• Alpha Flight #5 Solicitation **Spoiler Sensitive**


    ALPHA FLIGHT #5

    Written by FRED VAN LENTE & GREG PAK
    Pencils by DALE EAGLESHAM
    Cover by CARLO PAGULAYAN
    Solicited as #5, not #5 of 8 (See here for discussion )





    STRIKE VERSUS FLIGHT. As the traitorous Vindicator leads her team of villains, known as ALPHA STRIKE, against her former teammates, ALPHA FLIGHT embraces their outlaw status by joining forces with the mercenary TASKMASTER. Will the master of skill acquisition be able to train the team in the tactics necessary to take on the entire Canadian government? And even so, will partnering with such a compromised cohort reveal itself to be a pact with the devil? Marvel superstars Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente and Dale Eaglesham continue their stellar run with Marvel’s much-beloved band of heroes, ALPHA FLIGHT!
    32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
    (On Sale 10/12/11)
    Comments 27 Comments
    1. swh_comicguy's Avatar
      swh_comicguy -
      Hate the guns!
    1. DelBubs's Avatar
      DelBubs -
      Quote Originally Posted by swh_comicguy View Post
      Hate the guns!
      They haven't proven to be over popular. Can't understand the need.
    1. Mokole's Avatar
      Mokole -
      Likely the guns are there because the government can counter their powers; most are close combat fighters except Guardian.
    1. DelBubs's Avatar
      DelBubs -
      I'm willing to wait on the gun business. It could be Carlo Pagulayan is generalising like Jimenez did on his covers? Taskmaster uses various weapons in fights etc, maybe he just teaches AF weapons skills, just in case?
    1. Sypes's Avatar
      Sypes -
      Why do they need gun when they have super powers? Could they have been depowered? Northstar and Aurora appears like they are running at "human" speed, but Sasquatch is still Sasquatch and not Walter... doesn't make much sense
    1. Legerd's Avatar
      Legerd -
      Like Del said, it could be a visual metaphor for AF using more guerrilla warfare tactics. However, I wouldn't be adverse to Puck using weapons more often.

      It seems like Freg is taking AF in a new direction with this. Hopefully it'll be one that brings in more fans.
    1. Phil's Avatar
      Phil -
      Quote Originally Posted by Legerd View Post
      However, I wouldn't be adverse to Puck using weapons more often.
      Of all the characters he seems the most likely to use one.
      And I do like the scale ratio of the gun he's using. Very Predator.
    1. DelBubs's Avatar
      DelBubs -
      Just theorising here. Couldn't Northstar or Aurora actually throw a bullet faster than it leaves a barrel (sp) ?
    1. rplass's Avatar
      rplass -
      Unknown. They can hold it in their hand, fly to (some fast speed =muzzle velocity in fps, whatever that is) and let it go, but we don't know how fast they can accelerate to that muzzle velocity speed. Can they do it from standing still with their arm or does it take them a few hundred yards to get up to speed first?
    1. DelBubs's Avatar
      DelBubs -
      I was re-reading the first Deadly Ernest story this morning and thats what got me wondering. Aurora punches the mugger a 100 times at super speed, without speeding up the rest of her body. On that premise she could work up momentum holding a bullet and when released...
    1. Legerd's Avatar
      Legerd -
      Here's a chart of the various speeds of bullets. If the twins can accelerate their bodies (or in this case their arms) up to 12,360,000 mps normally (Mach 10 in meters/second) then they could easily toss a bullet for deadly effect. Even wilder, they'd be able to throw a handful of bullets creating a spray, or one at a time like a machine gun.
    1. Flightpath07's Avatar
      Flightpath07 -
      Even wilder, they'd be able to throw a handful of bullets creating a spray, or one at a time like a machine gun
      Speaking of spraying, couldn't they therefore just spit really fast, sending said saliva right through their foe's body, killing them? Really, the possibilities are endless - as long as you suspend disbelief and say that these things are real and possible in comics.
    1. rplass's Avatar
      rplass -
      "NO" on the spit-kill because you need to have the mass behind the object to do damage. Spit don't weigh enough to kill a man, which is something Grandpa rplass taught me when I was a kid. Fired bullets have significant mass and velocity, packing a wallop of energy.

      Do a simple experiment. Have a friend spit at you at 55mph out of the window of a car and see if you die. I bet you wont. But if that same friend tosses a rock at 55mph, you gonna get you face smash.

      Love,
      rplass
    1. Legerd's Avatar
      Legerd -
      Quote Originally Posted by rplass View Post
      Do a simple experiment. Have a friend spit at you at 55mph out of the window of a car and see if you die. I bet you wont. But if that same friend tosses a rock at 55mph, you gonna get you face smash.

      Love,
      rplass
      Why do I think you've tried this?
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor -
      The problem with them throwing a bullet would then be getting it to fly straight -
      however, the spray them like a machine gun idea sounds workable.

      Quote Originally Posted by rplass View Post
      Spit don't weigh enough to kill a man, which is something Grandpa rplass taught me when I was a kid.
      Do I want to hear the rest of that story?

      Quote Originally Posted by rplass View Post
      Do a simple experiment. Have a friend spit at you at 55mph out of the window of a car and see if you die. I bet you won't.
      Bet I will!
      Oh, you mean from the spit...
      You're probably right about that.

      - Le Messor
      "I'd love to, but I'm looking for a microscope powerful enough to find the fantasy in Game Of Thrones."
    1. DelBubs's Avatar
      DelBubs -
      I would guess even a handful of jelly beans thrown at the right velocity would be enough to deter any would be attacker. Bit of a Super Villian fail though if you had to admit to be taken out by a apricot flavoured sweet hitting you in the eye.
    1. Flightpath07's Avatar
      Flightpath07 -
      Bit of a Super Villian fail though if you had to admit to be taken out by a apricot flavoured sweet hitting you in the eye.
      Some super-villains are epic-fail all by themselves; think Paste Pot Pete and Stilt-Man.
    1. DelBubs's Avatar
      DelBubs -
      Caliber comes to mind. Stilt Man had obvious flaws, what was needed was some one down below tying his boot laces together.
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor -
      Caliber was meant for fail though - there only as an excuse to get Alpha together (much the way they used Attuma in #1 - did anyone else think that? I've thought specifically of Caliber before, in considering that.)

      I notice your new avatar, Del - cool. And, I note the theme. Ah, Adolph, so much fun!

      - Le Messor
      "My uncle escaped again."
    1. DelBubs's Avatar
      DelBubs -
      Would be interesting one day to run a poll on Alphas lamest villians. Caliber got two appearences though. As for the Avatar, what can I say, more than Harpo obviously, but still my hero.