• The Future Of Alpha Flight?

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    Phil
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    Published on 10-07-2015 06:27 AM  Number of Views: 38269  
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    *This article contains spoilers for today's Avengers #0 - Please don't read ahead unless you mind having Alpha Flight's involvement discussed*

    Last month it was revealed that Alpha Flight would be appearing in the pages of Captain Marvel, as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel line-up.

    Captain Marvel, being Marvel's premier female superhero at the moment is quite rightly appearing in various books, as part of the team of A-Force and The Ultimates.

    The All-New, All-Different Marvel era begins today, and with it comes Avengers (2015) #0 - a 49 page $5.99 oneshot that gives 6 prelude stories to the forthcoming Avengers titles - Squadron Supreme, New Avengers, All-New, All-Different Avengers, A-Force, Uncanny Avengers, and The Ultimates.

    The A-Force story, by writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Victor Ibanez focuses on Captain Marvel and gives a glimpse into the setting for Danvers' solo book.

    In fact, the title is listed as 'Captain Marvel & Alpha Flight'


    The story opens at the 'Alpha Flight low orbit space station' and we get shown various background staff who are clearly shown as wearing AF patched jackets


    And that's pretty much it as far as AF are concerned; we don't get to see any existing characters or even get names for the background staff.

    However, the story is quite clearly a Captain Marvel one, leading to events in A-Force rather than her own solo title, and it's a brief prelude as part of an anthology book so it's not cause for distress.

    The story itself is definitely a well written, nice taster and sets the scene for Alpha Flight's adventures in space but fans expecting to see their favourite characters may be hesitant to spent $5.99 on it, especially with 4 covers.

    It's definitely a positive that Marvel are pushing the title into this part of it's universe, especially with a Captain Marvel film on the horizon.

    Captain Marvel #1 is currently scheduled for January 2016, with new details possibly revealed this weekend at NYCC.
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    Comments 131 Comments
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor - 10-07-2015
      This is starting to look like the 'How would people feel if...?' thread.


      (Only, coming at it from the other direction - which I feel better about.)
      Being vague for spoilers' sake.
    1. Alphan East's Avatar
      Alphan East - 10-07-2015
      Someone may have to catch me up on this one. This does not look like it has anything to do with our Alpha Flight.
    1. Phil's Avatar
      Phil - 10-07-2015
      If you check the video at http://alphaflight.net/content.php?8...-Marvel-Series it was said that AF would be regulars in the series.
      This is a prelude to that, of sorts, but the AF in it are in name only.
    1. -K-M-'s Avatar
      -K-M- - 10-07-2015
      Hmmmm...thanks for the update Phil

      i have my doubts the originals will appear much now, but we shall see. As you said just a teaser
    1. Phil's Avatar
      Phil - 10-07-2015
      No worries, I just didn't want people shelling out loads of money, only to be disappointed.

      I'm not getting too pessimistic yet - this was by a completely different creative team, and possibly avoided using the characters because the first issue hasn't been completed yet.
    1. -K-M-'s Avatar
      -K-M- - 10-07-2015
      I still picked it up. I really do hope the originals appear in the main Captain Marvel book but seems it's just the female flight team, the "carol corps"
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor - 10-07-2015
      While this new issue does make it look like it's just a squadron with the same name (and Alpha Flight would make a good name for a group of pilots - see Babylon 5), I think we've looked into and eliminated that possibility. (See also the thread Phil linked to.)

      (Also: I'd like to add, for those of us who pick this up: I hope we judge the comic on its own merits, not simply whether or not it has our Alpha Flight in it.)

      ~ Le Messor
      "Care more than others think is wise."
    1. Phil's Avatar
      Phil - 10-07-2015
      Yeah, the likelihood of Danvers being the only superhuman up there as Earth's first line of defense is unlikely.

      Alpha Flight is mentioned in the Ultimates story too, when CM offers them to Black Panther to help deal with a threat.

      I'm still holding out hope, especially as Anka has mentioned re-designs.
    1. -K-M-'s Avatar
      -K-M- - 10-07-2015
      Quote Originally Posted by Le Messor View Post
      While this new issue does make it look like it's just a squadron with the same name (and Alpha Flight would make a good name for a group of pilots - see Babylon 5), I think we've looked into and eliminated that possibility. (See also the thread Phil linked to.)

      (Also: I'd like to add, for those of us who pick this up: I hope we judge the comic on its own merits, not simply whether or not it has our Alpha Flight in it.)

      ~ Le Messor
      "Care more than others think is wise."
      Well if you remember the promotional art for the captain marvel series you see space ships behind her all with A's on them. So to me it confirms there will be a group of pilots

      was it confirmed the originals will appear? I thought that was up in the air
    1. cmdrkoenig67's Avatar
      cmdrkoenig67 - 10-07-2015
      This is starting to look like a fake-out.
    1. Mokole's Avatar
      Mokole - 10-07-2015
      Hard to know what they're really doing. They could be pulling a fake-out and AF could turn out to be a SHIELD or some such team based in space to replace/augment SWORD, not Alpha Flight in reality. Of course, they have said Alpha Flight, and don't seem to be going in another direction. But why an AF low-orbit station and not Department H? Department H now called AF?
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor - 10-08-2015
      Quote Originally Posted by -K-M- View Post
      was it confirmed the originals will appear? I thought that was up in the air
      I'd thought it was all-but confirmed; but I could be wrong.

      Quote Originally Posted by Mokole View Post
      They could be pulling a fake-out and AF could turn out to be a SHIELD or some such team based in space to replace/augment SWORD, not Alpha Flight in reality.
      I hope not, but let's face it - I wouldn't be surprised.

      ~ Le Messor
      "Change is inevitable, except from vending machines."
      ~ Bumper Sticker
    1. Bill P's Avatar
      Bill P - 10-08-2015
      ugh
    1. Phil's Avatar
      Phil - 10-08-2015
      Quote Originally Posted by -K-M- View Post
      Well if you remember the promotional art for the captain marvel series you see space ships behind her all with A's on them. So to me it confirms there will be a group of pilots
      The A's look like the Avengers logo, rather than the AF logo used in #0.
      Some of the characters in #0 only had the CM logo on their uniform, others had the AF, one had both.
      (although the AF logo was an amalgamation of the AF jet one, the current Avengers one, and a CM one)

      From that I'm guessing there's a Carol Corps and an Alpha Flight Corps.

      was it confirmed the originals will appear? I thought that was up in the air
      It was dubiously worded.
      However redesigns was mentioned which implies existing characters.
    1. -K-M-'s Avatar
      -K-M- - 10-08-2015
      Yes but what do you think is the more likely choice the A stands for? Avengers or Alpha Flight?

      i do think there will be different branches carol corps and alpha flight, but I still have my doubts it will include the originals. I hope they do....but seems it's a flight squadron

      can we tweet the writer to see if the originals will be there?
    1. Phil's Avatar
      Phil - 10-08-2015
      The writers are Hollywood writers too so they don't appear to tweet back to fans which is understandable given timings.

      The artist is at NYCC this weekend and we're likely to have more details announced at a panel, so we'll reassess Monday!
    1. swh_comicguy's Avatar
      swh_comicguy - 10-08-2015
      Hey having Alpha Flight mentioned as much as it was in this book gives me hope that maybe we'll have our fan favorites portrayed respectfully in the All-New All-Different Marvel Universe. At the very least it looks like they could show up in several titles periodically with Captain Marvel towing them along. (A-Force, The Ultimates and Captain Marvel).

      Either that or their setting Alpha Flight up to be even bigger cannon fodder, when the next major event needs to take place. :P

      If Alpha Flight had not been mentioned as much as it was I would have thought the AF on the shoulder pads simply stood for A-Force, since that's the series the title is tied too.
    1. Phil's Avatar
      Phil - 10-09-2015
      Hmm... it's not looking good...

      The Triskelion will also host Carol Danvers's Alpha Flight, and the Wakandan Embassy.
      http://www.newsarama.com/26250-nycc-...ers-panel.html
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor - 10-09-2015
      *sigh*
      Hope... fading...
    1. Canucklehead's Avatar
      Canucklehead - 10-09-2015
      What if... (incredibly optimistic wishful thinking)
      Marvel/Disney see potential in Alpha Flight (like GotG), but also its weaknesses. Convoluted history, deep ties with the X-Men, unconventional team name, campy 80s costumes, Canadian "lameness factor" to the average American reader, etc...

      So how do you fix them while reintroducing them into the ANAD Marvel?
      #1 Take them away from the X-Men.
      #2 Take them out of Canada.
      #3 Repurpose the brand of "Alpha Flight" as a space exploration/defense team, as the name makes more sense there.
      #4 Instead of coming out with a bang like everyone else, reintroduce the characters under the radar in another book like CM.
      #5 Re-design and tinker costumes/characters/histories where needed.
      #6 Have them guest star in the Ultimates as well.
      #7 Tell great stories that include them, seeing if they become popular supporting characters.
      #8 Let the buzz build naturally.
      #9 Have the team take over the "Ultimates" moniker for Ultimates season 2 (or whatever they are calling volumes now)
      #10 Bring them back to Earth.
      #11 Make a movie.
      #12 ⊕ And one shall surely die! (What? It's tradition!)
      #13 $$$ Profit
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