Thunderbolts*

I’m putting together a special team…

There’s a new group of anti-heroes on the block. And whatever they call themselves (they’re not exactly sure), it seems fate has brought them together for an important reason. Either that, or they’re a bunch of posers who won’t survive till the next world-ending threat.

Their leader Yelena has spent the better part of her existence killing people, but now she wants to try helping them instead. Alongside her are a bunch of misfit rogues with arguably worse backstories. These people don’t belong in the spotlight. In fact, most of them should be behind bars. But they’ve been given a chance at redemption, and they’re gonna take it.

Then there’s Bob... Nobody really knows what his story is or how he even got here. But one thing is clear: he’s capable of doing great damage when depression takes hold. Yelena sees Bob as her first opportunity to make a real difference. She’s been to the dark void herself and knows the only way out is grabbing the hand of someone who cares.

It’s fun to see a diverse cast of characters putting aside their differences for the greater good, but sometimes the group dynamic can get tiring. Does every hero need a posse? Not every job requires Ocean’s Eleven. Who invited all these people? Petty arguments and power struggles muck up the mission. If you ask me, they’re just getting in each other’s way.

But every time I think the hero might be better off alone, I’m reminded of this sobering truth: We need each other. Cheesy, I know, but true nonetheless. I mean, have you ever tried to build a piece of IKEA furniture by yourself? The instructions make it clear: 2 people = . As much as I like to think I can do it all on my own, there will come a point when I have to lock arms with someone else and step in time to the finish line. 

Ecclesiastes 4 reminds us: “Two are better than one…If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” And later, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”  My worst moments come when I’m alone with my thoughts, but when I’m part of a community that has my back, together we can achieve what may have seemed impossible.

Even the biggest loners could never succeed without a support system. Batman may not always have Robin, but he’s still got Alfred and Lucious Fox. James Bond has Q, M, and probably the whole alphabet at MI6. The Thunderbolts may have gotten used to working alone, but alone’s not gonna cut it any more. There are some problems you can’t punch your way out of. Sometimes you need to smother them with a big group hug.

And of course, the more people we invite to the party, the messier things will get. People will always be messy. But getting our hands dirty might be the only way we can grow into someone worthy of being called a hero.