"House of M" (Thunderbolts) from New Thunderbolts 10 (September 2005)
Reprinted in New Thunderbolts: Modern Marvels
(2005/10/01)

Reader Rating: Above Average

Summary: The House of M reality finds a Kree delegation, including Private Genis-Vell aiding Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) in a showdown with the Thunderbolts (Wolfgang, Andrea and Andreas von Strucker, the Radioactive Man, and Flashback). They are backed up by the Howling Commandoes, led by Erik Josten.

The Human Undergound Resistance (including Erik, Abe Jenkins, and Jim Sanders) concoct a plan to kill every Kree on Earth. But they are forced to sacrifice their plan in order to save the entire planet when Genis' reality-bending powers go out of control.

The Ogre appears as one of Earth's "greatest scientific minds", along with Forge, Wendell Vaughn (not Quasar here), the Mad Thinker, someone who looks like the Mole Man but could be Dr. Octopus, and someone who looks like the Puppet Master but could be Norbert Ebersol. Zebediah Killgrave, minus his Purple Man powers, appears as a controlling lobbyist. With Dum Dum Dugan, Rick Jones and Ronan the Accuser. Blizzard, Songbird, Zemo and Mar-Vell appear in brief flashes of the normal Marvel reality.

Continuity: Genis' flashes of the true reality give us our first New Thunderbolts glimpse of Zemo and a likely upcoming conflict between Thunderbolts. This is technically the second chapter of "Purple Reign", although nothing on the title page indicates that.

Comments: An impressive stand-alone story that does a thorough job of setting up an alternate world, finding places in it for many Thunderbolts, and telling a full story at the same time. I just wish the timing didn't cause it to interrupt the real "Purple Reign."

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This page was revised on February 21, 2006