THE WORLD STILL NEEDS HEROES

When Marcy Steele had asked her son if he knew who had carved the unusual inscription, Kevin shrugged. He knew full well that Thor had done it, when he came to privately pay his last respects for a fallen friend.* He imagined that one day he'd reveal to his mother that her late ex-husband had actually been the Avenger known as Thunderstrike, but even five years after his the secret Eric had shared with his son was special to him.

* It happened in Thunderstrike #24 - Bargain Bin Kell

Suddenly, Kevin felt a chill. His fifteen-year-old mind knew that it was nothing, but the part of him that was still a boy told him something was wrong. Ignoring the smaller inner voice, Kevin continued his "talk" with his father.

She playfully called over to him. "Sometimes I think you wouldn't notice if I dropped while one of those game films was on, Bobby."

"Nah, ain't gonna happen . You mean too much to me." Bobby said as he stood, stretching and running his hands through his trademark long, curly black hair. Moving behind his wife, Bobby began massaging her shoulders. "I'd do everything in my power to protect you, Marcy. I'd die for you..."

His words were cut short as a cold, gravelly voice came from the doorway. "Excellent Mr. Steele. I hope you're prepared to follow through on that vow..."

Startled, the couple looked in the direction of the intruder. Bobby instantly hurled himself at the ominous man, hoping to put him out of commission with a brutal full-body blow.

Smirking, the mystery man shoved the beefy football player aside with one arm. Bobby landed hard on the floor, ing his head against the side of the coffee table. He momentarily blacked out, and when he came around he was seeing double.

The intruder's voice caught his attention. "Please observe Mr. Steele, as I show to you that 'your power' could never stop this from happening."

Seeing in double vision, Bobby couldn't move a muscle as the tall, dusky-skinned man held his wife by the neck with one hand. Marcy was wild-eyed, clawing at her assailant's grip with both hands as he held her six inches off the floor.

"P-Put her d-down, you..." Bobby managed to weakly say to the man who had invaded their home. "Put h-her down, o-or I'll..."

The man laughed, a cold, harsh scraping of his vocal cords. "Or 'y-you'll wh-what B-Bobby'? Stutter me to ?" The laughter rose. "You're pathetic, little man. See what I do in the face of your threats?" With that, the invader tightened his grip on Marcy's neck. There was a loud SNAP, her eyes went wider and her feet did a crazy jig in mid-air. Then she was still. The man opened his hand and Marcy's body fell to the floor, her head at a terrible angle from her neck, her tongue lolling out of her mouth, and her eyes wide open and dull.

Bobby's double vision was colored by a mist of red rage as his own eyes widened. The sight of his wife, brutally ed while he lay helpless to prevent it, sent an immediate adrenaline surge throughout his system. He found new strength in his limbs and, ignoring his blurred sight, charged again at the er in front of him. As he propelled himself toward his wife's killer, he screamed at the top of his lungs while tears streamed from his eyes.

So great was his rage that he almost didn't feel the sharp pain as the man grabbed his head and, with an inhuman strength, smashed his face into the hardwood floor. The impact was so great that Bobby was immediately unconscious.

"Pathetic. A waste of my time..." the man said aloud. He then began to smash Bobby's face into each wall, mirror and window of the posh apartment. After he had made his way around the place, he began throwing Bobby as if he were a rag doll. Grunts and moans escaped from the football player's lips with each impact, but he remained unconscious. It was only when the man snapped each of Bobby's legs with his bare hands that he awoke, screaming in pain.

Putting his face inches from Bobby's battered and y face, the man smiled evilly and spoke, his breath smelled of rotting flesh and was cold, cold enough to make Bobby shiver. "I'm not going to kill you, Bobby. You're just not worth it. But remember this: I'm coming for Kevin..."

Bobby tried to move, but the man wouldn't allow it. He grabbed Bobby's head once more and smashed it one last time against the floor. The impact rendered him unconscious once more, and the stranger left him, broken and bleeding.

"I wonder what's going on. I hope none of the older tenants had an , or..." His thoughts trailed off as he saw the man on the stretcher. He had long, thick black hair. Bobby. "MOM!" Kevin ran toward the stretcher, only to be stopped by a police officer.

"Whoa there, pal! Nobody gets through here, got injured comin' through over here." The overweight patrolman said as he held a hand against Kevin's chest.

"You don't understand! That's my step-dad, Bobby Steele. Where's his wife? Where's my mom?" He struggled against the officer's grip.

"Oh, geez. Kid, hold on, I gotta get somebody. Hey Sipowicz! I need ya over here!" An overweight balding man with a badge pinned to his sport coat came over.

"Whatcha got here, Muldoon?" The man asked in a cloud of cigarettes and onions.

The patrol cop leaned over an whispered into the detective's ear. The harsh demeanor softened after their conference, and the fat man put a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Uh, look kid, I got somethin' I gotta tell ya. Now I don't want ya goin' nuts on me, okay? It's about your mom..."

The next words from the man's mouth shattered Kevin Masterson's heart.

"Your mom's been killed. She's , kid..." The overweight cop's hand tightened its grip on his shoulder as he began to shake and sob.

Kevin dialed the number he'd found in the phone book and waited for an answer. He figured he'd most likely get a machine, but that was better than nothing he supposed.

The ringing stopped and a distinguished voice came on the line: "Avengers Mansion, Edwin Jarvis speaking..."

Jarvis had prepared a hot meal for him. Kevin picked at it for awhile, then the Avengers' faithful servant showed him to his room.

"Master Kevin, I am terribly sorry this has happened. May I be of any assistance in any other way?" Jarvis asked, concern showing on his face.

Kevin looked blankly at the man. "Yeah, can you let Thor know I need him?"

Thor stepped into the room. Kevin had seen Thor many times since his father died. The thunder god felt a debt of honor was owed to Eric Masterson by him, and he regularly visited Kevin to make sure all was well. Kevin had never seen Thor wear this expression before. It was one of sorrow.

"Kevin, art thou all right?" Thor asked softly as he placed a massive hand on the boy's shoulder. "What canst Thor do to ease thy pain?"

Kevin's lip began to tremble and he rushed to Thor, sobbing into the Asgardian's chest. Thor, momentarily startled, put his arms around the boy and held him as he vented his anguish.

There were tubes running in and out of the football player. Monitors beeped as machines kept his heart beating and his lungs breathing. Both legs were in casts, and his face was swollen so badly that Kevin almost couldn't believe it was really his step-father.

"Wouldst thou approach him, Kevin?" Thor asked.

"Yeah, I gotta have a 'talk' with him, okay?" The boy looked up at his immortal friend.

Smiling, Thor answered "Aye. Thor shall leave thee in private." The Asgardian slipped out the door.

Kevin took Bobby's hand. "I don't know if you can hear me, B-,Bobby, but I'm here." Kevin wiped his eyes with his coat sleeve. "I've talked it over with Thor, and I'm gonna go visit Asgard for a little while. After Mom's f-funeral, that is..." He didn't bother wiping his eyes this time. "I'll come back and check on you, and maybe you'll be better and we can figure out what's gonna happen, okay? Okay. Well, take care Bobby. I'll see you later..."

Kevin looked down at his step-father's disfigured face. Something caught his eye, near the opening of Bobby's hospital gown. "Thor! Thor, come in here and see what this is..."

The thunder god came immediately. "What be the matter, Kevin? What have ye to show Thor?"

Kevin pointed to the odd-shaped mark on Bobby's chest. "Have you seen something like this before?"

Thor's brow creased and his features darkened. He had seen that mark before, indeed. As Thor's anger rose, the sky outside darkened and thunder sounded in the distance. He looked back at Kevin and said one word: "SETH."

"Thou art unsafe e'en here, Kevin. Thou must return with me to Asgard, mayhap fore'er. Seth is a powerful and ruthless villain, cowardly though he be. Volstagg would gladly take thee in as his own..." Thor looked to his mortal friend.

"I just don't know Thor. I'll come to Asgard after the funeral, but I just don't know about leaving Earth for good..."

Yet, after three weeks, it was obvious to all that Kevin's place was indeed Earth. So, on the last day of his stay in Asgard, Odin called Kevin to his throne. Thor accompanied the boy into the All-Father's presence.

"Leave us, Thor. Odin doth wish to speak privately with young Kevin Masterson."

Thor dropped to one knee. "As thou wish Father."

Once alone, Odin looked Kevin in the eye. Neither spoke for long moments, and Kevin was very nervous being alone in the presence of the All-Father.

Breaking the silence, Odin held out his hand to his guest. "Kevin, I knew thy father, Eric. He was truly a great man, a man after mine own heart. To see Eric Masterson's son in such anguish doth grieve me to the very depth of mine heart. So, the All-Father hath a gift for thee..."

Odin reached down beside his throne and produced a gnarled stick. "This belonged to thy father, and Odin wouldst have it pass into thy keeping."

Kevin took the stick and bowed before Odin. "Thank you, Odin. But what...?"

Odin held up one of his hands. "The time for questions is past. Come, let us send thee back to Midgard."

Confused, Kevin rose and followed Odin from the throne room.

Before Thor returned Kevin home, Odin spoke once more.

"Remember these words, Kevin Masterson: thou holdest the means of avenging thy mother's in thine own hands. Fare thee well..." With that, Odin turned and made his way back to the throne room.

Puzzled, Kevin held tightly to Thor and they returned to Earth.

There was a blinding flash of light, and a deafening roar of thunder.

Kevin stood up and approached the Avengers' servant. "Jarvis? What just happened? Jarvis?" Speechless, Jarvis took Kevin's arm and stood him in front of his mirror. Kevin's own jaw dropped.

Staring back at him from the mirror was...Thunderstrike!

Thundering Words
Welcome back to the world of Thunderstrike! I always loved reading about Eric Masterson's adventures, and was deeply saddened when Marvel killed him off. It's been a dream of mine for some time to see 'Strike back, and now it's a reality.

The biggest obstacle I ran into was how to return Thunderstrike without cheapening Eric's by bringing him back. Then I got the idea you see before you now. I hope you'll stick around for Kevin's adventures as the "second-generation" Thunderstrike.

Did you like this issue? Did you it? Well, write me!