if you wrote alpha flight.

[Cliff]

Why don't you start a new thread and create a poll for people to indicate thier favorite team members. You can set these polls up for multiple votes, but request that they limit thier votes to five members. The tracking will show who the most popular are and eleiminate ties much more efficiently and then you'll be able to get your "hit list" by default.

I only suggest this because it may be that Heather isn't the one that the majority want dead or in a coma or alive, for that matter, which would alter your plot. In a way, though, you'd get a list of characters that people want to have on the team and have to work within that parameter. A tougher task in a way, but one that the majority (by virtue of the poll) will be able to get into. Then, write it as a fan-fic here in the forums.

[Ben]

Why don't you start a new thread and create a poll for people to indicate thier favorite team members. You can set these polls up for multiple votes, but request that they limit thier votes to five members. The tracking will show who the most popular are and eleiminate ties much more efficiently and then you'll be able to get your "hit list" by default.

I only suggest this because it may be that Heather isn't the one that the majority want dead or in a coma or alive, for that matter, which would alter your plot. In a way, though, you'd get a list of characters that people want to have on the team and have to work within that parameter. A tougher task in a way, but one that the majority (by virtue of the poll) will be able to get into. Then, write it as a fan-fic here in the forums.

Well, anyone can set up a poll actually, so go for it if you like Cliff. Unfortunately, the forum poll doesn't have the capabilty for voting for several choices at once however so that would't really work all that well. I could write a special script, or find one most likely, but my time is pretty limited these days.

Ben

[Mokole]

How about a list and Cliff can compile it in a week or two? I know it could get pretty big but someone would just have to list all the members of AF (would Jade Dragon count? I say no)

Volume one I'd khave about5-7 in my list, then one or two from the Legacies, then two or three of the new ones from ANADAF.

[Cliff]

Heck, I'd even include BH6 as options. They're linked to Sunfire and he is linked to AF.

I'll put up a poll with "rules" tomorrow sometime, if you think it'll help ya. Plus, it'd be fun to see who the favorites are. What I can do is compile it all into Excel at 6:00pm Central US time each day for a couple of weeks. That way people can vote again the next day and still get counted plus get in thier "top five" or "top seven" depending on how many times they're able to vote over the duration of the poll.

I assume the poll results are user driven, meaning voting a second time erases a previous vote...

I can also change the poll to reflect originals, Vol 2 folks, Vol 3, Betas, etc.

[HappyCanuck]

actually, Cliff, I wanna limit myself to Canadian Nationals who were actually members of Alpha. I don't want the list TOO big. BH6 - except maybe Sunfire, I haven't decided -, tho good characters, aren't Alpha Character (Even if they did start in an Alpha spin-off limited). Same with Jade Dragon. Remember, this is for a story idea, and too many characters are hard to work with (hence why I'm killing off a slew of them)

[Barnacle13]

I have to admit, I like the idea, but I think you may write yourself into a corner with this. If the team is villified in the public's eyes, it will make it difficult to pull them out of the fire later without changing identities or something radical like that. I'd start it out as a covert war between Department H and Alpha Flight. Epsilon attacks and kills many second stringers and a few or the big guns (Mac in particular). Issue 12 would have Alpha utterly destroy Department H (building, machinery, special projects, employees, etc.). Now Alpha could be villified for that action against the government. The next several issues would surround the remaining Alpha members uncovering the conspiracy before Parliament and becoming a sanctioned team. Heather could recover from her injuries in 12 and be appointed the administrator of the newly formed Department Alpha. Eugene could move into a training role and help Heather raise her child. Walt could move into a field leader position, or put MMJ or someone else into the new Province suit (battlesuit or just fancy pajamas). I love the idea of he who you mentioned in code becoming the main villain. I think there is supporting stories for explaining the change. It'd also give Alpha a formidible foe to add to their rogues gallery.

As for my votes, I'd definitely add Flex to the team. Or have Radius recovered by the MoleMan and have him return. MMJ or Centennial would be my only choices from V3, well maybe Mar, but I'd change its name and make it female. Then I'd have Talisman, Sas, Puck, Wildchild to round out. A flyer wouldn't be a bad idea too. Maybe Northstar or Thunder.

Barnacle

[kozzi24]

A flyer wouldn't be a bad idea too.

I always thought it was a subtle reinforcement of the name (and maybe an inspiration for it) that most of Byrne's originals could fly, or at least appear to be flying.

Of the original six, four could fly. We learned later that Shaman could levitate, and theoretically, Sasquatch could do Hulk jumps.

Add Marrina, who can "fly" on water spouts as very seen in V1#1, and Puck, good enough with his acribatics to appear to be "flying" across a room or a street.

Next addition, Talisman, who can also levitate and be carried by air spirits she commands.

Add Box, with direct flight propulsion.

There you go, Alpha FLIGHT.

[HappyCanuck]

I have to admit, I like the idea, but I think you may write yourself into a corner with this.

You're right, Barney, in that I may be writing myself into a corner, but it's something I feel I have to do. Marvel won't take Alpha seriously, so I'm gonna. Hell, who know, might give them ideas. GOOD ideas.

If the team is villified in the public's eyes, it will make it difficult to pull them out of the fire later without changing identities or something radical like that... Now Alpha could be villified for that action against the government. The next several issues would surround the remaining Alpha members uncovering the conspiracy before Parliament and becoming a sanctioned team.

Now you are catching on - kinda! See, that's where Alpha needs to be: not as a sanctioned team where their rules are dictated by some idiot on Paliament Hill - God knows that hasn't worked in their entire history - but as a team who's only responcibility is to the nation of Canada, and not the government's self-serving motives. This will not only cause a potential villian out of the government (hell, they already HAVE been the villian), but with their rougher, tougher mandate to protect the nation from ALL threats - both inter- and intranationally - no matter what. Basically, they are no one's toys anymore. And they won't be changing identities: they will make their position known to the entire country, and let the people of the country - and the world - decide if they are right. Not saying it will go smoothly, but now's the time for radical changes.

As for my 'mystery character', I assume you fig'd out who it is . Good for you, but keep it under your hat. Let's leave SOMETHING as a surprise!

As for my votes, I'd definitely add Flex to the team. Or have Radius recovered by the MoleMan and have him return. MMJ or Centennial would be my only choices from V3, well maybe Mar, but I'd change its name and make it female. Then I'd have Talisman, Sas, Puck, Wildchild to round out. A flyer wouldn't be a bad idea too. Maybe Northstar or Thunder.

Barnacle

All really good ideas - some I might even use. However, to keep things fair, I'm not bringing Radius back to life, nor (to my chagrin) can I use Northstar or Wolverine officially in the team, as I want this series to run concurrently with actual Marvel history - meaning I can't use Northstar as long as he's an X-Man, nor can I kill Wolverine, as much as I'd like to (being on five titles and two teams, the dude needs a rest). As for the Guardian/Vindicator outfit, as long as Mac's dead (and trust me, with a six inch hole in his chest, he WILL be - irrefutably), and Heather's in her coma, the suit stays in limbo. Not saying it will be permanent, but for the duration of this particular arc, it will be.


On another note: Anyone interested in helping me with this series, I'd welcome the help.

[Barnacle13]

I think someone has to wear a similar suit. An icon for the team and nation to stand behind. Someone the villains can look at and say, " We need to take out the guy with the big maple leaf! He/she is obviously the leader of this outfit!" I'm not saying it should be Mac's battlesuit. In fact I'm all for a surper powered leader who just wears the coll PJs. I think the moniker of Guardian and Vindicator should go into retirement. Pull out sometihing new, fresh, and Canadian. That's why I like the name Province, but since I'm not Canadian I don't presume to know your culture well enough to believe a better name can't be chosen. You could have a villain from Trinidad-Tobago go by the name Guardian. Anyone could be a Guardian. Same goes for Vindicator. But what really says I'm the icon behind which my great nation stands against evil?

For the record, I'm not doubting that you can pull Alpha Flight out of any fire you put them in. But having them villified in the eyes of the public would be very difficult to overcome. Then perhaps that's part of the charm of the story. Like the X-men, citizens fear them because of what the government and hate groups have spread. Despite this, Alpha Flight continues to fight the good fight. I can see a mother snatching away her just saved baby and scowling at Sasquatch. "You're a menace! You could have killed my baby!" Sas:"Lady, I just saved the tyke from Wendigo! What do you want from me?"

[Cliff]

How's this for an argument against your current line of thinking: Aren't they already "villified"? I mean, they would be, wouldn't they? Particularly after the events in Vol2. Sheesh...if it were the American public and rumors of what basically ammounts to a huge hole where government monies were being poured into without anything but conspiracy and destruction to show for it, citizens would be pretty ticked.

I think the conspiracy angle is there purely in the sense that AF is up against making themselves out to be a team fighting for the Canadian way and not for some government program. As it stands, it'd be really easy to write public villification without any real stretch or complicated plot.

That said...I'm still backing you up on your endeavour to writer this out, but I'd suggest waiting to see the results of the first wave of the poll (which I'm compiling now) and see who the majority of us forum wackos want to see in the group. Build your plot around that.

[Barnacle13]

I guess you're right, though I still see the public's outrage being towards the government agency that allowed the monies to be wasted. Granted Alpha Flight is and has been the only real visible portion of that agency as far as the public is concerned. I'm all for any AF story line that does the team justice. I'd love to see them meet SHIELD at the border and send their @$$ packing. I like the idea of Big Hero Six and others allying themselves, but I wouldn't want that to be the main reason SHIELD backs off. Makes it seem like Alpha isn't strong enough on their own to turn them. Now if that kept someone like the Avengers from getting involved it might mean something. Supers deciding it's best to step down instead of squaring off against an evenly matched foe to prevent other countries from taking sides and escalating the situation.

[Cliff]

What I see is a situation where teams like Big Hero 6, China Force, whatever the remnants of the Soviet Super Soldiers are now (most are dead I think) and (oddly enough) The Great Lakes Avengers would all be capable of stepping up as other groups taken less seriously than SHIELD or the Avengers and form a sort of global super-group with a core of Alphans. Sort of a world-wide reserve list.

I do have a few questions regarding some names on the list from the previous page. If you folks can tell me more about these characters, I'd appreciate it. I remember Stitch in about the same capacity as Groundhog, but because she was such a peripheral character, she may not be worth bringing in except to kill off (lol). Same with GH, honestly, but for completeness, I'll toss her in.

• Jodi 'Stitch'
• Albert Louis
• Chuck Moss
• Saint Elmo

Like I said, I know about Stitch but a full name would be great, plus any other reference actually connecting her to AF. Albert Louis and Chuck Moss I don't recall at all, so any inbfo there will help. Saint Elmo may have been intended to refer to Ernest St.Ives (Deadly Earnest), who could indeed be around as a villain after he finishes slurping back together (lol). If it's meant to be someone else, just fill me in.

Thanks.

[Barnacle13]

• Jodi 'Stitch'
• Albert Louis
• Chuck Moss
• Saint Elmo

Let's see, Jodi was a First Flight member along with St. Elmo. They appeared in a Special. Was it 1994?

Chuck Moss is the pupil of Shaman. In fact Earthmover has appeared with the core team several times. In fact Sas calls him "the guy who's name I can never remember" In issue 5 or 6 of V3.

Albert Louis aka Feedback appeared late in V1. During all the Mutant Registration stuff if I remember right. He was being pusued by the Hardliners (I think) when Alpha pulled him outta the fire.

[HappyCanuck]

oops, I made a boo-boo. Saint Elmo (the only name given him), should be listed as 'deceased'. (He died in the same issue he was introed in)

And yes. the AF special was dated 1994

[Cliff]

Alrighy...found em all now with the Flashback name. St. Elmo died way back when, so he's a non-issue anyway.

Thanks a bunch.