Alpha Flight
Encyclopedia
Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

 team published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...

#120 (April 1979
1979 in comics
-Year overall:* The "Demon in a Bottle" storyline, by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and John Romita, Jr., runs through Iron Man ....

).

Throughout most of its history, the team has worked for Department H
Department H
Department H is a fictional organization in the Marvel Universe.-History:It is a branch of the Canadian Department of National Defence and is also responsible for the recruitment, provisioning, administration and deployment of Alpha Flight....

, a fictitious branch of Canada’s Department of National Defence that deals with super-powered persons. Most team members have distinctly Canadian attributes, such as Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...

 or First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

 heritage.

The team was originally merely a part of the backstory of the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...

’s Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...

 but, in 1983, Byrne launched an eponymous series featuring the group, which continued until 1994. Four short-lived revivals have been attempted since, the most recent in 2011. The team most recently appeared in their own title in the one shot comic Chaos War: Alpha Flight which was published as part of the Chaos War
Chaos War (comics)
"Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries Chaos War, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot publications, and by three issues of Incredible Hulks, a...

event.

Pre-regular series

Alpha Flight first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 (April 1979). They were sent to follow up on Vindicator's first mission to retrieve Wolverine from the X-Men.

The initial makeup of Alpha Flight was pan-Canadian, including:
  • Guardian
    Guardian (Marvel Comics)
    Guardian , also known as Weapon Alpha and Vindicator, is a fictional character, a Canadian superhero in the who was the leader of Alpha Flight. He was created by John Byrne, and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #109 which was co-plotted by Byrne and his long-time collaborator Chris Claremont...

    : Originally Weapon Alpha, then Vindicator, James MacDonald Hudson is a scientist from London, Ontario
    London, Ontario
    London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...

     who wears a suit of battle-armor
    Powered exoskeleton
    A powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, or exoframe, is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of an exoskeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement.Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist...

    , allowing him to fly and manipulate Earth's magnetic field. Guardian is sometimes the team leader, and wears a stylized maple leaf flag
    Flag of Canada
    The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...

     on his costume.
  • Northstar
    Northstar
    Northstar is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the twin brother of Aurora. Through his mutation, Northstar gains superhuman powers, which he uses for the betterment of society...

    : Jean-Paul Beaubier, from Montreal
    Montreal
    Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

    , is a mutant with powers of super-speed and light generation.
  • Aurora
    Aurora (comics)
    Aurora is a fictional character, a Canadian superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the twin sister of Northstar and the former lover of Sasquatch. She has also been in a relationship with Wild Child....

    : Jeanne-Marie Beaubier is Northstar's twin sister who suffers from disassociative identity disorder (multiple personalities). Like her brother, she is also a mutant with powers of super-speed, flight, light generation, and molecular acceleration.
  • Sasquatch
    Sasquatch (comics)
    Sasquatch is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:Dr...

    : Walter Langowski is a scientist from British Columbia
    British Columbia
    British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

     who can transform into a giant fur-covered beast resembling a Sasquatch
    Bigfoot
    Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...

    . This character originally developed his powers from a Hulk
    Hulk (comics)
    The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....

    -inspired gamma radiation experiment that was affected by a solar-flare. Eventually, it was explained that Sasquatch is actually a mystical monster.
  • Shaman
    Shaman (comics)
    Shaman is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe and a member of Alpha Flight.-Fictional character biography:...

    : Michael Twoyoungmen is a First Nations
    First Nations
    First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

     medicine man
    Medicine man
    "Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...

     from Calgary
    Calgary
    Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

    . He is both a skilled doctor and sorcerer.
  • Snowbird
    Snowbird (comics)
    Snowbird is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 , and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:...

    : Also known as Narya, she is an Inuit
    Inuit
    The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...

     demi-goddess from Yellowknife
    Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
    Yellowknife is the capital and largest city of the Northwest Territories , Canada. It is located on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, approximately south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of the Yellowknife River...

    , who can transform into animals of the north.

Volume 1

Though reluctant to take the job, John Byrne wrote and drew the series for 28 issues before handing it off to another creative team. During that time, the series attracted fans with storylines that dealt with one or two characters at a time, seldom bringing all the members together. This unusual approach contrasted with other Marvel team series like the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...

, the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...

, or the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...

.

Promoted from Beta Flight
Beta Flight
Beta Flight is a fictional superhero team owned by Marvel Comics that exists in that company's Marvel Universe. Along with Gamma Flight, Beta Flight is one of the "minor leagues" of the Canadian team Alpha Flight. Originally, Beta Flight was the intermediate level team. Members are more...

 despite Department H being closed down by the Canadian government were:
  • Marrina
    Marrina Smallwood
    Marrina Smallwood is a fictional character of the Marvel Universe. She was a member of the Alpha Flight and an honorary member of the Avengers. John Byrne created the character in Alpha Flight vol. 1 #1 .-Fictional character biography:...

    : An amphibious woman from Newfoundland
    Newfoundland and Labrador
    Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

    , she was a former member of Beta Flight
    Beta Flight
    Beta Flight is a fictional superhero team owned by Marvel Comics that exists in that company's Marvel Universe. Along with Gamma Flight, Beta Flight is one of the "minor leagues" of the Canadian team Alpha Flight. Originally, Beta Flight was the intermediate level team. Members are more...

     before joining Alpha Flight. She is actually part of an extraterrestrial invading force known as the Plodex.
  • Puck
    Puck (comics)
    Puck is the codename of two fictional characters, a father and daughter pair who are both members of Alpha Flight, in the Marvel Comics universe.-Puck :...

    : Eugene Judd is a dwarf
    Dwarfism
    Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches  , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....

     bouncer from Saskatoon
    Saskatoon
    Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....

     with enhanced strength and extraordinary acrobatic abilities.


Heather MacNeil is the wife of James Hudson. After Guardian's apparent death in Alpha Flight (vol. 1) #12, she becomes the leader of the team. Later, she takes a replication of his costume and takes the codename of Vindicator then Guardian.

After Byrne left, the series was written by many others, including Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom. An attorney, he also worked as a public defender...

, James Hudnall
James D. Hudnall
James David Hudnall is an American writer who began his career in the comic book field in 1986 with the series Espers, published by Eclipse Comics. He later worked for Marvel and DC on such titles as Alpha Flight, Strikeforce: Morituri, and his own creation Interface, which was a sequel to Espers...

, Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...

, Scott Lobdell
Scott Lobdell
Scott Lobdell is an American comic book writer.-Early Career:Scott didn't begin to read comics until he was 17 years old, while lying in bed after lung surgery....

 & Simon Furman
Simon Furman
Simon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...

. It continued for 130 issues, introduced dozens of characters and villains (the most prominent of which were Talisman
Talisman (comics)
Talisman is a superhero featured in the publications of Marvel Comics. She first appeared as Elizabeth Twoyoungmen in Alpha Flight vol. 1 #5...

, Madison Jeffries
Madison Jeffries
Madison Jeffries is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the . He first appears in Alpha Flight #16 and was created by John Byrne.- Publication history :...

, Box
Box (comics)
Box is a superhero from Canada. He was featured in Marvel Comics publications, notably Alpha Flight.-Fictional character biography:...

, Diamond Lil, Manikin
Manikin (comics)
Manikin is a fictional mutant character featured in the publications of Marvel Comics. He is a super hero and former member of Alpha Flight.-Publication history:...

, Persuasion
Persuasion (comics)
The Purple Woman is a Marvel Comics mutant superhero.-Fictional character biography:...

, and Goblyn
Goblyn
Goblyn is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Goblyn first appeared in Alpha Flight #48 , and was created by Bill Mantlo and Terry Shoemaker....

), and featured cross-overs with other characters in the Marvel universe. The series ended in 1994.

Volume 2

In 1997, Marvel restarted the series as a Volume 2, with largely different characters. The series was written by Steven Seagle
Steven T. Seagle
Steven T. Seagle is an American writer who works in the comic book, television, film, live theater, video game, and animation, industries....

, then known mainly for his work for DC Comics'
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

 Vertigo line, with art mostly by Scott Clark and Duncan Rouleau
Duncan Rouleau
Duncan Rouleau is an American comic book writer and artist, and is a part of the Man of Action collective of creators Duncan Rouleau is an American comic book writer and artist, and is a part of the Man of Action collective of creators Duncan Rouleau is an American comic book writer and artist, and...

. One issue, #13, featured guest art by Ashley Wood
Ashley Wood
Ashley Wood is an Australian comic book artist and illustrator who is well known for his cover art, concept design and his work as an art director....

 in an unusually conventional style for him, but still very distinctive for a Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

 superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

 comic. This series ended in 1999 after only twenty issues and an annual
Annual publication
An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. For example, a weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication....

. The new additions to the roster included:
  • Flex
    Flex (comics)
    Flex is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a former member of the superhero team Alpha Flight, but later got downgraded to Beta Flight-Fictional character biography:...

    : Adrian Corbo is a mutant with the ability to transform his limbs into sharp weapons. He is the half-brother of Radius.
  • Manbot: Bernie Lechenay is a human/Box robot cyborg.
  • Murmur
    Murmur (Marvel Comics)
    - Murmur :Murmur is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe who first appearance was in Generation X #11.- Fictional character biography :...

    : Arlette Truffaut is a young mutant from Quebec City
    Quebec City
    Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...

     with powers of mind-control and teleportation.
  • Radius
    Radius (comics)
    Radius is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a former member of the superhero team Alpha Flight. He first appeared in Alpha Flight: In The Beginning #-1, and first appeared as Radius in Alpha Flight vol...

    : Jared Corbo is a mutant with the ability to create a force field.
  • General Clarke: Sinister new director of Department H
    Department H
    Department H is a fictional organization in the Marvel Universe.-History:It is a branch of the Canadian Department of National Defence and is also responsible for the recruitment, provisioning, administration and deployment of Alpha Flight....

    , responsible for many of the dark plots surrounding the team. Gains some measure of redemption with his sacrifice in issue #12.


Returning members were Vindicator (Heather Hudson, with a new costume and new geothermal powers), a de-aged Guardian (who turned out to be a clone of the original James Hudson, set at age 19), and Puck
Puck (comics)
Puck is the codename of two fictional characters, a father and daughter pair who are both members of Alpha Flight, in the Marvel Comics universe.-Puck :...

. Sunfire was also briefly a member while looking for a cure to a crippling illness.

The focus of this series was on Department H's consistently hidden agenda and Alpha Flight's reluctance to comply thereto. The conspiracy plotline saw Weapon X allowing an incarnation of the Zodiac Cartel to kidnap Madison Jeffries, who was subsequently brainwashed into becoming the group's "Gemini". To keep the group from interfering with their "deal", Department H employed its own brainwashed onto the membership of the team into forgetting Jeffries' kidnapping. Also, Department H employed an actual sasquatch as the new team's version of Sasquatch, without telling the team that it was not Walter Langkowski as their teammate. Department H also arranged the kidnapping of Diamond Lil, another former Alpha Flight member and Madison Jeffries' wife, when she began to enquire about the location of her husband, with the intent on using her as a test subject for illegal medical experimentations.

Despite initial positive buzz, the series never took off and the conspiracy plotlines were downplayed for the remaining six issues of the series. The series itself ended with issue #20 with most of the major storylines (such as the identity of the younger version of Guardian) unresolved, until Wolverine V1 #140-142, when the plotline was resolved with the return of the real Guardian and the heroic sacrifice of the clone version.

Volume 3: "All-New, All-Different" Alpha Flight

In 2004, Marvel started a new volume of Alpha Flight, with the "All-New, All-Different" prefix.

The first six-issue story arc, which shows Sasquatch attempting to construct the new team, is called "You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me."

The new team recruited by Sasquatch
Sasquatch (comics)
Sasquatch is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:Dr...

 includes:
  • Centennial
    Centennial (comics)
    Centennial is a fictional character, a superhero featured in the publications of Marvel Comics, notably Alpha Flight. His whereabouts are unknown.-Fictional Character Biography:...

    : Rutherford B. Princeton III is a 97-year-old man whose mutant powers of superhuman strength, invulnerability, flight, and heat vision manifested after being awakened from a coma by Sasquatch
    Sasquatch (comics)
    Sasquatch is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:Dr...

    .
  • Major Mapleleaf: Lou Sadler is the son of a World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

     super-hero of the same name. He is secretly a normal human who rides a superpowered horse.
  • Nemesis: Amelia Weatherly is both an adversary and ally of the old Alpha Flight. She has the power of flight and is skilled with a magical blade.
  • Puck II: Zuzha Yu is the daughter of the original Puck
    Puck (comics)
    Puck is the codename of two fictional characters, a father and daughter pair who are both members of Alpha Flight, in the Marvel Comics universe.-Puck :...

    . She has superhuman strength, speed, and agility.
  • Yukon Jack
    Yukon Jack
    Yukon Jack is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Alpha Flight vol. 3 #1 and was created by Scott Lobdell & Clayton Henry.-Fictional character biography:...

    : Also known as Yukotujakzurjimozoata, he is a mysterious man from a primitive tribe, bought from his father by Sasquatch
    Sasquatch (comics)
    Sasquatch is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:Dr...

    .


The second six-issue story arc, entitled "Waxing Poetic," saw the return of some original team members as both the original versions visited in the past, and temporal copies brought to the present. These members were Guardian, Vindicator, Puck, and Shaman.

The series was canceled with issue #12.

Omega Flight

Sasquatch
Sasquatch (comics)
Sasquatch is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:Dr...

, Guardian
Guardian (Marvel Comics)
Guardian , also known as Weapon Alpha and Vindicator, is a fictional character, a Canadian superhero in the who was the leader of Alpha Flight. He was created by John Byrne, and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #109 which was co-plotted by Byrne and his long-time collaborator Chris Claremont...

, Vindicator, Shaman
Shaman (comics)
Shaman is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe and a member of Alpha Flight.-Fictional character biography:...

, Major Mapleleaf II, and both Puck
Puck (comics)
Puck is the codename of two fictional characters, a father and daughter pair who are both members of Alpha Flight, in the Marvel Comics universe.-Puck :...

s are attacked by a new villain, the Collective (inhabiting the body of U.S. postal worker Michael Pointer), in New Avengers #16. Pointer continues on to the United States, leaving their bodies in the Yukon Territory
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....

.

Though writer Brian Michael Bendis heavily implied the deaths of the above-mentioned roster of Alpha Flight at the hands of the Collective, later writers backpedaled from this sweeping declaration. Sasquatch resurfaced alive and well, with only Shaman, Vindicator and Guardian officially being acknowledged as being dead; it is later confirmed that the original Puck died at the Collective's hands in the Chaos War special featuring the team.

The Alpha Flight title was relaunched as Omega Flight
Omega Flight
Omega Flight is the name used by three teams of fictional characters with superpowers in the Marvel Universe, one of the few Canadian teams published by an American comic book company. Omega Flight first appeared in the pages of Alpha Flight as a supervillain team...

in April, 2007 as a five-issue mini-series. The new series was written by Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer. He is known for using a stark art style to tell stories with sophisticated and mature subject matter.-Career:...

 and drawn by Scott Kolins
Scott Kolins
Scott Kolins is an American illustrator, writer and creator for multiple different superhero and science fiction comic books. His main credits are as a penciler but he is an established inker as well as colorist and has some credits as a writer.-Biography:...

. The current roster includes Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Thor #337 and was created by writer-artist Walt Simonson....

, U.S. Agent
U.S. Agent
U.S. Agent is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those starring Captain America and the Avengers. He was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary in Captain America vol...

, Arachne, Talisman
Talisman (comics)
Talisman is a superhero featured in the publications of Marvel Comics. She first appeared as Elizabeth Twoyoungmen in Alpha Flight vol. 1 #5...

, and Michael Pointer in a suit that looks like Guardian's
Guardian (Marvel Comics)
Guardian , also known as Weapon Alpha and Vindicator, is a fictional character, a Canadian superhero in the who was the leader of Alpha Flight. He was created by John Byrne, and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #109 which was co-plotted by Byrne and his long-time collaborator Chris Claremont...

 uniform. Sasquatch
Sasquatch (comics)
Sasquatch is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:Dr...

 appears as the group's recruiter and leader. Since the mini-series the team has ceased to exist losing Beta Ray Bill, USAgent (joining Hank Pym's new Avengers team), Pointer, now calling himself Omega, who has joined Norman Osborn's Dark X-Men
Dark X-Men
The Dark X-Men are a Marvel Comics comic-book team. They made their debut during the crossover between Dark Avengers and Uncanny X-Men written by Matt Fraction, as part of the broader Dark Reign storyline. Each member but Namor has been handpicked by then–H.A.M.M.E.R...

, and Julia Carpenter (who has recently become the new Madame Web
Madame Web
Madame Web is a fictional supporting character in the Spider-Man comic book series.-Fictional character biography:Cassandra Webb was born in Salem, Oregon. She is a paralyzed, blind, telepathic, clairvoyant, and precognitive mutant, allowing her to work as a professional medium...

).

"Chaos War"

In the 2010 storyline the "Chaos War
Chaos War (comics)
"Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries Chaos War, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot publications, and by three issues of Incredible Hulks, a...

", the four mainstay Alpha Flight members alive (Snowbird, Aurora, Northstar and Sasquatch) are reunited with Guardian, Vindicator, Shaman and Marrina Smallwood returning from the grave. The group comes together to fight the Great Beasts until Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Amatsu-Mikaboshi (comics)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules...

 impales the Great Beasts. The resurrected members of Alpha Flight remain among the living after the defeat of Amatsu-Mikaboshi. The whole original team could thus return in a new ongoing or miniseries. At the same time Puck is also appearing in #2 onwards of the "Wolverine Goes to Hell: storyline in Wolverine (2010).

Volume 4

In 2011, the team appeared in a series tied to the crossover storyline "Fear Itself
Fear Itself (comics)
"Fear Itself" is a 2011 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a seven-issue, eponymous miniseries written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Laura Martin, a prologue book by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Scott Eaton, and...

", with the newly-alive team to be joined by Puck. Alpha Flight provides rescue efforts for the victims of a tsunami unleashed by Attuma
Attuma
Attuma is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He is an Atlantean nomadic warlord who is the nemesis of Namor the Sub-Mariner, and is the father of the superhero Andromeda. He believes he is the prophesied conqueror of the Atlantean Empire...

 in the form of Nerkodd. As Sasquatch, Shaman, and Vindicator help save victims of the water itself, Guardian saves a news crew when their helicopter is shot down by Nerkodd. As Marrina Smallwood and Aurora also arrive to help fight Nerkodd, the female reporter that Guardian saved comments to the television viewers on why Northstar isn't with the team. After providing rescue efforts for victims of the disaster, Guardian ejects Nerkodd from the country by dumping him off the coast of Cape Race. Once Nerkodd is defeated and repelled, Alpha Flight returns to their headquarters, only to end up betrayed by Gary Cody and his newly-elected Unity Party. To make things worse, Vindicator has sided with him. It is shown that, six weeks ago Guardian and Vindicator were unable to regain custody of their child. In the present, Marrina is dehydrated, Sasquatch's gamma energy is drained enough for him to revert to his human form of Walter Langkowski, and Aurora and Snowbird are taken down as well. While bringing Guardian to the Box Units for imprisonment, Vindicator is ambushed by Puck
Puck (comics)
Puck is the codename of two fictional characters, a father and daughter pair who are both members of Alpha Flight, in the Marvel Comics universe.-Puck :...

. After knocking out Vindicator, Puck tells Guardian that he had just returned to life after his fight with Ba'al. At Parliament Hill, Walter is informed by Agent Jeff Brown that the concussions he had when he played football will cause him to act less human when he changes back into Sasquatch. Jeff also tells Walter that he will soon achieve Unity. Meanwhile, Marrina pretends to give in to the Unity treatment so that she can break free. Shaman manages to knock out Jeff and frees Walter, while Guardian frees Snowbird. Northstar and Puck manage to find Marrina, who has knocked out the guards and scientists present. After Alpha Flight escaped, they learned that Gary Cody and his Unity Party are group of fascists. Northstar abducts a Department H operative and uses aerial torture in order to learn where Department H took Kyle Jinadu. After reclaiming her daughter Claire from her cousin, Vindicator assembles Alpha Strike (consisting of Persuasion
Persuasion (comics)
The Purple Woman is a Marvel Comics mutant superhero.-Fictional character biography:...

, Ranark, a Wendigo
Wendigo (comics)
Wendigo is a fictional monster in the Marvel Comics universe. He is based on the mythical creature of the same name...

, and a brainwashed Citadel) in order to spread the Unity program and take down Alpha Flight. It is soon discovered that Master of the World is behind the Unity Party, the formation of Alpha Strike and what has happened to Department H as he introduces himself to Kyle Jinadu. The series was cancelled after eight issues.

Notable villains

Alpha Flight has fought many criminals and malevolent entities. Many were unique to them as they were based in Canada. Notable examples include:
  • Caliber
  • Citadel
  • Deadly Ernest
    Deadly Ernest
    Deadly Ernest is the name of a fictional character from the Alpha Flight series introduced in Alpha Flight #7.-Deadly Ernest :...

  • The Derangers
  • Dreamqueen
    Dreamqueen
    The Dreamqueen is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:The entity known as the Dreamqueen is the daughter of a succubus named Zhilla Char, and Nightmare, ruler of the Dream Dimension. Her birth killed her mother, and gave the Dreamqueen all her memories...

  • Gilded Lily
    Gilded Lily
    Gilded Lily is a fictional supervillain featured in the Marvel Comics series Alpha Flight.Disambiguate: silent film of 1921 starring Mae Murray; ; also, a Shakespearean phrase, from "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily/To throw perfume on a violet" .-Fictional character biography:Gilded Lily...

  • Great Beasts
    Great Beasts
    The Great Beasts are fictional villains of supernatural origin, originally created as antagonists for the heroes of the Marvel Comics series Alpha Flight.-Publication history:...

  • Jerry Jaxon
    Jerry Jaxon
    Jerome “Jerry” Jaxon is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Jerome Jaxon first appeared in Alpha Flight #2-3 , and was created by John Byrne....

     and his Omega Flight
    Omega Flight
    Omega Flight is the name used by three teams of fictional characters with superpowers in the Marvel Universe, one of the few Canadian teams published by an American comic book company. Omega Flight first appeared in the pages of Alpha Flight as a supervillain team...

  • Master of the World
  • Pestilence
    Pestilence (comics)
    Pestilence is a comic book supervillain who has battled the Canadian super-team Alpha Flight. The character Pestilence is a literary version of the real life Francis Crozier, who was second in command in Franklin's lost expedition to the Northwest Passage and later disappeared after taking command...

  • Pink Pearl
    Pink Pearl (comics)
    Pink Pearl is a Canadian super villain and terrorist in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:Originally a member of a circus troupe, Pink Pearl decided to become a terrorist and attempt to take over the circus. An extremely large woman, her obesity enables her to have...

  • The Plodex
  • Ranark
  • Wendigo
    Wendigo (comics)
    Wendigo is a fictional monster in the Marvel Comics universe. He is based on the mythical creature of the same name...


Ultimate Alpha Flight

Ultimate Alpha Flight debuted in Ultimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...

#94 with Vindicator, Shaman
Shaman (comics)
Shaman is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe and a member of Alpha Flight.-Fictional character biography:...

, Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...

, Sunfire, Sasquatch
Sasquatch (comics)
Sasquatch is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:Dr...

, Snowbird
Snowbird (comics)
Snowbird is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 , and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:...

 and Aurora
Aurora (comics)
Aurora is a fictional character, a Canadian superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the twin sister of Northstar and the former lover of Sasquatch. She has also been in a relationship with Wild Child....

. The team ambushes the X-Men in the middle of a friendly baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 game. All of its members appear to use godlike powers; they easily managed to take down the X-Men and kidnap Northstar. It is later revealed by Wolverine, who apparently has a history with them, that they used a drug called Banshee to enhance their abilities, making them more powerful than normal mutants. Vindicator claims that Alpha Flight is the first internationally sanctioned mutant team made powerful enough to take on any "considerable" threats such as the Liberators, the Brotherhood, and the Ultimates, as Vindicator sees the latter as loyal only to America and Alpha Flight to the world. They are defeated by Colossus's team of X-Men, who were also being powered by Banshee.

Marvel Adventures

In issue #11 of Marvel Adventures Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...

, Tony Stark travels to Nunavut to try and find his father Howard. As he is flying through a series of mountains, he is attacked by Alpha Flight after Northstar and Aurora mistake him for a training robot built by Guardian. After the real drone appears, Sasquatch and Guardian make some hasty apologies before Iron Man continues on his mission. Later in the issue, Alpha Flight aids Iron Man in a battle against the Living Laser
Living Laser
The Living Laser is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #34 and was created by Stan Lee, Artie Simek and Don Heck.-Publication history:...

.

Marvel Zombies

A zombified version of Alpha Flight (consisting of Guardian, Northstar, Aurora, Sasquatch, Puck and Snowbird) appeared in the first issue of Marvel Zombies: Dead Days
Marvel Zombies: Dead Days
Marvel Zombies: Dead Days is a comic book one-shot first published in May 2007 by Marvel Comics. It was written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Sean Phillips, with cover art by Arthur Suydam. It is part of the Marvel Zombies series. The issue is a prequel to Marvel's first Marvel Zombies limited...

, attacking the X-Men at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, and killing Professor X
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....

 in the process. They are later killed by Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...

, who uses his powers to make various metallic objects pierce their brains.

Collected editions

Their appearances have been collected into a number of trade paperbacks
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...

:

Alpha Flight Volume 1
    • Collects Alpha Flight (vol. 1) #1-8
    • Collects Alpha Flight (vol. 2) #9-16


X-Men crossovers
    • Collects X-Men & Alpha Flight (1985) #1-2, X-Men/Alpha Flight (1998) #1-2, X-Men (1963) #109, 120-121, 139-140
    • Collects X-Men & Alpha Flight (1985) #1-2, New Mutants (1983) Special Edition #1, X-Men (1963) Annual #9


Alpha Flight Volume 3
    • Collects Alpha Flight (vol. 3) #1-6
    • Collects Alpha Flight (vol. 3) #7-12


Omega Flight
    • Collects Omega Flight #1-5
    • Collects material from Marvel Comics Presents
      Marvel Comics Presents
      Marvel Comics Presents was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995; it returned for a second volume in 2007-2008.-Volume 1:The first volume was released on a biweekly basis and lasted for 175 issues...

      (vol. 2) #1-12


Alpha Flight Volume 4
    • Collects Alpha Flight (vol. 4) #0.1, 1-4

Television

  • Alpha Flight appeared in the X-Men
    X-Men (TV series)
    X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...

    episode "Repo Man". It consists of Vindicator
    Guardian (Marvel Comics)
    Guardian , also known as Weapon Alpha and Vindicator, is a fictional character, a Canadian superhero in the who was the leader of Alpha Flight. He was created by John Byrne, and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #109 which was co-plotted by Byrne and his long-time collaborator Chris Claremont...

     (who had renamed himself Guardian in the comics), Puck
    Puck (comics)
    Puck is the codename of two fictional characters, a father and daughter pair who are both members of Alpha Flight, in the Marvel Comics universe.-Puck :...

    , Snowbird
    Snowbird (comics)
    Snowbird is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 , and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:...

    , Shaman
    Shaman (comics)
    Shaman is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe and a member of Alpha Flight.-Fictional character biography:...

    , Northstar
    Northstar
    Northstar is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the twin brother of Aurora. Through his mutation, Northstar gains superhuman powers, which he uses for the betterment of society...

    , Aurora
    Aurora (comics)
    Aurora is a fictional character, a Canadian superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the twin sister of Northstar and the former lover of Sasquatch. She has also been in a relationship with Wild Child....

    , Sasquatch
    Sasquatch (comics)
    Sasquatch is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:Dr...

    , and Dr. Heather Hudson. The episode's story is similar to Guardian's first comics appearance (as Weapon Alpha) in Uncanny X-Men #109. Although though in the comics story, Weapon Alpha went after Wolverine solo. Vindicator and the Canadian Alpha Flight capture Wolverine. Department H demanded their project back. Either he rejoins their team or they repossess his indestructible, adamantium skeleton. Puck and Snowbird spied on the attempted adamantium-removal experiment and informed the other members. After a fierce fight between Alpha Flight and Department H's security androids, Wolverine warns the Alpha Flight members that if any of them try to seek him out, all bets are off. Later on in "The Phoenix Saga, Part 5: Child of Light," members of Alpha Flight are shown helping citizens as Earth is ravaged by the M'Kraan Crystal
    M'Kraan Crystal
    In the fictional Marvel Comics Universe, the M'Kraan Crystal is a gigantic crystalline artifact that lies at the nexus of all realities. The Crystal contains a negative galaxy, a source of near limitless power, which pulls and traps all matter inside. The Crystal plays a prominent role in several...

    .

Music

  • The Vulcan Dub Squad recorded a song called "Alpha Flight Number 12".
  • The band Courage My Love featured various issues of Alpha Flight in their You Tube video of their song "I Sell Comics".

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK