Alpha Flight Questionnaire

[oneyoungman]

Hi everyone!

Yeah, Hundall did run out of steam toward the end, but I do think it was because the Marvel ptb forced him off the book early.

I read in an interview that he planed to make the storyline lead up to issue 100! It could have been a really great epic....

From what I heard of his plans, his aborted Zietgiest(sp?) and Master/Marrina stories would have been great too.

oh well

[Weapon X.5]

1. Since Volume 1

2. Seeing them in Uncanny X-Men

3. Sasquatch

4. Marrina

5. The Master

6. Dreamqueen

7. The first 28 issues of volume 1

8. Guardian(Mac), Shaman, Puck, Sasquatch, Windshear, Nemesis

9. Aurora (duh)

10. Mac

11. The Master Himself.......John Byrne

12. No Comment

13. John Byrne

14. No Comment

15. The "death" of James Macdonald Hudson and subsequent "rebirths"

[HappyCanuck]

Welcome to the asylum, Weapon X.5. Watch out for the furnature fetishes and stay away from any unlocked cupboards. We can't be held responsible if you get mauled by a cupboard critter.

[Weapon X.5]

Thanks for the welcome. Glad to see there are many Alpha fans. Too bad Marvel pulled the plug on the newest volume. But I'll be here til they decide to put it back out for all of us rabid Flighters.

[HappyCanuck]

Hey, we're always glad to have new faces (so to speak) around here. Also good to see that, even after all this time, and all the crap they put us through, that Alpha Flight has such a strong following.

...I'll be here til they decide to put it back out for all of us rabid Flighters.

Hmm, WX5, I would hope you'd stick around if they DID bring them back for another round!

(warning: I'm a fickle nut about the way things are phrased.... o'course, I'm a fickle nut in general, so no biggie :P )

[GuardianX]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight? since AF #1

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction? really is a favorite.

3. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight character? the original line up mostly. ithee was a lot of depth with that line up.

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character? like maybe all of Volume 2? LOL

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain? Omega Flight - Smart Alec

6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain? Pink Pearl!

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight? the Death of Mac in #12

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"? Puck Aurora Northstar Sasquatch Snowbird Box (Roger) Shaman

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island) Aurora's cute, but psycho, snowbird's cute but cold, marrina is cute but... well, i don't want to be disenbowelled, heather is fun and fiesty. yeah, Heather!

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight? Mac.

11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer? Byrne.

12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer? whoever did Volume2

13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist? Byrne

14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist? ugh... many

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be? Byrne leaving AF!

[Weapon X.5]

I meant to say it as..........

I'll be here long after Marvel puts out a V.4, V.5, V.6 etc.......

Or if they decide to put it out and keep it going.

[Madison]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?

Since vol 1 issue 43, waaay back in 1986

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?

Picking up that same issue in a 7-11 in Toronto as a 14-year old who had never been into comics before and being amazed to see a battle between Alpha Flight, Mesmero and the Sentinels in the middle of Expo 86 in Vancouver, which I had just come back from that summer.

3. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight character?

Tough one, but for many reasons I would have to go with Northstar.

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character?

Yukon Jack, because I can't stand garbled speech patterns in comics.

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain?

Another tough one, but why don't we go with The Great Beasts as a group?

6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?

Probably just about anyone from the Furman run (Carcass?? Wrecking Crew?? yuck)

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arc from Alpha Flight?

Undoubtedly vol 1 issue 12

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?

Northstar, Aurora, Puck, Heather, Madison Jeffries, Sasquatch, Talisman, Snowbird, Diamond Lil

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)

Sasquatch (most resourceful, most meat if it came to cannibalism )

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?

I always thought Puck (do I have to start saying Puck I?) deserved a shot at it.

11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?
Byrne

12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?
Furman

13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?
Byrne

14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?
Broderick. Furman and Broderick are probably the main reason my AF collection is incomplete, I have so little interest in tracking down the last few issues. To be fair to Broderick, pencillers aren't solely responsible for the look of a book, so I guess the inker and colorists from those issues deserve equal disdain.

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?

Mac's resurrection, with Snowbird's continuity defying resurrection in the pages of Wolverine a close second, because it basically ruined the backstory of Sasquatch as well.

[Ben]

Welcome Madison! Don't hear of too many folks who disliked Furman's run so much, but always happy to hear new opinions Here's a snow shovel, clear a spot in the cupboard for yourself

Ben

[Northcott]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?
I was serious about collecting AF back when they first got their own series, but my attention to the following volumes has been sporadic at best.

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?
My cousin was down visiting from Labrador, and he and I used to bike all over the area looking for new comics. At a mini-mart up a LARGE hill we found one of those old spinning comic racks filled with untouched goodies. I picked up X-Men 171-173 (and to this day love Paul Smith's art)... but as much as I love Paul's art, it was seeing a Canadian team standing large among the Marvel stalwarts that grabbed my attention. Joy. Adulation. Alpha Flight and the X-Men were the first two series I cared enough to buy every month -- and with the X-Men it was because the artist would turn out to be one of the biggest influences on my style.

3. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight character?
Guardian -- Dr. James MacDonald Hudson.

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character?
Major Maple Leaf; it started off as a one-off joke/jab at Captain Canuck, a nationalistic superhero created by Richard Comely, and has sense become a (very bad) running joke. I have more respect for Bob and Doug MacKenzie.

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain?
The Master. He has so much untouched potential.

6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?
Calibre. Not that he's a bad creation, per se; he served his very limited purpose. But there's really no future potential there without a massive re-tooling.

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight?
Whoooooo. Toughie. Most of the stuff from the first 12 issues really set the overall feel for me, so I'd have to go with something from there. Perhaps Northstar and Aurora's encounter with Ernest; the writing was finely layered. At the time I was oblivious to it, but in hindsight the hints at JP's sexuality are painfully obvious. Excellent all-ages writing.

Either that or the first issue, which was a classic "big bang" opening.

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?
The team from Vol 1, issue 1. There were so many unexplored story arcs with that group that it boggles my mind. The character interactions could have been superb. That and (as I often harp upon the point) they were extremely well designed, utilizing design elements that have provided the core for the genre's most iconic characters. I believe that the original team has that potential if treated with respect and utilized to their fullest.

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)
Puck. The man's been everywhere and done everything. Follow his lead, and you'd likely live in comfort. Hmmmm... Shaman's probably a better choice, on second thought. Not only is he familiar with survival techniques, but his combination of magic and medical knowledge could provide a much safer, more comfortable existence.

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?
As written? Heather. She was portrayed as extremely competent. As a literary choice? Mac. His character makes for a better plot device, and is more representative of (certain elements of) the national identity.

11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?
Byrne.

12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?
No comment.

13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?
Paul Smith. (He did the Alpha/X-Men mini-series where Loki was involved)

14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?
No comment.

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?
Whoooo! Another toughie! I'd have to go with one of two things:
1) Puck/Raazor: what a freakin' pothole in the road that was! Not only does it contradict prior established information about the character, but it provided for some of the most ridiculous plot twists in the team's history, and managed to take some of the dignity away from Puck. He was unique in being a super-hero who was genuinely afflicted with what is termed as a disability.

2) The death of Guardian: It made for an incredible story, but killing off central characters is, generally speaking, bad for an ongoing serialized tale. Part of the long-term success of the big iconic characters is how recognizeable they've remained over the years, and this in turn projects onto any teams they may be involved with. Gacking Guardian was a bold story choice at the time, but would have been better served as the end of a mini-series rather than the beginning of an ongoing series.

For Alpha to earn the kind of prominence that has gone to the Justice League, Avengers, etc, they need a stable cast of recognizeable, iconic characters filling archetypical roles. To that end, as good a story as the death of Guardian was, it was a tactical error.

[jay042]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?

Oh, about the mid-20s I recall it was right after they changed the title logo for the first time. I got out of it for a long time but got back in just before issue#100

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?

The Raazer issue, which didn' turn me off suprisingly enough:P

3. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight character?

Roger Bochs. He and Puck made the team stand out a lot more from the rest of the books. What Mantlo ended up doing to him was a crime

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character?

Murmur, she was nothing but Persuasion and Aurora merged together into one very annoying *****

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain?

Diablo's appearance in 103& 104. I don't know if he was acting out of character, but he was just the most fun baddie the series has seen.

[b]6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?[b]

Headlok, his whole screwing with Aurora story arc was treading over old ground. And Jean Marie just deserves a break.

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight?

"El Equipo Primero" the Diablo story arc that was fun and a slightly different use for the team.

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?

The current "Uncanny Alpha Flight" as Scott refers to them is what the team should be (plus Squatch)

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)

Nemesis, sure she'd be annoying, but that would probably do a better job of keeping me sane than anyone else could.

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?

Heather, hands down

11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?

What Scott Lobdell has done with his stories has always been interesting, though I'd like to see more with the originals.

12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?

Simon Furman, he needs to stick with writing giant robots.

13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?
Clayton Henrey without a doubt has been the best artist the've had on the book in ages.

14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?

That's a toss up between Darian Currasco's stint near the end of Vol.1 and Scott Clarke's run on Vol.2

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?

while not techincally in Alpha history, Marina's death in the Avengers.

[redreign]

THESE ARE THE REALEST ANSWERS!!!!!!!!
1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?
SINCE DAY ONE

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?
THIS IS HOT!! (BACK IN 83')

3. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight character?
GUARDIAN

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character?
PUCK

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain?
DARK GUARDIAN (JAXON)

6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?
ALL THE REST OF THEM

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight?
ORIG ISSUES 1-12

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?
THE ORIGINAL ALPHA TEAM

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)
NOT THAT DEEP FOR ME!!!!!!

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?
GUARDIAN

11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?
BYRNE

12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?
ALL THE REST OF THEM

13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?
BYRNE & JIM LEE

14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?
ALL THE REST OF THEM

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?
NOT TO KILL OF GUARDIAN

[Ben]

Welcome redreign!

Looks like your are a big Guardian fan eh? Glad to have you on board!

Ben

[Madison]

Hey jay042, maybe we can form the Simon Furman Anti-Fan Club! When I saw people on this board were fans of Furman I decided to go try to find the last few issues of Vol 1, just in case. Uggh! The Anti-Guard? Hard-Liners? The throw-away supervillain team? Not to mention the awful dialogue.

Nope, I'm firm in my Anti-Furman stance. Tell me there was a worse writer! (OK besides Mantlo).

Madison

[syvalois]

I can help you, don't like Furman run also or all the last issues of the serie I,