Recently on one of my comic hunting trips I picked up a copy of Alpha Flight #1. "Canada's answer to the Avengers" was one of my favorite titles when I was younger. I always enjoyed John Byrnes writing and art work, there was something different about the way he drew a character that made him stand out from other artists at the time. Alpha Flight was the first non-America team I had ever come across which was pretty cool to me at the time. Plus I am a big hockey fan and they had a member named Puck.
Alpha Flight made their first appearance in X-Men #120 which was also drawn by John Byrne, written by X-Men legend Chris Claremont. The team was sent to retrieve Wolverine for the Canadian Government. You can add this issue to your collection for about $25 for an ungraded copy, $1000 for a CGC high grade copy.
Alpha Flights original team consisted of the following member.
- Guardian : Originally Weapon Alpha, then Vindicator, James MacDonald Hudson is a scientist from who wears a battle-armor suit with a maple leaf flag on it. The suit gives him the power to fly and manipulate Earth's magnetic field.
- Northstar: Jean-Paul Beaubier, from Montreal, is a mutant with powers of super-speed and light generation.
- Aurora : Jeanne-Marie Beaubier is Northstar's twin sister. Like her brother, she is also a mutant with powers of super-speed, flight, light generation, and molecular acceleration.
- Sasquatch : My favorite member of Alpha Flight. Walter Langowski is a scientist who can transform into a Sasquatch.
- Shaman: Michael Twoyoungmen is a skilled doctor and sorcerer.
- Snowbird: She is an Inuit demi-goddess from Yellowknife, who can transform into animals of the north.
- Marrina: An amphibious woman who is actually part of an extraterrestrial invading force known as the Plodex.
- Puck: Eugene Judd is a dwarf bouncer from Saskatoon ( love that name) with enhanced strength and extraordinary acrobatic abilities.
Along with being in the comics they also have appeared on the X-Men cartoon and have been part of Marvels Action figure lines. The big question is, When are they going to nake an Alpha Flight movie? We think Marvel owns the rights but that is a little hard to figure out, see
Marvel movie rights. But regardless with the success of Guardians of the Galaxy it's time for another unique superhero team.
If you have not read an issue of the original Alpha Flight, you'll see why there should be a movie. I strongly recommend hunting down some copies of the John Byrne run to start, I picked up issue #1 in a dollar bin at
Wizard World Philadelphia, since then I have begun putting the entire series together. Issue #13 is one of my favorite Byrne covers of all-time.
Good Luck on Your Canadian Hunt!
#jointhehunt
