launch, Zemo held a rousing speech in German in which he claimed an era of unprecedented renewal for all mankind was about to begin. In the crowd, Hallie Takahama couldn't help but feel he sounded like Adolf Hitler.
(Thunderbolts I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Unbeknownst to the Thunderbolts, Atlas had been busy tunneling through the ground to create a direct route to the launchpad.
(Thunderbolts I#62 -
BTS) - 46 minutes before the launch, the Fixer abandoned his allies to
carry out a mission for Baron Helmut Zemo whose digitized essence was
stored inside his Tech-Pac. Zemo threatened to kill Fixer by disrupting
the Tech-Pac's life-preserving systems if Ebersol didn't find him a new
body. (Thunderbolts I#62) - After entering the facility, Fixer made short work of Makeshift, Chain Lightning and Phantom Eagle before using his control over technology to send Zemo's into his target: Iron Cross. Now possessing his counterpart's body, Zemo gunned down his power hungry father using the Iron Cross' weaponry.
(Thunderbolts I#62 - BTS) - The rocket launch went ahead as scheduled, but Earth's heroes made sure it exploded before it could deliver its payload. MACH-3 and Fixer then put out a worldwide broadcast, revealing Zemo and Germany's deception. The surviving members of Zemo's Thunderbolts were presumably incarcerated (see comments).
(Thunderbolts I#65 (fb) - BTS) - Phantom Eagle managed to escape custody. He found his way on board the floating city of Attilan, the former home of the Inhumans commandeered by Zemo and Earth's Thunderbolts as their new base of operations.
(Thunderbolts I#68 (fb) - BTS) - Bloch remained on Attilan for weeks, unaware he was being driven insane by his alien power gem which was slowly frying every synapse in his brain whenever he used his phasing abilities. As a result, he developed multiple personalities and an obsession with Moonstone. When he believed he was making love to her, he was horrified to learn he had actually raped and killed an innocent woman.
(Thunderbolts I#68 - BTS) - When the Thunderbolts learned of the murder, they took a personal interest in the investigation. Moonstone quickly deduced the identity of the culprit. After Riordan lured Phantom Eagle out into the open, Moonstone used a scrambler device whipped up by Fixer to briefly disrupt their phasing abilities long enough for Sofen to retrieve the moonstone from his body and add it to her own.
(Thunderbolts I#68) - Moonstone went to see the depowered Bloch who was being held in a cell. She told him he was free to leave: this world needs workers, not prisoners.