Thunderbolts #49

As Marvel's Most Wanted series heads into its 49th issue, this Mark Bagley and Al Vey cover puts the mystery of Scourge front and center — literally, with a blue-and-white costumed figure shown from behind, staff in hand, commanding the entire composition. Flanking him are the rest of the Thunderbolts: a glowing, electric figure on the left, a snarling purple-clad member at lower left, a blonde armored woman at lower right, and a dark, smoldering figure with glowing red eyes looming behind them. Writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Patrick Zircher promise answers in a story titled "Explanations!: The End of the Beginning…," making this a compelling chapter in one of 2001's most intriguing team books.