Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers #24
A superhero's signature move may be popular, but combining the gifts of two heroes into one, tag team attack? There's nothing better. Whether it's Captain America deflecting Iron Man's projectors in The Avengers, or Colossus and Wolverine's famous 'Fastball Special,' it's a level of teamwork rivaled only by its pure badassery. Now, a new tag team move has joined the ranks to form a more natural duo than fans might thinnk: the mighty She-Hulk and the slightly less mighty Thor.
In Marvel's current Avengers series, She-Hulk and Thor have tried to take their working relationship to a more... personal level. While there was no real spark between the two heroes beyond their comparable strength, they did become close friends. Now their mutual love of vanquishing their foes has produced an attack like none before: The Thunder Smash.
Jennifer Walters has regressed to a more 'savage Hulk' state since she suffered brain trauma during the events of Civil War II. Add in the blood of a god to battle a Dark Celestial, and She-Hulk's powers have amplified, with the ability to release her increased levels of gamma radiation in explosive ways (gone are the days of a green lawyer practicing law). It appears Thor has been helping her learn to control her new self, and coming up with new some new moves in the process...
Convenient for the duo, and no shock to the reader, a new threat is attacking the Avengers home base of Avengers Mountain. After the team attempted an exorcism of Ghost Rider's hell-Charger, and Robbie Reyes is transported down into Johnny Blaze's own realm, Avengers Mountain becomes possessed by an evil spirit. Since 'Avengers Mountain' is the name the heroes use for living inside the dead body of a Celestial... that's a serious problem.
The evil spirit reeking havoc on Avengers Mountain is eventually revealed to be the future Frank Castle a.k.a. the Cosmic Ghost Rider. The two on one battle between the three results in Frank beating She-Hulk with his own skull and seemingly gaining the upper hand. Realizing they need to pull out the big guns to take on this threat, She-Hulk grabs Thor by the shoulders to let him know it's time to unleash the special attack they've been training at for week. With a grunt of Thunder Smash!" the duo show readers an attack that puts all others before it to shame.
She-Hulk describes it as the combination of "a few bombs' worth of pure Hulk energy" channelled into the god of thunder's own ability to project lightning. The result is radioactive Gamma Lightning, capable of knocking the Cosmic Ghost Rider flast on his back. Marvel has recently announced She-Hulk is getting a Disney+ series, and with Thor still going strong his way to the MCU's Thor: Love and Thunder, we can only hope the MCU gives fans a chance to see this attack on the big screen. Until then, fans have the comics to tide them over.
- AVENGERS #24
- Written by: Jason Aaron
- Art by: Stefano Caselli, Luciano Vecchio
- Cover Art by: Stefano Caselli
- THE CHALLENGE OF THE GHOST RIDERS!If the Avengers thought one Ghost Rider was tough to deal with, wait’ll they see how many Spirits of Vengeance have just been unleashed by the King of Hell, Johnny Blaze! Including the craziest, most powerful Rider of them all... That’s right, it’s the Avengers vs. Cosmic Ghost Rider!
Avengers #24 is available now at your local comic book shop, or direct from Marvel Comics.