DeFalco/Frenz Retrospective: Thunderstrike #22


 

Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Ron Frenz

Synopsis: Bloodaxe is finally unmasked! 

Comments: They're keeping up the red herring right up until the last moment with Thunderstrike suspecting Gary Paretsky of being Bloodaxe. 


Mongoose and Quicksand go after Jerry Sapristi like they did in Thor #402 to draw Thunderstrike out. 


I'm not too crazy about Mongoose's new design, but I like the way Thunderstrike easily dispatches him. 




"No more killing! No more death!" and the way Thunderstrike tackles the bad guy will be used later in A-Next #3. 




Be careful what you wish for. Thunderstrike finds out Bloodaxe is his girlfriend, Jackie Lukus. 



Paretsky shows up and quite unnecessarily reveals Thunderstrike's identity. 


Thunderstrike decides to appropriate the Bloodaxe in an effort to stop Seth. He says, "Ssssmokin'!", a line from The Mask. In the movie, the mask is said to be the Mask of Loki, which also ties it to Norse mythology. The way the Bloodaxe possesses Thunderstrike goes back to The Mask's original comic book origins in which it turned its users into psychopathic killers. Stanley Ipkiss, the harmless prankster, was created for the movie. Tom DeFalco later scripted The Green Goblin series, which seemed like Marvel trying to make their own Mask series. 



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