Moonstone finds an electronic key for her shackles while captured by the Masters of Evil in what would become the Thunderbolts base that starts off this mystery in Thunderbolts#25. While Moonstone is lost in thought in a cell she later notices an electronic key in the corner of the cell. Moonstone had looked over the cell carefully when she was locked in and was sure the key wasn't there. Moonstone assumes it's just a test of loyalty by the Masters of Evil if she would make a break given the chance.
 | In Thunderbolts#27 while Hawkeye and Songbird are exploring the base a bit Songbird brings a package of food up from the freezers in the base that has enough food for years. Hawkeye takes a look at the package and finds out the coding on the package dates back to before the first crimson cowl showed up, much less the second who used it for a base. Later when Archangel's talking to Hawkeye and looking around the Thunderbolts base he thinks the base looks familiar. He thinks he knows of the base or has at least heard of it. Apparently the location of the base is the location of where the Defenders fought August Masters (in Defenders#106). |
Next in Thunderbolts#28 while Jolt and Charcoal leave the Thunderbolts base unattended on an atomic steed to help the Thunderbolts a small shadow is shown at the exit door as the atomic steed leaves. The Thunderbolts base is definitely no longer empty, someone is in their base.
Atlas is left wondering who sewed up his costume in Thunderbolts#29 since its been shredded for awhile. He finds out he has no one to thank for it, as everyone denies they haven't sewn it and the other people that could have sewn it didn't seem likely to do that. Archangel makes a remark about the Thunderbolts base having elves in the place.
The 'elves' in the Thunderbolts base is hard at work again in Thunderbolts#30. The Champscraft was heavily damaged in there fight with graviton they discover its been rebuilt when they wake up in the morning. The Champscraft is in perfect shape now better than before and Atlas thinks that there are linkages in there that were not designed with it when it was built. The Champscraft had also been painted over the big C being replaced with a Thunderbolt. That wasn't all, the C was now on a costume for Charcoal made of unstable molecules. Moonstone thinks about what Techno has been up to and how he could have pulled this all off while the others talk about the Mystery Benefactor. Later in the Issue it's shown the Thunderbolts base has tunnels that go on for miles that they just can't search they would have to map the place all out so they could make sure they don't get lost. Outside the shell of the base the mountains honeycombed with tunnels and caverns with thousands of places to hide and no way to find someone without bio-sensors, which Hawkeye suggests they should try later.
When the Thunderbolts are heading back to Burton Canyon in Thunderbolts#32 they run into the latest gift from who ever is living the Thunderbolts base. They find 6 new atomic Steeds wrapped with red ribbons, with one even big enough for Atlas to fit onto.
Hawkeye then proclaims that the Thunderbolts priority is to find out who is living in their HQ, which sets up Thunderbolts#33 which it's supposed to be revealed.
Suspects for the mystery benefactor in the Thunderbolts base could be almost anyone wanting to help the Thunderbolts or perhaps something else in mind with the gifts. Techno's been thought of by Moonstone and Atlas actually thought he saw Techno once walking by the window of the sports bar he was at, but this seems far too obvious and would probably be part of another developing sub plot. It's also possible this has something to do with the Defenders battle with August Masters which was mentioned.
In Thunderbolts#33 the mysterious benefactor is revealed as an old obscure X-men super villain (first appeared in X-Men#28 in 1966) called the ogre.
 | The Ogre tells a story about being an operative of a secret cabal called Factor Three that fought the X-men. He also talks about the various groups that have used the HQ in the past before the crimson cowl other than Factor Three like Sons of The Serpent, Hydra and August Masters and his private army. The ogre hid from all them but when he tried to make contact once they tried to kill him. He knew the complex better than they did so he evaded them lived in the deepest recesses of the base where he scavenged its stores for food and other supplies. Ogre didn't like it when the Crimson Cowl and her masters of evil moved in arrogantly like they owned the mountain and brought in new machines and computers so he helped moonstone by leaving her a key in her cell so she could break free from the masters of evil. When the Thunderbolts took over the base Ogre thought they were different then all the other groups and nice so he fixed stuff for them. |
The mystery of the 'elves' living in the Thunderbolts HQ is solved and gets replaced by another mystery. We see the Ogre for such a short a short period of time and get Techno back with the team in the process disguised as him. What exactly does Techno plan to do? Is he doing this by himself or is Baron Zemo involved as well? How long till the Thunderbolts find out about him secretly being with the team, or maybe they will find out when its already too late.
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