THUNDERBOLTS GANGTHUNDERBOLTS GANG
Membership: Turk Barrett,
Charlie,
Clyde, Paul Donovan, Eddie,
L’il Herbie, Jackie, Levon;
formerly Lonnie Carver, William Carver
Purpose: Criminal activity under the guise of political revolutionary action
Aliases: None known
Affiliations: Georgie, Klaw (Ulysses Klaw), Dr. Kraft, Zodiac Cartel
Enemies: Avengers (Beast/Hank McCoy, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Vision/"Victor Shade"), Black Panther (T’Challa), Big Ben Donovan, Luke Cage, Lonnie Carver, Caesar Cicero, Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Iron Fist (Daniel Rand), Maggia, Man-Mountain Marko, Thunderbolt (Billie Carver)
Base of Operations: New York City, New York, USA
First Appearance: Daredevil I#69 (October, 1970)
History:
(Daredevil
I#69 (fb) – BTS) – With the backing of the Zodiac
Cartel, the Thunderbolts gang formed, professing an agenda of
pro-African
American revolutionary activity while committing robberies and violent
crimes.
Their leader was Turk Barrett.
(Daredevil I#69 (fb)) – 15-year old Lonnie Carver confided in his teacher, Luke Charles (secretly Black Panther), that his brother Billy was coming home from the war in Viet Nam. The Thunderbolts invited the brothers to join but they refused so the Thunderbolts attacked Billy, striking him down. Black Panther fought off the men, including Clyde and Turk Barrett, sending them scrambling.
(Daredevil I#69 (fb) – BTS) – Billy made a deal with Foggy Nelson, district attorney, and joined the Thunderbolts as a mole to find out who was behind the criminal group.
(Daredevil I#69 (fb)) – Lonnie grew bored with his education and started skipping classes. When he learned Billy had joined the Thunderbolts, he signed himself up as well, and the Black Panther grew worried.
(Daredevil I#69) – Charlie and Eddie were loading a truck full of stolen goods when Daredevil attacked, knocking them both out as well as the paid-off night watchman. The driver of the truck, Lonnie, went speeding away and crashed into a building, and Lonnie was badly wounded, rushed to the hospital by Daredevil and Black Panther. Nurses (one who was dating Georgie) tended to Lonnie as Daredevil called in Dr. Kraft, who worked on Lonnie for free. Daredevil and Black Panther went to find Lonnie, and saw the Thunderbolts preparing to rob an armory. Turk opened fire on the heroes, but Billy turned against them. Turk shot Billy in the arm before the gang was defeated. Billy, exposed, rushed to Lonnie's side.
(Black Panther I#14 (fb) – BTS) – The Thunderbolts began recruiting younger members (including some white men), became less politically motivated, and began using more violence. They sold stolen goods to others, including equipment to Jackie.
(Black Panther I#14) – Members of the Thunderbolts gang, L'il Herbie (black) and Levon (white) tried mugging a man in a coat (Klaw), and Herbie shot the man in anger as Black Panther attacked. Levon saw a sound horn fall from the victim, and he picked it up and felt compelled to use it against the Black Panther, then he and Herbie fled. While Black Panther got medical help for the seemingly comatose Klaw, Herbie forced Jackie to work on creating a weapon from the sound horn. Jackie connected the sound horn to a synthesizer and, worried his parents would find out about his criminal connections, he began firing it when the Black Panther attacked. Without realizing he was being manipulated by Klaw, Jackie used chords to create a sound elephant with wings and talons. BP was then joined by Captain America.
(Black Panther I#15) – While Black Panther and Captain America defeated the sound lion, Jackie led the Thunderbolts through the city with the weapon to stop the Avengers (Beast and Vision) from shipping Klaw’s body to Wakanda. Jackie created a sound lion and rhinoceros, then a solid sound dome over Klaw’s form, as he battled Herbie away for trying to stop him. Jackie’s mind came back when Klaw awoke and began battling the heroes, but he was soon defeated, and the Thunderbolts were left to face the police.
(Power Man I#42 (fb)) – Willie took a job working for district attorney Blake Tower. He focused on raising Lonnie, as their parents had died years before.
(Power Man and Iron Fist I#62 (fb) – BTS) – Paul Donovan took over the Thunderbolts gang and began sparring with the Maggia for control of the streets. In time, Willie Carver helped the district attorney put Paul away in jail, and there the Maggia killed him. Paul's brother, Ben Donovan, hired a man to kill Willie.
(Power Man I#42 (fb)) – Lonnie and Willie Carver were riding the ferris wheel when a shot rang out, intended for Willie, that killed Lonnie. At Lonnie's funeral, the hired assassin showed up to finish the job, and Willie attacked him; as they wrestled for the gun, it was struck by lightning, and the assassin was killed, but Willie ended up with super-powers after an experimental cobalt ray was used to stabilize him. He soon became a costumed super hero, Thunderbolt.
(Power Man I#41) – Thunderbolt continued to fight crime in Lonnie Carver's name, visiting his grave afterward.
(Power Man I#61 (fb) – BTS) – Thunderbolt realized his powers were aging him prematurely, but he wanted to solve his brother's murder first. He found intel that showed the Maggia, Caesar Cicero, and Big Ben Donovan were involved.
(Power Man and Iron Fist I#61) – Thunderbolt teamed with Iron Fist to keep researching. Man-Mountain Marko, Big Ben Donovan, Caesar Cicero, and the Maggia kidnapped Luke Cage, taking him toward a grave they'd prepared for him with his name on it.
(Power Man and Iron Fist I#62) – After a battle in the graveyard, Big Ben Donovan admitted it was he who had put the hit out on Carver years before. Thunderbolt, knowing the truth, collapsed on his brother's grave as the criminals were rounded up.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Gene Colan and Syd Shores.
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Thunderbolts Gang has no known connections to:
Thunderbolt (Luis Barrett) @ Incredible Hulk Annual I#17/5
Thunderbolt, drug @ Wolverine II#31
Thunderbolts,
team of former villains, or any of their
incarnations @ Incredible Hulk II#449
or any other "Thunder," "Bolts" or "Gang" groups
(Daredevil I#69 (fb)) – 15-year old Lonnie Carver
confided
in his teacher, Luke Charles (secretly Black Panther) that his brother
Billy
was coming home from the war in Viet Nam. The Thunderbolts invited the
brothers
to join, but they refused, so the Thunderbolts attacked Billy, striking
him
down. Black Panther fought off the men, including Clyde and Turk
Barrett,
sending them scrambling. Lonnie grew bored with his education and
started
skipping classes. When he learned Billy had joined the Thunderbolts, he
signed
himself up as well, and the Black Panther grew worried.
(Daredevil I#69) – Lonnie drove a getaway van for
Charlie
and Eddie during a fight, but he was shot while trying to escape and
crashed
the car. Black Panther and Daredevil rushed him to the hospital, where
Dr.
Kraft stabilized him, and Billy soon rushed to his side.
(Power Man I#42 (fb)) – Willie focused on raising
Lonnie, as
their parents had died years before.
(Power Man I#42 (fb))
– Lonnie and Willie Carver were riding the ferris wheel when a shot
rang out,
intended for Willie, that killed Lonnie.
(Power Man I#41) – Thunderbolt continued to fight
crime in
Lonnie Carver’s name, visiting his grave afterward.
(Daredevil I#69) – Charlie and Eddie were loading a truck full of stolen goods when Daredevil attacked, knocking them both out as well as the paid-off night watchman. Black Panther and Daredevil attacked, and Lonnie Carver, the young getaway driver, was badly wounded in the escape.
--Daredevil I#69
(Daredevil I#69 (fb)) – Clyde and Turk Barrett, members of the Thunderbolts gang, battled the Black Panther, who came to the protection of Lonnie and Willie Carver.
(Power Man and Iron Fist I#62 (fb) – BTS) – Paul
Donovan
took over the Thunderbolts gang and began sparring with the Maggia for
control
of the streets. In time, Willie Carver helped the district attorney put
Paul
away in jail, and there the Maggia killed him. Paul’s brother, Ben
Donovan,
hired a man to kill Willie.
--Power Man and Iron Fist I#62
(Daredevil I#69 – BTS) – A nurse working a shift
at the
hospital tending to Lonnie Carver found herself attracted to Black
Panther, and
she wondered if she should dump her boyfriend, Georgie.
--Daredevil I#69-BTS
(Black Panther I#14 (fb) – BTS) – The Thunderbolts
gang sold
stolen equipment to Jackie.
(Black Panther I#14) – The gang forced Jackie to
work on
creating a weapon from Klaw's stolen sound horn. Jackie connected the
sound
horn to a synthesizer and, worried his parents would find out about his
criminal connections, he began firing it when the Black Panther
attacked.
Without realizing he was being manipulated by Klaw, Jackie used chords
to
create a sound elephant with wings and talons. BP was then joined by
Captain
America.
(Black Panther I#15) – While Black Panther and Captain America defeated the sound lion, Jackie led the Thunderbolts through the city with the weapon to stop the Avengers (Beast and Vision) from shipping Klaw's body to Wakanda. Jackie created a sound lion and rhinoceros, then a solid sound dome over Klaw’s form, as he battled Herbie away for trying to stop him. Jackie’s mind came back when Klaw awoke and began battling the heroes, but he was soon defeated, and the Thunderbolts were left to face the police.
--Black Panther I#14 (#15,
(Daredevil I#69) – When Lonnie Carver was wounded and rushed to the hospital, Matt Murdock, from the district attorney's office, asked Dr. Kraft to rush in to help Lonnie. Though he was offered payment, Kraft agreed to perform the procedure free of charge.
--Daredevil I#69
(Black Panther I#14) – Members of the Thunderbolts
gang,
L'il Herbie (black) and Levon (white) tried mugging a man in a coat
(Klaw), and
Herbie shot the man in anger as Black Panther attacked. Levon saw a
sound horn
fall from the victim, and he picked it up and felt compelled to use it
against
the Black Panther, then he and Herbie fled. While Black Panther got
medical
help for the seemingly comatose Klaw, Herbie forced Jackie to work on
creating
a weapon from the sound horn. Jackie connected the sound horn to a
synthesizer
and, worried his parents would find out about his criminal connections,
he
began firing it when the Black Panther attacked. Without realizing he
was being
manipulated by Klaw, Jackie used chords to create a sound elephant with
wings
and talons. BP was then joined by Captain America.
(Black Panther I#15) – While Black Panther and Captain America defeated the sound lion, Jackie led the Thunderbolts through the city with the weapon to stop the Avengers (Beast and Vision) from shipping Klaw's body to Wakanda. Jackie created a sound lion and rhinoceros, then a solid sound dome over Klaw’s form, as he battled Herbie away for trying to stop him. Jackie's mind came back when Klaw awoke and began battling the heroes, but he was soon defeated, and the Thunderbolts were left to face the police.
--Black Panther I#14 (#15,
images: (without ads)
Daredevil I#69, p8, pan5 (main)
Black Panther I#14, p8, pan1 (group)
Daredevil I#69, p11, pan4 (Lonnie Carver)
Daredevil I#69, p3, pan4 (Charlie and Eddie)
Daredevil I#69, p10, pan1 (Clyde)
Black Panther I#14, p13, pan3 (Jackie)
Daredevil I#69, p7, pan3 (Dr. Kraft)
Black Panther I#14, p8, pan3 (L’il Herbie)
Black Panther I#14, p9, pan1 (Levon)
Appearances:
Daredevil I#69 (October, 1970) - Roy Thomas (writer), Gene
Colan (penciler), Syd Shores (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Black Panther I#14-15 ( - Ed Hannigan (writer), Jerry
Bingham (penciler), Gene Day (inker), Roger Stern (editor)
Power Man I#41 (March, 1977) – Marv Wolfman (writer/editor),
Lee Elias (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker)
Power Man I#42 (April, 1977) – Marv Wolfman (writer/editor),
Lee Elias (penciler), Alex Nino (inker)
Power Man and Iron Fist I#61 (February, 1980) – Jo Duffy
(writer), Kerry Gammill (penciler), Bruce Patterson (inker), Denny
O’Neil
(editor)
Power Man and Iron Fist I#62 (April, 1980) – Jo Duffy
(writer), Kerry Gammill (artist), Denny O’Neil (editor)
First Posted: 05/23/2018
Last updated: 05/23/2018
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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