I found an old comic script I had laying around. It's just an eight-pager. The artist completed the breakdowns and one full page of pencils, but it never got finished.

Alpha Flight: The Hidden Years
No. 1: Big Smoke Blues
By Trevor Giberson


Premise: Alpha Flight: The Hidden Years covers the key points in Alpha Flight’s storied history as yet untold. All stories will take place between the creation of Department H and Alpha Flight No. 1. All this will be written in my best Marvel Silver-Age voice, so beware of hokey villain dialogue!

Issue One’s Story: In the early days of Alpha Flight, Vindicator and Wolverine are tested by their first super-villain, the dreaded Porcupine! In the course of meeting this challenge, an exceptional man named Eugene Judd becomes essential to their success. 8 pages.

If you don’t have The Porcupine’s appearances in The Essential Ant-Man, let me know. I’ll scan the necessary reference material.

The story should serve as an introduction to the love-hate friendship between Vindicator and Wolverine, paralleling the later relationship between Wolverine and Cyclops. It will also be Vindicator’s first meeting (and Wolverine’s first official meeting) with the man who will eventually become Puck – who will of coruse have a hand in Porcupine’s defeat.



Page One: Three panels, one large splash and two across the bottom.


Panel One: 2/3 page splash.

Scene: Outside the Eaton’s Centre, Toronto. Reference photos: http://www.boldts.net/photos/EatonExt.jpeg – this is the exact intersection, circa 1975.
http://community.webshots.com/rs1/2/...4lPtljw_ph.jpg – same intersection, 2001. This facelift was given in 1999, so I think we should go with the old one, given the time of the story.
http://www.ecr.ryerson.ca/gallery/ gallery02.html – a couple good photos of the intersection.

The Porcupine is unloading volleys of energy blasts from his armor at a rapidly dodging, Wolverine – his claws are extended for battle. A large crowd of shoppers are running in all directions to get away. A pair of police officers are firing at the Porcupine with no effect. From the smoking debris obvious that Wolverine has been battling The Porcupine to a standstill for a while. From the sky above comes Vindicator to join the fight. Wolverine has seen Vindicator, and is smiling. Note that both Wolverine and Vindicator are in their original costumes.

Title: Big Smoke Blues! (add in credits wherever you like ‘em)

Caption: Toronto’s Eaton Centre.

Caption: The largest mall in Canada’s largest city. Nearly 300 shops and restaurant. Movie theaters. Street vendors. Perhaps the highest density pedestrian traffic in the country.

Caption: Absolutely the worst place to engage a high-powered, American super-villain.

Porcupine: Stay still, blast you! I’ve battled an Avenger to a standstill – I’ll not be challenged by the likes of you!

Wolverine: Bub, the day I can’t take down a two-bit punk in a straw suit is the day I take up balet!

Wolverine: (thinking) But he might be right! That suit may look crazy, but every quill in it seems to be a different weapon! My claws will cut through anything, but I can’t get close enough to use ‘em! Face it, Logan, you are in for a long night…

Wolverine: (thinking) Maybe not! Here comes Mac!


Panel Two:

Scene: Porcupine is hit hard by a blast by an off-panel Vindicator.

Sound Effect: ZZZAAKKKKKK!!!

Porcupine: Joke if you will …. ARRRGHHHH!!!


Panel Three:

Scene: Wolverine in the foreground, smiling. A concerned Vindicator is flying past him, waving, and checking to see if Wolverine’s okay.

Vindicator: Everything still in one piece, Wolverine?

Wolverine: This Porcupine character shoots as bad as you do, Vindicator! He didn’t come within an inch of me!

Page Two: Five panels. Two across the top, one long center panel, and two across the bottom.


Panel One:

Scene: Vindicator lands near Wolverine. He is furious. Wolverine’s mood has also changed for the worse.

Vindicator: Then maybe you can tell me what so possessed you to get into a full-scale battle with a super-powered felon in the middle of Yonge and Dundas!

Vindicator: You’re supposed to call in back-up, Wolverine! Walter or I could have ended Porcupine’s attack without this property damage!

Wolverine: Don’t lecture me, Mac! I don’t need it, and I didn’t need any help to take down this joker!


Panel Two:

Scene: Porcupine is still down after Vindicator’s first assault. He’s planning his next move.

Porcupine: (thinking) Another one! And I deduce that this one’s power comes from a battle suit possibly more advanced than my own! Well, if nothing else, The Porcupine is no fool!

Porcupine: (thinking) My battle suit barely protected me from the force of the armored one’s blast! It’s time I was away from here!


Panel Three: The long panel.

Scene: Porcupine, getting to his feet, releases two jet-streams of gas towards our heroes. Wolverine and Vindicator are in the foreground, looking shocked at Porcupine. Wolverine is coughing. If it looks right with his mask on, his eyes are watering.

Porcupine: (thinking) While those idiots are arguing, I’ll make my escape!

Wolverine: <Kof!> Tear gas!

Vindicator: And a smoke cloud! I can’t see! Logan, can your senses ….?

Wolverine: Hudson, <kof!> I can’t even breath! He’s gonna get away!


Panel Four:

Scene: Concealed from his enemies by a large cloud in front of him, Porcupine starts to take to the air.

Porcupine: (thinking) Idiots! One-on-one, I could have crushed either of them! Together, they may have had a chance!

Porcupine: (thinking) It is fortunate that they are too inept to work together! If Giant-Man and The Wasp clashed like these two fools, I would have destroyed them long ago!


Panel Five:

Scene: Long shot of Porcupine flying upwards into the sky. Smoke is trailing behind him from his armor – Vindicator’s blast has damaged his battle suit.

Porcupine: Blast! Vindicator’s assault did more damage than I expected. I’ll get as much distance as possible, then land for repairs…


Page Three: Five panels. Two on each row, one long one across the bottom.


Panel One:

Scene: Vindicator is flying in rapid circles, trying to make a vortex to carry the tear gas and smoke away.

Vindicator: (thinking) The twins make this look easy. I’m flying as fast as I can to get a vortex going that will carry the smoke and gas away, but it just won’t take….

Vindicator: Finally! It’s starting to work!

Wolverine: (thinking) Mac’ s turned into quite the pro!

Panel Two:

Scene: Wolverine looking up at Vindicator’s vortex gas-sucking vortex.

Wolverine: (thinking) His first thought is to clear out the civilians. Mine was to take down my opponent, blast the consequences!

Wolverine: (thinking) And Mac didn’t like that…


Panel Three:

Scene: Wolverine, amid the property damage, is watching the smoke clear up.

Wolverine: (thinking) Hate to admit it, but Mac’s right! If I had called in him or Sasquatch, Porcupine would be locked up right now and all of this chaos would’ve been avoided.

Wolverine: (thinking) But something in me won’t let me call for help in a scrap! Have I been a loner so long that I can’t handle working in a team?


Panel Four:

Scene: Close-up on Wolverine, sniffing the air.

Wolverine: (thinking) Even Mac’s team?

Wolverine: (thinking) And now Porcupine’s gotten away. Hey, wait a minute…

Wolverine: Snif!

Wolverine: Vindicator! I got something!


Panel Five: The long panel.

Scene: Flying through the sky, Vindicator is carrying Wolverine. Wolverine is following the scent left by the smoke in Porcupine’s armor.

Vindicator: You’re sure about this, Logan?

Wolverine: Yup! The tear gas covered it up before! Your blast must’ve hit somethin’ vital on Porcupine’s armor. It’s bleeding vapor bad. You can’t see it, but I couldn’t miss the stench even if I wanted to!

Page Four: Five panels. The first one is short but thin, leaving room for the second to be wider, taking up the rest of the row. It is short also …The middle row should be taller than the top or bottom and should be one panel only. The bottom row has two panels, equal in size.


Panel One:

Scene: Close-up of Eugene (Puck) Judd. He’s in civilian garb and leaning on a dirty bar with beer-filled mug in front of him. He’s in obvious pain.

Puck: Oh God, make them stop!


Panel Two:

Scene: A thin, Chinese man about 50 years old is toweling off a mug behind the bar. He wears glasses, and is losing his hair. His name is Sam Louie. Puck’s looking up at him in exasperation.

Sam: Come on, Judd! They aren’t that bad, and they mean well!

Puck: I know! I know! They’re big fans. They got a lot of talent. They’ve made a name for themselves …


Panel Three:

Scene: Puck in the foreground waves his arm to indicate what’s behind him: a dingy, smokey bar full of dingy people who are obviously enjoying themselves immensely. Puck’s motion should send the eye to the band, which is the important element of the panel – the band is John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd – in full Blues Brother’s uniform! There is no band, just John singing and Dan playing the harmonica. Behind them is a black curtain with the logo “Grossman’s Tavern” on it. Nowhere in the panel should you see the entrance to the bar.

Note: Photo reference of the bar at www.grossmanstavern.com and my website, www.geocities.com/drinkingtorotoblues . Getting it right isn’t important – it’s a famous place in Toronto, but more for what’s happened there than for the amount of people who go … kinda like CBCG’s in New York. It would be cool if on the next page you could get the outside of the bar close – people in Toronto pass by it a lot. BTW, The Blues Brother may have actually played Grossman’s for all I know – they certainly hung out there! They are based on the The Downchild Blues Band, then the Grossman’s house band, and recorded a few of their songs, including the one shown below….

Puck: … but they play like comedians!!!

Belushi: (singing) I got everything I need, almost! I got everything I need, almost! But I don’t got you….

Bar Patron (off-panel): Hey, what the heck kinda outfit is that? Arrgghhh!!!


Panel Four:

Scene: Standing in the doorway, smoke billowing from the back of his armor, looking menacing, is The Porcupine. An unconscious bar patron lies at his feet.

Porcupine: I am The Porcupine! For the next two hours, I will hold the fate in my hands!


Panel Five:

Scene: Close-up on Porcupine’s face, looking even more menacing.

Porcupine: Believe me when I tell you that the first one who gets in my way will be the death of you all!

Page Five: Six panels.


Panel One:

Scene: Vindicator and Wolverine have followed Porcupine’s trail to Grossman’s Tavern and are descending towards it.

Wolverine: This is the spot, Mac!


Panel Two:

Scene: Wolverine and Vindicator are on the ground, discussing strategy.

Vindicator: A bar? There will be civilians in there! This could get messy!

Wolverine: Too messy for you Mac! I’ve got to take this one alone!

Vindicator: Logan…!


Panel Three:

Scene: Close-up of Wolverine’s face, looking grim.

Wolverine: Your suit isn’t designed for a close-quarters scrap like this. You start blasting or throwing things, and some civilians will get hurt! Maybe killed!

Wolverine: I know you think I’m just trying to make up for my screw-up back at The Eaton Centre, and maybe I am! That doesn’t change anything!


Panel Four:

Scene: Torso & head-shot of Vindicator, looking every bit the National Super-Hero, Canada’s Captain America. He’s also grim, considering.

Wolverine: If you go in there, it’ll turn into a war-zone!


Panel Five:

Scene: Vindicator has come to his decision. He points to the bar entrance.

Vindicator: Alright! Do what you have to do to get him outside, but don’t let him hurt the hostages!


Panel Six:

Scene: Close-up of Wolverine grinning will evil intentions over his shoulder at Vindicator.

Wolverine: Don’t worry, Mac! I’ll save you a piece!

Page Six: Four panels. Set them up as you wish.


Panel One:

Scene: Wolverine is standing in the doorway of the bar. The door is trashed behind him – it was locked and he cut his way in. Porcupine is surprised that the heroes have found him so quickly. Puck is near enough to Porcupine that he can (and will be) grabbed by Porcupine as a hostage.

Porcupine: You again?

Wolverine: Sorry about the mess! Somebody accidentally locked the door!


Panel Two:

Scene: Porcupine pulls Puck in front of him with one hand, pointing his other hand at Puck’s head like he’s going to blast him.

Porcupine: Back out slowly, Wolverine, or I’ll blast the midget’s head off!

Puck: Hey!


Panel Three:

Scene: The audience’s view is behind Wolverine, looking past the back of his head. Porcupine has Puck in front on him, ready to blast him. Puck is covertly making hand signals to Wolverine.

Wolverine: Easy, bub … don’t do anything stupid!

Wolverine: (thinking) What’s the little guy doing with his hands?

Wolverine: (thinking) That’s secret Aikido hand-speak! There’s only a half-dozen people in Canada who even know those gestures exist!


Panel Four:

Scene: Close-up on Puck’s face. He’s concerned, but hasn’t even broke a sweat.

Puck: (thinking) C’mon, Logan … I’ve read up on you. I know you can understand this ….

Puck: (thinking) There! He’s acknowledged! Okay … we do it ….



Page Seven: Four panels. Set ‘em up as you wish.


Panel One:

Scene: Puck judo-throws Porcupine over his shoulder towards Wolverine.

Puck: … NOW!!!!

Porcupine: Hey!


Panel Two:

Scene: Wolverine takes a swipe with this claws at Porcupine’s chest, tearing a large hunk of battle-suit off. Porcupine, still not regained his balance, is forced backwards away from Wolverine by the blow.

Porcupine: ARRRGGHHHH!!!

Sound Effect: SKKKKRRRRREEEEKKKKKKK!


Panel Three:

Scene: First rebounding off the bar and walls as Puck is wont to do, Puck drop-kicks Porcupine in the back, sending Porcupine reeling towards Wolverine again.

Puck: Don’t call me midget, eh? I hate it when people call me midget!

Sound Effect: THUD!

Puck: I’m a dwarf!


Panel Four:

Scene: Wolverine side-steps Porcupine, who goes flying towards to the door. As he passes by, Wolverine cuts Porcupine’s helmet away.

Wolverine: Last call, bub!

Sound Effect: RRIIIIP!!


Page Eight: three panels. Two on top row. Third is a 2/3rd page splash on the bottom.


Panel One:

Scene: We are now outside the bar Porcupine, armor damaged and helmet has rushed out the door in a panic. He looks scared. We do not see Vindicator from this angle.

Porcupine: I’ve got to get out of here! Those two are crazy!

Vindicator: (off-panel) Going somewhere?


Panel Two:

Scene: Vindicator, armor glowing, unloads with a right to Porcupine’s defenseless chin. It should be obvious that the fight is now over.

Vindicator: Good-night, Porcupine!

Sound Effect: KRACK!!!


Panel Three: The large one.

Scene: This is the denouement. We are outside, in front of Grossman’s tavern. The major focus is Puck, Sam Louie, Wolverine (with a beer mug in hand) and Vindicator talking amongst themselves – Vindicator is handing Puck a business card. In the background, a hand-cuffed and groggy Porcupine is being led away by cops. Also, if there is room, the Blues Brothers are signing autographs for fans.

Porcupine: (groggily, smaller text than usual, almost an afterthought) … and I didn’t even get the diamonds….

Wolverine: What I wanna know is where you learned moves like that!

Puck: Oh, here and there …

Wolverine: (thinking) I’ll bet! I’ve never seen this guy before, but I recognize this guy’s scent from a half-dozen covert operations I’ve been on! He’s good!

Sam: Mr. Judd’s the toughest bouncer in Southern Ontario!

Vindicator: Well, If you are as skilled as Wolverine has said, then please take this card. I just might have a job for you, Mr. Judd!

Puck: Hah! So long as I don’t have to dress up in fancy pajamas like you two, eh?

Caption: Next: Sasquatch!



I had a few other stories planned out, but only one I can remember now - a Sasquatch vs. The Leader story.