The Thunderbolts

[crash] [growls] Huh? [grunting] [groaning] [groaning] [grunts] [muscles ripping] So, it's gonna be one of those days. Have at thee! [grunts] A direct hit! [grunting] Thor, our hits seem to be making him bigger. [grunts] [grunts] [groans] [grunting] [groans] [roars] Hey, Captain America, hold up. Friday, what are we dealing with here? Looks like a "Stimuloid" kinetic energy directed against it is channeled into replicating cells that make it expand. - So - Great. The bigger we hit, the bigger he gets. Avengers, we're gonna have to rethink our Uh-oh. Not them again. [Iron Man groans] [doors opening] This is the third time this week we've run into these guys. Who are they? Thunderbolts strike! [groans] [Citizen V] Songbird, knock him back. [supersonic scream] [groans] It doesn't matter how many new heroes show up if we can't stop this growing man! [people screaming] [Iron Man] Cap, Black Widow, get the citizens to safety. [screaming continues] [groaning] [grunts] [pants] [groaning] All together now. Push! [all grunting] We won't win any engineering awards, but we've stabilized the building. Huh, Avenger's Assemble. Huh. [panting] Any direct energy attack will make him grow. Give him a good bear-hug, Atlas. [grunts] Can do, Citizen V. [grunts] [both groaning] Mach IV, take out his legs! Techno, Meteorite, let's bring him down. [whirring] Finish him off, heroes! Back off! We got this. [Hawkeye] Now, pull. Timber! Anybody got a good finishing move? Remember, if we hit him [roars] [grunting] [Hulk pounding] [grunts] Overloaded by a direct hit. Several direct hits to the neural processing center. It's like there's a scientist in you somewhere. Hm. - You got anything, Iron Man? - His tech has obviously been upgraded. And I find it more than a little coincidental since Stark has done advanced research into Stimuloid systems. You think the tech's yours? Stark gear missing Teched up things showing up out of nowhere. You do the math. [crowd cheering] [Citizen V] Ladies and gentlemen, meet your Thunderbolts! [crowd cheering] I'm Megan McLaren with the Bugle News Network. The Thunderbolts are they the exciting, new heroes the world needs? Pft, and what are we, last week's leftovers? That's how it always is. Everybody wants something new. Looks like they even have their own publicist. Please, everyone, just visit the Thunderbolts' website to get answers to your questions. And be sure to follow all their social media feeds. Remember, "Justice, like Lightning!" "Justice, like Lightning?" [groans] Oh, wow! Is that really you? Can I have your autograph? Here you go. Oh, man. I thought you were Mach IV. Not sure I trust the Thunderbolts. And it's not because I'm signing fewer autographs. What I've learned about the modern world is that everyone wants their 10 minutes of fame. - It's 15 minutes. - Even worse. Friday, time to run complete diagnostic scans on our Thunderbolt friends. Let's find out if we can pick up any familiar tech signatures. [Friday] I thought you'd never ask. [audience applauding] Wow. You guys are really great. We just knew we wanted to dedicate ourselves to helping people. Thunderbolts have been showing up all over the talk-show circuit. Oh, c'mon! We save the city all the time! I did not think fame your ultimate goal. They have an impressive online presence, but everything prior to a few weeks ago looks planted. And there's nothing in the secure databases. Where'd Tony run off to? [thrusters boom] [Friday] The Thunderbolts' tech signatures - are coming from this structure. - Then I guess I need to find a way in. Okay, Tony, what's the idea of freelancing? I don't trust the Thunderbolts. It's all a little coincidental. My tech gets stolen, then a new group of high-tech heroes shows up? You sure your ego's not getting in the way? I don't have an ego. Just one more reason I'm perfect. [metal breaking] [mechanical flicker] Whoa! So much for being just a plain old warehouse. [laser beam] Huh? You didn't need to sneak in, Avengers. Yeah, our publicist can set up an interview anytime. I'd rather you talk to the cops. About stealing Stark Industries Technology. Like nobody else in the world can make what you make. Mr. Stark, I'm a huge fan of your work, but I'm disappointed. We don't need to steal from you. Frankly, your stuff is a little "behind the times. " Is he speaking English? 'Cause I didn't understand anything after "fan of your work. " I always wondered where all the Avengers' enemies came from. That android this morning? It had your signature all over it. Not our style. We're not into faking things for TV. But your "heroic" group sure came out of nowhere to find fame and fortune by flashing around some pretty cool powers. Stolen powers, based on my scans. Do you know what you can do with your scans? [laughs] Yeah, I do. In fact, I'm doing it right now. Uh, hey, guys. Why don't we all just take a step back? You two can take a step all the way back to where you came from! [groan] [grunt] [grunts] [grunts] [grunt] [Songbird] We didn't steal any Stark Tech. In fact, we've been tracking the real thief. [Iron Man] Between interviews? You jealous of us getting more attention than you? [grunts] [both grunting and groaning] [grunts] [Citizen V] Face it, Stark! The Avengers are old news. [grunts] Don't bet on it! [groans] [All] Huh? I think someone's sending you a message. Citizen V, your little group has been poking around in my business. Justin Hammer. Should've known. We know you've been stealing tech. Turn yourself in and we won't have to come get you. I haven't stolen anything. I have friends. They give me things. And Tony Stark! You're here too. It isn't even my birthday! I can arrange a nice surprise party for you. Don't bother. I'm the one sending the "presents" today. And you can't dismantle it. We'll just see about that! [screams] As you can see, it's protected by a powerful force field. Which won't stop it, however, from vaporizing you all. [revving up] I guess the surprise is on us. You really shouldn't have. The bomb could take out a city block. No time to evacuate. I agree. Maybe we can short out the force field if we overload it? It's worth a try. Let's set up a varying phase repulsor beam. [laser firing] [Falcon] You guys, can you phase a little faster? Huh? [beeps] It's working. [groaning] We need to get that core out! [beeping] No time. Anything I'm holding phases with me. Interesting moves, Meteorite. A-hem! Close call. Seems we have a common enemy. You and I have nothing in common. Justin Hammer is my problem. The Avengers will handle it. I still think the Thunderbolts have something to do with the stolen Stark Tech. Whatever your suspicions, we're a team. You shouldn't go out alone. I wasn't alone. Falcon was with me. Hey, you would have broken into that place with or without me. I trust my team to always have my back. I input those coordinates from your tracking satellites, Tony. It gives us three probable locations for Hammer based on his hologram's signal. [Captain] We'll have to surprise him by hitting them all simultaneously. I keep saying we need to find you something less conspicuous than a red, white, and blue body suit. I'm sure there are some tropical birds here I can blend with. I think we've arrived. There's no way in. We already checked. [roars] [Friday] This is the source of the signal. Got it, Friday. [roars] [roars] [Techno] Avengers. Thanks for coming to back us up. We're here now. Go back home and let the real heroes do their jobs. Step aside. Hold on, Hulk. It could be booby-trapped. [roars] [growls] It looks like we are not the first to arrive. What're you guys doing here? Your job, only better. Well, if that's the case, I hope you brought your publicist. Remote-control Mandroids. Hammer's always got something else up his sleeve. [roars] How many sleeves does he have? [grunts] [Hawkeye] Hey, we got a big Mandroid surprise from our bunker. Same thing here. [supersonic scream] Thunderbolts, try to keep them contained on the right flank. You heard the Captain! [roars] They seem to be quite persistent. Let's do something about that. Huh? It's actually nice to have some extra hands on-deck to deal with these robots. [grunts] We could have handled this well enough on our own. [grunts] We're here to help, Avengers. No thanks, we got this. Hulk, smash them too if they get in our way. Gladly. [roars] [roars] [grunts] And that's the last of them. Avengers, we've dealt with the Mandroids at our site. Scan the bunker for traps, then go in. Already there. We are, too. It's all Stark Tech. Of course Hammer had something to do with it. Looks like he's been mass-producing Mandroids. Same thing here. Tony, your suspicions about your Tech being stolen were right. It's just Hammer who is stealing it. Thanks, Cap. Now, let's destroy all these factories. Well, well. Who knew the Avengers and the Thunderbolts would be such good playmates? I hate to get rid of these factories, but I hate you more. So I'll destroy them so you can't acquire any of my innovations. I don't need to steal back my own work. Obviously the last time I tried this, I gave you too much time. I won't make that mistake again. Hammer's blowing up all his factories! With us still inside! Avengers! Thunderbolts! Move! [supersonic scream] [supersonic scream] [Hawkeye] We're out. Everybody okay? Yeah, we're okay, but we're not happy. Tony, you got a real location on Hammer? I have some rough scans, but not enough to pinpoint an exact location. - Running a trace now. - Not bad. Not bad yourself. Good smashing. [Hulk laughs] I know. [booms] If we could help, I have some information. I've been aware that our publicist has been doing double duty. I'm just saying, Mr. Hammer, if you wanted to know about the Thunderbolts' activities, for publicity purposes only, of course, I might be able to provide you with, uh, that information. I never totally trusted her. Yeah, nobody can get you on the late night shows that easily. But having her around meant I could keep tabs on Hammer. I'll combine my signal tracking with your video call source information. And got it! I'm good. [thrusters whooshing] Giant bunker, right ahead. I say we announce our presence with authority. I like the sound of that. Split up. Three teams. And stay alert. Hammer doesn't know when he's been beat. You fought Hammer before. Is he always this stubborn? Yeah. Some guys just never get the message. And that's why it feels so good to take them down. A Mega-Mandroid. That's huge. Yeah, but there's a bunch of us and only one of him. [Justin laughing] I thought you might come knocking at my door. You were saying? Avengers, Thunderbolts, give 'em all we've got! [groaning] [grunting] [screaming] [grunts] [supersonic scream] [grunts] [all groaning] [supersonic scream] [supersonic scream] Songbird, time to fly! Huh? [groans] [supersonic scream] This isn't working. We need to come up with a new strategy. That force field is the strongest we've encountered yet. Hammer's using my tech, which means those are two force field projection arrays on the back of that thing. Then that's where we hit it. Citizen V, we need you to keep that thing busy while they short-out the force fields. It was already part of my plan. [laughing] Whoa! Phony Stark! Not such a genius now! Meteorite, Hawkeye we need to hit those domes on the back of the Mega-Mandroid. Wh-whoa! [roars] [grunts] [roars] Now! [grunts] - Captain, the shields are down! - Let him have it! [supersonic scream] Hulk smashed all ready. Now it's your turn! [grunts] [screaming] [roars] [coughing] I'll make sure Hammer gets delivered to the authorities. I still can't figure out how Hammer got my tech. At least we stopped him before he could put it to use. Sorta feels weird. Saving the day without anybody here to take pictures and tell us how great we are. Uh, sorta feels, well, better. Please don't tell me you're on the line with your publicist. Citizen, baby, how are you? I just got a call about you guys from the head of Momentous Films. - They're talking three-picture deal! - Gabby! You're fired. What? We have Don't you love doing that? Think Tony's realized they might be okay? Maybe. I guess we've all had to prove ourselves at some time or another. Nope, not me. I've always been good. [laughs] Thank you for your confidence in us, Avengers. Maybe we were trying too hard to show you up. No hard feelings. You can never have enough friends in this business. I trust we'll be seeing each other again. Excellent. Trust is exactly what we want. [Iron Man] New team of heroes will always come and go, but the Avengers we're here to stay. Hey, that's a good line for the talk-show circuit.